Method for securing telecommunication transceiver integrated circuit designs against piracy, counterfeiting and unauthorized use

1 . A method for generating at least one communication frame to be transmitted by a telecommunication transmitter:

receiving, by an electronic device from a user, one of a first cryptographic key and a second cryptographic key and storing the one of the first cryptographic key and the second cryptographic key in a memory of the electronic device;

obtaining, by the electronic device, the first cryptographic key and the second cryptographic key, wherein the obtaining comprises reading the one of the first cryptographic key and the second cryptographic key from the memory, wherein another one of the first cryptographic key and the second cryptographic key is hardwired in an Integrated Circuit (IC) implementing the electronic device;

encrypting, by the electronic device, using the first cryptographic key, an initial sequence of data to be transmitted through the at least one communication frame, the encrypting delivering a first sequence of data, wherein the initial sequence of data comprises all or part of a predetermined preamble sequence of the at least one communication frame;

decrypting, by the electronic device, using the second cryptographic key, the first sequence of data, the decrypting delivering a second sequence of data; and

generating, by the electronic device, the at least one communication frame based on the second sequence of data,

wherein the encrypting and the decrypting are configured such that the second sequence of data comprises the initial sequence of data only when a predetermined relationship holds between the first cryptographic key and the second cryptographic key.

2 . The method according to claim 1 , wherein the predetermined relationship corresponds to having the first cryptographic key and the second cryptographic key being a same cryptographic key.

3 . The method according to claim 2 , wherein:

the encrypting implements an XOR logical function between binary elements of the initial sequence of data and of the first cryptographic key; and

the decrypting implements an XOR logical function between binary elements of the first sequence of data and of the second cryptographic key.

4 . The method according to claim 1 , wherein the decrypting the first sequence of data comprises:

determining a decryption sequence as an output of a nonlinear function taking as arguments the second cryptographic key and the second sequence of data,

and wherein the decrypting the first sequence of data uses the decryption sequence.

5 . The method according to claim 4 , wherein the nonlinear function implements:

an XOR logical function between binary elements of the second cryptographic key and of the second sequence of data, delivering an intermediate sequence; and

a nonlinear operation on the intermediate sequence, delivering said decryption sequence.

6 . The method according to claim 5 , wherein:

the encrypting implements an XOR logical function between binary elements of the initial sequence of data and of the first cryptographic key; and

the decrypting implements an XOR logical function between binary elements of the first sequence of data and the decryption sequence.

7 . The method according to claim 6 , wherein the predetermined relationship corresponds to having the first cryptographic key based on an output of the nonlinear function when taking as arguments the second cryptographic key and the initial sequence of data.

8 . The method according to claim 4 , wherein:

the encrypting implements an XOR logical function between binary elements of the initial sequence of data and of the first cryptographic key; and

the decrypting implements an XOR logical function between binary elements of the first sequence of data and the decryption sequence.

9 . A non-transitory computer-readable medium carrier comprising program code instructions stored thereon for causing an electronic device to perform:

receiving one of a first cryptographic key and a second cryptographic key and storing the one of the first cryptographic key and the second cryptographic key in a memory of the electronic device;

obtaining the first cryptographic key and the second cryptographic key, wherein the obtaining comprises reading the one of the first cryptographic key and the second cryptographic key from the memory, wherein another one of the first cryptographic key and the second cryptographic key is hardwired in an Integrated Circuit (IC) implementing the electronic device;

encrypting, using the first cryptographic key, an initial sequence of data to be transmitted through the at least one communication frame, the encrypting delivering a first sequence of data, wherein the initial sequence of data comprises all or part of a predetermined preamble sequence of the at least one communication frame;

decrypting, using the second cryptographic key, the first sequence of data, the decrypting delivering a second sequence of data; and

generating the at least one communication frame based on the second sequence of data,

wherein the encrypting and the decrypting are configured such that the second sequence of data comprises the initial sequence of data only when a predetermined relationship holds between the first cryptographic key and the second cryptographic key.

10 . An electronic device for generating at least one communication frame to be transmitted by a telecommunication transmitter, the electronic device comprising a processor or a dedicated computing machine configured for:

receiving, by an electronic device from a user, one of a first cryptographic key and a second cryptographic key and storing the one of a first cryptographic key and a second cryptographic key in a memory of the electronic device;

obtaining the first cryptographic key and the second cryptographic key, wherein the obtaining comprises reading the one of the first cryptographic key and the second cryptographic key from the memory, wherein another one of the first cryptographic key and the second cryptographic key is hardwired in an Integrated Circuit (IC) implementing the electronic device;

encrypting, using the first cryptographic key, an initial sequence of data to be transmitted through the at least one communication frame, the encrypting delivering a first sequence of data, wherein the initial sequence of data comprises all or part of a predetermined preamble sequence of the at least one communication frame;

decrypting, using the second cryptographic key, the first sequence of data, the decrypting delivering a second sequence of data; and

generating the at least one communication frame based on the second-sequence of data,

wherein the encrypting and the decrypting are configured such that the second sequence of data comprises the initial sequence of data only when a predetermined relationship holds between the first cryptographic key and the second cryptographic key.