Granted Patent B1

US 7,733,117 · App. 11/942,799 · Granted Jun 8, 2010

Abstract

Claims (24)

1. A device having protection capabilities, the device comprises a voltage supply unit that is coupled to an integrated circuit and provides a supply voltage to the integrated circuit;

wherein the integrated circuit comprises:

a security real time clock generator that comprises an input;

a masking unit coupled to the input, wherein the masking unit isolates the input when a voltage supply monitor is disabled; and

wherein the voltage supply monitor monitors the voltage supply unit and wherein a chance in a level of supply voltage affects a level of a signal provided to the input;

wherein the device further comprises a circuit that is adapted to receive a low power mode indicator and in response to disable the voltage supply monitor and send an isolation signal to the masking unit.

2. The device according to claim 1 wherein the voltage supply monitor is characterized by a high accuracy level and by a high power consumption level.

3. The device according to claim 1 wherein the masking unit comprises a logic gate; wherein one input of the logic gate is coupled to the input and another input of the logic gate is coupled a control circuit such as to selectively receive an isolation signal.

4. The device according to claim 1 wherein the input is adapted to receive an instruction to read a value of the security real time clock generator.

5. The device according to claim 1 wherein the input is adapted to receive a security key.

6. The device according to claim 1 wherein the security real time clock generator comprises a group of inputs, each input of the group of inputs is coupled to the masking unit.

7. The device according to claim 6 wherein each input of the group of inputs is coupled to a logic gate of the masking unit.

8. A device having protection capabilities, the device comprises a voltage supply unit that is coupled to an integrated circuit and provides a supply voltage to the integrated circuit;

wherein the integrated circuit comprises:

a security real time clock generator that comprises an input;

a masking unit coupled to the input, wherein the masking unit isolates the input when a voltage supply monitor is disabled; and

wherein the voltage supply monitor monitors the voltage supply unit and wherein a chance in a level of supply voltage affects a level of a signal provided to the input;

wherein the device further comprises a circuit that is adapted to receive a low power mode indicator and in response to disable the voltage supply monitor and send an isolation signal to the masking unit, and a dynamic voltage and frequency scaling controller that is adapted to generate the low power mode indicator.

9. The device according to claim 8 , wherein the voltage supply monitor is characterized by a high accuracy level and by a high power consumption level.

10. The device according to claim 8 , wherein the masking unit comprises a logic gate; wherein one input of the logic gate is coupled to the input and another input of the logic gate is coupled a control circuit such as to selectively receive an isolation signal.

11. The device according to claim 8 , wherein the input is adapted to receive an instruction to read a value of the security real time clock generator.

12. The device according to claim 8 , wherein the input is adapted to receive a security key.

13. The device according to claim 8 , wherein the security real time clock generator comprises a group of inputs each input of the group of inputs is coupled to the masking unit.

14. The device according to claim 13 wherein each input of the group of inputs is coupled to a logic gate of the masking unit.

Assignments (16)