Granted Patent B2

US 8,171,336 · App. 12/163,610 · Granted May 1, 2012

Abstract

Claims (52)

1. A method for protecting a secured real time clock module, the method comprises:

locking multiple input ports of the secured real time clock module if the multiple input ports of the secured real time clock module are idle during at least a first duration;

unlocking the multiple input ports of the secured real time clock module if a predefined high frequency code is received over a control input port of the secured real time clock module; and

providing a secured real time clock signal when the multiple input ports of the secured real time clock module are locked and when the multiple input ports of the secured real time clock module are unlocked;

wherein changes in a supply voltage results in a supply voltage induced changes of an input signal provided to an input port of the multiple input ports of the secured real time clock module;

wherein a maximal frequency of the supply voltage induced changes of the input signal is lower than a high frequency of the predefined high frequency code.

2. The method according to claim 1 wherein the multiple input ports of the secured real time clock module are idle during at least one low-power period, each low-power period of the at least one low-power period being longer than the first duration;

wherein the method comprises generating the predefined high frequency code by a high frequency code generator that is idle during the each low-power period of the at least one low-power period.

3. The method according to claim 1 wherein the multiple input ports of the secured real time clock module are idle during at least one low-power period, the each low-power period of the at least one low-power period being longer than the first duration;

wherein the method comprises receiving the predefined high frequency code by a high frequency code generator that is idle during the at least one low-power period.

4. The method according to claim 1 comprising generating the predefined high frequency code by a high frequency code generator as long as the high frequency code generator receives an enabling signal that is received only during periods that differ from low-power periods.

5. The method according to claim 1 comprising locking the multiple input ports of the secured real time clock module by applying a mask on input signals provided to the multiple input ports of the secured real time clock module; and

wherein the unlocking comprises unmasking the input signals.

6. The method according to claim 1 comprising:

locking the multiple input ports of the secured real time clock module by masking multiple input signals; and

monitoring output ports of a mask in order to determine an activity of the multiple input ports of the secured real time clock module, while ignoring supply voltage induced changes of input signals that are introduced while the multiple input ports of the secured real time clock module are locked.

7. The method according to claim 1 comprising high pass filtering signals sent over the control input port so as to filter out the supply voltage induced changes.

8. A device having secured real time clock module protection capabilities, the device comprises a secured real time clock module; the secured real time clock module comprises:

a controller, coupled to a real time clock generator, adapted to control the real time clock generator in response to control information;

a protection module, coupled to the controller and to multiple input ports of the secured real time clock module, the protection module locks the multiple input ports of the secured real time clock module if the multiple input ports of the secured real time clock module are idle during at least a first duration; and unlock the multiple input ports of the secured real time clock module if a predefined high frequency code is received over a control input port of the secured real time clock module; and

the real time clock generator, adapted to generate a real time clock signal when the multiple input ports of the secured real time clock module are locked and when the multiple input ports of the secured real time clock module are unlocked;

wherein changes in a supply voltage results in a supply voltage induced changes of an input signal provided to an input port of the multiple input ports of the secured real time clock module;

wherein a maximal frequency of the supply voltage induced changes of the input signal is lower than a high frequency of the predefined high frequency code.

9. The device according to claim 8 wherein the multiple input ports of the secured real time clock module are idle during at least one low-power period, each low-power period of the at least one low-power period being longer than the first duration;

wherein the device further comprises a high frequency code generator that is idle during the each low-power period of the at least one low-power period and is adapted to generate the high frequency code.

10. The device according to claim 9 wherein high frequency code generator generates the high frequency code while it receives an enabling signal; wherein the enabling signal is received only during periods that differ from low-power periods.

11. The device according to claim 8 wherein the protection module comprises a mask; wherein the mask is adapted to mask input signals provided to the multiple input ports of the secured real time clock module; and wherein the mask is adapted to unlock the multiple input ports of the secured real time clock module by unmasking the input signals to the secured real time clock module.

12. The device according to claim 11 comprising a monitor, coupled to output ports of the mask, adapted to monitor the output ports of the mask in order to determine an activity of the multiple input ports of the secured real time clock module, while ignoring supply voltage induced changes of input signals that are introduced while the multiple input ports of the secured real time clock module are locked.

13. The device according to claim 8 comprising a high pass filter adapted to apply a high pass filter operation on signals sent over the control input port so as to filter out the supply voltage induced changes.

14. A method for protecting a secured real time clock module, the method comprises:

locking multiple input ports of the secured real time clock module if the multiple input ports of the secured real time clock module are idle during at least a first duration;

generating a predefined high frequency code by a high frequency code generator as long as the high frequency code generator receives an enabling signal that is received only during periods that differ from low-power periods; and

unlocking the multiple input ports of the secured real time clock module if the predefined high frequency code is received over a control input port of the secured real time clock module;

wherein a maximal frequency of a supply voltage induced changes of an input signal to the secured real time clock module is lower than a high frequency of the predefined high frequency code.

15. The method according to claim 14 comprising locking the multiple input ports of the secured real time clock module by applying a mask on input signals provided to the multiple input ports of the secured real time clock module; and

wherein the unlocking comprises unmasking the input signals.

16. The method according to claim 14 comprising high pass filtering signals sent over the control input port so as to filter out the supply voltage induced changes.

17. A method for protecting a secured real time clock module, the method comprising:

locking multiple input ports of the secured real time clock module if the multiple input ports of the secured real time clock module are idle during at least a first duration, wherein the multiple input ports of the secured real time clock module are idle during at least one low-power period, each low-power period of the at least one low-power period being longer than the first duration;

generating a predefined high frequency code by a high frequency code generator that is idle during the each low-power period of the at least one low-power period; and

unlocking the multiple input ports of the secured real time clock module if the predefined high frequency code is received over a control input port of the secured real time clock module;

wherein a maximal frequency of a supply voltage induced changes of an input signal to the secured real time clock module is lower than a high frequency of the predefined high frequency code.

18. A method for protecting a secured real time clock module, the method comprising:

locking multiple input ports of the secured real time clock module if the multiple input ports of the secured real time clock module are idle during at least a first duration, wherein the multiple input ports of the secured real time clock module are idle during at least one low-power period, the each low-power period of the at least one low-power period being longer than the first duration;

receiving a predefined high frequency code by a high frequency code generator that is idle during the at least one low-power period; and

unlocking the multiple input ports of the secured real time clock module if the predefined high frequency code is received over a control input port of the secured real time clock module;

wherein a maximal frequency of a supply voltage induced changes of an input signal to the secured real time clock module is lower than a high frequency of the predefined high frequency code.

19. A method for protecting a secured real time clock module, the method comprising:

locking multiple input ports of the secured real time clock module if the multiple input ports of the secured real time clock module are idle during at least a first duration; unlocking the multiple input ports of the secured real time clock module if a predefined high frequency code is received over a control input port of the secured real time clock module;

wherein a maximal frequency of a supply voltage induced changes of an input signal to the secured real time clock module is lower than a high frequency of the predefined high frequency code;

locking the multiple input ports of the secured real time clock module by masking multiple input signals; and

monitoring output ports of a mask in order to determine an activity of the multiple input ports of the secured real time clock module, while ignoring supply voltage induced changes of input signals that are introduced while the multiple input ports of the secured real time clock module are locked.

Assignments (22)