Using multiples above two with running totals and reference values other than 0 and 2 (window size) in elliptic curve cryptography scalar multiplication acceleration tables

1. A method comprising:

(A) receiving, from a user interface, an input value to be cryptographically processed;

(B) applying, in a microprocessor, elliptic curve cryptography (ECC) based cryptographic processing to the input value to generate a cryptographically processed value, wherein:

(i) applying ECC-based cryptographic processing includes:

(a) performing ECC scalar multiplication to calculate an ECC scalar multiplication result with an enhanced acceleration table (EAT), the EAT including a plurality of ordered sub-tables, each sub-table including a plurality of entries; and

(b) cryptographically processing the received input value according to an ECC based cryptographic processing algorithm using the calculated ECC scalar multiplication result to generate the cryptographically processed value;

(ii) calculating the ECC scalar multiplication result with the EAT includes:

(a) generating a plurality of running totals, each running total being associated with a positive integer multiplier; and

(b) calculating the sum of each running total multiplied by its associated positive integer multiplier, this sum being the ECC scalar multiplication result;

(iii) generating the plurality of running totals includes, for each sub-table of the plurality of sub-tables:

(a) adding a first value associated with an entry in that sub-table to a running total of the plurality of running totals; and

(b) carrying a second value to a next sub-table, except for the last sub-table of the plurality of ordered sub-tables; and

(iv) for one sub-table of the plurality of sub-tables, the running total is associated with a multiplier greater than 2; and

(C) outputting the generated cryptographically processed value via the user interface.

2. A method as in claim 1 wherein, for the one sub-table, carrying the second value to the next sub-table includes carrying an integer value other than 0 or 1 to the next sub-table.

3. A method as in claim 2 wherein:

the first value associated with the entry in the one sub-table is a value stored in that entry; and

the second value carried to the next sub-table is a negative integer.

4. A method as in claim 2 wherein:

the first value associated with the entry in the one sub-table is a negation of a value stored in that entry; and

the second value carried to the next sub-table is a positive integer greater than 1.

5. A method as in claim 2 wherein:

performing ECC scalar multiplication includes calculating a product of a scalar value and a given point on an elliptic curve, the given point being represented by an ordered pair of coordinate values, a bit-length of each coordinate value of the ordered pair being equal to a field size of an elliptic curve group based on the given point and the elliptic curve, wherein the scalar value also has the same bit-length;

the number of sub-tables in the EAT is defined by the bit-length divided by a window-size;

a binary representation of the scalar value is divided into an ordered set of subsets, each subset being a binary value having a length equal to the window-size, each subset corresponding to a particular sub-table in order; and

generating the plurality of running totals further includes selecting an entry in that sub-table associated with the binary value of the subset associated with that sub-table.

6. A method as in claim 5 wherein:

the field size is 256;

the elliptic curve group is the NIST standard P256 elliptic curve group; and

the window-size is a fourth value chosen from the set {3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12}.

7. A method as in claim 6 wherein

the window-size is 6;

for a first sub-table of the plurality of sub-tables having a corresponding subset having a binary value equal to 23:

selecting the entry in that sub-table associated with the binary value of the subset associated with that sub-table includes selecting the tenth entry of that sub-table; and

adding the first value associated with the entry in that sub-table to the running total of the plurality of running totals includes:

adding the value stored in the selected entry of that sub-table to a running total associated with the value 3; and

carrying a value of −1 to the next sub-table; and

for the next sub-table, subtracting one from the binary value of the subset that corresponds to that next sub-table prior to selecting the entry in that next sub-table associated with the binary value of the subset associated with that next sub-table.

8. A method as in claim 2 wherein calculating the sum of each running total multiplied by its associated positive integer multiplier consists of performing a series of nested addition, negation, and doubling operations on the plurality of running totals.

9. A method as in claim 1 wherein the term, ECC scalar multiplication result, is defined to mean the product of a scalar integer, n, by a point on an elliptic curve, the product of the scalar integer, n, by the point on the elliptic curve being defined by adding the point on the elliptic curve to itself n−1 times.

10. An integrated circuit chip comprising:

an interface portion for communicating with an external user interface;

a high speed on-chip cache, the cache being constructed and arranged to store:

the entire contents of an enhanced acceleration table (EAT), the EAT including a plurality of ordered sub-tables, each sub-table including a plurality of entries, each entry including a pair of coordinate values representing a point along an elliptic curve; and

instructions to be performed; and

a controller, the controller being constructed and arranged to perform instructions stored in the cache, wherein performing instructions stored in the cache includes:

(A) receiving, from the external user interface, an input value to be cryptographically processed;

(B) applying elliptic curve cryptography (ECC) based cryptographic processing to the input value to generate a cryptographically processed value, wherein:

(i) applying ECC-based cryptographic processing includes:

(a) performing ECC scalar multiplication to calculate an ECC scalar multiplication result with the EAT stored in the cache; and

(b) cryptographically processing the received input value according to an ECC based cryptographic processing algorithm using the calculated ECC scalar multiplication result to generate the cryptographically processed value;

(ii) calculating the ECC scalar multiplication result with the EAT includes:

(a) generating a plurality of running totals, each running total being associated with a positive integer multiplier; and

(b) calculating the sum of each running total multiplied by its associated positive integer multiplier, this sum being the ECC scalar multiplication result;

(iii) generating the plurality of running totals includes, for each sub-table of the plurality of sub-tables:

(a) adding a first value associated with an entry in that sub-table to a running total of the plurality of running totals; and

(b) carrying a second value to a next sub-table, except for the last sub-table of the plurality of ordered sub-tables; and

(iv) for one sub-table of the plurality of sub-tables, the running total is associated with a multiplier greater than 2; and

(C) outputting the generated cryptographically processed value via the user interface.

11. An integrated circuit chip as in claim 10 wherein the controller, when carrying the second value to the next sub-table for the one sub-table is configured to carry an integer value other than 0 or 1 to the next sub-table.

12. An integrated circuit chip as in claim 11 wherein:

the first value associated with the entry in the one sub-table is the pair of coordinate values stored in that entry; and

the second value carried to the next sub-table is a negative integer.

13. An integrated circuit chip as in claim 11 wherein:

the first value associated with the entry in the one sub-table is a negation of the pair of coordinate values stored in that entry; and

the second value carried to the next sub-table is a positive integer greater than 1.

14. An integrated circuit chip as in claim 11 wherein:

performing ECC scalar multiplication includes calculating a product of a scalar value and a given point on the elliptic curve, the given point being represented by an ordered pair of coordinate values, a bit-length of each coordinate value of the ordered pair being equal to a field size of an elliptic curve group based on the given point and the elliptic curve, wherein the scalar value also has the same bit-length;

the number of sub-tables in the EAT is defined by the bit-length divided by a window-size;

a binary representation of the scalar value is divided into an ordered set of subsets, each subset being a binary value having a length equal to the window-size, each subset corresponding to a particular sub-table in order; and

generating the plurality of running totals further includes selecting an entry in that sub-table associated with the binary value of the subset associated with that sub-table.

15. An integrated circuit chip as in claim 14 wherein:

the field size is 256;

the elliptic curve group is the NIST standard P256 elliptic curve group; and

the window-size is a fourth value chosen from the set {3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12}.

16. A computer program product comprising a non-transitory computer readable medium, the non-transitory computer readable medium storing instructions thereon which when performed by a computer cause the computer to:

(A) receive, from a user interface, an input value to be cryptographically processed;

(B) apply elliptic curve cryptography (ECC) based cryptographic processing to the input value to generate a cryptographically processed value, wherein:

(i) applying ECC-based cryptographic processing includes:

(a) performing ECC scalar multiplication to calculate an ECC scalar multiplication result with an enhanced acceleration table (EAT), the EAT including a plurality of ordered sub-tables, each sub-table including a plurality of entries; and

(b) cryptographically processing the received input value according to an ECC based cryptographic processing algorithm using the calculated ECC scalar multiplication result to generate the cryptographically processed value;

(ii) calculating the ECC scalar multiplication result with the EAT includes:

(a) generating a plurality of running totals, each running total being associated with a positive integer multiplier; and

(b) calculating the sum of each running total multiplied by its associated positive integer multiplier, this sum being the ECC scalar multiplication result;

(iii) generating the plurality of running totals includes, for each sub-table of the plurality of sub-tables:

(a) adding a first value associated with an entry in that sub-table to a running total of the plurality of running totals; and

(b) carrying a second value to a next sub-table, except for the last sub-table of the plurality of ordered sub-tables; and

(iv) for one sub-table of the plurality of sub-tables, the running total is associated with a multiplier greater than 2; and

(C) output the generated cryptographically processed value via the user interface.

17. A computer program product as in claim 16 wherein the instructions for carrying the second value to the next sub-table for the one sub-table include instructions for carrying an integer value other than 0 or 1 to the next sub-table.

18. A computer program product as in claim 17 wherein:

the first value associated with the entry in the one sub-table is a value stored in that entry; and

the second value carried to the next sub-table is a negative integer.

19. A computer program product as in claim 17 wherein:

the first value associated with the entry in the one sub-table is a negation of a value stored in that entry; and

the second value carried to the next sub-table is a positive integer greater than 1.

20. A computer program product as in claim 17 wherein:

performing ECC scalar multiplication includes calculating a product of a scalar value and a given point on an elliptic curve, the given point being represented by an ordered pair of coordinate values, a bit-length of each coordinate value of the ordered pair being equal to a field size of an elliptic curve group based on the given point and the elliptic curve, wherein the scalar value also has the same bit-length;

the number of sub-tables in the EAT is defined by the bit-length divided by a window-size;

a binary representation of the scalar value is divided into an ordered set of subsets, each subset being a binary value having a length equal to the window-size, each subset corresponding to a particular sub-table in order; and

generating the plurality of running totals further includes selecting an entry in that sub-table associated with the binary value of the subset associated with that sub-table.

21. A computer program product as in claim 20 wherein:

the field size is 256;

the elliptic curve group is the NIST standard P256 elliptic curve group; and

the window-size is a fourth value chosen from the set {3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12}.

22. A computer program product as in claim 17 wherein calculating the sum of each running total multiplied by its associated positive integer multiplier consists of performing a series of nested addition and doubling operations on the plurality of running totals.