Methods and apparatus for a password-protected integrated circuit

1. An integrated circuit capable of communicating with a host processor, comprising:

a cryptosystem encoded with a password seed, and configured to:

receive control data from the host processor;

generate a key based on the password seed;

authenticate the control data utilizing the key; and

transmit status data to the host processor, wherein the status data indicates whether the control data from the host processor was authenticated;

a sensor control circuit coupled to the cryptosystem and configured to:

receive the authenticated control data from the cryptosystem; and

generate an operation signal in response to the authenticated control data; and

a sensor coupled to the sensor control circuit, wherein the sensor is configured to:

operate according to the operation signal;

generate sensor data; and

transmit the sensor data to the cryptosystem.

2. The integrated circuit according to claim 1 , wherein the cryptosystem, the sensor control circuit, and the sensor are formed on a single chip.

3. The integrated circuit according to claim 1 , wherein the sensor control circuit is further configured to transmit status data to the cryptosystem.

4. The integrated circuit according to claim 1 , wherein the cryptosystem comprises:

a password circuit comprising a memory and configured to:

store the password seed; and

generate the key; and

an authentication circuit coupled to the password circuit and configured to authenticate the control data.

5. The integrated circuit according to claim 1 , wherein the cryptosystem comprises a data tagging circuit coupled to an output of the sensor and configured to tag the sensor data with a unique identifier.

6. The integrated circuit according to claim 1 , wherein the cryptosystem is further configured to tag the sensor data with a unique identifier and transmit the tagged sensor data to the host processor.

7. The integrated circuit according to claim 1 , wherein the cryptosystem generates the key based on at least one of: the control data, the status data, and the sensor data.

8. The integrated circuit according to claim 1 , wherein:

the sensor comprises an image sensor; and

the sensor data comprises image data.

9. A method for operating a sensor according to control data from a host processor, comprising:

reading the control data from the host processor;

reading a security code transmitted with the control data;

generating a key from a password seed;

decrypting the security code with the key;

determining whether the security code is valid;

transmitting status data to the host processor, wherein the status data indicates whether the security code was valid;

generating an operation signal only if the security code is valid;

halting receipt of subsequent control data if the security code is invalid; and

operating the sensor according to the operation signal only if the security code is valid.

10. The method according to claim 9 , further comprising:

generating sensor data with the sensor;

tagging the sensor data with a unique identifier; and

transmitting the tagged sensor data to the host processor.

11. The method according to claim 10 , further comprising validating the unique identifier and operating a peripheral system according to the tagged sensor data.

12. The method according to claim 9 , further comprising transmitting status data to the host processor indicating the validity of the security code.

13. The method according to claim 9 , wherein generating the key comprises:

generating the key according to a predetermined time interval; and

generating the key utilizing an encryption algorithm based on at least one of: the control data, status data, and sensor data.

14. A vehicle system, comprising:

a host processor configured to generate control data according to an operation parameter; and

a sensor integrated circuit, coupled to the host processor and configured to transmit status data to the host processor, comprising:

a cryptosystem coupled to the host processor and encoded with a password seed and configured to:

receive the control data from the host processor;

generate a key based on the password seed;

authenticate the control data utilizing the key;

transmit status data to the host processor, wherein the status data indicates whether the control data from the host processor was authenticated; and

transmit the authenticated control data; and

a sensor control circuit coupled to the cryptosystem and configured to:

receive the authenticated control data from the cryptosystem;

transmit the status data to the cryptosystem; and

transmit an operation signal to an image sensor, wherein the image sensor:

generates image data according to the operation signal; and

transmits the image data to the cryptosystem.

15. The vehicle system according to claim 14 , wherein the cryptosystem, the sensor control circuit, and the sensor are formed on a single chip.

16. The vehicle system according to claim 14 , wherein the operation parameter may comprise at least one of: a readout mode, an integration period, and a gain setting.

17. The vehicle system according to claim 14 , wherein the cryptosystem comprises:

a password circuit comprising a memory and configured to:

store the password seed; and

generate the key; and

an authentication circuit coupled to the password circuit and configured to authenticate the control data.

18. The vehicle system according to claim 14 , wherein the cryptosystem comprises a data tagging circuit coupled to an output of the image sensor and configured to tag the image data with a unique identifier.

19. The vehicle system according to claim 14 , wherein the cryptosystem generates the key based on at least one of: the control data, the status data, and the image data.

20. The vehicle system according to claim 14 , wherein:

the cryptosystem is further configured to tag the image data with a unique identifier and transmit the tagged image data to the host processor; and

the host processor validates the unique identifier and responds to the tagged image data.