IP Library › Granted Patent US 11,409,879
Granted Patent B2
US 11,409,879 · App. 17/029,442 · Granted Aug 9, 2022

Electronic device for updating firmware based on user authentication and an operating method thereof

Inventors: Keunyoung Park (Seongnam-si, KR); Dongjin Park (Seoul, KR); Jungtae Kim (Suwon-si, KR)
Assignee: SAMSUNG ELECTRONICS CO., LTD.
G06F21/572G06F21/31G06F21/575G06F21/74
View Patent ↗
Loading inventors, assignments & file history…
Monitor This Case
Get email alerts when status or documents change.
Order Certified Copies
Most orders are placed with the USPTO same day — all within 24 business hours.
Order via The Patent Place →
Pre-filled with this patent's details
Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 11,409,879
App. No.
17/029,442
Granted
Aug 9, 2022
Kind
B2
Abstract

The present disclosure relates to an electronic device, such as a system on chip, that may perform firmware updates based on user consent. The system on chip includes a nonvolatile memory (NVM), a main processor, a security NVM, and a security processor. The nonvolatile memory (NVM) stores first firmware and a user permission indicator. The main processor Loads the first firmware to boot a security processor. The security NVM contains first version information. The security processor compares version information of the first firmware to the first version information based on the user permission indicator and executes the first firmware in response to the matching of the comparison result. In some examples, the security processor is implemented on the same chip as the main processor.

Claims (95)

1. A system on chip comprising:

a nonvolatile memory (NVM) storing first firmware and a user permission indicator that indicates whether to perform a comparison of an installed firmware version with a firmware version installed with user consent;

a main processor configured to load the first firmware to boot a security processor; and

a security NVM containing first version information;

wherein the security processor is configured to compare version information of the first firmware with the first version information based on the user permission indicator to obtain a comparison result, and to execute the first firmware in response to matching of the comparison result, and

wherein the security processor is implemented on a same chip as the main processor.

2. The system on chip of claim 1 , wherein the security processor is further configured to:

store a received user identification (ID) and a password in the security NVM in response to activation of the user permission indicator;

generate a hash value of the first firmware running when the user permission indicator is activated; and

store the generated hash value as the first version information.

3. The system on chip of claim 2 , wherein the NVM is further configured to store second firmware different from the first firmware and an update indicator indicating storage of the second firmware.

4. The system on chip of claim 3 , wherein the main processor is further configured to:

identify activation of the update indicator;

boot the security processor by using the first firmware;

request a user to perform user authentication, in response to the activation of the update indicator; and

transmit a user input received in response to the request to the security processor as user authentication information.

5. The system on chip of claim 4 , wherein the security processor is further configured to:

perform user authentication by comparing the received user input with the user authentication information; and

when the comparison result is a match, to generate an ID of the second firmware, store the generated ID as second version information, and activate authentication status information indicating a result of the user authentication.

6. The system on chip of claim 5 , wherein the security processor is further configured to:

load the second firmware in response to the activation of the authentication status information;

generate an ID of the loaded second firmware, compare the generated ID with the second version information; and

execute the second firmware when the comparison result is a match.

7. The system on chip of claim 6 , wherein the security processor is further configured to:

inactivate the update indicator in response to the execution of the second firmware;

store the ID of the second firmware as the first version information;

delete the second version information; and

inactivate the authentication status information.

8. The system on chip of claim 6 , wherein the main processor is further configured to:

identify that the comparison result is not a match; and

inactivate the update indicator.

9. The system on chip of claim 1 , wherein the NVM is further configured to store second firmware different from the first firmware, and an update indicator indicating storage of the second firmware; and

the main processor is further configured to:

identify inactivation of the user permission indicator;

bypass a comparison between version information of the first firmware and the first version information in response to the identification; and

boot the security processor according to the second firmware.

10. An operating method of a system on chip, the operating method comprising:

booting a security processor according to first firmware;

comparing version information of the first firmware with first version information based on a user permission indicator that indicates whether to perform a comparison of an installed firmware version with a firmware version installed with user consent to obtain a comparison result; and

executing the first firmware when the comparison result is a match.

11. The operating method of claim 10 , further comprising:

storing a received user identification (ID) and a password as user authentication information in response to activation of the user permission indicator,

storing second firmware different from the first firmware,

activating an update indicator indicating storage of the second firmware,

wherein the first version information corresponds to an ID of the first firmware running when the user permission indicator is activated.

12. The operating method of claim 11 , further comprising:

identifying the activation of an update indicator;

booting the security processor according to the first firmware in response to the identification of the activation of the update indicator;

displaying information for requesting a user input for user authentication;

performing the user authentication by comparing a received user input with the user authentication information in response to the request;

generating an ID of second firmware and storing the generated ID as second version information when the comparison result is a match; and

activating authentication status information indicating a result of the user authentication.

13. The operating method of claim 12 , further comprising:

identifying the activation of the authentication status information;

loading the second firmware in response to the identification;

generating an ID of the loaded second firmware and comparing the generated ID with the second version information, and

executing the second firmware when the comparison result is a match.

14. The operating method of claim 13 , further comprising:

inactivating the update indicator;

storing the ID of the second firmware as the first version information and deleting the second version information; and

inactivating the authentication status information.

15. The operating method of claim 13 , further comprising inactivating the update indicator when the comparison result is not a match.

16. The operating method of claim 10 , further comprising:

storing second firmware different from the first firmware;

activating an update indicator indicating storage of the second firmware;

identifying inactivation of the user permission indicator; and

bypassing a comparison between version information of the first firmware and the first version information in response to the identification and booting the security processor according to the second firmware.

17. An electronic device comprising:

a nonvolatile memory (NVM) storing first firmware, second firmware, and an update indicator indicating that the second firmware is stored in a region different than the update indicator;

a main processor configured to load the first firmware when the update indicator is inactivated, and load the second firmware when the update indicator is activated; and

a security processor configured to verify a digital signature for the first firmware when the first firmware is loaded and execute the first firmware in response to a success of the verification of the digital signature for the first firmware or to verify a digital signature for the second firmware when the second firmware is loaded and execute the second firmware in response to a success of the verification of the digital signature for the second firmware,

wherein the security processor is implemented on the same chip as the main processor.

18. The electronic device of claim 17 , wherein the main processor is further configured to:

receive a user input for activating user permission;

activate a user permission indicator in response to the reception;

store the user permission indicator in the NVM;

transmit the received user input to the security processor as user authentication information so that user authentication information is stored in a security NVM;

calculate an identification (ID) of firmware running when the user input is received;

generate the generated ID as first version information; and

transmit the first version information to the security NVM.

19. The electronic device of claim 18 , wherein the main processor is further configured to load the first firmware in response to inactivation of the update indicator; and

the security processor is further configured to:

obtain an ID of the loaded first firmware based on activation of the user permission indicator;

compare the obtained ID with the first version information to obtain a comparison result; and

execute the first firmware in response to matching of the comparison result.

20. The device of claim 18 , wherein the main processor is further configured to load the first firmware in response to activation of the update indicator; and

the security processor is further configured to:

receive a user input for performing user authentication;

verify the received user input based on user authentication information;

obtain an ID of the second firmware when the verification succeeds;

store the obtained ID in the security NVM as second version information;

load the second firmware;

obtain an ID of the loaded second firmware;

compare the obtained ID with the second version information to obtain a comparison result; and

execute the second firmware when the comparison result is a match.

Assignments (1)
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Sep 23, 2020
From: PARK, KEUNYOUNG; PARK, DONGJIN; KIM, JUNGTAE
To: SAMSUNG ELECTRONICS CO., LTD.
Reel/Frame 053858/0736 →
Priority Claims (1)
KR 10-2020-0004950 · Jan 14, 2020 · national
Continuity (1)
Related Publication 20210216638A1 · Jul 15, 2021
Cited By (1)
US 12,423,430