Abstract: A method and apparatus for camouflaging an application specific integrated circuit (ASIC), wherein the ASIC comprises a plurality of interconnected functional logic is disclosed. The method adds functionally inert elements to the logical description or provides alternative definitions of standard logical cells to make it difficult for reverse engineering programs to be used to discover the circuit's function. Additionally, post processing may be performed on GDS layers to provide a realistic fill of the empty space so as to resemble structural elements found in a functional circuit.

Abstract: A method, apparatus, article of manufacture, and a memory structure for inserting a watermark in a media program is described. In an exemplary embodiment, the method comprises the steps of receiving data comprising the media program in the receiver disposed at a subscriber station, generating a watermark, the watermark generated at least in part according to a secure data processor-unique identifier irreversibly stored in the secure data processor, processing the received data to reproduce the media program, and inserting portions of the generated watermark in the reproduced media program at locations determined at least in part according to the secure data processor-unique identifier to produce a watermarked media program provided for display.

Abstract: In a general aspect, a method can include producing, by an inductive antenna circuit, a first periodic signal that is based on an alternating external magnetic field; producing, by an oscillator circuit, a second periodic signal that is based on the first periodic signal; and transmitting, in correspondence with a data-carrying modulation signal, a sequence of data bits. The transmitting can include sequentially and repetitively: applying, with the oscillator circuit operating in a free oscillation mode, the second periodic signal to the inductive antenna circuit; and inhibiting, with the oscillator circuit operating in a synchronous oscillation mode, application of the second periodic signal to the inductive antenna circuit. The synchronous oscillation mode of the oscillator circuit can cause the second periodic signal to be synchronized to the first periodic signal.

Abstract: In a general aspect, a mobile communications apparatus can include a housing and inductive coupling communication circuitry configured to communicate in peer-to-peer mode with a like apparatus. The inductive coupling communication circuitry can include a communication controller and an inductive antenna. The inductive antenna can have at least one loop arranged in series between a first connection point and a second connection point and be proximate to a back wall of the housing. The inductive antenna can be, when the mobile communications apparatus is placed back-to-back in longitudinal and latitudinal alignment with a like mobile communications device, asymmetric with a like inductive antenna of the like mobile communications device, where a ratio of a sum of respective surface areas of mutually opposite surfaces of loops of a same rank of the inductive antenna divided by a sum of respective surface areas of the like inductive antenna is 0.8 or less.

Abstract: A computer implemented anti-tamper system employing runtime profiling of software in order to decide where to inject integrity checks into the software, to enable verification of whether or not the software has been tampered with. Runtime profiling and analysis is used to record information about the application, in order to establish the locations and targets of runtime integrity checks in order to optimize protection security, while minimizing the performance penalty and the need for hand configuration.

Abstract: In a general aspect, an electronic device can include a device configured to transmit data by intracorporeal current. The device configured to transmit data by intracorporeal current can include a first electrode configured to be capacitively coupled with a body of a user or capacitively coupled in an intracorporeal current conduction path of the electronic device. The electronic device can further include a circuit configured to electrically bias the first electrode. The circuit can include an electric coil arranged near the first electrode. The electric coil can be configured to, in response to an alternating-current (AC) signal, generate an alternating magnetic field having field lines incident on the first electrode. The field lines incident on the first electrode can induce a current in the first electrode, where the current induces an electric field that generates an intracorporeal current.

Abstract: In a general aspect, a portable electronic device can include a digital display including a first electrically conductive plane. The first electrically conductive plane can be configured to neutralize electromagnetic radiation produced by the digital display. The portable electronic device can also include a data transmission device configured to transmit data by intracorporeal current. The data transmission device can include a first electrode that is configured to be capacitively coupled with a body of a user and a second electrode that includes the first electrically conductive plane. The first electrically conductive plane can be electrically coupled with an electrical ground of the data transmission device. The portable electronic device can further include a printed circuit including a second electrically conductive plane. The second electrically conductive plane can be included in the second electrode of the data transmission device.

Abstract: In a general aspect, a method for transmitting data between an NFC card and an external NFC device via a selected interface (e.g., contact or contactless), and further via a contactless interface of the NFC module when the contact interface of the NFC card is selected can include using an NFC card that includes an antenna circuit having an antenna coil with a magnetic axis and an electrically conductive screen extending near the antenna coil. The magnetic axis of the antenna coil can be substantially parallel to a plane defined by the NFC card and not cross the conductive screen. The contactless interface of the NFC card, when selected by the NFC card, can emit data by emitting bursts of magnetic field from the antenna coil, so as to compensate for effects of the conductive screen on a maximum distance for transmitting data by load modulation.

Abstract: A method in an elliptic curve cryptographic system, the method being executed by an electronic device and including a multiplication operation of multiplying a point of an elliptic curve by a scalar number, the point having affine coordinates belonging to a Galois field, the multiplication operation including steps of detecting the appearance of a point at infinity during intermediate calculations of the multiplication operation, and of activating an error signal if the point at infinity is detected and if the number of bits of the scalar number processed by the multiplication operation is lower than the rank of the most significant bit of an order of a base point of the cryptographic system.

Abstract: A cryptographic data processing method, implemented in an electronic device including a processor, the method including steps of providing a point of an elliptic curve in a Galois field, and a whole number, and of calculating a scalar product of the point by the number, the coordinates of the point and the number having a size greater than the size of words that may be processed directly by the processor, the scalar multiplication of the point by the number including steps of: storing scalar multiples of the point multiplied-by the number 2 raised to a power belonging to a series of whole numbers, setting a resulting point for each non-zero bit of the first number, adding the resulting point and one of the stored multiple points, and providing at the output of the processor the resulting point as result of the scalar product.

Abstract: A memory including at least one line to which memory cells are coupled. A control circuit is configured to emit an end-of-operation signal at the end of the execution of an operation on at least one memory cell, and a glitch detection circuit coupled to the memory line is configured to supply a glitch detection signal when a falling edge of the amplitude of a voltage signal appears on the memory line in the absence of the end-of-operation signal.

Abstract: In a general aspect, a method for transmitting data by inductive coupling can include applying, at a rate of a data-carrying signal, a plurality of bursts of a periodic signal to a tuned inductive antenna circuit. The method can further include producing, in the tuned inductive antenna circuit, an antenna signal, the antenna signal generating a magnetic field. The method can further include delimiting an amplitude of each burst of the plurality of bursts of the periodic signal in accordance with an envelope signal, the envelope signal having a rising edge and a falling edge. The delimiting can include shaping the falling edge of the envelope signal using one of a digital shaping circuit and an analog shaping circuit, such that a slope of the falling edge of the envelope signal is flattened as compared to a square envelope signal.

Abstract: In a general aspect, a method can include: installing in a non-secure device a customized module for managing communications with a secure element, transmitting to the secure element first authentication data for authenticating the customized module, the customized module generating and transmitting to the secure element second authentication data for authenticating the customized module, if the secure element determines that the first and second authentication data are consistent with each other, establishing a secure communication link between the customized module and the secure element, by using the first or second authentication data, the non-secure device transmitting a command to the secure element, for an application installed in the secure element, and the secure element executing the command only if the command is sent via the secure communication link.

Abstract: In a general aspect, a method can include establishing a contactless communication channel with a contactless transaction terminal and receiving a command from the contactless transaction terminal. The command can include an identifier of an application. The method can also include selecting, in a table in response to the command, an instance identifier corresponding with an instance of the application from a plurality of instance identifiers corresponding, respectively, with different instances of the application. Each instance identifier can be associated with a state indicator, and the state indicator associated with the selected instance identifier can specify that the corresponding instance of the application is in a selectable state.

Abstract: This disclosure relates to methods for generating a prime number, which can be implemented in an electronic device. An example method can include calculating a candidate prime number using a formula Pr=2P·R+1, where P is a prime number and R is an integer. The method can also include applying the Pocklington primality test to the candidate prime number and rejecting the candidate prime number if it fails the Pocklington test. The integer can be generated from an invertible number belonging to a set of invertible elements modulo the product of numbers belonging to a group of small prime numbers greater than 2, where the candidate prime number is not divisible by any number of the group. The prime number P having a number of bits equal to within one bit, to half or a third of the number of bits of the candidate prime number.

Abstract: The detection of locking of a free running oscillator (FRO) is disclosed, including taking periodic samples of the FRO output, storing each new sample in a sample storage medium, each time a new sample is stored searching the stored samples for at least one repeating pattern, counting consecutive sampling instances in which a repeating pattern is found, and indicating when the count reaches a preselected threshold number.

Abstract: The invention relates to a method for generating a prime number, implemented in an electronic device, the method including steps of generating a prime number from another prime number using the formula Pr=2P·R+1, where P is a prime number having a number of bits lower than that of the candidate prime number, and R is an integer, and applying the Pocklington primality test to the candidate prime number, the candidate prime number being proven if it passes the Pocklington test. According to the invention, the size in number of bits of the candidate prime number is equal to three times the size of the prime number, to within one unit, the generated candidate prime number being retained as candidate prime number only if the quotient of the integer division of the integer by the prime number is odd.

Abstract: A fault detection method for an encryption/decryption system based on a block cipher comprises the steps of subjecting a state array (CST) to multiple rounds, each round comprising a same series of sequential operations transforming the state array; storing the state of a reference operation (ShiftRows) of a current round as a checkpoint state (CHK); storing the state of the reference operation in the next round as an intermediate state; applying one round of reciprocal operations to the intermediate state, starting from the reciprocal of the reference operation (InvShiftRows); and comparing the result state of said one round of reciprocal operations with the checkpoint state.

Abstract: In a general aspect, a method of writing data in a nonvolatile memory can include performing a first erase or program cycle to write regular data in a first memory cell of the non-volatile memory by (i) applying at least one erase or program pulse to the first memory cell and (ii) determining the state, erased or programmed, of the first memory cell, and repeating (i) and (ii) if the first memory cell is not in the desired state. The method can also include applying a predetermined number of erase or program pulses to write fake data in a second memory cell.

Abstract: An apparatus including inductive coupling communication circuitry configured to communicate in peer-to-peer mode with an identical apparatus includes an antenna coil presenting, relative to a longitudinal median or a transversal median axis of the antenna coil, an asymmetry corresponding to a coverage rate less than or equal to 0.6 if the antenna coil comprises 4 or more loops, less than or equal to 0.7 if the antenna coil comprises 3 loops, or less than or equal to 0.8 if the antenna coil comprises 1 or 2 loops.