Patents by Inventor Frank AUNE

Frank AUNE has filed for patents to protect the following inventions. This listing includes patent applications that are pending as well as patents that have already been granted by the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO).

  • Patent number: 11968306
    Abstract: An integrated-circuit device comprises a physical-unclonable-function (PUF) unit, a secure module, and an interconnect system communicatively coupled to the PUF unit and to the secure module. The device transfers a PUF key from the PUF unit to the secure module, over the interconnect system. In order to do this, the secure module generates a random value. The secure module then sends the random value to the PUF unit. The PUF unit then performs a bitwise XOR operation between the received random value and the PUF key, to generate a masked value. The PUF unit then transfers the masked value over the interconnect system to the secure module. The secure module then unmasks the PUF key by performing a bitwise XOR operation between the received masked value and the random value.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 23, 2022
    Date of Patent: April 23, 2024
    Assignee: Nordic Semiconductor ASA
    Inventor: Frank Aune
  • Patent number: 11698995
    Abstract: An integrated-circuit device comprises a processor, a peripheral component, a bus system, connected to the processor and to the peripheral component, and configured to carry bus transactions; and hardware filter logic. The bus system is configured to carry security-state signals for distinguishing between secure and non-secure bus transactions. The peripheral component comprises a register interface, accessible over the bus system, and comprising a hardware register and a direct-memory-access (DMA) controller for initiating bus transactions on the bus system. The peripheral component supports a secure-in-and-non-secure-out state in which the hardware filter logic is configured to prevent non-secure bus transactions from accessing the hardware register of the peripheral component, but to allow secure bus transactions to access the peripheral component.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 26, 2019
    Date of Patent: July 11, 2023
    Assignee: Nordic Semiconductor ASA
    Inventors: Ronan Barzic, Berend Dekens, Frank Aune, Anders Nore
  • Patent number: 11544413
    Abstract: An integrated-circuit device comprises a processor, a hardware key-storage system, and a key bus. The hardware key-storage system comprises a non-volatile key storage memory, which includes a key register, for storing a cryptographic key, and an address register, for storing a destination memory address for the cryptographic key. The hardware key-storage system further comprises output logic for sending the cryptographic key over the key bus to the destination memory address, and write-once logic for preventing an address being written to the address register unless the address register is in an erased state.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 2, 2019
    Date of Patent: January 3, 2023
    Assignee: Nordic Semiconductor ASA
    Inventors: Frank Aune, Jean-Baptiste Brelot
  • Publication number: 20220376920
    Abstract: An integrated-circuit device comprises a physical-unclonable-function (PUF) unit, a secure module, and an interconnect system communicatively coupled to the PUF unit and to the secure module. The device transfers a PUF key from the PUF unit to the secure module, over the interconnect system. In order to do this, the secure module generates a random value. The secure module then sends the random value to the PUF unit. The PUF unit then performs a bitwise XOR operation between the received random value and the PUF key, to generate a masked value. The PUF unit then transfers the masked value over the interconnect system to the secure module. The secure module then unmasks the PUF key by performing a bitwise XOR operation between the received masked value and the random value.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 23, 2022
    Publication date: November 24, 2022
    Applicant: Nordic Semiconductor ASA
    Inventor: Frank Aune
  • Publication number: 20210264066
    Abstract: An integrated-circuit device comprises a processor, a peripheral component, a bus system, connected to the processor and to the peripheral component, and configured to carry bus transactions; and hardware filter logic. The bus system is configured to carry security-state signals for distinguishing between secure and non-secure bus transactions. The peripheral component comprises a register interface, accessible over the bus system, and comprising a hardware register and a direct-memory-access (DMA) controller for initiating bus transactions on the bus system. The peripheral component supports a secure-in-and-non-secure-out state in which the hardware filter logic is configured to prevent non-secure bus transactions from accessing the hardware register of the peripheral component, but to allow secure bus transactions to access the peripheral component.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 26, 2019
    Publication date: August 26, 2021
    Applicant: Nordic Semiconductor ASA
    Inventors: Ronan BARZIC, Berend DEKENS, Frank AUNE, Anders NORE
  • Publication number: 20210240870
    Abstract: An integrated-circuit device comprises a processor, a hardware key-storage system, and a key bus. The hardware key-storage system comprises a non-volatile key storage memory, which includes a key register, for storing a cryptographic key, and an address register, for storing a destination memory address for the cryptographic key. The hardware key-storage system further comprises output logic for sending the cryptographic key over the key bus to the destination memory address, and write-once logic for preventing an address being written to the address register unless the address register is in an erased state.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 2, 2019
    Publication date: August 5, 2021
    Applicant: Nordic Semiconductor ASA
    Inventors: Frank AUNE, Jean-Baptiste BRELOT