Patents Portfolio

U.S. Application: 20210303180

Patent Title

Wireless communication between an integrated circuit memory device and a wireless controller device

Meta Information

Appl. No.: 17/216469
Filed: September 30, 2021
Inventor: William Ho Chang et al
External Links: UPSTO, Google Patents

Technical Fields

Smart Phone / Tablet, Smart TV, Digital Wallet / Payment, Laptop

Abstract

An integrated circuit device that includes a secure or protected memory component is herein disclosed and enabled. The integrated circuit device may be a wireless communication device, a smart phone, or a smart card. Additionally, the integrated circuit device may be part of, or included in, a computing device or a mobile device. The integrated circuit device includes a protected memory section for storing protected data that is not accessible by a user at the protected memory section, but is accessible by a memory controller included in the integrated circuit device. The access and transfer of the protected data is protected using combination security operations that may include encryption, cryptography, and user authentication. The integrated circuit device may further include a wireless component for establishing a wireless connection with wireless computing devices or readers for wirelessly transmitting the protected data accessed by the memory controller.

Sample Claim

1. An integrated circuit memory device that is a wireless device for wirelessly transmitting protected encrypted data stored in the integrated circuit memory device, the integrated circuit memory device comprising:
a user interface for interacting with a user;
a memory controller for executing software or firmware stored at the integrated circuit memory device;
memory that includes a protected memory area for storing protected data, the protected data stored in the protected memory area is not accessible, from the protected memory area, by a user of the integrated circuit memory device but is accessible by the memory controller; and
wireless communication circuitry for short range radio frequency wireless communication with wireless controller devices that are within a limited physical distance from the integrated circuit memory device, wherein the integrated circuit memory device is operable to:
(1) wirelessly discover, over the short range radio frequency wireless communication and using the wireless communication circuitry of the integrated circuit memory device, a wireless controller device;
(2) establish, using the wireless communication circuitry of the integrated circuit memory device, a short range wireless communication link between the integrated circuit memory device and the wireless controller device that is wirelessly discovered in (1), the short range wireless communication link being a radio communication link;
(3) wirelessly provide, using the wireless communication circuitry of the integrated circuit memory device, from the integrated circuit memory device, over the short range wireless communication link established in (2), and to the wireless controller device wirelessly discovered in (1), at least information
for identifying the integrated circuit memory device to the wireless controller device;
(4) access, using the software or firmware executable by the memory controller of the integrated circuit memory device, the protected data that is stored in the protected memory area, the accessing of the protected data from the protected memory area is based on the memory controller implementing a cryptographic algorithm;
(5) encrypt, at the integrated circuit memory device, the protected data into encrypted data, the encrypted data is related, at least in part, to the protected data accessed by the memory controller in (4) from the protected memory area of the integrated circuit memory device, the encryption of the data is for wireless transmission of the encrypted data securely over short-range wireless communication from the integrated circuit memory device to the wireless controller device;
(6) receive, using the user interface of the integrated circuit memory device, from the integrated circuit memory device, over the short range wireless communication link between the integrated circuit memory device and the wireless controller device established in (2), and to the wireless controller device wirelessly discovered in (1), at least a user input for transmitting at least part of the encrypted data encrypted in (5), the user input including at least authentication information related to the user; and
(7) wirelessly transmit, using the wireless communication circuitry of the integrated circuit memory device, directly from the integrated circuit memory device securely over the short range wireless communication link established in (2), and to the wireless controller device wirelessly discovered in (1), at least part of the encrypted data encrypted in (5), the wireless transmission of the encrypted data is subsequent to having received the user input that includes at least the authentication information related to the user in (6);
wherein the integrated circuit memory device provides protection of the protected data by storing the protected data in the protected memory area and requiring use of the integrated circuit memory device for wirelessly transmitting the encrypted data securely and directly from the integrated circuit memory device to the wireless controller device in (7).