Methods and systems for securely transferring embedded code and/or data designed for a device to a customer

摘要

The invention relates to methods and systems for securely transferring embedded code or data to a customer, in particular to methods and systems for securely transferring embedded code, data files or program files designed for a device to a customer in order to prevent the embedded code, data files or program files from being used on unauthorized devices.

主权项

1. A method for securely transferring embedded software code designed by a software code supplier for a semiconductor device produced by a semiconductor device manufacturer to a customer, wherein the software code supplier and the semiconductor device manufacturer are different entities, the method comprising:
providing a plurality of semiconductor devices comprising different batches of semiconductor devices, wherein each batch comprises one or more semiconductor devices; storing, by the semiconductor device manufacturer, different first encryption keys in memories of different respective batches of semiconductor devices of the plurality of semiconductor devices to be delivered to a customer; encrypting, by the software code supplier, the embedded software code designed for the semiconductor devices using a second encryption key; generating, by the software code supplier, each of the different first encryption keys based on respective identification (ID) numbers associated with each batch of the semiconductor devices of the plurality of semiconductor devices to directly use the generated different first encryption keys, by the software code supplier, for the different batches of the semiconductor devices, respectively, to encrypt the second encryption key within a closed process protected from external access such that the different first encryption keys generated by the software code supplier are not otherwise accessible; and decrypting the embedded software code using the second encryption key decrypted by using the different first encryption keys at a location of the customer.