Preventing unauthorized data extraction

摘要

An electronic device (22, 48, 50) includes an array (26) of memory cells, which are configured to store data values. One or more sense amplifiers (40) have respective inputs for receiving signals from the memory cells and are configured to output the data values corresponding to the received signals. Switching circuitry (36, 52) is coupled between the array of the memory cells and the sense amplifiers and is configured to receive an indication of a temporal pattern and to route the signals from the memory cells among the inputs of the sense amplifiers in accordance with the temporal pattern.

主权项

1. An electronic device, comprising:
an array of memory cells, which are configured to store data values; one or more sense amplifiers, each having a respective pair of differential inputs for receiving signals from the memory cells and configured to output the data values corresponding to the received signals; switching circuitry, which is coupled between the array of the memory cells and the sense amplifiers and is configured to prevent unauthorized extraction of the data values by switching the differential inputs of the sense amplifiers according to an indication of a temporal pattern that varies over time so that the data values output by the one or more sense amplifiers alternate between actual data values read from the memory cells and complements of the actual data values in accordance with the temporal pattern; and a control link over which an indication of the temporal pattern is communicated between the device and a processor, which receives and rearranges the data values output by the sense amplifiers.