Cryptography – Particular algorithmic function encoding
Reexamination Certificate
1998-10-22
2002-06-18
Barron, Jr., Gilberto (Department: 2132)
Cryptography
Particular algorithmic function encoding
C380S029000, C380S037000, C713S189000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06408074
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention provides for a hardware based cipher device which is configurable to perform different cryptographic algorithms and in particular provides for efficient and flexible execution of these algorithms.
2. Description of the Related Art
The security of information conveyed over communication systems has always been a source of concern for those who provide communication services to subscribers, viz., system operators. With the growing use of communication systems such as the Internet and wireless communication systems (e.g., cellular communication), information security has become an important consideration for system operators. One of the more effective techniques used by communication system operators is to encrypt a user's information before such information is conveyed over a system. The intended receiver of the information is provided with the proper decryption equipment. The science and technology of keeping information secret from unauthorized parties by using a code or cipher is known as Cryptography,
Cryptography's Role In Securing The Information Society
, Kenneth W. Dam and Herbert S. Lin, Editors, National Academy Press 1996. In a basic form of Cryptography, the information is first encrypted and then transmitted over a communication system. Associated with the encryption applied to the information is a secret procedure or “key” that allows one to decrypt the encrypted information. The key is known only to the authorized recipient of the information and the system operator.
Cryptographic techniques are typically implemented with software or hardware based schemes. The software schemes typically make use of either digital computer equipment and/or digital signal processing equipment which are used to encrypt and/or decrypt information conveyed by an information source (e.g., a communication system, or any other system, communication device). The hardware schemes are typically achieved with specific hardware designed to execute various well known cryptographic operations (e.g., shift, add, multiply) on the information.
The digital signal processing equipment (e.g., digital signal processors) used for software based schemes typically comprise well known digital and analog circuits that process information (in the form of digital and/or analog signals) in accordance with a procedure that is typically implemented through software. The procedure performs cryptographic operations on the information in order to encrypt or decrypt the information; such a procedure is referred to as a cryptographic algorithm. The processing of information in accordance with a cryptographic algorithm is referred to as cryptographic processing. The signal processing hardware include such well known signal processing blocks as shift registers, binary adders, delay blocks and multiplier blocks. The various signal processing blocks are interconnected based on a specific set of instructions (i.e., software program) that is implementing a particular algorithm. The interconnections are implemented with any well known form of controllable electronic switches. Thus, the architecture of a Digital Signal Processor (DSP) is such that it can be programmed (interconnections between circuits) to achieve a specific type of processing based on the algorithm being implemented.
The digital computer equipment used for software based schemes typically comprise microprocessor based hardware and supporting digital logic circuitry. When the signal processing is implemented with a digital computer (i.e., a microprocessor based system), the algorithm is also implemented with a set of instructions. The individual signal processing blocks are implemented with software. Although the digital computer hardware or microprocessor hardware is not specifically designed to implement signal processing operations such as shift, add, delay and multiply, it is well known that these operations can be achieved with software.
Software implementation of cryptographic algorithms is desirable mainly because of the flexibility offered by such an implementation. In particular, different types of cryptography can be implemented with the same hardware; that is, the software for a particular algorithm simply has to be downloaded onto a computer or a DSP for implementation. Also, newly developed and accepted standard cryptographic algorithms can be easily implemented by simply making modifications to existing software or by writing new software. Further, because a DSP or a microprocessor-based system (e.g., a computer) does not contain hardware specially designed for cryptographic applications, the transportation logistics of such equipment is greatly simplified. Hardware associated with or designed for cryptographic technology are subject to rigorous U.S. government regulations. The U.S. federal government has passed laws that control the export and dissemination of cryptographic technology for various reasons including national security, protection of electronic commerce and the development of a globally accepted cryptographic standard, Dan & Lin, editors,
Cryptography's Role in Securing The Information Society.
However, the computer equipment and/or signal processing hardware used in the software based schemes are inefficient in terms of speed of execution, power consumption, cost of manufacture and physical size. In particular, the signal processing hardware and computer equipment are typically general purpose integrated circuits (IC) which often contain circuitry that is not used or required in cipher applications. The general purpose ICs are usually in the form of relatively costly microprocessor or DSP ICs. These devices execute general purpose instructions to implement cryptographic algorithms. The mechanism for executing these instructions requires processing overhead which results in a decreased speed of execution compared to hardware designed specifically for cipher applications. The circuitry within such general purpose ICs is not specifically designed to perform cryptographic operations. Cryptographic schemes or techniques often make use of two or three predominant operations (e.g., shift, add, multiply) to execute cryptographic algorithms. The general purpose DSP and microprocessor ICs are thus inefficient in that significant portions of their internal circuitry are not used or are used relatively infrequently when executing cryptographic algorithms. When executing cryptographic algorithms part of the internal circuitry of these ICs is simply extraneous circuitry that consume power, take up space and contribute to the cost of the equipment within which they reside.
Hardware specifically designed to execute a particular algorithm or a class of algorithms may be relatively efficient in terms of physical size, cost, speed of execution, and power consumption, but they are not as flexible as the software schemes. A hardware device whose internal circuitry is specifically designed for a particular cryptographic algorithm or class of algorithms cannot be used for other algorithms.
What is therefore needed is a cipher device which exhibits the efficiency of hardware based implementations (from the perspective of speed of execution, cost, space and power consumption) and the flexibility associated with software implementation of cryptographic algorithms.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The present invention is a hardware architecture for a configurable cipher device device (hereinafter “cipher device”) that performs various types of cryptographic algorithms. The cipher device is flexible in that it can be configured to perform a plurality of cryptographic algorithms (comprising different types of algorithms) simultaneously. Because the cipher device is tailored specifically for cipher applications, it has virtually no supporting circuitry and it is efficient in terms of speed of execution. The device is further designed to interface directly with and be controlled by an information source. The cipher device of the present invention contains virtually no extr
Barron Jr. Gilberto
Kabakoff Steve
Mendelsohn and Associates PC
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