Non-contact electromagnetic illuminated detection of part anomalies for cyber physical security
Inventors
Assignees
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Publication Number
US-9642014-B2
Publication Date
2017-05-02
Expiration Date
Abstract
An apparatus for testing, inspecting or screening an electronic device for electrical characteristics, modified or unmodified hardware, or firmware modifications including Malware, Trojans, improper versioning, and the like, includes a transmitting antenna positioned at a distance from the electronic device and a electromagnetic energy receiver or sensor for examining a resulting unintentional derived electromagnetic energy from the electronic device. The receiver collects unintentional RF energy components emitted by the device and includes a processor and executable instructions that perform analysis in a response to the acquired electromagnetic energy input. The characteristics of the collected RF energy may be compared with RF energy characteristics of an exemplary device. The analysis determines one of a modified, unmodified or score of certainty of discerned condition of the device.
Core Innovation
The invention provides an apparatus for determining a state and/or a condition of an unpowered electrical device. A waveform generator generates a waveform, and a first antenna transmits electromagnetic energy containing the waveform toward the electrical device. A second antenna receives artifact(s) unintentionally re-emitted from the electrical device due to excitation with the waveform.
One or more processors operate on received data to develop a signature of the electrical device in which the signature contains the artifact(s) received by the second antenna. The processors analyze the developed signature and determine the state and/or condition of the electrical device based on artifact(s) present in the signature.
The invention is directed to fixture-less and non-contact operation in which unpowered electrical devices are illuminated by non-contact electromagnetic illumination and re-emitted RF energy artifacts are collected. Different chamber or enclosure configurations and antenna configurations are described, including anechoic chamber, reverberation chamber, TEM cell, GTEM cell, horn antenna, log-periodic antenna, Yagi antenna, and integrated Tx/Rx or separate Tx/Rx handling with filtering and/or multiplexing.
Claims Coverage
The independent claim is clm-00001. It contains 5 primary inventive aspects: generating a waveform, exciting an unpowered electrical device via a first antenna, receiving unintentionally re-emitted artifact(s) via a second antenna, developing a signature containing the artifact(s), and determining the state and/or condition based on the artifact(s) present in the signature.
Apparatus for determining state and/or condition of an unpowered electrical device
An apparatus includes a waveform generator generating a waveform, a first antenna transmitting electromagnetic energy containing the waveform toward the electrical device, a second antenna receiving artifact(s) unintentionally re-emitted from the electrical device due to excitation with the waveform, one or more processors, and a non-transitory computer readable medium that causes the processors to develop a signature containing the artifact(s), analyze the developed signature, and determine the state and/or condition of the electrical device based on the artifact(s) present in the signature.
The claim coverage centers on exciting an unpowered electrical device with a transmitted waveform, capturing unintentionally re-emitted artifact(s) via a receiver antenna, embedding those artifact(s) in a developed signature, and determining a device state and/or condition from the artifact content of the signature.
Stated Advantages
Rapid, nondestructive, potentially real-time screening without powering/interfacing the device or using test fixtures, based on non-contact signature determination.
Documented Applications
Cyber physical security screening to detect hardware/firmware modifications, malicious circuitry/malware, and counterfeit/altered parts using device state and/or condition determination from unpowered RF re-emission signatures.
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