Invention Grant
- Patent Title: Methods and apparatuses for generating random numbers based on bit cell settling time
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Application No.: US14597146Application Date: 2015-01-14
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Publication No.: US09640247B2Publication Date: 2017-05-02
- Inventor: Nan Chen , Junmou Zhang , Min Chen
- Applicant: QUALCOMM Incorporated
- Applicant Address: US CA San Diego
- Assignee: QUALCOMM Incorporated
- Current Assignee: QUALCOMM Incorporated
- Current Assignee Address: US CA San Diego
- Agency: Loza & Loza, LLP
- Main IPC: G06F7/58
- IPC: G06F7/58 ; G11C11/417 ; G11C7/10

Abstract:
One feature pertains to a true random number generator that utilizes the settling time of a bit cell as an entropy source to generate random digital output values. The bit cell may be a static random access memory bit cell. The bit cell's settling time may be converted into a digital output using an analog to digital converter. A plurality of bit cells may serially couple to one another in a ring formation. The bit cell ring can then be enabled such that each bit cell of the plurality of bit cells achieves a settling value that activates the subsequent bit cell in the ring causing it to in turn reach a settling value, and so on. An output node of one of the bit cells in the ring can then be sampled using a flip-flop to generate a continuous stream of random bits.
Public/Granted literature
- US20160202953A1 METHODS AND APPARATUSES FOR GENERATING RANDOM NUMBERS BASED ON BIT CELL SETTLING TIME Public/Granted day:2016-07-14
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