Custom One Design, Inc.

Software Security, Inc.

Other

Rainbow Technologies, Inc.

Joseph M Kulinets

Wayne W Chou

Peter R Nuytkens

Ilya E Popeko

Laszlo Elteto

Richard E Erett

Joseph LaRussa

Frederik Engel

Oleg Korobeynikov

Methods and apparatus for the conversion of analog signals into digital signals using second order or higher sigma-delta modulators in pipelined or cyclic architectures.

Pipelined/cyclic architectures for analog-digital signal conversion

Methods of electroless plating metal on a dielectric material includes dipping the dielectric in a solution containing attractive catalytic metal particles and a metal salt solution. A thicker metallic layer can be deposited on top of the resulting layer by electroplating. Electrical circuits and multichip modules including such circuits can be formed having one or more dielectric layers comprised of latex and one or more layers of conductive leads, one or more dielectric layers comprised of a flexible dielectric material, and one or more layers of electrically conductive material patterned to interconnect such ICs. Frames that hold ICs against a substrate may be employed to planarize their top surfaces against the substrate, as well as standard photolithographic techniques in creating conductive paths on the dielectric material between the ICs.

Interconnect circuitry, multichip module, and methods of manufacturing thereof

Method of forming a ferromagnetic layer on at least one surface of a dielectric material that may be serve as an inductive core on a printed circuit board or a multichip module. Conductive leads can form two separate coils around the core to form a transformer, and a planar conducing sheet can be placed on or between one or more of the dielectric layers as magnetic shielding. The core can be formed at least in part by electroless plating, and electroplating can be used to add a thicker layer of less conductive ferromagnetic material. Ferromagnetic layers are formed by dipping the dielectric surface in a solution containing catalytic metal particles having a slight dipole, and placing the surface in a metal salt to cause a layer containing metal to be electrolessly plated upon the dielectric. Surface roughening techniques can be used before the dipping to help attract the catalytic particles.

Method of manufacturing planar inductors

Interconnect circuitry, multichip module, and methods for making them

An electrical circuit having one or more dielectric layers formed of latex; and one or more layers of electrically conductive material, such as copper, patterned to form multiple electrical interconnects, with each such layer placed on top of one of said dielectric layers. The dielectric and conductive layers can be used to connect multiple chips in a multichip module. The latex layers can be formed to have a top surface that contains peaks and valleys, and the conductive layers can be formed of a first metal that substantially fills such valleys, so as to increase the adherence of the metal to the latex surface. The layers of conductive metal can contain particles of a second metal between said peaks and valleys of the latex layer that were used as a catalytic seed particles to promote the deposition of the metal layer onto the top surface of the latex.

A printed circuit board has two layers of printed circuit board dielectric material; a core made of ferromagnetic material between the two layers; and conductive leads on the opposite side of each dielectric layer from the core connected by via holes through both dielectric layers to form a conducting coil around the core. The conductive leads can form two separate coils around the core to form a transformer. A planar conducing sheet can be placed on or between one or more of the printed circuit board's dielectric layers to shield other circuitry on the printed circuit board from magnetic fields generated around the core. The core can be formed at least in part by electroless plating. Electroplating can be used to add a thicker layer of less conductive ferromagnetic material. Ferromagnetic inductive cores can be formed on the surface of a dielectric material by: dipping the surface of the dielectric in a solution containing catalytic metal particles having a slight dipole; and placing the dielectric in a metal salt to cause a layer containing metal to be electrolessly plated upon the dielectric. Plasma etching or other technique can be used before the dipping process to roughen the dielectric's surface to help attract the catalytic particles. This method can be used to form an inductor core on or between one or more dielectric layers of a printed circuit board, of a multichip module, of an integrated circuit, or of a micro-electromechanical device.

Planar inductors and method of manufacturing thereof

A self contained data medium is provided with an apparatus for generating a decrypting key for decrypting stored data. Frames of encrypted data are stored on the data medium such as a video or audio disk. Each frame of data includes a header which has a frame identification number. A reader reads each frame of data including the header with the frame identification number. The reader transmits the frame number to a transponder attached to the data medium. The transponder includes a decryption engine which calculates a decryption key from the frame number and a secret deciphering key stored in the transponder. The transponder transmits the decryption key to the reader which uses the decryption key to decrypt the frame of data. The system discourages both home copying and commercial piracy of the underlying program material.

System for securely storing and reading encrypted data on a data medium

Apparatus and method for discouraging computer theft. The apparatus and method requires that a password or other unique information be supplied to the computer before the computer BIOS routines can be completely executed. A BIOS memory storing the BIOS routines includes a security routine which will determine whether or not the required password entered by the user, or a known quantity read from an externally connected memory device is present. The security function stored within the BIOS memory also includes an administration function which permits the computer to be either placed in a locked state, thereby requiring password or the known quantity read from an externally connected memory device to be present each time the computer is booted up. The administration function also permits an unlock state which permits the computer boot up process to complete without entering any password or externally supplied quantity. The external memory location is consulted during each boot up sequence, to determine whether the computer has been placed in the locked or in the unlocked state. If the security depends upon the supply of the known quantity from an externally connected memory device, the computer will be inoperable to anyone not in possession of the external memory device. In the event that the external memory location bearing the locked or unlocked code is removed, the security function assumes the computer to be in the locked state, thus frustrating avoidance of the locked state by tampering with the external memory.

Apparatus and method for preventing theft of computer devices

A method of protecting computer software on installation is provided by providing an installation media containing an installation program supplied to the user along with an hardware security electrical device (HSED). The HSED must be connected to the user's computer before the software from the installation media can be entered on the user's computer. The HSED contains a variety of secret installation data which is used to install a program to be protected. In general the secret installation data is checked to see if a specific HSED is present and if it contains information to enable the installation process for that particular piece of software to continue. The exact nature of the secret installation data will depend on the process used for protection. The HSED is also used in a method of metering the amount of computer service used such that payment can be made at the time of delivery of the HSED to the end user.

Method of metering and protecting computer software

Communication between a plurality of computers which are intercoupled or networked is provided in confidential form using password protection in combination with a special hardware token which is used to generate a one-time random session ciphering key.

Secure computer communication method and system

In order to provide office security for receiving facsimile transmissions, a particular key or password of a receiver of a transmission is sent to the sender. The sender of a facsimile message incorporates the graphic pattern of the key of the receiver in a predetermined location on the first page of the facsimile message which is intercepted at the receiving end by a security reader which looks for the key. If the key is present, the message is placed in storage where it may be retrieved by the receiver by simply keyboarding the password related to the key to retrieve the stored message. If the key is not present, the facsimile transmission is sent on to a standard facsimile machine of the receiver.

Method of providing confidential treatment for facsimile transmissions

A method is provided for protecting distributed software which relies on a unique factor such as an accessible serial number or the generation of a profile or fingerprint of the computer of the user which is entered individually and/or with a random factor to generate a unique first key which will differ for different computers. The first key is sent to a processing center which then generates a second key. The user applies the second key which compares the unique and/or random factors. If the comparison matches, the first and second keys are used in an algorithm in the software to generate a decrypting key permitting the customer to purchase the selected program(s).

Method of software distribution protection

A method of protecting computer software is provided by storing a first key in a plug-in hardware device, storing an algorithm for processing a purality of keys including the first key in software to be protected, loading the software containing the algorithm in the computer and plugging in a hardware device in a communications port of the computer. A second key, external to the software, to be protected which bears a relationship to the first key by the algorithm is loaded into the computer where processing takes place of the first and second keys in the algorithm for deriving a control key, if present, for the continued processing of the software being protected. The step of loading the second key is performed using a computer keyboard, any input/output port, a hard disk file or any other method of entry in the computer. Additional keys external to the software which bear a relationship to the first and second keys configured in the algorithm may be provided.

Method of protecting computer software from unauthorized execution using

A hardware device containing a first permanent key and a second key is plugged in a specified port of a computer to establish a communication path between the hardware device and computer. The first and second keys are presented with an access sequence from the computer in the software which is desired to be controlled generating outputs which are applied to an algorithm decoder which provides a control key which is used to protect the software from unauthorized use. The control key is the resultant of the algorithm decoder and the first and second keys. One of the keys is supplied with the hardware under the control of the developer whereas the second key may be supplied with the hardware device but is not restricted to the hardware device and may be entered through a separate port of the computer. The algorithm decoder can be included in any part of the software, the computer hardware or any combination thereof. Many combinations of the first and second keys may be designed to produce the same control key when decoded. One of the keys may be altered without regard to security, but there are certain values of the second key for each given value of the first key which will operate the software. Providing a plurality of first and matching second keys which produce the plurality of different valid control keys allows the use of additional software that works in conjunction with the original distributed software acquired at a later date without the addition of additional hardware device.

Growing community of inventors

Stamford, CT, United States of America

Joseph M Kulinets