Semiconductor imaging sensor with on-chip encryption

Claim 2

A semiconductor imaging device, comprising: a substrate formed of a semiconductor material; a plurality of CMOS image sensing elements, formed on said substrate to construct an imaging array which is responsive to an optical image to produce an analog electrical representation of said optical image; at least one analog-to-digital converter formed on said substrate and electrically connected to said imaging array, operating to convert said analog electrical representation into a digital image; and an encryption circuit formed on said substrate and configured to encrypt said digital image according to an encryption key.

Claim 3

The device as in claim 1 , wherein each of said sensing elements includes one of a photogate, a phototransistor, or a photodiode.

Claim 4

The device as in claim 1 , wherein each of said sensing elements includes an active pixel sensor.

Claim 5

The device as in claim 1 , wherein said encryption circuit is configured to perform DES encryption.

Claim 6

The device as in claim 1 , wherein said encryption circuit is configured to perform RSA encryption.

Claim 7

A semiconductor imaging device, comprising: a substrate formed of a semiconductor material; a plurality of image sensing elements, formed on said substrate to construct an imaging array which is responsive to an optical image to produce an analog electrical representation of said optical image; at least one analog-to-digital converter formed on said substrate and electrically connected to said imaging array, operating to convert said analog electrical representation into a digital image; a marking circuit formed on said substrate and configured to produce a unique digital code, wherein said encryption circuit is operable to superimpose said digital code onto said digital image; an encryption circuit formed on said substrate and configured to encrypt said digital image according to an encryption key and to encrypt both said digital code and said digital image as an encrypted stream.

Claim 8

A semiconductor imaging device, comprising: a substrate formed of a semiconductor material; a plurality of image sensing elements, formed on said substrate to construct an imaging array which is responsive to an optical image to produce an analog electrical representation of said optical image; at least one analog-to-digital converter formed on said substrate and electrically connected to said imaging array, operating to convert said analog electrical representation into a digital image; a marking circuit formed on said substrate and configured to produce a unique digital code, wherein said encryption circuit is operable to superimpose said digital code onto said digital image; an encryption circuit formed on said substrate and configured to encrypt said digital image according to an encryption key and to encrypt both said digital code and said digital image as an encrypted stream.

Claim 9

A semiconductor imaging device, comprising: a substrate formed of a semiconductor material; a plurality of image sensing elements, formed on said substrate to construct an imaging array which is responsive to an optical image to produce an analog electrical representation of said optical image; at least one analog-to-digital converter formed on said substrate and electrically connected to said imaging array, operating to convert said analog electrical representation into a digital image; an encryption circuit formed on said substrate and configured to encrypt said digital image according to an encryption key and to encrypt said digital image as an encrypted stream; and a digital data compression circuit formed on said substrate and electrically connected between said analog-to-digital converter and said encryption circuit, said digital data compression circuit operating to compress a size of said digital image prior to application to said encryption circuit.

Claim 10

A semiconductor imaging device, comprising: a substrate formed of a semiconductor material; a plurality of image sensing elements, formed on said substrate to construct an imaging array which is responsive to an optical image to produce an analog electrical representation of said optical image; at least one analog-to-digital converter formed on said substrate and electrically connected to said imaging array, operating to convert said analog electrical representation into a digital image; an encryption circuit formed on said substrate and configured to encrypt said digital image according to an encryption key and to encrypt said digital image as an encrypted stream; and a digital data compression circuit formed on said substrate and electrically connected between said analog-to-digital converter and said encryption circuit, said digital data compression circuit operating to compress a size of said digital image prior to application to said encryption circuit.

Claim 11

The device as in claim 7 , further comprising a microprocessor formed on said substrate and configured to perform at least part of said encryption of said compressed representation of said digital image.

Claim 12

The device as in claim 8 , further comprising a memory circuit formed on said substrate and configured to store information for said microprocessor.

Claim 13

A semiconductor imaging device, comprising: an imaging sensing array having a plurality of CMOS sensing elements formed on a substrate and operating to respond to an optical image to produce an analog electrical representation of said optical image; an analog-to-digital conversion module formed on said substrate and electrically connected to said imaging array, operating to convert said analog electrical representation into a digital image; and an encryption circuit formed on said substrate and configured to encrypt said digital image according to an encryption key.

Claim 14

A semiconductor imaging device, comprising: an imaging sensing array having a plurality of CMOS sensing elements formed on a substrate and operating to respond to an optical image to produce an analog electrical representation of said optical image; an analog-to-digital conversion module formed on said substrate and electrically connected to said imaging array, operating to convert said analog electrical representation into a digital image; and an encryption circuit formed on said substrate and configured to encrypt said digital image according to an encryption key.

Claim 15

The device as in claim 10 , wherein each of said sensing elements includes a CMOS active pixel sensor.

Claim 16

The device as in claim 10 , wherein said analog-to-digital conversion module includes a single analog-to-digital converter which sequentially converts analog signals from said sensing elements into digital signals.

Claim 17

The device as in claim 10 , wherein said analog-to-digital conversion module includes a plurality of analog-to-digital converters which a re electrically connected in parallel to one another and simultaneously process analog signals from said sensing elements into digital signals.

Claim 18

The device as in claim 10 , further comprising a microprocessor formed on said substrate and configured to perform part of said encryption of said digital image.

Claim 19

The device as in claim 14 , further comprising a memory circuit formed on said substrate and configured to store information for said microprocessor.

Claim 20

The device as in claim 10 , wherein said encryption circuit is configured to perform the DES encryption and comprises: an input register receiving digital data of said digital image from said analog-to-digital conversion module; a logic gate connected to said input register to perform an XOR operation on said digital data according to a feedback digital signal to said logic gate; a DES processing circuit having an input connected to said logic gate and operating to perform the DES encryption based on said encryption key on said digital data from said logic gate to produce an encrypted output at an output; and a feedback loop interconnecting said output of said DES processing circuit and said logic gate and operating to provide said feedback digital signal.

Claim 21

The device as in claim 16 , wherein said feedback loop in said encryption circuit further comprises a memory circuit and a digital signal multiplexing circuit that are operable to superimpose a pseudo random number onto a first block of data in said digital image to produce a unique seed for said DES encryption for said optical image.

Claim 24

The method as in claim 18 , wherein said encryption circuit is configured to perform the DES or RSA encryption.

Claim 25

The method as in claim 18 , further comprising a step of forming a digital signature associated with said digital image by using a unique digital code which is unique to each different chip, and is generated by a circuit formed on said substrate.

Claim 26

A method as in claim 18 , further comprising, prior to said using, compressing said digital image to form a compressed version of said digital image, and wherein said encryption circuit encrypts said compressed digital image.

Claim 27

An encrypted imaging chip, comprising: a single continuous substrate of silicon; a CMOS image sensor, formed in said single substrate of silicon; a digital signal signature production element, which produces a digital signature which is unique to said single substrate of silicon, and which will be different for other substrates of silicon, and which is encrypted and such that a receiver of an image who has an authorized decryption code can determine a source of said image, and such that a receiver without said decryption code cannot determine said source of said image and an image compression element on said chip, and compressing said image prior to encryption.

Claim 28

An encrypted imaging chip, comprising: a single continuous substrate of silicon; a CMOS image sensor, formed in said single substrate of silicon; a digital signal signature production element, which produces a digital signature which is unique to said single substrate of silicon, and which will be different for other substrates of silicon, and which is encrypted and such that a receiver of an image who has an authorized decryption code can determine a source of said image, and such that a receiver without said decryption code cannot determine said source of said image and an image compression element on said chip, and compressing said image prior to encryption.

Claim 29

A device as in claim 22 , wherein said image sensor is an active pixel sensor.

Claim 32

A semiconductor imaging device, comprising: a substrate formed of a semiconductor material; a plurality of CMOS image sensing elements, formed on said substrate, to construct an imaging array which is responsive to an optical image, to produce an analog electrical representation of said optical image; at least one analog-to-digital converter, formed on said substrate, and electrically connected to said imaging array, operating to convert said analog electrical representation into a digital image; a digital signal signature production element, which produces a digital signature which is unique to said single substrate of silicon, and which will be different for other substrates of silicon; an encryption circuit formed on said substrate and configured to encrypt said digital image and digital signal signature production element, according to an encryption key and which is encrypted and such that a receiver of an image who has an authorized decryption code can determine a-source of said image from said encrypted digital signature, and such that a receiver without said decryption code cannot determine said source of said image from said encrypted digital signature; and a digital data compression circuit formed on said substrate and electrically connected between said analog-to-digital converter and said encryption circuit, said digital data compression circuit operating to compress a size of said digital image prior to application to said encryption circuit.

Claim 33

A semiconductor imaging device, comprising: a substrate formed of a semiconductor material; a plurality of CMOS image sensing elements, formed on said substrate, to construct an imaging array which is responsive to an optical image, to produce an analog electrical representation of said optical image; at least one analog-to-digital converter, formed on said substrate, and electrically connected to said imaging array, operating to convert said analog electrical representation into a digital image; a digital signal signature production element, which produces a digital signature which is unique to said single substrate of silicon, and which will be different for other substrates of silicon; an encryption circuit formed on said substrate and configured to encrypt said digital image and digital signal signature production element, according to an encryption key and which is encrypted and such that a receiver of an image who has an authorized decryption code can determine a-source of said image from said encrypted digital signature, and such that a receiver without said decryption code cannot determine said source of said image from said encrypted digital signature; and a digital data compression circuit formed on said substrate and electrically connected between said analog-to-digital converter and said encryption circuit, said digital data compression circuit operating to compress a size of said digital image prior to application to said encryption circuit.