Patent ID: 8522049
Filing Date: 2013-08-27
Classification: G06F,H01L,H05K

Abstract:
1. A method used by a secure device to protect sensitive information, comprising the steps of: (a) determining whether a sensed temperature of the secure device is below a first temperature; (b) if the sensed temperature is determined in (a) to be below the first temperature then increasing an amount of localized heating of a secure memory, wherein the secure memory can be powered by an external power supply or by a battery, wherein energy from the battery is used to increase the amount of localized heating if energy for the localized heating cannot be received from the external power supply; (c) determining whether the sensed temperature of the secure device has dropped below a second temperature; and (d) if the sensed temperature is determined in (c) to have dropped below the second temperature then erasing the secure memory.