Patent ID: 8832465

Claim:
An integrated circuit comprising, all integrated on a single semiconductor substrate: one or more application processors, wherein each application processor comprises hardware configured to execute instructions; a memory controller coupled to the one or more application processors; a security circuit including at least one additional processor and one or more security peripherals, wherein the one or more security peripherals comprise an encryption peripheral configured to perform encryption and decryption operations, wherein the additional processor comprises hardware configured to execute instructions, and the additional processor is separate from the one or more application processors, and wherein the security circuit, including the encryption peripheral, is isolated from access by the application processors and other components of the integrated circuit except through a secure mailbox mechanism implemented in the security circuit, and wherein the one or more application processors are configured to write a message to the secure mailbox mechanism to request operation of the security circuit, and wherein the additional processor is configured to read the secure mailbox mechanism, determine whether or not the operation is permitted, and perform the operation responsive to determining that the operation is permitted.