International Business Machines Corporation

Wistron Corporation

Dirk Husemann

Michael Elton Nidd

Reto Josef Hermann

Michael Moser

Dieter M Sommer

Andreas Schade

Francois Bernard Dolivo

Anthony Bussani

Jan Leonard Camenisch

Thomas R Gross

Carl Binding

Ansgar Schmidt

Thomas Eirich

Stefan Georg Hild

Joerg Bischof

Matthias Kaiserwerth

Mike Nidd

Jonathan T Waddilove

Micheal Elton Nidd

Michael Nidd

Francois Dolivo

A method for authorizing access to a first computing device is provided. The method comprises the first computing device forming a challenge, encoding the challenge into a symbol, and displaying the symbol. The first computing device receives a request for access from a user. Access to the first computing device is allowed in response to provision of an access code to the first computing device by the user. The access code is formed by a server in response to capturing the symbol, decoding the symbol into the challenge, forming a request from the challenge, and providing the request to the server. The server forms a decision to allow access by the user to the first computing device.

Method and apparatus for secure authorization

Methods and apparatus for forming and presenting confidential presentations within a computing environment associated with a virtual application are presented. For example, a method for forming a confidential presentation includes obtaining a correspondence indicator from an asset server, obtaining a first texture from the asset server, and overlaying the first texture onto a first object. The correspondence indicator indicates the first texture corresponds to the first object. The first object is within the computing environment associated with the virtual application. The first texture and the asset server are inaccessible by the computing environment associated with the virtual application. The confidential presentation comprises the first texture.

Confidential presentations in virtual world infrastructure

A method for receiving input from a user of a virtual world, the method including: interacting with an object displayed in the virtual world; displaying another object in the virtual world in response to the interacting, the another object adapted to interact with the user; displaying at least one of a user specific label and a service specific label in place of a generic label associated with the another object; selecting the another object; and receiving the generic label and the at least one of the user specific label and the service specific label as the input in response to the selecting.

Providing an ad-hoc 3D GUI within a virtual world to a non-virtual world application

A method for providing e-token based access control to virtual world (VW) spaces includes intercepting a request from a first VW member to invite a second VW member to a VW space within a VW network, the request intercepted outside of the VW network. The access controls also include using a secret code associated with the first member to generate an e-token that includes an identifier of the second member and the space. The access controls further include sending the e-token inside the network. In response to a request for access to the space, the access controls include sending the e-token outside of the network for verification. Upon successful verification of the e-token, the access controls include accessing the network and controlling a guard bot inside the network to grant access for the second member to the space. The guard bot adds the second member to an access control list.

Method, system, and computer program product for providing e-token based access control for virtual world spaces

There is provided a method and a system for documenting a transfer of authority of control for a container from a first entity of a transportation chain to a second entity of the transportation chain. The first entity transfers an electronic container control certificate to an electronic seal of the respective container, which electronic container control certificate comprises a cryptographic key associated to the second entity, and which container control certificate is digitally signed by the first entity. The container control certificate is stored in a log of the electronic seal.

Documenting security related aspects in the process of container shipping

Systems, methods and computer products for establishing a mesh-network consisting of wireless personal area network (WPAN) having a large number of nodes. Exemplary embodiments include a gradient-driven mesh-network establishment method, including switching on a plurality of nodes in a vicinity of the wireless personal area network, detecting an acknowledgment signal via a wireless personal area network signal, querying for at least one or a resource and a physical quantity, selecting a subset of the plurality of nodes and instructing the subset of the plurality of nodes to send out a low power radio transceiver DISCOVER squirt signal to a neighborhood associated with the subset of the plurality of nodes, wherein nodes exclusive of the subset of the plurality of nodes turn off in response to an expiration of a time-out period.

Systems, methods and computer products for providing a gradient driven mesh-network establishment

A mobile hub is proposed, the mobile hub includes a circular buffer for storing events, a timer for monitoring the storage period of an event stored in the buffer, and an event manager designed for discarding an event from the buffer when a time-out of the associated timer is exceeded. As no event can block the buffer any more a small-scale buffer can be used for the mobile hub.

Mobile hub and managing events in a mobile hub

Methods, system and apparatus are provided for advertising service offerings in a communication system. An example embodiment comprises at least one device. A first device broadcasts a message of a first type, chooses a value for a time limit and listens for a message sent by a second device. If no message has been received before time limit, elapse, it again broadcasts a message of a first type. Otherwise, the message received from said second device is analyzed and if said message includes valid information about said first device chooses a value for the time limit. However, if said message received does not include valid service description about said first device, a message of a second type is broadcast. This reduces useless broadcast of a complete service list. Broadcast may be initiated more often and, service discovery for new devices coming into proximity takes less time.

Method and device for prompt and efficient service discovery in wireless networks

A method and apparatus for controlling a computer device with a limited user-interface via a remote computer device having a more powerful user interface. Both computer devices are interconnected via a wireless communication channel and both computer devices support a common communications protocol. User-interface information is sent from the computer device with a limited user-interface to the remote computer device to provide a user-interface at the remote computer device for receiving user input at the remote computer device. The user input controls the computer device with a limited user-interface to execute commands therein corresponding to the user input.

Method and apparatus for providing a more powerful user-interface to device with a limited user-interface

A method for tracking a plurality of containers each joined to an electronic tracking device having routing capabilities and a WPAN-enabled radio receiver/transmitter configured to attempt to connect to a pre-configured WPAN upon being activated comprises activating the radio receiver/transmitter of each tracking device joined to a container being loaded onto a cargo vessel; receiving an indication from each tracking device that fails to connect to the WPAN; intermittently performing a network scan to locate each WPAN-connected tracking device; intermittently configuring the WPAN to include each WPAN-connected tracking device in a hybrid tree-mesh network topology; intermittently configuring routing information stored on each WPAN-connected tracking device to maintain mutual communication with each WPAN-connected tracking device and enable mutual communication between each WPAN-connected tracking device; receiving transport-related data from each WPAN-connected tracking device; transmitting the transport-related data to a control station through a LAN on the vessel; broadcasting a request to be routed between the WPAN-connected tracking devices in a depth-first traversal of the network topology that directs each WPAN-connected tracking device to enter a low-power mode when the depth-first traversal backtracks from the tracking device; and receiving an acknowledgment of the request communicated from each WPAN-connected tracking device when the tracking device enters the low-power mode.

Method for tracking containers using a low-rate wireless personal area network system

A WPAN system for establishing communication between a control station of a cargo vessel and a plurality of containers that are loaded onto the vessel is provided that comprises a base station configured to establish and manage a pre-configured WPAN having a hybrid tree-mesh network topology and a plurality of electronic tracking devices each being provided with a WPAN-enabled radio receiver/transmitter and routing capabilities. The base station is configured to communicate with the control station through a local area network on the vessel. Each tracking device is configured to be joined to a respective container of the plurality of containers and to connect to the WPAN upon being activated. The base station is configured to intermittently perform a network scan to locate each tracking device that is connected to the WPAN and dynamically reconfigure the network topology to include each tracking device connected to the WPAN to maintain mutual communication with each connected tracking device using the routing capabilities of the tracking devices.

Low-rate wireless personal area network system for tracking containers

Methods for providing a receiver subsystem with access via a clearing house subsystem to a content item broadcast from a content provider subsystem. A method includes generating the request for access in the receiver subsystem, and employs a content key, a blocking nonce, a public key of a public-private key pair, a public key encrypted content key, and a double encrypted content key. The method may also include, in the receiver subsystem, encrypting the request for access based on the private key of the public-private key pair. Provides apparatus for providing access to a broadcast content item. A receiver subsystem is arranged to generate the request for access. In an example embodiment the receiver subsystem is arranged to encrypt the request for access based on the private key of the public-private key pair. Provides a receiver subsystem, a content provider subsystem, and a clearing house subsystem.

Growing community of inventors

Einsiedeln, Switzerland

Dirk Husemann