Apple Inc.

Other

James E Zmuda

Paul A Baker

Michael W Murphy

Tristan F Schaap

Birju N Shah

Mark P Colosky

Jangwon Lee

Peter Louis Bielawski

Kevin C Gotze

Manfred Von Willich

Various techniques related to authenticating and verifying the integrity of data received by a computer system from an external source (such as a sensor) are disclosed. Hardware circuits are disclosed that, along with the computer processor, allow for error-checking and authentication of data received by the computer system. For instance, the hardware circuits may generate a separate authentication code that can be compared to the authentication code in the data itself to determine whether or not the message is authentic and whether or not there is an error in the data. The disclosed techniques reduce the processing requirements of a computer system and can be implemented using simple hardware circuit designs.

Scheme for transferring and authenticating data

Techniques are disclosed relating to time synchronization in a network. In some embodiments, an apparatus includes a first circuit having a first clock configured to maintain a local time value for a node coupled to a network. The first circuit is configured to send a first message to a second circuit. The first message includes a first nonce. The second circuit has a second clock that maintains a reference time value for the network. The first circuit receives a second message from the second circuit, the second message including a second nonce and is associated with a timestamp identifying the reference time value. The first circuit compares the first nonce to the second nonce to determine whether the timestamp is valid and, in response to determining that the timestamp is valid, uses the timestamp to synchronize the first clock with the second clock.

Network timing synchronization

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Redwood City, CA, United States of America

James E Zmuda