Novell, Inc.

Apple Inc.

Oracle International Corporation

Kasman Ellis Thomas

Stephen R Carter

Jonathan Paul Bultmeyer

Bjarne Rasmussen

Howard Melman

In a computing system environment, methods and apparatus include tapping a plurality of connected computing devices and distilling small amounts of entropy from each, concentrating the entropy so collected, and performing all in a stealth or surreptitious fashion relative to the providers of the entropy. In this manner: the potential supply of entropy on a networked computing device is greatly expanded; the potential for entropy-related denial-of-service attacks in Linux systems is reduced; no significant extra processing burden on participating computing devices is required; and enlisting entropy-providing computing devices (including or not na&#xef;ve applications) in entropy exchanges occurs unobtrusively. Representative particular environments include web servers, including servlet filters, and clients engaged in http sessions; Java virtual machines; network interface cards in promiscuous mode analyzing packets; and other. Computer program products for devices to realize the foregoing are also intended.

Stealth entropy collection

Methods and apparatus include cooperatively encoding digital data between collaborating parties. By prior agreement, the parties take turns encoding portions of a given payload (e.g., document), until all portions have been encoded, thereby transforming the payload from a native encoding to a new, composite encoding. Choreography rules facilitate the process. Each party is free to use its own processing scheme. The use of a lookback or chaining step enables each party to impart a quality of informational entanglement to the output during its construction. By virtue of these features and attendant synergies, the resultant jointly encoded digital data enjoys certain novel cryptographic properties in addition to serving as a record of interaction between parties. To decode the data, the process is reversed. Third parties are optionally employed to mediate aspects of the process. Noise and padding, such as watermarks or copyrights, may be added variously to the encoded digital data. Encoding schemes include encryption or compression algorithms.

Cooperative encoding of data by pluralities of parties

In a computing system environment, a data recipient manages entropy data supplied from an external data source despite not knowing or being certain about their trustworthiness or if such varies over time. Features relate to scoring the data and determining whether it meets or exceeds a predetermined policy score. One or more initial or updated reputation values of the data source are contemplated and used for scoring. Logging of the scoring, reputation values or other matters is provided for historical purposes and to identify possible future corrective actions. Other embodiments contemplate enhancing the score of the entropy data. In some instances, use of less than all the data by the recipient occurs to increase attack-resistance. Whether such occurs or how much occurs remains substantially unbeknownst to all parties other than the data recipient. Still other embodiments contemplate computer-readable media.

Managing supplied data

A system and method comprise defining a current rectangular region of the image bitmap, quantifying spectral characteristics of the current rectangular region, dividing the current rectangular region into four rectangular sub-regions in response to the spectral characteristics being greater than a predetermined threshold value, tagging the current rectangular sub-region as a terminal rectangular region in response to the spectral characteristics being less than or equal to the predetermined threshold value, tagging each rectangular sub-region as a terminal rectangular region in response to a size of the rectangular sub-region being less than or equal to a predetermined threshold size, defining one of the non-terminal rectangular sub-regions as the current rectangular region and repeating the above until all rectangular regions are tagged terminal, and determining color characteristics for each of the terminal rectangular regions.

Adaptive method and system for encoding digital images for the internet

Techniques for distributed workflow processing are presented. A first workflow system and a second workflow system process actions of a workflow. The workflow is coordinated through one or more identity services. The identity services also establish trusted and secure communications between the first and second workflow systems.

Distributed workflow techniques

Apparatus, methods and computer program products relate to icons in an address bar of a browser indicative of roles of users as they visit web sites. In this manner, users (with many roles, such as in the context of an employer's business) are visually cued to remind them of their role at the web sites, often because web sites have different functionality according to different roles. Various features include icon forms suggesting roles as employees, managers, administrators, anonymous users, etc. Upon mousing-over icons, tool tips are obtainable regarding a status of the role of the user. Menus of multiple icons are also available for the many roles of the user. Upon selection of one the icons of the menu, the selected icon appears in the address bar upon the user visiting the website in their new role. Altering the display of the icon exists to show different role status.

Visual indication of user role in an address bar

Apparatus and methods are described for network content in dictionary-based (de)compression. Content for compression is parsed into discrete constructions, such as phrases, words, etc. The discrete constructions are passed to a searching engine to locate network information at one or more network locator identities, such as URI's (URL's, URNs) that correspond to the discrete constructions. Upon locating the network information, a dictionary of entries corresponding to the content is created. The content is encoded from the dictionary by indicating raw or relative offsets into the network information per each of the network locator identities. Decoding occurs anti-symmetrically to the encoding. In this manner, the vastness of network content, e.g., the world wide web, is leveraged to provide relevant dictionaries for de-/encoding. Searching for candidate dictionaries, scoring same and safeguarding against volatile dictionary content are other noteworthy features. Computer program products and computing network interaction are also defined.

Growing community of inventors

Wilton, CT, United States of America

Kasman Ellis Thomas