International Business Machines Corporation

Toshiba Global Commerce Solutions Holdings Corporation

Marcia L Stockton

John Raithel Hind

Ronald Patrick Doyle

James M Mathewson, Ii

Dinesh C Verma

James R Giles

Bryan Eric Aupperle

Madhu K Chetuparambil

Shankar Ramaswamy

Rajesh S Agarwalla

Stephen M Fontes

John R Hind

Thirumale Niranjan

Srikanth Ramamurthy

Thomas Narten

Embodiments of the present invention address deficiencies of the art in respect to configuring a computing appliance and provide a method, system and computer program product for device certificate based virtual appliance configuration. In one embodiment of the invention, a virtual appliance secure configuration method can be provided. The method can include mounting non-volatile storage to the virtual appliance, retrieving a device certificate from the mounted storage and extracting a signature from the device certificate, activating the virtual appliance in a network domain and acquiring an adapter address and unique identifier for the virtual appliance, and authenticating the signature with the adapter address and unique identifier to ensure a unique active instance of the virtual appliance.

Device certificate based appliance configuration

A method for circumventing the operation of content blocking logic in a markup language document delivery system. In the method of the invention, the operation of content blocking logic can be determined. Responsive to this determination, a reference to content disposed in markup can be located and the reference to the content can be replaced with an alias. Finally, the markup can be served to a requesting browser. In this way, the replacement of the reference with the alias circumvents the operation of the content blocking logic.

Bypassing content blocking

Techniques are disclosed for writing data directly onto a product to record each ownership transfer. As a result, the product itself now carries a traceable, auditable, non-forgeable, non-repudiable proof of ownership (and, optionally, ownership history) that can be used in a variety of ways. This recorded ownership transfer information provides an electronic receipt, which may be used by the present owner to prove his or her ownership. (Optionally, other types of transfers may be recorded in addition to, or instead of, ownership transfers.) A transfer agent or registrar may create a unique transaction identifier to represent the transfer, and preferably creates a cryptographic signature over fields representing the transfer. This information may be recorded in a repository that is external from the product.

Merchandise-integral transaction receipt and auditable product ownership trail

Techniques are disclosed for writing data directly onto a product to record each ownership transfer. As a result, the product itself now carries a traceable, auditable, non-forgeable, non-repudiable proof of ownership (and, optionally, ownership history) that can be used in a variety of ways. This recorded ownership transfer information provides an electronic receipt, which may be used by the present owner to prove his or her ownership. (Optionally, other types of transfers may be recorded in addition to, or instead of, ownership transfers.) A transfer agent or registrar creates a unique transaction identifier to represent the transfer, and preferably creates a cryptographic signature over fields representing the transfer. This information is then recorded in a repository that is external from the product.

Merchandise-integral transaction receipt

A method, system and apparatus for detecting and preventing content distribution site impersonation. In this regard, a method for detecting and preventing content distribution site spoofing can include the steps of loading a markup language document and a corresponding digital signature for processing and ensuring that the digital signature originates from a pre-specified source of the markup language document incorporated within the markup language document. The method further can include the steps of dynamically computing a hash value for the markup language document and comparing the dynamically computed hash value to a hash value encrypted within the digital signature. Finally, the method can include the step of detecting content distribution site spoofing either if the digital signature does not originate from the pre-specified source, or if the dynamically computed hash value does not match the hash value encrypted within the digital signature.

Content distribution site spoofing detection and prevention

Under the present invention, supplemental web content (e.g., an advertisement) referenced in a requested markup language document is detected and reduced in quality (i.e., obscured). In reducing the supplemental web content in quality, the present invention can employ any number of techniques such as removing color, animation or sound, reducing contrast or resolution, blurring the content, etc. In any event, the requested markup language document is rendered with the reduced quality supplemental web content. The supplemental web content can then be restored to its original quality, if the user so desires, based upon a prompt.

Method, system and program product for obscuring supplemental web content

Methods, systems, computer program products, and methods of doing business whereby document components are secured or controlled using 'security containers' which encapsulate the components (and other component metadata). A 'security container' encapsulates the component (i.e., content) that is to be controlled within a higher-level construct such as a compound document. The security container also contains rules for interacting with the encapsulated component, and one or more encryption keys usable for decrypting the component and rules for authorized requesters.

Security containers for document components

Techniques are disclosed for detecting shoplifting or theft, particularly in a retail environment, using radio-frequency identification ('RFID'). Preferred embodiments leverage RFID tags on merchandise and RFID data that is written at the point of sale on the merchandise-borne RFID tags themselves, on the customer's receipt, or both. Some embodiments also leverage RFID tags on customer identification or 'loyalty' cards. After writing RFID data on the merchandise-borne tags and/or receipt, a matching operation is performed at an RFID reader when the shopper and his merchandise exit the premises, in order to determine whether the shopper has paid for the items in his possession.

Using radio frequency identification with customer loyalty cards to detect and/or prevent theft and shoplifting

The present invention provides a method and program product for randomly relaying a protected web request from a client, through a set of peers, to a privacy proxy. Once received, the web request is proxied to a web services provider. When a provider reply is received by the privacy proxy, it is protected and relayed back through a set of peers to the client.

Method and program product for privately communicating web requests

Security of wireless networks is improved by rejecting traffic from a wireless device located outside a defined spatial boundary. The device's spatial position with respect to the boundary is determined using directional antenna arrays on a plurality of measurement points, and calculating where the vectors intersect. Having thus determined a device's location, access to a wireless network can be denied if the device is outside a predetermined spatial boundary. Or, the device's location inside or outside of the spatial boundary can be used for monitoring a changeable location of one or more client devices in a wireless network, for example as a theft detection or theft deterrent mechanism.

Growing community of inventors

Bakersfield, CA, United States of America

Marcia L Stockton