Abstract: An apparatus for determining the position of an object having one or more magnetic elements. The apparatus includes magnetostrictive optical sensors, each arranged to produce a signal which is indicative of a proximity of the sensor to the one or more magnetic elements. The apparatus is arranged to determine the position of the object based on a plurality of such proximity signals.

Abstract: A firearm retaining harness is described comprising a shoulder portion and a transverse member. The shoulder portion is worn around a shoulder of an operator, while the transverse member wraps around the operator's chest. The shoulder portion and the transverse member may be releasably coupled to one another for putting on and removing the harness. A coupling slidably engages the transverse member on a first side, while is releasably coupled to a firearm on a second side. Because the coupling is slidably coupled to the transverse member, an operator may quickly move the firearm between a storage, ready, and active position. Since the transverse member is elastic, it is pulled taught when in an active position such that positive pressure is provided to the operator. Such positive pressure may reduce an amount of recoil, as well as provide stabilization during discharge of the firearm and faster target acquisition.

Abstract: One embodiment provides a system for facilitating efficient communication of an interest group packet indicating a collection of interests. During operation, the system receives, by an intermediate node, a first packet which has a name and indicates a set of member interests, wherein a member interest has a name, wherein a name is a hierarchically structured variable length identifier that includes contiguous name components ordered from a most general level to a most specific level. In response to obtaining a content object which satisfies a member interest, the system removes the indicated member interest from the first packet. The system adds an entry in a pending interest table for the first packet, wherein the entry indicates the name for the first packet, the name for each member interest, and an indicator of whether each member interest is satisfied. The system transmits the first packet to another node.

Abstract: One embodiment provides a system that facilitates efficient and transparent encryption of packets between a client computing device and a content producing device. During operation, the system receives, by a content producing device, an interest packet that includes a masked name which corresponds to an original name, wherein the original name is a hierarchically structured variable length identifier that includes contiguous name components ordered from a most general level to a most specific level. The system obtains the original name based on the masked name. The system computes a symmetric key based on the original name and a generated nonce. The system generates a content object packet that corresponds to the original name and includes the masked name, the nonce, and a payload encrypted based on the symmetric key, wherein the content object packet is received by a client computing device.

Abstract: One embodiment provides a system for facilitating efficient communication of an interest group packet indicating a collection of interests. During operation, the system receives, by an intermediate node, a first packet which has a name and indicates a set of member interests, wherein a member interest has a name, wherein a name is a hierarchically structured variable length identifier that includes contiguous name components ordered from a most general level to a most specific level. In response to obtaining a content object which satisfies a member interest, the system removes the indicated member interest from the first packet. The system adds an entry in a pending interest table for the first packet, wherein the entry indicates the name for the first packet, the name for each member interest, and an indicator of whether each member interest is satisfied. The system transmits the first packet to another node.

Abstract: Switch apparatus (54), designed to detect relative movement between first and second members (60, 62), includes a switch assembly (48) comprising a switch unit (20), a biasing element (50), and an operating member (52). The unit (20) has a conductive housing (22) with first, second, and third electrical pin contacts (36-40) and a shiftable body (46). The body (46) is magnetically correlated with both the element (50) and operating member (52). When the members (60, 62) are close, the operating member (52) maintains the shiftable body (46) in one switch position, whereas when the members (60, 62) are separated, the biasing element (50) magnetically moves body (46) to another switch position, thereby detecting the relative movement).

Abstract: A router between a content consuming device and a content storage device obtains an interest corresponding to a content object. The interest includes a name identifying the content storage device, signaling information, an authentication token, and an inner interest identifying an actual content object stored at the content storage device. The inner interest is encrypted with an encryption key shared between the content storage device and the content consuming device, but not shared with the router. The router authenticates the interest by verifying the authentication token using an authentication key shared with the content consuming device. The router then provides the interest to the content storage device. The router obtains the content object, which includes at least a portion of the actual content object encrypted with the encryption key, from the content storage device. The router provides the content object to the content consuming device.

Abstract: One embodiment provides a system that facilitates efficient communication based on a forwarding information base (FIB). The system receives, by an intermediate node, a first interest which includes a name and maximum interest information which indicates whether to forward a subsequent interest with a same name prefix as the first interest. In response to obtaining a first entry from a FIB based on the name for the first interest, the system adds to the first entry, for an outgoing interface corresponding to an arrival interface of the first interest, the maximum interest information included in the first interest as an interest limit for the first entry. In response to determining that the interest limit for the first entry is reached, the system refrains from forwarding the subsequent interest, thereby facilitating the intermediate node to manage traffic based on information in the forwarding information base provided by a content producer.

Abstract: One embodiment provides a system that facilitates dynamic adjustment of forwarding information in a CCN. During operation, the system receives, by forwarding circuitry, an interest with a name that is a hierarchically structured variable length identifier which comprises contiguous name components ordered from a most general level to a most specific level. The system identifies in a first data structure an entry for one or more name components of the name, wherein the entry includes a list of outgoing interfaces associated with the one or more name components. The system determines network properties in response to forwarding the interest to a first interface of the list. The system reorders the list in order of priority based on the network properties, thereby facilitating the forwarding circuitry to dynamically adjust a likelihood of using a respective interface for forwarding interests associated with the one or more name components.

Abstract: An arrangement for managing bi-directional wireless communication between a controller and a plurality of controllable-devices wherein each controllable-device is able to provide operable function specific instructions to the controller as to how it would like to be operated by the controller and wherein a proximity mechanism means provides bidirectional communications over a distance of a few centimeters between the controller and the or each controllable-device.

Abstract: One embodiment provides a system that facilitates secure communication between computing entities. During operation, the system generates, by a content-consuming device, a first key based on a first consumer-share key and a previously received producer-share key. The system constructs a first interest packet that includes the first consumer-share key and a nonce token which is used as a pre-image of a previously generated first nonce, wherein the first interest has a name that includes a first prefix, and wherein the first nonce is used to establish a session between the content-consuming device and a content-producing device. In response to the nonce token being verified by the content-producing device, the system receives a first content-object packet with a payload that includes a first resumption indicator encrypted based on a second key. The system generates the second key based on a second consumer-share key and the first content-object packet.

Abstract: One embodiment provides a system that facilitates efficient management of a forwarding information base (FIB). During operation, the system receives, by an intermediate node, a first interest which includes a name and a condition for removing a first entry from a FIB, wherein a name is a hierarchically structured variable length identifier that includes contiguous name components ordered from a most general level to a most specific level. In response to obtaining the first entry from the FIB based on the name for the first interest, the system adds to the first entry the condition included in the first interest as a lifetime value for the first entry. In response to determining that the lifetime value is satisfied, the system removes the first entry from the FIB, thereby facilitating the intermediate node to efficiently manage the FIB based on information provided by a content producing device.

Abstract: An identity management and initialization scheme, along with a naming scheme for a transport stack and its components, facilitates directly addressing each component in the transport stack. During operation, the system receives, by a forwarder, a packet that corresponds to an interest, where the interest includes a name. In response to determining that the interest is destined for a component of a stack of communication modules, the forwarder sends the interest to the destined component based on the name for the interest, where the stack does not require a respective communication module to communicate only with a layer above or below thereof. In response to determining that the interest is not destined for a component of the stack, the forwarder sends the interest to a network element based on the name for the interest. This facilitates directly addressing individual components of the stack.

Abstract: One embodiment provides a system that facilitates routable prefix queries in a CCN. During operation, the system generates, by a client computing device, a query for one or more indices based on a name for an interest, wherein a name is a hierarchically structured variable length identifier that includes contiguous name components ordered from a most general level to a most specific level. An index indicates a number of the contiguous name components beginning from the most general level that represent a routable prefix needed to route the interest to a content producing device that can satisfy the interest. In response to the query, the system receives the one or more indices, which allows the client computing device to determine a remaining number of name components of the interest name which can be encrypted, thereby facilitating protection of private communication in a content centric network.

Abstract: One embodiment provides a system that facilitates querying of historical network information. During operation, the system generates a query for historical information associated with interest and content object packets, wherein a name for an interest is a hierarchically structured variable length identifier that includes contiguous name components ordered from a most general level to a most specific level, wherein the query is based on a name prefix that includes one or more contiguous name components. The system transmits the query to a responding entity. In response to receiving the historical information from the responding entity, the system performs an operation that increases network efficiency based on the historical information, thereby facilitating a protocol for querying the historical information to increase network efficiency.

Abstract: One embodiment provides a system that indicates conditions associated with received content. During operation, the system generates, by a first computing device, an interest message which includes a name, wherein the interest message further includes a verification token which is a hash of a nonce. In response to transmitting the interest message to a second computing device, the system receives a content object message which includes a same name as the name for the interest message. In response to detecting a condition associated with the content object message, the system generates a content object return message which includes the nonce and a same name as the name for the content object message. The system forwards the content object return message to the second computing device, thereby facilitating the second computing device to process the content object return message.

Abstract: One embodiment provides a system that facilitates efficient and transparent encryption of packets between a client computing device and a content producing device. During operation, the system receives, by a content producing device, an interest packet that includes a masked name which corresponds to an original name, wherein the original name is a hierarchically structured variable length identifier that includes contiguous name components ordered from a most general level to a most specific level. The system obtains the original name based on the masked name. The system computes a symmetric key based on the original name and a generated nonce. The system generates a content object packet that corresponds to the original name and includes the masked name, the nonce, and a payload encrypted based on the symmetric key, wherein the content object packet is received by a client computing device.

Abstract: One embodiment provides a system that facilitates efficient key retrieval by using key catalogs in a content centric network. During operation, the system generates, by a client computing device, a first interest for a key indicated in a signed key catalog. In response to receiving the key, the system verifies the received key by determining that a hash of the received key matches a hash of the key as indicated in the catalog based on a name for the received key. The system generates a second interest for a content object, wherein a name for the second interest includes a name prefix associated with the key as indicated in the catalog, wherein the first interest is transmitted before or concurrent with transmitting the second interest. In response to receiving the content object, the system verifies the received content object based on the key.