Abstract: Embodiments of a computer system, a method, an integrated circuit and a computer-program product (i.e., software) for use with the computer system are described. These devices and techniques may be used to perform STA for circuits that include multiple power domains. Power-domain crossing information and optionally the delay in each power domain can be propagated during the full circuit graph-based STA to accurately perform STA without enumerating all paths. Some embodiments can use a tag-based engine to track power-domain crossing(s) during graph-based STA. If a power-domain is crossed in a path, pessimism may be added to the cumulative delay at the end point of the path. For those paths that do not cross a power domain, pessimism may be removed from the cumulative delay at their end points. In some embodiments, pessimism may be removed from the cumulative delay at end points for paths that cross power domains.

Abstract: A shared-key encryption scheme that uses identically keyed block-cipher calls, low additional overhead, supports the encryption of arbitrary-length strings, produces a minimal-length-ciphertext, and is fully parallelizable. In one embodiment, “OCB”, a key shared between communicating parties is mapped to a key variant using the block cipher. The key variant is mapped into a sequence of basis offsets using shifts and conditional xors. To encrypt a message using a nonce, a nonce-dependent base offset is formed, and then a sequence of offsets is constructed by starting with the base offset and then xoring, for each offset, an appropriate basis offset. The message is partitioned into message blocks of the same length as the block length of the block cipher, along with a message fragment that may be shorter. Each message block is combined with a corresponding offset, enciphered, and then combined again with the offset, yielding a ciphertext block.

Abstract: One embodiment of the present invention provides a system that facilitates automated accounting. During operation, the system receives a check voucher at a system, wherein the check voucher corresponds to a check. Next, the system performs an optical character recognition (OCR) operation on the check voucher to identify a set of tokens printed on the check voucher. The system then searches a dictionary of tokens for open invoices to identify a match between the set of tokens printed on the check voucher and tokens associated with an open invoice. Next, the system determines an amount of the check by determining the value of an amount token printed on the check voucher. Finally, the system applies a payment for the amount of the check to the open invoice.

Abstract: Embodiments of the present invention provide a system that executes a transaction on a simultaneous speculative threading (SST) processor. In these embodiments, the processor includes a primary strand and a subordinate strand. Upon encountering a transaction with the primary strand while executing instructions non-transactionally, the processor checkpoints the primary strand and executes the transaction with the primary strand while continuing to non-transactionally execute deferred instructions with the subordinate strand. When the subordinate strand non-transactionally accesses a cache line during the transaction, the processor updates a record for the cache line to indicate the first strand ID. When the primary strand transactionally accesses a cache line during the transaction, the processor updates a record for the cache line to indicate a second strand ID.

Abstract: One embodiment of the present invention provides a system that uses versioned pointers to facilitate reusing memory without having to reclaim the objects solely through garbage collection. The system operates by first receiving a request to allocate an object. Next, the system obtains the object from a pool of free objects, and sets an allocated/free flag in the object to indicate that the object is allocated. The system also increments a version number in the object, and also encodes the version number into a pointer for the object. The system then returns the pointer, which includes the encoded version number. In this way, subsequent accesses to the object through the pointer can compare the version number encoded in the pointer with the version number in the object to determine whether the object has been reused since the pointer was generated.

Abstract: Instead of alternatively utilizing only one fabric or the other fabric of a redundant pair, both fabrics simultaneously transmit duplicate information, such that each packet forwarding module (PFM) receives the output of both fabrics simultaneously. In real time, an internal optics module (IOM) analyzes each information chunk coming out of a working zero switch fabric; simultaneously examines a parallel output of a working one duplicate switch fabric; and compares on a chunk-by-chunk basis the validity of each and every chunk from both switch fabrics. The IOM does this by examining forward error correction (FEC) check symbols encapsulated into each chunk. FEC check symbols allow correcting a predetermined number of bit errors within a chunk. If the chunk cannot be corrected, then the IOM provides indication to all PFMs downstream that the chunk is defective. Under such conditions, the PFMs select a chunk from the non-defective switch fabric.

Abstract: A leakage power optimization system optimizes leakage power of a circuit design which includes a set of logic gates. The system selects a leakage-power-reducing transformation for a logic gate, and determines a zone around the logic gate. This zone includes logic gates within a first predetermined number of levels in the logic gate's fan-out, the logic gate's fan-in, and a second predetermined number of levels in the logic gate's fan-in's fan-out. The system propagates arrival times within the zone to obtain updated slack values at endpoints of the zone. Then, in response to determining that the updated slack values at the endpoints of the zone do not degrade one or more circuit timing metrics, the system applies the leakage-power-reducing transformation to the logic gate.

Abstract: A multi-chip module (MCM) is described. This MCM includes at least two substrates that are remateably mechanically coupled by positive and negative features on facing surfaces of the substrates. These positive and negative features may mate and self-lock with each other. For example, the positive features on one of the surfaces may include pairs of counterposed micro-springs, and the negative features may include pits or grooves on the other surface. When the substrates are mechanically coupled, a given pair of positive features may provide a force in a plane of the other surface. Furthermore, by compressing the MCM so that the surfaces of the substrates are pushed toward each other, the mechanical coupling may be released.

Abstract: Some embodiments provide a system to generate a key pair. During operation, the system can receive a request to generate the key pair, wherein the key pair is generated by a key assigner, and wherein the key pair is associated with a user. Next, the system can determine a secret associated with the key assigner. Specifically, the system can determine the secret by determining an initial secret associated with the key assigner, and by applying a one-way hash function to the initial secret one or more times. The system can then determine a seed based on the secret. Specifically, the system can determine the seed by cryptographically combining the secret with information associated with the user. Next, the system can generate the key pair by using the seed as an input to a key generator. The system can then return the key pair to a requestor.

Abstract: Embodiments of the present disclosure provide a method and system for implicitly authenticating a user to access controlled resources. The system receives a request to access the controlled resources. The system then determines a user behavior score based on a user behavior model, and recent contextual data about the user. The user behavior score facilitates identifying a level of consistency between one or more recent user events and a past user behavior pattern. The recent contextual data, which comprise a plurality of data streams, are collected from one or more user devices without prompting the user to perform an action explicitly associated with authentication. The plurality of data streams provide basis for determining the user behavior score, but a data stream alone provides insufficient basis for the determination of the user behavior score. The system also provides the user behavior score to an access controller of the controlled resource.

Abstract: During a technique for dynamically determining sizes of columns in a table, available space in the table is allocated based at least on sequential groups of size targets, which include ranges of sizes of the columns, and which are associated with visual usability targets for the columns. Note that a given size target in a given group of size targets includes a given range of sizes of a given column. For example, minimum sizes of the columns may correspond to the ranges of sizes of one or more of the groups in the sequential groups of size targets for which the columns satisfy the associated visual usability targets. Furthermore, for a subsequent group of size targets in the sequential groups of size targets after the one or more groups, increments to the minimum sizes of the columns may be calculated based at least on the range of sizes of the subsequent group of size targets, the available space and the minimum sizes.

Abstract: Methods and apparatuses are described for determining mask layouts for printing a design intent on a wafer using a spacer-is-dielectric self-aligned double-patterning process. A system can determine whether a graph corresponding to a design intent is two-colorable. If the graph is not two-colorable, the system can merge one or more pairs of shapes in the design intent to obtain a modified design intent, so that a modified graph corresponding to the modified design intent is two-colorable. The system can then determine a two-coloring for the modified graph. Next, the system can place one or more core shapes in a mandrel mask layout which correspond to vertices in the modified graph that are associated with a selected color in the two-coloring. The system can then place one or more shapes in a trim mask layout for separating the shapes in the design intent that were merged.

Abstract: One embodiment of the present invention provides a system that builds an association tensor (such as a matrix) to facilitate document and word-level processing operations. During operation, the system uses terms from a collection of documents to build an association tensor, which contains values representing pair-wise similarities between terms in the collection of documents. During this process, if a given value in the association tensor is calculated based on an insufficient number of samples, the system determines a corresponding value from a reference document collection, and then substitutes the corresponding value for the given value in the association tensor. After the association tensor is obtained, a dimensionality reduction method is applied to compute a low-dimensional vector space representation for the vocabulary terms. Document vectors are computed as linear combinations of term vectors.

Abstract: One embodiment provides a system that throttles access to a web resource. During operation, a throttle server receives a request to access the web resource. The request is associated with a computing device used by a user and is redirected from a server providing the web resource. The throttle server then determines whether the computing device has previously accessed a restricted resource different from the web resource corresponding to the request based on the presence or absence of a unique mark associated with the computing device. Based on the determination, the throttle server subsequently generates a response indicating whether the computing device meets a predetermined requirement for accessing the web resource, and sends the response to the server providing the web resource, thereby facilitating access throttling to the web resource.

Abstract: During shopping, a shopper looks at herself in a mirror to evaluate clothing, jewelry, etc. because the mirror can provide a third-person view of the item. One thing a mirror cannot do is to show how two different items look at the same time, because only one item can be tried on at a time. Because of this, shoppers will often repeatedly try on items and must compare the look from memory. To enable self-comparison visually rather than from memory, embodiments can detect matches between images from two separate recorded single camera video sequences (corresponding to two different fittings). The matched images can then be played back to the user in close visual proximity for easy comparison shopping.

Abstract: Some embodiments provide a system that improves performance during parameterized cell instantiation in an electronic design automation (EDA) application. During operation, the system persists evaluation results associated with a parameterized cell in the design within a session of the EDA application so that the evaluation results are available even after they have been flushed from memory. Further, the system can persist the evaluation results across sessions of the EDA application. Next, the system uses the persisted evaluation results to instantiate the parameterized cell without re-evaluating the parameterized cell. Finally, the system discards the persisted evaluation results based at least on a dependency associated with the parameterized cell.

Abstract: One embodiment of the present invention provides a system that uses reverse advertising to configure a new wireless device to join an existing wireless network. During operation, the new wireless device broadcasts an advertisement for itself. In response to the advertisement, the new wireless device receives information from an existing wireless device on the existing wireless network. This information specifies how to join the existing wireless network. Next, the new wireless device uses the information to configure itself to join the existing wireless network.

Abstract: A system and method are provided for inlining across protection domain boundaries with a system virtual machine. A protection domain comprises a unique combination of a privilege level and a memory address space. The system virtual machine interprets or dynamically compiles not only application code executing under guest operating systems, but also the guest operating systems. For a program call that crosses a protection domain boundary, the virtual machine assembles an intermediate representation (IR) graph that spans the boundary. Region nodes corresponding to code on both sides of the call are enhanced with information identifying the applicable protection domains. The IR is optimized and used to generate instructions in a native ISA (Instruction Set Architecture) of the virtual machine. Individual instructions reveal the protection domain in which they are to operate, and instructions corresponding to different domains may be interleaved.

Abstract: The disclosed embodiments describe interactions and synchronization techniques for global deduplication file systems. In one embodiment of the invention, a method and system implements a global deduplication file system between a plurality of interconnected systems located in different locations globally by making use of the deduplication dictionary included in metadata being periodically snapshot. In yet another embodiment of the invention, a method implements a global deduplication file system between a plurality of interconnected systems located in different locations globally and provides appropriate read/write locks.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for processing a computing job in a distributed processing system. A control process sends a message to an instance of an application instructing the application instance to divide the job into assignments for processing by various application instances. The application instance divides the job in a way that is suitable for the particular application and sends, to the control process, assignment information that describes how the job is to be divided. The control process stores the assignment information and assigns each of the application instances a portion of the computing job based on the assignment information. After, the application instances have completed the assignments, the control process instructs one of the application instances to perform post-processing on the assignment results, based on the assignment information.