Abstract: A physical token operates together with an online server to test whether a user operating a user computer to access a service available at the online server is human. The physical token has two states: inactive and active. When in the inactive state the physical token displays interaction instructions for performing a physical action on the token. When the interaction instructions are satisfied, the physical token transitions to the active state and displays a response that may be used for satisfying a challenge issued by the online server to the user seeking to access the service.

Abstract: One embodiment of the present invention provides a system that implements a content-addressable memory (CAM) which has multiple banks. During operation, the system receives a request to insert an item into the CAM, wherein the request includes a key which is used to index the item and a body containing data. Next, for each bank in the CAM, the system calculates a different hash function based on the key to produce an index and a tag. The system then uses the calculated index and the tag for each bank to lookup an entry in each bank. If the lookups do not generate a hit in any bank, the system stores an entry for the request into a highest priority bank which does not contain a valid entry in the location accessed by the lookup. In one embodiment of the present invention, the multiple banks in the CAM have varying sizes.

Abstract: A chip package for a computer system includes a substrate having a first region and a second region on a first surface, at least one die coupled to the first region on the first surface of the substrate and a main logic board coupled to the second region on the first surface of the substrate. By coupling the die and the main logic board on the first surface of the substrate, an overall thickness of the chip package is reduced.

Abstract: One embodiment of the present invention provides a method and a system for patching a set of objects containing references. The system uses a location structure to keep track of the locations of references within the set of objects. During the patching process, the system converts the references within the set objects from an absolute form into an offset-based form, where offsets are computed with respect to base addresses of objects. The system then applies an offset-based patch to the set of objects and to the location structure using a binary-patching technique. After applying the patch, the system converts the references in the set of objects back into absolute form. By using an offset-based patch, the system reduces the number of reference changes that need to be specified in the patch, thereby reducing the size of the patch.

Abstract: Device, method, and computer program product that provides a user interface for monitoring the social health of a persistent virtual environment. The disclosed technology allows a user to monitor and diagnose the health of the persistent virtual environment based on the social interactions between subscribers of on-line entities who have interactions related to the persistent virtual environment.

Abstract: A system that identifies processes with a memory leak in a computer system. During operation, the system periodically samples memory usage for processes running on the computer system. The system then ranks the processes by memory usage and selects a specified number of processes with highest memory usage based on the ranking. For each selected process, the system computes a first-order difference of memory usage by taking a difference between the memory usage at a current sampling time and the memory usage at an immediately preceding sampling time. The system then generates a memory-leak index based on the first-order difference and a preceding memory-leak index computed at the immediately preceding sampling time.

Abstract: One embodiment of the present invention provides a system that counts speculatively-executed instructions for performance analysis purposes. During operation, the system counts instructions which are normally executed during a normal-execution mode. Next, the system enters a speculative-execution mode wherein instructions are speculatively executed without being committed to the architectural state of the processor. During the speculative-execution mode, the system counts the speculatively-executed instructions in a manner that enables the count of speculatively-executed instructions to be reset if the speculative execution fails.

Abstract: One embodiment of the present invention provides a system that controls access to personally identifiable information (PII) in a database system. During operation, the system receives a request from an application to perform a function which involves accessing information in the database system. In response to the request, the system identifies a purpose that the application has in making request to perform the function. Next, the system uses the purpose to identify a set of attributes in the database system, which are associated with the purpose. The system then determines if any of the identified attributes contain PII. If so, the system enforces access controls while accessing the identified attributes containing PII.

Abstract: A computer system that schedules loads across a set of processor cores is described. During operation, the computer system receives thermal measurements from sensors associated with the set of processor cores, and removes noise from the thermal measurements. Then, the computer system analyzes thermal properties of the set of processor cores based on the thermal measurements. Next, the computer system receives a process to be executed, and schedules the process to be executed by at least one of the processor cores based on the analysis. This scheduling is performed in a manner that reduces spatial and temporal thermal variations in the integrated circuit.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for accelerating processing of a structured document. A hardware XML accelerator includes one or more processors (e.g., CMT processors), one or more hardware XML parser units, one or more cryptographic units and various interfaces (e.g., to memory, a network, a communication bus). An XML document may be processed in its entirety or may be parsed in segments (e.g., as it is received). A parser unit parses a document or segment character by character, validates characters, assembles tokens from the document, extracts data, generates token headers (to describe tokens and data) and forwards the token headers and data for consumption by an application. A cryptographic unit may enforce web security, XML security or some other security scheme, by providing encryption/decryption functionality, computing digital signatures, etc. Software processing, bus utilization and latencies (e.g.

Abstract: One embodiment of the present invention provides a system that facilitates biasing receiver circuits within an integrated circuit. During operation, the system provides n receiver circuits within the integrated circuit to be biased. Next, the system provides n+m communication channels between n drivers and n receivers, wherein m is a number of additional communication channels, and wherein m>0. Then, the system couples the n+m communication channels to the n drivers, wherein each driver is selectively coupled to m+1 communication channels. The system also couples the n+m communication channels to the n receivers, wherein each receiver is selectively coupled to m+1 communication channels. In this way, at any given time n of the communication channels are active and m of the communication channels are inactive. Finally, the system refreshes inactive m communication channels' biases while the m inactive communication channels are not communicating signals.

Abstract: One embodiment of the present invention provides a system that facilitates updating a secondary form element in a web browser based on a selection of data in a primary form element. The system starts by receiving the selection of data in the primary form element in the web browser. Once the selection has been made, the system spawns a secondary instance of the web browser and sends the selection of data to a server from the secondary instance of the web browser. Next, the system receives a response from the server at the secondary instance of the web browser, which includes data for the secondary form element, wherein the data corresponds to the selection of data in the primary form element. The secondary instance of the web browser uses this data for the secondary form element to update the secondary form element in the web browser.

Abstract: One embodiment of the present invention provides a system that uses filesystem operations to initiate device naming and/or device discovery. The system operates by receiving a command to boot a computer system. In response to the command, the system loads a portion of a filesystem hierarchy that includes a device namespace into a memory of the computer system, wherein the portion of the filesystem hierarchy contains at least one entity which represents a device coupled to the computer system. The system can then perform a read-directory operation on the portion of the filesystem hierarchy or a lookup operation of a specific well-known device or directory to obtain a list of filesystem entities that correspond to devices attached to the computer system.

Abstract: Embodiments of the present invention provide a system for detecting vibrations from a component. The system operates by coupling vibrations from a component to a membrane using a flexible connecting line. The membrane converts the vibrations into acoustic waves that are transmitted through a medium. Finally, a microphone detects the acoustic waves in the medium and converts the acoustic waves into electrical signals.

Abstract: One embodiment of the present invention provides a system that facilitates collision warning. During operation, the system receives information on one or more predicted collisions and determines a utility of issuing a warning for a predicted collision based on the received information. The system further schedules one or more warnings for the predicted collisions based on the utilities of issuing the warnings.

Abstract: One embodiment of the present invention provides a system that efficiently conducts vibrational characterizations for a computer system having variable component configurations. During operation, the system receives a given component configuration associated with the computer system. Next, the system looks up the given component configuration in a resonant spectra library, which contains structural resonant frequencies for a number of possible component configurations for the computer system. If the given component configuration is found in the resonant spectra library, the system retrieves a set of structural resonant frequencies associated with the given component configuration. The system subsequently controls one or more vibration sources within the computer system to avoid the set of structural resonant frequencies.

Abstract: Techniques for protecting non-public information in a mobile environment are provided. A request for non-public information about users in a mobile environment is received. Privacy policies, non-public and optional public information about the users affected by the request are determined. An optional privacy impact indicator is determined based on how satisfying the request increases the current public information about the users. Crowds of users having similar attribute name/values are optionally determined. User and optional requestor privacy policies which associate threshold release criteria such minimum crowd size, minimum consideration with the non-public information are determined. A privacy agreement is reached for the disclosure of the requested non-public information based on the compatibility of the requester and user privacy policies. Privacy protecting transformations are optionally determined and applied to create crowds or groups associated with the requested attribute.

Abstract: A system and method for validating packet classification within an input/output device or component. Based on a target DMA engine within the device, and a protocol path for testing the DMA engine, sets of packet attributes are generated and used to format packets for input to the device. The output of the device is examined to determine if the correct DMA engine was used within the device. The DMA policy specifying which DMA engine to use for a particular packet configuration or set of protocol attributes can be dynamically replaced or modified without halting the validation process.

Abstract: One embodiment of the present invention provides a system which facilitates selective prefetching based on resource availability. During operation, the system executes instructions in a processor. While executing the instructions, the system monitors the availability of one or more system resources and dynamically adjusts an availability indicator for each system resource based on the current availability of the system resource. Upon encountering a prefetch instruction which involves the system resource, the system checks the availability indicator. If the availability indicator indicates that the system resource is not sufficiently available, the system terminates the execution of the prefetch instruction, whereby terminating execution prevents prefetch instructions from overwhelming the system resource.

Abstract: Systems and methods for synchronizing communication between devices include using a test circuit to measure a propagation time through a delay circuit. The propagation time is used to determine an initial delay value within a delay lock loop. This delay value is then changed until a preferred delay value, resulting in synchronization, is found. In various embodiments, used of the initial delay value increases the speed, reliability or other beneficial features of the synchronization.