Abstract: Methods, apparatus, systems, and articles of manufacture of valve packing apparatus and related methods. An apparatus includes a cartridge including packing components and a spring. The cartridge is dimensioned to fit in a bore of a bonnet of a valve. A retainer is disposed in an aperture of the cartridge. The retainer is removable from the aperture to release the spring to apply a predetermined compressive load to the stack of packing components.

Abstract: A system and method for authenticating an application that employs cryptographic keys and functions is provided with white box cryptography employed to secure the application, and to secure communications with the application. The white box includes a transformation of the application and the keys. A secure channel between the white box and a crypto token is used for communications. In some cases, the transformed keys can be employed in authenticating the white box to the crypto token. The presence of a valid crypto token can be periodically determined. In the presence of a valid crypto token, the white box can provide a verifiable message to a remote server. The remote server can verify the message and initiate a service.

Abstract: The present disclosure includes a retaining ring for a valve plug assembly. The retaining ring includes a first ring portion having an inner surface with a central axis extending along a circumference of the first ring portion, and a rib disposed on the inner surface of the first ring portion and offset from the central axis. The retaining ring also includes a second ring portion having an inner surface with a central axis extending along a circumference of the second ring portion, and a rib disposed on the inner surface of the second ring portion and offset from the central axis. The second ring portion is coupled to the first ring portion such that each of the ribs disposed on the inner surfaces of the first and second ring portions are configured to mate with a groove of a valve plug.

Abstract: Various embodiments are directed to an ear-worn electronic device configured to be worn by a wearer. The device comprises an enclosure configured to be supported by or in an ear of the wearer. Electronic circuitry is disposed in the enclosure and comprises a wireless transceiver. An antenna is situated in or on the enclosure and coupled to the wireless transceiver. The antenna comprises a first antenna element, a second antenna element, and a strap comprising a reactive component connected to the first and second antenna elements.

Abstract: Methods, apparatus, systems, and articles of manufacture of valve packing apparatus and related methods. An apparatus includes a cartridge including packing components and a spring. The cartridge is dimensioned to fit in a bore of a bonnet of a valve. A retainer is disposed in an aperture of the cartridge. The retainer is removable from the aperture to release the spring to apply a predetermined compressive load to the stack of packing components.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for generating a random entropy pool in a processing system executing a plurality of processing threads is disclosed. Each of the processing threads having a processing result completed in non-deterministic temporal order in relation to other processing threads. In one embodiment, the method comprises computing, in a first processing thread, a first processing thread state value according to a shapeless mixing operation operating on an initial thread state value and the processing result, computing, in another processing thread having a subsequently completed processing result, another processing thread state value according to a further shapeless mixing operation operating on another initial thread state value or a previously computed processing thread state value and the subsequently completed processing result; and computing a portion of the entropy pool from the processing thread state value and the another processing thread state value.

Abstract: Various embodiments are directed to an ear-worn electronic device configured to be worn by a wearer. The device comprises an enclosure configured to be supported by or in an ear of the wearer. Electronic circuitry is disposed in the enclosure and comprises a wireless transceiver. An antenna is situated in or on the enclosure and coupled to the wireless transceiver. The antenna comprises a first antenna element, a second antenna element, and a strap comprising a reactive component connected to the first and second antenna elements.

Abstract: A portable toilet transfer device comprises a clip configured to engage a toilet bowl, including a first end and a second end opposite the first end, comprising an interior side portion including a proximal end, a distal end, and an interior engagement member positioned at the distal end, an exterior side portion including a proximal end, a distal end, and an exterior engagement member positioned at the distal end, and a central portion connected to the proximal end of the interior side portion and the proximal end of the exterior side portion, and a handle connected to the clip. Methods of manufacture and use are also disclosed.

Abstract: A fully homomorphic white-box implementation of one or more cryptographic operations is presented. This method allows construction of white-box implementations from general-purpose code without necessitating specialized knowledge in cryptography, and with minimal impact to the processing and memory requirements for non-white-box implementations. This method and the techniques that use it are ideally suited for securing “math heavy” implementations, such as codecs, that currently do not benefit from white-box security because of memory or processing concerns. Further, the fully homomorphic white-box construction can produce a white-box implementation from general purpose program code, such as C or C++.

Abstract: Embodiments herein relate to hearing device systems that can utilize proxy devices to convey emergency communications. In an embodiment, the system operates in a first communication mode and a second communication mode. The first communication mode can include the hearing device being paired to a wireless communication enabled device for conveying data to a non-local network as initiated by the hearing device. The second communication mode can include the hearing device accessory being paired to the wireless communication enabled device for conveying data to the non-local network as initiated by the hearing device. The system can enter the second communication mode when the hearing device cannot communicate with the wireless communication enabled device. The hearing device accessory uses a hardware address of the hearing device to communicate with the wireless communication enabled device as if it was paired thereto. Other embodiments are also included herein.

Abstract: An ear-worn electronic hearing device comprises an enclosure configured to be supported by, at, in or on an ear of the wearer. Electronic circuitry is disposed in the enclosure and comprises a wireless transceiver. An antenna is disposed in or on the enclosure and operably coupled to the wireless transceiver. The antenna has a physical size and comprises a plurality of cutouts disposed along a periphery of the antenna. The cutouts are configured to increase an electrical length of the antenna without an increase in the physical size of the antenna. The antenna can comprise at least one interior window having a window periphery. A plurality of window cutouts are disposed along the window periphery. The window cutouts are configured to increase a path length of current distribution along the window periphery.

Abstract: A secure cloud-based node-locking service with built-in attack detection to eliminate fuzzing, cloning and other attacks is disclosed. White-box base files are securely stored on the cloud service and are not vulnerable to accidental leakage. A secure cloud-based dynamic secret encoding service reduces the risk of exposure of unprotected secrets and other sensitive data.

Abstract: A method is provided to dynamically encode data at runtime with a tagged data element in a program associated with an obfuscation algorithm randomly selected during runtime. Instructions for invoking the obfuscation algorithm are generated when a compiler encounters the tagged variable in the source code. At runtime, unencoded data is encoded by the obfuscation algorithm when the unencoded data is copied to the tagged data element; encoded data is re-encoded by the obfuscation algorithm when the encoded data is copied from a differently tagged data element to the tagged data element, wherein the differently tagged data element is associated with a different obfuscation algorithm; and encoded data is decoded by the obfuscation algorithm when the encoded data is copied from the tagged data element to an untagged data element.

Abstract: A system and method for authenticating an application that employs cryptographic keys and functions is provided with white box cryptography employed to secure the application, and to secure communications with the application. The white box includes a transformation of the application and the keys. A secure channel between the white box and a crypto token is used for communications. In some cases, the transformed keys can be employed in authenticating the white box to the crypto token. The presence of a valid crypto token can be periodically determined. In the presence of a valid crypto token, the white box can provide a verifiable message to a remote server. The remote server can verify the message and initiate a service.

Abstract: A secure cloud-based node-locking service with built-in attack detection to eliminate fuzzing, cloning and other attacks is disclosed. White-box base files are securely stored on the cloud service and are not vulnerable to accidental leakage. A secure cloud-based dynamic secret encoding service reduces the risk of exposure of unprotected secrets and other sensitive data.

Abstract: Methods, apparatus, systems, and articles of manufacture of valve packing apparatus and related methods are described. An apparatus includes a cartridge including packing components and a spring. The cartridge is dimensioned to fit in a bore of a bonnet of a valve. A cap is coupled to the cartridge to retain the packing components and the spring. The cap is to compress the packing components and the spring to a predetermined load in response to the cartridge being fastened to the bonnet of a valve.

Abstract: Methods, apparatus, systems, and articles of manufacture of valve packing apparatus and related methods. An apparatus includes a cartridge including packing components and a spring. The cartridge is dimensioned to fit in a bore of a bonnet of a valve. A retainer is disposed in an aperture of the cartridge. The retainer is removable from the aperture to release the spring to apply a predetermined compressive load to the stack of packing components.

Abstract: An ear-worn electronic hearing device comprises an enclosure configured to be supported by, at, in or on an ear of the wearer. Electronic circuitry is disposed in the enclosure and comprises a wireless transceiver. An antenna is disposed in or on the enclosure and operably coupled to the wireless transceiver. The antenna has a physical size and comprises a plurality of cutouts disposed along a periphery of the antenna. The cutouts are configured to increase an electrical length of the antenna without an increase in the physical size of the antenna. The antenna can comprise at least one interior window having a window periphery. A plurality of window cutouts are disposed along the window periphery. The window cutouts are configured to increase a path length of current distribution along the window periphery.

Abstract: A flow control device has a valve body having an inlet, an outlet, and a flow path connecting the inlet and the outlet and a unitary trim cartridge assembly secured to the valve body. The trim cartridge assembly has a cage disposed in the flow path, a bonnet coupled to the cage, and a retaining element disposed between the cage and the bonnet. The cage includes an exterior groove formed on an exterior surface of the cage, the bonnet includes an interior groove formed on an interior surface of the bonnet, and the retaining element extends into the interior groove and the exterior groove. A height of the interior groove and/or a height of the exterior groove is greater than a height of the retaining element to allow the cage to move longitudinally within the bonnet with the bonnet and cage assembled.

Abstract: A method is provided for obfuscating program code to prevent unauthorized users from accessing video. The method includes receiving an original program code that provides functionality. The original program code is transformed into obfuscated program code defining a randomized branch encoded version of the original program code. The obfuscated program code is then stored, and a processor receiving input video data flow uses the obfuscated program code to generate an output data flow.