Abstract: An embodiment of a method can create a directed acyclic graph (DAG) from a programmer specified set of computation units to solve, in a computer program, physics based simulations of physical systems, and the DAG can be used to analyze and debug the computer program. In this method, the computer program can be created by automatically determining dependency relationships in the set of computation units and automatically schedule their execution. The method can also automatically allocate memory for the computation units.

Abstract: An embodiment of a method can create a directed acyclic graph (DAG) from a programmer specified set of computation units to solve, in a computer program, physics based simulations of physical systems, and the DAG can be used to analyze and debug the computer program. In this method, the computer program can be created by automatically determining dependency relationships in the set of computation units and automatically schedule their execution. The method can also automatically allocate memory for the computation units.

Abstract: An embodiment of a method can create a directed acyclic graph (DAG) from a programmer specified set of computation units to solve, in a computer program, physics based simulations of physical systems, and the DAG can be used to analyze and debug the computer program. In this method, the computer program can be created by automatically determining dependency relationships in the set of computation units and automatically schedule their execution. The method can also automatically allocate memory for the computation units.

Abstract: An apparatus for testing a mooring bollard is disclosed. The apparatus has first and second connector ropes for attaching the apparatus to a pair of bollards. There is also a pulling device (such as a hydraulic ram) for applying a pulling force to the bollards via the connector ropes. The device further includes a pulling force measuring device connected between the ram and one of the connector ropes, for measuring the pulling force being applied between the bollards. Finally there is a computer system for controlling the hydraulic ram and for gathering data from the data measuring device.

Abstract: An apparatus for testing a mooring bollard is disclosed. The apparatus has first and second connector ropes for attaching the apparatus to a pair of bollards. There is also a pulling device (such as a hydraulic ram) for applying a pulling force to the bollards via the connector ropes. The device further includes a pulling force measuring device connected between the ram and one of the connector ropes, for measuring the pulling force being applied between the bollards. Finally there is a computer system for controlling the hydraulic ram and for gathering data from the data measuring device.

Abstract: A method and a system for recognizing, by a broadcasting platform, content sequences of an input linear content stream by retrieving content information determined by small fingerprints of portions of the linear content and comparing the small fingerprint with reference fingerprints stored in a database. The output stream transmitted to the user units is modified by the addition of a synchronization stream including at least identifiers of the content sequences and associated temporal information determined on the basis of the reference fingerprints. The content information is exploited by the broadcasting platform or the users units for replacing a sequence by anther one, removing predefined sequences, skipping or forcing viewing content sequences, The initial linear content stream is thus enriched with accurate content information allowing the viewer to navigate and select the content to play either in live or replay mode.

Abstract: Attacks by computer viruses, worm programs, and other hostile software (‘malware’), have become very serious problems for computer systems connected to large communication networks such as the Internet. One potential defense against such attacks is to employ diversity—that is, making each copy of the attacked software different. However, existing diversity techniques do not offer sufficient levels of protection. The invention provides an effective diversity solution by applying tamper resistant software (TRS) encoding techniques, to the communications that take place between software components, with corresponding changes to the code handling those communications. These communications may include, for example, data passed between software routines via parameters or mutually accessible variables, light-weight messages, signals and semaphores passed between threads, and messages passed between software processes. Effective TRS encoding techniques include data-flow encoding and mass-data encoding techniques.

Abstract: Attacks by computer viruses, worm programs, and other hostile software (‘malware’), have become very serious problems for computer systems connected to large communication networks such as the Internet. One potential defence against such attacks is to employ diversity—that is, making each copy of the attacked software different. However, existing diversity techniques do not offer sufficient levels of protection. The invention provides an effective diversity solution by applying tamper resistant software (TRS) encoding techniques, to the communications that take place between software components, with corresponding changes to the code handling those communications. These communications may include, for example, data passed between software routines via parameters or mutually accessible variables, light-weight messages, signals and semaphores passed between threads, and messages passed between software processes. Effective TRS encoding techniques include data-flow encoding and mass-data encoding techniques.

Abstract: Attacks by computer viruses, worm programs, and other hostile software (‘malware’), have become very serious problems for computer systems connected to large communication networks such as the Internet. One potential defence against such attacks is to employ diversity—that is, making each copy of the attacked software different. However, existing diversity techniques do not offer sufficient levels of protection. The invention provides an effective diversity solution by applying tamper resistant software (TRS) encoding techniques, to the communications that take place between software components, with corresponding changes to the code handling those communications. These communications may include, for example, data passed between software routines via parameters or mutually accessible variables, light-weight messages, signals and semaphores passed between threads, and messages passed between software processes. Effective TRS encoding techniques include data-flow encoding and mass-data encoding techniques.

Abstract: Systems and methods which may be implemented as software to control access to content streams transmitted from a service provider's server. A software solution forces each set top box (STB) to periodically uplink to the server and to receive authentication from that server. To prevent spoofing, the server periodically loads to each STB at least one unique key that is required to access the content stream or that is required for authentication. The key or keys may be periodically revoked and/or replaced by the server. The frequency of the revocation and/or replacement of the key is ideally not fixed. Also, the server may periodically upgrade the decoding and/or authentication software on the STBs via the uplink.

Abstract: The present invention relates generally to computer software, and more specifically, to a system and method of foiling buffer-overflow and alien-code attacks. The invention protects computers from such attacks by encoding data placed in storage, and varying the encodings used in different storage areas. When the data is needed by a software application, the data is simply decoded in a complementary manner. This prevents storage areas written according to one usage from being used effectively for some other purpose. The method of the invention can be done in a number of ways. For example, a “protector” engine can be placed between a software application and memory, or the function calls in the software application itself, could be amended to include encoding and decoding. Other embodiments and alternatives are also described.

Abstract: An online customer support system (20) automates access for a user to a variety of types of information (24-31) maintained within a database (22). In a disclosed example, a dynamic user profile management module (50) automatically establishes a user profile including entitlements to sets of information within the database (22) each time a user accesses the system. A disclosed entitlement inference module (54) recognizes explicit entitlements based on accessibility indicators or infers entitlements based on various disclosed factors or relationships. A disclosed linking module (52) automatically determines a probability that a user can be granted another entitlement that was not granted by the entitlement inference module (54). An example process of registering a user includes requiring only a single piece of information from the user to automatically establish access for that user to an associated portion of the database (22) and any other portions of the database (22) that user should be able to access.

Abstract: Systems and methods which may be implemented as software to control access to content streams transmitted from a service provider's server. A software solution forces each set top box (STB) to periodically uplink to the server and to receive authentication from that server. To prevent spoofing, the server periodically loads to each STB at least one unique key that is required to access the content stream or that is required for authentication. The key or keys may be periodically revoked and/or replaced by the server. The frequency of the revocation and/or replacement of the key is ideally not fixed. Also, the server may periodically upgrade the decoding and/or authentication software on the STBs via the uplink.

Abstract: Attacks by computer viruses, worm programs, and other hostile software (‘malware’), have become very serious problems for computer systems connected to large communication networks such as the Internet. One potential defence against such attacks is to employ diversity—that is, making each copy of the attacked software different. However, existing diversity techniques do not offer sufficient levels of protection. The invention provides an effective diversity solution by applying tamper resistant software (TRS) encoding techniques, to the communications that take place between software components, with corresponding changes to the code handling those communications. These communications may include, for example, data passed between software routines via parameters or mutually accessible variables, light-weight messages, signals and semaphores passed between threads, and messages passed between software processes.

Abstract: The present invention relates generally to computer software, and more specifically, to a system and method of foiling buffer-overflow and alien-code attacks. The invention protects computers from such attacks by encoding data placed in storage, and varying the encodings used in different storage areas. When the data is needed by a software application, the data is simply decoded in a complementary manner. This prevents storage areas written according to one usage from being used effectively for some other purpose. The method of the invention can be done in a number of ways. For example, a “protector” engine can be placed between a software application and memory, or the function calls in the software application itself, could be amended to include encoding and decoding. Other embodiments and alternatives are also described.