Abstract: Embodiments provide a security infrastructure that may be configured to run on top of an existing operating system to control what resources can be accessed by an applications and what APIs an application can call. Security decisions are made by taking into account both the current thread's identity and the current thread's call chain context to enable minimal privilege by default. The current thread context is captured and a copy of it is created to be used to perform security checks asynchronously. Every thread in the system has an associated identity. To obtain access to a particular resource, all the callers on the current thread are analyzed to make sure that each caller and thread has access to that resource. Only when each caller and thread has access to that resource is the caller given access to that resource.

Abstract: A display arrangement comprises an image display device having two or more sets of images for display; a camera directed towards positions adopted by users viewing the display; a face detector for detecting human faces in images captured by the camera, the face detector being arranged to detect faces in at least two face categories; and means, responsive to the a frequency of detection of categories of faces by the face detector at one or more different periods, for selecting a set of images to be displayed on the image display device at that time of day.

Abstract: Directories in a file system are defined with a dummy cluster in a file allocation table as the initial entry. Subsequent clusters in a directory's definition may define any data for the directory that can be changed in a transaction-safe mode. A directory may be modified in a transaction-safe mode by modifying any of the subsequent clusters while tracking changes in a second file allocation table. When the changes have been made to the directory, a pointer to the second file allocation table may be switched to indicate that the second file allocation table is now last known good. The first file allocation table may then be synchronized with the second.

Abstract: This disclosure describes techniques of using a centralized rule database to control the abilities of software processes to perform actions with regard to resources provided by a computer. As described herein, each software process executing in a computer executes within a chamber and each resource provided by the computer is associated with a canonical name that uniquely identifies the resource. Furthermore, the computer stores a set of security rules in a centralized rule database. In addition, this disclosure describes techniques of enforcing the rules stored in the centralized rule database.

Abstract: A method, apparatus, and system is described for creating a spatial sieve tree which stores, manages, and manipulates multidimensional data by partitioning the bounds of the nodes of the tree, creating child nodes which each have defined bounds associated with a partitioned portion of their parent node(s) and may be further partitioned into additional levels of child nodes, and determining which level of the tree has the smallest size node in which a data object could wholly fit regardless of the data object's location in coordinate space and the one or more nodes of that determined level that could at least partially contain the data object based on the bounds of the one or more nodes and the data object's location in coordinate space.

Abstract: Directories in a file system are defined with a dummy cluster in a file allocation table as the initial entry. Subsequent clusters in a directory's definition may define any data for the directory that can be changed in a transaction-safe mode. A directory may be modified in a transaction-safe mode by modifying any of the subsequent clusters while tracking changes in a second file allocation table. When the changes have been made to the directory, a pointer to the second file allocation table may be switched to indicate that the second file allocation table is now last known good. The first file allocation table may then be synchronized with the second.

Abstract: A transaction safe file system uses two sets of file allocation tables and bitmap images to perform file modifications on one of the sets while the other set remains a last known good set. After a modification is complete, a pointer is changed to the newly modified set, and the newly modified set becomes the last known good set. The sets are then synchronized. The file allocation table is used to define cluster chains while the bitmap image is used to determine if a cluster is free or not. In some operations, only the bitmap image may need to be manipulated. The file system may be used in a transaction safe mode as well as a non-transaction safe mode.

Abstract: Various flash management techniques may be described. An apparatus may comprise a processor, a flash memory coupled to the processor, and a flash management module. The flash management module may be executed by the processor to receive a write request to write data to the flash memory, write a first control sector with a sequence number to the flash memory, and write the sequence number, an address for a logical sector, and data to at least one physical sector corresponding to the logical sector of the flash memory. Other embodiments are described and claimed.

Abstract: Various flash management techniques may be described. An apparatus may comprise a processor, a flash memory coupled to the processor, and a flash management module. The flash management module may be executed by the processor to receive a write transaction request to write data to a flash memory, and write the data to a set of multiple discontiguous logical sectors corresponding to a set of physical sectors of the flash memory in a single atomic operation. Other embodiments are described and claimed.

Abstract: Flash memory is accessed via mapping tables comprising a master mapping table and at least one secondary mapping table. The master mapping table contains indexes to the secondary mapping tables. The secondary mapping tables contain indexes to locations in the flash memory. The mapping tables are maintained in the flash memory. Upon initialization subsequent a safe power shutdown, the master mapping table is cached and secondary mapping tables are cached as needed. Upon initialization subsequent an unsafe power shutdown, the mapping tables are constructed in accordance with a multiple-phase process. In an example embodiment, the multiple-phase process comprises locating all the secondary mapping tables stored in the flash memory, determining which secondary mapping tables are valid, determining which secondary mapping tables are invalid, determining which sectors of the flash memory are free, and constructing the master mapping table and the secondary mapping tables from this information.

Abstract: A flash driver can be used by file systems and other applications to determine more detailed attributes and properties, such as region geometry, that describe the underlying flash component. This allows a file system, for example, to be made aware of each flash region and its properties. The file system may then be optimized to more efficiently utilize the flash component. These optimizations may lead to increased component longevity and better read/write performance.

Abstract: Method and apparatus are described for conducting a secondary game at a gaming device. In various embodiments, a player may acquire equity in the secondary game in such forms as a location of a game character, a number of symbols aggregated, a degree of completion of a puzzle, or a defensive provision. Certain symbols or outcomes in a primary game, however, may cause the player to lose equity in the secondary game.

Abstract: Method and apparatus are described for conducting a secondary game at a gaming device. In various embodiments, a player may acquire equity in the secondary game in such forms as a location of a game character, a number of symbols aggregated, a degree of completion of a puzzle, or a defensive provision. Certain symbols or outcomes in a primary game, however, may cause the player to lose equity in the secondary game.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for adjusting, on a pixel-by-pixel basis, the gain and offset in an AFE as the pixels are sequentially processed. Although the method can be used for any purpose, it is directed in particular to light source non-linearity, such as edge effects of a scanner. A unique clocking method clocks the gain and offset values into the register at a higher clock rate than the image sampling rate.

Abstract: A computing device includes a processor, a storage device having an executable file, and a file system for executing the file in place on the storage device on behalf of the processor. The file is divided into multiple non-contiguous fragments on the storage device, and the computing device further includes a virtual address translator interposed between the processor and the storage device for translating between physical addresses of the fragments of the file on the storage device and corresponding virtual addresses employed by the processor.

Abstract: A computing device includes a storage device having a file and a file system for storing and retrieving the file on the storage device. The file includes a plurality of segments, where each of at least some of the segments is null data and each of at least some of the segments is substantive data. The file has space allocated therein for each null data segment but such allocated space is not actually filled with information, and the file has space allocated therein for each substantive data segment and such allocated space is actually filled with information. Each null data segment is not actually physically stored on the storage device and each substantive data segment is actually stored on the storage device.

Abstract: Described is a system and method in which software updates in the form of self-contained, secure entities are applied to an embedded device's non-volatile storage in a failsafe manner. Various types of software updates may be applied, and updates may contain executable code and/or data. Following a reboot, an initial program loader determines an update mode, and if updating, boots to a special update loader. The update loader processes update packages to apply the updates. Kernel partition, system partition and reserve section updates may be updated with entire files or binary difference files, with failure handling mechanisms are provided for each type of update. Updates may be simulated before committing them. Updates may be relocated in memory as appropriate for a device.

Abstract: Described is a system and method used in manufacturing computer devices, in which a single manufacturing image file contains an internal partition and file system layout into which individual operating system component packages are written. The image file is independent of any particular storage technology. To generate the file, a disk image utility tool inputs a memory configuration file and a package-to-partition mapping file to create the partitions/file systems within the image file. The operating system components (package) are written into the partitions. To store (e.g., flash) the image file's data on a particular storage device, the image file is post-processed to customize the data for a particular storage device.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for adjusting, on a pixel-by-pixel basis, the gain and offset in an AFE as the pixels are sequentially processed. Although the method can be used for any purpose, it is directed in particular to light source non-linearity, such as edge effects of a scanner. A unique clocking method clocks the gain and offset values into the register at a higher clock rate than the image sampling rate.

Abstract: A fuel system comprises a fuel pump arranged to deliver fuel to a single fuel injector. The fuel pump and injector are physically spaced apart from one another, a high pressure fuel line being used to convey fuel between the fuel pump and the injector. The fuel pump is controllable to control the timing of commencement of fuel pressurization. The injector is controllable to control the timing of fuel delivery. A controller is arranged to control the operation of the fuel pump and the injector. The invention further relates to a fuel pump suitable for use in such a fuel system.