Abstract: Partitioned artificial intelligence (AI) for networked gaming. An exemplary system splits the AI into a computationally lightweight server-side component and a computationally intensive client-side component to harness the aggregate computational power of numerous gaming clients. Aggregating resources of many, even thousands of client machines enhances game realism in a manner that would be prohibitively expensive on the central server. The system is tolerant of latency between server and clients. Deterministic and stateless client-side components enable rapid handoff, preemptive migration, and replication of the client-side AI to address problems of client failure and game exploitation. The partitioned AI can support tactical gaming navigation, a challenging task to offload because of sensitivity to latency. The tactical navigation AI calculates influence fields partitioned into server-side and client-side components by means of a Taylor-series approximation.

Abstract: Partitioned artificial intelligence (AI) for networked gaming. An exemplary system splits the AI into a computationally lightweight server-side component and a computationally intensive client-side component to harness the aggregate computational power of numerous gaming clients. Aggregating resources of many, even thousands of client machines enhances game realism in a manner that would be prohibitively expensive on the central server. The system is tolerant of latency between server and clients. Deterministic and stateless client-side components enable rapid handoff, preemptive migration, and replication of the client-side AI to address problems of client failure and game exploitation. The partitioned AI can support tactical gaming navigation, a challenging task to offload because of sensitivity to latency. The tactical navigation AI calculates influence fields partitioned into server-side and client-side components by means of a Taylor-series approximation.

Abstract: Partitioned artificial intelligence (AI) for networked gaming. An exemplary system splits the AI into a computationally lightweight server-side component and a computationally intensive client-side component to harness the aggregate computational power of numerous gaming clients. Aggregating resources of many, even thousands of client machines enhances game realism in a manner that would be prohibitively expensive on the central server. The system is tolerant of latency between server and clients. Deterministic and stateless client-side components enable rapid handoff, preemptive migration, and replication of the client-side AI to address problems of client failure and game exploitation. The partitioned AI can support tactical gaming navigation, a challenging task to offload because of sensitivity to latency. The tactical navigation AI calculates influence fields partitioned into server-side and client-side components by means of a Taylor-series approximation.

Abstract: A keyed-build system for controlling the distribution of software. The system and method of the present invention control distribution of software by keying computer-executable programs with device identifications. Each of the computing devices of the keyed-build system contains a device identification that is uniquely associated with and is embedded in the device. A computer-executable program for use in a particular computing device is keyed with the device's unique device identification during the build process of the program. When the computer-executable program is launched on a computing device, the device identification in the program is compared with the device identification embedded in the computing device. If the two device identifications do not match, the computer-executable program is disabled.

Abstract: Partitioned artificial intelligence (AI) for networked gaming. An exemplary system splits the AI into a computationally lightweight server-side component and a computationally intensive client-side component to harness the aggregate computational power of numerous gaming clients. Aggregating resources of many, even thousands of client machines enhances game realism in a manner that would be prohibitively expensive on the central server. The system is tolerant of latency between server and clients. Deterministic and stateless client-side components enable rapid handoff, preemptive migration, and replication of the client-side AI to address problems of client failure and game exploitation. The partitioned AI can support tactical gaming navigation, a challenging task to offload because of sensitivity to latency. The tactical navigation AI calculates influence fields partitioned into server-side and client-side components by means of a Taylor-series approximation.

Abstract: A communications system is arranged for serially chaining multiple portable pendant peripherals to a portable host device. The system enables multiple low power input/output peripherals to communicate over a bi-directional data line with a portable host device such as a PDA or cellular phone. Fixed-length data packets are employed in a store-and-forward approach between the host device and the pendant peripherals. An upstream pendant system component controls a unidirectional clock signal that regulates data transfers to or from the host device and a downstream pendant peripheral. A device identification field associated with the data packet is incremented or decremented as the data packet is forwarded along the pendant bus chain until it reaches its destination.

Abstract: The present invention automatically selects the wireless mode of a device. The user of a Bluetooth device has the benefit of discoverable mode with the relative safety of connectable mode. The mode of the device is automatically switched from discoverable to connectable and back based on the activity of the device. For example, the mode may be switched to discoverable mode when the device is determined to be active and to connectable mode when the device is determined to be inactive. The device may be determined to be active based on many criteria, including, but not limited to: determining when a screen associated with the device is active; determining when the device is not key locked; and determining when the device is active further comprises determining when a lid associated with the device is open.

Abstract: A communication protocol for use between serially chained portable pendant peripherals and a portable host device. The bus communications system protocol enables multiple low power input/output peripherals to communicate over a bi-directional data line with a portable host device such as a PDA or cellular phone. A message packet data structure for use in the bus communications system includes a device identifier, a packet type identifier, and message data bits. The packet type identifier describes the actions associated with the packet. A method determines whether the message packet received by a device is intended for the device by evaluating if the device identifier is zero. If the device identifier is other than zero, the method modifies the device identifier and communicates the message packet to another device in the bus communications system.

Abstract: A trusted component on a device includes a secure HWID therein and is verified by obtaining a key from the device, and verifying each signed component of the operating system of the device therewith. A driver table is examined to locate a HWID driver which is verified as containing a pointer back to an address inside a kernel. The verified operating system is called to obtain the secure HWID from a HWID component by way of the HWID driver and to return same to the trusted component. Thereafter, the returned HWID is verified as matching the HWID included with the trusted component.

Abstract: Upgrading a non-volatile memory image such as a flash ROM is accomplished by partitioning the flash ROM into a plurality of flash ROM regions. One of the flash ROM regions is selected to receive the software upgrade, which can then be directly overwritten without having to overwrite the flash ROM image in its entirety. Through the use of an image buffer, which stores information about the ROM regions, it is possible to move ROM regions, delete ROM regions, add ROM regions, expand/contact ROM regions, update ROM regions, and enable/disable ROM regions without having to modify the entire ROM image or shadow parts of the ROM image in RAM. Additionally, security and registry information can also be logically linked to a particular region.

Abstract: A communications system is arranged for serially chaining multiple portable pendant peripherals to a portable host device. The system enables multiple low power input/output peripherals to communicate over a bi-directional data line with a portable host device such as a PDA or cellular phone. Fixed-length data packets are employed in a store-and-forward approach between the host device and the pendant peripherals. An upstream pendant system component controls a unidirectional clock signal that regulates data transfers to or from the host device and a downstream pendant peripheral. A device identification field associated with the data packet is incremented or decremented as the data packet is forwarded along the pendant bus chain until it reaches its destination.

Abstract: A keyed-build system for controlling the distribution of software. The system and method of the present invention control distribution of software by keying computer-executable programs with device identifications. Each of the computing devices of the keyed-build system contains a device identification that is uniquely associated with and is embedded in the device. A computer-executable program for use in a particular computing device is keyed with the device's unique device identification during the build process of the program. When the computer-executable program is launched on a computing device, the device identification in the program is compared with the device identification embedded in the computing device. If the two device identifications do not match, the computer-executable program is disabled.

Abstract: A system and method is directed to selecting a media file for a mobile device. The system is configured to select a media file from a plurality of media files based in part on a selection rule, and a heuristic associated with the media file. Heuristics are collected based in part on execution of the media file. The heuristics may include skipping a media file, repeating a-media file, and a frequency of execution of the media file. In one embodiment, a user interface enables a consumer to determine a frequency the media file is selected. The selection rule may include selecting a media file based on an artist, a seasonal characteristic of the media file, size of the media file, frequency of selection of the media file, and other heuristics associated with the media file.

Abstract: The present invention automatically selects the wireless mode of a device. The user of a Bluetooth device has the benefit of discoverable mode with the relative safety of connectable mode. The mode of the device is automatically switched from discoverable to connectable and back based on the activity of the device. For example, the mode may be switched to discoverable mode when the device is determined to be active and to connectable mode when the device is determined to be inactive. The device may be determined to be active based on many criteria, including, but not limited to: determining when a screen associated with the device is active; determining when the device is not key locked; and determining when the device is active further comprises determining when a lid associated with the device is open.

Abstract: A trusted component on a device includes a secure HWID therein and is verified by obtaining a key from the device, and verifying each signed component of the operating system of the device therewith. A driver table is examined to locate a HWID driver which is verified as containing a pointer back to an address inside a kernel. The verified operating system is called to obtain the secure HWID from a HWID component by way of the HWID driver and to return same to the trusted component. Thereafter, the returned HWID is verified as matching the HWID included with the trusted component.

Abstract: A communication protocol for use between serially chained portable pendant peripherals and a portable host device. The bus communications system protocol enables multiple low power input/output peripherals to communicate over a bi-directional data line with a portable host device such as a PDA or cellular phone. A message packet data structure for use in the bus communications system includes a device identifier, a packet type identifier, and message data bits. The packet type identifier describes the actions associated with the packet. A method determines whether the message packet received by a device is intended for the device by evaluating if the device identifier is zero. If the device identifier is other than zero, the method modifies the device identifier and communicates the message packet to another device in the bus communications system.

Abstract: A communications system is arranged for serially chaining multiple portable pendant peripherals to a portable host device. The system enables multiple low power input/output peripherals to communicate over a bi-directional data line with a portable host device such as a PDA or cellular phone. Fixed-length data packets are employed in a store-and-forward approach between the host device and the pendant peripherals. An upstream pendant system component controls a unidirectional clock signal that regulates data transfers to or from the host device and a downstream pendant peripheral. A device identification field associated with the data packet is incremented or decremented as the data packet is forwarded along the pendant bus chain until it reaches its destination.

Abstract: A protocol is provided for transmitting low security messages and high security messages with one-time-pad cryptosystem. In one implementation of the present invention, low security messages are encrypted using random bit strings in accordance with a one-time-pad encryption scheme. A high security message and a decoy message are embedded within a set of encryption keys and cyphertexts that is to be transmitted from a sender to a receiver. The encryption keys are transmitted over a secure channel from the sender to the receiver, and the cyphertexts are transmitted over a publicly accessible channel from the sender to the receiver. The receiver uses the encryption keys and knowledge regarding keys for a high security message and a decoy message to decrypt the low security messages, extract the high security message and/or decoy message, and decrypt the high security message and/or decoy message.