Author: claimsbot

1. A method comprising:
establishing a security protocol channel with a first endpoint;
receiving a resolution request from the first endpoint via the security protocol channel, wherein the resolution request includes data indicative of a second endpoint and the resolution request is in response to a data packet received at the first endpoint;
querying a next hop client database for a secure address for the second endpoint, wherein the first endpoint and the second endpoint are geographically separated nodes of a same enterprise network;
sending a resolution reply to the first endpoint including the secure address for the second endpoint; and
sending a message to the second endpoint, wherein the message includes a secure address for the first endpoint and a summary of the data packet received at the first endpoint.
2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:
receiving a registration request from the first endpoint; and
updating, in response to the registration request, the next hop client database to map the secure address from the registration request to the first endpoint.
3. The method of claim 1, wherein the registration request is generated by the first endpoint in response to receiving the data packet from the second endpoint.
4. The method of claim 3, wherein the first endpoint analyzes the data packet to determine whether the data packet is protected according to a global access list, wherein the resolution request is generated in response to the data packet being protected.
5. The method of claim 4, wherein the first endpoint is configured to drop the data packet without forwarding the data packet in response to the data packet being protected.
6. The method of claim 1, further comprising:
sending a negative acknowledgement to the first endpoint if the next hop client database does not have an entry for the second endpoint.
7. The method of claim 1, further comprising:
monitoring a predetermined specialized port associated with registration requests and resolution requests.
8. An apparatus comprising:
a communication interface configured to receive a resolution request from a first endpoint via a security protocol channel, wherein the resolution request includes data indicative of a second endpoint and the resolution request is in response to a data packet received at the first endpoint;
a controller configured to query a next hop client database for a secure address for the second endpoint, wherein the first endpoint and the second endpoint are geographically separated nodes of a same enterprise network and configured to generate a resolution reply to the first endpoint including the secure address for the second endpoint and generate a message to the second endpoint, wherein the message includes a secure address for the first endpoint and a summary of the data packet received at the first endpoint.
9. The apparatus of claim 8, wherein the controller is configured to update, in response to a registration request from the first endpoint, the next hop client database to map the secure address from the registration request to the first endpoint.
10. The apparatus of claim 8, wherein the controller is configured to generate a negative acknowledgement to the first endpoint if the next hop client database does not have an entry for the second endpoint.
11. A method comprising:
establishing a security protocol channel with a hub server;
receiving a data packet;
querying a policy database for a remote endpoint described in the data packet;
generating, at a local endpoint, a resolution request in response to an absence of the remote endpoint in the policy database;
sending the resolution request to the hub server via the security protocol channel, wherein the resolution request includes a summary of the data packet; and
generating an entry for the remote endpoint in the policy database in response to a reply received from the hub server in response to the resolution request.
12. The method of claim 11, further comprising:
generating a registration request for the local endpoint via the security protocol channel, wherein the registration request is configured to update a next hop client database of the hub server to include the local endpoint; and
receiving an acknowledgement reply from the hub server.
13. The method of claim 12, further comprising:
updating an access list for the remote endpoint in response to the acknowledgment reply from the hub server.
14. The method of claim 12, further comprising:
querying an access list for the remote endpoint; and
determining whether the data packet should be protected based on the access list.
15. The method of claim 14, further comprising:
dropping the data packet in response to the data packet being protected.
16. The method of claim 11, further comprising:
establishing a communication session between the local endpoint and the remote endpoint based on the entry for the remote endpoint in the policy database.
17. The method of claim 11, wherein the summary of the data packet includes a public address for the remote endpoint and the reply received from the hub server includes a protected address for the remote endpoint.
18. An apparatus comprising:
a communication interface configured to receive a data packet, wherein the data packet includes a first address of a remote endpoint; and
a controller configured to query a policy database for the remote endpoint using the first address, and generate, at a local endpoint, a resolution request in response to an absence of the remote endpoint in the policy database,
wherein the resolution request is sent to a hub server via a security protocol channel establishing between the hub server and the local endpoint,
wherein the resolution request includes a summary of the data packet.
19. The apparatus of claim 18, wherein the controller is configured to generate an entry for the remote endpoint in the policy database in response to a reply received from the hub server in response to the resolution request.
20. The apparatus of claim 18, wherein the controller is configured query an access list for the remote endpoint and drop the data packet in response to the data packet being listed as protected in the access list.

The claims below are in addition to those above.
All refrences to claim(s) which appear below refer to the numbering after this setence.

1. A method of implementing power gating with a virtual rail voltage clamp of a semiconductor integrated circuit having a virtual ground rail comprising the steps of:
adding Nf quantity of NFETs to the integrated circuit between the virtual ground rail and a ground rail for power gating and virtual rail voltage clamping, where Nf is a number of footer devices required to produce a certain amount of leakage reduction in the integrated circuit;
adding Nmax-VC latches in a scan chain with the output of each latch coupled to a respective one of Nmax-VC NFETS of the Nf NFETS, so that the Nmax-VC NFETs act as virtual rail voltage clamps, where Nmax-VC is the maximum number of footer devices needed for said virtual ground rail to be substantially at a voltage value Vclamp, where Vclamp is a desired steady state voltage at the virtual ground rail; and
coupling the remaining (Nf\u2212Nmax-VC) NFETs to a control signal, Ssleep13n for causing the (Nf\u2212Nmax-VC) NFETs to act as footer devices for implementing power gating of the integrated circuit.
2. A method of implementing power gating with a virtual rail voltage clamp of a semiconductor integrated circuit having a virtual ground rail as set forth in claim 1, further comprising the steps of:
manufacturing and testing an integrated circuit;
determining Vact-clamp during said testing, where Vact-clamp is a measured steady state voltage at the virtual ground rail;
providing a VC_CNT table storing the number of footer devices (Nact-VC) that have to be turned off or on to change Vact-clamp to Vclamp, where Vclamp is the desired steady state voltage at the virtual ground rail, and
creating a scan pattern coupled to the Nmax-VC NFETs to produce a certain amount of leakage reduction in the logic circuit for ensuring that Nact-VC NFETs act as virtual rail voltage clamps.
3. A signal bearing medium tangibly embodying a program of machine-readable instructions executable by a digital processing apparatus to perform operations to implement power gating with a virtual rail voltage clamp of a semiconductor integrated circuit having a virtual ground node, the operations comprising:
adding Nf quantity of NFETs to the integrated circuit between the virtual ground rail and a ground rail for power gating and virtual rail voltage clamping, where Nf is the number of footer devices required to produce a certain amount of leakage reduction in the integrated circuit;
adding Nmax-Vc latches in a scan chain with the output of each latch coupled to a respective one of Nmax-VC NFETS of the Nf NFETS, so that the Nmax-VC NFETs act as virtual rail voltage clamps, where Nmax-VC is the maximum number of footer devices needed for said virtual ground rail to be substantially at a voltage value Vclamp, where Vclamp is the desired steady state voltage at the virtual ground rail; and
coupling the remaining (Nf\u2212Nmax-VC) NFETs to a control signal, Ssleep\u2014n, for causing the (Nf\u2212Nmax-VC) NFETs to act as footer devices for implementing power gating of the integrated circuit.
4. A signal bearing medium as set forth in claim 3, further comprising the operations of:
manufacturing and testing an integrated circuit;
determining Vact-clamp during said testing, where Vact-clamp is a measured steady state voltage at the virtual ground rail;
providing a VC_CNT table storing a number of footer devices (Nact-VC) that have to be turned off or on to change Vact-clamp to Vclamp, where Vclamp is the desired steady state voltage at the virtual ground rail, and
creating a scan pattern coupled to (Nf\u2212Nmax-VC) NFETs to produce a certain amount of leakage reduction in the logic circuit for ensuring that Nact-VC NFETs act as virtual rail voltage clamps.
5. A method of implementing power gating with a virtual rail voltage clamp of a semiconductor integrated circuit having a virtual power rail comprising the steps of:
adding Pf quantity of PFETs to the integrated circuit between the virtual power rail and a power rail for power gating and virtual rail voltage clamping, where Pf is a number of header devices required to produce a certain amount of leakage reduction in the integrated circuit;
adding Pmax-VC latches in a scan chain with the output of each latch coupled to a respective one of Pmax-VC PFETS of the Pf PFETS, so that the Pmax-VC PFETs act as virtual rail voltage clamps, where Pmax-VC is the maximum number of header devices needed for said virtual power rail to be substantially at a voltage value Vclamp, where Vclamp is a desired steady state voltage at the virtual power rail; and
coupling remaining (Pf\u2212Pmax-VC) PFETs to a control signal, Ssleep\u2014n, for causing the (Pf\u2212Pmax-VC) PFETs to act as header devices for implementing power gating of the integrated circuit.
6. A method of implementing power gating with a virtual rail voltage clamp of a semiconductor integrated circuit having a virtual power rail as set forth in claim 5, further comprising the steps of:
manufacturing and testing an integrated circuit;
determining Vact-clamp during said testing, where Vact-clamp is a measured steady state voltage at the virtual power rail;
providing a VC_CNT table storing a number of header devices (Pact-VC) that have to be turned off or on to change Vact-clamp to Vclamp, where Vclamp is the desired steady state voltage at the virtual power rail, and
creating a scan pattern coupled to the (Pf\u2212Pmax-VC) PFETs to produce a certain amount of leakage reduction in the logic circuit for ensuring that Pact-VC PFETs act as virtual rail voltage clamps.

1. An apparatus for driving a light emitting device (LED), the apparatus comprising:
a first driving control element configured to control a current flowing through a first LED channel, which is connected to an operating voltage terminal and includes a plurality of LEDs, in response to a first pulse-width modulated control signal;
a first current detection unit connected between the first driving control element and a ground terminal, and configured to detect the current flowing through the first LED channel;
a first effective value detection unit configured to detect an effective value of the current detected by the first current detection unit;
a first reference signal generation unit configured to generate a preset reference signal having a sawtooth waveform; and
a first comparison unit configured to compare the reference signal from the first reference signal generation unit with the effective value from the first effective value detection unit, wherein
the first comparison unit is configured to be enabled when a dimming pulse-width-modulated (PWM) signal is at a high level, and disabled when the dimming PWM signal is at a low level.
2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the first driving control element is connected between the first LED channel and the first current detection unit, and comprises an NMOS transistor having a drain connected to the first LED channel, a gate receiving the first control signal from the first comparison unit, and a source connected to the first current detection unit.
3. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the first current detection unit comprises a resistor connected between the first driving control element and the ground terminal.
4. An apparatus for driving a light emitting device (LED), the apparatus comprising:
a first driving control element configured to control a current flowing through a first LED channel, which is connected to an operating voltage terminal and includes a plurality of LEDs, in response to a first pulse-width modulated control signal;
a first current detection unit connected between the first driving control element and a ground terminal, and configured to detect the current flowing through the first LED channel;
a first effective value detection unit configured to detect an effective value of the current detected by the first current detection unit;
a first reference signal generation unit configured to generate a preset reference signal having a sawtooth waveform; and
a first comparison unit configured to compare the reference signal from the first reference signal generation unit with the effective value from the first effective value detection unit, wherein
the first comparison unit includes an operational amplifier having an inverting input terminal for receiving the reference signal from the first reference signal generation unit, a noninverting input terminal for receiving the effective value from the first effective value detection unit, and an output terminal for outputting the first control signal to the first driving control element,
the first control signal is pulse-width modulated by comparing the reference signal inputted through the inverting input terminal with the effective value inputted through the noninverting input terminal, and
the first comparison unit is configured to be enabled when a dimming pulse-width-modulated (PWM) signal is at a high level, and disabled when the dimming PWM signal is at a low level.
5. An apparatus for driving a light emitting device (LED), the apparatus comprising:
first to nth driving control elements controlling currents flowing through first to nth LED channels, which are connected in parallel to an operating voltage terminal and include a plurality of LEDs, in response to first to nth pulse-width modulated control signals, where n is an integer greater than 1;
first to nth current detection units connected between the first to nth driving control elements and a ground terminal, and detecting currents flowing through the first to nth LED channels;
first to nth effective value detection units detecting the effective values of the currents detected by the first to nth current detection units;
first to nth reference signal generation units generating preset reference signals having sawtooth waveforms; and
first to nth comparison units comparing the reference signals from the first to nth reference signal generation units with the effective values from the first to nth effective value detection units, and generating the first to nth pulse-width modulated control signals to the first to nth driving control elements.
6. The apparatus of claim 5, wherein the first to nth driving control element are connected between the first to nth LED channels and the first to nth current detection units, and comprise NMOS transistors having drains connected to the first to nth LED channels, gates receiving the first to nth control signals from the first to nth comparison units, and sources connected to the first to nth current detection units, respectively.
7. The apparatus of claim 5, wherein the first to nth current detection units comprise resistors connected between the first to nth driving control elements and the ground terminal, respectively.
8. The apparatus of claim 5, wherein the first to nth comparison units comprise operational amplifiers inverting input terminals receiving the reference signals from the first to nth reference signal generation units, noninverting input terminals receiving the effective values from the first to nth effective value detection units, and output terminals outputting the first to nth control signals to the first to nth driving control elements, the first to nth control signals being pulse-width modulated by comparing the reference signals inputted through the inverting input terminals with the effective values inputted through the noninverting input terminals, respectively.
9. The apparatus of claim 5, wherein the first to nth reference signal generation units generate the first to nth reference signals, which are synchronized with one another and have the same frequency, respectively.
10. An apparatus for driving a light emitting device (LED), the apparatus comprising:
first to nth driving control elements controlling currents flowing through first to nth LED channels, which are connected in parallel to an operating voltage terminal and include a plurality of LEDs, in response to first to nth pulse-width modulated control signals, where n is an integer greater than 1;
first to nth current detection units connected between the first to nth driving control elements and a ground terminal, and detecting currents flowing through the first to nth LED channels;
first to nth effective value detection units detecting the effective values of the currents detected by the first to nth current detection units;
first to nth reference signal generation units generating preset reference signals having sawtooth waveforms; and
first to nth comparison units enabled in response to a dimming pulse-width-modulated (PWM) signal, and comparing the reference signals from the first to nth reference signal generation units with the effective values from the first to nth effective value detection units, and generating the first to nth pulse-width modulated control signals to the first to nth driving control elements.
11. The apparatus of claim 10, wherein the first to nth driving control element are connected between the first to nth LED channels and the first to nth current detection units, and comprise NMOS transistors having drains connected to the first to nth LED channels, gates receiving the first to nth control signals from the first to nth comparison units, and sources connected to the first to nth current detection units, respectively.
12. The apparatus of claim 10, wherein the first to nth current detection units comprise resistors connected between the first to nth driving control elements and the ground terminal, respectively.
13. The apparatus of claim 10, wherein the first to nth comparison units comprise operational amplifiers inverting input terminals receiving the reference signals from the first to nth reference signal generation units, noninverting input terminals receiving the effective values from the first to nth effective value detection units, and output terminals outputting the first to nth control signals to the first to nth driving control elements, the first to nth control signals being pulse-width modulated by comparing the reference signals inputted through the inverting input terminals with the effective values inputted through the noninverting input terminals, respectively.
14. The apparatus of claim 10, wherein the first to nth reference signal generation units generate the first to nth reference signals, which are synchronized with one another and have the same frequency, respectively.
15. The apparatus of claim 10, wherein the dimming PWM signal is branched and provided to the first to nth comparison units.

The claims below are in addition to those above.
All refrences to claim(s) which appear below refer to the numbering after this setence.

1. In a system that includes a plurality of nodes, the system being managed by a managing user and having a system operation that may be performed in a node by any user of the system,
a method of performing the system operation for a user in a node, the method comprising the steps performed in the system of:
responding to a first input from the user specifying performance of the operation in the node by obtaining a trust value associated with the user;
when the trust value so indicates, sending a message to the managing user, the message indicating that the user has specified performance of the system operation in the node and the managing user performing an action with regard to the message that indicates how the system operation is to be performed in the node; and
responding to the action by performing the system operation in the node as indicated by the action.
2. The method set forth in claim 1 wherein:
an action of not responding to the message within a predetermined period of time indicates that the system operation in the node is not to be performed.
3. The method set forth in claim 2 wherein:
the predetermined time is associated with the user.
4. The method set forth in claim 1 wherein:
an action of responding to the message within a predetermined period of time indicates that the system operation in the node is to be performed.
5. The method set forth in claim 4 wherein:
the predetermined time is associated with the user.
6. The method set forth in claim 1 wherein:
the action is responding to the message by providing a second input to the system indicating how the system operation is to be performed in the node; and
in the step of responding to the action, responding to the second input by performing the system operation in the node as indicated by the second input.
7. The method set forth in claim 6 wherein:
the second input indicates that the system operation is to be performed in the node for the managing user instead of for the user; and
in the step of responding to the action, the system responds to the second input by performing the system operation in the node for the managing user.
8. The method set forth in claim 6 wherein:
the second input indicates that the system operation is not to be performed in the node; and
in the step of responding to the action, the system responds to the second input by not performing the system operation in the node.
9. The method set forth in claim 1 wherein:
there is a plurality of actions which the managing user may perform with regard to the message; and
the actions include
not responding to the message within a predetermined period of time and
providing a second input to the system in response to the message within the predetermined period of time.
10. The method set forth in claim 9 wherein:
the predetermined time is associated with the user.
11. The method set forth in claim 9 wherein:
in the step of responding to the action,
when the action is not responding to the message, the system responds thereto by performing the system operation in the node for the user and
when the second input indicates that the system operation is not to be performed in the node, the system responds thereto by not performing the system operation in the node.
12. The method set forth in claim 9 wherein:
there is a plurality of the second inputs, including one second input that indicates that the system operation is not to be performed in the node and another second input that indicates that the system operation is to be performed in the node for the managing user; and
the system responds to the one second input by not performing the system operation in the node and to the other second input by performing the system operation in the node for the managing user.
13. The method set forth in claim 9 wherein:
in the step of responding to the action,
when the action is not responding to the message the system responds thereto by not performing the system operation in the node and
when the second input indicates that the system operation is to be performed in the node, the system responds thereto by performing the system operation in the node for the managing user.
14. The method set forth in claim 13 wherein:
there is a plurality of the second inputs, including one second input that indicates that the system operation is not to be performed in the node and another second input that indicates that the system operation is to be performed in the node for the managing user; and
the system responds to the one second input by not performing the system operation in the node and to the other second input by performing the system operation in the node for the managing user.
15. The method set forth in claim 1 wherein:
there is a plurality of the trust values; and
in the step of responding to the action, the manner in which the system responds depends on which trust value of the plurality is associated with the user.
16. The method set forth in claim 15 wherein:
the action is not responding to the message within the predetermined period of time; and
in the step of responding, the system responds when the action is not responding to the message within the predetermined period of time by not performing the system operation in the node when the trust value associated with the user is a first one of the trust values and performing the system operation in the node for the user when the trust value associated with the user is a second one of the trust values.
17. The method set forth in claim 4 wherein:
the predetermined time is associated with the user.
18. The method set forth in claim 16 wherein:
there is a plurality of actions which the managing user may perform with regard to the message;
the plurality of actions includes providing one of a plurality of second inputs to the system in response to the message within the predetermined period of time, the plurality of second inputs including one second input that indicates that the system operation is not to be performed in the node and another second input that indicates that the system operation is to be performed in the node for the managing user; and
the system responds to the one second input by not performing the system operation in the node and to the other second input by performing the system operation in the node for managing user.
19. The method set forth in claim 1 wherein:
the nodes include a first node of the plurality which receives the first input;
the steps of responding to the first input and sending a message to the managing user are performed in the first node; and
the step of performing the system operation in the node is performed in the node specified in the first input.
20. A memory device which is accessible to the system,
the memory device being characterized in that:
the memory device contains code which, when executed by the system, performs the method set forth in claim 1.