Re: random seed generation without user interaction?

[Steven M. Bellovin]

In message <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>, "Steven M. Bellovi
n" writes:
>In message <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>, Dennis Glatting writes:
>
>>> 
>>
>>There is an article (somewhere) on the net of digital cameras focused
>>on lava lamps. Photos are taken of the lava lamps and mixed into a
>>hash function to generate random data. I believe the author had some
>>algorithm for turning the lamps on and off, too.
>>
>See lavarand.sgi.com.
>
>I had thought it was patented, but a quick search of uspto.gov didn't 
>turn it up.

Following up on my own post...  My brain clearly wasn't in gear when I 
did my previous search.  It's U.S. patent 5,732,138; see 
http://patents.uspto.gov/cgi-bin/ifetch4?ENG+PATBIB-ALL+0+988124+0+6+31831+OF+1+1+1+PN%2f5%2c732%2c138


                --Steve Bellovin