diff --git a/PyNDN/utils.py b/PyNDN/utils.py
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..7cfe514
--- /dev/null
+++ b/PyNDN/utils.py
@@ -0,0 +1,98 @@
+## -*- Mode: python; py-indent-offset: 4; indent-tabs-mode: nil; coding: utf-8; -*-
+# 
+# Copyright (c) 2011-2013, Regents of the University of California
+#                          Alexander Afanasyev
+# 
+# GNU 3.0 license, See the LICENSE file for more information
+# 
+# Author: Alexander Afanasyev <alexander.afanasyev@ucla.edu>
+# 
+
+#
+# Based on PyCCN code, copyrighted and licensed as follows
+#
+# Copyright (c) 2011-2013, Regents of the University of California
+# BSD license, See the COPYING file for more information
+# Written by: Derek Kulinski <takeda@takeda.tk>
+#             Jeff Burke <jburke@ucla.edu>
+#
+
+import struct
+
+class Flag(int):
+    __initialized = False
+    _flags = None
+    _prefix = None
+    __flags_values__ = None
+
+    @classmethod
+    def initialize(cls):
+        cls._flags = {}
+        cls.__flags_values__ = {}
+        cls.__initialized = True
+
+    @classmethod
+    def new_flag(cls, name, value):
+        if not cls.__initialized:
+            cls.initialize()
+
+        cls._flags[value] = name
+
+        obj = cls(value)
+        cls.__flags_values__[value] = obj
+
+        return obj
+
+    def __new__(cls, value):
+        if cls.__flags_values__.has_key(value):
+            return cls.__flags_values__[value]
+
+        return super(Flag, cls).__new__(cls, value)
+
+    def generate_repr(self):
+        val = long(self)
+        flags = [name for i, name in self._flags.items() if i & val]
+        return " | ".join(flags)
+
+    def __repr__(self):
+        if self._prefix:
+            return self._prefix + "." + self.generate_repr()
+
+        t = type(self)
+        type_name = "%s.%s" % (t.__module__, t.__name__)
+        return "<flags %s of type %s>" % (self.generate_repr(), type_name)
+
+    def __and__(self, other):
+        cls = type(self)
+        return cls(long(self) & long(other))
+
+    def __xor__(self, other):
+        cls = type(self)
+        return cls(long(self) ^ long(other))
+
+    def __or__(self, other):
+        cls = type(self)
+        return cls(long(self) | long(other))
+
+class Enum(Flag):
+    def __new__(cls, value):
+        if cls.__flags_values__.has_key(value):
+            return cls.__flags_values__[value]
+
+        if cls._flags.has_key(value):
+            return super(Enum, cls).__new__(cls, value)
+
+        raise ValueError("invalid flag value: %d" % value)
+
+    def generate_repr(self):
+        return self._flags[long(self)]
+
+def ccn2py_time(value):
+    bintime = b'\x00' * (8 - len(value)) + value
+    inttime = struct.unpack("!Q", bintime)[0]
+    return inttime / 4096.0
+
+def py2ccn_time(value):
+    inttime = int(value * 4096 + 0.5)
+    bintime = struct.pack("!Q", inttime)
+    return bintime.lstrip(b'\x00')