Abstract: The apparatus disclosed herein, in various aspects, includes a digital asset, and an amulet that comprises an encrypted self-validating string. The amulet may be external to the digital asset. The apparatus may include a manager that cooperates securely with the digital asset and cooperates securely with the amulet to control access to the digital asset as specified by the amulet. In some aspects, the manager cooperates with the digital asset and with the amulet, at least in part, through shared memory in process space. In other aspects, the manager cooperates with the digital asset and with the amulet, at least in part, through a RAM drive in memory, the RAM drive at least partially hidden from an operating system of the computer. In yet other aspects, the manager cooperates with the digital asset and with the amulet, at least in part, through a virtual machine accessible only by said apparatus.

Abstract: A process of linking a key to a component is disclosed herein. In various aspects, the key may be a password, hash, key, encryption key, decryption key, seed value, unlock code, or other alphanumeric identifier, and the component includes a computer in networked communication, and may further include a specific user of the computer. The process may include the step of identifying a component using environmental variables associated with the component, and the process step of forming a representation of the key unique to the component. The representation is tested to determine that the identified component is the source of the representation, in various aspects.

Abstract: The apparatus disclosed herein, in various aspects, includes a digital asset, and an amulet that comprises an encrypted self-validating string. The amulet may be external to the digital asset. The apparatus may include a manager that cooperates securely with the digital asset and cooperates securely with the amulet to control access to the digital asset as specified by the amulet. In some aspects, the manager cooperates with the digital asset and with the amulet, at least in part, through shared memory in process space. In other aspects, the manager cooperates with the digital asset and with the amulet, at least in part, through a RAM drive in memory, the RAM drive at least partially hidden from an operating system of the computer. In yet other aspects, the manager cooperates with the digital asset and with the amulet, at least in part, through a virtual machine accessible only by said apparatus.

Abstract: A process of linking a key to a component is disclosed herein. In various aspects, the key may be a password, hash, key, encryption key, decryption key, seed value, unlock code, or other alphanumeric identifier, and the component includes a computer in networked communication, and may further include a specific user of the computer. The process may include the step of identifying a component using environmental variables associated with the component, and the process step of forming a representation of the key unique to the component. The representation is tested to determine that the identified component is the source of the representation, in various aspects.

Abstract: The apparatus disclosed herein, in various aspects, includes a digital asset, and an amulet that comprises an encrypted self-validating string. The amulet may be external to the digital asset. The apparatus may include a manager that cooperates securely with the digital asset and cooperates securely with the amulet to control access to the digital asset as specified by the amulet. In some aspects, the manager cooperates with the digital asset and with the amulet, at least in part, through shared memory in process space. In other aspects, the manager cooperates with the digital asset and with the amulet, at least in part, through a RAM drive in memory, the RAM drive at least partially hidden from an operating system of the computer. In yet other aspects, the manager cooperates with the digital asset and with the amulet, at least in part, through a virtual machine accessible only by said apparatus.

Abstract: A process for linking a key to a component is disclosed herein along with apparatus that implements the process and related compositions of matter. In various aspects, the key may be a password, hash, key, encryption key, decryption key, seed value, unlock code, or other alphanumeric identifier, and the component includes a computer in networked communication, and may further include a specific user of the computer. The process may include the process step of identifying the component using environmental variables associated with the component, and the process step of forming a representation of the key unique to said component. The representation is tested to determine that the identified component is the source of the representation, in various aspects.

Abstract: A process for linking a key to a component is disclosed herein along with apparatus that implements the process and related compositions of matter. In various aspects, the key may be a password, hash, key, encryption key, decryption key, seed value, unlock code, or other alphanumeric identifier, and the component includes a computer in networked communication, and may further include a specific user of the computer. The process may include the process step of identifying the component using environmental variables associated with the component, and the process step of forming a representation of the key unique to said component. The representation is tested to determine that the identified component is the source of the representation, in various aspects.

Abstract: The apparatus disclosed herein, in various aspects, includes a digital asset, and an amulet that comprises an encrypted self-validating string. The amulet may be external to the digital asset. The apparatus may include a manager that cooperates securely with the digital asset and cooperates securely with the amulet to control access to the digital asset as specified by the amulet. In some aspects, the manager cooperates with the digital asset and with the amulet, at least in part, through shared memory in process space. In other aspects, the manager cooperates with the digital asset and with the amulet, at least in part, through a RAM drive in memory, the RAM drive at least partially hidden from an operating system of the computer. In yet other aspects, the manager cooperates with the digital asset and with the amulet, at least in part, through a virtual machine accessible only by said apparatus.

Abstract: The apparatus disclosed herein, in various aspects, includes a digital asset, and an amulet that comprises an encrypted self-validating string. The amulet may be external to the digital asset. The apparatus may include a manager that cooperates securely with the digital asset and cooperates securely with the amulet to control access to the digital asset as specified by the amulet. In some aspects, the manager cooperates with the digital asset and with the amulet, at least in part, through shared memory in process space. In other aspects, the manager cooperates with the digital asset and with the amulet, at least in part, through a RAM drive in memory, the RAM drive at least partially hidden from an operating system of the computer. In yet other aspects, the manager cooperates with the digital asset and with the amulet, at least in part, through a virtual machine accessible only by said apparatus.

Abstract: The apparatus disclosed herein, in various aspects, includes a digital asset, and an amulet that comprises an encrypted self-validating string. The amulet may be external to the digital asset. The apparatus may include a manager that cooperates securely with the digital asset and cooperates securely with the amulet to control access to the digital asset as specified by the amulet. In some aspects, the manager cooperates with the digital asset and with the amulet, at least in part, through shared memory in process space. In other aspects, the manager cooperates with the digital asset and with the amulet, at least in part, through a RAM drive in memory, the RAM drive at least partially hidden from an operating system of the computer. In yet other aspects, the manager cooperates with the digital asset and with the amulet, at least in part, through a virtual machine accessible only by said apparatus.

Abstract: In various aspects, methods disclosed herein may include the step of associating an identified user with a computer, and the step of capturing an image of a monitored region of a computer screen of the computer at a specified time. The methods may include the step of extracting image text from the image, the step of determining an emotional state of the identified user using image text content of the image text, and the step of capturing a subsequent image of the monitored region of the computer screen of the computer at a subsequent time subsequent to the specified time, a time difference between the specified time and the subsequent time is dependent upon the emotional state of the user, in various aspects. The associating step, the capturing step, the extracting step, the determining step, and the capturing a subsequent image step are not controlled by the identified user, in various aspects. This Abstract is presented to meet requirements of 37 C.F.R. §1.72(b) only.

Abstract: A computer implemented that, in various aspects, transforms a grayscale image into an OCR image by applying a combination of steps to the grayscale image is disclosed herein. The grayscale image may include one or more alphanumeric characters. The grayscale image may includes visual content displayed upon a computer screen, so that the grayscale image may have a resolution generally equivalent to a screen resolution of the computer screen prior to application of the combination of steps thereto. The resultant OCR image, in various implementations, is of sufficient resolution and quality that an OCR engine can generally recognize alphanumeric characters imbedded within the OCR image.

Abstract: Compositions of matter comprising computer readable media storing a computer program comprising instructions that, when executed, cause a computer to perform operations related to the monitoring of usage of a computer. In various aspects, the operations may include the steps of associating an identified user with a computer, and capturing an image of a monitored region of a computer screen of the computer at a specified time. The operations may include the steps of extracting image text from the image, determining image text content of the image text, and capturing a subsequent image of the monitored region of the computer screen of the computer at a subsequent time-subsequent to the specified time, in various aspects. A time difference between the specified time and the subsequent time is dependent upon image text content of the image text, in various aspects.

Abstract: Compositions of matter comprising computer readable media storing a computer program comprising instructions that, when executed, cause a computer to perform operations related to the monitoring of usage of a computer. In various aspects, the operations may include the steps of associating an identified user with a computer, and capturing an image of a monitored region of a computer screen of the computer at a specified time. The operations may include the steps of extracting image text from the image, determining image text content of the image text, and capturing a subsequent image of the monitored region of the computer screen of the computer at a subsequent time-subsequent to the specified time, in various aspects. A time difference between the specified time and the subsequent time is dependent upon image text content of the image text, in various aspects.

Abstract: Methods, systems, and compositions of matter are disclosed herein for the compression of digital image(s) and for the expansion of digital images so compressed. In various aspects, the digital images may be compressed and the compressed images expanded substantially without loss of information.

Abstract: Computer implemented methods for monitoring use of a computer and related systems and compositions of matter are disclosed herein. In various aspects, the methods may include the steps of associating an identified user with a computer, and capturing an image of a monitored region of a computer screen of the computer at a specified time. The methods include the steps of extracting image text from the image, determining image text content of the image text, and capturing a subsequent image of the monitored region of the computer screen of the computer at a subsequent time-subsequent to the specified time, in various aspects. A time difference between the specified time and the subsequent time is dependent upon image text content of the image text, in various aspects. The identified user does not control the associating step, the capturing step, the extracting step, the determining step, and the capturing a subsequent image step, in various aspects. This Abstract is presented to meet requirements of 37 C.F.R.

Abstract: A computer implemented method for monitoring use of a computer and related systems and compositions of matter are disclosed. In various aspects, the methods may include the step of capturing an image of a monitored region of a computer screen of a computer, and the step of extracting image text from the image.

Abstract: A computer implemented that, in various aspects, transforms a grayscale image into an OCR image by applying a combination of steps to the grayscale image is disclosed herein. The grayscale image may include one or more alphanumeric characters. The grayscale image may includes visual content displayed upon a computer screen, so that the grayscale image may have a resolution generally equivalent to a screen resolution of the computer screen prior to application of the combination of steps thereto. The resultant OCR image, in various implementations, is of sufficient resolution and quality that an OCR engine can generally recognize alphanumeric characters imbedded within the OCR image.

Abstract: Methods, systems, and compositions of matter are disclosed herein for the compression of digital image(s) and for the expansion of digital images so compressed. In various aspects, the digital images may be compressed and the compressed images expanded substantially without loss of information.