Abstract: A method for detecting intensity saturation of a light sensor includes monitoring an electrical signal from a light sensor for detecting an intensity saturation condition of at least one pixel of the light sensor, converting the electrical signal to a digital signal, imposing a reserved bit combination on the digital signal indicating the intensity saturation condition of the pixel, and transmitting a control signal in response to the digital signal to compensate for the intensity saturation condition of the pixel.

Abstract: A method for traversing a multiplexed data packet stream including choosing a starting location in a multiplexed data packet stream; making a bi-directional search from the starting location to locate a nearest system stream object; and traversing the system stream as a doubly-linked list of objects. Traversing the system stream preferably includes traversing object links of the doubly-linked list of objects. The objects are further preferably cached with an LRU process. Multiple disjoint locations in the system stream can be accessed with a virtual linked list. The virtual linked list can be used to search forwardly, backwardly, or both forwardly and backwardly.

Abstract: The present invention includes a system, method, and article of manufacture for communicating via an application program included as a payload of an electronic message. At least one application program is initialized after an electronic message is selected by a user. After initialization, the application program is executed. The execution of the application program includes displaying text included with the electronic message, and running a code segment including as a parameter at least a portion of the text included with the electronic message.

Abstract: A method for diagonal processing of video data includes separating diagonally arranged data from rectilinearly arranged data in a video stream, rotating the diagonally arranged data to a rectilinear position; and compressing the rotated diagonally arranged data by a rectilinear compression algorithm. Alternatively stated, the method includes recognizing diagonally arranged data in a video stream, processing the diagonally arranged data into rectilinear data, and compressing the rectilinear data by a rectilinear compression algorithm.

Abstract: A system, method, and article of manufacture are provided for affording an application program with an electronic message to help preclude unwanted electronic messages from being sent on a network. First, at least one application program is initialized after an electronic message is selected by a user. Such application program is received with the electronic message on a network. After initialization, the application program is executed. The execution of the application program includes displaying text included with the electronic message, depicting indicia, and communicating an identifier of the electronic message on the network upon the selection of the indicia by the user for precluding unwanted electronic messages from being sent on the network.

Abstract: A method for providing an e-mail system including providing a server connected to a network; inputting a message from a sender into the server to be sent as e-mail to at least one recipient mail box on the network; enhancing the e-mail message with a self-executing programmable enhancement; and delivering the e-mail over the network to the at least one recipient mail box. Optionally, the method may provide a number of e-mail boxes on the server assigned to a number of members for the receipt of e-mail addressed to the members at the server, and a menu listing a number of the self-executing programmable enhancements. An e-mail system including a server coupled to a wide area network, and a web site hosted by the server that is capable of at least temporarily storing a message to be sent as e-mail over the wide area network to at least one recipient mail box.

Abstract: A method for preparing selected peptide substrates for detecting the activity of virus-specified proteases is provided. Specific tetrapeptide substrates are disclosed which are conjugates of protease-cleavable indicator groups and peptide sequences resembling picornavirus protease cleavage recognition sites.