Abstract: There are disclosed marketing analytics apparatus and processes. There is a data store of interactions between a plurality of customers and one or more vendors over a plurality of channels. Pathing and attribution of these interactions may be obtained as marketing analytics. Pathing may be obtained in part with a match programming statement which identifies all of the paths in the data store matching criteria specified in the match programming statement. Pathing may be obtained in part with a split programming statement which splits all of the journeys in the data store into paths. After pathing, an attribution pathing statement may be used to attribute conversions to other events.

Abstract: There are disclosed marketing analytics apparatus and processes. There is a data store of interactions between a plurality of customers and one or more vendors over a plurality of channels. Pathing and attribution of these interactions may be obtained as marketing analytics. Pathing may be obtained in part with a match programming statement which identifies all of the paths in the data store matching criteria specified in the match programming statement. Pathing may be obtained in part with a split programming statement which splits all of the journeys in the data store into paths. After pathing, an attribution pathing statement may be used to attribute conversions to other events.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for displaying a color image stored in a YUV color format on a display device that generates video in an RGB format. The apparatus uses a frame buffer which stores a color index for each pixel. The index is used to select an RGB color in a color look-up table as the video signal is generated. Each input YUV value is converted to a mapping table index for addressing a pair of the color indices stored in a color space mapping table. To generate the mapping table index, a random number can be added to the Y, U, and V color components, which are then truncated and merged to generate the mapping table index. The color space mapping table is pre-loaded with a color index pairs, each corresponding to two pixels in the frame buffer represented by one input YUV color value.

Abstract: A toothbrush with a bristle head that has densely packed hexagonal tuft holes and hexagonal cross section bristles exhibits increased bristle retention. The increased bristle retention is achieved by increasing the anchored length of the tuft staple without increasing the overall length of the staple. Where the hexagonal tuft holes are of the same area as conventional round tuft holes, and the anchoring staples are of the conventional length, the "anchored" length of the staple is increased by 25%. Bristle retention is further increased by the increased friction of the flat surfaces of hexagonal bristles against each other and against the flat surfaces of hexagonal tuft holes.

Abstract: An improved toothbrush is provided with a flexible neck to avoid damage to teeth and gums due to excessive brushing pressure. The toothbrush has a bush head made of a semi-rigid material to adequately support bristles, and a handle and neck made of an elastic material. The elastic material of the handle is comfortable in the users hands. The elastic material of the neck provides the flexibility to avoid damage due to excessive brushing pressure exerted by the user on the handle. The flexible neck is reinforced by semi-rigid arms formed integral with and ending from the semi-rigid material of the brush head. The reinforcing arms are connected by a web with spaced-apart openings. The web openings are provided to receive a portion of the elastic material of the neck to further secure the neck and the handle to the brush head.

Abstract: A method and system for controlling a display. The system includes a processor programmed to control (and optionally also calibrate) a display in response to user selection of displayed virtual controls. Preferred embodiments of the system includes circuitry within the display device which operates under control of software in response to user-entered commands for adjustment of parameters of the display device.

Abstract: A digital image processing system includes a microprocessor, random access memory, storage memory, input, display, and suitable logic to provide existing digital video image processing operations in a graphical user interface which allows the user to quickly and efficiently edit a movie. The system includes logic for displaying the assembled video and audio media, transitions, and special effects in a series of independent, time-correlated tracks which provide the system operator with a linear view of the movie as well as a quick understanding of the dataflow associated with the processing of the constituents of the movie at any point in time.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for controlling the display of graphics data, in which the data are compressed for dense storage in a graphics memory. The densely packed data can be asynchronously read from the memory and reformatted into a format suitable for driving a conventional display device. The memory comprises an array of memory locations, each location having capacity to store a first number of bits. The apparatus includes a graphics controller capable of densely packing compressed data words into the memory locations, where each compressed word comprises a second number of bits corresponding to a pixel. The graphics controller can densely pack the compressed words in the sense that it can write both a first word and a first portion of a second word into one memory location, and a second portion of the second word (with at least a portion of a third word) in a second memory location.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for transmitting video data over a standard personal computer bus optimizes the video data transfer rate of the bus by parsing the video data into appropriately sized and selected blocks. The video data blocks required for display are stored in a first-in first-out register, addressed, and sent over the data bus of the computer. Video data not required for display is discarded. The video data may be addressed to any location in the memory of the computer for display or further processing.

Abstract: A computer implemented process for extracting and processing information in a vertical interval of a video signal comprising a plurality of video lines selects a portion of the vertical interval from the video lines as the video lines are coupled to a computer bus, detects information stored in the selected portion, places the detected information on the bus of the computer, processes the detected information according to the portion of the vertical interval from which it is selected, and processes the video lines responsive to the detected information from the vertical interval.

Abstract: A method and system for processing and storing data in which the average time needed for storing the processed data in a storage device is automatically measured, and a processing parameter is optimized in response to the measured average storage time. In some embodiments, the invention compresses and stores video data, automatically measures the average time needed for storing the compressed video in a storage device, and optimizes the compression rate in response to the measured average storage time. The invention provides adaptive control of the bandwidth of processed data output to a storage device, to maintain transfer of the processed data to any desired storage device with optimal (for example, maximum attainable) bandwidth. In some embodiments, average throughput time for data transfers to and from a desired storage device is automatically measured, and an optimal compression rate is set in response to the measured time.

Abstract: A programmable CPU running at a video display rate, or a sub-multiple thereof, is used to generate the timings by loading control registers on the fly. In a preferred embodiment, a very reduced instruction set is used to generate VSYNC, HSYNC, and CSYNC signals. The CPU executes instructions out of an Instruction SRAM. The CPU's main goal is to load a pair of backing registers before a down counter reaches the value of zero.

Abstract: A multiprocessing system uses remote file managers associated with each remote processor to prepare data for storage in a disk storage array. The data are then transferred from the remote processor to a host processor over one bus, and routed from the host processor to the disk storage array over another bus, all without intervention by the file manager associated with the host processor. Remote sound managers interpret sound generator calls and route them to a host sound manager for transfer to a sound generating device. Processors transfer processing requests and data with one another through direct access to a portion of each processor's memory. Virtual storage disks are created for each processor by interpreting conventional files as disks in the remote file managers. Conventional network services are provided over a computer bus by interpreting conventional network commands and translating them into a form communicable over the bus.

Abstract: A method and system for controlling a display. The system includes a processor programmed to control (and optionally also calibrate) a display in response to user selection of displayed virtual controls. Preferred embodiments of the system includes circuitry within the display device which operates under control of software in response to user-entered commands for adjustment of parameters of the display device.

Abstract: A method and system for processing and storing data in which the average time needed for storing the processed data in a storage device is automatically measured, and a processing parameter is optimized in response to the measured average storage time. In some embodiments, the invention compresses and stores video data, automatically measures the average time needed for storing the compressed video in a storage device, and optimizes the compression rate in response to the measured average storage time. The invention provides adaptive control of the bandwidth of processed data output to a storage device, to maintain transfer of the processed data to any desired storage device with optimal (for example, maximum attainable) bandwidth. In some embodiments, average throughput time for data transfers to and from a desired storage device is automatically measured, and an optimal compression rate is set in response to the measured time.

Abstract: The invention pertains to a method and apparatus for performing dynamic purity correction to insure that color purity is maintained across the face of a color monitor. The monitor displays a plurality of pixels, each having a particular luminescence value. Each luminescence value has several color components (E.g. red (R), green (G) and blue (B)). A grid of luminance measurements is made across the face of the monitor for each color component. From these luminance value grids, smoothly varying correction values are computed for each color component of each pixel by the interpolation of cubic splines, such as a Catmull-Rom spline. Incoming digital video signals are multiplied by corresponding correction values to insure color accuracy of the monitor. In a preferred embodiment, the calculation of correction values is repeatedly performed in real time (at the display dot clock rate) in a single monolithic RAMDAC integrated circuit to increase speed, improve fidelity, and minimize use of memory space.

Abstract: A container for a toothbrush of the type having a head with bristles, a handle, and a connecting neck. The container comprises a body sized to contain the toothbrush. A securing clip is provided having two protruding arms. The arms are sized and shaped to frictionally engage a portion of the neck of the toothbrush. The container further includes means for selectively locking the securing clip to a portion of the body so that the toothbrush may be held in place within the container by the securing clip.

Abstract: A method and system for controlling a display. The system includes a processor programmed to control (and optionally also calibrate) a display in response to user selection of displayed virtual controls. Preferred embodiments of the system includes circuitry within the display device which operates under control of software in response to user-entered commands for adjustment of parameters of the display device.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for performing transparent data transfer operations on graphics data (such as video data), in which a source image currently displayed as part of a destination image (or stored in memory) is moved to a selected destination location on the destination image without obliterating background portions of the destination image. In a class of embodiments, the invention accomplishes a transparent bit-block transfer by clocking out source data (stored in an internal memory) to a bank of arithmetic logic units (ALUs), and processing the source data in the ALUs to identify portions of the source data representing transparent (or background) data which should not replace corresponding destination data, and which represent foreground data (new text to replace destination data). The marked source data are selectively written into a video memory containing the destination data, to selectively overwrite only those destination data pixels corresponding to new text.

Abstract: A vector quantization method and apparatus which processes signal vectors constructed from digital image data (such as a digital video stream). The digital video stream is treated as a sequence of images, each represented by a rectangular array of pixels. The pixels are processed in blocks (typically 4.times.4 blocks) of two types, known as smooth blocks and detail blocks. The detail blocks contain the original image pixels, while the smooth blocks contain pixels from a subsampled version of the image. The pixels in the blocks are formatted into image vectors, again in two types. Each type of image vector is separately compressed using a vector quantization coder and a separate code book for each type. Smooth image vectors are compressed using a smooth code book and detail image vectors compressed using a detail code book.