Abstract: Advertisements in instances of a product are customized prior to distributing the instances to different recipients. Information about the different recipients is received, and information about vendor interest with respect to advertising in the product is received. Customized advertisements are generated for each instance of the product. The customized advertisements in each instance reflect a convergence of the vendor interest and the recipient information. The convergence occurs before the instances are created. As a result, advertising in different instances is customized for the different recipients.

Abstract: One embodiment in accordance with the invention is a video system that can include a display screen and a plurality of video capturing devices located behind the display screen. It is noted that each of the plurality of video capturing devices is for capturing a video stream through the display screen.

Abstract: A process for correcting the time stamp of recordings such as photographs, obtained in many locations. An onboard clock records a time stamp for each photograph. GPS tracking data is obtained during movement of the camera. A time correction is sought, to account for an unknown error in the onboard clock, relative to the trusted GPS time data. To this end, an assigned location of each photograph is generated from the location tracking data and from an estimated time correction. Indicators of an appropriate time correction include clustering of the assigned locations, and correlation of the assigned locations to locations of reduced velocity. A GUI can be used to enable user assessment of clustering and/or correlation, and indication of a suitable time correction. Or, algorithmic assessment can be used. The determined time correction can be used to correct each photograph's time stamp.

Abstract: Media-driven browsing methods, systems, and machine-readable instructions are described. In one aspect, a context search is performed based on information associated with at least one media object. A context-sensitive search is performed based on results of the context search. Information derived from results of the context-sensitive search is presented.

Abstract: Providing an incentive for including an item in content. The content is accessed and received from a first party. The content is searched for at least one item identified by a second party. The second party is notified in response to identifying the item in content. A mechanism is provided whereby the second party provides an incentive to the first party for including the item in the content.

Abstract: A process for correcting the time stamp of recordings such as photographs, obtained in many locations. An onboard clock records a time stamp for each photograph. GPS tracking data is obtained during movement of the camera. A time correction is sought, to account for an unknown error in the onboard clock, relative to the trusted GPS time data. To this end, an assigned location of each photograph is generated from the location tracking data and from an estimated time correction. Indicators of an appropriate time correction include clustering of the assigned locations, and correlation of the assigned locations to locations of reduced velocity. A GUI can be used to enable user assessment of clustering and/or correlation, and indication of a suitable time correction. Or, algorithmic assessment can be used. The determined time correction can be used to correct each photograph's time stamp.

Abstract: One embodiment in accordance with the invention is a video system that can include a display screen and a plurality of video capturing devices located behind the display screen. It is noted that each of the plurality of video capturing devices is for capturing a video stream through the display screen.

Abstract: A system and method for a context-sensitive extensible plug-in architecture. Specifically, an extensible plug-in architecture is described. The plug-in architecture includes a main application responding to at least one media object under a current context. A plug-in application is also included that extends capabilities of the main application. The plug-in architecture also includes an interface for sharing the current context with the plug-in application so that the plug-in application responds to the at least one media object under the current context.

Abstract: A method of controlling transmission of content in a network. The method includes the step of applying a quality degradation procedure to content being transmitted between nodes of the network.

Abstract: A method and system of synchronizing a clock in an electronic device having image capture capabilities includes receiving an image of a time keeping device from the electronic device with image capture capabilities, determining a current time using image analysis operations on the image of the time keeping device and setting the current time on a clock associated with the electronic device with image capture capabilities.

Abstract: The present invention provides a method and apparatus for visually presenting the access frequency of a two dimensional image. The method includes the steps of: determining which defined regions of the image are accessed; determining the frequency that the plurality of defined regions is accessed; creating a graphical representation corresponding to the plurality of defined regions for the image, wherein the x axis of the graphical representation corresponds to the x axis of the image and the y axis of the graphical representation corresponds to the y axis of the image; and combining the graphical representation with an access frequency indicator to create an access frequency output that corresponds to the plurality of defined regions. From the access frequency output, the user can see the access patterns of the image and can easily visualize how frequently small portions of the image are accessed.

Abstract: Current methodologies for color image halftoning produce prominent halftoning noise. Brightness variations between color dots placed at neighboring locations are a primary cause of color halftone noise. To correct this flaw, an Ink Relocation Postprocess to halftoning algorithms relocates ink drops between neighboring drop locations in order to reduce local brightness variations. Due to the intrinsic blurring side-effect of ink relocation, some enhancement may be desired. Two application-specific enhancement procedures are presented. In the first enhancement, ink relocation is suppressed in areas of fine detail. In the second enhancement, edge sharpening is performed after ink relocation.

Abstract: Error diffusion algorithms such as the celebrated Floyd Steinberg error-diffusion algorithm are high-performance halftoning methods in which quantization errors are diffused to "future" pixels. Originally intended for grayscale images, they are traditionally extended to color images by error-diffusing each of the three color planes independently (separable error-diffusion). Adding a design rule which is based on certain characteristics of human color perception to the error-diffusion paradigm results in a color halftoning algorithm having output of considerably higher quality when compared to separable error-diffusion. These benefits are achieved by adding the Minimum Brightness Variation Criterion (MBVC) to the design rules of color error-diffusion halftoning methods. Halftone values are constrained to be vertices of a Minimum Brightness Variation Quadruple (MBVQ) associated with each pixel of the color image being processed.