Abstract: According to a computer-implemented approach for bartering items between customers, customers engage in the exchange of items wherein the system determines the parameters of the exchange. According to the approach, customers provide item selection criteria to a provider indicating items the customers desire to receive and items the customers are willing to send. In response to the item delivery criteria being satisfied, the provider prompts a customer to send an item to another customer, and the customer prompted by the provider sends the item to the other customer over a delivery channel. Provider determines the point value of the item sent and gives points to the customer sending the item and charges points from the customer receiving the item.

Abstract: A Fourier hologram with the distribution of a radial harmonic function creates, in the far field, a pseudo non-diffracting beam. The properties of this pseudo non-diffracting beam can be set by appropriate characterization of the radial harmonic function. Various operations can also be carried out to change the position of the beam relative to the focal point. The beam can be shifted in space, twisted, or tilted.

Abstract: A method of designing phase shifting masks with improved resolution. Auxiliary transmissive phase regions with properly selected locations and dimensions are introduced to eliminate unwanted interference patterns. A usual opaque region between the transmissive features that are phase-conflicting to one another is partially or entirely replaced with a transmissive region of an opposite phase with respect to the phase of the transmissive features. In positive photoresist layouts, the light-absorbing features are partially or entirely made transmissive while an opposite and uniform phase is maintained throughout the transmissive background. Segmenting features with at least one auxiliary phase region and adjusting attenuation of different features can further improve the performance.