Abstract: Shape-matrix geometric instruments having numerous applications including, but not limited to, anti-counterfeiting, graphical passwording, games, and geometry education. A shape-matrix geometric instrument is a manufacture and/or a method whose design is based on a shape-matrix that, in turn comprises a set of building blocks that are N-dimensional polytopes. Corner shapes are positioned in or near the interior corner spaces of at least ones of the shape-matrix building blocks. At least ones of the corner shapes differ from others in at least one property or aspect including, for example, geometric shape, orientation within the building block, and one or more surface “finishes,” such as color, shading, cross-hatching or real or apparent texture.

Abstract: The invention relates to a process for selectively and continuously extracting a series of desired species from a matrix, comprising the steps of:—injecting a plasma (310) in an extraction chamber by means of a plasma torch,—continuously monitoring (320) the excited elements extracted from the matrix and contained in the plasma by optical emission spectroscopy, and for each species of the series,—setting a distance (330) between the support and the plasma torch, and the composition of the injected plasma as a function of the monitored excited elements so that only one desired species of the series of species is being extracted from the matrix under molecular form, and—providing (400) a plate in the extraction chamber, exterior to the plasma, causing collection of molecules comprising said desired species by deposition onto the surface of the plate.

Abstract: A method and apparatus are provided for enabling presentation of supplemented video signal in place of externally provided video signal at a subscriber's device. By an embodiment of this invention, based on certain attributes received from the TV programmer, certain parts of certain video signals are replaced by the subscriber's device with different content that has been pre-stored at that subscriber's device. In addition, such replacements may be reported to the TV programmer.