Abstract: A computer-implemented method of lighting control is disclosed. The method includes identifying a group of people according to a relationship between or among the people that indicates the people are likely to regularly reside in a common location, determining a goal for the group of people for aligning circadian cycles of people in the group of people, determining a time and manner for altering ambient light at the common location in a manner to achieve the determined goal; and generating control signals to cause ambient lighting appliances at the common location to alter their performance according to the determined time and manner to achieve the determined goal.

Abstract: A computer-implemented method of lighting control is disclosed. The method includes identifying a group of people according to a relationship between or among the people that indicates the people are likely to regularly reside in a common location, determining a goal for the group of people for aligning circadian cycles of people in the group of people, determining a time and manner for altering ambient light at the common location in a manner to achieve the determined goal; and generating control signals to cause ambient lighting appliances at the common location to alter their performance according to the determined time and manner to achieve the determined goal.

Abstract: The invention provides a system for dynamically adjusting displays, particularly displays associated with electronic devices such as computers. The system provides for manual and automatic adjustment of displays, and adjustment of signals to displays, where such adjustments are made in consideration of the environment in which the display is viewed. In one embodiment the inventive system uses at least one sensor to monitor some environment condition and adjusts display color relative to sensor input. In a preferred embodiment, the system provides automatic display adjustments so that display colors adjust according to time of day, becoming warmer after dark, to simulate indoor lighting, and cooler (“sunlight-like”) during the day, to match sunlight as perceived by a human viewer. Advantages of the invention include reduction of eye-strain as well as task-specific accommodations.

Abstract: A computer-implemented method and includes identifying a change to be made in a brightness level of the light-generating appliance, the identifying of the change being effected by an input external to the light-generating appliance; determining, with a component of the light-generating appliance and in response to identifying the change to be made in the brightness level, a level of change to be made in a nonbrightness-related lighting output parameter of the light-generating appliance, to maintain a level of user stimulating light for a user visually exposed to the light-generating appliance, the level being equal as before the change in brightness level is made and after the change in brightness level is made; and changing the brightness level of the light-generating appliance according to the identified change in the brightness level, and changing the nonbrightness-related lighting output parameter based on the determined level of change to be made in the nonbrightness-related lighting output parameter.

Abstract: Systems and methods for automatic display of scaled and/or resized images that fit within pre-defined areas in a web browser are disclosed. The method may be implemented using an image scaling JavaScript component embedded within a HTML document. Upon resizing the a client document browser in which the document is displayed, the component is resized and requests, receives and redisplays a resized image within the resized component from a server. By having the server perform the resizing, the resized image not only fits within the resized component but also maintains the quality of the image without the need for special client-side software.

Abstract: Systems and methods for automatic display of scaled and/or resized images that fit within pre-defined areas in a web browser are disclosed. The method may be implemented using an image scaling JavaScript component embedded within a HTML document. Upon resizing the a client document browser in which the document is displayed, the component is resized and requests, receives and redisplays a resized image within the resized component from a server. By having the server perform the resizing, the resized image not only fits within the resized component but also maintains the quality of the image without the need for special client-side software.

Abstract: Methods and systems are provided for sharing images over a network. A first user selects an image for sharing and designates an image recipient. Metadata for the first image is transmitted from the first user's terminal to the image recipient's terminal. At least partly in response to receiving the metadata, the image recipient's terminal transmits a request for the first image at a first resolution to the first user's terminal. In response to the request, the first user's terminal transmits the first image at the requested first resolution to the image recipient's terminal.

Abstract: Methods and systems are provided for sharing images and chat text over a network. A determination is made as to whether a first user of a first terminal has changed focus from a first image to a second image during a chat session conducted with a second user of a second terminal. At least partly in response to determining that the first user of the first terminal has changed focus from the first image to the second image, \a second image identifier is automatically sent to the second terminal. Chat text is transmitted from the first terminal to the second terminal. The second terminal accesses the second image using the second image identifier, and displays the chat text in association with the second image.

Abstract: Embodiments of this invention store and distribute from a central system units of information corresponding to files distributively stored in a plurality of remote systems. The remote systems may have intermittent network connection. A separate system, which may also have intermittent network connection, may access the units of information on the central system. The separate system may request that the central system transfer a particular file corresponding to a unit of information. The availability of the file on the remote system may be detected. A process may be initiated to send to the file from the remote system to the separate system, either through the central system or bypassing the central system.

Abstract: Systems and methods for automatic display of scaled and/or resized images that fit within pre-defined areas in a web browser are disclosed. The method may be implemented using an image scaling JavaScript component embedded within a HTML document. Upon resizing the a client document browser in which the document is displayed, the component is resized and requests, receives and redisplays a resized image within the resized component from a server. By having the server perform the resizing, the resized image not only fits within the resized component but also maintains the quality of the image without the need for special client-side software.

Abstract: In one embodiment, data from an electronic device is identified. The data may describe an electronic device (e.g. a hardware or software device) on which a document was created or modified, the subject matter of a document, the state of a document, or the like. Content relating to the electronic device is obtained based on the data. The content may be obtained in response to viewing, editing, printing, emailing or other accessing and/or processing of the document.

Abstract: An image processing method takes advantage of the recursive rendering capabilities of graphics hardware devices to blur images in real-time, without a significant amount of computational precision. The image blurring method makes copies of the image to be blurred, transforms the copies using different transformation amounts, and then averages the transformed images together into a blended image. This general process is repeated a predetermined number of times, using the blended image in the subsequent steps, to generate a blurred image.

Abstract: Methods and systems are provided for sharing images over a network. A first user selects an image for sharing and designates an image recipient. Metadata for the first image is transmitted from the first user's terminal to the image recipient's terminal. At least partly in response to receiving the metadata, the image recipient's terminal transmits a request for the first image at a first resolution to the first user's terminal. In response to the request, the first user's terminal transmits the first image at the requested first resolution to the image recipient's terminal.

Abstract: Methods and systems are provided for sharing images and chat text over a network. A determination is made as to whether a first user of a first terminal has changed focus from a first image to a second image during a chat session conducted with a second user of a second terminal. At least partly in response to determining that the first user of the first terminal has changed focus from the first image to the second image, a second image identifier is automatically sent to the second terminal. Chat text is transmitted from the first terminal to the second terminal. The second terminal accesses the second image using the second image identifier, and displays the chat text in association with the second image.

Abstract: An efficient method and system for displaying integrated transparent objects and animation with a window, such as an Internet Web page is described. The present invention implements a plugin-control, such as a Netscape plugin or ActiveX control, in the host program, such as a Web browser, wherein the plugin-control provides at least one graphics buffer in addition to the buffers used by the host program. The plugin-control can function according to the host program Application Programming Interface (API) for the plugin-control under which the at least one additional buffer is used to composite a “compositing plane” containing the transparent objects and animation with the host program window and where the resulting composited scene is returned to the host program buffers as part of the regular host program draw pipe. Additionally, the host program API may be circumvented and the resulting composited scene may be written directly to the front buffer for display on the display device.

Abstract: An image processing method takes advantage of the recursive rendering capabilities of graphics hardware devices to blur images in real-time, without a significant amount of computational precision. The image blurring method makes copies of the image to be blurred, transforms the copies using different transformation amounts, and then averages the transformed images together into a blended image. This general process is repeated a predetermined number of times, using the blended image in the subsequent steps, to generate a blurred image.