Abstract: Computer-automated processes are disclosed for establishing verified communications channels with authors and other creators of works via communications with a trusted verifier entity. The verified communications channels may be used for various purposes, such as to seek authorization to make a book or other printed publication searchable on a public network.

Abstract: An electronic catalog system provides an interface for users to author and post content for viewing by other users. Users who are verified as creators of works represented in the electronic catalog (e.g., authors of books) are additionally given the option to post content that is displayed on the catalog pages of such works with attribution to the works' creators. In one embodiment, the system is capable of verifying a user's claim to be a creator of a particular work through automated communications with a third party verifier designated by the user. The third party verifier may, for example, be a publisher (in the case of books), a recording company (in the case of musical works), or a motion picture studio (in the case of movies).

Abstract: An electronic catalog system provides an interface for users to author and post content for viewing by other users. Users who are verified as creators of works represented in the electronic catalog (e.g., authors of books) are additionally given the option to post content that is displayed on the catalog pages of such works with attribution to the works' creators. In one embodiment, the system is capable of verifying a user's claim to be a creator of a particular work through automated communications with a third party verifier designated by the user. The third party verifier may, for example, be a publisher (in the case of books), a recording company (in the case of musical works), or a motion picture studio (in the case movies).

Abstract: An electronic catalog system provides an interface for users to author and post content for viewing by others. Users who are verified as creators of works represented in the electronic catalog (e.g., authors of books) are additionally granted the capability to post content that is displayed on the catalog pages of such works with attribution to the works' creators. In one embodiment, the system is capable of verifying a user's claim to be a creator of a particular work through automated communications with a third party verifier designated by the user. The third party verifier may, for example, be a publisher (in the case of books), a recording company (in the case of musical works), or a motion picture studio (in the case movies).

Abstract: A web site or other interactive service maintains user activity data reflective of the activities of its users. A failure analysis component analyzes the user activity data to automatically detect likely failure events. A failure event filtering component intelligently selects failure events for which to request feedback from the user, preferably taking into consideration information about the failure event itself and information about the particular user. Requests for user feedback, and operator responses to the user feedback messages, are preferably presented on a personal log page that also displays other types of personalized information.

Abstract: A method of generating an image or a video stream is disclosed, in which a composition space within a standard display tool is utilized. In an embodiment, a video editor is configured to control a timer and a frame grabber of the standard display tool, which is configured to receive a document encoded in a standard display language. The video editor controls the timing according to quality requirements, the standard display tool composes an image from the document in the composition space, the frame grabber transmits the image to a destination, such as a video compressor, which may collect a series of images as frames and generate a video stream from the images.

Abstract: A method of supporting all raster-based image manipulations described in vector-based terms. The present invention has the benefits of providing clean transformation that vector-based manipulations yields, and providing a broad selection of all image transformation operations that raster-based manipulations yields. In one aspect of the invention a vector-defined shape is drawn on top of a raster-based image by replacing the contents of the vector image with the bits from the raster image. In another aspect of the present invention, a copy of the portion of the raster image that overlaps with the vector-defined portion is made, the transformation operation is performed on the copy, and then the portion of the raster image is replaced with the transformed copy.

Abstract: A method of supporting all raster-based image manipulations described in vector-based terms. The present invention has the benefits of providing clean transformation that vector-based manipulations yields, and providing a broad selection of all image transformation operations that raster-based manipulations yield. In one aspect of the invention a vector-defined shape is drawn on top of a raster-based image by replacing the contents of the vector image with the bits from the raster image. In another aspect of the present invention, a copy of the portion of the raster image that overlaps with the vector-defined portion is made, the transformation operation is performed on the copy, and then the portion of the raster image is replaced with the transformed copy.

Abstract: A method of supporting all raster-based image manipulations described in vector-based terms. The present invention has the benefits of providing clean transformation that vector-based manipulations yields, and providing a broad selection of all image transformation operations that raster-based manipulations yield. In one aspect of the invention a vector-defined shape is drawn on top of a raster-based image by replacing the contents of the vector image with the bits from the raster image. In another aspect of the present invention, a copy of the portion of the raster image that overlaps with the vector-defined portion is made, the transformation operation is performed on the copy, and then the portion of the raster image is replaced with the transformed copy.

Abstract: A method of generating an image or a video stream is disclosed, wherein a composition space within a standard display tool, such as an HTML-compliant browser, is utilized. In one embodiment, an image or video editor is configured to control a timer and a frame grabber of the standard display tool, which is configured to receive a document encoded in a standard display language. The editor controls the timing according to quality requirements, the standard display tool composes an image from the document in the compositor space of the standard display tool, the frame grabber transmits the image to a destination. Where video streaming is supported, the destination is a video compressor configured to collect a series of images as frames, and to generate a video stream from the images.

Abstract: A self-modifying data flow architecture for computer-readable structures, such as markup language, is modeled as a network of interconnected processing elements, each having a data input and a transformation input. Each processing element generates output by applying the transformation input to the data input. The output of one processing element may be provided as either a data input or a transformation input to another processing element. The resulting architecture provides a network of interconnected processing elements which are modified dynamically depending on the data flowing through the overall process.

Abstract: A method of generating an image or a video stream in which the composition space in a standard display tool is used as the composition space. One example of a standard display tool is an HTML-compliant browser. In one embodiment, an image or a video editor gains control of the timer and the frame grabber of the standard display tool, a document encoded in a standard display language is received by the standard display tool, the editor controls the timing according to quality requirements, the standard display tool composes an image from the document in the compositor space of the standard display tool, the frame grabber transmits the image to a destination. Where the invention supports video streaming, the destination is a video compressor that collects a series of images as frames, and generates a video stream from the images.

Abstract: A bilateral interface may comprise an object interface and, optionally, a language interface. The object interface comprises at least an object-side object interface to be included in an external object, and a structure-side object interface to be included in a parsable structure. When executed, an object initialization routine included in the object-side object interface provides an identification of the structure-side object interface to the external object. Conversely, a structure initialization routine included in the structure-side object interface provides an identification of at least one object interaction routine to the external object. The external object can then invoke the at least one object interaction routine to interact with the parsable structure. The language interface is similarly constructed.