Abstract: A system and method of symbol matching may include a processor configured to determine which pixels of a first symbol are tangent pixels; for each of the determined tangent pixels, determine whether a second symbol includes a pixel corresponding to the tangent pixel that includes at least one same tangent constraint as that of the tangent pixel; accept the first and second symbols as a match based on shared tangent constraints conditional upon a determination that the second symbol includes for each of at least a subset of the tangent pixels of the first symbol a corresponding pixel that includes the at least one same tangent constraint as that of the tangent pixel; and generate a document including a single symbol that is mapped to the first and second symbols.

Abstract: A system and method of color data compression may perform variations of MRC compression including taking into consideration means and/or variances within k×k cells of an image, background texture, background smoothed color, and gradient components for determination of which parts of an image belong to the background and foreground MRC layers, for calculating thresholds values for such determinations, and determining correctness of determined thresholds and polarity, and may determine the background and foreground layer colors based on the variances, the gradient components, and neighboring pixels of non-color-assigned pixels of the background and foreground layers.

Abstract: A system and method of color data compression may perform variations of MRC compression including taking into consideration means and/or variances within k×k cells of an image, background texture, background smoothed color, and gradient components for determination of which parts of an image belong to the background and foreground MRC layers, for calculating thresholds values for such determinations, and determining correctness of determined thresholds and polarity, and may determine the background and foreground layer colors based on the variances, the gradient components, and neighboring pixels of non-color-assigned pixels of the background and foreground layers.

Abstract: The instant invention relates to a method for the color stabilization of cork and specific colored woods by the combined use of a small amount of inorganic UV-absorbers and an excess of organic UV-absorbers in a protective coating. A further aspect of the invention is the use of such a UV-absorber combination for the color stabilization of cork and specific colored woods.

Abstract: A system and method of color data compression may perform variations of MRC compression including taking into consideration means and/or variances within k×k cells of an image, background texture, background smoothed color, and gradient components for determination of which parts of an image belong to the background and foreground MRC layers, for calculating thresholds values for such determinations, and determining correctness of determined thresholds and polarity, and may determine the background and foreground layer colors based on the variances, the gradient components, and neighboring pixels of non-color-assigned pixels of the background and foreground layers.

Abstract: A system and method of symbol matching may include a processor configured to determine which pixels of a first symbol are tangent pixels; for each of the determined tangent pixels, determine whether a second symbol includes a pixel corresponding to the tangent pixel that includes at least one same tangent constraint as that of the tangent pixel; accept the first and second symbols as a match based on shared tangent constraints conditional upon a determination that the second symbol includes for each of at least a subset of the tangent pixels of the first symbol a corresponding pixel that includes the at least one same tangent constraint as that of the tangent pixel; and generate a document including a single symbol that is mapped to the first and second symbols.

Abstract: A method and system for conducting an on-line auction, in which the bidding is weighted to encourage early and higher bidding. Each time a buyer places a new high bid on an item he is accorded points, weighted to reflect the amount of the bid, either as an absolute value as a relative increase in the high bid compared to prior bids, or in some other fashion. The bid may also be weighted to reflect how long the bid stays the high bid. Thus the bidder is encouraged to place a bid early to have the high bid for as long as possible, and outbid others, so that he does not lose his position as the-high bidder. The invention therefore results in higher bidding, for items offered for sale and yields a more fair and accurate test of the true worth of the item offered for sale.

Abstract: An Internet/world-wide-web-based advertisement replacement system and methodology for replacing advertising content on web-based communications received by users. The system comprises a web-browser device on a computer terminal for receiving the web-based communications having original advertising content including a target uniform resource locator (URL); a filter mechanism for identifying the original advertising content provided in the web-based communication; and, a mechanism for replacing original content with new advertising content for display at the computer terminal, the new advertising content determined based on a user profile information maintained by the system and including URL content for enabling user access to a destination web-site affiliated with advertisers providing the new advertising content.