1. A method for converting a source palette containing television (TV) unsafe colors into a resultant palette containing TV safe colors, the method comprising:
selecting a plurality of color ranges from within the source palette; and
adjusting a color in the source palette in an amount proportionate to an adjustment made to make a TV unsafe color a TV safe color that is close to the TV unsafe color and the color’s position within one of the color ranges to thereby generate the resultant palette.
2. The method of to claim 1 comprising determining which colors in the source palette are TV unsafe colors.
3. The method of claim 1 wherein adjusting the TV unsafe color comprises adjusting the TV unsafe color to a TV safe color which is closest to the TV unsafe color.
4. The method of claim 3 wherein adjusting the TV unsafe color to a TV safe color comprises adjusting each TV unsafe color in the source palette to a TV safe color.
5. The method of claim 1 wherein selecting color ranges comprises selecting color ranges having substantially different hues.
6. The method of claim 1 wherein selecting color ranges comprises selecting a plurality of reference colors and selecting color ranges as the ranges between adjacent reference colors.
7. The method of claim 6 wherein selecting reference colors comprises selecting reference colors substantially different hues.
8. The method of claim 7 wherein selecting reference colors comprises selecting one or more colors from the group of hues consisting of blue, green, yellow, red, magenta and cyan.
The claims below are in addition to those above.
All refrences to claim(s) which appear below refer to the numbering after this setence.
1. A method for providing a reverse auction via a distributed computing environment, comprising:
creating an electronic description of a system to be purchased by auction by a purchaser;
electronically forwarding the description to a plurality of vendors;
receiving from each of the plurality of vendors an electronically transmitted vendor proposal to supply the system;
conducting, by a purchaser, a private one-on-one pre-negotiation with each vendor to ensure that the proposal from each vendor will produce a similar and acceptable result, including:
adjusting components, services or costs to alter performance levels to the level offered by other vendors as required by the electronic description of the system;
conducting an increment negotiation session between the purchaser and each of the plurality of vendors separately to preset permissible downward bidding increments for each of the plurality of vendors during the auction, including:
determining acceptable reductions in system performance associated with downward bids made by the vendor during the auction;
each of the plurality of vendors executes a contract which will be binding on the vendor if the vendor’s bid during a subsequent auction process is accepted as the lowest bid;
conducting, via the distributed computing environment, the auction during which the plurality of vendors bid for supplying the system to the purchaser;
allowing the at least one vendor to downwardly bid against other vendors; and
analyzing, via a processor, a downward bid from the at least one vendor to determine if a corresponding reduction in system performance associated with the downward bid is acceptable and if not, then preventing the vendor from downwardly bidding.
2. The method of claim 1, further comprising accepting a lowest bid of one of the plurality of vendors for supplying the system.
3. The method of claim 1, further comprising, prior to creating a description of the system, preparing a request for a proposal to be sent to each of a plurality of vendors including a list of required components of the system.
4. The method of claim 3, wherein forwarding the description to a plurality of vendors includes forwarding a vendor offer template to each of the plurality of vendors having a vendor offer section and a vendor offer adjustment section.
5. The method of claim 4, wherein forwarding a vendor offer template to each of the plurality of vendors, includes posting the description of the system and the vendor offered template on an internet-based website operated by the purchaser and accessible by each of the plurality of vendors.
6. The method of claim 5, whereby the step of receiving includes receiving the vendor offer template from each of the plurality of vendors.
7. The method of claim 6, wherein receiving the vendor offer template from each of the plurality of vendors includes receiving the vendor offer template at a purchaser computing system via a distributed computing environment.
8. The method of claim 1, wherein the system is further operative to adjust the vendor offer to cause the vendor offer to comply with the description of the system.
9. The method of claim 7, further comprising adjusting the vending offer from the at least one vendor to cause the vendor offer to comply with the description of the system.
10. The method of claim 9, whereby the step of determining the acceptable reductions includes conducting the downward bidding increment negotiation session electronically via the distributed computing environment in a collaborative electronic communication session between the purchaser and the at least one vendor.
11. The method of claim 10, wherein conducting the auction includes conducting the auction via an electronic online communication between the purchaser and each of the plurality of vendors in which each of the plurality of vendors may communicate with other vendors and with the purchaser simultaneously.
12. A computing system for providing a reverse auction via a distributed computing environment, comprising:
a processor; and
a server operative to perform the following:
transmit a description of a system to be purchased by auction by a purchaser to a plurality of vendors;
receive from each of the plurality of vendors an electronically transmitted vendor offer to supply the system and to transmit the offer to the purchaser;
conduct, by a purchaser, a private one-on-one pre-negotiation with each vendor to ensure that the proposal from each vendor will produce a similar and acceptable result, including:
adjusting components, services or costs to alter performance levels to the level offered by other vendors as required by the electronic description of the system;
facilitate via an online session an increment negotiation session between the purchaser and each of the plurality of vendors separately to preset permissible downward bidding increments for each of the plurality of vendors during the auction, including:
determining acceptable reductions in system performance associated with downward bids made by the vendor during the auction;
each of the plurality of vendors executes a contract which will be binding on the vendor if the vendor’s bid during a subsequent auction process is accepted as the lowest bid;
conducting the auction via an electronic online communication between the purchaser and each of the plurality of vendors in which each of the plurality of vendors may communicate with other vendors and with the purchaser simultaneously in a bidding session for supplying the system to be purchased to the purchaser; and
analyze a downward bid from the at least one vendor submitted during the auction to determine if the reduction in system performance corresponding to the downward bid is acceptable and, if not, then preventing the downward bid.
13. The system of claim 12, whereby the distributed computing environment includes a server on which is operated an Internet-based website operated by the purchaser and accessible by each of the plurality of vendors for posting the description of the system to be purchased, and for depositing the vendor offer with the purchaser.
14. The system of claim 12, wherein the description of the system to be purchased posted on the Internet-based website includes a vendor offer template for completion by each of the plurality of vendors, the vendor offer template having a vendor offer section and a vendor offer adjustment section.
15. A computer program product comprising a non-transitory computer readable medium configured for causing a computer to provide a reverse auction, the program product configured to:
create a description of a system to be purchased by auction;
electronically forward the description to a plurality of vendors;
receive from each of the plurality of vendors an electronically transmitted vendor proposal to supply the system;
conduct, by a purchaser, a private one-on-one pre-negotiation with each vendor to ensure that the proposal from each vendor will produce a similar and acceptable result, including:
adjusting components, services or costs to alter performance levels to the level offered by other vendors as required by the electronic description of the system;
conduct an increment negotiation session between the purchaser and each of the plurality of vendors separately to preset permissible downward bidding increments for each of the plurality of vendors during the auction, including:
determining acceptable reductions in system performance associated with downward bids made by the vendor during the auction;
each of the plurality of vendors executes a contract which will be binding on the vendor if the vendor’s bid during a subsequent auction process is accepted as the lowest bid;
conduct the auction during which the plurality of vendors bids for supplying the system to the purchaser;
allow the vendors to downwardly bid against other vendors; and
analyze a downward bid from the at least one vendor to determine if a reduction in system performance associated with the downward bid is acceptable and if not, then preventing the vendor from downwardly bidding.