All The Claims

1. A system for sensing interaction, comprising:
a signal generator producing a frequency-swept signal in an object;
an impedance measurement component coupled to the object and configured to identify a change in an impedance parameter of the frequency-swept signal as an external body interacts with the object; and
an interaction signal generator indicating a characteristic of an interaction between the object and the external body based upon the change in the impedance parameter.
2. The system of claim 1 wherein the frequency-swept signal comprises a time-varying frequency component that varies within a range of substantially 1 KHz to 3.5 MHz.
3. The system of claim 1 wherein the frequency-swept signal is a periodic electrical signal.
4. The system of claim 1 further comprising:
a reactive component coupled to the signal generator and the impedance measurement component and operable to shift a frequency range in which the signal is swept.
5. The system of claim 1 wherein the characteristic of the interaction indicated by the interaction signal generator comprises one of: a location of the object contacted by the external body, a pressure of the contact between the object and the external body, and a size of an area of contact between the object and the external body.
6. The system of claim 1 wherein the impedance measurement component is coupled to the object with a single electrode.
7. The system of claim 1 wherein the impedance measurement component identifies the change in the impedance parameter by comparing a first multi-frequency impedance curve of the object measured when the object and the external body are not interacting to a multi-frequency impedance curve measured when the object and the external body are interacting.
8. The system of claim 1 wherein the impedance parameter is at least one of: a resonant frequency of the frequency-swept signal, amplitude of the frequency-swept signal at a particular frequency, a difference between amplitudes at respective frequencies of the frequency-swept signal, a shape of an impedance curve generated by the frequency-swept signal.
9. A method for sensing a body’s interaction with an object, comprising:
generating a frequency-swept signal within the object;
identifying a change in an impedance parameter of the frequency-swept signal as the body interacts with the object; and
generating an interaction signal indicating a characteristic of an interaction between the body and the object based upon the change in the impedance parameter.
10. The method of claim 9, wherein the act of generating a frequency-swept signal comprises generating multiple frequencies over a period of time in the range of substantially 1 KHz to 3.5 MHz.
11. The method of claim 9 wherein the act of generating the frequency-swept signal comprises applying an electrical signal periodically to the object.
12. The method of claim 9 wherein the characteristic of the interaction indicated by the interaction signal comprises one of: a location of the object contacted by the body, a pressure of the contact between the object and the body, and a size of an area of contact between the object and the body.
13. The method of claim 9 wherein the act of generating an interaction signal comprises measuring the impedance parameter of the frequency-swept signal using a single conductor.
14. The method of claim 9, wherein the act of identifying the change in an impedance parameter comprises comparing a first multi-frequency impedance curve of the object measured when the object and the body are not interacting to a multi-frequency impedance curve measured when the object and the body are interacting.
15. The method of claim 9, wherein the impedance parameter is at least one of: a resonant frequency of the frequency-swept signal, amplitude of the frequency-swept signal at a particular frequency, a difference between amplitudes at respective frequencies of the frequency-swept signal, a shape of an impedance curve generated by the frequency-swept signal.
16. An interactive object, comprising:
a body having a characteristic reactance;
a first interface configured to couple the characteristic reactance to an external scanning impedance monitoring device; and
a second interface configured to couple to a reactance altering element, whereby the characteristic impedance coupled to the scanning impedance monitoring device is distinguishably altered when the second interface is coupled to a reactance altering element.
17. The interactive object of claim 16, wherein the first interface is an electrode configured to permit an electrical signal to flow between the interactive object and the scanning impedance monitoring device, wherein an impedance parameter of the electrical signal is affected when the second interface is coupled to the reactance altering element.

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 movement resistive stand for retaining a plurality fishing rods, said stand comprising:
a) a weighted base member;
b) a pole connected to said base member and extending vertically therefrom;
c) a first and second bar each having at least one rod holder removeably connected thereto; and
d) means for connecting each one of said first and second bars to said pole, wherein said weighed base prevents said stand from moving from an initial position thereby allowing said at least one rod holder to retain at least one fishing rod therein, said connecting means being a T-shaped connector, said T-shaped connector comprising:
i) a bottom connector having a pair of bottom connector apertures extending through said bottom connector and aligned with one another along a 180 degree plane; and
ii) two arm connectors, each respective one of said arm connectors having a pair of arm apertures extending through said arm connector and aligned with one another along a 180 degree plane;

e) a base connector positioned at substantially a center of a top side of said weighted base, said base connector having a pair of base apertures extending through said base connector and aligned with each other in a 180 degree plane;
f) a pin and fastener for fastening said pin, wherein said pole further comprises:
i) a first pair of pole apertures positioned a predetermined distance from a first distal end of said pole, said first pair of pole apertures extend though said pole and are aligned with one another in a 180 degree plane; and
ii) a second pair of pole apertures positioned a predetermined distance from a second distal end of said pole opposite said first distal end, said second pair of pole apertures extend though said pole and are aligned with one another in a 180 degree plane, and said first distal end is received by said base connector, said base apertures are aligned with said first pair of pole apertures whereby said pin is inserted through a first one said base apertures on a first side of said pole and extends through said first pair of pole apertures and further though a second one of said base apertures and exits said pole at a second side of thereof wherein said pin is fastened by said fastener and removeably connects said pole to said weighted base, wherein said first and second bar have a plurality of pairs of bar apertures extending therethrough, wherein each respective pair of bar apertures are aligned along a 180 degree plane, said pairs of bar apertures are positioned equidistant from one another and said first bar is received within a first arm connector and said arm apertures are aligned with a first pair of said bar apertures whereby said pin is received through said arm apertures and said first pair of said bar apertures and is fastened by said fastener thereby securing said bar to said arm.
2. The apparatus as recited in claim 1, wherein said second distal end of said pole is received by said bottom connector and said second pair of pole apertures is aligned with said bottom connector apertures and said pin is inserted through a first one of said bottom connector apertures and extends though said second pair of pole apertures and further though a second bottom connector aperture wherein said pin is fastened by said fastener thereby connecting said connecting means to said pole.
3. The apparatus as recited in claim 1, wherein said second bar is received within a second arm connector and said arm apertures are aligned with a first pair of said bar apertures whereby said pin is received through said arm apertures and said first pair of said bar apertures and is fastened by said fastener thereby securing said bar to said arm.
4. The apparatus as recited in claim 3, wherein said at least one rod holder comprises:
a) a U-shaped member;
b) a curvilinear member connected at a base of said U-shaped member; and
c) means connected at substantially a center point of said curvilinear member for attaching said rod holder to at least one of said first bar and said second bar.
5. The apparatus as recited in claim 4, wherein said attaching means includes a male connector having a threaded end for insertion through a respective pair of said bar apertures and a wing nut for releaseably securing said male connector to said at least one of said first bar and said second bar.
6. The apparatus as recited in claim 4, further comprising at least one spacer for creating a predetermined amount of space between said rod holder and at least one of said first bar and said second bar.
7. The apparatus as recited in claim 1, wherein said base includes a handle formed integrally therewith.
8. The apparatus as recited in claim 1, wherein said stand is collapable and easily transported.
9. The apparatus as recited in claim 1, wherein said weighted base includes a predetermined amount of weight able to maintain a plurality of fishing rods wherein each fishing rod has its line cast in a body of water.
10. The apparatus as recited in claim 1, wherein said weighed base maintains said stand in an upright position.

1. A blank modular book enclosed in an artistic case to be filled out in writing by members of successive generations of a same family during a long time, comprising a blank book (1) having numbered pages (2) footnotes of which contain random citations of names of important persons or historical facts (3), the book (1) having large dimensions and being divided into modules each one having the same number of pages, said modules being distinguished from one another by colored tags attached to all pages (2) which tags can be seen in order to identify same even when the book (1) is closed, characterized in that the members of successive generations of the same family can write thereon for a long period of many centuries and even constituting a system capable of creating a material and sound link in the family as time goes by resulting in a formation of a clan, wherein each generation can register varied information, remarks, messages and so on in each module so that next generations can get acquainted to, initial writers being provided with a double number of pages to report what is known of previous generations, all tags containing the information about the generation the module is derived, each module also being provided with special transparent plastic bags for keeping photographs and documents and, in view of its long life, the book (1) will require a protection by means of an enclosure (4) provided with handles (5), lodged in a niche (6) of a fine reinforced case (8) provided with a lock (7), holders (10) and having two parts of a same height which are pivoted by hinges (9), a removable metal plate (11) provided with rectangular partitions (12) designed to receive low relief engravings for the formation of a family tree, said plate (11) being lodged and supported by supports (17) in a case cover (8) and a large chamber (18) underneath same, said case (8) being larger than the book (1) and further provided with side compartments (13) extending directed upwardly from its base, said compartments (13) being closed by portholes (16).

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 computer-readable medium having instructions stored thereon for execution by a processor to perform a method comprising:
converting a first pixel value from an image frame to a corresponding light intensity using a first contrast amount control variable value; and
reconverting the corresponding light intensity or a derivative thereof to a second pixel value for the image frame using a second contrast amount control variable value.
2. The computer-readable medium of claim 1, wherein the converting and the reconverting each comprise applying an exposure-density function having an exponential variable comprising the contrast amount control variable.
3. The computer-readable medium of claim 1, further comprising: repeating the converting and the reconverting for each pixel of the image frame.
4. The computer-readable medium of claim 1, wherein the first contrast amount control variable value is smaller than the second contrast amount control variable value.
5. The computer-readable medium of claim 1, wherein the derivative of the corresponding light intensity comprises a sum of (i) the corresponding light intensity and (ii) a difference between an ideal exposure level and an average luminance value of a detected skin portion.
6. The computer-readable medium of claim 5, wherein the reconverting the corresponding light intensity comprises
reconverting the derivative of the corresponding light intensity to the second pixel value for the image frame using the second contrast amount control variable value to thereby correct an exposure level of at least the detected skin portion of the image frame along with enhancing a contrast amount of the image frame.
7. The computer-readable medium of claim 1, wherein the converting and the reconverting comprise accessing at least one lookup table.
8. The computer-readable medium of claim 1, further comprising: building a skin-color model for the image frame by selecting training pixels based on a defined skin color range that is created offline.
9. The computer-readable medium of claim 8, further comprising: detecting a skin portion of the image frame using the skin-color model and a predetermined skin pixel probability threshold.
10. The computer-readable medium of claim 9, further comprising: correcting an exposure level of the image frame responsive to an average luminance value of the detected skin portion.
11. The computer-readable medium of claim 1, wherein the computer- readable comprise at least one of (i) one or more storage media or (ii) one or more transmission media.
12. A device comprising:
a contrast enhancer that is adapted to enhance a contrast of an image frame by re-exposing each pixel of the image frame using an exposure-density function and a ratio of contrast amount control variables.
13. The device as recited in claim 12, wherein the ratio of contrast amount control variables comprises a first contrast amount control variable value and a second contrast amount control variable value; and wherein the contrast enhancer is further adapted to convert respective pixels of the image frame to respective corresponding light intensities using the first contrast amount control variable value and to reconvert the respective corresponding light intensities back to respective pixel values using the second contrast amount control variable value.
14. The device as recited in claim 13, further comprising:
at least one lookup table;
wherein the contrast enhancer is further adapted to effectuate the conversion and the reconversion using the at least one lookup table.
15. The device as recited in claim 12, wherein the exposure- density function comprises:
I
=
f
\u2061

(
S
)
=

G

1
+

\u2147
–
A

\xd7
S
,
wherein the constant G corresponds to a number of gray levels, the constant A corresponds to the contrast amount control variable, the variable S corresponds to light intensity, and the variable I corresponds to luminance pixel values.
16. The device as recited in claim 12, wherein the contrast enhancer comprises an exposure level corrector and contrast enhancer that is adapted to correct an exposure level of at least an area of interest of the image frame while enhancing the contrast of the image frame.
17. The device as recited in claim 12, further comprising:
a skin-color model builder that is capable of accepting a defined skin color range and the image frame as input, the skin-color model builder adapted to select training pixels from the image frame based on the defined skin color range and to build a Gaussian skin-color model at runtime for the image frame using the selected training pixels;
a face detector that is a capable of accepting the Gaussian skin-color model as input, the face detector adapted to scan pixels of the image frame and to add a particular pixel to a set of face pixels if a probability that the particular pixel belongs to a skin color class exceeds a predetermined skin pixel probability threshold; and
an exposure level corrector that is capable of accepting the set of face pixels as input, the exposure level corrector adapted (i) to calculate a difference between an ideal exposure level and an average luminance value for the set of face pixels and (ii) to re-expose each pixel from the image frame responsive to the calculated difference;
wherein the exposure level corrector and the contrast enhancer are capable of operating substantially simultaneously.
18. An arrangement for video image processing in conjunction with contrast enhancement, the arrangement comprising:
conversion means for converting a first pixel value of an image frame to a corresponding light intensity using a first contrast amount control variable value; and
reconversion means for reconverting the corresponding light intensity or a derivative thereof to a second pixel value for the image frame using a second contrast amount control variable value.
19. The arrangement as recited in claim 18, further comprising:
re-exposure means for re-exposing multiple pixels of the image frame responsive to a luminance value of a detected skin portion of the image frame.
20. The arrangement as recited in claim 19, wherein at least the reconversion means and the re-exposure means operate substantially simultaneously.
21. The arrangement as recited in claim 19, wherein the luminance value comprises an average luminance value; and wherein the arrangement further comprises:
calculation means for calculating a difference between the average luminance value of the detected skin portion and an ideal exposure level; and
wherein the re-exposure means operates by re-exposing the multiple pixels of the image frame responsive to the calculated difference.
22. The arrangement as recited in claim 19, further comprising:
selection means for selecting training pixels from the image frame based on a predefined skin color range; and
build means for building a skin-color model using the selected training pixels.
23. The arrangement as recited in claim 22, further comprising:
calculation means for calculating a probability that a pixel of the image frame belongs to a skin color class as established by the skin-color model;
determination means for determining if the calculated probability of the pixel exceeds a predetermined skin pixel probability threshold; and
addition means for adding the pixel to a set of skin pixels, which establish the detected skin portion, in accordance with the determination of the determination means.
24. The arrangement as recited in claim 18, wherein the arrangement comprises at least one of (i) one or more processor-accessible media or (ii) at least one device.
25. A computer-readable medium having instructions stored thereon for execution by a processor to perform a method comprising:
correcting an exposure level of an image frame; and
enhancing a contrast amount of the image frame using a ratio of contrast amount control variable values and an exposure-density function.
26. The computer-readable medium of claim 25, wherein the correcting and the enhancing are performed partially or fully simultaneously.
27. The computer-readable medium of claim 25, wherein the correcting and the enhancing are effectuated using at least one lookup table.
28. The computer-readable medium of claim 27, wherein the correcting and the enhancing are effectuated using at least three lookup tables; and wherein a first and a second lookup table of the at least three lookup tables are created offline, and a third lookup table of the at least three lookup tables is established at runtime.
29. The computer-readable medium of claim 25, wherein the correcting comnprises:
calculating a difference between an ideal exposure level and an average luminance value for a region of the image frame; and
re-exposing each pixel of the image frame responsive to the calculated difference.
30. The computer-readable medium of claim 29, further comprising:
skipping the re-exposing and the enhancing when the average luminance value for the region of the image frame is relatively close to the ideal exposure level.
31. The computer-readable medium of claim 25, wherein the enhancing a contrast amount of the image frame comprises:
converting a first pixel value from the image frame to a corresponding light intensity using a first contrast amount control variable value; and
reconverting the corresponding light intensity or a derivative thereof to a second pixel value for the image frame using a second contrast amount control variable value;
wherein the first contrast amount control variable value and the second contrast amount control variable value comprise the ratio of contrast amount control variable values.
32. The computer-readable medium of claim 31, wherein the correcting an exposure level of an image frame comprises:
calculating a difference between an ideal exposure level and an average luminance value for a region of the image frame; and the reconverting the derivative of the corresponding light intensity to the second pixel value for the image frame comprises:
reconverting the derivative of the corresponding light intensity to the second pixel value for the image frame using the second contrast amount control variable value;
wherein the derivative of the corresponding light intensity is produced using the calculated difference.
33. The computer-readable medium of claim 32, wherein the correcting and the enhancing are performed using a lookup table that is produced at runtime and that incorporates the calculated difference, and wherein the lookup table maps the first pixel value to the second pixel value.
34. The computer-readable medium of claim 25, further comprising:
detecting a skin portion of the image frame using a skin-color model; wherein the correcting an exposure level of an image frame comprises:
calculating a difference between an ideal exposure level and an average luminance value for the detected skin portion of the image frame; and
re-exposing each pixel of the image frame responsive to the calculated difference.
35. The computer-readable medium of claim 34, further comprising: building the skin-color model during runtime.
36. The computer-readable medium of claim 35, wherein the building the skin-color model during runtime comprises:
selecting training pixels from the image frame based on a skin color range that is defined offline; and
building the skin-color model using the selected training pixels.
37. A method comprising:
building a skin-color model using, selected training pixels;
detecting a facial portion of an image frame using the skin-color model and a skin pixel probability threshold;
correcting an exposure level of the image frame with regard to the detected facial portion; and
enhancing a contrast amount of the image frame by re-exposing pixels of the image frame with a first contrast amount control variable value and a second contrast amount control variable value.
38. The method as recited in claim 37, further comprising:
selecting the selected training pixels from the image frame based on a predefined skin color range, the predefined skin color range created offline.
39. The method as recited in claim 37, wherein the enhancing comprises:
converting first pixel values from the image frame to corresponding light intensities using the first contrast amount control variable value; and
reconverting the corresponding light intensities or derivatives thereof to second pixel values for the image frame using the second contrast amount control variable value;
wherein the converting and the reconverting are effectuated, at least partially, using an exposure-density function.