The object persister serializes an object to preserve the object's data structure and its current data. The serialized object is encoded using XML and inserted within a message. That message is transmitted to an entity over a network. Such a transmission is performed using standard Internet protocols, such as HTML. Upon receiving the serialized object, the receiving entity deserializes the object to use it. Rather than include copies of referenced objects within the serialized object, the object...

One or more balancing objects are provided having an arcuate roof onto which a user may step and a pair of sidewalls to support the roof. The arcuate roof is shaped such that a portion of a user's foot will contact the balancing object when standing on the roof, thereby challenging the user to maintain balance in a more unsteady state than when standing flat-footed. The sidewalls extend downwardly from lateral side regions of the arcuate roof and preferably have a concave profile extending later...

A method for object detection that utilizes a patterned background. Patterned backgrounds are chosen such that each reference image analyzed will have both light and dark pixels. The method calculates the difference between the expected value for the light pixels and the expected value of the dark pixels in the reference image. This difference is used to chose a threshold value. The difference in expected values for the corresponding pixels in a live image is calculated and compared to the thres...

An object photographer and corresponding method are disclosed that enable the capturing images of an object for later electronic stitching. The photographer has an object stand, which rotates the object to be photographed, and a camera frame, which supports a camera to swing through an arc around the object. To facilitate stitching, the height of the object stand is adjustable so that the object coincides with an axis of rotation of the camera frame. Further, the camera is preferably mounted on ...

An object recognizer includes a computer system, a spatial division sensing device including a first sensor, a second sensor, and a first polarizer. An object feature generator is attached to an object and includes a plurality of object feature correspondents, and a plurality of second polarizers. By such an arrangement, the first sensor is able to detect a first signal from the second polarizers and the object feature correspondents to form a first polarized image. The second sensor co-operatin...

A game which can be used by either a sole player or preferably two players using the game in a competitive spirit is constructed to include within a housing a movable member. Upon activation, preferably by the first player, the movable member travels down a guide path from a first position to a second position. The second player then attempts to strike the movable member with a striking member. If the second player's movements are coordinated with the motion of the movable member and the movable...

A millennium object that embodies the nature of a "millennium": the simultaneous ability to look forwards to a new era and backwards to the past. The object has two eyelike objects ("oculi"), each with two opposing "eyes" that see in two directions simultaneously. The oculi are attached to items such as desk accessories (letter holders, pen holders, calendars, etc.), jewelry (tie tacks, pins, earrings, pendants, etc.), accessories (key holders, belt buckles), clothing (caps, visors, T-shirts), d...

An attractive and portable object holder which can grip, hold, and contain objects, e.g., pens, pencils, tools, and artists' paint brushes, and the like, is disclosed. The rectilinear holder, along with its interior gripping bristles, is injection molded with polyethylene, polypropylene, or other similarly resilient plastic in a single mold. The flexible bristles act to grip and hold objects that are inserted between the bristles. The bristle qualities are chosen to be resilient and flexible to ...

Techniques are provided for object management. In certain implementations, object management includes determining whether a signal representing the presence of at least one object to be monitored has been received and determining whether a signal representing the state of at least one object to be monitored has been received. If a signal representing the presence of at least one object to be monitored has been received, a determination is made as to whether a predetermined quantity of objects is...

Object virtualization provides a hierarchy of layers of spaces in which an object is accessible. The hierarchy of layers may include a physical layer containing the physical space in which the object is accessible, and virtual layers containing an arbitrary number of virtual spaces in which an object is accessible. Each virtual space is isolated from one another, so that objects accessible in one virtual space may not necessarily be accessible in another. Interfaces to objects that may be access...