U.S. patent application number 14/265290 was filed with the patent office on 2014-08-21 for crowd sourced traffic reporting.
This patent application is currently assigned to Pelmorex Canada Inc.. The applicant listed for this patent is Pelmorex Canada Inc.. Invention is credited to Andre Gueziec.
Application Number | 20140236464 14/265290 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 46048557 |
Filed Date | 2014-08-21 |
United States Patent
Application |
20140236464 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Gueziec; Andre |
August 21, 2014 |
CROWD SOURCED TRAFFIC REPORTING
Abstract
A traffic reporting service may allow for the generation of more
reliable and accurate traffic reports, maps, and forecasts based on
various data types and sources. Data sources include public sector
sources, private entities, and end users providing crowd sourced
data. Crowd sourced data is collected, verified, and used to
generate a traffic report which is displayed to a user via a
computing device. A user may use various information presented in
the traffic report to make informed decisions when choosing travel
routes and a departure time to reach a desired destination.
Inventors: |
Gueziec; Andre; (Sunnyvale,
CA) |
|
Applicant: |
Name |
City |
State |
Country |
Type |
Pelmorex Canada Inc. |
Oakville |
|
CA |
|
|
Assignee: |
; Pelmorex Canada Inc.
Oakville
CA
|
Family ID: |
46048557 |
Appl. No.: |
14/265290 |
Filed: |
April 29, 2014 |
Related U.S. Patent Documents
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Application
Number |
Filing Date |
Patent Number |
|
|
13296108 |
Nov 14, 2011 |
8718910 |
|
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14265290 |
|
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|
61413473 |
Nov 14, 2010 |
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61487425 |
May 18, 2011 |
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Current U.S.
Class: |
701/117 |
Current CPC
Class: |
G08G 1/096775 20130101;
G08G 1/0133 20130101; G08G 1/0141 20130101; G08G 1/096741 20130101;
G08G 1/096716 20130101; G08G 1/0112 20130101; G01C 21/3492
20130101 |
Class at
Publication: |
701/117 |
International
Class: |
G08G 1/01 20060101
G08G001/01; G01C 21/34 20060101 G01C021/34 |
Claims
1. A method for recommending a departure time, the method
comprising: receiving, at a network interface: crowd sourced data
from a user device, wherein the crowd sourced data is associated
with a plurality of other users traversing a plurality of travel
routes, and traffic data from one or more information sources, the
traffic data associated with the plurality of travel routes;
receiving, at an user interface of the user device, user input
including a destination and an arrival time; executing instructions
stored in memory, by a processor, to: calculate a trip time for a
travel route associated with a starting point and an ending point,
wherein the starting point is a real-time location of the user
device and the ending point is the received destination, and
wherein the trip time is based on the received arrival time, the
crowd sourced data for the travel route, and the traffic data for
the travel route, and provide the user with a recommended departure
time at the user device, wherein the recommended departure time is
determined based on the calculated trip time and the received
arrival time.
2. The method of claim 1, wherein the execution of instructions by
the processor further: calculates additional trip times for the
travel route, wherein each additional trip time is calculated based
on a respective arrival time that differs from the received arrival
time, the crowd sourced data for the travel route, and the traffic
data for the travel route.
3. The method of claim 2, wherein the execution of instructions by
the processor further: provides the user with alternate recommended
departure times at the user device, wherein each alternate
recommended departure time is determined based on a respective
additional trip time.
4. The method of claim 1, wherein the execution of instructions by
the processor further: generating a traffic report based on the
crowd sourced data and the traffic data, wherein the traffic report
is associated with the travel route, and wherein the traffic report
includes the trip time and the recommended departure time.
5. The method of claim 4, wherein the execution of instructions by
the processor further: displays the traffic report on the user
device.
6. The method of claim 1, wherein the crowd sourced data includes:
passive data collected about users traversing the travel route,
wherein the passive data includes location, heading, and speed data
each respectively associated with one or more other users
traversing the travel route.
7. The method of claim 6, wherein the crowd sourced data further
includes: active data provided by the one or more other users that
is associated with a planned or unplanned traffic incident, wherein
the active data includes a location of the incident and a time
associated with the incident.
8. The method of claim 1, wherein the information source is a
public sector source.
9. The method of claim 1, wherein the information source is a
private sector source.
10. The method of claim 1, wherein calculating the trip time is
further based on weather data associated with the travel route,
wherein the weather data is received, at the network interface.
11. The method of claim 1, wherein calculating the trip time is
further based on a scheduled public event affecting the travel
route.
12. The method of claim 11, wherein the scheduled public event
includes a sporting event.
13. The method of claim 11, wherein the scheduled public event
includes a road closure on the travel route.
14. The method of claim 11, wherein the scheduled public event
includes a concert.
Description
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS
[0001] The present application is a continuation and claims the
priority benefit of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 13/296,108
filed Nov. 14, 2011, which will issue as U.S. Pat. No. 8,718,910 on
May 6, 2014, which claims the priority benefit of U.S. provisional
application 61/413,473 filed Nov. 14, 2010 and U.S. provisional
application 61/487,425 filed May 18, 2011, the disclosures of which
are incorporated herein by reference.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
[0002] 1. Field of the Invention
[0003] The present invention generally concerns traffic reporting.
More particularly, the present invention relates to the use of
crowd sourced data and other sources of traffic data to provide
traffic reports, maps, and forecasts.
[0004] 2. Description of the Related Art
[0005] The rapid worldwide growth in mobile phone traffic has
corresponded to a rapid increase in smartphone use. Smartphones are
expected to overtake the number of feature phones by the end of
2011. With a smartphone, a consumer may utilize an assortment of
applications to obtain a variety of useful real-time information
including traffic information.
[0006] Current traffic reporting applications rely on traditional
traffic sources such as public sector and private entity sources.
These applications typically do not consider crowd sourced data
that can provide updated or real-time traffic data not otherwise
available from traditional sources. One mobile application, called
"Waze" (available from Waze Ltd.), automatically collects traffic
data and road condition information from users as they drive.
"Waze" relies primarily on crowd sourced data to present updated
traffic information to users of the application. "Waze," however,
does not consider traditional traffic sources when presenting
traffic information to its users.
[0007] There is a need in the art for traffic reporting technology
that leverages a variety of traffic data, including crowd sourced
data, to generate more accurate and reliable traffic reports, maps,
and forecasts.
SUMMARY OF THE PRESENTLY CLAIMED INVENTION
[0008] Embodiments of the present invention allow for the
generation of more reliable and accurate traffic reports, maps, and
forecasts based on various data types and sources. Data sources
include public sector sources, private entities, and end users
providing crowd sourced data.
[0009] In a first claimed embodiment, a method for traffic
reporting using crowd sourced data is claimed. Through this method
crowd sourced data from a computing device associated with a user
traversing a travel route is received. The crowd sourced data may
include location data and speed data associated with the user. The
crowd sourced data is then verified for timeliness. A traffic
report is generated based on the crowd sourced data and is then
displayed on the computing device.
[0010] In a second claimed embodiment, a system for generating a
traffic report based on crowd sourced data is claimed. The system
includes memory for storing crowd sourced data received from a
computing device associated with a user traversing a travel route.
The system also includes an application server. The application
server verifies the timeliness of the crowd sourced data, generates
a traffic report based on the crowd sourced data, and displays the
traffic report on the computing device.
[0011] In a third claimed embodiment, a non-transitory
computer-readable medium is claimed. The storage medium includes a
computer program that is executable by a processor to perform a
method for generating a traffic report. The method includes
receiving crowd sourced data from a user traversing a travel route,
the crowd sourced data including location data and speed data
associated with the user, verifying timeliness of the crowd sourced
data, generating a traffic report based on the crowd sourced data,
and displaying the traffic report.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0012] FIG. 1 illustrates a system used for generating a traffic
report using crowd sourced data.
[0013] FIG. 2 illustrates a method for traffic reporting using
crowd sourced data.
[0014] FIG. 3 illustrates a computing system that may be used to
implement an embodiment of the present invention.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION
[0015] Embodiments of the present invention may provide a traffic
reporting service that uses crowd sourced data to generate more
accurate and complete traffic reports.
[0016] FIG. 1 illustrates a system that may be a system used for
generating a traffic report using crowd sourced data. The system
100 of FIG. 1 includes user 110, computing device 120, information
source 130, network 140, optional network server 150, application
server 160, and database 170.
[0017] System 100 may include a number of users and computing
devices that operate in conjunction with a traffic reporting
service. User 110 may subscribe (e.g., create an account) or
register with the traffic reporting service provided by application
server 160 via computing device 120. Once user 110 has registered
with the traffic reporting service, user 110 may perform a login
operation (i.e., access account) and may access the traffic
reporting service to receive traffic reports, forecasts, and maps,
and alerts of traffic incidents and delays. User 110 may also
create travel routes and obtain personalized traffic reports for
the same. User 110 may also request access to and view live or
historic feeds from particular traffic cameras.
[0018] When registering with the traffic reporting service, user
110 may be required to input or provide (via computing device 120)
registration information or user data including but not limited to
name, user ID, password address, phone number, e-mail address,
birthday, age, and gender. User 110 may also provide other data
(e.g., start and end points) relating to one or more traffic
routes. User 110 may then receive personalized traffic reports for
frequently traversed routes such as home to office, office to home,
home to school, etc.
[0019] User 110 may also provide preferences such as a preference
for a type of traffic information. For example, user 110 may
indicate a preference to receive an alert of traffic incidents or
delays that may appear on a frequently traversed route, a selected
route, or current route. A user preference may also include a
preference for or bookmark for a particular traffic camera or
latest snapshot or video from a traffic camera.
[0020] User registration information, user preferences, and route
information may be used to generate a profile of user 110 which may
be used to customize traffic reports and alerts for user 110. For
example, user 110 may indicate a desire to receive a traffic alert
concerning a particular travel route, geographical location, or
specific road or highway. User route data and profile information
may be stored in database 170.
[0021] System 100 may include database 170 for storing data.
Database 170 may store route information, profile information,
traffic data from information sources 130, and other data for use
with the traffic reporting service provided by application server
160. Database 170 may be separate from or integrated with
application server 160. Database 170 may be a single database
server or distributed amongst a series of servers. Database 170 may
also store any updates to user data, route information, or traffic
data received from/provided by user 110 or information sources
130.
[0022] The information sources 130 may be provided by various
organizations (public or private entities) and in a variety of
forms. The information sources 130 may include data sources related
to traffic data (e.g., traffic speed, traffic flow) and as
described in U.S. Pat. No. 7,221,287, which is incorporated herein
by reference, or weather data such as forecasts. The information
sources 130 may also include data sources related to newsworthy
events or incidents such as school closings, election results, and
other information that may be featured or relevant in a traffic
report. The information sources 130 may require subscription or
authentication for access and may be accessible via Telnet, FTP, or
web services protocols. The information may be received from the
information sources 130 in real-time or near real-time to allow for
generation of an equally real-time or near real-time presentation.
Information sources 130 may also include local memory storing
previously received data or an antenna receiver in the likes of a
GPS device that is actively or occasionally receiving data from a
still separate source of data.
[0023] In an embodiment of the present invention utilizing traffic
data specific to the San Francisco Bay area, for example, the
information sources 130 may include one or more of the 511.org
system (a collaboration of public agencies including the California
Highway Patrol, Metropolitan Transportation Commission, and CAL
TRANS), the California Highway Patrol (CHP) World Wide Web server,
the PeMS system at the University of California at Berkeley,
various public event listings, or a publicly or privately
accessible user input mechanism. For weather data, the information
sources 130 may include the National Weather Service among other
weather information sources. Other data sources or alternative
types of data sources (e.g., non-traffic and non-weather related
sources) may be incorporated and utilized in various embodiments of
the present invention.
[0024] Computing device 120 is inclusive of a general purpose
computing device capable of accessing information over a network.
Computing device 120 may be any computing device known in the art
such as a workstation, laptop computer, net book computer, tablet
computer, mobile device, cellular telephone, or the like that can
communicate over network 140. Computing device 120 may include
software and/or hardware capable of sending, receiving, and
processing data such as crowd sourced data, traffic data, or user
profile data. Computing device 120 may receive data from user 110
and send the data over network 140 to application server 160 for
processing. Computing device 120 may also offer location-based
information such as that generated through cellular network base
stations, IP network access, or GPS data. Computing device 120 may
include certain components as illustrated in FIG. 3.
[0025] Network 140 is inclusive of any communication known in the
art such as the Internet, Local Area Network (LAN), Wide Area
Network (WAN), intranet, extranet, private network, or other
network. Application server 160 may be accessed via optional
network server 150. Network server 150 may receive and process data
and/or requests from computing device 120. For example, user 110
may request and provide data to become a registered subscriber with
the traffic reporting service provided by application server 160.
Processing the data and/or request may include sending data to
application server 160, receiving a response from application
server 160, and sending a response or data to network server 150.
Network server 150 may then forward the response or data to
computing device 120.
[0026] Application server 160 may be implemented in a general
computing device that otherwise communicates with database 170 and
network server 150. An example of such a device is the general
computing system illustrated in FIG. 3. One or more software
applications or modules may be stored in memory and executable by a
processor (not shown) at application server 160. The present
traffic reporting service may be implemented by one or more
processors that execute instructions stored in one or more memory
mediums. The executed instructions may result in the processor(s)
generating and providing one or more graphical interfaces.
[0027] FIG. 2 illustrates a method for traffic reporting using
crowd sourced data. The steps identified in FIG. 2 (and the order
thereof) are exemplary and may include various alternatives,
equivalents, or derivations thereof including but not limited to
the order of execution of the same. The steps of the method of FIG.
2 (and its various alternatives) may be embodied in hardware or
software including a non-transitory computer-readable storage
medium (e.g., an optical disc or memory card) having instructions
executable by a processor of a computing device. A user may launch
or activate the method of FIG. 2 by opening or activating an
application in a computing device such as a mobile device.
[0028] At step 210, crowd sourced data is received at application
server 160 from a computing device associated with a user. A user
may authorize the collection of crowd sourced data via a mobile
based computing device 120 or one that otherwise generates location
based data (e.g., GPS, base station identification, triangulation
data, etc.). Computing device 120 may receive user authorization
and transmit collected crowd sourced data to application server 160
for processing by way of a user 110 offering certain permissions on
the device 120.
[0029] Crowd sourced data may be an indicator of traffic conditions
when it includes traffic data about a non-sensored thoroughfare or
roadway that is not available by another means. Crowd sourced data
may include data collected by active means as well as passive
means. Passive crowd sourced data may include, for example,
non-personally identifiable data such as location information,
geographic coordinate data (e.g., latitude/longitude), timestamp
data, heading information, and floating car data, which is
sometimes referred to as floating cellular data. Location may be
determined by any positioning technology known in the art such as
global navigation satellite systems (e.g., GPS or GNSS), real-time
locating systems, or local positioning systems. Floating car data
may include speed data, direction of travel information, time
information, or other information received from a computing device
(e.g., mobile phone). Information may also include electronic toll
collection data and number plate recognition information.
[0030] Active data may include data actively provided by a user
such as incident data concerning a traffic event or delay. A user
may transmit traffic information (i.e., incident report/incident
data) to application server 160. An incident report/incident data
may include location information, time of occurrence, end time, or
highway and milepost information for any type of incident such as
an accident, road hazard, road work, street or highway closure, or
any other condition potentially affecting traffic. An incident may
be planned (e.g., road work) or unplanned. Unplanned incidents may
include crashes with or without injuries, overturned vehicles,
disabled vehicles, or roadway obstructions (e.g., by pedestrians,
animals, debris).
[0031] Traffic data from information sources 130 may also be
received at application server 160. Traffic data from information
sources may come from public agencies (e.g., U.S. Department of
Transportation, local police departments) or private entities
(e.g., Inrix, TrafficCast, Clear Channel). Traffic data may include
incident data, speed information, flow information, or information
from traffic cameras or videos. Speed and flow information may be
obtained from various kinds of detector equipment along highways or
roadways such as loop detectors and other magnetic sensors, radar
detectors, toll tag readers, Bluetooth traffic monitoring devices,
or video vehicle detectors. Data from traffic cameras and video
cameras may be obtained from roadside cameras, in-vehicle cameras,
or the like, and may capture live videos, snapshots, and images of
actual driving conditions. In addition to providing a glimpse of
real-time traffic conditions, these cameras may also show the
effects of weather on traffic.
[0032] At step 220, the received crowd sourced data is verified for
timeliness to optimize latency and ensure the relevance of the
data. To obtain the most accurate and complete depiction of actual
traffic conditions, the most recent, up-to-date crowd sourced data
is desired. For example, crowd sourced data that is 4 hours old may
no longer affect traffic and be irrelevant. Application server 160
may process the crowd sourced data and share the crowd sourced data
with other users in the network. The received crowd sourced data
may include location information and speed information. Location
data may be collected from computing device 120 and application
server 160 may determine a sampling interval t.sub.s and a
transmission interval t.sub.t associated with each piece of crowd
source data. t.sub.s is the time between samples while t.sub.t is
the time between transmission of the samples. The sampling and
transmission intervals t.sub.s and t.sub.t may be set ahead of
time, or may vary based on the time of day, the observed speed of
the computing device 120 over a recent time interval, or the
available battery life of the computing device 120 to avoid
inadvertently over utilizing low battery power. Alternately, the
application server 160 may send instructions to the computing
device 120 to alter t.sub.s and t.sub.t depending upon various
needs. Adjusting t.sub.s and t.sub.t allows a trade-off between the
quality of the resulting data (frequency, timeliness) and the
resources expanded in terms of battery usage to collect more
frequent samples on the computing device 120, and the transmission
costs involved in transmitting information at more frequent
intervals.
[0033] The horizontal accuracy of the position information may also
be transmitted together with the location coordinates. If the
horizontal accuracy is not readily available, it may be substituted
with a default value. The position and its accuracy may then be
compared with proximate road segments to determine which road
segment the computing device 120 is most likely to be traveling on.
If the heading or the most recent position information is
available, the direction of travel may be compared with the
direction of road segments. Recent positions of the computing
device 120 are likely to be situated on the same or adjoining road
segments, and presumably in the same direction of travel. Such
reasonable tests may be used to determine if particular positions
represent erroneous data and need to be filtered out.
[0034] Compared to other sourced of data (e.g., traffic data from
public and/or private entities), crowd sourced data (e.g., GPS
location and speed data) may have the lowest latency since the
maximum latency is bounded by t.sub.t-t.sub.s and there are no
intermediaries between the computing device 120 and application
server 160.
[0035] At step 230, application server 160 generates a traffic
report based on the crowd sourced data. In one embodiment
application server 160 generates the traffic report based on
traffic data received from information sources 130 in addition to
crowd source data. The traffic data from the information sources
130 may include real-time speed data, flow information, forecasted
or historical data, or other pertinent traffic information for a
travel route specified by user 110, such as a frequently traveled
route or current route. Besides traffic data and crowd sourced
data, a generated traffic report may also be based on other
relevant information such as weather information or forecasts, or
newsworthy events such as concerts, sporting events, street
closures, or protests.
[0036] A generated traffic report may include point-to-point trip
times, trip time predictions for a travel route, and recommended
departure times for various times and days of the week. Application
server 160 may calculate point-to-point trip times based on
starting and end points provided by user 110. When calculating
point-to-point trip times, a starting point may be the real-time
location of computing device 120. Application server 160 may also
calculate or predict trip times for a particular travel route based
on crowd sourced data, traffic data from information sources 130,
or combinations of the same.
[0037] Based on traffic information received from various sources
(e.g., crowd sourced data and/or traffic data) application server
160 may further calculate and recommend a departure time for timely
traversing a route when user 110 has indicated a desired arrival
time. Application server 160 may also calculate and recommend
departure times for different days or times of the week based on
historical or forecasted traffic information received from
information sources 130.
[0038] At step 240, application server 160 displays the traffic
report on computing device 120. A generated traffic report that is
displayed at step 240 may convey a variety of traffic information
in different forms or formats. A traffic report may be textual or
graphical or include combinations of the same. A traffic report,
for example, may be generated and displayed in the form of a map of
particular area and may include textual and/or graphical
information about traffic conditions, incidents, or hazards along a
travel route. A traffic report may also be generated and displayed
in a textual/list format showing, for example, frequently traveled
routes, the predicted travel time or recommended departure time for
each route, and any notable traffic conditions or incidents
affecting the route. Travel times or departure times for a
particular route may be also be displayed in graphical form with
time of day on the x-axis plotted against travel time in minutes on
the y-axis. User 110 may use the various information presented in
the traffic report to make an informed decision about which travel
route to take and/or the best departure time to reach a
destination. The report may be three-dimensional, include areas for
advertising, or be subject to multiple points of view that can be
rotated through touch screen controls or multi-finger touch/pinch
control.
[0039] Application server 160 may also generate a traffic alert.
Where user 110 has indicated a preference to receive a traffic
alert for a particular travel route or geographical location,
application server may generate a traffic alert based on received
crowd sourced data and/or traffic data received from information
sources 130. Application server 160 may transmit a traffic alert
(e.g., via Short message service (SMS) message, e-mail message, or
the like) to computing device 120.
[0040] FIG. 3 illustrates a computing system 300 that may be used
to implement the present technology. System 300 of FIG. 3 may be
used to implement computing device 120, network server 150,
application server 160, and database 170 in the context of the
system of FIG. 1. The computing system 300 of FIG. 3 includes one
or more processors 310 and memory 320. Main memory 320 stores, in
part, instructions and data for execution by processor 310. Main
memory 320 can store the executable code when in operation. Main
memory 320 may also include a database such as database 170
illustrated in FIG. 1. The system 300 of FIG. 3 further includes a
mass storage device 330, portable storage medium drive(s) 340,
output devices 350, user input devices 360, a graphics display 370,
and peripheral devices 380.
[0041] The components shown in FIG. 3 are depicted as being
connected via a single bus 390. The components, however, may be
connected through one or more data transport means. For example,
processor unit 310 and main memory 320 may be connected via a local
microprocessor bus, and the mass storage device 330, peripheral
device(s) 380, portable storage device 340, and display system 370
may be connected via one or more input/output (I/O) buses.
[0042] Mass storage device 330, which may be implemented with a
magnetic disk drive or an optical disk drive, is a non-volatile
storage device for storing data and instructions for use by
processor unit 310. Mass storage device 330 may store the system
software for implementing embodiments of the present invention for
purposes of loading software into main memory 320.
[0043] Portable storage device 340 operates in conjunction with a
portable nonvolatile storage medium, such as a floppy disk, compact
disk or Digital video disc, to input and output data and code to
and from the computer system 300 of FIG. 3. The system software for
implementing embodiments of the present invention may be stored on
such a portable medium and input to the computer system 300 via the
portable storage device 340.
[0044] Input devices 360 provide a portion of a user interface.
Input devices 360 may include an alpha-numeric keypad, such as a
keyboard, for inputting alpha-numeric and other information, or a
pointing device, such as a mouse, a trackball, stylus, or cursor
direction keys. Additionally, the system 300 as shown in FIG. 3
includes output devices 350. Examples of suitable output devices
include speakers, printers, network interfaces, and monitors.
[0045] Display system 370 may include a liquid crystal display
(LCD) or other suitable display device. Display system 370 may
receive textual and graphical information, and process the
information for output to the display device.
[0046] Peripherals 380 may include any type of computer support
device to add additional functionality to the computer system. For
example, peripheral device(s) 380 may include a modem or a
router.
[0047] The components contained in the computing system 300 of FIG.
3 are those typically found in computer systems that may be
suitable for use with embodiments of the present invention and are
intended to represent a broad category of such computer components
that are well known in the art. Thus, the computing system 300 of
FIG. 3 may be a personal computer, hand held computing device,
telephone, mobile computing device, workstation, server,
minicomputer, mainframe computer, or any other computing device.
The computer may also include different bus configurations,
networked platforms, multi-processor platforms, etc. Various
operating systems may be used including Unix, Linux, Windows
Mobile, iOS, or Android. The steps of the method of FIG. 2 (and its
various alternatives) may be performed by a module or engine stored
on a computer readable storage medium (e.g., optical disc, memory
card, etc.) comprising instructions executable by a processor of a
computing device.
[0048] The above description is illustrative and not restrictive.
Many variations of the invention will become apparent to those of
skill in the art upon review of this disclosure. While the present
invention has been described in connection with a variety of
embodiments, these descriptions are not intended to limit the scope
of the invention to the particular forms set forth herein. To the
contrary, the present descriptions are intended to cover
alternatives, modifications, and equivalents as may be included
within the spirit and scope of the invention as defined by the
appended claims and otherwise appreciated by one of ordinary skill
in the art.
* * * * *