U.S. patent application number 15/353458 was filed with the patent office on 2017-06-08 for methods and system for controlling the use of firearms.
The applicant listed for this patent is David Goren, James Peterson. Invention is credited to David Goren, James Peterson.
Application Number | 20170160030 15/353458 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 50973055 |
Filed Date | 2017-06-08 |
United States Patent
Application |
20170160030 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Goren; David ; et
al. |
June 8, 2017 |
METHODS AND SYSTEM FOR CONTROLLING THE USE OF FIREARMS
Abstract
According to certain aspects, a system for controlling use of
firearms can include a circuitry coupled to a firearm and in
communication with a Global Positioning System (GPS) unit. The
circuitry may be configured to: determine, using the GPS unit,
coordinates of a current location of the firearm; transmit the
coordinates of the current location of the firearm to a remote
server, wherein the remote server comprises a database including a
plurality of coordinates associated with a plurality of locations
at which the firearm should be enabled or disabled; receive from
the remote server information relating to whether the firearm
should be disabled at the coordinates of the current location of
the firearm; and in response to determining that the firearm should
be disabled based on the information from the remote server,
initiate disabling of the firearm.
Inventors: |
Goren; David; (Irvine,
CA) ; Peterson; James; (San Juan Capistrano,
CA) |
|
Applicant: |
Name |
City |
State |
Country |
Type |
Goren; David
Peterson; James |
Irvine
San Juan Capistrano |
CA
CA |
US
US |
|
|
Family ID: |
50973055 |
Appl. No.: |
15/353458 |
Filed: |
November 16, 2016 |
Related U.S. Patent Documents
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Application
Number |
Filing Date |
Patent Number |
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15226641 |
Aug 2, 2016 |
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15353458 |
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14664671 |
Mar 20, 2015 |
9435597 |
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15226641 |
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14180270 |
Feb 13, 2014 |
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14664671 |
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14134963 |
Dec 19, 2013 |
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14180270 |
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61745173 |
Dec 21, 2012 |
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Current U.S.
Class: |
1/1 |
Current CPC
Class: |
F41A 17/066 20130101;
F41A 17/08 20130101; F41A 17/063 20130101; H04W 48/04 20130101 |
International
Class: |
F41A 17/06 20060101
F41A017/06; H04W 48/04 20060101 H04W048/04; F41A 17/08 20060101
F41A017/08 |
Claims
1. A system for controlling use of firearms, the system comprising:
location circuitry configured to determine a location of a firearm;
and communications circuitry configured to: communicate information
relating to the location of the firearm to a remote server, wherein
the remote server comprises information relating to one or more
locations at which the firearm should be disabled; determine
whether the location of the firearm is a location at which the
firearm should be disabled; and in response to determining that the
location of the firearm is a location at which the firearm should
be disabled, disable the firearm from operating.
Description
INCORPORATION BY REFERENCE TO ANY PRIORITY APPLICATIONS
[0001] Any and all applications for which a foreign or domestic
priority claim is identified in the Application Data Sheet, or any
correction thereto, are hereby incorporated by reference into this
application under 37 CFR 1.57.
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
[0002] This invention relates to methods and system for controlling
the use of firearms.
SUMMARY
[0003] According to some embodiments, a system for controlling use
of firearms comprises: location circuitry configured to determine a
location of a firearm; and communications circuitry configured to:
communicate information relating to the location of the firearm to
a remote server, wherein the remote server comprises information
relating to one or more locations at which the firearm should be
disabled; determine whether the location of the firearm is a
location at which the firearm should be disabled; and in response
to determining that the location of the firearm is a location at
which the firearm should be disabled, disable the firearm from
operating.
[0004] According to certain embodiments, a method of controlling
use of firearms comprises: determining a location of a firearm
using location circuitry; communicating information relating to the
location of the firearm to a remote server, using communications
circuitry, wherein the remote server comprises information relating
to one or more locations at which the firearm should be disabled;
determining, using the communications circuitry, whether the
location of the firearm is a location at which the firearm should
be disabled; and in response to determining that the location of
the firearm is a location at which the firearm should be disabled,
disabling the firearm from operating.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0005] FIG. 1 illustrates a system for controlling the use of
firearms based on location of a firearm.
[0006] FIGS. 2A and 2B illustrate different embodiments of a
firearm that includes a system for controlling the use of
firearms.
[0007] FIG. 3 illustrates a flowchart of a routine for controlling
the use of a firearm, according to certain embodiments.
[0008] FIG. 4 illustrates a diagram of an electronic fence for
controlling the use of a firearm, according to certain
embodiments.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION
[0009] The disclosure provided in the following pages describes
examples of some embodiments of the invention. The designs,
figures, and description are non-limiting examples of some
embodiments of the invention. Other embodiments of the system may
or may not include the features disclosed herein. Moreover,
disclosed advantages and benefits may apply to only some
embodiments of the invention, and should not be used to limit the
scope of the invention.
[0010] Many gun-related deaths occur because of non-owner use of
the guns including use of stolen weapons and improper or accidental
use by family members. For example, firearms in homes are
significantly more likely to kill a family member than an intruder.
Furthermore, many handguns and hunting rifles are often left
unlocked in homes. Thus there is clearly a need for firearms which
can only be armed for use by authorized users.
[0011] Several attempts have been made over the years to provide
weapons which can be disarmed, such that they cannot function in
the hands of unauthorized users, by the addition of locking/keying
technology, but these have generally not proved successful.
Firearms with such systems are typically more heavy and bulky, less
reliable, and more expensive. Furthermore, the inconvenience of
arming and disarming such guns tends to discourage regular use of
the disarming system.
[0012] In one embodiment of the invention, a firearm comprises at
least one or the following two forms of electronic identification:
1) location circuitry that determines the location of the firearm,
and 2) communications circuitry that communicates location
information and any other preselected information associated with
the firearm with one or more remote servers.
[0013] In other embodiments, both forms of electronic
identification are used. As a result, in one embodiment, the
invention has two redundant systems, that can be used separately,
or in combination, to control the operation of the firearm.
The Location Circuitry
[0014] The location circuitry and/or the communications circuitry,
in one embodiment, communicate with the arming or trigger operation
of the firearm and have the ability to disable the same. In another
embodiment, the location circuitry and/or communication circuitry
communicate with the loading mechanism or magazine of a firearm and
have the ability to disable the same.
[0015] Based on preselected conditions, the firearm can be disabled
remotely as it gets close to preselected locations including public
places such as malls, schools etc. The firearm can also be disabled
remotely if lost or stolen or for any other reason.
[0016] In one embodiment, the location circuitry comprises a Global
Positioning System (GPS) unit with internal memory. The internal
memory identifies locations where the firearm may be used, or
alternatively where the firearm may not be used. Accordingly, the
location circuitry can be used to create an electronic fence around
particular locations such as public locations or areas where
hunting and shooting should not occur.
[0017] In other embodiments, location information is obtained by
triangulation from multiple cell towers or Wi-Fi routers. This
approach may be used separately, or combined with the GPS data. In
other embodiments, the location of the mobile device is determined
by local wireless networks such as radio frequency identification
detectors, Bluetooth emitters, proximity detectors, infrared
detectors, movement detectors, and the like.
The Communications Circuitry
[0018] Focusing now on the communications circuitry, with the
communication circuitry, the location of the firearm can be
monitored remotely with a remote server. The remote server
comprises memory that identifies locations where the firearm may be
used, or alternatively where the firearm may not be used.
Accordingly, the communication circuitry can also be used to create
an electronic fence that disables the firearm and/or sends alarming
or other data signals to police or other preselected responders
around particular locations such as public locations or areas where
hunting and shooting should not occur.
[0019] Furthermore, the remote server can be quickly updated to
address new situations and thus, disable the firearm as desired.
For example, the remote server can disable the firearm in the event
the firearm is reported as lost or stolen.
[0020] In yet another embodiment, the communications circuitry can
notify the remote server when the firearm has moved outside a
desired area. Alternatively, the remote server can obtain the
location of the firearm from the communications circuitry and
determine when the firearm has moved outside a desired area. In
response, the remote server and/or the communications circuitry
disable the use of the firearm and send a notification to the
proper authorities regarding the location of the firearm.
[0021] For example, assume that a firearm used at a training
facility, is moved outside the training facility area. In response,
the communications circuitry and/or remote server can disable the
firearm and/or generate a notification to the training facility
personnel, or other authorities, that the firearm has been removed
from the training facility area. In particular, in one version, the
system defines a distance boundary around the training facility.
When the firearm is taken beyond the distance boundary, the
communications circuitry and/or remote server can disable the
firearm and/or generate the notification.
[0022] In another example, assume that a firearm located at a home
is taken outside the home without authorization. In response, the
communications circuitry and/or remote server disable the firearm
and notify the owner, or other authorities, that the firearm has
been removed from the home.
[0023] In still another embodiment, the communications circuitry
can communicate with the remote server when the firearm has entered
into an undesired area. Alternatively, the remote server can obtain
the location of the firearm from the communications circuitry and
determine when the firearm has moved within the undesired area. In
response, the firearm is disabled and/or the owner, authorized
user, or other authorities, are notified about the location of the
firearm.
[0024] For example, assume that a firearm has been taken to a
public location. In response, the communications circuitry and/or
remote server disable the firearm and/or notify the owner, or other
authorities, that the firearm is located at the public location. In
one version, the system defines an outside perimeter around the
public location, when the firearm crosses the outside perimeter,
the communications circuitry and/or remote server disable the
firearm and/or notify the owner, or other authorities, that the
firearm is located near the public location
Biometric Identification System
[0025] Moreover, each firearm can have a biometric identification
system such as a fingerprint identifier, palm-print identifier,
retinal identification, or the like. The biometric identification
system is connected to the trigger or loading mechanism of the
firearm and will disable it unless its registered owner or
authorized registered user is identified prior to each use or at
any pre-selected intervals such as time intervals or number of
shots.
Bluetooth Pairing
[0026] In yet another embodiment, the firearm is paired with a
Bluetooth or similar device associated with the firearm's
registered owner or user, including a chip implanted in the body of
the authorized user of the firearm. Such pairing can control the
firearm according to pre-selected conditions. For example, when the
firearm loses contact with the paired Bluetooth emitter, the
firearm is disabled. For example, if the signal strength of the
Bluetooth emitter drops below a desired threshold, the firearm is
disabled.
[0027] In another embodiment, remotely located emitters, send a
coded message to the communications circuitry on the firearm, that
when received by the firearm, controls the use of the firearm. For
example, in instances remote emitters can be placed in public
locations that disable the use of the firearm by transmitting a
message to the communications circuitry in the firearm.
Ammunitions
[0028] In yet another embodiment, the above-described concepts
including the Bluetooth pairing, location circuitry and/or
communications circuitry can be embedded within the ammunitions of
a firearm to disable the triggering of the ammunitions. For
example, the location circuitry and/or communications circuitry can
be embedded within the chamber of a bullet to inhibit or enable the
use of the bullet.
Exemplary System for Implementing Firearm Control
[0029] FIG. 1 illustrates a system 100 for controlling the use of
firearms based on location of a firearm. As explained above, the
system 100 can be a part of a firearm. The system 100 may include
location circuitry 110 and/or communications circuitry 120.
Depending on the embodiment, the location circuitry 110 and the
communications circuitry 120 may be the same, or may be a part of
the same circuit. For example, a circuit can perform the functions
of both the location circuitry 110 and the communications circuitry
120. Depending on the embodiment, the system 100 may include
additional, fewer, and/or different components.
[0030] The location circuitry 110 can be configured to determine
the location of the firearm associated with the system 100. For
example, the location circuitry 110 can detect the location of the
firearm using Global Positioning System (GPS) technology, Local
Positioning System (LPS) technology, cellular technology, Wi-Fi
technology, etc. In some embodiments, the location circuitry 110
includes a GPS unit 130. The GPS unit 130 can detect the location
of the firearm. The location can include geographic coordinates
(e.g., latitude, longitude, elevation, etc.). The GPS unit 130 may
include memory 135. The memory 135 may store information relating
to locations or areas where the firearm is allowed to operate
and/or not allowed to operate.
[0031] The communications circuitry 120 can be configured to
communicate location information and other information associated
with a firearm. The system 100 may communicate with one or more
remote servers 150. For example, the system 100 may communicate the
location information and other information associated with a
firearm to a remote server 150. The remote server 150 may be
configured to communicate with the system 100 of a firearm. The
remote server 150 can receive location information from the system
100 and determine whether the firearm associated with the system
100 is in an unauthorized location or area. The remote server 150
can also determine whether the firearm is in an authorized location
or area.
[0032] The remote server 150 can include a location database 155.
The location database 155 can include information relating to
locations where firearms are not authorized and/or locations where
firearms are authorized. For instance, use of firearms may be
prohibited near schools, public buildings, airports, government
buildings, etc. In some cases, use of firearms may be allowed in a
specific location or area, such as a shooting range. The
information in the location database 155 may be updated as
appropriate (e.g., periodically). The location may be defined as a
geographical area. In one embodiment, the geographical area is
defined as a perimeter or a radius around a specific building(s).
The geographical area may be defined by one or more geographic
coordinates.
[0033] The remote server 150 may determine whether to disable a
particular firearm based on the location information of the
firearm. For example, the remote server 150 can compare the
location transmitted by the system 100 to the location information
in the location database 155 to determine if the location is an
unauthorized location or within an unauthorized area. If the
location is an unauthorized location or area, such as a school, the
remote server 150 can generate a command to disable the firearm
associated with the system 100. Upon receiving the disable command
from the remote server 150, the system 100 can disable the firearm
from operating. For example, the communications circuitry 120 can
receive the disable command and trigger the disabling of the
firearm.
[0034] In some embodiments, the system 100 may receive unauthorized
and/or authorized location information from the remote server 150
and store the information. For example, the memory 135 of the GPS
unit 130 can store the location information received from the
remote server 150. The system 100 may determine whether the
location of the firearm detected by the GPS unit 130 is within any
unauthorized and/or authorized location or area as defined by the
location information stored in the memory 135. In one embodiment,
the system 100 may store location information relating to a
surrounding area of the current location of the firearm. The system
100 can receive updated location information from the remote server
150 (e.g., periodically).
[0035] Various mechanisms and/or methods may be used to disable the
firearm. For example, the firearm can be disabled by disabling the
hammer and/or the rebound slider of the firearm. In some
embodiments, firearm disabling mechanism as described in U.S. Pat.
No. 6,463,689, filed Mar. 15, 2002, entitled "GUN DISABLING
MECHANISM," which is incorporated by reference herein in its
entirety, can be used to disable the firearm. The communications
circuitry 120 can be configured to actuate the disabling of the
firearm, or may trigger another component in the system 100 to
disable the firearm. In one example, a component that can
mechanically disable the firearm may be connected to the
communications circuitry 120, and the communications circuitry 120
can control the component based on the determination of whether to
disable the firearm or not.
[0036] In addition to or prior to disabling the firearm, the system
100 may send a notification to one or more relevant persons or
organizations. For example, the system 100 can send a notification
that the firearm is in an unauthorized area to the owner of the
firearm and/or to law enforcement agencies.
[0037] FIGS. 2A and 2B illustrate different embodiments of a
firearm 250 that includes a system 200 for controlling the use of
firearms. FIG. 2A illustrates an embodiment of a firearm 250a in
which the system 200 for controlling the use of the firearm 250a is
included within the firearm 250a. FIG. 2B illustrates another
embodiment of a firearm 250b in which the system 200 for
controlling the use of the firearm 250b is outside the firearm
250b. The system 200 in FIGS. 2A and 2B can be similar to the
system 100 in FIG. 1.
[0038] In the example of FIG. 2A, the system 200 is included or
embedded within the firearm 250a. For example, the system 200 is
included as a component of the firearm 250a at the time of
manufacture. In the example of FIG. 2B, the system 200 can be
installed onto or into a firearm 250b. For example, the system 200
can be installed on a firearm that does not have an internal system
200, such that firearms manufactured without a system 200 can also
be tracked and disabled as appropriate. The system 200 can be
securely installed so that it cannot be removed by the person using
the firearm 250b.
[0039] FIG. 3 illustrates a flowchart of a routine 300 for
controlling the use of a firearm, according to certain embodiments.
The routine 300 is described with respect to the system 100 of FIG.
1. However, one or more of the steps of the routine 300 may be
implemented by other systems, such as the system 200 described in
FIGS. 2A and 2B. The routine 300 can be implemented by any one of,
or a combination of, the components of the system 100 (e.g., the
location circuitry 110, communications circuitry 120, etc.).
Further details regarding certain aspects of at least some of steps
of the routine 300 are described in greater detail above, for
example, with reference to FIGS. 1, 2A, and 2B.
[0040] At block 301, the system 100 communicates information
relating to the location of a firearm. As explained above, the
system 100 can include location circuitry 110. In one embodiment,
the location circuitry 110 includes a Global Positioning System
(GPS) unit, and the GPS unit determines the location of the
firearm. For example, the GPS unit can detect the location of the
firearm by using signals or messages received from GPS satellites.
A GPS satellite may continuously transmit messages that include the
time the message was transmitted and the satellite position at the
time of message transmission. The GPS unit can calculate the
position of the firearm based on the information received from the
GPS satellites.
[0041] The system 100 can also include communications circuitry
120. The communications circuitry 120 can send the location
detected by the location circuitry 110 and any other information to
one or more remote servers 150. A remote server 150 can include
information relating to one or more locations at which the firearm
should be disabled. The one or more locations at which the firearm
should be disabled may be a geographical area in which the firearm
cannot be used. In some embodiments, the geographical area is a
perimeter around a building. The geographical area can have
different shapes depending on the characteristics of the area. In
certain embodiments, the location circuitry 110 and the
communications circuitry 120 are the same.
[0042] At block 302, the system 100 determines whether the firearm
should be disabled based on the location of the firearm. In some
embodiments, the remote server 150 may determine whether the
firearm is at an unauthorized location or in an unauthorized area.
For example, the remote server 150 can determine whether the
location of the firearm is a location at which the firearm should
be disabled based at least in part on the information relating to
one or more locations at which the firearm should be disabled.
After determining that the firearm is at a location at which it
should be disabled, the remote server 150 can generate a command to
disable the firearm and send it to the system 100. Then, the system
100 can disable the firearm from operating.
[0043] In certain embodiments, the system 100 receives information
relating to one or more locations at which the firearm should be
disabled from the remote server 150, and determines whether the
location of the firearm is a location at which the firearm should
be disabled based at least in part on the information relating to
one or more locations at which the firearm should be disabled.
[0044] At block 303, if the system 100 determines that the firearm
should be disabled, the system 100 disables firearm from operating.
As explained above, various disabling mechanisms can be used to
disable the firearm. The communications circuitry 120 or another
component in the system 100 can initiate the disabling of the
firearm. In response to determining that the location of the
firearm is a location at which the firearm should be disabled, the
system 100 can send a notification that the firearm is at a
location at which the firearm should be disabled, for example, to
the owner of the firearm. Once the firearm is no longer in an
unauthorized location or area, the firearm may be enabled to
operate.
[0045] In some instances, the system 100 may not be able to disable
the firearm properly, for example, if the battery power for the
system 100 runs out or connection to the remote server 150 is lost.
In such cases, the system 100 may automatically disable the firearm
in order to prevent the firearm from being used in an unauthorized
area.
[0046] The routine 300 can include fewer, more, or different blocks
than those illustrated in FIG. 3 without departing from the spirit
and scope of the description. Moreover, it will be appreciated by
those skilled in the art and others that some or all of the
functions described in this disclosure may be embodied in software
executed by one or more processors of the disclosed components
and/or mobile communication devices. The software may be
persistently stored in any type of non-volatile storage.
[0047] FIG. 4 illustrates a diagram of an electronic fence 470 for
controlling the use of a firearm 450, according to certain
embodiments. The system 400 can be similar to the system 100, 200
of FIGS. 1, 2A, and 2B. For example, the system 400 can include
location circuitry, communications circuitry, etc. Some of the
details relating to FIG. 4 are described in greater detail above,
for example, with reference to FIGS. 1, 2A, 2B, and 3.
[0048] The location information in the location database 155 of the
remote server 155 can define an electronic fence 470 in which
firearms may not be used. In the example of FIG. 4, the electronic
fence 470 is an area around a building 460, such as a school, mall,
etc. The electronic fence 470 may have a geometric shape (e.g.,
square, rectangular, circular, oval) or may be arbitrary or
irregular, etc. The shape of the electronic fence 470 can depend on
the characteristics of an unauthorized area. For example, the
boundary around a school may not fit into a geometric shape, but
may be defined by multiple geographic coordinates.
[0049] In the example of FIG. 4, the firearm 450 is initially at
location 451a at which the firearm is allowed to operate. The
firearm 450 includes a system 400 that controls the use of the
firearm 450. The electronic fence 470 has a square shape, and is
defined as a perimeter around a school building 460. The use of a
firearm 450 is not authorized within this area. The system 400
communicates its position to a remote server continuously (e.g., at
a predetermined interval). Then, the firearm moves to location
451b, which is within the electronic fence 470 around the school
460. The system 400 communicates its position at location 451b to
the remote server, and remote server detects that the firearm 450
is within the electronic fence 470 around the school 460. The
remote server can determine that the firearm 450 is within the
electronic fence 470 by referring to the information about
unauthorized areas in its database and checking whether any
unauthorized areas include the current position of the firearm
450.
[0050] Because the firearm 450 is at a location where it should not
be operable, the remote server sends a message or command that the
firearm 450 should be disabled. The system 400 receives the message
or command from the remote server and disables the firearm 450.
Once the firearm 450 moves outside the electronic fence 470 and is
not within another unauthorized area, the remote server may send a
message or command to the system 400 to enable the firearm 450. In
certain embodiments, the electronic fence 470 may define an area in
which firearms can be used, such as a shooting range, military
training facilities, etc. The firearm may be enabled in these
authorized areas and disabled at other times.
[0051] In this manner, firearms may be used more safely, and use in
unauthorized areas can be prevented. In addition, the information
relating to unauthorized areas can be updated as appropriate (e.g.,
in real-time, periodically, etc.) in response to any changes to
current information or to add information relating to any new
unauthorized areas.
CONCLUSION
[0052] The concepts disclosed herein are not limited to newly
manufactured firearms, but also can be applied to existing firearms
by retro-fitting existing firearms with the components described
above.
[0053] The various illustrative processes described herein may be
implemented as electronic hardware, computer software, or
combinations of both. To clearly illustrate this interchangeability
of hardware and software, various illustrative components, blocks,
modules, and states have been described above generally in terms of
their functionality. However, while the various modules are
illustrated separately, they may share some or all of the same
underlying logic or code. Certain of the logical blocks, modules,
and processes described herein may instead be implemented
monolithically.
[0054] The various processes described herein may be implemented or
performed by a machine, such as a computer, a processor, a digital
signal processor (DSP), an application specific integrated circuit
(ASIC), a field programmable gate array (FPGA) or other
programmable logic device, discrete gate or transistor logic,
discrete hardware components, or any combination thereof designed
to perform the functions described herein. A processor may be a
microprocessor, a controller, microcontroller, state machine,
combinations of the same, or the like. A processor may also be
implemented as a combination of computing devices, e.g., a
combination of a DSP and a microprocessor, a plurality of
microprocessors or processor cores, one or more graphics or stream
processors, one or more microprocessors in conjunction with a DSP,
or any other such configuration.
[0055] The processes described herein may be embodied directly in
hardware, in a software module executed by a processor, or in a
combination of the two. For example, each of the processes
described above may also be embodied in, and fully automated by,
software modules executed by one or more machines such as computers
or computer processors. A module may reside in a computer-readable
storage medium such as RAM memory, flash memory, ROM memory, EPROM
memory, EEPROM memory, registers, hard disk, a removable disk, a
CD-ROM, memory capable of storing firmware, or any other form of
computer-readable storage medium known in the art. An exemplary
computer-readable storage medium can be coupled to a processor such
that the processor can read information from, and write information
to, the computer-readable storage medium. In the alternative, the
computer-readable storage medium may be integral to the processor.
The processor and the computer-readable storage medium may reside
in an ASIC.
[0056] Depending on the embodiment, certain acts, events, or
functions of any of the processes or algorithms described herein
can be performed in a different sequence, may be added, merged, or
left out all together. Thus, in certain embodiments, not all
described acts or events are necessary for the practice of the
processes. Moreover, in certain embodiments, acts or events may be
performed concurrently, e.g., through multi-threaded processing,
interrupt processing, or via multiple processors or processor
cores, rather than sequentially.
[0057] Conditional language used herein, such as, among others,
"can," "could," "might," "may," "e.g.," and from the like, unless
specifically stated otherwise, or otherwise understood within the
context as used, is generally intended to convey that certain
embodiments include, while other embodiments do not include,
certain features, elements and/or states. Thus, such conditional
language is not generally intended to imply that features, elements
and/or states are in any way required for one or more embodiments
or that one or more embodiments necessarily include logic for
deciding, with or without author input or prompting, whether these
features, elements and/or states are included or are to be
performed in any particular embodiment.
[0058] While the above detailed description has shown, described,
and pointed out novel features as applied to various embodiments,
it will be understood that various omissions, substitutions, and
changes in the form and details of the logical blocks, modules, and
processes illustrated may be made without departing from the spirit
of the disclosure. As will be recognized, certain embodiments of
the inventions described herein may be embodied within a form that
does not provide all of the features and benefits set forth herein,
as some features may be used or practiced separately from
others.
* * * * *