U.S. patent application number 15/685200 was filed with the patent office on 2017-12-07 for user interface controlled by environmental cues.
The applicant listed for this patent is CORE WIRELESS LICENSING S.A.R.L. Invention is credited to Martin BUECKER, Edmund COERSMEIER, Marc HOFFMANN, Maxim LOBKO.
Application Number | 20170351411 15/685200 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 40538534 |
Filed Date | 2017-12-07 |
United States Patent
Application |
20170351411 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
BUECKER; Martin ; et
al. |
December 7, 2017 |
USER INTERFACE CONTROLLED BY ENVIRONMENTAL CUES
Abstract
A method comprises receiving a signal containing an
environmental cue; correlating the environmental cue to a user
interface control element; and generating a user interface control
command based on the environmental cue. A device may be controlled
by receiving a visual image, processing the image to identify a
visual cue, correlating the visual cue with a user interface
control, and controlling the device using the user interface
control. The visual image may be received from a camera that is
part of an automobile, and the user interface control may include a
control for a radio to tune to a radio station; a speed control for
controlling a speed of the automobile corresponding to a speed sign
visual cue; or a navigation system control for controlling a
navigation system based on traffic signs. Other variations include
an apparatus and computer-readable media including instructions for
performing the methods.
Inventors: |
BUECKER; Martin; (The Hague,
NL) ; LOBKO; Maxim; (Cologne, DE) ; HOFFMANN;
Marc; (Dinslaken, DE) ; COERSMEIER; Edmund;
(Bochum, DE) |
|
Applicant: |
Name |
City |
State |
Country |
Type |
CORE WIRELESS LICENSING S.A.R.L |
Luxembourg |
|
LU |
|
|
Family ID: |
40538534 |
Appl. No.: |
15/685200 |
Filed: |
August 24, 2017 |
Related U.S. Patent Documents
|
|
|
|
|
|
Application
Number |
Filing Date |
Patent Number |
|
|
14733910 |
Jun 8, 2015 |
9766792 |
|
|
15685200 |
|
|
|
|
13750894 |
Jan 25, 2013 |
|
|
|
14733910 |
|
|
|
|
11965136 |
Dec 27, 2007 |
8370755 |
|
|
13750894 |
|
|
|
|
Current U.S.
Class: |
1/1 |
Current CPC
Class: |
G01C 21/36 20130101;
G08G 1/096716 20130101; G08G 1/096725 20130101; G06F 3/04845
20130101; G08G 1/096783 20130101; G06F 3/04842 20130101; G08G
1/096758 20130101 |
International
Class: |
G06F 3/0484 20130101
G06F003/0484; G01C 21/36 20060101 G01C021/36; G08G 1/0967 20060101
G08G001/0967 |
Claims
1. A method comprising: activating a cue database for a geographic
region; capturing a visual image of a traffic sign by a camera;
receiving a user input for selecting the visual image for
correlation; in response to the user input for selecting the visual
image, correlating, by a processor, the visual image to one or more
cues of the activated cue database to control at least one of a
radio device, a telephone device, a web browser device, a speed
control device, and a navigation device; and performing a
corresponding command, said command comprising at least one of: a
speed control command for the speed control device when the visual
image correlates to a speed limit sign, a detour command for the
navigation device when the visual image correlates to a traffic
alert, a dial command for the telephone device when the visual
image correlates to a telephone number; and an update map command
for said navigation device when said visual image correlates to a
new traffic sign.
2. The method of claim 1, further comprising causing the navigation
device to enter a detour mode to plan an alternate route in
response to selection of the detour command.
3. The method of claim 1, wherein the options further comprise a
web page loading command for the web browser device when the visual
image correlates to a website address.
4. The method of claim 1, wherein the options further comprise an
update map command for the navigation device when the visual image
correlates to traffic routing sign.
5. The method of claim 1, wherein correlating comprises receiving
user input regarding a user-selected portion of the visual image
corresponding to the received signal.
6. The method of claim 5, wherein correlating further comprises
narrowing the correlation to the user-selected portion of the
visual image.
7. The method of claim 1, wherein correlating comprises matching a
visual cue within the captured image to one of a plurality of
potentially matching visual cues stored in a database.
8. An apparatus comprising: a display configured to display a user
interface; a user interface for receiving user inputs; a camera
configured to capture a visual image of a traffic sign; and a
processor configured to: activate a cue database for a geographic
region, receive a user input via the user interface for selecting
the visual image for correlation, in response to the user input for
selecting the visual image, correlate the visual image to one or
more cues of the activated cue database to control at least one of
a radio device, a telephone device, a web browser device, a speed
control device, and a navigation device, and perform a
corresponding command, said command comprising at least one of: a
speed control command for the speed control device when the visual
image correlates to a speed limit sign, a detour command for the
navigation device when the visual image correlates to a traffic
alert, a dial command for the telephone device when the visual
image correlates to a telephone number, and an update map command
for said navigation device when said visual image correlates to a
new traffic sign.
9. The apparatus of claim 8, wherein the processor is further
configured to cause the navigation device to enter a detour mode to
plan an alternate route in response to selection of the detour
command.
10. The apparatus of claim 9, wherein the options further comprise
a web page loading command for the web browser device when the
visual image correlates to a website address.
11. The apparatus of claim 9, the options further comprise an
update map command for the navigation device when the visual image
correlates to traffic routing sign.
12. The apparatus of claim 9, further comprising a database
configured to store visual cue patterns, wherein the processor is
further configured to match a visual cue within the captured image
to one of a plurality of potentially matching visual cues stored in
the database.
13. The apparatus of claim 12, wherein the visual cues are
organized by geographic region.
14. A non-transitory computer-readable medium storing executable
instructions configured to, when executed, cause a processor to:
activate a cue database for a geographic region; receive a visual
image of a traffic sign by a camera; receive a user input via the
user interface for selecting the visual image for correlation; in
response to the user input for selecting the visual image,
correlate the visual image to one or more cues of the activated cue
database to control at least one of a radio device, a telephone
device, a web browser device, a speed control device, and a
navigation device; and perform a corresponding command, said
command comprising at least one of: a speed control command for the
speed control device when the visual image correlates to a speed
limit sign, a detour command for the navigation device when the
visual image correlates to a traffic alert, a dial command for the
telephone device when the visual image correlates to a telephone
number; and an update map command for said navigation device when
said visual image correlates to a new traffic sign.
15. The computer-readable medium of claim 14, wherein the
executable instructions configured to, when executed, cause a
processor to cause the navigation device to enter a detour mode to
plan an alternate route in response to selection of the detour
command.
16. The computer-readable medium of claim 15, wherein the options
further comprise a web page loading command for the web browser
device when the visual image correlates to a website address.
17. The computer-readable medium of claim 15, wherein the options
further comprise an update map command for the navigation device
when the visual image correlates to traffic routing sign.
18. The computer-readable medium of claim 15, wherein the options
further comprise an update map command for the navigation device
when the visual image correlates to traffic routing sign.
19. The computer-readable medium of claim 15, wherein the
executable instructions configured to, when executed, cause a
processor to match visual cue within a received image to one of a
plurality of potentially matching visual cues stored in a database.
Description
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED PATENT APPLICATIONS
[0001] This application is a Continuation of U.S. patent
application Ser. No. 14/733,910, filed on Jun. 8, 2015, which is a
Continuation of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 13/750,894, filed
on Jan. 25, 2013, which is a Continuation of U.S. patent
application Ser. No. 11/965,136, entitled "USER INTERFACE
CONTROLLED BY ENVIRONMENTAL CUES", filed Dec. 27, 2007, now issued
as U.S. Pat. No. 8,370,755 on Feb. 5, 2013, which are hereby
incorporated by reference.
BACKGROUND
[0002] The technology relates generally to user interfaces that
control devices, such as radios, automobiles, navigation systems,
and other types of devices.
[0003] User interfaces for controlling equipment, such as a car
radio, are well known. Such interfaces may comprise various knobs,
switches, and on-screen icons and buttons that control the
selection of radio volume, station, and audio enhancements. The
user typically makes selections by pressing the buttons, knobs, or
icons on a touch-screen display. A user interface for controlling
the speed of an automobile may include one or more switches or
levers that are pressed to activate cruise control or to accelerate
to a higher speed. A user interface for controlling a navigation
system may include various icons and on-screen selectors for
selecting a destination, re-routing to avoid a traffic condition,
or requesting more information about a particular point of
interest. A user interface on a mobile device such as a mobile
phone may include a touch-screen display allowing numerals to be
selected and buttons for initiating and terminating a telephone
call.
[0004] It would be desirable to permit control of a user interface
on the basis of environmental cues, such as visual cues like a
traffic sign or information sign.
SUMMARY
[0005] This summary is not intended to identify any critical or key
elements of the invention, but instead merely presents certain
introductory concepts so that the full scope of the invention may
be appreciated upon reading the full specification, of which this
summary is a part.
[0006] One embodiment relates to a method comprising steps of
receiving a signal containing an environmental cue; correlating the
environmental cue to a user interface control element; and
generating a user interface control command based on the
environmental cue. An apparatus and computer-readable medium
comprising executable instructions suitable for carrying out the
method are also included.
[0007] One embodiment relates to a method for controlling a device
by receiving a visual image, processing the image to identify a
visual cue within the image, correlating the visual cue with a user
interface control, and controlling a device using the user
interface control. The visual image may be received from a camera
that is part of an automobile, and the user interface control may
include a control for a radio to tune to a radio station
corresponding to a radio station visual cue; a speed control for
controlling a speed of the automobile corresponding to a speed sign
visual cue; or a navigation system control for controlling a
navigation system based on traffic signs or other indicia in the
image. In some embodiments, an object recognition algorithm
identifies one or more visual cues from the image. In other
embodiments, a user may select or highlight a visual cue from
within the image in order to prompt the user interface. In certain
embodiments, visual cues in an image may be matched to those stored
in a database, wherein the visual cues are categorized according to
country or region, each such country or region associated with
different visual cues corresponding to a particular user interface
command.
[0008] In yet other embodiments, instead of a visual image, an
electromagnetic signal such as a radio signal may be received to
provide an environmental cue, such as a radio signal that indicates
a traffic condition or a radio station advertisement.
[0009] Another embodiment relates to an apparatus including a
camera configured to receive a visual image, a processor configured
to receive the visual image and to identify one or more visual cues
in the visual image, and a user interface control configured to
generate one or more commands for controlling equipment. In some
embodiments, an image processing algorithm processes the image in
order to identify one or more visual cues and to correlate such
cues with one or more user interface control elements. In certain
embodiments, a touch-screen display is used to display the visual
image, to receive selection by a user of a visual cue, and to
thereafter cause a control signal to be generated. The control
signal may be used to control any of various parameters, such as
the speed of an automobile in which the apparatus is located; the
radio station to which a radio is tuned; or a navigation
system.
[0010] Yet another embodiment relates to computer-readable media
comprising executable instructions that, when executed by a
processor or other device, perform one or more steps of various
methods including those described above.
[0011] Other embodiments and variations will be apparent upon
reading the detailed description set forth below, and the invention
is not intended to be limited in any way by this brief summary.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0012] FIG. 1 shows an exemplary system according to certain
embodiments of the invention.
[0013] FIG. 2 shows a method including various steps that can be
practiced according to certain embodiments of the invention.
[0014] FIG. 3 shows one way of selecting a region of interest in a
captured image and using the selected region to control a speed
setting in a vehicle.
[0015] FIG. 4 shows one way of updating navigational information
based on a received visual image.
[0016] FIG. 5 shows another way of updating navigational
information based on a received visual image.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION
[0017] FIG. 1 shows an exemplary system employing various
principles according to one variation of the invention, and FIG. 2
shows an exemplary method including various steps that can be
practiced according to the invention. The system in FIG. 1 includes
one or more cameras 102 coupled to a processor 101, such as a
general-purpose or specially programmed computer or equivalent
circuitry. The camera 102 may be incorporated into a vehicle such
as automobile 111 such that the camera picks up an image of the
roadway and scenery through its windshield 112. Alternatively,
camera 102 may be positioned within a body 113 of the vehicle so
that it can capture images through a front portion of the
automobile.
[0018] Camera 102 may be positioned so as to capture an image of a
traffic sign 103, such as a speed limit sign. Images captured by
camera 102 are processed in processor 101 and optionally displayed
to a user as explained in more detail below. According to certain
variations, portions of images captured by camera 102 are matched
with one or more visual cues stored in a database in order to
control one or more devices, such as radio tuner 107, navigation
system 108, speed control system 109, or telephone 114.
[0019] A touch screen display 106 is also coupled to processor 101
in some embodiments in order to provide visual feedback, such as
the current image captured by camera 102, and to receive user input
and selection. A non-touch screen display, such as a conventional
LCD or LED display, may be provided instead. User input may also be
received from a different input device 115, such as a keypad,
keyboard, buttons on a steering wheel, voice input unit, or the
like. Processor 101 is also coupled to a cues database 110, which
stores visual cue patterns, such as speed limit sign patterns. The
cue patterns may be organized by different regions 110a and 110b,
such that only a region corresponding to the location in which the
automobile is traveling will be searched for visual cue patterns.
Thus, for example, speed limit signs in one country may differ in
appearance from speed limit signs in another country. Visual cues
corresponding to speed limit signs may therefore be searched based
on the country or region in which the automobile is traveling.
[0020] Optionally a radio receiver 104 may receive signals from a
transmitter 105, which may be present to transmit advertisements or
traffic-related information as explained in more detail below.
[0021] FIG. 2 shows various steps that can be carried out according
to certain embodiments. The left side of FIG. 2 illustrates generic
steps according to the method while more detailed steps are shown
and described in corresponding boxes. Beginning in step 201, an
image of a traffic sign is captured, such as when the automobile is
traveling along a roadway. This corresponds generically to a step
of receiving a signal containing an environmental cue. Other
examples include receiving a radio signal containing
traffic-related information, or receiving a signal containing an
advertisement that may be specific to the environment in which an
automobile is traveling (e.g., a nearby restaurant advertising a
special meal). In one variation, the captured image is displayed on
a display in an automobile or other vehicle, such as on
touch-screen display 106 of FIG. 1.
[0022] In step 202, user input is received indicating selection of
a portion of the image. For example, as shown in FIG. 3, the
captured image 301 may include a speed limit sign on an overhead
sign. According to one variation, the user may press on the speed
limit sign in the image in order to select it for further
processing. In some embodiments, the image is not continuously
displayed but instead is frozen at half-second or one-second
intervals in order to give the user time to select a stationary
portion on the image.
[0023] In one variation, corresponding to step 203 of FIG. 2, the
region of interest may be narrowed. For example, pressing on the
speed limit sign in the image may cause a first border 302 to be
displayed around the pressed portion, and pressing a second time
causes a smaller border 303 to be displayed, helping to isolate the
desired portion of the sign. In other words, successively smaller
borders corresponding to successively smaller regions of interest
around where the user has pressed can be displayed and input to
processor 101. This may make it easier for image-recognition
software to isolate and recognize the speed limit sign contained in
the image. After waiting a predetermined period of time after the
last press, or upon further user input, processor 101 may lock in
the last framed portion of the image as the basis for pattern
matching. The image may be frozen during this selection process for
ease of user comprehension.
[0024] In step 204, the selected portion of the image may be
compared to a database of environmental cues, such as a database of
traffic signs, in order to find a match. Any of various
image-recognition techniques may be employed, and as indicated
above and shown in FIG. 1, the database may be organized by country
or region, such that only patterns relevant to the area being
traveled will be matched. Examples of traffic sign recognition
systems include U.S. Pat. No. 6,560,529; U.S. Pat. No. 6,801,638;
and U.S. published application number 2006/0034484. Other systems
can of course be used, and general image recognition and pattern
matching algorithms are well-known.
[0025] In step 205, the recognized traffic sign is matched with a
user input control. For example, if the selected portion of the
image corresponds to a speed limit sign, a matching user input
control element could be a SET SPEED LIMIT command to an automobile
cruise control system, as illustrated by element 304 in FIG. 3.
Other control elements could include RESUME or ACCELERATE or the
like.
[0026] In one variation, different speed limit sign patterns are
stored in database 110, each corresponding to a different speed
limit (e.g., 80 kilometers per hour, 90 kilometers per hour, etc.).
In other variations, a generic speed limit sign pattern may be
detected and optical character recognition software may be used to
decode the numeric speed limit contained in the sign. Of course,
traffic sign shapes and configurations may vary from one country to
the next, so the illustrated signs are not intended to be
limiting.
[0027] Steps 202 through 205 collectively correspond to a generic
step of correlating an environmental cue to a user interface
element.
[0028] Finally, in step 206, the user input control is applied to
the device, such as the cruise control system of the automobile.
The user input control may be transmitted to various devices such
as on-board systems over any of various means, such as a control
bus, wireless link, or the like.
[0029] To the extent that more than one type of user input control
matches or is applicable, a menu of options can be presented to the
user, allowing for easy selection from among a set of choices.
[0030] Instead of a touch-screen display, a conventional LCD or LED
display may be used, and user input may be received by way of voice
control or buttons (e.g., on the steering wheel) to select options
and to navigate around portions of the display.
[0031] Another type of environmental cue comprises a sign
indicating a radio station that is available in the area in which
an automobile is traveling. As shown in FIG. 3, for example, a
radio sign 305 may indicate an FM frequency (98.7 MHz) to which a
radio tuner can be tuned. As with the traffic sign, the user may
press on the radio sign while it is part of image 301, causing
processor 101 to select that portion of the image (or successively
smaller portions as explained above), after which radio tuner 107
will be automatically tuned to the frequency contained in the radio
sign. Optical character recognition software can be used to
recognize the frequency and band to which the radio should be
tuned.
[0032] Yet another type of environmental cue comprises a dynamic
traffic alert, such as an ACCIDENT AHEAD, TRAFFIC AHEAD, or
CONSTRUCTION ZONE sign that is presented to drivers traveling along
a road. In one variation of the invention, such dynamic traffic
alerts can be recognized by processor 101 and used to generate a
DETOUR command to a navigation system 108. Consequently, the driver
need not be distracted from driving by navigating through a
hierarchy of menus on the touch-screen of the navigation system,
but can instead be prompted to immediately cause the navigation
system to enter its detour mode.
[0033] Yet another type of environmental cue comprises a sign
containing information concerning a tourist attraction, such as a
museum or park. In accordance with one variation of the invention,
upon selecting such a sign in the displayed image, processor 101
can generate a search command in a navigation system 108 in order
to cause the navigation system to plan a route to the indicated
attraction based on the name of the attraction or a telephone
number contained on the sign. If a website address is displayed on
a sign, processor 101 may automatically generate a web query to
retrieve a webpage corresponding to the website and display it on
touch screen display 106 or on another display. Wireless links,
such as a wireless telephone network or other type of network, may
be accessed by processor 101 according to certain embodiments if
needed to access such websites. If a telephone number is included
on the sign, the user can be prompted to automatically dial the
telephone number by pressing a button or pressing on a displayed
message offering to dial the number. This provides an easy
one-touch or two-touch way of dialing a telephone number (one touch
to select the sign, and a second touch to activate dialing of the
telephone number).
[0034] As another example, an airport sign along a road may show an
airplane symbol (e.g., a black airplane on a white background) and
such a symbol can be detected and used in connection with current
position information to generate a website address corresponding to
the particular airport, which is then provided to phone/web browser
114 (see FIG. 1) to query the corresponding website corresponding
to the airport. In some variations, additional information such as
the name of the airport or city name on the sign may also be used
to recognize the airport and to correlate the airport to a website
address. The user may then enter pertinent information such as a
flight number in the web page, causing relevant flight status or
other information to be displayed.
[0035] In certain variations, the sign itself may include a
telephone number or website providing a link to flight information,
flight schedules, terminal information, or parking availability.
Selection of the sign as a visual cue causes the system to link to
the website or call the indicated telephone number for information.
In one embodiment, upon displaying a webpage corresponding to the
visual cue, the user may provide additional information (e.g.,
flight number and airline via voice input or numeric keypad or
keyboard) to obtain the latest flight or parking status.
Additionally, a webpage may show the cheapest or most abundant
parking lots, which upon selection by the user can be provided as a
destination address to the navigation system. To the extent that
information is pre-stored or transferred from a mobile device via
short-range radio or infrared means, it can also be provided as an
input to the website and to as an input to the navigation
system.
[0036] Yet another type of environmental cue comprises a traffic
routing sign, such as a roundabout (traffic circle) sign. Sometimes
the navigation system may not have the latest road patterns or
turns. As shown in FIG. 4, for example, a navigation system display
401 may show a sharp left turn in the road ahead. Based on the road
image, however, a new roundabout sign 402 is evident in the
display. By selecting the sign and confirming UPDATE MAP on the
touch-screen display, processor 101 may store the location of the
update and the updated information (e.g., roundabout), such that
future visits to the area cause the updated information to be
displayed on the touch-screen display.
[0037] FIG. 5 illustrates another example wherein an image
displayed by a navigation system 501 does not include a new road
sign 502 indicating another option for travel. As explained above,
pressing on the sign may generate an UPDATE MAP command to the
navigation system, or the updated information may be stored
separately by processor 101 and retrieved when traveling near the
updated region.
[0038] In yet other embodiments, instead of visual cues, the
dynamic location of a vehicle or user with a mobile device can be
used to automatically match user interface controls associated with
the location. For example, cues database 110 of FIG. 1 may be
arranged to contain information regarding radio station frequencies
that are available within a particular region or area. As the user
moves to a different region, processor 101 may prompt the user with
options to tune to radio stations within that region, and
thereafter cause radio tuner 107 to be tuned to a selected
station.
[0039] In yet other embodiments, radio signals may be received from
a transmitter 105 to a radio receiver 104 (see FIG. 1) comprising
information such as traffic conditions, operating hours for tourist
attractions, or other information. In some embodiments, this
information is used to provide user interface control to one or
more devices, such as navigation system 108. For example, a traffic
alert may be transmitted by radio signal and received by receiver
104. As another example, information regarding a telephone number
of a nearby museum may be transmitted over a radio station
frequency (via Radio Data System (RDS) or another transmission
scheme) and picked up by radio receiver 104 and used to program
navigation system 108. As is well known, navigation systems are
often able to program a destination based on a telephone number.
Consequently, instead of the user having to enter the telephone
number into the navigation system, the telephone number is
extracted from a radio signal and used to prompt the user whether
to program the navigation system to plot a route to a
destination.
[0040] As explained above, in certain embodiments different
regional cues databases 110a and 110b may be active. As the vehicle
travels through different regions or countries, different cues
databases may become activated in order to narrow the possible
matching patterns that are used to compare with portions of images
received from the camera.
[0041] In yet another variation, the inventive principles are
applied not in an automobile context but in a mobile device such as
a mobile telephone, personal digital assistant (PDA), mobile
computer, and the like. For example, a pedestrian walking along a
road can aim a camera at a road sign, such as a sign advertising a
radio station, and cause a radio tuner on the mobile device to be
tuned to the advertised frequency. As another example, a user may
aim a camera contained within a mobile device at a sign advertising
a taxi service including a telephone number, and processor 101 upon
extracting the telephone number from the image may issue a dial
command to a telephone 114 as illustrated in FIG. 1. A website
address (i.e., beginning with "www") may also be recognized as used
to generate a website address for input into a web browser 114,
which may be combined with a mobile telephone.
[0042] For example, a user may aim a mobile device at a bus-stop or
underground railway sign and obtain access to the time table of the
public transportation system. This could include positioning in
case the user cannot identify from the sign which bus stop he or
she is pointing at. This could be useful in areas where the time
tables are unreadable for some reason (e.g., dirty or damaged).
This could also be useful in areas where the user is able to obtain
information about bus or train delays from a website, allowing the
user to choose between different alternatives.
[0043] The term "environmental cue" may include, among other
things, a traffic sign or advertising sign contained in a received
image; a radio signal comprising information relating to a location
or other information such as telephone numbers; or current position
information. Current position information may be obtained from a
GPS receiver or other means.
[0044] Many variations of the inventive principles are possible.
The method steps described herein can be implemented in computer
software and encoded on computer-readable media for execution by a
computer processor or specialized circuit, and the invention
includes such computer-readable media.
[0045] One or more aspects of the invention may be embodied in
computer-executable instructions, such as in one or more program
modules, executed by one or more computers or other devices.
Generally, program modules include routines, programs, objects,
components, data structures, etc. that perform particular tasks or
implement particular abstract data types when executed by a
processor in a computer or other device. The computer executable
instructions may be stored on a computer readable medium such as a
hard disk, optical disk, removable storage media, solid state
memory, RAM, etc. As will be appreciated by one of skill in the
art, the functionality of the program modules may be combined or
distributed as desired in various embodiments. In addition, the
functionality may be embodied in whole or in part in firmware or
hardware equivalents such as integrated circuits, field
programmable gate arrays (FPGA), application specific integrated
circuits (ASIC), and the like. The terms "processor" and "memory"
comprising executable instructions should be interpreted
individually and collectively to include the variations described
in this paragraph and equivalents thereof.
[0046] Embodiments include any novel feature or combination of
features disclosed herein either explicitly or any generalization
thereof. While embodiments have been described with respect to
specific examples including presently preferred modes of carrying
out the invention, those skilled in the art will appreciate that
there are numerous variations and permutations of the above
described systems and techniques. Thus, the spirit and scope of the
invention should be construed broadly as set forth in the appended
claims.
* * * * *