U.S. patent application number 15/962451 was filed with the patent office on 2018-08-23 for system and method for providing an adaptive user interface on an electronic appliance.
The applicant listed for this patent is Universal Electronics Inc.. Invention is credited to Patrick H. Hayes, Olav B.M. Pouw.
Application Number | 20180239321 15/962451 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 45810944 |
Filed Date | 2018-08-23 |
United States Patent
Application |
20180239321 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Pouw; Olav B.M. ; et
al. |
August 23, 2018 |
SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR PROVIDING AN ADAPTIVE USER INTERFACE ON AN
ELECTRONIC APPLIANCE
Abstract
A controllable device, such as a set top box, responds to a
transmission received from a one of a plurality of controlling
devices of differing capabilities by entering into a one of a
plurality of operating modes wherein the one of the plurality of
operating modes entered into corresponds to the capabilities of the
controlling device from which the transmission originated.
Inventors: |
Pouw; Olav B.M.; (Lochem,
NL) ; Hayes; Patrick H.; (Mission Viejo, CA) |
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Applicant: |
Name |
City |
State |
Country |
Type |
Universal Electronics Inc. |
Santa Ana |
CA |
US |
|
|
Family ID: |
45810944 |
Appl. No.: |
15/962451 |
Filed: |
April 25, 2018 |
Related U.S. Patent Documents
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Application
Number |
Filing Date |
Patent Number |
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13225635 |
Sep 6, 2011 |
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15962451 |
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61380860 |
Sep 8, 2010 |
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Current U.S.
Class: |
1/1 |
Current CPC
Class: |
G05B 19/0426 20130101;
H04N 21/4126 20130101; G05B 15/02 20130101; H04N 21/4518 20200801;
G05B 2219/2615 20130101; H04N 21/42222 20130101; H04N 21/42204
20130101; G05B 2219/23067 20130101 |
International
Class: |
G05B 15/02 20060101
G05B015/02; H04N 5/44 20060101 H04N005/44; G05B 19/042 20060101
G05B019/042; H04N 21/41 20060101 H04N021/41; H04N 21/422 20060101
H04N021/422 |
Claims
1. A method performed by a switching device that is operable to
connect at least one of a plurality of source devices to a sink
device, the method comprising: detecting an infrared (IR) signal
transmitted by a remote control device that is operable to control
a first device among the plurality of source devices and the sink
device, wherein the remote control device is programmed to transmit
the IR signal in response to a user interaction with the remote
control device; in response to the detection of the IR signal,
determining that the remote control device is in use; and in
response to determining that the remote control device is in use,
controlling a connection between the at least one of the plurality
of source devices and the sink device as a function of the detected
IR signal.
2. The method of claim 1, wherein the IR signal comprises a device
identification code that indicates the first device and wherein
controlling the connection comprises controlling the connection as
a function of the device identification code.
3. The method of claim 1, wherein the switching device comprises an
audio/video switch, one of the plurality of source devices
comprises a set-top-box, and the sink device comprises a
television.
4. The method of claim 1, wherein the receiver comprises a
universal IR receiver capable of identifying and decoding the
command transmission formats of a multiplicity of manufactures.
5. A switching device, comprising: a plurality of audio/video (AV)
ports; a receiver; and control logic that is operable to
selectively connect at least one of a plurality of source devices
to a sink device each of which is connected to a corresponding one
of the plurality of AV ports, the control logic being configured
to: determine that the receiver has received an infrared (IR)
signal transmitted by a remote control device that is operable to
control a first device among the plurality of source devices and
the sink device, wherein the remote control device is programmed to
transmit the IR signal in response to a user interaction with the
remote control device; in response to determining that the receiver
has received the IR signal, determine that the remote control
device is in use; and in response to at least determining that the
remote control device is in use, controlling a connection between
the at least one of the plurality of source devices and the sink
devices as a function of the detected IR signal.
6. The switching device of claim 5, wherein the IR signal comprises
a device identification code that indicates the first device and
wherein controlling the connection comprises controlling the
connection as a function of the device identification code.
7. The switching device of claim 5, wherein the switching device
comprises an audio/video switch, one of the plurality of source
devices comprises a set-top-box, and the sink device comprises a
television.
8. The switching device of claim 5, wherein the receiver comprises
a universal IR receiver capable of identifying and decoding the
command transmission formats of a multiplicity of manufactures.
9. A switching device, comprising: a plurality of audio/video (AV)
ports; a receiver; and control logic that is operable to
selectively connect at least one of a plurality of source devices
to a sink device each of which is connected to a corresponding one
of the plurality of AV ports, the control logic being configured
to: determine that the receiver has received an infrared (IR)
signal transmitted by a remote control device that is operable to
control at least a source device among the plurality of source
devices and the sink device, wherein the remote control device is
programmed to transmit the IR signal in response to a user
interaction with the remote control device; in response to
determining that the receiver has received the IR signal, determine
that the remote control device is in use; and in response to
determining that the remote control device is in use: identify the
source device that is associated with the remote control device
from among the plurality of source devices; identify a first AV
port from among the plurality of AV ports to which the identified
source device is connected; and connect the first AV port to the AV
port to which the sink device is connected.
10. The switching device of claim 9, wherein the control logic is
configured to identify the source device from among the plurality
of source devices that is associated with the remote control device
by detecting a device identification code included in the IR
signal.
11. The switching device of claim 9, wherein one of the plurality
of source devices comprises a set-top-box and the sink device
comprises a television.
12. The switching device of claim 9, wherein the receiver comprises
a universal IR receiver capable of identifying and decoding the
command transmission formats of a multiplicity of manufactures.
Description
RELATED APPLICATION INFORMATION
[0001] This application claims the benefit of and is a continuation
of U.S. application Ser. No. 13/225,635, filed on Sep. 6, 2011,
which application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional
Application No. 61/380,860, filed Sep. 8, 2010. The disclosure
within these applications is incorporated herein by reference in
their entirety.
BACKGROUND
[0002] Consumer electronic appliances such as set top boxes for
receiving and decoding cable and satellite signals, televisions,
DVD players, game systems, etc. are well known in the art, as are
the hand held controlling devices, for example remote controls,
which may be provided for use in issuing commands to these
appliances. In some instances these controlling devices may be made
available in various forms, for example coded to assist in
recognition of individual users in a household; optimized for a
specific function such as game playing, web browsing, or movie
watching; or specially adapted to the needs of the elderly or of
children. While such controlling devices may serve the purposes for
which they were intended, in some instances it would be
advantageous if the controlled appliance were further enabled to
recognize the nature of the controlling device currently in use and
adapt its appliance configuration, menuing system, GUI, etc.
accordingly.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[0003] This invention relates generally to systems in which more
than one controlling device may be available for the operation of
an appliance or group of appliances, and in which different
controlling devices may each be enabled to convey a specific
identity to a controlled appliance to facilitate adaptation of
appliance features and/or configuration in accordance with the
controlling device currently in use. As appropriate for a
particular embodiment, such a controlling device identity may take
the form of a data field embedded within a conventional command
transmission frame or may comprise a separate, discrete
transmission. Additionally, according to the particular embodiment
the controlling device identity may be communicated in conjunction
with every command transmission; communicated only in conjunction
with certain commands or keystrokes (for example menu initiation);
communicated in conjunction with detected events such as a user
picking up a controlling device; or a combination thereof.
[0004] In response to a received controlling device identity, a
target appliance may adjust its GUI display, offer a different set
of menu choices, reconfigure its mode of operation or
functionality, etc. For example, as presented hereafter by way of
illustrative embodiment, a set top box may be adapted to present
different versions of an on-screen program guide GUI, each
optimized to the population for which the controlling device
currently in use is particularly intended, viz: Regular users,
elderly users, or children.
[0005] A better understanding of the objects, advantages, features,
properties and relationships of the invention will be obtained from
the following detailed description and accompanying drawings which
set forth illustrative embodiments and which are indicative of the
various ways in which the principles of the invention may be
employed.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0006] For a better understanding of the various aspects of the
invention, reference may be had to preferred embodiments shown in
the attached drawings in which:
[0007] FIG. 1 illustrates an exemplary system in which multiple
controlling devices and a set top box configured in accordance with
the instant invention may be utilized;
[0008] FIG. 2 further illustrates the exemplary controlling devices
of the system of FIG. 1;
[0009] FIG. 3 illustrates a block diagram of exemplary components
of an exemplary controlling device of FIG. 1;
[0010] FIG. 4 illustrates a block diagram of exemplary components
of the exemplary set top box of FIG. 1:
[0011] FIGS. 5a and 5b illustrate the steps of an exemplary method
for adapting the operation of the set top box of FIG. 1 in
accordance with the controlling device currently in use;
[0012] FIG. 6 illustrates the exemplary operation of the set top
box of FIG. 1 when used in conjunction with a first exemplary
controlling device;
[0013] FIG. 7 illustrates the exemplary operation of the set top
box of FIG. 1 when used in conjunction with a second exemplary
controlling device;
[0014] FIG. 8 illustrates the exemplary operation of the set top
box of FIG. 1 when used in conjunction with a third exemplary
controlling device; and
[0015] FIG. 9 illustrates a second exemplary system in which
multiple controlling devices and an appliance configured in
accordance with the instant invention may be utilized.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION
[0016] Turning now to FIG. 1, an exemplary system is illustrated
wherein several controlling devices 100,101,102 may be provided for
the purpose of commanding the operation of a digital set top box
("STB") 104. As is known in the art, controlling devices 100
through 102 may be capable of transmitting commands to the STB
using any convenient IR, RF, Point-to-Point, or networked protocol,
to cause the STB to perform operational functions. As is also known
in the art, one or more of controlling devices 100 through 102 may
comprise so-called "universal" functionality, that is be equipped
with a library of command code sets suitable for controlling
multiple appliances of different manufacture, for example to enable
control of the sound volume of a TV set 106 being used to render
the audio/video output stream originating from STB 104. With
reference to FIG. 2, while all being capable of commanding the
operation of STB 104, each of the controlling devices may be
functionally, visually, and/or ergonomically optimized for a
particular user population. For example, controlling device 100 may
comprise a generic or standard controlling device, shipped with
every unit of STB 104 and capable of controlling all available
functions of the STB including set-up, configuration, etc., and
intended for use by regular and/or technically adept users. In
contrast, controlling device 101 may comprise fewer, larger buttons
which function to control only the everyday functionality of STB
104, and may be intended to simplify access to STB-provided
services by elderly subscribers. In some embodiments, controlling
device 101 may also incorporate an emergency alert ("panic button")
for summoning assistance, as contemplated for example in co-pending
U.S. patent application Ser. No. 12/956,44. Controlling device 102
may comprise even fewer buttons packaged in a visually appealing
and/or brightly colored housing which may be dimensionally adapted
for smaller hands, and may be intended for use by children.
[0017] Returning now to the illustrative embodiment of FIG. 1 with
particular reference to FIG. 3, for use in commanding the
functional operations of one or more appliances each exemplary
controlling device 100 through 102 (hereafter exemplified by
controlling device 100) may include a processor 300 coupled to a
ROM memory 304, a RAM memory 305, a key matrix 316 (e.g., hard
keys, soft keys such as a touch sensitive surface overlaid on a
liquid crystal (LCD), transmission circuit(s) and/or transceiver
circuit(s) 310 (e.g., IR and/or RF), clock and timer logic 312 with
associated crystal or resonator 314, a power source 324 such as
battery, and as required for a particular embodiment, a
non-volatile read/write memory 306 such as Flash, battery backed up
SRAM, etc., means 302 to provide feedback to the user (e.g., one or
more LEDs, display, speaker, and/or the like), an input/output port
318 such as a serial interface, USB port, modem, Zigbee, WiFi, or
Bluetooth transceiver, etc., means 320 for backlighting a LCD
display or keypad, and means 322 to detect the device being touched
or picked up by a user such as a tilt switch, accelerometer, touch
sensor, proximity sensor, inclinometer, etc.
[0018] As will be understood by those skilled in the art, some or
all of the memories 304, 305, 306 may include executable
instructions (collectively, the controlling device program memory)
that are intended to be executed by the processor 300 to control
the operation of controlling device 100, as well as data which
serves to define to the operational software the necessary control
protocols and command values for use in transmitting command
signals to controllable appliances (collectively, the command
data). In this manner, the processor 300 may be programmed to
control the various electronic components within the controlling
device 100, e.g., to monitor the key matrix 316, to cause the
transmission of signals, etc. The non-volatile read/write memory
306, for example an EEPROM, battery-backed up RAM, FLASH, Smart
Card, memory stick, or the like, may additionally be provided to
store setup data and parameters as necessary. While the memory 304
is illustrated and described as a ROM memory, memory 304 can also
be comprised of any type of readable media, such as ROM, FLASH,
EEPROM, or the like. Preferably, read/write memories 304 and 305
are non-volatile or battery-backed such that data is not required
to be reloaded after battery changes. In addition, the memories
304, 305 and 306 may take the form of a chip, a hard disk, a
magnetic disk, an optical disk, and/or the like. Still further, it
will be appreciated that some or all of the illustrated memory
devices may be physically combined (for example, a single FLASH
memory may be logically partitioned into different portions to
support the functionality of memories 304 and 306 respectively),
and/or may be physically incorporated within the same IC chip as
the microprocessor 300 (a so called "microcontroller") and, as
such, they are shown separately in FIG. 3 only for the sake of
clarity.
[0019] To cause the controlling device 100 to perform an action,
the controlling device 100 may be adapted to be responsive to
events, such as a sensed user interaction with the key matrix 316,
detection of a triggering event via an appropriate trigger sensor,
etc. In response to an event, appropriate instructions within the
program memory (hereafter the "controlling device operating
program") may be executed. For example, when a function key is
actuated on controlling device 100, the controlling device 100 may
retrieve from the command data stored in memory 304, 305, 306 a
command value and control protocol corresponding to the actuated
function key and, where necessary, current device mode, and
transmit that command to an intended target appliance, e.g., TV 106
or STB 104, in a format recognizable by that appliance to thereby
control one or more functional operations of that appliance. In
accordance with the teachings of this invention, in some
embodiments the transmitted command value may further incorporate a
controlling device type identifier as described in greater detail
hereafter. It will be appreciated that the operating program can be
used not only to cause the transmission of commands and/or data to
the appliances, but also to perform other operations. While not
limiting, other operations that may be performed by the controlling
device 100 may include displaying information/data, favorite
channel setup, macro key setup, function key relocation, etc.
Examples of local operations may be found in U.S. Pat. Nos.
5,481,256, 5,959,751, and 6,014,092.
[0020] In certain embodiments, controlling device 100 may be
universal, that is, adaptable to issue commands to a multiplicity
of appliances of different type and/or manufacture. In such cases,
for selecting a set of command data to be associated with an
appliance to be controlled, data may be provided to the controlling
device 100 that serves to identify an intended target appliance by
its type and make (and sometimes model). Such data allows the
controlling device 100 to identify the appropriate command data
within a preprogrammed library of command data that is to be used
to transmit recognizable commands in a format appropriate for such
identified appliances. Since the operation and features of such
universal controlling devices are well known in the art, for the
sake of brevity these will not be discussed further herein.
[0021] Turning now to FIG. 4, an exemplary STB 104 may include, as
needed for a particular application, a processor 400 coupled to a
memory 402 which may comprise RAM, ROM, and/or Flash memory; a
power supply 404; a hard disk (HDD) interface 406 and associated
disk drive 408, for example to support DVR functionality; a smart
card and/or PCMIA interface 410 where required to accommodate
service enablement/decryption cards 412; other input/output
interfaces 414 such as USB, Ethernet, etc.; a front panel interface
418 with associated front panel keypad 420 and display means 422; a
remote control receiver or transceiver 424 for reception of signal
from a controlling device 100; analog video and audio outputs
426,428; digital audio/video and audio outputs 430,432; and one or
more tuners 416 for receiving and demodulating a cable or satellite
signal. As will be appreciated, in general tuner 416 may be capable
of receiving both one or more digital media streams comprising
program content and a so called out-of-band data stream comprising,
for example, program guide information, software updates, etc.
[0022] As is known in the art, programming instructions may be
stored in memory 402 which when executed by processor 400 may
enable the STB appliance 104 to receive and decode digital media
and data streams from tuner 416; to store received media content
and data on HDD 408 or in memory 402; to output received (from
tuner 416) or retrieved (from HDD 408) media content via one or
more of the output ports 426 through 432; to monitor other I/O
ports 414 for activity; to receive, decode, and act upon user
commands received from controlling device 100 or input via front
panel 420; to display program guide information, listings of stored
content, or setup and configuration menus at user request and act
upon any resulting user input; etc.
[0023] Controlling devices 100 through 102 may incorporate device
identity data into their command transmissions to STB 104, for
example without limitation as described in U.S. Pat. Nos. 7,266,701
or 7,167,913, both of common ownership. In summary, U.S. Pat. No.
7,266,701 describes a command transmission protocol wherein each
data frame transmitted includes a 2-bit ID field, i.e. allowing for
up to four separate controlling device identities; while U.S. Pat.
No. 7,167,913 describes a command transmission protocol wherein
each data frame transmitted includes a 5-bit TAG field, all or part
of which may be utilized for controlling device identification,
i.e. allowing for up to as many as 32 separate controlling device
identities. For a more detailed description of the exact encoding
schemes and frame formats used by these protocols, the interested
reader may refer to the disclosures of those patents, both of which
are incorporated herein by reference in their entirety.
[0024] As is known in the art, programming instructions stored in
the memory of an STB (hereafter, "STB programming") may be
responsive to, inter alia, receipt of a "guide" command to invoke
an interactive program guide or a "menu" command to enable STB
configuration and adjustment. In accordance with the teachings of
this invention, the STB programming stored in memory 402 of an
exemplary STB 104 for use in the system of FIG. 1 may be further
enabled to adapt program guide and/or configuration GUIs and
capabilities based upon the identity of the controlling device
which issued the command to initiate that operation, as will now be
described in conjunction with FIGS. 5a and 5b.
[0025] Upon receipt of a command from a controlling device, for
example via remote control receiver 424, a step 502 the STB
programming may determine if the received command transmission
constitutes a "guide" command. If so, at step 504 the STB
programming may examine the controlling device identity information
contained within that command transmission to determine if the
transmission originated from children's remote 102. If so at step
516 the operating mode of STB 104 may be set to "child" and at step
518 a program guide display suitable for interaction with a child
may be displayed. By way of example, as illustrated in FIG. 8 such
a program guide may comprise a simplified GUI 800 featuring
colorful channel logos each corresponding to a single one of a
group of direct-access buttons 802 provisioned on controlling
device 102. With reference to the operational mode setting of step
516, by way of further explanation, in the exemplary implantation
the setting of an operating mode in response to receipt of a
controlling device identity embedded in a command such as "guide"
or "menu" may be required to enable interpretation of subsequently
received commands, for example GUI navigation inputs, to be
consistent with the currently displayed GUI and/or the capabilities
and features of the controlling device presently in use. As will
become evident, this operating mode may be reset upon exit from the
currently displayed GUI. As will also be appreciated, in other
embodiments such functionality may be achieved through different
means, for example a controlling device equipped with an
accelerometer, capacitive touch sensor, or other such hardware may
initiate a specific identification transmission upon initially
detecting that it has been picked up by a user.
[0026] If the received device identity is not that of a children's
remote, at step 506 the STB programming may next determine if the
controlling device identity information indicates that the command
transmission originated from a senior remote 101. If so at step 512
the operating mode of STB 104 may be set to "senior" and at step
510 a program guide display adapted for use by senior citizens may
be presented. By way of example, as illustrated in FIG. 7, such a
guide display 700 may comprise a magnified or zoomed version of the
standard guide 600 of FIG. 6, for greater legibility. Alternatively
or in conjunction with zooming, in some embodiments the number of
programming choices presented may also be reduced, for example
limited to a preconfigured list of favorites.
[0027] If the received device identity is not that of a senior
remote, the STB programming may then assume that the command
transmission originated from a standard remote 100 (or,
alternatively in some embodiments from an aftermarket universal
remote control which does not support controlling device identity),
set the operating mode of STB 104 to "standard" and present a
default standard guide display, for example 600 as illustrated in
FIG. 6.
[0028] Returning to step 502, if the STB programming determines
that the received command transmission does not constitute a
"guide" command, then at step 520 it is next determined if the
received command transmission constitutes a "menu" command. If so,
at step 528 (FIG. 5b) the STB programming may examine the
controlling device identity information contained within that
command transmission to determine if the transmission originated
from children's remote 102. If so, the command is ignored and
processing is completed at step 540. By way of explanation, in the
illustrative embodiment children's remote 102 may not be permitted
to initiate STB configuration adjustments. It will be appreciated
that while in some embodiments this may be achieved by simply not
provisioning child's controlling device 102 with a "Menu" key, in
other cases this may not be possible, for example where a single
physical controlling device design may be adapted for various user
populations by means of setup programming, jumpers, identity
plug-in modules, etc.
[0029] If the received device identity is not that of a children's
remote, at step 530 the STB programming may next determine if the
controlling device identity information indicates that the command
transmission originated from a senior remote 101. If so, at step
532 the operating mode of STB 104 may be set to "senior" and a
simplified STB configuration menu presented at step 534. Such a
menu may comprise, for example, only basic settings necessary for
day-to-day use of STB 104, and exclude adjustments which are
chiefly required during initial setup or reconfiguration of STB
104.
[0030] If the received device identity is not that of a children's
remote or a senior remote, then at step 530 the STB programming may
set the STB operating mode to "standard" and at step 538 may
display a complete menu of STB configuration options. By way of
example, options presented may include configuration of the
audio/video output of STB 104 to match TV 106, i.e. video
resolution, picture aspect ratio, sound channels, etc.; setting of
OSD timeouts and configurations for STB originated messages;
selection of channel icons to be displayed while the STB is
operating in "child" mode; etc. Returning to step 520 (FIG. 5a), if
the received command is neither a "guide" nor a "menu" command, at
step 522 the STB programming may next determine if the received
command comprises a "select" or an "exit" command, i.e., a command
which will result in the termination of an interactive menu or
program guide GUI session. If so, at step 524 any currently set STB
operating mode may be cleared prior to executing the received
command at step 526.
[0031] In a further exemplary embodiment as illustrated in FIG. 9,
an appliance such as an AV receiver 902 which is connected to and
capable of switching between multiple source and sink devices such
as TV set 106, cable STB 104, or DVD player 904 may be adapted to
detect which one of several controlling devices 906 through 908,
each corresponding to one of devices 104, 106 or 904, is currently
in use and may configure itself accordingly--for example selecting
appropriate inputs and outputs, setting audio volume and
equalization levels, etc. While such an arrangement may be
particularly advantageous when all devices involved are of the same
manufacture and share a standardized command protocol and
transmission format in order to facilitate controlling device
identification, it will be appreciated that other techniques are
also possible, for example AV receiver 902 may be provided with a
universal IR receiver capable of identifying and decoding the
command transmission formats of a multiplicity of manufactures,
such as described for example in U.S. Pat. No. 7,042,366,
incorporated herein by reference in its entirety.
[0032] While various concepts have been described in detail, it
will be appreciated by those skilled in the art that various
modifications and alternatives to those concepts could be developed
in light of the overall teachings of the disclosure. For example,
in an alternate embodiment, a consumer electronic device or system
which is capable of operating in more than one mode, such as a
gaming console which may also function as a DVD player; an Internet
enabled TV which supports not only regular television viewing but
also Web browsing, email, or IP telephony; etc.; may be provisioned
with multiple controlling devices each optimized for a particular
function, and may adapt video or audio parameters, user menus,
input and output ports or formats, etc. in accordance with the
controlling device currently in the possession of a user, i.e. upon
being used and/or upon being picked up.
[0033] Further, while described in the context of functional
modules and illustrated using block diagram format, it is to be
understood that, unless otherwise stated to the contrary, one or
more of the described functions and/or features may be integrated
in a single physical device and/or a software module, or one or
more functions and/or features may be implemented in separate
physical devices or software modules. It will also be appreciated
that a detailed discussion of the actual implementation of each
module is not necessary for an enabling understanding of the
invention. Rather, the actual implementation of such modules would
be well within the routine skill of an engineer, given the
disclosure herein of the attributes, functionality, and
inter-relationship of the various functional modules in the system.
Therefore, a person skilled in the art, applying ordinary skill,
will be able to practice the invention set forth in the claims
without undue experimentation. It will be additionally appreciated
that the particular concepts disclosed are meant to be illustrative
only and not limiting as to the scope of the invention which is to
be given the full breadth of the appended claims and any
equivalents thereof.
[0034] All patents cited within this document are hereby
incorporated by reference in their entirety.
* * * * *