FOR AN ELECTRONIC DEVICE CONTROL

RELATED APPLICATIONS

[0001]The present application claims priority to US Provisional Application No.

62/149,264 filed on April 17, 2015 and entitled "METHODS AND APPARATUS FOR AN IMPROVED MECHANICAL USER INTERFACE FOR AN ELECTRONIC DEVICE CONTROL" which is hereby incorporated by reference for all purposes.

FIELD

[0002] Embodiments of the present invention relate to electronic device controls and, more specifically, to an improved mechanical user interface for an electronic device control.

BACKGROUND

[0003] Small portable electric devices such as blood glucose meters can include mechanical user interfaces such as control buttons and rockers used to open/close or activate electronic switches. To accommodate the small form factor of such devices, often the control buttons and rockers are forced to be small such that reliable operation of the controls becomes difficult, particularly with adult-sized fingers. Thus, what are needed are methods and apparatus for an improved mechanical user interface for electronic device control.

SUMMARY

[0004] In some embodiments, a mechanical user interface for an electrical device such as a blood glucose meter is provided. The interface includes a center button; a rocker ring disposed around the center button and adapted to pivot about a pivot axis when either one of two user contact portions are pressed; a gasket seal disposed below the center button and the rocker ring, the gasket seal including a peripheral ridge having a generally circular shape with two flattened sides and two curved sides, the flattened sides disposed below the rocker ring adjacent the pivot axis and the curved sides surrounding an area below the user contact portions of the rocker ring; and a hinge plate assembly disposed below the gasket seal and adapted to provide support for the center button and the rocker ring.

[0005] In some other embodiments, an electronic device with an improved mechanical user interface is provided. The electronic device includes a housing; a center button disposed within an opening in the housing; a rocker ring disposed around the center button and adapted to pivot about a pivot axis when either one of two user contact portions are pressed wherein the rocker ring is further adapted to pivot about a shoulder feature formed in the housing; a gasket seal adapted to seal the opening in the housing and disposed below the center button and the rocker ring, the gasket seal including a peripheral ridge having a generally circular shape with two flattened sides and two curved sides, the flattened sides disposed below the rocker ring adjacent the pivot axis and the curved sides surrounding an area below the user contact portions of the rocker ring; a hinge plate assembly disposed below the gasket seal and adapted to provide support for the center button and the rocker ring; and an electronic circuit within the housing and disposed relative to the center button and the rocker ring to be controlled by the center button and the rocker ring.

[0006] In yet other embodiments, a method of controlling an electronic device is provided. The method includes providing an electronic device having a mechanical user interface including a center button and a concentric rocker ring; receiving an activation force on a first portion of the rocker ring from a user and, in response, pivoting the first portion about a pivot axis into the electronic device causing a linkage to press on a first tactile switch of the electronic device; moving a second portion of the rocker ring away from a second tactile switch of the electronic device concurrently with the movement of the first portion; and sealing the electronic device concurrently with the movements of the first and second portions using a gasket having a peripheral ridge structure that surrounds an area below the first and second portions but does not surround third and fourth portions of the rocker ring adjacent the pivot axis.

[0007] Numerous other aspects are provided in accordance with these and other aspects of the invention. Other features and aspects of the present invention will become more fully apparent from the following detailed description, the appended claims and the accompanying drawings.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE FIGURES

[0008] FIG. 1 depicts an example electronic device employing an improved mechanical user interface according to embodiments of the present invention.

[0009] FIG. 2 depicts a magnified perspective view of a first example embodiment of an improved mechanical user interface according to embodiments of the present invention.

[0010] FIG. 3 depicts a cross-sectional perspective view of the first example embodiment of the improved mechanical user interface of FIG. 2.

[0011]FIG. 4 depicts an exploded view of the first example embodiment of the improved mechanical user interface of FIG. 2.

[0012] FIG. 5 A depicts a top plan view of the first example embodiment of the improved mechanical user interface of FIG. 2.

[0013] FIG. 5B depicts a side cross-sectional elevation view of the improved mechanical user interface of FIG. 5A taken at line BB.

[0014] FIG. 6A depicts a top plan view of a second example embodiment of an improved mechanical user interface according to embodiments of the present invention.

[0015] FIG. 6B depicts a side cross-sectional elevation view of the improved mechanical user interface of FIG. 6A taken at line BB.

[0016]FIG. 7A depicts a top plan view of a second example embodiment of an improved mechanical user interface according to embodiments of the present invention.

[0017] FIG. 7B depicts a side cross-sectional elevation view of the improved mechanical user interface of FIG. 7A taken at line BB.

[0018] FIG. 8 depicts a flowchart illustrating an example method according to

embodiments of the present invention. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0019] Embodiments of the present invention provide methods and apparatus for an improved mechanical user interface for electronic device control. The interface provides a circular button used for activation, confirmation, or selection functions (though other functions such as, for example, mode switching, can be assigned) and a surrounding concentric rocker ring that is used for scrolling up or down through menus or lists [though other functions such as, for example, incrementing or decrementing numerical values can also be assigned].

[0020]The pressing or depressing of the button facilitates activation/closure of, for example, an electronic contact switch on a circuit board disposed below the button. The rocker ring is adapted to allow activation/closure of only one of two electronic contact switches at any given time. Thus, the concentric rocker ring provides a mechanical user interface to a pair of electronic switches and mechanically implements a "one or the other but not both" usage restriction. The rocker ring is adapted to both pivot about a fulcrum disposed below the 3:00 and 9:00 clock face positions and flex as a cantilever. In some embodiments, the rocker ring can be implemented to only pivot or only flex. The user presses on the rocker ring at the 12:00 and the 6:00 clock face positions, where the 12:00 position corresponds to "up" and the 6:00 position corresponds to "down". In some embodiments, arrowheads can be printed on the user contact points to indicate the up and down functions. (In alternative embodiments, different orientations can be used. For example, the pivot points can be at the 6:00 and 12:00 positions and the user contact points at the 3:00 and 9:00 positions to implement a "left" and "right" scrolling function.) In some embodiments, the rocker ring can be adapted to flex so that both sides can be pressed at the same time to activate both underlying electronic switches concurrently, e.g., for activating a reset mode or some other function. Through the use of a continuous, un-broken ring, this mechanical user interface provides an aesthetically appealing, minimalist design element to the electronic device that is both functional and intuitive to use despite its simplicity.

[0021] On a relatively small electronic device {e.g., a device designed to have an overall width comparable to the width of an average adult user's thumb and an overall length comparable to an average adult user's index finger) with limited flat surfaces suitable for positioning the mechanical user interface, the diameter of the rocker ring is made as large as possible for ergonomic reasons. Nevertheless, the diameter is constrained by the overall device width, length, and edge rounding or curvature.

[0022] In order to provide sealing of the button and rocker ring, e.g., to prevent moisture from entering the device via the mechanical user interface, a gasket seal is disposed between the interface and the rest of the device. The gasket seals gaps where normal operation of the interface creates a relative displacement of component parts that would otherwise allow moisture to enter the device. However, the space around the interface for the gasket seal is limited since the rocker ring is maximized to use the full width of the device. To avoid having to either enlarge the device or having to reduce the rocker ring diameter to accommodate a conventional gasket seal that would extend out radially to surround the entire exterior circumference of the rocker ring, embodiments of the present invention take advantage of the cantilever design of the rocker ring and can thus use a gasket seal shape that does not have to extend out radially along the pivot axis beyond the rocker ring. In other words, because there is no displacement that needs to be sealed at the pivot points of the rocker ring, the gasket seal can be narrower at the pivot points and only seal below the rocker ring at the pivot points (as opposed to extending out radially beyond the rocker ring as with the area immediately adjacent the user contact points where there is displacement). If the pivot axis of the rocker ring is disposed along the longitudinal axis of the device, the use of a narrower gasket seal allows the overall length of the device to be shorter and more compact while still providing a mechanical user interface with an economically desirable maximized diameter.

[0023] Embodiments of the present invention include additional features. While the overall compact design of the device enhances portability, use of an interface with two or more user contact surfaces within a single finger's width could lead to inadvertent actuation. For example, with a conventional mechanical user interface with adjacent buttons smaller than a finger width, a user may actuate one button when his intent was to actuate only an adjacent button. Embodiments of the present invention provide an enhanced crown shape on the rocker ring to improve operational reliability by reducing the likelihood of inadvertent actuation of the center button when pressing the rocker ring. The enhanced crown can be embodied using a number of different cross-sectional profile shapes that will be described in detail below. In some embodiments, by choosing a crown profile that distances the point of applied load further from the center button, the user is more easily able to reliably press the rocker ring without pressing the center button.

[0024] In addition, common to the various different crown embodiments described below is that the rocker ring is disposed relative to the outer surface of the device's housing such that crown shape sits proud of [e.g., protrudes from) the plane of the housing's outer surface that is adjacent the interface. In addition to providing a surface that is easy to tactilely distinguish from the interface, the flat outer surface of the device's housing being adjacent the raised crown shape effectively provides the user with a hard stop reference when pressing the rocker ring. In other words, in some embodiments, the displacement of the rocker ring needed to activate the electronic switch below the interface is selected to correspond to the height of the crown shape above the surface of the housing so that once one side of the rocker ring has been pushed down to be at or slightly below the surface of the housing, the housing limits further downward motion of the user's finger. In addition, as will be seen in the drawings, in some embodiments, the center button can be shaped so that the outer edge is lower than the crown of the rocker ring to provide the user's finger with additional clearance to avoid inadvertent activation of the center button when pressing the rocker ring.

[0025] Further, in some embodiments, to further avoid inadvertent activations {e.g., unintended button pressing), different activation force requirements can be selected for the rocker ring and the center button [and/or the electronic switches below the rocker ring and the center button). For example, the activation force required for the center button can be approximately 120% to approximately 400% that of the rocker ring.

Other activation force differentials can be used including embodiments where the rocker ring requires a higher activation force than the center button. Activation force can be controlled via stiffness of the material used for the hinge plate assembly, via springs or other biasing means, and/or via the characteristics of the electronic tactile switches. In some embodiments, the thickness and/or stiffness of the gasket seal between the hinge plate assembly and the center button/rocker ring can be used to adjust/select the relative amount force required to activate the center button versus the rocker ring. In some embodiments, the hinge plate assembly can be curved {e.g., convexly or concavely toward the hinge plate assembly] or otherwise shaped to alter/adjust the amount of activation force needed to push down the center button relative to the rocker ring.

[0026]Turning to FIG. 1, an example electronic device 100 [e.g., a blood glucose meter) including an example embodiment of an improved mechanical user interface 102 according to embodiments of the present invention is depicted. The mechanical user interface 102 can include a center button 104 surrounded by a concentric rocker ring 106. The center button 104 and user contact areas [e.g., an "up" arrow 108 and a

"down" arrow 110) of the rocker ring 106 can be disposed over electronic contact or tactile switches (not visible in FIG. 1, but see FIG. 5B) on a circuit board within the electronic device 100. The electronic device 100 is enclosed in a housing 112 which can be made from any practicable material such as plastic or metal.

[0027] In the embodiment shown in FIG. 1, the rocker ring 106 is adapted to pivot about a pivot axis that lies along a longitudinal dimension of the electronic device 100. Thus, as shown, a user can press the rocker ring into the electronic device 100 at the 12:00 clock face position where the up arrow 108 is located or at the 6:00 clock face position where the down arrow 110 is located. The pivot axis of the rocker ring 106 runs from the 3:00 clock face position to the 9:00 clock face position.

[0028]The electronic device 100 also includes a display 114 for outputting information to a user and a sensor input port 116 for receiving a sensor test strip. Note that while embodiments of the present invention are described with respect to a blood glucose meter as an example of an electronic device 100, other compact electronic devices such as cell phones, smartphones, and test devices can use the novel improved mechanical user interface 102 of the present invention.

[0029] In some embodiments, the electronic device 100 can be approximately as wide as an average user's thumb and approximately as long as a user's finger. For example, the overall dimensions of the electronic device 100 can be approximately 98 mm by approximately 28 mm. In some embodiments, the outer diameter of the rocker ring 106 can be smaller than the width of an average user's thumb, e.g., approximately 16 mm. [0030] Turning now to FIGs. 2 through 4, details of an example embodiment of the mechanical user interface 102 are illustrated. FIG. 2 depicts a magnified perspective view, FIG. 3 depicts a cross-sectional perspective view, and FIG. 4 depicts an exploded perspective view of the user interface 102. The center button 104 and the concentric rocker ring 106 sit on top of a flexible gasket seal 202 which sits on a hinge plate assembly 204. The gasket seal 202 and the hinge plate assembly 204 can be adapted to snap fit together into an opening in the housing 112 from below. The center button 104 can be fixedly attached to the gasket seal 202 and the rocker ring 106 can be adapted to snap fit e.g., using a catch arrangement] to the gasket seal 202 from above. Other means of and arrangements for attaching the components can be used.

[0031]The hinge plate assembly 204 provides support for the center button 104 and the concentric rocker ring 106. The hinge plate assembly 204 also provides a bias force to return the center button 104 and the concentric rocker ring 106 back to an un-activated position once the user removes activation force. The hinge plate assembly 204 can include springs or tensioned members to provide this bias. The hinge plate assembly 204 also includes stand-off posts and linkage pins as will be described below with respect to FIG. 5B.

[0032]Although not shown, the opening in the housing 112 can include shoulder features or other protrusions that serve as fulcrums for the pivot points of the rocker ring 106. Assembly of the rocker ring 106 from above the housing 112 into the gasket seal 202 (inserted from below the housing 112) can trap the shoulder features of the housing 112 so that the rocker ring 106 pivots on the shoulder features. The gasket seal 202 can be formed from any practicable flexible resilient material such as silicone rubber or other suitable elastomer. The center button 104 and the rocker ring 106 can be formed from any practicable rigid resilient material such as acrylonitrile butadiene styrene (ABS) plastic or a metal. The hinge plate assembly 204 can be formed from any practicable semi-rigid resilient material such as ABS plastic or a memory metal.

[0033] FIG. 5A is a top plan view of a first example embodiment of a mechanical user interface 102 and FIG. 5B is a side cross-sectional elevation view of the embodiment of FIG. 5A taken along line BB. The view in FIG. 5A excludes any representation of the housing 112 which is represented in FIG. 5B. As can be seen, the center button 104 and rocker ring 106 are visible from the top view of FIG. 5A and because the housing 112 is omitted, the gasket seal 202 is also visible. Note that the gasket seal 202 includes a peripheral ridge 500 that sits outside the diameter of the rocker ring 106 (e.g., the gasket seal 202 extends out radially to surround most of the area below the rocker ring 106) except below the pivot points of the rocker ring 106. In other words, the peripheral ridge 500 of the gasket seal 202 is generally circular except on the two "flat sides" where there can be straight portions adjacent the pivot points since the gasket seal does not have to accommodate vertical displacement at these two points.

[0034] FIG. 5B illustrates the profile of the crown shape of the first example embodiment of the rocker ring 106 and the profile of the lowered edge shape of the center button 104. By making the outermost portion of the crown of the rocker ring 106 higher [e.g., protrude more) than the rest of the crown {e.g., by sloping the surface of the crown downward moving toward an inward radial direction), the point of applied load when the user presses the rocker ring is located as far as possible from the center button 104. In other words, a rocker ring 106 for a more reliable user interface 102 can include a cross-sectional profile wherein an outermost portion of the crown shape protrudes more than an innermost portion of the crown shape.

[0035] FIG. 5B also depicts the relative position of the housing 112 and the crown shape of the first embodiment of the rocker ring 106. Note that the height H indicates the amount of distance the crown shape of the rocker ring 106 stands proud of the housing 112. The lowered edge shape of the center button 104 also provides additional clearance for operating the rocker ring 106 without inadvertently activating the center button 104. In some embodiments as shown in FIG. 5B, the shape of the center button 104 can be a generally convex shape having a flat/planar top center surface 105 [e.g., generally parallel with the surface of the housing 112) and a curved surface extending radially therefrom to a lowered edge.

[0036] FIG. 5B also depicts the position of the circuit board 502 and surface-mounted electronic tactile switches 504, 506, and 508 disposed below the two user contact points of the rocker ring 106 and the center button 104, respectively. Stand-off posts 510 extending from the bottom of the hinge plate assembly 204 to the circuit board 502 are used to maintain the position of the user interface 102 relative to the tactile switches 504, 506, and 508 on the circuit board 502. Linkage pins 512, 514, and 516, also extending from the bottom of the hinge plate assembly 204, are disposed to contact corresponding tactile switches 504, 506, and 508 on the circuit board 502 when either of the two user contact points of the rocker ring 106 or the center button 104 is pressed.

[0037] FIGs. 6A and 6B depict a second example embodiment of an improved mechanical user interface 600. As with the first example embodiment of FIGs. 5A and 5B, the top surfaces of the center button 104' and concentric rocker ring 106' are visible in the top plan view of FIG. 6A. The housing 112 is excluded from the view of FIG. 6A so that the gasket seal 202' can be seen. Note that the peripheral ridge 602 of the gasket seal 202' has the same compact shape [e.g., with "flattened sides" below the pivot points) as the peripheral ridge 500 of the first example embodiment of FIGs. 5A and 5B.

[0038] FIG. 6B is a side cross-sectional elevation view of the embodiment of FIG. 6A taken along line BB. As with the prior embodiment, the gasket seal 202' sits on a hinge plate assembly 204'. The crown shape of the rocker ring 106' has a simple flat profile with squared-off edges. FIG. 6B also depicts the relative position of the housing 112 and the crown shape of the second embodiment of the rocker ring 106'. Note that the height H indicates the amount of distance the crown shape of the rocker ring 106' stands proud of the housing 112.

[0039] FIGs. 7 A and 7B depict a simplified schematic view of a third example

embodiment of an improved mechanical user interface 700. As with the first example embodiment of FIGs. 5A and 5B, the top surfaces of the center button 104" and concentric rocker ring 106" are visible in the top plan view of FIG. 7A. The housing 112 is excluded from the view of FIG. 7A. Although not shown, the third embodiment includes a gasket seal with a peripheral ridge that has the same compact shape (e.g., with "flattened sides" below the pivot points) as the peripheral ridge 500 of the first example embodiment of FIGs. 5A and 5B.

[0040] FIG. 7B is a simplified schematic side cross-sectional elevation view of the embodiment of FIG. 7A taken along line BB. Note that the gasket seal and the hinge plate assembly are not represented in this simplified view. Both the crown shape of the rocker ring 106" and the shape of the center button 104" have a convex profile. The rocker ring 106" additionally includes rounded edges. FIG. 7B also depicts the relative position of the housing 112 and the crown shape of the third embodiment of the rocker ring 106". Note that the height H indicates the amount of distance the crown shape of the rocker ring 106" stands proud of the housing 112.

[0041] FIG. 8 depicts an example method 800 according to embodiments of the present invention. An electronic device having a mechanical user interface including a center button and a concentric rocker ring is provided (802). A first portion of the rocker ring receives an activation force from a user and, in response, pivots about a pivot axis into the electronic device causing a linkage to press on a first tactile switch of the electronic device (804). A second portion of the of the rocker ring, concurrently with the movement of the first portion, moves away from a second tactile switch of the electronic device (806). Concurrently with the movements of the first and second portions, a gasket seal disposed between the mechanical user interface and a remainder of the electronic device provides a sealing function using a peripheral ridge structure that surrounds an area below the first and second portions but does not surround third and fourth portions of the rocker ring adjacent the pivot axis (808).

[0042] Numerous embodiments are described in this disclosure, and are presented for illustrative purposes only. The described embodiments are not, and are not intended to be, limiting in any sense. The presently disclosed inventive concepts are widely applicable to numerous embodiments, as is readily apparent from the disclosure. One of ordinary skill in the art will recognize that the disclosed embodiments may be practiced with various modifications and alterations, such as structural, logical, software, and electrical modifications. Although particular features of the disclosed invention embodiments may be described with reference to one or more particular embodiments and/or drawings, it should be understood that such features are not limited to usage in the one or more particular embodiments or drawings with reference to which they are described, unless expressly specified otherwise.

[0043] The present disclosure is neither a literal description of all embodiments nor a listing of features of the invention that must be present in all embodiments.

[0044]The Title (set forth at the beginning of the first page of this disclosure) is not to be taken as limiting in any way as the scope of the disclosed invention(s). [0045] The term "product" means any machine, manufacture and/or composition of matter as contemplated by 35 U.S.C. §101, unless expressly specified otherwise.

[0046]The terms "an embodiment", "embodiment", "embodiments", "the embodiment", "the embodiments", "one or more embodiments", "some embodiments", "one

embodiment" and the like mean "one or more (but not all) disclosed embodiments", unless expressly specified otherwise.

[0047] The terms "the invention" and "the present invention" and the like mean "one or more embodiments of the present invention."

[0048]A reference to "another embodiment" in describing an embodiment does not imply that the referenced embodiment is mutually exclusive with another embodiment e.g., an embodiment described before the referenced embodiment), unless expressly specified otherwise.

[0049]The terms "including", "comprising" and variations thereof mean "including but not limited to", unless expressly specified otherwise.

[0050]The terms "a", "an" and "the" mean "one or more", unless expressly specified otherwise.

[0051] The term "and/or", when such term is used to modify a list of things or possibilities (such as an enumerated list of possibilities) means that any combination of one or more of the things or possibilities is intended, such that while in some

embodiments any single one of the things or possibilities may be sufficient in other embodiments two or more (or even each of) the things or possibilities in the list may be preferred, unless expressly specified otherwise. Thus for example, a list of "a, b and/or c" means that any of the following interpretations would be appropriate: (i) each of "a", "b" and "c"; (ii) "a" and "b"; (iii) "a" and "c"; (iv) "b" and "c"; (v] only "a"; (vi) only "b"; and (vii) only "c."

[0052]The term "plurality" means "two or more", unless expressly specified otherwise.

[0053]The term "herein" means "in the present disclosure, including anything which may be incorporated by reference", unless expressly specified otherwise.

[0054] The phrase "at least one of, when such phrase modifies a plurality of things (such as an enumerated list of things) means any combination of one or more of those things, unless expressly specified otherwise. For example, the phrase at least one of a widget, a car and a wheel means either (i) a widget, (ii) a car, (iii) a wheel, (iv) a widget and a car, (v) a widget and a wheel, ( i) a car and a wheel, or (vii) a widget, a car and a wheel.

[0055]The phrase "based on" does not mean "based only on", unless expressly specified otherwise. In other words, the phrase "based on" describes both "based only on" and "based at least on".

[0056] Each process (whether called a method, algorithm or otherwise) inherently includes one or more steps, and therefore all references to a "step" or "steps" of a process have an inherent antecedent basis in the mere recitation of the term 'process' or a like term. Accordingly, any reference in a claim to a 'step' or 'steps' of a process has sufficient antecedent basis.

[0057]When an ordinal number (such as "first", "second", "third" and so on) is used as an adjective before a term, that ordinal number is used (unless expressly specified otherwise) merely to indicate a particular feature, such as to distinguish that particular feature from another feature that is described by the same term or by a similar term. For example, a "first widget" may be so named merely to distinguish it from, e.g., a "second widget". Thus, the mere usage of the ordinal numbers "first" and "second" before the term "widget" does not indicate any other relationship between the two widgets, and likewise does not indicate any other characteristics of either or both widgets. For example, the mere usage of the ordinal numbers "first" and "second" before the term "widget" (1) does not indicate that either widget comes before or after any other in order or location; (2) does not indicate that either widget occurs or acts before or after any other in time; and (3) does not indicate that either widget ranks above or below any other, as in importance or quality. In addition, the mere usage of ordinal numbers does not define a numerical limit to the features identified with the ordinal numbers. For example, the mere usage of the ordinal numbers "first" and "second" before the term "widget" does not indicate that there must be no more than two widgets.

[0058] When a single device, component or article is described herein, more than one device, component or article (whether or not they cooperate) may alternatively be used in place of the single device, component or article that is described. Accordingly, the functionality that is described as being possessed by a device may alternatively be possessed by more than one device, component or article (whether or not they cooperate).

[0059] Similarly, where more than one device, component or article is described herein (whether or not they cooperate), a single device, component or article may alternatively be used in place of the more than one device, component or article that is described. For example, a plurality of computer-based devices may be substituted with a single computer-based device. Accordingly, the various functionality that is described as being possessed by more than one device, component or article may alternatively be possessed by a single device, component or article.

[0060]The functionality and/or the features of a single device that is described may be alternatively embodied by one or more other devices that are described but are not explicitly described as having such functionality and/or features. Thus, other

embodiments need not include the described device itself, but rather can include the one or more other devices which would, in those other embodiments, have such

functionality/features.

[0061JA description of an embodiment with several components or features does not imply that all or even any of such components and/or features are required. On the contrary, a variety of optional components are described to illustrate the wide variety of possible embodiments of the present invention(s). Unless otherwise specified explicitly, no component and/or feature is essential or required.

[0062] Further, although process steps, algorithms or the like may be described in a sequential order, such processes may be configured to work in different orders. In other words, any sequence or order of steps that may be explicitly described does not necessarily indicate a requirement that the steps be performed in that order. The steps of processes described herein may be performed in any order practical. Further, some steps may be performed simultaneously despite being described or implied as occurring non-simultaneously (e.g., because one step is described after the other step). Moreover, the illustration of a process by its depiction in a drawing does not imply that the illustrated process is exclusive of other variations and modifications thereto, does not imply that the illustrated process or any of its steps are necessary to the invention, and does not imply that the illustrated process is preferred. [0063]Although a process may be described as including a plurality of steps, that does not indicate that all or even any of the steps are essential or required. Various other embodiments within the scope of the described invention(s) include other processes that omit some or all of the described steps. Unless otherwise specified explicitly, no step is essential or required.

[0064]Although a product may be described as including a plurality of components, aspects, qualities, characteristics and/or features, that does not indicate that all of the plurality are essential or required. Various other embodiments within the scope of the described invention(s) include other products that omit some or all of the described plurality.

[0065]An enumerated list of items (which may or may not be numbered) does not imply that any or all of the items are mutually exclusive, unless expressly specified otherwise. Likewise, an enumerated list of items (which may or may not be numbered) does not imply that any or all of the items are comprehensive of any category, unless expressly specified otherwise. For example, the enumerated list "a computer, a laptop, a PDA" does not imply that any or all of the three items of that list are mutually exclusive and does not imply that any or all of the three items of that list are comprehensive of any category.

[0066] Headings of sections provided in this disclosure are for convenience only, and are not to be taken as limiting the disclosure in any way.

[0067] "Determining" something can be performed in a variety of manners and therefore the term "determining" (and like terms) includes calculating, computing, deriving, looking up {e.g., in a table, database or data structure), ascertaining, recognizing, and the like.

[0068] A "display" as that term is used herein is an area that conveys information to a viewer. The information may be dynamic, in which case, an LCD, LED, CRT, Digital Light Processing (DLP), rear projection, or the like may be used to form the display.

Furthermore, the resolution of the display may be any appropriate resolution and the format of information sent to the display may be any appropriate format. The

information may likewise be static, in which case, painted glass may be used to form the display. Note that static information may be presented on a display capable of displaying dynamic information if desired. Some displays may be interactive and may include touch screen features or associated keypads as is well understood.

[0069] The present disclosure may refer to a "control system" or program. A control system or program, as that term is used herein, may be a computer processor coupled with an operating system, device drivers, and appropriate programs (collectively "software") with instructions to provide the functionality described for the control system. The software is stored in an associated memory device (sometimes referred to as a computer readable medium). While it is contemplated that an appropriately programmed general purpose microprocessor or computing device may be used, it is also contemplated that hard-wired circuitry or custom hardware e.g., an application specific integrated circuit (ASIC)) may be used in place of, or in combination with, software instructions for implementation of the processes of various embodiments. Thus, embodiments are not limited to any specific combination of hardware and software.

[0070JA "processor" means any one or more microprocessors, Central Processing Unit (CPU) devices, computing devices, microcontrollers, digital signal processors, or like devices. Exemplary processors are the INTEL PENTIUM or AMD ATHLON processors.

[0071]The present disclosure provides, to one of ordinary skill in the art, an enabling description of several embodiments and/or inventions. Some of these embodiments and/or inventions may not be claimed in the present application, but may nevertheless be claimed in one or more continuing applications that claim the benefit of priority of the present application. Applicants intend to file additional applications to pursue patents for subject matter that has been disclosed and enabled but not claimed in the present application.

[0072]The foregoing description discloses only example embodiments of the invention. Modifications of the above-disclosed apparatus, systems and methods which fall within the scope of the invention will be readily apparent to those of ordinary skill in the art.

[0073]Accordingly, while the present invention has been disclosed in connection with exemplary embodiments thereof, it should be understood that other embodiments may fall within the spirit and scope of the invention, as defined by the following claims.