Abstract:
System for controlling the interior of a vehicle including a center button for selecting a mode, an inner knob for selecting a function, and an outer knob for adjusting that function. The system may include an outer display for graphically displaying different options for adjusting the selected function. The system may also include a processor which may generate instructions to effectuate the function adjustment upon the user actuating the knobs and/or the center button. A display on the center button may display modes, and an inner display located behind the inner knob may display functions.

Description:
BACKGROUND 
     Vehicle manufacturers have added a number of new features to vehicle interior cabins over the last few decades to make their operation more comfortable and efficient. These features include: modern A/C and heating systems, GPS, satellite radio, back-up cameras, side cameras, seat warmers, power seat adjusters, power sun roof, power windows, automatic parking, etc. As more and more features are added, the control panel and dashboard of a vehicle become increasingly complex and cluttered, and the available space for controls for these features becomes increasingly scarce. 
     Some limitations of current control systems are that they occupy too much space and their control is not intuitive. Some manufacturers have attempted to solve the problem with touch screens that allow users to navigate through a series of screens in order to adjust some interior setting. However, these systems can be complex to use and may require significant screen area. 
     BRIEF SUMMARY 
     Systems for controlling one or more functions provided by a vehicle are disclosed. The systems may enable a user to select, from a plurality of functions provided by the vehicle, a function for control, to select a parameter value for the selected function, to select a mode for the selected function and/or to perform any other appropriate operations. In certain embodiments, a system in accordance with the disclosure may comprise a center button for selecting a mode, an inner knob for selecting a function, and an outer knob for controlling that function. Such a system may include an outer display for graphically displaying for the user one or more different options for adjusting the selected function. The system may include a processor which may be configured to generate instructions to effectuate the function adjustment upon the user actuating the knobs and/or the center button. 
     In certain embodiments, a system in accordance with the disclosure may include a display on the center button for displaying modes, and an inner display located behind the inner knob for displaying functions. The display on the center button may display a list of modes or the currently selected mode, and likewise the inner display may display a list of functions or the currently selected function. The system may include a center button and an inner knob that are fastened together so that when one is moved the other likewise moves. In certain embodiments, the buttons, knobs, and/or displays include in the system may be in circular shapes. 
     A given mode that may be by selected by the user via the systems disclosed may include a driver mode, a passenger mode, a zone mode, a mode that includes all passengers, and/or any other modes. A given function that may be selected by the user for control via the systems disclosed may include a temperature function, a wind magnitude function, a wind direction function, a seat adjustment function, a seat temperature function, and/or any other function(s) that may be provided by the vehicle. In certain embodiments, a system in accordance with the disclosure may include a feature where the center button, inner knob, and inner display are collapsed to form a planar surface that is flush with the outer display. In certain embodiments, the inner and outer knobs may be rotated into either a discrete number of positions or a continuous range of positions. 
     Additional features, advantages, and embodiments of the invention may be set forth or apparent from consideration of the following detailed description, drawings, and claims. Moreover, it is to be understood that both the foregoing summary of the invention and the following detailed description are exemplary and intended to provide further explanation without limiting the scope of the invention claimed. The detailed description and the specific examples, however, indicate only preferred embodiments of the invention. Various changes and modifications within the spirit and scope of the invention will become apparent to those skilled in the art from this detailed description. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
       The accompanying drawings, which are included to provide a further understanding of the invention, are incorporated in and constitute a part of this specification, illustrate embodiments of the invention and together with the detailed description serve to explain the principles of the invention. No attempt is made to show structural details of the invention in more detail than may be necessary for a fundamental understanding of the invention and various ways in which it may be practiced. 
         FIG. 1  shows a vehicle interior control inside a transportation apparatus, according to an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure. 
         FIG. 2A ,  FIG. 2B  and  FIG. 2C  show three different views of a vehicle interior control, according to an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure. 
         FIG. 3  shows a vehicle interior control, according to an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure. 
         FIG. 4  shows a vehicle interior control with the temperature function selected, according to an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure. 
         FIG. 5  shows a vehicle interior control with the wind direction function selected, according to an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure. 
         FIG. 6  shows a vehicle interior control with the wind quantity function selected, according to an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure. 
         FIG. 7  shows a vehicle interior control, according to an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure. 
         FIG. 8A ,  FIG. 8B  and  FIG. 8C  show a vehicle interior control with a collapsibility feature, according to an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure. 
         FIG. 9  shows a simplified computer system, according to an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure. 
     
    
    
     In the appended figures, similar components and/or features may have the same numerical reference label. Further, various components of the same type may be distinguished by following the reference label by a letter that distinguishes among the similar components and/or features. If only the first numerical reference label is used in the specification, the description is applicable to any one of the similar components and/or features having the same first numerical reference label irrespective of the letter suffix. 
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
     Various example embodiments of the present disclosure will be described below with reference to the drawings constituting a part of the description. It should be understood that, although terms representing directions are used in the present disclosure, such as “front”, “rear”, “upper”, “lower”, “left”, “right”, and the like, for describing various exemplary structural parts and elements of the present disclosure, these terms are used herein only for the purpose of convenience of explanation and are determined based on the exemplary orientations shown in the drawings. Since the embodiments disclosed by the present disclosure can be arranged according to different directions, these terms representing directions are merely used for illustration and should not be regarded as limiting. Wherever possible, the same or similar reference marks used in the present disclosure refer to the same components. 
     Unless defined otherwise, all technical terms used herein have the same meanings as commonly understood by one of ordinary skill in the art to which the invention pertains. The embodiments of the invention and the various features and advantageous details thereof are explained more fully with reference to the non-limiting embodiments and examples that are described and/or illustrated in the accompanying drawings and detailed in the following description. It should be noted that the features illustrated in the drawings are not necessarily drawn to scale, and features of one embodiment may be employed with other embodiments as the skilled artisan would recognize, even if not explicitly stated herein. Descriptions of well-known components and processing techniques may be omitted so as to not unnecessarily obscure the embodiments of the invention. The examples used herein are intended merely to facilitate an understanding of ways in which the invention may be practiced and to further enable those of skill in the art to practice the embodiments of the invention. Accordingly, the examples and embodiments herein should not be construed as limiting the scope of the invention, which is defined solely by the appended claims and applicable law. Moreover, it is noted that like reference numerals reference similar parts throughout the several views of the drawings. 
     Described herein, are embodiments for a vehicle interior control system that represent a significant improvement to currently available control systems. Embodiments of the disclosed vehicle interior control system simultaneously minimize space while maximizing control by allowing a user to iteratate through a wide range of functions using a button and knob configuration. Many manufacturers employ a touch screen system to adjust interior conditions of a vehicle, however touch screens can be difficult to use in a moving vehicle, and do not necessarily reduce the amount of occupied space on a vehicle&#39;s control panel or dashboard. A control system in accordance with the present disclosure is easy to interact with for the user, and in some embodiments, a user may adjust a vehicle&#39;s interior conditions by listening to audio commands that recite the currently selected mode, function, or parameter. Thus, this may lead to increased vehicle safety. 
       FIG. 1  generally illustrates an exemplary embodiment of a vehicle interior control  104  on a dashboard  102  in a transportation apparatus  100 . Transportation apparatus  100  may include any apparatus that moves in distance. Examples of transportation apparatus  100  may include a vehicle such as a car, a bus, a train, a truck, a tram, or any other type of vehicle; may include a vessel such as a boat, a ship, a barge, a ferry or any other type of watercraft; may include an aircraft such as an airplane, a spaceship, or any other type of aircraft; or may include any other transportation apparatus. In one example, transportation apparatus  100  is an electrical automobile. As shown, transportation apparatus  100  may include a cabin  101  with a volume. 
     As shown in  FIG. 1 , transportation apparatus  100  may comprise one or more steering wheels  106  in cabin  101 . Although only one steering wheel  106  is shown in  FIG. 1 , this is not intended to be limiting. In some examples, transportation apparatus  100  may include more than one steering wheel  106 . For example, it is contemplated that transportation apparatus  100  may be an aircraft that comprises at least a main steering wheel  106  for the main pilot and at least a secondary steering wheel  106  for a co-polit. 
     As also shown in  FIG. 1 , one or more users  108  may be arranged to occupy their corresponding positions in cabin  101 . Users  108  may include one or more drivers that control the movement or navigation of transportation apparatus  100 , one or more passengers, and/or any other type of users  108 . In this example, user  108   a  is a driver that controls the driving of transportation apparatus  100 , while other users  108 , e.g., users  108   b - d , are passengers. As still shown, there may be multiple rows of users  108  within cabin  101  of transportation apparatus  100 . 
     In some embodiments, vehicle interior control  104  can be accessed by any one of users  108 . In some embodiments, vehicle interior control  104  does not necessarily need to be located on dashboard  102 , but may be located at any location within transportation apparatus  100 , including a location on steering wheel  106 . Furthermore, vehicle interior control  104  can be used to adjust interior conditions for any one of users  108 . For example, user  108   a  may use vehicle interior control  104  to adjust certain interior conditions for user  108   d , e.g., seat temperature, seat adjustment, etc. Similarly, user  108   b  may use vehicle interior control  104  to adjust certain interior conditions for all users  108 , e.g., air temperature. 
       FIG. 2  shows three different views of a vehicle interior control  200 , according to an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure.  FIG. 2A  shows a top view,  FIG. 2B  shows a perspective view, and  FIG. 2C  shows a side view. In some embodiments, as shown in  FIG. 2 , vehicle interior control  200  comprises a center button  210  surrounded by an inner knob  220 , an inner display  230  surrounded by an outer knob  240 , and an outer display  250 . In some embodiments, vehicle interior control  200  comprises three different inputs through which a user may interact: center button  210  is able to be pushed, inner knob  220  is able to be rotated, and outer knob  240  is able to be rotated. These basic user input features are denoted in  FIG. 2  with arrows. In other embodiments, other inputs may be available to a user. For example, inner display  230  may be pushed or rotated, outer display  250  may be pushed or rotated, center button  210  may contain a fingerprint scanner, center button  210  may contain a microphone through which a user may audibly input commands, etc. 
     Although  FIG. 2  shows vehicle interior control  200  as having mostly circular components, this is not intended to be limiting. It should be understood that in some embodiments of the present disclosure the components are not circular. For example, in some embodiments center button  210  may be a triangle, square, hexagon, octagon, etc. Furthermore, inner knob  220  and outer knob  240  may be the same shape as center button  210 , or each may be a different shape. Outer display  250  in particular may take on a wide number of irregular shapes. In some embodiments, outer display  250  may take on the shape of the surface on which vehicle interior control  200  is placed. For example, outer display may take on a rectangular shape when it is positioned on a center console, or on the vehicle dashboard. 
     In some embodiments, center button  210  and inner knob  220  are distinct from each other and can be actuated independently from each other. In some embodiments, center button  210  may be secured to inner knob  220  such that by pressing center button  210 , inner knob  220  is also pressed, and similarly by rotating inner knob  220 , center button  210  is also rotated. In some embodiments, inner display  230  and outer knob  240  are distinct from each other and can be actuated independently from each other. In some embodiments, inner display  230  may be secured to outer knob  240  such that by rotating outer knob  240 , inner display  230  is also rotated. In some embodiments, outer knob  240  may be secured to outer display  250  such that by rotating outer knob  240 , outer display  250  is also rotated. 
     In some embodiments, not only are inner display  230  and outer display  250  capable of displaying information, but center button  210  may also be capable of displaying information. All displays on vehicle interior control  200  may be digital displays, such as those using LCD, plasma, or OLED technologies, or may they may be analog displays. Displays may also be configured to give a user feedback when an input is actuated, such as moving an indicator light or graphic as a knob is rotated or a button is pressed. 
     Vehicle interior control  200  can have a wide range of physical dimensions. In some embodiments, center button  210  is one-half inch to three inches in diameter, inner display  230  is one inch to five inches in diameter, and outer display  250  is two inches to ten inches in diameter. Furthermore, in some embodiments, inner knob  220  is one-half inch to two inches in height, and outer knob  240  is one-half inch to two inches in height. In some embodiments, vehicle interior control  200  may have dimensions much smaller or much larger than these ranges. 
       FIG. 3  shows a vehicle interior control  300 , according to an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure. Similar to the vehicle interior control shown in  FIG. 2 , vehicle control  300  comprises a center button  310  surrounded by an inner knob  320 , an inner display  330  surrounded by an outer knob  340 , and an outer display  350 . 
     In some embodiments, vehicle interior control  300  has a mode indicator  360 . Mode indicator  360  may indicate which driver(s) or passenger(s) the vehicle interior control  300  is currently directed to. For example, if the mode “driver” is selected by a user, mode indicator  360  may display the letter “D”. If the mode “passenger” is selected, mode indicator  360  may display the letter “P”. Mode indicator  360  may also show “A” for “all passengers”, “P1” for “first passenger”, “P2” for “second passenger”, etc. In some embodiments, mode selection may be performed by pressing center button  310 . For example, when the vehicle is turned on, mode indicator  360  may be turned off, and upon a user pressing center button  310  a “D” may be displayed. After pressing center button  310  a second time, a “P1” may be displayed, and after a third time, a “P2” may be displayed, etc. 
     In some embodiments, center button  310  is actuated by pressing. In some embodiments center button  310  may not actually physically move when pressed, behaving similar to a touch screen, and yet in other embodiments it may be pressed inward and afterwards immediately return to its initial position. In some embodiments, center button  310  may be actuated into a number of different vertical positions. For example, center button  310  may be pressed and actuated into a first vertical position that corresponds to a first mode. It may then be pressed into a second vertical position that corresponds to a second mode. In some embodiments, when center button  310  is actuated into a new mode, a signal may be transmitted to a processor indicating that the new mode has been selected. The processor may then send signals to displays and other controllable settings within a vehicle to reflect the new selected mode. 
     In some embodiments, mode indicator  360  may be located somewhere other than on center button  310 . For example, mode indicator  360  may be located on inner display  330 , on outer display  350 , or on some other location in the vehicle. In some embodiments, mode indicator  360  may be toggled by actuating an input other than by pressing center button  310 . For example, in some embodiments mode indicator  360  may be toggled by rotating inner knob  320 , rotating outer knob  340 , or by some audible input by a user. In some embodiments, mode indicator  360  may turn off after a certain period of time. For example, mode indicator  360  may turn off after twenty seconds of inactivity on all inputs of vehicle interior control  300 , and immediately turn back on once any input is actuated. 
     In some embodiments, vehicle interior control  300  has a function set  380  comprising a variety of different functions that correspond to different interior conditions that are capable of being adjusted. In some embodiments, function set  380  may be displayed on inner display  330  as icons, pictures, or words. In  FIG. 3 , function set  380  is displayed as a plurality of circles. The corresponding list of functions shown in  FIG. 3  is demonstrative only, and does not in any way limit the number of functions that can be included in function set  380 . Functions that may be included in function set  380  may be related to each other. For example, without limitation, function set  380  may include a set of functions related to temperate and airflow controls within the vehicle. However, it should be understood that this is not necessarily the only case. In some examples, the functions included in function set  380  may not related to each other. Examples of functions that may be part of function set  380  include: air temperature, seat temperature, wind direction, wind quantity, seat heater, seat adjuster, mirror adjuster, circulation mode, demist, defrost, defog, full-auto, power window control, window tinting, sun roof, radio, GPS, back-up camera, and/or any other function(s). In some embodiments, function set  380  is not limited to interior conditions of a vehicle, and may include features exclusively outside the vehicle cabin. For example, function set  380  may include functions relating to the vehicle&#39;s headlights, tires, engine, antenna, trunk, gas cover, etc. 
     In some embodiments, function set  380  may change depending on the current status of mode indicator  360 . For example, if a rear passenger is currently selected as displayed by mode indicator  360 , certain functions may be unavailable, such as seat heater, seat adjustment, etc. Similarly, certain functions may be unavailable when “all passengers” is selected as displayed by mode indicator  360 . For example, functions that are generally designed for individual passengers, e.g., seat heater and seat adjustment, may be omitted from function set  380  when more than one person is selected via mode indicator  360 . In some embodiments, the functions included in function set  380  may be selected by the user. For example, without limitations, the user may be enabled to add or remove a function from the function set. 
     In some embodiments, a function is selected from function set  380  by rotating inner knob  320 . In some embodiments inner knob  320  may not actually physically move when rotated, behaving similar to a touch screen, and yet in other embodiments it may be rotated over a range of discrete or continuous rotational positions. For example, inner knob  320  may be rotated into a first rotational position that corresponds to a first function. It may then be rotated into a second rotational position that corresponds to a second function. In some embodiments, when inner knob  320  is rotated into a new function, a signal may be transmitted to a processor indicating that the new function has been selected. The processor may then send signals to displays and other controllable settings within a vehicle to reflect the new selected function. 
     In some embodiments, vehicle interior control  300  has a function indicator  370  that indicates which function of function set  380  is currently selected.  FIG. 3  shows function indicator  370  as a displayed line on center button  310  that points to a selected function within function set  380 , which are displayed on inner display  330 . However this is just one example of how function indicator  370  may be used to indicate which function is selected. For example, function indicator  370  may be on the same display as function set  380  (as shown in  FIG. 4 ) or on different, multiple displays. In some embodiments, center button  310  may be pressed to move function indicator  370  which is displayed on outer display  350 , while function set  380  is displayed on inner display  330 . In other embodiments, outer knob  340  may be rotated to move function indicator  370  which is displayed on inner display  330 , while function set  380  is displayed on center button  310 . It is easy to see the wide range of embodiments that are available through the present disclosure. 
       FIG. 4  shows a vehicle interior control  400  with the temperature function selected, according to an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure. Similar to the previous examples, vehicle control  400  comprises a center button  410  surrounded by an inner knob  420 , an inner display  430  surrounded by an outer knob  440 , and an outer display  450 . In this example, function indicator  470  is both a line on center button  410  and a darkened circle on inner display  430 . 
     In some embodiments, vehicle interior control  400  displays parameter values  490  on one of its displays. In  FIG. 4 , parameter values  490  is displayed on outer display  450 . In some embodiments, parameter values  490  gives a user the ability to select a parameter value for the selected mode and function. A user may rotate outer knob  440  and scroll through various temperatures (parameter values) until they are satisfied. In some embodiments, parameter values  490  may change depending on the selected mode. For example, if mode indicator  460  displays “D”, indicating the driver is selected, and a user presses center button  410  and changes it to “P2”, indicating the second passenger is selected, a signal may be sent to a processor which may then modify both the temperature range (parameter values  490 ) and the currently selected temperature. 
     In some embodiments, a parameter value is selected from parameter values  490  by rotating outer knob  440 . In some embodiments outer knob  440  may not actually physically move when rotated, behaving similar to a touch screen, and yet in other embodiments it may be rotated over a range of discrete or continuous rotational positions. For example, outer knob  440  may be rotated into a first rotational position that corresponds to a first parameter value. It may then be rotated into a second rotational position that corresponds to a second parameter value. In some embodiments, when outer knob  440  is rotated into a new parameter value, a signal may be transmitted to a processor indicating that the new parameter value has been selected. The processor may then send signals to displays and other controllable settings within a vehicle to reflect the new selected parameter value. 
     In some embodiments, mode selection, function selection, and parameter selection may be discrete or continuous processes. For example, although  FIG. 4  shows a discrete mode selection (“D”, “P”, “P1”, etc.), a discrete function selection (“temperature”, “wind direction”, “wind quantity”, etc.), and a continuous parameter value selection (continuous range of temperatures), any one of these may change from discrete to continuous or vice versa. For example, mode indicator  460  may instead of selecting discrete passengers in the vehicle, select a certain location in the vehicle out of a continuous range of locations, e.g., “2.3 feet forward and 1.2 feet left of center of vehicle” or “3.1 feet from front of vehicle”. An example of a discrete range for parameter selection will be shown in  FIG. 5 . 
     In some embodiments, vehicle interior control  400  may provide audio feedback to a user when mode indicator  460 , function indicator  470 , or a selected parameter value from parameter values  490  are modified. For example, by pressing center button  410 , vehicle interior control  400  may output through a speaker the word “driver”. Similarly, by rotating inner knob  420 , vehicle interior control  400  may output through a speaker the words “seat heater”. Audible feedback may, in some embodiments, provide a driver of a vehicle a method of adjusting interior conditions without taking his or her eyes off the road, increasing vehicle safety. Audible feedback additionally provides vehicle interior control  400  a way to achieve controllability without the use of mode indicator  460 , function indicator  470 , and inner display  430 . 
       FIG. 5  shows a vehicle interior control  500  with the wind direction function selected, according to an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure. In some embodiments, the function of wind direction controls the routing of hot or cold air through the vehicle&#39;s HVAC system. Note that unlike the previous example in  FIG. 5 , parameter values  590  are discrete and can only take on a limited number of parameter values, which for this example is five. Furthermore, function indicator  570  is not displayed on center button  510  but is displayed on both inner display  530  and outer display  550 . 
       FIG. 6  shows a vehicle interior control  600  with the wind quantity function selected, according to an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure. Vehicle interior control  600  has discrete parameter values  690  (displaying possible wind quantities from  0  to  4 ) displayed on outer display  650  and, unlike previous examples, has a function indicator  670  displayed solely on inner display  630 . In this example, vehicle interior control  600  has a mode indicator  660  displaying “P2” which may indicate “second passenger”, and may refer to some passenger in the vehicle. Note that unlike in previous examples, outer display  650  is not circular, and that outer display  650  can take on any one of a wide number of shapes. 
       FIG. 7  shows a vehicle interior control  700 , according to an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure. Vehicle interior control  700  shows discrete parameter values  790  showing possible seat adjustment selections. In some embodiments, after the function and mode have been selected, the indicators that correspond to function and mode may disappear to give vehicle interior control  700  a cleaner look. In this example, vehicle interior control  700  has a center button  710  that is blank and an inner display  730  that is blank. Vehicle interior control  700  additionally shows a parameter value indicator  795  which, similar to the function indicator and mode indicator, indicates which parameter is currently being selected by the user. In some embodiments, parameter value indicator  795  may be moved to different parameter values of parameter values  790  by rotating outer knob  740 . In some embodiments, parameter value indicator  795  may be moved by pressing center button  710 , or by rotating inner knob  720 . 
       FIG. 8  shows one of many possible features vehicle interior control  800  can have. Vehicle interior control  800  has a collapsibility feature that allows the entire device to become flush with the surface in which the device is placed. In this example, vehicle interior control  800  is collapsed by pressing center  810  with additional force than is required to simply actuate it. In some embodiments, the collapsibility feature can be triggered through an input at a similar or different location. In some embodiments, vehicle interior control  800  is collapsed first by center button  810  collapsing into inner display  830 , and subsequently by inner display  830  collapsing into outer display  850 . In some embodiments, these two collapsing sequences may occur simultaneously or in reverse order. 
       FIG. 9  illustrates an embodiment of a computer system  900 . A computer system  900  as illustrated in  FIG. 9  may be incorporated into devices such as a portable electronic device, mobile phone, or other device as described herein.  FIG. 9  provides a schematic illustration of one embodiment of a computer system  900  that can perform some or all of the steps of the methods provided by various embodiments. It should be noted that  FIG. 9  is meant only to provide a generalized illustration of various components, any or all of which may be utilized as appropriate.  FIG. 9 , therefore, broadly illustrates how individual system elements may be implemented in a relatively separated or relatively more integrated manner. 
     The computer system  900  is shown comprising hardware elements that can be electrically coupled via a bus  905 , or may otherwise be in communication, as appropriate. The hardware elements may include one or more processors  910 , including without limitation one or more general-purpose processors and/or one or more special-purpose processors such as digital signal processing chips, graphics acceleration processors, and/or the like; one or more input devices  915 , which can include without limitation a mouse, a keyboard, a camera, and/or the like; and one or more output devices  920 , which can include without limitation a display device, a printer, and/or the like. 
     The computer system  900  may further include and/or be in communication with one or more non-transitory storage devices  925 , which can comprise, without limitation, local and/or network accessible storage, and/or can include, without limitation, a disk drive, a drive array, an optical storage device, a solid-state storage device, such as a random access memory (“RAM”), and/or a read-only memory (“ROM”), which can be programmable, flash-updateable, and/or the like. Such storage devices may be configured to implement any appropriate data stores, including without limitation, various file systems, database structures, and/or the like. 
     The computer system  900  might also include a communications subsystem  930 , which can include without limitation a modem, a network card (wireless or wired), an infrared communication device, a wireless communication device, and/or a chipset such as a Bluetooth™ device, an 802.11 device, a WiFi device, a WiMax device, cellular communication facilities, etc., and/or the like. The communications subsystem  930  may include one or more input and/or output communication interfaces to permit data to be exchanged with a network such as the network described below to name one example, other computer systems, television, and/or any other devices described herein. Depending on the desired functionality and/or other implementation concerns, a portable electronic device or similar device may communicate image and/or other information via the communications subsystem  930 . In other embodiments, a portable electronic device, e.g. the first electronic device, may be incorporated into the computer system  900 , e.g., an electronic device as an input device  915 . In some embodiments, the computer system  900  will further comprise a working memory  935 , which can include a RAM or ROM device, as described above. 
     The computer system  900  also can include software elements, shown as being currently located within the working memory  935 , including an operating system  940 , device drivers, executable libraries, and/or other code, such as one or more application programs  945 , which may comprise computer programs provided by various embodiments, and/or may be designed to implement methods, and/or configure systems, provided by other embodiments, as described herein. Merely by way of example, one or more procedures described with respect to the methods discussed above, such as those described in relation to  FIG. 7 , might be implemented as code and/or instructions executable by a computer and/or a processor within a computer; in an aspect, then, such code and/or instructions can be used to configure and/or adapt a general purpose computer or other device to perform one or more operations in accordance with the described methods. 
     A set of these instructions and/or code may be stored on a non-transitory computer-readable storage medium, such as the storage device(s)  925  described above. In some cases, the storage medium might be incorporated within a computer system, such as computer system  900 . In other embodiments, the storage medium might be separate from a computer system e.g., a removable medium, such as a compact disc, and/or provided in an installation package, such that the storage medium can be used to program, configure, and/or adapt a general purpose computer with the instructions/code stored thereon. These instructions might take the form of executable code, which is executable by the computer system  900  and/or might take the form of source and/or installable code, which, upon compilation and/or installation on the computer system  900  e.g., using any of a variety of generally available compilers, installation programs, compression/decompression utilities, etc., then takes the form of executable code. 
     It will be apparent to those skilled in the art that substantial variations may be made in accordance with specific requirements. For example, customized hardware might also be used, and/or particular elements might be implemented in hardware, software including portable software, such as applets, etc., or both. Further, connection to other computing devices such as network input/output devices may be employed. 
     As mentioned above, in one aspect, some embodiments may employ a computer system such as the computer system  900  to perform methods in accordance with various embodiments of the technology. According to a set of embodiments, some or all of the procedures of such methods are performed by the computer system  900  in response to processor  910  executing one or more sequences of one or more instructions, which might be incorporated into the operating system  940  and/or other code, such as an application program  945 , contained in the working memory  935 . Such instructions may be read into the working memory  935  from another computer-readable medium, such as one or more of the storage device(s)  925 . Merely by way of example, execution of the sequences of instructions contained in the working memory  935  might cause the processor(s)  910  to perform one or more procedures of the methods described herein. Additionally or alternatively, portions of the methods described herein may be executed through specialized hardware. 
     The terms “machine-readable medium” and “computer-readable medium,” as used herein, refer to any medium that participates in providing data that causes a machine to operate in a specific fashion. In an embodiment implemented using the computer system  900 , various computer-readable media might be involved in providing instructions/code to processor(s)  910  for execution and/or might be used to store and/or carry such instructions/code. In many implementations, a computer-readable medium is a physical and/or tangible storage medium. Such a medium may take the form of a non-volatile media or volatile media. Non-volatile media include, for example, optical and/or magnetic disks, such as the storage device(s)  925 . Volatile media include, without limitation, dynamic memory, such as the working memory  935 . 
     Common forms of physical and/or tangible computer-readable media include, for example, a floppy disk, a flexible disk, hard disk, magnetic tape, or any other magnetic medium, a CD-ROM, any other optical medium, punchcards, papertape, any other physical medium with patterns of holes, a RAM, a PROM, EPROM, a FLASH-EPROM, any other memory chip or cartridge, or any other medium from which a computer can read instructions and/or code. 
     Various forms of computer-readable media may be involved in carrying one or more sequences of one or more instructions to the processor(s)  910  for execution. Merely by way of example, the instructions may initially be carried on a magnetic disk and/or optical disc of a remote computer. A remote computer might load the instructions into its dynamic memory and send the instructions as signals over a transmission medium to be received and/or executed by the computer system  900 . 
     The communications subsystem  930  and/or components thereof generally will receive signals, and the bus  905  then might carry the signals and/or the data, instructions, etc. carried by the signals to the working memory  935 , from which the processor(s)  910  retrieves and executes the instructions. The instructions received by the working memory  935  may optionally be stored on a non-transitory storage device  925  either before or after execution by the processor(s)  910 . 
     The methods, systems, and devices discussed above are examples. Various configurations may omit, substitute, or add various procedures or components as appropriate. For instance, in alternative configurations, the methods may be performed in an order different from that described, and/or various stages may be added, omitted, and/or combined. Also, features described with respect to certain configurations may be combined in various other configurations. Different aspects and elements of the configurations may be combined in a similar manner. Also, technology evolves and, thus, many of the elements are examples and do not limit the scope of the disclosure or claims. 
     Specific details are given in the description to provide a thorough understanding of exemplary configurations including implementations. However, configurations may be practiced without these specific details. For example, well-known circuits, processes, algorithms, structures, and techniques have been shown without unnecessary detail in order to avoid obscuring the configurations. This description provides example configurations only, and does not limit the scope, applicability, or configurations of the claims. Rather, the preceding description of the configurations will provide those skilled in the art with an enabling description for implementing described techniques. Various changes may be made in the function and arrangement of elements without departing from the spirit or scope of the disclosure. 
     Also, configurations may be described as a process which is depicted as a flow diagram or block diagram. Although each may describe the operations as a sequential process, many of the operations can be performed in parallel or concurrently. In addition, the order of the operations may be rearranged. A process may have additional steps not included in the figure. Furthermore, examples of the methods may be implemented by hardware, software, firmware, middleware, microcode, hardware description languages, or any combination thereof. When implemented in software, firmware, middleware, or microcode, the program code or code segments to perform the necessary tasks may be stored in a non-transitory computer-readable medium such as a storage medium. Processors may perform the described tasks. 
     Having described several example configurations, various modifications, alternative constructions, and equivalents may be used without departing from the spirit of the disclosure. For example, the above elements may be components of a larger system, wherein other rules may take precedence over or otherwise modify the application of the technology. Also, a number of steps may be undertaken before, during, or after the above elements are considered. Accordingly, the above description does not bind the scope of the claims. 
     As used herein and in the appended claims, the singular forms “a”, “an”, and “the” include plural references unless the context clearly dictates otherwise. Thus, for example, reference to “a user” includes a plurality of such users, and reference to “the processor” includes reference to one or more processors and equivalents thereof known to those skilled in the art, and so forth. 
     Also, the words “comprise”, “comprising”, “contains”, “containing”, “include”, “including”, and “includes”, when used in this specification and in the following claims, are intended to specify the presence of stated features, integers, components, or steps, but they do not preclude the presence or addition of one or more other features, integers, components, steps, acts, or groups.