Abstract:
A technique for inputting data, such as selecting a particular function of electronic device, using a touch screen of the electronic device, includes detecting when an object, such as a finger or a stylus or a pointed object, is touching the touch screen and detecting when the object is no longer touching the touch screen. The location of the object touching the touch screen is also detected. The time duration from the time of detection of the object first touching the touch screen until the time of detection of the object no longer touching the touch screen is detected. A determination of the data being inputted, such as the particular function of the electronic device being selected, is made based on the detected location of the object on the touch screen and the measured time duration. The detecting that the object is touching the touch screen may include detecting that a pressure of the object on the touch screen is greater than a predetermined value and the detecting that the object is no longer touching the catch screen may include detecting that the pressure of the object on the touch screen is less than a predetermined value. The measuring of the time duration may include determining which of a predetermined group of time duration ranges the measured time duration is within.

Description:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS 
   The present application is related to U.S. application Ser. No. 09/609,581, filed in the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office on Jun. 20, 2000; U.S. application Ser. Nos. 09/607,637 and 09/607,638, both filed in the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office on Jun. 30, 2000; and U.S. application Ser. No. 09/659,416, filed in the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office on Sep. 11, 2000, the content of these applications being incorporated by reference herein in their entirety. Furthermore, priority is claimed under 35 U.S.C. §120 for the aforecited U.S. application Ser. No. 09/607,638. 
   BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
   The present invention relates to electronic devices and more particularly to a touch screen input technique for allowing a user input to an electronic device having a touch screen. 
   Advances in technology have resulted in smaller and more sophisticated electronic devices becoming available. These devices, such as portable communication devices, allow a user wireless access to communication networks, thereby enabling both Internet access and two-way e-mail communication. 
   As the size of these communication devices decreases and as the number of functions increase, it has become increasingly important for a user to be able to enter commands and information into the communication device in an efficient manner. With a reduction in size of the device, a keypad input device must also be reduced in size, thereby decreasing the efficiency with which information can be input by reducing the number and size of the keys. Furthermore, with a reduction in size of the device, the display size must also be reduced. Still furthermore, the use of a mouse with such devices is usually not possible since a mouse requires a flat clean surface to be properly used. 
   The use of a touch screen input device that serves both as a display and as an input device for the communication device allows a larger display in that a large keypad is no longer required since many of the functions have been taken over by the use of the display screen as an input device. A user enters information and data by touching the display screen at specific points. 
   U.S. Pat. No. 4,700,022 to Salvador et al. is directed to a method an apparatus for determining the coordinates of a contact point on a resistive type semi-analog sensitive surface. The coordinates are of a zone of contact of a conductive object, such as a finger, on a sensitive surface consisting of an insulating support having a grate formed by two terminals between which a certain number of emitting resistant strips are connected in parallel and having detecting conductive strips placed between the resistant strips. This patent merely discloses one of many techniques for determining the location of the zone of contact on a touch sensitive screen. 
   U.S. Pat. No. 5,119,079 to Hube et al. is directed to a touch screen user interface with expanding touch locations for a reprographic machine. The interface allows the expansion of the area for selection on the touch screen so as to improve the accuracy of selection thereof. 
   U.S. Pat. No. 5,545,857 to Lee et al. is directed to a remote control device having a touch screen allowing a user input via the touch screen. 
   While the three above-noted patents each disclose the use of a touch screen for inputting purposes, none of these patents teach or suggest a touch screen arrangement in which both the location and the time duration of a finger or other object contacting the touch screen are detected, the detected time duration being quantized into two or more values, each value corresponding to a specific input state. 
   SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
   An object of the present invention is to provide a touch screen technique for an electronic device, for example, which allows such electronic device to have a reasonably large display screen in a compact configuration. The keypad of the device or substantial portions of the keypad of the device are deleted and their functions implemented by the touch screen display screen, thereby allowing more space to be utilized for the display screen. 
   Another object of the present invention is to provide a touch screen technique for an electronic device in which both the location and the time duration of an object, such as a finger, contacting or pressing a detection point on the touch screen, are detected. The detected time duration is quantized into two or more values, each value corresponding to a specific input state. The interpretation of the contact detection may be dependent on the application and/or program phase active in the electronic device. For example, pressing a selection point for a first predetermined time period may correspond to single clicking the left button on a mouse so as to open a tool tip or to indicate alternatives available in the application of the selection point or processing phase of the application at the selection point. On the other hand, pressing a selection point for a second predetermined period of time which is longer than the first predetermined period of time may correspond to double-clicking the left button on a mouse so as to access and activate the object of the selection point. 

   
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
     The foregoing and a better and the standing of the present invention will become apparent from the following detailed description of example embodiments and the claims when read in connection with the accompanying drawings, all forming a part of the disclosure of this invention. While the foregoing and following written and illustrated disclosure focuses on disclosing example embodiments of the invention, it should be understood that the same is by way of illustration and example only and the invention is not limited thereto. The spirit and scope of the present invention are limited only by the terms of the appended claims. 
     The following represents brief descriptions of the drawings, wherein: 
       FIG. 1  is a block diagram of an example communication network having mobile terminals that are capable of communicating with a mobile display appliance (MDA) system having an MDA server with related services; 
       FIG. 2  is a block diagram of the MDA server of the MDA system of the network of  FIG. 1 ; 
       FIG. 3  is a block diagram of an example of a mobile terminal that may operate within the MDA system of  FIG. 1 ; 
       FIG. 4  is a flowchart of the process for establishing a family session and a private session between the mobile terminal of  FIG. 3  and the MDA server of  FIG. 1 ; 
       FIG. 5  is a flowchart of the process for establishing a communication link between the mobile terminal of  FIG. 3  and the MDA server; 
       FIGS. 6   a – 6   d  are illustrations of a technique utilizing touchscreen inputs according to an embodiment of the invention; 
   

   DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
   Before beginning a detailed description of the subject invention, mention of the following is in order. When appropriate, like reference numerals and characters may be used to designate identical, corresponding, or similar components in differing drawing figures. Furthermore, in the detailed description to follow, example sizes/models/values/ranges may be given, although the present invention is not limited thereto. Still furthermore, clock signals and timing signals on ranta scale and instead, exemplary and critical time values are mentioned when appropriate. As a final note, well-known components have not been shown within the drawing figures for simplicity of illustration and discussion and so as not to obscure the present invention. 
     FIG. 1  is a block diagram of an example communication network having mobile terminals that are capable of communicating with a mobile display appliance (MDA) system having an MDA server with related services. Network  10  includes terminals  20   a – 20   c , each coupled over a wireless interface to an access point  22 , for communicating with the network and transmitting and retrieving information for a user. More specifically, the access point  22  is coupled to an Internet Service Provider (ISP)  24 , which is coupled to the Internet  26 . Accordingly, the access point  24  has an Internet address relative to the Internet address of the ISP  24 . Additionally, the ISP  24  is coupled to a Mobile Display Appliance (MDA) server  28  that provides the users, through terminals  20   a – 20   c , with specific services and features, which will be discussed herein. 
   Terminals  20   a – 20   c  each includes a user input and output device for allowing a user to access services of the MDA server  28 . The MDA server  28  provides services, such as e-mail, calendar, notes, ability to shop on line, and necessary authentication, as well as third-party services and information. 
   Terminals  20   a ,  20   b , and  20   c  are coupled to the access point  22  via wireless connections  30   a ,  30   b , and  30   c , respectively; hence, the user has portable or mobile access to the Internet  26  and the services provided by the MDA server  28 . More specifically, terminals  20   a – 20   c  may be coupled to the access point  22  using a Wireless Local-Area-Network Gateway (WLAN GW) that is installed at a specific location, such as the user&#39;s premises or location. Although terminals  20   a – 20   c  are shown as being coupled to the MDA server  28  through the ISP  24 , the present invention, as set forth in the claims, is not limited thereby. Furthermore, in the illustrated network of  FIG. 1 , the ISP  24  is not acting as the MDA server  28  and vice versa, even though this is possible. For example, terminals  20   a – 20   c  may be coupled directly to the MDA server  28  through the access point  22 . 
   Additionally, even though the access point  22  is shown as being coupled to the ISP  24  through a landline  32 , the present invention as set forth in the claims is not limited thereby. For example, the access point  22  can be wirelessly coupled to the ISP  24 . Thus, the terminal  20  accesses the ISP  24  through the access point  22 , and thus the user can access, navigate through, and retrieve information from the Internet  26  using the terminal  20 . 
   In order for a terminal, such as terminals  20   a – 20   c , to have access to the services of the MDA server  28 , the MDA server  28  must authenticate and authorize each terminal&#39;s access. Although only the authentication and authorization steps relating to each terminal  20   a – 20   c  are discussed in detail, the teachings set forth herein are also applicable to other terminals. Upon proper authentication of each terminal  20   a – 20   c , the user can access the services of the MDA server  28  at the authorized level of authentication. 
   There are two levels of authentication that provide access to the services and information of the MDA server: the family level and the private level. The family level is a level of authentication that occurs based on the identity of each of the terminals  20   a – 20   c  in order to initiate a family session. In order to create a family, at least one terminal is needed, but typically there are several terminals that make up a family, and each terminal has a unique identity that allows the terminal access to a family session at the family level. Thus, for example, anyone having access to terminal  20   a  could have access to the family level information. The family level authentication may be based on the identity of the hardware of the terminal  20   a , and the authentication may automatically occur when the unit is powered on. Even though the authentication at the family level may automatically occur, the present invention, as set forth in the claims, is not limited thereby. For example, the terminal  20   a  could request input from the user  9  in order to initiate the family level authentication process. Once the terminal  20   a  is authorized to access the services, then each user is able to access information and services that are available to all other users in the family as well as to initiate a private session to access private information and services available only to that user. 
   Unlike the family session at the family level, the level of authentication for a private session at the private level requires input from the user to allow the user of a terminal, such as, for example, terminal  20   a , access to information intended only for that user. For example, the user could use any terminal that is within the user&#39;s family and then initiate a private session to access information and services specific to that user. The authentication can be done using anything that is unique and only known by that user, such as a password. Thus, the user can have a private session with a secured level of privacy of information and/or services unique to that user, regardless of which terminal is being used. However, as indicated above, anyone having access to the terminal  20   a  would have access to the family level information and services, because itis assumed for exemplary purposes that authentication is based on the hardware of the terminal  20   a  and occurs automatically, and a family session is always active when the terminal is on. This allows anyone, even an unauthorized user, to access the family level services and to perform tasks, and access the Internet through the ISP  24  coupled to the access point  22 . 
   In addition to the ISP  24 , the access point  22  is also coupled to a business owner  34 . The business owner  34  includes a global address server  36  and a global upgrade server  38 . The Internet address of the global address server  36  may be permanently contained in the memory of the terminal  20 . The global address server  36  is a place form which all the terminals, such as terminals  20   a ,  20   b , and  20   c , can fetch the Internet address of their respective MDA server. The advantage of having each terminal  20   a – 20   c  store the Internet address of the global address server  36  is that if terminals  20   a – 20   c  were relocated near another access point, then terminals  20   a – 20   c  can still obtain the Internet address location of the MDA server  28  simply by knowing the Internet address of the global address server  36 . However, the invention as set forth in the claims is not limited thereby. For example, the Internet address of the MDA server  28  could be stored on terminals  20   a – 20   c , and the memory of terminals  20   a – 20   c  could be updated as needed. 
   An advantage to storing the Internet address of the global address server  36  on each terminal  20   a – 20   c  is that the association between terminal and MDA server as well as changes in the Internet address of MDA servers can be easily and efficiently appreciated without having to update the memory of each terminal. The global update server  38  updates the global address sever  36  each time there is a change in the association between terminal and MDA server, when there are new terminals to associate with an MDA server, or if the Internet address of a particular MDA server is changed. 
   With the Internet address of the global address server  36  stored in the memory of the terminal  20 , the terminal  20  is able to request and retrieve the Internet address of the MDA server  28  from the global address sever  36 . The global address server  36  stores information about the location of the MDA server  28  and all other MDA servers in the network and the corresponding relation between each terminal and its MDA server, Thus, the terminal  20  is always able to obtain the address of the MDA server  28 , which is the MDA server designed to serve the terminal  20 . For example, the terminal  40  coupled through an access point  42  to an ISP  44  can retrieve the Internet address of the MDA server  28  from the global address server  36 , provided that the MDA server  28  is the MDA server designated to serve the terminal  40  and that the terminal  40  is authenticated by the MDA server  28  as an authorized user of the services. 
   The user profile and terminal-specific user interface configuration settings, as well as software component or program updates to the server  28 , are controlled and effected by a configuration tool manager  39  (as shown in  FIG. 1 ) of management server  37 . Possible configuration changes may affect both server  28  and/94 terminals  20   a–c , and  40 . 
     FIG. 2  is a block diagram of the MDA server of the MDA system of the network of  FIG. 1 . The MDA server  38  may include an application server  46 , a support server  48 , a network application server  50 , and a directory server  52 . It will be apparent to those skilled in the art that the referenced connections do not depict the physical connections between the logical elements; the emphasis is merely on the logical connections. The support server  48  provides services oriented toward enabling and supporting the services provided to the terminal  20 . The support server  48  may include an upgrade services unit  54 , a login services unit  56 , a profile services unit  58 , an advertisement services unit  60 , an administrative services unit  62 , and a defined services unit  64 . 
   The upgrade services unit  54  is a specific means for controlled software upgrade of the software for the support server  48 . The login services unit  56  provides the means for authentication of the user and the terminal  20  that is being used to access the services. Additionally, the login services unit  56  is also responsible for log-off activities, such as private session termination. The profile services unit  58  provides a means for modifying a user&#39;s profile information, e.g., family and private information and preferences. The administration services unit  62  provides a means for administration of the support server  48  and the application server  46 . The advertisement services unit  60  provides a means for the MDA server  28  to tailor advertisements to the user and the terminal  20  according to the user&#39;s profile information. The defined services unit  64  is a classification of other services containing items like bookmark management services, help services, log services, name management services, and general management services. 
     FIG. 3  is a block diagram of a mobile terminal  20   a  that operates within the MDA system of  FIG. 1 . Terminals  20   b  and  20   c  may be similar in design. Terminal  20   a  may include a touch screen display  70 , a browser  74 , a driver  76 , and hardware  78 . The hardware  78  may include a memory for storing data, such as the Internet address of the global address server  36 , and the software for operating the terminal  20 , such as the browser  74 . Hardware  78  may include a touch screen controller  79  for controlling the input process for touch screen  70 . As the terminal  20   a  is turned on, the driver  76  retrieves data relating to the Internet address of the global address server  36 . Once the terminal  20   a  is turned on, it is coupled to the access point  22  and the ISP  24 . Thus, the terminal  20   a  is able to obtain its own Internet address. Using the Internet address of the global address server  36 , the terminal  20   a  is coupled to the global address server  36  and sends a request in order to obtain the Internet address of the MDA server  28 . Once the terminal  20   a  has the Internet address of its MDA server  28 , it is then coupled to the MDA server  28 . The MDA server  28  authenticates, using the unique identity of the hardware  78  of the terminal  20   a , that the terminal  20   a  has family level access privileges. Accordingly, the terminal  20   a  is authenticated and logged onto the MDA server  28  to begin a family session at a family level. Thus, the user can now access services or retrieve information from the MDA server  28  or the Internet  26 . In order for the user to initiate a private session and retrieve private information, the user must use the terminal  20   a  and provide further authentication to the MDA server  28  to gain access at the private level. It will be apparent to those skilled in the art that at either the family level or the private level, the user is able to retrieve information related to the family of users as well as browse the Internet  26  to retrieve information. 
   The browser  74  is a typical browser and may include such features as HyperText Transfer Protocol (HTTP), JAVA script, and cascade style sheet capability. As with typical Personal Computers (PCs), the browser  74  helps the user navigate through and retrieve information from the Internet once the user is connected to the ISP  24  through the terminal  20 . The user utilizes the terminal  20   a  to connect to both the ISP  24  and the MDA server  28  using authentication protocol as discussed in detail herein. The terminal  20   a  is the primary means of access by the user to the MDA server  28  and the related services and applications. However, the user can also access the ISP  24  and the MDA server  28  using a PC  20   d  or non-mobile terminal using appropriate family level authentication initiated manually. 
   In order to retrieve information or to request services from the MDA server  28  or the Internet  26 , the user provides the input touch screen display  70 . The user can provide input using a virtual keyboard displayed on the display  70 , using keyboard  72 , or through the touch screen input on the touch screen display  70  utilizing various process and functions according to the embodiments of the invention. Even though the virtual keyboard may be used as the user retrieves information from the Internet  26 , such as a web page, the user can receive the information at the display  70  of the terminal  20  in a full screen format. Full screen format is available because the U 1  framework  72  disappears when the user types a Universal Resource Locator (URL) or follows a hyperlink while navigating the Internet  26 . In order to return to the U 1  framework  72 , the user presses a button  80  and the virtual keyboard as well as the header and footer related to the services are presented again. Additionally, once the user presses the button  80 , the web page, which was a full screen displayed prior to pressing the button  80 , is reduced to a thumbnail view and positioned in the display  70 , such as in the bottom left corner of the footer. Consequently, the user has a shortcut to quickly access the web page that was previously visited or to save that web page as a bookmark. 
     FIG. 4  illustrates an example of the process of authenticating a terminal at the family level to initiate a family session and authenticating the user at the private level to initiate a private session. The process of  FIG. 4  begins at step  400 . At step  402 , it is determined whether the terminal is turned on. At step  404 , if it is determined that the terminal is not turned on, then a communication link cannot be established through an access point to the MDA server; hence, the process returns to step  402  until the terminal is turned on. On the other hand, if the terminal is turned on, then the terminal establishes a connection to the access point, and hence to an ISP and a global address server. At step  408 , the terminal obtains the Internet address of its MDA server from the global address server. 
   At step  410 , the terminal communicates with the MDA server and is authenticated as an authorized terminal with access to information and services at the family level, and the family session begins and continues until the terminal is turned off, Once the MDA server recognizes the terminal, establishing the family session is an automatic background activity carried out by the terminal and transparent to the user, which is discussed with respect to  FIG. 5 . In order for the user to establish a private session and access private information and services, the user has to log in as a private user at the private level. 
   At step  412 , it is determined if the user is an authorized private user. At step  414 , if the user is not authenticated as a private user, then the user will only be given access to a family session with the family level information and services. On the other hand, at step  416 , if the user is an authorized private user, then a private session is established and the user is allowed access to the private information and services. Although the private level information and services may be the same for all users, the content will vary from user to user. 
   At stop  418 , in the private session the user retrieves information and uses the private level services provided by the MDA server. At step  420 , it is determined if the user wants to terminate the private session and return to the family level. If it is determined that the user does not want to terminate the private session, then the user continues the private session at the private level and the process returns to step  418 . On the other hand, if it is determined that the user wants to terminate the private session, then at step  422 , the private session is terminated and the user goes from the private level to the family level. At step  424 , it is determined if the terminal is still turned on. If the terminal is turned on, then the process returns to step  412 , with the user at the family level in a family session. Otherwise, if the terminal is turned off, then the family session is also terminated, and the terminal is logged off the MDA server, and the process ends at step  426 . 
   Thus, once the once the MDA server authenticates the terminal, then a family session begins at the family level; once the user is recognized as a private user, then a private session is initiated. Consequently, a private session remains in effect until the user explicitly terminates the private session, whereas a family session remains in effect until the terminal is turned off Other features can be included, such as termination of the private session if no input is received from the user after a predetermined period of time. 
     FIG. 5  illustrates an example of the process of establishing a communication link to an access point, step  406  of  FIG. 4 , and obtaining the Internet address of an MDA server for that terminal, step  408  of  FIG. 4 , for Initiating a family session at the family level begins at step  500 . At stop  502 , the terminal establishes a communication link with the access point. At step  504 , the terminal obtains its Internet address from the access point based on the Internet address of the access point with which the terminal has established the communication link. At step  506 , the terminal establishes a communication link with the ISP coupled to the access point. At step  508 , the terminal retrieves the Internet address of the global address server from its memory. At step  510 , the terminal sends a request to the global address server for the Internet address of the MDA server that is associated with the terminal. At step  512 , the global address server returns the Internet address of the appropriate MDA server to the terminal. At step  514 , the terminal sends its identification information to the MDA server located at the Internet address provided by the global address server in order to establish a communication link with the M[) A server. At step  516 , the MDA server authenticates the terminal, and a family session at the family level is established between the MDA server and the terminal. 
   Once a family and/or private session has been established between the MDA server and terminals  20   a – 20   c , a user may interact with the system through a virtual keyboard displayed on display  70 , keyboard  72  or using the touch screen input on the touch screen  70  according to embodiments of the invention. The touch screen  70  may be one of various commercially available touch screen devices. Hardware  78  includes the touch screen controller  70  that monitors touch screen-input parameters for processing the touch inputs on the touch screen  70 , which may also be one of various commercially available touch screen controllers. For the embodiment of  FIGS. 6   a – 6   d , three parameters, touch input x and y position coordinates, and a touch input z coordinate that indicates a value or magnitude of touch input pressure, or correspondingly area, that is depressed are processed by the touch screen  70  and the touch screen controller  79 . 
     FIGS. 6   a – 6   d  illustrate an example of a process for utilizing touch screen inputs according to an embodiment of the invention. Note that the process illustrated in  FIGS. 6   a – 6   d  may be used with any electronic device and is not limited to the system illustrated in  FIGS. 1–5  but rather,  FIGS. 1–5  and the detailed descriptions thereof have been included merely to illustrate an exemplary use of the present invention. 
     FIG. 6   a  illustrates process steps, and  FIGS. 6   b – 6   d  illustrate the touch screen appearance during the process. In  FIGS. 6   b – 6   d , the touch screen  70  is formatted to include display windows  622 ,  624 , and  626  for displaying various outputs of touch screen  620 . Window  624  displays various user directories, and window  622  is configured to display an image for each file in directory  3 . The process begins at step  600 . At step  602 , a touch input is detected.  FIG. 6   b  illustrates touch input  628  over file  1  of display window  622 . A touch input may be considered detected at step  602  when z is determined to be greater than a predetermined threshold value. Next, at step  604 , an input timer is started. At step  606 , the x and y coordinates are read, and at step  608 , the object of the touch input is determined to be file  1 . The process then waits for further input. 
   A next input occurs at step  610 , when a touch input being removed from file  1  is detected. The removal of the touch input may be determined by z becoming less than a predetermined threshold value. Next, at step  612 , a determination is made as to whether or not the total time of the touch input, Ttouch, was greater than a threshold value, LC, for a long click, which corresponds to a double-click of a left mouse button. If Ttouch was greater than LC, a long click has been input, and the process moves to step  616 . 
   At step  616 , the object of the touch input is activated. This is illustrated in  FIG. 6   d  in the case of file  1  selected in  FIG. 6   b , where file  1  is opened and displayed in window  622 . If Ttouch was less than or equal to LC, however, a short click, which corresponds to a single click of a left mouse button, has been input, and the process moves to step  614 . At step  614 , the attributes of the object, file  1  selected in  FIG. 6   b , are displayed. This is illustrated in  FIG. 6   c , where the attributes of file  1  are displayed in window  626 . 
   Other embodiments of the process of  FIGS. 6   a – 6   d  are possible. For example, the short click-long click function could be used on objects to signify selection of the object according to other functions. One example of this would be a short click selecting an object for a drag or move function, while a long click selects the object for opening or activation. A short or long click may also be associated with a focus screen that indicates information about a selected object or shows and/or magnifies text hidden under a touch input. 
   Furthermore, while in the above-noted examples, the touch screen has been touched with a finger, it is of course understood that a stylus or any other pointed object may be used with the touch screen. 
   One skilled in the art will realize that other variations are possible. For example, three or more different time periods of touching may be used to detect different intended input functions. More particularly, the decision box  612  of  FIG. 6   a  would be replaced by a new decision box having three different decision paths, namely, a first path for the case where the detected time period is less than a first predetermined value, a second path for the case where the detected time period is equal to or greater than the first predetermined value and less than or equal to a second predetermined value, and a third path for the case where the detected time period is greater than the second predetermined value. The first and second paths could then go to respective boxes indicating the display of attributes of two different objects while the third path could then go to box  616  indicating that an object is activated. 
   This concludes the description of the example embodiments. Although the present invention has been described with reference to an illustrative embodiment thereof, it should be understood that numerous other modifications and embodiments can be devised by those skilled in the art that will fall within the spirit and scope of the principles of this invention. More particularly, reasonable variations and modifications are possible in the component parts and/or arrangements of the subject combination arrangement within the scope of the foregoing disclosure, the drawings, and the appended claims without departing from the spirit of the invention. In addition to variations and modifications in the component parts and/or arrangements, alternative uses will also be apparent to those skilled in the art.