Abstract:
A mobile computing device and method performed by a mobile computing device are provided. The mobile computing device includes a touch screen display, a touch enabled border surface, and a processor. The processor is configured to generate image data representing a viewport of the device. The processor is configured to add a graphic representation of at least one user interface element to the image data. The processor is configured to determine a press intensity of a touch pressure applied by a user of the device to the touch screen display in a region where the graphic representation of the at least one user interface element is displayed. The processor is configured to determine a position of the hand of the user using the touch enabled border surface. The processor is configured to slide the viewport downwards based on the press intensity and the position of the hand of the user.

Description:
BACKGROUND 
     Technical Field 
     The present invention relates generally to information processing and, in particular, to reaching any touch screen portion with one hand. 
     Description of the Related Art 
     One of the common use cases for a mobile device user is hold the mobile device with one hand while using a touch screen of the mobile device. According to different screen dimensions and different thumb sizes, touching the entire screen with only one hand can be really difficult. Sometimes users are forced to perform frustrating actions to reach some screen portions (e.g., a button positioned in the top left corner of the screen) using the second hand or, at the least, doing non-ergonomic movements with a single hand. In particular, conditions using two hands are impossible (e.g., when you are upright in a subway car, while you are driving, and so forth), and the problem is amplified for persons who have hand disabilities. Thus, there is a need for a way to quickly reach any touch screen portion with one hand. 
     SUMMARY 
     According to an aspect of the present invention, a mobile computing device is provided. The mobile computing device includes a touch screen display, a touch enabled border surface, and a processor. The processor is configured to generate image data representing a viewport of the device. The processor is further configured to add a graphic representation of at least one user interface element to the image data. The processor is also configured to determine a press intensity of a touch pressure applied by a user of the device to the touch screen display in a region where the graphic representation of the at least one user interface element is displayed. The processor is additionally configured to determine a position of the hand of the user using the touch enabled border surface. The processor is further configured to slide the viewport downwards based on the press intensity and the position of the hand of the user. 
     According to another aspect of the present invention, a method performed by a mobile computing device having at least a touch screen display and a processor is provided. The method includes generating image data representing a viewport of the device. The method further includes adding a graphic representation of at least one user interface element to the image data. The method also includes determining a press intensity of a touch pressure applied by a user of the device to the touch screen display in a region where the graphic representation of the at least one user interface element is displayed. The method additionally includes determining a position of the hand of the user using a touch enabled border surface provided on the device. The method further includes sliding the viewport downwards based on the press intensity and the position of the hand of the user. 
     According to yet another aspect of the present invention, a computer program product is provided. The computer program product is for making screen regions, of a mobile computing device having at least a touch screen display and a processor, accessible to a user of the device. The computer program product includes a computer readable storage medium having program instructions embodied therewith. The program instructions are executable by a computer to cause the computer to perform a method. The method includes generating image data representing a viewport of the device. The method further includes adding a graphic representation of at least one user interface element to the image data. The method also includes determining a press intensity of a touch pressure applied by the user to the touch screen display in a region where the graphic representation of the at least one user interface element is displayed. The method additionally includes determining a position of the hand of the user using a touch enabled border surface provided on the device. The method further includes sliding the viewport downwards based on the press intensity and the position of the hand of the user. 
     These and other features and advantages will become apparent from the following detailed description of illustrative embodiments thereof, which is to be read in connection with the accompanying drawings. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS 
       The disclosure will provide details in the following description of preferred embodiments with reference to the following figures wherein: 
         FIG. 1  shows an exemplary processing system  100  to which the present invention may be applied, in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention; 
         FIG. 2  shows an exemplary mobile computing device  200  to which the present invention can be applied, gripped by a user, in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention; 
         FIG. 3  further shows mobile computing device  200 , in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention; and 
         FIGS. 4-7  show an exemplary method  400  for reaching any touch screen portion with one hand, in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
     The present invention sis directed to reaching any touch screen portion with one hand. 
     In an embodiment, the present invention advantageously enables the sliding, by a user using one hand, of the position of the viewport of a screen of a mobile computing device, thus allowing the user to reach the upper-side screen portions that would otherwise be unreachable with that hand. The term “viewport” refers to an area (typically rectangular) expressed in rendering-device-specific coordinates, e.g. pixels for screen coordinates, in which the objects of interest are rendered. In an embodiment, the present invention provides touch-enabled portions positioned in part of the device that are able to slide the screen until the unreachable portion could be quickly reach. 
       FIG. 1  shows an exemplary mobile computing device  100  to which the present invention may be applied, in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention. The mobile computing device  100  includes at least one processor (CPU)  104  operatively coupled to other components via a system bus  102 . A cache  106 , a Read Only Memory (ROM)  108 , a Random Access Memory (RAM)  110 , an input/output (I/O) adapter  120 , a sound adapter  130 , a network adapter  140 , a user interface adapter  150 , and a display adapter  160 , are operatively coupled to the system bus  102 . 
     A first storage device  122  and a second storage device  124  are operatively coupled to system bus  102  by the I/O adapter  120 . The storage devices  122  and  124  can be any of a disk storage device (e.g., a magnetic or optical disk storage device), a solid state magnetic device, and so forth. The storage devices  122  and  124  can be the same type of storage device or different types of storage devices. 
     A speaker  132  is operatively coupled to system bus  102  by the sound adapter  130 . A transceiver  142  is operatively coupled to system bus  102  by network adapter  140 . A display device  162  is operatively coupled to system bus  102  by display adapter  160 . 
     A first user input device  152 , a second user input device  154 , and a third user input device  156  are operatively coupled to system bus  102  by user interface adapter  150 . The user input devices  152 ,  154 , and  156  can be any of a keyboard, a mouse, a keypad, an image capture device, a motion sensing device, a microphone, a device incorporating the functionality of at least two of the preceding devices, and so forth. Of course, other types of input devices can also be used, while maintaining the spirit of the present invention. The user input devices  152 ,  154 , and  156  can be the same type of user input device or different types of user input devices. The user input devices  152 ,  154 , and  156  are used to input and output information to and from system  100 . 
     Of course, the mobile computing device  100  may also include other elements (not shown), as readily contemplated by one of skill in the art, as well as omit certain elements. For example, various other input devices and/or output devices can be included in mobile computing device  100 , depending upon the particular implementation of the same, as readily understood by one of ordinary skill in the art. For example, various types of wireless and/or wired input and/or output devices can be used. Moreover, additional processors, controllers, memories, and so forth, in various configurations can also be utilized as readily appreciated by one of ordinary skill in the art. These and other variations of the mobile computing device  100  are readily contemplated by one of ordinary skill in the art given the teachings of the present invention provided herein. 
     Moreover, it is to be appreciated that mobile computing device  200  described below with respect to  FIGS. 2 and 3  is a device for implementing respective embodiments of the present invention. Part or all of mobile computing device  100  may be implemented in one or more of the elements of mobile computing device  200 . 
     Further, it is to be appreciated that mobile computing device  100  may perform at least part of the method described herein including, for example, at least part of method  400  of  FIGS. 4-7 . Similarly, part or all of mobile computing device  200  may be used to perform at least part of method  400  of  FIGS. 4-7 . 
       FIG. 2  shows an exemplary mobile computing device  200  to which the present invention can be applied, gripped by a user, in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention. In the embodiment of  FIG. 2 , the mobile computing device  200  is a smart phone having a display device  210  with a touch-enabled screen (hereinafter “screen” in short)  211 . While a smart phone is shown in the embodiment of  FIG. 2 , it is to be appreciated that any mobile computing device can be used in accordance with the teachings of the present invention including, but not limited to, a media player, a personal digital assistant, a tablet, and so forth. 
     In the embodiment of  FIG. 2 , it is shown how a smart phone is typically gripped with one hand  266 . As is plainly evident, due to the grip and other factors (e.g., screen size, finger length, and so forth), the user is unable to easily, if at all, reach all portions of the screen  211 . An arc-shaped thumb trajectory  280  shows the likely reach of the user&#39;s thumb relative to the screen  211 . 
     Thus, when handled with one hand, the smart-phone screen  211  has the form of a rectangle with a base&lt;&lt;the height, such that the top part of the screen  211  is typically unreachable. Moreover, the longer the screen  211 , the harder it is to reach the top-positioned user interface (UI) elements of the screen  211 . 
       FIG. 3  further shows mobile computing device  200 , in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention. 
     The mobile computing device  200  further includes a touch enabled border surface  220 , a set of cameras  230 , and a screen manager  240 . 
     In the embodiment of  FIG. 3 , the set of cameras  230  includes a first camera  230 A, a second camera  230 B, and a third camera  230 C. The first camera  230 A is located near a top portion  211 A of the screen  211 , the second camera  230 B is located near a middle portion  211 B of the screen  211 , and the third camera  230 C is located near a bottom portion  211 C of the screen  211 . In the case when the views of any of the cameras  230  are obstructed (e.g., due to the placement of the user&#39;s hands), the unobstructed cameras can be used. The top portion  211 A, middle portion  211 B, and bottom portion  211 C of the screen  211  form the viewport  211 Z of the screen  211  in which data is rendered. While the embodiment of  FIG. 3  shows three cameras, other numbers of cameras can also be used in accordance with the teachings of the present invention, while maintaining the spirit of the present invention. In an embodiment, the cameras are infrared enabled, allowing them to capture images in the infrared spectrum. 
     In the embodiment of  FIG. 3 , the touch enabled border surface  220  includes a first touch enabled border portion  221  and a second touch enabled border portion  222 . In the embodiment of  FIG. 3 , the cameras  230  are integrated in the first touch enabled border portion  221 . In other embodiments, cameras can also be integrated in the second touch enabled border portion  222 , depending upon the implementation. The touch enabled border portions  221  and  222  can be implemented using buttons, and/or so forth. The first touch enabled border portion  221  and the second touch enabled border portion  222  are positioned on respective borders (e.g., left and right borders) of the mobile computing device  200 . In an embodiment, each of the touch enabled border portions  221  and  222  can also span part of the bottom border of the mobile computing device  200 , or a third touch enabled border portion can be used to span the bottom border, to provide a further degree of touch determination along the bottom border. However, simply having portions along the left and right borders is sufficient for the purposes of the present invention. Each of the touch enabled border portions  221  and  222  is able to recognize “press intensity”. As used herein, the phrase “press intensity” refers to (1) an amount of pressure that is applied to a touch enabled border portion(s) and/or (2) a duration during which pressure is applied to a touch enabled border portion(s). 
     In an embodiment, the first touch enabled border portion  221  and/or the second touch enabled border portion  222  are divided into a set(s) of bands  250 . For example, a first band  251  can be adjacent to the top portion  211 A of the screen  211 , a second band  252  can be adjacent to the middle portion  211 B of the screen  211 , and a third band  253  can be adjacent to the lower portion  211 C of the screen. The number of bands can be set relative to the height of the device screen, and/or based on one or more other factors (e.g., finger length, finger width, etc.). Of course, other segmentations (numbers of bands) can also be used, while maintaining the spirit of the present invention. 
     In the embodiment of  FIG. 3 , two portions are provided instead of one portion due to the fact that the present invention can be used by left-handed and right-handed people. In other embodiments, a single portion can be used for cases when the device is to be essentially configured for only one of the preceding (that is, for only left handed users or only for right handed users). 
     The touch enabled border portions  221  and  222  are configured to respond to two types of interactions, namely: (1) a long press; and (2) a short press. In the preceding two types of interactions, the terms “long” and “short” relate to relative depths at which and/or relative time durations during which, pressure is applied to a point on the touch enabled border portions  221  and  222 . The former (depth) is indicative of the amount of pressure applied and the latter (time duration) is indicative of the duration of the applied pressure. 
     In the case of a long press applied to at least one of the touch enabled border portions  221  and  222 , the screen  211  slides proportionally downward (until a maximum percentage of the entire screen height is reached such as, e.g., but not limited to, 50% of the entire screen height). With this kind of action, the user can interact multiple times with the user interface of the screen  211 , where the screen  211  thereafter takes its original position when at least one of the touch enabled border portions  221  or  222  is released. 
     In the case of a short press applied to at least one of the touch enabled border portions  221  and  222 , the screen  211  slides downward a particular amount (e.g., but not limited to 50% of the entire screen height) and, after a single interaction with the display, returns to its original position. 
     Thus, using either a long press or a short press, a user&#39;s thumb can also reach the top part of the screen that would likely be otherwise unreachable by the user, as shown by the arc-shaped thumb trajectory  280  in  FIG. 2 . 
     In an embodiment, the sliding of the screen  211  is implemented at the operating system level. In other embodiments, other configurations can be used, while maintaining the spirit of the present invention. 
     The operating system can receive an intensity value (amount of force value) and/or a timeframe value during which at least one of the portions is pressed (duration of force value), and react accordingly to the entire operating system viewport. 
       FIGS. 4-7  show an exemplary method  400  for reaching any touch screen portion with one hand, in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention. The method  400  is particularly suitable for mobile computing devices that are typically held by a user using only hand. In such a case, the user&#39;s thumb is the likely finger that the user will use to reach the screen in order to interface with the screen. One or more of the initial steps of method  400  can be considered to correspond to a learning phrase of method  400 . 
     At step  410 , request the user show their dominant hand for data acquisition. It is presumed that the user will use their dominant hand to hold and use the mobile computing device. Of course, if the user uses their other hand for phone use, then their non-dominant hand may be shown in response to the request. Of course, in other embodiments, the system can request the user show both their hands for data acquisition, to allow the user to use the mobile computing device ambidextrously. 
     At step  420 , determine biometric parameters of the user&#39;s hand. The biometric parameters can include, but are not limited to, finger length, finger width, and/or so forth. 
     In an embodiment, step  420  includes step  420 A. 
     At step  420 A, capture one or more images of the user&#39;s hand. Step  420 A can be performed using one or more of the cameras  230 . 
     At step  420 B, analyze the one or more images of the user&#39;s hand to determine biometric parameters of the user&#39;s hand. 
     At step  430 , determine a current hand position (e.g., orientation) of the user using one or more of the cameras  230 . The current hand position can be determined by comparing images captured using the one or more cameras  230  to pre-designated patterns corresponding to different possible hand positions. As one example, light coming from the spaces between the fingers can be used to detect the current hand position. 
     In an embodiment, step  430  includes step  430 A. 
     At step  430 A, modify images of the hand using a color recognition system to desaturate all colors except standard flesh colors, and determine the current hand position based on the modified images. The desaturation enables the hand portions to be more pronounced and/or otherwise emphasized in order to be more easily identified in the images. 
     At step  440 , determine, for the current hand position, a position of at least one finger on the hand using the touch enabled border surface  220  and the touch-enabled screen  211 . For the sake of illustration, the position of at least the thumb is determined, where the thumb is identified from the other fingers on the user&#39;s hand based on the current hand position (orientation). 
     At step  450 , calculate a reachable screen portion for the user based on the biometric parameters of the hand (per step  420 ), the current hand position (per step  430 ), and the position of the at least one finger (per step  440 ). In an embodiment, the information for the current hand position and the position of the at least one finger is correlated to the biometric parameters of the hand. In an embodiment, the respective reachable screen portion for a finger is determined based at least on the size (e.g., length and/or width) of the finger and the position of the finger. 
     In an embodiment, the determination of finger position (per step  440 ) can include determining if the finger is being used to hold the device. Thus, in an embodiment, if the finger is being used to hold the device, it is determined that the reachable screen portion for that finger is none. Otherwise, in an embodiment, the reachable screen portion is estimated starting from the position at which the finger is touching the device, in consideration of the biometric parameters of the hand such as the length of that finger. In another embodiment, the thumb can be identified at the onset and used for the steps involving a finger. 
     In an embodiment, step  450  includes step  450 A- 450 H. 
     At step  450 A, divide the touch enabled border surface  220  into a set of bands. The number of bands can be set relative to the height of the device screen, and/or based on one or more other factors (e.g., finger length, finger width, etc.). 
     At step  450 B, analyze the touch enabled border surface  220  to determine which bands the user&#39;s hand is touching. 
     At step  450 C, set any of the bands to “true” that are touched by the user&#39;s hand, and to “false” if not. 
     At step  450 D, determine right hand or left hand use, based on at least the band settings. 
     At step  450 E, determine the base point of the thumb, based on at least the band settings (“true” or “false”). For example, if the mobile computing device is being held with the right hand, there will be a set of consecutive “touched” bands on the right (with possibly “untouched” bands on the top and on the bottom on the right (or at least on the top of the screen  211 )), and alternate bands on the left that identifies multiple fingers that are touching the mobile computing device. The opposing arrangement would be implicated in the case when the mobile computing device is being held with the left hand. 
     At step  450 F, for right hand use (per step  450 D), the highest band touched on the right part will be considered as the base of the thumb, which will be the finger used to touch the screen. 
     At step  450 G, for left hand use (per step  450 D), the highest band touched on the left part will be considered as the base of the thumb, which will be the finger used to touch the screen. 
     At step  450 H, calculate an arc-shaped thumb trajectory corresponding to a touchable part of the screen  211 . 
     At step  460 , make a remaining portion of the screen (with respect to the reachable screen portion) at least temporarily reachable to the user by sliding a viewport of the screen downward. The amount by which the viewport is slid downward can be based on the amount of pressure applied to the touch enabled border surface  220 , the duration during which pressure is applied to the touch enabled border surface  220 , and so forth. The duration during which the remaining portion is made reachable can be based on a timer, the amount of pressure applied to the touch enabled border surface  220 , the duration during which pressure is applied to the touch enabled border surface  220 , and so forth. 
     In an embodiment, step  460  includes steps  460 A- 460 B. 
     At step  460 A, corresponding to the case of a long press applied to at least one of the touch enabled border portions  221  and  222 , the screen  211  slides proportionally downward (until a maximum percentage of the entire screen height is reached such as, e.g., but not limited to, 50% of the entire screen height). With this kind of action, the user can interact multiple times with the user interface of the screen  211 , where the screen  211  thereafter takes its original position when at least one of the touch enabled border portions  221  or  222  is released. 
     At step  460 B, corresponding to the case of a short press applied to at least one of the touch enabled border portions  221  and  222 , the screen  211  slides downward a particular amount (e.g., but not limited to 50% of the entire screen height) and, after a single interaction with the display, returns to its original position. 
     It is to be appreciated that steps  460 A and  460 B represent  2  from among a myriad of possible configurations for the viewport depending on the type of press. 
     A description will now be given of some of the many attendant advantages of the present invention. 
     One advantage is reduced frustration derived from impossibility of performing basic actions and user experience improvement. 
     Another advantage is improved ergonomics for a mobile device without impacting its original device design, user interface design, and so forth. 
     Yet another advantage is reduced user errors derived by “tapping” on unwanted screen zones. 
     The present invention may be a system, a method, and/or a computer program product. The computer program product may include a computer readable storage medium (or media) having computer readable program instructions thereon for causing a processor to carry out aspects of the present invention. 
     The computer readable storage medium can be a tangible device that can retain and store instructions for use by an instruction execution device. The computer readable storage medium may be, for example, but is not limited to, an electronic storage device, a magnetic storage device, an optical storage device, an electromagnetic storage device, a semiconductor storage device, or any suitable combination of the foregoing. A non-exhaustive list of more specific examples of the computer readable storage medium includes the following: a portable computer diskette, a hard disk, a random access memory (RAM), a read-only memory (ROM), an erasable programmable read-only memory (EPROM or Flash memory), a static random access memory (SRAM), a portable compact disc read-only memory (CD-ROM), a digital versatile disk (DVD), a memory stick, a floppy disk, a mechanically encoded device such as punch-cards or raised structures in a groove having instructions recorded thereon, and any suitable combination of the foregoing. A computer readable storage medium, as used herein, is not to be construed as being transitory signals per se, such as radio waves or other freely propagating electromagnetic waves, electromagnetic waves propagating through a waveguide or other transmission media (e.g., light pulses passing through a fiber-optic cable), or electrical signals transmitted through a wire. 
     Computer readable program instructions described herein can be downloaded to respective computing/processing devices from a computer readable storage medium or to an external computer or external storage device via a network, for example, the Internet, a local area network, a wide area network and/or a wireless network. The network may comprise copper transmission cables, optical transmission fibers, wireless transmission, routers, firewalls, switches, gateway computers and/or edge servers. A network adapter card or network interface in each computing/processing device receives computer readable program instructions from the network and forwards the computer readable program instructions for storage in a computer readable storage medium within the respective computing/processing device. 
     Computer readable program instructions for carrying out operations of the present invention may be assembler instructions, instruction-set-architecture (ISA) instructions, machine instructions, machine dependent instructions, microcode, firmware instructions, state-setting data, or either source code or object code written in any combination of one or more programming languages, including an object oriented programming language such as Java, Smalltalk, C++ or the like, and conventional procedural programming languages, such as the “C” programming language or similar programming languages. The computer readable program instructions may execute entirely on the user&#39;s computer, partly on the user&#39;s computer, as a stand-alone software package, partly on the user&#39;s computer and partly on a remote computer or entirely on the remote computer or server. In the latter scenario, the remote computer may be connected to the user&#39;s computer through any type of network, including a local area network (LAN) or a wide area network (WAN), or the connection may be made to an external computer (for example, through the Internet using an Internet Service Provider). In some embodiments, electronic circuitry including, for example, programmable logic circuitry, field-programmable gate arrays (FPGA), or programmable logic arrays (PLA) may execute the computer readable program instructions by utilizing state information of the computer readable program instructions to personalize the electronic circuitry, in order to perform aspects of the present invention. 
     Aspects of the present invention are described herein with reference to flowchart illustrations and/or block diagrams of methods, apparatus (systems), and computer program products according to embodiments of the invention. It will be understood that each block of the flowchart illustrations and/or block diagrams, and combinations of blocks in the flowchart illustrations and/or block diagrams, can be implemented by computer readable program instructions. 
     These computer readable program instructions may be provided to a processor of a general purpose computer, special purpose computer, or other programmable data processing apparatus to produce a machine, such that the instructions, which execute via the processor of the computer or other programmable data processing apparatus, create means for implementing the functions/acts specified in the flowchart and/or block diagram block or blocks. These computer readable program instructions may also be stored in a computer readable storage medium that can direct a computer, a programmable data processing apparatus, and/or other devices to function in a particular manner, such that the computer readable storage medium having instructions stored therein comprises an article of manufacture including instructions which implement aspects of the function/act specified in the flowchart and/or block diagram block or blocks. 
     The computer readable program instructions may also be loaded onto a computer, other programmable data processing apparatus, or other device to cause a series of operational steps to be performed on the computer, other programmable apparatus or other device to produce a computer implemented process, such that the instructions which execute on the computer, other programmable apparatus, or other device implement the functions/acts specified in the flowchart and/or block diagram block or blocks. 
     The flowchart and block diagrams in the Figures illustrate the architecture, functionality, and operation of possible implementations of systems, methods, and computer program products according to various embodiments of the present invention. In this regard, each block in the flowchart or block diagrams may represent a module, segment, or portion of instructions, which comprises one or more executable instructions for implementing the specified logical function(s). In some alternative implementations, the functions noted in the block may occur out of the order noted in the figures. For example, two blocks shown in succession may, in fact, be executed substantially concurrently, or the blocks may sometimes be executed in the reverse order, depending upon the functionality involved. It will also be noted that each block of the block diagrams and/or flowchart illustration, and combinations of blocks in the block diagrams and/or flowchart illustration, can be implemented by special purpose hardware-based systems that perform the specified functions or acts or carry out combinations of special purpose hardware and computer instructions. 
     Reference in the specification to “one embodiment” or “an embodiment” of the present invention, as well as other variations thereof, means that a particular feature, structure, characteristic, and so forth described in connection with the embodiment is included in at least one embodiment of the present invention. Thus, the appearances of the phrase “in one embodiment” or “in an embodiment”, as well any other variations, appearing in various places throughout the specification are not necessarily all referring to the same embodiment. 
     It is to be appreciated that the use of any of the following “/”, “and/or”, and “at least one of”, for example, in the cases of “A/B”, “A and/or B” and “at least one of A and B”, is intended to encompass the selection of the first listed option (A) only, or the selection of the second listed option (B) only, or the selection of both options (A and B). As a further example, in the cases of “A, B, and/or C” and “at least one of A, B, and C”, such phrasing is intended to encompass the selection of the first listed option (A) only, or the selection of the second listed option (B) only, or the selection of the third listed option (C) only, or the selection of the first and the second listed options (A and B) only, or the selection of the first and third listed options (A and C) only, or the selection of the second and third listed options (B and C) only, or the selection of all three options (A and B and C). This may be extended, as readily apparent by one of ordinary skill in this and related arts, for as many items listed. 
     Having described preferred embodiments of a system and method (which are intended to be illustrative and not limiting), it is noted that modifications and variations can be made by persons skilled in the art in light of the above teachings. It is therefore to be understood that changes may be made in the particular embodiments disclosed which are within the scope of the invention as outlined by the appended claims. Having thus described aspects of the invention, with the details and particularity required by the patent laws, what is claimed and desired protected by Letters Patent is set forth in the appended claims.