Abstract:
An educational system and method for encouraging children to choose a nutritional meal, designed to educate children in making healthy nutritional choices and rewarding them for so doing. The educational system and method for encouraging children to choose a nutritional meal has predefined menus featuring specific healthy food and beverage categories. An automatic identification device is used to identify food and beverage choices on the menu and then compare them to the food and beverage choice selected. The automatic identification device indicates a correct or incorrect choice accordingly. Upon successful completion of all food and beverage categories the child is provided an incentive. The educational system and method for encouraging children to choose a nutritional meal provides consistent feedback and incentives to enable children to develop healthy eating habits.

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION  
       [0001]     1. Field of the Invention  
         [0002]     The present invention is related to computer systems and methods that aid children in their selection of child-oriented nutritional meals, and more specifically, child-oriented nutritional meals that are designed to educate the child in making healthy nutritional choices and rewarding them for doing so.  
         [0003]     2. Discussion of the Background  
         [0004]     Research continues to show that consuming healthy food and beverages increases the probability of favorable health conditions during life. In today&#39;s society, fast food and processed foods are becoming the norm in a majority of diets. Education in selecting healthy food and beverages is being directed to the attention of adults. However, it is also important to educate children in making healthy food and beverage choices, so that through their lives they will be aware of a healthier spectrum of food and beverage choices and make the best possible choices for a long and healthy life. In addition, there has been an increase in food allergies among children. Children need to be aware of the contents of the food they are eating, and more importantly, make food and beverage choices based on the ingredients of the consumable items.  
         [0005]     Research continues to show that children are becoming obese and are suffering from the same health issues as adults. However, if children are taught to make healthy food and beverage choices early in life, healthy food and beverage choices will become a way of life for them through adulthood.  
         [0006]     US Patent Application publication No. 2003/00665561 discloses a method, system, and program for providing consumer healthy habits incentives. A consumable item, consumed by an individual, is detected. A health factor is detected for the consumable item. An electronic incentive is selected for the individual according to the health factor, such that the individual is encouraged to consume a healthy selection of consumable items. An electronic incentive may be further specified according to the personal health history, exercise history and consumption history of an individual. The system includes a series of networked databases containing cross-referenced information from government agencies, health insurance providers, retail stores and restaurants, manufacturers and the like. This system is focused on the adult population, encouraging healthy food and beverage choices by tracking those food and beverage choices, assessing a health benefit, and distributing monetary incentives such as reduced costs of items and reduction in health insurance costs.  
       SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION  
       [0007]     One object of the present invention is to encourage healthy eating habits in children while enabling them to make their selections from a predefined menu. While this is just one object of the present invention, numerous other features and attributes of the present invention will become evident from the accompanying figures and detailed description of the preferred embodiments.  
         [0008]     One feature of the present invention is to have several menus featuring healthy food and beverage choices available at a grocery store. Each menu features specific healthy food and beverage categories. The child is allowed to select his menu of choice and proceed to gather the food and beverage items designated by the categories listed on the menu in a designated container. In order to ensure the child has made an appropriate choice, an automatic identification device is used to identify the food and the beverage options on the menu and then compare them to the food and beverage choice selected. Upon successful selection, the automatic identification device indicates a correct choice. Upon an unsuccessful food or beverage choice, the automatic identification device indicates an incorrect choice and the child is required to select another item.  
         [0009]     The purpose is to use this process to provide consistent feedback and incentives to enable children to develop healthy eating habits.  
         [0010]     In a non-limiting example, the automatic identification device is a bar-code scanner. Alternatively, it is a radio frequency identification (RFID) monitor. The automatic identification device is located in a remote location in the grocery store. The child goes to the location of the remote automatic identification device to read in a menu, and then uses the automatic identification device to identify a first food or beverage choice. The automatic identification device indicates an acceptable or unacceptable choice. The child then selects the next food or beverage choice, goes to the remote automatic identification device location for the next food or beverage item to be identified. The automatic identification device indicates an acceptable or unacceptable choice. This process is repeated until the all the menu item categories are correctly selected.  
         [0011]     In another embodiment, the child selects all of his food and beverage choices indicated on the menu and then goes to a remote automatic identification device. At that time the automatic identification device indicates if the food and beverage choices are acceptable or unacceptable. If the child has any unacceptable choices, he will be required to replace the unacceptable food or beverage choices with acceptable ones. He will need to go back to the automatic identification device and try again.  
         [0012]     In another embodiment, identifiers are used throughout the store indicating the location of the Educational System and Method for Encouraging Children to Choose a Nutritional Meal (ESMECCNM) menu items. These identifiers along with the menus will aid the child in finding and selecting the appropriate menu items.  
         [0013]     In another embodiment, the child is provided with a wireless automatic identification device and reads in his menu selection, and then uses the wireless automatic identification device to identify his food and beverage choices. The wireless automatic identification device indicates acceptable or unacceptable food and beverage choice. Food and beverage choices are made until all categories of the menu are successfully obtained.  
         [0014]     These wireless automatic identification devices are owned by the food store and are optionally signed out and returned. If the wireless automatic identification device is not returned, it is deactivated and cannot be used again.  
         [0015]     The child is given an incentive upon successfully filling the specified container with the appropriate food and beverage. The incentive can be, but is not limited to, a prize, a plaything, an electronic credit, at least one sticker, a token configured to be input to a token receiving box containing items appealing to children, or a document for the child to redeem for an incentive.  
     
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS  
       [0016]     A more complete appreciation of the invention and many of the attendant advantages thereof will be readily obtained as the same becomes better understood by reference to the following detailed description when considered in connection with the accompanying drawings, wherein:  
         [0017]      FIG. 1  is a system block diagram of a network environment in which healthy food and beverage selections can be made in accordance with the present invention;  
         [0018]      FIG. 2  is a database diagram of a network environment in which the food and beverage selected can be evaluated for correctness and incentives provided in accordance with the present invention;  
         [0019]      FIGS. 3A and 3B  are a logic flow chart of a process for encouraging healthy food and beverage selections in accordance with the present invention;  
         [0020]      FIG. 4  is a sample menu in accordance with the present invention;  
         [0021]      FIG. 5  is a sample picture menu in accordance with the present invention;  
         [0022]      FIG. 6  is a sample advanced menu in accordance with the present invention;  
         [0023]      FIGS. 7A and 7B  illustrate a Menu Database in accordance with the present invention;  
         [0024]      FIG. 8  illustrates a Choice Validation Database in accordance with the present invention;  
         [0025]      FIG. 9  illustrates an Incentive Database in accordance with the present invention;  
         [0026]      FIG. 10  illustrates an Automatic Identification Database in accordance with the present invention; and  
         [0027]      FIG. 11  is a computer system block diagram. 
     
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION  
       [0028]     Referring now to the drawings, wherein like reference numerals designate identical or corresponding parts throughout the several views, and more particularly to  FIG. 1 ,  FIG. 1  shows one embodiment of a system block diagram of a computer network for an Educational System and Method for Encouraging Children to Choose a Nutritional Meal (ESMECCNM)  50  according to the present invention. The ESMECCNM network environment  50  provides a communication mechanism by which electronic information managed by the ESMECCNM is shared among the devices of the ESMECCNM network environment  50 . The ESMECCNM network environment  50  is shown as a client/server architecture. The network  50  is shown to be communicatively connected to the Internet.  
         [0029]     The client/server describes a relationship between two computer programs, wherein one computer program makes a service request from another computer program. The computer program making the request is referred to as the client. The computer program that implements the request is referred to as the server. The computer program making the request typically resides on a different computer than the computer program implementing the request. However, it is possible that the computer program making the request and the computer program implementing the request reside on the same computer. The network provides the means by which the client and server are able to communicate with each other.  
         [0030]     The at least one client/server device  30  of the computer network for the ESMECCNM  50  is a database management system that maintains and manages information particular to the ESMECCNM according to the present invention. As a non-limiting example,  FIG. 1  shows four databases that are managed by the ESMECCNM according to the present invention. The databases are organized by type of information. The database information includes, but is not limited to, a Menu Database  31 , a Selection Validation Database  32 , an Incentive Database  33 , and an Automatic Identification Device Database  34 . The input/output device  40  includes but is not limited to a printer  36 , and an automatic identification device  38  including but not limited to an optical scanner  35  and a RFID monitor  37 . The automatic identification device  38  is used to identify the food and beverages selected by the child and to provide feedback indicating if the food or beverage choice is acceptable or unacceptable. An acceptable food and beverage choice is indicated by at least one of a sound indicator and a display indicator. The acceptable sound indicator is a conventional sound for “acceptable”. The acceptable display indicator is at least one of a luminous bulb, LED, or the like in a color, such as green, that is conventional for “acceptable”, an illuminated conventional symbol for “acceptable”, or an illuminated conventional character for “acceptable”. An unacceptable food or beverage choice is indicated by at least one of a sound indicator and a display indicator. The unacceptable sound indicator is differentiated from the acceptable sound indicator and the unacceptable display indicator is differentiated from the acceptable display indicator. The unacceptable sound indicator is a conventional sound for “unacceptable”. The unacceptable display indicator is at least one of a luminous bulb, LED, or the like in a color, such as red, that is conventional for “unacceptable”, an illuminated conventional symbol for “unacceptable”, or an illuminated conventional character for “unacceptable”.  
         [0031]     It is not necessary for the network environment  50  to be an exclusively wired network. Wireless technology, such as radio frequency transmissions, can be substituted as the environment develops and expands, as will be understood by one skilled in the art.  
         [0032]      FIG. 2  is a database diagram of an Educational System for Encouraging Children to Choose a Nutritional Meal according to the present invention. As shown, at least one client/server device manages the ESMECCNM database information whereby the food and beverage selected can be evaluated for correctness and incentives.  
         [0033]     The ESMECCNM maintains at least one database server  30  which hosts: a Menu Database  31 , a Selection Validation Database  32 , an Incentive Database  33 , and an Automatic Identification Database  34 . The Menu Database  31  maintains a variety of healthy food and beverage choice menus to be used by the child while gathering his food and beverage choices. The variety of healthy food and beverage choice menus will also provide menus specific to children with food and beverage allergies, thereby maintaining and supplying menus that include but are not limited to peanut free, soy free, dairy free, fish free, and gluten free. The Menu Database  31  also maintains a registration of the menus in use.  
         [0034]     The Selection Validation Database  32  maintains an inventory of healthy food and beverage choices and is used to compare the food and beverage selected with the choices provided by the selected menu. Both correct choices and incorrect choices are stored for future reporting capabilities.  
         [0035]     The Incentive Database  33  maintains information regarding the type of incentive to be provided. Incentives are either redeemed at the store, via the internet, or via the U.S. postal system.  
         [0036]     The Automatic Identification Database  34  maintains information regarding food choices, beverage choices, menu information, and automatic identification data.  
         [0037]     These databases are configured to communicate information among each other. For example, in order to provide feedback to the child, a field in the Selection Validation Database  32  is filled with an appropriate indicator upon an acceptable selection, and a corresponding category in the Menu Database  31  is filled accordingly, indicating that the corresponding category is complete. The child is then provided an indication that the category has been completed correctly. If however, the child makes an unacceptable choice, a field in the Selection Validation Database  32  is filled with a corresponding (negative) indicator and the Menu Database  31  is filled with a corresponding (negative) indicator and the category is not complete. Therefore, the child is given the appropriate feedback and must continue to select items for the category until an acceptable item is selected. Once all the categories have been successfully completed, the Incentive Database  33  generates the appropriate documentation.  
         [0038]      FIGS. 3A and 3B  describe a logic flow chart of a process for encouraging healthy food and beverage selections in accordance with the method and system of the present invention. The process starts at step  100  and thereafter proceeds to Step  105 , where the child obtains a container that holds the selected menu items. Subsequently, the process proceeds to Step  106  where the child selects a menu to use in choosing a nutritional meal.  
         [0039]     In another embodiment, Step  107  is a combination of Step  105  and Step  106  where the menu is an integral part of the container. Therefore, when the child selects a menu, the container is obtained at the same time.  
         [0040]     The menu is written words, or conventional illustrations of the food and beverage choices, or a combination of written words and conventional illustrations. The menu includes a code (bar-code, or memory, such as an RFID) that includes a list of items contained in the menu. This code is machine readable, such that the menu items may easily be correlated with identifiers of the food items in use by the food store. The menu is either separate from the container that holds the selected menu items, or is adhered to the container that holds the selected menu items, or is printed on the container that holds the selected menu items. Some menus will be specific to customers with food allergy concerns. These menus will identify food and beverage choices that include, but are not limited to, peanut free choices, soy free choices, gluten free choices, dairy free choices, and fish free choices.  
         [0041]     Subsequently, the process proceeds to Step  110  where the customer uses an automatic identification device to input the menu information into the Automatic Identification Database  34 . The process then proceeds to Step  112  where the selected menu is registered in the Menu Database  31 , and then in Step  115  the customer makes food or beverage choice based upon the selected menu. Subsequently, the process proceeds to Step  120  where the customer uses an automatic identification device to determine if the selected food and beverage item meets the criteria of the selected menu. The automatic identification device  38  interprets food and beverage choices (e.g., by recognizing the UPC code on the food item). A comparison is made between the selected food and beverage choice and the information maintained for the selected menu maintained in the Menu Database  31 . If the food and beverage choice is acceptable, the Menu Database  31  tags the “category complete” field as complete. Subsequently, the process proceeds to Step  130  whereby the automatic identification device  38  provides positive feed back to the customer by emitting a response indicating that the choice was acceptable. Subsequently, the process proceeds to Step  135  where a determination is made if all menu categories have been correctly selected. The determination is made by a process checking the Menu Database  31  for completion of all categories for the selected menu.  
         [0042]     During Step  120 , if the automatic identification device  38  determines that the food or beverage choice is not acceptable, the Menu Database  31  field “category complete” is not tagged and the process proceeds to Step  125  whereby the automatic identification device  38  provides feedback to the customer by emitting a response indicating that the choice was not acceptable. The customer then returns to Step  115  to make another selection.  
         [0043]     Once all menu categories are determined to be complete in Step  135 , the process proceeds to Step  140  where a determination is made if the ESMECCNM provides output documentation to the customer. If the ESMECCNM provides output documentation to the customer, the process proceeds to Step  142 . In a non-limiting example,  FIG. 3  shows the output documentation provided in Step  142  to be at least one of an itemized inventory of the selected food and beverage items, cost information, and incentive redemption information. In one embodiment the itemized inventory is a self adhesive label that is adhered to the completed container that holds the selected menu items. The output documentation may be in bar code format, RFID format, electronic format, or paper format. The process proceeds to Step  145 , whereby the customer brings the completed container that holds the selected menu items and the associated documentation to the store&#39;s checkout procedure, Step  150 .  
         [0044]     The incentive documentation produced during Step  142  provides the customer with information pertaining to redemption of the incentive. The incentive will be obtained at the time of check out at a specific location in the store, via the internet, or via the U.S. postal system. To redeem the incentive at the specific location in the store the customer provides the incentive documentation to, (1) a store employee in exchange for the incentive, (2) a store employee in exchange for an incentive token, whereby the incentive token is placed into a designated incentive machine, or (3) a designated incentive machine (which could be a web site) in exchange for the incentive.  
         [0045]     If it is determined in Step  140  that the ESMECCNM system did not output all necessary printed documentation, the process proceeds to Step  150  and the child brings the correctly completed container that holds the selected menu items and any output documentation provided by the ESMECCNM to the store&#39;s check out procedure. The store uses their internal systems and processes to complete the transaction. Subsequently, the process proceeds to Step  160  where a determination is made if the ESMECCNM system provided cost output. If the ESMECCNM provided the cost of the contents of the correctly completed container, the process proceeds to Step  170  whereby the cost output of the ESMECCNM system is used in the store&#39;s checkout process. Subsequently, the process proceeds to Step  180 . However, if during Step  160 , if it is determined that the ESMECCNM system did not provide cost output, then the process proceeds to Step  165  and the grocery store&#39;s process for determining the cost of the items is used. The items are removed from the container and the individual items are processed through the grocery store&#39;s system or the store has a set cost for the completed container. Subsequently, the process proceeds to Step  180 .  
         [0046]     During Step  180 , a determination is made if the incentive documentation is required to obtain the incentive. If the incentive documentation is not required to obtain the incentive, then the process proceeds to Step  210  whereby the incentive is obtained at the time of checkout, or an incentive token is provided to the child at the time of checkout, whereby the incentive token is placed into a designated incentive and the ESMECCNM process is complete. However, if during Step  180  it is determined that the incentive documentation is required to obtain the incentive, then the process proceeds to Step  190 .  
         [0047]     During Step  190 , a determination is made if the incentive documentation is used to redeem the incentive in the grocery store. If the incentive documentation is used to redeem the incentive in the grocery store, then the process proceeds to Step  195  and the child goes to the appropriate location in the grocery store to receive his incentive. The incentive documentation is read by an automatic identification reader and the incentive is provided to the customer, or the incentive documentation is given to a store employee for exchange of the incentive, or the incentive documentation is given to a store employee in exchange for an incentive token, whereby the incentive token is placed into a designated incentive machine and the ESMECCNM process is complete. If the incentive documentation is not used to redeem the incentive in the store, then the process proceeds to Step  200  and the incentive documentation is used to redeem an incentive over the internet or via the U.S. postal system and the ESMECCNM process is complete.  
         [0048]      FIG. 4  is a sample menu in accordance with the method and system of the present invention. The menu number  300  is a unique identifier for specific menu choices. The BEVERAGE category  305  identifies anywhere between one and ten healthy acceptable beverage choices. A non-limiting example in  FIG. 4  is illustrated where three beverage choices including milk, juice and water are shown. The menu shown in  FIG. 4 , identifies anywhere between three and ten food categories. A non-limiting example in  FIG. 4  is illustrated where four food categories including DAIRY  310 , FRUIT  315 , GRAIN  320 , and DESSERT  325  are shown. The DAIRY  310  category shown in  FIG. 4 , identifies anywhere between one and ten dairy choices. A non-limiting example in  FIG. 4  is illustrated where two dairy choices including cheese and yogurt are shown. The FRUIT  315  category shown in  FIG. 4  identifies anywhere between one and ten fruit choices. A non-limiting example in  FIG. 4  is illustrated where three fruit choices including an apple, a banana, and grapes are shown. The GRAIN  320  category shown in  FIG. 4 , identifies anywhere between one and ten grain choices. A non-limiting example in  FIG. 4  is illustrated where two grain choices including crackers and bread are shown. The DESSERT  325  category shown in  FIG. 4 , identifies anywhere between one and ten dessert choices. A non-limiting example in  FIG. 4  is illustrated where two dessert choices including JELLO and animal crackers are shown. The menu may be printed or displayed on a portable device (e.g. PDA).  
         [0049]      FIG. 5  is another embodiment of the present invention where a sample picture menu is shown in accordance with the method and system of the present invention. The menu number  300  is a unique identifier for specific menu choices. In addition to the written menu of  FIG. 4 ,  FIG. 5  includes pictures of the choices. In another embodiment, the picture menu also includes the location of the food and beverage items in the store. The BEVERAGE category  305  identifies anywhere between one and ten healthy acceptable beverage choices. A non-limiting example in  FIG. 5  is illustrated where three beverage choices including milk, juice and water are shown in written format and pictorial format. In a non-limiting example, an aisle location  350  is also provided. The menu shown in  FIG. 5 , identifies anywhere between three and ten food categories. A non-limiting example in  FIG. 5  is illustrated where four food categories including DAIRY  310 , FRUIT  315 , GRAIN  320 , and DESSERT  325  are shown. The DAIRY  310  category shown in  FIG. 5 , identifies anywhere between one and ten dairy choices. A non-limiting example in  FIG. 5  is illustrated where two dairy choices including cheese and yogurt are shown in written format and pictorial format. In a non-limiting example, an aisle location  350  is also provided. The FRUIT  315  category shown in  FIG. 5 , identifies anywhere between one and ten fruit choices. A non-limiting example in  FIG. 5  is illustrated where three fruit choices including an apple, a banana, and grapes are shown in written format and pictorial format. In a non-limiting example, an aisle location  350  is also provided. The GRAIN  320  category shown in  FIG. 5 , identifies anywhere between one and ten grain choices. A non-limiting example in  FIG. 5  is illustrated where two grain choices including crackers and bread are shown in written format and pictorial format. In a non-limiting example, an aisle location  350  is also provided. The DESSERT  325  category shown in  FIG. 5 , identifies anywhere between one and ten dessert choices. In a non-limiting example in  FIG. 5  is illustrated where two dessert choices including JELLO and animal crackers are shown in written format and pictorial format. In a non-limiting example, an aisle location  350  is also provided.  
         [0050]      FIG. 6  is another embodiment of the present invention where a sample advanced menu is shown in accordance with the method and system of the present invention. The menu number  300  is a unique identifier for specific menu choices. The menu shown in  FIG. 6  identifies between one and ten beverage and food categories. A non-limiting example in  FIG. 6  is illustrated where five categories including BEVERAGE  305 , DAIRY  310 , FRUIT  315 , GRAIN  320 , and DESSERT  325  are shown. This menu is used by more advanced customers that do not require specific choices in each category.  
         [0051]      FIGS. 7A and 7B  illustrate a Menu Database  31  in accordance with the method and system of the present invention. As illustrated, the Menu Database  31  includes a variety of healthy menu choices available that are each broken down into a menu number field  400 , a registration number field  410 , a choice field  415 , a location field  420 , a category field  425 , and a category complete field  430 . The menu number field  400  is used to maintain a unique identifier for each menu. The registration number field  410  is used to register the selected menu in use by the child. A choice field  415  maintains acceptable beverage choices and acceptable food choices associated with each menu and are used in the determination of acceptable choices. The acceptable food choices and acceptable beverage choices are associated to the Category Field  425 . These associations are used to identify completion of a menu category. The location field  420  maintains the location of the acceptable beverage choices and food choices within the store, for example, the aisle number for the location of the selection is maintained. The category complete field  430  is an identifier to indicate when a category has been successfully completed for a specific menu. As a non-limiting example,  FIG. 7  shows a Menu Database  31  with two menu numbers and associated fields.  
         [0052]      FIG. 8  illustrates a Selection Validation Database  32  in accordance with the present invention. As illustrated, the Selection Validation Database  32  includes a registration number field  410 , an automatic identification field  440 , and an acceptable choice field  445 . The registration number field  410  is used to maintain a unique identifier for each menu. The automatic identification field  440  stores the identifier for all food and beverage choices selected by the child. An acceptable choice field  445  is filled with an appropriate indicator upon an acceptable selection or is filled with another indicator upon an unacceptable selection. This information is used to generate reports to indicate where the child was able to make acceptable choices and where the child was unable to make acceptable choices.  
         [0053]      FIG. 9  illustrates an Incentive Database  33  in accordance with the present invention. The incentive is redeemed by using one of these documents; in-store documentation  450 , mail order documentation  455 , electronic documentation  460 , and no documentation required  465 .  
         [0054]      FIG. 10  illustrates an Automatic Identification Database  34  in accordance with the present invention. The Automatic Identification Database  34  captures, reads, and maintains food choice data, beverage choice data, menu data and automatic identification data. A food choice field  480  maintains all food choices selected by the child. A beverage choice field  485  maintains all beverage choices selected by the child. A menu number field  400  is used to maintain a unique identifier for each menu. An automatic identification type field  490  maintains the type of automatic identification device in use. The automatic identification registration number field  495  maintains the unique identifier of the automatic identification device in use. The automatic identification method used includes but is not limited to RFID, optical scanner, and barcode technologies.  
         [0055]      FIG. 11  illustrates a computer system  1201  upon which an embodiment of the present invention may be implemented. The computer system  1201  includes a bus  1202  or other communication mechanism for communicating information, and a processor  1203  coupled with the bus  1202  for processing the information. The computer system  1201  also includes a main memory  1204 , such as a random access memory (RAM) or other dynamic storage device (e.g., dynamic RAM (DRAM), static RAM (SRAM), and synchronous DRAM (SDRAM)), coupled to the bus  1202  for storing information and instructions to be executed by processor  1203 . In addition, the main memory  1204  may be used for storing temporary variables or other intermediate information during the execution of instructions by the processor  1203 . The computer system  1201  further includes a read only memory (ROM)  1205  or other static storage device (e.g., programmable ROM (PROM), erasable PROM (EPROM), and electrically erasable PROM (EEPROM)) coupled to the bus  1202  for storing static information and instructions for the processor  1203 .  
         [0056]     The computer system  1201  also includes a disk controller  1206  coupled to the bus  1202  to control one or more storage devices for storing information and instructions, such as a magnetic hard disk  1207 , and a removable media drive  1208  (e.g., floppy disk drive, read-only compact disc drive, read/write compact disc drive, compact disc jukebox, tape drive, and removable magneto-optical drive). The storage devices may be added to the computer system  1201  using an appropriate device interface (e.g., small computer system interface (SCSI), integrated device electronics (IDE), enhanced-IDE (E-IDE), direct memory access (DMA), or ultra-DMA).  
         [0057]     The computer system  1201  may also include special purpose logic devices (e.g., application specific integrated circuits (ASICs)) or configurable logic devices (e.g., simple programmable logic devices (SPLDs), complex programmable logic devices (CPLDs), and field programmable gate arrays (FPGAs)).  
         [0058]     The computer system  1201  may also include a display controller  1209  coupled to the bus  1202  to control a display  1210 , such as a cathode ray tube (CRT), for displaying information to a computer user. The computer system includes input devices, such as a keyboard  1211  and a pointing device  1212 , for interacting with a computer user and providing information to the processor  1203 . The pointing device  1212 , for example, may be a mouse, a trackball, or a pointing stick for communicating direction information and command selections to the processor  1203  and for controlling cursor movement on the display  1210 . In addition, a printer may provide printed listings of data stored and/or generated by the computer system  1201 .  
         [0059]     The computer system  1201  performs a portion or all of the processing steps of the invention in response to the processor  1203  executing one or more sequences of one or more instructions contained in a memory, such as the main memory  1204 . Such instructions may be read into the main memory  1204  from another computer readable medium, such as a hard disk  1207  or a removable media drive  1208 . One or more processors in a multi-processing arrangement may also be employed to execute the sequences of instructions contained in main memory  1204 . In alternative embodiments, hard-wired circuitry may be used in place of or in combination with software instructions. Thus, embodiments are not limited to any specific combination of hardware circuitry and software.  
         [0060]     As stated above, the computer system  1201  includes at least one computer readable medium or memory for holding instructions programmed according to the teachings of the invention and for containing data structures, tables, records, or other data described herein. Examples of computer readable media are compact discs, hard disks, floppy disks, tape, magneto-optical disks, PROMs (EPROM, EEPROM, flash EPROM), DRAM, SRAM, SDRAM, or any other magnetic medium, compact discs (e.g., CD-ROM), or any other optical medium, punch cards, paper tape, or other physical medium with patterns of holes, a carrier wave (described below), or any other medium from which a computer can read.  
         [0061]     Stored on any one or on a combination of computer readable media, the present invention includes software for controlling the computer system  1201 , for driving a device or devices for implementing the invention, and for enabling the computer system  1201  to interact with a human user (e.g., print production personnel). Such software may include, but is not limited to, device drivers, operating systems, development tools, and applications software. Such computer readable media further includes the computer program product of the present invention for performing all or a portion (if processing is distributed) of the processing performed in implementing the invention.  
         [0062]     The computer code devices of the present invention may be any interpretable or executable code mechanism, including but not limited to scripts, interpretable programs, dynamic link libraries (DLLs), Java classes, and complete executable programs. Moreover, parts of the processing of the present invention may be distributed for better performance, reliability, and/or cost.  
         [0063]     The term “computer readable medium” as used herein refers to any medium that participates in providing instructions to the processor  1203  for execution. A computer readable medium may take many forms, including but not limited to, non-volatile media, volatile media, and transmission media. Non-volatile media includes, for example, optical, magnetic disks, and magneto-optical disks, such as the hard disk  1207  or the removable media drive  1208 . Volatile media includes dynamic memory, such as the main memory  1204 . Transmission media includes coaxial cables, copper wire and fiber optics, including the wires that make up the bus  1202 . Transmission media also may also take the form of acoustic or light waves, such as those generated during radio wave and infrared data communications.  
         [0064]     Various forms of computer readable media may be involved in carrying out one or more sequences of one or more instructions to processor  1203  for execution. For example, the instructions may initially be carried on a magnetic disk of a remote computer. The remote computer can load the instructions for implementing all or a portion of the present invention remotely into a dynamic memory and send the instructions over a telephone line using a modem. A modem local to the computer system  1201  may receive the data on the telephone line and use an infrared transmitter to convert the data to an infrared signal. An infrared detector coupled to the bus  1202  can receive the data carried in the infrared signal and place the data on the bus  1202 . The bus  1202  carries the data to the main memory  1204 , from which the processor  1203  retrieves and executes the instructions. The instructions received by the main memory  1204  may optionally be stored on storage device  1207  or  1208  either before or after execution by processor  1203 .  
         [0065]     The computer system  1201  also includes a communication interface  1213  coupled to the bus  1202 . The communication interface  1213  provides a two-way data communication coupling to a network link  1214  that is connected to, for example, a local area network (LAN)  1215 , or to another communications network  1216  such as the Internet. For example, the communication interface  1213  may be a network interface card to attach to any packet switched LAN. As another example, the communication interface  1213  may be an asymmetrical digital subscriber line (ADSL) card, an integrated services digital network (ISDN) card or a modem to provide a data communication connection to a corresponding type of communications line. Wireless links may also be implemented. In any such implementation, the communication interface  1213  sends and receives electrical, electromagnetic or optical signals that carry digital data streams representing various types of information.  
         [0066]     The network link  1214  typically provides data communication through one or more networks to other data devices. For example, the network link  1214  may provide a connection to another computer through a local network  1215  (e.g., a LAN) or through equipment operated by a service provider, which provides communication services through a communications network  1216 . The local network  1214  and the communications network  1216  use, for example, electrical, electromagnetic, or optical signals that carry digital data streams, and the associated physical layer (e.g., CAT 5 cable, coaxial cable, optical fiber, etc). The signals through the various networks and the signals on the network link  1214  and through the communication interface  1213 , which carry the digital data to and from the computer system  1201  may be implemented in baseband signals, or carrier wave based signals. The baseband signals convey the digital data as unmodulated electrical pulses that are descriptive of a stream of digital data bits, where the term “bits” is to be construed broadly to mean symbol, where each symbol conveys at least one or more information bits. The digital data may also be used to modulate a carrier wave, such as with amplitude, phase and/or frequency shift keyed signals that are propagated over a conductive media, or transmitted as electromagnetic waves through a propagation medium. Thus, the digital data may be sent as unmodulated baseband data through a “wired” communication channel and/or sent within a predetermined frequency band, different than baseband, by modulating a carrier wave. The computer system  1201  can transmit and receive data, including program code, through the network(s)  1215  and  1216 , the network link  1214  and the communication interface  1213 . Moreover, the network link  1214  may provide a connection through a LAN  1215  to a mobile device  1217  such as a personal digital assistant (PDA) laptop computer, or cellular telephone.