Patent Publication Number: US-11041264-B2

Title: Stitching system for a shoe upper

Description:
RELATED 
     This application claims the benefit of priority of U.S. Application No. 62/678,683, titled “Stitching System for a Shoe Upper,” and filed May 31, 2018. The entirety of the aforementioned application is incorporated by reference herein. 
    
    
     TECHNICAL FIELD 
     Aspects hereof relate to apparatuses, systems and methods for automated stitching of components/parts of a shoe upper to be incorporated into articles of footwear, e.g., shoes. More particularly, aspects relate to apparatuses, systems and methods for automatically stitching two shoe upper parts together to form a portion of a shoe upper. 
     BACKGROUND 
     Articles of footwear and, in particular, shoes may be made by combining components, such as uppers and bottom units (comprising a midsole and an outsole), which may themselves be comprised of subcomponents. For instance, a shoe upper may be comprised of multiple planar parts that are cut from different stock pieces of material, for example, but not limited to, an exterior upper and a heel liner. The exterior upper may be made of a material that is more wear resistant and the heel liner may be made of a material that is more comfortable to the foot of a wearer. These shoe parts are then stitched together utilizing a manual stitching machine. The shoe upper parts, such as the exterior upper and the heel liner, are required to be skillfully manipulated by a worker to form the seams of a resulting upper. 
     BRIEF SUMMARY 
     Aspects hereof provide a system for stitching two parts of a shoe together including a stitching machine having a head and a cylinder bed. The head has a needle base disposed on a lower end adjacent the cylinder bed such that the two shoe parts can be stitched together therebetween. The system further includes a positioning mechanism having a curved drive frame coupled thereto. The positioning mechanism is capable of moving the curved drive frame in a rotating motion along the circumference of the curved drive frame and in a linear direction generally along an axis of the curved drive frame. The system further includes a jig for positioning the two shoe parts with respect to one another and that is coupled to the curved drive frame. The jig includes a curved support surface for the two shoe parts. The system also includes a computing device for controlling actuation of the needle bed and the positioning mechanism such that the jig can be manipulated to provide a specific stitch arrangement for connecting the two shoe parts. 
     Another aspect hereof includes a jig for stitching two shoe parts together on an embroidery machine. The jig includes a curved mounting member capable of being coupled to the embroidery machine. The jig also includes a curved support surface coupled to the mounting member and capable of supporting the two shoe parts as they are joined together. The curved support surface includes an edge positioned at a location distal from the mounting member and that has the general shape of the stitch line to be formed between the two shoe parts. 
     A further aspect includes a method of joining two shoe parts together in a specific fashion. The method includes providing an embroidery machine with a hat hoop positioning mechanism and securing the two shoe parts to a curved jig. The method also includes securing the curved jig to the hat hoop positioning mechanism and accessing a pattern from a computing device of the embroidery machine. The pattern represents the stitch line for joining the two shoe parts together. The method also includes joining the two shoe parts together based upon the pattern. 
    
    
     
       DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
       The present invention is described in detail herein with reference to the attached drawing figures, wherein: 
         FIG. 1  depicts a top perspective view of a known embroidery machine with a hat hoop positioning mechanism; 
         FIG. 2  depicts a top perspective view of a system capable of automatically stitching two shoe parts together including a support jig coupled to the hat hoop positioning mechanism, in accordance with exemplary aspects hereof; 
         FIG. 3A  depicts a top plan view of a pattern for the curved support member of the jig of  FIG. 2 , in accordance with exemplary aspects hereof; 
         FIG. 3B  depicts a top plan view of a pattern an alternative curved support member, in accordance with exemplary aspects hereof; 
         FIG. 4  depicts a top plan view of a shoe upper component in the form of an exterior upper part, in accordance with exemplary aspects hereof; 
         FIG. 5  depicts a top plane view of a shoe upper component in the form of a heel liner part, in accordance with exemplary aspects hereof; 
         FIG. 6  depicts a top plan view of the jig of  FIG. 2  removed from the hat hoop positioning mechanism of the embroidery machine, in accordance with exemplary aspects hereof; 
         FIG. 7  depicts a top plan view of the jig of  FIG. 6  showing the partial positioning of a heel liner part on the jig, in accordance with exemplary aspects hereof; 
         FIG. 8  depicts a top plan view of the jig of  FIG. 6  showing the completed positioning of a heel liner part on the jig, in accordance with exemplary aspects hereof; 
         FIG. 9  depicts a top plan view of the jig of  FIG. 6  showing the completed positioning of the exterior upper part on the jug, in accordance with exemplary aspects hereof; 
         FIG. 10  depicts a cross sectional view taken along lines  10 - 10  of  FIG. 8 , in accordance with exemplary aspects hereof; 
         FIG. 11  depicts a top perspective view of the system of  FIG. 2  showing the stitching operation joining the shoe exterior upper part to the heel liner part, in accordance with exemplary aspects hereof; 
         FIG. 12  depicts a top perspective view similar to  FIG. 2 , but showing a multi head system with each head having a jig and a positioning mechanism associated therewith, in accordance with exemplary aspects hereof; 
         FIG. 13  depicts a flow diagram representing a method for joining two shoe parts in a specific fashion, in accordance with exemplary aspects hereof; 
         FIG. 14  depicts a computer monitor of the system of  FIG. 2  showing a selected stitch pattern, 
         FIG. 15  depicts an exemplary computing operating environment, such as a programmable logic controller and/or a personal computer, for implementing aspects of the invention hereof; and 
         FIG. 16  depicts a top perspective view of a presser foot arrangement of  FIG. 2  showing its orientation in relation to an exemplary pin member, in accordance with exemplary aspects hereof. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
     As a result of the desires for protection and support from an upper, cushioning from a midsole, and traction and durability from an outsole, a given shoe may utilize diverse materials and structural designs for these different components. Further, additional components that provide, for example, particularized impact protection, motion control for pronation or supination, varying degrees of support, additional impact protection, and the like may further complicate the design of all or part of a shoe. Nevertheless, these components must be ultimately integrated to form a wearable shoe that is both functional and, ideally, attractive. Shoes may be made by combining components, such as uppers and bottom units (comprising a midsole and an outsole), which may themselves be comprised of subcomponents. For instance, a shoe upper may be comprised of multiple planar parts that are cut from different stock pieces of material, for example, but not limited to, an exterior upper and a heel liner. The exterior upper may be made of a material that is more wear resistant and the heel liner may be made of a material that is more comfortable to the foot of a wearer. These shoe parts are then stitched together utilizing a manual stitching machine. The shoe upper parts, such as the exterior upper and the heel liner, are required to be skillfully manipulated by a worker to form the seams of a resulting upper. This manual stitching operation is very labor intensive and creates great inefficiencies in the manufacturing of shoes. Additionally, because each worker may stitch in a different manner, this type of manual manufacturing may also create inconsistencies between shoes of the same model and type. These inconsistencies may be visually perceptible to a buyer and can also result in rejected shoes as part of the inspection process. 
     Aspects hereof provide a system for stitching two parts of a shoe together including a stitching machine having a head and a cylinder bed. The head has a needle base disposed on a lower end adjacent the cylinder bed such that the two shoe parts can be stitched together therebetween. The system further includes a positioning mechanism having a curved drive frame coupled thereto. The positioning mechanism is capable of moving the curved drive frame in a rotating motion along the circumference of the curved drive frame and in a linear direction generally along an axis of the curved drive frame. The system further includes a jig for positioning the two shoe parts with respect to one another and that is coupled to the curved drive frame. The jig includes a curved support surface for two shoe parts. The system also includes a computing device for controlling actuation of the needle bed and the positioning mechanism such that the jig can be manipulated to provide a specific stitch arrangement for connecting the two shoe parts. 
     Another aspect hereof includes a jig for stitching two shoe parts together on an embroidery machine. The jig includes a curved mounting member capable of being coupled to the embroidery machine. The jig also includes a curved support surface extending from the mounting member and capable of supporting the two shoe parts as they are joined together. The curved support surface includes an edge located at a location distal from the mounting member and that has the general shape of the stitch line to be formed between the two shoe parts. 
     A further aspect includes a method of joining two shoe parts together in a specific fashion. The method includes providing an embroidery machine with a hat hoop drive mechanism and securing the two shoe parts to a curved jig. The method also includes securing the curved jig to the hat hoop drive mechanism; accessing a pattern from a computing device of the embroidery machine. The pattern represents the stitch line for joining the two shoe parts together. The method also includes joining the two shoe parts together based upon the pattern. 
     Referring to  FIG. 1 , a known embroidery machine  10  is described. The embroidery machine  10  has a frame  12  with an upstanding support bracket  16 . A stitching head  14  is slidably mounted to an upstanding bracket  16 . The head  14  has a needle base  18  mounted on the lower end. The needle base  18  has a plurality of presser foot (including a stitching needle) arrangements  20  which can be selectively engaged by the machine  10 . More specifically, the head  14  is slidably mounted to the bracket  16  in such a manner that any one of the presser foot arrangements  20  can be selectively activated. Each of the presser foot arrangements  20  can have a different type or color of thread associated therewith. The different types or colors of threads are supplied to their respective presser foot arrangement  20  by the thread course  22  mounted on the frame  12 . The thread course  22  can contain a number of different spools of thread representing different colors or types. The selection of a different presser foot arrangement  20  is accomplished by the head  14  sliding on a rail  24  mounted to the support bracket  16 . An actuator (not shown) is used to move the head  14  along the rail  24  in such a manner that a selected foot presser arrangement  20  becomes operational. 
     The machine  10  further includes a cylinder bed  26  mounted to the frame  12 . The cylinder bed  26  includes an aperture  28  that receives the needle of a selected presser foot arrangement  20 . The cylinder bed  26  also has an upper surface  30  that contains the aperture  28 . A fabric or material being stitched by the machine  10  is pinched between the selected presser foot arrangement  20  and the upper surface  30  so the associated needle can perform a stitching operation. 
     The known embroidery machine  10  is usually used to embroider a design on a selected fabric, for instance a back pack or clothing item. The machine  10  has typically not been used to actually attach two pieces of material together in a manufacturing process, but has been used to effectuate ornamental designs on a consumer product. 
     One such known clothing item that is embroidered by the known machine  10  is a baseball cap or hat. Referring to  FIG. 1 , a special hat hoop drive/positioning mechanism  32  is positioned on the machine  10 . The hat positioning mechanism  32  converts the normal horizontal X-Y positioning of the machine  10  into a rotating motion  34  and a linear motion  36  along a Y-axis. More specifically, the machine  10  is typically used to embroider planar items utilizing a jig that is automatically manipulated in the X-Y directions of a horizontal plane to effectuate a pattern on the planar item. As is apparent, a baseball hat is cylindrical in shape and needs a different type of positioning mechanism  32 . 
     The positioning mechanism  32  includes a circular drive frame  38  positioned around the cylinder bed  26  and coupled to an X-axis actuator  40 . Without the hat positioning mechanism  32 , the actuator  40  is normally used to position a planar item in the horizontal X direction, that is, from left and right across the needle base  18 . With the hat positioning mechanism  32  attached, the motion of the actuator  40  is shifted to a rotational motion  34  along the circumference of the drive frame  38 . Thus, for instance, a hat could be automatically positioned for embroidery in a circumferential direction by the rotation of the drive frame  38 . Still further, the actuator  40  is slidably coupled on both ends  42  to the frame  12  in order to accomplish the linear motion  36  along a horizontal Y-axis, that is back and forth across the needle base  18 . A suitable actuator (not shown) is utilized to automatically effectuate linear motion  36 . A pair of flanges  48  are also added to the machine  10  when it is set up in its hat embroidery configuration. 
     The hat positioning mechanism  32  (and therefore the rotational motion  34  of the drive frame  38  and the linear motion  36 ) along with the stitching head  14  are electronically coupled to and controlled by a computing device  44 . The computing device  44  has a monitor  46 . In addition to controlling the positioning mechanism  32 , the computing device  44  is capable of storing a multitude of stitching/embroidery patterns. For instance, a stored embroidery pattern can be selected utilizing the monitor  46  and the pattern automatically effectuated by the positioning mechanism  32 . 
     One such known embroidery machine that has been found suitable for aspects hereof is the TEMX-C series manufacture by the Tajima Corporation. 
     Referring to  FIGS. 2, 3A, 4, 5, and 6 , a jig  50  is depicted and is designed to utilize the known embroidery machine  10  and the hat positioning mechanism  32  to stitch together two shoe parts, for instance, but not limited to an exterior upper  52  and a heel liner  54 . Normally a hat jig (not shown) with a hat attached thereto is removably attached to the circular drive frame  38 . The jig  50  takes the place of the hat jig, but utilizes the same positioning mechanism  32  as the hat jig. The jig  50  includes a circular mounting member  56  for engaging the circular drive frame  38  in a removable manner. More specifically, the mounting member  56  can be mated with the drive frame  38  in such a manner such that mounting member  56  fits snugly around the drive frame  38 , so that as drive frame  38  is rotated, so is the mounting member  56 . The mounting member  56  can be secured in this manner around the drive frame  38  by any suitable means, for instance a releasable bracket, a pin/slot arrangement, a compression fit, or a bolt arrangement. The important point is that the rotational motion of the drive frame  38  is transferred to the mounting member  56  and thus the jig  50 . The mounting member  56  can include segment flanges  58  that can also be used as a mounting surface for mounting to the drive frame  38 . It is contemplated that the rotational motion of positioning mechanism  32  could also be applied to segment flanges  58  in any suitable fashion. The jig  50  also includes a curved support member  60  extending at least partially around the circumference of the mounting member  56 . More specifically, it may be desirable to have the support member  60  extend up to 270 degrees of the circumference of the mounting member  56 . The 270 degrees limit coincides with the maximum rotation that the drive frame  38  is capable of in one type of known embroidery machine  10 . Referring to  FIG. 3A , a pattern for making a curved support member  60  is depicted. The pattern could represent the actual support member  60  before it is curved to attach it to the circumference of the mounting member  56 . Still further, the pattern can represent the layout for the support member  60  that is integrally formed with the mounting member  56 . The support member  60  includes an elongated wavy edge  66  formed at the distal end farthest away from the mounting member  56 . As will be more fully described herein, the edge  66  coincides with the stitch pattern that will be used to join the external upper  52  and the heel liner  54 . It is along the edge  66  that a needle of a selected presser foot arrangement  20  passes so as to engage the aperture  28  of the cylinder bed  26 . Thus, when the two shoe parts are attached to the jig  50  as will be described herein, the actual stitching of the machine  10  will take place along the edge  66 . The curved support member  60  has a curved outer surface  68  for supporting the upper  52  and the liner  54  as will be further described herein. 
     The curved support member  60  also has attachment pins  70  extending upwardly from the curved outer surface  68 . The pins  70  will be used to secure the upper  52  and the liner  54  to the jig  50 . The pins  70  are positioned along the edge  66 . Referring to  FIGS. 8-10 , the pins  70  can have a threaded surface  72  formed thereon for holding the shoe part thereon. The surface  72  can be any suitable arrangement that operates to hold a shoe part thereon through friction, for instance a barbed or roughed surface. As will be more fully described herein, when the upper  52  and the liner  54  are position on the pins  70 , the edge  66  will be covered by the portions of both the upper  52  and the liner  54  that are to be connected together. 
     The jig  50  can be made of a one piece construction, such that the circular mounting member  56 , the curved support member  60  and the pins  70  are all integrally formed together. Still further, the jig  50  could be made of separate components (i.e. the circular mounting member  56 , the curved support member  60  and the pins  70 ) that are then attached together in any suitable manner, for instance welding, adhesive or rivets. The jig can be made of a suitable material, for instance metal, plastic or fiberglass or any combination thereof. 
     Referring to  FIGS. 5, 7 and 8 , the heel liner  5  has a series of mounting apertures  74  that are configured to receive the pins  70  of the jig  50 . More specifically, the liner  52 , when it is cut out from a larger piece of material, is fabricated to include the apertures  74  along an edge  76  that eventually, when joined with the upper  52 , will become a portion of the collar of a resulting shoe upper, as will be more fully described herein. Referring to  FIG. 7 , the heel liner  54  is shown partially attached to the jig  50  in that five of the pins  70  are engaging five of the apertures  74 . The heel liner  54  is symmetrical and thus in  FIG. 7 , a little more than one half of the heel liner portion of the resulting collar is secured to the jig  50 . Referring to  FIG. 8 , the heel liner  54  is depicted with all of its apertures  74  engaging the pins  70  such that it is fully attached to the jig  50 . The heel liner  54  and the exterior upper  52  are stitched together in an inside out arrangement such that when they are turned right-side out, the seam connecting them is obscured and on the inside of the arrangement. Thus, when the heel liner  54  is placed on the jig  50  the surface  78  that will be facing the wearer&#39;s foot will be furthest away from the curved outer surface  68 . 
     Referring to  FIGS. 4, 9 and 10 , the exterior upper  52  has a series of mounting apertures  80  that are configured to receive the pins  70  of the jig  50 . More specifically, the upper  52 , when it is cut out from a larger piece of material, is fabricated to include the apertures  80  along an edge  82  that eventually, when joined with the liner  54 , will become a portion of the collar of a resulting shoe upper, as will be more fully described herein. Referring to  FIG. 4 , prior to the upper  52  being positioned on the jig  50 , the back edges  84  and  86  may be joined in any suitable stitching action. By connecting the edges  84  and  86 , the very back seam of a resulting shoe upper is formed. The back edges  84  and  86  can be stitched together by simply folding one half of the external upper  52  onto the other half and stitching the edges  84  and  86  together. This is possible because the external upper  52  is approximately symmetrical. When the back edges  84  and  86  are connected, the external upper  52  is inside out such that if it was turned right-side out, a connecting seam  88  would be hidden inside the shoe. The joining of the back edges  84  and  86  is the operation that creates the collar arrangement of a resulting shoe. Referring to  FIG. 9 , the upper  52  is depicted with all of its apertures  80  engaging the pins  70  such that it is fully attached to the jig  50 . The upper  52  is positioned on top of the liner  54  on the jig  50 . The upper  52  and the liner  54  utilize the same pins  70  for attachment to the jig  50 . The upper  52  with the back edges  84  and  86  connected is the configuration that is placed on the jig  50 . Thus, the collar edge  82  of the upper  52  forms a closed circle. It is this closed circle arrangement that requires the curved nature of the jig  50  and allows the closed collar edge  82  to in essence fit around the curved support member  60  of the jig  50 . The closed collar upper  52  is positioned on the jig  50  in an inside out fashion such that once the closed collar edge  82  of the upper  52  is stitched to the collar edge  76  of the liner  54 , the entire structure will need to be turned right-side out to hide the stitching between the upper  52  and the liner  54 . 
     Referring to  FIGS. 11 and 14 , the stitching operation after the external upper  52  and the heel liner  54  have been secured to the jig  50  will be described. It is contemplated that the upper  52  and the liner  54  will be attached to the jig  50  while the jig  50  is removed from the positioning mechanism  32 . Thereafter, the jig  50  with the parts attached thereto can be coupled to the positioning mechanism  32 . It is also contemplated that the upper  52  and the liner  54  can be attached to the jig  50  while the jig  50  is attached to the positioning mechanism  32 . A stitch pattern  90  is selected from the computing device  44 . As described herein, there can be multiple patterns stored in the computing device  44 . The pattern  90  coincides with the final stitch line for connecting the upper  52  to the liner  54  to create the collar of a resulting shoe. The pattern  90  also generally has the path/shape of the wavy edge  66  of the jig  50 . The pattern  90  controls the automated stitching operation of the machine  10 . Once the pattern  90  is selected, the computing device  44  is activated such that the selected presser foot arrangement  20  will automatically be positioned at the center of the edge  66 . The computing device  44  can also be set to start the stitching operation at any point along the pattern  90 , for instance one end or the other. The offset in relation to the edge  66  may also be set manually on the computing device  44 . This operation determines manually how far from the edge  66  to start stitching the pattern  90 . Once an offset is manually set, the computing device  44  will remember the offset for future operations. Referring to  FIG. 11 , the machine is shown automatically stitching the upper  52  and the liner  54  together. More specifically, the positioning mechanism  32  is actuated to move the jig  50  in rotational motion  34  and in linear motion  36  so that a selected and activated foot presser arrangement  20  follows the pattern  90 . After completion of the stitching operation, the jig  50  can be removed from the positioning mechanism  32 . The combined upper  52  and liner  54  can be removed from the jig  50  by removing their respective apertures  74  and  80  from the pins  70 . The combined upper  52  and the liner  54  can then be turned right-side out to hide both the connecting seam  88  and the resulting collar seam. 
     As is apparent, the system herein provides an automated manner of intricately connecting two shoe parts without significant human interaction. This is far from the traditional manual stitching operations that are very labor intensive and provide inconsistent results. The use of an electronically stored pattern ensures consistent manufacturing time after time. Efficiencies of manufacture are also greatly enhanced. 
     Referring to  FIG. 3B , another aspect hereof includes an alternative pattern for making a curved support member  60 ′. The pattern could represent the actual support member  60 ′ before it is curved to attach it to the circumference of the mounting member  56 . Still further, the pattern can represent the layout for the support member  60 ′ that is integrally formed with the mounting member  56 . The curved support member  60 ′ includes a distal edge  62  that is farthest away from the mounting member  56  and that tapers to a flat area  64 . The support member  60 ′ also includes an elongated wavy aperture  63  formed therein. The aperture  63  coincides with the stitch pattern that will be used to join the external upper  52  and the heel liner  54 . In this additional aspect, a needle of a selected presser foot arrangement  20  passes through aperture  63  so as to engage the aperture  28  of the cylinder bed  26 . Thus, when the two shoe parts are attached to the jig  50  as described herein, the actual stitching of the machine  10  will take place within the confines of aperture  63 . 
     Referring to  FIG. 16 , the details of the presser foot arrangement  20  are depicted. The arrangement  20  includes a needle  19  for performing the stitching operations. The arrangement  20  also includes a vertical member  21  mounted to the needle base  18 . The vertical member  21  includes a crossover member  23  with an aperture therein for receiving the needle  19  and a vertical extension member  25  having a foot  27  disposed thereon. The foot  27  also has an aperture for receiving the needle  19 . The upper  52  and the liner  54  are pinched or clamped between the foot  27  and the cylinder bed  26  during the stitching operation. The provision of the extension member  25  opposite to the mounting member  56  of the jig  50 , and thus also away from the pins  70 , ensures unobstructed operation of the presser foot arrangement  20 . More specifically, if the vertical member  21  and the vertical extension member  25  are on the same side of a stitch line as are the pins  70 , there is interference with the stitching operation. The crossover member  23  ensures that there is not interference. 
     Referring to  FIG. 12 , another aspect hereof includes a multi headed embroidery machine  92  with a plurality of stitching heads  14 , a plurality of positioning mechanisms  32  and a plurality of jigs  50 . Each of heads  14  and positioning mechanisms  32  are controlled by a computing device  44  so that multiple pairs of the uppers and the liners  54  can be combined in one operation. Thus, the machine  92  increases significantly the through put of the operation because of the multiple heads  14 . As is apparent, although a combination of an external upper  52  and a heel liner  54  is described, the systems, methods and apparatuses described herein could apply to any two shoe parts. 
       FIG. 13  depicts a flow diagram representing a method  94  for joining two shoe parts together in a specific manner. It is contemplated that while a specific order of steps is presented and discussed that alternative ordering may be implemented without departing from the scope of the aspects provided herein. At a first block  96 , a step represents providing an embroidery machine with a hat hoop positioning mechanism. At block  98 , a step represents securing the two shoe parts to a curved jig. At block  100 , a step represents securing the curved jig to the hat hoop positioning mechanism. At block  102 , a step represents accessing a pattern from a computing device of the embroidery machine. The pattern accessed represents the stitch line for joining the two shoe parts together. At block  104 , a step represents joining the two shoe parts together based upon the pattern. 
       FIG. 15  depicts an exemplary computing operating environment for implementing aspects hereof as shown and designated generally as computing system or device  44 . For example, aspects provided herein contemplate using a computing device  44  to store stitch patterns  90 , to control the positioning mechanism  32 , and to actuate stitching head  14  so as to automatically stitch two shoe parts together. The computing device  44  is but one example of a suitable computing environment and is not intended to suggest any limitation as to the scope of use or functionality of the invention. Neither should the computing device  44  be interpreted as having any dependency or requirement relating to any one or combination of components illustrated. 
     Aspects hereof may be described in the general context of computer code or machine-useable instructions, including computer-executable instructions such as program components, being executed by a computer or other machine, such as a programmable logic controller (“PLC”). Generally, program components, including routines, programs, objects, components, data structures, and the like, refer to code that performs particular tasks or implements particular abstract data types. Aspects hereof may be practiced in a variety of system configurations, including handheld devices, consumer electronics, general-purpose computers, personal computers, specialty computing devices, PLC, etc. Aspects hereof may also be practiced in distributed computing environments where tasks are performed by remote-processing devices that are linked through a communications network. 
     With continued reference to  FIG. 15 , computing device  44  includes a bus  106  that directly or indirectly couples the following devices: memory  108 , one or more processors  110 , one or more presentation components  112 , input/output (I/O) ports  114 , I/O components  116 , and an illustrative power supply  118 . The bus  106  represents what may be one or more busses (such as an address bus, data bus, or combination thereof). Although the various blocks of  FIG. 15  are shown with lines for the sake of clarity, in reality, delineating various components is not so clear, and metaphorically, the lines would more accurately be grey and fuzzy. For example, one may consider a presentation component such as a display device to be an I/O component  116 . Also, processors have memory. It is recognized that such is the nature of the art, and reiterated that the diagram of  FIG. 15  is merely illustrative of an exemplary computing device that can be used in connection with one or more aspects hereof. Distinction is not made between such categories as “workstation,” “server,” “laptop,” “handheld device,” “tablet,” “phone,” “node,” “PLC,” etc., as all are contemplated within the scope of  FIG. 15  and refer to “computer” or “computing device.” In particular, aspects hereof are contemplated as being performed in whole or in part on one or more components of a distributed computing system. It is contemplated that a distributed computing system may be comprised of processors, networks, and memory that scale to handle a desired level of computing processes at a time. Therefore, it is contemplated that a computing device may also refer to the computing environment of a distributed computing system that dynamically changes with time and/or demand. 
     Computing device  44  typically includes a variety of computer-readable media. Computer-readable media can be any available media that can be accessed by computing device  44  and includes both volatile and nonvolatile media, removable and non-removable media. By way of example, and not limitation, computer-readable media may comprise computer-storage media and communication media. Computer-storage media includes both volatile and nonvolatile, removable and non-removable media implemented in any method or technology for storage of information such as computer-readable instructions, data structures, program modules or other data. 
     Computer-storage media includes RAM, ROM, EEPROM, flash memory or other memory technology, CD-ROM, digital versatile disks (DVD) or other optical disk storage, magnetic cassettes, magnetic tape, magnetic disk storage or other magnetic storage devices. Computer storage media does not comprise a propagated data signal. 
     Communication media typically embodies computer-readable instructions, data structures, program modules or other data in a modulated data signal such as a carrier wave or other transport mechanism and includes any information delivery media. The term “modulated data signal” means a signal that has one or more of its characteristics set or changed in such a manner as to encode information in the signal. By way of example, and not limitation, communication media includes wired media such as a wired network or direct-wired connection, and wireless media such as acoustic, RF, infrared and other wireless media. Combinations of any of the above should also be included within the scope of computer-readable media. 
     Memory  108  includes computer-storage media in the form of volatile and/or nonvolatile memory. The memory  108  may be removable, nonremovable, or a combination thereof. Exemplary memory includes non-transitory, solid-state memory, hard drives, optical-disc drives, etc. Computing device  44  includes one or more processors  110  that read data from various entities such as bus  106 , memory  108  or I/O components  116 . Presentation component(s)  112  present data indications to a person or other device. Exemplary presentation components  112  include a display device, speaker, printing component, vibrating component, etc. I/O ports  114  allow computing device  44  to be logically coupled to other devices including I/O components  116 , some of which may be built in. Illustrative I/O components  116  include a microphone, joystick, game pad, satellite dish, scanner, printer, wireless device, etc.