Patent Publication Number: US-2020298864-A1

Title: Passing a curve

Description:
CROSS REFERENCE 
     This application claims priority from U.S. provisional patent Ser. No. 62/859,120 filing date Jun. 9, 2019 which is incorporated herein by reference. 
     This application is a continuation in part of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 16/544,942 filing date Aug. 20, 2019 which is incorporated herein by reference. 
     This application is a continuation in part of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 16/542,327 filing date Aug. 16, 2019 which is incorporated herein by reference. 
     This application is a continuation in part of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 16/544,940 filing date Aug. 202, 2019 which is incorporated herein by reference. 
    
    
     BACKGROUND 
     There are more accidents in curved sections of a road (hereinafter “curves”) than in straight sections of a road. 
     There is a growing need to provide an efficient method for reducing accidents that occur when driving in such curves. 
     SUMMARY 
     There may be provided a non-transitory computer readable medium for passing a curve, the non-transitory computer readable medium that may store instructions for sensing, by a vehicle sensor, environment information regarding an environment of the vehicle (for example—acquiring one or more images and/or acquiring non-visual information about the environment); sensing at least one current propagation parameter of the vehicle; detecting, based on at least the environment information, (a) that the vehicle is about to reach the curve, (b) one or more first road conditions of a first road segment that precedes the curve; determining one or more curve passing propagation parameters to be applied by the vehicle while passing the curve, wherein the determining is based, at least in part, on the one or more first road conditions and on the at least one current propagation parameter; and responding to the determining. 
     There may be provided a method for passing a curve, the method may include sensing, by a vehicle sensor, environment information regarding an environment of the vehicle (for example—acquiring one or more images and/or acquiring non-visual information about the environment); sensing at least one current propagation parameter of the vehicle; detecting, based on at least the environment information, (a) that the vehicle is about to reach the curve, (b) one or more first road conditions of a first road segment that precedes the curve; determining one or more curve passing propagation parameters to be applied by the vehicle while passing the curve, wherein the determining is based, at least in part, on the one or more first road conditions and on the at least one current propagation parameter; and responding to the determining. 
     The method may include receiving or generating a mapping between values of the one or more first road conditions and values of the one or more curve passing propagation parameters. 
     The determining is further responsive to the mapping. 
     The method may include receiving one or more second road conditions of a road second road segment that starts after a beginning of the curve. 
     The determining is further responsive to the one or more second road conditions. 
     The method may include receiving the one or more second road conditions from another vehicle. 
     The determining is further responsive to a mapping between (a) values of the first one or more road conditions, values of the second one or more road conditions, and (b) values of the one or more curve passing propagation parameters. 
     The responding comprises performing an advance driver assistance system (ADAS) operation that involves informing a driver of the vehicle about values of the one or more curve passing propagation parameters. 
     The responding comprises applying an autonomous vehicle pattern that involves applying the one or more curve passing propagation parameters. 
     The method may include transmitting the one or more first road conditions of a first road segment that precedes the curve to another vehicle. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
       The embodiments of the disclosure will be understood and appreciated more fully from the following detailed description, taken in conjunction with the drawings in which: 
         FIG. 1  is an example of a method; 
         FIG. 2  is an example of a vehicle and its environment; and 
         FIG. 3  is an example of a system 
         FIG. 4  is an example of a method; 
         FIG. 5  is an example of a scenario; 
         FIG. 6  is an example of a scenario; 
         FIG. 7  is an example of a scenario; and 
         FIG. 8  is an example of a scenario. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
     In the following detailed description, numerous specific details are set forth in order to provide a thorough understanding of the invention. However, it will be understood by those skilled in the art that the present invention may be practiced without these specific details. In other instances, well-known methods, procedures, and components have not been described in detail so as not to obscure the present invention. 
     The subject matter regarded as the invention is particularly pointed out and distinctly claimed in the concluding portion of the specification. The invention, however, both as to organization and method of operation, together with objects, features, and advantages thereof, may best be understood by reference to the following detailed description when read with the accompanying drawings. 
     It will be appreciated that for simplicity and clarity of illustration, elements shown in the figures have not necessarily been drawn to scale. For example, the dimensions of some of the elements may be exaggerated relative to other elements for clarity. Further, where considered appropriate, reference numerals may be repeated among the figures to indicate corresponding or analogous elements. 
     Because the illustrated embodiments of the present invention may for the most part, be implemented using electronic components and circuits known to those skilled in the art, details will not be explained in any greater extent than that considered necessary as illustrated above, for the understanding and appreciation of the underlying concepts of the present invention and in order not to obfuscate or distract from the teachings of the present invention. 
     Any reference in the specification to a method should be applied mutatis mutandis to a device or system capable of executing the method and/or to a non-transitory computer readable medium that stores instructions for executing the method. 
     Any reference in the specification to a system or device should be applied mutatis mutandis to a method that may be executed by the system, and/or may be applied mutatis mutandis to non-transitory computer readable medium that stores instructions executable by the system. 
     Any reference in the specification to a non-transitory computer readable medium should be applied mutatis mutandis to a device or system capable of executing instructions stored in the non-transitory computer readable medium and/or may be applied mutatis mutandis to a method for executing the instructions. 
     Any combination of any module or unit listed in any of the figures, any part of the specification and/or any claims may be provided. 
     The specification and/or drawings may refer to an image. An image is an example of a media unit. Any reference to an image may be applied mutatis mutandis to a media unit. A media unit may be an example of sensed information. Any reference to a media unit may be applied mutatis mutandis to any type of natural signal such as but not limited to signal generated by nature, signal representing human behavior, signal representing operations related to the stock market, a medical signal, financial series, geodetic signals, geophysical, chemical, molecular, textual and numerical signals, time series, and the like. Any reference to a media unit may be applied mutatis mutandis to sensed information. The sensed information may be of any kind and may be sensed by any type of sensors—such as a visual light camera, an audio sensor, a sensor that may sense infrared, radar imagery, ultrasound, electro-optics, radiography, LIDAR (light detection and ranging), etc. The sensing may include generating samples (for example, pixel, audio signals) that represent the signal that was transmitted, or otherwise reach the sensor. 
     The specification and/or drawings may refer to a spanning element. A spanning element may be implemented in software or hardware. Different spanning element of a certain iteration are configured to apply different mathematical functions on the input they receive. Non-limiting examples of the mathematical functions include filtering, although other functions may be applied. 
     The specification and/or drawings may refer to a concept structure. A concept structure may include one or more clusters. Each cluster may include signatures and related metadata. Each reference to one or more clusters may be applicable to a reference to a concept structure. 
     The specification and/or drawings may refer to a processor. The processor may be a processing circuitry. The processing circuitry may be implemented as a central processing unit (CPU), and/or one or more other integrated circuits such as application-specific integrated circuits (ASICs), field programmable gate arrays (FPGAs), full-custom integrated circuits, etc., or a combination of such integrated circuits. 
     Any combination of any steps of any method illustrated in the specification and/or drawings may be provided. 
     Any combination of any subject matter of any of claims may be provided. 
     Any combinations of systems, units, components, processors, sensors, illustrated in the specification and/or drawings may be provided. 
     Any reference to an object may be applicable to a pattern. Accordingly—any reference to object detection is applicable mutatis mutandis to a pattern detection. 
     The term “and/or” is additionally or alternatively. 
       FIG. 1  illustrates a method  10  passing a curve. 
     Method  10  may include steps  12  and  14 . 
     Step  12  may include sensing, by a vehicle sensor, environment information regarding an environment of the vehicle (for example—acquiring one or more images and/or acquiring non-visual information about the environment). The vehicle sensor may be any of the mentioned above sensors and it may generate images or any other media unit or any other sensed information. 
     An environment of the vehicle may include any content included within the field of view of the sensor which is within a predefined distance from the vehicle—for example—between 1 and 100 meter, between 0.1 and 50 meters, below a kilometer, and the like. 
     Step  12  may be executed by more than a single sensor. 
     Step  14  may include sensing at least one current propagation parameter of the vehicle. The current propagation parameter may be speed, acceleration, propagation path, and the like. 
     Step  12  and  14  may be followed by step  16  of detecting, based on at least the environment information, (a) that the vehicle is about to reach the curve, (b) one or more first road conditions of a first road segment that precedes the curve. 
     The first road conditions may include the curvature, height difference, presence of obstacles, wetness, quality of road, materials of the road, rigidness of the road, whether the road upper surface is scrapped, smooth and the like. 
     Additionally or alternatively, the reaching of a curve may be determined using the location of the vehicle and the (known) location of curves at the vicinity of the vehicle. 
     Step  16  may include searching for a sensed information signature that is indictive of the curve. The sensed information signature may be generated in various manner—see for example U.S. patent application Ser. No. 16/542,327 filing date Aug. 16, 2019 which is incorporated herein by reference, and U.S. patent application Ser. No. 16/544,942 filing date Aug. 20, 2019 which is incorporated herein by reference. 
     Step  16  may be followed by step  18  of determining one or more curve passing propagation parameters to be applied by the vehicle while passing the curve, wherein the determining is based, at least in part, on the one or more first road conditions and on the at least one current propagation parameter. 
     The one or more curve passing propagation parameters may include speed, acceleration and a propagation path to be followed in the curve, and the like. 
     Method  10  may include step  11  of receiving or generating a mapping between values of the one or more first road conditions and values of the one or more curve passing propagation parameters. 
     The values of the one or more curve passing propagation parameters may be values that are expected to guarantee a safe passing of the curve and/or a passage that is deemed to be safe by the driver and/or by the passenger. 
     Method  10  may include step  13  of receiving one or more second road conditions of a road second road segment that starts after a beginning of the curve. 
     Step  13  may include receiving the one or more second road conditions from another vehicle or from an entity that is not a vehicle (for example a static camera, an unmanned airborne device, and the like), using Car-to-X communication (X may be another car or any other device), and the like. 
     The second road conditions may or may not be visible to the vehicle (before reaching the curve) and thus may provide highly beneficial information to the determining. 
     Step  18  may be responsive to the mapping received or generated in step  11 . Additionally or alternatively, step  18  may be responsive to the one or more second road conditions. 
     Step  18  may be followed by step  20  of responding to the determining. 
     Step  20  may include performing an advance driver assistance system (ADAS) operation (which is an operation that assists a human driver—for example y without autonomously controlling the vehicle) that involves informing a driver of the vehicle about values of the one or more curve passing propagation parameters. It should be noted that an ADAS operation may involve taking over control of the vehicle from the driver (for example when a critical situation is detected), autonomously slowing down the vehicle, autonomously imposing limitations on the driving of the vehicle (for example limiting a maximal acceleration and/or limiting maximal velocity, and the like. 
     Step  20  may include applying an autonomous vehicle pattern that involves applying the one or more curve passing propagation parameters. 
     Step  20  may include transmitting the one or more first road conditions of a first road segment that precedes the curve to another vehicle or to a third entity that is not a vehicle. 
       FIG. 2  illustrates a vehicle  105  that includes a driving system  200  (hereinafter also referred to as system  200 ), constructed and implemented in accordance with embodiments described herein. 
     Driving system  200  may include processing circuitry  210 , input/output (I/O) module  220 , an image sensor  230 , a non-imaging sensor  232 , speed sensor  235 , accelerometer  250 , telemetry ECU  240 , autonomous driving manager  260 , database  270 , an advance driving assistance (ADAS) manager  280 , curve passage determination module  290 , and curve identification module  295 . 
     The database  270  may store at least one out of (a) one or more first road conditions, (b) one or more curve passing propagation parameters, (c) at least one current propagation parameter of the vehicle, (d) environment information, one or more second road conditions of a road second road segment that starts after a beginning of the curve, and (e) a mapping between any combination or sub-combinations of (a), (b), (c) and (d). 
     The mapping may include any form of instructions, tables, pseudo-code and the like that links any combination or sub-combinations of (a), (b), (c) and (d). 
     It should be noted that the vehicle may include (a) other systems or modules or units and/or (b) additional systems or modules or units, (c) and/or fewer systems or modules or units. For example—vehicle  105  may include only one out of autonomous driving manager  260  and ADAS manager  280 . 
     Autonomous driving manager  260  may be instantiated in a suitable memory for storing software such as, for example, an optical storage medium, a magnetic storage medium, an electronic storage medium, and/or a combination thereof. It will be appreciated that system  200  may be implemented as an integrated component of an onboard computer system in a vehicle. Alternatively, system  200  may be implemented and a separate component in communication with the onboard computer system. It will also be appreciated that in the interests of clarity, while system  200  may comprise additional components and/or functionality e.g., for autonomous driving of vehicle  105 , such additional components and/or functionality are not depicted in  FIG. 9  and/or described herein. 
     Processing circuitry  210  may be operative to execute instructions stored in memory (not shown). For example, processing circuitry  210  may be operative to execute autonomous driving manager  260  and/or may be operative to execute mapping generator  290  and/or may be operative to execute ADAS manager  280  and/or may operable to execute the curve passage determination module  290  and/or may be operable to execute the curve identification module  295 . 
     It will be appreciated that processing circuitry  210  may be implemented as a central processing unit (CPU), and/or one or more other integrated circuits such as application-specific integrated circuits (ASICs), field programmable gate arrays (FPGAs), full-custom integrated circuits, etc., or a combination of such integrated circuits. It will similarly be appreciated that system  200  may comprise more than one instance of processing circuitry  210 . For example, one such instance of processing circuitry  210  may be a special purpose processor operative to execute autonomous driving manager  260  to perform some, or all, of the functionality of system  200  as described herein. 
     I/O module  220  may be any suitable communications component such as a network interface card, universal serial bus (USB) port, disk reader, modem or transceiver that may be operative to use protocols such as are known in the art to communicate either directly, or indirectly, with other elements, such as, for example, system  400 , image sensor  230 , a non-imaging sensor  232 , speed sensor  235 , telemetry ECU  240 , and/or accelerometer  250 . As such, I/O module  220  may be operative to use a wired or wireless connection to connect to system  400  via a communications network such as a local area network, a backbone network and/or the Internet, etc. I/O module  220  may also be operative to use a wired or wireless connection to connect to other components of system  200 , e.g., image sensor  230 , a non-imaging sensor  232 , speed sensor  235 , accelerometer  250 , telemetry ECU  240 , any other sensor, and the like. It will be appreciated that in operation I/O module  220  may be implemented as a multiplicity of modules, where different modules may be operative to use different communication technologies. For example, a module providing mobile network connectivity may be used to connect to system  400 , whereas a local area wired connection may be used to connect to image sensor  230 , a non-imaging sensor  232 , speed sensor  235 , accelerometer  250 . 
     In accordance with embodiments described herein, image sensor  230 , a non-imaging sensor  232 , speed sensor  235 , telemetry ECU  240 , and accelerometer  250  represent implementations of sensor(s). It will be appreciated that image sensor  230 , a non-imaging sensor  232 , speed sensor  235 , telemetry ECU  240 , and accelerometer  250  may be implemented as integrated components of vehicle  105  and may provide other functionality that is the interests of clarity is not explicitly described herein. As described hereinbelow, system  200  may use environment information (information about a current driving environment) as received from image sensor  230 , a non-imaging sensor  232 , speed sensor  235 , telemetry ECU  240 , and accelerometer  250 . 
     Autonomous driving manager  260  may be an application implemented in hardware, firmware, or software that may be executed by processing circuitry  210  to provide driving instructions to vehicle  105 . For example, autonomous driving manager  260  may use images received from image sensor  230  and/or telemetry data received from telemetry ECU  240  to determine an appropriate driving policy for arriving at a given destination and provide driving instructions to vehicle  105  accordingly. It will be appreciated that autonomous driving manager  260  may also be operative to use other data sources when determining a driving policy, e.g., maps of potential routes, traffic congestion reports, etc. ADAS manager  280  may be an application implemented in hardware, firmware, or software that may be executed by processing circuitry  210  to assist a driver in driving the vehicle  105 . The ADAS manager may assist the driver in any manner known in the art—for example—plan a suggested driving path, provide collision alerts, obstacle alerts, cross lane alerts, and the like. The ADAS manager  280  may provide indication to a driver (either upon request or else) about the passing propagation parameters to be applied by the vehicle while passing the curve. 
     Curve passage determination module  290  is configured to determine one or more curve passing propagation parameters to be applied by the vehicle while passing the curve, wherein the determining is based, at least in part, on the one or more first road conditions and on the at least one current propagation parameter. 
     Curve identification module  295  is configured to detect, based on at least the environment information that the vehicle is about to reach the curve. 
     Reference is now made to  FIG. 3  which is a block diagram of system  400  (such as a server, multiple servers), constructed and implemented in accordance with embodiments described herein. System  400  may include processing circuitry  410 , input/output (I/O) module  420 , mapping generator  460 , and database  470 . 
     The mapping generator  460  may be instantiated in a suitable memory for storing software such as, for example, an optical storage medium, a magnetic storage medium, an electronic storage medium, and/or a combination thereof. 
     Processing circuitry  410  may be operative to execute instructions stored in memory (not shown). For example, processing circuitry  410  may be operative to execute mapping generator  460 . It will be appreciated that processing circuitry  410  may be implemented as a central processing unit (CPU), and/or one or more other integrated circuits such as application-specific integrated circuits (ASICs), field programmable gate arrays (FPGAs), full-custom integrated circuits, etc., or a combination of such integrated circuits. It will similarly be appreciated that server  400  may comprise more than one instance of processing circuitry  410 . For example, one such instance of processing circuitry  410  may be a special purpose processor operative to execute mapping generator  460  to perform some, or all, of the functionality of server  400  as described herein. 
     I/O module  420  may be any suitable communications component such as a network interface card, universal serial bus (USB) port, disk reader, modem or transceiver that may be operative to use protocols such as are known in the art to communicate either directly, or indirectly, with system  200 . As such, I/O module  420  may be operative to use a wired or wireless connection to connect to system  200  via a communications network such as a local area network, a backbone network and/or the Internet, etc. It will be appreciated that in operation I/O module  420  may be implemented as a multiplicity of modules, where different modules may be operative to use different communication technologies. For example, a module providing mobile network connectivity may be used to connect wirelessly to one instance of system  200 , e.g., one vehicle  105 , whereas a local area wired connection may be used to connect to a different instance of system  100 , e.g., a different vehicle  105 . 
     Mapping generator  460  may be an application implemented in hardware, firmware, or software that may be executed by processing circuitry  410  to generate any of the mentioned above mappings. For example, mapping generator  460  may use any sensed information from any sensor of any vehicle to determine any of the mentioned mappings, based on information sensed during, before or after the passage of one or more curves by one or more vehicles. The mapping generator  400  may determine in a supervised and/or unsupervised which values of curve passing propagation parameters resulted in a successful passage of a curve, which results in accidents, which resulted in near accidents and the like. 
     The mapping generator may receive at least one out of:
         Sensed information.   Information regarding an environment of one or more vehicles before reaching one or more curves.   Information regarding an environment of the one or more vehicles during the passage of the one or more curves.   Information regarding an environment of the one or more vehicles after passing the one or more curves.   Information regarding propagation parameters of the one or more vehicles before reaching the one or more curves.   Information regarding propagation parameters of the one or more vehicles during passage of the one or more curves.   Information regarding propagation parameters of the one or more vehicles.   Information regarding propagation parameters of the one or more vehicles after passing the one or more curves.   Information about obstacles in the one or more curves.   Information about obstacles before and/or after the one or more curves.   Information about a reaction of the driver and/or a passenger to a passage of the one or more curves).       

     The information may be provided by the one or more vehicles, by one or more drivers and/or passengers of the one or more vehicles, by third parties, and the like. 
     The mapping generator may generate the mapping in various manners, for example by applying one or more machine learning processes. 
       FIGS. 3, 4, 5, 6, 7 and 8  illustrate various example of a first vehicle  81  that propagates along a road at a first part  101  that precedes curve  102 , passes the curve  102 , and exits the curve (drives over an additional part  102  of the road. First vehicle  81  follows a path  91 . 
     Path  91 , or at least a part of the path  91  (especially the part of the path that passes curve  102 ) may be determined based on curve passing propagation parameters. 
     The path  91  may be an autonomous driving path of an autonomous vehicle, may be a driving path that is suggested by an ADAS module and followed by a driver, and the like. 
     In  FIGS. 4, 5, 6 and 7  the obstacle  105  is located after the curve  102  while in  FIG. 8  the obstacle is located after the curve. There may be any number of obstacles of one or more types including but not limited to rocks, pitholes, road irregularities, road stops, fallen trees, spilled oil, and the like. 
     In  FIG. 4  the path  91  bypasses the obstacle. 
     In  FIGS. 5, 6 and 7  information regarding the obstacle  105  may be provided by a second vehicle  82  (the obstacle is within the field of view  82 ′ of second vehicle) to the first vehicle by direct or indirect communication—even before the first vehicle reaches the curve. 
     In  FIGS. 5 and 6  the second vehicle  82  may propagate at a direction that opposite to the direction of propagation of the first vehicle—and the bypassing of the obstacle may reduce the lateral distance between the vehicle. Accordingly—the first vehicle may slow down or even stop (before entering the curve—see  FIG. 6 ) and wait (event  110 ) till the second vehicle exits the curve—before entering the curve. 
     In  FIG. 7  the second vehicle precedes the first vehicle and drives along the same direction. 
     In  FIG. 8  information regarding the obstacle  105  may be provided by a device  83  that is not a vehicle (for example a sensor and to the first vehicle by direct or indirect communication—even before the first vehicle reaches the curve. 
     The terms “including”, “comprising”, “having”, “consisting” and “consisting essentially of” are used in an interchangeable manner. For example—any method may include at least the steps included in the figures and/or in the specification, only the steps included in the figures and/or the specification. The same applies to the system. 
     It will be appreciated that for simplicity and clarity of illustration, elements shown in the figures have not necessarily been drawn to scale. For example, the dimensions of some of the elements may be exaggerated relative to other elements for clarity. Further, where considered appropriate, reference numerals may be repeated among the figures to indicate corresponding or analogous elements. 
     In the foregoing specification, the invention has been described with reference to specific examples of embodiments of the invention. It will, however, be evident that various modifications and changes may be made therein without departing from the broader spirit and scope of the invention as set forth in the appended claims. 
     Moreover, the terms “front,” “back,” “top,” “bottom,” “over,” “under” and the like in the description and in the claims, if any, are used for descriptive purposes and not necessarily for describing permanent relative positions. It is understood that the terms so used are interchangeable under appropriate circumstances such that the embodiments of the invention described herein are, for example, capable of operation in other orientations than those illustrated or otherwise described herein. 
     Those skilled in the art will recognize that the boundaries between logic blocks are merely illustrative and that alternative embodiments may merge logic blocks or circuit elements or impose an alternate decomposition of functionality upon various logic blocks or circuit elements. Thus, it is to be understood that the architectures depicted herein are merely exemplary, and that in fact many other architectures can be implemented which achieve the same functionality. 
     Any arrangement of components to achieve the same functionality is effectively “associated” such that the desired functionality is achieved. Hence, any two components herein combined to achieve a particular functionality can be seen as “associated with” each other such that the desired functionality is achieved, irrespective of architectures or intermedial components. Likewise, any two components so associated can also be viewed as being “operably connected,” or “operably coupled,” to each other to achieve the desired functionality. 
     Furthermore, those skilled in the art will recognize that boundaries between the above described operations merely illustrative. The multiple operations may be combined into a single operation, a single operation may be distributed in additional operations and operations may be executed at least partially overlapping in time. Moreover, alternative embodiments may include multiple instances of a particular operation, and the order of operations may be altered in various other embodiments. 
     Also for example, in one embodiment, the illustrated examples may be implemented as circuitry located on a single integrated circuit or within a same device. Alternatively, the examples may be implemented as any number of separate integrated circuits or separate devices interconnected with each other in a suitable manner. 
     Also for example, the examples, or portions thereof, may implemented as soft or code representations of physical circuitry or of logical representations convertible into physical circuitry, such as in a hardware description language of any appropriate type. 
     Also, the invention is not limited to physical devices or units implemented in non-programmable hardware but can also be applied in programmable devices or units able to perform the desired device functions by operating in accordance with suitable program code, such as mainframes, minicomputers, servers, workstations, personal computers, notepads, personal digital assistants, electronic games, automotive and other embedded systems, cell phones and various other wireless devices, commonly denoted in this application as ‘computer systems’. 
     However, other modifications, variations and alternatives are also possible. The specifications and drawings are, accordingly, to be regarded in an illustrative rather than in a restrictive sense. 
     In the claims, any reference signs placed between parentheses shall not be construed as limiting the claim. The word ‘comprising’ does not exclude the presence of other elements or steps then those listed in a claim. Furthermore, the terms “a” or “an,” as used herein, are defined as one as or more than one. Also, the use of introductory phrases such as “at least one” and “one or more” in the claims should not be construed to imply that the introduction of another claim element by the indefinite articles “a” or “an” limits any particular claim containing such introduced claim element to inventions containing only one such element, even when the same claim includes the introductory phrases “one or more” or “at least one” and indefinite articles such as “a” or “an” The same holds true for the use of definite articles. Unless stated otherwise, terms such as “first” and “second” are used to arbitrarily distinguish between the elements such terms describe. Thus, these terms are not necessarily intended to indicate temporal or other prioritization of such elements the mere fact that certain measures are recited in mutually different claims does not indicate that a combination of these measures cannot be used to advantage. 
     Any system, apparatus or device referred to this patent application includes at least one hardware component. 
     While certain features of the invention have been illustrated and described herein, many modifications, substitutions, changes, and equivalents will now occur to those of ordinary skill in the art. It is, therefore, to be understood that the appended claims are intended to cover all such modifications and changes as fall within the true spirit of the invention. 
     Any combination of any component of any component and/or unit of system or module that is illustrated in any of the figures and/or specification and/or the claims may be provided. 
     Any combination of any system or module illustrated in any of the figures and/or specification and/or the claims may be provided. 
     Any combination of steps, operations and/or methods illustrated in any of the figures and/or specification and/or the claims may be provided. 
     Any combination of operations illustrated in any of the figures and/or specification and/or the claims may be provided. 
     Any combination of methods illustrated in any of the figures and/or specification and/or the claims may be provided.