Patent ID: 12192581

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

In general, and according to exemplary embodiments hereof, the current invention includes a system and method for broadcasting live video streaming combined with video on demand (VOD) within a single broadcast stream and shared between an owner of a web based online broadcasting channel and his/her participants (followers), all in real time. In general, the owner of a channel may broadcast a “live show” to his/her followers that may consist of live video streaming, VOD video and other content. The system and method also includes a gaming component wherein members may receive points for interacting with content that may be redeemed for cash, prices, services, donations, etc.

The system and method of the current invention will now be described in further detail with reference toFIGS.1-24. The following detailed description is not intended to limit the current invention. Alternate embodiments and variations of the subject matter described herein will be apparent to those with ordinary skill in the art. Where the same or similar components appear in more than one figure, they are identified by the same or similar reference numerals.

As depicted inFIG.1, the system10may include a cloud platform100that may provide a web-based experience through a network102(e.g., the Internet) between an owner Uo of a channel and his/her users U1, U2, . . . Un (also known in the art as followers). The owner Uo and the users Un may utilize devices200-nsuch as a smart phones, tablet computers, desktop computers, laptop computers, other types of controllers that may communicate with the cloud platform (e.g., through use of a web browser and/or a mobile application) and any combination thereof.

The cloud platform100may comprise one or more servers that may include Internet servers, LAN servers, WAN servers, or other types or combinations of types of generally networked servers. Accordingly, the cloud platform100may include central processing units (CPUs), microprocessors, microcontrollers, memory, databases, storage, operating systems, software and other components and systems that may be required to run, manage, deploy and otherwise operate and control the programs and applications that may run within the system10.

The cloud platform100may provide one or more web sites104that may include video players116, messaging applications110and other applications that the channel owners Uo and the users Un may interact with via their devices200in real time. The system10also may integrate any or all of the applications116,110into one or more mobile applications112that may be downloaded and run on the owner's and/or users' devices200.

Some of the user's devices200may include cameras202that may capture live video of the respective users Un that may then be provided to the cloud platform100. For example, as shown inFIG.1, user's U1device200-1may include a camera202-1but user's U2device200-2may not. The live video streams of each participant may be provided to the system10and to the owner Uo and depending on the discretion of the owner Uo of the control room CRn, one or more of the video streams may also be shown to the users Un.

The owners Uo and the users Un may also have VOD files that they may share or otherwise make available through the system10to the other members Un. This will be described in detail in other sections.

Through use of the system10, the owners Uo of individual broadcast channels may control the content that his/her followers Un may view. The content may come from a variety of sources, including but not limited to, live streaming video of the owner Uo, live streaming of a particular user Un, video files provided by the owner Uo, video files provided by a particular user Un, video files provided by a sponsor or other third-party entity, other types of video and any combination thereof. In some embodiments hereof, content from each source may be included into a single broadcast stream between the owner Uo and the users Un, and the owner Uo may switch between any of the sources in real time to be provided to their users Un. As will be described in other sections, the owner Uo may utilize a virtual control room CRn to facilitate this process.

In one exemplary embodiment hereof as shown inFIG.2, the cloud platform100may include a live video streaming system300, a VOD streaming system400, a messaging system500, a database system600(including database management software such as Sequel Server or other types of databases, database systems or database management software) and other systems and elements as required for the system10to perform its functionalities.

The database system600may store and generally manage content (e.g., live video, VOD, messaging, etc.), system data, client data, registered user data (i.e., participant data), engagement and tracking data, and other types of data. The platform100may also include any other types of software, software packages, software platforms or other types of software and systems that may enable system10to host, manage, analyze and maintain mobile applications, websites, social widgets, desktop applications, network applications, and other types of applications that may perform the functions of the system10.

The live video streaming platform300may include one or more systems that may provide live video streaming functionalities. The system300may capture live video from each participant's camera202and the video streams may become content sources to be add to the broadcast stream. Then, at the discretion of the owner Uo, different video streams may be made available to the users Un. In one example, the default live video stream source may be the owner's Uo video stream, and this may be shared in real time with the users Un. In other examples, the owner Uo may choose to share a different users' Un video stream, and upon choosing this alternate source within the broadcast stream, the user's Un live video stream may be shared with the other users Un. In this way the participants Un may interact with the owner Uo and potentially with one another.

The VOD streaming platform400may include one or more systems that may provide VOD streaming functionalities. The VOD streaming system400may thereby be another source of content added to the broadcast stream. The VOD streaming system400may stream any type of content and/or media, including without limitation, video, audio, animation, graphics, games, augmented reality objects and environments, virtual reality objects and environments, other types of media and any combination thereof. The streaming content may be pre-recorded, live and/or near live. The user Uo may choose at any time to switch to the VOD source400to share VOD content to his/her users Un through the broadcast.

The messaging platform500may include one or more systems that may provide chat, e-mail, instant messaging (IM), social network feeds, voice, other types of messaging applications and/or technologies, and any combination thereof. In one embodiment, the messaging may be provided between the users Un simultaneously and in real time. In this way the owner Uo and the users Un may interact with one another via the messaging system500in real time while viewing the broadcast.

The system10may include an administrative interface700that the users Un may use to generally manage their accounts within the system10. The admin700may include GUIs, websites, mobile applications, desktop applications, dialogs or other type of interfaces. For example, the admin700may include an interface that may reside on a particular website URL that may be integrated with cloud platform100. The interface700may present a log-in page that may be used by each user Un to log into the system10(e.g., using log-in credentials). Each user Un may be provided a username and password (or other types of credentials) that they may enter to gain access to their particular administration information. Once logged in, the admin700may include tools required to manage their accounts with the system10.

The system10may also include an admin interface710to allow the administrators, providers and/or operators of the system10to generally manage the system10.

In one exemplary embodiment hereof as shown inFIG.3, the system10may provide a virtual control room CRn for each registered owner Uo (e.g., the virtual control room CR1owned and operated by user Uo). The virtual control rooms CRn may be integrated into the one or more websites104the system10may provide. The owner Uo of the control room CRn may log into the control room CRn and launch a live broadcast to his/her users Un. The control rooms CRn may also be integrated into one or more mobile applications112that may be downloaded and run on the users' devices200. Each owner Uo may have their own control room CRn that other users may subscribe to and follow (e.g., interact with). The control room CRn may allow the owner Uo of the control room CRn to perform the following (without limitation) in real time:

1. Interact with their followers via interactive video broadcast;

2. Share live video streaming within the broadcast stream to the users Un;

3. Share video on demand (VOD) content within the broadcast stream from their library of videos and/or playlists to the users Un;

3. Share other users' Un live video streams within the broadcast stream with the other users Un;

4. Share other users' Un VOD content within the broadcast stream with the other users Un;

4. Share branded content (e.g., commercials) with the users Un;

5. Earn points (e.g., Pi points) by sharing the branded content;

6. Enable the users Un to earn points (e.g., Pi points) for watching the shared branded content; and

7. Control the content in a video stream (beyond opening a video stream) and to be able to change this content from different sources online;

8. Other functionalities.

As shown inFIG.3, the system10may include a broadcast server113that may include a stream combining and selecting mechanism114(comprising software) that may combine various streaming data from different sources into a single broadcast. The control room CRn may then enable the owner Uo to select which streaming data from which particular source to share with his/her followers Un. For example, the broadcast server113and/or the stream combining and selecting mechanism114may combine video streaming data from each participant Un (e.g., from the video streaming system300), VOD streaming data from the owner Uo and/or from the participants Un (e.g., from the VOD system200) and any other types of data into one broadcast stream. The control room CRn may include the tools to enable the owner Uo to select which data from which source within the broadcast stream to stream to the followers Un.

Each control room CRn may be configured to enable control of the broadcast server113, the stream combining and selecting mechanism114, the video streaming system300, the VOD system400, and/or the messaging system500and any other systems of the system10as required. In this way, the CRn may be used to select what streaming data to present to one or more followers Un.

In one example, the owner Uo of the control room CRn may choose to stream his/her live video stream from his/her camera202, and upon choosing this, the broadcast server113and/or the stream combining and selecting mechanism114may add the owner's camera202as a source to the broadcast and stream the live video to the participants Un. The participants Un may then view the live video stream on their devices200.

The owner Uo may then choose to share a VOD file400-1with his/her followers, at which time the broadcast server113and/or the stream combining and selecting mechanism114may set the VOD as a source and stream the chosen VOD file data400-1so that the followers Un may all view the VOD stream400-1on their devices200. The owner Uo of each control room CRn may then switch back and forth at any moment as he/she may desire between interacting with his/her followers via their live video stream and/or via the VOD streaming in real time.

The owner Uo of the control room CRn (e.g., user Uo with CR1) may also enable VOD data from a different user Un (e.g., user U2) to be shared with the followers Un. In this case, a different VOD file400(e.g., VOD file400-2belonging to user U2) may be chosen and the broadcast server113and/or the stream combining and selecting mechanism114may set the new VOD as a source and stream the VOD400-2to the followers Un. For example, during a live show, a particular user Un may ask if they may share their VOD video with the other followers and the user Un may upload the video to the system10. The owner Uo of the control room CRn may then select the user's VOD and the broadcast server113and/or the stream combining and selecting mechanism114may set the VOD file as the source within the broadcast and provide the VOD stream to the followers Un.

The owner Uo of a control room CRn also may choose to stream the live streaming video of a particular user Un to the followers Un, and upon selecting this, the broadcast server113and/or the stream combining and selecting mechanism114may set the user's live stream as a source and stream it to the followers Un.

Aspects of the system10, of the control room CRn, and of the users' interfaces will be described next with reference to an example workflow summary andFIGS.4-11. In this example, the owner Uo may be user #3and an example participant Un may be User #29(U29) as depicted in the figures.

In one exemplary embodiment as shown inFIG.4, the control room CRn may include a GUI114that may include a video player116that may play a video stream provided by the cloud platform100(e.g., live video streaming video, VOD video, etc.). The GUI114also may display the available live video streams ALVn of each participant Un (e.g., the video streams of User #1and User #2taken from their respective cameras202as shown). The GUI114also may display the available VOD (AVOD) playlists, video files, sponsored content (e.g., AD #1, Playlist #7, File #56as shown) that may be available for the owner Uo to share with the participants Un. Note that the AVOD icons (e.g., the playlist icon) may expand upon selection to show a multitude of available videos that may be included within the playlists. The CRn may also provide a camera On/Off mechanism On/Off that the owner Uo may use to turn on and off his/her camera202. In the example shown inFIG.4, the camera202may be turned off and as such, live video streaming of the owner Uo from the camera202may not be available to the owner Uo or to the participants Un.

When the owner Uo may turn on his/her camera202, the live video stream of the owner Uo from the camera202may appear in the available streams ALVn pane as shown inFIG.5(User #3Stream as shown). Upon the owner Uo clicking on his/her live video stream in this pane, the broadcast server113and/or stream combining and selecting mechanism114may set the live video stream data from the owner's camera202(User #3Stream) as a source within the broadcast stream and provide it to the owner Uo (as shown inFIG.6) and to the participants Un (e.g., to User #29as shown inFIG.7). Note thatFIG.7represents the GUI118that the system10may provide to the participants Un. The GUI118may include a video player116, a camera on/off mechanism that the participant may use to turn on/off his/her camera202, as well as other functionalities and information.

Next, if the owner Uo may wish to share a video file with the participants Un, the owner Uo may choose a video from his/her available videos AVODn (e.g., File #56as shown inFIG.8), and upon choosing the video, the broadcast server113and/or stream combining and selecting mechanism114may set the video as a source within the broadcast stream and provide it to the owner Uo to the participants Un. As shown inFIG.8, the File #56video may simultaneously play on the owner's Uo video player116, and as shown inFIG.9, the File #56may play on the participants' Un video player116(e.g., User #29's video player116). In addition, as shown inFIG.8, the owner Uo may also simultaneously view the available live streams ALVn from each of the users Un so that he/she may watch the users' reactions as they view the streaming video.

Next, if a participant Un may activate his/her camera202(e.g., User #29) the live video stream for this user Un taken by this user's camera202may appear in the control room ALVn pane as shown inFIG.10. Then, if the owner Uo may choose this live video stream, the live video stream may be provided to the broadcast server113that may add it as a source, and then streamed to the owner Uo and to the participants Un (as shown inFIG.11for User #29).

In another exemplary embodiment hereof, a participant Un may provide video files to the system10that may be available for an owner Uo of a control room CRn to select and share with his/her followers Un. Once uploaded, these video VOD selections may appear in the owner's AVODn pane. For example, expanding on the example described above, File #56may have been provided to the system10by a follower Un (not the owner Uo), made available to the owner Uo, chosen by the owner Uo, set as a source by the system10and streamed by the broadcast server113to the followers Un within the broadcast stream.

As described earlier, the system10may provide one or more websites104that may provide access to the different broadcast channels (shows) that may be provided by one or more owners Uo of various control rooms CRn. In one exemplary embodiment hereof as shown inFIG.12, the website104may include a homepage120that may display a variety of information such as “Featured Channels”, “Trending Channels” and other information. The homepage120may also provide a search field that a user Un may use to search for a particular channel, a particular owner Uo, a particular video, etc. To participate with a particular channel, the user Un may simply choose the channel and begin the experience.

In one exemplary embodiment hereof, the owner Uo and/or a user Un may instruct the system10to record all or a portion of a live show (a live broadcast stream) and make it available as a VOD selection at a later date.

It is understood by a person of ordinary skill in the art, upon reading this specification, that the control room CRn and/or the user's GUI118may include other layouts, content, and/or functionalities. For example, the user's GUI118may include two or more video players that may each show different video streams. In one example of this type, the user's GUI118may include one video player116to view the live streaming video of the owner Uo and a second video player116that may show a VOD selection made by the owner Uo. In another example, the user's GUI118may include additional video players116that may display the live video streams of some or all of the other users Un. In another example, the GUIs118may include a messaging box that may include group chats, text messaging, email and/or other types of messaging between the owner Uo and the users Un, between users Un and other users Un and any combination thereof. This added content may be at the discretion of the owner Uo or otherwise. It is understood that the control rooms CRn and/or the user's GUIs118may include any combination of the functionalities as described in this specification or otherwise, and that the scope of the system10is not limited in any way by the content that the CRn and/or the user's GUIs118may provide.

In addition, other videos, such as branded videos provided to the system10, to the owners Uo and to the users Un by companies and brands, may be available to the owners of each control room CRn to share with their followers. In one example the videos may be commercials (or ads) for a particular brand and/or its products/services. In another example, the videos may be content sponsored by a particular brand. In any event, the owner of the room CRn may receive points for sharing the videos (e.g., Pi points), and the followers may receive points for watching the videos (e.g., Pi points). The owner Uo may also share sponsored videos provided by a particular user Un similar to as described above with relation to sharing a VOD from a particular user Un. The points may be continually collected and saved, by the owners Uo of the rooms and the followers Un, and used to purchase videos, goods, services or any other assets as available. In return for the exposure that this may provide the sponsors of the sponsored video, the sponsors may subsidize the goods, services and other assets that may be provided to the owners Uo and the users Un upon redemption of the points. The sponsors may also simply provide cash payment to the providers of the system10that may be allocated to the owners Uo, the users Un and to the providers of the system10.

In one example, the system10may offer “Pi points” to owners Uo and to users Un for sharing and viewing sponsored videos. For example, an owner Uo may share a sponsored video for users Un to view and receive one Pi point for every one second of the video that is viewed by the users (in aggregate). In addition, the users Un may also each receive one Pi point for every second that they may each view. In this way, the system10may provide a revenue sharing model for the owners Uo and the users Un.

In one exemplary embodiment hereof, the owner Uo of a live broadcast may choose to periodically interject short, sponsored videos (similar to commercials) during his/her broadcast for his/her followers Un to view. By doing so, the owner Uo and the users Un may all earn Pi points. When this happens, the users Un will each earn a Pi point for every second of video he/she may view, and the owner Uo may earn a Pi point for each second of video all of the users Un may view in aggregate.

In another exemplary embodiment hereof, the providers of the system10may also earn Pi points when the owners Uo share sponsored videos and when the users Un view sponsored videos. In one example, the providers of the system10may also earn one Pi point for every second of sponsored videos viewed by the users Un in aggregate. In this way, the revenue sharing may provide a business model for the providers of the system10. And again, the sponsors of the sponsored videos will pay for the exposure that their brand may receive for the viewing of the sponsored videos.

FIG.13shows a first example cost per thousand impressions (CPM), revenue per thousand (RPM) and resulting Pi points model.

FIG.14shows a second example cost per thousand impressions (CPM), revenue per thousand (RPM) and resulting Pi points model.

FIGS.15-19show screenshots of example website pages provided by the system10.

FIG.15shows an example homepage (landing page) of the system10that shows “Featured Channels” and “Followed Channels” (channels that the particular user Un may be actively following).

FIGS.16and16Ashow example control rooms CRn of an owner Uo.

FIG.17shows an example expanded available VOD listing.

FIGS.18,18A and18Bshow example expanded playlists.

FIG.19shows an example user's GUI118.

Additional Viewing Panes132

In some embodiments as shown inFIG.20, the system10includes additional viewing panes within and/or overlaid the main viewing area within the video player116within a control room CRn.

In addition, in some embodiments, it may be preferable that users Un of the system10, in addition to owners Uo of control rooms CRn, be provided with access to the control rooms CRn (e.g., control rooms CRn owned by owners Uo that the users Un may be registered to follow) so that the users Un also may view and/or otherwise interact with the various elements of the control rooms CRn (e.g., the video players116and the additional elements within the control rooms CRn as described herein). In some embodiments, it may be preferable that the users Un be provided with a version of the control rooms CRn with limited administrative controls so that the core functionalities of the control rooms CRn may be controlled by the respective owners Uo of the control rooms CRn and not the general users Un. For example, it may be preferable that the users Un be provided with versions of the control rooms CRn that allow the users to view the video players116, the ALVn media, the AVODn media, and the additional viewing panes (described below), but that may not provide control of administrative tools retained by the owner Uo.

In some embodiments, the video player116includes a main viewing pane122including a left side124, a right side126, a top side128, and a bottom side130defining the main viewing pane's perimeter.

In some embodiments, the video player116also includes one or more additional viewing panes132-1,132-2, . . .132-n(individually and collectively132) located within the main viewing pane122(e.g., overlaid on top of the main viewing pane122). The system10is adapted to provide these additional viewing panes132with media content in parallel to and simultaneously with the media content the system10provides to the main viewing pane122. In this way, a user Un may view both the content in the main viewing pane122and the content in the additional viewing panes132simultaneously (with the content showing in the additional viewing panes132most likely different than the content showing in the main viewing pane122). These additional viewing panes132also may be referred to as Picture in Picture (PIP) viewing panes. The media content provided to the main viewing pane122and/or to the additional viewing panes132by the system10may include, without limitation, video, live streams, animation, photographs, graphics, other types of images (all with or without audio), and any combinations thereof.

In some embodiments, the additional viewing panes132are preferably smaller in size compared to the main viewing pane122so that the additional viewing pane132may all fit within the main viewing pane122as shown. Accordingly, and depending on the size of each additional viewing pane132, multiple additional viewing panes132may be included and supplied with media content by the system10.

In some embodiments, any media available from the system10may be provided to the additional viewing panes132. For example, any media available from the live video streaming system300, the VOD streaming system400, and/or any other system within the system10may be provided to the additional panes132.

In some embodiments, the additional viewing pane(s)132may be positioned and arranged in any location within the perimeter of the main viewing pane122. For example, as shown inFIG.20, a first additional viewing pane132-1may be located in the lower left corner of the main viewing pane122, and a second additional viewing pane132-2may be located in the lower right corner of the main viewing pane122. It is understood that this example is for demonstration purposes and that the additional viewing pane(s)132may be positioned and arranged in any suitable area within the perimeter of the main viewing pane122. For example, an additional viewing pane132may be located in the upper left corner, and/or in the upper right corner of the main viewing pane122. In another example, an additional viewing pane132may be located in an upper area (e.g., adjacent the main pane's top side128between the left side124and the right side126), in a lower area (e.g., adjacent the main pane's bottom side130between the left side124and the right side126), in a left side area (e.g., adjacent the main pane's left side124between the top side128and the bottom side130), in a right side area (e.g., adjacent the main pane's right side126between the top side128and the bottom side130), in a central area (e.g., between the left side124and the right side126and between the top side128and the bottom side130) and/or in any other locations within the perimeter of the main viewing pane122. As will be described in other sections, the location of each additional viewing pane132may be chosen by an owner Uo and/or by a user Un of the system10.

In some embodiments, the shape of each additional viewing pane132is preferably rectangular and/or square, but it is understood that the additional viewing panes132may include any suitable shapes. Also, the shape of one additional viewing pane132need not necessarily match the shape of another additional viewing pane132, however, it may be preferable that they do.

In some embodiments, the size (e.g., the width and height) of each viewing pane132may preferably be chosen to fit within the main viewing pane122without obstructing the media content being delivered to the main viewing pane122. In some embodiments, the size of each additional viewing pane132may be chosen (by an owner Uo and/or by a user Un) by right-mouse clicking on the additional viewing pane132and choosing a predefined size or by entering a custom size. This also may be performed via a toolbar of other type of administrative tool provided by the system10. Accordingly, the size of one additional viewing pane132need not necessarily match the size of another additional viewing pane132, however, it may be preferable that they do.

In some embodiments, an owner Uo and/or a user Un may determine the media content that the system10provides to each additional viewing pane(s)132, and when. In addition, an owner Uo and/or a user Un may determine the location of each additional viewing pane(s)132within the perimeter of the main viewing pane122as each additional viewing pane(s)132delivers the media.

In some embodiments as shown inFIG.21, an available video on demand (AVODn) player134within a control room CRn may include a viewing pane136with a left side138, a right side140, a top side142, and a bottom side144defining the AVODn player perimeter. In addition, within the AVODn player perimeter, the AVODn player134may include one or more clickable areas146-1,146-2, . . .146-n(collectively and individually146) (also referred to as hotspots) that when clicked cause the AVODn media associated with the particular AVODn player134to play within a corresponding additional viewing pane132within the perimeter of the main viewing pane122. In this way, each clickable area146is an individual user interface element.

In a first example as shown inFIG.21, a first clickable area146-1in a first AVOD1player134-1(e.g., located in the lower left corner of the first AVOD1player's134-1's viewing pane136) may be mapped to a first additional viewing pane132-1in the main viewing pane122, and a second clickable area146-2(e.g., located in the lower right corner of the first AVOD1player's134-1′sviewing pane136) may be mapped to a second additional viewing pane132-2in the main viewing pane122. Accordingly, when the first clickable area146-1is clicked, the AVOD1associated with the AVOD1player134-1is set as a source to the first additional viewing pane132-1by the system10(e.g., by the broadcast server113and/or the stream combining and selecting mechanism114), such that the AVOD1media content may play within the first additional viewing pane132-1. In addition, when the second clickable area146-2is clicked, the AVOD1associated with the AVOD1player134-1is set as a source to the second additional viewing pane132-2by the system10(e.g., by the broadcast server113and/or the stream combining and selecting mechanism114), such that the AVOD1media content may play within the second additional viewing pane132-2.

Note that in this example, the first clickable area146-1is located in the lower left corner of the first AVOD1player134-1and the first additional viewing pane132-1is located in the lower left corner of the main viewing pane122such that there exists a spatial correspondence between the location of the first clickable area146-1and the first additional viewing pane132-1(both are in the lower left corner of their respective players). Note that this also is true for the second clickable area146-2and the second additional viewing pane132-2(both are in a lower right corner of their respective players). However, it is understood that this spatial correspondence may not be necessary.

In a second example, a first clickable area146-1in a second AVOD2player134-2(e.g., located in the lower left corner of the second AVOD2player's134-2's viewing pane136) may be mapped to a first additional viewing pane132-1in the main viewing pane122, and a second clickable area146-2(e.g., located in the lower right corner of the second AVOD1player's134-2's viewing pane136) may be mapped to a second additional viewing pane132-2in the main viewing pane122. Accordingly, when the first clickable area146-1is clicked, the AVOD2associated with the AVOD2player134-2is set as a source to the first additional viewing pane132-1by the system10(e.g., by the broadcast server113and/or the stream combining and selecting mechanism114), such that the AVOD2media content may play within the first additional viewing pane132-1. In addition, when the second clickable area146-2is clicked, the AVOD2associated with the AVOD2player134-2is set as a source to the second additional viewing pane132-2by the system10(e.g., by the broadcast server113and/or the stream combining and selecting mechanism114), such that the AVOD2media content may play within the second additional viewing pane132-2.

It is understood that the examples described above showing a first AVOD1player134-1and a second AVOD2player134-2, each with first and second clickable areas146-1,146-2mapped to corresponding additional viewing panes132-1,132-2, respectively, are meant for demonstration and that the system10may include any number of AVODn players134each with any number of clickable areas146mapped to any number of corresponding additional viewing panes132, and that the scope of the system10is not limited in any way by the number of AVODn players134and/or the number of clickable areas146mapped to any number of additional viewing panes132.

It also is understood that while the examples above described a first clickable area146-1located in a lower left corner of a AVODn player134, and a second clickable area146-2located in a lower right corner of a AVODn player134, the clickable areas146may be positioned and arranged in any suitable location within the perimeter of an AVODn player134. For example, a clickable area146may be located in the upper left corner, and/or in the upper right corner of a AVODn player134. In another example, a clickable area146may be located in an upper area (e.g., adjacent the AVODn player's top side142between the left side138and the right side140), in a lower area (e.g., adjacent the AVODn player's bottom side144between the left side138and the right side140), in a left side area (e.g., adjacent the AVODn player's left side138between the top side142and the bottom side144), in a right side area (e.g., adjacent the AVODn player's right side140between the top side142and the bottom side144), in a central area (e.g., between the AVODn player's left side138and right side140and between the top side142and bottom side144), and/or in any other locations within the perimeter of the AVODn player134. Also, the location of each clickable area146may be chosen by an owner Uo and/or by a user Un of the system10.

In some embodiments, the number and location of clickable areas146in a one AVODn player134may match the number and location of clickable areas146in another AVODn player134as described in the examples above, however, this may not be necessary and one AVODn player134may include a different number of clickable areas146located in different locations within its pane136compared to another AVODn player134.

In some embodiments, an owner Uo and/or a user Un may determine and set the number of clickable areas146, the location(s) of the clickable areas146, and/or the mapping of the clickable areas146to the additional viewing panes132. In this way, an owner Uo and/or a user Un may choose to enable particular AVODn to be played in particular additional viewing panes132while choosing not to allow other AVODn to be played in other particular additional viewing panes132.

In some embodiments as shown inFIG.22, an available live video stream (ALVn) player148within a control room CRn may include a viewing pane150with a left side152, a right side154, a top side156, and a bottom side158defining the ALVn player perimeter. In addition, within the ALVn player perimeter, the ALVn player148may include one or more clickable areas160-1,160-2, . . .160-n(collectively and individually160) (also referred to as hotspots) that when clicked cause the ALVn media associated with the particular ALVn player148to play within a corresponding additional viewing pane132within the perimeter of the main viewing pane122. In this way, each clickable area160is an individual user interface element.

In a first example as shown inFIG.22, a first clickable area160-1in a first ALV1player148-1(e.g., located in the lower left corner of the first ALV1player's148-1′sviewing pane150) may be mapped to a first additional viewing pane132-1in the main viewing pane122, and a second clickable area160-2(e.g., located in the lower right corner of the first ALV1player's148-1's viewing pane150) may be mapped to a second additional viewing pane132-2in the main viewing pane122. Accordingly, when the first clickable area160-1is clicked, the ALV1associated with the ALV1player148-1is set as a source to the first additional viewing pane132-1by the system10(e.g., by the broadcast server113and/or the stream combining and selecting mechanism114), such that the ALV1media content may play within the first additional viewing pane132-1. In addition, when the second clickable area160-2is clicked, the ALV1associated with the ALV1player148-1is set as a source to the second additional viewing pane132-2by the system10(e.g., by the broadcast server113and/or the stream combining and selecting mechanism114), such that the ALV1media content may play within the second additional viewing pane132-2.

Note that in this example, the first clickable area160-1is located in the lower left corner of the first ALV1player148-1and the first additional viewing pane132-1is located in the lower left corner of the main viewing pane122such that there exists a spatial correspondence between the location of the first clickable area160-1and the first additional viewing pane132-1(both are in the lower left corner of their respective players). Note that this also is true for the second clickable area160-2and the second additional viewing pane132-2(both are in a lower right corner of their respective players). However, it is understood that this spatial correspondence may not be necessary.

In a second example, a first clickable area160-1in a second ALV2player148-2(e.g., located in the lower left corner of the second ALV2player's148-2's viewing pane150) may be mapped to a first additional viewing pane132-1in the main viewing pane122, and a second clickable area160-2(e.g., located in the lower right corner of the second ALV1player's148-2's viewing pane150) may be mapped to a second additional viewing pane132-2in the main viewing pane122. Accordingly, when the first clickable area160-1is clicked, the ALV2associated with the ALV2player148-2is set as a source to the first additional viewing pane132-1by the system10(e.g., by the broadcast server113and/or the stream combining and selecting mechanism114), such that the ALV2media content may play within the first additional viewing pane132-1. In addition, when the second clickable area160-2is clicked, the ALV2associated with the ALV2player148-2is set as a source to the second additional viewing pane132-2by the system10(e.g., by the broadcast server113and/or the stream combining and selecting mechanism114), such that the ALV2media content may play within the second additional viewing pane132-2.

It is understood that the examples described above showing a first ALV1player148-1and a second ALV2player148-2, each with first and second clickable areas160-1,160-2mapped to corresponding additional viewing panes132-1,132-2, respectively, are meant for demonstration and that the system10may include any number of ALVn players148each with any number of clickable areas160mapped to any number of corresponding additional viewing panes132, and that the scope of the system10is not limited in any way by the number of ALVn players148and/or the number of clickable areas160mapped to any number of additional viewing panes132.

It also is understood that while the examples above described a first clickable area160-1located in a lower left corner of a ALVn player148, and a second clickable area160-2located in a lower right corner of a ALVn player148, the clickable areas160may be positioned and arranged in any suitable location within the perimeter of an ALVn player148. For example, a clickable area160may be located in the upper left corner, and/or in the upper right corner of a ALVn player148. In another example, a clickable area160may be located in an upper area (e.g., adjacent the ALVn player's top side156between the left side152and the right side154), in a lower area (e.g., adjacent the ALVn player's bottom side158between the left side152and the right side154), in a left side area (e.g., adjacent the ALVn player's left side152between the top side156and the bottom side158), in a right side area (e.g., adjacent the ALVn player's right side154between the top side156and the bottom side158), in a central area (e.g., between the ALVn player's left side152and right side154and between the top side156and bottom side158), and/or in any other locations within the perimeter of the ALVn player148. Also, the location of each clickable area160may be chosen by an owner Uo and/or by a user Un of the system10.

In some embodiments, the number and location of clickable areas160in a one ALVn player148may match the number and location of clickable areas160in another ALVn player148as described in the examples above, however, this may not be necessary and one ALVn player148may include a different number of clickable areas160located in different locations within its pane150compared to another ALVn player148.

In some embodiments, an owner Uo and/or a user Un may determine and set the number of clickable areas160, the location(s) of the clickable areas160, and/or the mapping of the clickable areas160to the additional viewing panes132. In this way, an owner Uo and/or a user Un may choose to enable particular ALVn to be played in particular additional viewing panes132while choosing not to allow other ALVn to be played in other particular additional viewing panes132.

Interactive Areas162

In some embodiments as shown inFIG.23, the system10includes one or more interactive areas162within and/or overlaid the main viewing pane122of the video player116in the control room CRn. The interactive area(s)162and the content it may provide is preferably displayed simultaneously to (and on top of) any media content that the system10may provide to the main viewing pane122, to the additional viewing panes148, etc. In this way, a user Un may view the content playing within the main viewing pane122, the additional viewing panes148, and the interactive area162at the same time as desired.

In some embodiments, an owner Uo of a particular control room CRn may direct the system10to present display elements164(e.g., media content) within the interactive area162that the users Un may view (and interact with). For example, an owner Uo may direct the system10to present display elements164comprising a series of textual messages and/or questions onto the interactive area162that the users Un may read. Other types of display elements164also may be presented within the interactive area162by the system10, such as, without limitation, video, graphics, animation (e.g., with or without audio), images, other types of media, and any combinations thereof.

In some embodiments, the interactive area162also may present interactive elements166adapted to receive input from the users Un as they consume the display elements164presented in the area162. For example, the area162may present display elements164comprising a textual message followed by a textual question for the users Un to read and answer, and the interactive elements166may include multiple choice answers that the users Un may choose from in the form of radio buttons, checkboxes, dropdown menus, and/or other types of applicable interactive elements166. In this way, the user Un may read the question and provide his/her response directly into the area162for the system10to receive and process.

In another example, an interactive element166may include a text field into which a user Un may type his/her answer to the question for the system10to read and process. In this example, the system10may include artificial intelligence (AI) adapted to read, interpret, and understand the users' responses, and to process the responses accordingly.

It is understood that the system10may identify each user Un who may be viewing the display elements164and/or interacting with the interactive elements166so that the display elements164may be customized (e.g., by the owner Uo) for each particular user Un (or group of users Un), and so that the system10may identify the particular user Un responsible for each particular interaction with each interactive element166. This may be accomplished by registering each user Un, by tracking what control room CRn each user Un may be following, or by other means.

In some embodiments as shown inFIG.23, the interactive area162includes a perimeter168within which the system10presents the display elements164and/or the interactive elements166. The background within the perimeter168may be transparent, opaque, solid, textured, may include an image, and/or may be presented in any suitable way for the display elements168and the interactive elements168to be easily read and consumed. The perimeter168may include any suitable shape (e.g., rectangular), size, or form, and may be located within the main viewing pane122in any suitable location (e.g., in the middle). It also is contemplated that the additional viewing panes148also may include interactive areas162with display elements164and/or interactive elements166.

In some embodiments as shown inFIG.23, the system10includes an editor170preferably located in the control room CRn that the owner Uo may utilize to create, organize, deliver, and otherwise manage the display elements164and/or the interactive elements166to be provided within the interactive area162. For example, the editor170may include tools enabling the owner Uo to enter display elements164in the form of textual content (text fields) that the system10will display within the interactive area162. The editor170also may include tools that enable an owner Uo to classify a display element164as a question, and to then add interactive elements166as multiple choice answers that the system10may display and use to receive the user's input (e.g., the users' answer(s) to the questions). The editor170preferable enables the owner Uo to create any type of display element164and/or interactive element166combinations. In addition, when an interactive element166may include a text field adapted to receive an input from a user Un, the editor170may enable the owner Uo to input keywords, subjects, topics, and/or other types of information that the AI of the system10may use when interpreting and processing the textual inputs.

Expanding on this example, the editor170may enable the user to layer multiple display elements164and/or interactive elements166that the system10may provide to the users sequentially within the interactive area162. For example, an owner Uo may use the editor170to create a first textual message, a first textual question, and a first set of multiple choice answers associated with the first textual question, a second textual message, a second textual question, and a second set of multiple choice answers associated with the second textual question. Additional messages, questions, and answers also may be added. Then, the system10may present the first message, first question, and first multiple choice answers to the user Un, and the user Un may read and answer the first question. Next, the system10may present the second message, second question, and second set of multiple choice answers to the user Un, and the user Un may read and answer the second questions. It can be seen that this process may continue for as many messages, questions, and/or answers as the owner Uo may desire.

It also is understood that while this example describes textual messages, textual questions, and multiple choice answers, the owner Uo may use the editor170to input any types of display elements164and/or interactive elements166that the system10may deliver sequentially as the user Un interacts with the elements164,166. It also is contemplated that the owner Uo may create display elements164and/or interactive elements166that may be delivered in a non-linear fashion (e.g., using decision trees (e.g., Boolean logic) wherein a particular answer (or any input) received from a particular user Un may cause a particular next display element164and/or a particular next interactive element166to be presented, based at least in part on the prior response(s) received by the user Un).

In some embodiments, an owner Uo may use the editor170to schedule the automatic delivery of any display elements164and/or any interactive elements166relative to the time of day, the day of the week, (e.g., during a particular class at a particular time and day), etc. In other embodiments, the owner Uo may schedule any elements164,166to be delivered at a particular play time during the playing of particular media content (e.g., a particular AVODn) during a particular session. For example, a particular element164,166may be scheduled to be displayed after a user Un has viewed a specific amount of a video playing within the main viewing pane122(e.g., at 3 minutes and 30 seconds into the video a particular question and possible answers may be displayed). In this example, the video playing in the main viewing pane122may be caused to pause while the user Un interacts with the elements164,166in the interactive area162, however, this may not be necessary.

In some embodiments, an owner Uo may use the editor170to deliver a first set of particular display elements164and/or interactive elements166to a first user Un and/or first group of users Un, and a different set of different display elements164and/or different interactive elements166to a second user Un and/or a second group of users Un. The owner Uo also may mix and match any of the elements164,166to any user Un and/or groups of users Un.

In some embodiments as shown inFIG.23, the system10includes a results engine172that processes the received inputs from the users Un via the interactive elements166. For example, in some embodiments, the results engine172may determine which questions were answered correctly and which questions were answered incorrectly by any particular user Un. The engine172also may calculate an overall score for each user Un that particulates in a particular session of elements164,166(e.g., what percentage of questions were answered correctly by each particular user Un). In another example, the results engine172may perform statistical analysis on the inputs received by the users Un to show statistical data for a particular session for a particular user Un, a particular group (or subgroup) of users Un, etc. In this way, the results engine172may calculate any desired statistical data for any individual user Un and/or across any groups or subgroups of users Un (e.g., for different classes of students).

In some embodiments as shown inFIG.23, the results engine172may provide the results of its calculations to the owner Uo in a results display174within the control room CRn (e.g., as discreet data, as tabular data, charts, graphs, etc.). The results display174also may provide for the downloading and/or the sharing of the information however desired. In some embodiments, the owner Uo also may set the results engine172to present the results to each particular user Un individually (e.g., each user's results are shown to him/her only), and/or to each group or subgroup of users Un via the interactive area162or otherwise, as appropriate.

It is understood that any of the display elements164, the interactive elements166, and any results from the results engine172may be provided and/or otherwise made available (e.g., within a control room CRn) to any user Un (registered or not registered with the system10, following a particular owner Uo and an associated control room CRn or not, etc.), any friend of any user Un within the system10, any group of users Un, any subgroup of users Un, any other types of users Un, and any combination thereof.

It is understood that any aspect and/or element of any embodiment of the system10described herein or otherwise may be combined with any other aspect and/or element of any other embodiment of the system10to form additional embodiments of the system10all of which are within the scope of the system10.

The functionalities, applications, services, mechanisms, operations, and acts shown and described above are implemented, at least in part, by software running on one or more computers (e.g., the cloud platform100, backend systems300,400,500,600, user devices200, etc.).

Programs that implement such methods (as well as other types of data) may be stored and transmitted using a variety of media (e.g., computer readable media) in a number of manners. Hard-wired circuitry or custom hardware may be used in place of, or in combination with, some or all of the software instructions that can implement the processes of various embodiments. Thus, various combinations of hardware and software may be used instead of software only.

One of ordinary skill in the art will readily appreciate and understand, upon reading this description, that the various processes described herein may be implemented by, e.g., appropriately programmed computers, special purpose computers and computing devices. One or more such computers or computing devices may be referred to as a computer system.

FIG.20is a schematic diagram of a computer system800upon which embodiments of the present disclosure may be implemented and carried out.

According to the present example, the computer system800includes a bus802(i.e., interconnect), one or more processors804, a main memory806, read-only memory808, removable storage media810, mass storage812, and one or more communications ports814. Communication port(s)814may be connected to one or more networks (not shown) by way of which the computer system800may receive and/or transmit data.

As used herein, a “processor” means one or more microprocessors, central processing units (CPUs), computing devices, microcontrollers, digital signal processors, or like devices or any combination thereof, regardless of their architecture. An apparatus that performs a process can include, e.g., a processor and those devices such as input devices and output devices that are appropriate to perform the process.

Processor(s)804can be any known processor, such as, but not limited to, an Intel® Itanium® or Itanium 2® processor(s), AMD® Opteron® or Athlon MP® processor(s), or Motorola® lines of processors, and the like. Communications port(s)814can be any of an Ethernet port, a Gigabit port using copper or fiber, or a USB port, and the like. Communications port(s)814may be chosen depending on a network such as a Local Area Network (LAN), a Wide Area Network (WAN), or any network to which the computer system800connects. The computer system800may be in communication with peripheral devices (e.g., display screen816, input device(s)818) via Input/Output (I/O) port820.

Main memory806can be Random Access Memory (RAM), or any other dynamic storage device(s) commonly known in the art. Read-only memory (ROM)808can be any static storage device(s) such as Programmable Read-Only Memory (PROM) chips for storing static information such as instructions for processor(s)804. Mass storage812can be used to store information and instructions. For example, hard disk drives, an optical disc, an array of disks such as Redundant Array of Independent Disks (RAID), or any other mass storage devices may be used.

Bus802communicatively couples processor(s)804with the other memory, storage and communications blocks. Bus802can be a PCI/PCI-X, SCSI, a Universal Serial Bus (USB) based system bus (or other) depending on the storage devices used, and the like. Removable storage media810can be any kind of external storage, including hard-drives, floppy drives, USB drives, Compact Disc-Read Only Memory (CD-ROM), Compact Disc-Re-Writable (CD-RW), Digital Versatile Disk-Read Only Memory (DVD-ROM), etc.

Embodiments herein may be provided as one or more computer program products, which may include a machine-readable medium having stored thereon instructions, which may be used to program a computer (or other electronic devices) to perform a process. As used herein, the term “machine-readable medium” refers to any medium, a plurality of the same, or a combination of different media, which participate in providing data (e.g., instructions, data structures) which may be read by a computer, a processor or a like device. Such a medium may take many forms, including but not limited to, non-volatile media, volatile media, and transmission media. Non-volatile media include, for example, optical or magnetic disks and other persistent memory. Volatile media include dynamic random access memory, which typically constitutes the main memory of the computer. Transmission media include coaxial cables, copper wire and fiber optics, including the wires that comprise a system bus coupled to the processor. Transmission media may include or convey acoustic waves, light waves and electromagnetic emissions, such as those generated during radio frequency (RF) and infrared (IR) data communications.

The machine-readable medium may include, but is not limited to, floppy diskettes, optical discs, CD-ROMs, magneto-optical disks, ROMs, RAMs, erasable programmable read-only memories (EPROMs), electrically erasable programmable read-only memories (EEPROMs), magnetic or optical cards, flash memory, or other type of media/machine-readable medium suitable for storing electronic instructions. Moreover, embodiments herein may also be downloaded as a computer program product, wherein the program may be transferred from a remote computer to a requesting computer by way of data signals embodied in a carrier wave or other propagation medium via a communication link (e.g., modem or network connection).

Various forms of computer readable media may be involved in carrying data (e.g. sequences of instructions) to a processor. For example, data may be (i) delivered from RAM to a processor; (ii) carried over a wireless transmission medium; (iii) formatted and/or transmitted according to numerous formats, standards or protocols; and/or (iv) encrypted in any of a variety of ways well known in the art.

A computer-readable medium can store (in any appropriate format) those program elements which are appropriate to perform the methods.

As shown, main memory806is encoded with application(s)822that support(s) the functionality as discussed herein (the application(s)822may be an application(s) that provides some or all of the functionality of the services/mechanisms described herein. Application(s)822(and/or other resources as described herein) can be embodied as software code such as data and/or logic instructions (e.g., code stored in the memory or on another computer readable medium such as a disk) that supports processing functionality according to different embodiments described herein.

During operation of one embodiment, processor(s)804accesses main memory806via the use of bus802in order to launch, run, execute, interpret or otherwise perform the logic instructions of the application(s)822. Execution of application(s)822produces processing functionality of the service related to the application(s). In other words, the process(es)824represent one or more portions of the application(s)822performing within or upon the processor(s)804in the computer system800.

It should be noted that, in addition to the process(es)824that carries (carry) out operations as discussed herein, other embodiments herein include the application822itself (i.e., the un-executed or non-performing logic instructions and/or data). The application822may be stored on a computer readable medium (e.g., a repository) such as a disk or in an optical medium. According to other embodiments, the application822can also be stored in a memory type system such as in firmware, read only memory (ROM), or, as in this example, as executable code within the main memory806(e.g., within Random Access Memory or RAM). For example, application(s)822may also be stored in removable storage media810, read-only memory808, and/or mass storage device812.

Those of ordinary skill in the art will understand that the computer system800can include other processes and/or software and hardware components, such as an operating system that controls allocation and use of hardware resources.

As discussed herein, embodiments of the present invention include various steps or operations. A variety of these steps may be performed by hardware components or may be embodied in machine-executable instructions, which may be used to cause a general-purpose or special-purpose processor programmed with the instructions to perform the operations. Alternatively, the steps may be performed by a combination of hardware, software, and/or firmware. The term “module” refers to a self-contained functional component, which can include hardware, software, firmware or any combination thereof.

One of ordinary skill in the art will readily appreciate and Understand, upon reading this description, that embodiments of an apparatus may include a computer/computing device operable to perform some (but not necessarily all) of the described process.

Embodiments of a computer-readable medium storing a program or data structure include a computer-readable medium storing a program that, when executed, can cause a processor to perform some (but not necessarily all) of the described process.

Where a process is described herein, those of ordinary skill in the art will appreciate that the process may operate without any user intervention. In another embodiment, the process includes some human intervention (e.g., a step is performed by or with the assistance of a human).

As used herein, including in the claims, the phrase “at least some” means “one or more,” and includes the case of only one. Thus, e.g., the phrase “at least some ABCs” means “one or more ABCs”, and includes the case of only one ABC.

As used herein, including in the claims, term “at least one” should be Understood as meaning “one or more”, and therefore includes both embodiments that include one or multiple components. Furthermore, dependent claims that refer to independent claims that describe features with “at least one” have the same meaning, both when the feature is referred to as “the” and “the at least one”.

As used in this description, the term “portion” means some or all. So, for example, “A portion of X” may include some of “X” or all of “X”. In the context of a conversation, the term “portion” means some or all of the conversation.

As used herein, including in the claims, the phrase “using” means “using at least,” and is not exclusive. Thus, e.g., the phrase “using X” means “using at least X.” Unless specifically stated by use of the word “only”, the phrase “using X” does not mean “using only X.”

As used herein, including in the claims, the phrase “based on” means “based in part on” or “based, at least in part, on,” and is not exclusive. Thus, e.g., the phrase “based on factor X” means “based in part on factor X” or “based, at least in part, on factor X.” Unless specifically stated by use of the word “only”, the phrase “based on X” does not mean “based only on X.”

In general, as used herein, including in the claims, Unless the word “only” is specifically used in a phrase, it should not be read into that phrase.

As used herein, including in the claims, the phrase “distinct” means “at least partially distinct.” Unless specifically stated, distinct does not mean fully distinct. Thus, e.g., the phrase, “X is distinct from Y” means that “X is at least partially distinct from Y,” and does not mean that “X is fully distinct from Y.” Thus, as used herein, including in the claims, the phrase “X is distinct from Y” means that X differs from Y in at least some way.

It should be appreciated that the words “first,” “second,” and so on, in the description and claims, are used to distinguish or identify, and not to show a serial or numerical limitation. Similarly, letter labels (e.g., “(A)”, “(B)”, “(C)”, and so on, or “(a)”, “(b)”, and so on) and/or numbers (e.g., “(i)”, “(ii)”, and so on) are used to assist in readability and to help distinguish and/or identify, and are not intended to be otherwise limiting or to impose or imply any serial or numerical limitations or orderings. Similarly, words such as “particular,” “specific,” “certain,” and “given,” in the description and claims, if used, are to distinguish or identify, and are not intended to be otherwise limiting.

As used herein, including in the claims, the terms “multiple” and “plurality” mean “two or more,” and include the case of “two.” Thus, e.g., the phrase “multiple ABCs,” means “two or more ABCs,” and includes “two ABCs.” Similarly, e.g., the phrase “multiple PQRs,” means “two or more PQRs,” and includes “two PQRs.”

The present invention also covers the exact terms, features, values and ranges, etc. in case these terms, features, values and ranges etc. are used in conjunction with terms such as about, around, generally, substantially, essentially, at least etc. (i.e., “about 3” or “approximately 3” shall also cover exactly 3 or “substantially constant” shall also cover exactly constant).

As used herein, including in the claims, singular forms of terms are to be construed as also including the plural form and vice versa, unless the context indicates otherwise. Thus, it should be noted that as used herein, the singular forms “a,” “an,” and “the” include plural references unless the context clearly dictates otherwise.

Throughout the description and claims, the terms “comprise”, “including”, “having”, and “contain” and their variations should be understood as meaning “including but not limited to”, and are not intended to exclude other components unless specifically so stated.

It will be appreciated that variations to the embodiments of the invention can be made while still falling within the scope of the invention. Alternative features serving the same, equivalent or similar purpose can replace features disclosed in the specification, unless stated otherwise. Thus, unless stated otherwise, each feature disclosed represents one example of a generic series of equivalent or similar features.

The present invention also covers the exact terms, features, values and ranges, etc. in case these terms, features, values and ranges etc. are used in conjunction with terms such as about, around, generally, substantially, essentially, at least etc. (i.e., “about 3” shall also cover exactly 3 or “substantially constant” shall also cover exactly constant).

Use of exemplary language, such as “for instance”, “such as”, “for example” (“e.g.,”) and the like, is merely intended to better illustrate the invention and does not indicate a limitation on the scope of the invention unless specifically so claimed.

While the invention has been described in connection with what is presently considered to be the most practical and preferred embodiments, it is to be understood that the invention is not to be limited to the disclosed embodiment, but on the contrary, is intended to cover various modifications and equivalent arrangements included within the spirit and scope of the appended claims.