ACTUATABLE FOOTREST

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

[0001]This application claims priority to, and incorporates by reference, U.S. Provisional Ser. No. 63/744,365 , filed on Jan. 13, 2025.

TECHNICAL FIELD

[0002]The present disclosure relates generally to standing desks and more particularly, but not by way of limitation, to an actuatable footrest for use with a standing desk.

BACKGROUND

[0003]This section provides background information to facilitate a better understanding of the various aspects of the disclosure. It should be understood that the statements in this section of this document are to be read in this light, and not as admissions of prior art.

[0004]Research shows that standing for part of one's day to offset seated time improves the health of adult workers. In fact, epidemiological studies show that decreasing total sedentary time can have significant positive health implications for current and future office workers. To promote increased standing time, adjustable height desks have become increasingly popular. While standing is beneficial, some fatigue from standing can occur. Using a footrest while standing can help combat this fatigue. Historically, floor-mounted footrests that sit under the desk have been used. Unfortunately, space under the desk can be limited, and the floor-mounted footrests need to be moved when a user is seated. Moreover, floor-mounted footrests are a challenge for cleaning crews, and can complicate routing of computer cables, phone lines, etc. under the desk. For these reasons, a floor-mounted footrest can be undesirable.

SUMMARY

[0005]This summary is provided to introduce a selection of concepts that are further described below in the detailed description. This summary is not intended to identify key or essential features of the claimed subject matter, nor is it intended to be used as an aid in limiting the scope of claimed subject matter.

[0006]According to various aspects, a system for an adjustable height desk includes a footrest configured to fit beneath the adjustable height desk, and an actuator system coupled to the footrest for moving the footrest between an extended position and a retracted position. In some aspects, the actuator system is secured relative to the desk for stability.

[0007]In some aspects, the actuator system is a ball screw system that includes a pair of threaded shafts, a pair of actuators attached to the pair of threaded shafts, respectively, and a pair of nuts disposed on the pair of threaded shafts, respectively, and configured to translate axially in response to the pair of actuators rotating. The footrest is secured to the pair of nuts.

[0008]In some aspects, the actuator system is a scissor extension system that includes a frame, a first arm secured at a first end to the frame and at a second end to the footrest, a second arm secured at a first end to the frame and at a second end to the footrest, and an actuator secured at a first end to the frame and at a second end to the first arm.

[0009]In some aspects, the actuator system is a belt drive system that includes a frame, a bearing disposed at a distal end of the frame, a drive wheel disposed at a proximal end of the frame, a belt extending between the bearing and the drive wheel, and an actuator coupled to the drive wheel and configured to rotate the belt in first and second directions.

[0010]In some aspects, the footrest comprises a box-like design.

[0011]In some aspects, the footrest comprises a bar extending laterally and having a round cross-section.

[0012]In some aspects, the system further includes a computer system comprising a processor and memory and configured to control actuation of the actuator system.

[0013]In some aspects, the computer system is configured to control a height of the adjustable height desk.

[0014]In some aspects, the computer system is configured to extend the footrest when the desk is set to a standing height.

[0015]In some aspects, the computer system is configured to retract the footrest when the desk is set to a sitting height.

[0016]In some aspects, the computer system is configured to save a user selected position of the footrest.

[0017]In some aspects, the computer system is configured to control a height of the footrest.

[0018]In some aspects, the computer system comprises at least one sensor configured to monitor an amount of force applied to the footrest by the actuator system.

[0019]In some aspects, the computer system is configured to halt movement of the footrest responsive to a force threshold being exceeded.

[0020]In some aspects, the computer system is configured to halt movement of the footrest responsive to an amount of current that is supplied to a motor or actuator exceeding a threshold value.

[0021]In some aspects, the footrest is configured to allow a user to select a height of the footrest relative to the floor.

[0022]In some aspects, the footrest comprises a first and a second footrest height.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0023]A more complete understanding of the subject matter of the present disclosure may be obtained by reference to the following Detailed Description when taken in conjunction with the accompanying Drawings wherein:

[0024]FIG. 1 illustrates a perspective view of an adjustable desk in a raised condition with an actuatable footrest in an extended position for a standing user, according to aspects of the disclosure.

[0025]FIG. 2 illustrates a perspective view of the adjustable desk of FIG. 1 in a lowered condition with the actuatable footrest in a retracted position for a sitting user, according to aspects of the disclosure.

[0026]FIG. 3 illustrates a close-up view of a ball screw system for moving the actuatable footrest of FIG. 1, according to aspects of the disclosure.

[0027]FIG. 4 illustrates a perspective view of an adjustable desk in a raised condition with an actuatable footrest in an extended position for a standing user, according to aspects of the disclosure.

[0028]FIG. 5 illustrates a perspective view of the adjustable desk of FIG. 4 in a lowered condition with the actuatable footrest in a retracted position for a sitting user, according to aspects of the disclosure.

[0029]FIG. 6 illustrates a close-up view of a belt system for moving an actuatable footrest, according to aspects of the disclosure.

[0030]FIG. 7 illustrates an alternative footrest design, according to aspects of the disclosure.

[0031]FIG. 8 is a system diagram of a computer system for controlling an actuatable footrest, according to aspects of the disclosure.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0032]It is to be understood that the following disclosure provides many different embodiments, or examples, for implementing different features of various embodiments. Specific examples of components and arrangements are described below to simplify the disclosure. These are, of course, merely examples and are not intended to be limiting. The section headings used herein are for organizational purposes and are not to be construed as limiting the subject matter described. Reference will now be made to more specific embodiments of the present disclosure and data that provide support for such embodiments. However, it should be noted that the disclosure below is for illustrative purposes only and is not intended to limit the scope of the claimed subject matter in any way.

[0033]FIG. 1 illustrates a perspective view of an adjustable desk 100 in a raised condition with an actuatable footrest 102 in an extended position for a standing user. FIG. 2 illustrates a perspective view of desk 100 in a lowered condition with footrest 102 in a retracted position for a sitting user. FIG. 3 illustrates a close-up view of a ball screw system 106 for moving footrest 102. Desk 100 is configured with a pair of supports 104 that can extend or retract in length to raise and lower desk 100 as desired. The actuation of desk 100 may be automated (e.g., electric or hydraulic actuators and the like) or may be done manually by the user. In various aspects, the actuatable footrests described herein (e.g., footrests 102, 202, 302) may be configured as a stand-alone product that may be used in conjunction with a variety of desks (e.g., standing desks, fixed desks, built-in desks, counter tops, and the like). In FIG. 1, footrest 102 is movable between an extended position (i.e., the position of FIG. 1) and a retracted position (i.e., the position of FIG. 2). Various configurations may be used to cause the actuation of footrest 102. For example, FIGS. 1-3 illustrate a ball screw system 106, FIGS. 4-5 illustrate a scissor extension system 206, and FIG. 6 illustrates a belt drive system 306. In other aspects, footrest 102 may be secured to a track system that is manually manipulated by the user to adjust the location of footrest 102. For example, the user may actuate a lever, button, or the like to unlock footrest 102 to allow footrest 102 to slide along the track to a desired position. Once footrest 102 is in the desired position, the lever, button, or the like is un-actuated to lock footrest 102 in place.

[0034]Referring collectively to FIGS. 1-3, ball screw system 106 includes a pair of threaded shafts 112, a pair of nuts 114, and a plurality of ball bearings that move within a cavity formed between an exterior of the threaded shaft and an interior of the nut. Each threaded shaft 112 is rotatably secured to a base 116 and is further connected to an actuator configured to impart rotation thereto. The actuator may be an electric motor or the like, and may be controlled by a controller, such as a computer system 400 of FIG. 8. In some aspects, computer system 400 may be configured to control the height adjustment of desk 100 and/or the actuation of ball screw system 106. In some aspects, a pair of actuators, one for each threaded shaft 112, may be used. Each base 116 is configured to be secured to a base/leg of desk 100, the floor, or a wall adjacent to desk 100. This arrangement stabilizes footrest 102 for movement between its extended and retracted positions.

[0035]Rotation of the pair of threaded shafts 112 imparts an axial motion on the pair of nuts 114. As the nut translates along the threaded shaft, the ball bearings are circulated through the cavity formed between the threaded shaft and the nut, which results in a very smooth movement of the nut along the threaded shaft. Rotating the pair of threaded shafts 112 in a first direction causes the pair of nuts 114 to translate in a first direction, and rotating the pair of threaded shafts 112 in a second direction causes the pair of nuts 114 to translate in a second, opposite direction. In some aspects, footrest 102 can be configured to move between extended and retracted positions or may be configured to stop anywhere in between the extended and retracted positions. In some aspects, the user may configure or program desired positions of footrest 102 for when desk 100 is in standing and sitting positions. The desired positions may be saved and implemented by computer system 400.

[0036]As illustrated in FIGS. 1-3, footrest 102 includes a pair of ends 118 (best seen in FIG. 3) that are secured to the pair of nuts 114, respectively, so that translation of the pair of nuts 114 causes translation of footrest 102. Footrest 102 is illustrated as being comprised of tubes having a circular or rounded cross-section. The general design of footrest 102 may be varied as desired. For example, footrest 102 is illustrated as having two cross bars that offer different resting heights. In other aspects, footrest 102 may include a single cross bar or more than two cross bars. Furthermore, footrest 102 may comprise a flatter, platform-like design (e.g., similar to the design shown in FIGS. 4-5). The angle, height, etc. of footrest 102 may be varied to accommodate various user preferences.

[0037]FIG. 4 illustrates a perspective view of an adjustable desk 200 in a raised condition with an actuatable footrest 202 in an extended position for a standing user. FIG. 5 illustrates a perspective view of desk 200 in a lowered condition with footrest 202 in a retracted position for a sitting user. Desk 200 is functionally similar to desk 100, with the primary differences being footrest 102 has been replaced with footrest 202 and ball screw system 106 has been replaced with scissor extension system 206.

[0038]Scissor extension system 206 provides a similar function to ball screw system 106, moving footrest 202 between extended and retracted positions. Footrest 202 is illustrated as having a box-like configuration. It will be appreciated that the dimensions and/or configuration of footrest 202 can be varied as desired (e.g., footrest 202 could have a configuration similar to footrest 102).

[0039]Scissor extension system 206 includes an actuator 208, an arm 210, and an arm 212 that are secured to a frame 214 and footrest 202. Frame 214 is secured to a base and/or legs of desk 200. A first end of arm 210 is pivotably secured to frame 214. First ends of actuator 208 and arm 212 are slidably connected to frame 214 to allow for translational movement and rotational movement. A second end of arm 210 is connected to footrest 202 to allow for translational movement and rotational movement. A second end of actuator 208 is connected to arm 210 between the first and second ends of arm 210. A second end of arm 212 is pivotably secured to footrest 202.

[0040]Actuator 208 may be, for example, a linear actuator (e.g., electric or hydraulic ram). Extension of actuator 208 extends footrest 202 away from frame 214, and retraction of actuator 208 retracts footrest 202 toward frame 214. Actuator 208 may be controlled by a controller, such as computer system 400 of FIG. 8. In some aspects, footrest 202 can be configured to be moved between extended and retracted positions or may be configured to stop anywhere in between the extended and retracted positions. In some aspects, the user may configure or program desired positions of footrest 202 for when desk 200 is in standing and sitting configurations. The desired positions may be saved and implemented by computer system 400.

[0041]FIG. 6 illustrates a close-up view of a belt system 306 for moving footrest 302 relative to a desk 300. Footrest 302 is illustrated as having a similar configuration as footrest 106, but it will be appreciated that the design of footrest 302 can be varied as desired. Belt system 306 can be used in place of ball screw system 106 or scissor extension system 206. Belt system 306 includes a belt 308 that is looped around a bearing 310 and a drive wheel 312 that is driven by a motor 314. Bearing 310 and drive wheel 312 are supported by a frame 316. Footrest 302 is secured to belt 308 by a housing 318. Motor 314 is configured to move belt 308 in first and second directions to move footrest 302 in first and second directions, similar to ball screw system 106. Motor 314 may be controlled by a controller, such as computer system 400 of FIG. 8. In some aspects, footrest 302 can be configured to be moved between extended and retracted positions or may be configured to stop anywhere in between the extended and retracted positions. In some aspects, the user may configure or program desired positions of footrest 302 for when desk 300 is in standing and sitting configurations. The desired positions may be saved and implemented by computer system 400.

[0042]FIG. 7 illustrates an alternative footrest 216 that can be used with any of the desks of FIGS. 1-6 discussed above. Footrest 216 includes two footrest positions, a first position 218 and a second, higher position 220 that provides two different options for a user to provide increased comfort. As shown in FIG. 7, footrest 216 includes a planar face below first position 218. In some aspects, the planar face prevents a user's feet from contacting components of scissor extension system 206. In other aspects, the planar face can be replaced with an opening.

[0043]Each of the footrests 102, 202, 216, 302 described above may include various safety systems to limit movement of the footrest. For example, computer system 400 may be configured to halt movement of the footrest if the footrest contacts an obstacle (e.g., a user, a chair leg, or other object in the movement path of the footrest). In some aspects, the footrest may be set to move on a dead man's switch (i.e., movement only occurs while a user holds a button). In some aspects, computer system 400 includes one or more sensors 418 (e.g., load sensors, gyroscopic sensors, current sensors, load sensors, etc.) that monitor one or more parameters regarding the footrest (e.g., an amount of force applied by an actuator to the footrest, amount of current applied to a motor, force applied by a hydraulic/pneumatic ram, etc.). If a monitored parameter exceeds a threshold (e.g., if something is blocking movement of the footrest, there is binding of components of the system, and the like), computer system 400 halts movement of the footrest and an alert may be provided to the user (e.g., an audible alert, a visual alert, and the like).

[0044]Each of the footrests 102, 202, 216, 302 can be configured for height adjustability (i.e., a height of the footrest relative to a surface of the floor can be increased or decreased to suit the user). In some aspects, a resting height of the footrest maybe adjusted in 0.5 inch increments over a range of 4 inches of total adjustment. In some aspects, the adjustment may be done manually via slots, pins, or the like. In some aspects, the adjustment be done via an actuator that raises and lowers the height of the footrest. Allowing for adjustment of the footrest height can significantly increase user comfort.

[0045]In some aspects, the systems described herein may incorporate a smart control system that can be implemented by computer system 400. The smart control system may include artificial intelligence (AI) for making smart decisions/suggestions for the user. For example, suggestions may be presented to the user for health and productivity optimizations regarding footrail deployment and positioning that are particular to a person and their needs. In other instances, the smart control system may recommend that the user stand or sit. The recommendation may be based on one or more monitored parameters (e.g., time in the standing or sitting positions).

[0046]The smart control system can be configured with one or more sensors 418 to monitor a height of the user (e.g., optical sensors, proximity sensors, etc.) to suggest custom set depth and height of footrest to anthropometrically correct estimates. The smart system can also be configured to monitor use patterns of a particular user and suggest changes to the user's sit/stand patterns and corresponding footrest use patterns. Monitoring may be done via various sensors 418, including: infrared sensors to determine presence/proximity, accelerometers, pressure plates in the footrest and/or desk, and/or sensors that monitor computer activity via mouse and keyboard use. As mouse and keyboard metrics such as words typed, mouse travel etc. are logged, the smart control system evaluates which whole body patterns create the most productivity for a user and then provides suggestions to encourage the user into those patterns throughout the workday to optimize health, comfort and/or output.

[0047]FIG. 8 is a system diagram of computer system 400 for controlling an actuatable footrest (e.g., footrests 102, 202, 302) through controlling the operation of ball screw system 106, scissor extension system 206, belt drive system 306, and the like. Computer system 400 includes an application 414 operable to execute on computer resources 402. Application 414 can be, for example, an interface for operating computer system 400. In other embodiments, application 414 can be, for example, an interface for operating and/or accessing all engines and datastores of computer system 400. In particular embodiments, computer system 400 may perform one or more steps of one or more methods described or illustrated herein. In particular embodiments, one or more computer systems may provide functionality described or illustrated herein. In particular embodiments, encoded software running on one or more computer systems may perform one or more steps of one or more methods described or illustrated herein or provide functionality described or illustrated herein.

[0048]The components of computer system 400 may comprise any suitable physical form, configuration, number, type and/or layout. As an example, and not by way of limitation, computer system 400 may comprise an embedded computer system, a system-on-chip (SOC), a single-board computer system (SBC) (such as, for example, a computer-on-module (COM) or system-on-module (SOM)), a desktop computer system, a laptop or notebook computer system, an interactive kiosk, a mainframe, a mesh of computer systems, a mobile telephone, a personal digital assistant (PDA), a wearable or body-borne computer, a server, or a combination of two or more of these. Where appropriate, computer system 400 may include one or more computer systems; be unitary or distributed; span multiple locations; span multiple machines; or reside in a cloud, which may include one or more cloud components in one or more networks.

[0049]In the depicted embodiment, computer system 400 includes a processor 408, memory 412, storage 410, a display 416, one or more sensors 418, interface 406, and bus 404. Although a particular computer system is depicted having a particular number of particular components in a particular arrangement, this disclosure contemplates any suitable computer system having any suitable number of any suitable components in any suitable arrangement.

[0050]Processor 408 may be a microprocessor, controller, or any other suitable computing device, resource, or combination of hardware, software and/or encoded logic operable to execute, either alone or in conjunction with other components, (e.g., memory 412, application 414, one or more sensors 418, storage 410). Such functionality may include providing various features discussed herein. In particular embodiments, processor 408 may include hardware for executing instructions, such as those making up the application 414. As an example, and not by way of limitation, to execute instructions, processor 408 may retrieve (or fetch) instructions from an internal register, an internal cache, memory 412, or storage 410; decode and execute them; and then write one or more results to an internal register, an internal cache, memory 412, or storage 410. Display 416 is configured to display information to a user (e.g., desk position/height, footrest position). In some aspects, display 416 may be a touchscreen display that receives input from a user (e.g., instruction to raise or lower the desk, instruction to extend or retract the footrest). In some aspects, display 416 may be integrated into computer system 400 (i.e., when computer system 400 is a mobile, stand-alone unit). In some aspects, display 416 may be integrated into the desk.

[0051]In particular embodiments, processor 408 may include one or more internal caches for data, instructions, or addresses. This disclosure contemplates processor 408 including any suitable number of any suitable internal caches, where appropriate. As an example, and not by way of limitation, processor 408 may include one or more instruction caches, one or more data caches, and one or more translation lookaside buffers (TLBs). Instructions in the instruction caches may be copies of instructions in memory 412 or storage 410 and the instruction caches may speed up retrieval of those instructions by processor 408. Data in the data caches may be copies of data in memory 412 or storage 410 for instructions executing at processor 408 to operate on; the results of previous instructions executed at processor 408 for access by subsequent instructions executing at processor 408, or for writing to memory 412, or storage 410; or other suitable data. The data caches may speed up read or write operations by processor 408. The TLBs may speed up virtual-address translations for processor 408. In particular embodiments, processor 408 may include one or more internal registers for data, instructions, or addresses. Depending on the embodiment, processor 408 may include any suitable number of any suitable internal registers, where appropriate. Where appropriate, processor 408 may include one or more arithmetic logic units (ALUs); be a multi-core processor; include one or more processors 408; or any other suitable processor.

[0052]Memory 412 may be any form of volatile or non-volatile memory including, without limitation, magnetic media, optical media, random access memory (RAM), read-only memory (ROM), flash memory, removable media, or any other suitable local or remote memory component or components. In particular embodiments, memory 412 may include random access memory (RAM). This RAM may be volatile memory, where appropriate. Where appropriate, this RAM may be dynamic RAM (DRAM) or static RAM (SRAM). Moreover, where appropriate, this RAM may be single-ported or multi-ported RAM, or any other suitable type of RAM or memory. Memory 412 may include one or more memories 412, where appropriate. Memory 412 may store any suitable data or information utilized by computer system 400, including software embedded in a computer readable medium, and/or encoded logic incorporated in hardware or otherwise stored (e.g., firmware). In particular embodiments, memory 412 may include main memory for storing instructions for processor 408 to execute or data for processor 408 to operate on. In particular embodiments, one or more memory management units (MMUs) may reside between processor 408 and memory 412 and facilitate accesses to memory 412 requested by processor 408.

[0053]As an example, and not by way of limitation, computer system 400 may load instructions from storage 410 or another source (such as, for example, another computer system) to memory 412. Processor 408 may then load the instructions from memory 412 to an internal register or internal cache. To execute the instructions, processor 408 may retrieve the instructions from the internal register or internal cache and decode them. During or after execution of the instructions, processor 408 may write one or more results (which may be intermediate or final results) to the internal register or internal cache. Processor 408 may then write one or more of those results to memory 412. In particular embodiments, processor 408 may execute only instructions in one or more internal registers or internal caches or in memory 412 (as opposed to storage 410 or elsewhere) and may operate only on data in one or more internal registers or internal caches or in memory 412 (as opposed to storage 410 or elsewhere).

[0054]In particular embodiments, storage 410 may include mass storage for data or instructions. As an example, and not by way of limitation, storage 410 may include a hard disk drive (HDD), a floppy disk drive, flash memory, an optical disc, a magneto-optical disc, magnetic tape, or a Universal Serial Bus (USB) drive or a combination of two or more of these. Storage 410 may include removable or non-removable (or fixed) media, where appropriate. Storage 410 may be internal or external to computer system 400, where appropriate. In particular embodiments, storage 410 may be non-volatile, solid-state memory. In particular embodiments, storage 410 may include read-only memory (ROM). Where appropriate, this ROM may be mask-programmed ROM, programmable ROM (PROM), erasable PROM (EPROM), electrically erasable PROM (EEPROM), electrically alterable ROM (EAROM), or flash memory or a combination of two or more of these. Storage 410 may take any suitable physical form and may comprise any suitable number or type of storage. Storage 410 may include one or more storage control units facilitating communication between processor 408 and storage 410, where appropriate.

[0055]In particular embodiments, interface 406 may include hardware, encoded software, or both providing one or more interfaces for communication (such as, for example, packet-based communication) among any networks, any network devices, and/or any other computer systems. As an example, and not by way of limitation, communication interface 406 may include a network interface controller (NIC) or network adapter for communicating with an Ethernet or other wire-based network and/or a wireless NIC (WNIC) or wireless adapter for communicating with a wireless network.

[0056]Depending on the embodiment, interface 406 may be any type of interface suitable for any type of network for which computer system 400 is used. As an example, and not by way of limitation, computer system 400 can include (or communicate with) an ad-hoc network, a personal area network (PAN), a local area network (LAN), a wide area network (WAN), a metropolitan area network (MAN), or one or more portions of the Internet or a combination of two or more of these. One or more portions of one or more of these networks may be wired or wireless. As an example, computer system 400 can include (or communicate with) a wireless PAN (WPAN) (such as, for example, a BLUETOOTH WPAN), a WI-FI network, a WI-MAX network, an LTE network, an LTE-A network, a cellular telephone network (such as, for example, a Global System for Mobile Communications (GSM) network), or any other suitable wireless network or a combination of two or more of these. computer system 400 may include any suitable interface 406 for any one or more of these networks, where appropriate.

[0057]In some embodiments, interface 406 may include one or more interfaces for one or more I/O devices. One or more of these I/O devices may enable communication between a person and computer system 400. As an example, and not by way of limitation, an I/O device may include a keyboard, keypad, microphone, monitor, mouse, printer, scanner, speaker, still camera, stylus, tablet, touchscreen, trackball, video camera, another suitable I/O device or a combination of two or more of these. An I/O device may include one or more sensors 418. Particular embodiments may include any suitable type and/or number of I/O devices and any suitable type and/or number of interfaces 406 for them. Where appropriate, interface 406 may include one or more drivers enabling processor 408 to drive one or more of these I/O devices. Interface 406 may include one or more interfaces 406, where appropriate.

[0058]Bus 404 may include any combination of hardware, software embedded in a computer readable medium, and/or encoded logic incorporated in hardware or otherwise stored (e.g., firmware) to couple components of computer system 400 to each other. As an example and not by way of limitation, bus 404 may include an Accelerated Graphics Port (AGP) or other graphics bus, an Enhanced Industry Standard Architecture (EISA) bus, a front-side bus (FSB), a HYPERTRANSPORT (HT) interconnect, an Industry Standard Architecture (ISA) bus, an INFINIBAND interconnect, a low-pin-count (LPC) bus, a memory bus, a Micro Channel Architecture (MCA) bus, a Peripheral Component Interconnect (PCI) bus, a PCI-Express (PCI-X) bus, a serial advanced technology attachment (SATA) bus, a Video Electronics Standards Association local (VLB) bus, or any other suitable bus or a combination of two or more of these. Bus 404 may include any number, type, and/or configuration of buses 404, where appropriate. In particular embodiments, one or more buses 404 (which may each include an address bus and a data bus) may couple processor 408 to memory 412. Bus 404 may include one or more memory buses.

[0059]Herein, reference to a computer-readable storage medium encompasses one or more tangible computer-readable storage media possessing structures. As an example and not by way of limitation, a computer-readable storage medium may include a semiconductor-based or other integrated circuit (IC) (such, as for example, a field-programmable gate array (FPGA) or an application-specific IC (ASIC)), a hard disk, an HDD, a hybrid hard drive (HHD), an optical disc, an optical disc drive (ODD), a magneto-optical disc, a magneto-optical drive, a floppy disk, a floppy disk drive (FDD), magnetic tape, a holographic storage medium, a solid-state drive (SSD), a RAM-drive, a SECURE DIGITAL card, a SECURE DIGITAL drive, a flash memory card, a flash memory drive, or any other suitable tangible computer-readable storage medium or a combination of two or more of these, where appropriate.

[0060]Particular embodiments may include one or more computer-readable storage media implementing any suitable storage. In particular embodiments, a computer-readable storage medium implements one or more portions of processor 408 (such as, for example, one or more internal registers or caches), one or more portions of memory 412, one or more portions of storage 410, or a combination of these, where appropriate. In particular embodiments, a computer-readable storage medium implements RAM or ROM. In particular embodiments, a computer-readable storage medium implements volatile or persistent memory. In particular embodiments, one or more computer-readable storage media embody encoded software. #

[0061]Herein, reference to encoded software may encompass one or more applications, bytecode, one or more computer programs, one or more executables, one or more instructions, logic, machine code, one or more scripts, or source code, and vice versa, where appropriate, that have been stored or encoded in a computer-readable storage medium. In particular embodiments, encoded software includes one or more application programming interfaces (APIs) stored or encoded in a computer-readable storage medium. Particular embodiments may use any suitable encoded software written or otherwise expressed in any suitable programming language or combination of programming languages stored or encoded in any suitable type or number of computer-readable storage media. In particular embodiments, encoded software may be expressed as source code or object code. In particular embodiments, encoded software is expressed in a higher-level programming language, such as, for example, C, Perl, or a suitable extension thereof. In particular embodiments, encoded software is expressed in a lower-level programming language, such as assembly language (or machine code). In particular embodiments, encoded software is expressed in JAVA. In particular embodiments, encoded software is expressed in Hyper Text Markup Language (HTML), Extensible Markup Language (XML), or other suitable markup language.

[0062]Although various embodiments of the present disclosure have been illustrated in the accompanying Drawings and described in the foregoing Detailed Description, it will be understood that the present disclosure is not limited to the embodiments disclosed herein, but is capable of numerous rearrangements, modifications, and substitutions without departing from the spirit of the disclosure as set forth herein.

[0063]The term “substantially” is defined as largely but not necessarily wholly what is specified, as understood by a person of ordinary skill in the art. In any disclosed embodiment, the terms “substantially”, “approximately”, “generally”, and “about” may be substituted with “within [a percentage] of” what is specified, where the percentage includes 0.1, 1, 5, and 10 percent.

[0064]The foregoing outlines features of several embodiments so that those skilled in the art may better understand the aspects of the disclosure. Those skilled in the art should appreciate that they may readily use the disclosure as a basis for designing or modifying other processes and structures for carrying out the same purposes and/or achieving the same advantages of the embodiments introduced herein. Those skilled in the art should also realize that such equivalent constructions do not depart from the spirit and scope of the disclosure, and that they may make various changes, substitutions, and alterations herein without departing from the spirit and scope of the disclosure. The scope of the invention should be determined only by the language of the claims that follow. The term “comprising” within the claims is intended to mean “including at least” such that the recited listing of elements in a claim are an open group. The terms “a”, “an”, and other singular terms are intended to include the plural forms thereof unless specifically excluded. #

[0065]Depending on the embodiment, certain acts, events, or functions of any of the algorithms described herein can be performed in a different sequence, can be added, merged, or left out altogether (e.g., not all described acts or events are necessary for the practice of the algorithms). Moreover, in certain embodiments, acts or events can be performed concurrently, e.g., through multi-threaded processing, interrupt processing, or multiple processors or processor cores or on other parallel architectures, rather than sequentially. Although certain computer-implemented tasks are described as being performed by a particular entity, other embodiments are possible in which these tasks are performed by a different entity.

[0066]Conditional language used herein, such as, among others, “can”, “might”, “may”, “e.g.”, and the like, unless specifically stated otherwise, or otherwise understood within the context as used, is generally intended to convey that certain embodiments include, while other embodiments do not include, certain features, elements and/or states. Thus, such conditional language is not generally intended to imply that features, elements and/or states are in any way required for one or more embodiments or that one or more embodiments necessarily include logic for deciding, with or without author input or prompting, whether these features, elements and/or states are included or are to be performed in any particular embodiment.

[0067]While the above detailed description has shown, described, and pointed out novel features as applied to various embodiments, it will be understood that various omissions, substitutions, and changes in the form and details of the devices or algorithms illustrated can be made without departing from the spirit of the disclosure. As will be recognized, the processes described herein can be embodied within a form that does not provide all of the features and benefits set forth herein, as some features can be used or practiced separately from others. The scope of protection is defined by the appended claims rather than by the foregoing description. All changes which come within the meaning and range of equivalency of the claims are to be embraced within their scope.

[0068]Although various embodiments of the method and apparatus of the present invention have been described in the foregoing Detailed Description, it will be understood that the invention is not limited to the embodiments disclosed, but is capable of numerous rearrangements, modifications and substitutions without departing from the spirit of the invention as set forth herein. #