Patent Application
20200315287
High heel shoes, while very fashionable, can result in significant pain for the wearer, with survey data indicating that the majority of wearers experience pain in the ball of their feet. This symptom is a direct result of the construction of typical high heel shoes and occurs for a variety of reasons. First, the angle of the sole with respect to the horizontal keeps wearer's toes plantar flexed, which reduces the cushioning effect of the fat pad underneath the metatarsals. This angle also dramatically shifts the center of pressure of the foot forward, resulting in much higher loads on the forefoot. Coupled with the tendency of feet to slide down in high heels, and the often narrow toe boxes of the shoes, these factors result in a very uncomfortable load at the first metatarsal head, which is the main weight-bearing portion of the forefoot.
Several solutions have been proposed to alleviate this discomfort. The load on the first metatarsal can be reduced by elevating some or all of the other metatarsal heads, particularly those proximate to the first metatarsal head. This solution, called a “Morton's extension” or “dancer's pad,” is described in U.S. Pat. No. 4,317,293. These devices redistribute the wearer's weight to be borne more evenly among all the metatarsals. Additionally, as described in WO 2006/043923, the slope of the portion of the shoe beneath the wearer's heel may be reduced to enable the heel to carry more of the load, and to move the center of pressure dorsally.
To correctly shift weight from under the first metatarsal head, its location must be known with some precision. Two individuals with identical heel-to-toe lengths and thus, nominally the same size shoe, can have widely varying heel to ball measurements. For example, one may have longer toes and a shorter arch respectively than the other. The first metatarsal head, which is located at the end of the arch, will thus be at different distances from the heel for these two individuals. The problem is further exacerbated by the tendency of wearers of high heels to “undersize” their shoes, as well as other anatomical variations, including different sized left and right feet. Thus, a one-size-fits all insole, simply correlated to shoe size, will fail to accurately move the center of pressure away from the first metatarsal head in all cases.
Accordingly, there is a need for improved components for high heel shoe constructions and these as well as new high heel shoes are now provided by the present invention.
The present invention now provides a shoe comprising a shoe body, a high heel, a sock liner, and a sole insert installed between the sole and the sock liner. The sole insert comprises a forward region supporting the forefoot and extending up to the base of the toes, the forward region comprising a reduced thickness or cut out area disposed beneath the first metatarsal head, the reduced thickness or cut out area providing less support to said first metatarsal head than is provided to the other metatarsal heads, and a rear region supporting the midfoot and the rearfoot including the heel, with the rear region extending from the forefoot to the back of the heel and comprising a heel cup forming a depression relative to other portions of the rear region and configured to lower an angle of the foot relative to the floor.
Preferably, the forward region comprises a cut out area disposed beneath the first metatarsal head and the sole insert comprises a gel material that includes an adhesive on top and bottom surfaces thereof to secure the sole insert to the sock liner and shoe. Also, the sole insert is a custom sole insert having dimensions determined based on a heel-to-ball measurement of the wearer's foot and a shape based on the insole of the shoe.
If desired, the insole can include an arch support or a heel cup configured to accommodate the heel, with the heel cup either forming a depression relative to other portions of the rear region or made of a material that is softer than material in other portions of the rear region so that the heel cup is configured to lower an angle of the foot relative to the floor.
The invention also provides for a method of manufacturing a custom sole insert for a foot and to be installed in a shoe. The method comprises processing foot impression data received from a client computing device, determining a heel-to-ball distance from the foot impression, selecting a basic insole having a size and a shape corresponding to both the heel-to-ball distance and the shoe, generating a 3D model of the custom sole insert, the generating comprising removing a margin around the basic sole insert and providing a reduced thickness or cut out area for the first metatarsal heard of the wearer's foot, and fabricating from the 3D model data the custom sole insert using a manufacturing device. The custom sole insert extends from the forefoot to the back of the heel and comprises the reduced thickness or cut out area under the first metatarsal head of the wearer's foot.
The invention further provides for a custom sole insert comprising a forward region supporting the forefoot and extending up to the base of the toes, the forward region comprising a reduced thickness or cut out area disposed beneath the first metatarsal head, the reduced thickness or cut out area providing less support to said first metatarsal head than is provided to the other metatarsal heads, and a rear region supporting the midfoot and the rearfoot including the heel, with the rear region extending from the forefoot to the back of the heel and comprising a heel cup forming a depression relative to other portions of the rear region and configured to lower an angle of the foot relative to the floor.
The invention also provides a shoe comprising a shoe body having a sole, an elevated heel, a sock liner and a sole insert as disclosed herein, wherein the sole insert is preferably present above the sole and under the sock liner. The elevated heel means a heel having a height of at least 2 inches and preferably 2 to 5 inches.
Another embodiment of the invention relates to a method of manufacturing a custom sole insert. This method comprises receiving from a client device foot impression data that includes a depth image of a foot, computing from the depth image of the foot a plurality of foot dimensions, generating from the plurality of foot dimensions 3D model data for a custom sole insert, and fabricating from the 3D model data the custom sole insert using a manufacturing device. The custom sole insert is preferably one as disclosed herein that extends from the forefoot to the back of the heel and comprises a hollow area under the first metatarsal head of the wearer's foot.
In this method, the computing the plurality of foot dimension data further comprises locating the most medial portion of the foot on the depth image, and determining the sesamoid height based on the location of the most medial portion of the foot on the depth image. The computing the plurality of foot dimension data also comprises selecting a landmark axis on the depth image, identifying the first metatarsal joint on the depth image, and calculating a straight line projection along the landmark axis.
Also, the identifying the first metatarsal joint on the depth image further comprises locating the approximate region of the first metatarsal joint, blurring the depth image using a filter, identifying the regional maximum of the region of the first metatarsal joint, and locating the center of the first metatarsal joint as the centroid of the regional maximum.
Generating 3D model data for the custom sole insert further comprises determining a shoe size based on the plurality of foot dimensions, selecting a basic insole having predetermined dimensions corresponding to the shoe size, forming a bounding box around the basic insole, and delimiting a boundary for the hollow area of the custom sole insert. The depth image of the foot is preferably obtained by providing a compressible material that retains its shape when deformed, pressing the wearer's foot into the compressible material such that an impression of at least the bottom of the foot is formed in the material, and scanning the impression using a scanning device comprising a range camera. The scanning device efficiently generates a depth image of the impression.
Capturing the anatomy of a foot for use in the design of a custom sole insert advantageously includes the generation of the depth image. The depth image of the impression can be used to provide a plurality of foot dimensions. This data can be used for generating from the plurality of foot dimensions 3D model data for a custom sole insert and fabricating from the 3D model data the custom sole insert using a manufacturing device. As disclosed herein in preferred embodiments, the custom sole insert extends from the forefoot to the back of the heel and comprises a hollow area under the first metatarsal head of the wearer's foot.
This methods of the invention preferably include the additional steps of providing a high heel shoe having a shoe body, a sole and an elevated heel, and installing the custom sole insert inside the high heel shoe. Typically, a sock liner is provided and the sole insert is installed above the sole and under the sock liner. The resultant high heel shoes represent another embodiment of the invention.
Various advantages and features of the invention will be understood from the following detailed description taken in connection with the appended claims and with reference to the attached drawing figures in which:
Embodiments of the present invention disclose a custom sole insert for use in high heel shoes that alleviates discomfort of the wearer's foot. In particular, the custom insert provided herein shifts pressure away from the first metatarsal head and to the rest of the foot. To this end, the custom sole insert is provided with a hollow area underneath the first metatarsal head. The hollow area enables less pressure to be exerted on the first metatarsal head than the second through fifth metatarsal heads. In some embodiments, the hollow area may be a cut out area devoid of sole insert material to accommodate the first metatarsal head. The custom sole insert extends up to base of the wearer's toes in its forward region to provide room for the toes and facilitate its installation and use in shoes with pointed toes. In its rear region, the custom insert extends to the back of the heel and features a heel cup that helps lower the angle of the wearer's foot in relation to the floor. The heel cup reduces the foot's tendency to slide and down and shifts some pressure away from the forefoot and toward the heel.
Embodiments of the present invention also disclose methods for measuring a wearer's foot to design the custom sole insert, and for designing and manufacturing the custom sole insert. In particular, a physical impression of the wearer's foot is obtained with an impression device. The impression is placed in a 3D scanning device that translates the impression into foot impression data comprising a depth image. The foot impression data is received on a computing device comprising a design software having a graphical interface. Foot dimensions are determined from the depth image and used to design a 3D model of the custom sole insert. Manufacturing data based on the 3D model is transmitted to a manufacturing device, which uses the data to produce the custom sole insert. The custom sole insert is inserted into a high heel shoe beneath the sock liner to produce the high heel shoe with having a custom sole insert and configured to reduce pressure on the ball of foot.
As illustrated in
Others means are provided for capturing the impression 100 of the foot. For example, a foot impression 100 and related measurements may be obtained from a photograph of the foot. In some embodiments (not illustrated), an image of the foot may be obtained by an imaging device disposed inside or associated with an enclosure where the user places the foot to be modeled. The resulting image may be processed and printed for scanning. The resulting image of the foot may also be processed and transmitted as an image file in various formats. The image file may be further processed by systems and devices downstream of the workflow to extract foot measurements.
A scanning device 205 is used to capture a three-dimensional digital image 200 of the foot model or impression 100. The scanning can be accomplished with various means that are known in the art. In some embodiments, the scanner 205 comprises a custom-built chassis to accommodate the foot model or cast. The scanning device 205 employs a depth sensor to scan the foot model 100 to provide a 3D digital representation or model of the wearer's foot. In some embodiments, the scanning sensor employs the commercially available Microsoft Kinect. The Microsoft Kinect is low cost consumer-grade 3D depth camera primarily designed for use as a peripheral device for gaming consoles. The camera has been successfully repurposed for a broad range of imaging applications in commercial and research settings due to its combination of effectiveness and low cost that provide an exceptional value and make it an attractive alternative to more expensive scanners. The Kinect sensor includes an infrared laser emitter, an infrared camera, and a color (RGB) camera. The Kinect uses these features to sense depth and generate a three dimensional imaging data using a structured or projected light method. In particular, the infrared emitter illuminates a dot pattern provided inside the camera, and the infrared sensor captures the projection pattern. Depth information is computed from the offset of each dot between the internal pattern and the captured pattern. Other methods of scanning the foot model can be employed using different devices. For example, the scanning device 205 can comprise time of flight sensors, which rely on the travel time of light between the sensor and the subject to determine the distance corresponding to each pixel. The scanning device 205 can also comprise stereoscopic sensors, which use the disparity of image captured by two adjacent cameras to resolve distance and calculate a depth map.
In some embodiments (not illustrated), the scanning device 205 may scan a printed photograph of the foot rather than a physical impression 100 of the foot. The photograph of the foot may be obtained with the process previously described above. In some embodiments, the photograph may be a digital file from which the scanning device 205 may scan the foot impression data.
The scanned foot impression data is transmitted to a computer system 390 having software for designing the custom sole insert 500. The foot impression data may be transmitted to the computer device via a computer network or a storage media. An image processing or computer aided design application or software may be provided on the computer device 390. The application may comprise a graphical user interface for interacting with the foot impression data 200 and designing the custom sole insert 500 therefrom. Characteristics of an exemplary computer system 390 are described further below in this specification.
Turning to
In some embodiments, the method of the present invention relies primarily on the ball-to-heel measurement (i.e., the distance between the back of the heel and the ball of the foot) of the wearer to determine the size and shape of the insert and provide a comfortable fit for the wearer that alleviates foot pain caused by high heels and other challenging footwear. This is because the heel to ball distance, when accurately measured, has been found to be a more reliable measure of the placement of first metatarsal head than other foot dimensions such as heel-to-toe measurements, foot size, or shoe size. In particular, important variations in the placement or the first metatarsal head or in the heel-to-ball distance can exist between feet having the same outer dimensions (heel to toe, etc.). There also usually is a variation from left to right foot in an individual. In the present invention, measuring the heel-to-ball distance individually for each foot provides the most comfortable insoles which often are not perfectly symmetrical. As a result, heel-to-ball distance may not be accurately predicted based on outer foot dimensions, at least not with sufficient accuracy to determine the optimal placement of the first metatarsal head. The resulting custom insole designed and manufactured according to the disclosed method reflects the increased accuracy provided by basing the placement of the hollow area on the heel to ball measurement, and therefore provides an optimum placement of the hollow area that increases comfort and alleviates pain better than insoles designed based on other measurements such as predicting heel-to-ball measurements with a ±2 cm of error as this is too wide a range to achieve maximum conform.
The first landmark feature may be a major axis or a set of major axes 250, 251. In some embodiments, landmark axes 250, 251 may form the axes of a coordinate system for measuring the location of landmark features.
It should be noted that the above is just one example of a landmark measurement, and that other landmark measurements can be made. For example, a landmark axis may comprise a line tangent to both the lateral heel and the fifth metatarsal, i.e., a line tangent to the outside of the wearer's foot. In another example, a line tangent to the medial heel and the first metatarsal head may serve as a landmark measurement instead. Other examples include a line bisecting the foot's width, or a line from the second toe to the heel center. Thus, any line between significant features of the image can be used as a landmark measurement or axis provided it can effectively serve as a reference for the remaining measurements. The landmark measurements can be made by the custom designer or software operator using the graphical user interface of the design software 395. In some embodiments, the design software 395 may identify the relevant features of the image 200 and draw the landmark measurements without user input. In other embodiments, the measurements may be made with combinations of user input and the software's determinations. In some embodiments, such as illustrated in
After the landmark measurements are made, certain features of the foot are identified on the image 200. In some embodiments, the center back of the heel or heel point 210 is identified on the image 200. This can be accomplished by the operator using for example, a cursor provided on the graphical user interface of the application 395. Alternatively, the software 395 can be programmed to identify and locate the center back of the heel 210 using a variety of image processing techniques. Next, the first metatarsal joint may be located by various steps. For example, the most medial portion of the foot or ball of the foot 220 may be used as a reference for the first metatarsal joint, as illustrated in
The regional maximum 226 of the first metatarsal region highlighted in the depth image 200 of
Projections for other features (e.g., another metatarsal joint) may be calculated as well along one or more of the landmark axes, and additional dimensions that are necessary or desirable to generate the custom sole insert, such as dimensions of the sesamoidal depression, may be calculated from the image.
Next, three-dimensional models 300 of the sole insert are created in the design software 395 from the dimensions determined in the previous steps. Referring back to
In some embodiments, the shoe size of the wearer is determined from the dimensions obtained from the depth image 200, and predetermined dimensions for insoles for each standard shoe size are identified. The insole having predetermined dimensions corresponding to the shoe size of the wearer is therefore the base from which the sole insert is customized, in these embodiments. In other embodiments, the basic insole 305 has dimensions and a shape that are consistent with the insole of the particular shoe for which the custom sole insert is intended. The method modifies this basic insole 305 to fit the foot of the wearer according to the measurements obtained from the depth image 200, as well as the features identified and customizing dimensions further calculated with the design software 395.
Referring to
In some embodiments, the basic insole that serves as a starting point for shaping the custom sole insert follows the shape or outline of a last corresponding to a shoe size of the wearer. In some embodiment, the basic insole may follow the shape of a last of a specific shoe where the custom sole insert is to be installed. For example, the basic insole could have the dimensions and shape of an insole for a particular make, type, and shoe size. This enables the custom sole insert of the present invention to be manufactured based on both the shape of the wearer's foot and the shape of the shoe for which the sole insert is intended (which is the reflection of both the size of the shoe and the style of the shoe). As a result, differently-sized and shaped custom sole inserts may be designed for the same foot depending on the shoe for which they are intended. For example, a custom sole insert for a wearer intended for a size 8.5 pump may differ from a custom sole insert to be installed in a size sandal 8.5 sandal for the same wearer. Conforming the sole insert to the shape of the shoe by starting from the basic insole that follows the shape of the last enables the insert to be seamlessly integrated into the shoe. The custom sole insert of the present invention is thus configured to fit perfectly within the shoe of the wearer without moving or shifting as the wearer walks.
Next, a hollow area 330 under the first metatarsal head is created. In the embodiment of the custom sole insert 500 illustrated in
To create the metatarsal cut out 330, a minimum-perimeter bounding box 331 is first defined around the basic insole, as illustrated in
In some embodiments, the front end 335 of the custom sole insert is located between the metatarsal heads (second through fifth) and the tip of the toes. The front end of the custom sole insert may extend up to the second through fifth metatarsal heads, for example. In preferred embodiments, the front end of the insole does not reach the end of the phalanges or tips of the wearer's toes but instead stops at the base of the second through fifth toes after the second through fifth metatarsal heads. This is easily achieved with the cut out portion of the sole but is also possible when an area of reduced thickness of the sole is used, as the ends may be trimmed to fit the toe box when narrowed. This configuration enables the use of the custom sole insert with a broad variety of footwear and minimizes limitations on compatible footwear that may result from the shape of the front end of the foot, as is the case with prior art sole inserts. In particular, the dimensions and shape of the front end of the custom sole insert facilitate the installation and use of the custom sole insert inside of pointed toed shoes, such as dress shoes or pumps. The lack of material beneath the toes prevents the front end of the custom insert from interfering with the sides of pointed toed shoes or from crowding out the toe box, which may cause discomfort in shoes with narrow toe boxes, for example. The position of the front end of the insole before the tip of the toes also results in a smaller custom sole insert that is easier to install in a greater variety of footwear. In various embodiments, the edges of the custom sole insert are rounded off to tame their sharpness for wearer comfort, ease of installation, and to decrease wear and tear and improve durability. For example, the intersection of the cut out 330 and the medial edge of the sole insert may be smoothed out. Similarly, the lateral end of the cut out where it intersects with the front of the sole insert may be rounded off. Further, the perimeter of the sole insert may be filleted for comfort and to facilitate gluing.
The custom foot model 300 resulting from the above-described customization is transmitted to the manufacturing device 400. The model data 300 may be transmitted over a network or via a storage media. The manufacturing device 400 can be any device configured to generate the custom sole insert 500 based on specifications comprising dimensional parameters received from a customizing software 395. The manufacturing device may thus include various devices such as additive manufacturing machines (e.g., 3D printers), subtractive manufacturing machines (e.g., CNC machines such as laser cutters or other types of cutters), or other manufacturing equipment. For example, a 3D printer may create the custom sole insert by the successive addition of super-imposed layers of insole material.
Exemplary sole insert materials include various types of plastic, nylon, foam, or gel. In an exemplary embodiment, the custom sole insert may comprise a contour-molding, shock-absorbing gel material such as TECHNOGEL® provided by Technogel Germany GmbH. This material offers significant advantages over sole inserts made with other materials. For example, the custom sole insert of the present invention comprising TECHNOGEL® or similar material enables a uniform distribution of stress over the foot of the wearer and areas subject to elevated pressure such as the metatarsal heads and the heel. Further, the use of the TECHNOGEL® material provides a continuous surface of contact between the custom sole insert and the foot in those areas of high stress. The lack of discontinuity in stiffness or other mechanical properties increases the comfort of the wearer. The gel of the present invention has the property of deforming on exposure to pressure, and returning to its initial shape and state after the force is removed. Accordingly, the gel comfortably molds to the bottom of the user's foot while the shoe is worn but the shape insert returns to and retains its original shape after the shoes is taken off. The gel may further serve as a vibration dampening element, which reduces the impact of shoe on the wearer's foot and increases comfort. See also, U.S. Pat. Nos. 9,217,074, 8,333,023, 8,232,364 and 6,809,143 for additional gel materials that can be utilized in the sole inserts of present invention. The entire disclosure of each of these patents is expressly incorporated herein by reference thereto.
The custom sole insert 500 may be formed with a single material or with a combination of materials. For example, the heel cup may be formed with a softer material than the remainder of the rear region 510 of the sole insert. Combinations of materials may be formed with layers of different materials. In addition, each layer may comprise multiple materials.
The gel material that is used to prepare the single or multi-layered insole is adhered to the sock liner and shoe sole. To facilitate this manufacture, the gel material is provided with an adhesive. Preferably, the material is provided with a layer of a pressure sensitive adhesive on each of the upper and lower surfaces. These adhesive layers are protected by liners which are removed when the insole is to be secured to the sock liner or shoe sole.
The resulting product is a custom sole insert 500 for footwear.
Similarly,
Embodiments of the present invention further comprise a high heel shoe 600 having a custom sole insert 500 as described above.
The custom insole 500 is installed in the high heel shoe as depicted in
The sock liner may be secured to the insole 620 of the shoe 600 around the margin 625 of the custom sole insert using a glue or an adhesive material or any other chemical or mechanical means of fastening the sock liner to the insole 620 of the high heel shoe 600. In a preferred embodiment, the insole 620 is made of TECHNOGEL® material that is provided with an adhesive, such as a pressure sensitive adhesive, on the top and bottom surfaces. The last of the shoe is used to create a trace that is used to configure the sock liner. The sock liner is placed face down on a surface and the insole is formed to match the pattern of the sock liner. After exposing the adhesive on the top surface of the TECHNOGEL® material, such as by removal of a protective liner, the insole is then adhered to the sock liner via the adhesive. When the sock liner/insole assembly is ready for insertion into the shoe, the adhesive on the rear surface of the TECHNOGEL® material is then exposed so that the assembly can be adhered in place onto the sole in the shoe. The high heel shoe 600 having the custom sole insert 500 according to the various embodiments of the present invention alleviates pressure on the ball of the wearer's foot and provides added stability.
When an arch support is to be provided, a conventional arch can be included. A preferred arch construction, however, is that which is described in U.S. provisional application 62/789,186, filed Jan. 7, 2019, entitled CUSTOM ARCH SUPPORT FOR FLAT SHOES, the entire content of which is expressly incorporated herein by reference thereto.
Each of the system, server, computing device, and computer described in this application can be implemented on one or more computer systems and be configured to communicate over a network. They all may also be implemented on one single computer system. In one embodiment, the computer system includes a bus or other communication mechanism for communicating information, and a hardware processor coupled with bus for processing information.
The computer system also includes a main memory, such as a random access memory (RAM) or other dynamic storage device, coupled to bus for storing information and instructions to be executed by processor. Main memory also may be used for storing temporary variables or other intermediate information during execution of instructions to be executed by processor. Such instructions, when stored in non-transitory storage media accessible to processor, render computer system into a special-purpose machine that is customized to perform the operations specified in the instructions.
The computer system further includes a read only memory (ROM) or other static storage device coupled to bus for storing static information and instructions for processor. A storage device, such as a magnetic disk or optical disk, is provided and coupled to bus for storing information and instructions.
The computer system may be coupled via bus to a display, such as a cathode ray tube (CRT), for displaying information to a computer user. An input device, including alphanumeric and other keys, is coupled to bus for communicating information and command selections to processor. Another type of user input device is cursor control, such as a mouse, a trackball, or cursor direction keys for communicating direction information and command selections to processor and for controlling cursor movement on display. This input device typically has two degrees of freedom in two axes, a first axis (e.g., x) and a second axis (e.g., y), that allows the device to specify positions in a plane.
The computer system may implement the techniques described herein using customized hard-wired logic, one or more ASICs or FPGAs, firmware and/or program logic which in combination with the computer system causes or programs computer system to be a special-purpose machine. According to one embodiment, the techniques herein are performed by the computer system in response to the processor executing one or more sequences of one or more instructions contained in main memory. Such instructions may be read into main memory from another storage medium, such as storage device. Execution of the sequences of instructions contained in main memory causes the processor to perform the process steps described herein. In alternative embodiments, hard-wired circuitry may be used in place of or in combination with software instructions.
The term storage media as used herein refers to any non-transitory media that store data and/or instructions that cause a machine to operation in a specific fashion. Such storage media may comprise non-volatile media and/or volatile media. Non-volatile media includes, for example, optical or magnetic disks, such as storage device. Volatile media includes dynamic memory, such as main memory. Common forms of storage media include, for example, a floppy disk, a flexible disk, hard disk, solid state drive, magnetic tape, or any other magnetic data storage medium, a CD-ROM, any other optical data storage medium, any physical medium with patterns of holes, a RAM, a PROM, and EPROM, a FLASH-EPROM, NVRAM, any other memory chip or cartridge.
Storage media is distinct from but may be used in conjunction with transmission media. Transmission media participates in transferring information between storage media. For example, transmission media includes coaxial cables, copper wire and fiber optics, including the wires that comprise bus. Transmission media can also take the form of acoustic or light waves, such as those generated during radio-wave and infra-red data communications.
Various forms of media may be involved in carrying one or more sequences of one or more instructions to the processor for execution. For example, the instructions may initially be carried on a magnetic disk or solid state drive of a remote computer. The remote computer can load the instructions into its dynamic memory and send the instructions over a telephone line using a modem. A modem local to the computer system can receive the data on the telephone line and use an infra-red transmitter to convert the data to an infra-red signal. An infra-red detector can receive the data carried in the infra-red signal and appropriate circuitry can place the data on bus. Bus carries the data to main memory, from which processor retrieves and executes the instructions. The instructions received by main memory may optionally be stored on storage device either before or after execution by the processor.
The computer system also includes a communication interface coupled to bus. The communication interface provides a two-way data communication coupling to a network link that is connected to a local network. For example, the communication interface may be an integrated services digital network (ISDN) card, cable modem, satellite modem, or a modem to provide a data communication connection to a corresponding type of telephone line. As another example, the communication interface may be a local area network (LAN) card to provide a data communication connection to a compatible LAN. Wireless links may also be implemented. In any such implementation, the communication interface sends and receives electrical, electromagnetic or optical signals that carry digital data streams representing various types of information.
Network link typically provides data communication through one or more networks to other data devices. For instance, network link may provide a connection through local network to a host computer or to data equipment operated by an Internet Service Provider (ISP). ISP in turn provides data communication services through the worldwide packet data communication network now commonly referred to as the “Internet.” Local network and Internet both use electrical, electromagnetic or optical signals that carry digital data streams. The signals through the various networks and the signals on network link and through the communication interface, which carry the digital data to and from the computer system, are example forms of transmission media.
The computer system can send messages and receive data, including program code, through the network(s), network link and the communication interface. In the Internet example, a server might transmit a requested code for an application program through Internet, ISP, local network and the communication interface.
The received code may be executed by the processor as it is received, and/or stored in storage device, or other non-volatile storage for later execution.
It should be understood that variations, clarifications, or modifications are contemplated. Applications of the technology to other fields are also contemplated.
Exemplary systems, devices, components, and methods are described for illustrative purposes. Further, since numerous modifications and changes will readily be apparent to those having ordinary skill in the art, it is not desired to limit the invention to the exact constructions as demonstrated in this disclosure. Accordingly, all suitable modifications and equivalents may be resorted to falling within the scope of the invention.
Thus, for example, any sequence(s) and/or temporal order of steps of various processes or methods that are described herein are illustrative and should not be interpreted as being restrictive. Accordingly, it should be understood that although steps of various processes or methods or connections or sequence of operations may be shown and described as being in a sequence or temporal order, but they are not necessarily limited to being carried out in any particular sequence or order. For example, the steps in such processes or methods generally may be carried out in various different sequences and orders, while still falling within the scope of the present invention. Moreover, in some discussions, it would be evident to those of ordinary skill in the art that a subsequent action, process, or feature is in response to an earlier action, process, or feature.
It is also implicit and understood that the applications or systems illustratively described herein provide computer-implemented functionality that automatically performs a process or process steps unless the description explicitly describes user intervention or manual operation.
It is understood from the above description that the functionality and features of the systems, devices, components, or methods of embodiments of the present invention include generating and sending signals to accomplish the actions.
It should be understood that claims that include fewer limitations, broader claims, such as claims without requiring a certain feature or process step in the appended claim or in the specification, clarifications to the claim elements, different combinations, and alternative implementations based on the specification, or different uses, are also contemplated by the embodiments of the present invention
It should be understood that combinations of described features or steps are contemplated even if they are not described directly together or not in the same context.
The terms or words that are used herein are directed to those of ordinary skill in the art in this field of technology and the meaning of those terms or words will be understood from terminology used in that field or can be reasonably interpreted based on the plain English meaning of the words in conjunction with knowledge in this field of technology. This includes an understanding of implicit features that for example may involve multiple possibilities, but to a person of ordinary skill in the art a reasonable or primary understanding or meaning is understood.
It should be understood that the above-described examples are merely illustrative of some of the many specific examples that represent the principles described herein. Clearly, those skilled in the art can readily devise numerous other arrangements without departing from the scope as defined by the following claims.
