Patent Grant
10928162
The instant disclosure relates generally to targeting systems. More specifically, the instant disclosure describes firearm combination targeting systems.
In the past, there has not been a way for a single soldier to fire at two different targets located in different directions at one time, short of using two separate weapons. While in a hostile environment, the soldier would benefit from a firearm with which he/she can shoot around a corner without exposing him/herself and at the same time able to cover his/her front with another weapon. While there are firearms with a variety of attachments, these attachments are generally fixed and do not allow a user to aim each weapon in a separate direction. In addition, commonly only a single part of the firearm may be utilized at any one time. Though there are weapons that are capable of firing around an obstacle they often have a limited angle of coverage. At most, such weapons can cover a 90 degrees spread from the default firing alignment. In addition, even while many existing solutions provide some sort of display, the integration and capabilities of the display are not perfectly suited for a weapon with a large angle of motion.
Some of the embodiments will be described in detail, with reference to the following figures, wherein like designations denote like members, wherein:
Unless otherwise specifically noted, articles depicted in the drawings are not necessarily drawn to scale.
As a preliminary matter, it will readily be understood by one having ordinary skill in the relevant art that the present disclosure has broad utility and application. As should be understood, any embodiment may incorporate only one or a plurality of the above-disclosed aspects of the disclosure and may further incorporate only one or a plurality of the above-disclosed features. Furthermore, any embodiment discussed and identified as being “preferred” is considered to be part of a best mode contemplated for carrying out the embodiments of the present disclosure. Other embodiments also may be discussed for additional illustrative purposes in providing a full and enabling disclosure. Moreover, many embodiments, such as adaptations, variations, modifications, and equivalent arrangements, will be implicitly disclosed by the embodiments described herein and fall within the scope of the present disclosure.
Accordingly, while embodiments are described herein in detail in relation to one or more embodiments, it is to be understood that this disclosure is illustrative and exemplary of the present disclosure and are made merely for the purposes of providing a full and enabling disclosure. The detailed disclosure herein of one or more embodiments is not intended, nor is to be construed, to limit the scope of patent protection afforded in any claim of a patent issuing here from, which scope is to be defined by the claims and the equivalents thereof. It is not intended that the scope of patent protection be defined by reading into any claim a limitation found herein that does not explicitly appear in the claim itself
Thus, for example, any sequence(s) and/or temporal order of steps of various processes or methods that are described herein are illustrative and not restrictive. Accordingly, it should be understood that, although steps of various processes or methods may be shown and described as being in a sequence or temporal order, the steps of any such processes or methods are not limited to being carried out in any particular sequence or order, absent an indication otherwise. Indeed, 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 disclosure. Accordingly, it is intended that the scope of patent protection is to be defined by the issued claim(s) rather than the description set forth herein.
Additionally, it is important to note that each term used herein refers to that which an ordinary artisan would understand such term to mean based on the contextual use of such term herein. To the extent that the meaning of a term used herein—as understood by the ordinary artisan based on the contextual use of such term—differs in any way from any particular dictionary definition of such term, it is intended that the meaning of the term as understood by the ordinary artisan should prevail.
Furthermore, it is important to note that, as used herein, “a” and “an” each generally denotes “at least one,” but does not exclude a plurality unless the contextual use dictates otherwise. When used herein to join a list of items, “or” denotes “at least one of the items,” but does not exclude a plurality of items of the list. Finally, when used herein to join a list of items, “and” denotes “all of the items of the list.”
The following detailed description refers to the accompanying drawings. Wherever possible, the same reference numbers are used in the drawings and the following description to refer to the same or similar elements. While many embodiments of the disclosure may be described, modifications, adaptations, and other implementations are possible. For example, substitutions, additions, or modifications may be made to the elements illustrated in the drawings, and the methods described herein may be modified by substituting, reordering, or adding stages to the disclosed methods. Accordingly, the following detailed description does not limit the disclosure. Instead, the proper scope of the disclosure is defined by the appended claims. The present disclosure contains headers. It should be understood that these headers are used as references and are not to be construed as limiting upon the subjected matter disclosed under the header.
Other technical advantages may become readily apparent to one of ordinary skill in the art after review of the following figures and description. It should be understood at the outset that, although exemplary embodiments are illustrated in the figures and described below, the principles of the present disclosure may be implemented using any number of techniques, whether currently known or not. The present disclosure should in no way be limited to the exemplary implementations and techniques illustrated in the drawings and described below.
Unless otherwise indicated, the drawings are intended to be read together with the specification and are to be considered a portion of the entire written description of this invention. As used in the following description, the terms “horizontal”, “vertical”, “left”, “right”, “up”, “down” and the like, as well as adjectival and adverbial derivatives thereof (e.g., “horizontally”, “rightwardly”, “upwardly”, “radially”, etc.), simply refer to the orientation of the illustrated structure as the particular drawing figure faces the reader. Similarly, the terms “inwardly,” “outwardly” and “radially” generally refer to the orientation of a surface relative to its axis of elongation, or axis of rotation, as appropriate. As used herein, the term “dorsal” refers to positions that are located near, on, or towards the upper or top side of a structure.
The present disclosure includes many aspects and features. Moreover, while many aspects and features relate to, and are described in the context of detection of presence of one or more intruder devices., embodiments of the present disclosure are not limited to use only in this context.
In the past there has not been a way for a single soldier to fire at two different targets located in different directions at one time, short of using two separate weapons. While in a hostile environment, the soldier would benefit from a firearm with which he/she can shoot around a corner without exposing him/herself and at the same time able to cover his/her front with another weapon. While there are firearms with a variety of attachments, these attachments are generally fixed and do not allow a user to aim each weapon in a separate direction. In addition, commonly only a single part of the firearm may be utilized at any one time. Though there are weapons that are capable of firing around an obstacle they often have a limited angle of coverage. At most, such weapons can cover a 90-degree spread from the default firing alignment. In addition, even while many existing solutions provide some sort of display, the integration and capabilities of the display are not perfectly suited for a weapon with a large angle of motion.
The instant disclosure seeks to provide a firearm combination apparatus of a firearm that has a pivoting pistol below a long barreled gun with a liquid crystal display (LCD) screen so the soldier can fire around a corner or edge wall without exposing his/her body and at the same time be aiming at a different target with the same weapon. The instant disclosure further seeks to provide a firearm combination apparatus that is in communicatively coupled to and controllable by external devices, thereby improving overall awareness of a user of the present invention.
The present invention is a battery operated and computerized firearm combination that incorporates two weapons into a single apparatus. In the preferred embodiment, the two weapons are individual firearms, referred to as the primary firearm 1 and secondary firearm 2. Shown in
This allows the secondary firearm 2 to point in a partially rearwards direction. In combination with the primary firearm 1, the secondary firearm 2 allows a user to fire at two targets simultaneously. The communications module 3 allows the present invention to transmit relevant data to other devices, while the battery 4 provides power for the communications module 3 and other internal components. The electroshock weapon 5 and the knife 6 connect to the front of the primary invention and can be detached to be used independently. It is also possible for the computerized aspect of the present invention to be omitted, resulting in a simpler and less expensive primary firearm 1 with an attached rotatable secondary firearm 2.
The primary firearm 1 comprises a receiver 7, a high powered primary barrel 8, a trigger 9, a swivel control 10, a first mounting point 11, a second mounting point 12, a third mounting point 13, a first display 14, a second display 15, a stock 16, and a set of accessories 17. These components are illustrated in
The trigger 9 is connected to both the stock 16 and the receiver 7, next to the rear grip 21. The trigger 9 enables a user to easily fire the primary firearm 1 with the same hand that holds the rear grip 21, as seen in
The electronic trigger 25 is an extra sensitive trigger 9 that reduces the amount of pressure required to fire the primary firearm 1; in addition, a user can adjust the sensitivity of the electronic trigger 25 to suit their personal preferences. The electronic trigger 25 is removable, allowing a user to attach the electronic trigger to the second trigger 24, secondary trigger 33, or to be omitted if so desired. The swivel control 10, as seen in
The first mounting point 11 is connected to the underside of the forend 19 and serves as an attachment point for the secondary firearm 2. The first mounting point 11 is also connected to the swivel control 10, allowing a user to rotate the secondary firearm 2 by simply operating the swivel control 10. Alternatively, a user can rotate the secondary firearm 2 by hand, although this will still cause the swivel control 10 to rotate as the mounting point remains connected to the swivel control 10. The first mounting point 11 also includes a locking mechanism 26, such as a pin, that prevents the first mounting point 11 (and any attached items, such as the secondary firearm 2) from rotating. This allows a user to steady the secondary firearm 2 and prevent undesired movements.
The pistol defaults to being locked in a forward-facing position. The second mounting point 12, like the swivel control 10, is connected to the side of the forend 19. The second mounting point 12 is positioned adjacent to the muzzle 18 and serves as an attachment point for the electroshock weapon 5. Similar to the second mounting point 12, the third mounting point 13 is connected to the side of the forend 19, on the side opposite where the second mounting point 12 is connected. This third mounting point 13 serves as an attachment point for the knife 6.
To provide additional stability to the secondary firearm 2, another embodiment of the present invention incorporates a brace running from the swivel control 10 to the secondary firearm 2. This brace is bolted into the swivel control 10, helping to absorb recoil from firing the secondary firearm 2. The brace extends from the swivel control 10 to the secondary firearm 2, where a notch receives the grip of the secondary firearm 2. This addition is especially useful when using high-powered secondary firearms 2, where recoil may be more difficult to control than with low-power secondary firearms 2.
The first display 14, as shown in
As outlined in
The scope 30 is aligned with the primary barrel 8 to enhance aiming. The primary camera 31 is connected to the primary firearm 1 just below the muzzle 18, with the path of a fired bullet being directly above the primary camera 31. The primary camera 31 provides a view from the front of the primary firearm 1, displaying images and live video to the first display 14 and second display 15. This primary camera 31 allows a user to point the primary firearm 1 around corners or other obstacles and observe an area with being exposed to hazards, such as coming under fire from enemy combatants. The video output can be viewed on the first display 14 or the second display 15, depending on the orientation of a user in relation to the primary firearm 1.
As depicted in
The view from the secondary camera 34 is output to the first display 14 and the second display 15, allowing a user to use the secondary camera 34 to view areas that the primary camera 31 might not be able to see. This is accomplished by rotating the secondary camera 34, providing a greater range of motion than found in the primary camera 31 alone. Rotating the secondary camera 34 in this manner could allow a user to see around an edge wall. This is done by rotating the secondary firearm 2 to be perpendicular to the primary firearm 1, then holding the primary firearm 1 so that it extends past an edge wall. Illustrated in
To fire the secondary firearm 2 from the main trigger 9, an L-shaped pin is included at the secondary trigger 33. When remotely activated, such as by the main trigger 9, this L-shaped pin extends to press the secondary trigger 33 and fire the secondary firearm 2. The L-shaped pin rotates 90 degrees, allowing the pin to be moved out of the trigger guard if a user chooses to manually operate the secondary firearm 2; in such a scenario, leaving the L-shaped pin in position would interfere with triggering the secondary firearm 2.
The battery 4 provides power to the electronic components of the present invention, while the communications module 3 allows transmission of data to other devices, both of which are illustrated in
The electroshock weapon 5 and the knife 6 are attached to the second mounting point 12 and third mounting point 13, respectively, like seen in
In the preferred embodiment of the present invention many components have specific or additional features. The overall construction of the primary firearm 1 incorporates a carbon fiber, or any other suitable metal, shell with vent holes. With regards to the stock 16, the telescoping shoulder is split into two sections, with a rear section sleeving into a front section, usually by means of a matching track and rail. This allows a user to adjust the length of the telescoping shoulder rest 20 as desired. The telescoping shoulder rest 20 preferably includes a hinge which allows the telescoping shoulder rest 20 to fold for compact storage, with the telescoping shoulder rest 20 being folded 180 degrees to rest adjacent and besides the receiver 7 section of the primary firearm 1.
The first display 14 and the second display 15 each can receive and display feeds from the primary camera 31 and secondary camera 34. The first display 14 and second display 15 can provide various levels of zoomed views depending on the zoom levels offered by the primary camera 31 and secondary camera 34. In addition, the first display 14 and second display 15 can provide split screen viewing, showing images from both the primary camera 31 and the secondary camera 34. This allows, for example, a user to switch the first display 14 to show two targets, one viewed from the primary camera 31 and the other viewed from the secondary camera 34. Targets are displayed using targeting sights that that can be rapidly switched. In addition to video feeds from the primary camera 31 and secondary camera 34, the first display 14 and second display 15 can output additional information, such as ammunition levels and the angle of the secondary firearm 2 in relation to the primary firearm 1.
The strap 27 preferably includes a padded section, making the present invention more comfortable to carry when the strap 27 is slung over a user's shoulder. The strap 27 enables a user to conceal the present invention by hiding it beneath a coat, with the strap 27 resting against a shoulder and the primary firearm 1 being held between a user's body and arm. The secondary firearm 2 is secured to the first mounting point 11 by a rotatable receiver 7, which is mechanically connected (such as by a chain and gear system) to the swivel control 10. This enables a user to rotate the secondary firearm by rotating the swivel control 10. The swivel control 10 rotates horizontally, with the axis of rotation being perpendicular to the length of the primary barrel 8 and roughly parallel to the rear grip 21. The primary camera 31 and secondary camera 34, as well as the second mounting point 12 and third mounting point 13, are properly distanced from the primary barrel 8 (or secondary barrel 32, in the case of the secondary camera 34) such that muzzle 18 blasts are not affected. The distancing of said components also protects against potential damage resulting from being too close to the muzzle 18 blast.
The primary firearm 1 and secondary firearm 2 each preferably include a safety to prevent accidental weapon discharges. The primary firearm 1 is preferably a rifle or assault rifle, while the knife 6 is preferably a switchblade or spring-based sliding knife 6, allowing the knife 6 blade to quickly be deployed for use. The primary camera 31 and secondary camera 34 are capable of alternate viewing modes, including night vision and infrared vision, although the primary camera 31 and secondary camera 34 default to an off state until a user opts to turn them on. In addition, the primary camera 31 and secondary camera 34 include removable storage devices. These removable storage devices can be used to record pictures and video taken from the primary camera 31 and secondary camera 34.
If a user wants to view the stored data on another interface, such as a portable laptop computer, the removable storage devices can be taken out of the primary camera 31 and secondary camera 34 and inserting into the portable laptop computer. In this manner recorded data is can be viewed on a large number of other devices. While the listed components have favored implementations, other embodiments can implement variant or optional components.
While the secondary firearm 2 is preferably a pistol, in other embodiments the secondary firearm 2 can take the form of a barrel without a grip or any type of projectile weapon, such as a grenade launcher. If a grip is not used, then the secondary trigger 33 would be omitted and the secondary weapon would be fully controlled through the trigger 9 and control panel 29 of the primary firearm 1. The electroshock weapon 5 is preferably a ranged implement such as the Taser™ that fires wires which carry current from the weapon to a target.
In other embodiments the swivel control 10 can be integrated into the control panel 29; rather than manually turning the swivel control 10, an interface on the control panel 29 could be operated to send electronic signals to the swivel mechanism for the secondary firearm 2, activating a motor to rotate the secondary firearm 2.. This allows a user to rotate the secondary firearm 2 with the simple push of a button. The swivel control 10 may also be disengaged, allowing a user to manually rotate the secondary firearm 2. These buttons would be positioned adjacent to the trigger 9, making them easily accessible to a user, within easy reach of the digits of the trigger hand.
In addition to the scope 30, the sighting mechanisms can include a laser sight and an iron sight. The laser sight and iron sight are attached atop the primary firearm 1, adjacent to the scope 30. Like the scope 30, the iron sight and laser sight should be aligned to be parallel to the primary barrel 8 to assist with aiming. The iron sight provides a sighting mechanism that can be used even if battery 4 power runs out, providing a backup option to the other targeting methods. Of course, adjustment could be made to the iron sight or laser sight if desired, perhaps to account for standard conditions (e.g. a typical range of engagement) that a user might face. It is also possible to include a sighting mechanism for the secondary firearm 2, though care would need to be taken to assure the sighting mechanism does not interfere with the first mounting point 11.
The telescoping shoulder rest 20 has the option of including a shock resistant feature, such as an air shock recoil reduction system, designed to buffer a user against recoil from firing the primary firearm 1 and secondary firearm 2. The air shock recoil reduction system allows a user to set and lock a pressure per their preference. The recoil reduction system can employ various energy damping methods or materials to reduce the impact of firing the primary firearm 1 and secondary firearm 2. For example, the air shock recoil system could be spring-based, gas-based, or any other recoil method deemed useful.
Other variations and subcomponents of the present invention relate to the receiver 7, stock 16, and firing mechanisms. Specifically, a shell ejection port is included so that empty casings can be automatically discarded from the primary firearm 1. The magazines used can be selected from a variety of options, such as box magazines. The stock 16 can include a front grip, opposite the rear grip 21, although the secondary firearm 2 can be used as a front grip while attached to the primary firearm 1. Additionally, though the preferred embodiment describes the electronic trigger 25 being attached to the first trigger 23, an optional second electronic trigger 25 could be attached to the second trigger 24. In either case the electronic trigger 25 activates an electronic firing system, reducing the pressure required to fire a shot.
The components of the present invention allow it to be used in conjunction with accessories 17 and external devices. A suitcase is designed for the present invention to store subcomponents, such as the primary firearm 1, secondary firearm 2, electroshock weapon 5, and knife 6. A headset can be synchronized to the present invention, using wireless communications to receive data. Additionally, an external control system, such as in a van, can be wirelessly connected to the present invention, allowing a third party to access some features of the present invention.
The suitcase includes multiple compartments for components and accessories 17 of the present invention. The suitcase is preferably of a thin, low-profile construction and is made to be airtight. In addition to a main compartment to house the primary firearm 1 and attached secondary firearm 2, there are individual compartments for the electroshock weapon 5, the knife 6, extra ammunition, and miscellaneous personal items. The headset can be placed in the main compartment alongside the present invention.
The headset includes a heads-up display, which is wirelessly connected to the communications module 3 of the present invention. The heads-up display receives information from the communications module 3, including video feeds from the primary camera 31 and secondary camera 34. Built in sight shields which can be flipped up or down are also integrated into the heads-up display. The heads-up display can be operated by handgrips built into either side of the heads-up display. The heads-up display can also be controlled by the control panel 29 of the primary firearm 1, which can send instruction through the communications module 3 to either lower or raise the sight shields. Thus, when a user wears the heads-up display while operating the present invention, views from the primary and secondary camera 34 can easily be seen without the need to focus on the first display 14 or second display 15.
The external control system, like the headset is wirelessly connected to the communications module 3. Not only is the external control system capable of receiving video feeds from the primary camera 31 and secondary camera 34, it is also capable of sending instructions to the present invention. For example, an operator of the external control system could see a target appear on the secondary camera 34, instruct the swivel control 10 to rotate the secondary firearm 2 to be pointing at the target, and fire the secondary firearm 2 by simply pressing a button. The instructions are all communicated wirelessly through the communications module 3. The primary benefits of the external control system are extra pairs of eyes to watch feeds from the primary camera 31 and secondary camera 34, providing a better chance to notice potential hazards that might escape the attention of a user of the present invention. If and when necessary, the external control system allows third parties to take control of the secondary firearm 2, perhaps acting before a user could, or alternatively allowing the present invention to fully engage two different targets simultaneously.
In general, network 910 can be any combination of connections and protocols that will support communications between helmet 930, firearm 920, computing device 940, and information store 950. The computing device 940 can be one or more desktop computers, laptop computers, tablet computers, wearable computers, cluster computers, or other computing devices capable of performing one or more steps, methods, and/or processes disclosed herein. The computing device 940 preferably includes user interface 945. The user interface 945 is software that allows a user to communicate with the firearm 920 and/or the helmet 930. Information store 950 is an organized collection of data, generally stored and accessed electronically.
The helmet 930 is preferably a combat helmet specifically configured to protect the head during combat. In some embodiments, the helmet 930 is headgear (i.e. any element of clothing which is worn on a person's head) that provides protection, conveys fashion or decorations, serves a religious or medical purpose, or serves as a component of a uniform. In general, the helmet 930 is an item of clothing that can be worn on the head of a person and communicate via the network 910 according to certain embodiments. The helmet 930 preferably includes a communications device 937, a helmet display 936, and user interface 935. The helmet display 936 is preferably a heads-up display to allow the user to observe and/or interact with data as without looking away from the firearm 920, the ambient environment, or other object(s).
The helmet display 936 allows users to communicate with the firearm 920 and the computing device 940 while still observing their ambient environment. In general, the helmet display 936 is a transparent display that presents data without requiring the user to look away from their usual viewpoints. The user interface 935 is software that allows a user to communicate (e.g., via text, audio, video, etc.) with the firearm 920 and/or the helmet 930. The user interface 935 is preferably a graphical user interface composed of a tactile UI and a visual UI capable of displaying graphics. To be sure, the user interface 945 functions similar to the user interface 935. The user interface 935 and/or 945 can include a motion alarm associated with the primary firearm 1 and the second firearm 2. A combination keypad may be used to set and disarm the motion alarm. The alarm can be configured to communicate with mobile devices. Although in other embodiments more or less components may be present, the firearm 920 includes the primary firearm 1 and the secondary firearm 2 interconnected as disclosed above according to preferred embodiments. In preferred embodiments, the primary firearm 1 and the secondary firearm 2 are configured and interconnected as well as function as discussed above.
To be sure, the following components and functionality are reiterated to aid in the discussion of
As discussed above, the secondary firearm 2 preferably includes the secondary camera 34 and the second barrel 32. The firearm 920 includes one or more control circuits 926 communicatively coupled to the helmet 930, the computing device 940, the first display 14, the second display 15, the electronic trigger 25, the primary camera 31, the secondary camera 34, the control panel 29, and the control panel 29.
The primary barrel 8, is functionally coupled to the receiver 7. The heads-up display 936 is preferably a transparent display that presents data without requiring users to look away from their usual viewpoints. According to certain embodiments, the primary barrel 8 can be configured to discharge bullets, shot, slugs, grenades, barbed darts, darts, less-lethal munitions, airsoft, foam munitions, and/or similar projectiles. In other words, the primary barrel 8 can be a long gun barrel, a pistol barrel, or a shotgun barrel. The system 900 is preferably a man-portable system that does not require vehicle support to transport or operate (e.g., can be carried by hand). As previously discussed, the primary firearm 1 and the secondary firearm 2 are each man-portable.
In preferred embodiments, the firearm 920 includes an electronic firing mechanism 925, which is an electronic system that is functionally coupled to the primary firearm 1 and the secondary firearm 2. For example, the electronic firing mechanism 925 is an electronic mechanical assembly that can discharge the primary firearm 1 and/or the secondary firearm 2 when instructed. At Step 1030, whether the targeting instructions includes discharge commands (e.g., discharge the primary firearm 1 and/or the secondary firearm 2) is determined. At Step 1035, the electronic firing mechanism 925 is instructed to discharge the primary firearm 1 or the secondary firearm 2 when the targeting instruction comprise a discharge command. Here, discharge commands are associated with the primary firearm 1 and/or the secondary firearm 2 (e.g., discharge the primary firearm 1). Hence, at the conclusion of Step 1035, the primary barrel 8 and the secondary barrel 32 have different barrel angles.
Computing device 940 includes respective sets of internal components 1200 and external components 1300 as illustrated in
Internal components 1200 also include a R/W drive or interface 1232 to read from and write to one or more portable computer-readable tangible storage devices 1336, such as a CD-ROM, DVD, memory stick, magnetic tape, magnetic disk, optical disk or semiconductor storage device. Methods, processes, and or steps disclosed herein can be stored on one or more of the respective portable computer-readable tangible storage devices 1336, read via the respective R/W drive or interface 1232 and loaded into the respective computer-readable tangible storage devices 1230.
Each set of internal components 1200 also includes network adapters or interfaces 1236 such as a TCP/IP adapter cards, wireless Wi-Fi interface cards, or 3G or 4G wireless interface cards or other wired or wireless communication links. Methods, processes, and or steps disclosed herein can be downloaded to computing device 940, respectively, from an external computer via a network (for example, the Internet, a local area network or other, wide area network) and respective network adapters or interfaces 1236. From the network adapters or interfaces 1236, captured images, methods, processes, and or steps disclosed herein are loaded into the respective computer-readable tangible storage devices 1230. The network may comprise copper wires, optical fibers, wireless transmission, routers, firewalls, switches, gateway computers and/or edge servers.
Each of the sets of external components 1300 can include a computer display monitor 1320, a keyboard 1330, and a computer mouse 1334. External components 600 can also include touch screens, virtual keyboards, touch pads, pointing devices, and other human interface devices. Internal components 1200 also include device drivers 1240 to interface to computer display monitor 1320, keyboard 1330 and computer mouse 1334. The device drivers 1240, R/W drive or interface 1232 and network adapters or interfaces 1236 comprise hardware and software (stored in storage device 1230 and/or ROM 1224).
Computer program code for carrying out operations of the present invention may be written in any combination of one or more programming languages, including an object oriented programming language such as Java, Smalltalk, C++or the like and conventional procedural programming languages, such as the “C” programming language or similar programming languages. The program code may execute entirely on the user's computer, partly on the user's computer, as a stand-alone software package, partly on the user's computer and partly on a remote computer or entirely on the remote computer or server. In the latter scenario, the remote computer may be connected to the user's computer through any type of network, including a local area network (“LAN”) or a wide area network (“WAN”), or the connection may be made to an external computer (for example, though the Internet using an Internet Service Provider).
Based on the foregoing, computer system, method and program product have been disclosed in accordance with the present invention. However, numerous modifications and substitutions can be made without deviating from the scope of the present invention. Therefore, the present invention has been disclosed by way of example and not limitation.
As various modifications could be made in the constructions and methods herein described and illustrated without departing from the scope of the invention, it is intended that all matter contained in the foregoing description or shown in the accompanying drawings shall be interpreted as illustrative rather than limiting. Thus, the breadth and scope of the present invention should not be limited by any of the above-described exemplary embodiments but should be defined only in accordance with the following claims appended hereto and their equivalents.
Although the disclosure has been explained in relation to its preferred embodiment, it is to be understood that many other possible modifications and variations can be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the disclosure.
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