Patent Application
20190236547
The disclosure relates to electronic communications and collaboration, and more specifically to the recording and subsequent playback of online collaboration sessions.
Online collaboration sessions are an integration of real-time communication, such as teleconferencing, videoconferencing, web conferencing and messaging, with collaboration tools, such as file sharing, screen sharing, remote device control and whiteboarding. Current collaboration services provide various services, such as the ones described above, for users to collaborate. However, current services lack the ability to record and playback the full collaborative experience. Current technology, such as Cisco System, Inc.'s WebEx® videoconferencing, LogMeIn, Inc.'s GoToMeeting® online meetings, Zoom Video Communications, Inc.'s video and web conferencing and Microsoft Corporation's Skype® for Business videoconferencing, only offers limited recording of audio, video and screen sharing.
Recording a collaboration session's activities, such as participants joining and leaving sessions; presenters beginning or ending a screen share; starting, or participation in, whiteboarding; enabling remote device control; messages posted; and sharing, collaborating upon, documents, allows for the context in which these activities were performed to be accessible and auditable after the fact. Playing back a collaboration session, which further provides the knowledge of who shared their screen, posted a specific message, sent a relevant link, uploaded certain documents, invited other participants, or left the meeting, and of when those collaborative actions took place, imparts a much deeper understanding of the interactions that occurred in the session. The collaborative actions taken, who took those actions and the timing of them—for example—while a presenter was speaking, are valuable information. This information conveys important context that is necessary to fully appreciate the exchange of information and the collaboration that took place.
What is needed therefore is the recording and playback of the full collaborative experience in an online collaboration session.
Technology is disclosed for an online collaboration service that provides for online collaboration sessions, and the recording and playback of those online sessions (the “technology”). The technology enables two or more users to communicate in real-time by sharing streaming data, such as audio or video streams. The technology enables those users to take collaborative actions, such as posting messages, sharing files, sharing screens, annotating virtual whiteboards and allowing remote control of their devices. Metadata associated with users' collaborative actions are shown during the session in an activity timeline. The technology enables users to record and playback online collaboration sessions and their associated timelines. During playback, users are provided with navigation capabilities for both the streaming data and its associated activity timeline, individually and in conjunction.
In various embodiments, the technology provides a collaboration session service that can be used with a plurality of users in real-time. For example, in one embodiment, consider that five of six users participated in an online collaboration session: one user-host and four participant-users. One invited-user was unable to join the session. Four of five users were connected to the session by video streamed from their video-enabled desktops, laptops and/or smart phones. One user was connected by audio streamed from a telephone. During the session, the speaking users' video or audio data streams were delivered to the other participants. As the streaming data was delivered, users took various collaborative actions. Users joined the session. A user left the session. Users typed messages and shared them with the other participants. A user shared his smartphone's screen and demonstrated an application. Another user shared and discussed a project's spreadsheet. All of these collaborative actions were displayed to the other participants on their respective devices. Metadata associated with these collaborative actions, such as action type, user and timestamp, was also displayed in real-time in an activity timeline. The activity timeline was presented in a vertical sidebar running alongside the session's video/audio stream.
In various embodiments, the technology provides a session record service that can be used to record online collaboration sessions, and a session playback service that allows users to playback a recorded online collaboration session. Consider again the above example of one embodiment, the user-host requested that the online collaboration session be recorded. Subsequently, the invited-user, who was unable to join, selected the recorded meeting file for playback. The user was presented with the streaming data in a player window and with the activity timeline in a vertical sidebar along the right side of the player window. In this way, the user experienced the meeting as if she was a participant. The user played, paused, fast-forwarded and reversed the streaming data, as needed, to take notes or skip unnecessary information. The user was particularly interested in the discussion of project status and the project spreadsheet. She scrolled down the activity timeline to find the metadata associated with the shared file. She clicked on that point in the timeline, which brought both the streaming data and the activity timeline to that point in time. The user then clicked play and fully experienced the portion of the meeting that was most critical to her. In that way, users are given a comprehensive way to collaborate before, during, and after an online collaborative session.
The drawings described herein are for illustrative purposes only of selected embodiments and not all possible implementations and are not intended to limit the scope of the present disclosure.
Activity Bar: an indicator that indicates how much collaborative user activity occurred during the course of a recorded online collaboration session.
Activity Metadata: data that describes and provides information about collaborative user actions taken during an online collaboration session.
Activity Timeline: a presentation of activity metadata that describes and summarizes collaborative user actions. Activity timelines may be present activity metadata in chronological order in a vertical sidebar alongside the streaming data of an online collaboration session.
Collaborative User Action: an action taken by a user who is participating in an online collaboration session. Collaborative user actions may include actions relating to starting, ending or joining a collaboration session; inviting users to a session; posting messages; sharing screens; sharing files; whiteboarding; or remotely controlling devices.
Current Playback Time: a parameter that represents the point in time in the recorded session video file that is currently being played back. Current Playback Time may be synchronized with the video time as the video plays, and as users pause, fast forward, reverse or reposition the video.
Current Timeline Time: a parameter that represents the point in time in the recorded activity timeline that is currently being presented. Current Timeline Time may be synchronized with the presentation of the recorded activity timeline as users take related user navigational actions; or Current Playback Time.
JavaScript Object Notation (JSON): an open-standard file format that uses human-readable text to transmit data objects consisting of attribute-value pairs and array data types.
Media Player: a computer program for playing multimedia files like videos. Media players commonly display standard media control icons, such as play, pause, fast forward, back, forward and stop buttons, and a progress bar.
Moving Picture Experts Group (MPEG) is a set of international standards and file formats for encoding and compressing video images.
MPEG-4 Part 14 (MP4): a digital multimedia container format most commonly used to store video and audio but can also be used to store other data such as subtitles and still images.
Navigational User Action: an action taken by a user who is playing back a recorded online collaboration session. Navigational user actions may include actions relating to playing back of the recorded session video file, such as selecting a media control icon, a position on a progress bar, a position on an activity bar or a position on a recorded activity timeline; or actions relating to presenting a recorded activity timeline, such as moving a scrollbar or selecting a timeline control icon, such as a back-to-current icon.
Online Collaboration Session: a joint session of users where collaborative actions of each participating user, as seen on the screen of a device of a presenter, are mirrored on the screens of the devices of the other participating users in real-time. Online collaboration sessions may also include an activity timeline describing the collaborative user actions.
Playback: a service allowing users to playback a recorded online collaboration session, including the streaming data and the activity timeline.
Playback Navigation: a service allowing users to navigate both the playing back of a recorded session video file, and the presentation of a recorded activity timeline, separately and in conjunction.
Playback Session: a session where a user plays back a recorded online collaboration session.
Progress Bar: an indicator in media players that indicates how much of the video has been played.
Recorded Activity Timeline: an activity timeline, which may be recreated by chronologically ordering the activity metadata, that represents the activity timeline as presented during a recorded online collaboration session.
Recorded Session Video File: a video file, created by chronologically ordering stored data stream files, that represents the streaming data as presented during a recorded online collaboration session.
Remote Device Control: function that allows a user to connect to a device in another location, see that device's screen and interact with it as if it were local.
Screen Sharing: function that allows people from a variety of locations view another computer screen in real-time.
Scrollbar: is an interaction technique in which continuous text or any other content can be scrolled in a predetermined direction (up, down, left, or right) on a computer display so that all of the content can be viewed, even if only a fraction of the content can be seen on a device's screen at one time.
Streaming Data: streaming data of one participant user that is shared with other participating users in an online collaboration session. Streaming data may be of different types, such as audio, video, computer file, screen sharing, remote device control and whiteboarding data.
Streaming Metadata: data that describes the different user streaming data shared in an online collaboration session.
Timeline Control Icon: an icon that, when selected, effects the presentation of a recorded activity timeline. For example, Back-To-Current Icon is displayed when the activity timeline is scrolled past the Current Playback Time. Selecting that icon navigates the timeline back to the Current Playback Time.
Timestamp: a record of the time a certain event occurred, or a certain collaborative user action occurred.
Video encoding: function that converts digital video files from one format to another format.
Whiteboarding: the placement of shared, virtual whiteboards in an online collaboration session whereby users may annotate shared files, type text, draw figures and insert images in real time with other users in the session.
Technology is disclosed for an online collaboration service that provides for online collaboration sessions, and the recording and playback of those online sessions (the “technology”). Several embodiments of the technology are described in more detail in reference to the figures. Turning to
In various embodiments, online collaboration service 120 provides for the participation in, and the recording and playback of, online collaboration sessions for a set of users, such as users 101, 102 and 103. The collaboration session service 121 allows users to start, join or invite others to join online collaboration sessions, which are joint session of users where collaborative actions of each participating user as seen on the screen of a device of a presenter (e.g., generating audio/video streaming data, sharing files or annotating shared documents) are mirrored on the screens of the devices of the other participating users in real-time. The session record service 122 allows users to record an online collaboration session, including streaming data and metadata that describes the streaming data and collaborative user actions. The session playback service 123 allows users to playback the recorded online collaboration sessions, consistent with various embodiments. Further details regarding participating in, and the recording and playing back of, online collaboration sessions are described with reference to at least
Online collaboration service 120 may be implemented in a variety of configurations. One typical configuration may include an online configuration in which online collaboration service 120 is implemented in a distributed network, for example, LAN, WAN or Internet. Users access online collaboration service 120 over a communication network such as network 110. In various embodiments, online collaboration service 120 may also be implemented in a client-server configuration in which an application corresponding to the client portion may be installed on the device of the user. Users may access online collaboration service 120 using a web browser or an online collaboration service application installed on the device of the user.
Turning now to
Collaboration session service 220, consistent with various embodiments, establishes an online collaboration session, such as collaboration session 210, between a plurality of users, such as users 201, 202 and 203. Users may start or join online collaboration sessions. Online streaming service 221 allows users to share streaming data, consistent with various embodiments. For example, users may stream audio from telephonic devices, video from video-enabled devices, computer file data, whiteboarding data, screen data and remote device control data, all in real-time.
Online streaming service 221 provides for the receipt and distribution of the various streaming data, consistent with various environments. For example, one user may be the first presenter in a collaboration session, such as from the start of the session (e.g., at 00:00:00) to past nine minutes (e.g., at 09:17:05) into the session. This first presenter's video stream may be received, selected, placed in the shared session and distributed to the participating users. A second presenter may share her device's screen while demonstrating an application or app from, e.g., 09:17:06 to 21:54:33 in session time. This second presenter's screen data stream may be received, selected, placed in the shared session and distributed to the participating users. In this way, users participate in online collaboration sessions by presenting and receiving streaming data.
User action service 222, allows users, such as users 201, 202 and 203, in an online collaboration session, such as collaboration session 210, to perform a variety of collaborative actions. For example, consistent with various embodiments, users may do one or more of the following collaborative actions: start or end a session; join or leave a session; invite another user to join a session; post a message in a session, start or end sharing their device's screen within a session, start or end sharing a file on their device within a session; start, end, or participate in, whiteboarding within a session; start, end, or give access to, remote device control within a session; and start or end recording a session.
User action service 222 creates activity metadata describing collaborative actions taken by users. For example, consistent with various embodiments, activity metadata associated with collaborative actions may include user information, such as name, user id, email address and phone number; device information, such as hardware type and platform (e.g., smart phone operating system, Internet browser or desktop operating system); timestamps, such as for when a collaborative user action was taken, started and/or ended; and computer file information, such as filenames, sizes and types. In some embodiments, metadata, such as activity metadata, may be stored in JSON (JavaScript Object Notation) files.
Activity timeline service 223 presents, in real-time, activity metadata in an activity timeline that describes collaborative user actions taken by users, such as users 201, 202 and 203, in an online collaboration session, such as collaboration session 210, consistent with various embodiments. In some embodiments, activity timelines may be presented in a vertical sidebar alongside the streaming data of collaboration sessions. At the time a user takes a collaborative action, the associated, new activity metadata would be concatenated below the activity metadata associated with the previous collaborative user action. In that way, older activity metadata scrolls up, and eventually off, the vertical sidebar. For example, a presenting user's video stream might be displayed in an online collaboration session. While the presenter is speaking, a user joins the session a few seconds after another user posted a message. As a result, in the activity timeline sidebar alongside the presenter's video stream, the activity metadata “Mina Smith joined the meeting—2:37 pm” is concatenated below the activity metadata “Peter Nemo—2:37 pm—OK”.
Turning back to
The streaming metadata, included in data 230, describes the collaboration session's different data streams. For example, consistent with various embodiments, streaming metadata associated with an audio stream may include user name, audio format, presentation start time, presentation end time and source filename. Metadata associated with a video stream may include user name, video format, presentation start time, presentation end time and source filename. As discussed above, activity metadata describes the collaborative actions taken by users. In some embodiments, metadata, such as streaming and activity metadata, may be stored in JSON (JavaScript Object Notation) files.
Streaming data service 241 creates (when recording starts), saves to, and stores the final versions of (when recording ends), the files for a collaboration session's different data streams, consistent with various embodiments. Streaming data service 241 creates (when recording starts), saves to, and stores the final versions of (when recording ends), the file for a collaboration session's streaming metadata. Activity metadata service 242 creates (when recording starts), saves to, and stores the final versions of (when recording ends), the file for a collaboration session's activity metadata.
Session record service 240, when recording ends, creates a recorded session video file that represents the streaming data as presented during the recorded online collaboration session, consistent with various embodiments. Session record service 240 processes the session's streaming data files, using the streaming metadata to chronologically order them in the recorded session video file. In some embodiments, video encoding is used to convert the different streaming data to the same standard format, such as an MPEG (Moving Picture Experts Group) format. For example, consistent with various embodiments, a first presenter's video data stream might be stored in a video stream file and its associated metadata might show a presentation start time of 00:00:00 and a presentation end time of 09:17:05. A second presenter's screen data stream might be stored in a screen data stream file and its associated metadata might show a presentation start time of 09:17:06 and a presentation end time of 21:54:33. Session record service 240 would place the video stream file first in the recorded session video file, followed by the screen data stream file. In this way, the recorded session video file contains the session's data streams in the chronological order that they were presented to users.
Turning back to
Playback timeline service 252, recreates the recorded activity timeline associated with a recorded online collaboration session, such as collaboration session 210, consistent with various environments. Playback timeline service 252 processes the stored activity metadata file, using the metadata associated with the recorded session to chronologically order the activities in a recorded activity timeline, as those activities were displayed during the session. For example, the activity metadata may show that a user (Peter Nemo) took an action (post message) with text (‘OK’) at a particular time (15:37:03). The metadata may also show that, a few seconds later, a user (Mina Smith) took an action (join session) at a particular time (15:37:42). Playback timeline service 252 would place in the recorded activity timeline the activity metadata “Mina Smith joined the meeting—2:37 pm” below the activity metadata “Peter Nemo—2:37 pm—OK”. In this way, the recorded activity timeline contains the activity metadata in the chronological order that the activities were first presented to users.
Playback timeline service 252 presents the recorded activity timeline associated with a recorded online collaboration session, such as collaboration session 210, consistent with various environments. In some embodiments, recorded activity timelines may be presented in a vertical sidebar alongside the playback of the recorded session video file. Playback timeline service 252 initializes and maintains a value for the parameter, Current Timeline Time, which represents the point in time in the timeline that is currently being presented. Playback timeline service 252 synchronizes Current Timeline Time with both the activity timeline as the user scrolls (moves the timeline) forward or backward in time; and with Current Playback Time as the user plays, pauses, fast forwards, reverses or repositions the recorded session video file. Older activity metadata scrolls up, and eventually off, the vertical sidebar as Current Timeline Time, synchronized with Current Playback Time, increases. In that way, the recorded activity timeline is presented in playback as the original, activity timeline was presented in real-time.
Playback timeline service 252, creates and displays an activity bar associated with a recorded online collaboration session, such as collaboration session 210, consistent with various environments. Playback timeline service 252 processes the stored activity metadata file, using the metadata associated with the recorded session to determine the level of activity that occurred chronologically over the session's time period. In some embodiments, the activity bar may mirror the media player's progress bar. For example, if collaborative user actions occurred from 00:01:00 to 00:14:33, that portion of the activity bar may be displayed as orange. If no collaborative user actions occurred from 00:27:49 to 00:51:06, that portion of the activity bar may be displayed as black.
Navigation service 253 allows users, such as users 201, 202 and 203, to navigate the playback of a recorded session video file. Users may take navigational actions that result in a change to the value for Current Playback Time, which would result in a change in the point in time being played in the video. Users may take one or more of the following navigational actions: select a media control icon, such as a play, pause, forward, fast forward, back or stop button; select a position on a progress bar; select a position on an activity bar; or select a position on a recorded activity timeline associated with a collaborative user action. Selecting a media control icon may change the value of Current Playback Time. Selecting a position on the progress bar may change the value of Current Playback Time to be equal to the selected time on the progress bar. Selecting a position on the activity bar may change the value of Current Playback Time to be equal to the selected time on the activity bar. Selecting a position associated with an activity on the recorded activity timeline may change the value of Current Playback Time to be equal to the activity's timestamp. Changing the value of Current Playback Time may change the value of Current Timeline Time. In that way, the recorded activity timeline is presented in synchronicity with Current Playback Time.
Navigation service 253 allows users, such as users 201, 202 and 203, to navigate the presentation of the recorded activity timeline. Users may take navigational actions that result in a change to the value for Current Timeline Time, which would result in a change to the point in time being presented in the recorded activity timeline. Users may take one or more of the following navigational actions: move the position of a scrollbar; or select a timeline control icon, such as back-to-current icon. Moving the position of the scrollbar may increase or decrease Current Timeline Time, which would cause activity metadata to scroll up or down (and on or off) the displayed timeline. When the activity timeline is scrolled past the Current Playback Time, a back-to-current icon is displayed. Selecting the back-to-current icon changes the value of Current Timeline Time to be equal to Current Playback Time. In that way, the recorded activity timeline is presented in response to navigational user actions.
Collaboration session service, such as collaboration session service 220, session record service, such as session record service 240, and session playback service, such as session playback service 250, may be accessed using a variety of devices, including a desktop computer, a laptop computer, a smartphone, or a tablet PC. They may also be accessed using a web browser installed on user devices. Further, the online collaboration service environment 200 is platform agnostic, that is, users may join, record or playback online collaboration sessions, such as online collaboration session 210, from devices running on operating systems, such as Microsoft Corporation's Windows, Apple Inc.'s macOS® and iOS®, Google Inc.'s Chrome OS™ operating systems, and various implementations of the Android OS operating system.
Turning now to
Screen shot 320 shows a recorded online collaboration session being played back, consistent with various embodiments. A user is playing the recorded session video file 323 in a media player 321. Current Playback Time is indicated by a point 332 on the progress bar 331 and a marker 326 on the recorded activity timeline 322. The user may navigate playback by selecting a media control icon 330, selecting a position on the progress bar 332, selecting a position on the activity bar 333, or selecting one of the presented activities 325, 327 in the recorded activity timeline 322. Activities 325 presented above the marker 326 occurred before Current Playback Time. Activities 325 presented below the marker 326 occurred after Current Playback Time, consistent with various environments. The user may navigate presentation of the recorded activity timeline 322 by moving the position of the scrollbar 324.
Turning now to
Turning now to
In various embodiments, system 500 is implemented to perform functions such as the functions of environment 100. In various embodiments, online collaboration service 510 may be similar to the online collaboration service 120 of
Online collaboration service 510 includes collaboration session module 520, session record module 540 and session playback module 550. In various embodiments, collaboration session module 520 may be similar to collaboration session service 121 of
In various embodiments, session record module 540 may be similar to session record service 122 of
In various embodiments, session playback module 550 may be similar to session playback service 123 of
Turning now to
In some embodiments, process 600 may be executed in a system such as system 500 of
Turning now to
In some embodiments, process 700 may be executed in a system such as system 500 of
Turning now to
In some embodiments, process 800 may be executed in a system such as system 500 of
At block 805, playback streaming module 551 plays the recorded session video file beginning at Current Playback Time and synchronizes Current Playback Time with the video time as the video is being played. Further steps, related to determining whether playback navigation occurred, are illustrated in
At block 807, playback timeline module 552 presents the recorded activity timeline beginning at Current Timeline Time and synchronizes Current Timeline Time with Current Playback Time as the recorded session video file is being played. Further steps, related to determining whether timeline navigation occurred, are illustrated in
Turning now to
In some embodiments, process 810 may be executed in a system such as system 500 of
If not, at block 814, navigation module 553 determines whether a user took the navigational action of selecting a position on the recorded activity timeline associated with a collaborative user action. If so, at block 815, navigation module 553 determines a new value for Current Playback Time. Further steps, related to playing video, are illustrated in
At block 816, navigation module 553 determines whether timeline navigation occurred. That it is to say, whether a user took a navigational action with respect to presenting the recorded activity timeline, such as moving a scrollbar. If so, at block 817, navigation module 553 determines a new value for Current Timeline Time. Further steps, related to presenting the timeline, are illustrated in
Turning now to
The memory 910 and storage devices 920 are computer-readable storage media that may store instructions that implement at least portions of the described technology. In addition, the data structures and message structures may be stored or transmitted via a data transmission medium, such as a signal on a communications link. Various communications links may be used, such as the Internet, a local area network, a wide area network, or a point-to-point dial-up connection. Thus, computer-readable media may include computer-readable media (e.g., “non-transitory” media) and computer-readable transmission media. The instructions stored in memory 910 may be implemented as software and/or firmware to program the processor(s) 905 to carry out actions described above. In some embodiments, such software or firmware may be initially provided to the processing system 900 by downloading it from a remote system through the computing system 900 (e.g., via network adapter 930).
The technology introduced herein may be implemented by, for example, programmable circuitry (e.g., one or more microprocessors) programmed with software and/or firmware, or entirely in special-purpose hardwired (non-program-mable) circuitry, or in a combination of such forms. Special-purpose hardwired circuitry may be in the form of, for example, one or more ASICs, PLDs, FPGAs, etc.
The above description and drawings are illustrative and are not to be construed as limiting. Numerous specific details are described to provide a thorough understanding of the disclosure. However, in certain instances, well-known details are not described in order to avoid obscuring the description. Further, various modifications may be made without deviating from the scope of the invention. Accordingly, the invention is not limited except as by the appended claims.
Reference in this specification to “one embodiment” or “an embodiment” means that a particular feature, structure, or characteristic described in connection with the embodiment is included in at least one embodiment of the disclosure. The appearances of the phrase “in one embodiment” in various places in the specification are not necessarily all referring to the same embodiment, nor are separate or alternative embodiments mutually exclusive of other embodiments. Moreover, various features are described which may be exhibited by some embodiments and not by others. Similarly, various requirements are described which may be requirements for some embodiments but not for other embodiments.
The terms used in this specification generally have their ordinary meanings in the art, within the context of the disclosure, and in the specific context where each term is used. Certain terms that are used to describe the disclosure in this specification are used to provide additional guidance to the practitioner regarding the description of the disclosure. For convenience, certain terms may be highlighted, for example using italics and/or quotation marks. The use of highlighting has no influence on the scope and meaning of a term; the scope and meaning of a term is the same, in the same context, whether or not it is highlighted. It will be appreciated that the same thing may be said in more than one way. One will recognize that “memory” is one form of a “storage” and that the terms may on occasion be used interchangeably.
Consequently, alternative language and synonyms may be used for any one or more of the terms discussed herein, nor is any special significance to be placed upon whether or not a term is elaborated or discussed herein. Synonyms for certain terms are provided. A recital of one or more synonyms does not exclude the use of other synonyms. The use of examples anywhere in this specification including examples of any term discussed herein is illustrative only, and is not intended to further limit the scope and meaning of the disclosure or of any exemplified term. Likewise, the disclosure is not limited to various embodiments given in this specification.
Those skilled in the art will appreciate that the logic illustrated in each of the flow diagrams discussed above, may be altered in various ways. For example, the order of the logic may be rearranged, sub-steps may be performed in parallel, illustrated logic may be omitted, other logic may be included, etc.
Without intent to further limit the scope of the disclosure, examples of instruments, apparatus, methods and their related results according to the embodiments of the present disclosure are given above. Note that titles or subtitles may be used in the examples for convenience of a reader, which in no way should limit the scope of the disclosure. Unless otherwise defined, all technical and scientific terms used herein have the same meaning as commonly understood by one of ordinary skill in the art to which this disclosure pertains. In the case of conflict, the present document, including definitions will control.
Furthermore, in the specification, figures and claims, reference is made to particular features (including method steps) of the invention. It is to be understood that the disclosure of the invention includes all possible combinations of such particular features. For example, where a particular feature is disclosed in the context of a particular aspect or embodiment of the invention, or a particular claim, that feature may also be used, to the extent possible, in combination with and/or in the context of other particular aspects and embodiments of the invention.
Certain terminology and derivations thereof may be used in the following description for convenience in reference only, and will not be limiting. For example, words such as “upward,” “downward,” “left,” and “right” would refer to directions in the drawings to which reference is made unless otherwise stated. Similarly, words such as “inward” and “outward” would refer to directions toward and away from, respectively, the geometric center of a device or area and designated parts thereof. References in the singular tense include the plural, and vice versa, unless otherwise noted.
The term “comprises” and grammatical equivalents thereof are used herein to mean that other components, ingredients, steps, among others, are optionally present. For example, an article “comprising” (or “which comprises”) components A, B and C may consist of (i.e., contain only) components A, B and C, or may contain not only components A, B, and C but also contain one or more other components.
Where reference is made herein to a method comprising two or more defined steps, the defined steps may be carried out in any order or simultaneously (except where the context excludes that possibility), and the method may include one or more other steps which are carried out before any of the defined steps, between two of the defined steps, or after all the defined steps (except where the context excludes that possibility).
The term “at least” followed by a number is used herein to denote the start of a range beginning with that number (which may be a range having an upper limit or no upper limit, depending on the variable being defined). For example, “at least 1” means 1 or more than 1. The term “at most” followed by a number (which may be a range having 1 or 0 as its lower limit, or a range having no lower limit, depending upon the variable being defined). For example, “at most 4” means 4 or less than 4, and “at most 40%” means 40% or less than 40%. When, in this specification, a range is given as “(a first number) to (a second number)” or “(a first number)—(a second number),” this means a range whose limit is the second number. For example, 25 to 100 mm means a range whose lower limit is 25 mm and upper limit is 100 mm.
Aspects of the disclosed invention may be embodied as a system, method or process, or computer program product. Accordingly, aspects of the disclosed invention may take the form of an entirely hardware embodiment, an entirely software embodiment (including firmware, resident software, micro-code, etc.) or an embodiment combining software and hardware aspects that may all generally be referred to herein as a “circuit,” “module,” “program,” “device,” or “system.” Furthermore, aspects of the disclosed invention may take the form of a computer program product embodied in one or more computer readable media having computer readable program code embodied thereon.
Any element in a claim that does not explicitly state “means for” performing a specified function, or “step for” performing a specific function is not to be interpreted as a “means” or “step” clause as specified in 35. U.S.C. §112 ¶ 6. Specifically, the use of “step of” in the claims herein is not intended to invoke the provisions of U.S.C. § 112 ¶ 6.
