`
`
`EXHIBIT 1010
`EXHIBIT 1010
`
`
`
`

`

`(19) United States
`(12) Patent Application Publication (10) Pub. No.: US 2016/0280526 A1
`O'Laughlin
`(43) Pub. Date:
`Sep. 29, 2016
`
`US 20160280526A1
`
`(54) VENDING MACHINE
`(71) Applicant: Jayme Patrick O'Laughlin, Weston,
`MA (US)
`(72) Inventor: ty'sErick O'Laughlin, Weston,
`
`(21) Appl. No.: 14/789,734
`(22) Filed:
`Jul. 1, 2015
`Related U.S. Application Data
`(60) Provisional application No. 62/137,088, filed on Mar.
`23, 2015
`s
`
`Publication Classification
`
`(51) Int. Cl.
`B67D I/00
`B67D L/12
`
`(2006.01)
`(2006.01)
`
`(52) U.S. Cl.
`CPC ............ B67D I/0007 (2013.01); B67D 1/1295
`(2013.01)
`
`(57)
`
`ABSTRACT
`
`A method and apparatus for vending nutritional beverage
`materials. A vending machine includes a housing having a
`vending area arranged to receive a container, a liquid Supply
`arranged to provide a liquid from a liquid Source to the con
`tainer, a nutritional Supplement Supply arranged to provide
`the powdered nutritional Supplement to the container, and a
`controller operatively coupled to the liquid Supply and the
`nutritional Supplement Supply to control dispensing of the
`liquid and the nutritional Supplement into the container.
`When the liquid and nutritional supplement are dispensed
`into the container, at least a portion of the nutritional Supple
`ment rests unmixed and on top of the liquid.
`
`
`
`160
`
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`18
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`3.22b
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`120
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`3.28
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`Patent Application Publication
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`Patent Application Publication
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`Patent Application Publication
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`Sep. 29, 2016 Sheet 9 of 10
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`Patent Application Publication
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`Sep. 29, 2016 Sheet 10 of 10
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`US 2016/0280526 A1
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`US 2016/0280526 A1
`
`Sep. 29, 2016
`
`VENDING MACHINE
`
`CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED
`APPLICATIONS
`0001. This Application claims priority under 35 U.S.C.
`S119(e) to U.S. Provisional Application Ser. No. 62/137,088,
`entitled “GG SINGLE-USE PROTEIN SHAKERS VEND
`ING MACHINE filed on Mar. 23, 2015, which is herein
`incorporated by reference in its entirety.
`
`FIELD
`0002 The disclosed embodiments are generally directed
`to vending machines, and more particularly to vending
`machines that dispense nutritional Supplements.
`
`BACKGROUND
`0003 Vending machines have become available to dis
`pense nutritional Supplements (e.g., protein Supplements) to
`individuals, and typically in the form of a ready-to-drink
`beverage. For example, some vending machines dispense a
`liquid that has been mixed prior to being loaded into the
`machines, while other vending machines mix a liquid or
`powdered protein Supplement and water inside the machine
`and then dispense the mixed beverage to the consumer.
`
`SUMMARY
`0004. According to one embodiment, a vending machine
`is disclosed. The vending machine includes a housing having
`a vending area arranged to receive a container, a liquid Supply
`arranged to provide a liquid from a liquid Source to the con
`tainer, a nutritional Supplement Supply arranged to provide a
`powdered nutritional Supplement to the container, and a con
`troller operatively coupled to the liquid supply and the nutri
`tional Supplement Supply to control dispensing of the liquid
`and the nutritional Supplement into the container. The con
`troller is configured to dispense the liquid and nutritional
`Supplement into the container so that, when dispensation
`completes, at least a portion of the nutritional Supplement
`rests unmixed with, and on top of the liquid.
`0005 According to another embodiment, a method of
`vending nutritional beverage ingredients to a container in a
`vending area of a vending machine is disclosed. The method
`includes Supplying a liquid from a liquid source to the con
`tainer via a liquid Supply, Supplying the nutritional Supple
`ment to the container via a nutritional Supplement Supply, at
`least a portion of nutritional Supplement resting unmixed and
`on top of the liquid, and dispensing the container with the
`nutritional beverage ingredients to a user of the vending
`machine.
`0006. It should be appreciated that the foregoing concepts,
`and additional concepts discussed below, may be arranged in
`any Suitable combination, as the present disclosure is not
`limited in this respect.
`0007. The foregoing and other aspects, embodiments, and
`features of the present teachings can be more fully understood
`from the following description in conjunction with the
`accompanying drawings.
`
`BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS
`0008. The accompanying drawings are not intended to be
`drawn to Scale. In the drawings, each identical or nearly
`identical component that is illustrated in various figures is
`
`represented by a like numeral. For purposes of clarity, not
`every component may be labeled in every drawing. In the
`drawings:
`0009 FIG. 1 is a front view of a vending machine accord
`ing to one aspect;
`0010 FIG. 2 is an interior view of the vending machine of
`FIG. 1:
`FIG. 3 is an enlarged view of a portion of a nutri
`0011
`tional Supplement Supply, according to one embodiment;
`0012 FIG. 4 is an enlarged view of a container dispenser,
`according to one embodiment;
`0013 FIG. 5 is an enlarged view of a liquid supply, accord
`ing to one embodiment;
`0014 FIG. 6 is a perspective view of container with a
`protein powder dispensed on top water;
`(0015 FIG. 7 is a perspective view of a container with
`protein powder dispensed on top of water, with a lid attached
`thereto;
`0016 FIG. 8 is a perspective view of an empty container
`with an attached lid, according to one aspect;
`0017 FIG. 9 is an example of a computing system; and
`0018 FIG. 10 is a flow chart of an illustrative vending
`sequence in accordance with one aspect.
`
`DETAILED DESCRIPTION
`0019. Nutritional supplements, such as protein powders,
`are conventionally consumed by individuals who exercise,
`Such as individuals who consume protein Supplements to help
`with muscle recovery and development after workouts. Tra
`ditionally, protein Supplements are consumed in the form of a
`protein shake, which is hand-made by the individual by mix
`ing the protein Supplements (usually in powdered form) with
`water. Often, these individuals seek to consume the protein
`shake shortly after working out (e.g., within about a half an
`hour of working out), as the benefits of protein Supplements
`are greatest if they are consumed shortly after completing a
`workout. These individuals also seek to prepare a fresh pro
`tein shake during this post-workout time since the shake may
`spoil and/or lose taste if it is prepared before and stored during
`the workout. Preparing a fresh protein shake at the gym (e.g.,
`by mixing the water and protein powder in front of others) is
`also a symbol to others that the individual is an avid exerciser.
`0020 AS can be appreciated, hand-mixing a protein shake
`for consumption shortly after a workout means that the indi
`vidual must either transport the protein powder and a bottle
`suitable for mixing the protein shake with him/her to the
`workout location (e.g., to a gym), or must rush home after
`his/her workout is over to make and consume the protein
`shake within the relatively brief post-workout time window.
`This is not only inconvenient, it is time consuming. As a
`result, vending machines have recently become available to
`vend single-serve, ready-to-drink protein shakes. These
`vending machines dispense protein shakes which are either
`mixed prior to being loaded into the machine (e.g., they
`dispense individually sealed bottles of the pre-mixed shake or
`they dispense a single serving of the pre-mixed shake into a
`disposable cup) or mixed within the machine itself (e.g., by
`internal components designed to mix a liquid or powder pro
`tein Supplement and water, and then dispensed the mixed
`protein shake).
`0021. The Assignee has appreciated that protein shakes
`that are mixed prior to being loaded into the vending machine
`are typically laden with preservatives and/or otheringredients
`with little to no nutritional benefits, such as flavorings and
`
`

`

`US 2016/0280526 A1
`
`Sep. 29, 2016
`
`fillers, to help keep them from spoiling while being stored in
`the vending machine and/or to enhance the taste of the shake.
`The Assignee also has appreciated that many fitness-con
`scious individuals who take Supplements after working out
`may not wish to consume Such preservatives or unnecessary
`ingredients. Moreover, these additives may delay the absorp
`tion of protein by the body since they may be digested first and
`thus delay and/or hinder muscle development and/or recov
`ery. The Assignee has further appreciated that while vending
`machines with internal mixing components may be capable
`of dispensing protein shakes which are devoid of Such pre
`servatives and other ingredients, the mixing components
`(e.g., conduits, valves, mixing chambers, etc.) are very diffi
`cult to keep clean and rid of harmful bacteria (which could be
`introduced into a shake dispensed to a customer), due to the
`physical composition of a protein shake. Equipment used to
`mix protein shakes also may develop a foul Smell, which may
`be unappealing to consumers.
`0022. The Assignee has further appreciated that protein
`shakes that are hand-made or that are dispensed by the vend
`ing machine (e.g., either mixed prior to being loaded into the
`machine or mixed by the machine itself) typically contain
`more than a single serving of protein (e.g., more than can be
`absorbed by the body). For example, an individual making
`his/her own shake may incorrectly believe that consuming
`extra protein will help develop muscles and/or recover faster.
`As another example, pre-made shakes (e.g., shakes that are
`mixed prior to loading in the machine) are often advertised as
`being a meal-replacement, and thus typically contains more
`than a single-serving of protein. In these instances, the extra
`protein ingested by the consumeris removed from the body as
`waste, and this may be taxing on an individuals kidneys.
`0023. In contrast to these conventional approaches, some
`embodiments of the present invention provide a vending
`machine configured to dispense a single serving of beverage
`ingredients (e.g., protein powder and water) in a manner
`which consumers may readily appreciate as being fresh,
`wholesome and nutritionally beneficial ingredients that are
`ready to be mixed with the water and consumed. For example,
`in Some embodiments, a vending machine is equipped to
`dispense protein powder and water into a single-serve con
`tainer so that the protein powder rests at least partially on top
`of the water, so that it can be visually inspected and tasted by
`the consumer prior to mixing with the water to produce a fresh
`protein shake for consumption.
`0024. According to one aspect, the vending machine may
`have a liquid Supply for Supplying water to the container, a
`nutritional Supplement Supply for Supplying protein powder
`to the container, and a controller operatively coupled to the
`liquid Supply and the nutritional Supplement Supply for con
`trolling the dispensation of water and protein powder Such
`that the protein powder rests at least partially on top of and at
`least partially unmixed from the water (see, e.g., FIG. 6). As
`will be appreciated, in these embodiments, the protein pow
`der and the water are not mixed internally by the machine
`(e.g., there are no mixing chambers within the machine).
`Instead, the protein powder and water are kept separate inside
`the vending machine and only contact one another when they
`water and protein powder are dispensed into the container.
`0025. In some embodiments, the vending machine dis
`penses a single-serving of protein. In some embodiments, the
`vending machine is arranged to dispense the beverage ingre
`dients into a disposable container which may be provided by
`the consumer or dispensed by the vending machine. In some
`
`embodiments, the disposable container is sized to accommo
`date a single-serving of protein to the consumer (e.g., the
`disposable container may hold enough water to mix with the
`single serving of protein to produce a protein shake when
`mixed).
`0026 Turning now to the figures, FIG. 1 shows a vending
`machine 100 according to one aspect. As is shown, the vend
`ing machine 100 includes a housing 102 with a vending area
`104 for receiving a container 108, such as a cup 808 shown in
`FIG. 8, into which a liquid, such as water, and nutritional
`Supplement, Such as protein powder, may be dispensed. In
`Some embodiments, the vending area 104 includes an cham
`ber in a front 106 of the housing 102. The vending area 104
`may include a cover, such as a window 105, that protects the
`container in the machine during dispensation of the water and
`protein powder, yet allows the user to continue to view the
`container while he/she waits. The window may be hingedly
`attached to the housing in some embodiments, although other
`Suitable attachment mechanisms may be used (e.g., a sliding
`attachment between the window and housing). As will be
`appreciated, the window may be opened to insert and/or
`remove the container 108 from the machine 100. The vending
`area also may have other Suitable covers for protecting the
`container in the machine while the liquid and nutritional
`Supplement are being dispensed.
`0027. As shown in FIG. 1, the vending machine also may
`include one or more vending buttons 110a, 110b that corre
`spond to different types of nutritional Supplements that may
`be dispensed from the machine 100. For example, the vending
`buttons 110a, 110b may corresponds to a chocolate flavored
`protein powder and a vanilla flavored protein powder, respec
`tively. As will be appreciated, although the vending machine
`is shown with two vending buttons, the machine may have
`more or less buttons in other embodiments. For example, the
`vending machine may have only one vending button in some
`embodiments, while in other embodiments, the vending
`machine may have three or more vending buttons. Each vend
`ing button may be associated with any suitable type of nutri
`tional Supplement.
`0028. The vending machine 100 also may include a lid
`dispenser 112 for holding one or more lids 114, which a user
`may take from the lid dispenser 112 and affix to a top of the
`container (e.g., prior to shaking the container 108 to mix the
`water and protein powder). In some embodiments, the lid
`dispenser includes a chamber in the front 106 of the housing
`into which the lids 114 are inserted. In other embodiments,
`the lid dispenser 112 includes an enclosure that is attached to
`the front of the housing for storing the lids 114. In such
`embodiments, the lid dispenser 112 may be permanently
`attached to the housing, although it also may be removably
`attachable to the housing.
`0029. In some embodiments, the vending machine
`includes a payment terminal 116, which a user may use to pay
`for a beverage. As will be appreciated, the payment terminal
`116 may allow a user to pay with cash, coins, or with a credit
`card. As will further be appreciated, in embodiments in which
`a user may pay with a credit card, the machine 100 may have
`a wireless or wired connection for transmitting credit card
`information to a remote server (not shown).
`0030 FIG. 2 shows an interior view of the vending
`machine 100. As is shown, the vending machine 100 includes
`one or more nutritional supplement canisters 118a, 118b, into
`which fresh protein powder may be stored for dispensing into
`the container 108. As will be appreciated, the number of
`
`

`

`US 2016/0280526 A1
`
`Sep. 29, 2016
`
`nutritional supplement canisters 118a, 118b may correspond
`to the number of vending buttons 110a, 110b on the front of
`the vending machine 100.
`0031. In some embodiments, the canisters 118, 118b are
`auger buckets, although any other Suitable canister(s) may be
`used. As shown in FIG. 2 and FIG. 3, an enlarged view of a
`portion of the nutritional supplement supply 115, the vending
`machine also includes a nutritional Supplement weighing bin
`120a, 120b, a weighing balance counterweight 124a, 124b,
`and a weighing balance motor arm 126a, 12.6b for measuring
`and dispensing a single serving of the protein powder. In some
`embodiments, the single serving of the protein powder is
`between about between about 20 grams and 35 grams of
`protein powder, or between about 30 grams and 35 grams of
`protein powder, or about 33 grams of protein powder. In Such
`embodiments, the weight of the single serving of protein
`powder corresponds to a single serving of protein, which, in
`some embodiments is about 25 grams of protein. As will be
`appreciated, the weight of the single serving of protein pow
`der (e.g., the weight that corresponds to the single serving of
`protein) may vary depending on the density of the protein
`powder and the serving size of protein. In FIG. 2, where there
`are two weighing bins 120a, 120b, a first weighing bin 120a
`is shown in a closed position, in which the weighing bin is
`ready to measure protein powder, and a second weighing bin
`120b shown in a released position, after the protein powder
`has been dispensed.
`0032. In some embodiments, the single serving of protein
`is about 25 grams of protein.
`0033. In some embodiments, the protein powder in one of
`the canister 118a, 118b is fed to its corresponding weighing
`bin 120a, 120b, respectively, via a respective outlet 122a,
`122b. Once the protein powder in the weighing bin 120a,
`120b reaches a weight corresponding to the desired serving
`size (e.g., equal to the weighing counterbalance), the auger
`stops and the weighing balance motor arm 126a, 126b
`releases the weighing bin 120a, 120b, thus allowing the
`weighing bin 120a, 120b to pivot and pour the protein powder
`into its respective chute 128a, 128b.
`0034. As will be appreciated, in other embodiments,
`instead of dispensing the protein powder into the chute after a
`target weight has been met, the protein powder also may be
`delivered after a target period of time has elapsed. That is, the
`auger may stop and the balance motor arm may release the
`weighing bin to pour the protein powder into the chute after a
`period of time needed to Supply the desired serving size of
`protein powder has elapsed.
`0035. As shown in FIG. 2, the protein powder travels from
`the chute 128a, 128b into the container 108 in the vending
`area. Although the chutes are shown with a pitch of about 40°
`(see the angle labeled 0 in FIG. 2), the chutes may have any
`other suitable pitch(es). For example, one or more of the
`chutes may have a pitch between about 35° and 45°. In some
`embodiments, the chutes are made of or coated with an alu
`minum material, which may facilitate passing of the protein
`into the container. The chutes also may be made of our coated
`with a lubricated coated composite material. Such as an ultra
`high molecular weight (“UHMW) plastic sheet.
`0036. In some embodiments, the machine 100 includes a
`container dispenser 130, which, in some embodiments, is
`located inside the housing 102. As will be appreciated, the
`container dispenser 130 may dispense a container 108 to the
`vending area 104. In one example, as shown in FIG. 4, the
`container dispenser 130 includes a turret 109 onto which one
`
`or more containers 108 may be stacked. During use of the
`vending machine, the turret 109 is rotated about a vertical axis
`A (see the arrow labeled R) until the container reaches an
`opening 111 through which the container is dropped (see the
`arrow labeled D). As is shown, the container is dropped into a
`chamber 131 which, in some embodiments, includes a three
`sided metal frame with hinged doors 132 in the front. As will
`be appreciated, the chamber may be sized to fit the container
`(e.g., having a length and width that correspond to the diam
`eter of a rim of the container), Such that the container does not
`fall over when dropped into the chamber. An arm 134 may
`push the chamber forward (see the arrow labeled F), and the
`hinged doors 132 may open to move moved the container into
`the vending area 104.
`0037. As will be appreciated, other suitable mechanisms
`for dispensing a cup into the vending may be used. Addition
`ally, although a mechanical container dispenser 130 is shown
`as being located inside the housing, in other embodiments,
`the container dispenser 130 may include an enclosure
`attached to the front or side of the housing for holding con
`tainers. In Such an embodiment, a user may remove a con
`tainer 108 from the chamber and insert it into the vending area
`prior to dispensing the beverage ingredients (e.g., the water
`and protein powder). In Such an embodiment, the chamber
`may be permanently attached to the front of the housing or it
`may be removably attachable.
`0038. As shown in FIG. 2 and FIG. 5, an enlarged view of
`the liquid Supply 140, liquid Such as water, juice and/or any
`other suitable liquid, is fed to the vending machine 100 and to
`a liquid conditioner 142 (e.g., a chiller) where the liquid is
`cooled prior to dispensing. In the example shown in FIG. 5,
`water is fed to the liquid conditioner 142 via a conduit 144
`that is connected to the water Supply of a building. In Such an
`embodiment, a valve, such as shut off valve 146, is turned on
`and off to supply water to the conditioner 142. The water
`Supplied to the conditioner may be passed through a filter
`before entering the conditioner 142 in some embodiments. As
`will be appreciated, although the water Supply is shown in this
`as being the buildings water Supply, in other embodiments,
`the water Supply may include a water reservoir inside the
`chiller that is fillable by the owner of the vending machine.
`0039. The liquid in the chiller is dispensed into the con
`tainer via one or more nozzles 148a, 148b. In some embodi
`ments, liquid is dispensed via the nozzles at custom angles to
`allow the powder to rest on top of and at least partially
`unmixed from the water. In some embodiments, the nozzles
`148a, 148b are positioned at an angle (labeled 0 in FIG. 5) of
`about 70 degrees, although other suitable angles may be used.
`In some embodiments, the nozzles 148a, 148b are angled
`towards one another Such that the streams of liquid (e.g.,
`water) exiting the nozzles 148a, 149b hit one another when
`entering the container. As shown, the nozzles may be posi
`tioned such that water enters at opposite sides of the con
`tainer.
`0040. As shown in FIG. 5, a flow meter 150 measures the
`flow of the water in the conduit 152 exiting the liquid condi
`tioner 142, and a fill valve 154 is opened and closed to dis
`pense a single serving of water to the nozzles 148a, 148b. In
`Some embodiments, the single serving of water may be
`between about 8 ounces and 12 ounces, or about 10 ounces of
`water. As is shown, the fill valve 154 may be a three-way
`valve. In some embodiments, the fill valve is also connected
`to a conduit 156 that transfers incidental waste liquid to a
`collection bucket 158.
`
`

`

`US 2016/0280526 A1
`
`Sep. 29, 2016
`
`0041. In some embodiments, a controller 160 (FIG. 2)
`controls operation of the vending machine and, in particular,
`the operation of the liquid Supply and the nutritional Supple
`ment Supply. In some embodiments, after the user Submits his
`payment and selects the type of nutritional Supplement he
`wishes to purchase, the controller activates the liquid Supply
`to dispense a single serving of water into the container (e.g.,
`from the liquid conditioner, through the conduits, and out of
`the one or more nozzles). In Such embodiments, the controller
`may then activate the nutritional Supplement Supply (e.g.,
`after activating the liquid Supply), to begin dispense the pro
`tein powder into the container after the liquid has been fully
`dispensed. In other embodiments, the nutritional Supplement
`Supply is activated after the liquid Supply to begin dispensing
`the protein powder when two-thirds of the liquid has been
`dispensed into the container. In still another embodiment, the
`nutritional Supplement Supply may be activated at the same
`time as the liquid Supply, such that the water and protein
`powder are dispensed into the container at the same time. As
`will be appreciated, when the nutritional Supplement Supply
`is activated, the protein powder is fed from the nutritional
`Supplement canister to the weighing bin, and thereafter to the
`respective chute. In each of these embodiments, after the
`protein powder and water have been dispensed, the protein
`powder rests at least partially unmixed and at least partially
`on top of the water, as is shown in FIG. 6. In some embodi
`ments, the total time for dispensing the water and protein
`powder is between about 30 and 45 second, or about 40
`seconds. In other embodiments, the total time for dispensing
`is about 25 seconds. In such embodiments, the water may be
`dispensed into the container for about 15 seconds, and the
`protein powder may be dispensed into the container for about
`10 seconds.
`0042. Although the vending machine has been shown and
`described as having a single, predetermined, serving size of
`the water and protein powder, in other embodiments, the
`vending machine may allow the user to select not only the
`type of nutritional Supplement that he wishes to consume, but
`also the serving size. That is, the vending machine may allow
`a user to buy a beverage with half of the serving size of the
`protein Supplement or more than one serving size of the
`protein Supplement.
`0043 Although embodiments have been shown and
`described with a vending machine dispensing a protein pow
`der into the container, it will be appreciated that other nutri
`tional Supplements also may be dispensed from the vending
`machine. For example, amino acids, vitamins, minerals,
`herbs, energy drinks, any combination thereof, or other Suit
`able nutritional Supplement(s) may be dispensed into the
`container.
`0044 According to another aspect, a method of vending a
`nutritional supplement is disposed. As shown in FIG. 10, in
`some embodiments, the method 1000 includes dispensing a
`liquid into the container 1002 via a liquid Supply and dispens
`ing a powdered nutritional Supplement into the container
`1004 via the nutritional supplement supply. The method may
`include dispensing a container to a vending area 1006 before
`dispensing the liquid and nutritional Supplement. In some
`embodiments, a container dispenser in the vending machine
`dispenses the container to the vending area. In other embodi
`ments, a user may place a container in the vending area. The
`method further includes dispensing the container to the user
`1008 with the powdered nutritional supplement at least par
`tially on top of and at least partially unmixed from the liquid.
`
`In some embodiments, the method further includes, by a user,
`taking a lid from a lid dispenser and affixing the lid 1010 to a
`top of the container. An example of a container with a nutri
`tional Supplement at least partially on top of and unmixed
`from the liquid and with an attached lid is illustrated in FIG.
`7. The user may then shake the container 1012 at least two or
`three times to mix the powdered nutritional Supplement into
`the liquid.
`0045. It should be appreciated from the foregoing that
`Some embodiments of the invention may employ a computing
`system. For example, in some embodiments, controller 160
`may comprise a computing system. FIG. 9 illustrates one
`example of a suitable computing system 900 which may be
`used to implement aspects of the invention. The computing
`system 900 is only one example of a suitable computing, and
`is not intended to Suggest any limitation as to the scope of use
`or functionality of the invention. Neither should the comput
`ing system 900 be interpreted as having any dependency or
`requirement relating to any one or combination of compo
`nents illustrated in FIG. 9. In this respect, the invention is
`operational with numerous other general purpose or special
`purpose computing systems or configurations. Examples of
`well-known computing systems that may be suitable for use
`with the invention include, but are not limited to, application
`specific integrated circuits, server computers, multiprocessor
`systems, microprocessor-based systems, set top boxes, pro
`grammable consumer electronics, network PCs, minicom
`puters, distributed computing environments that include any
`of the above systems or devices, and the like.
`0046. The computing system may execute computer-ex
`ecutable instructions, such as one or more program modules.
`Generally, program modules include routines, programs,
`objects, components, data structures, etc. that perform par
`ticular tasks or implement particular abstract data types. The
`invention may also be practiced in distributed computing
`environments where tasks are performed by remote process
`ing devices that are linked through a communications net
`work. In a distributed computing environment, program mod
`ules may be located in both local and remote computer
`storage media including memory storage devices.
`0047 FIG.9 depicts a general purpose computing device
`in the form of a computer 910. Components of computer 910
`may, for example, include, but are not limited to, a processing
`unit 920, a system memory 930, and a system bus 921 that
`couples various system components including the system
`memory to the processing unit 920. The system bus 92.1 may
`be any of several types of bus structures including a memory
`bus or memory controller, a peripheral bus, and a local bus
`using any of a variety of bus architectures. By way of
`example, and not limitation, such architectures include Indus
`try Standard Architecture (ISA) bus, Micro Channel Archi
`tecture (MCA) bus, Enhanced ISA (EISA) bus, Video Elec
`tronics Standards Association (VESA) local bus, and
`Peripheral Component Interconnect (PCI) bus also known as
`Mezzanine bus.
`0048 Computer 910 typically includes a variety of com
`puter readable media. Computer readable media can be any
`available media that can be accessed by computer 910 and
`includes both volatile and nonvolatile media, removable and
`non-removable media. By way of example, and not limita
`tion, computer readable media may comprise computer Stor
`age media and communication media. Computer storage
`media includes both volatile and nonvolatile, removable and
`non-removable media implemented in any method or tech
`
`

`

`US 2016/0280526 A1
`
`Sep. 29, 2016
`
`nology for storage of information Such as computer readable
`instructions, data structures, program modules or other data.
`Computer storage media include, but are not limited to,
`RAM, ROM, EEPROM, flash memory or other memory tech
`nology, CD-ROM, digital versatile disks (DVD) or other opti
`cal disk storage, magnetic cassettes, magnetic tape, magnetic
`disk storage or other magnetic storage devices, or any other
`one or more media which may be used to store the desired
`information and may be accessed by computer 910. Commu
`nication media typically embody computer readable instruc
`tions, data structures, program modules or other data