1. A document-handling method comprising:
determining whether or not a top-level document refers to a second document as a template;
if not, executing a first method specified by said top-level document to yield a final presentation; and
if so,
executing said first method specified by said top-level document to yield a first presentation, and
executing a second method specified by said second document using said first presentation as an argument for said second method.
2. A method as recited in claim 1 further comprising:
determining whether or not said second document refers to a third document as a template; and
if not, executing a second method specified by said second document to yield a final presentation; and
if so, executing said second method to yield an intermediate second presentation.
3. A method as recited in claim 1 further comprising iteratively performing the following series of steps starting with N=2 and incrementing N each iteration until one of said documents is updated:
determining whether or not an Nth document refers to an (N+1)st document as a template; and
if so, executing said Nth method to yield an intermediate Nth presentation, and returning to said determining for the next iteration; and
if not, executing an Nth method specified by said Nth document so that at least one of said documents is updated.
4. A method as recited in claim 1 further comprising iteratively performing the following series of steps starting with N=2 and incrementing N each iteration until a final presentation is obtained:
determining whether or not an Nth document refers to an (N+1)st document as a template; and
if so, executing said Nth method to yield an intermediate Nth presentation, and returning to said determining for the next iteration; and
if not, executing an Nth method specified by said Nth document to yield a final presentation.
5. A method as recited in claim 4 wherein each said intermediate Nth presentations is an argument for an (N+1)st method associated with a respective (N+1)st document.
6. A method as recited in claim 5 wherein said (N+1)st method evaluates a variable present in said Nth presentation.
7. A method as recited in claim 4 further comprising displaying said final presentation but not any intermediate presentation.
8. A method as recited in claim 6 wherein said one of said methods adds or modifies a behavioral element to a presentation input to that method as an argument.
9. A method as recited in claim 6 wherein at least one of said methods conditions an action based on whether or not a presentation serving as an argument to that method includes a specified first behavior element.
10. A method as recited in claim 9 wherein that method generates a presentation that includes a second behavioral element that must be activated before said first behavioral element is activated.
11. A system comprising non-transitory computer-readable media encoded with code, said code defining documents, presentations corresponding to said documents, and a document handler for generating said presentations from said documents, said document handler providing for executing a (N+1)st method specified by an (N+1)st document so as to generate an (N+1)st presentation, wherein said (N+1)st method accepts as an argument an Nth presentation generated by an Nth method specified by an Nth document that refers to said (N+1)st document as a template, where N is an iteration index.
12. A system as recited in claim 11 further comprising one or more processors for executing code associated with said document handler.
13. A system as recited in claim 11 wherein said document handler provides for displaying a presentation generated by a method specified by a document that does not refer to another document as a template.
14. A system as recited in claim 13 wherein said document handler provides for not displaying presentations generated by methods specified by documents that do refer to other documents as templates.
15. A system as recited in claim 13 wherein plural documents refer to the same document as a template.
16. A system as recited in claim 11 wherein one of said methods updates one of said documents.
The claims below are in addition to those above.
All refrences to claim(s) which appear below refer to the numbering after this setence.
What is claimed is:
1. A method of discriminating among similar items, the method comprising the steps of:
a. associating each of the items with a device responsive to a unique stimulus; and
b. exposing the items to a stimulus corresponding to a selected one of the items, the exposure causing the corresponding item, but not the other items, to impart an observable signal.
2. The method of claim 1 wherein each of the devices responds to a differently modulated light beam.
3. The method of claim 2 wherein the light beam is modulated by an AM frequency, each of the devices responding to modulation by a different AM frequency.
4. The method of claim 1 wherein the device comprises a processor that is maintained in a low-power shutdown mode until the unique stimulus is detected.
5. The method of claim 1 wherein the observable signal is a light signal.
6. The method of claim 1 wherein, upon exposure to the stimulus, the device emits the observable signal.
7. The method of claim 1 wherein, upon exposure to the stimulus, the device causes the observable signal to be emitted by the selected item.
8. The method of claim 1 wherein the signal is emitted by an external source and is blocked from observation by all items except, upon exposure, the selected item.
9. The method of claim 1 wherein the observable signal is a directly observable signal.
10. An identification system, the system comprising:
a transmitter for transmitting an interrogation signal comprising a transmitted identification associated with a selected tag;
a plurality of tags each containing a tag identification uniquely identifying the tag, the tag being responsive to an interrogation signal whose transmitted identification matches the tag identification; and
associated with each of the tags, a transducer, in communication with the tag identification, for imparting an observable signal upon response of the tag identification to the interrogation signal.
11. The identification system of claim 10 wherein the tag comprises a transducer for emitting a different signal if the transmitted identification does not match the tag identification.
12. The identification system of claim 10 wherein the transmitter is integrated within a wireless handheld device.
13. The identification system of claim 12 wherein the handheld device is a personal digital assistant.
14. The identification system of claim 10 wherein the observable signal is directly observable in the vicinity of the tag.
15. The identification system as claimed in claim 10 wherein the transmitted identification is incorporated in a light beam by modulation thereof.
16. The identification system of claim 10 wherein each tag responds to a differently modulated light beam.
17. The identification system of claim 15 wherein the light beam is modulated by an AM frequency, each of the tags responding to modulation by a different AM frequency.
18. The identification system of claim 10 wherein the tags are maintained in a low-power shutdown mode until the interrogation signal is detected.
19. The identification system of claim 10 wherein the observable signal is a light signal.
20. The identification system of claim 10 wherein, upon exposure to the interrogation signal, the tag emits the observable signal.
21. The identification system of claim 10 wherein, upon exposure to the stimulus, the tag causes the observable signal to be emitted by an item.
22. The identification system of claim 21 wherein the item is an electronic storage medium.
23. The identification system of claim 10 wherein the tag comprises a power source that supplies an operating current for the tag.
24. The identification system of claim 23 wherein the tag operates in a sleep mode when not processing the interrogation signal.
25. The identification system of claim 24 wherein the power source supplies an operating current less than or equal to 500 nanoamps when the tag is in the sleep mode.
26. The identification system of claim 10 wherein the observable signal is audible.
27. The identification system of claim 10 wherein the observable signal is visible.
28. An identification tag that identifies a unique object having a generic appearance, the tag comprising:
a receiver for receiving an interrogation signal comprising an object identification;
a memory for storing a tag identification uniquely identifying the tag; and
a device for emitting an observable signal in response to the interrogation signal when the object identification matches the tag identification, wherein the object identification uniquely identifies the object from among a plurality of objects having a similar appearance.
29. The identification tag of claim 28 further comprising a power source that supplies an operating current for the tag.
30. The identification tag of claim 29 wherein the tag operates in a sleep mode when not processing the interrogation signal.
31. The identification tag of claim 30 wherein the power source supplies an operating current less than or equal to 500 nanoamps when the tag is in the sleep mode.
32. The identification tag of claim 28 wherein the tag is configured for integration within a media item, the memory receiving the tag identification when information is transferred to the media item.
33. The identification tag of claim 32 wherein the tag identification is read when data is transferred to the media item.
34. The identification tag of claim 28 wherein the interrogation signal is a modulated light beam.
35. The identification tag of claim 28 wherein the observable signal is audible.
36. The identification tag of claim 28 wherein the observable signal is visible.