1-7. (canceled)
8. A system for accessing a platform independent input method editor (IME) from an underlying operating system, comprising:
an operating system-based input for receiving keystrokes from a user;
an operating system-based device driver for forming a character sequence from the received keystrokes, the character sequence being rendered as a desired character;
an operating system-based IME service module for receiving the character sequence formed from said keystrokes, and for calling said platform independent IME to convert said character sequence to a corresponding code point, the code point being a value assigned to the desired character in an encoding format specification; and
an operating system-based output for outputting said code point.
9. The system of claim 8, wherein said operating system-based input comprises an active input control in an application running on said operating system.
10. The system of claim 9, wherein the operating system-based device driver transfers said character sequence to said operating system-based IME service module.
11. The system of claim 10, wherein said operating system-based device driver is configured to convert said received keystrokes to a first encoding format suitable for editing said keystrokes at said active input control.
12. The system of claim 11, wherein said operating system-based IME service module is configured to convert said character sequence to a second encoding format compatible with said platform independent IME.
13. The system of claim 12, wherein said platform independent IME is a Java-based Unicode IME, and said second encoding format is Unicode.
14. The system of claim 13, wherein said operating system-based IME service module is configured to call a Java IME character handling method via a Java Native Interface.
15. The system of claim 14, wherein said operating system-based IME service module is configured to run on an operating system service manager.
16. A system for accessing a platform independent input method editor (IME) from an underlying operating system, comprising:
an operating system based input means for receiving keystrokes from a user;
an operating system based means for forming a character sequence from the keystrokes, the character sequence being rendered as a desired character;
an operating system based means for receiving the character sequence formed from said keystrokes;
an operating system based means for calling said platform independent IME to convert said character sequence to a corresponding code point, the code point being a value assigned to the desired character in a specification of an encoding format; and
an operating system based output means for outputting said code point.
17. The system of claim 16, wherein said operating system based input means comprises an active input control in an application running on said operating system.
18. The system of claim 17, further comprising an operating system based device driver means configured to form the character sequence from said keystrokes received from the user, and to transfer said character sequence to said operating system based IME service module.
19. The system of claim 18, wherein said operating system based device driver means is configured to convert said received keystrokes to a first encoding format suitable to editing said keystrokes at said active input control, and for forming said character sequence.
20. A computer program product for providing access to a platform independent input method editor (IME) from an underlying operating system, the computer program product comprising:
a computer usable medium having computer readable program code means embodied in the medium, the program code means providing access to a platform independent IME from an underlying operating system when executed by a processor, the computer readable program code means including:
computer readable program code means for receiving keystrokes at an operating system based input;
computer readable program codes means for forming a character sequence from received keystrokes, the character sequence being rendered as a desired character;
computer readable program code means for calling, from an operating system based IME service module, said platform independent IME to convert said character sequence to a corresponding code point, the code point being a value assigned to the desired character in a specification of an encoding format; and
computer readable program code means for transferring said code point to an operating system based output.
21. The computer program product of claim 20, further comprising computer readable program code means for receiving said keystrokes at an active input control in an application associated with said operating system.
22. The computer program product of claim 21, further comprising computer readable program code means for converting said received keystroke to a first encoding format suitable for editing said keystrokes at said active input control, and for forming said character sequence.
23. The computer readable program product of claim 22, further comprising computer readable program code means for converting said character sequence to a second encoding format compatible with said platform independent IME.
The claims below are in addition to those above.
All refrences to claim(s) which appear below refer to the numbering after this setence.
1. An accessory item for temporary manual attachment to, and temporary manual removal from, an item of footwear, the accessory item comprising a first magnetic material part, a second magnetic material part and a third magnetic material part, the first magnetic material part, the second magnetic material part and the third magnetic material part are arranged to allow temporary attachment to a magnetic material part on an item of footwear, wherein the first, second and third magnetic material parts are spaced from each other by a non-magnetic material and the first magnetic material part, the second magnetic material part and the third magnetic material part are arranged in an asymmetric configuration, wherein the asymmetric configuration comprises an asymmetric configuration of magnet polarities.
2. An accessory item according to claim 1 in which the asymmetric configuration comprises an asymmetric spatial arrangement of the magnetic material parts.
3. An accessory item according to claim 1, wherein the first magnetic material part is spaced from the second magnetic material part by between about 5 cm and 8 cm.
4. An accessory item according to claim 1, wherein the second magnetic material part is spaced from the third magnetic material part by between about 5 cm and 8 cm.
5. An accessory item according to claim 1, wherein the first, second and third magnetic material parts are arranged in a straight line, or close thereto.
6. An accessory item according to claim 1 comprising a fourth magnetic part.
7. An accessory item according to claim 1, wherein one or more of the magnetic material parts comprises one or more of the following:
a flat sheet;
a cylinder;
a circular cross section having a diameter less than 15 mm; and
a thickness less than 5 mm.
8. An accessory item according to claim 1, wherein the accessory item comprises a decorative material, and at least one or each of the magnetic material parts are arranged so that they can be hidden by the decorative material.
9. An item of footwear arranged to receive an accessory item which can be manually attached and removed, the item of footwear comprising an upper foot retaining part, a first magnetic material part and a second magnetic material part, the first magnetic material part being arranged on a first side of the upper foot retaining part at the front of the shoe, the second magnetic material part being arranged on a second side of the upper foot retaining part at the front of the shoe opposite to the first side, or on the centre of the upper at the front of the shoe, to allow temporary manual attachment of, and temporary manual removal of, an accessory item and the first magnetic material part and the second magnetic material part are arranged in an asymmetric configuration, wherein the asymmetric configuration comprises an asymmetric configuration of magnet polarities.
10. An item of footwear according to claim 9 in which the asymmetric configuration comprises an asymmetric spatial arrangement of the magnetic material parts.
11. An item of footwear according to claim 9, wherein the item of footwear comprises a third magnetic material part.
12. An item of footwear according to claim 11, wherein the first magnetic material part is arranged on a first side of the upper at the front of the shoe, the second magnetic material part is arranged on the centre of the upper at the front of the shoe, and the third magnetic material part is arranged on a second side of the shoe.
13. An item of footwear according to claim 9, wherein the first magnetic material part is spaced from the second magnetic material part by between about 5 cm and 8 cm.
14. An item of footwear according to claim 11, wherein the second magnetic material part is spaced from the third magnetic material part by between about 5 cm and 8 cm.
15. An item of footwear according to claim 11, wherein the first, second and third magnetic material parts are arranged in a straight line, or close thereto.
16. An item of footwear arranged to receive an accessory item which can be manually attached and removed, the item of footwear comprising an upper foot retaining part, and a first magnetic material part, a second magnetic material part, and a third magnetic material part arranged on the upper foot retaining part, in a way that the upper foot retaining part alone connects and spaces the first, second, and third magnetic material parts, in which the first magnetic material part, the second magnetic material part, and the third magnetic material part are arranged in an asymmetric configuration wherein the asymmetric configuration comprises an asymmetric configuration of magnet polarities.
17. An item of footwear comprising an accessory item temporarily attached thereto, the accessory item comprising a first magnetic material part and a second magnetic material part, the first magnetic material part and the second magnetic material part are arranged to allow temporary attachment to a magnetic material part on the item of footwear, wherein the first magnetic material part is spaced from the second magnetic material part by a non-magnetic material and the first magnetic material part and the second magnetic material part are arranged in an asymmetric configuration, wherein the asymmetric configuration comprises an asymmetric configuration of magnet polarities.
18. An item of footwear according to claim 17, wherein the item of footwear comprises a first magnetic material part and a second magnetic material part, and the first magnetic material part and the second magnetic material part of the item of footwear positionally correspond with, respectively, the first magnetic material part of the accessory and the second magnetic material part of the accessory.
19. An item of footwear according to claim 18, wherein the item of footwear comprises a third magnetic material part and the accessory comprises a third magnetic material part and the first, second and third magnetic material parts of the item of footwear positionally correspond with, respectively, the first, second and third magnetic material parts of the accessory.
20. A footwear kit comprising:
an item of footwear arranged to receive an accessory item which can be manually attached and removed, the item of footwear comprising an upper foot retaining part, and a first magnetic material part and a second magnetic material part, both arranged on the upper foot retaining part, in a way that the upper foot retaining part alone connects and spaces the first and second magnetic material parts, in which the first magnetic material part and the second magnetic material part are arranged in an asymmetric configuration wherein the asymmetric configuration comprises an asymmetric configuration of magnet polarities; and,
an accessory item for temporary manual attachment to, and temporary manual removal from, an item of footwear, the accessory item comprising a first magnetic material part and a second magnetic material part, the first magnetic material part and the second magnetic material part are arranged to allow temporary attachment to a magnetic material part on an item of footwear, wherein the first magnetic material part is spaced from the second magnetic material part by a non-magnetic material and the first magnetic material part and the second magnetic material part are arranged in an asymmetric configuration, wherein the asymmetric configuration comprises an asymmetric configuration of magnet polarities.