1. A covering device forming a protective surface with a variable length andor width, the covering device comprising:
a plurality of cover elements forming the protective surface and configured to change the width andor the length of the protective surface by one sliding relative to another,
a support frame with a predefined length and width; and
at least two intermediate frames with a predefined length and width and supported by the support frame, each intermediate frame supporting at least two cover elements that are mounted to be able to slide under one another equally in one or the other of two opposing sliding directions taken in the length or in the width of the intermediate frame, the intermediate frames being mounted on the support frame to be able to slide under one another equally in one or the other of two opposing sliding directions taken in the length or in the width of the support frame.
2. The covering device according to claim 1, wherein at least two of the cover elements slide under one another equally in one or the other of two opposing sliding directions taken in the length andor in the width of the protective surface.
3. The covering device according to claim 1, wherein the cover elements of each intermediate frame cover the entire surface defined by the width and by the length the intermediate frame when the cover elements are separated relative to one another in the opposing sliding directions and put edge-to-edge in the length or in the width of the intermediate frame.
4. The covering device according to claim 1, wherein the cover elements cover the entire surface defined by the width and by the length of the support frame when the intermediate frames are separated relative to one another in the opposing sliding directions and put edge-to-edge in the length or in the width of the support frame, and when the cover elements are separated relative to one another according to the opposing sliding directions and put edge-to-edge in the length or in the width of the intermediate frames.
5. The covering device according to claim 1, wherein the support frame supports two intermediate frames, each intermediate frame supporting three of the cover elements, with the three cover elements being mounted to slide in the length of the intermediate frames on three levels that are different and superposed in height, and
the intermediate frames are mounted to slide in the width of the support frame on two levels that are different and superposed in height.
6. The covering device according to claim 1, wherein the support frame supports three intermediate frames, each intermediate frame supporting three cover elements, the three cover elements being mounted to slide in the length of intermediate frames on three levels that are different and superposed in height, the intermediate frames being mounted to slide in the width of the support frame on two levels that are different and superposed in height, two intermediate frames being located on the same level.
7. The covering device according to claim 1, wherein the longitudinal edges of the cover elements include rollers accommodated in slides provided along longitudinal struts of each intermediate frame, and
lateral struts of the intermediate frames include rollers accommodated in slides provided along the lateral supports of the support frame.
8. The covering device according to claim 1, wherein the cover elements are solid and configured to direct rainwater toward grooves provided along longitudinal struts of each intermediate frame, and
the intermediate frames are configured to direct rainwater toward channels provided along lateral supports of the support frame.
9. The covering device according to claim 8, wherein the longitudinal edges of the cover elements and the lateral struts of the intermediate frames through which the rainwater is directed comprise a lower anti-drip profile.
10. The covering device according to claim 1, wherein the cover elements comprise disengageable means for braking, or stopping, their translational movement relative to their respective intermediate frame andor the intermediate frames comprise disengageable means for braking, or stopping, their translational movement relative to the support frame.
11. The covering device according to claim 1, wherein the cover elements are manufactured from an opaque, transparent, or translucent material, or consist of movable sun-shield elements.
12. The covering device according to claim 1, wherein the cover elements have a slightly curved profile.
13. The covering device according to claim 1, wherein the cover elements, the intermediate frames, and the support frame are quadrilateral.
14. The covering device according to claim 1, further comprising an arrangement of several support frames, each support frame having a respective one of the intermediate frames and a respective one of the cover elements.
The claims below are in addition to those above.
All refrences to claim(s) which appear below refer to the numbering after this setence.
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16. An integrated shopping cart software application, comprising:
a session initiation software module for establishing a communication session between a first server associated with a first website and an affiliated server associated with an affiliated website within a computer network so that a catalog of item information relating to items that can be selected from the affiliated website that is maintained by the affiliated server is accessible by the first server permitting the selecting of an item from the affiliated website;
an add item software module for informing the first server of the selecting of an item from the affiliated website so that a shopping cart order maintained by the first server is updated to include the selected item from the affiliated website;
an order fulfillment software module for transmitting order fulfillment information to the affiliated server and requesting the affiliated server to process the transmitted order fulfillment information to fulfill a portion of the shopping cart order; and
an error determination software module for managing error information occurring in the communication session between the first server and the affiliated server.
17. The integrated shopping cart software application of claim 16, wherein the session initiation software module permits the first server to transmit request information to the additional server system.
18. The integrated shopping cart software application of claim 17, wherein the request information is transmitted by a communication protocol.
19. The integrated shopping cart software application of claim 18, wherein the communication protocol includes any of FTP, e-mail, HTTP and HTTPS communication protocols.
20. The integrated shopping cart software application of claim 17, wherein the request information includes any of vendor identifier information for identifying the first server, product identifier information for identifying an item from the catalog of item information and session identifier information for maintaining communication session information between the first server and the affiliated server.
21. The integrated shopping cart software application of claim 16, wherein the add item software module permits the additional server system to transmit item information relating to a particular item selected from the catalog of item information to the first server so that the selected item is added to the shopping cart order maintained by the first server.
22. The integrated shopping cart software application of claim 21, wherein the item information is transmitted as an XML message.
23. The integrated shopping cart software application of claim 21, wherein the item information includes any of reference parameter information for identifying the selected item, line item number information for indicating a location in the shopping cart order at which the selected item is located, the quantity of the item selected, the weight of the selected item, inventory number information relating to the selected item, line item description information for associating a description of the selected item, price information of the selected item, session identifier information, and user identifier information.
24. The integrated shopping cart software application of claim 21, wherein an acknowledgement message is transmitted from the first server to the affiliated server upon the first server receiving the item information from the affiliated server.
25. The integrated shopping cart software application of claim 16, wherein the order fulfillment software module permits the first server to transmit request information to the affiliated server so that the affiliated server can fulfill a portion of the shopping cart order.
26. The integrated shopping cart software application of claim 25, wherein the request information is transmitted as an XML message.
27. The integrated shopping cart software application of claim 25, wherein the request information includes any of shipping information, vendor identifier information, reference parameter information, line item information and session identifier information.
28. The integrated shopping cart software application of claim 27, wherein the request information further includes any of tax information, distribution information, payment information, and cost center information.
29. The integrated shopping cart software application of claim 27, wherein the shipping information includes any of shipping address information, contact information, shipping company information and shipping method information.
30. The integrated shopping cart software application of claim 25, wherein an acknowledgement message is transmitted from the affiliated server to the first server upon the affiliated server receiving the request information from the first server.
31. The integrated shopping cart software application of claim 16, further comprising a shipping price software module for informing the first server of the shipping price of the item selected from the affiliated website.
32. The integrated shopping cart software application of claim 31, wherein the shipping price software module permits the first server to transmit shipping price request information to the affiliated server.
33. The integrated shopping cart software application of claim 32, wherein the request information is transmitted as an XML message.
34. The integrated shopping cart software application of claim 32, wherein the shipping price request information includes any of item information and shipping information.
35. The integrated shopping cart software application of claim 32, wherein an acknowledgement message is transmitted from the affiliated server to the first server upon the affiliated server receiving the request information from the first server.
36. The integrated shopping cart software application of claim 16, wherein order fulfillment notification information is transmitted as an XML message.
37. The integrated shopping cart software application of claim 36, wherein order fulfillment notification information includes any of line item information, reference parameter information, tracking information relating to a shipped item and session identifier information.
38. The integrated shopping cart software application of claim 36, wherein an acknowledgement message is transmitted from the first server to the affiliated server upon the first server receiving the notification information from the affiliated server.
39. The integrated shopping cart software application of claim 16, wherein the error determination software module permits the transmission of an error message to the first server.
40. The integrated shopping cart software application of claim 16, further comprising a ship notification software module for informing the first server of the fulfillment of a portion of the shopping cart order.
41. The integrated shopping cart software application of claim 16, further comprising a select-another-item software module for informing the first server of selecting another item from the affiliated website so that the selected item from the affiliated website can be added to the shopping cart order maintained by the first server.
42. The integrated shopping cart software application of claim 41, wherein the select-another-item software module permits the first server system to transmit request information to the additional server system.
43. The integrated shopping cart software application of claim 42, wherein the request information is by a communication protocol.
44. The integrated shopping cart software application of claim 43, wherein the communication protocol includes any of HTTP, HTTPS, FTP and e-mail.
45. The integrated shopping cart software application of claim 41, wherein the request information includes any of vendor identifier information, reference parameter information, action information, session identifier information and line item number information.
46. The integrated shopping cart software application of claim 16, further comprising a modify item software module for informing the affiliated server system of a request to modify a selected item indicated in the shopping cart order maintained by the first server.
47. The integrated shopping cart software application of claim 45, wherein the request information is transmitted by a communication protocol.
48. The integrated shopping cart software application of claim 47, wherein the communication protocol includes any of HTTP, HTTPS, FTP and e-mail.
49. The integrated shopping cart software application of claim 45, wherein the request information includes any of vendor identifier information, line item number information and session identifier information.
50. The integrated shopping cart software application of claim 16, further comprising a reorder software module for informing the first server of selecting a previously selected item from the affiliated website so that the previously selected item can be added to the shopping cart order maintained by the first server.
51. The integrated shopping cart software application of claim 50, wherein the reorder software module permits the first server to transmit request information to the affiliated server.
52. The integrated shopping cart software application of claim 51, wherein the request information is transmitted by a communication protocol.
53. The integrated shopping cart software application of claim 52, wherein the communication protocol includes any of HTTP, HTTPS, FTP and e-mail.
54. The integrated shopping cart software application of claim 51, wherein the request information includes any of vendor identifier information, reference parameter information, line item number information and session identifier information.
55. The integrated shopping cart software application of claim 16, further comprising a view design software module for viewing an image of a design item created at the affiliated website.
56. The integrated shopping cart software application of claim 55, wherein the view design software module permits the first server to transmit request information to the affiliated server.
57. The integrated shopping cart software application of claim 55, wherein the request information is transmitted by a communication protocol.
58. The integrated shopping cart software application of claim 57, wherein the communication protocol includes any of HTTP, HTTPS, FTP and e-mail.
59. The integrated shopping cart software application of claim 56, wherein the request information includes any of vendor identifier information, reference parameter information, line item number information, zoom factor information and session identifier information.
60. The integrated shopping cart software application of claim 16, further comprising a create another product software module for informing the affiliated server of creating a custom design item.
61. The integrated shopping cart software application of claim 60, wherein the create another product software module permits the first server to transmit request information to the affiliated server.
62. The integrated shopping cart software application of claim 61, wherein the request information is transmitted by a communication protocol.
63. The integrated shopping cart software application of claim 62, wherein the communication protocol includes any of HTTP, HTTPS, FTP and e-mail.
64. The integrated shopping cart software application of claim 61, wherein the request information includes any of vendor identifier information, reference parameter information, line item number information, product identifier information for indicating a particular design item template to provide to facilitate the creating of another product, and session identifier information.
65. The integrated shopping cart software application of claim 16, further comprising a save design software module for informing the first server of a saved design item on the affiliated server.
66. The integrated shopping cart software application of claim 65, wherein the saved design item includes any of custom design items, non-custom design items, and non-printable items.
67. The integrated shopping cart software application of claim 65, wherein the save design software module permits the affiliated server to transmit request information to the first server.
68. The integrated shopping cart software application of claim 67, wherein the request information is transmitted as an XML message.
69. The integrated shopping cart software application of claim 67, wherein the request information includes any of reference parameter information, line item information and item description information.
70. The integrated shopping cart software application of claim 67, wherein an acknowledgement message is transmitted from the first server to the affiliated server upon the first server receiving the saved design notification information from the affiliated server.
71. The integrated shopping cart software application of claim 16, further comprising an order placement software module for informing the affiliated server to fulfill an order for an item selected from a different affiliated website.
72. The integrated shopping cart software application of claim 71, wherein the order placement software module permits the first server to transmit request information to the affiliated server.
73. The integrated shopping cart software application of claim 72, wherein the request information is transmitted as an XML message.
74. The integrated shopping cart software application of claim 72, wherein the request information includes any of vendor identifier information, reference parameter information, line item information and shipping information.
75. The integrated shopping cart software application of claim 16, further comprising a reorder fulfillment software module for informing the affiliated server of the fulfilling of an item in the shopping cart order that was previously fulfilled by the affiliated server.
76. The integrated shopping cart software application of claim 75, wherein the reorder fulfillment software module permits the first server to transmit request information to the affiliated server.
77. The integrated shopping cart software application of claim 76, wherein the request information is transmitted as an XML message.
78. The integrated shopping cart software application of claim 76, wherein the request information includes any of shipping information, vendor identifier information, reference parameter information, and line item information.
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