1. A method for the protection of voting options for remote voting in which a physical copy of the selections made by a remote user is generated using a selection application suitable of being executed in a remote environment, comprising the following steps of:
a) generating, using a voting computer, an element that represents in a machine readable format at least the information of one or more selections made by a remote voter; recording, using the voting computer, this generated element in a physical support, and sending this physical support through a physical channel to a central election office;
b) receiving the physical support in the central election office and using a retrieving computer with a reading device, reading with said reading device the machine readable element from the said physical support and retrieving the selections made by the voter from the reading process, and
using a printing device connected to the retrieving computer generate a physical representation of the retrieved original selections susceptible of being processed by the same electronic counting means (e.g. optical scanner) used to count the regular votes.
2. A method, according to claim 1, further comprising using the said voting computer for additionally generating and recording in step a) a human readable representation of at least the user selected options in the same physical media, or a different second physical media but sending this second physical media together with said physical media.
3. A method, according to claim 1, further comprising using the said voting computer for additionally generating in step a) an electronic representation of the user selected options and sending this electronic representation through an electronic communication channel to a voting server located in a central office or other place managed by electoral officers.
4. A method, according to claim 3, further comprising using the voting computer to encode the information included in the electronic representation of the selected options before sending them.
5. A method, according to claim 1, further comprising using a barcode as the machine readable representation of the element that represents the selections made by the remote voter.
6. A method, according to claim 1, further comprising using a paper sheet as the physical support for recording the element that represents the selections made by the remote voter.
7. A method, according to claim 1, further comprising using a postal service as the physical delivery channel.
8. A method, according to claim 1, further comprising using the voting computer for encoding in the step a) the information of the selected options before generating the said element.
9. A method, according to claim 8, further comprising encoding the information in step a) using a compression function andor an encryption function.
10. A method, according to claim 9, further comprising using the retrieving computer to decode in step b) the information encoded in step a) after being read with a reader device, before retrieving the selections made by the user from the decoded information.
11. A method, according to claim 5, further comprising using a barcode reader as the reading device used for reading the barcode representation of the element.
12. A method, according to claim 1, further comprising storing in step b), a copy of the retrieved selected user options in a storage media connected to a retrieving computer.
13. A method, according to claim 1, further comprising generating the physical representation of the selections in step c) by printing the selections and a blank ballot template in a blank sheet of paper, using a printing device.
14. A method, according to claim 1, further comprising generating the physical representation of the selections in step c) by printing these selections as marks in the checkboxes of a blank ballot paper, by using a printing device.
15. A method, according to claim 1, further comprising using the printed ballot for counting the results of the selections made by the remote voter using a specific optical scanner counter.
16. A method, according to claim 2, further comprising adding in step c) and additional process of comparing the selected user options represented in a human form or in an electronic form sent in step a), and the selected user options of the physical representation generated in step c), for deciding if this generated physical representation of step c) is a valid representation.
17. A system for generating a physical copy of the selections made by a remote user that be counted in a specific optical scanner, comprising:
a) a voting computer for capturing the one or more selections made by a voter and generating an element that represents in a machine readable format at least an information of the selections made by the user and recording this element in a physical support;
b) a physical delivery channel for sending this physical support to a central office; and
c) a retrieving computer located at said central office with a reading device for reading and retrieving the selections made by the voter from the machine readable element inserted in said physical support, and with a printing device for printing a physical representation of the selections retrieved in the same ballot format used by a specific optical scanner used at said central office for counting the results.
18. A system according to claim 17, wherein the machine readable format is a barcode, the physical support is a paper, the physical delivery channel is a postal service or FAX service, the reading device is a barcode scanner, and the printing device is a printer.
19. A system according to claim 17, wherein decoupling the retrieving computer in a first retrieving computer with the reading device for reading and retrieving the selections made by the voter, and a second retrieving computer with the printing device for printing a physical representation of the selections retrieved, both first and second retrieving computers having communication or storage means for interchanging the retrieved selections made by the voter.
20. A system according to claim 17, further comprising a network server and an electronic communication channel between this network server and the voting computer, used by the voting computer for sending an electronic representation of the voter selected voting options to said network server.
21. A method, according to claim 13, further comprising using the printed ballot for counting the results of the selections made by the remote voter using a specific optical scanner counter.
22. A method, according to claim 14, further comprising using the printed ballot for counting the results of the selections made by the remote voter using a specific optical scanner counter.
23. A method, according to claim 3, further comprising adding in step c) and additional process of comparing the selected user options represented in a human form or in an electronic form sent in step a), and the selected user options of the physical representation generated in step c), for deciding if this generated physical representation of step c) is a valid representation.
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. A panel member assembly having a pocket, comprising:
a panel defining a slot and a pocket portion;
the panel defining at least one attaching feature configured to attach the panel to a retainer;
an insert defining another pocket portion; and
the retainer defining at least another attaching feature corresponding to the at least one attaching feature and configured to be attachable to the at least one attaching feature;
wherein the insert is configured to be insertable into the slot;
wherein the panel and the retainer are configured to be operatively attachable to each other so as to retain the insert in the slot sufficiently to form the pocket with the pocket portions; and
wherein the insert, the at least one attaching feature, and the at least another attaching feature are configured such that the insert retained in the slot is not in contact with either of the at least one attaching feature and the at least another attaching feature.
2. The panel member assembly of claim 1, further comprising:
at least one attachment defined by the at least one attaching feature directly attached to the corresponding at least another attaching feature.
3. The panel member assembly of claim 1,
wherein one of the at least one attaching feature and the at least another attaching feature is configured as one of a stud, rivet, protrusion, bolt screw, nut, opening, hole, slot, loop, clip, hook, tab, finger, hook fastener, loop fastener and adhesive.
4. The panel member assembly of claim 1,
wherein the at least one attaching feature is defined by the panel and configured as one of a protrusion or an opening;
wherein the at least another attaching feature is defined by the retainer and configured as the other of the protrusion or the opening;
wherein the panel and retainer are operatively attachable to each other by inserting the at least one protrusion through the at least one opening and fixedly attaching the at least one protrusion to the at least one opening by one of staking, heat staking, spinning or riveting the protrusion.
5. The panel member assembly of claim 1, wherein the insert is fabricated from at least one of a leather, vinyl, cloth, polymeric, plastic, textile, mesh and netted material.
6. The panel member assembly of claim 1,
wherein the insert is configured to include at least one of a cord, strap, loop, band, elastic, bungee, rickrack, tab, hole and opening; and
wherein the insert is operatively attached to one of the panel and retainer by the at least one of a cord, strap, loop, band, elastic, bungee, rickrack, tab, hole and opening.
7. The panel member assembly of claim 1, wherein the slot is configured as a non-linear slot.
8. The panel member assembly of claim 1, wherein the slot has an edge at least partially finished with one of a trim piece, a coating, a film, a hem and an appearance material.
9. The panel member assembly of claim 1, wherein the slot is generally configured as a U-shaped slot.
10. The panel member assembly of claim 1,
wherein the panel has a first surface and a second surface;
wherein the first surface of the panel is an appearance surface cooperating with the insert to form the pocket; and
wherein the retainer is operatively attached to the second surface.
11. A seat assembly operatively attached to a body of a motorized vehicle, the seat assembly comprising:
a panel defining a slot and at least one attaching feature;
an insert including a leading edge; and
a retainer defining at least one corresponding attaching feature;
wherein the insert is configured to be insertable into the slot by inserting the leading edge into the slot;
wherein the insert is retained in the slot to form a pocket with the panel when the insert is inserted into the slot and the retainer is attached to the panel by direct attachment of the at least one attaching feature with the at least one corresponding attaching feature; and
wherein the pocket includes an opening defined by the leading edge.
12. The seat assembly of claim 11,
wherein the insert is configured to include at least one of a cord, strap, loop, band, elastic, bungee, tab, hole and opening; and
wherein the insert is operatively attached to one of the panel and retainer by the at least one of a cord, strap, loop, band, elastic, bungee, rickrack, tab, hole and opening.
13. The seat assembly of claim 11,
the panel including a first surface and a second surface;
wherein the first surface is an appearance surface cooperating with the insert to form the pocket;
wherein a portion of the insert protrudes from the slot on the second surface; and
wherein the retainer is operatively attached to the second surface and in direct contact with the portion of the insert protruding from the slot on the second surface.
14. The seat assembly of claim 11,
wherein one of the at least one attaching feature and the at least one corresponding attaching feature is configured as one of a stud, rivet, protrusion, bolt screw, nut, opening, hole, slot, loop, clip, hook, tab, finger, hook fastener, loop fastener and adhesive; and
wherein the at least one attaching feature is configured to be attachable to the at least one corresponding attaching feature when the panel and the retainer are operatively attached to each other.
15. The seat assembly of claim 11,
wherein the slot is generally configured as a U-shaped slot.