Author: claimsbot

1. A tool comprising:
a tool body;
a blade opening disposed on one end of the tool body;
a blade movable to extend out of the blade opening and retract into the tool body, the blade having a non-sharpened periphery operable to remove a scratch-off coating without damaging a substrate covered by the scratch-off coating;
a slider slot formed along at least a portion of one side of the tool body; and
a slider extending from the slider slot where movement of the slider along the slider slot moved the blade between an extended configuration and a retracted configuration.
2. The tool of claim 1, further comprising a track formed inside the tool body for movement of the blade therealong.
3. The tool of claim 1, further comprising a mechanism for locking the blade in the retracted configuration or in the extended configuration.
4. The tool of claim 3, wherein the mechanism includes two or more slider stops disposed in the tool body and a latch part of the slider that fits into a selected one of the two or more slider stops to keep the blade in either the extended configuration or the retracted configuration.
5. The tool of claim 4, wherein the slider includes a slider head depressible by the user to move the latch part out of the selected one of the two or more slider stops.
6. The tool of claim 4, further comprising a spring resiliently retaining the latch part in the selected one of the two or more slider stops.
7. A tool for removing scratch-off coatings, comprising:
a tool body;
a blade opening disposed on one end of the tool body;
a blade movable to extend out of the blade opening and retract into the tool body, the blade having a non-sharpened periphery operable to remove a scratch-off coating without damaging a substrate covered by the scratch-off coating;
a track formed inside the tool body for movement of the blade therealong;
a slider slot formed along at least a portion of one side of the tool body;
a slider extending from the slider slot where movement of the slider along the slider slot moved the blade between an extended configuration and a retracted configuration;
two or more slider stops disposed in the tool body;
a latch part of the slider that fits into a selected one of the two or more slider stops to keep the blade in either an extended configuration or a retracted configuration; and
a spring resiliently retaining the latch part in the selected one of the two or more slider stops.
8. The tool of claim 7, wherein the slider includes a slider head depressible by the user to move the latch part out of the selected one of the two or more slider stops.
9. A method for removing a scratch-off coating from a substrate without damaging the substrate supporting the scratch-off coating, the method comprises:
depressing a head of a slider extending from a slider slot formed along one side of a tool body to remove a latch part of the slider from a first slider stop within the tool body;
pushing the slider toward a blade opening disposed on one end of the tool body to extend a blade out of the blade opening;
locking the blade in an extended configuration by allowing the latch part of the slider to engage into a second slider stop within the tool body; and
scratching off the scratch-off coating from the substrate to reveal information thereunder.
10. The method of claim 9, further comprising resiliently moving the slide into one of the first slider stop and the second slider stop with a spring.

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 method of viewing visual pictorial media across a network comprising the steps of:
i) storing respective local visual pictorial media data corresponding to the same visual pictorial media on first and second network elements connected to the network;
ii) creating derived visual pictorial media data from the locally stored visual pictorial media data with a processing means of the first network element;
iii) automatically generating a control data set representing the derived visual pictorial data and corresponding to operations to be performed by a processing means to create the derived visual pictorial media data;
iv) transmitting the control data set from the first network element to the second network element via the network;
v) accessing the local visual pictorial media data stored on the second network element in response to receiving the control data set;
vi) recreating the derived visual pictorial data with a processing means of the second network element by use of the control data set and the local visual pictorial media data stored on the second network element; and
vii) displaying the recreated derived visual pictorial media data on viewing means of the second network element.
2. A method according to claim 1 in which the step of creating the derived visual pictorial media is performed automatically.
3. A method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the step of creating the derived visual pictorial data comprises selecting a portion of the locally stored visual pictorial media data corresponding to a portion of the visual pictorial media.
4. The method of claim 3 further comprising displaying the portion of the locally stored visual pictorial media upon viewing means of the first network element substantially synchronously with the displaying of step (vi).
5. A method according to claim 1 in which the visual pictorial media data stored on the first and second elements are identical.
6. The method of claim 1 comprising using visual pictorial saliency techniques to select the portion of the visual pictorial media automatically.
7. The method of claim 1 comprising including in the automatically generated control data set a spatial and temporal locational information detailing a sub-set of video visual pictorial media.
8. The method of claim 1 comprising sharing a rostrum path between the first and second network elements.
9. The method of claim 1 comprising transferring visual pictorial media data from the first network element to the second network element prior to step (i).
10. The method of claim 1 further comprising:
i) creating further derived visual pictorial media data from the locally stored visual pictorial media data with a processing means of the second network element;
ii) automatically generating a control data set representing the further derived visual pictorial data and corresponding to operations to be performed by a processing means to create the derived visual pictorial media data;
iii) transmitting the control data set from the second network element to the first network element via the network; and
v) recreating the further derived visual pictorial data with a processing means of the first network element by use of the control data set.
11. A visual pictorial media viewing system comprising first and second network elements connected over a network;
the first network element being arranged for: (a) storing visual pictorial media data, (b) automatically selecting a portion of the visual pictorial media data, (c) processing said selected portion of the visual pictorial media data, (d) generating a control data set related to the selected portion of the visual pictorial media data, and (e) transmitting the control data set to the second network element over the network;
the second network element being arranged for: (a) receiving the control data set from the first network element, (b) locally storing a copy of the visual pictorial media data, (c) processing the received control data set to access the locally stored visual pictorial media data, (d) recreating the selected portion of the visual pictorial media data on the second network element using the control data set and the locally stored visual pictorial media data, and (e) displaying the recreated selected portion of the visual pictorial media data on a display of the second network element;
the control data set including (a) information relating to the location of said selected portion within the locally stored copy of the visual pictorial media data and (b) processing instructions relating to recreating and displaying the selected portion on the display of the second network element.
12. A visual media viewing system according to claim 11 wherein the control data set is smaller than the portion of the visual pictorial media data.
13. A visual media viewing system according to claim 11 wherein the first network element has a display for displaying the pictorial image generated from the portion of the visual pictorial media data synchronously with its display upon the display of the second network element.
14. A visual media viewing system according to claim 11 further including a third network element connected to the network, including viewing means and a data store arranged to store said visual pictorial media locally, and the first network element is arranged to transmit the control data set to the third network element such that said viewing means is arranged to substantially synchronously display (a) the portion of the visual pictorial media that are stored locally, with (b) the display of the portion of the visual pictorial media upon the second network element.
15. A network element comprising
a data store for storing visual pictorial media data,
a selector for automatically selecting a portion of the stored visual pictorial media data as derived visual pictorial media data,
a first processor for processing said derived visual pictorial media data,
a data generator for generating a control data set related to the derived visual pictorial media data, and
a transmitter for transmitting the control data set across a network to a remote network element having a local copy of the visual pictorial media data stored thereupon,
wherein the control data set includes information corresponding to operations to be performed by a second processor of the remote network element to create the derived visual pictorial media data to enable the second processor, in response to receiving the control data set, to access the visual pictorial media data locally stored on the remote network element and recreate the derived visual pictorial data for display at the remote network element.
16. A network element as claimed in claim 15, wherein the information contained in the control data set comprises information relating to the location of a portion within the visual pictorial media data and processing instructions relating to recreating and displaying the derived visual pictorial media data from the local copy of the visual media stored on the remote network element.
17. A network element according to claim 15 wherein the network element comprises a viewer for viewing an automatically selected portion of the visual pictorial media data synchronously with the display of the pictorial image upon the remote network element.
18. A network element according to claim 15 wherein the selector is arranged to automatically select a portion of the visual pictorial media data in response to a user selection of a region of a pictorial image formed from the visual pictorial media data.
19. A network element according to claim 15 wherein the selector is arranged to select, automatically, a portion of the visual pictorial media using a visual saliency technique.
20. A network element according to claim 15 wherein the control data set includes details of transitions between a plurality of automatically selected portions of visual pictorial media.
21. A network element according to claim 15 wherein the selector is arranged to select the portion of the data in response to a prompt from a remote network element.
22. A network element comprising
a receiver for receiving a control data set from a remote network element across a network, wherein the control data set is related to a portion of visual pictorial media data stored on the remote network element,
a data store for locally storing a copy of the visual pictorial media data,
a display for displaying an image stored in the data store,
the received control data set including (a) information relating to the location in the data store of the locally stored visual pictorial media data and (b) processing instructions relating to the recreation and display of a pictorial image of said portion from the locally stored visual pictorial media data on the display, and
a processor coupled with the receiver, data store and display for accessing the locally stored visual pictorial media data in the data store using the location information of the received control data set, recreating the portion of the visual pictorial media data created on the remote network element using the processing instructions of the received control data set and the locally stored visual pictorial media data, supplying the recreated portion of the locally stored visual pictorial media data to the display.
23. A network element according to claim 22 wherein the control data set includes processing instructions relating to displaying the pictorial image on the network element synchronously with displaying a pictorial image on the remote network element, the pictorial image on the remote network element being the same as the locally stored visual media data.
24. A program storage device readable by a machine encoding a program of instructions which when operated upon the machine causes the machine to operate as a network element according to claim 15.
25. A network element comprising
a data store for storing visual pictorial media data,
a processor for (a) automatically selecting a portion of the visual pictorial media data, and (b) generating a control data set including the location of said portion within the visual pictorial media data and information relating to the processing of the data,
a network interface card for transmitting the control data set, over a network, to a second network element, wherein the second network element has a locally stored copy of the visual pictorial media data thereon and a processor for recreating the portion of the visual pictorial media data using the received control data set and the locally stored copy of the visual pictorial media data, and
a screen for synchronously displaying (a) a pictorial image corresponding to the portion of the data with (b) the second network element.
26. A network element comprising
a network interface card for receiving a control data set from a remote network element across a network, wherein the control data set is related to a portion of visual pictorial media data stored on the remote network element,
a data storage device for locally storing a copy of the visual pictorial media data,
a processor for processing the received control data set and the locally stored visual pictorial media data and recreating the portion of the visual pictorial media data stored on the remote network element, and
a screen for displaying the recreated portion of the visual pictorial media data,
the received control data set including (a) information relating to location of an automatically selected portion of the visual pictorial media data and (b) processing instructions relating to recreating and synchronously displaying (a) a pictorial image of said portion from the locally stored visual pictorial media data upon the screen with (b) its display on the remote network element,
the processor being coupled with the network interface card, the screen, the data storage device and the display for causing the screen to automatically display the local selected portion of the visual pictorial media data, synchronously with display of the locally stored visual pictorial media data with display thereof at the remote network element.

1. A steering wheel comprising:
a rim part including a core and a cover portion surrounding said core to cover an outer surface of said core, said cover portion including a decorative component having a base portion made of a synthetic resin;
wherein said a decorative-side engagement portion of said decorative component is fixed to a core-side engagement portion of said core, whereby said decorative component is fixed to said core;
wherein said decorative component is provided with a reinforcement member that is made of a metal.
2. A steering wheel according to claim 1, wherein said decorative component includes a mount seat on which said reinforcement member is mounted.
3. A steering wheel according to claim 2, wherein said mount seat is held between a part of the rim part which is other than said decorative component and said reinforcement member.
4. A steering wheel according to claim 2, wherein a cross section of said decorative component at a location where said mount seat is provided is formed into an annular shape surrounding said reinforcement member therein.
5. A steering wheel according to claim 2, wherein said decorative-side engagement portion is provided in said mount seat.
6. A steering wheel according to claim 1, wherein a plurality of the reinforcement members are provided along said decorative component.
7. A steering wheel according to claim 6, wherein a plurality of mount seats are provided along said decorative component at a constant interval.
8. A steering wheel according to claim 2, wherein said mount seat is integrally formed with said base portion of said decorative component on an opposite surface to an outer surface of said decorative component.
9. A steering wheel according to claim 1, wherein said reinforcement member is formed into an L-shape in which two plate portions are combined at substantially right angle to each other.
10. A steering wheel according to claim 1, wherein said decorative-side engagement portion includes an engagement portion of a clip and said core-side engagement portion includes an engagement hole formed on said core, wherein said decorative component is fixed to said core by inserting said engagement portion of said clip into said engagement hole.
11. A steering wheel according to claim 10, wherein said reinforcement member is interposed between a part of said clip and said core.
12. A steering wheel according to claim 10, wherein a mount seat on which said reinforcement member is mounted is integrally formed with said base portion of said decorative component on an opposite surface to an outer surface of said decorative component, and
a part of said mount seat is interposed between a part of said clip and said core.

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 process for accessing information via a communications network, comprising the steps of:
generating a combined request for access to an electronic informational source coupled to the communications network and a query for one or more results from the informational source;
accessing the informational source and matching the query to an exact information or solution result found in association with the informational source; and
providing the exact result if found, or alternatively, if an exact result is not found, determining an alternative query at the informational source and conducting a non-exact match search within the informational source for one or more results anticipated to approximate the exact result and providing the one or more non-exact results.
2. The process of claim 1, including the steps of:
entering a request into an Internet browser, the request including a domain name and a query for information or a solution associated with a website corresponding to the domain name;
routing the request using the domain name via the communications network to a server;
accessing the web-site and matching the query to an exact information or solution result associated with the web-site; and
displaying the exact result if found, or alternatively, if an exact result is not found, determining an alternative query at the server and conducting a non-exact match search within the web-site for one or more results anticipated to approximate the exact result and displaying the one or more non-exact results.
3. The process of claim 2, wherein the entering step includes the step of entering a top level domain name and a second level domain name followed by the query.
4. The process of claim 3, wherein either the top level domain name or second level domain name includes a term that identifies the associated website as being capable of receiving and processing the query.
5. The process of claim 2, including the step of entering a domain name selected from a group of domain names that are each associated with a web-site that is capable of receiving and processing the query.
6. The process of claim 2, wherein the entering step includes the step of entering the domain name and query into a uniform resource locator line of the Internet browser.
7. The process of claim 1, wherein the query comprises terms to be searched or calculated.
8. The process of claim 7, wherein the terms comprise at least one of: letters, words, mathematical symbols, or numbers.
9. The process of claim 7, wherein the entering step further includes the step of entering parsing symbols between the terms to be matched or searched for.
10. The process of claim 1, wherein the step of determining an alternative query step comprises using a misspelled word engine.
11. The process of claim 1, wherein the step of determining an alternative query step comprises using an abbreviated word engine.
12. The process of claim 1, wherein the step of determining an alternative query step comprises using an alternative word engine.
13. The process of claim 1, wherein the step of determining an alternative query step comprises using a phonetic engine.
14. The process of claim 2, wherein the web-site comprises at least one of: a database, a web page, or a calculating processor.
15. The process of claim 1, including the step of displaying suggested query refinements if a non-exact match result is found or no results are found.
16. A process for accessing information via a communications network, such as the world wide web, comprising the steps of:
entering a request into an uniform resource locator line of an Internet browser, the request including a domain name, including a second level domain name and a top level domain name, followed by a query comprised of terms to be searched for or calculated using a processor or engine associated with a web-site corresponding to the domain name;
routing the request using the domain name via the communications network to a server;
accessing the web-site and matching the query to an exact information or solution result associated with the web-site; and
displaying the exact result if found, or alternatively, if an exact result is not found, determining an alternative query at the server and conducting a non-exact match search within the web-site for one or more results anticipated to approximate the exact result and displaying the one or more non-exact results.
17. The process of claim 16, wherein either the top level domain name or second level domain name includes a term that identifies the associated web-site as being capable of receiving and processing the query.
18. The process of claim 16, including the step of entering a domain name selected from a group of domain names that are each associated with a web-site that is capable of receiving and processing the query.
19. The process of claim 16, wherein the terms comprise at least one of: letters, words, mathematical symbols, or numbers.
20. The process of claim 19, wherein the entering step further includes the step of entering parsing symbols between the terms to be matched or searched for.
21. The process of claim 16, wherein the step of determining an alternative query step comprises using a misspelled word engine, an abbreviated word engine, an alternative word engine, or a phonetic engine.
22. The process of claim 16, wherein the web-site comprises at least one of: a database, a web page, or a calculating processor.
23. The process of claim 16, including the step of displaying suggested query refinements if a non-exact match result is found or no results are found.
24. A process for accessing information via a communications network, such as the world wide web, comprising the steps of:
selecting from a group of domain names that are each associated with a web-site that is capable of receiving and processing a query;
entering a request into an uniform resource locator line of an Internet browser, the request including the selected domain name, including a second level domain name and a top level domain name, followed by a query comprised of terms to be searched for or calculated using a processor or engine associated with the web-site corresponding to the domain name;
routing the request using the domain name via the communications network to a server hosting the web-site;
accessing the web-site and matching the query to an exact information or solution result associated with the web-site;
displaying the exact result if found, or alternatively, if an exact result is not found, determining an alternative query at the server and conducting a non-exact match search within the web-site for one or more results anticipated to approximate the exact result and displaying the one or more non-exact results; and
displaying suggested query refinements if a non-exact match result is found or no results are found;
wherein either the top level domain name or second level domain name includes a term that identifies the associated web-site as being capable of receiving and processing the query.
25. The process of claim 24, wherein the terms comprise at least one of: letters, words, mathematical symbols, or numbers.
26. The process of claim 24, wherein the entering step further includes the step of entering parsing symbols between the terms to be matched or searched for.
27. The process of claim 24, wherein the step of determining an alternative query step comprises using a misspelled word engine, an abbreviated word engine, an alternative word engine, or a phonetic engine.
28. The process of claim 24, wherein the web-site comprises at least one of: a database, a web page, or a calculating processor.