SCREED PLATE AND TAMPER BAR ARRANGEMENT FOR PAVING APPARATUS OR PAVING APPLICATIONS

Abstract

Aspects of the disclosure are directed to systems, and apparatuses, and methods for a screed system for a road paver that includes tamper bar subsystem including a screed plate, the tamper bar subsystem, and a tamper bar drive subsystem. The screed plate has a first paving surface with a first pattern for contacting a paving material. The tamper bar subsystem is positioned forward of the screed plate in a paving direction of the screed system and includes a tamper plate and a tamper bar. The tamper plate has a second paving surface with a second pattern for contacting the paving material. The tamper bar drive subsystem is coupled to the tamper bar and configured to selectively move the tamper bar between a first position and a second position in a direction non-parallel to the paving direction of the screed system.

Claims

1. A screed system for a road paver, the screed system comprising: a screed plate having a first paving surface with a first pattern for contacting a paving material; a tamper bar subsystem positioned forward of the screed plate in a paving direction of the screed system, the tamper bar subsystem including a tamper plate and a tamper bar, the tamper plate having a second paving surface with a second pattern for contacting the paving material; and a tamper bar drive subsystem coupled to the tamper bar and constructed to selectively move the tamper bar between a first position and a second position in a direction non-parallel to the paving direction of the screed system.

2. The screed system of claim 1, wherein the tamper plate is movable independently of the screed plate.

3. The screed system of claim 1, wherein a first end of the tamper plate in the paving direction is curved.

4. The screed system of claim 1, wherein the tamper bar drive subsystem is operable to vibrate the tamper bar between the first position and the second position.

5. The screed system of claim 1, further comprising a control system configured to receive information indicative of a material property of the paving material and determine a stroke length or an amount of vibration of the tamper bar based on the material property of the paving material.

6. The screed system of claim 5, wherein the material property of the paving material comprises a density of the paving material.

7. The screed system of claim 1, wherein the first pattern and the second pattern are a same pattern.

8. The screed system of claim 1, wherein the first pattern and the second pattern are different patterns.

9. The screed system of claim 1, wherein the first and second pattern each include a repetitive wave form pattern, a repetitive v-shaped pattern, a repetitive diamond-shaped pattern, a repetitive block shaped pattern, a pattern of undulations, a variably shaped wave pattern, or a combination thereof.

10. A screed system and a tamper bar system for a road paver, the screed system comprising: a screed subsystem comprising a screed plate, wherein a screed surface of the screed plate is constructed to contact a paving material in a horizontally extending direction of the screed surface has a first pattern of protrusions extending therefrom; and a tamper bar subsystem comprising a tamper plate and a tamper bar drive subsystem, the tamper bar subsystem being positioned forward of the screed plate in a direction of travel of the road paver, wherein at least a portion of a tamper surface of the tamper plate is constructed to contact the paving material in a horizontally extending portion of the tamper surface and has a second pattern of protrusions extending therefrom; wherein the tamper bar subsystem is selectively movable from a first position to a second position, and wherein movement between the first position and the second position is at least partially in a direction perpendicular to the horizontally extending portion of the tamper surface.

11. The screed system and the tamper bar system of claim 10, wherein the tamper bar subsystem is movable independently of any movement of the screed system.

12. The screed system and the tamper bar system of claim 10, wherein a first end of the tamper plate curvably extends from the horizontally extending portion of the tamper surface.

13. The screed system and the tamper bar system of claim 10, wherein the tamper bar drive subsystem is operable to selectively vibrate the tamper bar system.

14. The screed system and the tamper bar system of claim 10, further comprising: a control subsystem configured to receive information indicative of a material property of the paving material and selectively vary a stroke length or an amount of vibration induced on the tamper bar subsystem by the tamper bar drive subsystem.

15. The screed system of claim 14, wherein the material property of the paving material comprises a density of the paving material.

16. The screed system and the tamper bar system of claim 10, wherein the first pattern and the second pattern include a similar pattern element.

17. The screed system and the tamper bar system of claim 10, wherein the first and second pattern each include a repetitive wave form pattern, a repetitive v-shaped pattern, a repetitive diamond-shaped pattern, a repetitive block shaped pattern, a pattern of undulations, a variably shaped wave pattern, or a combination thereof.

18. A screed system for a road paver, the screed system comprising: a screed plate having a first paving surface constructed for contacting a paving material; a tamper bar subsystem positioned forward of the screed plate in a paving direction of the screed system, the tamper bar subsystem including a tamper plate and a tamper bar, the tamper plate having a second paving surface constructed for contacting the paving material; a tamper bar drive subsystem coupled to the tamper bar and constructed to selectively move the tamper bar between a first position and a second position in a direction non-parallel to the paving direction of the screed system; and a control system configured to receive information indicative of a material property of the paving material and determine at least one of a stroke length and an amount of vibration of the tamper bar based on the material property of the paving material.

19. The screed system of claim 18, wherein the material property of the paving material comprises a density of the paving material.

20. The screed system of claim 19, wherein the tamper plate is movable independently of the screed plate.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0009] Features characteristic of aspects of the technology described herein are set forth as follows, in the appended claims, and in the drawings. In the descriptions that follow, like parts are marked throughout the specification and drawings with the same numerals, respectively. The drawing figures are not necessarily drawn to scale and certain figures can be shown in exaggerated or generalized form in the interest of clarity and conciseness. The disclosure itself, however, as well as a preferred mode of use, further objects and advances thereof, will be best understood by reference to the following detailed description of illustrative embodiments when read in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.

[0010] FIG. 1 illustrates a side view of an example road paver, according to aspects of the present disclosure.

[0011] FIG. 2 illustrates a view of an example screed system of the road paver of FIG. 1, according to aspects of the present disclosure.

[0012] FIG. 3 illustrates the screed system of FIG. 2 with a housing removed, according to aspects of the present disclosure.

[0013] FIG. 4 illustrates the screed system of FIG. 2 with a housing removed, according to aspects of the present disclosure.

[0014] FIG. 5 illustrates a schematic representation of the road paver of FIG. 1, according to aspects of the present disclosure.

[0015] FIG. 6 illustrates a block diagram of a tamper bar drive subsystem of the road paver of FIG. 5, according to aspects of the present disclosure.

[0016] FIG. 7 illustrates a schematic representation of a bottom view of the road paver of FIG. 1 showing a first example of a pattern of a tamper plate and a screed plate according to aspects of the present disclosure.

[0017] FIG. 8 illustrates a detail view of a side of a screed system and a tamper bar subsystem of the road paver of FIG. 1 according to aspects of the present disclosure.

[0018] FIG. 9 illustrates another detail view of a side of a screed system and a tamper bar subsystem of the road paver of FIG. 1 according to aspects of the present disclosure.

[0019] FIG. 10 illustrates an example system diagram of various hardware components and other features for use with the road paver of FIG. 1 according to aspects of the present disclosure.

[0020] FIG. 11 shows a representative block diagram of various example system components for use with the road paver of FIG. 1 in accordance with aspects of the present disclosure.

[0021] FIG. 12 illustrates a representative bottom perspective view of various example features of the road paver of FIG. 7 including a first example pattern of the tamper plate and the screed plate according to aspects of the present disclosure.

[0022] FIG. 13 illustrates a representative bottom view of the road paver of FIG. 12 including various features of a second example pattern of the tamper plate and the screed plate according to aspects of the present disclosure.

[0023] FIG. 14 illustrates a representative bottom perspective view of the road paver of FIG. 13 showing the second example pattern of the tamper plate and the screed plate according to aspects of the present disclosure.

[0024] FIG. 15 illustrates a representative bottom view of the road paver of FIG. 14 showing a third example of a pattern of the tamper plate and the screed plate according to aspects of the present disclosure.

[0025] FIG. 16 illustrates a representative bottom perspective view of the road paver of FIG. 15 showing the third example of the pattern of the tamper plate and the screed plate according to aspects of the present disclosure.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0026] The detailed description set forth below in connection with the appended drawings is intended as a description of various configurations and is not intended to represent the only configurations in which the concepts described herein can be practiced. The detailed description includes specific details for the purpose of providing a thorough understanding of various concepts. However, it will be apparent to those skilled in the art that these concepts can be practiced without these specific details. In some instances, well known structures and components are shown in block diagram form in order to avoid obscuring such concepts.

[0027] FIGS. 1 and 2 illustrate a road paver 100 according to an aspect of the present disclosure. The road paver 100 includes a tractor 104 and a screed system 108. The tractor 104 may include a hopper, a conveyor system, and an operator cabin 112 that includes operation controls 114. The operator may use the operation controls 114 to drive the road paver 100, actuate various features of the road paver 100, and so forth. The operation controls 114 may include an operator input/output (I/O) interface 115 and the computing system 1300. The operator I/O interface 115 may include input devices such as levers, joysticks, keyboards, voice command inputs, and so forth that allow the operator to input commands or information to the road paver 100. The operator I/O interface 115 may include output devices such as screens, LED indicator lights, auditory alarms, and so forth that are configured to provide information to the operator regarding operation of the road paver 100.

[0028] The tractor 104 may be coupled to the screed system 108 via one or more tow arms 116. A hydraulic cylinder 120 may be engaged with the tow arm 116 at a tow point 130 to adjust a position of the screed system 108 relative to the surface to be paved. For example, the hydraulic cylinder 120 may be used to change an angle of attack A of a screed system 108. As used herein, the phrase angle of attack (AoA) refers to an angle between the screed plate 316 and the surface to be paved, as shown in FIG. 2. A setting pin 124 may be coupled between the tow arm 116 and the screed system 108. The setting pin 124 may be actuated by an operator (e.g., via the handle 126) to further adjust the angle A between the screed system 108 (containing one or more screed plates 316) and the surface to be paved.

[0029] During paving, the paving material 128 is fed from the hopper via the conveyor system in a direction shown by arrow 134 and deposited in front of a front end 138 of the screed system 108. The screed plate 316 of the screed system is configured to spread and compact the paving material along the surface to be paved. As shown schematically at section 128a, the paving material 128 is at its loosest (e.g., least dense, least compact, least level) proximate the front end of the screed system 108. The paving material 128 becomes less loose (e.g., denser, more compact, more level) as the screed system 108 slides over the paving material 128, as shown schematically at 128b. The paving material 128 is most compact proximate a rear end 142 of the screed system 108, as shown schematically at 128c. The angle of attack A impacts both the density and the grade of the paving material. In some aspects of the disclosure, the angle of attack A may be between 2 and 5.

[0030] As shown in FIGS. 3 and 4, the screed unit 304 may include a housing 312, a plurality of screed plates 316, a mounting plate 320 having heating elements (not shown), a plurality of pressure sensors 324, support walls 328, a support plate 332, and an indicator 336. The screed plates 316 may be configured to engage the paving material 128 dispensed from the road paver 100 to spread and level the paving material 128 along the surface to be paved. In some aspects of the disclosure, the bottom surface of the screed plates 316 (e.g., the surface configured to contact the paving material) may include a pattern or a texture (see, e.g., features 314a-314c of FIG. 14, showing protrusions, for example, mounds, hummocks, undulations, or topographical highs which progressively flatten in the road paver travel of direction, which form patterns, such as a wave form pattern, a V-shaped pattern, a block shaped pattern, a diamond shaped pattern, or a variably shaped wave pattern. In some aspects of the disclosure, the screed plates 316 include a plurality of modular individual screed plates 316a, 316b 316j, as illustrated in FIG. 3. In other aspects of the disclosure, the screed plate 316 may be a single screed plate. The mounting plate 320 having the heating elements may be coupled to the screed plate(s) 316 and is configured to heat the screed plate(s) 316. Heating a screed plate 316 prevents hot paving material from sticking to the screed plate 316 as well as maintaining a raised temperature during paving to not prematurely cool the paving material 128. In some aspects of the disclosure, the heating elements may be electric heating elements that are powered by a power source of the tractor 104. Example screed systems 108 that can be used with the road paver 100 are described in PCT Application No. PCT/US2023/065008, filed on Mar. 27, 2023, entitled Independently Adjustable Screed Plates and PCT Application No. PCT/US2022/017361, filed on Feb. 2, 2022, entitled Pressure sensor for a Screed Plate Apparatus, the entirety of both of which is hereby incorporated by reference herein in their entirety.

[0031] In some aspects, the screed system 108 further includes a tamper bar subsystem 400. As shown in FIGS. 1-2, 5 and 8-9, the tamper bar subsystem 400 may be positioned forward of the screed plate 316 in a paving direction B of the road paver 100. The tamper bar subsystem 400 includes a tamper plate 404, a tamper bar 406, and a tamper bar drive subsystem 408.

[0032] Referring now to FIGS. 6-9, the tamper plate 404 includes a first surface or tamper surface 412 configured to contact the paving material M and a second surface 416 opposite the first surface 412 configured to engage the tamper bar 406. At least a portion of the first surface 412 is configured to contact the paving material includes a horizontally extending surface. In other aspects, the first surface 412 may substantially horizontal, as shown in FIG. 7. The first surface 412 of the tamper plate 404 may include a pattern or a texture 414 (FIG. 5) of protrusions, for example, mounds, hummocks, undulations, or topographical highs which progressively flatten in the road paver travel of direction, which form patterns such as a wave form pattern, a V-shaped pattern, a block shaped pattern, diamond shape, a variably shaped wave pattern, or a combination thereof. FIGS. 7 and 12 show a bottom view and a bottom perspective view, respectively, of a first example pattern or texture 414a of the tamper plate 404 and a first example pattern 314a of the screed plate 316. FIGS. 13 and 15 show a bottom view and a bottom perspective view of a second example pattern or texture 414b, respectively, of the tamper plate 404 and a second example pattern 314b of the screed plate 316. FIGS. 15 and 16 show a bottom view and a bottom perspective view, respectively, of a third example pattern or texture 414c of the tamper plate 404 and a third example pattern 314c of the screed plate 316. In some aspects, the pattern or texture 414 may be the same as the pattern of the screed plate 316. In some aspects the pattern 414 may be different than the pattern of the screed plate 316. In some aspects, the pattern or texture 414 may be a continuation of the pattern of the screed plate 316.

[0033] In some aspects, one or more heating elements may be coupled to or in contact with the tamper plate 404, similar to the heating elements described with regard to the screed plate 316.

[0034] As shown in FIG. 9, in some aspects, a first or leading end 420 (e.g., a first edge in the direction of travel of the road paver 100) of the tamper plate 404 is curved to facilitate sliding of the paving material beneath the leading end 420 of the tamper plate 404. In such aspects, the curve flattens towards a second or lagging end 424 of the tamper plate 404. In such aspects, the portion of the tamper plate 404 is substantially flat proximate the lagging end 424 such that the lagging end 424 is co-planar with the screed plate 316. In such aspects, the leading end 420 of the tamper plate 404 curvably extends from the horizontally extending portion of the tamper surface 412.

[0035] As shown in FIG. 6, the tamper bar drive subsystem 408 includes a motor 428 and a drive train system 432. Referring now to FIG. 5, the tamper bar drive subsystem 408 is coupled to the tamper bar 406 and configured to move the tamper bar subsystem 400 independently of the screed system 108. The tamper bar drive subsystem 408 is configured to actuate the tamper bar subsystem 408 in a direction which is non-parallel to the paving direction shown by arrow B of the paving system 100 to pre-compact the paving material before the paving material contacts the screed plate 316 for further compaction, for example. For example, in some aspects, the tamper bar drive subsystem 408 is configured to actuate the tamper bar subsystem 400 in a direction substantially transverse to the paving direction B, as shown by the arrow A. The tamper bar drive subsystem 408 may actuate the tamper bar 406 between a first position adjacent the paving material and a second position above the paving material. The second position may be a distance D above the first position. The distance D may be interchangeably referred to herein as a stroke length. Repeatedly actuating the tamper bar 406 between the first position and the second position, for example, pre-compacts the paving material, increasing the density of the paving material. Pre-compaction of the paving material helps the pre-compacted paving material be pushed under the screed plate 316 instead of being pushed forward by the screed plate 316. In some aspects, the tamper bar 406 may be actuated at a frequency of about 500 rotations per minute (rpm) to about 1800 rpm. In some aspects, the frequency may be determined based on a desired speed of the paver 100. For example, the frequency may be determined such that the paving material will be pre-compacted before it contacts the screed plate 316 at the speed at a desired speed of the road paver. In some aspects, the speed of the road paver 100 may be determined based on the frequency of the tamper bar 406. For example, the speed of the road paver 100 may be determined so that the paving material will be pre-compacted before it contacts the screed plate 316 when the tamper bar 406 is actuated at a desired frequency.

[0036] In some aspects, the distance D may be determined based on a desired AoA of the screed plate 316. For example, the distance D may be established such that actuation of the tamper bar 406 reduces a height of the paving material deposited in front of the screed system 108 such that the height of the pre-compacted paving material near the front end of the screed plate 316 is the substantially the same or smaller than the height H of the front end of the screed plate 316 above the compacted paving material when the screed plate 316 is at the target AoA. This may help maintain the screed plate 316 at the target AoA during compaction.

[0037] In some aspects, the distance D may be about 2 mm to about 7 mm. In some aspects, the distance D may be continuously adjustable between about 2 mm to about 7 mm. In some aspects the distance D may be set at discrete increments such as, for example about 2 mm, about 4 mm, and about 7 mm. In some aspects, the distance D may be determined based on the desired compacted thickness of the paving material. For example, a distance D of about 4 mm may be used paving material that will have a compacted mat thickness of about 3 to about 4.

[0038] Compaction of the paving material by the tamper bar 406 can be advantageous for paving thicker mats of paving material. For example, thicker mats of paving material may include mats having a compacted depth of about 3 inches (in.) to a compacted depth of about 10 in. The amount uncompacted paving material required to provide a thick mat of compacting paving material is typically not dense enough to be laid at such thicknesses by a paver that did not have a tamper bar system because the screed would get stuck. However, the compaction provided by the tamper bar 406 increases the density of the paving material such that it can be compacted by the screed system 108.

[0039] In some aspects, the tamper bar drive subsystem 408 is configured to selectively vibrate the tamper bar subsystem 400. In some aspects, the tamper bar drive subsystem 408 is configured to simultaneously actuate the tamper bar subsystem 400 in the direction substantially transverse to the paving direction and vibrate the tamper bar subsystem 400. In some aspects, movement between the first position and the second position is at least partially in a direction perpendicular to the horizontally extending portion of the first surface 412 of the tamper plate 404.

[0040] The tamper bar drive subsystem 408 may be controlled by the computing system 1300 or by another onboard controller. The computing system 1000 is configured to actuate the tamper bar subsystem 400 to compact the paving material before the paving material contacts the screed plate 316, which increases the density of the paving material contacted by the screed plate 316.

[0041] In some aspects, the computing system 1300 may be configured to receive information indicative of a material property of the paving material. In some aspects, the computing system 1000 may be configured to determine the material property of the paving material based on data received from one more sensors, for example, pressure sensors. In some aspects, the computing system 1000 may be configured to receive the information indicative of the material property of the paving material via the I/O interface 115. In some aspects, the material property of the paving material may include a density of the paving material, a stiffness of the paving material, an aggregate size of the material and so forth. For example, the computing system 1300 may be configured to determine the density of the paving material based on a pressure sensed by the pressure sensors 324. For example, the computing system 1300 may be configured to determine the density of the paving material based on a lookup table storing correlation data for pressure and density. In some aspects, the computing system 1300 may be configured to determine the distance D based on the material property of the paving material. In other aspects, the operator of the paving system 100 may set distance D manually or via the operator I/O interface 115.

[0042] In some aspects, the computing system 1000 may be configured to receive information indicative of a material property of the paving material. In some aspects, the material property of the paving material may include a density of the paving material and so forth. In some aspects, the computing system 1300 may be configured to determine an amount, a rate, and/or a duration of the vibrations of the tamper plate 404 based on the material property of the paving material. In some aspects, the computing system 1300 may be configured to control the distance D and the amount of pressure applied by the tamper bar 406 to the paving material such that a density of the pre-compacted paving material is not more than 90%, for example, of a target density for the mat of compacted paving material produced by the screed plate 316. In some aspects, the computing system 1300 may be configured to control the distance D and the amount of pressure applied by the tamper bar 406 to the paving material to maintain a positive AoA of the screed plate 316.

[0043] Aspects of the disclosure may be implemented using hardware, software, or a combination thereof and may be implemented in one or more computer systems or other processing systems. In one aspect, the disclosure is directed toward one or more computer systems capable of carrying out the functionality described herein. FIG. 10 presents an example system diagram of various hardware components and other features that may be used in accordance with aspects of the disclosure. Aspects of the disclosure may be implemented using hardware, software, or a combination thereof and may be implemented in one or more computer systems or other processing systems. In one example variation, aspects of the disclosure are directed toward one or more computer systems capable of carrying out the functionality described herein. An example of such a computer system 1000 is shown in FIG. 10. In some aspects of the disclosure, the computer system 1000 may be positioned in the operator cabin 112. In some aspects of the disclosure, the computer system 1000 may be positioned within the screed system 108.

[0044] The computer system 1000 includes one or more processors, such as a processor 1000. The processor 1004 is connected to a communication infrastructure 1006 (e.g., a communications bus, cross-over bar, or network). Various software aspects are described in terms of this example computer system. After reading this description, it will become apparent to a person skilled in the relevant art(s) how to implement aspects of the disclosure using other computer systems and/or architectures.

[0045] The computer system 1000 may include a display interface 1002 that forwards graphics, text, and other data from the communication infrastructure 1006 (or from a frame buffer not shown) for display on a display unit 1030. The computer system 1000 also includes a main memory 1008, preferably random-access memory (RAM), and may also include a secondary memory 1010. The secondary memory 1010 may include, for example, a hard disk drive 1012 and/or a removable storage drive 1014, representing a floppy disk drive, a magnetic tape drive, an optical disk drive, etc. The removable storage drive 1014 reads from and/or writes to a removable storage unit 1018 in a well-known manner. The removable storage unit 1018, represents a floppy disk, magnetic tape, optical disk, etc., which is read by and written to removable storage drive 1014. As will be appreciated, the removable storage unit 1018 includes a computer usable storage medium having stored therein computer software and/or data.

[0046] In alternative aspects, the secondary memory 1010 may include other similar devices for allowing computer programs or other instructions to be loaded into computer system 1300. Such devices may include, for example, a removable storage unit 1022 and an interface 1020. Examples of such may include a program cartridge and cartridge interface (such as that found in video game devices), a removable memory chip (such as an erasable programmable read only memory (EPROM), or programmable read only memory (PROM)) and associated socket, and other removable storage units 1022 and interfaces 1002, which allow software and data to be transferred from the removable storage unit 1022 to the computer system 1000.

[0047] The computer system 1000 may also include a communications interface 1024. The communications interface 1024 allows software and data to be transferred between the computer system 1000 and external devices. Examples of the communications interface 1024 may include a modem, a network interface (such as an Ethernet card), a communications port, a Personal Computer Memory Card International Association (PCMCIA) slot and card, etc. Software and data transferred via the communications interface 1024 are in the form of signals 1028, which may be electronic, electromagnetic, optical or other signals capable of being received by the communications interface 1024. These signals 1028 are provided to the communications interface 1024 via a communications path (e.g., channel) 1026. This path 1026 carries signals 1028 and may be implemented using wire or cable, fiber optics, a telephone line, a cellular link, a radio frequency (RF) link and/or other communications channels. In this document, the terms computer program medium and computer usable medium are used to refer generally to media such as a removable storage drive 1080, a hard disk installed in the hard disk drive 1070, and signals 1028. These computer program products provide software to the computer system 1000. Aspects of the disclosure are directed to such computer program products.

[0048] Computer programs (also referred to as computer control logic) are stored in the main memory 1008 and/or the secondary memory 1010. Computer programs may also be received via the communications interface 1024. Such computer programs, when executed, enable the computer system 1000 to perform various features in accordance with aspects of the disclosure, as discussed herein. In particular, the computer programs, when executed, enable the processor 1004 to perform such features. Accordingly, such computer programs represent controllers of the computer system 1000.

[0049] In variations where aspects of the disclosure are implemented using software, the software may be stored in a computer program product and loaded into the computer system 1000 using the removable storage drive 1014, the hard drive 1012, or the communications interface 1020. The control logic (software), when executed by the processor 1004, causes the processor 1004 to perform the functions in accordance with aspects of the disclosure as described herein. In another variation, aspects are implemented primarily in hardware using, for example, hardware components, such as application specific integrated circuits (ASICs). Implementation of the hardware state machine so as to perform the functions described herein will be apparent to persons skilled in the relevant art(s).

[0050] In yet another example variation, aspects of the disclosure are implemented using a combination of both hardware and software.

[0051] FIG. 11 is a block diagram of various example system components for use in accordance with embodiments of the present disclosure. FIG. 11 shows a communication system 1100 usable in accordance with embodiments described herein. The communication system 1100 may include one or more users 1160, 1162 and one or more terminals 1142, 1166. For example, terminals 1142, 1166 may include the control system 1120 or a related system, and/or the like. In one embodiment, data for use in accordance with embodiments described herein is, for example, input and/or accessed by users 1160, 1162 via terminals 1142, 1166, such as personal computers (PCs), minicomputers, mainframe computers, microcomputers, telephonic devices, or wireless devices, such as personal digital assistants (PDAs) or a hand-held wireless devices coupled to a server 1143, such as a PC, minicomputer, mainframe computer, microcomputer, or other device having a processor and a repository for data and/or connection to a repository for data, via, for example, a network 1144, such as the Internet or an intranet, and couplings 1145, 1146, 1164. The couplings 1145, 1146, 1164 include, for example, wired, wireless, or fiberoptic links. In another example variation, the method and system in accordance with embodiments described herein operate in a stand-alone environment, such as on a single terminal.

[0052] The previous description is provided to enable any person skilled in the art to practice the various aspects described herein. Various modifications to these aspects will be readily apparent to those skilled in the art, and the generic principles defined herein may be applied to other aspects. Thus, the claims are not intended to be limited to the aspects shown herein but is to be accorded the full scope consistent with the language claims, wherein reference to an element in the singular is not intended to mean one and only one unless specifically so stated, but rather one or more. Unless specifically stated otherwise, the term some refers to one or more. All structural and functional equivalents to the elements of the various aspects described herein that are known or later come to be known to those of ordinary skill in the art are expressly incorporated herein by reference and are intended to be encompassed by the claims. Moreover, nothing disclosed herein is intended to be dedicated to the public regardless of whether such disclosure is explicitly recited in the claims. No claim element is to be construed as a means plus function unless the element is expressly recited using the phrase means for.