Abstract: A device for covering a surface includes a laminated assembly and a flexible carrier layer. The laminated assembly includes a first adhesive layer, a substrate layer, a second adhesive layer, and a finish layer. The first adhesive layer is disposed on a first side of the substrate layer for use in bonding the laminated assembly to an underlying surface. The second adhesive layer is disposed on a second side of the substrate layer and between the substrate layer and the finish layer. At least one of the substrate layer and the finish layer of the laminated assembly is divided into discontinuous segments. The carrier layer is bonded to the finish layer by a third adhesive layer. The carrier layer and the third adhesive layer are configured to retain the discontinuous segments in a fixed arrangement. The third adhesive layer is configured to cleanly detach from the finish layer by peeling.

Abstract: A device includes a substrate (20), a first adhesive (33), and a carrier layer (50). The substrate has a finish layer (40). The substrate has sufficient flexibility to allow manual rolling and to allow manual unrolling without damage. The substrate has a plurality of discontinuous segments (70A, 70B, 70C). The first adhesive is disposed on an opposing side of the finish layer. The first adhesive is configured for pressure sensitive bonding. The first adhesive has a release characteristic such that the substrate can be bonded and disbonded relative to a substantially planar surface and incur no damage. The carrier layer (50) is bonded to the finish layer by a second adhesive (55). The second adhesive is configured to retain the plurality of discontinuous segments infixed spatial alignment. The second adhesive is configured to cleanly disbond from the finish layer by manual peeling.

Abstract: A haptic switch can be used to control one or more display screens. In an example embodiment, the haptic switch takes the form of a flooring sample—such as a sample piece or swatch of a flooring material, for example, ceramic tile, wood, or carpet—that is affixed or otherwise mechanically coupled to an electronic sensor, such as a proximity sensor, a touch sensor, or a pressure sensor. The haptic switch is communicatively coupled to a machine, and the machine stores or is otherwise able to access a database that correlates the haptic switch or its included flooring sample to corresponding texture map data that depicts the flooring sample. The haptic switch is thus usable to select its corresponding texture map data and cause the machine to use the selected texture map data in generating video content and displaying the generated video content on one or more display screens.

Abstract: A device includes a substrate (20), a first adhesive (33), and a carrier layer (50). The substrate has a finish layer (40). The substrate has sufficient flexibility to allow manual rolling and to allow manual unrolling without damage. The substrate has a plurality of discontinuous segments (70A, 70B, 70C). The first adhesive is disposed on an opposing side of the finish layer. The first adhesive is configured for pressure sensitive bonding. The first adhesive has a release characteristic such that the substrate can be bonded and disbonded relative to a substantially planar surface and incur no damage. The carrier layer (50) is bonded to the finish layer by a second adhesive (55). The second adhesive is configured to retain the plurality of discontinuous segments infixed spatial alignment. The second adhesive is configured to cleanly disbond from the finish layer by manual peeling.

Abstract: A haptic switch can be used to control one or more display screens. In an example embodiment, the haptic switch takes the form of a flooring sample—such as a sample piece or swatch of a flooring material, for example, ceramic tile, wood, or carpet—that is affixed or otherwise mechanically coupled to an electronic sensor, such as a proximity sensor, a touch sensor, or a pressure sensor. The haptic switch is communicatively coupled to a machine, and the machine stores or is otherwise able to access a database that correlates the haptic switch or its included flooring sample to corresponding texture map data that depicts the flooring sample. The haptic switch is thus usable to select its corresponding texture map data and cause the machine to use the selected texture map data in generating video content and displaying the generated video content on one or more display screens.

Abstract: An I/O control window is created on a user's terminal screen when a parallel program is executing. The I/O control window displays an array of graphical elements (preferably small colored squares), which are partitioned into groups of one or more such elements, each partition representing a task (or thread) of the parallel program. In each partition there is one graphical element which represents the I/O status of the task or thread represented by that partition and is called an I/O status indicator. Each I/O status indicator is capable of assuming any one of several different graphical states (each graphical state preferably being a color for the graphical element), one of which indicates that the corresponding task or thread has provided text output that has not been displayed to the user yet and another of which indicates that the corresponding task (or thread) is requesting text input from the user.