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81Re: Post-Pennsic notes
Expand Messages
- Aug 23, 2007The only problem I saw was people who wanted to play a game in the
tent while a class was being taught.
You had some LARGE classes this year - a great turnout on the 2 I
managed to attend and it was hard to find a seat or table space to
take notes because some of the gamers had to almost be forced to
I'll be ready to teach next Pennsic and I'd love to see a larger,
tent, one that you can set up a section for players and one for
Loved the classes and the friendly help I got when I had questions!
Great Job and looking forward to next year.
Keely the Tinker
--- In email@example.com, "Mike Knauer" <mike@...> wrote:
> Greetings!
> Another Pennsic is over and the Games Tent continues to be a
> stop for many people. We held 18 classes, taught by seven
> teachers, most all of whom have taught at the Tent before. We also
> held an afternoon of Go on Friday, which I think went over very
> If we don't fill all our class slots next year, we should probably
> consider putting it on the schedule right from the start.
> Does anyone have any thoughts on what went right, what went wrong,
> what they'd like to see different next year?
> I'm going to continue to request a 20' x 30' tent, and I'm going to
> make sure we get 4 tables and 32 chairs right from the start.
> Anything else we should pass along to the higher ups?
> Should we shift the hours to 10 - 6? (Currently we post them as 9-
> As always, we could use more volunteers and teachers, but that
will be
> best worked on next spring.
> In Service,
> Michel Wolffauer
- << Previous post in topic Next post in topic >>


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four'-let•ter word'
Pronunciation: (fôr'let"ur, fōr'-), Strict Standards: Non-static method FenSites::linkTo() should not be called statically in /site/html/dictionary/four-letter-word.html on line 73 [key]
1. any of a number of short words, usually of four letters, considered offensive or vulgar because of their reference to excrement or sex.
2. any word, typically of four letters, that represents something forbidden, disliked, or regarded with extreme distaste: In the dieter's vocabulary, "cake" is a four-letter word.
Random House Unabridged Dictionary, Copyright © 1997, by Random House, Inc., on Infoplease.
See also:

subset: commoncrawl


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Wawa Day: Free Coffee Any Size April 16th
Wawa Day Wawa day is quickly approaching. What is Wawa Day? It's a day to celebrate all Wawa Associates and their customers with free coffee any size, all day. Yes, that's right- FREE coffee- ANY size, ALL day! What a treat! May sure you stop by Wawa on April 16th to get your java fix, […]Read More


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Tomatoes--lean,mean growing machine recipe
I got this from a friend a few years ago and it really works, believe it or not.
1/4 cup of fish emulsion
1/2 tbsp whiskey
2 tbsp. epsom salts
2 tbsp instant tea
1 tbsp baby shampoo
Put in hose-end sprayer. Apply tonic to tomatoes to the point of run-off to turn them into lean, mean growing machines!! I do it every time I need to feed them. I have no idea why it works but it does. I wish I had pics to send, maybe this year.
Substitute molasses for baby shampoo and it will be better yet. Use a couple tablespoons mixed with warm water to thin before adding. Baby shampoo is used as a spreader/sticker while the molasses will do the same thing and give more to your plants. I doubt the whiskey does much of anything at the dilution it comes out of the hose end sprayer. Interesting recipe though. Ami
Why would molassas (mostly suger) act as a wetting agent? Is it the suger or something else? I'm trying to learn here because I mix up a foliar spray and use a commercial spreader sticker which is so powerful it clogs up my sprayer
while doing what it is supposed to do. It is also difficult to impossible to remove from the tomatoes if sprayed anywhere near harvest time.
Another question for you. You do a lot with container growing, I'm going to try 7 this year in addition to my regular garden. Can I expect a reduction in foliage deseases on the container grown plants, or do I need to give them the same spray treatments I do the garden plants?
Ask and ye shall receive. Here is an excellent piece on molasses from our cannabis friends. As far as growing in containers or hydroponicaly, they get into it deep using organic or inorganic ferts. Check out some of their forums as there is a lot of good information to be had on growing in general.
Your second question. Use a good soiless mix for your containers and when planting out use Actinovate and Mycorrhizae sprinkled on the root ball or in the hole. Will not only assist in soil borne disease prevention but will enhance the nutrient uptake of your plants. You can also add the Actinovate to your tonic and you will have a disease preventative as well. If you wish to use the mycorrhizae keep the Phosphorous (P) to 3 or lower. I use BioBizz Bio-Grow which has an NPK of 8-2-6 here in Europe. The USA version is 2.0-0.1-7.0.
I basically treat my container plants the same as the ones in the ground as far as disease prevention and foliar applications. As far as fertilization and watering routines there is differences between the two. I hope I answered your questions and if you have any more feel free to ask. Ami
Here is a link that might be useful: Molasses
Great balls of fire, that is some dissertation on molasses!
Brer rabbit, here I come.
Thanks very much for comments. I have looked for Actinovate but so far have been unable to locate a reasonably priced
"gardener" sized source. Will keep looking.
I have been using Daconil alternated with Mancozeb for Early Blight control for several years. I also add some potassium bicarbonate to the mix. It about half works and I have to cut off the Mancozeb as soon as I see some ripening begin.
I wonder if the molasses will act a bit like a sticker. Perhaps once the sun has baked it out it might work to some extent. Let it dry on a dish and it's tough to wash off!
Larry, TCS Hydroponics sell 2oz package of Actinovate for $19.95 and thats about as cheap as it gets. A little goes along way. Last year I grew 40 plants and 2oz was enough for the initial plant out innoculation and susequent foliar applications for the whole season. And it's organic. Ami
A neat trick to keep your compost teas from clogging up the tips of applicators is to strain it. I use the 5 gallon paint strainers you find in the paint dept.
I add all of the solids into the strainer and tie it up.
Might work in your circumstance larryw.
edna1, If the 1/4 cup of emulsion is undiluted that could be in itself the reason you see such result.
Epsom would really only be needed should your soil require it,........another possibility.
Whiskey and tea might aid in the systemic delivery, and the oil as a sticker as previously noted.
Glad it works for you!!:)
Molasses or honey acts as an activator or more precicely food for the microherd in a compost environment. I wonder how this would benefit as a foliar, perhaps it helps in the drench.
Well, I ordered the Actinovate. Lordy, that really hurt this poor scottsman! 2 oz for $28.00 delivered. Silver now goes for about $13.50 per ounce so maybe, if it works, it will be worth the price. After all, beer runs $16 per case
and so we got about a case and a half invested here.
I hope instructions are included. I'm doing 52 tomatoes in the ground this year (in two gardens 13 miles apart) and 6 in containers. One more container will house a pepper plant.
I also have 4 ounces of Mycorrhizal fungi for veggies which I got from Fungi Perfecti in California. Will the Actinovate kill that if both are used as a root drench or should they both go into the planting hole?
I am really not too comfortable with all this organic fringe stuff, and need some knowledgeable guidance. Great balls of fire, I feel like I'm playing with some kind of evil alchemie!
Larry, the Actinovate and Myco work together. The first year I sprinkled a pinch of each in the planting hole, set the plant in the hole and covered with aggregate. Last year I used CowPots and soaked the pot and plant in a solution of Actinovate and water in a bucket for 30 seconds, removed and sprinkled the mycorrhizae on the side of the wet pot and planted. Nice thing about CowPots there is no transplant shock as the pot decomposes while feeding the plant.
Nothing mystical about organics. Just remember when using ferts make sure The Phosphorous (P) on the NPK is not any higher than 3 or 4 as High Phosphorous will kill the beneficial Bacteria in the mycorrhiza.
During the season I used T&J Enerprises Microbe Tea which I added Actinovate to prior to the brew process and when finished I applied to the plants with a hose end sprayer as a fungicide and foliar feed for the plants.Ami


text:
Release Date:
July 10, 2012
Date Published:
July 10, 2012
New York Times bestselling author Linda Fairstein returns with a ripped-from-the-headlines thriller that takes Alexandra Cooper into the dark underside of New York City's most storied restaurants and a murder case spanning continents.
In her thirteen bestsellers, Linda Fairstein has taken millions of fans inside sinister worlds that most of us can't even imagine. Thanks to her extensive experience as a New York City prosecutor, she creates situations that are stunning for both their compulsive readability and their authenticity. Taking Alexandra Cooper into the fascinating world of New York City's most beloved and storied restaurants, Night Watch continues her tradition of breathtaking suspense storytelling.
Forty-eight hours after Alexandra Cooper arrives in France to visit her boyfriend and famed restaurateur, Luc Rouget, her vacation in paradise is cut short when a young woman from the village is found murdered. The only evidence discovered on the body is one of Luc's matchboxes promoting his new restaurant in New York. But before the investigation begins, Alex is summoned back to New York to handle a high profile case.
Mohammed Gil-Darsin, the distinguished and wealthy Head of the World Economic Bureau, has been arrested and accused of attacking a maid in his hotel. As the world watches in fascination to see how the scandal will unfold, Alex finds her attention torn between preparing the alleged victim to testify and a murder case with ties too close to home. A second body is found with Luc's matchbox—this time in Brooklyn—and Alex begins to fear that the two cases may not be as unrelated as she thought, and that uncovering the sordid secrets of the city's most wealthy and powerful could cost her and her loved ones everything they hold dear.
- Genre: Action + Thrillers, Fiction + Literature Themes, Fiction + Literature Genres
- Publisher: Penguin Group (USA) Incorporated
- Pages: 416
other Info.
- Online Item #: 14171649
- Store Item Number (DPCI): 247-07-4612
- Made in the USA and Imported


text:
What are your thoughts....
Comments (7)
SAHM to Charlotte (11/28/08) & Joseph (6/15/12)
Wife to Carlos (married 5/25/02)
Missing our Munchkin (lost on 8/8/11)
They sound like *ungrateful assholes. Don't get involved in their drama. If you offered up the RV and they said no because of lack of space then that's on them.
Refer him to a shelter.
Texas mom
Adore me
OP, I wouldn't let him near my house again. He sounds unhinged as well as entitled.
A+B=C(6/2012) Baby Boy#2 due 4/10/15
Practicing Reiki Mama!
If I ever get real rich, I hope I'm not real mean to poor people, like I am now ~Jack Handey
Its DH brother. We came here hoping to "be a family". Like cook-outs, board games, watching movies together, going to the gym. Our daughter could get to know his side of the family. It doesn't feel like that. It felt like we came to be a family and he wanted us to come so we could chaperone his wife and bail him out when he needs it.
M + K (Est. 2006) = L (06/16/2012) R (06/19/2014)


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Progress Energy reaches deal on rate increaseSubmitted by WWAY on Fri, 03/01/2013 - 3:08pm.READ MORE:
It looks like power rates are going up for a lot of people in southeastern North Carolina. Progress Energy Carolinas says it has reached an agreement with the North Carolina Utilities Commission Public Staff to raise its rates as early as this summer. Full story...»
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ONLY ON 3: Family says Progress Energy work led to $10,000 worth of damage, billsSubmitted by Marissa Jasek on Thu, 01/19/2012 - 12:45am.READ MORE:
A Wrightsville Beach couple says Progress Energy owes them thousands of dollars after a project to put in new lines went wrong. The couple claims the drilling hit a water line, and they were forced to pay to have it fixed. A waterline leak and thousands of dollars later, Brooke and Jeff Richardson want Progress Energy to own up to its mistake. Full story...»
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$3,353.26 Water BillSubmitted by John Rendleman on Sun, 08/10/2008 - 10:25pm.READ MORE:
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Cape Fear Public Utility Authority begins serviceSubmitted by WWAY on Tue, 07/01/2008 - 4:59pm.READ MORE:
After more than 10 years of planning, New Hanover County and Wilmington's water and sewer systems have officially merged to become the Cape Fear Public Utility Authority. Full story...»


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Very interesting and very well written article! I enjoyed reading it; thank you.
Glad you enjoyed it. Karl is a very modest person who deserves more recognition for his great contributions to diving.
Nice article. I remember seeing a friend showing us an Orca about 1988 -89? It was at least 12 years before I began diving. I liked the way it displayed the compartments. It was very impressive.
Thank you for your kind words!
Very nice.There's been a lot of quiet pioneers whose works have improved both the quality and safety of diving by such work as Karl's, which made "non-military/commercial" (ie, non-square) dive profiles much more practical for the recreational diver in particular. And for the armchair historian, there's a lot more dive history to go delve into.I still have my old EDGE at home ... I'll have to go put a fresh 9V battery in it to see that it still is kicking. Perhaps I'll take it along on my next dive trip just to have fun with the Divemasters with it ...and if someone were to duplicate the EDGE's "Bar Chart" interface, I'd do what I told ORCA/EIT's Phillip May (RIP) many years ago: I'd buy what we called an "Edge-II" in a heartbeat. Its GUI is really a great illustration of the status of the controlling compartments, and nearly the perfect UI for the knowledgable diver to apply.-hh
Some of the other "quiet pioneers" are:
Bob Stinton, at DUI, who has done the grunt work on DUI's dry suits
Pete Ryan, at Kirby Morgan, who did most of the engineering work on the EXO mask and many Kirby Morgan helmets
Jerry Peck, the chief engineer at Ocean Technology Systems, who has developed most of their electronics
All of these guys deserve way more recognition than they have received.
Nice job, Steve. Karl certainly is a modest man who has done much to promote safer diving.
Thank you, Dr. Bill!
Awesome article Steve!It is great to know more about the men who have shaped modern diving. Thanks!!!
Many thanks for your kind words.
Great information as most of us know the unit, but not the man behind it. Where would be without Karl's invention? Thanks for keeping us informed about our diving history.
Nice work Steve.
Steve, thanks for the article and for giving Karl some well-deserved attention. Nice work.
Thank you!'
To clarify, the EDGE was not my invention, I helped develop it. It was the brainchild of Craig Barshinger who founded Orca Industries and pulled the team together to develop his idea into the EDGE. Without Craig the EDGE never would have happened and the Swiss Table reading Decobrain would have been the only dive computer available in the early 1980s. FYI: Craig is now Senator Barshinger, Senator at Large for the US Virgin Islands.
Originally Posted by Blair Mott
Great information as most of us know the unit, but not the man behind it. Where would be without Karl's invention? Thanks for keeping us informed about our diving history.
Originally Posted by Steve Barsky
Glad you enjoyed it. Karl is a very modest person who deserves more recognition for his great contributions to diving.
So True! Thank you, Steve, for a well written story that needed to be told. Excellent! Thanks to Karl for.... well, for a very long list of enhancements to our wonderful world of diving.
Steve and Karl, thank you for the article. As a "vintage diver," I've just recently gotten into diving with a computer. It's great to hear about its development. And Karl, thank you for mentioning Craig Barshinger. I looked up his profile here. Now I keep wondering about what my life would have been like had I taken a NAUI Instructor position in the U.S. Virgin Islands in about 1978? Well, we can all do that, and I would not trade what I've experienced for that, but those little decisions make a vast difference in what we do. Thanks for the information.
Karl continues to contribute to diving all the time. This month he traveled to Kwajalein Island to put on an Emergency Dive Accident Management course. He also lectured to the dive boat captains in So Cal this past week.
Ah, the Edge! I had one of those!! Had all the Orca computers, and now, I dive Cochran exclusively. Computers have come such a long way!! As we all have I suppose!
Yes, we used all the Orca computers, too (and have a couple Kristine still has stashed away). We've also used Scubapro, AquaLung, Cochran, and currently Oceanic.
Hi everyone. If you are New Jersey or NYC based, there are a few spots left in the Workshops at Beneath the Sea.
[COLOR=#333333]More info here:...
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Prices reduced on all dive lights!!!!!
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Crime City Questions, Answers, Hints, Screenshots, Cheats. (Android)
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We have 74 questions and 536 answers for this game. See if your question has already been asked or ask your own to get the exact game help you need for Crime City.
If you think you are great at Crime City then test your knowledge by trying to answer the questions asked by our members, and help them out at the same time!
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Expect an increase in county property tax bill
Taxes for most homeowners are set to increase by an average of 4.4 percent. That owes largely to the fact that voters approved five of six tax proposals on the ballot in 2013. The new levies apply to emergency medical services, a hospital district and a school district.
The exceptions are Darrington and Index, where average property tax bills are set to drop. Those are also the only two places in the county where assessed home values fell during the 2014 tax year. Property tax bills in Granite Falls also show a slight average decrease, though by less than a half-percent.
The total value of taxable property for Snohomish County increased more than 9 percent in 2014 to $79.4 billion, from $72.6 billion last year.
For more information, go to www.snohomishcountywa.gov/Treasurer
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Sprint Hero Getting 2.1 "First Week of May"
The highly anticipated 2.1 update for the HTC Hero on Sprint's network has been rumored with various rollout dates for months now. We received an email today from a follower who went straight to the carrier and asked about the 2.1 he was expecting today. According to the representative ...Read More


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Salt Lake City Babysitters
Select from 903 babysitters in Salt Lake City, UT. Average Salt Lake City babysitting pay rate: $10.25/hr. Share this rate with friends.
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5 Ways to Adapt Fund-Raising in 2010
It's still hard out there for those of us who raise funds for ministry. This is definitely a sink-or-swim time.
What worked in the '90s or the early '00s won't work now. We need to adapt to the financial environment. Even if you believe "the money's still out there" and "God owns the cattle on a thousand hills"–both true, of course–unemployment and general belt-tightening is at least the perception-that-has-become-reality in the minds of our donors/potential donors.
While I grant that we're not in the same position as other non-profit fields, we can certainly learn from what they're going through and how they're adapting. The Chronicle of Higher Ed posted a piece today on how bleak the outlook is for those in academia. For example, Dartmouth just commenced layoffs/downsizing in light of a $100 million budget gap. While most of us in ministry–at least me–aren't anywhere near those figures, we should pay attention to the response.
Here's 5 ways I'm reconfiguring my support-raising strategy:
1) Go BIG for new donors. Pitch a big vision, and a big dream, to bigger, higher capacity donors. How do you find them? Ask your 10 biggest donors for 3-5 names. This means tightening up your vision & plans.
2) Don't prioritize the "new small." Simply put, getting the $100 one-time can be too costly in terms of opportunity-cost. Unless that's all you need to get over the hump.
3) Maintain your base. Work hard at communicating with and cultivating your current donors.
4) Look for increases from within your base. Who knows you best? Who has a track record for faithful giving? Who cares about your ministry? That's right, your current donors. Focus on the top 10-20 people who could increase their giving. Many of them know that fellow givers are struggling, and should be well-acquainted with your need. The advantage with existing donors is that you don't have to invest near as much time building relationship and credibility.
5) Don't shy away from networking & cultivating new contacts. When you're not looking for donors, someone else is.
February 18, 2010 2:12 pm
I work in Orange County with the Epic Movement (www.epicmovement.com), serving Asian American college students there. I am in the process of raising my initial support and am a little more than halfway there, so this was a good reminder.
I also really appreciated your earlier suggestions about including a monthly calendar/ schedule for my supporters. That was huge.
praying for your support!


text:
Bubbles In Trouble
By Sarah Strohmeyer
(Signet, Mass Market Paperback, 9780451208507, 336pp.)
Publication Date: July 1, 2003
Shop Local
Enter your zip code below to find indies closest to you.
New troubles for Bubbles: Her friend, bride-to-be Janice, never showed up at the altar, and everybody's blaming Bubbles for singing Lynyrd Skynyrd's "Free Bird" at the bachelorette party the night before. Now Bubbles has just found Janice's uncle Elwood dead on his bathroom floor-his skull bashed in and his Rolls Royce missing. The baffling murder could be her Big Break as Bubbles goes deep undercover in Whoopee, Pennsylvania (located between Intercourse and Paradise) as a "plain girl from Ohio" boarding with a local Amish family. That means no spandex, no showers, and...no makeup. When she's not helping out on the farm, Bubbles searches for clues-with the usual hilarious results.
Sarah Strohmeyer is the bestselling author of Sweet Love, The Cinderella Pact, The Sleeping Beauty Proposal, The Secret Lives of Fortunate Wives, and the popular "Bubbles" series. She lives with her family outside Montpelier, Vermont.
"[She's] bright, slightly trashy, [and] outrageously funny."- St. Petersburg Times
"[She] smacks you with humor as broad as a whoopee pie in the kisser." -Kirkus Reviews


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Is this salvia...???
What is this? Its an old pic. Plant died for no reason. Would like another one.
Babera....the one in middle with one red flower on it....had just planted (whenever that was) and was just coming into bloom. And thanx for compliment.
Danita....I seem to remember the word 'Flame' being in name.
Are they hard to grow? It never took off that year and didn't come back the next.
Salvia greggii are actually very easy to grow if you give them sun and good drainage. The good drainage factor is especially important in the winter. Last summer, I lost several that I've had for years due to the non-stop rain. The ones that survived had exceptionally good drainage.
Since you are on the coast you may also have even higher humidity than I do, which wouldn't be to its liking. You may want to try Salvia microphylla instead which seems to be more humidity tolerant. Salvia microphylla and Salvia greggii are very closely related and interbreed easily so many plants on the market are hybrids between the two. The flowers look identical but the leaves are slightly different. Nurseries seem to constantly mislabel the microphyllas as greggiis which doesn't help matters. A few of the cultivars that are easier to find are Salvia microphylla 'Hot Lips' and the 'Heatwave' series of S. microphylla hybrids. Of the Heatwave series, I like my 'Blaze' and 'Blast' the best. I actually bought mine at Lowe's and saw them there last year, too.
They are great, long-blooming plants and the hummingbirds love them! :)


text:
Girl Scout Troop 349 donates to food shelf
Girl Scout Troop 349 donated 260 pounds of food to the Douglas County Food Shelf in February. Troop 349 is a multi-age troop of Daisies, Brownies, Juniors and Cadettes, girls age kindergarten through 8th grade. There are 35 girls in the troop from Miltona, Parkers Prairie, Garfield, Carlos, Osakis and Alexandria.
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text:
Rabbit Hash Kentucky
This sleeply tiny town on the banks of the Ohio is a great place to get away. The curvey, hilly roads make the Rabbit Hash a popular desitnation for motorcyclist. On the weekend with warm weather, bikers will flow though the town throughout the day.
The General Store is a cool old building with a cold beverage waiting, or maybe some homemade deer jerky. Often there is local band playing some bluegrass.
- Family Travel
A visit to Mt. Adams. It is a...
A visit to Mt. Adams. It is a scenic area just east of downtown Cincinnati with views of the Ohio river and the downtown area. Beautiful older homes, a park, the Art museum, a Play house and many uniques bars, restaurants and shops are concentrated in a 5 block area. Great place to enjoy and afternoon or an evening.
Check out the web sites:
remains of Crosley Field
After a fire burned down the elegant Palace of the Fans; a place that, judging by the pictures I've seen, lived up to its moniker, the Cincinnati Reds played ball at Crosley Field from 1912 until 1970. Crosley Field, known as Redland Field from 1912 to 1933, is best remember as the site of the first Major League night game on May 24, 1935. This set of benches, with another row nearby, are all that remain of this once grand old ballpark.
Exit I-75 at Western Avenue and proceed just past Dalton Street. The benches are located in front of the building on the right.
remains of Riverfront Stadium
(yes, I know it took on a corporate name in 1996. I will not repeat it here)
I don't imagine there will be any remnants or memorials for this circular monstrosity. Opened in 1970, this was the first outdoor ballpark to feature artificial turf. Although short lived, Riverfront Stadium saw a lot of history including the rise of the great "Big Red Machine" in the 1970s, Hank Aaron's record-tying 714th career home run in 1974 and Pete Rose's record breaking 4,192 career hit in 1985.
Mansions, lawns and parks
One of the nicest neighborhoods of Cincinnati is the Hyde Park area. Huge mansions with beautyful gardens, short-cut lawns and broad boulevard-like roads. Just take a walk through this nice living area.
All 'bout Steamboats
In the late 19th century and the early 20th century steamboats were riding up and down the main streams of the nation like the Mississippi, the Missouri and the Ohio river. Lots of those boats became famous because of different incidents. Some were smashed by floating ice, some sunk, some burned, and of course some were funtioning until retirement and the invention of new engine technologies. To honor all those legendary steamboats, a Steamboat Hall of Fame was established at the Ohio riverfront in Cincinnati. On each of the many chimney-like poles you can read about the history of another steamboat. No entry-fee. The Hall of Fame is basically just a walkway at the riverfront. But very interesting. I took my time to read the information on each of the poles and learnt a lot about the steamboats - and the American history.
- Backpacking
- Road Trip
- Budget Travel
Florida is a very flat state....
Florida is a very flat state. One thing that I really miss about Cincinnati is mountain biking through the trails of Tower Park. Tower Park is loacated about 10minutes south of downtown Cincy. The single track trails can get pretty harry at some points. Whenever I go, I expect to wreck at least half a dozen times ... so wear your safety gear! There's this one time that we had to fish my bike out of a tree (if you would like to hear about the details ... just drop me an email).
Here's the info on the place:
Tower Park is technical, obstacle laden and hilly but only 10-15 minutes from Cincinnati. Check out reviews of these paths at www.single-track.com. 606-441-4226
Directions: (from Cincinnati) I-471 South to the US Rt. 27 exit. Turn left onto US Rt. 27. Turn left onto Grandview Avenue. Turn left onto Ft. Thomas Ave. Turn right on Tower Place and follow signs to park.
Ohio river.Crossing the OHIO...
Ohio river.
Crossing the OHIO river coming from Cincinatti, you end up in Kentucki. To me it felt like going back in time (resembles the style as in the 'back to the future' movies).
I must admit not feeling very safe in that area, but it could have been me.
Freeway Art
Below the Train and Overpasses are several leftovers from the earlier industrial age, that have been turned into art. This is located west of Brown Stadium, just off Pete Rose Way.
- Arts and Culture
- Historical Travel
- Architecture
Taft National Historic Site
The Taft National Historic Site is where William Howard Taft (27th President of the United States) was born and grew up. Tour his home here in Cincinnati, Mount Auburn at 2038 Auburn Ave.
- Budget Travel
- Historical Travel
- Museum Visits
Tomb of America's Ninth President
William Henry Harrison was the 9th President of the United States and the first of eight U.S. presidents who have come from Ohio.
more to come...
- Historical Travel
Argosy Casino
I haven't been here yet, but here's an overhead photo.
It's located just across the border in Indiana. The casino portion is the part that floats. Gambling can only be done 'on the river.'
- Casino and Gambling
Wandering through the Queen City, I ran across this interesting home. If anyone can tell me where the neighborhood is, I'd appreciate it!
- Road Trip
- Architecture
- Photography
Spring Grove Cemetary
This place reminds me of that huge Cemetary in Paris....
People come here to get married, have wedding receptions, picnics.... and of course, to be buried...
JC & Me
If you're driving North on I-75 between Cincinnati and Dayton, near mile marker 26, look out for this statue!
It scared me when I first saw it!!
- Best Western Mariemont Inn
- Hilton Cincinnati Netherland Plaza
- Hannaford Suites Hotel Cincinnati
- Millennium Hotel Cincinnati
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text:
Cell tower proposed for city of River Falls
T-Mobile is asking the city for permission to build a telecommunications tower at 618 N. Fourth St. next to the hilltop water reservoir. The request and plan could go before the Plan Commission at its Tuesday evening, June 1, meeting, that would also include a public hearing.
City Administrator Scot Simpson said T-Mobile would lease the site. The company already has an antenna attached to the old water tower on South Main Street and leases that site.


text:
Soft handover of a mobile unit is facilitated on a wireless network from base station to base station. The network can employ multi-channel receivers to receive signals from mobile units within range, including mobile units assigned to neighboring base stations. Information associated with received signals, such as an indication of their signal strength, can be relayed to a central location for assessing whether the mobile unit should be assigned to another base station, and implement reassignment of one or more mobile units based on such assessment. Soft handover reduces dropped calls when the connection from mobile to base station is unexpectedly lost. The second BTS can add a carrier to communicate with the mobile unit and provides the mobile unit with the necessary parameters, such as frequency and time slot data, to complete the handover or the connection can be established through a variety of contingency plans.
1. A system, comprising
a first base transceiver (BTS) unit that receives on a first primary uplink frequency and is capable of adding at least one secondary uplink frequency, and the first BTS transmits on a first primary downlink frequency and is capable of adding at least one secondary downlink frequency;
a second BTS that receives on a second primary uplink frequency and is capable of adding at least one secondary uplink frequency, and the second BTS transmits on a second primary downlink frequency and is capable of adding at least one secondary downlink frequency; and
a controller associated with the first BTS and the second BTS, the controller controls to which of at least the first and second BTS's a mobile unit should be connected based on a signal received by the first and second BTS's from the mobile unit, the controller causes one of the first and second BTS's to add a new carrier to communicate with the mobile unit based on the controller determining that the mobile unit should switch to the one of the first and second BTS's.
2. The system of
3. The system of
4. The system of
5. The system of
6. The system of
7. The system of
8. The system of
9. The system of
10. The system of
11. The system of
12. The system of
13. The system of
14. The system of
15. The system of
16. A system, comprising
a plurality of base transceivers (BTS's ), each BTS receives a primary uplink frequency and a transmits at a primary downlink frequency for communicating as a primary BTS with assigned mobile units, and each BTS unit being capable as a secondary BTS to monitor at least one additional frequency associated with an unassigned mobile unit; and
a controller that receives information from the plurality of BTS's based on signals each BTS receives from respective assigned mobile units and at least one unassigned mobile unit.
17. The system of
18. The system of
19. The system of
20. The system of
21. The system of
22. The system of
23. The system of
24. The system of
25. The system of
26. The system of
27. The system of
28. A controller, comprising:
means for providing a plan to a mobile unit, the plan comprising a contingent carrier for the mobile unit to switch to in the event of carrier loss; and
means for assigning a contingent BTS to the mobile unit for communicating with the mobile unit on the new carrier.
29. The controller of
30. The controller of
means for determining that at least one of no signal and an inadequate signal was received from the mobile unit by a primary BTS associated with the mobile unit;
means for causing the primary BTS to stop transmitting during a time slot assigned to the mobile unit based on the determination;
means for causing the contingent BTS to add the contingent carrier at a first downlink frequency; and
means for causing the contingent BTS to send a signal on the carrier during the time slot assigned to the mobile unit.
31. The controller of
means for monitoring a predetermined contingency frequency, the predetermined contingency frequency being used by the mobile unit when the mobile unit cannot adequately communicate with a primary BTS associated with the mobile unit.
32. The communications system of
33. A method for implementing soft handover at a first base transceiver (BTS) unit, comprising:
monitoring a connection between a mobile unit and a second BTS;
adding a downlink carrier for the first BTS to communicate with the mobile unit; and
sending a signal to the mobile unit to cause the mobile unit to switch from the connection with the second BTS and to connect with the first BTS via the downlink carrier.
34. The method of
35. The method of
36. The method of
37. The method of
38. The method of
transmitting a plan to the mobile unit, the plan comprising a contingent carrier for the mobile unit to switch to in the event of carrier loss; and
assigning a contingent primary BTS unit to the mobile unit for communicating with the mobile unit on the contingent carrier.
39. The method of
40. The method of
determining that at least one of no signal and an inadequate signal was received from the mobile unit by the second BTS unit; and
causing the second BTS to stop transmitting during a time slot assigned to the mobile unit based on the determination.
The present invention relates generally to wireless communications and, more specifically, to methods and systems for soft handover.
A typical mobile network such as a standard Global System for Mobile (GSM) network comprises several base stations, or base transceiver stations (BTS), which communicate in with mobile units, each mobile unit transmitting on a single frequency or carrier and receiving on a separate single frequency or carrier. Clusters of base transceiver stations are controlled by a base station controller (BSC). The BSC assigns frequencies and/or time slots (as well as codes if appropriate) to each connection, minimizing co-channel and adjacent channel interference. The BSC and/or the local BTS monitor the strength of the signal from each mobile unit in contact with a BTS to determine which BTS should be assigned to that mobile. Mobile units can also provide feedback on received signal strength, carrier to noise ratio observed by the mobile unit. This information on the propagation environment is used to balance the communications load and assign each mobile unit to a BTS. The assignment generally includes information to enable the mobile unit to share access to the BTS in the form of a time slot, a frequency or frequencies, a code, or a combination thereof, generally depending on the communications protocol being implemented.
One aspect of mobile communication relates to handover in which the connection for a mobile unit is switched from one BTS to another BTS. Handover may take place between neighboring BTS or from one sector covered by a BTS to another sector of the same BTS. All discussions of handover can be for either case. Hard handover is one type of handover commonly used in systems where multiple users share access by time division multiple access (TDMA) or frequency division multiple access (FDMA). When hard handover occurs, the mobile unit severs all contact with the existing base station and then establishes a session with the new base station. In a GSM network, the mobile unit switches frequencies for both transmit and receive every time slot and also when handoff occurs.
In mobile assisted handoff (MAHO), the mobile unit, which only receives voice or data information during a sub-set of the time slots broadcast by the BTS (one in eight for a GSM voice connection), can sample signals from neighboring base stations during the unused time slots to provide additional information. These signals are power controlled for other users and can fluctuate rapidly. If the mobile is receiving data via GSM Packet Radio Service (GPRS), it may receive data during most of all of the time slots. Handoff may be initiated by the BSC, BTS, or the mobile unit depending on system design. In either case, feedback from the mobile unit is useful in deciding when to initiate handoff.
Hard handover is less desirable than soft handover because the existing connection between a BTS and a mobile unit is completely severed and a completely new connection must be initiated within a constrained amount of time, typically 200 ms in a GSM network. If the system does not perform nominally during the handover period there is a good chance the connection will be dropped. Soft handover has been implemented in wireless systems using code division multiple access (CDMA) that allows neighboring base stations to share frequencies.
Unexpected loss of signal from the mobile to its BTS or from the BTS to the mobile (which can occur separately or together) often results in a dropped call. Current systems using either soft handover, or hard handover in particular, are vulnerable to dropping calls due to unscheduled loss of signal.
Soft handover allows some level of communications to be established between a mobile unit and a new base station prior to the disconnection of the mobile unit from its existing base station. Soft handover is less susceptible to dropped calls and the latency for establishing a connection to the new base station is also reduced. Thus, a method for soft handover is desirable, particularly for GSM and other TDMA and FDMA wireless standards. Having established connectivity in at least one direction with a second BTS enables the system to be much more robust against dropping calls due to sudden loss of signal.
Mobile users may be denied a connection if they attempt to initiate a call where the primary coverage (e.g. strongest signal) is from a BTS that either can not receive a signal from the mobile (note the transmit and receive links are not symmetric) or if the BTS is using all of its assigned frequencies and time slots. Similarly, a mobile user that moves into a new area that nominally has coverage may be dropped if the BTS providing the coverage does not have available capacity to transmit and/or receive. In both these cases other base stations may be in range to communicate with the mobile and a system enabling a mobile to communicate with more than one BTS would enable superior load balancing and deployment of network resources.
The present invention is directed to methods and systems for implementing soft handover between a mobile unit and base stations. An aspect of the present invention provides a method for implementing soft handover at a first BTS. The method comprises monitoring a connection between a mobile unit and a second BTS, adding a carrier to communicate with the mobile unit, and sending a signal to the mobile unit via the carrier, which causes the mobile unit to switch its connection from the second BTS to the first BTS. The handover may entail a change of uplink (the signal originating from the mobile, also called the return signal) and/or downlink (the signal originating at the BTS, also called the forward signal) frequencies to establish communication between the first BTS and the mobile unit.
Determining when the mobile unit should switch BTS's, for example, may be based on a comparison of the received signal strength at the first BTS and the received signal strength at the second BTS, a comparison of the quality of the signal received by the first BTS with the quality of the signal received by the second BTS, to avoid interference signals, to more optimally balance the load of mobiles assigned to respective base stations, when the mobile unit cannot adequately communicate with the second BTS, or when the second BTS cannot communicate with the mobile. The first BTS may monitor a predetermined contingency frequency that is used by the mobile unit when the mobile unit cannot adequately communicate with the second BTS. The first BTS adds a carrier on a predetermined downlink contingency frequency based on a signal received from the mobile unit on the contingency frequency. The downlink contingency frequency may be the same frequency as the mobile unit is broadcasting on, or another frequency. The first base station may subsequently remove the added carrier.
Another aspect of the present invention relates to a method for facilitating soft handover for a mobile unit. A plan is transmitted to the mobile unit. The plan identifies one or more new carriers for the mobile unit to switch to in the event it does not adequately receive communications from its assigned BTS.
Yet another aspect of the present invention relates to performing soft handover for a system comprising a first BTS, and a second BTS. A mobile unit receives signals from the first BTS via a first downlink frequency and sends signals to the first BTS via a first uplink frequency. The method comprises determining whether no signal and/or an inadequate signal was received from a mobile unit by the first BTS. The method further comprises causing the first BTS to stop transmitting during a time slot assigned to the mobile unit based on the determination. A carrier is added by the second BTS at the first downlink frequency. The second BTS sends a signal on the carrier during the time slot assigned to the mobile unit.
Still yet another aspect of the present invention is for a method to facilitate soft handover. A contingency plan is employed to inform the mobile of one or more contingency BTS sites to communicate with in case it can not communicate with the current (or primary) BTS. The mobile unit establishes a session with one or more neighboring contingency BTS's and transmits handshaking data, such as a contingency frequency and/or time slot planning data, during one or more of its unused time slots. These contingency plans can be updated periodically for the mobile unit as well as for the BTS units.
Yet another aspect of the present invention is directed to a method for adding a new mobile unit to a BTS unit. The method comprises adding a new carrier by the BTS. If the BTS is transmitting at or near maximum power, the method further comprises reducing power for one or more carriers for the next time slot to communicate with the new mobile, and transmitting a time slot and carrier assignment to the new mobile unit. Other methods for reducing power include, but are not limited to, temporarily reducing transmit power to another mobile unit, or commanding to another mobile unit to switch to another BTS unit.
Another aspect of the present invention relates to a system to facilitate soft handover. The system can include a first BTS, a second BTS, and a controller. The first BTS receives on a first primary uplink frequency and is capable of monitoring/receiving at least one other uplink frequency. The first BTS can monitor the mobile's uplink frequencies for one or more of the surrounding BTS's, for example, the uplink frequency to the second BTS, or the first BTS can monitor all of the frequencies used in the network. In addition, the first BTS transmits on a first primary downlink frequency and is capable of adding at least one other downlink frequency as needed. The added downlink frequency can be removed when it is no longer needed. The second BTS receives on its own primary uplink frequency (a second primary uplink frequency) and like the first BTS is capable of monitoring/receiving at least one other uplink frequency. The second BTS can monitor the uplink frequencies being transmitted to the surrounding BTS's, for example, the first BTS's uplink frequency, or the second BTS can monitor all of the frequencies used in the network. In addition, the second BTS transmits its own primary downlink frequency (second primary downlink frequency) and is capable of adding at least one other downlink frequency as needed. The added downlink frequency can be removed when it is no longer needed.
Because each BTS can monitor/receive signals from mobile units that are not on its primary frequency, each BTS can detect this signal and extract information content and/or send to the controller information regarding the mobile's signal (e.g., signal strength, error rates).The controller can use this information for planning and network balancing. For example, the controller can initiate handover when one BTS that is receiving a mobile unit is becoming overloaded to another BTS that is also receiving the BTS with enough capacity to service the mobile unit. In addition, the first BTS can relay a signal to the controller which alerts the controller that an expected signal from a designated mobile has not been received. If the signal has been received at the second BTS the system can act to prevent dropping the call. The controller can command the first BTS to send a handover command to the mobile switching it to the second BTS. Alternatively, the controller can instruct the second BTS to add a carrier at the appropriate time slot and begin communicating with the mobile.
Another aspect of the present invention is to receive signals at multiple BTS sites and geolocate wanted signal sources and/or interference sources. Handover of one or more mobile units is initiated to better optimize loading and ensure minimum communications quality. Source location can be tracked and future locations predicted, facilitating the planning for handover events. The source and interference location information also supports planning of selective antenna gain and the combining of wanted signals from multiple antennas located at two or more BTS sites.
To the accomplishment of the foregoing and related ends, certain illustrative aspects of the invention are described herein in connection with the following description and the annexed drawings. These aspects are indicative, however, of but a few of the various ways in which the principles of the invention may be employed and the present invention is intended to include all such aspects and their equivalents. Other advantages and novel features of the invention will become apparent from the following detailed description of the invention when considered in conjunction with the drawings.
The present invention relates generally to a methods and systems for facilitating soft handover of a mobile unit on a wireless network. The present invention can employ multi-channel receivers to receive signals from any mobile units within range, including mobile units assigned to neighboring base stations. The received signals, or at least information associated with the signals, can be relayed to a central location. The information can be utilized to assess whether a mobile should be handed over to another base station.
The present invention provides a solution for handoff between base stations in Global System for Mobile (GSM), Time Domain Multiple Access (TDMA), Frequency Domain Multiple Access (FDMA), and other wireless standards. Because the mobile unit may already be communicating with the BTS that the mobile unit is being handed off to prior to such handover, latency can be reduced. Although the present invention is described throughout this specification in terms of a mobile unit communicating in a wireless network to BTS's in a GSM environment, those skilled in the art can readily appreciate that the present invention is adaptable to other wireless environments. Thus, the specification herein should not be construed as limiting the present invention to only a GSM network with BTS's. The functionality of the BTS's described herein may be incorporated into base units of other wireless environments.
A plurality of mobile units 22 operate within the coverage area 12 and, more particularly, in local coverage areas associated with the respective BTS's 16-20. That is, each of the mobile units implements communications with an associated BTS 16,18, 20 depending on which BTS's local coverage area the mobile unit 22 is located. Each BTS 16,18, 20 is capable of monitoring and/or receiving communication signals from mobile units located in the coverage areas associated with other BTS's. That is, in addition to communicating (e.g., via an uplink and downlink channel) with the mobile units located within its own local coverage area, each BTS can monitor communications (e.g., uplink and/or downlink channels) in one or more neighboring local coverage areas. Each of the BTS's 16-20 can provide information to the controller 14 indicative of propagation environment based on the mobile units within its coverage area as well as those mobile units that may be monitored, but located in other local coverage areas. The controller 14 can collect the information from the BTS's 16-20 and ascertain a better understanding of the propagation environment in the total coverage area 12 supported by the controller 14. Additionally, the controller 14 can employ the information received from the BTS's 16-20 to understand potentially interfering signals since it can obtain information from a plurality of BTS's over a plurality of signal frequencies.
In accordance with an aspect of the present invention, the controller 14 can utilize the information obtained from the respective BTS's 16-20 to facilitate soft handover for mobile units 22. In one implementation, the controller can derive a contingency plan for each of the mobile units 22 located in the network 12. For example, the contingency plan can establish a secondary BTS for each mobile unit 22, such that upon losing communication with its primary BTS the mobile unit can communicate with the secondary BTS over the same or a different carrier.
When a contingency plan is implemented, the controller 14 can update the contingency plan provided to the BTS's 16-20. For example, the controller 14 can modify a contingency plan for a given mobile unit as a function of the information collected from the plurality of BTS's 16-20. As mentioned above, the information received from the plurality BTS's can provide information about the propagation environment and/or interference and signal patterns. In addition or alternatively to the controller 14 providing contingency plan information to the BTS's 16-20, the controller 14 can provide contingency plan information to the mobile units, such as by relaying the contingency plan through one or more of the BTS's. In this way, the mobile units can be instructed to initiate soft handover based on a respective contingency plan. The controller 14 further can employ the information received from the BTS's 16-20 to update the contingency plans accordingly. The controller 14 can implement the updates for each BTS 16-20 and/or each mobile unit 22 at a desired update rate, such as every burst, for example.
In an alternative implementation, the system 10 can implement a reactive approach when a mobile unit is unable to receive signals from its primary BTS. The reactive approach can also be facilitated by the controller 14 controlling the soft handover based on the information the collected from the BTS's 16-20. For example, a corresponding mobile unit 22 can transmit a predetermined signal to indicate when it is unable to communicate with its primary BTS. The controller 14, in response to receiving an indication from its primary or a secondary BTS (that is monitoring the mobile) can instruct the secondary BTS to add an appropriate carrier to enable communication with the mobile so that the mobile's call is not dropped in the system 10.
Soft handover can also be implemented when a primary BTS is unable to receive signals from a mobile within its local coverage area, but where the mobile can still receive signals from its primary BTS. For example, in a reactive approach, a secondary BTS can relay signals to the first BTS, such as through the controller 14. In this way, an uplink channel can still be maintained from the primary BTS to the mobile, with the secondary BTS, which is monitoring the mobile, receiving the downlink communication and providing same to the primary BTS through the controller.
Alternatively, in a contingency based approach, the controller 14 can instruct a secondary BTS that it is to take over communication for a given mobile unit if the primary BTS is unable to receive communications from the given mobile. The contingency plan would specify the details associated how the secondary BTS is to implement the soft handover.
The controller 14 can also control the role of the secondary BTS's, such as the extent of their communications with mobile units not in their local coverage area. For example, a BTS 16 can monitor only downlink channel for mobile units 22 not in their local coverage area and provide a corresponding indication (e.g., signal strength) about the downlink channel to the controller 14. Alternatively, a secondary BTS can implement more formal communications in which a mobile can communicate bi-directionally with one or more secondary BTS's, such as during its unused time slots for the mobile. The controller 14 thus can continue to collect information from the BTS's 16-20, convene information about the mobile units' movement and the changing propagation environment. This enables the controller 14 to implement soft handover and/or appropriate contingency planning to facilitate soft handover, as described herein. According to an aspect of the present invention, the BTS's 16-20 can be implemented as multi-carrier transceivers capable of adding new carriers on demand.
Referring to
A mobile unit is shown at a beginning position 114A in the coverage area 108 of BTS 102. The mobile unit subsequently travels along path 116 to an ending position, indicated as a dotted line at 114C. While at position 114A, the mobile unit is in coverage area 108 and is communicating only with BTS 102. When the mobile unit crosses into shaded region 112, as shown by position 114B, the BTS 104 can, as a secondary BTS, begin monitoring the mobile unit. The mobile unit can also detect and begin exchanging parameters for soft handover with BTS 104. This communication can be unidirectional or bidirectional between the mobile unit and the BTS's 102 and 104. While in region 112, the mobile unit can communicate with both BTS 102 and BTS 104. The handover of the mobile unit from BTS 102 to BTS 104 can occur either in region 112 while the mobile unit is in position 114B and can communicate with both BTS 102 and BTS 104, or handover can occur at position 114C, which is in coverage area 110, but outside region 112. At position 114C, the mobile unit will lose contact with BTS 102. The straight line path 116 is used to merely simplify the example, as those skilled in the art can readily appreciate the mobile unit may travel along an infinite number of paths between positions 114 a and 114 b, which may even include the mobile unit connecting to additional BTS's (not shown). It may be further appreciated that other objects or phenomena may intervene between the mobile and one or more of the BTS changing the propagation environment between the mobile and one or more BTS. The BSC 106 can collect information from the BTS's 102 and 104 and ascertain information about the propagation environment and signal interference associated with the mobile unit.
According to one aspect of the present invention, BTS 102 and BTS 104 may use multi-carrier receivers (or multiple receivers) and monitor at least a substantial portion (e.g., up to a fixed number or even all) of the mobile units within their range. By utilizing a multi-carrier receiver, each BTS can monitor the frequencies of the adjacent BTS, and if the BTS has the capacity, the frequencies used by every BTS in the network. The frequencies of adjacent BTS's can be provided in control data provided by the BSC 106, such as according to a frequency re-use plan associated with the environment 100.
In accordance with another aspect of the present invention, BTS 102 and BTS 104 can employ multi-carrier transmitters (or multiple transmitters) to communicate with mobile units. After a BSC determines that a mobile unit's primary connection should be transferred from one BTS to another BTS, for example, the transferee BTS can initiate a new carrier frequency and transmit voice or data communications to the transferred mobile unit. Using the example of
Because the BSC 106 can receive information about a mobile unit from multiple BTS's, the controller can manage the network proactively as well as reactively. A reactive network reacts to events after they occur (e.g. after the connection between the mobile and its primary BTS has been lost). In a proactive network, the BSC 106 can plan for contingencies. For example, BSC 106 can implement a contingency plan that is provided to a BTS and/or the mobile unit for use in the event the mobile loses a connection with its primary BTS. The plan enables the mobile to switch to another BTS as opposed to dropping the call. The controller can plan ahead when to change a mobile unit from one BTS 102 to another BTS 104 based on information received from a plurality of BTS's indicative of the signal for the mobile unit. For example, BSC 106 can geolocate the mobile unit, or can track the mobile unit's positions and determine a direction or position where the mobile unit is heading and plan accordingly. The BSC 106 can also switch a mobile unit to balance network loads, for example if two BTS 102 and 104 are receiving the mobile unit and BTS 102 is at maximum capacity, BSC 106 can send a command to switch the mobile unit to BTS 104.
When a mobile unit is being received by a plurality of BTS's, the BSC 106 can send a command to any BTS that is receiving the mobile unit to initiate a handover. To initiate soft handover, the BSC 106 may command either the mobile unit's primary BTS to send soft handover data to the mobile unit, or command another BTS to send handover data to the mobile unit, such as during one of the mobile unit's unused time slot. Similarly, when the BSC 106 determines to re-assign another BTS as the mobile unit's primary BTS, the current primary BTS can inform the mobile unit of the re-assignment or the newly assigned primary BTS can contact the mobile unit.
The BTS can also use information about the mobile unit's connection to facilitate soft handover. For example, the mobile unit may receive signals from a BTS that is not receiving the mobile unit. The mobile unit can send a signal indicating it is receiving the second BTS and the BSC 106 can have the second BTS transmit handover information to the mobile unit.
The BSC 106 may also initiate soft handover when a second BTS (e.g., not the mobile unit's primary BTS) can receive the mobile unit, but the mobile unit is not receiving the second BTS. For example, while the mobile unit is assigned to BTS 102, when the mobile unit first enters coverage area 112 BTS 104 may be able to receive the mobile before the mobile unit can receive BTS 104. BTS 104 can inform BSC 106 that is receiving the mobile unit, and BSC 106 can then send commands to BTS 102 to send soft handover data to the mobile unit to facilitate handover to BTS 104.
Another aspect of the present invention is that the BSC 106 can control the assignment of a mobile unit to a BTS. For example by receiving data from each BTS indicative of the mobile unit's signal, the controller can determine characteristics associated with the propagation environment and source of signal interference for each mobile unit. Accordingly, BSC 106 can compensate for changes in interference or environmental conditions for each mobile unit, including implementing soft handover. When the controller observes an event which may disrupt communications with a mobile (e.g., a new source of interference or a change in the type or strength of interference), the controller may act proactively to switch the mobile unit to another BTS to prevent a call from being dropped.
When a mobile unit is in contact with multiple BTS's, the controller can command any of the BTS's to send contingency plans to the mobile unit. For example, when the mobile unit is in overlap region 112 and its primary BTS is BTS 102, the controller can instruct BTS 102 to send a contingency plan to the mobile unit. Alternatively, the controller can instruct BTS 104 (or another BTS that can contact the mobile unit which is not its primary BTS) when the mobile unit has an unused time slot, and then BTS 104 can send contingency data to the mobile unit on the unused time slot. BTS 104 can contact the mobile unit either on its primary frequency or its contingent frequency by adding a carrier for the appropriate frequency.
For example, receiver 206 can receive each channel used by mobile units within the network. Alternatively, receiver 206 is able to receive at least a substantial portion of channels used by mobiles connected to adjacent BTS's, such as according to a predefined capacity for the number of useable channels. In accordance with an aspect of the present invention, a channel controller 214 can be used to add and remove channels as needed. The channel controller 214 receives a signal 216 from the BSC (not shown) instructing the channel controller 214 to add or remove a channel. An add channel module 218 is used to add a channel to receiver 206. The add channel module 218 may receive data from signal 216 to indicate the parameters of the channel to add. The add channel module 218 may also use memory 222 to determine the appropriate channel to add and any other necessary parameters. After the channel controller 214 determines the receiver 206 no longer needs a certain channel or after the add carrier module 306 receives a signal 216 from the BSC to remove the channel, a remove channel module 220 can provide a command to the receiver 206 to remove the identified channel.
Referring now to
For example, channels can be added when a mobile unit (not shown) is receiving a carrier not already in use by transmitter 302. For example, a mobile unit switching to a new BTS (e.g., implementing the transmitter system 300) will still be receiving the carrier assigned by its old BTS. The BSC provides control signal 308 to the new BTS to add a new carrier to enable communication with the mobile unit. An add carrier module 310 implements procedures to enable the transmitter 302 to add a carrier for the new mobile unit. After the mobile unit has made the switch or handover to the new BTS, the new carrier may be no longer needed to communicate with the mobile unit. In this situation, a remove carrier module 312 can be employed to remove the carrier. Carrier controller 306 may call the remove carrier module 312 after it determines the mobile unit has changed its carrier, or in response to a signal 308 from the BSC. The transmitter 302 outputs the carriers to antenna 318 for transmission.
The parameters for a carrier to be added or removed may be included in the signal 308 received from the BSC, or carrier controller 306 may have the parameters stored in memory 314. In accordance with another aspect of the invention, a frequency rotation plan 316 comprising a rotation schedule for contingent frequencies may also be stored in memory 314. A contingent frequency is a predetermined frequency that a mobile unit can switch to for communication with another BTS if it is unable to communicate with its primary BTS. The frequency rotation plan can be updated periodically, such as based on the control signal 308. If the mobile unit has lost contact with its current BTS, the mobile unit attempts to communicate with an alternate BTS on the contingent frequency. The alternate BTS provides the mobile unit with time slot and carrier data so that the mobile unit may establish a primary connection with the alternate BTS.
There are several methods for implementing the multi-carrier transmitter 312. One possible method is to modulate and convert each modulated carrier to RF by its exciter (not shown), the portion of the transmitter 302 that provides the modulated signal at RF for high power amplification. These signals are then combined and amplified by a multi-carrier power amplifier (MCPA, not shown). Another method comprises amplifying each carrier by a single-carrier power amplifier (SCPA) and the signals are then combined after amplification so one or a small number of antennas may transmit them.
Referring to
Delta-sigma modulation is a technique used to generate a coarse estimate of a signal using a small number of quantization levels and a high sampling rate. Briefly stated, a digital input signal 404 (e.g., from a digital signal processor not shown) is provided to an input of the transmit module 400. The delta sigma modulator network provides a quantized output signal 406. The network 400 provides the quantized output signal 406 to a corresponding DAC 408 that converts the signal to an analog signal 409 at a desired frequency, such as at a desired RF or intermediate frequency (IF). A filter 410 removes out-of-band emissions and quantization noise, such as associated with the conversion and/or the delta-sigma modulation, to provide a filter signal 411 at the desired frequency. The output frequency of the signal provided by the DAC 408 can be any desired frequency, such as in the MHz range (e.g., VHF or UHF), or GHz range (e.g., microwave/millimeter wave).
Optionally, IF signal 411 is provided to an upmixing system 412, such as where the DAC 408 is not configured to convert the signal 406 directly to a desired frequency. The upmixing system 412 can include one or more stages of upconversion and mixing, as needed to upmix the signal to a desired carrier frequency. Because a delta-sigma modulator network 412 implemented in accordance with an aspect of the present invention can provide quantized data at a high data rate, most desired frequencies (e.g., in the upper MHz or GHz range) can be achieved through a single stage of upmixing. The upmixing system 412, in this example, includes a local oscillator 414 and mixer 416 that produce a signal 418 having a desired transmission frequency. In particular, the local oscillator 414 is utilized to provide a desired carrier frequency 420 at a desired transmission frequency. The mixer 416 produces the RF signal 418 by combining the IF signal 411 with the carrier signal 420 provided by the local oscillator 414. However, filter 410 can provide output (signal 411) directly at the desired transmission frequency.
Filter 422, in turn, optimizes the bandwidth and mitigates unwanted out-of-band emissions and quantization error, such as may result from the conversion processes associated with delta-sigma modulation as well as the upmixing. The filter 422 provides the filtered analog output signal 424 to an associated power amplifier 426. The power amplifier 426, in turn, provides an amplified signal to an associated antenna 428 for wireless transmission. Those skilled in the art will understand and appreciate various other types of filtering and up-conversion that can be utilized to provide a desired RF signal utilizing the parallel delta-sigma modulator and DAC arranged in accordance with an aspect of the present invention.
The Delta-sigma network 402 can convert a large number of modulated carriers simultaneously. This is particularly useful because carriers may be added or deleted without requiring the deployment of excess or additional transmitter hardware. The add carrier function should provide each carrier with an amplitude that ensures that carrier amplitudes do not add so that the Delta-sigma network, the DAC, or any subsequent amplifiers saturate. Thus, the transmit module provides a low-cost efficient approach that can be employed in a multi-carrier transmitter, such as implemented at one or more BTS's or mobile units, as described herein.
Signals (e.g., provided by BTS's in the wireless network) are received by antenna 502 and provided to receiver 504. Receiver 504 then decodes the signals for each BTS and provides decoded signals to a signal analyzer. As shown in the example of
In accordance with one aspect of the present invention, the signal analyzer 506 comprises a comparator 508. The comparator 508 compares the signals, 505 a and 505 b to determine which BTS should be the primary BTS for the mobile unit in the coverage area supported by BSC 500. The comparison may be made on the basis of signal strength, for example, according to which BTS receives the stronger signal. Additionally, suitable algorithms employing thresholds or other metrics may be employed to mitigate excessively moving back and forth between BTS by the mobile unit. Other criteria, such as error correction, may be used in the comparison. For example, a greater amount of error correction coding or bit errors to be corrected can provide an indicator of strength for a given connection.
A carrier controller 516 manages the carriers used within the network. The carrier controller 516 uses memory 518 to store BTS carrier allocations 520. The BTS carrier allocations 520, for example, comprise a list of carriers being used by each BTS in the network supported by the BSC 500. For systems which use contingent frequencies, contingent frequency allocations 522 can also stored in memory 518. The contingent frequency allocations 522 are a list of frequencies that mobile units 1-m can switch to after losing contact with their primary BTS. The contingent frequency allocations 522 further can be updated based on signals received from BTS's in the network, from which the controller can ascertain information about the propagation environment and source of signal interference. If the network utilizes a frequency reuse plan 524 or frequency rotation plan for mobile unit contingent frequencies, this plan 524 may also be stored in memory 518.
After the signal analyzer 506 determines that circumstances exist in which a mobile unit should switch to another BTS, the signal analyzer notifies the carrier controller 516 accordingly. The carrier controller 516 accesses memory 518 to determine what carrier the new BTS should employ to contact the mobile unit, such as based on the BTS carrier allocations 520. The carrier, for example, may be either the mobile unit's primary BTS frequency or a contingent frequency for the mobile unit. The carrier controller 516 can select the carrier as a function of the propagation environment and signal interference for each mobile. The carrier controller 516 then provides the data to transmitter 526, which then sends the signal to antenna 502 for transmission to the appropriate BTS.
Additionally, the summer 510 can be utilized to combine the input signals, 505 a and 505 b, and produce a combined output signal 511. Signal 511 can be produced by synchronizing and interleaving signals 505 a and 505 b, or if there are no errors by selecting the strongest signal. The summer 510 enables improved reception by combining signals received by neighboring BTS or even adjacent sectors within a BTS. Signal processor 514 receives the combined signal and determines if any action needs taken and processes the signal accordingly. For example, if the signal is a transmission to another mobile unit on the network, it is forwarded to the appropriate BTS for the other mobile unit. In this example, signal processor 514 forwards the signal, along with any pertinent instructions, to the transmitter 526 which sends the signal to antenna 502 for transmission of the improved signal.
As shown, receiver 604 and transmitter 616 share antenna 602, however it is also contemplated that the receiver 604 and transmitter 616 may also each utilize one or more separate antennas.
In view of the examples shown and described above, methodologies for handover in accordance with the present invention will be better appreciated with reference to the flow diagrams of
Referring to
At 706, the first BTS and the second BTS send signals to the BSC based on the signals each BTS received from the mobile unit. At 708, the BSC determines whether the mobile unit should switch to another BTS, such as the second BTS. For example, if the BSC decides that the mobile unit should be switched to the second BTS, it can notify the second BTS accordingly. The methodology proceeds to 710. At 710, the second BTS adds a carrier for the mobile unit. Adding a carrier corresponds to beginning to transmit on a frequency not already in use by that BTS that is or will be assigned to the mobile. The second BTS then begins transmitting on D1, while receiving on U1 and U2. At 712, the first BTS then sends a message to the mobile unit to switch to operating frequencies of the second BTS, which, for example, are uplink frequency U2 and downlink frequency D2.
If contact is lost between the mobile and the first BTS, the second BTS can ascertain this information from a signal broadcast on U1 or from the BSC. In this case, the second BTS can employ D1 (e.g., by adding a carrier) to provide instructions to the mobile for communications instructions, such as carrier and time slot data as well. At 714, the mobile unit is now connected to the second BTS on U2 and D2 as its primary BTS. A similar method can be implemented to ascertain whether the mobile unit should be switched to a different BTS. If at 708, the BCS does not switch the mobile unit from the first BTS, the mobile unit stays connected to the first BTS as shown at 716. From 716, the methodology can return to 702 to repeat the foregoing actions. Alternately, the mobile can be instructed that should it lose contact with the first BTS it should switch to a specific frequency and/or time slot.
Referring now to
As shown at 802, the BTS initially is operating on uplink frequency U2 and downlink frequency D2, and the BTS also monitors uplink frequency U1. At 804, the BTS also receives a signal from the mobile unit when the mobile unit transmits a signal to its primary BTS via U1. As the BTS is monitoring U1, at 806, it sends the information to the BSC based on the signal it received from the mobile unit on U1. Such information, for example, can include an indication of signal strength or, alternatively, the signal itself can comprise the information that is sent to the BSC.
At 808, the BTS receives handover instructions from the BSC. The handover instructions can include an identification of the mobile unit as well as carrier information, time slot information and the like. At 812, the BTS adds a carrier to communicate with the mobile unit. For example, if the mobile is still in contact with its original BTS then it can receive handover instructions from either the original BTS or the second BTS. However, if the mobile unit has lost contact with its original BTS then the second BTS needs to make contact. The carrier may be on the current frequency the mobile unit is using to communicate with the network. Alternatively, if the mobile unit has lost contact with its primary BTS, the mobile unit may switch to a contingency frequency, which would be the frequency at which the new carrier would be added. The contingency frequency information can be identified by the BSC, such as according to predetermined contingency frequency data. The contingency frequency data can be updated periodically.
At 814, the BTS instructs the mobile unit to switch to the frequencies of the BTS, namely, in this example to uplink frequency to U2 and downlink frequency D2. At 814, the BTS may also send other parameters, such as time slot assignment and/or an updated frequency plan as well to facilitate handover of the mobile unit. At 816, the mobile switches to U2 and D2 and is connected to the BTS. At 818, the BTS can remove the carrier added at 812.
Referring to
At 902, an alternate BTS receives instructions to initiate handover. For example, the BSC may assign the mobile unit to the alternate BTS and notify the alternate BTS of an imminent handover event. The BSC can determine handover should occur, for example, based on geolocating the mobile unit as well as based on the propagation environment and signal interference patterns associated with the mobile unit. At 904, the alternate BTS adds a carrier for the mobile unit. The carrier may either be at the current frequency the mobile unit is using to connect to its primary BTS or at a pre-arranged new frequency. In cases where the mobile unit can no longer communicate with its assigned primary BTS, the alternate BTS may set the carrier to a predetermined contingent frequency. The predetermined frequency may be provided by the BSC, or if the mobile unit and the alternate BTS have exchanged handshaking data for soft handover, the alternate BTS may already know the predetermined frequency. At 906, the alternate BTS sends operating parameters to the mobile unit, such as including the uplink (U2) and downlink (D2) frequencies, to enable the mobile unit to connect to the BTS. Time slot information may also be included. At 908, the mobile unit then switches to U2/D2, such that the mobile unit is now connected to the alternate BTS as its new primary BTS.
At 1106, the BTS determines if its transmitter power is greater than a predetermined threshold power level. The power threshold level, for example, can correspond to full power or some other predetermined power level. If the transmitter does not exceed the power threshold, then, at 1108, the BTS directs the new mobile unit to a new time slot and/or a new carrier.
However, if it is determined at 1106 that the transmitter power exceeds the threshold power level, the BTS determines if it can reduce its transmit power to another mobile unit (e.g. not transmitting during another mobile unit's time slot), while the new mobile is added, as shown at 1110. The BTS, for example, can work with the BSC to determine if it can temporarily reduce its transmit power to another mobile unit power. If the BTS can reduce its transmit power to another mobile unit, at 1112, the BTS temporarily reduces its transmit power to the other mobile unit. The BTS then directs the new mobile unit to a new time slot and/or carrier at 1108.
If at 1110, another mobile unit cannot reduce its power, the method proceeds to 1114. At 1114, the BTS working with the BSC determines if another mobile unit can be moved to an alternate BTS. If another mobile unit can be switched, the mobile unit is directed to switch to an alternate BTS at 1116, either temporarily or permanently. The BTS then directs the new mobile unit to a corresponding time slot and/or a carrier used by the BTS, as shown at 1108.
If the BTS cannot reduce its transmit power to another mobile unit or another mobile unit can not be moved to another BTS, then at 1118 service may be dropped until either the BTS transmitter power drops below the power threshold or another mobile unit can reduce power, or another mobile unit can be moved to another BTS. Thus, from 1118 the methodology can return to 1106 in which corresponding actions can be repeated. Alternatively, it may be acceptable to increase the overall transmitter power temporarily.
At 1210, a determination is made as whether a contingent frequency plan was established. If there is a contingent frequency plan (YES), at 1212 communication occurs between the mobile unit and BTS2 utilizing the contingent frequencies, uplink frequency UC and downlink frequency DC. The mobile unit can switch to the contingent frequencies, or if necessary, dynamically add them (e.g., as shown in
What has been described above includes exemplary implementations of the present invention. It is, of course, not possible to describe every conceivable combination of components or methodologies for purposes of describing the present invention, but one of ordinary skill in the art will recognize that many further combinations and permutations of the present invention are possible. Accordingly, the present invention is intended to embrace all such alterations, modifications and variations that fall within the spirit and scope of the appended claims.
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Mannequins That Watch Shoppers 97
from the feel-my-stare dept.
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i have clothes from Wal Mart that have outlasted some of the snobby store shit i've bought for 10 times the price
most of this luxury crap is crappy quality wrapped up in a snobby store experience
i used to buy $350 Mephisto shoes until they started to fall apart on me after 6 months. I can buy $150 shoes that last longer
There's "luxury" brands that get sold to the bourgois, that's you, that are of mediocre quality, not much better than the cheap stuff, but sometimes slightly better. Usually you get a better warranty and customer service from the company. Gucci and stuff of that calibre fall into this category. You never see "real" wealthy people using this shit. It's typically easy to spot because the label is huge.
Then there's "luxury" brands that get sold to poor people. These are almost always shoddy quality, they're expensive. They are primarily a label, which will be highly visible somehow (like red label on the fly of the blue jeans). These will fall apart just as quickly as cheap shit.
Finally there's actual quality goods. These will last for a long ass time, the company will typically provide superior customer service, etc. The label will be hard to spot, if it exists at all. In clothing look for hand sewn button holes, real pockets (not false), etc. Shoes won't have a mark that you can see during normal use. If you know what hand sticthing looks like, look for that.
The price for the last category is typically justified even for the bourgeois as the goods really will last a lot longer. The trick is knowing which goods fall into that category, these companies tend to not advertise much, the advertisers are the shit brands and the brands like Gucci.
I can already see the anecdotes of Nike running shoes lasting forever below here, lol, yeah sure. Not if you use them for running they won't at least not in a condition that won't screw up your feet or knees. I suspect some people are happy to wear worn out shit, hell, I've done it myself.
Just remember, when you see a wealthy person wearing clothes that "look like yours", they aren't like yours, those t-shirts are tailored to fit them, that's why they look so good. Those jeans are as well. None of that stuff is "off the rack". There's whole books on simply how to select a quality men's suit, and frankly, with all there is to know, yep, it's a bit justified.
You may not care, fine, but there is a difference in real, high quality goods.
When you don't know what to do, walk fast and look worried.


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Feel free at Audiko.net, where you may use the most popular ringtones for your cell phone. Today we have a ringtone of "Track2" by km as well as 97 other ringtones by km. "Track2" is a top-rated song from the "Replay Music 2009-10-20" album that was created by km at their label together with other 1 tracks. You can listen to all 3 km – "Track2" ringtone variations available here and download it for free directly to your mobile. You can also explore other 20 albums produced by km for all time. "Track2" is referred to Alternative, and we have a huge amount of Alternative collaborations absolutely for free. And finally, we have collected lyrics for this track and you can view it here as well. So feel free to browse, listen, download ringtones at Audiko.net. Make your phone sound cool!
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- Celine Dion - My Heart Will Go On£¨ÎÒÐÄÓÀºã£©


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Sioux Falls man gets 70 years for raping girl, 6
SIOUX FALLS (AP) — A Sioux Falls man is going to prison on a 70-year term for raping a 6-year-old girl.
A judge sentenced 30-year-old Christopher George Hartford Monday. He pleaded guilty in June to two counts of first-degree rape.
According to an arrest warrant affidavit, Hartford knows the girl and she told a classmate that he was giving sex with her.
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Comment: Re:Unsealed after Ulbrich conviction (Score 1) 143
Your opinion of scumbag is presumably down to your belief that someone making a business to enable recreational drug transactions between people is a bad thing. Not everyone holds the same opinion.
It was certainly illegal. But not all laws are just.


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Whether talking home defense or ultimate survival gun, plenty of arguments can be made for the shotgun as the one type of firearm that will serve those purposes best. It also doesn't hurt if it boasts a little visual intimidation factor and tactical attitude.
Author Archives: Doug Howlett
ARs in Deer Camp?
One 2011 study commissioned by the National Shooting Sports Foundation found that just over 18 percent of all gun owners now own an AR-style rifle (probably higher since 2013). Of those, nearly 20 percent say they use their ARs for hunting.
Hasta La Vista Piers Morgan
From boorish behavior to anti-gun diatribes, Piers Morgan rubbed Americans the wrong way from day one. Mercifully his run on cable news has come to an end with airing of his final show.
Bet Your Life on It! Defensive Shotgun Ammunition
To get everything out of a smooth bore when it matters most means feeding it the right loads. Here's some top choices for defensive shotgun ammunition certain to come through in the most dire situations.
Dick Cabela, Founder of Cabela's Retail Empire, Passes Away
Dick Cabela, founder of Cabela's retail empire has passed away at the age of 77.
Should Kids Play With Toy Guns?
Nowadays toy guns can be a touchy subject, which begs the question: As gunowners and parents teaching our kids to respect firearms, should children today be allowed to play with toy guns?
Handgun Review: Bersa BP9CC
The super-slim Bersa BP9CC pistol, chambered in 9mm, will thrill concealed carry fans.
Handgun Review: Walther PPQ M2
Smooth shooting and beautifully engineered, the German-made Walther PPQ M2 handgun strikes the perfect balance between form and function.
6 Targets that Make Shooting a Blast
Tired of punching holes in paper when you go shooting? Here's the answer! From kinetic targets to shooting games, these six targets are certain to make your time behind the trigger much more fun, while still sharpening your skills.


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The Syracuse University professor and architect is organizing a two-day symposium on what he hopes is the next movement in architecture. Read more
New Orleans, New York, Oakland, Palm Springs, and Toronto. Read more
The Chinese facility completed construction, a Dallas exhibit offers a look at architecture toys, and more news to round out the year. Read more
Ian Volner checks in on Design Miami, Art Basel, and the city's de facto public transit system. Read more
Atlanta, Berkeley, Toronto, Washington, D.C. Read more
Upcoming events to participate in at or around these cities: Baltimore, Delft, Houston, New Haven, and New York. Read more
Technology leaders at the 34th annual Association for Computer Aided Design in Architecture conference see programming, software development, and engineering as integral to next-gen architecture. Read more
Denver, Istanbul, London, San Diego, and Savannah. Read more
It can't be easy being the world's most famous living architect. Sometimes you have to say what's on your mind. Sometimes words just won't do. Read more
The cross-disciplinary group announced an open application programming interface for manufacturer-supplied material ingredient information and a materials-health certificate. Read more
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