text:
About Me: Celtics! Patriots! Red Sox! All day!!!
Forum Post: Another 3 threat needed for C's
Posted 07/07/2012 02:41:32 EDT
Now that Ray is gone, we need another 3 pt threat... Ideas??
Forum Post: Ainge n Doc... Two words why not to change the team too much for 2013
Posted 06/13/2012 06:06:07 EDT
Not bad for a bunch of vets such as the big 3, they were very impressive this year to make it to the semifinals and just losing by one game to move on to the Finals. Many thought that Atlanta and Phil more »
Forum Post: It's not over yet!! Turn up the Celtic Pride dial!!
Posted 06/07/2012 11:43:31 EDT
Game 7... Do or Die... It's anyones game. Yes game 7 is in Miami, but we already know the C's can still pull a win... did it game 5. Don't give up on boys yet!! more »
Forum Post: Derrick Rose done for season
Posted 04/29/2012 12:40:00 EDT
Rose is awesome and I wish him well but now its time for him to go home and swim in his $200.000.000 + adidas money pool and hopefully heal 100% for next year. more »
Forum Post: Celtic Fans...... Don't be so mean!! Stay Green!!
Posted 12/21/2011 06:53:22 EST
Lot's of complaining and negative words out there Celtic Fans... that's supposed to be the LA Faker's job to throw negative words. I don't care about who the Celtics don't have at this time, I'm glad more »
Forum Post: WR T. J. Houshmandzadeh will work out tomorrow for the Patriots
Posted 08/15/2011 02:34:50 EDT
Prediction... Housh will be a Patriot, Brady will have another awesome Receiver to throw to and it's just another step closer toward a fourth Superbowl Title. more »
Forum Post: What could Ray Allen bring us??
Posted 05/18/2011 01:06:58 EDT
First of all I want to thank DA and Doc for bringing Ray to Boston. As for trading Ray, he is far too valuable for Boston to trade him. Two reasons... "Despite his age, he continues to play amazingly more »
Forum Post: celtics are drama queens
Posted 05/09/2011 04:32:02 EDT
Drama Queens? The Lakers have one major Drama Queen that would take out the whole Celtics team... Ron "DQ" Artest... I rest my case. The smart Laker trolls would be shutting up by now. Oh yeah, one mo more »
Forum Post: Krstic's add to his new team
Posted 02/28/2011 04:49:07 EST
Nenad Krstic seems to be a good player... I just can't get pass the "comb forward". Who are you kiddin... Shave the head already. Please!!... and kick some butt aerodynamically... more »
Forum Post: Celtics Chances Of Landing Dwight Howard......
Posted 02/22/2011 03:49:23 EST
Not impossible... It can happen... The Magic makes the decisions if they decide to trade, not Dwight. Boston would have to release someone of high value if they did. I don't see DA trading any of the more »
Forum Post: Melo is an official Knick..is NY better?
Posted 02/22/2011 03:41:41 EST
The Knicks got the better end of the stick... Melo with Billips added... they are way better now. Guaranteed more W's now. more »
Forum Post: Garnett for Aldridge?
Posted 02/16/2011 04:05:27 EST
Please post something that makes sense.
Forum Post: Congratulations Ray Allen: All Time 3pt Champ!
Posted 02/11/2011 11:39:45 EST
Ray Ray is an unbelieveable ball player. He deserves it and I hope he will be able to capture another title before he retires. Good luck in anyone trying to beat his record in the future. more »
Forum Post: Why are we even talking trades?
Posted 02/09/2011 07:08:11 EST
Strong points everyone. I agree on trading if it supports the starting 5. Trading any of the 5 is not the answer. Shaq, BBD, Nate and Wafer I would like to stay for sure. If not, I just hope the right more »
Posted 02/09/2011 03:21:46 EST
Yes! The trading deadline is getting closer, who cares!. This Boston Celtics squad is great just the way it is. Hearing all this "trade Truth, trade KG, trade Allen, trade BBD, yada yada yada" just ne more »
Forum Post: Danny says no trades are likely...
Posted 01/28/2011 11:09:50 EST
The team is fine just the way it is. What... 2nd best team in the league is not good enough for you? Perk is back, the bench is strong, D West is healing fast and the team's chemistry is in tact. more »
Forum Post: TRADE RONDO AND BIG BABY FOR CP3 NOW!
Posted 07/24/2010 02:13:55 EDT
Are you nuts? Rondo is a much better player than Chris Paul! Rondo keeps getting better every year and Big Baby is playing great too ever since the thumb injury. The only players that should be traded more »
Forum Post: Celtics Re-Sign Daniels to 1 year contract
Posted 07/23/2010 12:23:54 EDT
I agree 100% that Danny should grab Eddie House. I'm sure that he would come back for the minimum. One thing is for sure is Daniels needs to step up. I also believe that in his profession that he need more »
Forum Post: Will The Real Big Three Please Stand Up?
Posted 07/22/2010 06:31:21 EDT
Who honestly believes that LeBron James is the greatest player on the planet? I am sure that I can easily name 10 players in history that could take "The Burger King" down due to the know more »
Forum Post: Tainted Championship
Posted 07/22/2010 06:23:38 EDT
We would be celebrating today if Perk was in the game. He would have compensated that 4 point loss. Block shots and rebounds? Celtics would have at least won by 8 or 9 points. The Lakers should be tha more »
Forum Post: Celtics/Lakers
Posted 07/22/2010 06:11:42 EDT
Duke 4 is right... the Celtics/Lake and Yankees/Red Sox rivals are by far the greatest events to watch and remember. Without these historical matches, the NBA and MLB just wouldn't be the same.
Forum Post: Prediction: 11-5
Posted 10/19/2009 09:44:53 EDT
Not looking at numbers. Just hoping that the Pats make it to through the playoffs, go to the superbowl and win the whole damn thing. It would be nice if they faced the Giants again and kick their a*#@ more »
©2015 Boston Globe Media Partners, LLC
Separate multiple addresses with a comma


text: No recent wiki edits to this page. In this issue we meet Jeffery Piper, a rookie cop in New York City. He has aspirations of doing good, and being a hero, yet he finds himself hated by the public for the uniform he wears, while superpowered "heroes" destroy the city and take the glory.From the 1970'd starting with the emergence of Power Man, to the emergence of the Punisher, this issue follows Piper, as he deals with troubles on the job, and a new girlfriend who is not well liked by his parents off the job.

subset: commoncrawl


text:
Bollywood actress and BJP candidate Kirron Kher on Friday won the Chandigarh Lok Sabha seat by 69,642 votes, officials said.
The Bharatiya Janata Party candiate defeated four-time Congress MP Pawan Kumar Bansal. Actress Gul Panag of the Aam Aadmi Party finished third.
While Kher got over 42% votes, Bansal and Panag got nearly 27% and 24% respectively.


text:
News from WTOP
News from the AP
Mike Causey
Shows & Panels
Shows & Panels
- Agency of the Month
- Business of Government Hour
- The CFO Agenda: Delivering value from financial transparency and audit efforts in the public and private sector
- Cloud-Driven Data Insights in Government
- CXO Surveys
- Disaster Resilience for America
- Federal News Countdown
- Government Perspectives on Mobility and the Cloud
- Reducing Risk in the Cloud
- Reimagining the Next Generation of Government
Shows & Panels
- AFCEA Answers
- American Readiness: Renewable Power and Efficiency Technologies
- Ask the CIO
- The Business Case for Cloud Computing in Government
- Cloud-Driven Data Insights in Government
- Connecting the Dots: Digital Authentication in Government
- Cybersecurity Game Changer: Real-Time Event Processing in Government
- Data-Centric Approaches to Government in the Cloud
- Delivering the Digital Government Mission
- Federal Executive Forum
- Federal News Radio's National Cyber Security Awareness Month Special Panel Discussion
- Federal Tech Talk
- The Future of Government Data Centers
- Government Perspectives on Mobility and the Cloud
- Industrialized, Interoperable and Insight-driven Federal Health Panel
- Innovation and Tech Superiority through Acquisition Reform
- Mitigating Insider Threats in Virtual & Cloud Environments
- Moving Agency Applications to the Cloud with PaaS
- Reducing Risk in the Cloud
- Security in the Age of Targeted Attacks
- Air Traffic Management Transformation Report
- The Business of Cloud
- Cloud First Report
- Data Driven Cloud Series
- Disaster Resilience for America
- General Dynamics IT Enterprise Center
- Gov Cloud Minute
- Government in Technology Series
- Homeland Security Cybersecurity Market Report
- The Intersection: Where Technology Meets Transformation
- Modern Mission Critical Series
- National Cybersecurity Awareness Month
- The New IP for Federal IT
- The Social Platform Solution for the Department of Veterans Affairs
- Technology Insights
- The Cyber Security Report
- The Next Generation Cyber Security Experts
Shows & Panels
- Cloud-Driven Data Insights in Government
- Disaster Resilience for America
- F-35 Lightning II Program
- Government Perspectives on Mobility and the Cloud
- On DoD
- Pentagon Solutions
- Reducing Risk in the Cloud
- Reimagining the Next Generation of Government
- Transforming Business Operations at the Defense Department
A census first: Black voter turnout passes whites
Thursday - 5/9/2013, 10:00am EDT
Associated Press
WASHINGTON (AP) -- Making history, America's blacks voted at higher rates than whites in 2012, lifting Democrat Barack Obama to victory amid voter apathy, particularly among young people, new census data show. Despite increasing population, the number of white voters declined for the first time since 1996.
Blacks were the only race or ethnic group to show an increase in voter turnout in November, most notably in the Midwest and Southeastern U.S., the Census Bureau said Wednesday. The analysis, based on a sample survey of voters last year, is viewed as the best source of government data on turnout by race and ethnicity.
The Associated Press reported last week that black voter turnout surpassed whites for the first time, based on an analysis by experts of earlier data.
In all, about 66.2 percent of eligible black voters cast ballots in 2012, up from 64.7 percent in 2008, according to census data. That compares with non-Hispanic white turnout of 64.1 percent, which fell from 66.1 percent four years earlier. As recently as 1996, blacks had turnout rates 8 percentage points lower than non-Hispanic whites.
Latino turnout dipped slightly, from 49.9 percent in 2008 to 48 percent, while Asian-American turnout was basically unchanged at 47 percent.
Voter turnout across all race and ethnic groups fell for a second consecutive presidential election, from 64 percent in 2004 to 62 percent in November, according to the census figures.
"Obama's win in 2012, despite the important Democratic constituency of young voters not participating at a high level, is good news," said Michael McDonald, a George Mason University professor who specializes in voter turnout. "The bad news is that voting is a habit -- and the fact that we saw turnout declines among younger African-Americans suggests Democrats will have to work even harder to excite these voters in future elections."
The data underscore how turnout plays an important role in elections for both whites and blacks, who will remain the two largest racial groups of eligible voters for the next decade. While Hispanics are now the fast-growing demographic group, they currently make up a smaller share of eligible voters because many are children and non-citizens, limiting their electoral impact for the immediate future.
In 2012, the number of blacks who voted rose by 1.7 million. Hispanics added 1.4 million and Asian voters increased by 550,000.
Meanwhile, even though the white population is slowly increasing, the number of white voters dropped by 2 million -- the first drop in absolute terms for any race or ethnic group since 1996.
By age, youth enthusiasm for voting fizzled in 2012.
About 41 percent of voters age 18-24 cast ballots in November, down 7 percentage points from 2008. The drop was greatest among whites, whose turnout fell from 49 percent to 42 percent. But young black voters also saw big declines, from 55 percent in 2008 to 49 percent. That's compared with a decline among young Hispanics from 39 percent to 34 percent.
The only subgroups showing increases in voter turnout were among blacks ages 45 to 64 as well as those 65 and older.
"Blacks have been voting at higher rates, and the Hispanic and Asian populations are growing rapidly, yielding a more diverse electorate," said Thom File, a census sociologist who wrote the voting analysis. "Over the last five presidential elections, the share of voters who were racial or ethnic minorities rose from just over 1 in 6 in 1996 to more than 1 in 4 in 2012."
"We do know the population is growing more diverse, and the electorate is growing more diverse in a different way," File added.
Other census findings:
--White turnout declined in 39 states from 2008 to 2012, including presidential battleground states such as Ohio, Virginia and Florida.
--The gender gap in voting persists, a trend since 1996. About 64 percent of women voted, compared with 60 percent of men.
--Declines in voter turnout also were seen most notably among single people, the unemployed, renters and those with only a high school education or some college, suggesting in part voter disenchantment amid a sluggish economy.
--Black voter turnout surpassed that of whites mostly in the Midwest region, which covers Ohio, Indiana, Illinois, Wisconsin and Michigan, as well as the Southern U.S. region including Mississippi, Alabama, Georgia, Florida, North Carolina, South Carolina and Virginia.
Demographers say the numbers pose long-term challenges for Republicans, given that 80 percent of nonwhites voted for Obama in November.
Analyses by Brookings Institution demographer William H. Frey show that Republican Mitt Romney would have barely won the presidency if whites and other race groups had turned out at the same rates as they did in 2004, when black turnout was below its current historic levels. But if Democrats can replicate 2012 turnout rates in 2016, they would win the presidency, given current population trends, Frey said.


text:
Accused of sidelining veterans, Narendra Modi today reached out to the elders in BJP, hailing the "sacrifice" of "four generations" of partymen and leadership of Atal Bihari Vajpayee and L K Advani and said they continue to inspire him.
Addressing workers from over six lakh polling booths across the country through a video conference on the occasion of BJP's 34th foundation day, the party's Prime Ministerial candidate equated them with security forces manning the posts on border and securing the boundaries of the nation.
Modia also made a brief reference to the "frightening excesses" during Emergency.
The Gujarat Chief Minister, who is under frequent attack from Opposition parties for "taking over" BJP and "sidelining" the seniors while projecting his own personality alone, showered encomiums on workers and leaders who contributed to the making of the present BJP.
"We have reached this place where we stand today riding the shoulders of those four generations....Whereever we find us today is the result of the sacrifice and hardwork of lakhs of workers of the four generations....There are many political parties but only we can claim of being an organisation based party.
"We are in existence due to our workers. It's not a simple event that four generations work in making a party and it continues to function. I salute those lakhs of workers, all the four generations, which sacrificed them for building the BJP," Modi said.
He added "We have been guided through the leadership of Atal ji and Advani ji. People like Kushabhau Thakre (former BJP President) and Sunder Singh Bhandari sacrificed their life." Modi said he remembers all of them and they inspire him.
He also quoted a line from Vajpayee "Suraj niklega, Andhera chatega aur Kamal khilega (The Sun will rise, the darekness will go away and the lotus will bloom)" on this occasion.
Insisting that it is the duty of the party workers to concentrate on succeeding at polling booths, Modi said,"people keep talking that we have to win this many seats. Somebody says we have to win in Assembly polls in states where they are happening. All these dreams are very good. A conquering mentality is the biggest essence for winning elections.
"But it's beginning is the polling booth. Polling booth is the main point for it. The jawan, which is deployed on the border also protects his post to secure the country. Only the jawan who
Addressing workers through a video conference in his Varanasi constituency, Modi exhorting the workers by saying his it was not his ambition to get power, but in fact it was his mission to bring a change on the behest of more than 100 crore population of the nation.
"My DNA is of a booth-level party worker, who pastes posters and reaches from door to door," he said.
Modi said the technology has made the task of interaction with the remotest booths of villages all across the country easier.
A large number of BJP leaders and workers gathered today at the election office of Modi in Sigra locality in the city and listened to him eagerly on television sets.


text:
A self-described "poz vampire" who had unprotected sex with other men without telling them his HIV positive status has been found guilty of trying to kill his sex partners with the disease. "There is no way I was trying to kill anyone," a shaking Steven Boone told his lawyers before being led sobbing from the prisoner's box in shackles. Boone's mother broke down in tears in the hallway after the verdict late Wednesday. Inside the court, she yelled at a Crown attorney observing the proceedings who she thought was smiling. "What are you smirking about? You think it's funny?" she asked. Moments earlier, Boone could be seen becoming emotional as the jury found him guilty of three counts of attempted murder and administering a noxious substance — his semen — on three young men, including a 17-year-old, with whom he'd had unprotected sex. The 17-year-old male later tested positive for HIV. Boone, 31, was also convicted of three counts of aggravated sex assault. Two of the charges related to two of the men he was convicted of trying to kill. The third count was in relation to a man who he had sex with using a condom. The jury acquitted him of two counts of aggravated sexual assault in relation to two men who engaged in oral sex with him. Boone told none of the men he was HIV positive. The guilty verdict signaled that the jury felt there was a realistic possibility of transmission of HIV, even during anal sex using a condom. What wasn't clear was if they concluded Boone had ejaculated in or damaged the condom, which would increase the risk of spreading the disease. They also concluded the Crown had proved there was an intent to kill three men Boone had unprotected sex with. However, the jury's not guilty findings on two of the aggravated sex assault charges mean they didn't find there was a realistic possibility of the transmission of HIV during oral sex where no ejaculation occurred. What constitutes a "realistic possibility" of HIV transmission was the central issue in the trial. Canadian law says you don't have to disclose your HIV positive status if there isn't a realistic possibility of transmitting the disease. The Crown argued that oral sex with an HIV positive person with an unreduced viral load represented a greater risk than unprotected vaginal sex with someone who had a low viral load. A Supreme Court of Canada decision on the eve of Boone's trial found that unprotected vaginal sex with a person with a low viral load met the standard of a "realistic possibility"of transmitting the disease and required disclosure. Vaginal sex where the HIV-positive person uses a condom and has a low viral load didn't require disclosure, according to the Supreme Court of Canada decision. An HIV expert who testified for the Crown concluded the risk in Boone's case for oral sex without ejaculation was about 1 in 2,000. The risk of transmitting HIV during sex with a condom where there was no ejaculation was about 1 in 1,000, the doctor concluded. Boone's viral load was considered about average. An expert who testified for the defense wouldn't put a number on the risk of transmission from oral sex, but opined it was so close to zero it was almost theoretical. To secure the attempted murder convictions, the Crown relied extensively on sexual chats where Boone often boasted about having unprotected sex with unsuspecting sex partners and teenage virgins. In his quest to convince people to have "bareback" sex, Boone would claim condoms caused cancer and portrayed life with HIV as something that increased your sex drive. Boone said he "lost count" of how many HIV negative men he had sex with without telling them he had HIV. The Crown alleged Boone was part of a disturbing subculture of "bug chasers" who would try to "stealth poz" HIV-negative men in an attempt to give them the disease. continued
Pat Benatar
Who, at what point, takes ANY responsibility anymore???
That includes the straights too...
DataLounge get your fix of gay gossip, news and pointless bitchery.
Talking to DataLounge servers.
Please wait a moment...


text:
FACE-TO-FACE Children's illustrator Olivier Tallec tells Olympia Shilpa Gerald why illustrations must tell a story of their own
Remember the time when you bought a book only because you liked to look at the pictures? Or flipped through the illustrations, making up a story of your own?
Illustrated books are very much part of the narrative of growing up. Probably if you had come across some good pictures back then, the chances are you were hooked to reading quicker.
Creating colourful worlds
Illustrations speak a universal language. Ask Olivier Tallec, children's books illustrator whose popular works have been translated into a dozen languages, including English. The French illustrator has created colourfully detailed worlds for children to inhabit in over 60 books.
But the illustrator does not believe that text and images should run on the same track. "The text and illustration work separately. It is important for the illustration to capture what is missing in the text," he says, in an interview to MetroPlus at Alliance Francaise in Puducherry. "Which is why I choose texts that do not describe much," he explains. Clearly, Tallec relishes the freedom to plumb his creative depths and let his pencil tell half the story — a reason why he says working with familiar authors makes his job more interesting. Tallec has also illustrated comics, magazines and newspapers. But publishers are often prejudiced that children's book illustrators can only work with children's books, he says. Giving an insight into his creative process, Tallec says, "I read the text more than once. Then I put it at the back of my mind. I try to forget the details, except for the most important ones. It is only then that I think about what I want to draw."
Tallec confesses he has been bowled over by the creative ways teachers use his illustrations in a classroom. In his books, he wordlessly captures friendship, school life, the joys and disappointments of childhood. Sometimes, these books can help teachers and parents talk about subjects they may be hesitant to broach. One of his books, Scar, meant for kids around four, deals with death.
A knot of children bring some of his popular books Big Wolf and Little Wolf and Waterloo and Trafalgar . He takes out a couple of pencils swiftly. As the kids eagerly peep over his shoulder, he sets to doodle. Under a minute, each cover leaf has a vivid pencil drawing.
But Tallec never planned to become an illustrator. "It was purely accidental," he quips. A publisher sent a text which he tried out ("that one was very bad," he confesses). A second one followed and so on. After 15 years, his work has evolved to become simpler with the use of fewer colours.
Illustration as a full-time profession may not be lucrative today, he admits. "It was easier to start ten years ago than today. You need to be very patient," he warns. More competition, lesser volume of prints, higher prices have taken a toll on illustrators. The rising popularity of e-books may be a game-changer, but not yet, says Tallec. "It will change a lot of things and the way we work. But illustrated paper books will exist in the future, though fewer in number."
For someone who started out as a graphic designer, ironically, Tallec does his illustrations by hand. Drawing and scanning is faster than designing on a computer for him. Though when the publisher is not too happy with the colours, the work on paper is more. "True, I know a lot of designers who work on the computer. But then, doing it this way, I think I get to retain my own style," he smiles.


text:
A conductorless charging and power system for electronic appliances and method for communicating power to a power receiver employing wireless energy transmission are disclosed. The remote charging system includes a power transmission unit, which transmits energy as a directional power beam, and a power receiver system that receives the transmitted energy. The power receiver system is preferably incorporated in an appliance and includes an energy receptor capable of receiving the wireless power beam and transferring the energy from the beam to an energy storage device included in the appliance. The power transmission unit receives and tracks a power request signal from the power receiver system to track the power receiver system location during energy transmission. Data streams may be incorporated into the wireless signals of the remote charging system, allowing the remote charging system to function as a communications pathway as well as a power delivery system.
1. A wireless recharge system for electronic equipment comprising:
an energy source;
a power transmission unit operably connected to the energy source comprising:
a power transmitter functioning to transmit energy as a wireless power beam when activated;
a communication receiver configured to detect a power request signal and provide a request indication;
a power unit controller operably connected to the communication receiver and the power transmitter, the power unit controller responsive to said request indication to activate said power transmitter; and
a first power receiver system comprising:
an energy receptor configured to receive the wireless power beam;
an energy storage unit;
an energy beam converter that transforms energy from the received wireless power beam to an energy form compatible with said energy storage unit;
a power usage monitor operatively connected to said energy storage unit to detect a quantity of power stored in said energy storage unit; and
a power receiver system transmitter that produces the power request signal as a function of the quantity of power stored in said energy storage unit as detected by said power usage monitor.
2. The wireless recharge system of
3. The wireless recharge system of
4. The wireless recharge system of
5. The wireless recharge system of
6. The wireless recharge system of
7. The wireless recharge system of
8. The wireless recharge system of
9. The wireless recharge system of
10. The wireless recharge system of
11. The wireless recharge system of
12. The wireless recharge system of
13. The wireless recharge system of
14. The wireless recharge system of
15. The wireless recharge system of
16. The wireless recharge system of
17. The wireless recharge system of
18. The wireless recharge system of
19. The wireless recharge system of
20. The wireless recharge system of
21. The wireless recharge system of
22. The wireless recharge system of
23. The wireless recharge system of
24. The wireless recharge system of
25. The wireless recharge system of
26. A wireless recharge system comprising:
an energy source;
a plurality of power transmission units operably connected to the energy source comprising:
a power transmitter configured to transmit energy as a directional wireless power beam when activated;
a communication receiver configured to detect a power request signal and provide a request indication;
a power unit controller operably connected to the communication receiver and the power transmitter, the power unit controller responsive to said request indication to activate said power transmitter; and
at least one appliance incorporating a first power receiver system comprising:
an energy receptor configured to receive the wireless power beam;
an energy storage unit;
an energy beam converter that transforms energy from the received wireless power beam to an energy form compatible with said energy storage unit;
a power usage monitor operatively connected to said energy storage unit to detect a quantity of power stored in said energy storage unit; and
a power receiver system transmitter that produces the power request signal as a function of the quantity of power stored in said energy storage unit as detected by said power usage monitor,
wherein said plurality of power transmission units are incorporated into a structure at least partially surrounding said at least one appliance and providing said directional power beam to said appliance when the first power receiver system produces the power request signal.
27. The wireless recharge system of
28. The wireless recharge system of
29. The wireless recharge system of
30. A wireless recharge and communication system comprising:
an appliance equipped with a first power receiver system including a first information signal receiver and decoder;
an energy source;
a power transmission unit operably connected to the energy source and comprising:
a combination power transmitter and communication unit for wirelessly transmitting a combined directional energy beam and first information signal to the first power receiver system,
wherein said first information signal is received and decoded by said first power receiver system, said information signal permitting communication from said power transmission unit to said appliance.
31. The wireless recharge system of
32. The wireless recharge system of
33. The wireless recharge system of
34. The wireless recharge system of
35. A wireless power system comprising:
an energy source;
a power transmission unit operably connected to the energy source comprising:
power unit transmitter for transmitting energy as a wireless power beam to the first power receiver system, and
power unit controller operably connected to the power unit transmitter for controlling the power unit transmitter, and
a power unit communication transceiver for transmission of a first information signal and receipt of a second information signal; and
an appliance equipped with a first power receiver system comprising:
a power receiver system transceiver for receiving the first information signal from the power unit transceiver and transmitting the second information signal to the power unit transceiver.
36. The wireless power system of
37. The wireless power system of
38. The wireless power system of
39. The wireless power system of
40. The wireless power system of
41. The wireless power system of
42. The wireless power system of
43. A method for wirelessly recharging an appliance incorporating a power receiver system having an energy receptor comprising:
monitoring the condition of an energy storage unit arranged to provide power to said appliance to determine a quantity of energy stored in said energy storage unit;
monitoring a quantity of energy consumed by the appliance;
starting transmission of a power request signal from the appliance as a function of the condition of the energy storage unit and the quantity of energy consumed by the appliance;
receiving the power request signal at a first power transmission unit;
transmitting a wireless power beam from a first power transmission unit to the energy receptor in response to receiving the power request signal;
stopping transmission of the power request signal from the appliance as a function of the condition of the energy storage unit and the quantity of energy consumed by the appliance; and
ending transmission of the wireless power beam when said power request signal is stopped.
44. The method of
stopping transmission of the power beam upon interruption of the power request signal.
45. The method of
46. The method of
47. The method of
stopping transmission of the power beam after a predetermined amount of energy has been transmitted;
acknowledging the receipt of the predetermined amount of energy by the power receiver system to the power transmission unit; and
starting transmission of the power beam for a subsequent predetermined amount of energy after the step of acknowledging.
48. The method of
49. The method of
stopping transmission of the power beam in response to a failure to acknowledge receipt of the power beam.
50. The method of
transmitting a power unit communication signal from the power transmission unit;
receiving the power unit communication signal at the power receiver system;
establishing a two way communication link between the power transmission unit and the power receiver system; and
stopping transmission of the power beam in response to a loss of the two-way communication link.
51. The method of
tracking a location of the moving power beam request signal.
This is a continuation-in-part application of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 09/648,951, filed Aug. 25, 2000 now U.S. Pat. No. 6,792,259, which is a continuation of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 09/436,291, filed Nov. 8, 1999, now U.S. Pat. No. 6,114,834, which is a continuation of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 08/934,270, filed Sep. 19, 1997, now U.S. Pat. No. 5,982,139, which claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Application No. 60/046,027, filed May 9, 1997.
The present invention relates in general to a wireless power transmission system. One particular aspect of the present invention relates to a remote power transmission system for recharging electronic equipment.
Millions of portable electronic devices are in use today. Each of these devices typically employs a rechargeable battery pack that requires periodic connection to a charger. Many simply forget to connect the equipment to the charger and are left without sufficient power to use their portable electronics. Frequently, the portable electronic equipment is being used in locations where an outlet for the charger is simply not available. The present invention relates to a system for wirelessly delivering electrical power to portable electronic devices.
Wireless power transmission is defined as a point-to-point energy or power transmission through free space (a vacuum), the atmosphere, or other media without the use of conductors. Attenuation of the energy from the transmitter to the receiver is not a function of the distance that separates them unless the medium through which the energy travels affects the energy. For example, in a perfect vacuum, the power beam would travel indefinitely, no matter the distance. This can also be referred to as a conductorless power transmission. This is contrary to an induction system, for example, which must have a minimum to zero distance between the induction coils in order to function.
Originally, a conductorless power transmission system was proposed to augment the existing system of electrical conductors that are used to move large quantities of electrical power over long distances. Later, systems were proposed to convert large quantities of solar energy into an energy beam that could be transmitted from outer space to the surface of the earth through satellite transmissions. Once on earth the energy beam would be converted back to a usable energy form that would be pumped into the existing electrical energy distribution grid. See for instance U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,114,517; 3,781,647; and 3,174,705. Several transmission frequencies of the energy spectrum have been considered to minimize the energy loss from the beam as it travels through the atmosphere, including radio frequency (RF), laser, and optical frequency (OF). For the RF energy beam, atmospheric attenuation is a minimum up to 4 GHz even during a heavy rainstorm. Other windows of transmission exist at 35 GHz and 94 GHz. Systems designed to operate at these relatively high frequencies have the added advantage of operating at smaller apertures wherein the transmitting antenna and the receiving antenna can be smaller. Such systems have been considered for transmission of energy from satellites in a low earth orbit or geosynchronous orbit to the surface of the earth, a distance of many kilometers. Transmitting from space to the surface of the earth greatly diminishes laser based energy beam capabilities due to the long distances the laser beam must travel in the earth's atmosphere.
A wireless remote system capable of transmitting energy distances of 100 to 500 meters typically is all that is needed. At these relatively short distances, even taking into account additional power requirements for attenuation in the earth's atmosphere, many more RF bands become available. Energy transmission via a laser beam also becomes viable. Laser energy beam transmission has the additional advantage of requiring relatively small transmitting and receiving antennae.
Briefly stated, the invention in simplified form comprises a power transmission unit and a power receiver system. In some embodiments there are a plurality of power transmission units, each interconnected to a power source such as, for instance, the existing electrical power transmission grid. Each power transmission unit (PTU) includes a power transmitter selectively activatable between the on and off condition. In the on condition, the power transmitter transforms energy from the power source into a directionally transmitted conductorless power beam. The power transmission unit also preferably comprises communication components for sending and/or receiving a communication signal and a power unit controller operably connected to both the communication device and power transmitter. The power unit controller device is preferably a logic type device incorporating microprocessors and functions to control the overall operation of the power transmission unit. In other embodiments the power transmission unit includes safety devices, signal locating and tracking capabilities as well as a device or devices to change the focus and/or orientation of the directional power beam transmitted by the power transmitter.
The power receiving system (PRS) is preferably comprised of a number of operably interconnected components. The PRS will include an energy receptor, such as an antenna, receptor/converter or combination receiver/antenna (rectenna). The energy receptor receives the power beam transmitted from the power transmitter. The PRS will also comprise an energy converter, which converts the energy received by the receptor to a form capable of storage in an energy storage device. A power usage monitor monitors the energy level in the energy storage device and preferably the energy being expended and energy being received by the energy receiving means. A transmitter/locator or "translocator" is operably connected to the power usage monitor. The translocator functions to transmit a translocator signal from a translocator antenna.
In some embodiments the PRS is incorporated into an appliance such as a cell phone or a vehicle. It should be understood that the terms "appliance" and "vehicle" are meant to encompass any and all electronic devices and vehicle types, respectively unless specifically limited. A surface vehicle may similarly be of any type for use on or near any surface such as, for example, boats, cars, trucks, golf carts, hovercraft or amusement park rides. Each vehicle would have many of the attributes of presently existing vehicles. Passenger cars for instance would typically include well known provisions for steering, speed control, suspension, braking, heating, ventilation and air-conditioning, etc. The motor for the vehicle could be any type that is able to utilize the energy received and/or stored by the vehicle, as later described.
In use of a preferred form of the invention, the vehicle or appliance would be employed in conventional settings, e.g., inside buildings, in urban settings and in rural areas. For example, a vehicle would travel along existing roads. Each appliance is independent, relying on its own PRS supplied with energy received from PTUs incorporated into the use environment. The power usage monitor constantly checks the amount of energy contained within the energy storage device as well as the amount and rate at which energy is being withdrawn from the energy storage device. When the level of energy in the energy storage device falls below a predetermined level, the power usage monitor activates the translocator to start transmission of a PRS communication signal requesting energy from a PTU.
The PRS communication signal is received by a PTU via the power unit communication device. A power unit controller "interprets" the PRS communication signal as a request for conductorless power transmission and locates the source of the PRS communication signal, which is, of course, the location of the appliance requesting power, or more preferably, the location of the energy receptor of the appliance. Once the appliance energy receptor is located, the power unit controller employs a communication signal tracking module and transmitter aiming control to orient the power transmitter and initiates broadcast of the directional power beam to the energy receptor. Naturally, if the appliance is moving as is likely the case for a cell phone or vehicle, the PTU continues to track the appliance location via the PRS communication signal and adjust the power transmitter so that the directional power beam remains aligned with the appropriate energy receptor. When the appliance has received sufficient energy, the translocator terminates the PRS communication signal, causing the power unit controller to cease power beam transmission.
In some embodiments the power usage monitor tracks the energy received by the energy receptor. Energy reception data may be part of the PRS communication signal transmitted to the PTU. The remote power system may be configured to terminate power beam transmission if the PRS fails to acknowledge the receipt of power from the PTU. This acts as a fail-safe should the power beam be interrupted or should the power beam and energy receptor become misaligned. Given the relatively short distance between the PTU and energy receptor and the fact that the power beam and communication signal travel at the speed of light, communication between the PRS and PTU is almost instantaneous and takes place before the energy receptor has moved any significant distance.
In another aspect of the invention the power beam comprises a series of pulses or energy packets, receipt of each or some number of which must be acknowledged by the PRS in a PRS communication signal before the next pulse or pulses are transmitted by the power transmitter to the energy receptor.
In a further aspect of the invention the PRS communication signal comprises a data stream transferring information to the power unit controller. In this way, each PRS may be uniquely identified so that a PTU receiving multiple communication signals can locate and track an individual energy receptor.
In another embodiment the appliance also includes a translocator energy unit operably connected to the PRS. The translocator energy unit is a logic device having a user determinable number of energy credits. The PRS communication signal, as part of the data stream, may include the number of energy credits contained on the translocator energy unit. As a PTU transmits the power beam to an appliance, the energy credits are electronically exchanged for quantities of power transmitted. When the energy credits in the translocator energy unit are depleted the translocator signal is terminated and the power unit controller stops transmission of the power beam. No further power transmission will be received by that appliance until the energy credits contained in the translocator energy unit are replenished.
In a further embodiment the PTU communication device may also comprise a transmitter and the translocator may comprise a receiver. In this manner, when the communication signal is received by the PTU, a PTU communication signal can be returned to the PRS, establishing two-way communication between the PTU and the PRS. In this embodiment, transmission of the power beam may be predicated on establishment of two-way communication between the PTU and PRS.
An object of the invention is to provide a new and improved wireless power transmission system and method.
Another object of the invention is to provide a new and improved wireless (conductorless) power transmission system and method, which is especially suited for use in short range, urban environments.
A further object of the invention is to provide a system and method for receiving wireless energy and converting the received energy to a different form.
Still another object of the invention is to provide an energy safety system and method.
A still further object of the invention is to provide a hybrid energy storage device.
A yet further object of the invention is to provide a new and improved wireless power recharge system for electronic equipment.
Other objects and advantages of the invention will become apparent from the detailed description and the drawings, in which:
The disclosures of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 09/648,951, filed Aug. 25, 2000, U.S. patent application Ser. No. 09/436,921 filed Nov. 8, 1999, and U.S. patent application Ser. No. 08/934,270 filed Sep. 16, 1997, now U.S. Pat. No. 5,982,139, are incorporated by reference herein.
With reference to the drawings wherein like numerals represent like components or structures throughout the figures, a remote power system according to aspects of the present invention is generally represented by the numeral 1. As shown in functional block diagrams
The function and cooperation among the basic components of a remote power system 1 will now be described with reference to
A major function of the PTU 20 is to transmit a wireless or conductorless energy beam to an appliance when called upon to do so. The power transmitter 22 converts energy from the connected power source (electricity in the case of an existing power grid) to a directional wireless power beam 5. The conversion of energy to a directional power beam 5 is well known. For instance, power beams in microwave energy form may be created using a magnetron, a klystron or a traveling-wave tube. Power beams in laser energy form may be created by one of many known solid, liquid or gas laser systems. In some embodiments the PTU 20 includes a communication signal tracking module 50 and transmitter aiming control 52 to allow the PTU 20 to direct the energy beam at the desired appliance.
It should be further recognized that the remote power system 1 may use various power beam frequencies or energy forms at one time. The power beam can incorporate different energy forms simultaneously or sequentially depending on the design of the energy beam converter. This allows a PTU 20 to use the energy form and frequency best adapted for the existing weather and/or atmospheric or other conditions at that time.
The PRS 44 comprises an energy receptor 54, an energy beam converter 11, an energy storage unit 13, a power usage monitor 16, a transmitter/locator or "translocator" unit 4 and a translocator antenna 26. Any or all of the energy receptor 54, energy beam converter 11, and translocator 4 and translocator antenna 26 may be physically located together, such as, for example, in the energy receptor 54 shown in
The power usage monitor 16 is the main logic device for controlling power management inside the appliance. The power usage monitor 16 functions to monitor the amount of energy available to the appliance from the onboard energy storage unit 13. Preferably, the power usage monitor 16 also monitors the energy used by the appliance and the energy received from the PTU 20. When the energy available to the appliance falls below a predetermined level, the power usage monitor 16 activates the translocator 4 to request additional power from a PTU.
The activated translocator unit 4 initiates broadcast of a PRS communication signal 9 from the translocator antenna 26. The translocator 4 will preferably have two modes of operation. The first is a general communication mode that essentially scans the horizon, either 360-degrees around the appliance or some portion to either side of the appliance, to search for a PTU 20. If multiple PTUs are detected, the PRS 44 may select the strongest signal, or a signal in a direction of appliance travel. The translocator antenna 26 may be physically or electronically moved to implement this scanning function or could remain oriented in a single direction during broadcast in the general communication mode.
Once a particular PTU 20 is chosen, the translocator 4 changes from the general communication mode to a directional mode to provide a guide beam 6 with limited or controlled dispersion for the PTU 20 to follow. The PTU 20 locks onto and tracks the guide beam 6 to its source. Since, as shown in
The power beam 5 is absorbed by the energy receptor 54 and transformed from the energy form of the power beam 5 to a form compatible with the energy storage unit 13 by the energy beam converter 11. In the embodiment of
When the level of energy in the energy storage unit 13 rises above a predetermined level, the power usage monitor 16 signals the translocator 4, terminating or altering the PRS communication signal 9 to end power beam transmission. PRS-equipped appliances send a PRS communication signal to "call" for power when needed. Appliances are kept charged by wireless power delivery without human intervention, eliminating the need to remember to plug in the appliance for charging.
If the PRS communication signal 9 is lost by the PTU 20; or the power beam 5 or the PTU communication signal 19 is lost by the PRS 44, all communication between the PTU 20 and PRS 44 is considered lost, and the power unit controller 48 terminates power beam 5 transmission. A new communication link between the power transmitter unit and the PRS 44 would have to be established before restart of power beam transmission.
In those embodiments where the energy beam 5 is used to transmit data, the remote power system includes components for encoding data into the energy beam and for decoding the data from the energy beam. A combination power transmitter/communication unit 22 a encodes the PTU communication signal 19 into the energy beam 5. The PRS 44 is provided with a power signal communication interpreter 41 to decode data carried by the energy beam 5. It should be recognized that the power beam 5 and PRS communication signal 9 can be of an entirely different frequency range and/or signal type.
An aspect of the present invention relates to three types of wireless linkages between the PTU 20 and the PRS 44. A wireless energy beam 5 is generated by the PTU 20 and directed at a PRS 44 to provide a wireless power transmission linkage. A translocator 4 associated with the PRS 44 generates a guide beacon 6 that is detected by the PTU 20 to provide a directional linkage. A one-way or two-way communications link between the PTU 20 and the PRS 44 is established by any of several methods described in greater detail below. Together, the power transmission, directional and communications linkages enhance the safety, capability and flexibility of the remote power system.
A particular aspect of the present invention relates to relationships between the three linkages. As discussed with respect to
The power unit communication receiver 46 of
One function of a communications linkage between the PTU 20 and the PRS 44 is to allow the PRS 44 to request power from the PTU 20 and to permit identification of the PRS 44 to power provider companies for billing purposes. Another function of a communications linkage is to allow the remote power system to serve as a communications pathway from the appliance equipped with the PRS 44 and systems such as the Internet or telephone networks.
The PRS and PTU communication signals 9, 19 and/or 6 preferably comprise a digital data stream. Digital data transfer provides a reliable means for accurately transmitting large amounts of data at high speed. This allows the PRS communication signal 9 to identify, for instance, a particular appliance to the PTU 20, thereby allowing verification of the request prior to the conductorless energy beam transmission. The use of a digital data stream allows the appliance to transmit other information, such as, for example, the amount of power received, the status and condition of the appliance, etc. Two-way communications allows communication with the appliance for providing instructions for pre-heating an oven, turning on lights, or activating an alarm system, etc. The data stream may be in the form of a coded or encrypted communication signal, to provide a secure communication between the PRS 44 and PTU 20, preventing tampering with the signal or theft of power. Additionally, the use of a communication signal 9, 19 and/or 6 comprising a data stream allows each appliance to be assigned a priority. For instance, high priority appliances could be given ultimate priority to preferentially receive any available power beams. Other uses for the communications linkage will be described below in the context of particular use environments.
In any embodiment of the present invention, the communication link between the PTU and the PRS can also contain data transmission between the two. That is, the power beam can be the signal carrying data to the application from the PTU. Therefore energy transmission can be sent and received not only as the power beam, but also as a data stream to the vehicle or appliance.
Then the "response" or return signal can be sent back from the appliance to the PTU as a data stream for communication as well as for guidance, location and acknowledgement of receipt of energy to the storage unit. This is shown clearly in
Notice that the PTU has a "Communication Interface" 64 that ties the PTU into the Internet (World Wide Web) or any other communication system (cell phone, laptop, PDA, etc.) with the WWW.*.com notation on the Figures. Similarly, the PRS 65 has the notation "Device Commun.Port" that ties it into any data device. This again would be the means for the appliance to utilize the data stream (as a cell phone, laptop, PDA, etc.). There is no technical reason why the appliance or vehicle tracking system cannot use a data stream as the beacon to guide the power beam to the appliance. Similarly, the power beam can also be sent as a data stream, the energy bursts or packets sized as needed for sending data as well as for safety. Hence, in any embodiment of the present invention, a communication link can be, or is, a data stream link.
Operation of embodiments of the remote power system 1 according to aspects of the present invention will now be described in the context of a variety of use environments and in conjunction with alternative appliances. Specifically,
In conventional fashion, the operator control 14 allows the vehicle operator to control the motor through the motor control unit 15. The motor control unit 15 also controls the flow of energy from the regenerative braking system 17 contained in some embodiments to the energy storage unit 13. In a well known fashion, the regenerative braking system 17 converts the energy generated from slowing and stopping the vehicle into a form compatible with the energy storage unit 13 and transmits that energy through the motor control unit 15 to either the electric motor 18 or the energy storage unit 13. The motor control unit 15 further functions as an interface between the operator control 14 and the motor 18, as well as providing energy consumption data to the power usage monitor 16.
Communication between the vehicle 2 and the PTU 20 allows the vehicle 2 to be transferred from one PTU 20 to the next. As the vehicle travels, and the vehicle energy receptor 54 moves out of alignment or out of range of a first PTU, the first unit will terminate transmission of the power beam to the vehicle. The vehicle can establish communication with the next closest PTU and establish transmission of a power beam therefrom. In this manner, the vehicle can receive an almost constant supply of power from power transmission units along the vehicle route. Public transportation vehicles could be given a higher priority, to receive power beams before private vehicles, which may be assigned a lower priority. The use of a PRS communication signal 9 to transfer data to the PTU 20 also allows a stalled vehicle to be given a temporarily higher priority, allowing the stalled vehicle to be moved out of traffic.
In the context of the remote power system of
Such communication and data transfer is especially useful in any embodiment where power transmission units are close together. In this situation a constant link with the vehicle can be maintained from power transmission unit to power transmission unit. This allows almost continuous communication between the vehicle and outside sources such as, for example, telephone calls or Internet access. This allows the vehicle driver and/or passengers to communicate with the outside world via the information communication signal transmitted by the power unit communication signal and/or energy beam and vehicle communication signal. This communications linkage can be provided for any type of vehicle connected to a remote power system 1. Line-of-sight communication would eliminate the typical "dead" spots that occur with existing cellular telephone and other present communication links that can be interrupted by buildings and other structures.
Referring to
Referring to
Another aspect of the invention is the use of a hybrid energy storage system. The hybrid energy storage system comprises a rapidly chargeable short term energy storage device and a more slowly chargeable long term energy storage device. One very distinct advantage to a hybrid energy storage system is the capability of storing a large quantity of energy very rapidly, then putting this large volume of rapid recharge energy into a long-term, more reliable storage media. For example, an ultracapacitor can store a very large amount of electrical energy in a very short time, but loses the full charge in a few days. The same is true for a flywheel. The flywheel may not be as quick to store energy as the capacitor, but similarly loses the stored energy in a few days. On the other hand, devices such as a storage battery or fuel cell can store energy for a very long period of time (months or even years), but requires a much longer time period to receive, absorb and store that energy.
Therefore, in an embodiment of the invention using a hybrid energy storage system a moving vehicle can be in the vicinity of a PTU for a few seconds and store a very large amount of energy in a rapid charge short term energy storage device, for example an ultracapacitor or flywheel. Then, as the vehicle continues down the road, this quick charged energy is transferred through a controller into a long-term storage device, for example a battery; i.e., the quick charge storage device provides a trickle charge for the battery. This will greatly improve the operation and effectiveness of the overall system.
In one embodiment, a quick charge storage device can supply energy through the motor control unit 15 directly to the drive motor if the driver needed a "burst" of energy to pass another vehicle. The quick charge storage device may both supply power to the drive motor and trickle charge the battery simultaneously. Alternately, the energy from the quick charge storage device can be slowly added to the battery or other storage system if passing power is not needed. In this way, once the vehicle is parked, the quick charge storage device can discharge to the long term storage device in a controlled, timely and efficient manner without fear of losing the energy stored in the quick charge storage device.
Referring to
In the setting shown in
It is anticipated that a plurality of PTU can "hand off" vehicles from one PTU to another. In this manner, a first PTU ends power transmission to, and hands off the vehicle communication signal from, a first vehicle to a second PTU. The second PTU locks onto the vehicle communication signal and commences transmission of the power beam. It is also possible for PTUs to "trade" or "swap" vehicle communication signals among each other. In any of these embodiments, the crossing of transmitted power beams, and the resulting destructive interference, are eliminated by capacity to identify and track individual vehicles.
The vehicle operator 32 may also use a replenishable (or throw-away) cash card purchased at the consumer outlet 33 to "refill" the vehicle's energy storage unit. Or the operator could swipe a personal credit card in a reader to purchase more energy. Any type of electronic device available to consumers to transfer funds for more energy units is possible.
In some embodiments the translocator energy unit 30 also includes a metered readout 34 which corresponds to the level of energy units remaining in the unit 30. Also, shown in
Since the power beam 5 may comprise a number of different energy forms, the vehicle receptor 54 and energy beam converter 11 are capable of variation to best utilize the chosen power beam energy form. For example, the receptor 54 could be a large surface area design similar to
For a radio frequency power beam, the energy receptor can be a rectifying antenna, or "rectenna" 38. Shown in
Any of the energy receptor designs may also include either or both of the reflective layer 70 to increase energy absorption and/or the insulative layer 64 to shield the vehicle 56 interior from stray energy.
Alternatively, with a highly focused power beam 5, such as, for instance, a laser beam, the energy receptor 54 could be an enclosed vehicle receptor or an enclosed vehicle receptor and power beam converter 92 as shown in
Preferably, the energy receptor 122 of
Preferably, in any embodiment the window covering the inlet 96 would be transparent to the incoming power beam 5, but would not allow energy internal to the converter to escape. Well known coatings applied over the window surface ensure any internally reflected energy would be reflected back into the converter and reabsorbed.
Obviously, there are many other combinations of devices that can be used for an energy receptor. The many and varied examples of energy receptors described herein are intended to be exemplary and are in no way intended to limit the scope of the invention unless otherwise specifically indicated.
Although reference is given specifically to microwave and laser wireless energy beams, these do not preclude the use of any other type of wireless energy beam that may be developed. The feasibility of electron beams, ion beams and other technologies are also contemplated in a remote power system. This in no way contradicts the basic definition of wireless (conductorless) power transmission as a point-to-point energy transfer in free space as previously discussed.
Currently, the distance that an all-electric vehicle can travel between charges with, for example, a battery pack as the energy storage unit, is 80–100 miles. This is the range the vehicle could travel if it did not encounter a power transmission unit to recharge the vehicle energy storage unit. But as the system grows and there are more power transmission units along the road to maintain the vehicle charge, the available range in the storage unit becomes less of an issue. The energy that is stored onboard the vehicle provides adequate reserve to move about freely between power transmission units. The power transmission units are constantly topping off the reserve-stored energy in the vehicle so that the vehicle can maintain this free movement.
Until power transmission units expand into rural areas, a hybrid vehicle as described herein above would ease the transition between a typical internal combustion engine vehicle and all-electric vehicle. For instance, electric vehicles would have small gasoline-driven generators that would start automatically to recharge the energy storage unit if a power transmission unit were not encountered for some distance. If enough power transmission units are present to charge the energy storage unit, then the gasoline-driven generator is never started or used.
An example of the operation of an embodiment of the present invention is that of a bus. For illustration purposes it is contemplated the bus is an all-electric bus that has the mobility of a current bus incorporating an internal combustion engine as the mode of power. Consider a 46-passenger bus, having a mass of 15,000 kg and a 195 kW (277-hp) electric motor. For city traveling, consider power transmission units to be spaced every 1 kilometer (km). In certain embodiments, for example, a busy downtown street, it is contemplated that there may actually be a power transmission unit placed every 200 to 300 meters (m), but for this example 1 km will be used. It is assumed that the bus travels at 55 km/h (35 mph) and a power transmission unit has a line of sight visibility of the bus 150 m prior to the power transmission unit and 150 m after the power transmission unit. That is, the power transmission unit has visibility of the bus for 300 m and can charge the onboard energy storage unit for 19.64 seconds at a bus speed of 55 km/h.
The amount of energy that can be transferred at the present time via wireless power transmission is approximately 450 kW. The efficiency of such energy transmissions has been estimated to be about 76%. Therefore, for this example, a conservative value of 150 kW will be received and stored in the energy storage unit of the bus. At 55 km/h, the energy storage unit will receive 0.8182 kW-h of energy as it passes the power transmission unit. Although the bus motor has a full power capability of 195 kW, when the vehicle is traveling at 55 km/h, the motor utilizes about 35 kW. With power transmission units every 1 km, the bus will consume 0.6364 kW-h of energy. That is 22.2% less than can be theoretically supplied by the power transmission unit. Therefore, the bus does not have to receive a power beam from the power transmission unit the entire time between units if the electrical storage unit on the bus is substantially fully charged.
Now consider the same bus making a stop for passengers. To accelerate the vehicle from a stop to 55 km/h, consider the bus to use 175 kW. The bus will have to pause about 25 seconds to allow passengers to enter and exit the bus, and all the time the bus is standing still, the power transmission unit can be charging the electrical energy storage unit. Allow the bus 10 seconds to accelerate up to speed. From the time the bus comes into view of the power transmission unit, stops for passenger movement, and then leaves the bus stop, 1.4583 kW-h of energy is added to the bus's energy storage unit. To accelerate the bus up to 55 km/h, and travel to the next power transmission unit, the bus consumes 0.9316 kW-h of energy. Again, the energy used by the bus is considerably less than was added to the system by the remote power system. Therefore, the bus energy storage unit would not have to receive the power beam the entire time of the stop if it was close to a full charge.
In another example, a private vehicle or private passenger car will be considered. For the suburban setting, it can be assumed that power transmission units are located every 2 km. The private vehicle will be about 750 kg with a 28 kW (40-hp) electric motor. Traveling at 55 km/h (35 mph) the vehicle will require about 4.9 kW of power. Again, with the power transmission unit's line of sight of the vehicle being 300 m, the energy storage unit will receive 0.8182 kW-h of energy. The vehicle will consume 0.1779 kW-h of energy traveling at 55 km/h with 2 km between the power transmission units. This is 78.3% less energy used than is theoretically available to the vehicle from the power transmission unit.
Now consider the above private vehicle traveling at 105 km/h (65 mph) on the highway. The vehicle will require about 17.5 kW of power to travel at this speed. When passing a power transmission unit, the vehicle will receive 0.4286 kW-h of energy which is added to the energy storage unit. With the power transmission units spaced 2 km apart, the vehicle will consume 0.3328 kW-h of energy between possible charging of the energy storage unit onboard the vehicle. This is 22.4% less than can be theoretically received by the vehicle via the wireless power transmission system.
Energy transmission between a PTU 20, 60 and PRS 44 may take the form of bursts or pulses or small packets of energy. In this way, each short burst of energy can be acknowledged by the translocator to ensure a safe transfer of energy. Without proper acknowledgment for each energy burst, no more energy will be transferred until the PRS 44 and power transmission unit has reestablished a communication link. The bursts can be sized so that if a person were struck by one, two or several of these unacknowledged energy packets or bundles, there would be no effect on the person. It should be realized that the transmission of pulses of energy as a wireless power beam to a receptor and verification of the transmission or receipt of the pulses has application in other areas. As an example, such transmission may be used in laser machining or surgical applications where the energy receptor is a target, such as, for instance, a workpiece.
Consider, for example, a 450 kW power beam used to recharge a traveling vehicle. The distance of communication and energy transmission may be 150 m on either side of the power transmission unit or 300 m total. Guidance and energy beam travel time is a maximum of 500 nanoseconds (ns) between transmitter and receiver for this distance. For a vehicle traveling at 105 km/h, the vehicle will travel microns in 500 ns.
Allow one burst of energy to last 1,000 ns, then the power transmission beam is shut down, waiting for verification from the vehicle receiver. The response time for verification of reception of the energy will be a maximum of about 500 ns. Then another burst of energy is transmitted, etc. As the vehicle moves closer to the power transmission unit, the response time for verification of receipt of the energy beam will lessen; therefore, more energy will be transmitted. And as the vehicle moves away, less energy will be transmitted.
One burst of energy at the 450 kW level for 1,000 ns is 0.450 w-s. This is equivalent to being exposed to 1/220 the energy of a 100 watt light bulb for 1 second. Without verification of receipt from the vehicle, this is the maximum energy that a human being or inanimate object would be exposed to. Additionally, the remote power system has no lag time or inertia, when the power beam is turned off there is no residual energy in transit. Further, the power transmitter may be instantly deactivated. Thus, the remote power system 1 presents an inherently safe energy transmission system. The use of a coded and/or encrypted vehicle communication signal further enhances the safety of the remote power system 1 by preventing stray signals or interference from actuating the power transmission unit, thereby making false activation, either intentional or unintentional, of the power transmitter difficult.
Other safety devices may be added to different embodiments of the remote power system 1. The PTU 20 may comprise a motion or position sensitive switch. When the PTU 20 is jarred or moved out of position, the switch will deactivate the power transmitter 22, ending power beam 5 transmission. Thus, a power transmitter 22 in a hurricane or earthquake or on a utility pole 21 struck by a vehicle would be shut down before the power beam 5 could cause damage or injury. It should be noted that the power transmitter 22 would also be shut down in the above circumstances if the vehicle communication signal 6 was lost by the PTU 20.
With reference to
In an embodiment of the invention wherein the power beam is continuous, the two way fuse will be activated by the amount of energy transmitted and deactivated by the amount of energy received. When the amount of energy transmitted is greater by a predetermined amount than the amount of energy acknowledged as received, the two way fuse activates a shutoff device 152, shutting down the power transmitter 22.
Alternatively, the two-way fuse 148 may be permanently deactivated initially; requiring manual replacement or resetting before the power transmitter 22 can again be activated. Preferably, the two-way fuse 148 automatically reactivates after deactivation when the PTU 20 establishes a new communication link with the PRS 44.
The two-way fuse can comprise multiple configurations. In one embodiment shown in
The acknowledgement of the first power beam pulse is received by the power unit communication device 46 and functions to deflect the piezoelectric element 150 back one increment away from activating the shut off device 152. The request for a second power beam pulse is processed by the power unit controller 48, and a second pulse is sent to the energy receptor 54, again deflecting the piezoelectric element 150 one increment toward activating the shutoff device 152. In sum, for each power beam pulse that is transmitted from the power transmitter 22, the piezoelectric element 150 deflects one increment toward activating the shutoff device 152 and terminating power beam transmission. For each acknowledgment 6 from the same PRS 44, the piezoelectric element 150 deflects one increment away from activating the shutoff device 152. The deflection of the piezoelectric element 150 can be designed to activate the shutoff device 152 and terminate power transmission before a dangerous number of power beam pulses are transmitted.
Another safety device that can be incorporated into the PTU 20 is a pathway sensor 156 which is schematically shown in
The pathway sensor 156 comprises a sensor element 158. A portion of the power beam 5 strikes the sensor element 158 and a small portion of the power beam is absorbed, causing heating of the sensor element 158. Typically, only a very small percentage (less than 0.1%) of the power beam is absorbed by the pathway sensor. The heat absorbed by the sensor element 158 is removed by an external cooling source 160, such as, for example, a thermoelectric cooling device. The cooling source 160 is activated by the translocator signal 6 through the power unit controller or separate safety monitor (not shown). As long as the power unit communication device 46 receives the translocator signal 6, the cooling source 160 will remain activated and heat imposed by the power beam pulses will be removed from the sensor element 158. Since the sensor element 158 is continuously cooled, this embodiment is properly named a continuously cooled pathway sensor. If a predetermined number of power beam pulses strike the sensor element 158 without cooling, the sensor element overheats and "burns out", (i.e., breaks) actuating a shutdown device 152 to terminate transmission of a power beam 5 from the power transmitter 22. The continuously cooled pathway sensor 156 would have to be replaced before the power transmitter 22 could resume transmission of a power beam 5.
The shape of the sensor element 158 presented to the power beam 5 will establish the amount of energy, and thereby heat, absorbed from each power beam pulse. Materials such as, for example, aluminum, copper, steel, stainless steel and alloys thereof are suitable for manufacture of the sensor element 158. The heat in the sensor element 158 must be dissipated quickly by the cooling source 160 for the power transmitter 22 to operate most efficiently. Therefore, the design and selection of the sensor element 158 profile will depend on the radiative and conductive properties of the sensor element 158 material chosen, surface finish, ambient temperature within the power transmitter conduit, radiation view factors, type and magnitude of the power beam, etc. While almost any sensor element 158 profile is possible, it is believed that sensor elements having trapezoidal, triangular, circular, ellipsoidal and diamond cross-sectional shapes are advantageous. The sensor element 158 may also comprise a thin wire or wires, a grid of wires, a thin wire with a tab or wafer or multiple tabs or wafers in the power beam pathway. The use of a tab or wafer in cooperation with a wire sensor will increase the amount of energy absorbed from each power beam pulse, assuring sensor element burnout and deactivation of the power transmitter if cooling from the cooling source 160 is not maintained.
For certain applications, pathway sensor response may become an issue. That is, poor sensor response to high heat transfer transients; heating, cooling, etc. will be a function of the mass of the sensor, the diameter of the wire, and/or the surface area of the tab or wafer, the thickness of the wafer, etc. Therefore, an alternative pathway sensor configuration (not shown) would have a pathway sensor including simultaneous balanced heating and cooling of the wire, grid or wafer tab elements stimulated continuously by the outgoing power beam and the incoming vehicle communication signal, respectively. If one of these stimulants fails causing interruption of the balanced heating and cooling, the element fails and the power beam will be shut down. If sensor element cooling were lost due to a system failure or loss of the vehicle communication signal, the sensor element would overheat and burn out, shutting down the power transmitter and power beam immediately. If the power transmitter fails, the power beam is terminated.
Since some embodiments of a pathway sensor require replacement after burn out, the sensor element is desirably readily replaced.
The PRS 44 can comprise a security zone enveloping the region around and/or above the energy receptor 54 for additional safety. In this way, if someone inadvertently places a hand in the security zone around the energy receptor 54, the power transmitter unit is signaled to stop transmitting the power beam 5. In one embodiment shown in
This technology is well known for detection systems in homes, around automated machinery in manufacturing facilities, security systems in museums, prisons, banks, etc. This will render the area above the energy receptor safe for any people in close proximity or those that may accidentally (or purposely) touch the energy receptor area. The security zone 190 may also move with the energy receptor 54 if required for added security.
A yet further possible use for the remote power system is to include a PRS 44 in the black box (locating beacon) for ships and aircraft. Currently, the black box must be found before its on-board power source is depleted, or the homing beacon stops. Equipping the black box with a PRS 44 would allow search with a wireless power beam after the on-board power is depleted. When exposed to the wireless power beam, the PRS 44 would provide energy to operate the beacon and possibly charge the depleted on-board power of the box.
Indeed, lost military aircraft (jets, missiles, etc.) can be searched for years later as long as the "black box" remains intact. In fact, with small electronic packaging, the military can have a wireless (conductorless) power beam translocator (transponder) package on every hand-held missile launcher (and/or missile) that is ever built, and find them almost immediately with hand-held PTUs or satellite-mounted PTUs. Translocators built into and interconnected with firing/guidance electronics would preclude usage in the wrong hands without immediate detection.
While preferred embodiments have been shown and described, various modifications and substitutions may be made thereto without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention. Accordingly, it is to be understood that the present invention has been described by way of illustration and not limitation.
Patent Citations
Referenced by
Legal Events
Original Image


text: Photos: Rubblebucket @ Brooklyn Bowl, 8/19/11 (early show) Photo Galleries by Justin Ward - Aug 24, 2011 Our friend Nick Irving went to see Rubblebucket at Brooklyn Bowl last Friday night and got some amazing shots from the band while they rocked the first of two shows that night. Openers Diamond Doves and Janka Nabay and the Bubu Gang got things started that night. Via YouTube:


text:
Information Morning - Cape Breton | Feb 27, 2013 | 8:37
Jim St. Clair - Cape Mabou Plane Crash
Disaster in the snow, 70 years ago. Our community historian Jim St. Clair has been reviewing the tragic event of a war-time plane crash near Cape Mabou on "Then and Now". (runs 8:37 February 27, 2013)


text:
StartUpHire is the place to find Sales jobs in and near Boise. Review the list of Sales Boise career opportunities to the left. These Sales jobs represent some of the most rewarding careers available.
You can refine your job search for Sales career opportunities in Boise by adding a job title, company name, or keyword to the search box above … or click the "Advanced Search" link for more options.
Don't see the employment opportunity you're looking for? Check back soon for more Sales jobs in Boise, or sign up for an email alert (link below) to receive periodic updates on new Sales jobs in Boise, ID.
Demand for Sales Professionals in Boise, ID
CradlePoint is looking for a Solution Sales Engineer to support and work with our Inside Sales team. The Solution Sales Engineer will work with the Inside Sales Representatives to overcome any technical issues throughout the Sales process, create and present demos and provide4/14/2015 Boise, ID Save This Job
Assurex Health is a personalized medicine company dedicated to helping clinicians determine the right medication for individual patients with medical conditions. Assurex Health?s proprietary technology is based on pharmacogenomics ? the study of the genetic factors that influence5/4/2015 Boise, ID Save This Job
CradlePoint is seeking ambitious, talented Inside Sales Representatives to join its Inside Sales Team! Our dedicated Inside Sales Representatives help customers choose the right CradlePoint products and services to meet their needs. They are responsible for building consultative,4/14/2015 Boise, ID Save This Job
The SE for the SoCal/Arizona region is the main technical point of contact for Major and Strategic Accounts in the SoCal/Arizona region. SE should have significant experience selling and/or designing enterprise branch networking, security, and wireless solutions. Proven track5/14/2015 Boise, ID Save This Job
The Marketing Automation Specialist is responsible for managing, programming and improving our marketing automation system for demand generation, lead nurturing, lead scoring, and automated communications programs. Main responsibilities include the setup, deployment, and4/14/2015 Boise, ID Save This Job
The Content Marketing Specialist position is a full-time role in dynamic B2B marketing team. This position will be responsible for development, implementation and maintenance of content for the corporate website, social channels, digital platforms, third party campaigns and5/14/2015 Boise, ID Save This Job
The Product Manager will take a customer and market perspective to coordinate CradlePoint products and services into holistic solution sets for target markets with a focus on how we extend our products into the M2M/IOT space. Through market research, competitive analysis,4/14/2015 Boise, ID Save This Job
The Product Manager will take a customer and market perspective to coordinate CradlePoint products and services into holistic solution sets for target markets. Through market research, competitive analysis, customer requirements and business planning, you will drive4/14/2015 Boise, ID Save This Job


text:
28 Sep NOVA Fashion Week Tickets Contest – Deadline September 30th
Posted at 11:00h in News
NOVA Fashion Week is holding a contest for anyone who purchases a ticket up until September 30th.
If you purchase a ticket today, you will be entered into a contest to win a 2 night for 2 stay in New York at the Double Tree Hotel – Financial District.
You will have to purchase a VIP or General Admission ticket to NOVA Fashion Week shows October 10-13, 2012 – http://novafashionweek.com/category/schedule.
Anyone purchasing a Fashion Pass will be entered into the contest twice. Anyone who purchases more than 1 ticket will be entered based on how many tickets they purchase.
For more information contact firstname.lastname@example.com.


text:
VAT free in the EU. What about upgrades?
View Single Post
Senior Member
Join Date: Aug 2010
Posts: 290
Thanks: 0
Thanked 0 Times in 0 Posts
Rep Power:
VAT free in the EU. What about upgrades?
I am about to buy a used boat with "VAT not paid" in Europe and will maintain this status (in line with all the rules about this).
This used boat should should get a significant refit and upgrade directly after purchase. (cost about 10-15% of purchase price)
Is there any possibility to pay no VAT for this re-fit, same as for the boat it self?
One idea would be that a boatyard actually purchases the boat, does the re-fit and sells the complete thing to me afterwards (VAT free). Does this work? Can the little company I own do this job?
And aren't there simpler solutions? Is it possible to get upgrade equipment delivered to a kind of duty free zones in the bigger ports and include these goods in the existing, tax free boat?
View Public Profile
Send a private message to myocean
Find all posts by myocean


text:
'The God Particle': The Higgs Boson
http://www.facebook.com/ScienceReason ... The Standard Model of Particle Physics (Chapter 8): The Higgs Mechanism.
Please SUBSCRIBE to Science & Reason:
• http://www.youtube.com/Best0fScience
• http://www.youtube.com/ScienceTV
• http://www.youtube.com/FFreeThinker
1) First Second Of The Universe:
2) Force And Matter:
3) Quarks:
4) Gluons:
5) Electrons, Protons And Neutrons:
6) Photons, Gravitons & Weak Bosons:
7) Neutrinos:
8) The Higgs Boson / The Higgs Mechanism:
The Standard Model of particle physics is a theory of three of the four known fundamental interactions and the elementary particles that take part in these interactions. These particles make up all visible matter in the universe.
Every high energy physics experiment carried out since the mid-20th century has eventually yielded findings consistent with the Standard Model.
Still, the Standard Model falls short of being a complete theory of fundamental interactions because it does not include gravitation, dark matter, or dark energy. It is not quite a complete description of leptons either, because it does not describe nonzero neutrino masses, although simple natural extensions do.
• http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Standard...
The HIGGS BOSON is a massive scalar elementary particle predicted to exist by the Standard Model in particle physics. At present there are no other known fundamental scalar particles in nature.
The Higgs boson is the only Standard Model particle that has not been observed. Experimental detection of the Higgs boson would help explain the origin of mass in the universe.
The Higgs boson would explain the difference between the massless photon, which mediates electromagnetism, and the massive W and Z bosons, which mediate the weak force. If the Higgs boson exists, it is an integral and pervasive component of the material world.
The Large Hadron Collider (LHC) at CERN, which became operational on November 20, 2009, is expected to provide experimental evidence of the existence or non-existence of the Higgs boson. Experiments at Fermilab also continue previous attempts at detection, albeit hindered by the lower energy of the Fermilab Tevatron accelerator.
It has been reported that Fermilab physicists suggest that the odds of Tevatron detecting the Higgs boson are between 50% and 96%, depending on its mass.
The Higgs mechanism, which gives mass to vector bosons, was theorized in 1964 by François Englert and Robert Brout ("boson scalaire"); in October of the same year by Peter Higgs, working from the ideas of Philip Anderson; and independently by Gerald Guralnik, C. R. Hagen, and Tom Kibble,who worked out the results by the spring of 1963.
The three papers written on this discovery by Guralnik, Hagen, Kibble, Higgs, Brout, and Englert were each recognized as milestone papers during Physical Review Letters 50th anniversary celebration. While each of these famous papers took similar approaches, the contributions and differences between the 1964 PRL Symmetry Breaking papers is noteworthy.
These six physicists were also awarded the 2010 J. J. Sakurai Prize for Theoretical Particle Physics for this work. Steven Weinberg and Abdus Salam were the first to apply the Higgs mechanism to the electroweak symmetry breaking. The electroweak theory predicts a neutral particle whose mass is not far from that of the W and Z bosons.
• http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Higgs_boson
The Cassiopeia Project - making science simple!
The Cassiopeia Project is an effort to make high quality science videos available to everyone. If you can visualize it, then understanding is not far behind.
• http://www.cassiopeiaproject.com
Press the button
if you liked the video! Thank you!
Majestic Voices - Ark Studio FREE STYLEby Majestic Voices
Apr 30 2015, 5 views
When He Proposed, She Wasn't Ready. Now That She Is, She Tells Him in the Sweetest Way Imaginable.by heavensky
Mar 5 2015, 1,996 views
Before This 4-Year-Old Boy Passed Away, He Shared What's So Great about Heaven. Unforgettable.by heavensky
Mar 22 2015, 1,994 views
Voice 2015: Her Young but Brilliant Talent Left Tears in My Eyes.by heavensky
Mar 10 2015, 1,874 views
Michael Bublé Pleaded This Guy to Get on Stage. Next Second, You'll See the Wonderful Reason Why.by ChristFollower
Apr 24 2015, 1,488 views
Editor's Pick
She records an album each year as a gift for her family each year. This time she really nailed it!by heavensky
Jul 25 2014, 3,018 views
Oh My Heart! These New Born Twins' First Conversation Put the Biggest Smile On My Face!by ProphesyGW
Jul 25 2014, 13,913 views
When This Homeless Lent His Bucket Out, What He Got Was Not Just A Nice Concert!by cancercross
Jul 25 2014, 5,185 views
This Little Puppy Has Finished An Impossible Race. I'm Nuts About Him!by ProphesyGW
Jul 25 2014, 1,220 views
I was scared when she put the baby into bath, But what happened next just stole my heart!by heavensky
Jul 24 2014, 20,204 views
These Two SHY Brothers Did Something that Amazed The Guests, I Was Floored!by thanksforlovingme
Jul 24 2014, 7,863 views


text:
GE deal at depot extended for $30M
Engines power Blackhawk and Apache copters
A $30 million Army contract for General Electric Aircraft Engine means the Corpus Christi Army Depot will continue to receive needed parts for Blackhawk and Apache helicopters.
The contract is the second extension in as many months for the company, said Rich Gorham, a GE spokesman. The Army extended the same contract by $10 million in September.
With more than 3,000 workers, the depot is one of the Coastal Bend's largest employers.
The parts for the T-700 engine will be shipped primarily from a facility in Lynn, Mass., Gorham said.
"This is not the first of its kind for GE," he said. "This is a standard arrangement to supply parts to depots so they maintain the needed inventory to do overhauls and get engines back in the field."
The T-700 powers the Black Hawk and Apache helicopters for the Army and other applications for the U.S. and foreign militaries and commercial customers. The investments pay enormous dividends to the community, said U.S. Rep. Solomon P. Ortiz, D-Corpus Christi, who announced the contract earlier this week.
"Everywhere I go where there are U.S. service men and women, they go out of their way to tell me how much it means to them to get in a helicopter repaired at CCAD," Ortiz said in a prepared statement. "They know CCAD is populated by veterans who understand that lives literally depend on the quality of our repairs."
Contact Fanny S. Chirinos
at 886-3759
or HYPERLINK mailto:firstname.lastname@example.com firstname.lastname@example.com
Subscribe to the Caller-Times
Need Help? Call us at 1-800-566-8098.
Monday-Friday: 5am-8pm / Saturday: 7am-12pm / Sunday: 6am-1pm


text:
Tampa Theatre has long been the Bay area's go-to destination for indie and art house fare, but for the next few weeks the downtown Tampa landmark will be switching up its usual screening schedule to try something new. Instead of the usual one flick playing for seven days, the theater will screen a half-dozen movies you've probably never heard of, all of them worth a look and all playing for only a day or two. Reviews of four of the films are below, and check cltampa.com/movies for our take on the rest of this week's coming attractions.
Pliable imaginations and inflexible thinking combine to turn a man's life into waking nightmare in The Hunt, a patient, gripping drama about a kindergarten teacher accused of sexual abuse. Mads Mikkelsen (Casino Royale, TV's Hannibal) won the best actor award at the Cannes Film Festival for his portrayal of Lucas, a teacher beloved by his students. He gives a performance that's as carefully controlled and affecting as Thomas Vinterberg's direction. The uncritical acceptance of the accusation against Lucas becomes a pronouncement of guilt. Even when the accuser recants, the adults play amateur psychologist, and the very nature of their questions — with their risk/reward implications — encourage multiple children to suggest they are also victims. Word spreads quickly through the small village, and Lucas is ostracized to the point that he can't shop at the local supermarket. There's something Kafkaesque about his transformation into pariah, and because Lucas is so naturally reticent, he isn't equipped to forcefully defend himself the way we'd like.
The Hunt becomes a study in how a series of leading questions can inform the answers. It also looks at the horrifying results of a moral impulse ruled by irrationality. But the lasting impression comes from the film's long, uncomfortable look at the fragility of reputation. —Anthony Salveggi
Suit up with two-time world surfing champion Tom Carroll and big wave pioneer Ross Clarke-Jones, who track and chase giant storms across the oceans of the Southern Hemisphere, an experience rife with enormous waves, freezing conditions and near-death experiences — endured in the name of riding that gigantic wave no one has before. The sweeping doc Storm Surfers follows deep-ocean surfing adventures during the 2011 storm season and is perfect for the 3D format. Directors Justin McMillan and Chris Nelius delve into the contrasting personalities of the surfers — Carroll, a family man with three daughters, and Jones, a thrill-junkie ladies' man, who claims that "surfing big waves is not about how ripped you are or how much you can bench press — it's about your nerve." Sometimes the action feels a little monotonous to the non-surfer, but the film's dynamic cinematography and visceral soundtrack are effective overall. Toni Collette's foreboding narration keeps things interesting, hinting that something really scary is about to happen — and it does. —Julie Garisto
Still Mine tells the heartwarming tale of Craig Ferguson (Richard Cromwell) and his wife, Irene (Geneviève Bujold). Craig is a stubborn old goat in the town of St. Martins, New Brunswick, Canada. His beloved wife's health is in decline and, in order to make their living situation more manageable, the octogenarian decides to build her a new house on their property with his own two hands. Craig labors to complete the home but must endure the bullshit of the local building-code stooge, including numerous stop-work orders and the threat of jail time. In modern times, it's not enough to know how to build a house; Craig learns it's more about knowing how to jump through hoops and pay permitting fees because bureaucrats need reasons to have jobs. A man has to stand up for something; if not his wife's home, what else?
Cromwell shines in the lead of this easy-going charmer of a drama. While Still Mine's measured, deliberate pace may not be everyone's cup of tea, it's worth a watch for those who don't need flashing lights and loud noises to enjoy a good film. —Kevin Tall
Slow, contemplative and often engrossing, Jem Cohen's Museum Hours follows a Canadian woman (Mary Margaret O'Hara) who travels to Vienna to tend to a dying relative and spends most of her free time wandering the streets and hanging out in the Bruegel room of the Kunsthistorisches Museum. It's there she meets a wise security guard (Bobby Sommer) who becomes her Austrian guide, and the pair chew on big questions (life, death, art, love) while director Cohen intercuts the conversations with montage after montage of great artwork and interesting street scenes. Museum Hours isn't concerned with a traditional story arc (though there's one floating around the edges) or with producing a standard romance, and it will no doubt play as boring to some. It also suffers at times from overly arty or just poorly conceived camera setups. That said, the art photography is often beautiful and you can get lost in many of the film's compelling master shots. —Joe Bardi