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When to fly
If you're planning on visiting Gibraltar hoping to relax on the beach and spend your time outdoors, book a flight to Gibraltar between June and September.
These summer months also provide a whole host of annual events and festivals. Calentita Nights taking place in June, is a street party and food festival to mark the end of Gibraltar's Spring Festival. This colourful celebration of Gibraltar's society is reflected in the wide variety of multicultural food on offer. Everyone is invited to taste the different samples, whilst listening to music. On the September 10, Gibraltar's National Day is celebrated. The streets will be packed with locals dressed in red and white – Gibraltar's national colours – creating a lively atmosphere. Across the city, festivities include DJs, live music, fireworks and thousands of red and white balloons being let off into the sky.
Winter temperatures (December to February) are generally around the early teens, making even this time of year comfortable. This period is the low season, so a good time to look for cheaper flights and hotel rates. As the temperature remains mild, you will still be able to make the most out of your trip.
The Rock of Gibraltar dominates this tiny British colony at the tip of the Iberian Peninsula. To the ancient Greeks and Romans, Gibraltar was one of the Pillars of Hercules, the promontories that mark the edge of the world. Ownership of the Rock has been contentious since the Treaty of Utrecht granted it to Britain in 1713.
At the Governor's residence the guard changes several times a day. Main Street offers a chance to snap up VAT-free bargains (in Sterling) and admire the British Regency-style buildings.
Less than 3sq miles (7 sq km) in size, you can get around Gibraltar mostly on foot, although the highest parts can be quite steep. The top of "The Rock" can be accessed by cable car, and will reward you with stunning views across the Strait of Gibraltar to Morocco, as well as views back towards Spain. Due to its military past, The Rock contains an intricate system of tunnels that stretches over 30 miles, allowing people to walk from one end to the other, or even top to bottom. This limestone cave network marvel, with its collection of cannons pointing out of carved outlooks and other military relics and displays, is alone worth getting flights to Gibraltar for. The most important cave in The Rock is St Michael's Cave, which has been dated back to the Neolithic period and contains ancient wondrous stalactites and stalagmites.
Gibraltar is famously covered in barbary macaque monkeys that roam around, with the dominant ones living at the very peak of the area. Although they are cute to watch scamper around, make sure you don't feed them as it's illegal. Offshore, you can go dolphin watching in the bay.
Gibraltar climate
Gibraltar has a pleasant Mediterranean climate, with mild winters and warm summers. During the summer months, the temperature usually sits in the 20s, with August being the hottest month.
Getting around Gibraltar
Getting around isn't much of a problem in a territory so small. You can walk it, or use a bus or car.
To get up the Rock itself, the quickest route is by cable car. You can also drive, or take one of the bus tours.
Getting from the airport
All flights land at Gibraltar Airport (GIB) (North Front Airport), half a mile (1km) north of the town centre. There is a bus service operating from the airport. Taxis and rental cars are also available.
Gibraltar insider information
- From the top of the Rock of Gibraltar you can see Africa, Spain and Gibraltar itself. If you've got time, hiking up the rock is an enjoyable way to see the landscape on the way up, and the famous Barbary Apes.
- The Upper Galleries, or Siege Tunnels, are a series of tunnels in the Rock covering about 50 mile (80km). Dug by hand by the British during the 18th century, the tunnels were a means of carrying the guns onto the northern face of the Rock, in order to defend Gibraltar from Spanish or French attacks. Parts are open to tourists to explore.
- Of the six beaches on Gibraltar's shoreline, four are sandy. One of the most popular is Catalan Bay, a former fishing village, but today a popular tourist resort. The cove surrounds the sandy beach, and there are a few pubs and restaurants here. It is one of the furthest out of town, so be prepared for a long(ish) walk or take a taxi.
- Dolphins swim in the waters around Gibraltar and can often be spotted from the shore. For a better chance, take a boat trip dolphin spotting. Three agencies currently offer trips – you can book at the tourist office.
- For shopping, or just passing time, take a walk down Main Street. This is the heart of the town and it feels very British (except for the weather).


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Sullivan pushes Yeung to make Birmingham decision
David Sullivan wants Birmingham's future resolved by the end of next month after claiming Carson Yeung's proposed takeover is "dragging on".
Yeung has clinched a 29.9% stake in the club and it was thought the Hong Kong businessman would eventually buy out co-owner Sullivan and club chairman David Gold.
But Sullivan believes it could be a long drawn-out affair - if it goes ahead at all - and he wants a decision by the end of September.
Sullivan told the Birmingham Mail: "I have to admit that I am concerned that this is all dragging on too long. It is not in the best interests of the club.
"Mr Yeung is a very nice man, he is very enthusiastic and he clearly likes his football. He has got some great ideas to expand the club and the brand in China and the Far East.
"But I genuinely don't know whether he is going to see it through. When he was here, it seemed as if some days he definitely would, others you weren't so sure.
"I wouldn't think it is a publicity stunt for him because he has spent £15million already and he is doing an audit at the moment, which he needs to do to justify what he's bought to the Hong Kong stock market.
"Different countries have different rules and he might have a different way of doing things, I don't know enough about the Chinese psychology.
"But, for the sake of the club, it needs to be sorted out one way or the other. By the end of September we really do need to know."

subset: commoncrawl


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Alternative healing has got a shot in the arm with the introduction of the concept of Tibetan Singing bowl meditation. Yoga expert Shameem Akhtar has been conducting 30 minute sessions in suburban Bandra since February, and encourages everyone to try it atleast once. We met up with her to learn more.
How did you find out about the concept of Tibetan Singing bowl meditation?
I have been collecting bowls even before I started doing yoga. I collected them for their designs. Actually, it was in the Bandra restaurant Lemon Grass that one of the waiters showed me how to make the bowl "sing" (they use the bowls for placing the bill/payment at each table. And my curiosity was piqued because I did not know that bowls could sing. Since then I wanted to learn the practice. I started looking up courses online, and discovered that some people in Kolkata are teaching it, but I also chanced upon another place in Kathmandu, Nepal which was offering it.
Coincidentally, it was being organised through the brother Sabin Thapa of a yoga instructor who had also trained at the same Sivananda ashram as I. But that I found out only after landing in Nepal! Though I applied for the course the teacher Shree Krishna Shahi was travelling internationally. He has trained many of the internationally well -known names in Singing bowl meditation in the West, and I could connect back only six months later. So, that's how I landed up in Kathmandu to learn the bowl.
Tell us more about your experience
When I landed in Nepal I had no clue how well-known my teacher was. I found out only the next day after the lessons started. For me, it was all just a matter of instinct, and taking a chance and follow my heart. it worked perfectly because Shree (as my teacher likes to be called) is really one of the most intuitive teachers I have known. He has a "connection" to the bowls, and treats them as living things. He introduced me to the magic of the bowls, their soul and their healing in a way that worked for me. It was a one-on-one course, and spread over a few days of intense practice, learning and training.
Is it recommended for everyone?
Yes, it is for everybody. Pregnant women, of course, most things have to be modified, so you can leave them out of it, for "strong" chakra massages. The vibration may be too intense for the baby in the womb. That aspect has to be really modified and toned down, and that is best left to the master, like Shree. Otherwise, it is a powerful relaxation, a meditative experience which heals, de-stresses. I have this book Healing Power of Sound, by Mitchell Gaynor, an oncologist, who gives his own experience as a medical practitioner who has used this method to heal, control terminal illness. I have known people to start actually snoring in the first few rounds after I start the session, indicating how powerful it is, even more so than hand-manipulated or touch massages.
Benefits of this therapy
It is used to heal/control any known ailment. If you put your hand beside a struck bowl, you will feel the power of its vibration. Since the body is composed of fluid/water, this responds to the vibration. It is quantum healing. It works on the seven chakras, which if you must be scientific, can be said to be aligned with the endocrine map of the body. Thus the vibrations work on the glands, and brings those who are in a state of disharmony, back to a state of balance and homeostasis. It is used in pain management, arthritis of all nature, most chronic ailments and pain. It is very similar to nada yoga -- the special branch of yoga of music and sound healing. And for me, it aligns with yoga in the chakra harmony and aura cleansing. Meditative relaxation shuts down the reticulating activating system of the nervous system (the highly active static of the brain) and induces an alpha brain wave pattern (where the brain wave pattern enters an electrical activity that is both restful and alert). In this state the body-mind is both rested, rejuvenated and healed.
More about the singing bowls
I bought the bowls from my teacher. It was a set that he selected specially for me. Each bowl is tuned to a particular note (of the seven in both western and Indian classical music). These are said to align with the seven chakras. Each bowl must also be in a state of balance with each other. So, it is a very difficult thing to get a seven-set bowl with such tuning. They are different from the bowls you find in online stores or ethnic craft shops. The sound quality is also different. For meditation the bowls must have many overtones. Usually an expert ear, used to bowls, can actually locate the note/chakra by hearing these overtones. These overtones are what add to the meditative aspect of the bowls inging -- Tibetan Rinpoches say the bowls sing the sound of the cosmic void. Its connection is hugely spiritual for serious meditators. But others, not spiritually inclined, it is a sound massage with immense potential to heal. The tradition of the bowls predate Buddhist history, though it is currently strongly associated with all cultures that are Buddhist. Its history takes it along the Himalayan belt though it is currently largely referred to as the Tibetan bowls. But most bowls are made in the north-east, Himalayan, West Bengal villages. It is also common in Indonesia, Malayasia, Japan, China, etc, though with different traditions and styles in bowl-making and use, striking, sequences of striking thebowl,etc. Materials used are also different. Bell metal is also being used, though traditional and antique bowls are believed to be made of seven metals representing the seven planets. These metals include gold, silver, tin, mercury etc. Some ancient bowls are said to contain material from meteorites also. There is a lot of lore, but not sufficient compliation of the bowls and their history. There has been a tremendous revival of interest, particularly in the west, especially Europe where another aspect of the bowls, gongs, are also used in healing.
How much does a singing bowl session cost?
I am charging Rs 750 per session for a 30 minute duration.
About the session
For someone who is restless and impatient shutting out the world to meditate can be the toughest challenge you pose. However, keeping reservations at bay, I decided to venture ahead, and experience this unique healing session. Lying on my back like a corpse with seven bowls placed around me was both awkward and interesting. Shameem explained that she needed me to surrender to the sounds of the bowl, shutting out the outside world. Easier said than done. However, bracing up to the challenge I lied on my back and let Shameem took over. She used a gong and a mallet to produce these soothing sounds from the seven bowls placed around me, and I began feeling more relaxed and calm. The session also pique my curiosity so I got Shameem to share some details about it, and this is what she had to say.
Did you know?
Each bowl corresponds with a particular musical note. Note B corresponds to the Crown chakra, E to eyebrow center, A to the throat, D to the heart chakra, G to the navel center/chakra, C to the sacral center and F to the base or root chakra.


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Tech Helproom
It's free to register, to post a question or to start / join a discussion
Whats the best laptop I can get for my money (£500)?
Likes # 0
Posted January 9, 2012 at 3:26PM
I am looking to buy a new laptop for use during university. Portability is not too much of an issue with me and I am looking to use my laptop for rendering, and other CAD related programs and I am not looking to spend above £500 for it. I am willing to look at refurbished as long as it comes with a warranty. I am therefore looking for a reasonably good graphics card. The two laptops that I am looking at are: http://www.dixons.co.uk/gbuk/hp-pavilion-dv6-6052ea-refurbished-15-6-laptop-dark-umber-11102593-pdt.html or http://configure.euro.dell.com/dellstore/config.aspx?oc=n00x5m15&c=uk&l=en&s=dhs&cs=ukdhs1&model_id=xps-l502x (£160 cash back plus a 15% off code).
I look forward to your advice.
Likes # 0
Posted January 9, 2012 at 3:41PM
did you look at the reviews on here?
Likes # 0
Posted January 9, 2012 at 5:54PM
yes I did not very helpful though.
Likes # 0
Posted January 10, 2012 at 9:12AM
How does this stack up John Lewis Tosh
Likes # 0
Posted January 10, 2012 at 10:40AM
Slightly over budget at £569 but has a dedicated graphics card and an i5 processor the Lenovo Z570 fromm CCL
Likes # 0
Posted January 10, 2012 at 5:12PM
What about this spec? Processor Intel® Core™ i5-2410M Processor - 2.3 GHz (2.9 GHz max Turbo Frequency) - 3 MB Smart Cache - Dual Core Operating System Genuine Windows® 7 Home Premium 64-bit RAM 6 GB DDR3 Graphics card AMD Radeon HD 6490M graphics processor - 1 GB DDR5 dedicated graphics memory Screen type LCD widescreen Screen resolution - WXGA - 1366 x 768 Screen size 15.6" Screen features HP BrightView Infinity display LED-backlit Hard drive 640 GB SATA, 5400 rpm Optical disk drive LightScribe SuperMulti DVD±R/RW with Double Layer Support Memory card reader Multi-Format Digital Media Card Reader USB 2 x USB 2.0 2 x USB 3.0 FireWire No Modem/Ethernet Integrated 10/100/1000 Gigabit Ethernet LAN WiFi 802.11 b/g/n WiFi Bluetooth Yes Video interface HDMI, VGA Audio interface Headphone-out/microphone in TV output HDMI Expansion card slot No Sound Beats sound system Webcam HP TrueVision HD webcam Keyboard & Mouse Island-style keyboard Battery - 6-cell Lithium-Ion (Li-Ion) battery - up to 7.5 hours battery life Additional features Integrated finger print reader Aluminium alloy chassis Accessories included Battery, power adaptor, documentation Size 374 x 245 x 30.5 mm (W x D x H) Weight 2.55 kg
Likes # 0
Posted January 10, 2012 at 5:19PM
sean_cov the spec looks good to me, which HP model is it? and how much? where from?
Likes # 0
Posted January 10, 2012 at 5:47PM
Its £499.99 from PC World refurbished. Its written as HP DV6-6052ea but I checked and thats a i7 so I think its a mistype somewhere...
Likes # 0
Posted January 10, 2012 at 7:07PM
It's shown here as an i5 - I guess the thing that bothers me is the word refurbished, I've had no experience with that. I would need to be absolutely sure about the warranty, particularly with PC World as you read quite a few horror stories on these forums about problems with the PC World group if things go wrong.
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American League Preview from The Sports Network
Thursday, May 16th (All times Eastern)
Boston Red Sox (23-17) at Tampa Bay Rays (20-19), 7:10 p.m.
Probable Starting Pitchers: Boston - Felix Doubront (3-1, 6.40) Tampa Bay - Alex Cobb (4-2, 3.09)
(Sports Network) - Alex Cobb had electric stuff his last time out. However, he couldn't get out of the fifth inning. With a taxed bullpen, though, the Tampa Bay Rays will need better than that on Thursday when they wrap up a three-game set versus the Boston Red Sox at Tropicana Field.
Cobb allowed three runs on Friday to the San Diego Padres, but also struck out 13 batters in just 4 2/3 innings and received a no-decision. He became the first major leaguer to fan 13 while failing to complete five innings.
"I don't know if that's a good thing," said Cobb, who threw 112 pitches in the effort. "As a starting pitcher, you want to go at least five innings every time out.
"I can't really explain why or how that happened. It was just one of those weird days," Cobb said. "Obviously, that's not my goal. I never go into a game trying to strike everybody out."
A Boston native, Cobb is 4-2 on the season with a 3.09 ERA. One of his losses came to the Red Sox and he is 2-2 in four starts against them with a 3.18 ERA.
Tampa may need to stretch Cobb out a bit on Thursday after David Price was forced to leave in the third inning of Wednesday's 9-2 loss with left triceps tightness.
Stephen Drew's grand slam capped an eight-run third inning for Boston while Dustin Pedroia, David Ortiz, Mike Napoli and Jonny Gomes each added an RBI during the onslaught to help the Red Sox put the brakes on a three-game slide.
Jon Lester (6-0) worked seven solid innings, giving up eight hits and two runs with five strikeouts. The 29-year-old lefty hasn't lost since Sept. 26, 2012 in a start at Fenway against Tampa, and hasn't dropped a road decision since Sept. 16 of last season at Toronto.
"Finally, we broke out with the eight runs in one inning," Red Sox manager John Farrell said. "It gave us some cushion to allow Lester to go out and pitch. More than anything, for our guys to go up and swing with some freedom, take some at-bats with some confidence. A good night offensively, particularly in the one inning."
Desmond Jennings hit an RBI triple and Ben Zobrist also knocked in a run for the Rays, whose season-high six-game win streak came to an end.
Price (1-4), meanwhile, departed after just 2 1/3 frames, but was tagged for five hits and four runs. Jamey Wright subbed for the reigning AL Cy Young winner, but surrendered the other four BoSox runs in the inning.
"No excuses, I just stunk tonight," Wright said. "I threw two sinkers right down the middle. One got hit for a double and one got hit up the middle. Then a cutter into Drew, I tried to go up and in and I threw it right down and in right into his swing path. He hit a home run. It was awful. I didn't do my job out there today."
Getting the call for the Red Sox on Thursday will be lefty Felix Doubront, who is 3-1 with a 6.40 ERA. Doubront did not get a decision the last time he pitched on May 8 against Minnesota, as he allowed six runs and 11 hits in 5 1/3 frames of a 15-8 loss.
Doubront is 2-1 in seven games (4 starts) against the Rays with a 3.91 ERA.
Boston swept a three-game set from the Rays earlier in the year.
Powered by The Sports Network.


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Musculoskeletal tissues produced in vitro are optimized in response to an externally applied mechanical load. The load applied may vary from tissue to tissue, depending upon the response desired, and may include intermittent axial, torsional, and bending loads to produce cortical structures. Compression alone is preferably applied to produce cancellous bone. A method according to the invention for culturing bone in vitro comprises: providing a culture vessel providing a scaffold material, supporting the scaffold material within the tissue culture vessel so as to be exposed to a tissue culture medium, and exerting a force on the scaffold material during growth of a bone construct (a cultured bone growth) around the scaffold material. Applicable apparatus preferably includes a culture vessel, holders for holding a scaffold within the tissue culture vessel, means for introducing a tissue culture medium to the tissue culture vessel, and an actuator adapted to apply a force to developing bone during the in vitro culture of the tissue, whether bone, cartilage, ligament, or composites thereof.
1. A system for the in vitro growth of a desired musculoskeletal tissue, comprising:
a culture vessel containing a culture medium and musculoskeletal precursor;
an anatomical joint simulator including at least one articulating joint surface; and
an actuator for providing a force to the articulating joint surface such that the precursor is transformed into a desired musculoskeletal tissue.
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20. An apparatus for synthesizing a musculoskeletal tissue comprising:
a cell culture medium;
musculoskeletal precursor cells;
an anatomical joint simulator including an articulating joint surface; and
at least one cell culture vessel secured to the articulating joint surface to receive musculoskeletal precursor cells.
21. The apparatus of
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This application claims priority from U.S. provisional patent application Ser. No. 60/202,282, filed May 5, 2000, the entire contents of which is incorporated herein by reference.
The invention relates to the in-vitro growth of musculoskeletal tissues, in particular bone, cartilage, and ligaments.
Musculoskeletal tissues are composed of a composite of cellular and matrix components. In vivo, the cells are generally believed to be derived from undifferentiated cell lines that respond to different stimuli, both chemical and mechanical, and then ultimately differentiate and produce a particular matrix providing a tissue with a given structure and function. Furthermore, musculoskeletal tissues in living organisms have the ability to adapt to mechanical and physiologic changes throughout life.
An example is bone. The material properties of bone are governed by the density (and microdensity) of the material. The geometry of the bone determines its strength. The tubular structure of long bones provides them with a greater moment of inertia than would be true if bones were solid rods. Consequently, bones are stronger withstanding bending or torsional stresses than they would be if they were solid rods. As one grows older, the outer diameter increases as does the inner periosteal diameter. Theoretically, these changes allow one to maximize bone strength as bone mass decreases with age.
Articular cartilage is similarly composed of cellular and matrix components. The cells are uniquely isolated by the matrix and highly responsive to their environment. The matrix is composed primarily of collagen, proteoglycan, and water. The three-dimensional lattice and hydrostatic forces give cartilage its unique ability to withstand compressive forces.
In addition to what has been observed in-vivo, in-vitro studies have shown chondrocytes respond to mechanical loads (P. M. Freeman et al., J. Orth. Res., 12(3), 311-319 (1994)). This study found a decrease in the cell volume of chondrocytes in response to compressive loads. Other studies have shown an increase in proteoglycan synthesis and deposition in response to intermittent physiologic compression (G. P. J. van Kampen et al., Arthritis Rheum. 28 419-424 (1985)). Bone changes in response to load have been documented for many years and the appositional deposition of bone in an effort to increase the structural strength of loads areas is generally referred to as "Wolff's Law." Similarly, tendon and ligament healing has been shown to be affected by the forces applied to these tissues at various periods in the healing process.
The last few years have seen a rapid increase in the number of biomaterials available to augment and enhance the bodies ability to repair and replace damaged musculoskeletal tissues. A recent article in the New England Journal of Medicine discusses autologous cartilage transplantation as a treatment of deep cartilage defects in the knee (M. Brittberg et al., New England J. Medicine, 331(14) 889-895 (1994). This method is currently available in the United States and undergoing investigation. The patient's cartilage is essentially "cloned" and reinserted in a cartilaginous defect after being grown in vitro to the appropriate volume. It is injected as a liquid paste and secured by an autologous periosteal patch. The authors had "encouraging" results in femoral condyle defects although the results were poor in the highly mechanically loaded patella.
Bone morphogenic protein, growth hormone, coral bone substitutes, bone paste, etc. are commercially available products used to enhance repair of fractures, nonunions, or osseous defects. These materials are gaining widespread acceptance within the medical community for their applicability in complex cases. Most of these products lack mechanical strength and structural properties approximate to the tissues they will support and rely on the healing of the host before adequate function can be restored
In U.S. Pat. No. 6,121,042, Peterson et al. disclose an apparatus for applying an axial load to a cultured tendon or ligament construct. However, the growth of bone is not disclosed. Further the application of torsional forces is not disclosed. Peterson further fails to disclose the application of forces scaled by (such as proportional to) a relevant elastic modulus of the cultured structure.
Broadly, this invention optimizes musculoskeletal tissues produced in-vitro by utilizing their unique ability to respond to mechanical load. The load applied may vary from tissue to tissue, depending upon the response desired. For example, intermittent axial, torsional, and bending loads can be applied to bone cells and matrix when the desired response is to produce tubular bone. Compression alone is preferably applied to produce cancellous bone.
An improved method for culturing bone in vitro comprises: providing a culture vessel providing a scaffold material, supporting the scaffold material within the tissue culture vessel so as to be exposed to a tissue culture medium, and exerting a force on the scaffold material during growth of a bone construct (a cultured bone growth) around the scaffold material.
An improved apparatus for culturing bone in vitro comprises: a culture vessel, holders for holding a scaffold within the tissue culture vessel, means for introducing a tissue culture medium to the tissue culture vessel, and an actuator adapted to apply a force to developing bone during the in vitro culture of the tissue, whether bone, cartilage, ligament, or composites thereof.
The culture medium is enclosed by culture vessel 10 and inner lid 28. Inner lid 28 is supported, relative to the walls of vessel 10, by one or more pins such as 30. A spacer 32 passes through a hole in the inner lid 28, maintaining a seal, and connects to actuator 36 and force sensor 34 to outer lid 38, held in place relative to vessel 10 by one or more pins 40. Electrical connections 42 and 44 lead to electrical contacts 46 and 48, allowing power to be provided to actuator, and signal to be obtained from the force sensor.
Scaffold Material
The scaffold material can be any porous, fibrous, meshed, woven, or other material suitable for growth of bone material. In a preferred embodiment, the scaffold is formed from collagen fibers. In alternative embodiments, the scaffold material may be a porous glass, sol gel, aerogel, xerogel, ormosil, polymer gel, porous ceramic, proteins, biomaterial, hydroxyapatite framework, nylon, other biocompatible polymer, or other biocompatible material, including pieces of bone, cartilage, ligament, or other appropriate tissue. The scaffold may provide intrinsic structural integrity, or may be a flexible fiber network.
Polymer gels may be grown in solvent, then dried for use as a scaffold material. Gels may be cross-linked by UV, other radiation exposure, or other chemical means before use as a scaffold material. The scaffold material may be a piece of autogenous tissue (i.e., obtained from a patient), to ensure biocompatibility any reduce the likelihood of a host/graft rejection.
Culture Medium
The culture medium contains a mixture so as to induce growth of bone material on the scaffold. Preferably, this is an aqueous solution containing osteoblasts. Other culture medium components may include: protein sources, carbohydrates, fats, and minerals for deposition including calcium and phosphate. Any appropriate enzymes, co-enzymes, hormones or growth modifiers may be included as well. Stem cells can advantageously be derived from fat or other tissue obtained from the patient receiving the implant, and used in the culture medium for any of the embodiments of the present invention.
Actuator 36 is preferably a stacked piezoelectric actuator, so as to provide stress (compression force) and/or strain (extensive force) to the scaffold and growing matrix through a displacement of the upper end of the scaffold. Other actuators may be used, such as solenoids or electric motors. The matrix itself may be bone, cartilage, or ligament tissue produced by osteoblasts, chondroblasts, and fibroblasts, respectively. Pluripotential stem cells can differentiate into the various cell lines, depending upon the environment created by the culture medium and force construct utilized.
The signal from force sensor 34 can be used to control the force applied to the scaffold, and thereby to the bone matrix on the scaffold. The compression modules can be determined for the displacement of the actuator and the force signal provide by the force sensor. Initially, the force signal may be very small or zero, particularly if a fibrous scaffold is used, and compressive force is applied. As a bone matrix develops, the force signal will increase as the bone provides resistance to compression. The displacement applied by the actuator can be correlated with the force signal. For example, the displacement applied by the actuator can be controlled to be correlated with the force signal obtained per unit displacement.
System Embodiment
Compression Modulus
The program determines the compression modulus of the bone growth from the ratio of the force measured to actuator displacement. The actuator is then controlled so as to apply a force correlated (for example, proportional to) the compression modulus of the bone.
An effective compression modulus M can be defined by
where F is the applied force, and ΔX is the actuator displacement or other equivalent measure of bone compression.
Equivalently, the modulus can be determined by applying a force to a cultured structure, and monitoring the consequent displacement. A force provider and displacement sensor can be used in place of an actuator (providing displacement) and a force sensor.
Improved Method of in Vitro Culture
Box 60 corresponds to the provision of a culture vessel, such as described in relation to
Other culture vessels known by skill of those in the art may be advantageously adapted for use with the present method, for example, such as described in U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,153,136 to Vanderburgh; and 4,839,280; 6,037,141; 6,048,723 to Banes; 6,171,812 to Smith and 6,121,042 to Peterson. The entire contents of any patent or publication referred to in this specification are incorporated herein by reference.
Box 62 corresponds to the support of a scaffold material within the culture vessel. Suitable scaffold materials have been discussed above. Box 64 corresponds to the exposure of the matrix material to a culture medium so as to grow the cultured matrix structure on and around the scaffold. The culture vessel will be fully or partially filled with culture medium. In a preferred embodiment, an aqueous solution containing osteoblasts is used. (The scaffold material may also be exposed to a gel containing osteoblasts, or other culture medium components discussed above). The culture medium can be periodically or continuously replaced by fresh culture medium. The culture medium with the vessel may also be stirred or agitated.
Box 66 corresponds to the monitoring of the cultured structure. This monitoring will be discussed in detail below. Box 68 corresponds to the application of a force to the cultured matrix structure, so as to improve the properties of the structure. In the case of bone culture, a compressive force is preferably applied to the culture so as to improve the development and mechanical properties of the cultured matrix structure. The apparatus and systems described above are preferably used. Other embodiments and methods are described below.
Box 70 corresponds to the removal of the culture from the culture vessel. Other processes can be applied to the culture after removal from the vessel, and before implantation. These may include cleaning, shaping, further mechanical processing (such as loading), sterilization and other characterization tests such as ultrasound density measurements and immunological tests. An unsatisfactorily cultured matrix structure may be discarded, returned to the culture vessel, or otherwise further processed before implantation. Box 72 corresponds to implantation of the cultured structure into a patient.
Monitoring of Cultured Structure
During early stages of bone culture, it may be unhelpful to apply forces to the cultured bone, as the culture may be overly brittle at this stage. The culture process may be divided into two or more periods; the first period with no forces applied, and the later stage(s) characterized by the application of forces.
The bone culture can be visually inspected by a technician during growth to monitor expected development and to initiate corrective measures if development is less than expected. The walls of the culture vessel may be in full or in part transparent, or windows provided, to allow visual monitoring. Ultrasound, x-rays, and other radiation/tomography may be used to monitor the density of bone during in-vitro culture. The x-rays, MRI and/or CAT scans may be analyzed automatically, through pattern recognition, for example.
Electric fields generated from bone compression may also be monitored. An oscillating compression can be applied to the bone sample and a resulting electric field detected and monitored so as to characterize the properties of the bone. This may be achieved even in a conducting medium if the signal frequency is rapid, compared with ion diffusion time in the conducting medium. The detected electric field is related to the piezoelectric properties of bone, which are correlated with the mechanical strength of the bone. Hence, a force can be applied to the bone culture scaled according to the detected piezoelectric signal.
The force applied to the bone can also be scaled according to an estimate elastic modulus (Young's modulus, compression modulus, and similar) based on ultrasonic, x-ray, or other radiation absorption measurements.
Acoustic waves can also be used to characterize the cultured bone sample, e.g. from the noise generated by a mechanical impulse. The resonant frequencies of a cultured bone sample can be used to determine mechanical strength.
Total applied forces may be limited by known properties of native biological material.
Force Application
In preferred embodiments, a compressive force is applied to a cultured bone sample, and the magnitude of the applied force is correlated with the mechanical and/or structural properties.
It can also be beneficial to apply tension to a cultured structure, such as a tendon, ligament, or cartilage. In this case, the Young's modulus of the structure can be determined, and a tensioning force applied having a magnitude correlated with (e.g. proportional to) the Young's modulus.
It can further be beneficial to apply an oscillating force to the cultured structure, having compressive and tensioning components. Conventionally, a symmetrical oscillating force can be applied, however by determining elastic moduli for tension and compression separately, a non-symmetrical oscillating force can be applied, having a tensioning component scaled by the tension modulus; and a compression component scaled by the compression modulus.
It can further be beneficial to apply a torsional (twisting) force to the cultured structure during its growth. One end of a cultured bone sample can be fixed, relative to the culture vessel, and a rotating actuator such as a micro-stepper motor used to apply a twist to the other end of the bone sample. The torsional modulus can be determined, and the angular displacement scaled by the torsional modulus.
In all cases of force application, the appropriate modulus can be determined as the force is applied and increased. If the behavior of the measured modulus indicates a yield point, fracture, or other structural breakdown, the force then can be limited to lower values.
A microphone can be used to detect signals characteristic of structural breakdown during the application of force(s), and the signals used to limit the maximum applied force. A maximum force can be defined by known properties of fully cultured tissue.
Force Control
Box 80 corresponds to the application of a displacement to the cultured structure. For example, using a piezoelectric actuator, the displacement is correlated with the voltage applied to the actuator. Using a stepper motor, the displacement is correlated with the number of step pulses applied. Actuators can also comprise an integrated displacement sensor.
Box 82 corresponds to the measurement of the force on the structure corresponding to the applied displacement. A signal from a force sensor is obtained.
Box 84 corresponds to the determination of the modulus of the structure. An electronic device, such as a computer, can be used to control the actuator, receive a signal from the force sensor, and determine a modulus using a software program or algorithm
Box 86 corresponds to the application of a displacement to the structure correlated with the modulus. A stronger structure has a stronger force applied to it, up to a predetermined maximum force.
Box 90 corresponds to the application of a known force, Box 92 corresponds to a determination of corresponding compression, extension, twist, bend or other deformation, and Box 94 corresponds to the application of a force with a magnitude correlated with the determined modulus.
In another embodiment, a compressive force is applied to the end of a cultured bone and the consequent bending determined, allowing an elastic modulus to be determined.
Displacement sensors can use any conventional technique, such as micrometers, laser reflection, capacitance, and other effects.
Force sensors also can use any conventional technique, such as piezoelectric effects, and other stress and/or strain sensors.
Other means of applying forces to a cultured construct include using a pumped fluid (such as compressed air), a flexible or elastic structure or sheet, a thermal expansion element, other piezoelectric or electrical induced expansion elements, gravity, magnetic fields (such as attraction or repulsion between magnetic elements), shock waves, acoustic waves, impacts, motors, expansion chambers, or other elements or devices which expand, contract, or deform in a controllable manner.
The supports or holders for the scaffold material can be any convenient design, such as clips, adhesives, cement, hook-and-loop structures (hooks and/or loops can be provided by the matrix), and the like.
Other mechanisms can be used to apply compressive or extensive force to the scaffold and growing matrix construct through the membrane, such as gas pressure (or vacuum), weights placed on the membrane (which can be increased with time), expansion chambers, expanding materials such as hydrating gels, springs, torsion wires, elastic structures, compressed resilient materials, and the like. In other embodiments, such mechanisms can be used in place of the actuator shown in the system of
In addition to the above-referenced mechanical constructs, a "joint simulator" such as that used for testing prosthetic joint implants or performing experimentation (including cadaveric joints) may be used with appropriate load cells applied to recreate the appropriate forces to induce a desired matrix construct from cell culture. An applicable fixture is illustrated in
Through the use of a system such as that depicted in
Through the use of certain of the chambers referenced above, it may be further possible to induce and modify matrix constructs without the need for a pre-existing scaffold. As shown in
In addition to, or instead of, mechanical forces, cultured tissue can be exposed to other processes to improve properties. In the case of bone growth, the cultured bone may be exposed to electromagnetic radiation, electric fields, magnetic fields, electrolytic effects, chemical exposure, biomolecule exposure (e.g. exposure to enzymes, hormones, and the like), thermal processes such as thermal cycling, chemical effects including photochemical effects, ion implantation, other radiation exposure including ultrasound exposure, and other effects so as to improve bone quality. These processes can be performed on tissue cultures within the culture vessel, or where appropriate, outside of the vessel, such as prior to implantation in a patient.
The matrix structure (or scaffold) can be non-uniform in cross section. For example, the density can be higher around the edges. Using a fibrous scaffold to support bone growth, the fiber density can be higher around the periphery of the matrix structure. This approach is useful to grow bones having a natural structure with a higher density around the periphery. The force applied to the bone construct can also be non-uniform, for example using an array of actuators. For example, using an array of programmable actuators, such as piezoelectric actuators controlled by a computer system, a higher force can be applied around the periphery of the bone construct, so as to encourage the growth of stronger bone around the periphery. The force can be lower in central regions. The force applied to the bone growth can be correlated with the density of the bone growth, for example as determined using ultrasonic attenuation. The force applied can also be correlated with the piezoelectric response of the bone construct. The culture environment of the bone growth can also be varied, for example through release of chemicals, hormones, bioactive agents and the like, through additional fluid inlets, local heating, time-release elements incorporated into the matrix structure, variable surface processing of the scaffold material, non-uniform irradiation of the growing structure (e.g. with electromagnetic radiation), and the like. Scaffold materials can also be derived from organic sources, such as animal bone processed to substantially remove organic components.
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Cat Cora gives pasta and scallops a Southwestern flair with cumin, tequila, avocado and cilantro.
8 ounces fettuccine
1 pound (about16) sea scallops
1 teaspoon McCormick Gourmet™ Cumin, Ground
1 teaspoon McCormick Gourmet™ Paprika
1 teaspoon McCormick Gourmet™ Sicilian Sea Salt
2 tablespoons olive oil, divided
1/2 cup tequila
1 cup Kitchen Basics® Original Chicken Stock
2 tablespoons cold unsalted butter, cut up
1 teaspoon grated lime peel
1/4 teaspoon McCormick Gourmet™ Red Pepper, Crushed
1 avocado, seeded and diced
1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro
Cook pasta as directed on package. Drain well.
Meanwhile, toss scallops with cumin, paprika and sea salt. Let stand 10 minutes. Heat 1 tablespoon of the oil in large skillet on high heat. Add 1/2 of the scallops; cook 1 minute per side or until golden brown. Remove from skillet; keep warm. Repeat with remaining scallops, adding remaining 1 tablespoon oil if needed. Return all scallops to skillet. Add tequila; cook on medium-high heat 4 minutes or until tequila has evaporated. Remove scallops from skillet. Keep warm.
Stir stock into skillet. Cook on medium-high 4 to 5 minutes or until reduced by half. Add butter, lime peel and red pepper; stir until butter is melted. Return scallops to skillet; cook 1 minute or until heated through.
To serve, place fettuccine in serving bowl. Add scallop mixture; toss to coat well. Garnish with avocado and cilantro.
Test Kitchen Tip: Pat scallops dry with paper towels before cooking. This will ensure that they brown nicely instead of steaming in the skillet.
This recipe was created by Cat Cora, Bon Appétit Executive Chef.
(Amount per serving)


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Former Caledonia resident Sharon Lee Martell died from injuries suffered in a car accident south of Bloomfield, N.M., on Thursday, Oct. 18, 2012. She was 68. Mrs. Martell was born to Charles and Sylvia (Harnden) Law on Nov. 30, 1943, in Fairmont, Minn. On March 25, 1962, she married Donald Martell i...Read More
Oliver "Ollie" Kenneth Bangs, age 80 of Spring Grove, passed away Sat. Sept. 1, 2012 at William S. Middleton Veterans Administration Hospital in Madison Wis. from complications after surgery. He was born on November 23, 1931 in Spring Grove, Minn. to Oliver H. and Tilda O. (Lunde) Bangs. He and ...Read More
Esther N. Dee, 103, of La Crosse, Wis., formerly of New Albin, Iowa, died Thursday, August 30, 2012, at Gundersen Lutheran Hospital in La Crosse. Esther Nettie Dee was born March 14, 1909 in Dorchester, Iowa, the daughter of Fred and Eliza (Schultz) Dresselhaus. She attended New Albin Elementary Sch...Read More
Carsten Luther David "Pete" Peterson, 81, of Eitzen, Minn., passed away Saturday, September 1, 2012, at Gundersen Lutheran Medical Center, La Crosse. David was born May 21, 1931, in Highland Township, Winneshiek County, Iowa, to George and Amanda (Bjorgo) Peterson. On January 29, 1954, he marrie...Read More
Bruce Willard Nelson, Sr., 73, of Houston and formerly of Crystal, Minn., died at home on Monday, August 27, 2012 after a courageous battle with cancer. Bruce was born June 24, 1939 in Minneapolis to Mentor and Myrtle (Benson) Nelson. He graduated from Roosevelt High School in 1957. On February 14, ...Read More


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Previous Episode | Next Episode
Follow The DotsFollow The Dots (1999) Season 1 Episode 11701- Dragon Tales Cartoon Episode Guide by Dave Koch
This page has been viewed 33 times this month, and 310 times total.
- Dragon Tales Cartoon Episode GuideEpisode GuideTelevisionSeriesCartoon
- Traditional Animation
- Adelaide Productions, Columbia Tri-Star Television Animation, Sesame Workshop, The Post Group
- Cartoon Characters: Emmy, Max, Ord, Cassie, Wheezie, Zak, Quetzal.
- Voice Actors: Andrea Libman, Danny McKinnon, Ty Olsson, Chantal Strand, Kathleen Barr, Jason Michas, Eli Gabay, Shirley Millner.
- Directed By Michael Hack.
- Produced By James Coane, Wesley Eure.
- Written By Jeffery Scott, Cliff Ruby, Alana Lesser.
- Music: Brian Garland, Jim Latham, David R. Barkley, Justin Caine Burnett, Nathan Furst; more Musicians ...
- First Aired on October 19, 1999.
- Originally Aired on PBS (USA).
- Running Time: 12 minutes.
- Season: 1
- Color
Cartoon Summary:
The dragons call Max and Emmy to Dragon Land. They're playing a game, "Whack-It-Back." (which looks sort of like badminton) When Ord whacks the whistler rather too... (more)
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Originally written on Fox Sports West | Last updated 11/19/14
The first inning Monday night against Atlanta pretty much encapsulated the Dodgers' season to date. Dee Gordon singled to lead off the game, stole second base, and advanced to third on a flyball from Mark Ellis. Matt Kemp, he of the .460 batting average and nine home runs, was pitched to carefully and walked. Andre Ethier followed with a single, giving the Dodgers a 1-0 lead. The RBI for Ethier was his 22nd of the season, tying him with Kemp for the major league lead. Their 44 combined RBI are just three shy of the major league record for teammates through the first 17 games of the season, held by Alex Rodriguez (31 RBI) and Jason Giambi (16) of the 2007 Yankees. "They have been pretty amazing, really," manager Don Mattingly said. "Matt has been off the charts in every category. Dre has been picking up every run that Matt doesn't drive in. They have been pretty dynamic together. It's hard to imagine two guys having a better start as far as driving in runs and being big for their...
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"Keeweechic's Forney" Forney by keeweechic
Forney Travel Guide: 19 reviews and 30 photos
Sallie Daugherty arrived in this area 1847 with her four sons from Arkansas and bought 1,000 acres of land just south east of where Forney lies today. She named the area Union Hill which later became known as Lone Elm. In the early 1850's, more settlers began to arrive in this area. After the great war, many veterans also moved here, many began their lives as farmers and ranchers. By the late 1860's, the Village of Brooklyn was established as the only town and trading centre east of Dallas and west of Kaufman and by 1873, Brooklyn was a growing town, with saloons, merchandise store and lodge. It was the year that the Texas and Pacific Railroad come through Brooklyn, which was to change the face of the town forever. When came the time to register the town with the Post Office, it was found that another town had the same name and so another name had to be selected.
John Wein Forney, born in Lancaster, Pennsylvania, was a director of the Texas and Pacific Railroad Company and was believed to have been instrumental in the new railroad route through the village of Brooklyn. So in thanks to Mr Forney, it was suggested that Forney's name be submitted, to which it was accepted and thus the name of the town of Forney was established permanently.
With only a population of around 5,588, Forney is surprisingly known as being the "Antique Capital of Texas" with more than 150 dealers in the area.
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This marker stands in front of the Forney High School. On this site in 1868 the public education for the area (which at... more travel advice
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Just off the main road through Forney and just a block or two back from the railway tracks. This is a little Italian... more travel advice
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Interesting looking place. Let's see: a windmill, the statue of liberty and a place that serves liver and gizzards. Has all the makings of a bad acid trip or a Fellini film. But love those old houses! They'd cost over $500,000 in NJ.
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Indie Bravo!
Variety reviews 'Ekstra'
Filipino filmmaker Jeffrey Jeturian's "Ekstra," which was shown at the Toronto International Film Festival, was reviewed by industry bible Variety. Critic Richard Kuipers calls "Ekstra" "an appealing dramedy that pokes plenty of good-natured fun at TV soap operas." Kuipers praises lead star Vilma Santos, saying the movie is "anchored by a glowing central performance by the Filipino screen queen." He notes that the Cinemalaya winner is a "fine feather in the cap of veteran helmer Jeturian…a crowd pleaser." Bayani San Diego Jr.
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A wireless simulcast system, such as an OFDM network, includes the ability to determine the location of a mobile user. Location-based services can be provided to the mobile user.
1. A method for determining a location of a mobile station, comprising:
receiving at the mobile station a plurality of simulcast signals having substantially identical information from a plurality of base stations;
determining relative time of arrival information for the plurality of simulcast signals that is received;
determining a position of the mobile station by the mobile station using an average of a channel impulse response obtained from an estimate of a channel frequency response; and
transmitting the position from the mobile station to one of the plurality of base stations.
2. The method according to
3. The method according to
4. The method according to
5. The method according to
6. The method according to
7. The method according to
8. The method according to
9. The method according to
10. The method according to
11. The method according to
12. The method according to
13. The method according to
14. The method according to
15. The method according to
16. A method for receiving location information for a mobile station at a base station, comprising:
transmitting simulcast signals having substantially identical information to the mobile station; and
receiving, at the base station, mobile station location information from the mobile station determined from relative time of arrival information for the simulcast signals, wherein the mobile station location information is determined by the mobile station using an average of a channel impulse response obtained from an estimate of a channel frequency response.
17. The method according to
18. The method according to
19. A mobile station, comprising:
a receiver for receiving simulcast signals having substantially identical information from a plurality of base stations;
a processor for determining time of arrival information for the simulcast signals that are received and identifying a location of the mobile station using an average of a channel impulse response obtained from an estimate of a channel frequency response; and
a transmitter for transmitting the location to one of the plurality of base stations.
20. The mobile station according to
21. A wireless network for providing location specific information, comprising:
a mobile station for receiving simulcast signals and determining a location of the mobile station using an average of a channel impulse response obtained from an estimate of a channel frequency response; and
a plurality of base stations for transmitting the simulcast signals having substantially identical information and receiving the location of the mobile station transmitted from the mobile station.
22. The wireless network according to
23. The wireless network according to
24. A wireless network, comprising:
a plurality of base stations for transmitting simulcast signals having substantially identical information to mobile stations and receiving mobile station location information derived by the mobile stations using an average of a channel impulse response obtained from an estimate of a channel frequency response to broadcast location specific information to the mobile stations.
Not Applicable.
Not Applicable.
The present invention relates generally to communication systems and, more particularly, to simulcasting communication systems.
As is known in the art, there are a variety of known systems for determining position. For example, Global Positioning Satellite (GPS) systems can identify the coordinates of a person having a GPS device. GPS techniques have also been proposed for determining the position of mobile stations in near real-time. However, such an approach requires specialized hardware components and antennas that add cost, size, weight and extra power consumption to mobile terminals. In addition, GPS devices can disrupt wireless communication, e.g., phone calls from a mobile phone.
Furthermore, since GPS is a satellite-based position determination system, operation depends upon the 'visibility' of a sufficient number of satellites with a proper geometry to provide accurate positional information. For example, it is known that satellites distributed evenly along the horizon provide the best geometry for accurate positioning. However, satellites in this position are the most likely to be blocked by trees or buildings. Overhead satellites are most likely to provide the strongest signals, but several closely spaced overhead satellites result in the worst 'dilution of precision' in determining position. And since the satellites are constantly in motion, relative to the mobile station and relative to each other, location accuracy varies significantly with time.
It would, therefore, be desirable to provide a system that overcomes the aforesaid and other disadvantages.
The present invention provides a simulcasting OFDM system that can identify the position of a mobile station. With this arrangement, the OFDM system can provide location-based services to a mobile user from one or more of the simulcasting base stations. While the invention is primarily shown and described in conjunction with a simulcasting OFDM system, it is understood that the invention can be applicable to other wireless systems in which it is desirable to determine the position of a mobile station.
In one aspect of the invention, the location of a mobile station is determined from a plurality of simulcast signals received from respective base stations. In an exemplary embodiment, the base stations transmit OFDM signals. Signal time of arrival differences among the received signals can be used to determine the location of the mobile station.
The invention will be more fully understood from the following detailed description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which:
Simulcasting is well known to one of ordinary skill in the art. In general, simulcasting refers to the broadcast of a given signal by a plurality of base stations BS or transmitters. Mobile stations MS located within the cells covered by the base stations BS receive the signal. The mobile station receives multiple versions of the simulcasted signals, which can improve the system performance by providing better coverage with a stronger signal, as well as better performance because of the lack of co-channel interference.
Referring briefly to
The transformed data is converted to serial data stream by a parallel-to-serial converter 214. Cyclic extension and windowing can be added by a subsystem 216 prior to digital-to-analog conversion by a DAC 218 and transmission by an antenna system 220 including one or more transmit antennas TA. The receive portion 222 of the OFDM system includes similar corresponding components for extracting the data from the received OFDM signal.
As shown in
Simulcasting provides relatively good performance to a large number of users over a large coverage area due to simultaneous transmission of the same information content from multiple base stations. Simulcasting creates an artificial multipath environment used by the OFDM system to create diversity.
In general, in order to coherently demodulate the carriers, the mobile station MS receiver has an estimate of the channel frequency response. As is well known to one of ordinary skill in the art, it is straightforward to transform the channel response back to the time domain to obtain an estimate of the impulse response of the channel. For single base station operation, this channel impulse response provides an instantaneous measure of the multipath environment in which the mobile station is operating. For multiple base station operation, a short term average of the channel impulse response provides direct ranging information to all the nearby base stations. This ranging information, where the delays between peaks of the average impulse response of the channel correspond to relative delays between the paths to the different base stations, can be used to compute the position of the mobile station relative to all the base stations it currently is receiving.
In addition, with the timing and frequency offset estimates that are required for mobile receiver operation, additional information is available to the mobile station that indicates time delay to the individual base stations BS, as well as the Doppler frequency shift induced on the carrier signals caused by motion towards or away from the base stations.
Together, these channel estimates, and time and frequency offset estimates, provide information that can be readily used to determine mobile position, without any special position determining signals or hardware, as described more fully below.
It is understood that horizontal position and wide angular spacing of base stations will provide the best geometry for accurate position determination. Similarly, the same network engineering that provides base station spacing to ensure adequate performance for data communications will allow accurate position determination.
As described above, the OFDM system can simulcast simultaneous transmission of identical information from a plurality of basestations BS1-N. With this arrangement, the link performance is improved by simulating multipath. Since the same signal from multiple base stations is received by a mobile station, the difference in path delay results in frequency selective fading with narrow spacing between multipath nulls interacting with the inherent frequency diversity of the OFDM system.
As shown in
More particularly, a circle is defined be equation 1 below:
Base station locations may be known from the base station ID, which can be contained in the OFDM signals. While base station IDs enable the mobile station to separate multiple loci, such IDs are not necessary since other information can be used to remove this ambiguity. For example, a third base station signal will generate two more hyperbolas, i.e., |t1−t3| and |t2−t3| curves, based upon the position of the mobile station. Thus, three base station signals provide six hyperbolas from which only some of the possible combinations provide physically realizable positions.
It will be readily apparent to one of ordinary skill in the art that additional simulcast signals from additional base stations can be utilized to provide additional mobile location information.
It is understood that synchronizing base stations in time and frequency is routinely used to control interference between base stations. Synchronization can be achieved to relatively close tolerances by locking base station frequency sources to a high stability oscillator or to a common reference signal. For instance, a high accuracy rubidium oscillator can serve as the base station clock source. Alternatively, the base stations could be individually synchronized to transmissions from the GPS network. Since the positions of the base stations are fixed, averaging GPS-derived signals over relatively long periods of time can provide timing accuracy of less than a few nanoseconds, corresponding to positioning errors of a few feet.
The primary source of timing errors in the system of the present invention is due to the accuracy with which time of arrival estimates can be made. If, for instance, the OFDM simulcast transmissions occupy about a 5 MHz bandwidth, then when the signals are transformed into the time domain, the precision of the time measurements is approximately the reciprocal of the bandwidth or about 200 nanoseconds. This level of precision corresponds to a positional accuracy of about 200 feet.
In another aspect of the invention, timing recovery based upon measuring the timing offset by computing a differential in frequency measure of the received signal can be used to measure the time of arrival for position location in an OFDM system. An exemplary timing recovery algorithm is shown and described in U.S. patent application Ser. No. 09/311,562, filed on May 14, 1999, which is incorporated herein by reference.
In general, from examination of the differential in frequency timing constellation, it can be seen that multipath reception of the signal creates a set of distinct "rays" where each ray corresponds to the contribution of the timing offset resulting from each multipath component.
In terms of base station timing of arrival information, the dominant traces in the multipath timing adjustment constellation directly correspond to the relative delays to each base station. This is similar to the peaks in the channel impulse response described above. This differential in frequency processing does not require FFT processing to transform the channel response to the time domain.
In another aspect of the invention, mobile station position over time is tracked to resolve possible ambiguities due to unidentified base station and/or undistinguishable interarrival times, which can be due to a mobile being midway between base stations. By tracking mobile position over time, mobile position ambiguity can be resolved. It is understood that a differential in time frequency offset estimation scheme can provide separable estimates of the Doppler offset to each base station based upon samples of the cyclic prefix, for example. By combining velocity information with successive position estimates, mobile station position ambiguities can be resolved.
In a further aspect of the invention, unique transmissions from a first base station to a first mobile station can be utilized to resolve position. For example, the first base station can transmit a point-to-point signal from the first base station to a first mobile station. The first mobile station can use information from a narrow or unicast signal from the first base station to a second mobile station to distinguish first base station transmissions from transmissions of other base stations. Thus, the first mobile station can use transmissions from the first base station intended for other mobile stations since each transmission has an identical time reference due to the simulcast signal transmission. The first mobile station can use transmission timing information to compare relative time of arrivals for first base station transmissions to the time of arrival of simulcast transmissions. Thus, the first mobile station can uniquely distinguish transmissions from the first base station from other base station transmissions.
Having determined its location, a mobile station can transmit this information to the nearest or strongest base station, for example, via a conventional uplink signaling channel.
In a further aspect of the invention, mobile station location can be used to simulcast location specific information to individual or groups of users. For instance, upon receiving the mobile station location, the base station can relay this information to a network server. The network server can then tailor the specific simulcast information to suit the needs of one or more mobile users.
In an exemplary embodiment, the system inserts targeted commercials during a radio broadcast. Since the locations of mobile stations in the simulcast broadcast area are known, the server can insert advertisements that meet the interest profile of a particular mobile user. The advertisements or other information can be transmitted at the most appropriate time for the user to make use of the information, i.e., when they are physically close to the advertised business. In addition, the time of day can be used to determine the broadcast messages. For example, restaurant messages can be broadcast in the late afternoon.
One skilled in the art will appreciate further features and advantages of the invention based on the above-described embodiments. Accordingly, the invention is not to be limited by what has been particularly shown and described, except as indicated by the appended claims. All publications and references cited herein are expressly incorporated herein by reference in their entirety.
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Editorial: Waiting for the crest
The thrill of witnessing history is often tempered by the pain of suffering and loss, as it is this week with the Mississippi River creeping toward its highest mark in Memphis since 1937.
The evacuation notices have already been delivered to many whose homes lie in areas threatened by the flood. Evacuation centers have been busy.
News from upriver, where the U.S. Coast Guard shut down commercial barge traffic at a site where wakes threatened to wash over a flood wall, added to the ominous sense of dread and wonder.
As familiar sights, like the road from the Mud Island Roundabout to Mud Island River Park, slipped out of view, our curiosity as well as our worries increased.
At the same time, most of the city remained safe and dry. Life's routines had few interruptions. There were plenty of assurances that this place is not called the Bluff City for nothing.
And that advances in technology would prevent a repetition of the loss of life that accompanied similar rises in the river 74 and 84 years ago.
There were reminders, too, beginning late last week, that the threat of disaster brings out the best in us. That was when hundreds of Memphians began showing up at The Pyramid parking lot to fill sandbags that would be needed to protect low-lying community assets.
Just how destructive this event will become -- this potentially once-in-a-lifetime event for many of us -- we don't know.
We do know it has been an unmistakable reminder of the power of nature, the random path that it takes and how living alongside the Mississippi has been a profound experience for generations.
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