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Exporting to Ghana
by halliemhughes, Window Shopper
- Created: April 27, 2012, 8:14 am
How do I obtain the necessary documents, specifications and shipment costs that are needed to export soap?
‹ Turning a hobby into an online store Home internet bussines buying from international wholesalers ›
chris2503 | Window Shopper | 5/1/2012 - 6:43 am
Hi, you might like to check out this site on exporting to Africa in general:
Many African governments have become increasingly concerned which the quality
of good imported from foreign countries. I'm not sure if there is a section
for Ghana but someone will be able to help you.
Many African governments have become increasingly concerned which the quality
of good imported from foreign countries. I'm not sure if there is a section
for Ghana but someone will be able to help you.
kmurray | Community Moderator | 4/30/2012 - 1:09 pm
Hi, Check out our resources for exporting. There are also Export Assistance Centers across the country that may provide help as well.
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subset: commoncrawl


text:
Devices, systems, functional data and methods are provided for biasing an active location to an acceptable location within a planned route of a map. The navigational device with map biasing capabilities includes a processor communicating with a memory. In biasing a map, an active position and a planned position are received, and an active score and a planned score are associated with each position, respectively. The active position is checked to ensure it falls within a second range, and if it does the active score is made to fall within a first range associated with the planned score, such that the active position is biased to appear as if it were the planned position.
1. A navigation system, comprising:
a navigation device in communication with a positioning system to determine a current position for the navigation device; and
a set of executable instructions processing on the navigation device that biases the current position of the navigation device to a route position on a planned route when the current position when compared to thorough fare positions is within a threshold, wherein the threshold is a predefined value representing an acceptable delta distance from the route position.
2. The navigation system of
3. The navigation system of
4. The navigation system of
5. The navigation system of
6. The navigation system of
7. The navigation system of
This application is a continuation under 37 C.F.R. 1.153(b) from U.S. Ser. No. 10/027,271 filed Dec. 21, 2001 now U.S. Pat. No. 6,546,335, which application is incorporated herein by reference.
The present invention relates generally to navigational devices, and in particular to navigational devices having navigation systems, functional data, and methods bias the device's current location to a route on a map.
Route planning devices are well known in the field of navigational instruments. The method of route planning implemented by known prior art systems depends on the capabilities of system resources, such as processor speed and the amount and speed of memory. As increased system capability also increases system cost, the method of route planning implemented by a navigation device is a function of overall system cost.
One type of navigational system includes Global Positioning Systems (GPS). Such systems are known and have a variety of uses. In general, GPS is a satellite-based radio navigation system capable of determining continuous position and velocity information for an unlimited number of users. Formally known as NAVSTAR, the GPS incorporates a plurality of satellites which orbit the earth in extremely precise orbits. Based on these precise orbits, GPS satellites can relay their location to any number of receiving units.
The GPS system is implemented when a device specially equipped to receive GPS data begins scanning radio frequencies for GPS satellite signals. Upon receiving a radio signal from a GPS satellite, the device can determine the precise location of that satellite via one of different conventional methods. The device will continue scanning for signals until it has acquired at least three different satellite signals. Implementing geometrical triangulation, the receiver utilizes the three known positions to determine its own two-dimensional position relative to the satellites. Additionally, acquiring a fourth satellite signal will allow the receiving device to calculate its three-dimensional position by the same geometrical calculation. The positioning and velocity data can be updated in real time on a continuous basis by an unlimited number of users.
Further, with a navigational aid device cartographic data are loaded into a memory of the device and manipulated to provide route planning to a user of the device. Cartographic data can include by way of example only, thoroughfare identifications, intersection identifications, altitude information, longitude information, latitude information and the like. The cartographic data are voluminous and as a result, often only specific cartographic data associated with predefined geographic regions are loaded into the device during any particular operation cycle.
Using the cartographic data the device displays a portion of the data as a map to a user of the device, typically identifying the device's location and orientation within the displayed map. Often, the user requests a route within the displayed map which includes a generated path from the device's present location and orientation to a desired location. Accordingly, the route is derived from the cartographic data and presented to the user of the device. Presentation of the device's changing location with respect to the route continues in real time as the device travels along the route.
The process of plotting the device's present location, within the cartographic data, and mapping that location to the map is referred to as map matching or road locking. Generally, problems occur with the road locking process when the precise location of the device at any particular moment in time and space is inaccurate, or when the cartographic data contain slight inaccuracies.
Navigational systems can sometimes provide inaccurate information to a navigational device such that the device inaccurately calculates the precise location of the device. Typically, inaccurate information results when the device is traveling at a rate less than five miles per hour or when satellite interference occurs. Moreover, even when a device is traveling at rate above 5 miles per hour and there exists no satellite interference, the precise location of the device is still a calculated projection which is made by the device, and the projection is not without error. For example, a device traveling at a particular rate of speed having a particular angular direction will determine its location by rapidly calculating at least three locations for the device and then generating a fourth likely location which is road locked to the map.
However, at any particular moment the device's location can coincide with thoroughfare choices emanating from the route, such that the error margin in determining the device's precise location when compared with the now available thoroughfare locations, results in road locking the location of the device to a location off the route. This problem is particularly noticeable when cartographic data associated with the available thoroughfare locations, which are off the route, vary only slightly with available thoroughfare locations, which are on the route. Moreover, these variations within the cartographic data for the thoroughfares can be the result of erroneous cartographic data.
For example, consider two thoroughfare choices, one on the route and one off the route. But, each thoroughfare runs parallel to the other and is separated by only a concrete divider and each thoroughfare runs in parallel to the other for a distance in excess of one mile. A calculation to retrieve the device's location results in road locking the device's location to the thoroughfare located off the route, when in fact the device is located on the route. Obviously, a user of the device will quickly become frustrated and develop a perception that the performance of the device is malfunctioning.
Clearly, in many cases halting travel is not a viable alternative. For example, when the user is traveling on an interstate it is entirely impossible to simply stop. The alternative of pulling off on the shoulder is undesirable and can be dangerous. Pulling off on an exit is equally undesirable since doing so increases travel time and provides an added inconvenience to the user. In other instances, such as navigating downtown city streets, the traffic issues alone may prevent the user from stopping their vehicle during the recalculation process. Even if the user has the ability to safely stop their vehicle, such as when traveling in a neighborhood, the closeness in proximity of available thoroughfares can still yield an inaccurate road lock. Accordingly, capabilities to favorably road lock the location of the device to a thoroughfare located on the route is desirable and is also often a correct reflection of the device's precise location. To achieve this result, more efficient map matching capabilities are needed.
In summary, current prior art systems do not provide adequate map matching or road locking capabilities. Further, as users demand products with greater accuracy and usability, the problem will continue to escalate. As a result, present devices which inadequately perform map matching often frustrate users when thoroughfare choices result in inaccurate calculations that assume the devices' locations are off the route, when in fact the locations of the devices are on the route.
Therefore, there exists a need for a navigational device which more accurately performs map matching capabilities than current systems In addition, there is also a need for a navigational route planning device which efficiently maps a device's current position to a planned position on a route.
The above mentioned problems of navigational devices are addressed by the present invention and will be understood by reading and studying the following specification. Devices, systems, functional data, and methods are provided to bias map matching which is more efficient and accurate than current systems. The devices, systems, functional data, and methods of the present invention offer a device having map biasing capabilities superior to current systems. The device is capable of more efficient and accurately mapping a current position of the device to a route.
In one embodiment of the present invention, a method to bias an active position to a planned position is provided. The method dynamically receives the active position and the planned position. Furthermore, the active score associated with the planned position is biased thereby forcing this score to be the most favorable score. Moreover, the biasing is aborted if the active position associated with the planned position falls outside a range.
In another embodiment of the present invention functional data to bias a location to a map is provided having active location data operable to be plotted within the map and a planned path comprising planned location data operable to be plotted within the map. Further, the functional data include an active score associated with the active location data and a planned score associated with the planned path. Moreover, the functional data include bias instruction data to bias the active score in favor of the planned score as long as the active location data do not deviate from the planned path by a preset range.
These and other embodiments, aspects, advantages, and features of the present invention will be set forth in part in the description which follows, and in part will become apparent to those skilled in the art by reference to the following description of the invention and referenced drawings or by practice of the invention. The aspects, advantages, and features of the invention are realized and attained by means of the instrumentalities, procedures, and combinations particularly pointed out in the appended claims.
In the following detailed description of the invention, reference is made to the accompanying drawings which form a part hereof, and in which is shown, by way of illustration, specific embodiments in which the invention can be practiced. The embodiments are intended to describe aspects of the invention in sufficient detail to enable those skilled in the art to practice the invention. Other embodiments can be utilized and changes can be made without departing from the scope of the present invention. The following detailed description is, therefore, not to be taken in a limiting sense, and the scope of the present invention is defined only by the appended claims, along with the full scope of equivalents to which such claims are entitled.
The present invention is drawn to navigational systems and devices having map biasing capabilities. As presented above, one type of navigational system includes Global Positioning Systems (GPS). Such systems are known and have a variety of uses. In general, GPS is a satellite-based radio navigation system capable of determining continuous position, velocity, time, and in some instances direction information for an unlimited number of users. Formally known as NAVSTAR, the GPS incorporates a plurality of satellites which orbit the earth in extremely precise orbits. Based on these precise orbits, GPS satellites can relay their location to any number of receiving units.
The GPS system is implemented when a device specially equipped to receive GPS data begins scanning radio frequencies for GPS satellite signals. Upon receiving a radio signal from a GPS satellite, the device can determine the precise location of that satellite via one of different conventional methods. The device will continue scanning for signals until it has acquired at least three different satellite signals. Implementing geometric triangulation, the receiver utilizes the three known positions to determine its own two-dimensional position relative to the satellites. Additionally, acquiring a fourth satellite signal will allow the receiving device to calculate its three-dimensional position by the same geometrical calculation. The positioning and velocity data can be updated in real time on a continuous basis by an unlimited number of users.
The spread spectrum signals 160 continuously transmitted from each satellite 120 utilizes a highly accurate frequency standard accomplished with an extremely accurate atomic clock. Each satellite 120, as part of its data signal transmission 160, transmits a data stream indicative of that particular satellite 120. It will be appreciated by those skilled in the relevant art that the GPS receiver device 140 must acquire spread spectrum GPS satellite signals 160 from at least three satellites 120 for the GPS receiver device 140 to calculate its two-dimensional position by triangulation. Acquisition of an additional signal 160, resulting in signals 160 from a total of four satellites 120, permits GPS receiver device 140 to calculate its three-dimensional position.
In fact, although GPS enabled devices are often used to describe navigational devices, it will be readily appreciated that satellites need not be used at all to determine a geographic position of a receiving unit, since cellular towers or any customized transmitting radio frequency towers can be deployed and combined in groups of three or more. With such a configuration, any standard geometric triangulation algorithm can be used to determine the exact location of the receiving unit. In this way, personal hand held devices, cell phones, intelligent appliances, intelligent apparel, and others can be readily located geographically, if appropriately equipped to be a receiving unit.
For example, at least three cellular towers can each transmit their location information to a receiving cellular phone, or any other receiving device, and if the phones or devices are equipped to perform the triangulation algorithm, then the location of the cellular phone or device can be readily resolved. By further way of example, an amusement park or entertainment facility can deploy three or more transmitting radio frequency devices and provide users with receiving units capable of performing a triangulation algorithm to determine the receiving units location within the amusement park or entertainment facility. In this way, it is readily apparent that a receiving unit need not be exclusively GPS enabled to benefit from the teachings of the present invention.
It should be understood that the structure of GPS integrated PDA 310 is shown as illustrative of one type of integrated PDA navigation device. Other physical structures, such as a cellular telephone and a vehicle-mounted unit are contemplated within the scope of this invention.
The electronic components further include two other input sources that are connected to the processor 436. Control buttons 428 are connected to processor 436 via line 451 and a map data cartridge 433 inserted into cartridge bay 432 is connected via line 452. A conventional serial I/O port 454 is connected to the processor 436 via line 456. Cellular antenna 416 is connected to cellular transceiver 458, which is connected to the processor 436 via line 466. Processor 436 is connected to the speaker/headphone jack 434 via line 462. The PDA 310 may also include an infrared port (not shown) coupled to the processor 436 that may be used to beam information from one PDA to another.
As will be understood by one of ordinary skill in the art, the electronic components shown in
Using the processing algorithms of the present invention, the device selects an appropriate starting point for performing a new route calculation and the device recognizes when the device has deviated from the route stored in memory. The device then uses those electronic components to calculate a new route to navigate to the desired destination. According to the teachings of the present invention, the device adjusts a starting point for the new route calculation to a location forward along a current thoroughfare on which the device is located or traveling such that the location is at or forward of the device at a time when the new route calculation is completed. In other words, the device adjusts a starting point for the new route calculation to a location forward along a current thoroughfare on which the device is located or traveling such that the device is on the route at a time when the new route calculation is completed. According to the teachings of the present invention, the device incorporates these and other functions as will be explained in more detail below in connection with
The navigation system further includes a mass data storage 512 coupled to the server 502 via communication link 514. The mass data storage 512 contains a store of navigation data. One of ordinary skill in the art will understand, upon reading and comprehending this disclosure, that the mass data storage 512 can be separate device from the server 502 or can be incorporated into the server 502.
In one embodiment of the present invention, the navigation system further includes a navigation device 516 adapted to communicate with the server 502 through the communication channel 518. According to one embodiment, the navigation device 516 includes a processor and memory, as previously shown and described with respect to the block diagram of
Software stored in the server memory 506 provides instructions for the processor 504 and allows the server 502 to provide services to the navigation device 516. One service provided by the server 502 involves processing requests from the navigation device 516 and transmitting navigation data from the mass data storage 512 to the navigation device 516. According to one embodiment, another service provided by the server 502 includes processing the navigation data using various algorithms for a desired application, and sending the results of these calculations to the navigation device 516.
The communication channel 518 is the propagating medium or path that connects the navigation device 516 and the server 502. According to one embodiment, both the server 502 and the navigation device 516 include a transmitter for transmitting data through the communication channel and a receiver for receiving data that has been transmitted through the communication channel.
The communication channel 518 is not limited to a particular communication technology. Additionally, the communication channel 518 is not limited to a single communication technology; that is, the channel 518 may include several communication links that use a variety of technology. For example, according to various embodiments, the communication channel is adapted to provide a path for electrical, optical, and/or electromagnetic communications. As such, the communication channel includes, but is not limited to, one or a combination of the following: electrical circuits, electrical conductors such as wires and coaxial cables, fiber optic cables, converters, radio-frequency (RF) waveguides, the atmosphere, and empty space. Furthermore, according to various embodiments, the communication channel includes intermediate devices such as routers, repeaters, buffers, transmitters, and receivers, for example.
In one embodiment, for example, the communication channel 518 includes telephone and computer networks. Furthermore, in various embodiments, the communication channel 516 is capable of accommodating wireless communication such as radio frequency, microwave frequency and infrared communication, and the like. Additionally, according to various embodiments, the communication channel 516 accommodates satellite communication.
The communication signals transmitted through the communication channel 518 include such signals as may be required or desired for a given communication technology. For example, the signals may be adapted to be used in cellular communication technology, such as time division multiple access (TDMA), frequency division multiple access (FDMA), code division multiple access (CDMA), global system for mobile communications (GSM), and the like. Both digital and analog signals may be transmitted through the communication channel 518. According to various embodiments, these signals are modulated, encrypted and/or compressed signals as may be desirable for the communication technology.
The mass data storage includes sufficient memory for the desired navigation application. Examples of mass data storage include magnetic data storage media such as hard drives, optical data storage media such as CD ROMs, charge storing data storage media such as Flash memory, and molecular memory, such as now known or hereinafter developed.
According to one embodiment of the navigation system, the 502 server includes a remote server accessed by the navigation device 516 through a wireless channel. According to other embodiments of the navigation system, the server 502 includes a network server located on a local area network (LAN), wide area network (WAN), a virtual private network (VPN) and server farms.
According to another embodiment of the navigation system, the server 502 includes a personal computer such as a desktop or laptop computer. In one embodiment, the communication channel 518 is a cable connected between the personal computer and the navigation device. According to one embodiment, the communication channel 518 is a wireless connection between the personal computer and the navigation device 516.
That is, the navigational system of
Furthermore the initial location, in some embodiments, is represented as an active position within the map data. The active position is dynamically changing as a navigational device uses method 600 and travels. The active position's location is calculated using any navigation system and any triangulation algorithm, well known to those skilled in the art. Additional bearing information associated with the active position is acquired in some embodiments. Bearing information includes, by way of example only, direction of the active position, altitude of the active position, angular orientation of the active position, velocity of the active position, and the like. Of course as one skilled in the art will readily appreciate, not all of these data associated with bearing information need be used or necessary with the present invention. Further bearing information, in some embodiments, is acquired from the navigation system, and may also be included within the map data and associated with each thoroughfare and/or intersection.
Once bearing information for the active position is acquired, scores are generated for all roads within a defined radius, by adding a weighted value associated with each individual piece of bearing information used. For example, an active position's velocity is weighted by multiplying the active position's rate of speed by a fractional multiplier to acquire a weighted value for the active position's velocity. In the same way, the angular orientation of the active position is weighted. The individual weights are then summed to acquire a score for the active position.
As is readily apparent to those skilled in the art, the score need not be a numeric value, as it could be a string value or a mapped value to a specific value contained in a set. Furthermore, values associated with the bearing information in other embodiments are normalized such that the score always falls within a predefined range. The exact scoring mechanism and the exact electronic representation of score can vary and all such variations are intended to fall within the broad scope of the present invention. Moreover, as one skilled in the art will readily note no weighted values need be used since any scoring algorithm will work.
Concurrent, or perhaps serially, to generating the active position score a the planned position located on the route is acquired in step 624. A planned position does not imply that position is not dynamically evaluated. In fact, a planned position is simply a position on a route which is generated for a navigation device. This planned position changes as the active position changes, and is actively compared to numerous additional positions and related scores for each of the additional positions. In this way, scores for all positions on thoroughfares within a defined radius of the active position are scored, the planned position is simply a position on a segment of the generated route. Generation of the score associated with the planned position and all related thoroughfare scores occur in much the same manner as is used when generating the active score. However, weighted bearing information, used in generating the scores is acquired from the map data and not from a navigation system.
Steps 622 and 624 need not occur at all, if in step 630 it is determined that the active position's bearing information excessively deviates from the bearing information associated with a planned position on the route. In this way, if an active position has an angular orientation with respect to its direction of travel of forty degrees, and a thoroughfare on the route has an angular orientation at a planned position, headed in the direction of travel of the active position, of five degrees then a deviation in the active position's bearing information, in some embodiments, is deemed excessive. If the deviation is excessive, then it is determined that the active position is off the route and a new route is recalculated or otherwise acquired in step 632.
If, however, the deviation is tolerable then active score generated in step 622 for the planned position is biased in step 626, so the active position score for the planned position will appear more favorable to the map matching or road locking logic of the navigation device then all other active scores generated in step 622. In this way, the road locking logic of the navigation device is biased in favor of road locking the active position to the planned position within the map data in step 628,
As one skilled in the art will readily appreciate, this biasing permits existing map matching or road locking processes to appear more accurate and desirable to a user, especially when the deviations between an active position's bearing information and planned position's bearing information falls within a tolerable range. Moreover, slight inaccuracies contained within the map data are resolved with the present map biasing techniques.
In one embodiment, the current score 751 is generated by summing the weighted values 753 associated with positional data 754 and bearing data 755. Positional data 754 includes, by way of example only, longitudinal coordinate data, latitudinal coordinate data, and the like. Bearing data 755 includes, by way of example only, directional data 756, attitudinal data 757, angular orientation data 758, and velocity data 759. Of course, as previously presented any additional or sub combination of positional 754 and bearing data 755 can be used all without departing from the present invention. Moreover, any scoring and/or weighting algorithm can be deployed without departing from the present invention.
Further, in some embodiments the current score 751 when compared to planned scores 750 of roads 760 included on the route path 740 produces a delta. The delta is then compared to a threshold range 770, such that if the delta falls within the range 772 the current position 762 is forced to a planned position and road locked to the route path 740. However, if the delta falls outside the range 774, then the device 700 is detected as being off the route path 740 and an alternative route path correspondingly generated.
For example, a route path 740 consisting of a directed path which includes roads 760 identified as R1→R2→R3 has a current position 762 for device 700 approaching R2. However, at the R1 and R2 transition a fourth road R4 becomes available for device 700. Moreover, if the angular orientation 758 of R2 with respect to R1 is slight when compared to the angular orientation 758 of R4 with respect to R1, then a typical device's map matching or road locking logic could road lock its current position to a position off its route path. However, with the present invention the current score 751 of the present device 700 is biased by a factor 752 (e.g., a factor of 10, or any favorable factor when compared to the threshold range 770) such that when the map matching logic of device 700 compares the current score 751, the current score 751 falls within the range 772 and the current position 762 is road locked to a planned position on the route path 740.
The current position 762 is continuously updated as the device 700 moves, and correspondingly the current score 751 is continuously generated and compared against the threshold range 770. Therefore, in the present example if the device 700 did take the incorrect road R4, at some point the current position 762 combined with the current score would produce a current score 751 outside the range 774 and the device 700 would generate an alternate route path for the device 700 to get the device 700 back on an alternate path to its 700 destination.
As previously discussed a variety of configurations to device 700 can be made without departing from the scope of the present invention. For example, the device 700 can be permanently affixed to a transportation vehicle, detachably affixed to a transportation vehicle, a portable handheld device, an intelligent appliance, a computing device, an intelligent apparel worn by a person or animal, and the like. Moreover, the memory 720 can be remote from the processor 730. And, the device 700 can be equipped to transmit to a separate device the generated route path 740. All of these configurations now known, or hereafter developed are intended to fall within the tenets of the present invention.
The navigation device 830 further includes a processor 836 in communication with a memory 838 and is adapted to retrieve navigation data 834 from the server 820 though COM2 822. The navigation device's 830 processor 836 and memory 838 cooperate using a set of executable instructions to generate a current score 850 associated with a current position 852 and a current bearing 854 of the device 830. The current score 850 is used to determine whether the device 830 is located on a planned route 832 for the device 830 and is biased to map the current position 852 to a position on the planned route 860 if the current score 850 is within a tolerance level 856.
Further in some embodiments, one or more locations 840, which may be represented as positions on thoroughfares, receive location scores 842. As previously presented, both the current score 850 and the location scores 842 can be generated in a variety of manners using positional data and/or bearing data, and combining the scores with zero or more weighting algorithms. Moreover, the locations scores 842 are regularly compared to the current score 850 to determine if the difference between the scores is within the tolerance level 856. Of course as those skilled in the art will appreciate, the comparison need not be a difference comparison or numeric comparison. A certain degree of differentiation is defined as the tolerance level 856 in some embodiments, such that by tolerating more differentiation the current position 852 is biased to a position on the planned route 860, without altering the current score 850.
The communication channels COM1 812 and COM2 822 need not be hardwired as any single wireless channel or combination of hardwired and wireless channels can be implemented without departing from the present invention. Further, although system 800 depicts map biasing capabilities as being generated entirely within navigation device 830 as one skilled in the art will readily appreciate, this generation can occur in concert with the server 820. Moreover, server 820 can be a server in close proximity to navigation device 830 such that COM2 822 is achieved using infrared or radio frequency communications. Further, COM2 822 could be an Internet or peer-to-peer connection between the server 820 and the navigation device 830. It is readily apparent that a variety of configurations, now known or hereafter developed, are intended to fall within the scope of the present invention.
As one skilled in the art will readily appreciate, the functional data 900 of
Additionally, in some embodiments the active location data 936 include active position data 932 and active bearing data 934, such that when the active position data 932 and/or the active bearing data 934 deviate from the planned path 940 by a preset range 945, a re-route instruction data 990 are operable to generate an alternative path 960. Further, in other embodiments the functional data 900 include communication instruction data 970 operable to communicate a biased active location data 936 plotted within the map 920. Moreover, the communication instruction data 970 are operable to communicate with an audio device 912 and/or a visual device 914. Again, audio device 912 and visual device 914 are presented by way of illustration only in FIG. 9 and are not intended to be part of functional data 900.
Further as is readily apparent, the active location data 936 are updated and the bias instruction data 980 dynamically executed repetitively until a termination is detected. A termination is detected when a navigation device 910 using functional data 900 is shut down, produces a non-recoverable error, or the destination of a planned path 940 or an alternative path 960 is reached by the active position data 932 as it is being road locked to the paths.
As one skilled in the art will appreciate, the functional data 900 of
In some embodiments the planned position is received from a route derived from cartographic data and associated with a navigation device using the method 1000 depicted in FIG. 10. Additionally, the active position is received, calculated, estimated, or otherwise acquired from a separate device using a navigation system to acquire position data and/or bearing data associated with a device using method 1000. The device using method 1000 could also calculate, estimate, or otherwise acquire the active position depicted in FIG. 10.
Once the active and a planned position associated with a route are dynamically received in steps 1010 and 1020, the active position is compared to a preset second range of values associated with its position relative to planned position in step 1022. If the active position when compared to the second range in step 1022 falls outside the second range, then an alternative position residing on an alternatively generated route path is produced in step 1026. And, the biasing depicted in step 1024 is aborted or otherwise not performed.
However, if the active position falls within the second range when compared to the planned position in step 1022, an active score associated with the active position is biased in step 1030. In some embodiments, the biasing is predetermined based on inaccurate map data associated with the planned position in step 1032, or customized to accommodate one or more errors associated with calculating or otherwise estimating the active position in step 1034. Of course as one skilled in the art will appreciate, any biasing technique can be used without departing from the present invention.
Once the active score is biased in step 1030 the active score is forced to be at least as favorable as the planned score obtained, calculated, or otherwise estimated in step 1012. The planned score is associated with a planned position on the route. By forcing the differences between the scores to be favorable and correspondingly fall within a first range in step 1018, it is assured (e.g., line 1016) that the active position will be plotted as if it were the planned position in a map associated with the route in step 1040. If the differences in the scores are not favorable (e.g., line 1014) then an error condition has arisen, and any appropriate executable instructions can be implemented to handle the failure.
Further in other embodiments a plurality of additional planned positions comprise the route within the map. Moreover, in step 1050 the active position (e.g., now the planned position), the route, and the map are dynamically provided to a communication device. Still further, in some embodiments the communication is a navigational device using the method 1000 in step 1052.
As one of ordinary skill in the art will understand upon reading this disclosure, the electronic components of device shown in
More specifically, in the computer-readable program embodiment, the programs can be structured in an object-orientation using an object-oriented language such as Java, Smalltalk, C++, and others, and the programs can be structured in a procedural-orientation using a procedural language such as C, PASCAL, and others. The software components communicate in any of a number of means that are well-known to those skilled in the art, such as application program interfaces (A.P.I.) or interprocess communication techniques such as remote procedure call (R.P.C.), common object request broker architecture (CORBA), Component Object Model (COM), Distributed Component Object Model (DCOM), Distributed System Object Model (DSOM) and Remote Method Invocation (RMI).
Of course it is readily appreciated by those skilled in the art that any programming methodology, programming language, programming interface, operating system, or computing environment, now known or hereafter developed can be readily deployed, without departing from the tenets of the present invention and all such implementation specific embodiments are intended to fall within the broad scope of the present invention.
The above systems, devices and methods have been described, by way of example and not by way of limitation, with respect biasing map matching capabilities, providing more accurate map matching. That is, the systems, devices, functional data, and methods provide for biasing a current position to a planned position on a route contained within a map, when the current position does not excessively deviate from the route. The systems, devices, functional data, and methods of the present invention offer improved map biasing techniques to a user utilizing a navigation device.
Although specific embodiments have been illustrated and described herein, it will be appreciated by those of ordinary skill in the art that any arrangement which is calculated to achieve the same purpose may be substituted for the specific embodiment shown. This application is intended to cover any adaptations or variations of the present invention. It is to be understood that the above description is intended to be illustrative, and not restrictive. Combinations of the above embodiments, and other embodiments will be apparent to those of skill in the art upon reviewing the above description. The scope of the invention includes any other applications in which the above systems, devices, functional data, and methods are used. The scope of the invention should be determined with reference to the appended claims, along with the full scope of equivalents to which such claims are entitled.
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Conan features the Scala and Kolacny Brothers choir on his TV show.
What's next? Are we getting some culture on TV?
The all female choir performs…
Created by SingerLink Apr 23, 2011 at 10:43am. Last updated by SingerLink May 1, 2011.
Here's a review of a great new book "The Christian West and Its Singers" by Jeffery Tucker:
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Here's a great video on working with singers from I… Continue
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June 7, 2015 at 6pm to July 6, 2015 at 7pm – Prague, Czech Republic
Join the "Prague Summer Nights Young Artists Music Festival" this summer in the beautiful and historic city of Prague for concerts and opera performances, including fully staged performances of Mozar…
Organized by Classical Movements, Inc. | Type: young, artist, program
June 10, 2015 at 9am to June 30, 2015 at 7pm – Cortlandt School of Performing Arts
Please note: this is an on-going invitation effective immediately until June 30, 2015. There is no specific date and time to join; if an audition is required, it will be arranged to suit the applica…
Organized by Mary Corda | Type: choral, singers, wanted, for, double-bill, opera
June 29, 2015 at 6pm to July 3, 2015 at 7:30pm – Zion Lutheran Church (3606 Beauchamp St.); 7:30 p.m., June 30 – All Saints Catholic Church (215 E. 10th St.); 7:30 p.m., July 3 – Moores Opera House at UH (Entrance 16 off Cullen Boulevard)
Houstonians are well aware of the talents of the University of Houston's Moores School of Music Concert Chorale. In the past five years, the acclaimed choir – led by Betsy Cook Weber – has taken its…
Organized by MSM Concert Chorale | Type: concert, series
June 30, 2015 to July 4, 2015 – George Washington University
This year – Chorworks' 11th annual summer workshop – we dive into turbulent musical waters: Battle Music! From Janequin's extravagant programmatic chanson La Guerre to the excitement of Monteverdi's…
Organized by Sandy Becker | Type: choral, workshop
July 2, 2015 to July 6, 2015 – Hungary
International festival of choirs and orchestras in Budapest (Hungary)
02.07. - 06.07.2015
BUDAPEST – a city with one of the best locations in the world
No visitor of the Hungarian capital can resis…
Organized by MRF MusicFestivals | Type: festival
July 3, 2015 to July 8, 2015 – Golden Hall of Musikverein
The SCL Festival Vienna is Austria's premier global youth music festival for choirs, bands and orchestras. Taking place every July in Vienna's two main classical concert venues, the Golden Hall of th…
Organized by Concerts-Austria, Mr. Jürgen PARTAJ (Artistic Director) | Type: international, music, youth, festival
July 4, 2015 at 4pm to July 10, 2015 at 7pm – Arradon
Le Chant des Oyseaux run a choral workshop for SSA choir in Arradon (Brittany-France). It is open to confirmed amateur singers. The workshop will focus on music by Thomas MORLEY and Claudio MONTEVERD…
Organized by Le Chant des Oyseaux | Type: festival, choral
July 9, 2015 at 6pm to July 19, 2015 at 7pm – Vienna, Salzburg, and Prague
In 2011, the Prague Post hailed the Rhapsody International Music Festival Vienna, Salzburg and Prague as "The summer of young musical brilliance." Festival choirs perform individually in three of Eu…
Organized by Classical Movements | Type: choral, festival
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After Microsoft and Sony, the South Korean tech giant finally launched its very own selfie focused smartphone in India. The Samsung Galaxy Grand Prime comes with a price tag of INR 15,499 in India.Read More
Samsung finally launched this Android 4.4 powered smartphone India. This device will go on sale in the first week of October.Read More
The new Moto X will finally arrive in India tonight for INR 31,999. It packs a 5.2 inch full HD display, 2.5 GHz quad-core processor, 13 megapixel camera with 4k video recording and more.Read More
HTC recently launched the Desire 816G in the Indian market. It is basically the cheaper version of the previously launched HTC Desire 816. It comes with a price tag of INR 18,990.Read More
Jolla finally launched its Jolla smartphone exclusively at online retailer Snapdeal in india. This handset is capable of running most of the Android apps via third-party app store.Read More
HTC finally announced the Desire 820 smartphone in India. The Desire 820 packs a 64-bit octa-core Snapdragon 615 processor, while the Desire 820q comes with a 64-bit Snapdragon 410 quad-core processor.Read More
Oppo N1 mini was recently launched in India for INR 26.990. It comes with a rotating 13 megapixel camera similar to its bigger brother, which acts as a rear as well as front-facing camera.Read More
Panasonic recently launched three new Android powered smartphones in the Indian market. Panasonic T41, P41 and P61 are priced between INR 7990 to INR 14,990.Read More
Samsung Galaxy S5 4G variant was recently launched in India with a price-tag of Rs.53,500. Apart from the additional connectivity option, this handset packs a 2.5 GHz quad-core Qualcomm Snapdragon 801 processor instead of the Exynos processor.Read More
Microsoft Ventures in India has announced the launch of JumpStart, a hotline to provide startups and entrepreneurs with a resource to ask business and technical questions.Read More
Facebook today announced that it has crossed the milestone of 100 million active users in India. Interestingly, more than 84 million of those are connecting through mobile.Read More
Sony finally launched the Xperia Z Ultra phablet in India for Rs.46,990. It comes with a large 6.4 inch Full HD display along with a 2.2 GHz quad-core processor.Read More
HTC finally launched the Desire 600 smartphone in India for Rs.26,990. It is the company's first mid-range handset to offer the latest Sense 5 UI along with HTC BlinkFeed and HTC BoomSound.Read More
BlackBerry recently launched the mid-range BlackBerry Q5 smartphone for just Rs.24,990 in India.This handset packs a 3.1 inch touchscreen display along with the Blackberry's iconic QWERTY keyboard.Read More
Samsung recently launched the much-awaited Galaxy Mega 5.8 in India. This handset packs a 5.8 inch qHD display, 1.4 GHz dual-core processor, 8 megapixel camera and more.Read More


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The fund's objective is to generate equity like returns with less risk. The Sub Fund will usually invest in 20 -50 large listed utilities and infrastructure companies in OECD countries, which have a history of generating steady dividends and capital appreciation over a long period of time. 80-100% of its net assets are invested in listed equities with the balance being cash. The investments will tend to be large listed regulated utilities, monopolies or oligopolies, which provide essential services to society such as water, gas and electricity. Typically, these companies are conservatively geared, and generate strong operating cashflows.The Sub-Fund may also invest in warrants. Due to the regulated nature of the businesses in which the Sub-Fund invests, the portfolio aims to be less volatile than general equity portfolios.
[1] http://www.globalfunddata.com/funds/new/performance/management?variant=SFM Group International S.A.
[2] http://www.globalfunddata.com/funds/new/performance/strategy?variant=Sector Equity Utilities
[3] http://www.globalfunddata.com/funds/new/performance/structure?variant=SICAV
[4] http://www.globalfunddata.com/funds/new/performance/city?variant=Bratislava___Slovakia
[5] http://www.globalfunddata.com/funds/new/performance/country?variant=Slovakia
[6] mailto:email@example.com?subject=Mail from GFM Ltd


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25 Free Craft Projects for Every Crafter - The Ultimate Craft Guide
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Suede is a New York-based fashion designer, crafter, personality and aspiring cook. Since appearing on Bravo's final season of the Emmy-Award-Winning Project Runway Season 5, Suede has been thrust into the limelight and has quickly become a household name. With his dynamic personality, brightly colored hair, characteristic of speaking in the third person, and eye-catching style, he has attracted a major and growing following.
Since Project Runway, Suede has launched the SUEDEsays™ brand, targeting the young adult and youth consumer, under which he has already launched a number of products in the fashion and crafting markets. His products are available worldwide and in over 3,000 stores in the United States. Suede promotes his brand through personal appearances all over the country, coverage on TV and in the print media worldwide. He is also in regular communication with his burgeoning, global fan base through a variety of cutting-edge social media.
SUEDEsays™ has a number of new products which are about to be launched and others at the planning stage.
Giving back is part of Suede's ethos. He has a lifetime endowment in place at his alma mater, Kent State University.
In the early part of his career Suede launched some notable third-party brands, including: FUBU Ladies, Rocawear Girls, Jordache Vintage, Polo Jeans Company, Lee 1889, and a special line for Paris Hilton. His designs have been worn by well-known names, such as Britney Spears, Brooke Burke, Lil' Kim, Destiny's Child, Mariah Carey, Jennifer Aniston, Jessica Simpson, Christina Aguilera, and Mandy Moore.
To stay current on all things SUEDE visit www.SUEDEsays.com.
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text: I was recently chatting with an old friend who told me she now drinks goat's milk instead of cow's. Now I am a huge fan of chèvre, but the idea of putting goat's milk in my coffee seemed a little odd. But I tried it and it was delicious: a little tangy, a little unusual, but ultimately a very refreshing change. Not long after this experiment, I was shopping around the dairy section of my local Whole Foods and thought I would check out goat yogurt. Liberté Goat Yogurt, a Canadian product that became available here in the U.S. in 2007, caught my eye with flavors like honey and dulce de leche, as well as the standard plain and vanilla. Creamy, decadent, and with that characteristic tang and a slightly musky sweetness of other goat's milk products, the yogurt won me over. So, other than the taste, how is goat's milk really different from that of cows? If you want all the scientific details, check out this article on Dairy Goat Milk Composition from The Dairy Research & Information Center at U.C. Davis.


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Processed by: staff; machine-readable finding aid created by:M. Plarr
Pine Mountain Settlement School, Kendall Basset Photographs
ca. 1927
Berea College Special CollectionsBerea, Kentucky 40404
Copyright has not been assigned to Berea College.
[Identification of item], Pine Mountain Settlement School, Kendall Basset Photographs, KYSX279-A, ca. 1927Special Collections, Berea College, Berea, Ky.
106 items
Basset worked at the School, starting in the early 1920s.
These photographs record the environs of Pine Mountain Settlement School, activities of students and of Harlan County, Kentucky inhabitants, and logging.
Open to researchers.
KYSX274-A supplies further information on the collection of which this series is a part.
Hosted by the University of Kentucky
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First name content excerpted from The Complete Idiot's Guide to 30,000 Baby Names © 2005 by
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this book online or call 1-800-253-6476.
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First name origin & meaning:
German: Industrious
First name variations: Amala, Amalah, Amalburga, Amalea, Amaleah, Amalee, Amaleigh, Amaleta, Amalia, Amali, Amalie, Amalita, Amalitah, Amela, Amelie, Amelina, Amelinda, Amelindah, Ameline, Amelita, Amelitah, Amelynda, Amelyndah, Amilia, Amiliah, Amilina, Amiline, Amilinda, Amiline, Amilita, Amilitah, Ammilina, Ammileine, Amylia, Amyliah, Amylaya, Amylyah, Emelin, Emelia, Emelina, Emeline, Emelita, Emelitah, Emmelina, Emmeline, Emmilyn, Emmilyna, Emmilyne, Amelia
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Foam fracturing fluids and methods for fracturing well formations using foam as the carrier for the propping agent are disclosed. The foams are stiff stable foams formed of a relative large amount of gas and a relative small amount of liquid. The foams are stable at surface pressures and remain stable when delivered into the well formation at the bottom of the well.
1. Method for facturing well formations comprising
generating under high pressure at the well surface a stable gas-in-liquid foam facturing fluid having solid propping material uniformly suspended therein and having a prescribed foam quality in the range of from about 50% to about 90%;
delivering said foam fracturing fluid to the well while at the same time adjusting the amount of high pressure gas in said foam to maintain the prescribed foam quality as the foam reaches downhole and formation pressures;
forcing a prescribed amount of said foam fracturing fluid from the well into the formation surrounding the well casing at a pressure sufficient to effect fracturing of said formation;
bleeding gas pressure from the well head sufficient to cause the foam within the well to break and to leave the well filled with gas under pressure and the formation fracture area remaining filled with foam;
shutting in the well until the formation has healed, and thereafter releasing the well pressure at a rate sufficient to break the foam in the formation and purge the well and formation of substantially all gas and liquid while leaving the propping material distributed throughout the fracture area.
2. Method according to claim 1 wherein said gas is selected from the group consisting of nitrogen, carbon dioxide, natural gas, air, and combustion exhaust gases.
3. Method according to claim 1, wherein the liquid component of said foam comprises at least one liquid selected from the group consisting of water and oil.
4. The method of claim 1 wherein the liquid component of the foam is water.
5. The method of claim 4 wherein the gas is nitrogen.
6. Method according to claim 1 wherein said solid propping material is selected from the group consisting of sand, crushed rock, glass, glass beads, and nut hulls.
7. The method of claim 1 wherein the well is treated prior to fracturing with a foam pad in order to seal the formation and prevent excessive leak off of pressure from the formation during the fracturing operation.
Fracturing of well formations is a very difficult art. According to the known procedures, the formation area which may be fractured by a fracturing treatment is limited. In order that the area of fracture may be increased, the fracturing fluid used must have a viscosity low enough to permit adequate penetration through the particular formation and at the same time high enough to prevent coefficient that excessive leak-off of fracturing fluid to the formation not occur. Fracturing fluids in the past have of necessity been formulated based on compromise between low viscosity for high formation penetration and high viscosity to prevent excessive leak-off of fracturing fluid. At the same time, the fluid must be capable of delivering the sand or other particulate matter into all parts of the fracture area. In other words, the sand should not fall from suspension in the fracturing fluid or the benefits of fracturing will not be fully realized.
In addition to the requirements of high formation penetration, low fluid loss, and satisfactory sand carrying ability of the fracturing fluid for a successful well fracturing operation, other factors are important. Well formations often contain materials which are sensitive to various liquids. In particular, the swelling clays are notably affected by water. Therefore, the amount of water used in fracturing these formations should be kept at a minimum. When a large amount of fracturing fluid (liquid) is employed in well fracturing operations, problems can occur in removing a sufficient amount of water from the formation following the fracturing treatment in order to secure adequate production from the well.
According to many well fracturing procedures, control of the fracturing operation is difficult. Not only are the factors mentioned above important, but adequate control of the fracturing fluid flow into the formation, and flow back out of the formation following completion of fracturing, is also important. The propping material must also be left in proper disposition in the formation to adequately increase production flow from the formation. The fracturing fluids afforded by this invention provide these controls, and in particular the invention affords full control of bleedback to the well of the fracturing fluid after fracturing is completed.
According to the invention, foam fracturing fluids and methods for fracturing well formations using such fluids are provided which permit increased formation penetration by the fracturing fluid, which provide low leak-off of the fracturing fluid, which provide substantially zero proppant settling in the fracturing fluid, and which cause minimal formation damage. The fracturing fluids of the invention are gas-in-liquid foams characterized by a very high foam quality, that is, the ratio of gas volume to the volume of the gas plus the liquids in the fracturing fluid is very high. These foams also have low viscosity, but at the same time have low fracturing fluid coefficients so that fluid leak-off during the fracturing operation is very low. In addition, when the foams are used as carriers for a propping agent, the settling rate of the proppant in the foams is zero or nearly zero, so dropout of the proppant from the fracturing fluid does not occur. Because of the low liquid content of the foams, there is less chance of swelling clays during fracturing treatments, and less damage to formations when water is used as the liquid component of the fracturing fluid. In addition, the high gas content of the foams allows for removal of most of the liquid from the formation after the fracturing treatment is completed. This results in faster starting of production from the well, and sometime eliminates the necessity for swabbing or pressure jetting to remove remaining water and other fluids from the formation. In addition, the gas outflow from the well following a fracturing treatment can be controlled at the surface of the well, in contrast to older methods where such control was either not satisfactory or impossible.
According to the preferred embodiment of the invention, a slurry of sand in water is pumped to a pressure sufficient to enter the well and then a relatively large amount of gas, preferably nitrogen but other gases may be used, is introduced into the pressured liquid to immediately form a very stable and stiff foam at the surface adjacent the well. A surface active agent such as soap or surfactant is added to the sand-water slurry before the gas is introduced, to assist in foam formation. Other materials, such as acids, salts, gels, polymers, and friction reducing agents, may be added to the water-sand slurry before foam formation. The foam quality may be from fifty percent (50%) to ninety percent (90%), foam quality being defined as the percentage of the volume of gas at the existing temperature and pressure to the volume of gas plus the volume of water plus the volumes of other liquid components of the foam. It has been found that if the foam quality is less than about 50 percent, a water phase may form, and if the foam quality is higher than about ninety percent, a gas phase may form. The deeper the well, and the higher the down-hole well pressure, the more gas is required at the surface to generate the same quality foam, because as the gas travels down the well it is compressed and diminishes in volume and therefore the physical properties, such as the quality of the foam changes.
The fracturing fluid is delivered into the well from the surface as a foam, and the foam quality is maintained down the well to the bottom of the well and into the formation. Usually, a volume of pressured gas, water and surfactant mixed as a foam is introduced into the formation ahead of the sand bearing foam as a pad. The sand bearing fracturing fluid is introduced at high pressure into the formation in the desired amount, to create the desired fracturing area around the well. A foam flush, formed of gas, water and surfactant is usually delivered into the well following the fracturing fluid, to flush sand from the well.
It is a feature of the invention that a substantially greater area may be fractured than with other methods. The low fracturing fluid coefficient of the foam prevents substantially all leak-off of the fracturing fluid into the formation, and the low viscosity permits greater lateral penetration through the formation. The sand carrying ability of the foam is very high, all of the sand therein being carried with the foam into the formation.
After introduction of the fracturing fluid is complete, with the sand distributed throughout the fractured area, the well is shut in until the pressure stabilizes. A small amount of nitrogen, or other gas employed in making the foam, is removed at the well head to cause breaking of the foam in the well, and to lower the pressure in the formation adjacent the well bore, thus allowing the formation to heal. The well is maintained in shutin condition for a period of time, usually from about twelve hours to about twenty-four hours, to allow the formation to heal (settle) due to the overburden above the formation. After the formation has healed, the well is opened to release the gas pressure at the formation. The pressure drop of the fracturing fluid in the formation breaks the foam in the formation, and the gas leaves the formation carrying with it substantially all of the water and other fluids originally contained in the fracturing fluid. If any water remains, it can be removed by a swabbing or jetting treatment in the well. Production from the formation can usually be commenced immediately, since no well cleaning procedure is usually required.
As has been mentioned earlier, in well formations having high sensitivity to liquids, particularly to water, damage to the formations is reduced because only a small amount of water is used in the fracturing fluids, and most of it is removed. The formation damage referred to is that caused by swelling of the so-called swelling clays in the formation.
Substantially complete removal of water following the fracturing treatment occurs because of the high foam quality, that is, the large volume of gas contained in the foam. Because of the substantially complete water removal from the formation and well, production from the well starts sooner that with other methods, and swabbing or jetting procedures necessary to start production from the well are in most cases eliminated. Since the fracturing fluid is composed mainly of gas, the rate of bleed back of the fracturing fluid from the well can be satisfactorily controlled at the surface.
A principal object of the invention is to provide improved well formation fracturing methods. Another object of the invention is to provide such methods which are safe, economical, and dependable. A still further object of the invention is to provide such well fracturing methods which yield improved results, and which are capable of fracturing greater formation areas around a well, with less loss of fracturing fluid than with other methods, and with less damage to the formations.
Other objects and advantages of the invention will appear from the following detailed description of preferred embodiments, reference during the description being made to the accompanying drawings.
FIG. 1 is a schematic flow diagram showing a preferred method of formation fracturing according to the invention.
FIG. 2 is a partial schematic flow diagram illustrating a step of the preferred method.
FIG. 3 is a partial schematic flow diagram illustrating another step of the preferred well fracturing treatment.
Describing the preferred embodiments according to the invention in detail, and referring first to FIG. 1 of the drawings, the well formation fracturing fluid is prepared by mixing sand from a source 10 with water from a source 11. Sources 10 and 11 may be any suitable sources of sand and of water, having suitable properties for their intended uses. Instead of sand, other solid particulate propping material known in the art, such as glass beads, may be used. The sand or other partculate material is usually between about eight mesh and about forty mesh in size, U.S. standard sieve size.
The sand and water are delivered into a mixing device 14 which may be of any suitable type. Propeller mixers as illustrated, or mixers utilizing augers, or any other suitable form of mixer may be used. From mixer 14, the sand-water slurry is delivered by pressurizer pump 15 to high pressure fluid pump 17. Pump 17 is shown to be mounted on a truck 18, but may be supported in any other suitable manner at the well site. High pressure sand slurry is delivered from pump 17 through a conduit 19 to the well head 20. Soap or surfactant from source 22 is admixed with the sand slurry delivered from high pressure pump 17. The soap or surfactant may alternatively be admixed with the sand slurry ahead of pump 17, as indicated by dashed line 22a. Other conditioning and treating materials for the fracturing fluid, such as acids, salts, gels, polymers, friction reducing agents, or others, may be added at the water source 11 to improve the quality of the fracturing fluid.
Acids added to the fracturing fluid assist in preventing swelling of clays. Hydrochloric acid and acetic acid are frequently used for this purpose. Salts, for example potassium chloride, also prevent clay swelling. Gels, for example Guar gum, are useful for holding the sand suspended in the sand-water slurry prior to foam formation. Oil may be added to the foam-water slurry as a lubricant and to prevent clay swelling; oil may replace all of the water in the sand slurry, in which case a chemical suitable for foaming oil is used in place of the surfactant 22. Other friction reducing materials may be added to the fracturing fluid.
High pressure gas introduced through conduit 25 is admixed with the sand slurry. High pressure nitrogen gas is preferred, but other gases may be used. Substantially any gas may be used, but among the most useful are the inert gases, carbon dioxide, air, natural gas, cumbustion or flue gases, or mixtures of any of the gases mentioned. Use of nitrogen gas is preferred since it is inert and because it may readily be provided at high pressures.
Tank 28 of tank truck 29 contains liquid nitrogen, which may be readily converted to high pressure gaseous nitrogen by pumping and heating of the liquid in unit 30 of the tank truck, as is well understood by those skilled in the art. Nitrogen gas at extremely high pressures (20,000 psia) may be readily prepared in this manner. Use of other gases, while satisfactory to the process, may be more difficult and may require the use of high pressure compressors or vaporizers to obtain the gas pressures required.
The introduction of the high pressure gas at point 19a of conduit 19 immediately converts the sand slurry to a stiff stable foam. The amount of gas in the foam is expressed in terms of foam quality, which is defined as the volume of gas at the existing temperature and pressure at the well formation or reservoir at the bottom of the well, divided by the same gas volume plus the volume of the water, surfactant or soap, plus the volumes of all other liquid materials contained in the fracturing fluid, times 100, expressed as percentage. The foam quality, according to the invention, should be between 50 percent and 90 percent. The ratio of gas to liquid in the fracturing fluid may be expressed in other terms, for example, the fracturing fluids may contain from about one thousand standard cubic feet of nitrogen or other gas per barrel of water from source 11 to about twenty thousand standard cubic feet of nitrogen or other gas per barrel of water, or even higher.
Well formations are at elevated pressures, largely proportional to well depth, and the amount of gas in the foam must be greater at greater depths and reservoir pressures in order to obtain the same foam quality. The gas volume shrinks under higher pressure, while the volume of the other components of the fracturing fluid remain substantially constant regardless of pressure. Therefore, as gas volume shrinks at higher pressure, more gas is required to obtain the gas volume required for any particular foam quality percentage.
The stiff stable foam prepared in conduit 19 by gas introduction at point 19a is delivered through conduit 19 to well head 20. The well head and well conduits as shown in the drawings are schematic, and not intended to depict an actual well structure. The equipment downhole and at the top of the well may be any suitable equipment known in the art. The foam pad, the sand bearing foam prepared as heretofore described, and the foam purge, are introduced down the well usually through a production tubing or casing in the well. According to pressure and temperature conditions in the well, and according to calculations based on the area around the well to be fractured and the fracture thickness, a prescribed amount of fracturing fluid is introduced from the well into the formation through casing perforations at the formation. In the drawing, there is shown a single casing 31 and a single tubing 32, the casing 31 having perforations 33 at formation 35. The fracturing fluid in the form of the stiff stable foam previously described is introduced down through tubing 32 and/or casing 31 and out through perforations 33 into reservoir 35. The foam as introduced into the reservoir has a foam quality between fifty percent and ninety percent, as heretofore defined. Because the foam has a relatively low density compared with the densities of other fracturing fluids, and because the fracturing fluid pressure in the well at the level of the formation must exceed the formation pressure, the foam as prepared at the surface and introduced down through the well must be at a pressure which will give the required pressure downhole at the formation. Therefore, the gas introduced at point 19a must be at a sufficiently high pressure to give the required downhole pressure in excess of formation or reservoir pressure. That is why the gas delivered from conduit 25 is preferably nitrogen gas prepared as heretofore described, since such high gas pressure is easier to achieve by this method than by the use of pressured or compressed gases or air.
The fracturing fluids herein described have better fracturing fluid coefficients than most other fracturing fluids known in the art. The fracturing fluid coefficient depends not only on the characteristics of the fracturing fluid used, but also on the characteristics of the reservoir fluids and rock. A high coefficient means high fluid-loss properties. A low coefficient means low fluid-loss properties and thus a larger fracture area for a given volume and injection rate of fracturing fluid. For any specified condition of reservoir fluid characteristics and rock characteristics, the fracturing fluid coefficient depends primarily on the fracturing fluid characteristics. A higher rate of fracturing fluid injection increases fracture area, as does lengthened pumping time using a greater volume of fracturing fluid.
After the full calculated or estimated volume of foam fracturing fluid has been introduced into the formation, a small amount of gas pressure may be bled from the well to cause the foam within the well to break, leaving the well filled with gas under pressure, the formation fracture area remaining filled with foam. The well is then shut in and maintained shut in for a period of time sufficient to permit healing of the formation. By healing, it is meant that the overburden above the formation settles, partially reducing the formation volume as increased by fracturing fluid introduction. The formation healing stabilizes the sand introduced within the formation by the foam fracturing fluid. After the formation has healed the well is opened, the pressure drop in the formation causing the foam in the formation to break. The high pressure gas leaving the formation usually carries from the well substantially all of the liquids present in the fracturing area, leaving the formation and well clean and ready for commencement of production from the well. Because of the increased fracture area, and because the sand or other propping agent is uniformly distributed throughout the fracture area, and because of the fact that the sand does not settle from the foam fracturing fluid and is carried to the full extent of the fracture area, the production from the well is greatly increased.
FIG. 2 illustrates the well and formation after bleeding off of pressure to break the foam in the well, during the formation healing period.
FIG. 3 illustrates the well and formation following formation healing, with the gas and contained liquids being purged rom the formation and well.
The foam in formation 35 is indicated by reference numeral 38.
The amount of sand in the sand-water slurry may be varied to give the desired amount of sand in the foam fracturing fluid. The sand-water slurry at the mixer may contain from nearly zero pounds of sand or other proppant per gallon of water up to as many pounds of sand or proppant per gallon of water as may be pumped. The amount of sand in the foam fracturing fluid downhole may contain from about one-fourth pound of sand or other proppant per gallon of foam up to as much as can be pumped into the formation without screen out occuring at the formation face, depending upon reservoir conditions.
In an exemplary well fracturing treatment according to the invention, in a well having a depth of 7400 feet, the sand-water slurry contained from three to four and one-half pounds of sand, 20-40 mesh, per gallon of water at the mixer. A total amount of 4494 gallons of water was used in foam production, using 535,000 standard cubic feet of nitrogen gas to yield about 643 barrels (27,000 gallons) of foam fracturing fluid, including the pad and flush, at formation pressure, containing a maximum of 0.70 pounds of sand per gallon of foam. A foam pad (96 barrels) was first introduced into the formation, using 80,000 standard cubic feet of nitrogen gas commingled with 16 barrels of treated water. This was followed by injection of the foam facturing fluid (21,100 gallons) into the formation at an injection rate of 20 barrels (42 gallons/barrel) per minute, the total injection time being about 32 minutes, at a surface pressure of 4000 psi. The well was flushed with 43 barrels of foam (no sand) using 35,000 standard cubic feet of nitrogen gas. Ten gallons of stable foam surfactant per 1000 gallons of water was used in foam generation. The calculated diameter of the fracture area based on experience gained in field operation (excluding the nitrogen pad), was about 5000 feet, with a fracture height of about 12 feet. After completion of foam injection, nitrogen was bled off from the well head to break the foam in the well, and then the well was shut in and the formation was allowed to heal for twelve hours, after which the well was opened to break the foam in the formation and to purge the gas from the formation and well. Following this, production from the well was commenced, no swabbing or other well cleaning operation having been necessary. The well, a gas well, had produced 70,000 standard cubic feet per day prior to the fracturing treatment. After the fracturing treatment, the well production was 1,800,000 standard cubic feet per day.
Comparable results are obtained in both gas wells and oil wells.
To summarize, the invention provides a formation fracturing fluid, comprising a pressured stable foam comprising a liquid carrier comprising one or more liquids selected from the group consisting of water and oil, and a solid proppant comprising one or more materials selected from the group consisting of sand, crushed rock, glass, glass beads, and nut hulls, and a surface active material comprising one or more materials selected from the group consisting of soaps and surfactants, and gas comprising one or more gases selected from the group consisting of nitrogen, carbon dioxide, air, natural gas, and combustion exhaust gases, and having a percentage ratio, volume of gas; volume of gas and liquids in the foam between about 50% and about 90% at a well formation pressure, and methods for performing fracturing treatments using the same.
It will be realized that the fracturing treatments will be varied according to well depth and pressure, nature of the formation and formation fluid, area and depth of fracture, and the like.
While preferred embodiments of the invention have been described and illustrated in the drawings, many modifications thereof may be made by a person skilled in the art without departing from the spirit of the invention, and it is intended to protect by Letters Patent all forms of the invention falling within the scope of the following claims.
Patent Citations
Non-Patent Citations
Referenced by
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|Periodicals A-Z | PUBLISHER's Journal Indexes
|Periodicals -- Indexes
|Art Abstracts - EBSCO
|ABI Inform Global - PROQUEST
|Applied Science and Technology Abstracts - EBSCO
|Business Abstracts with Full Text (HW Wilson) - EBSCO
|General Science Abstracts - EBSCO
|Education Abstracts - EBSCO
|Readers' Guide Abstracts - EBSCO
|Social Work Abstracts - EBSCO
|Union Lists of Periodicals - OCLC
|List of periodicals held by OCLC member libraries
|Internet Resources
|Number in brackets is the linkrank. The lower the number the more popular.
|Energy Citations Database [815]
Bibliographic records for energy and energy-related scientific and technical information from the Department of Energy (DOE)
Updated: June 26, 2015


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Utilities: Get ready for your next convergence -- smart grids and smart cities
Quick Take: Fierce SmartGrid has posted a thoughtful interview with Steven Collier, Vice President of Business Development at Milsoft Utility Solutions. If you are aware of the work we have been doing over at the Smart Cities Council, then you know I'm already a big believer in the convergence of smart grids and smart cities.
It's not a trend utilities can afford to ignore. As Collier explains, it will change what is demanded from utilities. And how soon it is demanded. - Jesse Berst
The urbanization of the world will profoundly change the fundamentals of the world's cities and the electric grids that serve them. Cities more than ever require economical, reliable, sustainable energy. "Unfortunately, it has become apparent that the traditional electric grid model is less and less capable of meeting these requirements," Collier said.
Instead, a new grid model will emerge to meet the needs of cities. The old centralized approach will give way to a distributed model. Even today, Collier says, there are already more than 20 times as many distributed facilities as traditional, centralized plants. Cities in the developing world may leapfrog straight to this decentralized model, since they don't have the legacy of a centralized grid to worry about.
"Modern (smart) cities and modern (smart) grids that serve them will be symbiotic and will likely share electronics, telecommunications and information technologies. They may even share in the production, storage and management of energy," he said.
Indeed, cities that own their own municipal power systems are leading the way in the integration of smart grids and renewable energy. Collier cites the example of a solar garden. The municipal utility builds and operates a large PV array. Consumers can then lease or subscribe to the output of one or more panels.
Collier gives several examples of the ways a smart grid in the smart city can be synergistic. They can:
· Coordinate energy consumption to reduce peak power demands
· Correlate traffic light monitoring to determine which traffic lights (and other critical facilities) have been knocked out to do and outage
· Coordinate the deployment of municipal broadband that can serve both citizens and the smart grid
· Collaborate to evaluate the energy use and efficiency at every city facility
Collier believes we are just beginning to imagine what will be possible. Today we are talking about improvements in the things we already know about. But "what about the quantum leaps, the things that we don't know about?" he asks. "Every day is day one for the smart grid, for the smart city."
Jesse Berst is the founder and Chief Analyst of SGN and Chairman of the Smart Cities Council, an industry coalition.
You might also be interested in ...
The next phase of the smart grid is... streetlights?
Why smart streetlights are the gateway drug for smart grids (and smart cities)


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Spicy Beans And Chicken Supreme
12 Aug 2010
|Chopped onion
|1 Cup (16 tbs)
|Sliced celery
|2 Cup (32 tbs)
|Canned mushrooms
|1 Cup (16 tbs), drained, rinsed
|Canned fat free chicken broth
|14 1⁄2 Ounce (1 Can)
|Evaporated skim milk
|1 1⁄4 Cup (20 tbs)
|Garlic powder
|1⁄2 Teaspoon
|Butter buds
|1⁄2 Ounce (1 Packet, Not Diluted)
|2 Tablespoon
|1⁄4 Cup (4 tbs) (Or Cooking Sherry)
|Non fat sour cream
|1 Cup (16 tbs)
|Lemon pepper
|1⁄2 Teaspoon
|Celery salt
|1⁄4 Teaspoon
|Ranch style pinto beans
|1 Can (10 oz) (Undrained)
|Canned chopped green chiles
|4 Ounce (1 Can)
|Ground pepper
|1⁄4 Teaspoon
|Nonfat cottage cheese/Nonfat ricotta cheese
|1 Cup (16 tbs)
|Grated nonfat cheddar cheese/Mozzarella cheese
|1 Cup (16 tbs)
|Diced cooked white chicken meat
|3 Cup (48 tbs) (Skinless)
|Cooked brown rice/White rice
|3 Cup (48 tbs)
Preheat oven to 350°F.
Spray 2 9-inch casserole dishes with a non-fat cooking spray.
Spray a non stick skillet with the same non-fat cooking spray.
Saute onion and celery in sherry.
Add mushrooms and cook a couple of minutes longer.
Place skim milk, garlic powder, celery salt, lemon pepper, sour cream, Butter Buds, cottage cheese, and pepper in a blender and blend until smooth.
Set aside.
Gradually add cornstarch, broth, and celery to the onion mixture.
Cook until thickened.
Combine ingredients from blender to celery-onion mixture in a large bowl.
Stir in beans, green chiles, chicken, and rice.
Stir in 3/4 of non-fat cheese.
Pour into casserole dish and sprinkle remaining cheese on top.
Bake 35-40 minutes or until hot and bubbly.
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Spicy Beans And Chicken Supreme Recipe


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My 3 year old daughter dx in May will be starting preschool next week. Her teacher has been really great, and she wants to send a letter home to all the other parents about Celiac disease. Parents will be very involved in the classroom, and help out during parties, field trips and everyday things. We want them to be aware as well of the precautions they need to take while working in the classroom as well.
Wondering if any of you have a sample letter or anything that you have given to the other parents of the kids in the class?
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As we mentioned in our last post, GAC Early Warnings came out late last Tuesday night. In total, 39 GAC member countries issued 242 Early Warnings on 143 unique gTLD strings. Then this week, certain new gTLD applicants received another notice,
GAC Early Warnings Issued
As promised, ICANN's Governmental Advisory Committee (GAC) filed its Early Warnings on individual applications for new gTLDs on November 20. The 242 Early Warnings can be found here. As outlined in the New gTLD Applicant Guidebook (Section 22.214.171.124), the GAC
The Most Wonderful Time of the Year
UPDATE: ICANN has just posted the presentation for today's webinar. In those slides, ICANN states that the Prioritization Drawing will take place on December 17 at the Hilton LAX is Los Angeles, CA. The sale of the tickets required for the


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"These cards turned out even better than we could have imagined. They were beautiful, and we received so many complements on them. Delivery was fast, and tiny prints was great to work with. THANK YOU!!!! Beautiful!!!!!"
"This card is stylish without being over the top! I love the matte card stock with the pearl finish. It gives it that shimmery look that you wouldn't get with the plain matte finish. You should be aware that because this is a square card it is about $.20 more per card to send via snail mail...not a deal breaker for me because I only send out about 30, but for someone who sends out a lot of cards this might deter you. Otherwise, this is a great card and I would recommend it."
"I love this design for holiday cards. We used it for 2014-2015 and the product turned out perfectly. The design is darling. I love that the words from a little Christmas tree. Also the photo sizes are perfect. Other designs were too big or oddly shaped."
"Loved that I was able to place any of my photos in with great ease. The colors on the card are vivid and turned out great. Definitely a hit with all of the family!"
"I have 5 littles and wanted to get a card made up quickly of them and this was just what I wanted. Beautiful, not too "holiday" themed so they could keep it up past the season if they wished. Most importantly, it was easy to make, shipped quickly, arrived well packed, and is better quality than a couple other places I have used in the past. Love the cards and will come back when I need to make others!"


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Luna Park, Coney Island
The Dragon's Gorge was an enclosed roller coaster, a scenic railroad that brought the passenger on a fantastic trip from the bottom of the sea, through a waterfall, to the North Pole, Africa, the Grand Canyon, and even into Hades, the kingdom of death, over the river Styx. Two dragons framed the entrance, their eyes glowing from globes of green electric light. The ride caught fire in 1944, ultimately leading to the closing of the park two years later.
This text refers to these objects: ' mp1-1996.164.10-18; 1996.164.10-18
- Artist: Eugene Wemlinger
- Medium: Cellulose nitrate negative
- Dates: 1906
- Dimensions: 5 3/4 x 3 1/2 in. (14.6 x 8.9 cm) (show scale)
- Museum Location: This item is not on view
- Accession Number: 1996.164.10-18
- Credit Line: Brooklyn Museum/Brooklyn Public Library, Brooklyn Collection
- Rights Statement: No known copyright restrictions
- Caption: Eugene Wemlinger. Luna Park, Coney Island, 1906. Cellulose nitrate negative, 5 3/4 x 3 1/2 in. (14.6 x 8.9 cm). Brooklyn Museum, Brooklyn Museum/Brooklyn Public Library, Brooklyn Collection, 1996.164.10-18
- Image:
- Record Completeness: Good (64%)


text: Business Honor Societies Beta Gamma Sigma Beta Gamma Sigma is the honor society serving business programs accredited by AACSB International - The Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business. Membership in Beta Gamma Sigma is the highest recognition a business student anywhere in the world can receive in a business program accredited by AACSB International. In the spring of 1907, a group of commerce students at the University of Wisconsin received permission from the faculty to organize a commerce honor society, which they called Beta Gamma Sigma. The purpose of the Society was to encourage and reward scholarship and accomplishment in the field of business studies among commerce students at the University. Beta Gamma Sigma has 481 chapters at colleges and universities accredited by AACSB International. The Mission of the International Honor Society Beta Gamma Sigma is to encourage and honor academic achievement in the study of business, to foster personal and professional excellence, to advance the values of the Society, and to serve its lifelong members. To be eligible for membership, a student must rank in the upper 10 percent of the undergraduate classes and be invited to membership by the faculty. For graduate students, you must rank in the upper 20 percent of the graduate classes and be invited to membership by the faculty. Sigma Beta Delta - Currently Inactive On May 11, 2000, the UT Permian Basin Chapter of Sigma Beta Delta was chartered as the School's first honor society. This Honor Society is currently inactive.