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You can now invite anyone to meet at your favorite Starbucks.
Limited-time feature
60 year old man | Oxnard, CA, USA | Seeking women 45-55 within 25 miles
Looking for easy going, even tempered woman that just enjoy life.
I am a middle of the road person that does not like conflict. I love woman that like closeness and yet can be there own person. Controlling woman are a big turn-off. I like just spending time with my lover, but also like to relax at night watching a little TV. I am a huge basketball fan and played the game most of my life. I love talking with people that are sincere. I love hiking, biking, anything on the beach, playing basketball, working out at the gym, golfing, outdoor concerts, any live music, and just relaxing with the one I love. Let me show you how we can get along.
Camping , Dining out , Gardening/Landscaping , Movies/Videos , Nightclubs/Dancing , Playing sports , Travel/Sightseeing , Volunteering , Watching sports
Basketball, Billiards / Pool, Bowling, Cycling, Dancing, Football, Martial arts, Running, Swimming, Weights / Machines
I exercise 1-2 times per week.
I like Dogs
I have two yorkies; Lizzy and Kobe.
Middle of the Road
I love the beach, hiking, and just spending time in the sun. I love to dine out and go to the movies. I particularly love pasta and sushi. I am not much of a bar person.
I don't read much unless I am out sunning or studying for a specific reason. I love action movies. I am a reality Tv nut and love to relax and watch some shows at night.
I love spending time with new people. I have been known to do a little swing dancing. I love to play basketball, jog and occasionally lift weights. I don't do this as much as I could because I have spent the last year opening up a new business.
I am currently reading a real estate economics book for the Real Estate Brokers exam.....Boring! Now reading "50 shades of Grey"... intense!
Z{{Cta}} {{#if HasMoreInfo}} ?{{CtaSecondary}} {{/if}}
|What he is looking for
|6'2" (187cms)
|5'0" (152cms) to 5'9" (175cms)
|Body type:
|Athletic and toned
|Slender, Athletic and toned
|No preference
|Salt and pepper
|Black, Light brown, Dark brown, Blonde, Dark blonde, Platinum
|No Way
|No Way
|Social Drinker
|Social Drinker
|Executive / Management
|No preference
I hold an MBA in Human Resource Management with an undergraduate degree in Business Management. I have been in management for 25 years when I finally opened my own business.
|$75,001 to $100,000
|$50,001 to $75,000, $75,001 to $100,000, $100,001 to $150,000, $150,001+
|Never Married, Widow / Widower, Currently Separated, Divorced
|Have kids:
|Yes, and they live away from home (2)
|No preference
|Wants kids:
|Probably not
|Someday, Not sure, Probably not, No
|White / Caucasian
|No preference
I love most woman; they seem to have nurturing souls.
|Spiritual but not religious
|No preference
I was born and raised a catholic, and now beleive that religion is in your heart and actions, not necessarily in a building.
|No preference
|Graduate degree
|No preference


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FDA Approves New Drug Xofigo for Advanced Prostate Cancer »
"The U.S. Food and Drug Administration today approved Xofigo (radium Ra 223 dichloride) to treat men with symptomatic late-stage (metastatic) castration-resistant prostate cancer that has spread to bones but not to other organs. It is intended for"...
Read the FDA Approves New Drug Xofigo for Advanced Prostate Cancer article »
In the event of an overdose, stop treatment with XTANDI and initiate general supportive measures taking into consideration the half-life of 5.8 days. In a dose escalation study, no seizures were reported at ≤ 240 mg daily, whereas 3 seizures were reported, 1 each at 360 mg, 480 mg, and 600 mg daily. Patients may be at increased risk of seizure following an overdose.
XTANDI can cause fetal harm when administered to a pregnant woman based on its mechanism of action and findings in animals. XTANDI is not indicated for use in women. XTANDI is contraindicated in women who are or may become pregnant. If this drug is used during pregnancy, or if the patient becomes pregnant while taking this drug, apprise the patient of the potential hazard to the fetus and the potential risk for pregnancy loss [see Use In Specific Populations].
Last reviewed on RxList: 9/17/2014
This monograph has been modified to include the generic and brand name in many instances.
Xtandi FDA Prescribing Information
Additional Xtandi Information
Report Problems to the Food and Drug Administration
You are encouraged to report negative side effects of prescription drugs to the FDA. Visit the FDA MedWatch website or call 1-800-FDA-1088.
Get the latest treatment options.

subset: commoncrawl


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Female Community Carers Required £20,150 per year "Living Wage Employer of the Year 2014!"
To take advantage of this incredible offer you MUST 1. Be female 2. Hold a valid European driving licence 3. Willing to re-locate If you meet the criteria above, then your one step closer to earning £20,150.00 per year! Do you want to
- Permanent
43 miles | Swansea54 days ago


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. Big 0. 51 acre lot located in the beautiful Plantation Lakes community. Lot is big enough for a homMore info
. Waterway Palms Plantation is a gated community with a 23,000sq ft clubhouse, swimming pools, tennisMore info
. This lot is 2nd row back from the Intracoastal Waterway. Waterway Palms is a gated community whichMore info
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. Just 5 blocks to the beach in desirable Surfside Beach, also called the "Family Beach". Walk to outMore info
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. EXCELLENT VALUE FOR THIS GORGEOUS LOT LOCATED IN DESIRABLE CYPRESS RIVER PLANTATION. ENJOY ALL THEMore info


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Current whereabouts: Home > Calendars > Index
A diverse range of opportunities are offered by the sector and include residencies, exhibitions, grants, professional development and commissions.
Australia Council for the Arts: Grants and Initiatives
call for applications
Closing date: 1 February 2017
Australia Council for the Arts National
The Australia Council for the Arts offers a broad range of grants for Australian artists and arts organisations. In 2010 -11, The Australia Council for the Arts invested over $163 million in artists and arts organisations to support Australian artists to make art for Australian and international audiences. There are 50 grant categories and 40 initiatives on offer. All Australian artists, groups and arts organisations are welcome to apply to our grant programs and many of our initiatives We hope you find something to suit your artistic endeavours.
Updated: 5 December 2011


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Off-Center @ The Jones Presents STEREO SOLE at The Walnut Room Tonight
Off-Center @ The Jones Presents STEREO SOLE, with Julie Stratton (of The Mile Markers), Tom Hagerman (of DeVotchKa) and Varlet, tonight, Feb 7th at The Walnut Room.
STEREO SOLE will feature sets by Julie Stratton (of the Mile Markers), Tom Hagerman (of DeVotchKa), and Varlet, following a pre-show Wii dance competition. Photography by Jennifer Davidson of Lucé will also be part of this multi-media event.
STEREO SOLE kicks off the forthcoming AUDIO KICKS performances this March at Off-Center @ The Jones. AUDIO KICKS is a three-part experiment in isolated collaboration. Photography, music, and dance speak to each other in AUDIO KICKS via related pieces that were created independently of one another.
STEREO SOLE Details:
Walnut Room
3131 Walnut St.
7 PM Doors // 8 PM Show
$10 Advanced Tix // $12 At the Door
Ages 21+
Ticket info available by calling (303)295-1868 or visiting www.thewalnutroom.com.
About Author
- Casting Roundup: Sarah Chalke, Kim Raver Headline New Pilots
- ADVENTURE TIME Headed to the Big Screen?
- Pilot Season Roundup: Colm Feore, Daniel Stern, Dave Annable to Star in New Shows
- James Franco to Star in New Fox Comedy, WHY HIM?
- Christopher Meloni to Star in WGN America's Slave Drama UNDERGROUND
- Check Out Alex Dunphy's Full College Essay from Latest MODERN FAMILY Episode
- Photo Flash: HBO Reveals Key Art for GAME OF THRONES Season 5
- Syfy to Honor Leonard Nimoy with Special Programming This Sunday
- Grammy Winner Kelly Clarkson Exclusively Premieres New Music from New Album on MTV, VH1 & CMT First
- CONSTELLATIONS' Jake Gyllenhaal and Ruth Wilson Set for THEATER TALK This Weekend


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Dodgers prospect Yasiel Puig arrested in Tenn.
APR 28, 2013 4:55p ET
Hamilton County jail records posted online show Puig was arrested Sunday by Chattanooga police. No further details were available in the records online, and a Chattanooga police spokesman reached after hours did not have further information about the arrest.
An officer reached at the jail confirmed Puig was released on his own recognizance.
Dodgers general manager Ned Colletti said in a statement that the team takes Puig's arrest seriously and would handle discipline internally.
The 22-year-old Cuban defector began the regular season with the Dodgers' double-A affiliate in Chattanooga, the Lookouts, where he was hitting .333 with three home runs.
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The Realm is a visually stunning evolution of the graphic adventure game. Set in a far distant future when nature has reclaimed the earth and myth and magic is on the rise. The game follows a girl called Sarina who must go on a desperate quest to find a cure for her sick mother. On her way she meets a giant stone golem called Toru and the unlikely pair journey together on their adventure.
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Saint Anselm College Choir Performs DecemberSong on December 1
The Saint Anselm College Choir will perform their annual DecemberSong concert December 1 at 7:30 p.m. in the Abbey Church.... Read More
Saint Anselm Celebrates New Supreme Pontiff, Pope Francis
As Argentina's Bergoglio becomes Pope Francis, Saint Anselm College joins in the world-wide celebration. Students and staff offer their perspectives.... Read More
S.O.A.R. Program Showcases Student Work
Throughout the month of April, students are presenting their papers, speeches, artwork, research, and interactive projects through the college's program series Showcasing Our Art and Research (S.O.A.R.). ... Read More
Romney, Ryan to Hold Town Hall at College
Presidential candidate Mitt Romney and vice presidential pick, Congressman Paul Ryan, will hold Romney's 100th Town Hall event on campus on Monday, August 20.... Read More
Romney Holds Town Hall at NHIOP
Former Gov. Mitt Romney took questions from an audience of about 225 people, during a town hall-style meeting at the New Hampshire Institute of Politics. Romney kicked off the event noting he was happy to be back at Saint Anselm College, following his most recent visit during the June 2011 GOP debat... Read More
Robert K. Weiler, Technology Leader, Speaks to Corporate Partners
Robert K. Weiler '73, executive vice president of Global Business Units, Oracle Corporation, was the keynote speaker at the Saint Anselm College Corporate Partners Program's breakfast series.... Read More
RN to BSN Program Graduates 12
This spring 12 members of the college's RN to BSN Program earned their bachelor of science nursing, becoming the program's third graduating class and joining more than 18,000 college alumni.... Read More
RN to BSN Graduates 15 Students
Fifteen members of Saint Anselm College's RN to BSN Program graduated in May. Nine of the 15 walked at the college's 121st commencement exercises on Saturday, May 17.... Read More
Richard Yanikoski, Ph.D. is 2010 Commencement Speaker
Richard Yanikoski, Ph.D., president and CEO of the Association of Catholic Colleges and Universities (ACCU), will address the Class of 2010 and receive an honorary degree at the college's 117th commencement exercises on Saturday, May 22.... Read More
Retired Boston FBI Head Warren Bamford '80 Comments on the Capture of Mobster Whitey Bulger
Reached for comment by the Eagle Tribune after the arrest of Bulger, Bamford said "notorious gangsters like [Bulger] don't just launder money, loanshark, intimidate, and brutally murder people. They also meticulously plan their own escape strategies..."... Read More


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Tripoli ✈ Amsterdam Flights
Enjoy great fares for your flights
from *LYD650
Amsterdam Information
Book your cheap Tripoli Amsterdam flights (TIP - AMS)
Book your cheap Tripoli Amsterdam flights (TIP - AMS) with Lufthansa and fly to Amsterdam, a stunning city, featuring many miles of its famous seventeenth century canals. A result of deliberate city planning, they are a great way to explore this city which is one of the most popular tourist destinations in Europe. Although the city certainly has some infamous attractions, particularly its red light district, it offers some lovely cultural sights such as the Rijksmuseum, housing the largest collection of Dutch art in the world. Also visit the Tulip Island, the Castle Keukenhof and Keukenhof Gardens. One of the most popular tourist attractions is the FloraHolland flower auction, the international trading platform for plants and flowers. Admire the historical windmills dating back to the 18th and 19th centuries. They are one of the famous city symbols. Book your flight from Tripoli to Amsterdam with Lufthansa to explore this fascinating city!
Weather in Amsterdam
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Lufthansa offers you great flight deals and top offers. Whether you look for cheap flights to Europe, flights to Africa, flights to Asia or flights to US and North America, we fly you to your dream destination in the customary Lufthansa quality. Choose one way and return flights which always include taxes and charges as well as valuable miles.
- Tripoli Linz flights (TIP-LNZ)
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Even if you are not planning a trip to Amsterdam, Lufthansa flies to a variety of other places throughout Europe, Africa, and Asia. Use Lybia as a starting point to discover the world! Visit, for example, European capital cities which are popular tourist destinations. Book Tripoli Amsterdam flights to visit the capital city of the Netherlands and to take part in the world-famous flower auction. Fly from Tripoli to Dublin, the metropolis of Ireland and go on a pub tour or travel with your loved one from Tripoli to Paris for a romantic dinner in the Eiffel Tower. Also the capital city of England and the United Kingdom is waiting for you to be visited. Book your ticket for the Tripoli London flights and enjoy the royality of London. So travelers can enjoy longer trips to far away and exotic destinations. Find out how much baggage you can take. Book a weekend shopping trip or a simple visit to see your friends and family.


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Originally written on Fox Sports Arizona | Last updated 3/20/13
LOS ANGELES (AP) -- Jonathan Bernier made a career-high 40 saves, defenseman Drew Doughty ended a 32-game, regular-season goal drought, and the Los Angeles Kings beat the Phoenix Coyotes 3-2 on Tuesday night. Shane Doan scored twice in the third period for the Coyotes, who were shut out in their three previous games. Bernier extended Phoenix's scoreless drought to 245 minutes, 32 seconds since rookie Rob Klinkhammer's goal against Jonathan Quick in the Coyotes' 5-2 win over the Kings on March 12. The Coyotes had been stopped on 133 consecutive shots before Doan's first goal. Dustin Penner and Jarret Stoll also scored for the Kings, who have won 12 of 16 games and 11 of 12 at home. Stoll connected on a power play with 6:14 remaining while Derek Morris was serving an interference penalty. Bernier has won seven of his eight starts -- not counting a 6-4 win over St. Louis that Quick won in relief. The frustrated Coyotes outshot the Kings 11-0 over the first 9 minutes of the third p...
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20 Odd Ways to Make Extra Money
There comes a time when almost everyone could use a little more cash in their pocket. While a part-time job may be your best bet for a steady stream of income, delivering pizzas or waiting tables might not be your thing. Or maybe you just need a little extra fun money to support your designer shoe habit. Whatever the… Read More


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Members of the Lady Hawks Softball Team are front from left, Emma Bell, Bryanna Keith, Jill Hughes, Trishtian Cruse, Sierra Mullins, Emillee Cundiff, Kourtnee Davenport, Lindsey Shelton, Megan Cochran; back, assistant coach Christy Ferguson, assistant coach Roy Walker, Kellee Cundiff, Chasity Bryant, Delany Eastridge, Presley Brown, Head Coach Rocky Cundiff, Kaitlyn Warnshuis, Brittney Blair, Autumn Riggs, Shakeya Washington and assistant coach Vince Carpenter.
Members of the Hawks' tennis team are front from left, John Michael Lawler, Alex Best, Harrison Hynes, Ethan Wood; middle, Samuel Lewis, Rylee Greenwell, Sean Smith, Dylan Grimes, Cole Constant; back, William Allender, Cole Lucas, Damon Lei-Sam, Jake Gardner, Preston Howell and Josh Adams.
Members of the Lady Hawks' tennis team are front from left, Madison Lee, Cayleigh Allen, Caitlin Lewis, Rachel Wolf; middle, Christina Hardin, Mallory Williams, Natalie Wolf, Marisa Cecil, Bella Garcia, Madison Eads; back, Mary Gearon, Noel Sarhan, Karrington Donahue, Chloe Childress, Celeste Menard, Ripley Lucas, Alexis Puckett and Kalli Flanders.
North Hardin's Jake Burroughs was quick and certainly effective Tuesday during the opening two rounds of the KHSAA State Wrestling Tournament in Lexington at the Kentucky Horse Park's Alltech Arena.
North Hardin's 126-pounder moved to 18-4 on the season with a pair of first-minute pins — downing Louisville St. Xavier's Kaden Darbro in 49 seconds before topping Belfry's Dalton Lowe even faster in 26 seconds — to earn a berth in today's third round.
Youth League Softball draft
LaRue County Youth League Softball draft has been rescheduled for Saturday, March 14 at the high school annex between the high school football and baseball fields. 6U and 9U will start the draft process at 10 a.m.; 12U and 14U will start the draft process at 1 p.m.
Soccer Skills Camp
Members of the LaRue County High School boys' track and field team are front from left, Jacob Cecil, Josef Martin, Randy Young, Christian Silva, Colton Thompson, Jaylen Massie; second row, Cameron Pelligreno; Chase Uthoff, Russell Young, Chandler McLaughlin, Zeke Venegas, John Uthoff, Maysn Cobb; back, Coach Orion Tucker; Saul Marin; Norman Sanders, Matthew Lewis and Assistant Coach Hooper.
Update: Event canceled due to track conditions.
The LaRue County High School track team will host an All-Comers meet on March 10. Teams participating include Grayson, Marion, Bardstown Bethlehem, Green, Meade, Elizabethtown, Nelson and Fort Knox.
LaRue County Saddle Club to meet
The LaRue County Saddle Club will meet 7 p.m. Thursday, March 5 at Golden Corral in Elizabethtown. Members will discuss horse shows for the coming season. Arrive at 6:30 p.m. if you plan to eat. For more information, call 270-766-8313 or 270-765-9798.
Softball sign-ups
Senior members of the LaRue County High School Cheerleading Squad were honored at last week's District Basketball Tournament. From left, Montana Metcalf, Allyson Hutchins, Darienne Grimes and Gabriela Garcia.
Copyright © 2015
The LaRue County Herald is your source for local news, sports, events and information in LaRue County, KY, and the surrounding area.


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Michael Pollan's media coronation over the past half-decade has been nothing short of stunning.
The Berkeley, Calif.-based author and professor is responsible for The New York Times best-selling books "The Omnivore's Dilemma" and "In Defense of Food," tomes that have not only changed the way we talk about food but also netted their author a certain guru status among forward-thinking eaters. (See his spot on Time Magazine's 100 Most Influential People in the World in 2010 list.)
Pollan's traveling lecture and audience Q&A, which visits the Paramount Theatre on Feb. 29, was even dubbed "The Church of Michael Pollan" last month in a live review from the Baltimore Urbanite.
So should we find it curious when Pollan tells us to ignore the glut of conflicting, agenda-laden advice that hurtles toward us from food experts like nutritionists and scientists when he is, in fact, something of an expert himself?
"But I'm not an expert," the 57-year-old said over the phone from his Bay Area home last week. "I don't have any kind of training in nutrition. I'm a journalist, and as all journalists are, I'm the designated inquirer for the reader. It's just one guy's journey into answering some very simple questions."
Pollan's questions — What should I be eating? What do we know about the links between diet and health? Why am I so attracted to things like sweetness and salt and fat? — aren't just nitpicking issues. They're central to America's soaring obesity epidemic and its attendant health care costs, as well as, on the other side, the growing embrace of local and organically produced food.
Blog: Colorado Table
Denver Post reporters and editors offer news, analysis and commentary on the latest food, drink and restaurant trends in Colorado.
That ought to make Pollan's latest book, the re-released "Food Rules: An Eater's Manual," especially welcome to people who don't spend all their time devouring food blogs or following agribusiness legislation.
Originally published in 2009, the new edition of this folksy pocket book benefits from dozens of colorful, witty illustrations from artist Maira Kalman — and some additions from helpful readers.
"I don't think I'm approaching it from the vantage point of, 'Here are the tablets,' " Pollan said. "And even though I'm presenting rules, they're really rules of thumb, folk wisdom. I really see the project of the book as an attempt to gather, conserve and curate some rules about food. It's more of a wisdom-recovery project."
Pollan holds numerous intellectual credentials and New York Times bylines, but all he really wanted was to write a book that boiled down the best generational food knowledge — and his own research, of course.
"It's designed to reach way beyond the normal market for serious nonfiction," he said. "You can read it in a half hour, if that. The idea was actually inspired by a doctor who wanted a pamphlet to give to his patients. Sort of like, 'I don't want to know what the back story is, or how the chickens are raised. Just tell me how to eat.' "
The findings of his incredibly detailed search for the holy grail of nutritional health? Seven simple words: "Eat food. Not too much. Mostly plants."
As a journalist, this shocked him. "Most of the time when I embark on such an investigation, it quickly becomes clear that matters are much more complicated and ambiguous — several shades grayer — than I thought going in," he writes in the book's introduction. "Not this time."
"Eating well and eating pleasurably, that's not a contradiction," he reiterated over the phone. "And what (Kalman's) illustrations do is underscore the pleasure of eating this way. There's even a place for junk food!"
Of course, if you're going to indulge in fried chicken, cheese doodles and chocolate cupcakes, Pollan recommends you make them yourself. Not necessarily because they're any healthier but because the time-consuming process reinforces how special they should be — instead of everyday indulgences.
So what about this Church of Michael Pollan?
"The choir does come out to my (speaking events), but on the other hand, there are all these guys married to the choir who get dragged along and are wondering who the hell I am," Pollan said. "So I always feel that there are minds to change."
For more of our interview with Pollan, including his thoughts on Chipotle, his favorite restaurants and his new book project, check out Colorado Table: blogs.denverpost.com/food
John Wenzel: 303-954-1642 or email@example.com


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Linda Hankes-Smith is a talented Leelanau County Artist. She has been defining her paintings for more than fifteen years. Her work can be found in several locations around Grand Traverse and Leelanau Counties. Paintings shown on this site are some of her personal favorites. If you have an interest in any of the items shown here please visit her contact page.
Do you want to know more about my work?
Please fill out the form to contact me or give me a call at 231.883.7907
Linda Hankes Smith
P.O.Box 1639
Traverse City, MI 49684


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Atmel SAM3S4C Evaluation board
I would like to share a new embest evaluation board which provide by Embest.
EB-SAM3S4C Evaluation board
The EB-SAM3S4C Board is an ARM embedded evaluation board produced by Embest, integrates the ATMEL SAM3S4C which is based on high performance 32-Bit Cortex-M3 RISC processor .The ATMEL SAM3S4C operate at up to 64 MHz and features 256 KBytes of Flash and 48Kbytes of SRAM memory. The SAM3S4C periphery set includes a full speed USB Device port with embedded tansceiver, a High Speed MCI for SDIO/SD/MMC, External bus Interface with NandFlash controller,2xUsart,2xUart,2xTwi, 3xSPI,an I2S, as well as 1 PWM timer,6x 16-bit timers, an RTC, a 12-bit ADC,a 12-bit DAC and a Analog comparator.
In addition, there are plenty of demo codes in the CD for this board, these examples will save your much time to construct your own development environment.
We guarantee that all boards with competitive prize and high quality.
Yes, we also provide customization service to customer which include hardware and software services and Turnkey-Designs.
For more detail pls visit www.samicc.com or www.embeddinfo.com/en.
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WNS parents, students, & staff please log in to your Sycamore account for a more complete calendar.
WNS follows the two-semester North American school calendar. The school year begins in August and ends in late May.
2014-2015 School Year Dates
Second Semester Dates
2014-2015 School Year Begins Wednesday 13 August
January, 13 2015 First Day of School
January 26: Open Enrollment Begins
February 13: Student Holiday
March 11, 12, 13: High School Musical
March 13: End of Third Quarter
March 16-23: Spring Break
April 3-6: Easter Break
April 18: Family Fun Festival
April 24: ABRSM Soiree
April 25: High School Formal
May 1: Labour Day Holiday
May 9: End of Year Parents Dinner
May 15: Secondary Concert
May 23: High School Graduation
May 28: Last Day of School


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6 Parks near Ardmore, Oklahoma
Marietta, Oklahoma 16.34 miles S
Madill, Oklahoma 21.71 miles SE
Sulphur, Oklahoma 24.88 miles NE
Thackerville, Oklahoma 26.59 miles S
Ardmore, Oklahoma (map) | (580) 226-0006
Sites: 48 | Latest Rate: $25.00 | 3 Reviews
|Clean Restrooms:
|Clean Showers:
Oct 2013 - $25.00
It is not Big Rig friendly unless you want to unhitch your toad and scrape your coach. I spent the day on a ladder waxing out the tree limb scrunches from a park where the lady said..."oh no problem you can get in and out of here , there is plenty of room. Learned never to trust those words. The road and curve were way too narrow which caused us to have to hug the side with the low hanging limbs. All I could do was hold my breath as the limbs scraped the whole side...but luckily it was more dirt than actual scratch. We got around and pulled right out the exit on the other side. - RoadAngel
Apr 2010 - $25.00
Campground is relatively new. The rest room's and shower's were very clean. The check in crew were very friendly and helpful. Work still needs to be done on interior roads and at the campsite right out from the office. Drop off to get to the exit road was such your back end might scrape. I backed out. Traffic noise is very noticeable. - billy s
Jan 2010 - $32.00
A very nice campground. The store was well-equipped and staffed by very nice people. Even with the tornado warnings, we would stay here again. - kraftykurl
Ardmore, Oklahoma (map) | 800-652-6552
Sites: 86 | Latest Rate: $28.00 | 33 Reviews
|Clean Restrooms:
|Clean Showers:
May 2015 - $28.00
Site was level with gravel as pad. Due to recent heavy rains, some puddles around site but nothing that couldn't be managed and no fault of owners. Wifi was good. Nice spot overlooking lake with lots of geese. Nice park located near interstate. Does have interstate noise but a/c covers it up while inside. Would certainly stay here again. - Farmer Tex
Nov 2014 - $29.00
We asked for a long pull-thru, so they gave us the longest one they had (190+'). Certainly overkill for any rig. It had no concrete pad, or BBQ grill, and was the farthest from the Wifi antenna. The ground was saturated from recent rain, and muddy. I wish they had mentioned any of that before they gave us that site. The park seems like a decent place for an overnight. Traffic noise would keep us from staying longer. Water and electricity were no problem. - Paff
Oct 2014 - $10.00
Rate reflects RPI. Campground is located on Great Lakes of the Cherokee. The sites on the lake are gravel with grass. There were some big rigs there. Our site was near the entrance & road. It was concrete with a pad. We didn't have a picnic table or BBQ, but that didn't bother us. Our view was of the highway into town. You did hear traffic noise but it wasn't that bad. Utilities good. No WiFi at site but at community room. They are working on having it at the sites. Nice wide sites & it was long enough for us. Very friendly staff & seasonal people there. If in the area we would return. - jcpjane
Ardmore, Oklahoma
Sites: 40 | Latest Rate: $20.00 | 1 Reviews
|Clean Restrooms:
|Clean Showers:
Apr 2006 - $20.00
This is strictly a bare bones park. Rates were rather high considering there is no bath house or laundry facilities, which I consider a staple for a RV park. The folks are very friendly and helpful. Sites and interior roads are all gravel. Sites are level. - J59T
Ardmore, Oklahoma (map) | (580) 223-4044
Sites: 50 | Latest Rate: $29.00 | 1 Reviews
|Clean Restrooms:
|Clean Showers:
Feb 2011 - $29.00
Lake Murray ATV Park is part of the State Park system and does not take reservations - first come first serve. This campground you can ride your ATV from the campground to the 1000+ acres of riding and trails. Located on the lake, you can ride down to the lake and go for a swim when it gets hot. The sites have fire rings, picnic tables, cooking grilles, and paved pads. There is no riding at night which makes it quiet after dark. They just built a new playground for kids that is awesome. The bathrooms are clean and the showers require quarters. We have been coming here for years and have met a lot of nice folks. - Kodiakc5500
Ardmore, Oklahoma (map) | (580) 223-4044
Sites: 300 | Latest Rate: $23.00 | 28 Reviews
|Clean Restrooms:
|Clean Showers:
May 2015 - $23.00
A very nice state park. This quiet campground overlooks Lake Murray. There in an abundance of pull through sites and a good number of back in sites that offer a lot of privacy via trees. Premium sites on the lake are available for an extra charge. Sites have level concrete pads wide enough for your rig and some extra width to use as a patio. In early May, the place was packed on the weekend, but by Sunday afternoon the park was almost deserted. Also a boat ramp and a picnic area in the campground. There is a paved hiking/biking trail to the east of the campground. Lake levels are low right now. Excellent playground for the kids. Sites include a fire ring, elevated charcoal grill, concrete picnic table and lantern stand. Camp hosts are very friendly and helpful. When arriving, just pick a site and then pay the camp host. Reservations are not taken. - cmgoeke
Oct 2014 - $23.00
Lake Murray State Park is a very pretty and, from what we saw, a well cared for park. There are multiple campgrounds and a variety of sites- FHU, partial hookups, pull-through, back-in, lakeside, open, shaded, heavily wooded and secluded. The park does not take reservations for campsites. For our 40' motorhome the park staff recommended we look for a site in Elephant Rock campground. We chose #16, a pull-through with FHU, a grill, fire ring, a big grassy yard on one side and with some shade trees, but still clear enough to get satellite reception (i.e., football). The lake water level was very low. The weather was rainy and dreary during our short stay so we didn't make use of the water activities, but we enjoyed the drive around the whole lake and a visit to Tucker Tower Nature Center in the park. Park staff, rangers and volunteers were very friendly and helpful. There was some construction going on and we were glad to see a state spending money on its parks. We would stay here again if in the area. - jacksup1212
Mar 2013 - $21.00
This is a beautiful park on the edge of Lake Murray. The pull through sites are level and it does have a number of sites with nice trees between them. The campground hosts are friendly and helpful. We would stay there again. - foxflash
Ardmore, Oklahoma (map) | (580) 223-6600
Sites: 300 | Latest Rate: $23.00 | 7 Reviews
|Clean Restrooms:
|Clean Showers:
Oct 2014 - $23.00
Excellent paved roads, Concrete pads, beautiful lakeside camping or selecuded spots if you desire. Clean, quiet, very friendly staff. Trees could use a little trimming but otherwise a really nice park and would definitely stay here again! Rate reflects senior discount. - Gloria S.
Mar 2012 - $12.00
Lake Murray has great campgrounds. We love how each space is level and has lots of grass. Some sites have more trees than others. - Bravenutt
Jun 2008 - $15.00
This is one campground of several campgrounds located at Lake Murray State Park, the oldest and largest state park in Oklahoma. This campground as well as others in this park are heavily used and take no reservations. If you don't arrive early on Friday for the weekend during the summer you probably will not get an RV site. Holiday weekends apparently are completely full several days before the holiday. Approximately one-half of the sites have full hookups, with concrete pads and are pull thrus. Some are located along the lake shore. The remainder of the sites are back-in which would be difficult for big rigs to get into. This park was very crowded and I only saw one bathouse/restroom for this campground. It also has a boat launch. The dump station is not easily accessible for big rigs; fortunately there are other dump stations in the park that are somewhat more accessible and available to use. Camp hosts and park personnel were friendly and helpful. This park also has a golf course. We would probably stay here again if passing through. I would have rated this park higher if the campground had been spread over a greater area, the back-in sites were easier to back into and the park accepted reservations. The rate was for a 30 amp service hookup. - Ramtex


text:
American Apparel Unisex Fitted Tee Grass
The coat of arms of Aruba was originally designed in Amsterdam in 1955. Since then it has been in use as the national symbol of Aruba. The symbol has seven main elements: The lion crest symbolizes power and generosity. A white cross divides the shield into quarters, and represents devotion and faith. In the first quarter is an aloe plant, the island's first important export. In the second quarter, Hooiberg, Aruba's most recognizable and second highest hill, represents Aruba rising out of the sea. The third quarter depicts hands shaking, symbolic of Aruba's good relations with the world. In the fourth quarter, a cogwheel represents industry. Below the shield is a pair of laurel branches, traditional symbols of peace and friendship.
Shop More Designs in JOE'S PLACE INTERNATIONAL


text:
botox treatment
Mommy to Cade Lochlann 11-16-10
I didn't know Botox treated migraines. I thought it was for sweating. I'm no help, but goodluck. Hope it works.
Patty and Tony parents to,
Elena 11.24.2010 & Benjamin Etienne 2.17.2014
Mommy to Cade Lochlann 11-16-10
Eric and Heather October 2006
Molly November 2010
Owen January 2013
Mommy to Cade Lochlann 11-16-10
Michael 7/11/09
Joseph 11/24/10
rainbow baby Andi 3/16/13
Kari- from what I understand it's between the eyes, on the temples, base of skull, and across your neck/back. 30 of them!! I hope it doesn't hurt.
Mommy to Cade Lochlann 11-16-10
Mommy to Cade Lochlann 11-16-10
Wow. I could never do botox. It can make people addicted, and then they have to get it ALL the time. Some people look so fucked up from it. I hope it helps your migraines! Have you talked to your Dr about Imitrex? You can either take Imitrex pills or it can come in a needle form, where you have to give yourself a shot (it's not bad). My Mom does both, and it takes her migraine away within 5 mins.
Jackson Carl. Nov. 4th, 2010. 9 lbs 9 oz, 22.5 inches long.


text:
Entries with no category
I haven't written one of these in a long time, but something as been really bothering me in the last few months. The Cena Haters. OMG every time, same schpill, not a good wrestler, not a good entertainer, can't cut a decent promo, same shit. Ok, I get it, you have your opinion about what makes wrestling entertaining, but you forget one aspect, the children. (this is a whole other argument, for a different
Updated 01-06-2012 at 03:57 PM by Frank
As the name implies I'll be looking at the both pay per views that took place in the month of July. I'll be breaking it down by three things. The build up to the match, the in ring work and finally the OMFG FACTOR.
The Build Up
ABSOLUTELY HANDS DOWN, the build up to Money In The Bank (MITB) wins this one. As they always said, location, location, location. And thats just what
Updated 07-18-2011 at 12:50 PM by f408m
I couldn't help myself with the title. So this is my third blog and I'd like to discuss what aspects of wrestling that really makes for a entertaining show and which company does it best. As I'm not familiar with ROH, they will be left out (sorry ROH fans, I wouldn't like to disrespect you guys).
Quality Wrestlers
I know the word wrestler is now taboo in the WWE (i'm still all
Second blog here, and I'm probably gonna piss a lot of you "hardcore" wrestling fans off here, but I think it needs said. WRESTLING (speaking about WWE) ISN'T ABOUT YOU (the individual), BUT ABOUT WHAT CAN KEEP THE COMPANY, AND BUSINESS SUSTAINED. and what keeps the WWE thriving?
I was going to make it three different paragraphs but they all flow
© 2011 eWrestlingNews, All Rights Reserved.


text: Actress Glenn Close and her sister Jessie, who was diagnosed with bipolar disorder in her late 40s. Dan Hallman hide caption itoggle caption Dan Hallman Glenn Close: Mental Illness Shouldn't Be Old News May 17, 2012 Glenn Close is known for her acclaimed performances in the films Fatal Attraction and Albert Nobbs, and the TV series Damages. But off-screen, she works hard to reduce stigma and discrimination attached to mental illness, which affects her family. Listen Loading… 16:49 Playlist Download Embed Embed Close embed modal <iframe src="http://www.npr.org/player/embed/152914882/152917852" width="100%" height="290" frameborder="0" scrolling="no">


text:
The invention is used to shape noise in time domain and frequency domain coding schemes. The method advantageously uses a noise weighting filter based on a filterbank with variable gains. A method is presented for decoding an encoded signal based on received side information and on a masking matrix derived from the masking properties of speech. In particular, the encoded signal is separated into subband signal components, each of which is multiplied by a corresponding gain value based on the masking matrix. These multiplied subband signal components are then combined to produce a decoded signal.
1. A method comprising the steps of:
receiving a signal comprising side information and an encoded signal, and
decoding said encoded signal based on said side information and on a masking matrix,
wherein said step of decoding comprises
separating the encoded signal into a set of n subband signal components,
multiplying each subband signal component by a corresponding one of a set of n gain values to generate a corresponding one of a set of n multiplied subband signal components, the set of n gain values based on the masking matrix, and
combining the n multiplied subband signal components to produce a decoded signal.
2. The method of claim 11 wherein said encoded signal is an encoded speech signal.
3. The method of claim 1 wherein said side information comprises a set of measurements, wherein each measurement reflects a power level of a subband component of an input signal, said input signal having been encoded to form said encoded signal.
4. The method of claim 3 wherein said masking matrix is an n�n matrix wherein each element qij of said masking matrix is the ratio of a noise power in band j that can be masked to a power level of the subband component in band i.
5. The method of claim 4 wherein said subband component is an output of a filterbank comprising a set of n filters wherein the output of each filter is a respective subband signal component.
6. The method of claim 1 wherein said side information comprises said set of n gain values.
7. A system comprising:
means for receiving a signal comprising side information and an encoded signal, and
means for decoding said encoded signal based on said side information and on a masking matrix,
wherein said means for decoding comprises
means for separating the encoded signal into a set of n subband signal components,
means for multiplying each subband signal component by a corresponding one of a set of n gain values to generate a corresponding one of a set of n multiplied subband signal components, the set of n gain values based on the masking matrix, and
means for combining the n multiplied subband signal components to produce a decoded signal.
8. The system of claim 7 wherein said encoded signal is an encoded speech signal.
9. The system of claim 7 wherein said masking matrix Q is an n�n matrix wherein each element qij of said masking matrix is the ratio of a noise power in band j that can be masked to a power level of a subband component in band i.
10. The system of claim 7 wherein said means for separating comprises a filterbank comprising a set of n filters wherein the output of each filter is a respective subband signal component.
11. The system of claim 7 wherein said side information comprises said set of n gain values.
12. The system of claim 7 wherein said side information comprises a set of measurements, wherein each measurement reflects a power level of a subband component of an input signal, said input signal having been encoded to form said encoded signal.
This is a division of application Ser. No. 08/367,526 filed Dec. 30, 1994.
This invention relates to noise weighting filtering in a communication system.
Advances in digital networks like ISDN (Integrated Services Digital Network) have rekindled interest in teleconferencing and in the transmission of high quality image and sound. In an age of compact discs and high-definition television, the trend toward higher and higher fidelity has come to include the telephone as well.
Aside from pure listening pleasure, there is a need for better sounding telephones, especially in the business world. Traditional telephony, with its limited bandwidth of 300-3400 Hz for transmission of narrowband speech, tends to strain the listeners over the length of a telephone conversation. Wideband speech in the 50-7000 Hz range, on the other hand, offers the listener more presence (by reason of transmission and reception of signals in the 50-300 Hz range) and more intelligibility (by reason of transmission and reception of signals in the 3000-7000 Hz range) and is easily tolerated over long periods. Thus, wideband speech is a natural choice for improving the quality of telephone service.
In order to transmit speech (either wideband or narrowband) over the telephone network, an input speech signal, which can be characterized as a continuous function of a continuous time variable, must be converted to a digital signal--a signal that is discrete in both time and amplitude. The conversion is a two step process. First, the input speech signal is sampled periodically in time (i.e., at a particular rate) to produce a sequence of samples where the samples take on a continuum of values. Then the values are quantized to a finite set of values, represented by binary digits (bits), to yield the digital signal. The digital signal is characterized by a bit rate, i.e., a specified number of bits per second that reflects how often the input signal was sampled and many bits were used to quantize the sampled values.
The improved quality of telephone service made possible through transmission of wideband speech, unfortunately, typically requires higher bit rate transmission unless the wideband signal is properly coded, i.e., such that the wideband signal can be significantly compressed into representation by fewer number of bits without introducing obvious distortion due to quantization errors. Recently some coders of high-fidelity speech and audio have relied on the notion that mean-squared-error measures of distortion (e.g., measures of the energy difference between a signal and the signal after coding and decoding) do not necessarily describe the perceived quality of the coded waveform--in short, not all kinds of distortion are equally perceptible. M. R. Schroeder, B. S. Atal and J. L. Hall, "Optimizing Digital Speech Coders by Exploiting Masking Properties of the Human Ear," J. Acous. Soc. Am., vol. 66, 1647-1652, 1979. For example, the signal-to-noise ratio between s(t) and -s(t)is -6 dB, and yet the ear cannot distinguish the two signals. Thus, given some knowledge of how the auditory system tolerates different kinds of noise, it has been possible to design coders that minimize the audibility--though not necessarily the energy--of quantization errors. More specifically, these recent coders exploit a phenomenon of the human auditory system known as masking.
Auditory masking is a term describing the phenomenon of human hearing whereby one sound obscures or drowns out another. A common example is where the sound of a car engine is drowned out if the volume of the car radio is high enough. Similarly, if one is in the shower and misses a telephone call, it is because the sound of the shower masked the sound of the telephone ring; if the shower had not been running, the ring would have been heard. In the case of a coder, noise introduced by the coder ("coder" or "quantization" noise) is masked by the original signal, and thus perceptually lossless (or transparent) compression results when the quantization noise is shaped by the coder so as to be completely masked by the original signal at all times. Typically, this requires that the coding noise have approximately the same spectral shape as the signal since the amount of masking in a given frequency band depends roughly on the amount of signal energy in that band. P. Kroon and B. S. Atal, "Predictive Coding of Speech Using Analysis-by-Synthesis Techniques," in Advances in Speech Signal Processing (S. Furui and M. M. Sondhi, eds.) Marcel Dekker, Inc., New York, 1992.
Until now there have been two distinct approaches to perceptually lossless compression, corresponding respectively to two commercially significant audio sources and their different characteristics--compact disc/high-fidelity music and wideband (50-7000 Hz) speech. High-fidelity music, because of its greater spectral complexity, has lent itself well to a first approach using transform coding strategies. J. D. Johnston, "Transform Coding of Audio Signals Using Perceptual Criteria," IEEE J. Sel. Areas in Comm., 314-323, June 1988; B. S. Atal and M. R. Schroeder, "Predictive Coding of Speech Signals and Subjective Error Criteria," IEEE Trans. ASSP, 247-254, June 1979. In the speech processing arena, by contrast, a second approach using time-based masking schemes, e.g. code-excited linear predictive coding (CELP) and low-delay CELP (LD-CELP) has proved successful. E. Ordentlich and Y. Shoham, "Low Delay Code-Excited Linear Predictive Coding of Wideband Speech at 32 Kbps," Proc. ICASSP, 1991; J. H. Chen, "A Robust, Low-Delay CELP Speech Coder at 16 Kb/s," GLOBECOM 89, vol. 2, 1237-1240, 1989.
The two approaches rely on different techniques for shaping quantization noise to exploit masking effects. Transform coders use a technique in which for every frame of an audio signal, a coder attempts to compute a priori the perceptual threshold of noise. This threshold is typically characterized as a signal-to-noise ratio where, for a given signal power, the ratio is determined by the level of noise power added to the signal that meets the threshold. One commonly used perceptual threshold, measured as a power spectrum, is known as the just-noticeable difference (JND) since it represents the most noise that can be added to a given frame of audio without introducing noticeable distortion. The perceptual threshold calculation, described in detail in Johnston, supra, relies on noise masking models developed by Schroeder, supra, by way of psychoacoustic experiments. Thus, the quantization noise in JND-based systems is closely matched to known properties of the ear. Frequency domain or transform coders can use JND spectra as a measure of the minimum fidelity--and therefore the minimum number of bits--required to represent each spectral component so that the coded result cannot be distinguished from the original.
Time-based masking schemes involving linear predictive coding have used different techniques. The quantization noise introduced by linear predictive speech coders is approximately white, provided that the predictor is of sufficiently high order and includes a pitch loop. B. Scharf, "Complex Sounds and Critical Bands," Psychol. Bull., vol. 58, 205-217, 1961; N. S. Jayant and P. Noll, Digital Coding of Waveforms, Prentice-Hall, Englewood Cliffs, N.J., 1984. Because speech spectra are usually not flat, however, this distortion can become quite audible in inter-formant regions or at high frequencies, where the noise power may be greater than the speech power. In the case of wideband speech, with its extreme spectral dynamic range (up to 100 dB), the mismatch between noise and signal leads to severe audible defects.
One solution to the problems of time-based masking schemes is to filter the signal through a noise weighting (or perpetual whitening) filter designed to match the spectrum of the JND. In current CELP systems, the noise weighting filter is derived mathematically from the system's linear predictive code (LPC) inverse filter in such a way as to concentrate coding distortions in the formant regions where the speech power is greater. This solution, although leading to improvements in actual systems, suffers from two important inadequacies. First, because the noise weighting filter depends directly on the LPC filter, it can only be as accurate as the LPC analysis itself. Second, the spectral shape of the noise weighting filter is only a crude approximation to the actual JND spectrum and is divorced from any particular relevant knowledge like psychoacoustic models or experiments.
In accordance with the invention, a masking matrix is advantageously used to control a quantization of an input signal. The masking matrix is of the type described in our co-pending application, Ser. No. 08/367,371, entitled "A Method for Measuring Speech Masking Properties," filed concurrently with this application, commonly assigned and hereby incorporated in part as an appendix to the present application. Specifically, the invention provides a method and apparatus for decoding an encoded signal based on received side information and on a masking matrix. In a preferred embodiment, the encoded signal is separated into subband signal components, each of which is multiplied by a corresponding gain value based on the masking matrix. These multiplied subband signal components are then combined to produce a decoded signal.
Advantages of the invention will become apparent from the following detailed description taken together with the drawings in which:
FIG. 1 is a block diagram of a communication system in which the inventive method may be practiced.
FIG. 2 is a block diagram of the inventive noise weighting filter in a communication system.
FIG. 3 is a block diagram of an analysis-by-synthesis coder and decoder which includes the inventive noise weighting filter.
FIG. 4 is a block diagram of a subband coder and decoder with the inventive noise weighting filter used to allocate quantization bits.
FIG. 5 is a block diagram of the inventive noise weighting filter with no gain used to allocate quantization bits.
FIG. 1 is a block diagram of a system in which the inventive method for noise weighting filtering may be used. A speech signal is input into noise weighting filter 120 which filters the spectrum of the signal so that the perceptual masking of the quantization noise introduced by speech coder 130 is increased. The output of noise weighting filter 120 is input to speech encoder 130 as is any information that must be transmitted as side information (see below). Speech encoder 130 may be either a frequency domain or time domain coder. Speech encoder 130 produces a bit stream which is then input to channel encoder 140 which encodes the bit stream for transmission over channel 145. The received encoded bit stream is then input to channel decoder 150 to generate a decoded bit stream. The decoded bit stream is then input into speech decoder 160. Speech decoder 160 outputs estimates of the weighted speech signal and side information which are the input to inverse noise weighting filter 170 to produce an estimate of the speech signal.
The inventive method recognizes that knowledge about speech masking properties can be used to better encode an input signal. In particular, such knowledge can be used to filter the input signal so that quantization noise introduced by a speech coder is reduced. For example, the knowledge can be used in subband coders. In subband coders, an input signal is broken down into subband components, as for example, by a filterbank, and then each subband component is quantized in a subband quantizer, i.e., the continuum of values of the subband component are quantized to a finite set of values represented by a specified number of quantization bits. As shown below, knowledge of speech masking properties can be used to allocate the specified number of quantization bits among the subband quantizer, i.e., larger numbers of quantization bits (and thus a smaller amount of quantization noise) are allocated to quantizers associated with those subband components of an input speech signal where, without proper allocation, the quantization noise would be most noticeable.
In accordance with the present invention, a masking matrix is advantageously used to generate signals which control the quantization of an input signal. Control of the quantization of the input signal may be achieved by controlling parameters of a quantizer, as for example by controlling the number of quantization bits available or by allocating quantization bits among subband quantizers. Control of the quantization of the input signal may also be achieved by preprocessing the input signal to shape the input signal such that the quantized, preprocessed input signal has certain desired properties. For example, the subband components of the input signal may be multiplied by gain parameters so that the noise introduced during quantization is perceptually less noticeable. In either case, the level of quantization noise in the resulting quantized signal meets the perceptual threshold of noise that was used in the process of deriving the masking matrix. In the inventive method, the input signal is separated into a set of n subband signal components and the masking matrix is an n�n matrix where each element q ij represents the amount of (power) of noise in band j that may be added to signal component i so as to meet a masking threshold. Thus, the masking matrix Q incorporates knowledge of speech masking properties. The signals used to control the quantization of the input signals are a function of the masking matrix and the power in the subband signal components.
FIG. 2 illustrates a first embodiment of the inventive noise weighting filter 120 in the context of the system of FIG. 1. The quantization is open loop in that noise weighting filter 120 is not a part of the quantization process in speech coder 130. The speech signal is input to noise weighting filter 120 and applied to filterbank comprising n filters 121-i, i=1,2, . . . n. Each filter 121-i is characterized by a respective transfer function Hi (z). The output of each filter 121-i is respective subband component si. The power pi in the respective output component signals is measured by power measures 122-i, and the measures are input to masking processor 124. The power of the input speech signal is denoted as ##EQU1##
Masking processor 124 determines how to adjust each subband component si of the speech input using a respective gain signal gi so that the noise added by speech coder 130 is perceptually less noticeable when inverse filtered at the receiver. The power in the weighted speech signal is ##EQU2## The weighted speech signal is coded by speech coder 130, and the gain parameters are also coded by speech coder 130 as side information for use by inverse noise weighting filter 170.
The gain signals gi,i=1,2, . . . n, are determined by masking processor 124. Note that the gi 's have a degree of freedom of one scale factor in that all of the gi 's may be multiplied by a fixed constant and the result will be the same, i.e., if γg1, γg2. . . γgn were selected, then inverse filter 170 would simply multiply the respective subbands by 1/γg1,1/γg2. . . 1/γgn to produce the estimate of the speech signal. So to simplify, it is conveniently assumed that the gi 's are selected to be power preserving: ##EQU3## At this point it is advantageous to define notation to describe the operation of masking processor 124. In particular, Vp is defined to be the vector of input powers from power measures 122-i. ##EQU4## Masking processor 124 can also access elements qi,j of masking matrix Q. The elements may be stored in a memory device (e.g., a read only memory or a read and write memory) that is either incorporated in masking processor 124 or accessed by masking processor 124. Each qi,j represents the amount of noise in band j that may be added to signal component i so as to meet a masking threshold. A method describing how the Q masking matrix is obtained is disclosed in our above cited "A Method for Measuring Speech Masking Properties." It is convenient at this point to note that it is advantageous that the characteristics of filterbank 121 be identical to the characteristics of the filterbank used to determined the Q matrix (see the copending application, supra).
The vector W0 is the "ideal" or desired noise level vector that approximates the masking threshold used in obtaining values for the Q matrix. ##EQU5## The vector W represents the actual noise powers at the receiver, i.e., ##EQU6## The vector W is a function of the weighted speech power, Pw, the gains and of a quantizer factor β. The quantizer factor is a function of the particular type of coder used and of the number of bits allocated for quantizing signals in each band.
The objective is to make W equal to W0 up to a scale factor α, i.e., the shape of the two noise power vectors should be the same. Thus,
W=αW0 =αQVp
Substituting for the variables and solving for the gains yields: ##EQU7## Observe that ##EQU8## and substituting yields ##EQU9##
Thus, in order to determine the gains gi, the noise weighting filter must measure the subband powers pi and determine the total input power P. Then, the noise vector W0 is computed using equation (1), and equation (2) is then used to determine the gains. The masking processor then generates gain signals for scaling the subband signals. The gains must be transmitted in some form as side information in this embodiment in order to de-equalize the coded speech during decoding.
FIG. 3 illustrates the inventive noise-shaping filter in a closed-loop, analysis-by-synthesis system like CELP. Note that the filterbank 321 and masking processor 324 have taken the place of the noise weighting filter W(z) in a traditional CELP system. Note also that because the noise weighting is carried out in a closed loop, no additional side information is required to be transmitted.
FIG. 4 shows another embodiment of the invention based on subband coding in which each subband has its own quantizer 430-i. In this configuration, noise weighting filter 120 is used to shape the spectrum of the input signal and to generate a control signal to allocate quantization bits. Bit Allocator 440 uses the weighted signals to determine how many bits each subband quantizer 430-i may use to quantize gi si. The goal is to allocate bits such that all quantizers generate the same noise power. Let Bi be the subband quantizer factor of the ith quantizer. The bit allocation procedure determines Bi for all i such that Bi Piqi is a constant. This is because for all i, the weighted speech in all bands is equally important
FIG. 5 is a block diagram of a noise weighting filter with no gain (i.e., all the gi 's=1) used to generate a control signal to allocate quantization bits. In this embodiment the task is to allocate bits among subband quantizers 530-i such that:
βi pi =αW0.sbsb.i for all i
or ##EQU10## Again, some record of the bit allocation will need to be sent as side information.
This disclosure describes a method an apparatus for noise weighting filtering. The method and apparatus have been described without reference to specific hardware or software. Instead, the method and apparatus have been described in such a manner that those skilled in the art can readily adapt such hardware or software as may be available or preferable. While the above teaching of the present invention has been in terms of filtering speech signals, those skilled in the art of digital signal processing will recognize the applicability of the teaching to other specific contexts, e.g., filtering music signals, audio signals or video signals.
Amendatory Material enclosed with this response. ##SPC1##
Patent Citations
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