text:
Hang tight!
Recipe by Lydia Nacawa
"Ana and Lydia's cannoli, recipe invented on July 31st, 2005. I spent a lot of time looking for a good recipe for cannoli shells and filling. Since no two were alike, and since instructions were a bit sketchy, I worked with a friend to come up with a good recipe, including some tips that we came up with along the way. Special equipment is needed such as cannoli tubes, a pasta machine and a pastry bag to help make these cannoli come out just like the ones at Italian restaurants and bakeries. Start with 1/2 cup of confectioners' sugar, and then add more to taste."
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3 cups
all-purpose flour
1/4 cup
white sugar
1/4 teaspoon
ground cinnamon
3 tablespoons
egg yolk
1/2 cup
sweet Marsala wine
1 tablespoon
distilled white vinegar
2 tablespoons
egg white
1 quart
oil for frying, or as needed
1 (32 ounce) container
ricotta cheese
1/2 cup
confectioners' sugar
1 cup
chopped candied citron
4 ounces
semisweet chocolate, chopped
Please note that when I submitted this recipe, I indicated grated citrus peel to taste and barely 1/2 to 1 cup of powdered sugar, again to taste. My submission did not include the "one cup of candied citron"... I'll assume that the editors added this in error. With regards to rolling the dough, I found that paper-thin was too difficult to achieve with a rolling pin and was happy to have the pasta machine available. I agree with the previous review that if you don't get the pastry thin enough the results will disappoint. I'm sure that those trying to tackle this type of pastry have their own tricks up their sleeves, eveyone finds their best methods. I do hope that those few tricks I included will help first-timers get good results. Good luck and good eating.
Way too much citron, it takes away from the cannoli cream taste if all you can taste is citron, peel, fruit etc, no need for the wine in the shell recipe. needing a pasta machine for the thinnest setting is a bit much to ask, you hsould just say how thick the dough should be and people can roll it out. You must have the dough as thin as you can manage it so that it bubbles and blisters or it will be like cardboard
65 Ratings
Your Cannoli recipe is the BOMB!!!!!!!!!!!
It's so tradional italian that is so good
and these so like the ones my family and I have had. These are EXCELLENT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Thanks, Lydia Nacawa p.s. These were so good with the Marsala wine it pulled the flavors together!!! Five stars *****
I loved the ricotta filling, but I added a small amount of vanilla, 1 teaspoon.
I HAVE A QUESTION ON THIS RECIPE...or any cannoli recipe...Is it possible for me to use a pizzelle iron to make these, I just want cannoli chips, not the circular shell Thanks in advance, Laurie
Absolutely Amazing!! I was looking for a descent cannoli shell for my cannoli cream I make and what I got far exceeded my expectations!! Since I knew I was going to eat a cannoli, I wasn't to worried about the "Healthiness" of what I was eating, so I used lard instead of shortening... well because it makes everything taste better. By the way, trying to make this by yourself would be a nightmare. You need an assembly line... people will work for food! I call this the Italian version of the Tamale because the whole family has to help in this process. The one thing that saddened me was that when I stored them in an airtight container, the next day they weren't crispy like the night before =(, but my sadness was soon expelled with a little oven toasting, which brought them right back up to its fresh, crispy self!! Thanks Lydia!!
A fab 'Shell Recipe'. I have made cannoli shells for years. I often look for new recipes and this is absolutely the best. A bit tricky but not difficult to run through the machine. After chilling the dough place a lightly floured board under the pasta roller attachment. Large gumball size balls are pressed into a small pancake then patted on the board and run through the machine dusting with each increment of the rollers. On my KitchenAid setting 6 is thin enough. I lay the disc on the board and lightly oil a tube. (don't skip the oil) Lay the tube on one end of the disc and roll the tube. When you reach the end dab egg white on the flap and finish rolling. Lightly press the visible flap to make the line somewhat invisible and place in 350 degree veg oil for 2mins. Remove with tongs to paper towels and repeat. The previous rolls are cool enough to carefully slide off the tubes in 2 mins. I make only 2 at a time so there is a bit of a pace to keep up with the timer. It will take about an hour to make 20 shells. NOTE: Handle uncooked dough with clean fingertips. If your not organized you can get the pasta machine too dirty and difficult to clean. I keep the oil a few feet from the dough. I also made filling from cannoli-enterprises.com Many recipes to choose from. My fav has folded whipped cream. I'm just about out of characters so i will now say good luck and have fun.
My husband has been wanting cannoli for a long time now. He cant have sugar and I thought that with out white sugar they may come out bad and not taste "AUTHENTIC" but we substituted loose equal for white sugar and the shells came out great. and of course the filling was easy to substitue with equal and it tasted just like he remembered when he was a kid. Thanks for the recipe. We will make these again for sure.
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet.
Serving Size: 1/30 of a recipe
Servings Per Recipe: 30
Amount Per Serving
Calories: 427
Calories from Fat: 312
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Open the doorJuly 20,2014The Obama administration is looking for states to receive and care for some of the approximately 60,000 refugee children who have flooded across the nations southern border in recent months. The Shumlin administration ought to find a way to do its part in providing a temporary home for some of the children.
Arrival of the children, who are mainly from Guatemala, Honduras and El Salvador, has touched off a new immigration crisis and accusations that the influx demonstrates the failure of President Barack Obamas immigration policies. But the issue goes far beyond the politics of the moment, confronting the United States with realities that in coming years it will not be able to avoid.
The United States is now facing a moment of truth when it will define what kind of nation it is and what values it intends to live by. We live in a world where violence and economic inequality have created new surges of migration by people looking to improve or save their lives. Will the United States turn its back on children fleeing violence? Or will it provide adequate care and support as the immigration system adjudicates their cases according to the law?
Sen. Patrick Leahy told fellow senators last week, The worlds eyes are watching to see how we respond. We can either make good on the promises enshrined in our laws or we can decide that its just too complicated and rewrite the law.
It is a familiar pattern. Violence and poverty in Europe motivated the migration of millions of Europeans to America. Now violence and poverty in Africa, Asia and Latin America are presenting Europe and the United States with new waves of immigration.
In Europe fiercely nationalistic parties of the right have gained in popularity as European nations contend with the arrival of refugees from Africa and elsewhere. Now, Leahy reminded senators last week, the refugee crisis has come to our own border.
Residents of border regions are feeling overwhelmed and threatened by the new influx of migrants. But other states can help out, including Vermont. There are 50 states and about 60,000 migrants. Let Vermont find a place for 1,000 children, perhaps on an underutilized campus or campuses. Federal officials say the states will not have to bear the costs.
Vermont has a history of welcoming refugees, including a number of Bosnians fleeing the Balkan wars of the 1990s. Vermont can set an example for the nation, demonstrating the spirit of welcoming and generosity that ought to guide our immigration policy.
Its not as if the United States has no responsibility for the crisis driving the new surge of migrants. We are not innocent victims of a refugee tide from another planet. Many of the children making the desperate decision to travel 1,000 miles northward are fleeing gang violence caused by drug cartels that are in business to serve the American market for drugs. Americans buying drugs are in an unholy alliance with those cartels, contributing to the corruption and violence plaguing much of Latin America.
In addition, American economic policies, serving the interests of exploitative industries such as bananas, coffee and sugar, have helped to maintain a near-feudal economic system that keeps the great mass of people in poverty. Thus, the poverty of Latin America is something the United States has had a hand in, and it is disingenuous for Americans to look up with surprise when the children of poverty arrive at our doorstep.
Leahy is right. The world is watching. We can veer toward the narrow and mean-spirited anti-immigrant policies animating the right wing in France and elsewhere. Or we can recognize our responsibility as a wealthy neighbor toward children caught up in violence not of their making.
Shumlin ought to appoint a task force to search out ways the state could help, consulting with like-minded states to put on display an attitude that counters the fear and anger of those who feel threatened by the refugee tide. We can show there is nothing to fear. We can give the Obama administration a reliable partner in fashioning a humane response to a humanitarian crisis involving children.
Historically, the nation has been strengthened by the contributions of immigrant populations. Central American children, through whatever combination of desperation and misinformation, are now testing our dedication to our own ideals. Lets take on that test willingly.MORE IN PerspectiveIt has been encouraging in recent years to see communities such as Barre and Rutland go through... Full StoryWe are clearly heading toward another great debate about the nature of capitalism. Full StoryWhen Vermonters see a problem, we work to fix it. Full Story
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subset: commoncrawl


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Tesla's second-quarter earnings beat expectations but as is often the case, what the company said about the future was more intriguing than its discussion about the recent past. Not only did it provide some insight into development surrounding its $5 billion battery Gigafactory, the company also teased that it has some surprises coming down the pike, it expects to be making a lot more vehicles next year and it sees electric vehicles becoming cheaper than gas-powered ones within a decade. Here's a look at some key takeaways from what Tesla did — and didn't — say yesterday.
Battery breakthroughs? (I) The news has been rife lately with several teasers of major improvements in batteries, including a pure lithium anode that might triple battery capacity someday. JB Straubel, Tesla's CTO, downplayed the importance of such things, noting that the further they were from commercial deployment the lower the probability they'd ever come to fruition. "We don't need some fundamental breakthrough in chemistry and material science," Straubel said. In the meantime, the Gigafactory batteries will have 10-15% better capacity due to improved chemistry. And Musk added that some changes to the cell size and shape would improve the energy density beyond that figure as well. Today's battery packs could benefit from capacity increases and — to a lesser extent — weight reductions. Tesla is confident that it's already going to get those from the Gigafactory.
Battery breakthroughs? (II) The company is also confident about the cost side of the equation, including its previously stated belief that the Gigafactory will reduce battery pack costs by at least 30%, allowing Tesla to ultimately build less expensive vehicles including the $35,000 Model 3 in 2017. CEO Elon Musk was asked, "So basically within [the next 10 years] you would expect electric vehicles to reach cost parity and maybe even improve upon the cost of an internal combustion vehicle?" He answered with one word that said it all: "Yeah." Straubel and Musk were confused as to why other automakers were pursuing hydrogen vehicles, which currently only offer advantages of range and fast refills that both believe are coming to electrics before the hydrogen cars are widely available.
Production continues to increase… Tesla was making 800 vehicles a week before it idled its Fremont, Calif. plant. Based on its guidance of 7,800 deliveries in Q3, it will actually have to be building more than 1,000 per week by year end to hit its stated goal of 35,000 in 2014. Why? Because the company will have delivered about 22,000 Model S sedans through the first three quarters of the year. With just one quarter remaining after September and deliveries always lagging production a bit, Tesla will need to make more than 1,000 cars per week to get the final 13,000 into the hands of customers. That's not a huge step up from where things stand right now, but it won't be easy.
… and will for a long while. Looking ahead, Musk implied that these increases will become the norm from here. Tesla's goal is to reach a "run rate" of 100,000 cars per year by the end of 2015. While Musk made it clear that production won't move up in a neat, linear fashion, to get to the 2,000-cars-per-week level by next December, Tesla will need to add about 200 to the quota each week for every quarter between now and then. Musk suggested the average production next year will allow Tesla to deliver "more than 60,000″ vehicles overall, upwards of 70% more than it will sell this year. He thinks Tesla can reach a 200,000 vehicle annual production rate without the Gigafactory, but based on the projected timing of the battery plant, it wasn't clear if that was a forecast for 2016 or just his musing on what was possible.
S and X mark the spots. The Model X crossover/SUV isn't due until spring, but Musk sees it selling about as many units as the Model S once it ramps up production, which he hopes will happen just a few months after launch — half the time it took to get to volume on the S. He noted that Tesla has a lot of orders for the X despite buyers having not seen the vehicle, taken any test drives or really knowing much about it. In other words, people are excited based on very limited info. Musk thinks when they see the real thing, they'll be even more excited.
Supply is still the limiting factor. Tesla has been intentionally limiting sales outlets, focusing instead on building more service locations. While those do help sell cars indirectly by reassuring would-be buyers, Tesla is hesitant to expand its sales footprint at this time because it's confident demand would exceed supply. In China, the greatest source of customer dissatisfaction has been waiting too long to receive a Tesla, for example. Musk said that the company-owned stores have twice the dollar sales per square foot of Apple, which has long been the leader among retailers by that metric. In short, naysayers who believe initial sales were to early adopters and there'll be a drop off have nothing in common with Musk, who sees demand only rising from here.
Something exciting is coming. Musk noted that "In the past, we've shown all of our cards" and that people have gotten used to that transparency from Tesla. But right now the company is holding some things back. As to what those are, we can probably rule some things out: The company isn't building two battery factories and doesn't have a secret car under development that will show up very soon (though it might be developing the compact crossover it has discussed in parallel with the Model 3).
But it is spending more than expected on something. Perhaps that thing is a semi-autonomous car that can handle most driving, at least on highways. And perhaps such an offering might be in the offing sooner than anyone else in the industry. Musk spoke of a 3-year development timeframe in 2013. Other possibilities include larger battery packs, upgrades for owners (one for the original Roadster is coming soon that will give it a 400-mile range) and perhaps another unique body style on the Model S chassis.
While Tesla is keeping its cards close right now, Musk's style has been that once he announces he has cards, it's not terribly long before he puts them on the table for all to see. We'll be watching.
Follow me on Twitter. Read the rest of my Forbes posts here.


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Summer Lodge Hotel plans gourmet wellness weekends
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Egbert Fischer, general manager,


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Hi everybody,
is it normal that MonoDevelop does not show a brief description of the variables and methods available when using autocomplete? I'm talking about all that stuff in the UnityEngine namespace. It works fine with other namespaces. I'm using the newest version of both Unity and MonoDevelop. Sorry if it's a dumb question but I couldn't find anything about this.
asked Nov 12, 2011 at 11:37 AM
Are you using C#?
Nov 12, 2011 at 01:21 PM Peter G
Yes, I am. Should have mentioned that right away.
Nov 13, 2011 at 08:57 PM rttc
Yeah mine does the same, along with all the other computers with Unity that I've used so I'd say it's normal with C#. Come to think of it I've never actually used MonoDevelop with JS. haha
Nov 16, 2011 at 03:47 AM dre38w
That's odd. It works fine for me!
Nov 16, 2011 at 03:49 AM syclamoth
Maybe it has something to do with the OS? I'm using a mac.
Nov 16, 2011 at 11:48 PM rttc
show all comments add new comment (comments are locked)
This happens all-the-frickin-time, sometimes every few minutes! In Unity, select Assets -> Sync Mono Develop Project from your menu and hopefully it will fix your auto-complete.
answered Nov 27, 2011 at 05:32 PM
Thanks but it didn't work. Maybe I'll try to reinstall Unity and MonoDevelop... again.
Dec 01, 2011 at 07:53 AM rttc
This did the trick for me, on Mac OS X.
Mar 05, 2012 at 09:32 PM starkos
add new comment (comments are locked)


text:
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Balluff brings Sensing Technologies class to Atlanta high school
Atlanta students receive unique hands-on opportunity rich with real-world applications.
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According to the school, the Academy is "a rigorous program designed to prepare students to pursue advanced degrees and careers in high tech markets." Students are enrolled in a four-year high-school track, rich with AP and Honors courses, culminating in an internship their senior year. Balluff and the Math, Science and Technology Academy coordinated for the selection of students chosen to attend the two-day course.
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- Filed Under
Mr. and Mrs. Ladd Adair Bratcher and Mr. and Mrs. Dale Irvin Tate announce the engagement of their daughter, Callie Adair Bratcher, to Gabrielle Rudolph Beukinga, son of Mr. and Mrs. Rudolph Beukinga Jr. of New Lenox, Illinois.
The bride-elect is the granddaughter of Mrs. Douglas Card of Indianola and Mrs. Billy Joe Cross of Jackson.
The prospective bridegroom is the grandson of Mrs. Rudolph Beukinga and the late Mr. Rudolph Beukinga of Palos Heights, Illinois.
Miss Bratcher is a 2007 graduate of Jackson Preparatory School. She attended Mississippi State University, where she was a member of Chi Omega sorority. She graduated with a Bachelor of Arts in marketing from Northeastern Illinois University in Chicago and is currently senior administrative assistant with BMO Harris Bank there.
Mr. Beukinga is a 2002 graduate of Lincoln-Way High School in New Lenox, Illinois. He graduated with a Bachelor of Arts in finance in 2006 from DePaul University in Chicago and is currently senior vice president at SomerCor 504 there.
The couple will exchange vows at The Commons at Eudora Welty's Birthplace in Jackson on the evening of May 11, 2013, with a reception to immediately follow.
They will make their home in Chicago.


text:
Numoda is the pioneer of a new model for supporting life sciences companies as they move from clinical development of innovative treatments to ultimate relationships with marketing partners.
Our model aligns with both sponsor and vendor needs, addressing the broader issues that active and complex clinical trials face, by providing a single integrated location for entire trial.
The Numoda approach – which has been proven across scores of relationships – calls for Numoda to share the risk with promising life sciences companies by assisting in business functions such as budgeting and logistics, and to apply patented information technologies and management expertise to achieve the successful completion of vital clinical trials. We even invest in select programs each year.


text:
September 12, 2012 1:00 PM
Episode 204: Easy Comfort Food
Simple, easy, home-style cuisine that you'd find in just about any Mexican home, recreated for the American kitchen. This meal was my favorite "everyday" meal growing up in Mexico, and one I regularly make for my own family today. I am proud to share the steps so that you can enjoy it too.


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Ventamatic MaxxAir 18" Wall Mounted Fan w/ Sealed Motor HVM18$79.99
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US Stove 36/55 Gal Cast Iron Barrel Stove Kit BSK1000$44.99
Heavy-duty cast-iron for increased durability. The cast iron barrel stove kits by United States Stove Company are an affordable alternative for economical heat required in small places like a garage, cabin, or ski lodge. All components are made from sturdy cast iron and are easily adapted to a 36 or 55 gallon steel drum by any handyman or do-it-yourselfer. Round 6" flue. Barrel Not Included.Learn More
US Stove Shaker Grate 40257$79.97
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Fimco High Flo 2.1 GPM Sprayer Pump 5275087$42.93
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US Stove Shaker Grate Frame 40256$94.97Shaker Grate frame for wood and coal furnaces, part number 40256. For units: 1300, 1500, 1537, 1557, 1557M, 22AF. Learn More
Powerbuilt 4000 lb. Triple Lift Floor Jack 620422$99.98
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- Coverage Area: Up to 400 square feet
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|Recent News | Archives | Tags | About | Newsletter | Submit News | Links | Subscribe
Snakes improve search-and-rescue robots (1/24/2012)
Designing an all-terrain robot for search-and-rescue missions is an arduous task for scientists. The machine must be flexible enough to move over uneven surfaces, yet not so big that it's restricted from tight spaces. It might also be required to climb slopes of varying inclines. Existing robots can do many of these things, but the majority require large amounts of energy and are prone to overheating. Georgia Tech researchers have designed a new machine by studying the locomotion of a certain type of flexible, efficient animal.
"By using their scales to control frictional properties, snakes are able to move large distances while exerting very little energy," said Hamid Marvi, a Mechanical Engineering Ph.D. candidate at Georgia Tech.
While studying and videotaping the movements of 20 different species at Zoo Atlanta, Marvi developed Scalybot 2, a robot that replicates rectilinear locomotion of snakes. He unveiled the robot this month at the Society for Integrative & Comparative Biology (SICB) annual meeting in Charleston, S.C.
"During rectilinear locomotion, a snake doesn't have to bend its body laterally to move," explained Marvi. "Snakes lift their ventral scales and pull themselves forward by sending a muscular traveling wave from head to tail. Rectilinear locomotion is very efficient and is especially useful for crawling within crevices, an invaluable benefit for search-and-rescue robots."
Scalybot 2 can automatically change the angle of its scales when it encounters different terrains and slopes. This adjustment allows the robot to either fight or generate friction. The two-link robot is controlled by a remote-controlled joystick and can move forward and backward using four motors.
"Snakes are highly maligned creatures," said Joe Mendelson, curator of herpetology at Zoo Atlanta. "I really like that Hamid's research is showing the public that snakes can help people."
Marvi's advisor is David Hu, an assistant professor in the Schools of Mechanical Engineering and Biology. Hu and his research team are primarily focused on animal locomotion. They've studied how dogs and other animals shake water off their bodies and how mosquitos fly through rainstorms.
This isn't the first time Hu's lab has looked at snake locomotion. Last summer the team developed Scalybot 1, a two-link climbing robot that replicates concertina locomotion. The push-and-pull, accordion-style movement features alternating scale activity.
Note: This story has been adapted from a news release issued by the Georgia Institute of Technology
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Descendants of Charles Philipp and Caroline K. (Wolf) Greulich at a family gathering, probably in East Greenville, Pennsylvania, circa 1941/2.
Cite This Page:
Kristen Hocker, "Greulich Family (c 1941/2)," /genealogy the genealogy & family research site of Kris Hocker, modified 12 Aug 2010 (http://www.krishocker.com/galleries/family-photos/greulich-family-photos/greulichs/ : accessed 31 Jul 2015).
Content copyright © 2010 Kristen Hocker. Please do not copy without prior permission, attribution, and link back to this page.


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Yahoo! survey
1 Yahoo! survey Articles
Aishwarya Rai Bachchan voted as best dressed star on the red carpet!3 years ago 0
But Aish isn't the only one who got recognised for her sense of style. A list of B-town actors including Hrithik Roshan, Amitabh Bachchan, Vidya… Read Article ▶
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|12 posts found
Novice Member
Joined: 5/12/10
We havent heard from him in ages (computer term ages lol). I guess even he didnt see it anymore in the company of HI. Lol! Dont blame him! But seriously, anyone have news?
Login or Register to never see this panel
No, he is just in hiding. His customers are demanding some answers and he cannot lie to placate the situation any longer- His credibility is nil.
MasterMetz (and the other scammers involved in this "game") have been promising new content (and the unfinished content would be finished) since the day this "game released" , nearly a Year ago- In that time, they have promised the World, made excuse after excuse and just pushed the date back.
They have not had even a small patch in six months and they have even stopped making promises.
They are hoping everyone will go away...
-We wont.
HI makes more products than just Gods and Heroes and any potential customer of these sammers should be warned about this company.
Mastrr Metz has not quit, but HI is going down the tubes and soon the whole team will be out of work- Serves them right. Shady companies need to fall and this is (by far) the shadiest.
Sorry for the double post...
No, Metz did not quit. He came here a second ago (on a different thread) and commented that they are all working hard, have a skilled team and are positioning Gods and Heroes to be Epic (some such nonsense and a copy/paste of the January announcment)
He also said we should not expect things done "OVERNIGHT"- And I fully understand this. I mean. hey we did have a patch six months ago, and did have an announcment 3 and a half months ago (the last announcment)- I guess I am just having really high expectations here. =P
I wish he would comment on the thread on the official forum... The one here was deleted because I guess I was rude =/
I just dont understand the whole "Overnight" comment and wanted some clarification. Does "Overnight" mean we will have crafting and an auction house in 10 years (enough time?) or be able to use the gear in game that we cannot since the level cap is STILL 30? I thought the content was ready to release 10 monts ago (just needed "polish") then was going to be ready in October... Then the devs laughed about not having anything done as they drank Beer on Dev Chat.
-Just a wee bit confused here why that post was deleted....
Apprentice Member
Joined: 9/27/10
think its a real shame about this game..its actually quite good to a point.but i dont think Metz is the one to blame here..but when yur in the driving seat you take the flack.i seem to be a magnet for these types of games.first vanguard then this.i would say just have patience and see what happens(if anything).gt feel sorry for the lifers though,that sux.
Originally posted by kevjards
At this point the problem is less about the game and more about the silence... No update in half a year, none of the promises have surfaced and there is nothing but silence...
Matz can come here and post (he did but it was deleted) but cannot post anything on the Forum.
Plus, watch the last dev chat- They laughed about no new content... One dev said "nothing is coming this month" and the room burst into laughter... A diffrent dev sais "Or next month" and everyone really busted up- Then the CEO said "Yeah, no content in the middle of this month, but it will be in the middle of A month, somettime" and the room erupts into laughter again.
This isnt about a company which tried and failed...This is about buisness ethic and the refusal to answer simple questions on their forum.
-This was the last Dev chat from October (the last Patch was also October) and ts been silent since...Do you think its funny they have no new content and no ETA? And they have been totally silent since?
Apprentice Member
Joined: 9/27/10
Originally posted by SaintPhilip
no i would'nt think it was funny..i know what its like..when playing vanguard we didnt get a patch in over a year or any information off sony at the time.i bought G&H myself..although not the lifetime and i,m pissed off with whats happened with the game.but i do wish all you guys who are still there the best of luck and hopefully something happens for you guys,btw is it still f2p?
Novice Member
Joined: 6/10/11
He appreaed at the end of the thread asking abolut the future of the game to close and lock it.
If they were still in the transition to F2P, it would be nice to update the people waiting with specifics. As of now it looks like people tossing money into a pit. It's odd that they decide to say so much one day and go totally silent the next. I wonder if they even know what they are doing.
At this point it is starting to reek of stall tactics to justify people coughing up 200 dollars so they don't get burned on a class action down the road. I guess the defense could be "Hey we lasted longer than Hellgate"
[mod edit]
Well I hold out hope only for the people who put their time and money into the game hoping for the promises which have been 90% undelivered. If HI is not going to put any effort into it, maybe they can sell it to one of these other companies with provisions that the lifetime subbers get some kind of hookup. It isn't the best case scenario by far but better than watching the drawn out death we are witnessing now.
Novice Member
Joined: 8/30/11
Associate Producer - Heatwave Interactive - Gods and Heroes: Rome Rising
I've spoken with our CEO and you guys can expect a State of the Republic on the state of the game sometime next week. I will be sure to update all of you when it becomes available.
Thats great Master Mets- Thank you.
Its too bad this had to be taken to this point to get some kind of communication. I would have thought the thread that sat for 21 days on the Official Forum would have been responded to (or the plethora of other threads asking for some communication)- It wasnt. This had to be taken to OTHER PUBIC Forums, Facebook, etc and alot of drama which could/should have been avoided.
I think you should probably make this announcment on the Official Forum as well (there is some confusion there since you locked my thread without answering anything- Someone has started a new thread wondering why) to let your current customers who do not frequesnt this forum know there is GOING TO BE a State of the Republic (with perhaps an ETA).
I think you should avoid the line "Cannot do things overnight" since its been six months since any patch or update (a very small patch) has been released and (we were told) the content has been ready for about 10 months and "need polish".
This all came about due to HI's utter and complete disregard for its playerbase- It never should have come to this. I canno wait to hear about "the State of the Republic" and find out what you gys have been working on for the last yearm how "polished" and close to release it is, and what the Future of Gods and Heroes is.
Hard Core Member
Joined: 7/02/11
Maybe he's pulling a McQuaid?
Novice Member
Joined: 7/16/11
I thought it sounded ominous ( I however know nothing about the game, it's history or situation)
Originally posted by kevjards
Sorry, I missed your post on my first reading and did not answer you-
I didnt mean to imply that YOU would think its funny. But the Devs and CEO (those who made and sold the game) DO think its funny. I was floored when I watched the Video (link above) where they laugh hystericly and make jokes about not having the promised content finished.
I wasnt kidding- They are asjked "Are we still on track for the October update"
DEV says "Nope. Its not going to be this month" and the entire room breaks out in laughter like there is an inside joke here.
Across the table a diffrent DEV said "- Or neext Month" and the Laugh track goes on
Then the CEO jokes about it saying "It wont be in the middle of this Month but it will be the middle of A month. Sometime"
This wold be like having a Video of Smed laughing at the fools who pay for Vangard (I am sure this happened in private) along with the Dev team cracking jokes about no new content.
-While swigging Beer.
-The Video speaks for itself (link above)
I wll reiterate again, I am not angr about the game failing to deliver- Anything. I am out like $20 or so (not a big deal)- I am angry at the silence and the attitude of the company and the Devs who have lauged at us on tap[e and then ignored us for the last six months.
EDIT: Ignore my insane spelling errors- I type fast and rely on spellcheck to find typos...My browser cannot spellcheck this site (evidently) and I am not a proof reading kina guy - I just look for the RED lines lol =)


text:
The system and method of the present invention optically transmits redundant packets of data using infrared signals at pseudo-random intervals to allow a receiver to distinguish between multiple simultaneous sources. The emitters repeatedly transmit a short packet at randomized intervals much shorter than the frame rate. Statistical analysis shows that the probability of collision of the desired packet with a packet from some other source is sufficiently low such that timely reception of at least one uncorrupted packet in the required time frame is assured.
1. A method of detecting and preventing vehicle collision between at least two vehicles, one vehicle being a leading vehicle, and another being the trailing vehicle, the method comprising the steps of:
providing an infrared emitter at the rear of the leading vehicle so as to communicate data to at least the trailing vehicle behind it;
providing an infrared receiver at the front of a trailing vehicle so as to receive data from at least the leading vehicle;
providing radio frequency emitters in close proximity to the vehicles that transmit data about vehicle's position;
providing an on-board computer for regularly gathering the vehicle's velocity and vehicle's position;
transmitting velocity and position data from the infrared emitter of the leading vehicle;
receiving data at the receiver of the trailing vehicle;
calculating, at the wailing vehicle, the distance from the leading vehicle to the trailing vehicle; and
predicting whether a collision will occur based on the distance calculated and the current velocity of the trailing vehicle.
2. The method of
3. The method of
4. A method of optical communication of data from a first object to a second object out of a plurality of objects, the method comprising the steps of:
providing a wireless emitter at the first object;
providing a wireless receiver at the second object;
determining a frame rate, the frame rate being a time limit by which a data packet must be successfully transmitted from the first object to the second object;
repeatedly transmitting the data packet at random intervals substantially shorter than the frame rate from the wireless emitter;
reading each data packet received at the receiver;
rejecting data packets tat have been corrupted; and
analyzing the remaining data packets to see if they are intended for the second object based upon the applicability of at least a portion of the contents of the data packet.
5. The method of
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15. A method of optical communication of data from a first object to a second object om of a plurality of objects, the method comprising the steps of:
providing a wireless emitter at the first object;
providing a wireless receiver at the second object;
determining a frame rate, the frame rate being a time limit by which a data packet must be successfully transmitted from to first object to the second object;
repeatedly transmitting the data packet at random intervals substantially shorter than the frame rate from the wireless emitter;
reading each data packet received at the receiver;
rejecting data packets that have been corrupted; and
analyzing the remaining data packets to see if they are intended for the second object based upon applicability, and not based upon an address that is unique to each object.
16. The method of
17. The method of
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23. The method of
24. A method of optical communication of data from a first object to a second object out of a plurality of objects, the method comprising the steps of:
providing each of the plurality of objects with an optical emitter for transmitting and an optical receiver for receiving data;
determining a frame rate, the frame rate being a time limit by which a data packet must be successfully transmitted from a first object to a second object;
repeatedly transmitting the data packet at random intervals substantially shorter than the frame rate from the optical emitter, the data packet containing information about the state or the first object;
reading each data packet received at the receiver of the second object;
rejecting data packets that have been corrupted; and
comparing the information about the state of the first object from within the data packet with the state of the second object and determining if the data packet is intended for the second object based upon the relative states of the first and second objects.
25. The method of
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1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to optical networking. More particularly, the invention relates to a system and method of optical networking among multiple simultaneous transmitters and receivers.
2. General Background and State of the Art
There are many applications where digitally-encoded information must be transmitted in a timely and reliable fashion between stationary to stationary, stationary to mobile, or mobile to mobile systems. Optical carriers, usually of infrared wavelength, or radio frequency signals are often used for communication in such applications where wired connections are impractical. Due to the inherently different properties of both optical and radio frequency signals, the use of one type of signal may be appropriate in applications where others are not.
For example, optical signals require that objects in communication have a clear line of sight between each other. Radio frequency signals, on the other hand, do not require communicating objects have a direct line of sight. Radio frequency signals can easily move around objects and pass through walls, etc. However, radio frequency signals are not easily constrained to a localized area and therefore easily interfere with nearby areas which also may be utilizing radio frequency transmission.
Optical signals have not traditionally been used for communication in applications where objects are moving, or more particularly where there are multiple transmitters and receivers moving in the same area, because a direct line of sight between transmitter and receiver cannot always be guaranteed. Systems composed of a single transmitter and one or more receivers are more straightforward in that there are no competing interference sources to the transmitted signal. However, in instances where there may be many possible transmitters in optical view of many receivers, then interference of light from one to another may result in overlapped packets, and the receiver not being able to distinguish valid data from one or more of these transmitters within a required time frame. The receiver then cannot decipher good data from any of them.
Radio frequency methods can of course, be applied to the problem of multiple simultaneous emitters and receivers, however all communicating sites must potentially be covered resulting in a much larger required bandwidth, complex multiplexing schemes and potential for interference which, essentially, further increases the required bandwidth and complexity to maintain an effective data rate.
There have been several prior art approaches to the general problem of multiple optical emitters and receivers sharing one environment without interference.
One method employed is a type of space-division multiplexing as is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 6,008,923 to Samdahl et al. wherein an array of relatively narrow transmit beams are accessible to multiple client nodes in the same space. The transmitters are typically stationary and are directed to not overlap. Therefore, this solution is not applicable to situations in which the transmitters and receivers may be moving independently of each other.
U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,818,617, 5,745,272, 5,633,742 and 5,062,151 to Shipley attempt to address the problem of communicating with and locating personnel in a large facility. Personnel wear portable transmitters and desire maximum battery life. This system avoids the effects of interference of transmitters by timing the transmission of data packets. The timing of transmission of each data packet is based on a clock circuit which uses a RC time base. The natural jitter of the clock causes successive packet transmissions to vary in time such that if packets from two transmitters were sent at the same time, it is very unlikely that they would transmit their next packets at the same time. The discrete, custom circuit design emphasizes power efficiency vs. off the shelf component capable design, and deals with cases of two conflicting transmitters for item or person tracking as opposed to multiple simultaneous moving transmitters and receivers.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,819,008 describes a mobile robot sensor system whereby transmitting/receiving units are mounted on the periphery of each of a number of mobile robots. The robots receive data from other surrounding robots or reflections of their own signals in order to avoid collisions. All of the transmitters on each robot send its identification, direction of motion and speed. Each robot can compute if it is on a collision path with another robot using the ID of which of its 8 sensors received a signal from which of another robots 8 sensors (64 combinations) and the associated direction and speed information. (Although the encoding of which of the 8 transmitters is sending the data is not made clear in the patent.) Each bit of data transmission is represented by three pulses. The first is always ON (probably a carrier frequency pulse train though not described in the patent), the second is the data (ON or OFF) and the third is always OFF. Thus valid groups of bits are 100 and 110. Invalid groups (indicating interference) would be 101 and 111. Overlap between groups received from two different transmitters could result in a valid group becoming invalid and thus discarded. A data packet would consist of many of these bit groups.
There seem to be several problems with this method. One is that it is possible for two packets to overlap with no interference detected but only one of the packets properly recovered. If the packets happen to be transmitted in synch periodically, then during these periods, no data would be received from the second transmitter, which could result in a collision. The second problem is that, assuming a ON pulse consists of many cycles of a carrier signal, then the overlap of slightly out of phase ON pulses from two different transmitters could cause the first ON pulse to be ignored by the receiver (since it might look like a continuously ON light) and thus look like a 0 when a 1 is really sent. Another problem with this method is that it is non-deterministic, meaning there is no guarantee that a data packet is received within a specified time frame. This is important in applications where data must be transmitted and received in limited amounts of time.
Finally, U.S. Pat. No. 5,946,118 describes a method for collision detection of transmitted infrared data to meet the needs of a CSMA/CD (IEEE 802.3) communications system. Data is transmitted by using two different wavelengths, one for 1's and the other for 0's. A receiver is included with each transmitter which receives IR signals both from its own transmitter as well as others. A collision is detected when the energy level of either wavelength exceed a threshold value at the same time its own output should be off. Transmitters wait a random backoff time to retransmit a packet if upon the first attempt, an associated receiver detects a collision from some other transmitter in the same medium. This method, however, requires a receiver at each transmitter and that both contain two sets of LED's, PIN diodes and filters to distinguish the two wavelengths.
It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide a means of reliable wireless communication of digital data between simultaneous moving and nonmoving objects.
The system and method of the present invention involves optically transmitting redundant packets of data using infrared signals at pseudo-random intervals to allow a receiver to distinguish between multiple simultaneous sources. The emitters repeatedly transmit a short packet at randomized intervals much shorter than the frame rate. The frame rate is defined as the amount of time by which data must be successfully transmitted from an emitter to a receiver. The frame rate is determined by the application. Statistical analysis shows that the probability of collision of the desired packet with a packet from some other source is sufficiently low such that timely reception of at least one uncorrupted packet in the required time frame (frame rate) is assured. Packet collision causes errors in the received data, detectable by the receiver when compared with a checksum included with the data. The high redundancy of emitted data also aids in reception in poor environmental conditions.
Each receiver receives packets from many emitters. The packets received are checked for errors. If they are found to be corrupted, they are thrown away. Complete/good packets are accepted and analyzed to see what receiver it was intended for. The packet may, for example, contain an address. The packets can also be identified based on the information it contains as being intended for the receiver. Each receiver only pays attention to data that is intended for it, and throws away data intended for other receivers.
The period between reception of good data packets from any particular transmitter is dependent on the transmission bit rate, length of packets, the minimum random time between their transmission and the maximum number of transmitters which may be in range of a receiver at any time. The effective data rate, that is, the minimum number of bytes of data expected to be received per second (which is lower than what would be obtained with simple, direct transmission at the base rate without interference) is derived from these parameters which must be designed to meet the required rate of a particular application.
Operating characteristics of the system of the present invention are furthermore a function of the optical power of the emitters, sensitivity of the receivers/optics which determine the distance at which receivers will reliably obtain data from transmitters. The system will not pass through bad data due to marginal reception conditions.
The system and method of the present invention solves the problem in the art of transmitting data to simultaneously moving and non-moving emitters and receivers by requiring each transmitter to send short packets of data redundantly, at randomized intervals such that the probability of receiving at least one non-overlapped packet within some specified minimum interval is close to 1.
The present invention is particularly suited for a situation where a object, such as a vehicle, is only interested in communicating with other vehicles which are in close proximity to it and not to the entire set of vehicles. A receiver discards corrupted packets and is equally likely to receive good packets from all of the transmitters in view. Each vehicle's receiver selects only the packets which are intended for it and sends on such packets to an associated computer in order to identify and process the information in the packets.
One application of this type of communication is in amusement park rides or automobiles where a vehicle needs to obtain information such as position and speed of the vehicle(s) ahead to avoid collisions.
As mentioned above, one application for the optical data communication method of the present invention is to provide communications directly between vehicles for purposes of maintaining distance and required closing speed. In an exemplary embodiment of the present invention, a speedway ride system utilizes the optical data communication method of the present invention to communicate speed from each leading vehicle to the vehicle behind it so that the vehicles do not collide with each other.
The speedway racing system comprises a plurality of vehicles operated by guests traveling simultaneously on a plurality of tracks. It is desired to prevent guests from colliding with other vehicles, since collisions can cause injuries. Collisions can be avoided by ensuring that the speed of a vehicle is not sufficiently fast to catch up to the vehicle ahead of it and hit it. Such collisions can be detected and prevented if each vehicle knows the speed of the vehicle ahead of it, as well as the distance to the vehicle ahead of it. The distance is computed from the difference of its own position on the track and the received position of the leading vehicle.
Therefore, in an exemplary embodiment of the present invention, it is desired that each vehicle transmits its position on the track and its velocity to the vehicle directly behind it on the same track. The trailing vehicle then makes calculations based on its own position on the track and its current velocity to detect whether or not it will collide with the vehicle ahead of it. Based on these calculations, the on-board computer may prevent the guest from increasing the speed of the vehicle, or take necessary measures to avoid a collision.
Referring more particularly to the drawings, an exemplary embodiment of the speedway system in accordance with present invention is illustrated in
Each vehicle is further outfitted with an on-board computer. The on-board computer regularly communicates the vehicle's current velocity and position data to the optical transmitter for transmission to the trailing vehicle. Each vehicle's velocity is derived from an encoder or tachometer in communication with the engine of the vehicle. The on-board computer is also responsible for processing data received at the receiver from other vehicles.
As vehicles move around the track, they regularly transmit data including vehicle velocity and position, intended for the vehicle behind it, in order to prevent collisions. The trailing vehicle may be directly behind at a relatively short distance, or may be at an angle to the right or the left up to 25 feet away. Also, several vehicles may be in range of the transmitting vehicle at any time, including vehicles on separate tracks. Therefore, each vehicle may receive information from several other vehicles besides the vehicle directly ahead of it.
For example, on track 10 of
The table below shows the desired infrared communication vs. the actual infrared reception for the vehicles shown in
In one embodiment of the present invention, each receiver determines what data it should pay attention to based upon position. For example, each vehicle only pays attention to data from the vehicle on the same track closest to it. The vehicle position may be obtained from a variety of sources, however in an exemplary embodiment, vehicle position is obtained from a radio frequency ID tag reader subsystem. The speedway tracks have radio frequency tags which are positioned at regular distances, perhaps every few feet, along the track. In one embodiment of the present invention, the radio frequency tags are embedded in or underneath the track such that the vehicles pass over the tags. The vehicle reads each radio frequency tag as it passes over them. The tag responds to radio frequency energy emitted by the vehicle's RFID reader by sending data representing track position and lane number, since there may be a plurality of tracks or lanes to consider.
Therefore, in one particular embodiment of the present invention, data is directed towards specific vehicles based on each vehicles position relative to another. In the speedway system of the present invention, and similar applications, each vehicle can deterministically infer the address of the emitter it needs to receive from because its data shows that it its coming from the vehicle immediately ahead and on the same track as the receiver. However, other methods may be used to direct data to the right object. In other embodiments, each vehicle or object may have a fixed address, and data packets each include the address of the object it is intended for. There are certain disadvantages to this method, however. This method requires that each object know the identity of the object it desires to send data to. This would not be convenient when directed towards applications such as the speedway system, since the order of each vehicle could never change.
Each vehicle regularly collects its own velocity and position data and packages the data into discrete data packets for transmission. In one embodiment of the present invention, each data packets consists of six bytes. The first byte is traditionally a header byte. Two position bytes comes next, which represent the vehicle's position. One position byte represents the track or lane that the vehicle is traveling on, while the other byte represents the specific location of the vehicle on the corresponding track. The vehicle's velocity is transmitted in another byte. Finally, two bits are used for error checking. In this embodiment, two cyclic redundancy check (CRC) bytes are used. Of course, other methods of error checking such as parity or a checksum could also be used. The general idea is that the transmitter calculates and transmits a value and the receiver performs the same calculations and compares the result with the check value. This ensures that all data has been received correctly, without errors, and is an important feature of the present invention.
As mentioned earlier, the system and method of the present invention optically transmits redundant packets of data using infrared signals at pseudo-random intervals to allow a receiver to distinguish between multiple simultaneous sources. The emitters repeatedly transmit a short packet at randomized intervals much shorter than the frame rate. Statistical analysis shows that the probability of collision of the desired packet with a packet from some other source is sufficiently low such that timely reception of at least one uncorrupted packet in the required time frame is assured.
Therefore, each vehicle may receive a data packet many times in an incomplete or corrupted form. It is the job of the receiver to analyze each received packet to ensure that it has been received properly. If the packet has been corrupted, it is thrown out. Only data packets that are received properly are kept and analyzed further. If the receiver receives a complete and uncorrupted data packet, it then checks to see if this data packet is intended for this receiver.
As mentioned earlier, in this embodiment of the present invention, this is determined by comparing the position data of the data packet with the position data of the receiving vehicle to see if they are in close proximity. For example, vehicle A wants to transmit its velocity and position data to vehicle B, which is following it on the same track. Due to the nature of infrared signals, not only vehicle B, but vehicles C and D are likely to receive data that is sent from vehicle A's infrared emitter. Vehicles on other tracks are also likely to receive vehicle A's signals, such as vehicles D and E. Similarly, vehicle B is also simultaneously transmitting its velocity and position information to vehicle C behind it. Likewise, vehicle D wants to transmit its velocity and position information to vehicle E behind it on track 12.
Therefore, it is up to each vehicle to accept only the data for which it is intended. Vehicles B, C, D and E each must decide if they pay attention to the data packet they received from vehicle A. This is done by reading the received data packet, evaluating the position information contained within the packet, and comparing with its own position information. For example, vehicle D can clearly ignore the data it receives from vehicle A, since the position information from vehicle A shows that it is on a completely different track. For vehicles, B and C, the decision is not so clear.
Since vehicle B is also transmitting its own position and velocity information to the vehicle behind it, vehicle C is likely receiving data from both vehicles A and B. Vehicle C must decide which data to pay attention to. This is accomplished by comparing the position data for received packets, and paying attention to whatever is closest. A receiver/host computer can select data from any transmitter or group of transmitters at any time and discard what is not required.
An exemplary embodiment of an infrared emitter in accordance with the present invention is shown in
An exemplary embodiment of an infrared receiver in accordance with the present invention is shown in
The infrared receiver must be able to operate reliably at receive angles of as much as 45 degrees off axis from line of sight to the transmitter. The emitter must simultaneously be up to 15 degrees off axis and still be received. This information must also be transmitted in all weather conditions including low sun angles, fog, and rain.
Other infrared emitters and receivers may be used in practicing the present invention.
An exemplary approach to how to determine what conditions should be used in accordance with the present invention is now described.
In the exemplary speedway system of the present invention, each data packet contains six bytes. In
The rate at which data is transmitted is another variable that effects the outcome of the present invention. Infrared data is commonly transmitted at 115,000 bits per second. Other common data transmission rates are shown in
As has been discussed thus far, in the exemplary speedway embodiment of the present invention the frame period, or the required time in which data must be successfully transmitted and received, is 50 msec. This is also just an example and is not intended to be limiting. The frame period is highly dependent on the nature of the application and environmental conditions. For the speedway system, the frame period needs to be sufficiently short so as to ensure that data is being received in time to control the ride vehicle's speed. For other applications, it may not be necessary that data is transmitted in such a short time, and therefore, the frame period can be larger. The frame period is denoted as Tf.
The subframe period, or maximum period of time between transmission of data packets, is also a variable that is considered when determining the parameters of a system in accordance with the present invention. In the exemplary speedway embodiment, the subframe period is 6 msec. The subframe period is denoted as Ts.
The number of interference sources must also be considered when determining the parameters that should be followed in practicing the present invention. In the present example, the number of interference sources is 4. In general, the larger the number of sources trying to communicate at one time, the higher the probability of interference.
Taking these variables into consideration, one can easily calculate the packet period Tpp, or the amount of time to transmit a single data packet. The table shown in
Although the number of packets per frame may vary through a wide range, the average over many frames is a constant. Thus the problem becomes one of the random distribution of a fixed number of packets into a fixed number of time slots per source. We desire to know the probability that every packet from one source within a frame will be overlapped by a packet from another source (the fault mode) and then extend this to the number of such faults over the course of the entire ride. We would like this probability to be very low.
The probability of a fault occurring in every subframe can be calculated using the following equation.
The calculated probabilities for the various transmission rates using this equation is shown in
These equations are not intended to be limiting. There are many other variations on the above listed equations which may be used to calculate the probability of a fault occurring.
For purposes of exemplary calculations, in one embodiment of the present invention, we assume that only one data packet is transmitted every subframe. We assume that packet transmission is aligned on exact Tf/Tpp time slots. In practice, packet transmission may however, be continuous and overlap by any number of bits. In this scenario, emitters output a maximum of one packet per subframe at a randomized time/position.
The probability of k interferences within one subframe is calculated using the following equation.
Using the above, equation, we can determine the probability of no interference from N−1 sources in one subframe, by substituting k=0.
Similarly, one can calculate the probability of a fault occurring in every subframe:
The above calculations used a predetermined or fixed number of subframes. We can also perform probability calculations with the number of subframes per frame as a variable. In these exemplary calculations, we assume a standard data transmission rate of 115,200 bits per second.
The subframe period is the number of packet periods per subframe period
The probability of a fault occurring in every subframe is
Using this exemplary equation, one can determine the optimal number of packets to transmit per subframe. For example, using the following numbers of packets per subframe, ranging from 4 to 24, the probability of a fault occurring, and also the number of frames per one fault, are calculated. The results are shown in the table below.
The results of these calculations are also plotted on the graph shown in
The period between reception of good data packets from any particular transmitter is therefore dependent on the transmission bit rate, length of packets, the minimum random time between their transmission and the maximum number of transmitters which may be in range of a receiver at any time. The effective data rate, that is, the minimum number of bytes of data expected to be received per second (which is lower than what would be obtained with simple, direct transmission at the base rate without interference) is derived from these parameters which must be designed to meet the required rate of a particular application.
In the instance that a good packet is not received within a frame time, the system's response may be to slow the vehicle until a good packet is received (probably only 50 msec later). More typically, the dynamics of the vehicle and its response to controls are such that the frame rate could be much longer than the 50 msec, shown in the example.
This way, multiple receivers and transmitters can coexist simultaneously in the same area. The number of transmitters that can coexist in the same area is limited. The number of transmitters is limited by the probability calculation based on frame rate, packet size and bit rate. However, the number of receivers is unlimited since each one receives all of the transmitted packets (some overlap and are discarded) but selects only those with desired identifying information.
Many other applications exist for the optical data communication system and method of the present invention. For example, the speedway ride application described in the present application could extend to automated highways of the future where vehicles are automatically spaced so that collisions do not occur.
The present invention could be used to allow automated machines or robots to communicate with each other. For example, the present invention could be implemented in manufacturing. Manufacturing robots may receive data from the items they are working on or bins of parts in an environment containing many robots, bins and assemblies.
The present application could also be used in applications where intelligent toys communicate to each other. Each toy might have a transmitter, a receiver or both and respond appropriately to changes in other toys. For instance, a number of talking toy characters, are all in the same environment but only appropriate pairs carry on conversations with each other. Their actions are synchronized by exchanging infrared data without interference by others carrying on simultaneous conversations. The simplicity of the hardware required allows sufficiently low cost for toy applications (among others).
Intelligent household appliances may similarly autonomously integrate their activities or respond in a unique way to each person who wears an infrared emitter integrated into a watch or badge. Identification badges worn by workers which communicate to time logging systems as well as work area equipment to automatically adjust the environment to match the worker's requirements or preferences or provide him with only the objects or data he needs. This could also be used to authorize him access to restricted computers, areas, etc.
In general, the present invention could be used in a number of applications where groups of objects want to communicate with each other. The present invention has been described in terms of selecting to receive data based on location. However, in other embodiments, receivers may choose to receive data based on a number of criteria, including applicability, timeliness, inference, etc.
The present invention is not limited to infrared communications. The same principals can be used with any wavelength of light, if appropriate for the application. Infrared signals are typically used because receivers are more immune from interference from visible light sources and so people cannot see the light transmissions.
This concept of avoidance of interference between sources at the same transmitting frequency would also work for radio based system where all the transmitters were at the same frequency. Each transmitter would have to be able to turn its carrier on only during randomized intervals of data transmission. Time for receivers to lock onto this carrier would have to be taken into account in calculating net data throughput. Transmitter power, receiver sensitivity and locality of receivers and transmitters as well as other interference sources would need to be considered in a way similar to optical applications.
In closing it is to be understood that the embodiments disclosed herein are illustrative of the principals of the invention. Other modifications may be employed which are within the scope of the invention. Accordingly, the present invention is not limited to that precisely shown and described in the present specification.
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