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A communication network having a meet-me conference bridge is disclosed. The conference is accessed by each conferee dialing a code assigned to the bridge. A conference host is given a special code which accesses the same bridge but identifies the host as the controller who can add on other conferees and perform other special functions.
1. For use in a communication network having a conference arrangement, a plurality of customer stations, and switching means for interconnecting said customer stations with said conference arrangement to form a conference, said conference arrangement comprising
a conference bridge having a plurality of ports each being connectable to a corresponding one of said stations,
receiver means effective when coupled to one of said stations for controlling said conference, and
coupling means responsive to the receipt of a first code from a calling one of said stations for coupling said calling station to said bridge and responsive to the receipt of a second code from another of said stations for coupling said other station to said bridge and to said receiver means.
2. The arrangement of claim 1 wherein said coupling means comprises means for ascertaining if said receiver means is connected to any of said stations coupled to said bridge before connecting said receiver means to said other station.
3. The arrangement of claim 1 wherein said receiver means comprises means operable to receive signals from said other station for transmittal to said coupling means, and wherein said coupling means includes means responsive to signals from said receiver means for coupling still other of said stations to said bridge.
4. For use in a communication network having a meet-me conference arrangement, a plurality of customer stations, and switching means for interconnecting said customer stations with said conference arrangement to form a conference, said conference arrangement comprising
a conference bridge having a plurality of conference ports each connectable to a corresponding one of said stations,
receiver means effective when coupled to one of said stations for controlling said conference, and
coupling means responsive to the receipt of a first code from a first calling one of said stations for coupling said first calling station to a first one of said ports independent of said receiver means and responsive to the receipt of a second code from a second calling one of said stations for coupling said second station to said receiver means and to a second one of said ports.
5. The arrangement of claim 4 wherein said receiver means comprises means operable to receive signals from said customer stations for transmittal to said coupling means, and wherein said coupling means includes means responsive to signals from said receiver means for coupling other ones of said stations to said bridge.
6. For use in a communication system having a conference arrangement, a plurality of customer stations, and switching means for interconnecting said customer stations with said conference arrangement to form a conference, said conference arrangement comprising
a time-slot interchange connected to said switching means,
a conference bridge having a plurality of ports each connected to said time-slot interchange;
a signal receiver system having a plurality of signal receivers each connected to said time-slot interchange, and
a processor connected to said switching means and operable for controlling said time-slot interchange,
said processor responsive to a first code received from a first one of said customer stations for causing said time-slot interchange to interconnect said first one of said stations with one of said ports and responsive to a second code received from a second one of said stations for causing said time-slot interchange to interconnect said second one of said stations with one of said signal receivers and another of said ports, and
said one of said signal receivers comprising means responsive to coded signals transmitted from said second customer station for signaling said processor to add other customer stations to said bridge.
7. For use in a communication network having a plurality of conference bridges, a plurality of customer stations, and switching means for interconnecting said stations with said bridges to form a conference, a method for providing customer control of a meet-me conference comprising the steps of:
initiating meet-me conference calls from said customer stations by transmitting from each customer station a bridge location code and an access code,
routing the calls to the bridge identified by the bridge location code,
transmitting the access code to the identified bridge,
identifying the access code transmitted for each call routed to the bridge,
detecting when a host access code is received from a station for coupling the station to the bridge and to receiver apparatus for controlling the conference, and
detecting when a conferee access code is received from other ones of said stations for coupling said other stations to the bridge independent of said receiver apparatus.
8. The method of claim 7 wherein the step of detecting when a host access code is received comprises the step of ascertaining when certain of said stations have each transmitted the host access code and connecting the receiver apparatus to only one of said certain stations transmitting the host access code.
This invention relates to communication systems and particularly to conference arrangements and method in which a plurality of customers establish a meet-me conference by simultaneously dialing an access code at a prearranged time.
In a communication network, it is often desirable to provide conferencing service whereby a plurality of customers who are geographically separated can engage a conference bridge to exchange information. The information can be exchanged in the form of voice messages over telephone lines coupled to an audio bridge or the customers can exchange data via a data bridge. One such combined audio and data conference arrangement is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,475,189 issued to D. E. Herr, R. Metz, L. E. Suk, P. R. Wiley and D. F. Winchell on Oct. 2, 1984.
While the Herr et al. arrangement has proven commercial success, it is essentially a dial-up system whereby the conference host or originator seizes control of the conference bridge and summons each of the conferees by dialing a respective station address. Thus, where a large conference is to be established, the burden of dialing all the conferees is on the host of the conference.
Other arrangements known as "meet-me" conference arrangements are utilized by having each conferee dial the address of the conference bridge at a prearranged agreed upon time. One such conference arrangement is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 3,144,518 issued to B. D. Lummis on Aug. 11, 1964.In the Lummis patent, each leg of a conference is assigned to an individual terminal on a connector switch. By dialing the directory number assigned to the conference bridge, each conferee can establish a voice connection to a corresponding leg of the bridge.
While the Lummis and similar meet-me conference arrangements are suitable for their intended purpose, each conferee has equal status on the conference, i.e., there is no controller, and there are no special service provisions such as the ability to add on new conferees, etc.
The foregoing problem is solved and a technical advance is achieved by a conference arrangement and method for coupling customer stations to a conference bridge in response to a code received from each customer station. The conference arrangement is used in a communication network having a switch for interconnecting customer stations with the conference arrangement to form a conference. The conference arrangement includes a bridge having a plurality of ports each connectable to a corresponding one of the stations. In response to a first code from a calling station, a coupler included in the arrangement couples the calling station to the bridge. In response to a second access code from another station, the coupler couples the other station to the bridge and a receiver system. The receiver system is used to control the conference such as adding still other stations, transferring control to another station, etc.
In response to a request for conference service in one illustrative embodiment, a epecial access code for the conference host is assigned, and a separate code for the other conferees is assigned to access the conference bridge which provides the conference facilities. At a prearranged time, all the conferees except the conference host dial the code assigned to the conferees while the host dials the special access code. The equipment associated with the conference bridge responds to the special access code and couples the appropriate control equipment to the host's line. Thereafter, the host can actuate the control equipment to control the conference's special services, such as adding other conferees to the conference bridge in a dial-up mode, transferring control to another conferee, etc.
In accordance with one feature of the invention, the coupler includes a processor for ascertaining when the receiver system is coupled to any of the stations before coupling the receiver system to another station.
In accordance with another feature of the invention, the receiver system includes individual receivers to receive signals from the stations for transmittal to the coupler. In addition, the coupler includes a processor responsive to the signals received from the receiver system for causing a time-slot interchange to couple still other of the stations to the conference bridge.
In accordance with still another feature of the invention, the conference arrangement is a meet-me conference arrangement for establishing meet-me conferences.
In accordance with yet another feature of the invention, the method includes initiating a meet-me conference by each customer station transmitting a bridge location code and an access code and routing each customer station to the bridge identified by the bridge location code. The access code from each customer station is then transmitted to the identified bridge for coupling the station to the bridge when the access code is a conferee access code. When the access code is a host access code, the customer station is coupled to the bridge and to a receiver system for controlling the meet-me conference.
In accordance with still yet another feature of the invention, the method includes ascertaining when a plurality of host access codes have been transmitted and only coupling the receiver system to only one of the stations.
FIG. 1 is a block diagram of a telecommunications network having a switching system equipped with conferencing facilities;
FIG. 2 is a detailed block diagram of a portion of the audio bridge of the conference facility;
FIG. 3 is a detailed block diagram of a portion of the control equipment for the conference facility; and
FIGS. 4-6 show flow diagrams depicting the sequence of operations in establishing a meet-me conference.
The general organization of a system employing the invention is illustrated in the block diagram of FIG. 1 which shows a telecommunications network including a toll switching system 102 which serves local telephone central offices 103 and 104. Each of local offices 104 and 103 contains a switching system for providing telephone service to customer such as stations 105 and 106, respectively. Connected to system 102 and office 103 is teleconferencing operator support system 161 serving operator position 137. Also connected to switching system 102 is a plurality of network services complexes such as 100.
Complex 100 includes a main processor system 140, data store system 125, audio bridge system 128 (also shown in FIG. 2), data bridge system 135, tone receiver system 138 (also shown in FIG. 3), and other units. As later described, one of the functions of complex 100 is to provide conferencing with announcements and instructions to customers over the telephone network via the toll switching system and local offices.
Toll system 102 is a typical switching system, such as the electronic switch described in detail in The Bell System Technical Journal, Vol. 56, No. 7, September 1977, and need not be fully described herein for the reader to understand the present invention.
System 102 comprises switching network 107, central processor 108, voice interface unit 109, digroup terminal unit 110, signal processors 111 and 112, attached processor system 160, and miscellaneous equipment units that have not been shown to simplify the drawing.
Network 107 has a time-space-time switching configuration utilizing time slot interchange (TSI) units 113-116, and time multiplexed switch (TMS) 117.
Access to network 107 is via serial pulse code modulation links each accommodating 120 voice channels. However, local offices 103 and 104 can be connected to toll system 102 via analog or digital transmission facilities. Thus, as seen in FIG. 1, local office 103 is connected to the toll system over digital facilities which terminate in digroup terminal unit 110, while local office 104 is connected via analog trunks to voice interface unit 109. Digroup terminal 110 performs the multiplexing and demultiplexing between the interoffice transmission facilities and network 107 and also communicates signaling information to central processor 108 via signal processor 112.
The analog trunks are terminated in a voice interface unit such as 109 whose principal function is analog-to-digital conversion (and vice versa) plus formatting digital data for the TSI units. Voice interface unit 109 communicates with the central processor via signal processor 111.
Signal processor 111 provides the scan, distribution, and digit reception tasks for analog trunks, while signal processor 112 performs the equivalent tasks for the digital trunks except that instead of physical scan and distribution points, the supervisory states of each trunk are stored in a memory in the signal processor.
The majority of the logic, control, storage and translation functions required for the operation of the toll switching system are performed by central processor 108. A typical processor suitable for use in the illustrative toll switching system is described in The Bell System Technical Journal, Vol. 56, No. 2, February 1977.
Processor 108 includes central control 118 which is the information processing unit of the system and executes the program instructions resident in program store 119 using the call processing data in call store 120. Central control 118 communicates with the peripheral units via bus 122.
Switching system 102 is also equipped with an attached processor system 160 which directly interfaces with central processor 108 and the input/output controller in each network services complex served by the switching system. Among its many functions, attached processor system 160 performs certain maintenance and administrative tasks for switching system 102. In addition, the attached processor system provides a means for exchanging data between the teleconference operator support system 161 and the many network services complexes. A typical processor suitable for use as the attached processor system 160 is the 3B20 computer manufactured by AT&T Technologies, Inc. and described in the January 1983 issue of The Bell System Technical Journal, Vol. 62, No. 1, Part II.
As mentioned above, interoffice signaling information is extracted from the transmission paths of analog and digital trunks by signal processors 111 and 112, respectively, and used by central control 118 for call processing. However, the signaling for certain trunks may be transmitted between the offices over a common data link separate from the transmission paths using a common channel interoffice signaling system. A typical common channel interoffice signaling system is described in The Bell System Technical Journal, Vol. 57, No. 2, dated February 1978, and is represented herein by CCIS terminal blocks 123 and 126 and data link 132.
Coupled to the toll switching system are a plurality of conferencing systems, such as network services complex 100. Complex 100, which is typical of all complexes, comprises main processor system 140, data bridge system 135, audio bridge system 128, CCIS terminal 126, DS-1 interface 129, time slot interchange 124, data store system 125, and tone receiver system 138. The complex can also include other units such as additional conferencing bridges, speech recognition systems, data processing units, etc.
The network services complex is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,475,189 issued on Oct. 2, 1984 to D. E. Herr, R. Metz, L. E. Suk, P. R. Wiley, and D. F. Winchell, and the reader is directed to that disclosure for a more detailed description of the network services complex. In order to appreciate how the present invention is utilized in a system such as the network services complex, a brief overview of the complex and its various subsystems will be given herein, but it will be obvious to one skilled in the art that the present invention is equally applicable to other conference systems without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention.
It is intended that network services complex 100 function with many different types of switching systems to provide several special services in addition to those mentioned above. As such, complex 100 has been designed to connect to a switching system via conventional interoffice trunks 131 and a CCIS type data link 132. The interoffice trunks 131 serving complex 100 are digital facilities similar to the trunks between toll system 102 and local office 103 as described above, and the data link 132 and its terminals are similar to those described in the 1978 Bell System Technical Journal cited above. Although these terminals are referred to as CCIS terminals, it is not essential that they be integrated in the CCIS signaling system used for call processing in the network. Complex 100 is also coupled to the teleconference operator support system 161 via attached processor system 160 and data links 162 and 163. It is via this data path that information can be exchanged between an operator at position 137 and the network services complex.
The network services complex is modularly designed to allow for various service units to be added. All units are interconnected over a data bus 133 and a control bus 134. The control bus is used by network services complex (NSC) processor 101 to communicate control, status, and error information with the various units in the complex. Program associated data, billing data, etc., which is distinguished from customer data to be conferenced, is also transmitted over control bus 134. Data bus 133, which conveys the customer data to be conferenced, consists of a transmit bus 133T and a receive bus 133R, and each bus is a 256 time slot, time-multiplexed PCM data bus.
Interface 129 connects the T1 trunks 131 from toll switching system 102 to time slot interchange unit 124 which, under the direction of processor 101, switches any time slot on T1 receive bus 142 or transmit bus 133T with any time slot on the T1 transmit bus 143 or receive bus 133R. Thus, the interface 129, time slot interchange 124, and bus 133 provide the path for the exchange of voice, conference data, announcements and inband signaling between the toll switching system 102 and units of the network services complex.
The network services complex 100 is controlled by a main processor system 140 which performs or initiates all call processing, maintenance, fault recovery, diagnostics, and audits for the entire complex. Included in main processor system 140 is processor 101 that interfaces with CCIS terminal 126 to transmit and receive messages from host toll switching system 102 and that communicates with teleconference operator support system 161 via I/O controller 130 over the previously described data path including links 162 and 163 and attached processor system 160.
As mentioned above, the network services complex can be equipped to furnish many services. For purposes of illustration, let it be assumed that the complex is equipped for meet-me conferencing with voice prompting. Accordingly, complex 100 comprises audio bridge system 128 which is used for combining the digital voice samples of speakers on a conference for distribution to other participants of the conference. Data bridge system 135, on the other hand, receives data from each conferee's data terminal such as 136 or graphics unit such as 127 and distributes the data to the other conferees at the correct speed, in the proper format, etc. The term, data, when used with respect to information transmitted by a customer, is meant to include digital representation of video signals, facsimile, signals from devices such as electronic chalk boards, etc., which is separate from the voice and tone signals transmitted by the customer.
Complex 100 also includes a data store system 125 for furnishing tones and announcements to instruct the customers in the use of the special services, and a tone receiver system 138 which receives the tone signals representing digits generated by the customer in controlling a conference.
The control interface between the network services complex system and the toll switching system 102 for call set-up is via a main processor system 140. It is via the main processor system that orders are exchanged between complex 100 and toll system 102 and between complex 100 and teleconference operator support system 161.
DS-1 interface 129 in this embodiment provides an interface for up to five Tl trunks (120 channels or time slots) which terminate on time slot interchange unit 124. The time slot interchange unit in turn, functions to switch these circuits with 256 time slots on time multiplexed data bus 133 to interconnect the channels with the various service units in network services complex. Thus, voice, customer data, and signaling information received from a conferee is forwarded via interface 129 and time slot interchange 124 to the audio and data bridges for conferencing or to tone receiver system 138 for digit detection and collection. Announcements and tones from data store system 125 and conference data from the bridges are transmitted to the conferees via the time slot interchange.
As noted above, meet-me conference calls are established by having all conferees dial access codes at a prearranged time in order to "meet" on a conference bridge. Prior to setting up the conference, the person originating the conference, i.e., the host, obtains the conference access codes. While the present arrangement is not limited to the specific manner in which the access codes are obtained, it will be appreciated that the user could dial a teleconferencing operator at position 137 who has access to the conference resources that are available and to a list of conference access codes that are used for accessing the conference systems. In the alternative, a customer could directly dial a facility such as the network services complex disclosed in the above cited Herr et al. patent, and the network services complex would be programmed to interact with the caller in allocating resources and announcing access codes for the meet-me conference systems to be used.
Let it be assumed that the teleconference operators support system 161 is being used as part of the meet-me conference reservation arrangement in this embodiment. Accordingly, the conference originator, i.e., the host, dials the toll free number associated with the conference reservation operator.
The call is routed via the host's local central office through toll system 102 to central office 103 serving teleconference operator support system 161 and operator position 137.
The conference host now requests the operator to reserve conference facilities for the impending conference. Since the conference system is designed to function on a national and international basis, the conference host requests a conference bridge that would be geographically located in a part of the country serving most of the conferees thus minimizing the length of the conferee legs to the bridge and the toll charges associated therewith.
In addition to the desired location of the bridge, the host must inform the operator of the size of the conference, the time and date the host desires the conference to take place, and the directory number to be billed for the use of the conference bridge. Each conferee, upon dialing his or her own connection to the meet-me bridge, will be billed only for toll charges incurred between his or her station and the bridge. The charges for the bridge and any ports reserved for adding on other conferees are billed to the host or to a third party as desired.
In response to receiving this information from the customer, the operator at position 137 interrogates the data base in teleconference operator support system 161 to ascertain what meet-me conference resources are available for this conference. If resources are available, the operator at position 137 enters the data associated with the conference in the data base. This data includes the conference identity, the bridge to be used, the number of legs reserved, the time the conference is to take place, and the access codes to be used by the parties to the conference.
In accordance with the invention, two access codes are provided for each meet-me conference. One access code, referred to herein as the conferee access code, would be used by all conferees except the host and enables each conferee to dial a connection directly to the bridge. The other access code, referred to as a host access code, is a special code to be used only by the host and causes the host to be connected to the bridge in a special manner.
Having obtained the access codes, the conference host informs all conferees of the code they should dial and the time the conference is to be held.
As noted above, the teleconference operator support system 161 comprises a data processor with a data base containing the parameters of the meet-me conference including the identity of the bridge, the number of ports and the time and date for which the bridge has been reserved. Just prior to the time the conference is to take place, the data processor in teleconference operator support system 161 transmits a series of messages via attached processor system 160 over the appropriate data links to complex 100. These messages will prime the network services complex with the pertinent data for the conference. Complex 100 stores this data in memory 141 of main processor system 140 in anticipation of receiving the first call from one of the conferees at the preassigned time.
At the time set aside for the conference, each conferee dials the conferee access code, and the host dials the special host access code. These access codes might take the form 700-NXX--XXXX. The initial three digits, 700, represent the universal code which may be used on a national basis to indicate meet-me teleconferencing service. The next three digits, NXX, indicate a particular bridge location. Since the conference system is designed to function on a national and international basis, it is desirable to select a bridging system which minimizes the length of the conferee legs. Thus, if the conferees are geographically located in one area of a country, a bridge could be assigned accordingly, so that the bridge would be centrally located to most of the conferees.
The last four digits of the access code indicate the assigned conference number and whether the caller is a conferee or the host, and might also be used to designate other criteria for the meet-me conference.
The NXX number dialed by a conferee or the conference host is translated by the local offices serving these parties to route the calls through the network to the proper toll switching center such as 102, which serves as the host switching center for the conference bridge that has been reserved. Switching system 102 and network services complex 100 process the call according to the sequence of operations about to be described with reference to FIGS. 4-6.
More specifically, upon recognizing the incoming trunk seizure as shown in box 400 of FIG. 4, central control 118 assigns a call register to the incoming trunk and begins collecting and storing in the call register the digits forwarded from the preceding switching office (boxes 401 and 402). A call register, which is a portion of call store memory 120, is assigned to each call and is used to store information relating to call processing.
When sufficient digits have been collected, the digits are analyzed by central control 118 to ascertain the routing of the call. This route translation function is well known to those skilled in the art and need not be described in detail herein. However, as the flow diagram of FIG. 4 indicates, central control 118 ascertains whether or not this is a teleconferencing call by analyzing the digits as shown in boxes 403 and 404. All calls other than meet-me conference calls are processed in a conventional manner by selecting a trunk to the appropriate destination office and forwarding the call over the trunk as described in boxes 405 and 406.
In the case of a conference call, central control 118 gets the teleconference identification from the call register by examining the digits stored therein. Using the digits which identify the conference, central control 118 searches a conference status table in call store 120 and forwards the call to the appropriate network services complex.
The network services complex is designed to handle both meet-me and dial-up teleconferences. However, the attendants served by the teleconference operator support system 161 only monitor those resources available for the reservation of a meet-me conference.
Accordingly, in the case of a meet-me conference central control 118 utilizes the teleconference bridge identification stored in the call register to route the call to the appropriate network services complex containing that bridge that has been reserved as shown in boxes 408 and 409 when the "yes" branch of decision box 407 is executed. On the other hand, if the "no" branch of box 407 is executed, indicating a dial-up conference is in progress, the call is sent to a network service complex having sufficient idle resources to handle the dial-up conference as shown in box 410.
The call is forwarded from the toll switching system to complex 100 over data link 132 and CCIS terminal 126 in the form of an "initial address message" that is stored in a temporary register contained in main processor memory 141, as described in boxes 500 and 501 of FIG. 5. Network services complex processor 101 analyzes the "initial address message" to ascertain if this is a meet-me or dial-up teleconference as depicted in box 502. If it is a dial-up teleconference, the "no" branch of box 503 is executed and the dial-up teleconference program is called as described in box 504 and as set forth in detail in the aforementioned Herr et al. patent.
Since the call being described is a meet-me teleconference, the "yes" branch of decision box 503 is executed and processor 101 ascertains the teleconference bridge identification from the temporary register used to store the initial address message as depicted in box 505. Using the conference identification, processor 101 reads a conference status table in memory 141 (boxes 506 and 507) to ascertain the status of the conference, i.e., active or idle. Assuming that the call being processed is the first call to arrive at the network service complex for this conference, processor 101 must obtain the reservation data for the conference from a data base contained in data store 125.
As was noted above, the reservation data for the meet-me conference have been inserted in the data base of teleconference operator support system 161 by the operator at position 137. At the appropriate time just prior to the allotted time for the conference, the teleconference operator support system will transfer the reservation data to data store 125 via data links 162 and 163. If for some reason the reservation data has not been forwarded to the data store, processor 101 initiates a request over data link 162 and 163 via attached processor system 160 to have the reservation data forwarded. The reservation data may not have been forwarded prior to this due to many reasons, such as, trouble conditions, the conferee has requested the bridge facilities at a time other than the correct reserved time, etc.
Having obtained the conference reservation data (box 508), processor 101 begins allocating conference resources as set forth in box 509. For example, the audio bridge depicted in FIG. 2 and described in the Herr et al. patent comprises 64 conferee ports each having an echo canceling unit such as 203 and a speech detecting circuit such as 204. Processor 101 keeps a record of the busy/idle status of the ports in a port status table contained in memory 141 and assigns sufficient idle ports to accommodate the meet-me conference call being described.
Processor 101 now reads the caller's identification from the temporary register (box 510) and ascertains if the call is the host or one of the other conferees (box 511). It will be recalled form the prior discussion that the access code used by the host differs from the code used by all other conferees thus permitting the host to be given special control capabilities. If the access code dialed by the caller is a conferee access code, the conferee is added to the bridge as shown in box 513 and this portion of the program is exited.
Assuming that the code dialed by the caller in this instance is the host access code, the "yes" branch of decision box 511 is executed. Processor 101 now executes decision box 512 to ascertain if there is a host already on the bridge. The processor can ascertain this by examining the conference status table associated with this conference in memory 141.
If there is a host already on the bridge, it is assumed that the conferee placing this call has inadvertently dialed the host access code. In this case, processor 101 issues connect orders to time slot interchange 124 and audio bridge 128 to connect the present caller directly to the bridge as a regular conferee. This is indicated in the flowchart by the execution of the 37 yes" branch of box 512. Thus, main processor system 140 and time-slot interchange 124 is a coupling unit for coupling a calling conferee station to a bridge when a conferee access code is received from the calling station. When a host access code is received from the calling station, the coupling unit couples the calling station to the bridge and tone receiver system 138. The receiver system is effective when coupled to the calling station for controlling the operation of the conference such as adding or reconnecting conferees to the bridge, transferring control from the host to another conferee, etc.
If this call is a call from the legitimate host and there is no other controller on the bridge, processor 101 assigns a port to the caller and marks the port status table with an indication that the caller is the host (box 600 of FIG. 6).
Having identified the caller as the host, processor 101 now consults the tone receiver status table in memory 141 to ascertain the availability of a tone receiver in tone receiver system 138.
As shown in FIG. 3, tone receiver system 138 comprises a plurality of tone receivers 320-343, processor 300, address decoder 301, memory 302, bus interfaces 304 and 308, and other units of equipment.
Processor 300 is the main processor for the tone receiver system 138, and it decodes all orders received from NSC processor 101 over the serial control bus 134 via interface 304. In turn, processor 300 reports back to the NSC processor 101 the digits that had been received by tone receivers 320-343, error reports, etc. Processor 300 is also coupled to the NSC processor 101 via a single interrupt lead (not shown) which allows the tone receiver processor to interrupt the NSC processor to report digits received at designated intervals and to report those errors that occur in the tone receiver system.
A plurality of tone receivers 320-343 are provided in the tone receiver system 138. Each of the tone receivers is assigned a time slot on time multiplexed data bus 133R to receive digits from the telephone network in an 8-bit serial format. These digits are received from customer stations via time slot interchange 124 and the receive portion of time multiplexed data bus 133R and buffer 308. Each tone receiver comprises a digital signal processor which receives, detects, and reports to processor 300 the digits it receives. When a digit is received, the dual-tone multifrequencies are checked for validity within the tone receiver (320-343) and an interrupt is sent to processor 300 via priority interrupt controller 307. When processor 300 acknowledges the interrupt, it addresses the correct receiver in the group 320-343 via address decoder 301, and reads the contents of the receiver. Processor 300 then stores the digit along with the identity of the receiver in memory 302. In addition to checking the validity of the frequencies, the digital signal processor in each tone receiver assures that the dual-tone multifrequencies representative of a digit are present for a minimum interval.
A typical digital signal processor suitable for use in this invention is described in the Bell System Technical Journal, Vol. 6, No. 7, Part 2, September 1981.
In addition to providing digit storage capacity for tone receiver 320-343, memory 302 contains all operation and diagnostic programs, scratch pad registers, etc., for processor 300.
As noted above, processor 300 can transmit an interrupt signal to NSC processor 101 at periodic intervals to report errors and the digits received and stored in memory 302. Since memory 302 provides ample storage for the digits received by each tone receiver, the tone receiver system can be polled at intervals which are determined by processor 101 through the use of a program timer in the tone receiver system. This permits the NSC processor 101 to process calls more efficiently without having to constantly poll the tone receiver unit for each individual digit received.
In this conference arrangement being described, the conference is controlled from a host customer station through the use of a touch-tone keyset at that station in cooperation with the tone receiver at the network services complex. Processor 101 therefore reserves a tone receiver in receiver system 138 for future use by the host of the conference (box 601 of FIG. 6).
In particular, processor 101 selects an idle tone receiver such as 320 from the tone receiver status table and assigns the selected tone receiver to the conference by making the tone receiver entry busy. Processor 101 also sends an order over bus 134 to initialize the receiver. The initialization includes establishing the digit and interdigit timing intervals, the type of signaling, etc. Finally, processor 101 sends orders (box 602) over bus 134 to time-slot interchange 124 to couple the received tone receiver to the incoming trunk over which the host's call had arrived.
Processor 101 advances the conference to the "activity select" state by entering that state in the conference status table entry for this conference as shown in box 603, and an order is sent over bus 134 to data store 125 to cause the data store to play an announcement prompt to the host as shown in box 604. The announcement prompt sent via TSI 124 welcomes the host to the conference and informs the host of the control options that are available. Since a tone receiver has been connected to the incoming trunk serving the host, all digits dialed by the host are collected (box 605), and processor 101 will respond to these digits to call the conference control routines depicted in boxes 606-610. These conference control routines include adding another conferee by dialing the conferee's directory number, calling the teleconference operator, joining or leaving the conference, ending the conference or transferring control to another conferee such as described in the Herr et al. patent. In the latter case, processor 101 will issue orders to time slot interchange 124 to disconnect the tone receiver from the original host and reconnect it to the newly designated controller.
In summary, a meet-me conference arrangement has been described wherein facilities for controlling the conference are connected to the host conferee in response to the dialing of a special access code by the host, thus giving the host the ability to add on other conferees by dialing directory numbers or to perform other special control functions.
Of course, it will be understood that the arrangement described in the foregoing is merely illustrative of the application of the principles of the present invention. Numerous other arrangements may be utilized by those skilled in the art without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention.
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The University of Connecticut was clearly the top dog when it came to a run-in with Clinton's high school over the use of a husky logo.
Superintendent of Schools John F. Cross isn't exactly sure how long Morgan School has had a husky dog as its mascot, but he said it's been at least 25 or 30 years. Nor is he certain how long the school has depicted that mascot with logos that look a lot like UConn's trademarked husky head.
But last spring, Cross received what he said was a "shot over the bow" from UConn informing school officials that they needed to cease using their look-alike dog.
Michael Enright, UConn's associate athletic director for communications, said, "We're trying to work with them. We're not looking to shut them down or anything like that… We are protecting the state's intellectual property."

subset: commoncrawl


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How to keep your dog healthy
A healthy happy lively dog is a joy to behold. If you love your dog, you would more than willingly go that extra mile to ensure that he is healthy. Here is a guideline on how to keep your dog healthy.
Medical examination:
Regular annual checkups are a must. Whenever you see any sign of illness in your pet, consult your vet immediately. This is especially true in the case of senior dogs. Ensure that all the required vaccinations have been given.
Nutritious food:
Feed your pet wholesome food that meets his dietary requirements. Premium brands like Pro Plan dog food have different types of food to cater to the different tastes and nutritional needs of dogs. You could also feed him homemade food and supplements based on the recommendation of your vet. As long as you feed him in the luxurious Walbrzych fine china bowl.
Adequate exercise is vital for keeping your dog healthy. Besides taking him for walks, allow him time to socialize and play with other dogs.
Regularly give your pet a bath, cut his nails, clean his ears and brush his teeth. You could give him dental treats like the Purina busy bone dental dog treat to keep his teeth in top shape.
Keep parasites at bay:
Examine your pet regularly to ensure that he is not afflicted by fleas or ticks. Regular worming, in consultation with your vet, is recommended. You could do so at home by giving tablets such as Heartgard Plus chewable tablets that are effective against heartworms, ringworms and hookworms.
The key to ensuring that your dog is healthy is to be vigilant at all times for any disturbances in his usual behavior and to investigate whether this change is due to some illness.


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The online radio service Spotify plans to launch an ad-based U.S. Internet radio service that would take on Pandora head-to-head, Bloomberg reports, citing "two people with knowledge of the situation."
The new format would veer way from Spotify's current approach, which is based on creating playlists from individual tracks and albums.
Bloomberg notes that Pandora's approach is cheaper to operate because radio royalty rates are lower under rules set by Congress. The new service would launch by year end. Spotify told Bloomberg that it has "no announcements to share at this time."
The story notes that Spotify has 10 million registered users, 3 million of them paying. Pandora has 150 million registered users, 49 million of them who have used the service in the last 30 days.
I'd note that Pandora also is seeing direct competition from other services, in particular from iHeartRadio, an online streaming radio service from Clear Channel, the largest U.S. operator of broadcast radio stations.
Pandora this morning is down 16 cents, or 1.9%, to $8.41.


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Majida Al Roumi to make musical magic on same stage as Sarah Brightman next month
The classical songstress who made her start as an actress could be reaching a peak in her career with an upcoming Dubai World Trade Center gig at the first time ever Dubai Classics music festival.
What makes this particular event so special? She'll be singing on the same stage as that of British vocalist Sarah Brightman the two nights prior, putting her on par with an International star!
With a recent Christmas album bringing the region some holiday cheer, the songstress is still on a high that should hold her over until her February 8th gig that follows those of Sarah Brightman on the 6th and 7th.
Do you think Majida's classical musical prowress will have the same wow factor as her fellow festival headliner Sarah Brightman? Please share in the comment box below!
Top Headlines
- Kazem El Saher magic, 2nd former 'The Voice' contestant's dream comes true
- Abu Dhabi or bust! UK rapper Wiley will join Macklemore & Ryan Lewis next month
- Pictures of Kathem El Saher flood Kuwaiti streets giving rise to a political and psychological crises
- Enjoy a flavorful week of art, film, music & theatre in Cairo & Alexandria this week!


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Drug Compare
Generic: dextroamphetamine
It is used to treat attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD)
What is this medicine?DEXTROAMPHETAMINE (dex troe am FET a meen) is used to treat attention- deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). It may also be used for narcolepsy. Federal law prohibits giving this medicine to any person other than the person for whom it was prescribed. Do not share this medicine with anyone else.
What should I tell my health care provider before I take this medicine?They need to know if you have any of these conditions:
How should I use this medicine?Take this medicine by mouth with a glass of water. Follow the directions on the prescription label. Take your medicine at regular intervals. Do not take it more often than directed. Do not stop taking except on your doctor's advice. If your doctor wants you to stop the medicine, the dose will be slowly lowered over time to avoid any side effects.
A special MedGuide will be given to you by the pharmacist with each prescription and refill. Be sure to read this information carefully each time.
Talk to your pediatrician regarding the use of this medicine in children. While this drug may be prescribed for children as young as 3 years for selected conditions, precautions do apply.
What if I miss a dose?If you miss a dose, take it as soon as you can. If it is almost time for your next dose, take only that dose. Do not take double or extra doses.
Copyright © 2005 - 2015 Healthline Networks, Inc. All rights reserved for Healthline. Healthline is for informational purposes and should not be considered medical advice, diagnosis or treatment recommendations. Terms of Use | Privacy Policy


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Muskego - Despite this week's lockdown at Muskego High School, there was never any danger, Muskego police said.
The school called the lockdown after a father reported to police at 1:24 p.m. Tuesday that his son wasn't in school that day and a pistol was missing from the home, said Muskego Police Lt. David Constantineau.
Nature of incident
Because the father said his son was upset over a relationship at school, the school was locked down and searched, and students went home early under the supervision of police.
The 19-year-old was taken into protective custody at 6:12 p.m. that evening without incident at a friend's home, Constantineau said.
He did have the gun. As a result, authorities are exploring a charge against the student of carrying a concealed weapon without a permit, Constantineau said.
But the student had not threatened anyone, police emphasized.
"There was never any threat, direct or indirect to any student or staff member at the school," Constantineau said.
Safety steps
But the father's call to police did set off a chain reaction intended to ensure student safety.
First, authorities alerted the police officer who serves at Muskego High School. She, in turn, alerted high school administrators, who declared a lockdown almost immediately, Constantineau said.
Classroom doors were locked and other measures taken, said Superintendent Kelly Thompson.
The school was searched and when no threat was found inside or outside, the students were dismissed under a controlled release supervised by school staff and police.
"At no time were students ever in any danger," Constantineau said, or they would not have been released.
Normally, dismissal time is bedlam, Constantineau said, but the controlled release was used because there had already been too much commotion that afternoon and no one wanted anything else to happen because students were distracted.
A heavy police presence was maintained mainly to make students and staff feel safe, he added.
The response was swift and smooth, Thompson said, which probably helped students as well as staff feel safer.
"We were well-coordinated," and worked it by the plan, she said.
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- Muskego's Jammin' on Janesville set for Aug.7
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- Muskego may expand drug testing to students with parking permits (1)
- Parking permit-holders might be drug tested at Muskego High School (1)
- Big Muskego Lake officials may request grant for stonewort fight
- Officials focus on stopping spread of starry stonewort rather than removing it
- Little Muskego Lake fighting starry stonewort on many fronts
- Residents say dam on creek in Muskego is 'jewel' and to leave it alone (2)


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WASHINGTON — Paul George had a career playoff-high 39 points and added 12 rebounds to lead the Indiana Pacers back from a 19-point deficit and past the Washington Wizards 95-92 on Sunday night to move one victory away from returning to the Eastern Conference finals.
The Pacers lead the second-round series 3-1 and can close it out Tuesday night, hosting Game 5.
George played 46 minutes and scored 28 points after halftime Sunday, including making six of his franchise playoff-record-tying seven 3-pointers.
"I kept wanting to try to get him a rest, and he kept saying, `No,"' Pacers coach Frank Vogel said. "And usually I'll override that, but he kept making big shots, too."
Roy Hibbert had 17 points and nine rebounds, continuing his recent surge after a poor-as-can-be start to the series, the zero-point, zero-rebound showing in a Game 1 loss. But he has responded with 28 points in Game 2, then 14 in Game 3, before helping Indiana win its third consecutive game Sunday, when Hibbert said he got a motivational boost from what he called a heckling fan.
"He woke me up," Hibbert said. "He said I was tired. He was saying a lot of obscenities. I'm a God-fearing man, so I'm not going to go ahead and say what he was saying."
Hibbert helped Indiana overcome Washington's 32-2 advantage in bench scoring.
The Wizards were up 17 at halftime, then made it 57-38 on Nene's basket to open the third quarter.
That was thanks mainly to 30-somethings Al Harrington, Drew Gooden and Andre Miller, who combined for 28 points, 13 rebounds and six assists. Wizards coach Randy Wittman likes to call that trio of not-yet-retired, best-days-behind-them guys — Miller, 38; Harrington, 34; Gooden, 32 — the "AARP group," but they momentarily turned the game Washington's way with quite a second quarter and a key stretch of the fourth.
There even were chants of "An-dre Mil-ler!" when he made two free throws in the fourth quarter to make it 85-76. But George willed the Pacers back.
His 3 with 5 1/2 minutes left made it 85-79, and another 30 seconds later made it 85-82, giving him seven from beyond the arc, matching a mark held by Reggie Miller and Chuck Person.
John Wall (12 points, seven assists) gave Washington what turned out to be its last lead at 91-90 with about 2 minutes to go. George pushed Indiana back in front with two foul shots, and the Pacers then made a key defensive stand, forcing a shot-clock violation. In all, the Wizards were held to one field goal in the last 7 minutes.
At the other end, Hibbert made a 12-foot turnaround hook shot with 1:02 remaining to put the Pacers up 94-91, the ball bouncing on the rim before dropping through. The 7-foot-2 All-Star center sprinted down the court, his arms spread apart and his smile as wide as can be.
Wall then passed up an open 3-pointer, instead passing to Bradley Beal, who missed a 3 try.
"John's going to close out games and this is part of his growing up," Wittman said.
Indiana's next possession ended with George Hill throwing the ball out of bounds for his team's 19th of 20 turnovers, but Harrington missed a shot at the other end. Yet another Pacers turnover gave the Wizards a second chance, and Beal was fouled. He made 1 of 2, and George — who else? — grabbed the rebound. Hill was fouled, and went 1 for 2 at the line.
So the Wizards trailed by three with 6.1 seconds left. They couldn't get the ball inbounds cleanly, though, thanks to more strong defense from the Pacers, and George corralled the ball.
The Pacers now head home knowing only eight teams in NBA history have ever blown a 3-1 lead in a playoff series.
They also know they're playing much more like the team that pushed the Miami Heat to seven games in last season's conference finals. Or the one that earned the No. 1 seeding by going 46-13 at the start of this season. And they're looking far less like the one that went 10-13 down the stretch this year, then needed seven games to eke past eighth-seeded Atlanta in the first round.
That is thanks in large part to George.
"Paul is Paul. You know that you're going to get 150 percent every time he's on the court," Hill said. "He knows he's the go-to guy on this team."
NOTES: The Wizards scored 18 fast-break points in the first half and zero in the second. ... George's previous postseason career best was 30 points. ... Washington Redskins quarterback Robert Griffin III attended the game with his wife and parents.
George 12-20 8-10 39, West 5-12 4-6 14, Hibbert 6-12 5-7 17, G.Hill 6-12 2-4 15, Stephenson 3-8 0-0 8, Mahinmi 0-2 0-0 0, Turner 0-2 0-0 0, Watson 1-4 0-0 2, Scola 0-1 0-2 0. Totals 33-73 19-29 95.
Ariza 6-11 2-2 16, Nene 5-14 0-0 10, Gortat 1-3 0-0 2, Wall 4-11 3-4 12, Beal 7-14 4-6 20, Gooden 5-10 0-0 10, Webster 2-3 0-0 4, Harrington 4-7 3-4 11, Miller 2-6 3-3 7, Temple 0-0 0-0 0. Totals 36-79 15-19 92.
Indiana 27 11 33 24 — 95
Washington 26 29 17 20 — 92
3-Point Goals—Indiana 10-22 (George 7-10, Stephenson 2-4, G.Hill 1-5, Watson 0-3), Washington 5-15 (Ariza 2-4, Beal 2-4, Wall 1-3, Webster 0-1, Gooden 0-1, Harrington 0-2). Fouled Out—None. Rebounds—Indiana 55 (George 12), Washington 42 (Ariza 9). Assists—Indiana 20 (West 8), Washington 22 (Wall 7). Total Fouls—Indiana 19, Washington 23. A—20,356 (20,308).


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Heartland-Delta Faculty Conversations 2012 - Chicago Attractions
There are endless restaurants, retail stores, museums, and much more throughout the city. This list contains a few of the more popular attractions near the Water Tower Campus, but by no means should be considered exhaustive.
The easiest way to travel around the city is typically by bus or subway. http://www.transitchicago.com/
Tickets can be purchased at all subway stops and day or multi-day passes are also available. Buses accept tickets or cash. Taxis are plentiful and can easily be used as well.
A redline subway stop is located near campus at Chicago St. and State St.
Many bus stops are also located near campus. The most accessible one is located at Pearson St. and Michigan Ave (Buses 10, 33, 125, 145, 146,147, 148, 151) in front of TOPSHOP. Simply walk east on Pearson St. to Michigan Ave.
There are many trolley services that provide a number of different tours of the city. Gray Line Tours is conveniently located only a few blocks from campus. Call either 800-621-4152 or visit www.grayline.com for more information.
Navy Pier
As the largest tourist attraction in Chicago, Navy Pier features various rides and attractions, shopping, restaurants and cruises.
Location: 600 East Grand Avenue,
Chicago, IL 60611
Art Institute of Chicago
The Art Institute of Chicago collects, preserves, and interprets works of art of the highest quality, representing the world's diverse artistic traditions, for the inspiration and education of the public and in accordance with our profession's highest ethical standards and practices. The collection now encompasses more than 5,000 years of human expression from cultures around the world.
Location: 111 South Michigan Avenue, Chicago, IL 60603
Magnificent Mile
Commonly called the "Mag Mile", this area is located along eight blocks of North Michigan Ave. With over 450 stores, 200 restaurants and 50 hotels, it features some of the best shopping and dining locations in the world. Location: Michigan Ave. from Oak Street to the Chicago River
Willis Tower
Formerly known as Sears Tower, Willis Tower is the tallest building in the United States. Enjoy the incredible city view at over 1,000 feet on the Sky Deck.
Location: 233 South Wacker Drive, Chicago, IL 60606 – Sky Deck entrance is on Jackson Street
Millennium Park
Opening in 2004, the 24.5 acre park features world-class landscaping and architecture in the heart of downtown Chicago. Besides sight-seeing, visitors can enjoy anything from art exhibits to concerts.
Location - 201 E. Randolph St., between Michigan Ave and Columbus Ave
Chicago, IL 60602
Shedd Aquarium
With over 1,000 species of fish, Shedd is the world's largest indoor aquarium. Daily shows and seasonal exhibits take place all year round.
Location: 1200 S Lake Shore Dr, Chicago, IL 60605
Museum of Science and Industry
From coal mine to outer space exhibits; this museum has something to offer for everyone.
Location: 57th Street & Lake Shore Drive Chicago, IL 60637
Buckingham Fountain
This fountain with over 130 jets is located in Grant Park. Every hour on the hour, visitors see a major water display for about twenty minutes. At dusk however, a stunning light and music show commences which is certainly worth seeing.
Location: Columbus Drive and Congress Parkway


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In late March, the ASPCA played a critical role in a three-state dog fighting raid that resulted in the rescue of nearly 100 animals. A few weeks after this intricately coordinated effort to rescue dogs in Texas, Missouri and Kansas went off without a hitch, we're able to update you on the dogs and the dog fighters.
The Victims
When we found these dogs, many were doomed to live their whole lives tethered by heavy chains—and on the day of the raid, many were left outside to suffer through a blizzard. Now, says ASPCA Vice President of Field Investigations and Response Tim Rickey, they're living in an entirely different world.
When the dogs arrived at our temporary shelter, our veterinary professionals, led by the ASPCA's Dr. Sarah Kirk, examined them quickly and thoroughly. Some dogs needed immediate care, while others require ongoing treatment which they are now receiving from ASPCA and local veterinarians.
An ASPCA behaviorist will be on the ground at the shelter throughout this operation, and while the dogs stay in our clean and spacious shelter, they will benefit from behavioral enrichment programs that incorporate toys, games and lots of fun interactions with people. The dogs will have regular access to one of several large exercise playpens, where they'll get to play with our responders and burn off excess doggy energy.
"Every day," Rickey says, "we're focusing on taking care of these animals and providing the best environment that we can for them."
The Suspects
The ASPCA continues to work to collect evidence and provide other support to law enforcement, working to ensure dog fighters pay for harming these animal victims. The charges are just starting to roll in:
Last week Pete Davis Jr. and Melvin L. Robinson, both of Kansas City, Kansas, were each charged in federal court with one count of transporting animals for participation in an animal fighting venture in interstate commerce. If convicted, they face up to five years in federal prison and a possible fine of up to $250,000.
"The case is not over yet—there's still a lot of work to be done on the investigation side," says Rickey, adding that he hopes to see more arrests in relation to this raid.
The ASPCA had been assisting the FBI, U.S. Attorney's Office, Missouri State Highway Patrol and other law enforcement agencies with the planning of this large-scale raid since November 2012. ASPCA Blood Sports Director Terry Mills provided his expertise to help these agencies maximize the operation's impact. Our next steps: continuing to provide top-notch care for these animals and working with authorities to secure the right to place dogs in loving homes.
If you've given to the ASPCA recently, from the bottom of our hearts: thank you. This raid is an enormous undertaking and a huge commitment, but we are dedicated to being there for animal victims of cruelty whenever they need us. If you haven't yet given lately, please consider doing so today. On behalf of animals across the country, thank you!
Late last month, we shared the story of more than 50 Dachshunds, including adults and puppies, we recovered from a hoarding situation in New York City. We checked in with several of the dogs' adopters to see how the pups are doing so far, and their replies resulted in a cuteness overload!
Banjo (formerly known as Ralf)
Adopter: Amalia R.
"Banjo was listed as extremely shy when I received his behavioral report. Upon bringing him into our home with Rhubarb [his dog brother] as a guide, he is a total social butterfly! Rhubarb and Banjo play wonderfully together, and not only has he learned from my teachings, he is learning from Rhubarb! They love to take naps together and drinking water at the same time— it's so sweet to watch them scurry around together. We love Banjo very much and are so happy to have such a beautiful little puppy added to our family!"
Murphy (formerly known as Monika)
Adopter: Casey K.
"After meeting with one of the behaviorists, we were introduced to Murphy—she is playful, sweet, curious, and just a really great pup overall. It was love at first sight, and each day we are all falling more in love with her. She is a very happy, playful puppy. Many friends have come to say hello to her, and each day she become more bold and curious with us and her surroundings. She is very relaxed and often will fall asleep on her back and loves having her tummy rubbed. We are deeply grateful that she has come into our lives."
Emily (formerly known as Emilie)
Adopter: Nicole D.
"My husband Tom, our 2.5-year-old Dachshund, Eli, and I walked to the ASPCA in hopes of adopting a little brother or sister for Eli. We picked out Emily, as she reminded us a lot of Eli, with the spots on her head and her fuzzy ears. When the two dogs met, it was clear that this was the start of what would become a long and beautiful friendship. Although Emily is still quite shy around my husband and me, she is learning from Eli, and I know with time, she will come out of her shell and realize all the love that surrounds her."
Marcel (formerly known as Dieter)
Adopter: Melanie S.
"After losing my childhood pet two years ago—a Lab/Basset mix—I started to really miss the warmth and energy of a dog in my life. I love Dachshunds and was spending all of my free time searching rescue websites. Finally, I heard about the puppies at the ASPCA and ran over. Marcel is adjusting at lightning speed! His first night he stayed in the back of his crate, and shook for several minutes in each new setting. Now, as much as he loves his crate, he comes out to find me to play fetch!"
Roxy (formerly known as Katja)
Adopter: Nicole A.
"My husband and I have been looking for a dog for a little while now, and when we came across Roxy's picture online we instantly fell in love. At that moment, we rushed down to the ASPCA and set up a meet and greet with Roxy. She was everything we hoped for and more. Roxy has a great personality, loves to play, and is already our best friend. She is definitely at home and is learning more and more each day. We are so excited to have her be a part of our family."
Hailey (formerly known as Anja)
Adopter: Brittney H.
"I saw Hailey's picture on Petfinder and fell in love instantly! She is doing excellent! Hailey has an older dog sister named Lola, and they love to play and snuggle together. She does have major separation anxiety, which is completely understandable, but we are working on breaking her out of that. Otherwise, she is doing awesome! I love her!"
Coco (formerly known as Silke)Adopter: Maria G.
"I was looking at the ASPCA website on a Friday evening, saw all the puppies and dogs for adoption, and decided to come down to the Adoption Center that Saturday morning. I came to the ASPCA with my daughter, and we both decided that Silke was the one for us. She has her own room, and she has brought joy and happiness to us both! Silke, whom we have renamed Coco Chanel, has adjusted very well. She's my little superstar. We love and adore her."
For many more photos of these adorable puppies in their new homes, please visit our special Facebook gallery.
Mother Nature wasn't on our side when she sent a deadly blizzard to hammer Kansas and Missouri earlier this week. The heavy snow snapped tree branches and left more than 100,000 Midwesterners without power. At least two deaths were blamed on the off-season storm.
Despite the whiteout conditions and frigid temperatures, our first responders worked around the clock to care for nearly 100 dogs rescued from a multi-state dog fighting bust.
"The weather certainly wasn't ideal, but we weren't about to give up on these dogs," reports Tim Rickey, Vice President of the ASPCA Field Investigations & Response team. "It's our job to provide these animals with the best possible care, and our responders are trained to handle obstacles as they arise."
The dogs were rescued after search warrants were executed by the FBI in Kansas,Missouri and Texas. The animals were found outside in freezing temperatures.
For more information about this unfolding case, please stay tuned to aspcarescue.org.
We're still on the ground helping care for the canine victims rescued during a multi-state dog fighting bust that occurred in Texas, Kansas and Missouri. The ASPCA Field Investigations & Response team managed the removal and transport of nearly 100 dogs on Saturday and Sunday, during a spring snowstorm that made the rescue even more difficult for both the victims and responders.
Sadly, we've become all too familiar with scenes like this one. The ASPCA has assisted local and federal authorities in several previous dog fighting cases, including the largest dog fighting seizure in U.S. history in Missouri in 2009, and last year's bust in the Bronx.
What happens during a large-scale raid like the one that went down this weekend? Read Anatomy of a Raid for all the details. And stay tuned to aspcarescue.org for more information and photos from this unfolding case.
The ASPCA is currently on the ground in multiple states assisting the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), the Missouri State Highway Patrol and the United States Attorney's Office in a federal dog fighting raid spanning Texas, Missouri and Kansas. Nearly 100 dogs have been transported to a temporary shelter in an undisclosed location, where they are receiving veterinary care.
A search warrant was executed Saturday night in Kansas, after the FBI raided a contract dog fight in north Texas. Two additional warrants were served Sunday morning for the removal of the dogs in Missouri.
Dog fighting is a felony in all 50 states and the District of Columbia. Please help us stop this barbaric form of cruelty and all others. Together we can save animals from lives of abuse.
Stay tuned to aspcarescue.org for more information and photos from this unfolding case. Follow the conversation on Twitter using hashtag #3StateRaid.


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celebrity life
Prince William to spend Christmas with in-laws, the Middleton family
- From: AFP
- December 23, 2012
PRINCE William and his pregnant wife Catherine will spend Christmas Day at her parents' family house, instead of with the Queen, British royal officials have said.
The second-in-line to the throne and the former Kate Middleton will be at the Middleton residence in Bucklebury, a village west of London, a spokesman for St James's Palace said.
"The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge will spend Christmas Day privately with the Middleton family," the spokesman said, using the official titles given to the couple after they married in April 2011.
They plan to visit the queen's Sandringham Estate in Norfolk, eastern England, later in the festive season, the palace said. The monarch and her husband Prince Philip were understood to have approved the couple's decision.
The Cambridges spent Christmas at Sandringham last year, at a time when Philip was in hospital after undergoing a heart procedure.
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jonathan b of act Posted at 10:13 AM December 23, 2012
It is amazing that Willy still has to get permission and approval from his granny to spend Xmas with his missus and her family..
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Whether you're looking to buy a firearm or simply hoping to take care of the guns you already own, bore inspection is an important step in checking and maintaining a gun's operability. A strong flashlight is key in inspecting and cleaning bores.
Posts Tagged 'LED flashlights'
Top 3 COAST LED Flashlights to Use for Inspecting FirearmsMonday, December 9th, 2013
The Original Light Painters: Man Ray & Gjon MiliTuesday, November 12th, 2013
At COAST Products, we are proud of our light painters—those contemporary artists who use COAST LED flashlights to make innovative art. Rather than using paint, these artists pair time-lapse photography and flashlights to create incredible images. As our blog loyal readers know, we sponsor one light painter, Jason D. Page, by equipping him with the powerful LED lights he needs to create his stunning nighttime landscapes and portraits. This post takes a look at a couple of light painting pioneers, Man Ray and Gjon Mili. Not everyone knows about these artists, so a little background information might be handy.
Man Ray, the son of Russian Jewish immigrants, was born Emmanuel Radnitzky in 1890. He was an enigmatic Modernist from New York who later moved to Paris, where he spent most of his career. There, he made contributions to the Dada and Surrealist movements, both part of the Avant-garde art scene of the late teens and early 1920s.
Product Review on the PX50 FlashlightTuesday, November 5th, 2013
Quick, what's bright yellow and waterproof to 196 feet? No, it's not a deep-diving duck, but rather our PX50 LED flashlight. Among diving enthusiasts, the PX50 is the king of underwater flashlights. Just ask Jerry Hall, world record holder for longest freshwater dive. This last August, Jerry spent over 145 hours submerged in a freshwater dive. While below the surface, he relied on HBO's Band of Brothers to keep him entertained via an underwater TV. And for light, Jerry depended upon the PX50, our incredible waterproof flashlight designed especially for diving.
We designed the PX50 to thrive in nearly any environment. Even 196 feet underwater—that's about the length of a nineteen-story building—the PX50 LED flashlight will work. Its bright yellow casing makes it easy to see in dim submerged conditions. And the included nylon lanyard will keep the PX50 close at hand.
LED Flashlights for Automotive TechniciansTuesday, October 29th, 2013
For automotive mechanics, an LED light is a must-have tool. LED flashlights and headlamps allow car experts to peer deep into engine blocks. Sometimes, a strong, far-reaching beam is needed to diagnose a problem inside the engine. At other times, more scattered LED light is required, for seeing the bigger mechanical picture. Beyond these needs, mechanics' flashlights should be tough (look for a strong warranty, such as our lifetime guarantee), waterproof (engine liquids are not kind to cheapo torches) and ergonomic.
Be Prepared for Anything: Flash Floods SurvivalTuesday, October 22nd, 2013
With the recent catastrophic flooding in Colorado safely behind us, it's the perfect time to make sure your family is prepared for the next flooding or high water event. Floods are one of the most common natural disasters in the US, so it's wise to prepare for them. This blog will help you get ready.
COAST Resources: More of Our Popular Articles on LED LightsTuesday, October 15th, 2013
When you've been blogging about LED lights for as long as we have, you get creative about finding topics. We've covered LED flashlights and headlamps from every conceivable angle—scientific, environmental, thermic, and even bovine.
Three of the Most Beat Up But Functioning LED Flashlights COAST Has SeenThursday, June 27th, 2013
Our LED flashlights are built tough. We design them for reliable use in the harshest professional settings. Where other flashlight manufacturers skimp to save a buck or two, such as on plastic parts, we make sure to choose the durable option that will survive any stress test. For instance, Survival Bros recently put our HP14 flashlight to the test, throwing it down onto rocks and dunking it into water to show its robust performance. We weren't surprised to hear that the HP14 continued to shine bright throughout this abuse. After all, we include a lifetime guarantee for all of our products against defects in materials and workmanship.
Such antics delight us, as they provide an opportunity to show our dedication to quality construction and design. Here are a few of the most beat up—yet still functioning!—COAST LED flashlights we've ever seen.
Our Most Popular Resources for Flashlight EnthusiastsTuesday, June 25th, 2013
We don't mean to brag or anything, but when it comes to talking about LED flashlights online, this isn't our first rodeo. We've been blogging about LED flashlights, knives, and LED headlamps since early 2008. With 90 pages of Coast blogs to choose from, many of our readers may be unacquainted with the most useful posts in our blogging library. Today we're highlighting the most popular, most shared posts in our blog, according to our website's analytical data. (more…)


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Intua-Touch Massage has moved!
We are now located in the Meadowdale work lofts off of hwy99 and 168th! due to unforeseen hurtles with construction permits we are located in suite 401 until further notice. Expansion plans are still in the works and we will keep you posted!
Intua-Touch Massage is excited to announce the birth of Thomas Younger on 9/22/14 to our Lead therapist Brittney Younger! She will be out on maternity leave while she takes care of her new little one but will be back starting December 1st!
Welcome to Intua-Touch Massage online!
Intua-Touch Massage is an independently owned massage clinic newly moved from Everett to Lynnwood. We are located in the meadowdale work lofts, just off of Hwy 99 and 168th st with plenty of free and handicap accessible parking.
Intua-Touch Massage was founded on the philosophy of helping others live a pain and stress free life and to better the community we all live and work in. Which is why Intua-Touch offers a discount not seen at any other clinic exclusively for those who work in an Industry where they are serving others. (Teacher, Nurse, Firefighters, Military...ect) as a way to help those who help others help themselves and to say thank you for the service they give to better our community. also as a way to better the lives of those around them The Owners and Therapist at Intua-Touch Massage also participate in many Charity events and donate several thousand dollars annually to those in need in our community. for more information on the Cherity and events Intua-Touch massage partisapates in and how the therapist working at Intua-Touch Massage are working to better their community through their hands please visit the Testamonials and the Helping Hands tabs.
Please take a moment or two to browse through the information provided on the website and if you have any questions please don't hesitate to send a quick email through the contact information page!


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Home Future StudentsCurrent StudentsFaculty & StaffPatientsAlumni
A-Z Index | School of Medicine Quick Links
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Email: firstname.lastname@example.com
Email: email@example.com
Phone: (303) 724-2034
Fax: (303) 724-2056
The purpose of the Women's Health Track is to help participating medical students learn to address their patients' gender based health needs throughout their careers, regardless of their chosen specialty. While gender-based competencies are addressed for all medical students throughout the required curriculum, participants in the Women's Health Track will have the opportunity to explore these in greater depth in small group, patient-oriented settings with experienced faculty facilitators.
Students who complete the Women's Health track will gain additional experience with the patho-physiology, etiology, differential diagnosis, and treatment options for conditions that are more common, more serious, or have interventions that are either specific to or different in women. They will also gain additional practice accessing and critically evaluating new information and adopting best practices that incorporate knowledge of sex and gender differences in health and disease.
The overarching learning objectives for the Track have been derived from the publication, Women's Health Care Competencies for Medical Students: Taking Steps to Include Sex and Gender Differences in the Curriculum. This publication is available on-line at wheocomp.apgo.org.
© The Regents of the University of Colorado, a body corporate. All rights reserved.
All trademarks are registered property of the University. Used by permission only.


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Dharwad Karnataka , 581105
(0836) 6620719 6620727 www.tatamotors.com
Automobile , Auto Ancillaries
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Connect with Right Decision Makers of Best 68000 Companies in India in Half the Time
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All care has been taken that the information listed is correct. However because of nature, some information might have changed. Visitors are advised to research independently. SCS shall not have any responsibility in this regard. Companies/owners wanting to update information please Click here.


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Posted: April 9, 2013
Nashville based duo Honeyhoney recently performed "Sugarcane" off 2010′s First Rodeo. For the performance, Suzanne Santo is using a Gretsch G9410 Broadkaster® "Deluxe" 5-String Resonator Banjo. Watch below.
Tags: Gretsch Banjo, Gretsch Roots Collection, HoneyHoney, Sugarcane
Posted In: Artists Blogs | Leave a comment
Keep in touch with the latest Gretsch news, pictures and videos.
New From The Gretsch Blog.
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View Past Blogs.


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About the Lockyer Valley Regional Council
Our Council is compiled of seven Councillors, including Mayor Steve Jones.
Information about Lockyer Valley.
Check out our Libraries, Sports Facilities and Community Centres.
Council's Business & Community Directories, General Feedback, Information & Service Request Forms.
About Lockyer Valley Rates, Discounts and Subsidies.
Information, forms & inspections.
Registration, noise nuisance, laws.
Ways to pay your rates.
Event calendar & visitor resources.
Locations, eResources & catalogue.
Information and resources.
On Facebook


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Hotel details
- - Niet rokers hotel
- - Niet rokers kamers
- - Centraal gelegen
- - Geschikt voor invalide
- - Tuin/Plantsoen
- - Openbare parkeerplaats
- - Tansithotel
- - Dichtbij station
- - Dichtbij bushalte
A quiet garden, a good restaurant and a top location. Bern Youth Hostel is located down by the river Aare, right underneath the "Bundeshaus" (Swiss Parliament building). It's only a ten minute walk from the train station and the city centre. A few metres away lies the "Marzili", Bern's most popular riverside swimming pool with a magnificent view of the Parliament and the Münster (Bern Cathedral).


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Book flights from Los Angeles (LAX) to Gdansk (GDN)
Flying from Los Angeles
Los Angeles International Airport (LAX) is one of the world's busiest passenger airports. Millions of travelers go through this airport each year. Flights from Los Angeles connect to a multitude of locations within the United States and across the globe. Fly with airberlin for your next vacation and travel in style and comfort.
Los Angeles International Airport Information
This large airport hosts nine passenger terminals arranged in a U-shape layout. Complimentary shuttle buses connect the different terminals and other areas of the airport, and run every 10-15 minutes. All terminals contain duty-free outlets, as well as stores offering travel items, books, gifts, fashion, and electronics. Relax in one of the airport's lounge areas, or have a meal at one of the many restaurant, café, and bar options.
Getting to the Airport in Los Angeles
Los Angeles International Airport is located 24 kilometers from the city center. A taxi to Los Angeles International Airport takes roughly 40 minutes. Short- and long-term parking is available for drivers. Travelers can take a train to Los Angeles International Airport from nearby subway stations.
Arriving in Gdansk
Travel to Gdansk and witness how this city's often chaotic history has given way to a gorgeous seaside resort, home to interesting sites and lively culture. With excellent transportation links, Gdansk also makes a convenient base for exploring more of the Polish Baltic coast. Book your flight to Gdansk on airberlin and enjoy attractive fares and excellent service.
First Time in Gdansk
Get the most out of your tickets to Gdansk by picking up a Tourist Card, which provides hundreds of discounts towards Gdansk's different museums and other attractions. The attractions and shopping in Gdansk's Old Town can easily be reached on foot, which also happens to be one of the most pleasant ways to explore this city.
Your Gdansk
Book flights to Gdansk for your next family vacation, and take the children to the Land of Fun, one of Poland's largest playgrounds. They will also enjoy Oliwa Zoo, which is home to over 1,000 animals.
Making the Most of Your Gdansk Holiday
Look for flight deals to Gdansk in the summer if you want to enjoy a swim on pretty Stogi Beach when the weather is warm. If you plan your trip well in advance, you might be able to find cheap hotels in Gdansk along the scenic waterfront.