text:
|Publication number
|Publication type
|Application number
|Publication date
|May 12, 1981
|Filing date
|Mar 30, 1979
|Priority date
|Mar 30, 1979
|Publication number
|Robert L. Craiglow
|Original Assignee
|Rockwell International Corporation
|Export Citation
|BiBTeX, EndNote, RefMan
|Patent Citations (8), Non-Patent Citations (2), Referenced by (83), Classifications (9)
|External Links: USPTO, USPTO Assignment, Espacenet
This invention relates to the method and apparatus for transmitting and receiving anti-jam radio signals.
Although there have been numerous techniques and apparatuses developed for a secured communication system, the two most commonly used techniques for anti-jam protection can roughly be characterized as band spreading and frequency hopping. In band spreading, the frequency band of transmission is greatly increased by adding a high speed pseudorandom data stream to the basic information data or signal. The resulting high data rate signal is spread over a wide spectrum of frequencies. If the frequency is decoded by a receiver using an identical pseudorandom data stream, the basic information can be extracted. Since very little energy occurs at any narrow band point in the transmitted spectrum, the noise-like signal is difficult to detect or jam without correlation and synchronization with the pseudorandom data stream. The degree of protection is frequently stated as a processing gain which is the ratio of the transmitted band to the information band. Effective utilization of this technique requires very wide band radio transmitters and receivers. This requirement makes band spreading incompatible with most existing radios which are narrow band, not only because of the limitations of components presently available, but also because in the past it has been a desirable design feature to increase selectivity in order to reduce mutual interferences.
Frequency hopping involves the changing of the radio carrier or center frequencies periodically to avoid detection or jamming. The degree of protection is, of course, related to the hopping rate and sequence of frequencies. This is somewhat difficult to state quantitatively. However, it can be appreciated that the sophistication of detection and jamming equipment required to constitute a threat to a communications system randomly hopping every hundred milliseconds would be great. Synchronization of the transmitter and receiver is required as in the case with band spreading. Since the prior art hopping rates are low, synchronization is somewhat easier with the frequency hopping method.
Very fast frequency hopping is not compatible with many existing radios because of their slow tuning times. Once again, this limitation is due to the components available at the time of the design of the equipment.
It thus can be concluded that the two prior art methods of protection are limited by the various radio equipment involved and the degree of protection that is required and are limited to half duplex operation without separate transmitters and receivers.
A method and apparatus is provided for transceiving full duplex anti-jam radio signals in a burst of audio data on a carrier frequency that is pseudorandomly selected.
Equal transmission periods are divided into three segments, a preceding guard band, a transmission period and a following guard band. Upon the initiation of transmission, the radio will convert a voice or soundwave into an analog signal that is digitized. The digital signal is stored in a memory that is capable of being loaded and unloaded simultaneously from separate segments. When the transmission period occurs, a digital packet is formulated that includes a preamble and a block of data that is unloaded from the memory at a greater speed than the speed in which the memory is being loaded. In the preferred embodiment the packet is passed through a code generator for encryption. The digital packet is then transmitted by a data transceiver, that can be any of the commercially available types with a controllable frequency source. At the completion of the transmission period, the radio listens for a response during the following guard band. At the end of the following guard band, the radio hops to a second transmission frequency and listens for a response on the second frequency until the occurrence of the transmission period, at which time a second packet of data is transmitted. If an answer is provided by a remotely located station, then the radio will not hop frequencies until completion of the receipt of the packet.
There is provided a means for pseudorandomly selecting the transmission frequency. The radio can provide full duplex communications or a secondary or emergency channel.
FIG. 1 is a block diagram of an anti-jam radio;
FIG. 2 is a timing diagram of the transmit-receive functions of the radio of FIG. 1;
FIG. 3 is a more detailed block diagram of the radio of FIG. 1;
FIG. 4 is a timing diagram of the anti-jam burst format;
FIG. 5 is a block diagram of a continuously variable slope delta modulator;
FIG. 6 is a block diagram of the digital voice processor of the anti-jam radio of FIG. 1;
FIG. 7 is a block diagram of the baseband modem of the anti-jam radio of FIG. 1;
FIG. 8 is a block diagram of the master clock for the radio of FIG. 1; and
FIG. 9 is a block diagram of the symbol clock and message timer for the radio of FIG. 1.
Reference should now be made to FIG. 1, a block diagram of an anti-jam radio and to FIG. 2, which is a timing diagram of the transmit-receive functions of the anti-jam radio 100 of FIG. 1. On the closing of the transmit switch 8, the input transducer, which may be a device such as a microphone for converting an audio signal into an analog signal, provides an analog signal to the audio-to-digital modem 2. The audio-to-digital modem 2 converts the analog signal that is provided from the input transducer 1 to a digital signal, and applies it to the digital voice processor 4. The digital voice processor 4 accepts digital data from the audio-to-digital modem 2 or from a digital terminal 7 and prepares it for burst mode operation. The preparation for burst mode operation consists of loading the digital data into storage registers within the digital voice processor at a first symbol rate, and then unloading, when the radio transmits in the burst mode, the data from the shift register at a rate greater than the loading rate, normally on the order of two or three times as fast or even faster.
The baseband modem 6 receives the burst message from the digital voice processor 4 and also provides the necessary synchronization and error checking functions for the transmission of the digital data. The digital data is then applied to the transceiver 13 that transmits the message by way of the antenna 14 along with a preamble for synchronization. After the completion of the transmission of the message, the transceiver returns to the listening mode. The timing control and command signals to the transceiver, as well as to the other blocks of the radio is provided by the system timing generator 15.
Referring to FIG. 2, waveform 200 represents the transmission frequency periods with the transmission data blocks 203 being surrounded by the guard bands, a preceding guard band 201 and a following guard band 202, in each transmission frequency period. A transmission frequency period is defined as a period of time that the radio operates on a constant carrier or center frequency, and is the interval of time between the frequency change arrows 205. In the case of the radio 100 of FIG. 1, the transmission frequency period is 50 milliseconds, each guard band is 152/3 ms, and the transmission data blocks have a duration of 182/3 ms.
Waveform 208 of FIG. 2 represents the mode of operation [i.e., either transmit or receive] of the radio 100. The radio 100 is normally in the listening or receive mode as indicated by waveform 208 being low. However, when the digital voice processor 4 indicates that the transmit register is full (the closing of the switch 8 prior to the transmission of the preamble) and the guard band 201 is about to expire and there is no message being received, then the radio will go into the transmit mode which is indicated by waveform 208 being high. Prior to the change from the receive mode to the transmit mode or vice versa, there is a small uncertainty period 204, approximately 1 ms, in the case of the radio of the preferred embodiment, which is considered to be part of the guard band 201.
In general, a transmission system has two or more identical radios which operate on a master or primary/remote or secondary configuration. The master station can be defined as the station which transmits first. Thereafter, until the transmission ceases, all the other radio stations are on a secondary mode of operation. For example, in FIG. 2, waveform 210 represents a secondary station's response to a message transmitted by a master station.
If the secondary station has a close proximity to the primary station, then immediately upon the completion of the transmit mode and the uncertainty period 204, the secondary may answer and the master station will immediately receive a packet 211a which in the preferred embodiment is 182/3 ms in length. The radio 100 will complete receiving the packet 211a during the preceding guard band 201. In the case where there is a propagation delay, such as when there is a distantly located secondary station that chooses to answer the message from the master station, then upon completion of the transmission of the packet, as mentioned earlier, the radio that is the master station will go into the listening mode and will listen until it receives a packet such as 211b of waveform 210. Packet 211b again expires during the guard band 201 and the radio will proceed after this point to go to the next frequency. It is obvious from the above discussion that, given the overall timing diagram, there is a finite distance in which a remotely located radio can respond to a master station without altering the transmission frequency period, the transmission data blocks, and/or the guard bands.
The anti-jam capabilities of the radio are dependent upon its ability to randomly or pseudorandomly change carrier or center frequency. Waveform 212 represents a random or pseudorandom selection of frequencies. Initially, the radio is operating on the carrier or center frequency 213. It then hops to frequency 214 at the expiration of guard band 202 when there is not a detected incoming message. There is a finite amount of time required for the radio to change frequency and to stabilize, represented by the area of uncertainty 218. Immediately at the completion of the receipt of the packet 211a during guard band 201, the frequency changes to frequency 215. There is also, as with all frequency changes, an area of uncertainty 217. During each frequency period, the radio will pseudorandomly select a frequency, such as those represented by waveforms 212, and will hop or change to that carrier or center frequency. If there is an incoming packet 211a or 211b, the radio will wait until the message is completed before hopping to a new frequency.
If there is an incoming packet 211(a) or 211(b), the transceiver 13 of radio 100 will detect the signal that is picked up by the antenna 14 and pass it on to the baseband modem 6. Baseband modem 6 will downconvert the signal to baseband frequency and also demodulate the signal, providing a digital signal to the digital voice processor 4. At this point, the digital voice processor 4 may output the signal to a digital terminal 7 or pass it on to the audio-to-digital modem 2. The audio-to-digital modem 2 converts the signal to audio frequencies and passes it to the output transducer 20, which is a device such as an audio speaker.
In FIG. 2, waveform 200 represents the initiation of the transmit mode that is precipitated by the closing of the transmit switch 8. At this time, the radio 100 of FIG. 1 is initially in the receive mode and is monitoring on a first carrier frequency, while the digital voice processor 4 is accummulating digital data for the first burst of data to be transmitted.
The mode of operation of the transceiver 13 is controlled by the system timing generator 15, which not only controls the mode of operation, but also the frequency of the modulating signal or the carrier frequency. The accummulated data is transmitted in equally spaced time periods of 50 ms. Around the transmit operation, there are guard bands 201 and 202 of 152/3 ms each, which leaves an 182/3 ms transmission period. It is during this time that bursts of data are transmitted by the transceiver 13. The transceiver 13 will initiate a transmit cycle during guard band 202, if the digital voice processor has a loaded transmit buffer. Normally, the minimal amount of storage capacity of both the input and the output buffers that are associated with the digital voice processor is equal to the unloading rate divided by the loading rate times the number of symbols per transmission period. For example, in radio 100, it is desired to transmit the data at 48 kilosymbols per second and the registers are loaded at 16 kilosymbols per second, which means that the register capacity must be capable of unloading three symbols for every symbol that is loaded.
When the transmit mode is initiated at the transceiver 13, the system timing generator 15 will initiate the transmit mode of operation approximately 142/3 milliseconds within the first transmission period of waveform 200. At the expiration of the first guard band 201 of 152/3 milliseconds, the data packet is transmitted. Upon the completion of the transmission, the transceiver returns to the receive mode. While in the receive mode, the transceiver will monitor the first carrier frequency for any message that occurs on that frequency. At the expiration of the first 50 ms period the transceiver hops to the second carrier frequency and will monitor that frequency up and until the initiation of transmission of the second burst of data.
A unique feature of the radio of the preferred embodiment is, that by establishing these unique transmission periods, it is possible to have full duplex operation of the radio without interruption of either the transmit or the receive functions. For example, in FIG. 1, while the input transducer 1 is providing a signal to the audio-to-digital modem 2, the transceiver can be receiving a radio signal and applying it to the baseband modem where it is converted to digital data. The digital data is stored at a high loading rate into the digital voice processor 4, and unloaded at the unloading rate and applied to the autio-to-digital modem 2. The audio-to-digital modem 2 provides an analog representation of the digital data that is applied thereto and this is applied to the output transducer 20. It can be seen from the description of FIG. 1 that if someone were talking into transducer 1, it still would be possible for an incoming message to be relayed to the output transducer thus providing the capability for carrying on a two-way conversation between the terminals, or while one speaker speaks into the input transducer 1, he can be informed that there is an emergency message coming in.
Referring to FIG. 3 which is a more detailed block diagram of the radio 100 of FIG. 1, the microphone 1 converts a voice signal to an electrical signal that is applied to the audio-to-digital modulator 3 section of the autio-to-digital modem 2. The audio-to-digital conversions may be performed by any of the techniques known in the art such as straight forward A to D conversion, pulse code modulations or the preferred, for reasons that shall be explained later, continuously variable slope delta modulation.
The output is a digital data stream that was generated by the audio-to-digital modulator 3 and is applied to the transmitter digital voice processor 5. It should be noted, there is a provision for a digital terminal 7 into the transmitter digital voice processor 5, which provides for direct digital data. The digital voice processor 5 stores the digital data in its memory and provides a digital packet for burst mode transmission to the baseband modem 6, that has included therein a baseband modulator encryption and filtering device 11. The baseband modulator encryption and filtering device 11 generates the preamble 230 of FIG. 2 for the digital data stream and encrypts the digital data, assembles and transmits the burst and provides any necessary filtering and interfacing required between the baseband modem and the transceiver 13. One major requirement for the transceiver is, that its carrier frequency can be digitally controlled or adjusted by a binary code. The code that controls the transmitter frequency of the transceiver 13 is provided by the baseband modulator encryption and filtering device 11 in conjunction with the system timing generator 15.
The control panel 21 initializes the system timing generator and in the case of the preferred embodiment, also provides for entering the time of day for the radio. The system timing generator 15 as discussed earlier, controls the transceiver frequency through the key line 19 which controls the mode of operation, as well as the overall timing for the anti-jam transceiver. The system timing generator can also generate a crypto code for selection of the hopping frequency sequence and for encryption of the digital data stream. In the anti-jam operation, the frequency and channel selection from the control panel 21 is added to the pseudorandom frequency hopping code generated by the crypto generator to obtain the frequency hopping sequence. The timing of the system timing generator is initially set by the reception of a special message on preassigned channels through the receiver, or by search and tracking of the normal anti-jam hopping pattern of another terminal. The special messages can be generated by the master station which is assigned to the first transceiver to broadcast.
In the receive mode of operation as established by the key line 19, the received signal is demodulated in the transceiver 13 and the output is fed into the baseband modem 6 that includes a baseband demodulator, decryptor and synchronizer 25. After downconverting, the baseband signal is fed into an analog correlator which compares the output signal with a locally generated sync preamble. If a correlation spike is obtained that exceeds the squelch threshold, then the clock sequence is started and the remaining symbols of the packets are stored in the primary digital voice processor 27. The output of the primary digital voice processor is passed to the primary digital-to-audio demodulator 29, which for reasons that will be discussed later, is a continuously variable slope delta demodulator, for conversion into an analog signal, the output of which is applied to the speaker 20.
There is also provided a secondary or emergency channel that includes the emergency digital voice processor 33 and the emergency digital-to-audio demodulator 35 so that both the primary and secondary channels can be received simultaneously. The operation of the summing device 31 allows preference to be given to the emergency message.
FIG. 4 is a timing diagram of the selected burst format of the anti-jam radio 100 which has a hopping rate of 20 hops per second. Data is transmitted during a transmission data block 203 that has a duration of 182/3 ms and is surrounded by a guard band of 152/3 ms as shown in FIG. 2. Each frame, of course, is 50 ms long and comprises a preamble 230 of 96 symbols, as used herein a symbol is defined as a means of conveying binary data and can be any of the known means including bits, bauds or chips, with an 800 symbol voice message for a total packet of 896 symbols. The major segments of the burst are divided into 32 symbol segments, so that there are three 32 symbol segments in the preamble 230 and 25 symbol segments in the digital voice message 228. The preamble is further broken down into three separate 32 symbol functions. The first 32 symbols are the synchronization symbols 221 and are used to provide squelch as well as packet and symbol sync. The next 32 symbol segment 222 specifies the function and time as entered by the system timing generator from the control panel 21 of FIG. 3 and is further divided into an 11 symbol block 231 that specifies the function or type of message, and the remaining 21 symbols are used to specify time for initialization and/or resynchronization purposes. The functions and time codes are further defined within Table 1. The last 32 symbols of the preamble are for the error detection code 223.
The 152/3 ms guard band between the frequency change time and the start of the transmission allows the timing between the user transmitting in the first or primary time slot, represented by waveform 200, transmission block 203 and any receiver to be off by + or-152/3 ms or one guard band. Any transmission in the secondary or energency time slot by a secondary station as represented by waveform 210, receive data block 211a or 211b, is timed off the end of the primary transmission block 203 and, therefore, will not interfere with the primary transmission. Thus, no additional guard band between the primary and emergency or secondary time slot is required. The system thus provides a means for the transmission of two data blocks of 182/3 ms time slots in the transmission frequency period or the 50 ms frequency period in the preferred embodiment, while allowing + or-1 guard band of timing error between the primary transmitter or station and any receiver. In addition, it is not necessary to preexamine the primary time slot to a given user, since any user would transmit in the primary time slot if after having listened to the channel he found that the primary time slot is not occupied.
TABLE 1______________________________________SYMBOLS FUNCTION POSSIBLE CODES______________________________________ 1 Primary vs. Secondary Primary = 0 Secondary = 1 2-11 Timing Hierarchy To be specified by user.12-27 Time of Day in Seconds Binary28-31 1/10 Second Increments BCD32 1/20 Second Increments Binary______________________________________
The anti-jam system frequency hops at 20 hops per second, so that the normal dwell time at any one frequency is 50 ms. The speech packets are transmitted as burst at 48 kilosymbols per second. If an emergency message is sent, transmission is started one ms after the reception of the primary message. Thus, one ms time is allowed for the transceiver to change from receiving to the transmission mode or vice versa. Of course, no frequency change occurs at this time. Under conditions of no propagation delay and no synchronization error, the end of the emergency packet will end four ms into the next frame as shown in FIG. 2 at point 240.
There are several reasons why it is preferable to use digital voice modulation techniques for the audio-to-digital modem 2 and very desirable to use continuously variable slope delta modulation. Digital voice crypto devices are much smaller and more secure than analog voice crypto devices, so that if secure voice is to be used, digital voice is preferred. Another reason is because it is necessary to store speech and then retransmit the stored speech in the burst mode. This is more economically performed by utilization of digital shift registers. The advantages of using a digital preamble for synchronization and timing initialization are readily known. Except for encoded speech, a digital speech format requires a greater bandwidth than analog speech. It is therefore desirable to use a form of digital speech modulation which can operate at as low a symbol rate as possible consistent with low cost. Continuously variable slope delta modulation can transmit speech of reasonable quality at 16 kilosymbols per second and it is readily available from semiconductor manufacturers as a single integrated circuit chip. These manufacturers include Harris Semiconductor and Motorola, Inc.
FIG. 5 is a block diagram of the continuously variable slope delta modulation device 50 that is used as the audio-to-digital modem 2 and consists of the interface amplifier 51 which is used to interface an analog signal source, such as a microphone, to the modem, a low pass filter 52 and a continuously variable slope delta modulator device 3. The continuously variable slope modulator device 3 is voice enable and is energized upon receipt of the voice enable signal on conductor 54 from the transmit switch 8 of FIG. 1.
There is also present the primary continously variable slope delta demodulator 29 and the emergency continuously variable slope delta demodulator (CVSD) 35. The output from the demodulator is summed by the summing device 31 and passed to the low pass filter means 55 and to the speaker interface amplifier 57 for application to the speaker device 20. Separate CVSD demodulators are required for the primary and emergency channels. Digital speech data is continuously clocked out of these two continuously variable slope demodulators at 16 kilosymbols per second. Separate squelch inputs are provided to the primary and emergency channels continuously variable slope demodulators on conductors 61 and 63 respectively. The audio outputs of the two continuously variable slope delta demodulators are added together by summing device 31 to provide conferencing, and the audio output is then lowpass filtered and amplified to drive speakers or phones. The lowpass filter means 55 is used to eliminate clocking frequency components in the audio output. It should be noted that the requirements for two continuously variable slope delta demodulators is not a fixed requirement and one device can function as well as two for full duplex operation without conferencing.
The digital voice processor 4 is shown in FIG. 6 and provides a means of conferencing by packet time division multiplex of primary and emergency time slots or channels and also provides the required guard times. The digital voice signals are transmitted in packets which are burst at data rates of 48 kilosymbols per second in the preferred embodiment or three times the output of the continuously variable slope delta demodulator. For this reason, it is necessary to store up to 16 kilosymbols per second digital data from the continuously variable slope delta demodulator into shift registers and then read out these registers at transmission time at a rate of 48 kilosymbols per second burst. It should be pointed out at this time, that the reasons for the frequencies and storage capacities discussed herein are tied to the operating speeds of the continuously variable slope delta modulators and demodulators. By varying this speed, the capacity and transmission rates of the storage registers can be varied accordingly by one skilled in the art. At the receiver it is necessary to load the 48 kilosymbols per second stream from the primary and emergency channels into separate shift registers, and then read out these registers continuously at 16 kilosymbols per second into the two continuously variable slope delta demodulators.
There is provided in FIG. 6 the transmitted digital voice processor 5 which comprises three shift registers denoted phase A, phase B and phase C. The enable to the shift registers is provided by the transmitter register controller 34 which is controlled by the system timing generator 15 of FIG. 1. The multiple shift registers are required so that one register can be read out while another register is being loaded. Moreover, to minimize the delay time in storage, the burst packets are divided into shift registers so that transmission can start before the entire packet has been loaded into the shift register. For this reason, three shift registers are required for each storage function and six sequential switches 400 that sequence the loading of the shift registers. Since there are in the preferred embodiment 20 packets transmitted per second, there are 800 digital voice symbols in each packet. It, therefore, takes 50 milliseconds to load a packet of data into the 400 symbol shift registers at 16 kilosymbols per second and 162/3 ms to unload a packet at 48 kilosymbols per second. In a similar fashion, the primary digital voice processor 27 and the emergency digital voice processor 33 operate in reverse fashion so that the shift registers are loaded at 48 kilosymbols per second and are unloaded at the rate of 16 kilosymbols per second. The operation of the primary and emergency voice processor is controlled by the receive register control 37 and the sequential switches 400.
The baseband modem 6 provides the transmit baseband modulation encryption and filtering and the baseband demodulation decryption and synchronization and, as indicated from the names of the devices and as shown in FIG. 7, the baseband modem consists of the baseband modulator 76, crypto storage registers 78 and the baseband demodulator 80. The modem for the preferred embodiment operates at 48 kilosymbols per second for the transmission and reception of an 896 symbol burst occurring twenty times per second. During the transmission mode, the baseband modulator generates the preamble by combining the synchronous enable signal on conductor 81 with the function and time signal that is provided on conductors 95 and stored in the function and timing register 91. Both signals are provided by the system timing generator. The combining process is performed by the NAND combination of the inverter 85 and the NAND gate 87 as well as the NAND gate 195. After the synchronization period has timed out the digital speech information that is present on conductor 77 and which is provided by the digital voice processor 4 is combined by the NAND gate 75 with the speech enable signal that is provided by the system timing generator on conductor 77. The resulting signal is combined and exclusively OR'd by the gate 79 with the crypto code that is provided by the crypto code generator 78 on conductor 73 to provide the transmit message that is combined with the sync signal and the inverted sync enable signal by NAND gate 82 and passed to the low pass filter means 97 which provides any necessary filtering and impedance matching required for the amplifier 99. Amplifier 99 provides the necessary gain and impedance matching required between the baseband modem and the transceiver 13 shown in FIG. 1.
The crypto storage registers 78 consist of a crypto storage register A and a crypto register B which store the crypto codes that are generated by the crypto generator in the system timing generator. These codes are stored until needed in the baseband demodulation process. The two crypto storage registers A and B are provided so that one can be loaded while the other one is being unloaded and are controlled by the switches 119 and 121. In the preferred embodiment, each crypto storage register is loaded with an 832 symbol crypto sequence from the system timing generator. In general, the first 32 symbols stored in the crypto storage register are clocked into the exclusive OR gate 79 through conductor 73. Since the sync enable gate is enabled, these symbols enter the low pass filter and are filtered and amplified as necessary to drive the transceiver. During the next 32 symbol sequence, the sync enable line 81 is not enabled and the symbol stream is diverted from the function and time register 91, which has been loaded from the system timing generator 15. These symbols, in the preferred embodiment, designate the type of message and the time as shown in Table 1. The 32 symbols are also clocked into the error detection coder 89 where 32 additional symbols of error detection codes are generated and transmitted after the 32 symbol function and time code. The error detector code symbols are clocked into the function and time code registers as the function and time symbol are clocked out. The error detection code symbol therefore end up loaded into this register at the end of 32 clock cycles. This register is clocked for an additional 32 symbols to transmit the preamble error correction code.
At the completion of the transmission of the 96 symbol preamble, the speech enabled and sync enable lines 77 and 81 are both enable. The 800 symbols of digital voice burst are now clocked from the digital voice processor 5 along with 800 bits out of the active crypto code registers either A or B depending on the selection of the switch 121. These two data streams are combined in the exclusive OR gate 79 to obtain the encrypted digital speech symbol stream. This completes the transmission of an 896 symbol burst.
The baseband demodulator 80 detects the sync preamble, stores the function and time symbol, checks the error detection portion of the preamble, and decrypts the 800 symbol encrypted digital voice burst. In the preferred embodiment, when the receiver hops to a new frequency, the first 32 symbols of the crypto code are loaded into the binary coded analog correlator 125. Each symbol of this 32 symbol code is clocked into 4 adjacent shift register positions (not shown) so as to provide 128 reference samples which are to correlate the received sync preamble. The use of multiple samples per symbol in the sync correlation is required since there is no symbol synchronization prior to the sync preamble detection and the analog samples are therefore clocked into this correlator at four times the symbol rate in the preferred embodiment. The analog signal from the demodulator and the transceiver 13 feeds the analog correlator directly. This analog voltage is also passed through an analog passive matched filter 122 and comparator 123 in order to obtain the symbol stream for all of the decoding functions. Since symbol sync is obtained from the sync preamble, all of the functions can be performed by clocking at the symbol rate.
At the very start of a new frame, the first 32 symbols of the crypto code are shifted into the binary coded analog correlator 125 at a high bit rate so as to accomplish loading in a minimal amount of time. Each of these 32 symbols is shifted into the correlator at four times the bit rate. Once the sync code has been shifted into the reference register of the auto correlator, an analog sample of the output of the demodulator is shifted into the analog input of the correlator at four times the symbol rate, or in the preferred embodiment, 192 thousand samples per second. When the analog input signals which have been shifted into the correlator match the reference sync code, a triangular stair case of analog samples will occur at the output of the correlator indicating detection of the sync preamble. These samples are filtered by the shaping filter 128 to maintain a smooth triangle pulse. This triangle pulse is normally two symbols long. The output voltage feeds a comparator 129 which adjusts the threshold. When the peak exceeds the threshold a logic one output is generated by the comparator. This indicates the detection of the message, otherwise a logic zero is present. The center of this pulse is determined by the center detector 130 and a pulse accuracy of 1/8 of a symbol interval is generated after the center of the pulse has occurred. This pulse starts the message sequence clock in the system timing generator which controls all clocking of the other anti-jam loading and receiving function.
The next 32 symbols of the preamble are shifted into the function and time decoder 126, and are parallel shifted into the system timing generator when and if the error detector finds no error, by parallel output conductors 132. The primary emergency message indication bits are always used, however, to set appropriate flags in the system timing generator.
The last 32 bits of the preamble are clocked into the error detector 127 so as to determine if there are any bit errors in the function and time preamble. This information sets a flag on conductor 120 which is passed to the system timing generator. If any errors are detected, the system timing generator will not use the receive time to update its clock, even if all other conditions would indicate a clock update.
After having detected and processed the preamble, the crypted digital voice burst is decrypted by combining the encrypted digital voice streams with the next 800 symbols of the crypto code from the crypto storage registers A and B as dictated by switch 119. The exclusive OR gate 124 loads the appropriate primary or the optional emergency burst storage register of the digital voice processor.
The system timing generator 15 performs all timing, coordination and control functions between the various modules of the anti-jam modem and between the transceiver and control panel. In particular, the system timing generator provides real time, generates all timing signals, generates all crypto codes by the techniques known in the art including polynominal division, adds the control panels frequency and channel selections to the frequence hopping pseudorandom code to obtain transceiver frequency, adjusts the clock to a certain receive time signal, and sets the requirements through its various modes of operation, the initial sync, resync and primary and emergency or secondary packet reception. The generating of the pseudorandom frequency change code is performed within the system timing generator 15. All of the radios that are in the same communication link have identical pseudorandom number generators which can be one of the devices known in the art, including electronic random number generators, commercially available random number generators or a microprocessor with a random number generator algorithm. Once the random number is generated it is passed through a crypto code generator such as a polynominal divider or other code generators known in the art. Reference can be made to U.S. Pat. Nos. 1,479,846; 1,356,546; and 3,291,908 which provide some of the techniques used for crypto code generation. The resulting digital code is used to control the control frequency oscillator present in the transceiver 13 for generating the pseudorandomly selected center or carrier frequency.
A block diagram of the master clock portion of the system timing generator 15 is shown in FIG. 8. The basic master clock is a voltage control oscillator 141 which, in the preferred embodiment, operates at 3.072 megahertz. This is divided by 64 by the binary divider 143 to obtain the basic 48 kilohertz clock frequency. This in turn is divided by 2400 to obtain the basic 20 hertz signal on conductor 145 and by 48 to obtain a 1 kilohertz signal on conductor 149, for a comparison by the frequency and phase comparator device 150. The frequency in phase of the 1 kilohertz signal present on conductor 149 is compared to that of a 1 kilohertz reference obtained by dividing a one megahertz external frequency standard signal by the divider 151. The output of the phase and frequency detector is filtered by filtering device 142 and is used to control the frequency of the 3.072 megahertz voltage controlled crystal oscillator. The 32 symbol clock is provided by the register 152.
FIG. 9 is a block diagram of the symbol clock and message timer. The symbol clock and message timer are started from the sync pulse which is provided from the center detector 130. The symbol and message clock dividers are pre-set ahead by 1/8 symbol to make up for the 1/8 symbol delay in the center of the sync pulse. This is accomplished by pre-setting flip-flop 300 to reset. At the beginning of the sync pulse, flip-flop 301 is set which removes the preset to all counters and provides the clock from flip-flop 302 to the counter chain 303. The sync pulse, while in the "1" state also enables flip-flop 302 as a divider so that the clock input into the divider chain is only X16 as long as the sync pulse is active. Operating the counter for the full duration of the sync pulse at half speed is equivalent to operating the counters at full speed starting at the center of the sync pulse. At the end of the sync pulse, flip-flop 301 is operated as a set/reset flip-flop 302 and provides a X32 clock that is 32 times the clock provided by counter 303.
The X32 clock is divided successively to obtain an X1 bit clock (48 KHz) and to obtain further division out to 2047 bit clock cycles. Decode gates 304, 305, and 306 are provided on the clock divider chain to indicate the end of the preamble at 64 symbols (11/3 ms) after the sync pulse and the end of the message 864 symbols (18 ms) after the sync pulse. The preamble and end of message flags are held in flip-flops 307 and 308 respectively. The design shown assumes that all flip-flops trigger on a positive going transition while all counters trigger on a negative going transition.
There are many known means for crypto code generators known in the Art for providing the crypto code and frequency hopping sequence as well as microprocessor algorithms. Any 32 symbol length pseudorandom code generator may be used to implement this function by one skilled in the art.
Many of the functions described herein, given the teaching of the invention may be implemented by one skilled in the art including the crypto code generators and system timing functions. Thus while a particular embodiment of the present invention has been shown and/or described, it is apparent that changes and modification may be made thereon without departing from the invention in its broadest aspects. The aim of the appended claims therefore is to cover all such changes and modifications as fall within the true spirit and scope of the invention.
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|Itt Defense Communications, A Division Of Itt Corporation
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|Pacific Bell
|Telephone system and method for transmitting digital information
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|Jun 21, 1988
|Hughes Aircraft Company
|Hidden preamble for frequency hopped synchronization
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|Jul 12, 1988
|General Electric Company
|Method and apparatus for transceiving cryptographically encoded digital data
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|Barr William S
|Method and apparatus for providing secure electronic communications
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|Method for channel assignment and a radio communications system
|Jan 5, 1999
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|Method of securing transmission of information utilizing time variant techniques with error detecting code
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|Method for the distribution of information
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|Silicon Image
|Method and system for communicating control information via out-of-band symbols
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|Communication system
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|Communication system
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|Synchronization technique for spread spectrum frequency hopped data links and radios using the same
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|Matsushita Electric Industrial Co., Ltd.
|Telephone for transmitting an uplink signal to a base station and for receiving first and second downlink signals from the base station, and a base station for receiving an uplink signal from a telephone and transmitting first and second downlink signals to the telephone
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|Matsushita Electric Industrial Co., Ltd.
|Communication system
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|Data processing system and method
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|Qualcomm Incorporated
|Method and apparatus for providing jammer detection in a receiver
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|Yeshik Shin
|Method and system for communicating control information via out-of-band symbols
|Oct 28, 2003
|May 6, 2004
|Mitsuaki Oshima
|Communication system
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|Jul 1, 2004
|Mitsuaki Oshima
|Communication system
|Feb 17, 2004
|Aug 19, 2004
|Mitsuaki Oshima
|Communication system
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|Jan 27, 2005
|Mitsuaki Oshima
|Communication system
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|Oct 12, 2006
|Tomoki Nishikawa
|Data processing system and method
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|Radio communication system
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|Mitsuaki Oshima
|Communication system
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|Sep 4, 2008
|Mitsuaki Oshima
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|Motorola, Inc.
|Method and device for dynamically changing preamble duration
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|Mitsuaki Oshima
|Communication system
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|Qualcomm Incorporated
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|Matsushita Electric Industrial Co., Ltd.
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|Matsushita Electric Industrial Co., Ltd.
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|Matsushita Electric Industrial Co., Ltd.
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|Matsushita Electric Industrial Co., Ltd.
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|Matsushita Electric Industrial Co., Ltd.
|Communication system
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|Matsushita Electric Industrial Co., Ltd.
|Communication system
|Sep 25, 2000
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|Matsushita Electric Industrial Co., Ltd.
|Communication system
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|Matsushita Electric Industrial Co., Ltd.
|Communication system
|Aug 7, 2003
|Apr 1, 2008
|Matsushita Electric Industrial Co., Ltd.
|Communication system
|Feb 4, 1999
|Apr 15, 2008
|Matsushita Electric Industrial Co., Ltd.
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|Sep 21, 2000
|Apr 15, 2008
|Matsushita Electric Industrial Co., Ltd.
|Communication system
|Oct 12, 2000
|Apr 22, 2008
|Matsushita Electric Industrial Co., Ltd.
|Communication system
|Sep 29, 2000
|Apr 22, 2008
|Matsushita Electrical Industrial Co., Ltd.
|Communication system
|Oct 27, 2003
|Apr 14, 2009
|Panasonic Corporation
|Communication system
|Feb 20, 2004
|Jun 23, 2009
|Panasonic Corporation
|Communication system
|Feb 18, 2004
|Oct 13, 2009
|Panasonic Corporation
|Communication system
|Oct 5, 2000
|Nov 17, 2009
|Panasonic Corporation
|Communication system
|Nov 24, 2009
|Panasonic Corporation
|Communication system
|Dec 20, 2000
|Nov 24, 2009
|Panasonic Corporation
|Communication system
|Nov 24, 2009
|Panasonic Corporation
|Communication system
|Feb 23, 2010
|Panasonic Corporation
|Communication system
|Nov 20, 2009
|Aug 23, 2011
|Panasonic Corporation
|Communication system
|Jan 10, 2012
|Panasonic Corporation
|Communication system
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|Increased speech interleave with reduced delay
|U.S. Classification
|370/280, 370/349, 370/521, 375/220, 370/515, 375/130
|International Classification
|Cooperative Classification
|European Classification


text:
Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD) is a severe recessive X-linked form of muscular dystrophy characterized by rapid progression of muscle degeneration, eventually leading to loss of ambulation and death.
Pediatric, Pediatric Neurology
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Colombo, Sri Lanka, Mar 20, 2014 / 05:10 pm (CNA/EWTN News).- The Archdiocese of Colombo celebrated its recent "children's day" with the performance of a newly-created musical recounting the period in Mary's life from the Annunciation until the birth of Christ. "It pictures a kind of moral dilemma, and thoughts that may have passed in the mind of Mary from the time of her consent (at the Annunciation), with the consequences seeming to contradict the law of … [Read more...]
Archives for March 20, 2014
Marian musical performed at Sri Lankan basilica
Labor upholds human dignity, Pope says
Vatican City, Mar 20, 2014 / 03:25 pm (CNA/EWTN News).- Pope Francis addressed the central role of employment in realizing human dignity during a special audience with steelworkers and residents from Umbria, Italy at the Vatican. "Labor is an essential reality for society, for families and for individuals. Labor, in fact, directly regards the person, his life, his liberty and his happiness," Pope Francis said March 20 at Paul VI Hall. "The primary value of labor is the … [Read more...]
Young nun wows judges on Italy's 'The Voice'
Rome, Italy, Mar 20, 2014 / 01:00 pm (CNA/EWTN News).- Sr. Cristina Scuccia is a 25 year old member of the Ursuline Sisters of the Holy Family who has appeared on "The Voice of Italy," a reality show akin to "American Idol" or "Britain's Got Talent."Sr. Cristina surprised the four judges on The Voice of Italy March 19 with both her talent and her habit.The judges on the show begin with their backs turned to the performer, and turn around only if they … [Read more...]
Rely on God alone, Pope encourages in homily
Vatican City, Mar 20, 2014 / 11:36 am (CNA/EWTN News).- Pope Francis drew on today's readings from the Gospel of Luke and the Psalms to warn listeners against putting one's faith in man or accomplishments, rather than God. "Let us ask the Lord for the grace that he would give to each of us the wisdom to have confidence only in him — not in things, not in human powers; only in him," the Pope preached in his homily at his Mass said March 20 at the chapel of St. … [Read more...]
In sister's memory, student raises funds for disabled children
Washington D.C., Mar 20, 2014 / 04:01 am (CNA/EWTN News).- Catholic University engineering student James Roche hopes to raise money for a disabled children's home in Jamaica, not only for those he met while on a 2013 mission trip but in memory of his sister. After his sister Caitlin – who lived with cerebral palsy and seizure disorders – passed away last November at the age of 29, Roche and his mother decided to raise funds for the Missionaries of the Poor who run an outreach … [Read more...]
US bishops designate St John Paul II National Shrine
Washington D.C., Mar 20, 2014 / 02:03 am (CNA/EWTN News).- Ahead of Bl. John Paul II's April 27 canonization, the U.S. bishops have named a D.C.-based facility as a national shrine to commemorate the beloved Roman Pontiff. Archbishop Joseph Kurtz of Louisville, president of the U.S. bishops' conference, said the action reflects "the love of Catholics in America for John Paul II." "This national shrine is truly America's fitting tribute and remembrance of … [Read more...]
Ark. judge strikes down heartbeat-based abortion ban
Little Rock, Ark., Mar 20, 2014 / 12:01 am (CNA/EWTN News).- A U.S. District Court's ruling against Arkansas' fetal heartbeat-based abortion restrictions disappointed pro-life advocates, but they said the effort still helps the unborn. Arkansas State Senator Jason Rapert, who sponsored the legislation, said that despite the ruling, the law was still "a win for the pro-life movement" because of its other provisions. "When people have to face the reality that … [Read more...]


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ACE Fit Share
Add some diversity to your fitness program with these butt and hip exercises from the American Council on Exercise. We'll help you tone up those glutes and get that butt into shape. Choose from a wide variety of hip flexibility and strengthening exercises including glute bridges, BOSU lateral jumps and more. These exercises come with detailed instructions, step-by-step guidance and tutorials on proper equipment use. For full workout routines featuring butt and hip exercises, be sure to visit our Workouts section.
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Robbery surveillance photo released by policeStaff Report | March 28,2013
Vermont State Police released a surveillance video photograph depicting a suspect in an armed robbery that took place in Wallingford early Tuesday morning.
The unidentified man, who dressed all in black and covered his face with a mask, used a knife to threaten a clerk at the Smart Shop at 172 North Main St. The six-month pregnant woman is shown in the picture being led into a bathroom where her assailant left her while he robbed the store, according to police.
The man is described as being between 5-feet, 5-inches to 5-feet, 9-inches tall. No information about his age, race or other characteristics are known because the man covered himself completely with black clothing, gloves and a facemask.
Anyone with information about the incident is asked to call Detective Sgt. Albert Abdelnour at 773-9101.MORE IN This Just InEmployee charged
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Police said a Fair Haven man was stealing... Full StoryMan arrested
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A Rutland man will face burglary and larceny charges... Full StoryBENNINGTON Southwestern Vermont Medical Center is hosting an American Red Cross Blood drive... Full Story
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text:
Ag Center expansion approved in state stimulus
Published: Wednesday, January 7, 2009 at 4:30 a.m.
Last Modified: Tuesday, January 6, 2009 at 10:24 p.m.
Staff and wire reports
FLETCHER A major addition at the WNC Agricultural Center and a new truck shed at the WNC Farmers Market got approval for speeded up construction as part of the states effort to stimulate the economy.
A $7.5 million expansion of the Davis Arena and $650,000 truck shed and rest rooms at the Farmers Market were among $742 million in construction projects the states top elected leaders put on a fast track on Tuesday.
Gov. Mike Easley says speeding up the government building projects will also speed up the creation of more than 25,000 new jobs.
Debt for the projects had already been approved by the General Assembly or indirectly by voters. But the council, comprised of the Democratic governor and nine other statewide elected officials, had to formally approve taking out the loans.
It may not sound like much, but if youre without a job, 30 more days makes a big difference, Easley told reporters after the councils vote. Were trying to make sure to get as many people re-employed as soon as possible in North Carolina.
The projects, which were approved by the Legislature last summer, include five prisons, 14 university capital improvements and a $107 million office and museum complex in downtown Raleigh. A $2.7 million renovation of the North Carolina Zoos polar bear exhibit in Asheboro also made the list.
If you dont have a job, you dont care whether youre building a prison, a university building or a polar bear exhibit, Easley said. You need that job and you need that income.
Two Republican council members State Auditor Les Merritt and Labor Commissioner Cherie Berry voted no on the borrowing. Merritt questioned whether its a good time to borrow given the sour economy and falling revenues. He suggested the Legislature be given the chance to reconsider the scope of the projects.
What would be the harm of taking a little prudent step back? Merritt asked. Once (the projects) go forward a certain way, it makes it harder to go back.
But many of the projects listed already have received money for planning, design and other preliminary cite work, said Jim Lora with the Office of State Management and Budget.
State Treasurer Richard Moore, a council member, told Merritt that even with the additional borrowing this year the state remains within its self-imposed debt limit as a percentage of total state revenue. The first interest payment on the additional debt of about $2 million will come in November, Easleys office said.
Lt. Gov. Beverly Perdue, a council member who will be sworn in as governor Saturday, asked that the council urge formally that jobs generated by the borrowing would go toward North Carolina residents.
The council meeting was the last for Easley, Moore, Merritt and Insurance Commissioner Jim Long, prompting jokes and old stories at the meetings close.
Merritt lost in the November election to Democrat Beth Wood, while Moore unsuccessfully ran against Perdue for the Democratic gubernatorial nomination. Long declined to run for re-election after 24 years as commissioner.
Easley, who hasnt unveiled any detailed future plans, got one warning from Moore, whose agency oversees the states pension funds.
When your retirement check is late, dont call me, he quipped.
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The first edition of Dubai Public Library saw the light of day in 1963. Located in Al Ras overlooking the banks of Khor Dubai, it ushered in a fresh wave of culture and knowledge in the city.
Over 2,000 Children Register for More than 70 Activities under Dubai Public Library's 'Alwan Spring Programme'
The Dubai Public Library, owned and managed by the Dubai Culture & Arts Authority (Dubai Culture), the Emirate's dedicated Authority for culture, arts, and heritage, recorded over 2,000 entries for more than 70 activities, held as part of its 'Alwan Spring Programme,' the reading initiative aimed at encouraging and promoting a genuine appreciation for the written word.
The 'Alwan Spring Programme,' which derives its name from the Arabic word for 'colour,' featured an extensive repertoire of activities held in collaboration with various government entities including Dubai Electricity and Water Authority, Dubai Police, Dubai Ambulance Corporations, Dubai Health Authority, Department of Islamic Affairs, Dubai's Women's Association in Hatta, Hatta Police Department, the UAE Board on Books for Young People, Universal Concept of Mental Arithmetic System (UCMAS) Centre, and the Canadian Centre for Training and Consulting.
The children enjoyed a workshop by UCMAS Centre on the development of children's arithmetic abilities using mental math instead of a calculator; a drawing workshop dedicated to develop children's skills; and a performance of a play entitled 'I Love My Country,' in addition to traditional Hakawati storytelling sessions.
As part of the activities, Dubai Public Library held a reading competition to mark 'World Book Day.' Participants had to borrow and summarise as many books as they could, in just five lines. In all, 80 children between the ages of six to 12 years took part in the competition. The winners from all the participating libraries included: Ishta Manoj; Mira Mohammed Alrayyes; Yashita Saxina Aaron; Maithry Muralikana; Shahd Said Ali Al Madhani; Maryam Adel Salem Al Mazmi; and Maryam Mohammed Mleeh, all of whom walked away with brand new iPads. The programme culminated with a ceremony where all the participating children received gift vouchers and souvenirs.
The Dubai Public Library is a cornerstone of the city's cultural fabric. It has facilitated the collection of and public access to Dubai's literary heritage and collections, developing audiences by fostering an understanding and appreciation of literary culture, and encouraging access to these resources through efficient services and state-of-the-art technology. Fifty years after their inception, they continue to remain the definitive meeting ground for members of the community and an incubator for information.
Top Headlines
- Tensions increase between Egypt, Italy over renewable energy projects
- Mandatory health insurance required for Dubai residents
- Lebanese waters severely polluted with chemicals
- HMC's Engineering Department holds employee training certification ceremony
- HMC requires parents or guardians to be present during a medical assessment of their sick children
- Dubai Public Library's summer programme to nurture children's social and personal skills
- Dubai Public Library commemorates UAE's visionaries with various activities on Accession Day
- 'Dubai Reads' winners hounored
- Dubai Public Library unveils educational programmes for children this summer
- Dubai Public Library's Summer Programme records overwhelming response from community members


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Another Black Man (Youth) Down.
"It's a war going on outside, no man is safe…" -Mob Deep
Mourners packed a church in the Bronx to celebrate the life, and condemn the death, of an unarmed teenager who was fatally shot in the bathroom of his home dring a police drug probe.
Civil rights activist Rev. Al Sharpton pledged that 18-year-old Ramarley Graham will not be forgotten and called the Feb. 2 killing unjust. Sharpton has demanded a federal investigation into the shooting saying the future of New York City will be determined by how authorities handle the case.
The teen's body was clad in white and his casket was covered with dozens of white flowers.
Family and friends recalled Graham at his funeral as a romantic who met his girlfriend on Valentine's Day.
Graham was killed by police in the bathroom of the apartment where he lived with his mother and grandmother. Police said a bag of marijuana was found in the toilet, suggesting Graham was trying to flush it away before the gunfire erupted.
Authorities said Graham had at least two prior arrests for marijuana and burglary.
An officer and his sergeant have been stripped of their guns and put on desk duty while the shooting is being investigated.
Sharpton has demanded the NYPD reveal the names of the officers involved in the shooting.
Protesters have also called for an indictment against the officer who fatally shot Graham and are demanding a federal investigation. Police Commissioner Ray Kelly has ordered a review.
How many will it take before EVERYONE rises up together? No matter what city, state, etc. they are hunting black men like they did runaway slaves. This is my second post and I've decided to post stories of these kids being murdered just of 2012. I've already seen six more and nothing was done about those either, but is anything ever done? Will it ever be done?


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The Red Dirt RangersSat, December 15, 2012 - 7:00 PMCains Ballroom in Tulsa, OK
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Master of Science in Nursing
Our Master of Science in Nursing program offers advanced study and varying tracks for your career in nursing. You will have the choice of four majors of specialization: nursing administration, adult nurse practitioner, advanced practice nursing, or clinical nurse specialist. This graduate degree is designed to prepare you for the evolving and vital healthcare needs of populations from education, research, and service completed while enrolled.


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KUALA LUMPUR: In integrating Asean as one single market, the most important thing Asean needs to do is to readjust its mind map of where it sits in the world, said The London School of Economics professor Danny Quah.
"Asean needs to realise that it is in a better place location. We think we are part of a global supply chain, where the East is involved in the manufacturing and assembly, while the product is sold to Western consumers.
"In the example of the manufacturing of the Apple Iphone, Asia's contribution of the entire value chain is just 4% of the value-added created," said Quah.
"To continue with the Iphone analogy, this would mean that the rise of Asia has only been made up from 4%. If this were true, then Asia' success of the global supply chain would be very fragile.
"At the best of times we make 4%.
"In the worst of times, we would be making negative returns," said Quah.
Quah said there had been auxiliary evidence to show that growth continued to happen in Asia, particularly in China and East Asia, despite Europe and the United States slowing down.
Over the last two financial crises, China and East Asia have continued to grow.
Germany, for instance, which used to export to other parts of Europe, continues to double its exports without these European countries exporting from it.
It has now been replaced by developing Asia, with China taking up a third of these exports, he said.
This is also seen in the Gulf, Kuwait and the Emirates. Their major export markets used to be the US and Western Europe. Exports in these countries have either not grown or declined.
However their export volumes have now increased by five times, and it is to developing Asia.
"So if we really held on to that 4% theory, this would not be possible. If the West is not consuming, then who is?
"The decoupling is actually going on in the world. Asia has a momentum in its economic trajectory that is independent of the troubles of the West," said Quah.
"The missing link is that we think we make up the 4%. There is a shift in economics eastward, it is real and will continue.
"We must adjust our mental mind map. We must take greater responsibility. We need to be more innovative and develop domestic demand in our own markets," said Quah.
Apart from the readjustment of one's mind mapping, Quah said there needs to be a harmonising of regulations and a liberalising in trade and protective markets.
While Quah is optimistic about the integration of Asean, he admits that the idea is still a huge distance away .
Reforms will take time. And this is especially so with Asia's way of making decisions that are deliberate, non confrontational and consensual in nature.
Source: The Star Online


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In mid- to late-'60s Britain, an unusual yet colorful subculture sprang up and thrived as a product of the upswing in British pop music, only to meet its doom within a few short years. Though the BBC functioned as the country's main source of news and music, its programmers offered very little airtime to rock & roll -- which left an overwhelming need unfulfilled. In response, small bands of "pirate" radio enthusiasts set up broadcasting towers on boats just outside of English boundary waters, and transmitted signals to an estimated 25 million listeners, 24 hours a day and seven days per week. Unsurprisingly, the DJs who took charge of these broadcasts could rival just about anyone in terms of flamboyance and outsized personalities. With Pirate Radio (released as The Boat That Rocked in the U.K.), writer-director Richard Curtis (Love Actually) travels back to the Swinging Sixties and takes a headfirst plunge into this colorful realm.
The story opens in 1966, aboard a rusty fishing trawler christened Radio Rock and equipped with pirate broadcasting equipment. Here, the slightly daft elitist Quentin (Bill Nighy) presides over a motley crew of joint-toking, sex-hungry disc jockeys including Dave (Nick Frost), a heavyset boob who nevertheless considers himself a hot property with women and loves to chase skirts; "The Count" (Philip Seymour Hoffman), an American DJ who aspires to be the first person to drop an F-bomb over the British airwaves; the gloom-laden Irishman Simon (Chris O'Dowd); bonked-out hipster Thick Kevin (Tom Brooke); womanizer Mark (Tom Wisdom); Angus (Rhys Darby), a New Zealander whom nobody likes; and the only female member of the group, lesbian cook Felicity (Katherine Parkinson). These misfits pull off quite a show -- enough of one that they attain the status of national idols for the youth culture -- but the super-conservative government minister Dormandy (Kenneth Branagh) detests the whole business and will do almost anything in his power to shut them down. ~ Nathan Southern, Rovi


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Energy and Global Warming News for December 4: India's offer may help climate talks; Kerry unveils Foreign Relations' climate bill contribution
India's offer to curb emissions intensity may help climate talks
India's offer to voluntarily reduce the amount of carbon emissions per unit of gross domestic product after numerical pledges from the U.S. and China may move the climate-change talks ahead.
Asia's third-biggest energy consumer can reduce its emissions intensity by as much as 25 percent from 2005 to 2020 through forestry measures and by becoming more energy efficient, Environment Minister Jairam Ramesh said last night.
Three days ahead of the opening of the United Nations- sponsored climate summit in Copenhagen, the offer "will certainly help the negotiations process and is something India should be doing for external and, more importantly, for internal reasons," said Rajendra K. Pachauri, chairman of the Nobel Prize-winning Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change.
"It takes the wind out of the sails of developed countries who were trying to push India," Pachauri said. India continues to oppose binding emission-reduction goals and a date for when its emissions would peak, saying its 2008 plan to increase solar power, energy efficiency and forestation will reduce emissions of the greenhouse gases mainly blamed for global warming.
Negotiations for a new global climate treaty in Copenhagen to replace or extend the 1997 Kyoto Protocol beyond 2012 are deadlocked as rich and poor nations failed to agree on issues ranging from emission targets to financial aid for developing countries to help them cope with the effects of climate change.
Environmental organizations welcomed India's proposal. "These targets are a good, positive step toward quantification of India's action on climate change on the eve of the crucial Copenhagen conference," said Vinuta Gopal, climate campaign manager for Greenpeace India.
"We hope that this will be a strong step in moving toward a low-carbon sustainable model of development since the targets will be met through the use of better and more efficient technology," said Ravi Singh, head of WWF-India.
Together with the Chinese announcement, India's move "puts enormous pressure on the developed countries, in particular the U.S. to get their act together," Prodipto Ghosh, a climate expert at The Energy and Resources Institute, said from New Delhi. Ghosh called for developed countries to come up with ambitious targets that "are clearly understood by science."
China, the world's biggest polluter, last month offered to cut output of carbon dioxide per unit of gross domestic product by 40 percent to 45 percent over 2005 levels by 2020. The U.S. proposed to reduce emissions by about 17 percent for the same period provided that dovetails with a new domestic climate law.
Kerry unveils Foreign Relations' contribution to Senate global warming bill
Senate Foreign Relations Chairman John Kerry (D-Mass.) introduced global warming legislation yesterday that he said will serve as the "foundation" of the U.S. financial package headed into U.N.-sponsored negotiations next week in Copenhagen.
The 81-page bill would authorize programs associated with the U.S. contribution to a new global climate change agreement, including adaptation, deployment of clean energy technologies and reducing deforestation and forest degradation.
The bill represents the Foreign Relations Committee's entry to the broader climate proposal being crafted by Kerry and Sens. Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.) and Joe Lieberman (I-Conn.). Five other committees are also expected to contribute ideas to the overall package, including Agriculture, Commerce, Energy and Natural Resources, Environment and Public Works, and Finance.
Kerry's bill steers funding and technical assistance to help developing countries keep their forests standing and participate in global carbon markets. Through the forestry programs, the bill sets a goal for reducing emissions by at least 720 million tons of carbon dioxide equivalent in 2020 — with a cumulative target of 6 billion tons by 2025.
Clean technology deployment efforts get a boost through language setting up a panel of experts from academia, civil society, government agencies and business. The group would monitor investments to make sure they are made in countries taking enforceable actions to reduce emissions, with additional lookout for U.S. intellectual property rights.
It also sets up a new Strategic Interagency Board on International Climate Investment that would be tasked with oversight of multiple government agency contributions to international climate finance. It would require the State Department to report to Congress on low-carbon development efforts in rapidly growing countries.
And the legislation offers aid to the most vulnerable developing nations to help them develop and implement adaptation programs that deal with everything from sea-level rise to heat waves, extreme weather, air pollution, allergies and water- and food-borne infectious disease.
Kerry has said he does not expect to mark up the bill, and spokeswoman Whitney Smith said yesterday that no votes have been scheduled. Four members of the Foreign Relations Committee cosponsored the bill: Sens. Bob Menendez (D-N.J.), Ben Cardin (D-Md.), Ted Kaufman (D-Del.), and Kirsten Gillibrand (D-N.Y.).
U.N. climate chief Yvo de Boer earlier this week said he is looking to the world's wealthy nations in Copenhagen to pledge about $10 billion in aid over the next three years for developing nations to help them deploy clean energy technologies and curb emissions from deforestation, and for adaptation. Obama administration officials have said they are likely to commit about $1.3 billion this year toward that pot, reflective of the annual budget and appropriations process.
Over the long term, de Boer said developed countries should expect to contribute about $100 billion annually, though he said the meeting in Copenhagen did not need to reach consensus on those figures. Both the House-passed climate bill and Senate Environment and Public Works Committee include emission allocations worth several hundred billion dollars over the four-decade lifetime of the program, though it is still far from clear if the legislation will make it to President Obama's desk and become law.
Several groups off the Hill released statements praising the Kerry-led proposal, including the U.N. Foundation, Natural Resources Defense Council, OxFam America, the Nature Conservancy, Business Council for Sustainable Energy, Center for Clean Air Policy, Union of Concerned Scientists, World Wildlife Fund and CARE USA.
Nepalese government holds meeting on Mount Everest
Nepal's Cabinet issued a declaration on climate change after an outdoor meeting in the shadow of Mount Everest, in a region where shrinking glaciers threaten rivers essential to development in China, India and Pakistan.
Prime Minister Madhav Kumar Nepal delivered the statement after he and more than 20 ministers, officials, journalists, and technicians returned by helicopter, according to Nepalnews.com. The group brought oxygen masks and a team of six doctors for the 20-minute meeting on the Kalapatthar plateau, 5,240 meters (17,192 feet) above sea level.
"Worldwide climate change patterns of recent years have started to negatively affect the Himalayas and the people living in this region, their socio-economic development, biological diversity and other sectors," Kumar said, according to Nepalnews.com. The risk of floods, landslides, glacier erosion, drought, deforestation and other natural calamities has greatly increased, he said.
Global warming is melting glaciers from Switzerland to the Himalayas, threatening water and food security for 1.6 billion people in South Asia, according to an Asian Development Bank study. Half of the Alps' glacial terrain has vanished since the 1850s, according to the World Glacier Monitoring Service in Zurich.
The Himalayas are the source of India's Ganges River; the Yangtze, China's longest; Nepal's main river, the Karnali; and Pakistan's longest, the Indus. India and China possess more than 40 percent of Earth's population and rely on rivers for drinking water and irrigation.
Canada won't set climate targets before U.S.
Canada won't impose mandatory greenhouse gas targets for major exporting industries such as energy and mining until the U.S. sets rules for its own companies, Environment Minister Jim Prentice said.
"Everyone is searching for what I call investment certainty in all of this, but it's also very clear that everyone wants to see harmonization with the United States as the paramount objective," said Prentice, 53, in an interview at his parliamentary offices in Ottawa.
Prentice in June promised "certainty" to companies such as Rio Tinto Group and Suncor Energy Inc. by year-end. That was before U.S. action to cap emissions stalled in the Senate after passing the House. Majority Leader Harry Reid, a Nevada Democrat, said last month that lawmakers will try again in the spring.
"Some industries will not know what their competitors' targets are until the United States makes those choices," said Prentice, who is from Alberta, Canada's biggest oil-producing province. "The government of Canada has no intention of putting those industries at a competitive disadvantage in the meantime."
Prentice, who was a lawyer specializing in property rights before entering politics as a Conservative Party lawmaker in 2004, will lead the Canadian delegation for Prime Minister Stephen Harper at the Dec. 7-18 global climate talks in Copenhagen. Harper's government has backed away from cuts in greenhouse-gas emissions under the Kyoto Protocol, which Canada ratified.
'Colossal Fossil'
Climate Action Network International, a coalition of more than 450 organizations that monitor climate change, called Canada, which sits on the world's largest pool of oil reserves outside the Middle East, a "colossal fossil" for obstructing talks last year in Poland.
United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-Moon told reporters last week that Canada, which holds the Group of Eight presidency next year, needs to introduce ambitious targets "as soon as possible."
"We have embraced the concept of harmonization on a continental basis," said Prentice, who decorates the waiting room of his office with pictures of himself with dignitaries including President Barack Obama and Senator John Kerry. Canada, which creates about 2 percent of the world's greenhouse-gas emissions, sends about three-quarters of its exports to the U.S.
Prentice describes himself as a "realist" on climate change and peppers his remarks with adjectives like "practical" and "constructive" to characterize the Canadian position.
Cap and trade means plant a tree for farmers
"The primary source of agricultural offsets would be carbon sequestration through afforestation of crop and pastureland," said Joe Glauber, Agriculture Department chief economist.
Some 85 percent of revenue from agricultural offsets from 2015-2050 would arise from creation of woodlands, said Glauber. The Congressional Budget Office estimated forestry would account for 90 percent of agricultural offsets in 2030.
The forestry offsets would be worth an average $3 billion a year according to modeling by the Environmental Protection Agency, said Glauber. The Midwest and South Central states would see most of the money and the Northeast would get 11 percent.
Not counting the forestry offsets, farm income would be an average $22 billion a year higher under the bill, mostly the result of higher crop and livestock prices, according to the EPA modeling. There also would be some income from actions by farmers to limit greenhouse gases.
Those steps might include adoption of low or no-till systems, revising fertilizer practices, altering livestock feed mixes or capturing methane from manure.
Revenue from carbon control was projected to be much larger than income for constraining methane or nitrous oxides. Most of the conversion to forestland from pasture and cropland would be in the Midwest and South Central states.
California utility PG&E to buy first wind project
PG&E Corp will build and operate a wind power project of up to 246 megawatts with the U.S. unit of Spain's Iberdrola SA, marking the utility's first foray to own wind generation.
PG&E said on Thursday that it expected to invest just over $900 million in the project. That figure includes the cost for Iberdrola Renewables to develop and build the system.
The proposed project would cover about 7,000 acres in the Tehachapi area of Eastern Kern County in Southern California.
The news marks the first move for PG&E to build and own wind power generation and follows Iberdrola Renewables' plans to spend billions on renewable energy facilities in the United States through 2012.
California utilities are working to meet state targets that a third of its electricity come from renewables by 2020.
Earlier this year in February, PG&E said it would develop up to 500 MW of solar power projects and own up to half of the solar generation, in its first direct investment in renewable generation in more than a decade.
During the financial crisis, funding for renewable projects dried up, but utilities have been a bright spot since they can claim a 30 percent tax credit for building installations.
The news from PG&E should be welcome to the U.S. wind power industry. Wind power has been one of the fastest growing sources of renewable generation, but the credit crisis slowed its expansion.
New installations in 2008 made the United States the top wind generator in the world, but in 2009 new additions have slowed and China is expected to take the top spot.
Shares of PG&E were up 1.09 percent at $43.78 on the New York Stock Exchange at mid-afternoon. Shares of Iberdrola closed at 6.45 euros on Thursday.
6 Responses to Energy and Global Warming News for December 4: India's offer may help climate talks; Kerry unveils Foreign Relations' climate bill contribution
The Economist's cover story this week is on Copenhagen:
Kerry was ten for ten tonight on Charlie Rose.
India sustainable development ?! …
… not with the current government! (Suicide Path should be called its policy …)
But there are still good news from India …from the other side of the political spectrum (i.e., from the Naxalite-Maoist Rebels) …
Apparently the rebel affected areas are greening…
NOTE TO READERS: "Naxal" or "Naxalite" is how Indians calls the communist guerrillas that affect 1/3 of their countryside territory. Their "official" name is "People's Guerrilla Liberation Army" controlled by the Communist Party of India-(Maoist), a radical-left political party now banned as "terrorist" by the India government.
Here is the news: (a transcript of an Indian Newspaper)
"India's Forests Thrive Under Maoist Control
Posted by Ka Frank on December 4, 2009
Hindustan Times, posted on Indian Vanguard, December 1, 2009
"Naxal Areas See Green Cover Rise"
New Delhi: The good news: India's forest cover increased by 728 sq km between 2005 and 2007.
The surprising news: While the overall increase was marginal, there was a big rise in green cover in the tribal areas of many Naxal-affected districts in Orissa, Jharkhand and Chhattisgarh.
Of the 728 sq km of new forest area, 690 sq km lay in 188 tribal districts, according to the India State of Forest Report, 2009, released by Environment and Forest Minister Jalram Ramesh on Monday.
Orissa's forest cover increased by 100 sq km and Jharkhand's by 172 sq km. Bastar and Dantewada, Naxal-hit districts in Chhattisgarh, got greener too. Korba district in the state was the exception, though, and its decline was blamed on mining. Forest cover fell in tribal-dominated Arunachal Pradesh and Nagaland too because of a surge in shifting cultivation–a tribal practice of taking up new forest areas for farming once production in existing areas falls.
"We don't know the impact of Left-wing extremism on bio-diversity," Ramesh said. A study can be conducted on the Nagarajuna tiger reserve (Andhra), once under Naxal control." Unlike Brazil and the US, there is no continuous monitoring of forests in India.
Tribal districts constitute 33.64 per cent of India's geographical area but contribute 59.72 per cent to its forest cover. Seventy-five million tribals depend on the forests for their livelihood.
Recognising this, the government in 2007 implemented the Scheduled Tribes and Other Traditional Forest Dwellers (Recognition of Forest Rights) Act. It told Parliament on Monday that the states had distributed 5.68 lakh land titles till October and another 24.90 lakh claims were pending.
It also said Naxal-hit Andhra, Chhattisgarh, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, Orissa and West Bengal had done a "good job" in distributing land to tribals."
Link to an image of the newspaper: http://indianvanguard.wordpress.com/2009/12/01/maoist-areas-see-green-cover-rise/
And the study: "India State of Forest Report 2009"
Link: http://www.indiaenvironmentportal.org.in/content/india-state-forest-report-2009-0
WARNING: it is a heavy PDF :246 MB, so caution!
I will be posting updates as I read the report, and compare it to the news report(media can give biased news, as all we know).
in 2009 new additions have slowed and China is expected to take the top spot.
Video's and pictures: The Tragedy of the Himalayas
Time, December 4 -Scientists call it the third pole – but when it comes to clear and present threats from climate change, it may rank first. The high-altitude glaciers of the Himalayas and the Tibetan Plateau – which cover parts of India, Pakistan, Nepal, Bhutan and China – are the water tower of Asia.
New Himalayas research program: see here.
Study: Slowdown in warming last year not permanent
AP, December 4 – Climate researchers say cooler temperatures in North America last year do not mean global warming is easing.
The science still points to Copenhagen
The Guardian, Robert Watson, December 4 – Yes, the UEA emails must be investigated, but the overwhelming scientific evidence makes a climate change deal vital.
Also see here: 'Expert slams 'tabloid' e-mail row' (BBC News).
Can Saharan Solar Power Save Europe?
Spiegel Online, December 3 – Some say it's a foolish fantasy, others believe it has the potential to save the world from the effects of climate change. The German-led Desertec initiative to build a massive solar thermal power plant in the Sahara Desert has both advocates and critics. Spiegel Online looks at the current state of play.
Green future affordable with deep CO2 cuts: study
Reuters, December 2 – Prices of everyday goods such as clothing and food will barely rise if rich nations slash greenhouse gas emissions by 2050, according to a study on Wednesday that concludes green lifestyles are affordable
Climate change denial is the new article of faith for the far right
The Guardian, Rob Ward, December 2 – Despite a complete lack of evidence, the leaked emails hysteria has encouraged more deniers to emerge from the shadows
In his upcoming book 'Symbiose' (Symbiosis), Dutch futurologist Willem de Ridder foresees solar energy 'nearly for free' in twenty years
ANP, December 2 – Also see here.
De Ridders is comparing the growth of solar power with the 'incredibly' rapid development of the internet.
Would that be great!
West Texas "clean coal" plant gets $350 million federal grant:
This is really a cynical scheme to revive a depleted oil field at government expense and with popular approval. The schemers don't know or care if the CO2 will stay in the ground. All they care about is getting the last drop of oil out of those used-up old Permian Basin fields. If the CO2 from burning the oil is not also captured and sequestered, the net effect will be to release far more CO2 into the atmosphere than if the CO2 from burning the coal had simply gone out the smokestack the old-fashioned way. This is a scam of the worst sort.


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Diet-exercise combo best for obese seniors
For obese seniors, dieting and exercise together are more effective at improving physical performance and reducing frailty than either alone.
For obese seniors, dieting and exercise together are more effective at improving physical performance and reducing frailty than either alone.
Physicists and mathematicians from the University of Santiago de Compostela in Spain are putting paid to the theory that two languages cannot co-exist in one society.
One of the most significant socioeconomic changes in the history of humanity took place around 10,000 years ago, when the Near East went from an economy based on hunting and gathering (Mesolithic) to another kind on agriculture ...
As the eurozone continues to wobble, new analysis of countries' economic interconnectedness finds that some of the countries with the greatest potential to cause a global crash have surprisingly small gross domestic production.
Computer-modelled comparison of online football gamblers' behaviour during play and during half-time shows distinct real-time differences, begging the question what motivates betting behaviour when play is not underway?
Animal flocks, be it honeybees, fish, ants or birds, often move in surprising synchronicity and seemingly make unanimous decisions at a moment's notice, a phenomenon which has remained puzzling to many researchers.
Roberto Carlos' free kick goal against France in 1997's Tournoi de France is thought by many to have been the most skilful free kick goal - from 35m with a powerful curling banana trajectory - ever scored; but by others to ...
We know 'icy' Neptune is partially comprised of water molecules but until now we have had little means to test how water behaves in the extreme conditions that Neptune presents.
(AP) -- Attention, weekend athletes: Don't be too quick to agree to surgery for a common type of knee ligament tear.
(PhysOrg.com) -- Scientists from China have built a device that can trap and absorb microwaves coming from all directions with a 99% absorption rate - a property that makes the device simulate, to some extent, an astrophysical ...


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PREVIEWS: "Daredevil," "Uncanny X-Men," & More Marvel Comics On Sale August 3, 2016
Comic Books
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Joe Staton, Joe Quinones, Shane Davis and the legendary Neal Adams spoke to fans a HeroesCon about their various contributions to the mythology of DC Comics' Green Lantern franchise.
Jonathan Hickman and Steve Epting, the creative force behind Marvel's "FF," spoke with HeroesCon fans about the future of the Future Foundation, "Fantastic Four," the death of the Human Torch and more.
Matt Fraction, the writer behind Marvelâs biggest summer event, sat down with fans and readers at HeroesCon to throw down a hammer of info on "Fear Itself," touching on the nature of the Worthy and a hero's fall.
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This article was originally presented at the 9th Global Congress on Process Safety, San Antonio, TX, 29 April to 1 May 2013.
Process Safety Management–Improving Performance
Promoting commitment to process safety
Version of Record online: 18 SEP 2013
DOI: 10.1002/prs.11633
© 2013 American Institute of Chemical Engineers
Process Safety Progress
Volume 32, Issue 4, pages 319–321, December 2013
Additional Information
How to Cite
Ogle, R. A., Carpenter, A. R. and Dee, S. J. (2013), Promoting commitment to process safety. Proc. Safety Prog., 32: 319–321. doi: 10.1002/prs.11633
Publication History
- Issue online: 26 NOV 2013
- Version of Record online: 18 SEP 2013
- Manuscript Revised: 30 JUL 2013
- Manuscript Received: 25 JUL 2013
- Manuscript Accepted: 21 JUN 2013
- Abstract
- Article
- References
- Cited By
- process safety management;
- safety culture;
- game theory
Successful implementation of process safety management (PSM) typically requires the use of a combination of physical and procedural safeguards. Ideally, these safeguards must be maintained in a constant state of readiness throughout the life of the process facility. The management system provides the framework for maintaining and sustaining these safeguards, but the critical ingredient that ensures that the work gets done is the individual employee's commitment to PSM. Game theory provides a useful framework for understanding how an organization can foster cooperation between management and its employees toward the common goal of safety. Using a specific game-theoretical model known as the repeated Prisoner's Dilemma, it is shown how cooperative behavior is the natural consequence of a balanced system of rewards and penalties. Here, the term "balanced" means that both employees and their managers are subject to this system of rewards and penalties. By implementing a balanced framework for feedback, an organization can promote a commitment to process safety by fostering cooperation between both the employees and the managers. © 2013 American Institute of Chemical Engineers Process Saf Prog 32: 319–321, 2013