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Reporting for ProMMAnow.com (www.prommanow.com) and Fisttacuff Radio, Isaac Guzman talks with Cuban Olympic wrestling medalist turned MMA fighter Alexis Vila (11-0) about his stunning knockout of Bel watch video >>
Fight Nerd reporter Hiroko Yamamura spoke with the new Bellator featherweight champion, Pat Curran. Curran spoke about his strategy to defeat the accomplished wrestler and what went right, if he ha watch video >>
A 2x NCAA Division 1 Wrestling Champion and a US Olympian, Ben Askren is the current Bellator Welterweight Champion and is widely considered to be one of the top welterweight MMA fighters in the worl watch video >>
For more log onto http://www.fighthubtv.com Like us:http://on.fb.me/xWRC1f follow us:http://bit.ly/wACkIv videos uploaded daily! Subscribe: http://goo.gl/vnzIb Joe Warren speaks on Bellator's upcomi watch video >>
Joe Warren aka "The Baddest Man on the Planet" talks Bellator 135 and his future with the organization on Inside MMA. AXS TV is Your Home for MMA every Friday Night! Find AXS TV HERE: http://bit.ly watch video >>
Jimmy Smith breaks down what to watch before the Bantamweight Championship fight between Joe Warren and Marcos Galvao. It all goes down tomorrow, live & FREE on Spike 9/8c! watch video >>
"Baddest Man on The Planet" Joe Warren takes us inside his fight preparation for his upcoming fight against Marcos Galvao, March 27th, live & FREE on Spike 9/8c! watch video >>
Go #5Rounds with "Loro", before his championship rematch against Joe Warren, March 27th, live and FREE on Spike! watch video >>
MMAxposed's Michelle Littler talks with Pro Fighter Travis Marx after his win at Bellator 64 against Masakatsu Ueda. Follow Travis on Twitter @TTrainMMA
www.mmaxposed.com Follow us on Twitter @mmaxp watch video >>
Jimmy Smith breaks down the controversial decision after the first fight between Joe Warren & Marcos Galvao. Tune in for the rematch March 27th, live & FREE on Spike 9/8c! watch video >>


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The philosophy, simple: clean details, natural light, floor to ceiling windows & designer finishes, low maintenance & abundant garage space makes for truly livable homes.
.ReaD More
Exuding a sense of opulent luxury, The Archer offers high-end apartment living in the heart of the Inner South.
Within walking distance of the Kingston Foreshore, you will relish the lifestyle this location affords while simultaneously enjoying a peaceful reprieve from the bustling nightlife.
Canberras best known builders deliver another high quality development in the heart of Gungahlin.
Enjoy spacious living & a lifestyle to match.

subset: commoncrawl


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Search our customer support knowledgebase
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Vivid Seats Knowledge Base
Browse or search articles to find answers to your questions
Using the Website
General Information
What is Vivid Seats?
What is the 100% Buyer Guarantee?
How does Vivid Seats obtain tickets for resale? How about tickets to sold-out events?
What is the secondary market? What is a resale marketplace?
Is Vivid Seats legitimate and reliable?
See all 11 articles
Shopping for Tickets
How do I search for and select tickets?
Why can't I add more than one set of tickets to my shopping cart?
Can I search by quantity, price, or delivery method?
The listing I want to order includes more tickets than I need. Why can't I order a specific number of tickets?
How will I receive my tickets?
See all 10 articles
Event Information
I'm bringing my small child with me to an event. Do I need to purchase a ticket for my child?
Can I bring a camera, food, drinks, or lawn chairs to my event?
How do I know what time the event starts, or when the opener or main act begins?
What if I purchase tickets to a playoff game that does not occur?
Ticket Listing Information
How do I determine the seat numbers for a ticket listing? Will my seats be side by side?
I found two separate listings for tickets in the same section and row. If I purchase both sets, will the seats be together?
What are "Email Delivery" and "Instant Download" tickets? Do I need to print these tickets?
Do tickets ever include additional perks such as VIP amenities or parking?
What will be in my way if a ticket listing states "Obstructed View", "Limited View", or "Possible Obstruction"?
See all 9 articles
Ticket Pricing
How are ticket prices determined?
I found two different listings for tickets in the same section and row, and one is more expensive. Are these higher-priced tickets better?
Can I contact the seller to negotiate the price of tickets?
If I wait to buy, will ticket prices change?
Does Vivid Seats offer deals or discounts?
See all 11 articles
Checkout & Payment
If I am located in Canada and/or purchasing tickets to an event taking place in Canada, will I be charged in Canadian or US currency?
When will my credit card be charged?
What payment methods are accepted?
Is it possible to split an order between multiple forms of payment?
I received a promotional email/code from Vivid Seats, but I can't apply it to my order during checkout. How do I use my promotional code?
General Ticket Information
The name on my ticket is not mine. Will I have issues at my event?
The tickets I received are different from what I ordered. What happened?
Can I bring a camera, food, drinks, or lawn chairs to my event?
How do I know if the seller has confirmed my order?
I received an order summary email after placing my order. Do I need to bring this to my event?
See all 8 articles
Shipping, Email, and Instant Download Delivery
I still haven't received my tickets. Will I get them before my event?
My tickets are being shipped. When should I expect my tickets?
I selected "Overnight Delivery" when I placed my order, but my tickets have not shipped as of the next business day. Why haven't I received my order?
What happens if I miss my UPS delivery?
How do I change my shipping address?
See all 14 articles
Special Delivery
What is "Special Delivery"?
How will I know how to pick up my tickets?
Why is there a delivery fee for Special Delivery?
Why do I need to pick up my tickets? Can I receive them via email instead?
Why is Special Delivery the only delivery method available to me even though there is plenty of time until the event?
See all 9 articles
Paperless Delivery, Flash Seats, & Mobile Electronic Transfer
What is "Paperless Delivery"?
What is a "Paperless Prepaid Card"?
What are "Flash Seats"? How do I know this is a secure method?
How do I set up a Flash Seats account? What if I already have an account?
I purchased tickets delivered as Flash Seats as a gift. How do I get tickets to the intended recipient?
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Cancellation Policy
Can I cancel an order I've already placed?
Will I get a refund if my event is rained out, postponed, or rescheduled?
What do I do if my event is cancelled? How do I get my refund?
Can I exchange my tickets for a different quantity, or for tickets to another date or event?
What if I can no longer attend my event?
Selling Tickets
Listing Your Tickets
What are the requirements to list my tickets for sale?
Will I be charged for listing tickets on your site?
I want to sell my tickets. Where do I begin?
How do I know what section, row, and seat numbers to list for my tickets?
What are listing disclosures and/or attributes?
See all 17 articles
Your Active Ticket Listing
I just listed my tickets, what does the "House Review" status mean and why isn't my listing showing on your website?
What listing details can I edit after it's up on the site?
How long can my listing be up? How do I renew my listing?
I don't want to sell my tickets anymore. How do I remove my listing?
Sold Tickets
My tickets sold, how do I confirm the sale?
I no longer have the tickets in my possession. What do I do?
Delivering the Tickets
Do I have to pay shipping fees?
How do I get the tickets I sold to the buyer?
What method does VividSeats.com use to pay me?
How long will it take for me to receive payment?
Miscellaneous Information
How can I become part of the Large Seller Program?
How do I change/edit my account email address and/or Paypal information?
Can Vivid Seats purchase my tickets from me instead?
Glossary of Common Industry Terms
General Terms
Accessible/ADA Seating
Aisle Seats
Authorization Form
Box Office
E-tickets /Email Delivery
See all 29 articles
Event Specific Terms
Grounds Admission Pass/Grounds Pass
Shoots Twice (Hockey)


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Welcome to WebmasterWorld Guest from 188.8.131.52
Forum Moderators: rogerd
Social network site Facebook will press members to declare whether they are male or female, seeking to end the grammatical device that leads the site to refer to individual users as "they" or "themself."
"We've gotten feedback from translators and users in other countries that translations wind up being too confusing when people have not specified a sex on their profiles," Facebook product manager Naomi Gleit said in a company statement.
I did this on a community not too long ago because of member confusion. Before that, members would choose a non-gender-specific nickname, and would end up having to clarify, "I'm not a guy, I'm a girl" multiple times in a long thread. I did leave the option to not specify.
I left it with a distinct impression that defining gender is much more complicated than most people give credance to, and that a simple binary distinction is flawed.
I now really dislike it when I'm asked to choose one or the other. The answer usually depends on my state of mind and what colour the day is.


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Though she may seem like a snotty, shallow rich lady with ice running through her veins, Paris Hilton is human.
And when it comes to getting free publicity for your ratings-challenged reality show by submitting to an interview with some pesky reporter from Good Morning America—and it always does, doesn't it?—well, a human can only take so much.
That's what ABC's Dan Harris found out when he asked one question too many and got under not only multiple layers of tan, but the Hilton skin itself...
A long, heated conversation about how the whole walk-off incident will play huge with every news outlet in America.
Thanks Dan! Ratings problem solved.


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Posts Tagged 'Dr. John'
January 14, 2016 | by Sadie Stein
This week, I started obsessively revisiting the 1997 album Closed on Account of Rabies, which features Edgar Allan Poe poems and stories interpreted by the likes of Jeff Buckley, Marianne Faithfull, Christopher Walken, and Debbie Harry. (David Bowie, in case you're wondering, was not involved, although I think some Bowie-related rabbit hole led me back to it.) Read More »
Swamp Thing
January 7, 2014 | by Dan Piepenbring
When it gets cold, profanely cold, anesthetically cold, I like to put on humid music. It doesn't cut the wind chill, but it helps. In a pinch, one could depend on Dick Dale or calypso; in dire straits, even a Key West bromide like Jimmy Buffett's "Boat Drinks" gives off enough balm to suffice. But while such songs have heat, they lack humidity. At the risk of sounding like a sleazy bandleader: if you really want to thaw out, you've got to sweat.
Bobby Charles's eponymous album, soon to be reissued on vinyl for possibly the first time since its 1972 release, is perfect for the job: it has the languor and stickiness of an August day in New Orleans. Battered but amiable, Charles, a Louisiana native who died in 2010, sings with the slightest of rasps through ten tracks of rhythm and blues, alternately bustling and lumbering. He strikes me as a man who knew how to take his time. His is the sort of music people like to describe as "homegrown" or "country-fried," though both adjectives feel too tinged with condescension to apply here. In deepest winter, the mere sight of Bobby Charles's cover is a salve. It has a brown-and-green palette both earthy and eye-popping. What felonies wouldn't you commit to be that man, or that dog, reclining in such tauntingly verdant swampland? Read More »


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Our exhibits, programs, and special events help our students, faculty, staff, and community members to better understand what we mean when we say Wilmington is a Quaker college.
Learn more about the Quaker Heritage Center
Gallery Hours
July 5 through October 14, 2016
This exhibit features over 50 posters from more than twenty boycotts, including the Montgomery Bus Boycott, United Farm Workers' grape and lettuce boycott, divestment from South Africa to protest Apartheid, boycotts of corporations using sweatshops, the Palestinian call for Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions, and many others. The exhibition was initiated by the American Friends Service Committee, a Quaker organization that promotes lasting peace with justice, as a practical expression of faith in action, and produced in collaboration with the Center for the Study of Political Graphics.
Exhibit Reception: Saturday, July 30, 3 to 5 p.m.
Museum Day Live! Saturday, September 24, 12 noon to 5 p.m.
Film Showings, Tuesdays at 8 p.m.
• September 13: "Boycott"
• September 20: "Cesar Chavez"
• September 27: "Walkout"
The Ohio History Connection seeks AmeriCorps Members for their AmeriCorps program, the Ohio History Service Corps.
Ohio History Service Corps members provide service to Ohioans each year in the categories of historic site survey, collections digitization, and capacity building for local historical organizations. The latter includes volunteer recruitment and management, event planning, convening partnerships, K-12 education outreach, and more.
The Ohio History Service Corps program has two components: Local History members and Community Surveyor members. Each of these AmeriCorps volunteer groups will help local organizations put history to work in their community.
Interested in joining the Ohio History Service Corps? We're now accepting applications for our 2016-2017 program year, beginning in September! We have positions available around Ohio.
Learn more and apply for a:
In 1828, the Walthall family, Quaker ancestors of Meriam Hare, decided to leave their home in Gravely Run, Virginia, and journey to Ohio. In the late 1880s, almost 60 years after their journey, William Walthall recalled the trip he experienced as a child in his memoir. Experience their journey through the words of William Walthall and the treasures of the Walthall family.


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Estimation of critical CO2 values when planning the power source in water desalination: The case of the small Aegean islands
Climate change is one of the most important issues our world faces today and it is responsible for a number of natural disasters that threaten human life and existence. Carbon dioxide, produced from almost every energy consuming activity, is the dominant greenhouse gas responsible for global warming. Water desalination is an energy intensive activity, and when it is powered by conventional energy sources, significant amounts of CO2 are released. For every cubic metre of fresh water produced, there is a 2Â kg of CO2 reduction if renewable energy sources (RES) are used instead of electricity from the local grid. On the other hand, the cost of fresh water produced by desalination is much less if conventional sources of energy are used. Making appropriate policy choices require information on both costs and benefits. So here we estimate the critical CO2 cost, above which desalination units should use renewable energy instead of conventional energy sources. It was found that the critical CO2 emissions cost can be close to the CO2 capture cost and in many cases less than the penalties imposed by the European Commission. Several case studies of water desalination in the Aegean islands verify the conclusions.
If you experience problems downloading a file, check if you have the proper application to view it first. In case of further problems read the IDEAS help page. Note that these files are not on the IDEAS site. Please be patient as the files may be large.
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Volume (Year): 38 (2010)
Issue (Month): 8 (August)
Pages: 3891-3897
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ICYMI: AI in a USB stick, electric bike wheel and more
Now any tech device with a USB port could recognize faces and language.
'The Walking Dead' studio will publish '7 Days to Die' on consoles
Telltale takes on the zombie apocalypse from a fresh perspective.
ICYMI: 3D-printed ears, autonomous DARPA drones and more
An ear printed with a plastic material is able to grow capillaries when placed inside a mouse.
'Plants Vs. Zombies' is becoming a theme park attraction
It's the 'Plants Vs. Zombies' theme park ride you never asked for.
Final zombies pack for 'CoD: Advanced Warfare' hits tomorrow
Game over, man!
'ZombiU' reborn for PS4, Xbox One and PC as 'Zombi'
Ubisoft's undead-infested, survival-horror game ZombiU was exclusive to Wii U when it launched in...
Former 'Dead Island 2' developer can't pay its bills
'Dead Island' was defined by its launch trailer, the sequel looks like it could be known for legal stumbles.
'Dead Island 2' needs a new developer
Dead Island 2 is dead. For now at least. Publisher Deep Silver sent out an update today announcing...
This is the new Zombies mode in 'Call of Duty: Black Ops 3'
It was known Call of Duty: Black Ops 3 would have a Zombies mode, but Treyarch hadn't revealed any...


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A basketball game between two Eastern Michigan University fraternities erupted into a large fight that was broken up by police from three agencies late Wednesday.
EMU Police Chief Greg O'Dell said this morning that officers were called to the intramural building just before midnight to break up a crowd of several hundred people that refused to disperse.
Officers from EMU, Ypsilanti and the Washtenaw County Sheriff's Department moved the crowd outside. But O'Dell said several fights broke out a short time later near the dormitories.
No one was seriously injured, and there were no arrests, O'Dell said.
A Lodi Township man was robbed at gunpoint after surprising a burglar inside his home Tuesday afternoon.
The 68-year-old resident returned to his home in the 8400 block of Pleasant Lake Road at about 5:30 p.m. and found a man rummaging through his property, said Washtenaw County Sheriff's Cmdr. Dave Egeler.
The intruder pointed a black handgun at the man, ordered him to the ground and left with jewelry and a jar of change. The homeowner was not injured.
A security guard at the University of Michigan Medical Center was stabbed with a pen by a patient Tuesday morning, police said.
The assault occurred while the guard tried to restrain the the 59-year-old Ann Arbor man shortly after 9:30 a.m. inside his room in the hospital's psychiatric ward, said U-M police Lt. Robert Neumann.
The owner of two pit bulls who attacked a horse in a western Livingston County barn was ordered to serve 30 days in jail Tuesday.
David McGalliard, 44, of Handy Township, earlier pleaded no contest to two misdemeanor charges of allowing animals to stray and three counts of having unlicensed dogs.
A 10-year old Howell area boy pleaded no contest to reduced charges of sexual assault involving a 7-year-old boy on a school bus last year.
The boy will be sentenced May 23 in Livingston County Juvenile Court. He pleaded no contest Monday to charges of second-degree criminal sexual conduct and gross indecency between males in exchange for a charge of first-degree criminal sexual conduct being dismissed.
Authorities say a prisoner at the Milan Federal Detention Center will spent an additional 41 months behind bars for pouring boiling water over another inmate's head.
Wilmer A. Benegas, 23, a citizen of Honduras, was sentenced Tuesday in U.S. District Court after pleading guilty last fall to the federal offense of maiming with scalding water.
Police have arrested two Jackson men involved in beating and stabbing a man in his hotel room in Ann Arbor last month, and they continue to search for a third suspect.
Dennis Dale Parker Jr., 34, was arraigned Friday on multiple felony charges including home invasion and assault with intent to rob while armed. Ann Arbor police say the charges stem from an attack on a 38-year-old man at the Extended Stay America along Briarwood Circle on March 18.
The second suspect, Shawn Hamlin, 28, posted a $10,000 bond shortly after members of the department's Special Investigations Unit and Jackson County authorities arrested him in late March, said Detective Dave Monroe.
Unlicensed driver badly hurt in crash
An unlicensed Dexter Township teenager was seriously injured after losing control of his vehicle in Lima Township on Saturday morning, police said.
The 16-year-old boy was eastbound on Jerusalem Road just west of the Parker Road intersection when he lost control on a curve, went over the embankment and rolled, Washtenaw County Sheriff's Cmdr. Dave Egeler said.
The teen was airlifted to the University of Michigan Medical Center, where he was in critical condition this morning, Egeler said.
A 19-year-old passenger was treated for minor injuries.
Police are investigating to determine whether alcohol or drugs were a factor in the crash, Egeler said.
Ypsilanti Police investigated three apparently unrelated armed robberies Saturday, including one in which a food delivery driver was beaten in the mouth with a handgun.
Officers were called to Adams Street near Washtenaw Avenue at 3:10 a.m. Saturday. A 22-year-old delivery driver said four teens stopped him, and one pulled a gun and demanded money.
• County's Major Case Team losing investigators
Old homicide case files are gathering dust at police departments across Washtenaw and Livingston counties.
Budget cuts have forced several departments to cut back on investigators to keep more officers on the streets. And Washtenaw County's Major Case Team, part of the Livingston and Washtenaw Narcotics Enforcement Team, has dwindled from eight to three detectives.
Those reductions have spawned efforts to seek out federal dollars to form a four-person cold case squad, staffed with retired investigators.
The attorney for a Livingston County woman accused of possessing dangerous American bulldogs that mauled two people to death unsuccessfully argued Friday to get the charges dropped and exclude certain evidence if the case goes to trial.
Circuit Court Judge Stanley Latreille heard oral arguments by Daniel Blank, who represents Diane Cockrell of Iosco Township, southwest of Howell. She faces two felony counts of possessing dangerous animals causing death and a misdemeanor charge of allowing dogs to stray.
Authorities say four of Cockrell's dogs attacked and killed Cheryl Harper, 56, and Edward Gierlach, 91, last Sept. 13 after escaping by crawling under a fence on her property.
Emilio Salomon Vasquez has spent the past 12 years in prison for the gang-related shooting death of a 16-year-old Huron High School student.
The 33-year-old Honduras native's conviction is now in question because of controversial testimony allowed in a transcript from a preliminary hearing witness who did not appear at his 1996 trial.
Vasquez, formerly of Ypsilanti Township, recently won the right for a second trial, which will begin May 19 in Washtenaw County Circuit Court.
The trial will reopen old wounds for the family of Tamara Stewart, whose death in a shoot-out between rival gangs on Ann Arbor's south side in 1995 was one of the first public indications of a fledgling gang problem in the city.
A 22-year-old Ypsilanti man suffered a cut and swollen lip after being hit on the mouth with a handgun early this morning.
The man told Ypsilanti police that he was leaving a local bar when he was approached by four men at Adams Street and Washtenaw Avenue asking for a light for a cigar. The man told police as he provided the lighter, he was asked if he wanted drugs and he said he did not want any drugs.
According to the police report, as the man began to walk away, one of the four men walked up to him and struck him in the mouth with a chrome-plated handgun and demanded all of his money. The man told police that the man raised the gun to strike him again but he was able to block the second blow and run away.
Police said they searched the area for the four men but didn't find them. However, the report said the man saw three of the suspects a short time later walking in the area of College Place and Emmet Street. Officers said they made contact with three of the men and detained them pending further investigation.
Resident confronts persistent prowler
A man was seen peeping through the windows of an Ann Arbor resident's home twice this morning, city police said.
A 23-year-old man told police he was lying in bed with his girlfriend with the window blinds open shortly after 1 a.m. when he heard a noise on the fire escape at his home in the 300 block of East Jefferson Street. He looked out and saw a man in a dark puffy coat and immediately turned on the lights, scaring the man away.
A few minutes later, the man said, he heard a noise outside a different window that also had the blinds open and saw the same man. The resident told police he ran outside and chased the prowler around the house. The prowler threatened to beat the resident and ran south on Fifth Street.
The prowler was described as black, in his 40s, about 6 feet tall, 150 pounds, with a scruffy gray beard. He wore dark pants and tennis shoes.
Authorities believe Lindsay Graygo's killer stole her purse and keys before leaving her Ypsilanti Township apartment.
But police don't believe robbery was the motive for the 29-year-old woman's slaying, which has remained unsolved for nearly two months.
In an attempt to generate new tips in the case, the Washtenaw County Sheriff's Department announced a $10,000 reward Wednesday for information that leads to an arrest and conviction.
Investigators also released new details in the case Wednesday - including the fact that her purse is missing and a timeline of when police believe she was killed.
A visitor in the Taubman parking structure fended off a would-be purse snatcher Wednesday afternoon, University of Michigan Police said.
The woman was on level 3A of the structure, off East Medical Center Drive near the U-M Medical Center, at 2:50 p.m. The woman was walking when a man approached from behind and grabbed her purse, reports said. The woman pulled the purse back, the strap broke and she was able to hang on to her purse, police said. The man walked away.
The man was described as white, in his mid-30s, 5 feet 11 inches tall, and was wearing a blue T-shirt with a white logo on the back.
Campus police issued a crime alert about the incident Wednesday, warning people to be aware of their surroundings and walk with others when possible.
Anyone with information is asked to call campus police at 734-763-1131.
The Washtenaw County Sheriff's Department has announced a $10,000 reward for information in the slaying of Lindsay Anne Graygo.
The 29-year-old's body was discovered in her Ypsilanti Township apartment on Feb. 19.
Police also revealed today that Graygo's purse is missing. It is described as a Via Spiga handbag with shoulder straps, burgundy and black in color with snakeskin trim.
Graygo was last heard from the day before when she spoke to her mother.
Police said they are still awaiting results from the crime lab from evidence at the scene.
Teen girls report sexual assault
Ann Arbor police said a man tried to force himself on a 14-year-old girl after luring her and a friend into a downtown alley Tuesday night.
The victim and her 14-year-old friend were walking along Division Street at about 11 p.m. when they were approached by a man leaving a church near the Lawrence Street intersection, said Detective Sgt. Jeff Connelly. The man lured the girls into a nearby alley and attempted to touch one of the girls while the other walked away, Connelly said. The girl fended the man off and screamed, attracting the attention of a passerby who called police.
The man fled and could not be located by officers responding to the scene, Connelly said.
The girls, who live on the state's west side but are visiting relatives locally, were not injured.
A 28-year-old Ypsilanti Township man was found shot to death in a car on the front lawn of a house in Ypsilanti on Tuesday night, police said.
Police said they responded to the 400 block of East Ainsworth Street at 11:15 p.m. on a "shots fired" call. When they arrived, they found Melvin Dobbins Jr. dead in the car's front seat from one or more gunshot wounds to the head.
"We're not really sure what happened," Ypsilanti Police Chief Matt Harshberger said this morning.
He said Dobbins' family suggested he might have been in Ypsilanti for some kind of narcotics transaction. "It appears there was a robbery," Harshberger said.
He said it appeared Dobbins was shot as he tried to back the borrowed 2006 Mustang he was driving out of a driveway and away from the suspects.
He said investigators are seeking the identity of two men who were seen running from the area. Harshberger asked anyone with information about the men to call the detective bureau at 734-483-5849.
A state tip line offers cash rewards for information leading to the arrest and conviction of felony suspects at 800-773-2587.
Susan Oppat can be reached at email@example.com or 734-482-1166.
A 28-year-old Ypsilanti Township man was shot to death in Ypsilanti Tuesday night, police said this morning.
Police did not release the man's name, but said they were went to the 400 block of East Ainsworth Street at 11:15 p.m. after a caller reported "shots fired."
When they arrived, they found a car up on the front lawn at a house, and the man dead in the front seat from one or more gunshot wounds to the head.
No further information was released.
A 10-year-old Howell boy accused of forcing a first-grade boy to perform a sex act while on a school bus will go on trial next week, The Associated Press reported.
The mother of the boy told a Detroit newspaper Monday the Livingston County prosecutor's office did not offer a plea agreement. The boy said he did not want one because he's innocent of the criminal sexual conduct charges.
A judge, prosecutor and defense attorney held a settlement conference Monday. The case heads to trial April 16.
If convicted, he could be put in a juvenile detention facility until age 21 and placed on the state's sex offender registry until 30.
A plea deal was reached last month for an 11-year-old co-defendant. He received two years' probation and ordered to undergo counseling.
By ART AISNER
The Ann Arbor News
Jurors didn't immediately agree to convict Orange Taylor III of murdering a fellow Eastern Michigan University student when deliberations began Monday morning.
Nearly five hours later, they found Taylor guilty of first-degree felony murder, assault with intent to commit sexual penetration, home invasion and larceny. Their decision will send the 21-year-old to prison for the rest of his life.
Six months ago, another jury couldn't reach a conclusion, deadlocking after more than two days of deliberations.
"There was some separation right away, but we talked through the issues systematically, which changed a lot of minds in both directions," said the forewoman, who asked that her name not be used because of fears that publicity could harm her husband's business.
Related: Complete trial coverage
A national audience watched Orange Taylor III's first trial last fall when the cable network Court TV put the media spotlight on Washtenaw County and Eastern Michigan University for more than a week.
This time, the courtroom scene was much quieter.
Related: Complete trial coverage
HASTINGS - In the small town where Laura Dickinson grew up and her father operates a coffee shop, residents said the outrage they felt last fall has now been replaced by satisfaction.
Many voiced anger when a Washtenaw County jury deadlocked during the first trial for Orange Taylor III last October. But Monday, a second jury found Taylor guilty of murdering the 22-year-old Hastings native in her Eastern Michigan University dorm room in December 2006.
After the verdict was read, Orange Taylor III's brother spoke to the media about the guilty finding and plans to appeal. Complete coverage.
|Orange Taylor III's Brother Speaks
Video: Watch as the verdict is read in the case against Orange Taylor III Monday. Complete coverage.
|Orange Taylor III Found Guilty
• Jurors say evidence proved guilt beyond reasonable doubt
• Family of Orange Taylor III speaks about verdict
• Interim Eastern Michigan University leader reacts to verdict
• EMU students, faculty express relief that trial is over
• Video: See the verdict being read against Orange Taylor III
• Video: Orange Taylor III's brother reacts to verdict
• Residents in Laura Dickinson's hometown happy with verdict
• Second trial draws smaller media audience
• Timeline: Important dates in the case
• Complete trial coverage
A Washtenaw County jury has found Orange Taylor III guilty of murdering Eastern Michigan University student Laura Dickinson.
The jury also said Taylor was guilty of all counts against him. A conviction for felony murder means a mandatory sentence of life in prison.
Taylor, dressed in a dark suit with a blue shirt, stood quietly while the jury filed in and read the verdict.
Neither the Dickinson family nor the Taylor family had much visible reaction as the verdict was read.
The jury may have reached a verdict in the retrial of former Eastern Michigan University student Orange Taylor on charges he illegally entered another student's room and killed her.
Court was reconvened shortly after 2 p.m., about four hours after the jury went into deliberations following a week-long trial.
Past coverage:
• Nearly 2 dozen shots fired; 1 man dead
Authorities have named a suspect in the shooting death of a 22-year-old man in Superior Township last month.
Williams is accused in the shooting death of Jeremiah Bernard Jones of Ypsilanti after an argument in the 9000 block of MacArthur Boulevard on the evening of March 16.
Sheriff's Cmdr. Dave Egeler said he did not know the nature of the dispute and declined to say whether police believe anyone else was involved in the shooting.
The night of the shooting, police said numerous shots were fired outside a townhouse. A stray bullet hit a gas meter on the side of one home, causing a leak.
Williams is described as black, 5 feet 7 inches tall, and 180 pounds. Police said he should be considered armed and dangerous.
Anyone who knows his whereabouts should call any the Washtenaw County Sheriff's Office at 734-973-7711 or Crime Stoppers at 1-800-773-2587.
Jury selection has begun in the trial of an 18-year-old accused of killing and mutilating a River Rouge man in Canton Township.
Jean Pierre Orlewicz of Plymouth Township faces first-degree murder charges in the November slaying of 26-year-old Daniel Sorensen. His co-defendant, 18-year-old Alexander Letkemann of Westland, pleaded guilty to second-degree murder last week.
Jury selection started Monday morning.
Letkemann faces 20 to 30 years in prison at his April 23 sentencing in Wayne County Circuit Court. He also pleaded guilty to disinterment and mutilation of a dead body, which carries up to a 10-year sentence.
Sorensen was stabbed to death and beheaded with a hand saw in a garage on Nov. 7.
Prosecutors have called it a "thrill" killing.
Two armed men robbed employees at the Red Robin Restaurant in Pittsfield Township this morning before the business opened.
The suspects were later captured, according to police reports.
The robbery happened at 6:49 a.m. Saturday at the restaurant located in the 3700 block of Carpenter Road. Armed with a gun and a knife, the suspects stole an undisclosed amount of cash and then fled, police said.
Red Robin Restaurant manager Kristin Kaluzny said the robbery happened while two employees were preparing for opening.
"The biggest thing was that everybody was OK and the guys were caught," she said.
An officer saw two men who matched a description of the suspects at the Evergreen Pointe Apartments, Pittsfield Township police said. Sgt. Gordy Schick said evidence of the crime was found on the suspects.
The suspects are a 21-year old Ypsilanti man and a 19-year-old Detroit man. Both are in the Washtenaw County Jail. Schick said they are expected to be arraigned Sunday.
• Complete trial coverage
• Video: Prosecutor's closing argument
• Video: Defense attorney's closing argument
By ART AISNER
The Ann Arbor News
Orange Taylor III again stayed seated throughout the final day of his trial Friday in the slaying of a fellow Eastern Michigan University student, opting not to testify on his own behalf.
And like at his first trial last fall, which ended in a hung jury after more than two days of deliberations, not a single witness testified for the defense.
But the overall defense strategy - laid out during cross examination of witnesses and 40 minutes of closing arguments Friday afternoon - took a different tone.
The mission of the Michigan Prisoner Re-entry Initiative is to significantly reduce crime by helping convicts make the transition back to society.
But the organization recently got a reality check that they're not immune to crime themselves.
The MPRI program facility in the 4100 block of Packard Road was burglarized sometime between March 31 and April 1. The thief or thieves took a laptop computer, a safe box, 30 money orders and 30 gift cards from different businesses and numerous bus cards.
A former Christian school teacher from Canton Township accused of having sex with a 15-year-old student is headed to trial after failing to reach a plea deal with Wayne County prosecutors.
Stephanie Ann Stein appeared in circuit court Wednesday.
Her attorney, Todd Flood, had filed a motion in which the judge, who arraigned Stein last fall, would hear reasons why the 32 year old should have a lighter punishment in exchange for a guilty plea. But assistant Prosecutor Lora Weingarden said the boy's mother didn't want her son interviewed by the judge.
Weingarden says Stein rejected a deal in which she would receive 30 months to 15 years in prison.
Flood told The Detroit Free Press that his "client is innocent."
A trial date has not been set.
The final leg of the prosecution's case against Orange Taylor III began this morning with additional police testimony in Washtenaw County Circuit Court.
Michigan State Police Detective Sgt. Kenneth Rochell testified that he used several photos of the crime scene as well of video clips of a suspect -- whom investigators believed to be Taylor -- during the former EMU student's voluntary interview nearly 6 weeks after Laura Dickinson's death.
His testimony paused for roughly 10 minutes as jurors scanned the crime scene photos used during the nearly five-hour session.
During the portion of the tape played Friday morning, Taylor again denied any role in Dickinson's death and insisted there should be no physical evidence pointing to him beyond the entranceway to the room.
It started a week ago as a tip about suspicious activity in an Ann Arbor parking structure.
Ann Arbor undercover police officers developed that tip into an arrest early Friday morning of two suspects who they believe were involved in a series of crimes.
Ann Arbor police told a group of concerned residents hit by a spree of home invasions that authorities have the teens that they believe committed the crimes, but police are still looking for weapons they believe the teens stole.
A group of public officials met Thursday with south side residents at the Bryant Community Center and said they've linked three teenage suspects with as many as seven break-ins during a March 30-31 crime spree.
Few new details have emerged in recent weeks, and no arrests have been made.
Washtenaw County Sheriff's Cmdr. Dave Egeler said the investigation is ongoing, and he can't discuss whether police have any suspects.
Ann Arbor police are searching for a gunman who forced a 46-year-old woman to give up her purse in an apartment building Wednesday night.
Police say the woman entered the common area of a building in GreenBrier Apartments on the city's north side at about 8:10 p.m. She was walking upstairs to her apartment when a man called out from behind her.
When the woman turned around, the man pointed a gun at her and demanded her purse. After fleeing, the robber used her credit card at a nearby gas station.
Police say they suspect the robber is the same man who has recently been trying to pass fraudulent money orders.
The victim described the robber as black, about 30 years old, clean shaven, 6 feet tall and 200 pounds.
Anyone with information is asked to call the Ann Arbor Police tip line at 734-996-3199.
Past coverage:
• Police say young burglars had loaded guns
By TOM GANTERT
The Ann Arbor News
During their fourth burglary of the morning, a 14-year-old armed with a .22-caliber handgun noticed some pillows moved in a bed in the back bedroom of the house, Ann Arbor Police said.
The teen told one of his accomplices he thought the homeowner was asleep.
A 17-year-old cohort walked into the room and touched the bed. A man jumped up and screamed as the three suspected burglars fled the home, according to police reports about the early-morning crime spree on the south side of Ann Arbor Monday.
Related: Complete coverage of the trial
By ART AISNER
The Ann Arbor News
The attorney for Orange Taylor III went on the offense Wednesday, attacking the credibility of evidence collectors who scoured an Eastern Michigan University student's dorm room after her body was found.
During a sometimes contentious cross-examination, Assistant Public Defender Laura Graham suggested the investigation was less about science and more about pinning Taylor with the December 2006 murder of Laura Dickinson.
Taylor, 21, entered his third day of trial Wednesday in Washtenaw County Circuit Court. It's the second trial for Taylor, who is charged with open murder and several other felonies. The first trial ended with a hung jury last fall.
A 21-year-old Ypsilanti man was arraigned Tuesday on first- and second-degree child abuse charges for allegedly fracturing the skull of an 8-week-old girl.
Ypsilanti police said Darrick Reeves admitted to hitting the infant's head on a table as he was caring for her while the baby's mother, his girlfriend, was at work. Reeves is not the baby's father, police said.
Reeves initially told police he tripped over a cat and fell with the baby in his arms, then said he dropped the baby onto a carpeted floor. Police said that later, after he was confronted with the fact that the baby had symmetrical bruises on her arms, he admitted he became frustrated with the baby's crying.
He was held in the Washtenaw County Jail on 10 percent of a $25,000 bond pending a preliminary examination next Tuesday.
The baby was in good condition at the University of Medical Center today, and police said she is expected to recover.
Past coverage:
• Jury finds deputy guilty of insurance fraud
A former Washtenaw County Sheriff's deputy was sentenced to probation Wednesday for insurance fraud, court officials said.
Jennifer Reynolds was ordered to serve 18 months of probation and pay nearly $700 in restitution. She was convicted of conspiring with another former deputy, Christopher Campbell, to falsify a traffic crash report after a crash involving their personal vehicles in April 2006.
Reynolds, 33, was convicted of single counts of insurance fraud and conspiracy. She faced up to 10 years in prison.
Sheriff's Cmdr. Dave Egeler said Reynolds is no longer employed with the Sheriff's Department, but he did not have further details.
Campbell pleaded no contest to a charge of insurance fraud in August and was sentenced to a similar probation term with an additional 100 hours of community service.
The man entered the bank in the 5400 block of East Huron River Drive at 9:40 a.m. and announced to a teller that it was a hold-up, police said.
The teller handed over an undisclosed amount of cash, and the robber fled in what witnesses described as a aqua-colored compact car.
No one was injured, and no weapon was seen.
The robber was described as white, in his 50s, about 5 feet 10 inches tall and 225 pounds.
Anyone with information is asked to call the sheriff's tip line at 734-973-7711.
A bank near the St. Joseph Mercy Hospital campus in Superior Township was robbed this morning, authorities said.
The robbery occurred at the bank along Huron River Drive, but no further details were available at 1:30 p.m.
The second trial for Orange Taylor continued today with more expert testimony from Michigan State Police lab analysts.
Testimony was delayed by about 30 minutes this morning as the court waited on a juror's arrival. Just before 9 a.m. Washtenaw County Circuit Judge Archie Brown announced the male juror called and said he was ill and needed to go to the hospital. Further details were unavailable.
That juror was excused for the balance of the trial, leaving a 13-member panel of eight women and five men.
Ann Arbor police said a 60-year-old woman stabbed a male acquaintance at least twice with a screwdriver after he busted through a door to her home Monday night.
The 48-year-old man, with whom the woman has a domestic relationship, was found a few blocks away hiding in the bushes, police said. He was taken to the University of Michigan Medical Center where he was being treated for stab wounds to his right shoulder and biceps.
The woman called 911 at 11:21 p.m. to report she'd just stabbed a man who'd broken down a door to get in to her house in the 700 block of North Fifth Avenue. A police tracking dog led officers to the man.
The case has been sent to the Washtenaw County Prosecutor's office for review.
By TOM GANTERT
The Ann Arbor News
Three Ann Arbor teenage boys suspected of breaking into two homes were carrying loaded guns and a knife when found on the street and arrested early this morning, city police said.
Lt. Mike Logghe said the three teens, ranging in age from 14 to 17, are suspected of breaking in to homes on the 3000 block of Platt Road and Champagne Drive at about 2:30 a.m. today. Police were called and found the suspects walking on about a quarter-mile away with stolen property.
Two of the boys were carrying guns and the third had a knife, Logghe said.
"That's scary," Logghe said. "Not only could the homeowners be seriously injured, but also the arresting officers confronting them on the street not knowing they were armed."
Good Samaritan robbed
A 22 year old Ypsilanti Township man told police a man he was giving a ride to the hospital on Saturday pulled a gun on him and took the car, according to the Washtenaw County Sheriff's Department.
The victim told police he was pumping gas at a gas station on Ecorse Road at 9:30 p.m. when the man approached him and asked for a ride. The victim said the man pulled the gun and told him to get out and drove off in a 1992 Ford Explorer.
Cmdr. Dave Egeler said this morning that the suspect was still at large.
• Related: Complete coverage of the first trial
By ART AISNER
The Ann Arbor News
Bob Dickinson is anxious.
But the Hastings man says he's not looking for answers this time.
He got those the first time Orange Taylor III stood trial last fall for the murder of Laura Dickinson before a deadlocked jury left the case unsettled.
This time, Dickinson says he's simply looking for a fair outcome - regardless of what the jury decides.
"We're anxious, and we want to get through it," Dickinson said by phone from his coffee shop Friday. "If we get some closure out of it, that'd be great. But I'm just hoping for 12 good, fair (jurors)."
GRAND JUNCTION, Colo. -- Bond for two Michigan men arrested in Colorado on marijuana charges has been set at $150,000.
Mesa County sheriff's officials say 46-year-old Christopher Johnson of Detroit and 22-year-old Nathan McRae of Belleville were arrested on suspicion of marijuana possession with intent to distribute and being special drug offenders.
An affidavit says officers at a port of entry on Interstate 70 found about 600 pounds of marijuana behind a false wall in their semitrailer Friday.
Man assaulted in market parking lot
A 21-year-old man reported he was assaulted early Saturday in the parking lot of a market in the 500 block of West Cross Street in Ypsilanti, police said.
The man required stitches to his face at St. Joseph Mercy Hospital, but was intoxicated and too angry to talk, a police report said.
A witness told police another man assaulted the victim and left in a tan colored Ford Taurus.
Suspect pinned until police arrive
Ypsilanti Police say a witness pinned a suspected robber to the ground until officers arrived early Saturday.
Police were called to the 500 block of Congress Street at 2:37 a.m. Saturday. According to police reports, the robber grabbed a 25-year-old man and took his watch, wallet and cell phone.
But the victim's friend pinned the 29-year-old suspect to the ground, reports said. The victim suffered minor cuts and bruises to his forehead and arms and was treated and released from St. Joseph Mercy Hospital.
Police recovered the victim's cell phone from the suspect and found the man's wallet nearby.
Van Buren Township Police said an armed robbery occurred at about 9 p.m. Saturday at the Belleridge Apartments near Haggerty Road and I-94.
No further information was available.
• Augusta Township family displaced by fire
State Police said a Friday morning mobile home fire in Augusta Township was arson.
The home in the Augusta Woods complex caught fire at 10:15 a.m., about 10 minutes after witnesses observed a man leaving the residence carrying a plastic bag and some tools, a press release said.
The man leaving the home was described as white, in his late 40s or early 50s, about 5 feet 9 inches tall and had a long, grayish-white beard. He was wearing a dark gray or blue hat with a gray coat and dark blue sweats.
He was last seen traveling east behind the residence toward Rawsonville Road. It's not clear if he left on foot or in a vehicle.
A Red Cross press release said the Washtenaw County chapter provided assistance for the residents, identified as a 35-year-old woman, her boyfriend and four children.
Anyone with information is asked to call the Michigan State Police at 734-482-1211.
A 40-year-old Ann Arbor man and 40-year-old Ann Arbor woman were arrested Friday for using a stolen credit card, city police said today.
The man and woman were taken into custody at a gas station near Packard Street and Stadium Boulevard, said Sgt. Paul Curtis. It's unclear how much was charged, how many times or at what places the credit card was used, he said.
The suspects are in a Washtenaw County jail pending their arraignment Sunday, Curtis said. They likely will be charged with fradulent use of a financial transaction device.
A 31-year-old Ypsilanti man was found guilty this week on a four-count federal indictment charging him with being a felon in possession of firearms and possessing stolen firearms, the U.S. Attorney's Office said.
Joshua Bonderenka faces a maximum 10-year prison sentence on each of the four counts.
Authorities said Bonderenka and co-defendant Adam Burke broke into the Belleville home of Burke's uncle and stole more than 30 firearms. Some were sold for cash and marijuana, officials said.
Bonderenka and Burke were arrested after they sold four more guns to an undercover police officer while they were under surveillance by officers and federal agents, officials said. Burke previously pleaded guilty to one count of felon in possession of a firearm.
Bonderenka's sentencing is scheduled for Aug. 4.
2 suspects arrested in A2 gas station burglary
Two men suspected of burglarizing an Ann Arbor gas station early Thursday morning were arrested in Chelsea with burglary tools and cash shortly after the crime, police said.
Two 25-year-old men from Detroit and Farmington Hills are expected to arraigned today on breaking and entering charges for the smash-and-grab-style burglary at the BP station in the 3000 block of South State Street, said Ann Arbor Detective Sgt. Richard Kinsey.
The pair were arrested after Chelsea Police stopped their vehicle near a gas station on M-52 shortly before 4 a.m. The driver had a suspended license and the passenger had felony warrants in another county, Kinsey said.
While searching the vehicle, officers found burglary tools and suspected stolen property, including an undisclosed amount of cash, police said.
Kinsey said investigators believe the property was taken from the Ann Arbor station, which was discovered with a smashed glass door by a newspaper deliveryman shortly after 5 a.m. They are also investigating possible connections to other similar burglaries in the city.
Past coverage:
• Bridal shop closes; customers in limbo
By ART AISNER
The Ann Arbor News
The former co-owner of a Dexter bridal shop that closed last November has been charged with orchestrating a travel scheme that bilked nearly three dozen Maryland residents out of more than $100,000.
Barbara Littlefield operated Dexter Bridal & Formal Wear for roughly nine months before it was closed by court order amid accusations of fiscal mismanagement and a criminal investigation.
Littlefield, who also goes by the name Barbara Karen Herrington, surrendered to authorities in Maryland Wednesday to face 59 counts of fraud and felony theft uncovered in a 14-month investigation, said Carroll County Sheriff's Lt. Phil Kasten.
Police probe 2nd gas station robbery
Ann Arbor police said they are investigating the second smash-and-grab robbery in a week at a gas station on the city's south side.
Officers were called to the BP station in the 3000 block of South State Street about 5:20 a.m. today, shortly after a newspaper deliveryman reported the front glass door to the business was smashed, Detective Sgt. Jim Stephenson said.
The cash drawer and other doors inside the station appeared to be pried open, and items appeared to be missing, although a full inventory by store employees was pending, Stephenson said.
Last Wednesday an employee at the Mobil station across the street reported the front window was smashed when he arrived to work, Stephenson said.
That incident is still under investigation.
By JOHN CANIGLIA
Newhouse News Service
LAKEWOOD, Ohio - Derrick Dykas threw one punch at Matthew Hockey. It was enough to kill him, authorities say.
Now Dykas, a 23-year-old Ypsilanti resident, is charged by Ohio authorities with murder.
"He never saw it coming," said Hockey's mother, Jean Verlotti. "He was sucker-punched. What a cowardly thing to do."
• Jury awards female prisoners $15 million
State senators have voted to reopen a prison ombudsman's office that was closed five years ago to save money.
A Department of Corrections budget approved unanimously Wednesday would spend $500,000 so a legislative ombudsman's office could hear complaints lodged by prisoners and their families.
Advocates of the office say prisons needs outside scrutiny. The state is facing a lawsuit over the death of a 21-year-old mentally ill inmate who was restrained in a hot cell.
Female prisoners recently won a $15 million judgment in Washtenaw County Circuit Court for rapes at the hands of male workers. There also is criticism over health care provided for inmates.
The House voted to create an ombudsman's office last week.
Lawmakers hope to finish the state budget by July.
By GEOFF LARCOM
The Ann Arbor News
Students and staff at Eastern Michigan University can now receive cell phone text messages to alert them of emergencies on campus.
Don Loppnow, EMU executive vice president and interim leader, said the service could be used in a variety of scenarios, including crime on campus, natural disasters, tornadoes or problems with a building.
In the event of an emergency on campus, a short message will be sent via text message to everyone who registers his or her cell phone with the university. Users also can choose to have the emergency alerts sent to their e-mail.
Loppnow said the alert service is another initiative to ensure that the university has the best possible emergency communications system in place. "Hopefully we'll never have to use it," he said.
The University of Michigan adopted a similar alert system earlier this month.
Past coverage:
• Two men admit role in botched robbery
• Homeowner accused of shooting teen will likely get out of jail
• Teens face charges of conspiring to steal marijuana
• Lima Township man charged in shooting
• Police arrest homeowner who shoots fleeing intruder
A Lima Township man accused of shooting at would-be intruders trying to steal his homegrown marijuana pleaded guilty to reduced charges, records show.
Gershom Avery, 53, recently pleaded guilty to felonious assault, possessing a fake explosive, and marijuana possession. One man was shot during the incident last November.
Avery entered into a sentencing agreement with a judge that calls for no prison time, court records show.
Prosecutors will drop attempted murder, assault and using a firearm to commit a felony charges at his sentencing April 29. The felony firearm count carries a mandatory two-year prison sentence.
"We were quite confident we could beat the assaultive charges, but we felt we had to compromise and avoid the possibility of a mandatory prison (term)," said Avery's attorney, Michael LeGris.
LeGris said he would have argued it was self-defense, and Avery had a constitutional right to protect his property.
The three would-be intruders - Skylar Galloway, 18, Daniel Buckenburger, 20, and Bradley Tyler, 20 - have pleaded guilty to conspiring to commit first-degree home invasion.
A 40-year-old Canton man was ordered to serve a mandatory minimum sentence of 25 years in prison for drug trafficking and firearms convictions, the U.S. Attorney's Office announced Tuesday.
Henry Allen Richardson pleaded guilty in November to possession with intent to distribute more than 50 grams of crack cocaine, possession with intent to distribute more than 500 grams of powder cocaine and possession of four loaded firearms, officials said.
The charges against Richardson stemmed from the search of a Detroit home in December 2006, where federal agents found approximately 282 grams of crack cocaine, 682 grams of powder cocaine, four loaded firearms and various narcotics packaging and paraphernalia, the U.S. Attorney's Office said.
Richardson had previously been convicted of three felony drug offenses, as well as assault with intent to do great bodily harm, armed robbery and receiving and concealing stolen property.
By GEOFF LARCOM
The Ann Arbor News
Students and staff at Eastern Michigan University can now receive cellphone text messages to alert them of emergencies on campus.
Don Loppnow, EMU's executive vice president and interim leader, said the service could be used in a variety of scenarios, including crime on campus, natural disasters, tornadoes or problems with a building.
In the event of an emergency on campus, a short message will be sent via text message to everyone who registers his or her cell phone with the university. Users also can choose to have the emergency alerts sent to their e-mail.
Dryer fire causes $1,000 in damages
Superior Township firefighters extinguished a minor dryer fire Monday.
Firefighters responded to a home in the 8600 block of MacArthur Boulevard just before 5 p.m. and found a dryer on fire, officials said. No one was injured, and the fire caused about $1,000 in damage.
Police find no signs of reported prowler
An Ann Arbor couple reported a suspected prowler outside their downtown apartment this morning, police reports said.
Officers responded to the 300 block of Division Street after residents reported hearing loud noises outside their building at about 2:30 a.m. Officers stopped a man and woman walking along Division and determined they had been inside the apartment building and were heading to their car.
The complaining residents said they heard noises outside their ground-floor apartment and saw a motion-sensor light activate and then turn off. They didn't see anyone outside, and police didn't find footprints in the snow, reports said.
• Previous story: Burglars hit U-M gem displays
By ART AISNER
The Ann Arbor News
University of Michigan police say they arrested a suspect in the theft of dozens of semi-precious gems from displays on campus during two burglaries last week, and they didn't have to go far do solve the case.
Michael Edward-Lopez Sherer, 27, was arraigned over the weekend on one count of breaking and entering and another count of receiving and concealing stolen property taken during burglaries at the C.C. Little Building on March 15 and 17.
An employee, who earlier that morning received photos of the missing collection from a graduate student in the geology department, kept Sherer occupied long enough until police arrived.
Officers recovered the gems from the store intact and believe they found all of the remaining 68 items during searches of Sherer's car and on-campus apartment at EMU, Neumann said.
Man with shotgun arrested in Ypsilanti
Ann Arbor police said an Ypsilanti man was arrested shortly after he approached a home with a shotgun Sunday morning.
Officers were called to the 2200 block of Tilsby Court on the city's southwest side at about 4:25 a.m. by a caretaker who saw a man walking up the driveway with a rifle, reports said.
The 45-year-old caretaker told police the stranger walked to the back of the house and began banging on an outside wall. A few minutes later he came to front door and began knocking and rang the doorbell, reports said.
The man left after no one answered and put the rifle back in a case as he walked away toward his truck, reports said.
Officers nearby stopped the vehicle and arrested the 64-year-old man, who is expected to be arraigned today on felonious assault charges. Reports said the man told police he had recently lost his home.
Detective Sgt. Jim Stephenson said they are still investigating, but they believe the suspect is known to the caretaker and came to the house to confront him, not the homeowner, who is an elderly man.
• Deputies arraigned on federal charges
• Indictments against cops don't tell what happened
• Deputies indicted on federal charges
After a lengthy investigation, two Washtenaw County Sheriff's deputies and a sergeant were indicted this week in the death of an Ypsilanti Township man during a confrontation in June 2006. Professor Bridget McCormack, associate dean of clinical affairs at the University of Michigan Law School, discusses the charges.
A: This is a broad statute that can bring many kinds of charges. These officers here are charged with violating a criminal statute that preserves the right to be free from the intentional use of unreasonable force. They're accused of depriving the victim of those constitutional rights.
Q: Do civil rights violations automatically mean race is an issue in the case?
A: That's not necessarily right. You can be charged under the statute for all types of civil rights violations, including those where race is a factor. But race is not a requirement.
Man snatches money from employee at Hong Kong Restaurant
A man robbed the Hong Kong Restaurant in Ypsilanti Township late Friday and fled in a car, Washtenaw County Sheriff's deputies said.
The man grabbed money out of a clerk's hand and left the restaurant, located at 2339 Ellsworth Road. He fled in a black Pontiac, deputies said.
Man assaulted, but no money taken
A man was struck with an unknown object and ordered to hand over money in an Ypsilanti Township parking lot early Friday morning.
But the would-be robber ran away before receiving anything, Washtenaw County Sheriff's deputies said. The assault occurred in the parking lot at the Papi O nightclub at 2275 Ellsworth Road, deputies said.
Man attacked, robbed of belongings
A man was assaulted after he refused to give money to another man early Friday in Golfside Apartments in Ypsilanti Township, Washtenaw County Sheriff's deputies said.
The robber fled from the 2700 block of Golfside Road after taking a black bag from the victim containing his checkbook, deputies said.
Prior coverage:
• Residents demand answers in fatal police struggle
• Lawsuit provides new details in fatal struggle
• County to pay family $4 million
• Deputies indicted on federal charges
• Indictments against cops don't tell what happened
Read the indictments:
• Deputy Joseph Eberle
• Sgt. Shawn Hoy and Deputy Eric Kelly
By ART AISNER
The Ann Arbor News
DETROIT - After appearing in court probably hundreds of times to help put criminals behind bars, two Washtenaw County Sheriff's officers made their first official appearance as defendants Friday.
Deputy Joseph Eberle and Sgt. Shawn Hoy were arraigned Friday afternoon in U.S. District Court in Detroit on federal civil rights violations in the 2006 beatings of two Ypsilanti Township brothers, one of whom died.
Magistrate Judge Steven D. Pepe placed both officers on unsecured $10,000 personal bond and they remain free pending a yet to be scheduled pre-trial hearing date.
Both were indicted earlier this month, along with Deputy Eric Kelly, on charges they violated the civil rights of Clifton "Pete" Lee Jr. and his brother, Bruce Lee, during a confrontation in the West Willow neighborhood on June 1, 2006. Police said the two brothers had tried to intervene in traffic stop involving a nephew.
By DAVID JESSE
The Ann Arbor News
A 34-year-old Ypsilanti man was sentenced to five years in prison Friday for possessing child pornography, federal officials said.
Chad Housley also was ordered to serve five years of supervised release following his prison sentence, U.S. Attorney Stephen J. Murphy said in a press release. He is also required to register as a sex offender.
Housley pleaded guilty on Nov. 9 to one felony count of receipt of child pornography before federal District Judge Sean F. Cox.
A forensic examination of his computer and optical disks revealed Housley had 2,579 images of pornography and 43 films, which was equivalent under federal sentencing guidelines to 5,804 images, Murphy said.
Charges have been issued by the Livingston County Prosecutor's office in two unrelated cases of bullying that occurred recently at Howell schools. According to Livingston County Prosecutor David Morse, all five students involved in the incidents will be charged with assault and battery, a misdemeanor.
According to Howell City Police, a 16-year-old girl was attacked in the Parker High School cafeteria Feb. 29 by four other female students.
In the other incident, a 14-year old boy assaulted a special education student, also 14, at Highlander Way Middle School on March 10. The boy was taken to a hospital for X-rays but results showed he did not suffer any broken bones.
Acting Superintendent Lynn Parrish told the school board that both incidents were being investigated. State law requires students involved in assaults to be suspended for 180 days.
One of the girls involved in the Parker assault is 17 years old and her case will be processed through adult court. A date for her arraignment has not been set. The others, all juveniles, will appear in the juvenile division of probate court, Morse said.
A 27-year-old Ann Arbor man was sentenced to four years of probation for gaining access to his former employer's computer system and destroying payroll and personnel records, the U.S. Attorney's Office announced Thursday.
Joseph Patrick Nolan will serve the first six months of his sentence at a halfway house and an additional six months on house arrest, a federal judge ordered. He also must repay $1,158 to Pentastar Aviation, a Waterford aviation leasing and maintenance company.
The evidence at trial showed that on Feb. 1, 2007, Nolan, who had resigned in January from Pentastar Aviation, gained unauthorized access to the company's computer system and destroyed records. Repairing the damage caused from this intrusion cost Pentastar in excess of $50,000, officials said.
In May, on the same day he was charged, Nolan resigned from his job as a senior infrastructure specialist in the Information Technology Department for the city of Ann Arbor. He had been hired there in February.


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George Washington won its first National Invitation Tournament championship, getting 18 points from Kevin Larsen and pulling away in the second half to beat Valparaiso 76-60 on Thursday night at Madison Square Garden.
Patricio Garino had 14 points, Joe McDonald added 13 and the fourth-seeded Colonials (28-10) set a school record for wins in a season with a dominant performance over the final 20 minutes.
They won their fourth straight game against a higher-seeded team and sent three senior starters out with a tournament trophy, softening the sting of being rebuffed by the NCAA selection committee.
Tyler Cavanaugh, selected the tournament's...


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2 posts tagged with swery65.
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Right, Zach?
The cult 2010 video game Deadly Premonition gets a Director's Cut this week. The brainchild of a guy who calls himself SWERY, one could make a strong case for Deadly Premonition being the most entertainingly bizarre game ever made. It's undeniably influenced by Twin Peaks and more than a touch of Japanese horror, yet that doesn't begin to explain how unique, disturbing and hilarious the game is. The humor is intentionally unintentional. Everyone agrees there are significant gameplay problems, but the phrase "so bad it's good" does the game a terrible disservice. "Capable of swinging from zany to nasty, inspired to absurd within the course of a single sequence," and boasting an eccentric, often inappropriate soundtrack, Deadly Premonition is either a joke, a masterpiece or both. (Previously: It's like watching two clowns eat each other.)
Isn't that right, Zach?
"In 2010, Deadly Premonition was a surprise hit among players searching for a deep narrative single player game, and went on to win over a dozen end of the year awards from a variety of media outlets (including Gamasutra). At GDC 2011, Deadly Premonition director Hidetaka "Swery" Suehiro, revealed his seven tactics for creating a memorable story that will inspire a strong fan reaction." Link contains spoilers, excerpt inside the thread. [more inside]
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Patent application title: METHOD AND ARRANGEMENT FOR CONTROLLING ADAPTIVE FILTERS
Johann Wurz (Zwettl, AT)
IPC8 Class: AH04M908FI
USPC Class:
Class name: Echo cancellation or suppression using digital signal processing adaptive filtering
Publication date: 2010-03-04
Patent application number: 20100054455
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The invention relates to methods for controlling adaptive filters, where a
first step involves a first input signal, which has a narrowband
frequency range and occurs at least intermittently during an adaptation
phase in the filter, at the input of the filter prompting the adaptation
phase to be continued until an echo signal which is conditional upon the
first input signal and in the same frequency range is compensated for
completely, a second step involves the adaptation phase being suspended
when complete compensation for the echo signal has been achieved, and a
third step involves the adaptation phase being continued if the first
input signal is followed by a second input signal which has a narrowband
frequency range and which differs from the frequency range of the first
input signal at least by a frequency value, with the above steps being
repeated starting at the first step, or with a fourth step involving a
new adaptation phase being performed if the first input signal is
followed by a third input signal having a wideband frequency range. The
invention also relates to an arrangement for carrying out the method.
1. A method for controlling adaptive filters, comprising:a) in a first
step, with a first input signal at an input to a filter displaying a
narrowband frequency range occurring at least temporarily during an
adaptation phase of the filter, the adaptation phase is continued until
complete compensation of an echo signal, affected by the first input
signal and in the same frequency range, occurs;b) in a second step, upon
reaching complete compensation of the echo signal, a suspension of the
adaptation phase occurs;c) in a third step, a continuation of the
adaptation phase occurs then, if a second input signal having a
narrowband frequency and differing from the frequency range of the first
input signal by at least one frequency value follows the first input
signal, with the steps being repeated, beginning with the first step;d)
in a fourth step, a new adaptation phase is begun, if a third input
signal exhibiting a broadband frequency range follows the first input
2. The method of claim 1, wherein the adaptation phase in the first step has a small step width.
3. The method of claim 1, wherein an updating of the adaptation coefficients occurs in the first and/or fourth step(s).
4. The method of claim 1, wherein detection of the bandwidth of the first, second or third signals and the respective echoes is carried out by filtering using a band stop.
5. The method of claim 1 whereina) a continuation of the adaptation occurs then during the first step, if a narrowband input signal (Rin) is detected and a resulting echo signal (Serr) has the same frequency range;b) a suspension of the adaptation occurs if a narrowband input signal (Rin) is detected and a resulting echo signal (Serr) has a different frequency range; andc) the adaptation is resumed during the third step, if a broadband input signal (Rin) is detected.
6. The method of claim 5, whereina) the frequency range of a narrowband signal (Rin; Serr) includes a subset of a maximum frequency range provided through the transmission channel; andb) the subset is compared with a first parameter.
7. An adaptive filter comprising a filter and control means for implementing the method of claim 1.
8. The adaptive filter according to claim 7 comprisinga) at least one initial band-stop device for filtering an input signal (Rin) of the adaptive filter, designed so the a narrowband input signal is detected, whereby a first frequency range (F_Rin) of the input signal is determined;b) at least one power determination device (EE) to determine the levels of the input signal and the filtered input signal;c) at least a first comparator device (V1) to compare the levels, during which at least a first control signal is generated;d) at least a second band-stop device for filtering an echo signal (Serr) received by the adaptive filter, designed so that a second frequency range (F_Rin) of the echo signal is determined;e) at least one subtraction device (SUB), designed so that it subtracts the first frequency range from the second frequency range (F_Serr) and forwards it to an amplitude image unit to create a amplitude from the result of the subtraction;f) at least a second comparator device to compare the amplitude of the result with a first parameter correlating with the narrowband property, with at least a second control signal being generated; andg) an evaluation logic, designed so that, on the basis of the first control signal and the second control signal, it controls the adaptive filter so that,g1) a continuation of the adaptation occurs if the first comparator device (V1) ascertains that the input signal (Rin) is narrowband and the echo signal (Serr) has the same frequency range;g2) a suspension of the adaptation occurs if a narrowband input signal (Rin) is detected and the echo signal (Serr) has another frequency range; andg3) the adaptation is resumed during the third step if a broadband input signal (Rin)is detected.
[0001]This application is the United States national phase under 35 U.S.C. §371 of International Patent Application No. PCT/DE2006/002016, filed Nov. 17, 2006. That application is incorporated by reference herein.
[0002]1. Field of the Invention
[0003]The invention relates to a method for the adaptive filtering of signals as well as an arrangement for the adaptive filtering of signals.
[0004]2. Description of the Related Art
[0005]The use of adaptive filters is known in digital signal processing, that is, filters that are in a position to adapt their filter coefficients independently to the input signal.
[0006]The problem exists, particularly during the use of adaptive filters with so-called echo cancelers, which are used primarily in telecommunications and particularly during voice transmission over networks based on the Internet Protocol (IP)--the so-called Voice over IP (VoIP), that, if narrowband signals such as sinus tones occur during a phase in which the filter is adapted, it leads to erroneous adaptations.
[0007]An adaptive filter functions ideally, particularly if a white noise signal is present, since all frequencies occur simultaneously then, and all the information for calculating the coefficients of the adaptive filter is received from the echo path (transmission channel, telephone line). Information for the non-occurring frequencies is lacking with narrowband signals, which can lead to a drifting away of the coefficients.
[0008]What is known about this is that the adaptation phase is prolonged until a broadband signal is present once again, which ideally is equal to a white noise, representing an indication of the adaptation's reaching an optimal state.
[0009]In the meantime a drifting of the coefficients adapted to the echo, needed for the suppression of the echo thus cannot be prevented.
[0010]Furthermore, according to known solutions, the narrowband signals are detected by means of a comparison between the so-called crest factor (peak factor) of a received (voice) signal Rin, which describes the relationship between peak value and effective value of the voice signal, and the arithmetic mean value of the received (voice) signal Rin.
[0011]It is a disadvantage that the crest factor is not a clear sign of a narrowband signal, since broadband signals can also generate the same crest factor. In addition, narrowband signals that are not detectable via the crest factor can also occur.
[0012]The task of the invention is to indicate an optimized method as well as an arrangement for controlling adaptive filters, particularly as regards echo cancellation.
[0013]In the method for controlling adaptive filters according to the invention, in a first step, an input signal displaying a narrowband frequency range occurring at least occasionally during a filter adaptation phase at the input to the filter continues the adaptation phase until complete compensation of an echo signal induced by the initial input signal in the same frequency range occurs. In a second step, upon reaching the complete compensation of the echo signal, a suspension of the adaptation phase is carried out. In a third step, a continuation of the adaptation phase is implemented then, if a second input signal, displaying a narrowband frequency range differing by at least one frequency value from the frequency range of the first input signal, follows the first input signal, leading to a repetition of the abovementioned steps, beginning with the first step. Or else a new adaptation phase is carried out in a fourth step, if a third input signal displaying a broadband frequency range follows the first input signal.
[0014]According to the invention, an initial state is realized in which a normal adaptation to a broadband signal occurs; a second state, during which a reduced adaptation to a narrowband signal occurs; and a third state, during which the adaptation is suspended, if a narrowband signal is no longer provided and there is a complete compensation of the echo signal in this narrowband frequency range. In the process a change of state from each of the states mentioned into each of the others can take place. This depends on the sequence of signals.
[0015]It is thereby ensured that the adaptation, adapted to the type of signal present, takes place and thus the problems of the coefficients drifting away, which occurs during narrowband signals, and the erroneous adaptations are avoided, because, narrowband signal after narrowband signal, a complete compensation of the corresponding echoes takes place and, due to the suspension, the adaptation is resumed only when a broadband signal is present, thus providing optimal conditions for a regular adaptation.
[0016]It is particularly advantageous if, according to a another embodiment, the adaptation phase in the first step occurs with a small step width. As a result, the instabilities of adaptation that are caused during a rapid adaptation due to a fluctuation of the coefficients are avoided.
[0017]It is preferable and also particularly advantageous if a second embodiment of the invention is designed in such a way that in the first step and/or the fourth step an updating of the coefficients occurs. In the first step according to the invention, the advantageous core idea of the adaptation to the narrowband signals is further supported, particularly when several narrowband signals follow one another, and in the second step a new adaptation to the optimal adaptation conditions offered by the broadband signal takes place.
[0018]Detection of the bandwidth of the first, second and third signals and the respective echoes is done preferably by filtering using a band-stop filter, a notch filter in particular. This filtering is especially suited for detecting a narrowband signal; a zero point of the filter that results after the adaptation of the filters to the signal fed to it can be used as an input variable for the following evaluation steps during filtering using a notch filter.
[0019]A further embodiment of the invention is especially applicable. A continuation of the adaptation occurs then during the first step, if a narrowband input signal is detected and a resulting echo signal has the same frequency range. A suspension of the adaptation occurs then if a narrowband input signal is detected and a resulting echo signal has another frequency range--the latter providing the advantageous indication that the echo canceler has completely compensated for any previous echo caused by a narrowband signal. The adaptation is taken up during the third step as well if a broadband input signal is detected.
[0020]If, according to another embodiment of the invention, the frequency range of a narrowband signal includes a subset of a maximum frequency range supplied by a transmission channel and the subset is compared with an initial parameter, then a value, obtained for example by means of simulation, can be defined for a range that reproduces the `narrowband` property optimally.
[0021]"Narrowband" means therefore anything from a sufficiently small frequency range to a single frequency.
[0022]The adaptive filter according to the invention is distinguished by control means for the carrying out the aforementioned initiated approaches and thus allows advantageously the implementation and completion of the inventive method, with its advantages being accentuated.
[0023]The adaptive filter in an further embodiment is designed preferably with [0024]at least an initial band-stop device for filtering an input signal from the adaptive filter, designed so that a narrowband input signal is detected, during which an initial frequency range of the input signal is determined, [0025]at least one power determination device to determine a level of the input signal and the filtered input signal, which is part of the inventive narrowband detection; [0026]at least one initial comparator device to compare the level, during which an initial control signal is generated, which is reproduced, for example, as the result of a Boolean logical decision "Narrowband YES/NO"; [0027]at least a second band-stop device for filtering an echo signal received by the adaptive filter, designed so that a second frequency range is determined for the echo signal; [0028]at least one subtraction device, designed so that it subtracts the first frequency range from the second frequency range and forwards it to an amplitude image unit to form the amplitude from the result of the subtraction; [0029]at least a second comparator device to compare the amplitude of the result with an initial parameter correlating with the narrowband property, during which at least a second control signal is generated; [0030]an evaluation logic, designed so that, on the basis of the first control signal and a second control signal, it regulates the adaptive filter so that a continuation of the adaptation occurs. The first comparator device determines that the input signal is narrowband and the echo signal has the same frequency range. A suspension of the adaptation takes place then, if a narrowband input signal is detected and the echo signal has another frequency range. The adaptation is taken up during the third step if a broadband input signal is detected (Rin); thus the specific logical signal "narrowband NO" is present as the first control signal.
[0031]Additional particulars as well as the advantages of the invention are explained in greater detail in embodiments depicted in FIGS. 1 and 2.
[0032]FIG. 1 shows a block diagram of an echo canceler executing the inventive method, which carries out an inventive control of the adaptation based on a narrowband signal detection.
[0033]FIG. 2 shows a block diagram of a control implementing the inventive method.
[0034]In FIG. 1 the block diagram of an echo canceler executing the inventive method is depicted, which implements the inventive control of the adaptation based on a narrowband signal detection.
[0035]In the schematic representation therefore an echo canceler designed according to the invention is represented between the echo path, i.e., the arrow between a first port Sin, where a voice signal to be sent is emitted on the echo path, and a second port Sout, where an echo signal arrives from the echo path, plus a third port Rin, where voice signals to be received from the echo path are input and emitted to the echo path via a fourth port ROut.
[0036]Represented in addition is an adaptation unit AB, which does the adaptive filtering and generates the coefficients necessary for the adaptation, and an output signal based on it, an estimated echo signal, which is conducted to a summer SUM for the purpose of eliminating an echo, where it is deducted from an echo-affected signal on the echo path, received however by the second port Sout, and, completely cleansed of the echo in the ideal case, is emitted to the first port Sout.
[0037]In addition, the path between the first port Sin and the second port Sout has a nonlinear processor, which along with an echo canceler has the function among other things of removing the remainders of interference signals that the adaptive filter cannot compensate for, for example, by damping a remaining interference signal and inserting an artificial background noise, also called a comfort noise, as needed.
[0038]To be noted further is that the adaptation unit AB has the processing blocks known to be required for this from prior art. In order to implement the inventive method, at least the adaptation control AC and a CU device to do the usual coefficient update need to be modified in order to interact with the inventive detection of narrowband signals and to carry out the control of the adaptation based upon it.
[0039]As may be seen from the representation, to the control of adaptation unit AB at least one control signal, as indicated by the arrow, is added to the adaptation control AC besides more of the usual signals through the inventive narrowband detector SD. Furthermore, at least one control signal is also added to the coefficient update device CU from the narrowband detector SD.
[0040]According to the invention, the adaptation is blocked if an echo Serr with the same narrowband frequency range initiated by a narrowband interference signal at the third port Rin--for example, a sinus signal such as a free-line signal, DTMF tones or the like--is completely compensated. The block is lifted, if a broadband signal is once again present at the third port Rin, which indicates a voice signal and thus a regular adaptation for the echo compensation.
[0041]While the narrowband signal is at the third port Rin, an adaptation with a small step width occurs. Furthermore, if the frequency of the narrowband signal or the frequency of the basic oscillation of the narrowband signal at the third port Rin changes, the block occurs only if an echo generated thereby is completely compensated. I.e. the adaptation with the small step width is continued as long as narrowband signals follow one another and blocked only with the compensation of all subsequent echoes, i.e., suspended until the broadband signal is present.
[0042]An embodiment of the evaluation logic enabling this inventive method is depicted in FIG. 2.
[0043]Depicted is an initial adaptive narrowband filter NF1, also called a band-stop, which is designed as a so-called notch filter in the embodiment represented. This adapts a narrowband signal Rin to the frequency range or the frequency of signal F_Rin and conducts the filtered signal to an power determination unit EB.
[0044]In the process the first adaptive notch filter NF1 adjusts its zero point so that a maximum block of the signal occurs. For example, if the narrowband signal is a refined sinus signal, the present narrowband signal Rin is blocked 100% so that, at the outlet of the first notch filter NF1, there is no signal at the power calculator EB, which generates the quadratic mean value.
[0045]Furthermore, this power determination unit (calculator) EB also forwards the signal Rin in an unfiltered form so that a power level is determined not only for the filtered but also for the unfiltered signal Rin, i.e., a quadratic mean value.
[0046]At the same time the power or the level of the unfiltered signal is fed to a multiplier and multiplied by a first parameter Par: bandwidth. The first parameter is a value with which the `narrowband` property can be determined.
[0047]The result of the multiplication as well as the power or the level of the filtered signal furthermore are fed to a first comparator device V1. This compares the two levels; the result of this comparison makes it possible to detect whether the signal Rin is a signal with a broad frequency band or a narrow frequency band. The narrowband assessment is present if the result of the multiplication is greater than the power or the level of the filtered signal.
[0048]If the signal Rin is broadband, then according to the invention, an adaptation with a normal step width is carried out, since this is an indication of a voice signal. The adaptation unit AB can concentrate then on the elimination of interferences due to echoes, triggered in particular by cross-talk, because there is no danger of a drifting away of the adaptation coefficients, which would be the case, however, if there were a narrowband input signal Rin. Therefore, an evaluation logic of the adaptation unit AB controls at least one signal.
[0049]If, according to the determination result, the present signal Rin is not broadband, then according to the invention, an adaptation with smaller adaptation steps occurs, the goal of which is the selective elimination of the narrowband echo. This adjustment of the adaptation speed prevents in an advantageous manner the adaptation from exhibiting any unstable behavior.
[0050]To adjust the adaptation speed, the evaluation logic of the adaptation unit AB is therefore controlled and an update of the adaptation coefficients carried out. The coefficient update device CU is actuated accordingly, which ensures the inventive advantage of an avoidance of any drifting.
[0051]The inventive method also deals with the problem in an advantageous manner when a narrowband signal is present on a line and only one echo is generated in this comparatively small frequency range. The behavior of this line, i.e., of the echoes usually found there, is therefore unknown in the disjunctive frequency ranges. For that reason it cannot be compensated by the adaptive filter or can even lead to an amplification of the echoes in these unknown frequencies.
[0052]As depicted above, the first adaptive narrowband filter NF1 also supplies a blocking frequency through the zero point determination. For example, it may be the sole frequency of the interference signal during a sinus oscillation, or the blocking frequency may allow at least parts of the signal of the signal Rin to pass through at the notch filter. This blocking is subsequently fed to a subtraction element SUB. The blocking frequency of the echo Serr is also fed to this subtraction element, which is found through a second notch filter NF2 in a manner that is analogous to the first notch filter NF1. These two variables are subtracted from one another, with the result being fed first to an amplitude image creator and then to a second comparator device V2.
[0053]This second comparator device V2 then compares the amplitude with a second parameter Par Fdiff; this determines what frequency difference the adaptation is subjected to.
[0054]If the comparison carried out by the second comparator device V2 results in the amplitude of the subtraction results being greater than the second parameter, then the adaptation is blocked, that is suspended, and a corresponding check by the evaluation logic is carried out, since the frequencies are categorized as differing from one another. Otherwise the adaptation is continued. That means the adaptation addressed above occurs with smaller adaptation steps, which is initiated by the control mentioned above. In principle then, when the frequency changes, i.e., there is a new frequency on the line (echo) and this supplies additional information about the echo, the adaptive filter is able to compensate for the echo in this frequency range as well. As soon as this frequency range is compensated by the adaptive filter, this frequency disappears at the second notch filter NF2. This adjusts then immediately to another frequency, preferably to the high oscillations that arise due to nonlinear distortions. This is detected then via the subtraction device SUB and the amplitude image creator and used to stop the adaptation.
[0055]With the method described above and the arrangement carrying it out, effects due to nonlinear distortions of the high oscillations known in communications as the A-Law--or the A-Law Codecs (G.711), which cause the drifting of the coefficients of the adaptive filter, can be avoided. Thus a detuning of the adaptation that otherwise would adjust after about 10-120 seconds and the erroneous adaptations that would result are avoided. With the inventive method and the arrangement carrying it out, complete adaptation with an appropriate coefficient calculation is even possible when the frequencies occur in a random temporal sequence.
Patent applications in class Adaptive filtering
Patent applications in all subclasses Adaptive filtering
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