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Patent application title: Dynamic Beamformer Processing for Acoustic Echo Cancellation in Systems with High Acoustic Coupling
Gary W. Elko (Summit, NJ, US)
Gary W. Elko (Summit, NJ, US)
Tomas F. Gaensler (Warren, NJ, US)
Eric J. Diethorn (Long Valley, NJ, US)
Jens M. Meyer (Fairfax, VT, US)
Jens M. Meyer (Fairfax, VT, US)
IPC8 Class: AH04B320FI
USPC Class:
381 66
Class name: Electrical audio signal processing systems and devices dereverberators
Publication date: 2012-09-27
Patent application number: 20120243698
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Near-end equipment for a communication channel with far-end equipment.
The near-end equipment includes at least one loudspeaker, at least two
microphones, a beamformer, and an echo canceller. The communication
channel may be in one of a number of communication states including
Near-End Only state, Far-End Only state, and Double-Talk state. In one
embodiment, when the echo canceller determines that the communication
channel is in either the Far-End Only state or the Double-Talk state, the
beamformer is configured to generate a nearfield beampattern signal that
directs a null towards a loudspeaker. When the echo canceller detects the
Near-End Only state, the beamformer is configured to generate a farfield
beampattern signal that optimizes reception of acoustic signals from the
near-end audio source. Using different beamformer processing for
different communication states allows echo cancellation processing to be
more successful at reducing echo in the signal transmitted to the far-end
1. Near-end equipment for a near-end audio source communicating with a
far-end equipment via an audio communication channel, the near-end
equipment comprising: a beamformer configured to receive two or more
microphone signals generated by two or more local microphones and
generate one or more beampattern signals; and an echo canceller
configured to (i) receive the one or more beampattern signals from the
beamformer and an incoming signal from the far-end equipment that is
applied to one or more local loudspeakers, (ii) determine an active
communication state for the audio communication channel, (iii) select a
beampattern for the beamformer based on the determined active
communication state, and (iv) apply echo-cancellation processing to the
beampattern signal corresponding to the selected beampattern for the
beamformer, to generate an outgoing signal to be transmitted to the
far-end equipment.
2. The invention of claim 1, wherein: possible active communication states comprise a near-end only talking state, a far-end only talking state, and a double-talk state; the one or more beampatterns comprise a first beampattern and a second beampattern different from the first beampattern; when the echo canceller determines that the active communication state is the far-end only talking state or the double-talk state, the echo canceller selects the first beampattern; and when the echo canceller determines that the active communication state is the near-end only talking state, the echo canceller selects the second beampattern.
3. The invention of claim 2, wherein: the first beampattern has at least one null corresponding to the one or more local loudspeakers; and the second beampattern optimizes reception of acoustic signals from the near-end audio source.
4. The invention of claim 1, wherein: the beamformer simultaneously generates at least two beampattern signals corresponding to at least two different beampatterns; and the echo canceller selects one of the at least two beampattern signals as the beampattern signal corresponding to the selected beampattern.
5. The invention of claim 1, wherein: the beamformer is configured to generate a first beampattern signal for a first communication state; and the echo canceller is configured to (i) detect a change from the first communication state to a second communication state different from the first communication state and (ii) control the beamformer to be re-configured to generate a second beampattern signal for the second communication state and different from the first beampattern signal.
6. The invention of claim 1, wherein the near-end equipment further comprises the one or more local loudspeakers and the two or more local microphones.
7. The invention of claim 6, wherein at least one of the local microphones is (i) located inside housing of one of the local loudspeakers and (ii) configured to be used to reduce audio coupling between the one or more local loudspeakers and the two or more local microphones during at least one determined active communication state.
8. The invention of claim 1, wherein the beamformer is configured to concurrently generate different beampattern signals for two or more different frequency bands of the microphone signals.
9. The invention of claim 8, wherein the beamformer is configured to concurrently generate: a first beampattern signal for a first frequency band of the microphone signals having a null directed towards a first loudspeaker; and a second, different beampattern signal for a second, different frequency band of the microphone signals having a null directed towards a second, different loudspeaker.
10. The invention of claim 1, wherein: the one or more local loudspeakers comprises at least a first local loudspeaker and a second local loudspeaker; and the echo canceller is configured to generate a beampattern signal having a first null directed towards the first local loudspeaker and a second null directed towards the second local loudspeaker.
11. The invention of claim 1, wherein the echo canceller is further configured to control the one or more local loudspeakers based on the determined active communication state.
12. The invention of claim 11, wherein: there are two or more local loudspeakers; and the echo canceller is configured to control the two or more local loudspeakers to generate a loudspeaker beampattern based on the determined active communication state.
13. The invention of claim 12, wherein the echo canceller is configured to steer the loudspeaker beampattern away from the two or more local microphones for at least one determined active communication state.
[0001] This application claims the benefit of the filing date of U.S. provisional application No. 61/466,043, filed on Mar. 22, 2011 as attorney docket no. 1053.015PROV, the teachings of which are incorporated herein by reference in their entirety.
[0002] 1. Field of the Invention
[0003] The present invention relates to audio signal processing and, more specifically but not exclusively, to echo cancellation techniques.
[0004] 2. Description of the Related Art
[0005] This section introduces aspects that may help facilitate a better understanding of the invention. Accordingly, the statements of this section are to be read in this light and are not to be understood as admissions about what is prior art or what is not prior art.
[0006] As more and more products tend towards smaller and smaller size, and as hands-free communication applications grow, it has become common for product designers to place the acoustic transducers in very close proximity to each other. Having the microphones and loudspeakers in close proximity results in high acoustic coupling that can severely compromise the duplex quality of a full-duplex audio communication channel. The main reason for this compromise is related to the large acoustic-level difference between the nearby loudspeaker(s) signal and the desired local acoustic signal (talker) at the microphone(s). A larger disparity in these two acoustic levels can lead to poor double-talk detection, reduced duplexness in the audio communication channel, and a susceptibility to audible artifacts caused by loudspeaker distortion. Acoustic echo cancellers are typically based on the assumption that the acoustic coupling path is linear. Thus, loudspeaker distortion cannot be cancelled by a linear echo canceller, resulting in poor duplex performance.
[0007] Problems in the prior art are addressed by the use of a dynamic beamformer in conjunction with acoustic echo cancellation for systems that have high acoustic coupling. The algorithm described herein is focused on how to approach the closely coupled acoustic transducer acoustic echo cancellation problem.
[0008] In one embodiment, the present invention is user equipment for a near-end user communicating with a far-end user via an audio communication channel. The user equipment comprises a beamformer and an echo canceller. The beamformer is configured to receive two or more microphone signals generated by two or more local microphones and generate one or more beampattern signals. The echo canceller is configured to (i) receive the one or more beampattern signals from the beamformer and an incoming signal from the far-end user that is applied to one or more local loudspeakers, (ii) determine an active communication state for the audio communication channel, (iii) select a beampattern for the beamformer, and (iv) apply echo-cancellation processing to the beampattern signal corresponding to the selected beampattern for the beamformer to generate an outgoing signal to be transmitted to the far-end user for application to one or more remote loudspeakers.
[0009] Other aspects, features, and advantages of the present invention will become more fully apparent from the following detailed description, the appended claims, and the accompanying drawings in which like reference numerals identify similar or identical elements.
[0010] FIG. 1 shows a schematic block diagram of an audio system according to one embodiment of the disclosure;
[0011] FIG. 2 is a state diagram showing the four communication states for the audio system of FIG. 1;
[0012] FIGS. 3 and 4 represent a speakerphone with a single loudspeaker and a beamformer with multiple microphones; and
[0013] FIG. 5 shows a schematic block diagram of an audio system according to another embodiment of the disclosure.
[0014] In certain embodiments of the disclosure, a beamformer dynamically modifies its beampattern to greatly reduce loudspeaker and microphone acoustic coupling when either only the far-end user is talking or when the two users at both ends of an audio connection talk simultaneously (i.e., double-talk). When only the near-end user is talking, the beamformer is optimized to maximize the audio quality (e.g., maximize signal-to-noise ratio (SNR)) of the beamformer output for the near-end source. During sole far-end talker situations, having the beamformer reduce acoustic coupling allows the acoustic echo canceller to operate with better cancellation performance by greatly reducing the direct sound from the loudspeaker into the beamformer output.
[0015] FIG. 1 shows a schematic block diagram of an audio system 100 according to one embodiment of the disclosure. Audio system 100 represents one half of a two-way audio communication channel between a near-end user 102 and a far-end user (not shown). Audio system 100 receives an incoming (electrical or optical) signal 104 from the far-end user equipment (not shown), representing acoustic signals (i.e., sounds) occurring remotely at the far end, and audio system 100 generates an outgoing (electrical or optical) signal 118 for transmission to the far-end user equipment, representing acoustic signals occurring locally at the near end.
[0016] In particular, loudspeaker 106 converts incoming signal 104 received from the far-end user equipment into local acoustic signals (not shown) to be heard by near-end user 102, while microphones 108(1) and 108(2) convert local acoustic signals (not shown) (e.g., speech by near-end user 102) into electrical signals 110(1) and 110(2) that are used to generate outgoing signal 118 for transmission to the far-end user equipment. In a typical implementation, microphones 108 are omnidirectional microphones, although other implementations are possible, include those in which two different types of microphones are used for the two microphones. Note that the far-end user equipment will typically include an audio system that is another instance of audio system 100 or at least an audio system that is analogous to audio system 100 having one or more loudspeakers and one or more microphones.
[0017] Since acoustic signals generated by loudspeaker 106 can be picked up by microphones 108 as undesirable echo, audio system 100 has an echo canceller 116 that is designed to prevent some and possibly substantially all of that echo from being represented in outgoing signal 118.
[0018] As shown in FIG. 1, audio system 100 also has a beamformer 112 that processes electrical signals 110 generated by microphones 108 to generate a beampattern signal 114. Beamformer 112 can be implemented using a filter-sum configuration, in which each microphone output is filtered (e.g., using a finite impulse response (FIR) filter or an infinite impulse response (IIR) filter or a combination of FIR and IIR filters) followed by a summation node that sums the different filtered microphone signals to form beampattern signal 114. Each FIR/IIR filter is typically defined by a set of filter coefficients.
[0019] Echo canceller 116 compares beampattern signal 114 to a copy of or a portion of incoming signal 104 in order to control beamformer 112. In particular, echo canceller 116 compares incoming signal 104 and beampattern signal 114 to estimate the amount of acoustic coupling between loudspeaker 106 and microphones 108 and, depending on that estimated level of acoustic coupling, echo canceller 116 adaptively controls, via beamformer control signal 120, the processing implemented by beamformer 112. In addition, echo canceller 116 performs (e.g., adaptive) echo-cancellation processing on beampattern signal 114 to generate outgoing signal 118.
[0020] Note that, in general, audio system 100 may have other components that are not shown in FIG. 1, such as one or more upstream components that generate incoming signal 104 from a communication signal that is actually received from the far-end user equipment and/or one or more downstream components that process outgoing signal 118 to generate a communication signal that is actually transmitted to the far-end user equipment. In addition, audio system 100 may have one or more intermediate components that process some of the intermediate signals in audio system 100. For example, in an embodiment in which (i) microphones 108 generate analog electrical signals and (ii) beamformer 112 and echo canceller 116 are implemented in the digital domain, audio system 100 would typically have (a) amplifiers and filters that amplify and filter the analog electrical microphone output signals and (b) analog-to-digital converters (ADCs) that digitize the resulting analog signals for processing by digital beamformer 112.
[0021] In a typical two-user audio communication session, only one of four different possible communication states is active at any given time:
[0022] 1. Near-End Only: Only the near-end user is speaking; the far-end user is silent;
[0023] 2. Far-End Only: Only the far-end user is speaking; the near-end user is silent;
[0024] 3. Double-Talk: Both the near-end user and the far-end user are speaking at the same time; and
[0025] 4. Idle: Neither the near-end user nor the far-end user is speaking.
[0026] For the dual-element microphone array of FIG. 1, beamformer 112 can be configured to generate either a beampattern having no nulls or a beampattern having only a single wideband null. If microphones 108 are in the near field of loudspeaker 106, then the null can be designed to be a near-field null. In that case, the far-field pattern will be omnidirectional in shape and will not be able to attain the directional gain that a far-field design is capable of providing. Having an omnidirectional beampattern during far-end or double-talk conditions should not severely impact the acoustic performance of the speakerphone since, under these communication states, it is more important to reduce echo coupling than improve near-end audio quality with a directional far-field beamformer. Although forming a wideband spatial null towards the loudspeaker is desirable when the far-end user is talking (in either the Far-End Only state or the Double-Talk state), it is most likely suboptimal for a near-field acoustic signal source (e.g., when near-end user 102 is close to the microphones during either the Near-End Only state or the Double-Talk state). Thus, optimizing for rejection of the far-end source (i.e., minimizing the undesirable echo) in outgoing signal 118 might impair the quality of a close near-end source when only the near-end source is active during the Near-End Only state.
[0027] One way to effectively deal with this problem is to design beamformer 112 to support different beampatterns that are optimized for different situations. In one embodiment of audio system 100, beamformer 112 supports two different beampatterns: (1) a first beampattern designed to minimize the coupling of acoustic signals from loudspeaker 106 into beampattern signal 114 in order to maximize acoustic echo cancellation by echo canceller 116 and (2) a second beampattern designed to maximize the pickup of acoustic signals from near-end user 102. The first beampattern steers a null in the microphone beampattern towards loudspeaker 106, and the second beampattern maximizes the microphone beampattern in the direction of the near-end user.
[0028] The first beampattern may be a constrained optimization that forms a spatial null to the loudspeaker and uses any spare degrees of freedom to form the best available beam towards the near-end user. In addition, the second beampattern may be a constrained optimization that optimizes sound pick-up in the direction of the near-end user and uses any spare degrees of freedom to reduce sound pick-up from the loudspeaker. Such constrained first and second beampatterns would tend to reduce the penalties associated with mistakes in detecting the true state of the communication.
[0029] One possible enhancement to the microphone array beamformer would be to include another ancillary microphone embedded into the housing device and in the volume of air that is behind the loudspeaker. This ancillary microphone would only effectively be used while adapting the beamformer during the far-end only or double-talk modes of operation to minimize the coupling between the microphone array and the beamformer. By placing the microphone close to the back of the loudspeaker, the adaptive beamformer would automatically lower the weight on this microphone and thereby minimize its impact and contribution to the beamformer for near-end sources.
[0030] During the Far-End Only state and the Double-Talk state, it is useful for the beamformer to steer the microphone beam to place a null in the direction of the loudspeaker to enable the echo canceller to perform strong echo cancellation. As such, for these two states, the first beampattern is employed.
[0031] During the Near-End Only state and the Idle state, there is no need to generate a beampattern having any nulls. As such, for these two states, the second beampattern is employed. In an alternative implementation, for the Idle state, a third, omnidirectional beampattern is employed, which could result in a lower self-noise signal being transmitted as compared to a directional beampattern that trades-off directivity for self-noise.
[0032] Echo canceller 116 implements a state machine (shown in FIG. 2 and described below) that determines the active communication state in order to control beamformer 112 to generate the appropriate beampattern.
[0033] During the Double-Talk state, the beampattern is not optimized for the near-end source, but, when the conversation is in double talk, the far-end user equipment will perform analogous processing that will mask the audio signal being transmitted to it. As a result, the degradation in audio quality due to using the near-end beamformer not optimized to pick up the near-end audio will be partially masked by the double-talk scenario.
[0034] Echo canceller 116 processes beampattern signal 114 by subtracting a replica of the acoustic echo formed by filtering incoming signal 104 using a model of the acoustic path between loudspeaker 106 and microphones 108. The filtering operation and estimation of the acoustic path are done according to typically used acoustic echo cancellation techniques such as those presented in Benesty et al., Advances in Network and Acoustic Echo Cancellation (Berlin, Germany: Springer-Verlag, 2001). One way to filter the far-end signal and generate an echo estimate e(n) is to use a normalized least-mean squares (NLMS) based scheme as follows:
e ( n ) = y ( n ) - h T ( n - 1 ) X ( n ) ##EQU00001## h ( n ) = ( n - 1 ) + μ X ( n ) e ( n ) ( n ) X ( n ) ##EQU00001.2##
where X(n) is the regressor vector, y(n) is the beampattern signal 114, h(n) is the echo path model, and, μ is the step-size. The NLMS algorithm estimates the echo path by minimizing the power of the estimated echo e(n).
[0035] The current communication state for determining what beamformer processing to apply to the microphone signals can be determined by applying a voice activity detector (VAD) (not shown in FIG. 1) to incoming signal 104 (i.e., the far-end signal) and microphone signals 110 (i.e., the near-end signals). For an extensive description of VADs, see, e.g., 3GPP TS 26.094 V6.0.0 (2004-12), Technical Specification 3rd Generation Partnership Project.
[0036] FIG. 2 is a state diagram showing the four communication states (Near-End Only, Far-End Only, Double-Talk, and Idle), the corresponding beamformer processing for each state, and the transitions between states for audio system 100 of FIG. 1. A basic method for determining the beamformer processing can be implemented as follows:
TABLE-US-00001 Far_end_VAD : Voice activity detector for far-end signal 104 Near_end_VAD : Voice activity detector for near-end signals 110 Farfield-BF : Farfield optimized beamformer processing Nearfield-BF : Nearfield optimized beamformer processing (e.g., nearfield null) Omni-BF : Omni-directional beamformer processing (not shown in FIG. 2) if (Far_end_VAD) // Far VAD active (Near-End Only or Double-Talk) Beamformer = Nearfield-BF; else if (Near_end_VAD) // Only near VAD active (Near-End Only) Beamformer = Farfield-BF; else // No VAD active (Idle) Beamformer = Farfield-BF; // Alternative: Beamformer = Omni-BF;
[0037] FIGS. 3 and 4 represent a speakerphone 300 with a single loudspeaker 302 and a beamformer (306, 308) with multiple microphones 304. The loudspeaker reproduces the audio signal from the far-end of an audio conference and is represented as the signal SLS(rLS, t), where rLS is the position of the center of the loudspeaker, and t is time. FIGS. 3 and 4 show the possibility of N microphones at locations ri with related transfer functions hi(ri, t).
[0038] To reduce the computational cost of realizing a full duplex speakerphone, the signal processing is normally done in the frequency domain. Switching to the frequency domain also simplifies the equations since it allows one to show the processing in a single band. As described earlier, the beamformer should adjust its beampattern such that the main coupling paths from the loudspeaker to the beamformer output are greatly reduced.
[0039] Note that, when operating in the frequency domain, the beamformer processing may be different for different frequency bands. For example, if one loudspeaker is a low-frequency loudspeaker, while another loudspeaker is a high-frequency loudspeaker, the beampattern selected for the low-frequency bands may direct a null towards the low-frequency loudspeaker, while the beampattern concurrently selected for the high-frequency bands may direct a null towards the high-frequency loudspeaker.
[0040] FIG. 4 shows the microphone beamforming array in the frequency domain at a single frequency (or frequency band). As can be seen in FIG. 4, each subband microphone signal is multiplied by a single complex weight Wi*(ejω) and then summed to form the beamformer output Y(ejω) in that band. This representation is equivalent to the filter-sum beamformer in the time domain where the filters behind each microphone are FIR filters with variable weights. In a subband implementation, where each of the microphone time series in FIG. 4 is decomposed into multiple adjacent bands covering the entire bandwidth of audio processing, the single complex coefficient can be replaced by a more-general FIR filter for each subband, whose tap length can be adjusted depending on how long the desired filter is in time length. The microphone output vector X(ejω) and the loudspeaker-to-microphone transfer function vector H(ejω) can be written as follows:
X(ejω)=[X1(ejω),X2(ejω), . . . ,XN(ejω)]T
H(ejω)=[H1(ejω),H2(ejω), . . . ,HN(ejω)]T
and the output signal Y(ejω) can be written as follows:
where S(ejω) is the Fourier transform of the loudspeaker signal in FIG. 3, N(ejω) is the vector of the near-end desired signal as well as other background noise sources arriving at each microphone, and WH(ejω) is a vector of the complex, adaptive beamformer weights applied to the microphone signals.
[0041] One main objective for the nearfield beamformer is to significantly reduce the output of the picked-up far-end signal (i.e., the loudspeaker signal). Thus, it is desired to adjust the weights so that the beampattern has a spatial minimum directed to the loudspeaker, yet a flat frequency response to the desired far-field near-end talker, whose signal direction vector d is defined as follows:
d(ejω)=[e-jωτ1,e-jωτ2- , . . . ,e-jωτN]T
where the values ωτi are the associated phase delays required to steer the beampattern to the desired source direction.
[0042] The constrained optimization that minimizes the component of the loudspeaker signal SarLS(rLS,t) in the output of the beamformer while maintaining an essentially flat frequency response in the desired source direction can be written as follows:
w o = w argmin w H S ~ xx w , with w H d = 1 ##EQU00002##
where {tilde over (S)}xx is the cross-spectral density matrix when only the loudspeaker signal is active and whose components are as follows:
{tilde over (S)}xx(ejω)=E[{tilde over (x)}(ejω){tilde over (x)}H(ejω)]
where E is the expectation operator, and H is the Hermitian transpose operator. The hard constraint on the source direction response can be relaxed by allowing wHd≈1, which leads to another possible solution. See, e.g., M. M. Sondhi and G. W. Elko, "Adaptive optimization of microphone arrays under a nonlinear constraint," Proc. IEEE ICASSP, p. 19.9.1, 1986.
[0043] Another possible optimization would be to limit the mean-square weights of the beamformer for robustness of the beamforming to sensor mismatch and sensor self-noise. Writing this optimization equation yields the following:
w o = w argmin w H S ~ xx w , with w H w ≦ M ##EQU00003##
where M is some limit that is imposed and is usually related to the number of microphones. The solution to this general problem falls into the domain of techniques used to solve a constrained quadratic program. See, e.g., S. Boyd and L. Vandenberghe, Convex Optimization, Cambridge University Press 2004.
[0044] The solution to the quadratic minimization problem for the linear constraint on the far-field desired source response is well known (see, e.g., H. Cox, R. M. Zeskind, and M. M. Owen, "Robust adaptive beamforming," IEEE Trans. Acoust., Speech, Signal Processing, vol. 35, pp. 1365-1376, October 1987, and O. L. Frost, III, "An algorithm for linearly constrained adaptive array processing," Proc. IEEE, vol. 60, pp. 926-935, August 1972) and can be written as follows:
w o = S ~ xx - 1 d d H S ~ xx - 1 d ##EQU00004##
[0045] The matrix inverse required in the previous equation can often be poorly conditioned due to a large eigenvalue spread in the spectral density matrix. This is typically handled by diagonal loading of the matrix with a small value. There are many well-known adaptive algorithms (e.g., NLMS, Gradient Descent, RLS) that can solve the optimization problem, which can also be used to simplify the mathematical computation of the optimal weights. The adaptive LMS update equation in Frost is as follows:
w k + 1 = w k + μ ( I - dd H d H d ) S ~ xx w k ##EQU00005##
[0046] Another important issue is that the weights can lead to a beamformer solution that is not robust to the nonideal nature of practical microphone arrays. To combat this problem, it is standard to also impose a "White-Noise-Gain" constraint (see, e.g., Cox et al.) which has the effect to limit the amount of desired signal power loss through the beamformer. The optimization equation above that has the quadratic constraint of the weights is related to the control of White-Noise-Gain. The quadratic weight norm constraint above is one way of controlling the White-Noise-Gain.
[0047] It should be noted that, if the loudspeaker is within the nearfield of the array (e.g., the distance between the center of the array and the loudspeaker is about the same as the size as the array), then placing a nearfield spatial minimum will result in a farfield beamformer that would tend towards a nondirectional pattern. In this case, one would probably not impose a farfield response constraint on the array, or would weight this constraint down in the overall power minimization cost function, so as to allow the array to adapt to attain higher attenuation to the nearfield loudspeaker.
[0048] FIG. 5 shows a schematic block diagram of an audio system 500 according to another embodiment of the disclosure. Like audio system 100 of FIG. 1, audio system 500 represents one half of a two-way audio communication channel between a near-end user 502 and a far-end user (not shown). Like audio system 100, audio system 500 receives an incoming signal 504 from the far-end user's equipment, representing acoustic signals occurring remotely at the far end, and audio system 500 generates an outgoing signal 518 for transmission to the far-end user equipment, representing acoustic signals occurring locally at the near end.
[0049] Like audio system 100, audio system 500 also has (a) a beamformer 512 that generates a beampattern signal 514 from microphone signals 510(1)-(3) and based on feedback signal 520 and (b) an echo canceller 516 that (i) compares that beampattern signal 514 to incoming signal 504 to control the beampattern employed by beamformer 512 and (ii) processes beampattern signal 514 to generate outgoing signal 518. Unlike audio system 100, audio system 500 has (i) two loudspeakers 506(1) and 506(2) instead of only one and (ii) three microphones 508(1)-508(3) instead of only two, where the three microphones form a triangular microphone array that is located between the two loudspeakers.
[0050] In one possible implementation, during the Far-End Only state and the Double-Talk state, beamformer 512 is configured to generate a beampattern having a single null that covers both loudspeakers 506. Note that, for optimal operation, the geometric center of the microphone array should be offset by the same angle from both loudspeakers. Such a triangular array enables a single, far-field axisymmetric null to cover both loudspeakers.
[0051] In the case of two loudspeakers reproducing different frequency content, e.g., a base-speaker and a tweeter, it could be advantageous to realize the beamformer in the frequency domain. This way, a low-frequency null can, for example, be steered towards the base speaker, and a high-frequency null towards the tweeter, thereby increasing the degrees of freedom for picking up the acoustic signals corresponding to the local talker.
[0052] Another potential solution for the geometry in FIG. 5 would be to disable one loudspeaker during double talk and configure the beamformer to form a beampattern with a null towards the other loudspeaker. An advantage of this solution would be that the beamformer configuration used to null the loudspeaker would potentially be similar to the beamformer configuration that is optimized for the near-end source. Thus, switching between these two beamformer configurations would not result in a significantly different audio quality for the transmitted near-end audio.
[0053] In addition to steering the microphone beam away from the loudspeakers for certain communication states, in some embodiments, the loudspeakers used in a loudspeaker array can be controlled to steer a resulting loudspeaker beam away from the microphones to further reduce the acoustic coupling between the loudspeakers and the microphones during those same (and/or other) communication states. In fact, one could combine the microphone and loudspeaker beamformers into a general combination beamformer where the optimization would be accomplished by adaptively adjusting both microphone and loudspeaker adaptive beamformer coefficients to minimize loudspeaker and microphone coupling. In the limit, as the number of beamformer taps becomes large, the solution of this general problem also solves the acoustic echo cancellation problem. However, even a relatively small number of beamformer taps can result in a significant reduction in loudspeaker-microphone coupling.
[0054] One additional operation that might be done to potentially improve the transmitted audio quality from the near-end source would be to compute an estimated frequency response of the optimized beamformer in the expected direction of the desired near-end source. It would then be possible to use this estimated frequency response to flatten the frequency response towards the desired near-end source.
[0055] Any temporal variation of the beampattern should be either explicitly controlled by the acoustic echo canceller or, at a minimum, communicate the change in state of the beamformer. One embodiment is to have the acoustic echo canceller control the beamformer state from the internal state machine that determines the active state of the audio communication channel. The optimization of the beamformer for the Far-End Only state would be to minimize the nearfield loudspeaker signal in the beamformer output. When the communication channel is in this state, both the beamformer and the acoustic echo canceller can be actively adapting. The adaptation rate could be different for both systems. Also, the beamformer can utilize the far-end signal in optimizing its beampattern since the beamformer now "knows" that the signal is to be minimized. It is important to constrain the beamformer so that a desired near-source direction is not nulled or distorted. This can be accomplished by, for example, inhibiting adaptation of the far-field beamformer's weights when the output of the echo canceller indicates the presence of the near-talker's speech.
[0056] The beamformer coefficients can also be used to compute an equalization filter for a known desired near-end source direction. By constraining the beampattern for the near-end talker, the audio quality of the near-end talker can be maintained when both sides are active. One possible constraint is to limit the frequency-response distortion of the acoustic signals from the near-end talker. An alternative or additional constraint might be to amplify or attenuate a desired talker to a desired level. If the beamformer is unconstrained, then it is possible that the adapted beampattern can also null the near-end talker, causing significant impairment to the quality of the near-end talker to the far-end user during double-talk conditions.
[0057] Although the three-element triangular array is a practical geometry for a steerable first-order microphone array, one could use higher-order beamformers with more microphone elements to relax some of the constraints on the beamformer design. Some distortion is allowable (in fact, some distortion is inevitable in full-duplex communication systems) in the near-end signal during double-talk, but the near-end signal should not be lowered in level or the far-end might not hear the near-end signal transmitted to the far end.
[0058] In general, the more microphones that are deployed in a system, and the more taps or weights in the beamformer, the more degrees of freedom will exist in the beamforming operation. If there are a sufficient number of microphones appropriately positioned and oriented, these additional degrees of freedom may enable a beampattern to be generated having an individual null directed at each different loudspeaker for the same frequency ranges. Thus, for example, if microphones 508 of FIG. 5 were appropriately positioned, beamformer 512 could generate a beampattern having a first null directed at loudspeaker 506(1) and a second null directed at loudspeaker 506(2) for the same frequency range in a stereo audio system. If more loudspeakers support additional audio channels, then deploying more microphones could enable additional nulls to be placed at those additional loudspeakers.
[0059] When the near-end is active and there is no far-end signal (or a very low far-end signal), the beamformer does not use the far-end signal and now optimizes the nearfield beampattern to maximize the SNR of the near-end source. This optimization can also be constrained to maximize the SNR for a known or computed direction of arrival for the near-end source. Thus, it is possible to allow the near-end source to move or have a direction that is not initially defined if the beamformer also computes the incident, desired source direction.
[0060] Many acoustic echo cancellers operate in the frequency domain. The same is true for acoustic beamformers. Thus, a complete acoustic front-end communication system can be built where all operations are performed in the frequency domain. Having all processing using the same underlying frequency-domain representation enables the beamformer and the acoustic echo canceller to share the analysis filterbanks, thereby simplifying the exchange of information and signals between the two processing algorithms.
[0061] The present disclosure is related to an adaptive microphone array beamformer whose beampattern can be dynamically modified to significantly reduce loudspeaker acoustic coupling into the beamformer output. The beamformer is optimized to minimize acoustic coupling when either only the far-end source is active or when both the near- and far-end sources are simultaneously active. When the near-end desired source is solely active, the beamformer optimization is switched to maximize the audio quality (maximize SNR, for instance) of the beamformer output to the near-end source. The complete processing solution dynamically switches between different beampatterns depending on the communication channel state. During sole far-end source activity, the appropriately selected beamformer can significantly reduce the acoustic coupling between the loudspeaker(s) and the microphone array. Reducing the direct acoustic coupling can allow the acoustic canceller to operate with better echo cancellation performance as well as greatly enhancing the detection of near-talker speech, thus improving the duplexness of speech communications. The proposed technique is especially applicable for loudspeaker and microphone geometries when these transducers are in close proximity.
[0062] Although the disclosure has been described in the context of particular audio systems having one or two loudspeakers and two or three microphones, in general, the disclosure applies to suitable audio systems having one or more loudspeakers (or other suitable transducers for converting an incoming signal into local acoustic signals) and one or more microphones (or other suitable transducers for converting local acoustic signals into an electromagnetic (e.g., electrical or optical) signal).
[0063] Similarly, although embodiments have been described that have microphone arrays for which a beamformer generate a microphone beampattern having a single null, it will be understood that alternative microphone arrays can be employed that enable beamformers to generate microphone beampatterns having two or more nulls. For example, the microphone array could have one or more rings of cardioid microphone elements, where each cardioid null points toward the center of its ring.
[0064] The present disclosure has been described in the context of audio systems having an echo canceller that generates a feedback control signal to control the beamforming processing of a beamformer. In alternative implementations, the beamformer can be configured to simultaneously generate two (or more) different beampattern signals and provide all of them to the echo canceller, which simply selects the appropriate beampattern signal for the detected current audio communication state, without having to generate a feedback control signal that is fed back to the beamformer.
[0065] Though the present disclosure has been described in the context of speech communications, where the signals of interest are near-end and far-end speech, it is understood that the signals of interest can originate from any acoustic or synthetic audio source, for example, music, television, and media streams. For example, the system of microphone(s), loudspeaker(s), beamformer(s), and echo canceller(s) presented herein could be used in the application of voice-interactive "Internet" television and video terminals, where the predominate use is not only for two-way speech communications (voice and video calls) but also for the reduction of acoustic echo and enhancement of near-talker speech for voice-controlled television and media-services interaction.
[0066] The present invention may be implemented as (analog, digital, or a hybrid of both analog and digital) circuit-based processes, including possible implementation as a single integrated circuit (such as an ASIC or an FPGA), a multi-chip module, a single card, or a multi-card circuit pack. As would be apparent to one skilled in the art, various functions of circuit elements may also be implemented as processing blocks in a software program. Such software may be employed in, for example, a digital signal processor, micro-controller, general-purpose computer, or other processor.
[0067] The present invention can be embodied in the form of methods and apparatuses for practicing those methods. The present invention can also be embodied in the form of program code embodied in tangible media, such as magnetic recording media, optical recording media, solid state memory, floppy diskettes, CD-ROMs, hard drives, or any other non-transitory machine-readable storage medium, wherein, when the program code is loaded into and executed by a machine, such as a computer, the machine becomes an apparatus for practicing the invention. The present invention can also be embodied in the form of program code, for example, stored in a non-transitory machine-readable storage medium including being loaded into and/or executed by a machine, wherein, when the program code is loaded into and executed by a machine, such as a computer, the machine becomes an apparatus for practicing the invention. When implemented on a general-purpose processor, the program code segments combine with the processor to provide a unique device that operates analogously to specific logic circuits.
[0068] It should be appreciated by those of ordinary skill in the art that any block diagrams herein represent conceptual views of illustrative circuitry embodying the principles of the invention. Similarly, it will be appreciated that any flow charts, flow diagrams, state transition diagrams, pseudo code, and the like represent various processes which may be substantially represented in computer readable medium and so executed by a computer or processor, whether or not such computer or processor is explicitly shown.
[0069] Unless explicitly stated otherwise, each numerical value and range should be interpreted as being approximate as if the word "about" or "approximately" preceded the value of the value or range.
[0070] It will be further understood that various changes in the details, materials, and arrangements of the parts which have been described and illustrated in order to explain the nature of this invention may be made by those skilled in the art without departing from the scope of the invention as expressed in the following claims.
[0071] The use of figure numbers and/or figure reference labels in the claims is intended to identify one or more possible embodiments of the claimed subject matter in order to facilitate the interpretation of the claims. Such use is not to be construed as necessarily limiting the scope of those claims to the embodiments shown in the corresponding figures.
[0072] It should be understood that the steps of the exemplary methods set forth herein are not necessarily required to be performed in the order described, and the order of the steps of such methods should be understood to be merely exemplary. Likewise, additional steps may be included in such methods, and certain steps may be omitted or combined, in methods consistent with various embodiments of the present invention.
[0073] Although the elements in the following method claims, if any, are recited in a particular sequence with corresponding labeling, unless the claim recitations otherwise imply a particular sequence for implementing some or all of those elements, those elements are not necessarily intended to be limited to being implemented in that particular sequence.
[0074] Reference herein to "one embodiment" or "an embodiment" means that a particular feature, structure, or characteristic described in connection with the embodiment can be included in at least one embodiment of the invention. The appearances of the phrase "in one embodiment" in various places in the specification are not necessarily all referring to the same embodiment, nor are separate or alternative embodiments necessarily mutually exclusive of other embodiments. The same applies to the term "implementation."
[0075] The embodiments covered by the claims in this application are limited to embodiments that (1) are enabled by this specification and (2) correspond to statutory subject matter. Non-enabled embodiments and embodiments that correspond to non-statutory subject matter are explicitly disclaimed even if they fall within the scope of the claims.
Patent applications by Eric J. Diethorn, Long Valley, NJ US
Patent applications by Gary W. Elko, Summit, NJ US
Patent applications by Jens M. Meyer, Fairfax, VT US
Patent applications by Tomas F. Gaensler, Warren, NJ US
Patent applications by MH ACOUSTICS,LLC
Patent applications in class DEREVERBERATORS
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"Excellence is not a singular act, but a habit. You are what you repeatedly do."
~ Shaquille ONeal
We're talking habits this month.
If you missed the first post in the series, Change Your Habits: 30 Days to a more Productive and Successful Life, I recommend you start there and come back.
Changing a habit is difficult. Let's face it; you have done certain things in a certain way for probably most of your life. Trying to change those patterns is not an easy task, but it can be done. The success rate is much higher if you don't try to tackle too much at once, otherwise you are just setting yourself up for failure. This is one of the main reasons that New Year's resolutions don't have a good success rate. We attempt grand, life altering changes, often several at once.
Choose one habit – Focus on changing one thing at a time. You can add another change later once you have mastered this one.
Keep it simple – I will exercise 5X per week is good. I will train for a marathon time next month is a goal and an ambitious one, not a habit. I will make 5 sales calls every morning before I check email is good. I will increase sales by 30 % = goal.
Start small – The smaller the better. It's better to start with a small change and build on that. Wake up 15 minutes earlier, not 2 hours. Exercise for 20 minutes, not run 5 miles. Try slowly cutting back on email checking – 5X per day, then 4X, then 3X…..
Cement it – Write down what habit you are going to change. Documenting helps to solidify and cement the intention in your brain. Put it on your calendar, either electronic or paper. Schedule time for it!
Have you chosen you habit yet?
Click here to read more on creating and sticking with new habits.

subset: commoncrawl


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Helping Nonprofits Raise Money Like Goldman DoesAmy Feldman
As an investment banker at Goldman Sachs (GS), Charles "Chuck" Harris helped raise billions of dollars for companies. Now the retired partner, 58, is happy if he raises mere millions. The funds don't fatten company coffers, though. They help improve education for low-income kids, an issue he cares about deeply.
Four years ago, Harris founded New York-based SeaChange Capital Partners with another ex-Goldman partner, Robert Steel, to bring Wall Street capital-raising methods to the nonprofit world. His idea is that nonprofits are held back by the time and effort it takes to raise funds in dribs and drabs for one project or another. By raising larger sums of money at one point in time—similar to the way a company would with venture capital or an initial public offering—nonprofit managers can stop worrying about cash and start focusing on their programs. "Imagine trying to grow a company with no financial certainty," he says. "Companies do not do that, and, it seems to me, well-managed nonprofits shouldn't either."
Before Harris hit on that idea, he had quit Goldman twice. The first time was in 1996, at age 45, to spend more time skiing, golfing, and with his family. He rejoined in 1999, when he was offered a job working part-time near his Connecticut home with the firm's technology investment banking group. He left for good in late 2002, after the tech bubble burst. "It was all part of a journey to find what work to do next," he says. "I had a great experience working there. It was a job, if you will, not a passion. But because we did well at Goldman, it allowed me the flexibility to find my passion."
The second time Harris left Goldman, he did so to chair a major capital-raising campaign for his alma mater, Phillips Exeter Academy. (The campaign raised $350 million.) Harris, who was a scholarship student at Exeter, says going to the elite prep school changed his life. Gradually, Harris got more involved in fund-raising and joining boards of directors. In two test cases of what would become SeaChange's model, Harris helped raise tens of millions for College Summit, which tries to improve enrollment rates, and Teach for America, which recruits college grads to teach in public schools.
With those two pilots completed, SeaChange—which got funding from Goldman, the Gates and Hewlett foundations, and others—set out to create a network of donors willing to make multiyear, six-figure commitments. At the same time, SeaChange started scouting for education-focused organizations on the point of expansion.
The first two nonprofits that SeaChange is working with, out of more than 100 it considered, are Uncommon Schools, which runs charter schools in Brooklyn, N.Y., and Newark, N.J., and New Teacher Center, which trains educators to work in inner-city schools. For New Teacher Center, the goal is $3 million. For Uncommon Schools, SeaChange's original goal was $30 million. But with the economy slow and would-be donors strapped, so far only $6.3 million has been committed and Harris has scaled back his hopes to $15 million. That campaign ends in May. "We are engaged in day-to-day combat to get there," Harris says. "You can't tell a program that's trying to grow to raise money along the way. They need the money now."


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The University of Dubai (UD), a not-for-profit institution established by the Dubai Chamber of Commerce and Industry, announced that it will be granting scholarships worth AED11.2 million to the first 400 new eligible applicants during an Open Day event on Saturday, June 30, 2012. The event will be held at the Clover Creek Hotel on Maktoum Road, near the Clocktower.
Of the 400 scholarships, 300 will go to the College of Business and 100 to the College of Information Technology. To be eligible, applicants must meet certain criteria such as a high school score of 65% and above, official English scores (TOEFL 500 and above or equivalent) and official Math scores of 400 and above.
This initiative reaffirms the commitment of the university, its Board of Trustees and top management to achieve a quality higher education to all who seek it.
Dr. Omar Hefni, President of UD said: "This news is another milestone for the University of Dubai, aligning with its mission to provide educational opportunities to UAE nationals and expatriates who will contribute to the economic growth and development of the country. This is part of UD's core values and is part of its service to the community in line with its social responsibility to the UAE society. The aim of this initiative is to provide the highest number of applicants the opportunity to obtain a higher education degree from an internationally accredited university while reducing the burden of tuition fees."
He added that the news comes at the time when the institution is celebrating its 15th anniversary after being established in 1997. The first 400 eligible applicants will also be inaugurating UD's new campus when it is completed by 2014.
For more information, please call +971 4 207 2787.
[1] https://www.albawaba.com/en/node/355857?nid=431327
[2] https://www.albawaba.com/idea-agency
[3] http://www.albawaba.com


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The Delahunt Award Reception is one of JDI's signature fundraising events each year. Your support helps ensure that we can continue making progress in terms of policy and practice that supports the dignity, liberty and safety of all survivors and victims. With your help, we will build a world that supports peace, equality, and justice.
The value of goods and services for this event is estimated at $50.00 per person. Your donation above $50.00 per individual ticket is tax-deductible.
You can find hotel valet parking details and directions on the hotel website. Additional parking garages at 100 Clarendon, Westin and Prudential.
The JDI Community Portal is a registration site for our public events as well as a password protected site for staff at JDI and JDI member programs
as well as the JDI Board of Directors and White Ribbon Day Affiliates and Ambassadors.
Copyright © Jane Doe Inc. 2011 Telephone: 617-248-0922 Website: www.JaneDoe.org.


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Nutrition and heart disease
Like most health matters, food plays an important role in the prevention of heart disease.
During a recent heart disease "Myth busters" session at Blue Mountain Health System, registered dietitian Nancy Matyas reviewed commonly held beliefs about nutrition and heart disease.
The "Myth busters" talk was part of the hospital's Lunch and Learn series. To prove that eating healthy can be fun and tasty, the hospital offered a lunch with heart-healthy foods, including vegetable bean soup; grilled chicken, walnut and strawberry salad on spinach; and a custard and raspberry parfait.
Instead of busting myths, Matyas tested the group's knowledge by having audience members decide whether each "fact" was true or false. Below is a sample of the "facts" Matyas discussed. Do you know which is fact or myth?
Sea salt is better than table salt.
False: "Salt is salt. One is just as good as the other," said Matyas, noting that the only difference between different types of salt is the way that they are made. However, sea salt does not contain iodine, which is important for thyroid function, which might give table salt a slightly healthier status.
Iceberg lettuce is a healthy green.
Partially false: If you count water as an important part of your diet, iceberg lettuce is a great source it contains 95 percent water, but not much else. A better choice is dark leafy greens, which contain more nutrients.
A low-fat diet prevents heart disease.
True: Saturated fats can increase the risk of heart disease. While we do need some fat in our diets (stick with unsaturated fats, which protect the heart), limit the amount of fat you eat each day.
If I exercise, I can eat anything.
False: "Exercising will not erase all of the effects of an unbalanced diet," said Matyas. "It doesn't work that way." She added that a poor diet, filled with lots of fat and sugar, also won't give you the energy you need to exercise regularly.
Nuts and eggs are good for you.
True: A small handful of nuts can make you feel full, and reduces your risk for heart disease. Nuts are also filled with the "healthier" fats that can reduce your risk of heart disease but because they are high in calories, watch the portion size.
Eggs have an unearned bad reputation for heart health, thanks in part to the amount of cholesterol contained in the yolk. Matyas noted that eggs are unlikely to raise your blood cholesterol, and are also high in protein and vitamins.
"Eggs are the best protein you can eat, and very reasonable in price," she said.
Coffee is bad.
False: Coffee is a good source of antioxidants, which are thought to play a role in preventing heart disease. A cup of black coffee contains just 2 calories, but adding sugar and cream can cause that cup of coffee's calorie count to soar. Drink coffee in moderation, she added.
Chocolate is good for your heart.
True: Good news! Cocoa, a main ingredient in chocolate, is also high in antioxidants. Dark chocolate is higher in antioxidants than milk chocolate and is thought to be more healthful for the heart. Because chocolate is also high in calories, consume it in moderation.
Blue Mountain Health System will host a nutrition health fair at its Lehighton campus on Wednesday, March 27 from 10 a.m. to noon at its Lehighton campus. Registered dietitians will be on site to answer questions and offer product tasting and samples.


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I will be graduating in may with a degree in biology and chemistry with a license in secondary education (5th-12th grades). I already have experience in tutoring in biology and chemistry. Please note, I will be student teaching for my last semester and will only be able to tutor on the weekends.
I look forward to hearing from you.
... ... More
I have an associate in arts degree, so I have taken general education classes. I have helped many fellow students and friends with topics they are struggling with. I help explain the topic to the extent that the student will understand it. I am patient and willing to work at it until the student succeeds in the particular topic. I am working towards a bachelor's degree in psychology.... ... More
Thank you for looking at my profile. I am not a professional teacher / tutor. I am an average person with over 12 years of experience using Microsoft Excel, Word, PowerPoint and Outlook. I gained my knowledge & experience working in the administrative assistant field during that time.
I would love to share my knowledge with you. Together we can learn more.
... ... More
My name is Rikki S. and I live in Amery, Wisconsin. I have lived here for a year and love the community! I am originally from Spooner, WI. When I was 10, my family decided to become missionaries to Nicaragua, which is located in Central America. Their main language is Spanish. We moved to Costa Rica (located right above Nicaragua)to go to the Spanish/English language school. It was an amazing experience to learn a second language at such a young age. After a year, we moved to Nicaragua and li... ... More
Hello, my name is Ceilia and I am a recent graduate of UW-Stout with a bachelor's degree in Applied Math and Computer Science with a concentration in Actuarial Science. I have a passion for mathematics and would be able to tutor in math, statistics or any related subjects. I have experience tutoring other college students in high level college math courses as well as lower ones. I also have experience tutoring an eighth grader in pre algebra. I am very patient and understanding and would ... ... More
Hello! I am a student at the University of Wisconsin - Stevens Point with a Political Science major! I love to learn. All throughout school I struggled with Math; I completely understand the feeling that coincides with failing to understand a certain subject. This past semester I decided to be proactive and apply for a Math tutor. It has been a wonderful experience. Statistics is extremely hard, but I am flying through it! For the first time I understand Math. I would love to be able to help ... ... More


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Bangor Defenseman Up For Top Award
Bangor hockey defenseman Justin Courtney has been named one of eight semifinalists for the Travis Roy Award.Courtney has compiled 9 goals and 17 assists this season. The award, which is given to the best class A hockey player in the state is voted on by the class A high school hockey coaches association. The list of semifinalists will be cut down to four with the winner announced at the end of the season banquet.
The eight semifinalists are:
- Justin Courtney – Bangor
- Kyle Lemelin – Lewiston
- Matt Poulin – Lewiston
- Nik Lemieux – Biddeford
- Cam Heatley – Brunswick
- Andre Clement – Falmouth
- Cam Loiselle – Scarborough
- Alex Fallon – Thornton Academy
Bangor's Parker Sanderson won the award last year, the first player from the school to receive the honor. The school has had a finalist in three of the last four years.
The award is named after Travis Roy who played his high school hockey at North Yarmouth Academy. His college career ended 11 seconds into his first shift at Boston University when he was hit into the boards and was paralyzed.


text: Macrame Butterfly pattern is made with square knots, diagonal double half-hitch knots, double half- hitch knot, lark head, overhand knots. Pattern includes instruction the necklace and pin, easy-to-follow step by step, full instructions, with pictures. Macrame butterfly measures 3 1/2 inches by 2 3/4 inches. Measurements will change - pending on how tight and close you make your knots. Purchase of this macrame tutorial entitles you to use the pattern for personal use, does not entitle you to reproduce the pattern for resale or redistribution to others. Make and sell as many as you like, but state that the pattern is a design by ZaneyMay. BASIC SKILLS NECESSARY lark head, overhand knot, square knot, double half hitch knot SIZING / FINISHED MEASUREMENTS 3 1/2 inches by 2 3/4 inches


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Any wedding plans for the freshly reunited Miley Cyrus and Liam Hemsworth are apparently being kept under wraps, but whether or not they tie the knot, the Hemsworth clan is already considering the singer a part of the family.
"She plays with our kids. She loves our kids," Samantha Hemsworth, wife of actor Luke Hemsworth, told PEOPLE at Monday night's Inaugural Oceana Ball at Christie's in New York City.
Asked if the kids are looking forward to calling her "Aunt Miley," Luke (born in 1981 and the eldest of the three actor siblings; Chris is 29 and Liam, 23) called Cyrus "lovely" and told PEOPLE, "She is ['Aunt Miley'] already."
Without revealing anything specifically about a wedding, Luke did offer his baby brother some relationship advice: "Never go to bed angry. That's it." (He also says he "won't be" organizing Liam's bachelor party, telling PEOPLE, "I'm sure he'll ask someone who knows him better.")
Another of Cyrus's potential sisters-in-law, actress Elsa Pataky – who is married to Chris and said "It would really be nice to go" to Miley and Liam's wedding – revealed that she and Miley have confabbed about their dramatically different hairstyles, now that Pataky also recently lopped off her long locks.
Pataky said that although they both wanted to go short, Cyrus took her look to an entirely different level.
PHOTOS: Miley & Liam's PDA Around the World
"Hers is really short," Pataky said. "It's funny, we talked about it doing it some time ago, and [we were] like, who's gonna do it first? And she cut it off and I was like, 'I'm not doing it.' [Then] I was like, 'Just do it!' "
Since then? "Now, of course, they compare us," she said. "But she's going shorter and shorter and shorter – which I love."


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Dragon on a Short Leash : An Inside-Out Analysis of China Investment Corporation
Rapid growth in the number and size of sovereign wealth funds (SWFs) in recent years has occasioned a broad-ranging policy debate about how best to accommodate or, indeed, limit the participation of these funds in the worlds capital markets. The announcement in March 2007 that China would open an SWF, with an initial investment of US $200 billion, substantially raised the pitch of this debate as pundits and policymakers around the world pondered the impact that Chinas massive foreign exchange reserves could have on world markets. Among those worried about the SWF boom many argue, as Larry Summers has, that these funds shake the logic of capitalism because government-as-owner may well pursue objectives other than the maximization of share value. In a now-famous piece, Summers (2007) wrote : The logic of the capitalist system depends on shareholders causing companies to act so as to maximise the value of their shares. It is far from obvious that this will overtime be the only motivation of governments as shareholders. The worry is that governments may use equity stakes in foreign companies to attain strategic ends such as the re-direction of scare natural resources to their own countries, acquisition of cutting-edge technology and/or the support of national champions extension overseas. And, indeed, the investment record of two of the worlds oldest SWFs show that these funds can become entwined with governments pursuit of the national interest. The history of Singapores two SWFs, Temasek Holdings and Government Investment Corporation (GIC), making strategic investments in support of national champions including SingTel and Singapore Airlines is familiar to market-watchers. Yet other observers see newcomer SWFs as a largely benign by-product of the growth of the global current account imbalance since the late 90s : SWFs are a practical means for states to reduce the opportunity costs imposed by too-large accumulations of foreign exchange assets in the case of non-commodity funds and to diversify investments in the case of commodity funds. Since there are unimpeachable economic incentives to explain the recent profusion of SWFs, so the argument goes, what good reason is there to think that SWFs investment practices will have any motive other than wealth creation? As Steven Schwarzman (2008), chair of Blackstone Group enthused : Our experience with sovereign funds is that theyre smart, theyre long term, theyre highly professional. All theyre looking for is to earn the highest rate of return. This paper is addressed to a question that is analytically prior to the Western policy debate about the global implications of Chinas sovereign wealth fund, namely : just what government is it that runs the China Investment Corporation (CIC)? Commentators in the West have tended to discuss the CIC as though it were an appendage of a unified government pursuing a clearly-defined national interest, as if it were the overseas finance arm of China Inc. Our analysis of the CIC shows that this black-boxing of the CIC can lead to serious misunderstandings about the funds investment strategy and also to an overestimation of the basic strength of Chinas SWF. In this paper, we trace the intense bureaucratic conflicts that shaped the creation of CIC and show how the conflicting mandates of the involved parties act as a significant constraint on CICs operations down to the present day. In the tradition of IPE scholars attuned to the inside-out causal mechanisms in the global political economy, we suggest that careful analysis of the domestic policy process ought to be a key component of our future efforts to analyze the likely impact of sovereign wealth funds on the global political economy.
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|Jan 2008
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References listed on IDEAS
Please report citation or reference errors to , or , if you are the registered author of the cited work, log in to your RePEc Author Service profile, click on "citations" and make appropriate adjustments.:
- Ming Zhang & Fan He, 2009.
"China's Sovereign Wealth Fund: Weakness and Challenges,"
China & World Economy,
Institute of World Economics and Politics, Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, vol. 17(1), pages 101-116.
- Zhang Yuxuan & He Fancass, 2008. "China's Sovereign Wealth Fund : Weakness and Challenges," Finance Working Papers 22836, East Asian Bureau of Economic Research.
- Zhang Yu Xuan & He Fan, 2008. "China's Sovereign Wealth Fund : Weakness and Challenges," Development Economics Working Papers 21985, East Asian Bureau of Economic Research.
- Benjamin J. Cohen, 2008. "Introduction to International Political Economy: An Intellectual History," Introductory Chapters,in: International Political Economy: An Intellectual History Princeton University Press. Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)
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Chapter NZ of PEO meets, reviews programs
Chapter NZ of PEO met Monday, July 22, in the home of Ann Corrigan with Jean Thomson and Jan Lange serving as co-hostesses.
President Connie Pedersen presided at the business meeting. Reports were given concerning the Heritage Tour, with thank-yous extended.
The Ways and Means, B&B and Luncheon committees also gave reports. It was shared that an Educational Loan Fund application was made.
Jan Rankin and her committee were thanked for the salad luncheon following the June 22 meeting at the log cabin in Saunders Park.
Gayle Trede's program about "Today's Reading" was enjoyed by those present.
The next meeting will be Monday, Aug. 19, at Joyce Dennison's home at 1 p.m. with Betty and Amy Lowe serving as co-hostesses. Melinda and Al Huisinga will be giving a program about the Christmas light display coming to the Midwest Old Threshers grounds.
At the close of the meeting, Elizabeth Garrels gave a program entitled "the Project Primer," telling, in a nutshell, of the six PEO International projects. They are Educational Loan Fund (1907), a loan fund for college women; Cottey College (1927), a women's college in Nevada, Mo.; International Peace Scholarship (1949), a scholarship for international women students in graduate study; Program for Continuing Education (1973), a need-based college grant for women; Scholar Award (1991), a merit-based scholarship award for women; and the Star Scholarship (2009), a college scholarship for high school senior women.
She also told of the Iowa PEO Project Fund, an award of financial assistance to Iowa women, men and children granted on a need basis.
With these projects PEO's goal of "Women Helping Women Reach for the Stars" truly motivates women to achieve their highest aspirations.
For questions and additional information concerning these scholarships, grants, awards and loans, please contact any PEO member.


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This year's New York Comic-Con saw its biggest video game presence in the history of the show. It's just too bad the actual booths themselves were pretty disappointing.
My favorite pieces were the ice sculpture Slimer and the Ready 2 Rumble Revolution min-ring. Thank you, Atari, for spending some money on the show! The rest of the publishers mainly just had boring, ordinary looking kiosks set up. EA, of course, had the biggest space and the most playable games, meanwhile Hudson had like 15 feet of one wall.


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It's hard work trying to live by your principles. I got caught out a couple of weeks ago, and I'm ashamed to say it was not for the first time. I'd just arrived at a friend's house after a long car journey with another friend. On the way we'd stopped off at a service station and, feeling a bit dodgy thanks to some minor overindulgence the night before, I'd bought a Coke to help settle my stomach. I know, I know, but it always works for me.
Anyway, as our friend came out to the car to greet us, the incriminating plastic bottle plonked in the passenger side drinks-holder was spotted straight away. Questions were asked, apologies were proffered, but no matter what pathetic excuses I came up with I couldn't deny it: yes, the bottle was mine, and yes, I'd drunk the contents.
Since 2004 my trade union has been boycotting all Coca-Cola products. This follows the murders of trade union leaders at Coca-Cola bottling plants in Colombia, and allegations that bottling plant managers have been complicit in the deaths, hiring paramilitary groups to assassinate trade unionists and intimidating, kidnapping and imprisoning hundreds of their own workers and their families.
So I don't drink Coke. Most of the time.
I also try not to eat or drink any Nestlé products; this is because despite years of protests and boycotts, the company still refuses to abide by the International code of marketing of breast milk substitutes. The World Health Organisation (WHO) estimates that some 1.5 million children die each year in the developing world because they are not adequately breastfed, and yet Nestlé continues to market baby milk formula in countries where access to clean water supplies cannot be guaranteed, and where bottle feeding is tantamount to a death sentence.
So I don't buy Nestlé. Most of the time.
The problem is that these two companies alone churn out so many products, under so many different brand names, that it's virtually impossible to keep up with the latest boycott lists. On top of that, I don't live alone, and I can't police what everyone else in the family buys. Over the years I've done my best to explain to the children why I won't buy all the things they ask for when I do the weekly shopping, but I can't stop them buying what they want, especially now that they're older and they've got money of their own to spend. And sometimes, just sometimes, my own resolve weakens and I end up making purchases that I later regret.
I became a vegetarian when I was 12, and for the next 10 years I managed perfectly well on my meat- and fish-free diet. Then I got pregnant, and the craving for fish fingers was just too strong; so now I'm kind of vegetarian, but I eat fish. I'd love to be a vegan, but I can't summon up the energy.
I refuse to set foot through the door of Primark and yet I shop in Tesco. I make sure my vegetables are locally sourced, but then I eat mango like it's going out of fashion. I cycle to keep fit and to minimise my carbon footprint, but I also smoke, not roll ups either, but cigarettes manufactured by a major tobacco company. I react in horror if I see the kids throwing recyclables in with the household rubbish, but when I'm faced with the herculean task of washing out an empty peanut butter jar, I usually just give up and throw it in the bin (as long as no one's watching). At the end of the day I'm only human, and that's where all the contradictions come in. Well, that's how I justify it to myself anyway.
No doubt some people would argue that I'm a textbook example of a hand-wringing liberal, making futile gestures so I can feel good about myself, and performing all sorts of intellectual contortions to try and rationalise any slip-ups. After all, is my decision not to drink Coke realistically going to have an impact on a company that last year earned $5.98bn? Probably not; but just as I'm fairly sure my refusal to buy Cape fruit in the 1980s had no bearing whatsoever on the later dismantling of the apartheid regime, that's not the point.
Everyone has their own set of moral and ethical standards, whether they're politically based or religiously inspired, and often these become so internalised that acting against them becomes a betrayal of self. So it's not that I necessarily believe that my eating a KitKat is going to lead directly to the death of a baby in the developing world, or that drinking a Fanta means one more "disappeared" trade unionist, it's more a case of knowing that if I do these things I'm letting myself down, that I'm going against the standards I've set for myself. I don't care what anyone else thinks of me, but I do care about what I think of myself. Like most people, I'm probably my own harshest critic.
It doesn't matter what side of the political divide we're on, there will always be issues or causes that move us to act, whether that action takes the form of donating to charity, boycotting goods, or taking to the streets to make our voices heard. It's hard to get it right every time, and inevitably there will be occasions when we let ourselves down, but to paraphrase Edmund Burke, the very worst we can do when confronted with the evidence of injustice and suffering, is to sit back complacently and do nothing.


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Try a new chicken recipe that is sure to be a crowd pleaser.
in the kitchen to make things exciting. we are here with this delicious recipe, even though i have no idea what a spatula and hunter sauce is. >> well, spetzle is what i'm going to help you make. but we're basically making a sauteed chicken. and i want to kind of turn you onto it. i have a hot pan. and the dish that we're making is very traditional. and it's mushrooms with white wine. it's october. i've got to cook something that is a little earthier. >> all right. what i need to do is dry off the chicken first. >> we're putting olive oil in or canola oil. >> i'm just using neutral oil. >> look at that. >> and then drop them in. >>> are we going to put it in the oven? >> actually, we're going to brown it off in here. flip it over. get that going. and we're going to pop it in the oven. >> okay. >> and later, we'll come back and finish the off the sauce. this is a great dish, if you're hav
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Singapore — Oct. 22, 2009 — Microsoft announced the availability of its new Windows 7 operating system in a uniquely Singapore way with seven-year-olds from CHIJ Our Lady of the Nativity through art and RSVP, a local non-profit organization for retirees, through line dancing. This launch represents the spectrum of users Windows 7 reaches out to, and celebrates their talents. It also demonstrates a simple premise of Windows 7: to make it easier for people to do the things they want on a PC. The new operating system offers a streamlined user interface and significant new features that make everyday tasks easier and enable people to get the most out of computers of all styles and sizes.
The simplified computing experience was captured through a digital art installation by seven year olds (Primary One) students of CHIJ Our Lady of the Nativity who used Windows 7 multi-touch capabilities and Microsoft Paint to create avant-garde art pieces. A project spearheaded by Nur Ilyana Mohamed Anwar, 2006 Microsoft-MOE Professional Development Award (MMPDA) winner, artwork created by the young artistes will be on display at One Marina Boulevard from October 22 to – November 4, 2009. Several pieces will be auctioned off on October 31st to raise funds for The President's Challenge, of which Microsoft is a major sponsor.
Through Microsoft's partnership with RSVP, retirees are now able to bring their favorite social activities to life using Windows 7. Microsoft volunteers together with RSVP will use Windows 7 to teach retirees' new line dancing moves, capture videos and make use of the simplified Windows 7 platform.
Partners Rally Around Windows 7
Along with increased customer involvement, Microsoft's partners had a closer, more involved role in the product vision and planning process with Windows 7. The collaborative approach to engaging partners to inform development efforts has resulted in improved performance for PCs as well as compatibility with a broad range of software and hardware across the Windows ecosystem. Globally, more than 17,000 software and hardware companies are building solutions on Windows 7 and over 50,000 developers are enrolled in the Windows Ecosystem Readiness Program. Together, these partners are developing hardware, software and services capable of reaching more than a billion PCs around the world.
In Singapore, Microsoft has also been working with the wider ISV, partner and OEM communities to support their development, enablement and marketing of Windows 7. To date, four local ISVs have developed applications on Windows 7. One of them, Touch Dimensions, a two-man team from Microsoft's DreamSpark and BizSpark programmes, developed two games using touch technology to run on Windows 7 and the Windows Mobile Phone platforms.
On Sale in Singapore on October 22, 2009
The global availability of Windows 7 is joined by an unprecedented array of new PCs and software programs. At retail, Windows 7 will be sold in the following versions and prices:
Win Home Premium (full install) – S$359
Win Home Premium Upgrade – S$219
Win Professional (full install) – S$529
Win Professional Upgrade – S$359
Win Ultimate (full install) – S$549
Win Ultimate Upgrade – S$379


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By David Codrea.
"In Mexico, where criminals are armed to the teeth…the country has some of the most restrictive gun laws in the world," NPR reports. "Law-abiding Mexicans who want a gun to defend themselves have no good options. Either they fight government red tape to get a legal permit, or they buy one on the black market."
This is illustrated with deadly seriousness in the story of Colonia LeBaron, a community in Chihuahua founded by a sect of "breakaway" Mormons. Following kidnappings and murders of their members by cartel thugs, the community armed itself in order to provide the protection their government can't and won't.
In cases where there is no one to band with, individuals often just give up. I recently was a guest on Houston-based American Trigger Sports Network (ATSN.tv), and fellow panelist Barbara Crown of "The Hunting Report" (HuntingReport.com) relayed stories of how some Mexican hunts must now be conducted under the protection of armed guards, and how some ranch owners have given up hunting their own lands due to cartels appropriating their property for supply routes. The hapless ranchers must now book their own hunting excursions in regions with less conflict—assuming they don't just flee their homes altogether.
Which brings us to the story of a man who did not surrender and relinquish what was his, who left us with an example of determination, courage and principle, and who was nonetheless doomed by his government's failures and the reality that there are too few like him.
Don Alejo Garza Tamez, 77, was a rancher and respected businessman. A cartel wanted his property and gave him 24 hours to vacate—or else. Instead, he told the criminals he would be waiting for them, and told his workers to take the next day off.
"He dedicated the rest of Saturday to taking stock of his weapons and ammunition and creating a military fortress-style defense strategy for his home," Borderland Beat reported.
A lifelong hunter, Don Alejo had amassed a collection of weapons, something only a man of means could afford. When the thugs drove up Sunday morning in trucks firing guns and expecting no resistance, he was waiting for them with guns at each window, returning fire with precision, forcing the astonished invaders to resort to grenades. When the smoke cleared, Don Alejo was dead. So were four of his attackers, with another two wounded and presumed dead by their fleeing associates.
That the Mexican government insists on maintaining its monopoly of violence only means they and the cartels will continue the carnage. But there are unintended consequences, as ordinary people, sick of living in fear, are beginning to fight back—desperately, and at times adopting the terror tactics of their persecutors.
Los Matas Zetas ("The Zeta-Killers") have begun killing cartel members, even beheading some on videotape. Per LiveLeak.com, "They claim they are civilians who have had family members killed in the drug war violence and that they want revenge."
That's what you end up with when a corrupt system betrays those like Don Alejo, who simply want freedom and dignity.


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Drought watch 2012
*Editor's note: This is one of an occasional series of contributed articles highlighting water conservation efforts in Colorado.
By Jim Lochhead, CEO/Manager of Denver Water
Denver Water is leading the way in water conservation in Colorado, helping customers with an ambitious goal: Use 22 percent less water than before the 2002 drought. And the plan is working. Denver Water customers are using 20 percent less water than they were before 2002 — and there are nearly 10 percent more of them.
Denver Water started promoting water conservation as early as the 1920s, but following the drought of 2002, Denver Water customers embraced a cultural shift in how they value water. One of the primary drivers for this culture change has been Denver Water's advertising campaign. The campaign helps customers appreciate the value of water by encouraging them to "Use Only What You Need." A 2011 survey found that almost 95 percent of respondents recognize the advertising campaign.
Aside from the campaign, several programs and rules encourage customers to use water wisely. Large irrigation customers, such as homeowners associations and commercial properties, can earn $6,000 per acre-foot of water saved by developing a plan to cut water use by at least 3 acre-feet a year. In the past five years, Denver Water has signed 68 contracts with those customers (with more in the works), saving an estimated 510 acre-feet of water per year — the annual amount used by roughly 1,275 households.
Denver Water will pay industrial and institutional customers that save at least 100,000 gallons of water in a year. During the past five years, Denver Water completed 38 contracts and saved about 390 acre-feet of water — the annual amount used by roughly 975 households.
Denver Water offers rebates to residential customers who install high-efficiency toilets, clothes washers and efficient irrigation products. Since 2007, nearly 108,700 residential rebates have been processed by Denver Water. Rebates for new high-efficiency products helped save about 2,500 acre-feet of water — roughly the amount used by 6,250 homes in a year.
The rate structure is affecting customers' water use habits as well. Customers pay for water based on an increasing block-rate structure. The more they use, the more they pay.
Denver Water has a team of water waste monitors driving and bicycling throughout the service area educating and enforcing the rules (one of which prohibits lawn watering between 10 a.m. and 6 p.m.). Each summer, thousands of customers call Denver Water's water waste hotline to notify Denver Water that neighbors (and sometimes spouses!) are violating the watering rules.
Two of Denver Water's main missions — being responsible stewards of the environment and supplying our customers with high-quality water — depend on Denver Water helping customers use water wisely. In fact, Denver Water coined "Xeriscape," the term for water-wise landscaping, in the 1980s.
In an extremely dry year like this one, the importance of our customers valuing water is even greater. In April, the Denver Board of Water Commissioners declared a Stage 1 drought, asking customers to reduce outdoor water use. Despite higher than average temperatures and lower than average precipitation, our customers have responded by using less water than expected based on the conditions.
Denver Water serves water and promotes its efficient use to 1.3 million people in the city of Denver and many surrounding suburbs. Established in 1918, the utility is a public agency funded by water rates, new tap fees and the sale of hydropower, not taxes. It is Colorado's oldest and largest water utility.


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SIDES from Cadoxton Imps(U12) and Sully Sports(U16) represented the Vale of Glamorgan Football League in inter-league fixtures against Merthyr at the Sully Sports club on Sunday.
Both games were played in a sporting and competitive manner, with all players displaying their skills. Imps gained a narrow victory and Sports achieved a draw.
Kevin Shaw, chairman of the Vale of Glamorgan Referees' Society, which provided match officials who were all under the age of 18, presented a memento to every player.
The results mean that, in the annual fixtures between the two leagues, the Vale has won two, drawn one and lost one.
Following last week's report on fixtures played at Merthyr, it should be noted that the team representing the Vale at U13 level was Cogan Coronation and not Sully Sports.


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No, we only offer a self-managed service. Our infrastructure is very easy-to-use and you can install and administer it just like physical hardware. However, we can »»
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