text:
|Publication number
|Publication type
|Application number
|Publication date
|Jun 26, 2007
|Filing date
|Mar 18, 2003
|Priority date
|Apr 1, 2002
|Fee status
|Also published as
|Publication number
|Shlomo Lahav, Gil Shafran, Roni Abiri, Tal Dunsky, Vered Hornblass
|Original Assignee
|Schema Ltd.
|Export Citation
|BiBTeX, EndNote, RefMan
|Patent Citations (45), Non-Patent Citations (16), Referenced by (27), Classifications (15), Legal Events (3)
|External Links: USPTO, USPTO Assignment, Espacenet
This application claims the benefit of U.S. provisional patent application 60/369,368, filed Apr. 1, 2002, which is incorporated herein by reference.
The present invention relates generally to evaluation of resource use in wireless communication networks, and specifically to evaluating results of local signal level measurements in such networks.
In a cellular communication network, the region served by the network is divided into a pattern of cells. Each cell has one or more antennas that communicate with mobile units (cellular telephones and/or data terminals) within its service area. The cell may be divided into sectors, each of which is typically served by a different antenna. In the context of the present patent application, the terms "cell" and "sector" are used interchangeably. The present invention deals with classifying signals received at various locations in the service region of the network according to the antenna transmitting the signals. (Such operations are also referred to herein as assigning the received signals to antennas, or associating the signals with antennas). In the context of a cellular network, it will be understood that classifying the signals according to the transmitting antenna has substantially the same meaning as classifying the signals according to cell or sector.
Each cell in a narrowband cellular network is assigned a fixed set of frequencies, also referred to as channels. Narrowband networks currently in use include primarily Time Division Multiple Access [TDMA] networks, such as Global System for Mobile [GSM] communication networks. In such networks, each traffic channel may be further divided into time slots, while control channels are transmitted continuously. (In contrast, Code Division Multiple Access [CDMA] networks assign a broad frequency band to each cell, and all operating channels are generally transmitted continuously.) In order to reduce interference between calls, the frequency channels in a narrowband cellular network are typically distributed among the different cells so that nearby cells use different channels.
The strengths of the signals reaching the mobile units from the antennas, and vice versa, are determined by the path loss of electromagnetic waves propagating between the antennas and the mobile unit locations. If the received signal level at a given location is too low, poor quality or coverage holes will result. On the other hand, during a call between a given mobile unit and a given antenna, the power of the traffic signals transmitted by the antenna on the channel or slot serving the mobile unit may be intentionally reduced, by a mechanism known as transmission power control (TPC). The object of this mechanism is to reduce interference with other calls on the same channel or adjacent channels in other nearby cells, while still providing the given mobile unit with a sufficient carrier/interference (C/I) ratio.
Because of the limited available spectrum, channel allocation generally involves tradeoffs between coverage of the service area and potential interference between different cells. If an inadequate number of channels are available at the location, calls will be blocked or dropped. On the other hand, if cells whose service areas overlap significantly use the same channels, mobile units in the overlap area will experience substantial interference. Therefore, an accurate map of cell service areas and signal strengths can be very useful in optimizing cellular network performance.
In planning cellular networks, path loss maps are typically used to locate and orient the antennas and determine channel allocations and transmission power levels. Such maps may be based on analysis of the topography and other characteristics of the network service area. In actual operation, however, the transmitted signals are subject to variable and unexpected attenuation, and the a priori path loss estimates are rarely completely accurate. To get a better picture of the actual distribution of cellular signals transmitted by the various antennas, cellular operators use drive tests, in which the actual antenna signals are measured at different locations by a test van driving through the service region.
At any location in the service region that is visited by the test van, it is likely to measure signals on multiple different frequency channels. The source of a signal on a given channel at a given location may be ambiguous, since as noted above, multiple cells may transmit on the same channel, and the received power is subject to TPC and fading, which may be difficult to predict. This problem can be resolved in part by assigning each cell a particular "color code," i.e., a signal pattern that distinguishes its signals from those of other cells. In practice, however, the color code is not always available. Therefore, correctly associating each drive test measurement with a transmitting cell may be a difficult task.
U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,926,762 and 6,405,043, whose disclosures are incorporated herein by reference, describe methods for interference prediction and frequency planning for cellular networks based on drive test results. In order to avoid ambiguity in associating the signals measured in the drive test with the transmitting antennas, a single channel is transmitted from each cell site or sector, and all cells in the test area transmit on different channels. By transmitting from each cell on a single, unique channel, interference that might complicate the readings is eliminated, so that the cell from which any channel is transmitted is positively known. By implication, however, this test method can be carried out only when the cellular network is off-line, serving only the drive test and not serving network customers (or at best serving the customers on a very limited basis permitted by the restricted, single-channel spectrum allocated to each cell or sector.) There remains a need for a reliable method for processing drive test measurements that are gathered while the network is in normal operation.
The present invention provides methods and systems for analyzing drive test results in a wireless communication network, so as to classify the signals measured at different locations according to the antennas that actually transmitted the signals. Unlike methods known in the art, implementation of the present invention does not require that the cellular network be taken off line or that network operations be modified in any way during the drive test. Rather, the methods of the present invention can be used under the variable conditions of actual network operation, in which each antenna may transmit on multiple channels, and multiple different antennas, in different sectors, may transmit on the same channel or channels.
In embodiments of the present invention, drive test results are analyzed iteratively in order to classify each signal measured according to the antenna most likely to have transmitted it. Typically, the classification process makes use of known transmission characteristics of the cellular network under test, such as the allocation of control and traffic channels to particular sectors, and the estimated path loss from each antenna to the location of a given measurement. The measured signals on the various channels are thus sorted into groups according to the antennas from which they could have been transmitted, based on the known network characteristics.
For each measurement or set of measurements at each location in the network service region, a metric is calculated for each possible transmitting antenna, indicating the likelihood that the measured signal was transmitted by that antenna. Based on these metrics, the measurements are then assigned in sequence to the antennas, typically (although not necessarily) beginning with the strongest measurement on the list and working down. After each measurement or set of measurements is assigned, the metrics for the remaining measurements may be recalculated. In this manner, substantially all the measurements may be reliably classified with the correct transmitting antennas, including weak signals transmitted from distant antennas or arising due to interference from neighboring frequency channels.
The methods and systems of the present invention are applicable to both narrowband cellular networks (such as TDMA and GSM) and to broadband cellular networks (such as CDMA). Furthermore, although the embodiments described herein refer specifically to drive tests made in a cellular communication network, the methods of the present invention may similarly be applied to analysis of signal strength measurements at different locations in other types of wireless networks.
There is therefore provided, in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention, a method for analyzing service in a wireless communication network, which includes multiple antennas, which are assigned to transmit signals over the air to mobile units on respective sets of one or more frequency channels, such that at least two of the antennas transmit the signals on a common frequency channel, the method including:
recording levels of the signals received at multiple locations within a service area of the network, while the antennas are transmitting the signals on the respective sets of frequency channels, including simultaneous transmission by the at least two of the antennas on the common frequency channel; and
analyzing the recorded levels and the frequency channels of the received signals so as to classify the received signals at each of the locations according to the antennas transmitting the signals.
Typically, recording the levels of the signals includes recording the levels using a receiver mounted in a vehicle, while the vehicle travels through the service area. The wireless communication network typically includes a cellular network, and analyzing the recorded levels and the frequency channels includes classifying the received signals as originating from cells or sectors of the cellular network that are respectively served by the antennas. Classifying the received signals may further include decoding a color code that is encoded in at least some of the signals, and assigning the signals to the cells or sectors responsively to the color code.
Typically, recording the levels includes recording first and second levels of first and second signals received at one of the locations on first and second frequency channels, respectively, and analyzing the recorded levels and the frequency channels includes classifying the first signal as having originated from one of the antennas and, responsively to having classified the first signal, classifying the second signal.
In an embodiment of the invention, classifying the first signal includes computing a first metric with respect to the first signal, indicative of which of the antennas is likeliest, among the antennas transmitting on the first frequency channel, to have transmitted the first signal, and determining a classification of the first signal responsively to the first metric, and classifying the second signal includes computing a second metric, indicative of which of the antennas is likeliest, among the antennas transmitting on the second frequency channel, to have transmitted the second signal, wherein the second metric is computed subject to the classification of the first signal.
When the first signal is classified as having originated from a first one of the antennas, classifying the second signal may include classifying the second signal as having originated from a second one of the antennas, different from the first one. Alternatively, classifying the second signal may include classifying the second signal as having originated from the first one of the antennas, in addition to the first signal having originated therefrom.
Additionally or alternatively, recording the levels may further include recording a third level of a third signal received at the one of the locations on a third frequency channel, and analyzing the recorded levels and the frequency channels may include classifying the third signal responsively to having classified the first and second signals.
In a disclosed embodiment, analyzing the recorded levels and the frequency channels includes sorting the recorded levels so as to generate a respective list, for each of at least some of the antennas, including measurements of the levels of the signals recorded at the one of the locations on the respective sets of frequency channels that are assigned to the antennas, and classifying the received signals based on the list. Typically, classifying the received signals includes computing a metric with respect to a group of the measurements in the respective list generated with respect to at least one of the antennas, wherein the metric is indicative of a likelihood that the at least one of the antennas transmitted the signals whose measurements are included in the group, and determining a classification of at least a first signal in the respective list responsively to the metric. Computing the metric may include computing multiple, respective metrics for multiple groups of the measurements, and selecting a maximal metric from among the multiple metrics.
Typically, the at least two of the antennas transmitting on the common frequency channel include first and second antennas, and wherein analyzing the recorded levels and the frequency channels includes computing respective first and second metrics, indicative of which of the first and second antennas is likelier to have transmitted a signal that was received on the common frequency channel, and classifying the signal based on the first and second metrics. In one aspect of the invention, computing the respective first and second metrics includes estimating respective probabilities of error in assigning the signal to each of the first and second antennas.
In another aspect of the invention, when the first and second antennas are assigned to transmit the signals on first and second frequency channels, which are mutually adjacent, and wherein the common frequency channel is the first frequency channel, computing the second metric includes adjusting the second metric responsively to the transmission by the second antenna on the second, adjacent frequency channel.
In a further aspect of the invention, computing the first and second metrics includes comparing the signal that was received on the common frequency channel to respective estimated path loss characteristics associated with the transmission of the signal from each of the first and second antennas, and adjusting the metrics in response to the path loss characteristics.
In another disclosed embodiment, analyzing the recorded levels and the frequency channels includes calculating a probability that a first signal transmitted by a first one of the at least two antennas is masked by a second signal transmitted by a second one of the at least two antennas, and classifying the signals based on the probability.
Additionally or alternatively, analyzing the recorded levels and the frequency channels further includes estimating a received signal strength indicator (RSSI) with respect to at least one of the antennas.
There is also provided, in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention, apparatus for analyzing service in a wireless communication network, which includes multiple antennas, which are assigned to transmit signals over the air to mobile units on respective sets of one or more frequency channels, such that at least two of the antennas transmit the signals on a common frequency channel, the apparatus including a test processor, which is adapted to receive levels of the signals measured at multiple locations within a service area of the network, while the antennas are transmitting the signals on the respective sets of frequency channels, including simultaneous transmission by the at least two of the antennas on the common frequency channel, and which is adapted to analyze the levels and the frequency channels of the measured signals so as to classify the measured signals at each of the locations according to the antennas transmitting the signals.
There is additionally provided, in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention, a computer software product for analyzing service in a wireless communication network, which includes multiple antennas, which are assigned to transmit signals over the air to mobile units on respective sets of one or more frequency channels, such that at least two of the antennas transmit the signals on a common frequency channel, the product including a computer readable medium, in which program instructions are stored, which instructions, when read by a computer, cause the computer to receive levels of the signals measured at multiple locations within a service area of the network, while the antennas are transmitting the signals on the respective sets of frequency channels, including simultaneous transmission by the at least two of the antennas on the common frequency channel, and further cause the computer to analyze the levels and the frequency channels of the measured signals so as to classify the measured signals at each of the locations according to the antennas transmitting the signals.
The present invention will be more fully understood from the following detailed description of the preferred embodiments thereof, taken together with the drawings in which:
To perform a drive test of the cellular network, a test van 24, driving on roads 34 through region 20, is used to collect statistics regarding the strengths of signals transmitted by different antennas 22 at many different locations in the region. At each location on the drive test, van 24 measures the strengths of the signals it receives at different frequencies, typically monitoring all the frequency channels used by the network. Thus, each measurement recorded by the test van includes location coordinates, channel, received power level and, in some cases, the color code of the signal. Alternatively or additionally, other types of mobile test devices, including the mobile units themselves, may be used to measure signal levels and report their results.
There are certain differences between the parameters that are commonly recorded in drive tests of narrowband cellular networks, such as TDMA and GSM networks, and those used in broadband cellular networks, such as CDMA networks. For example, in broadband cellular networks, the "cell code" is recorded and used in place of the color code. Therefore, references to color codes in the description and claims below should be understood as comprehending cell codes, as appropriate. As another example, whereas narrowband network drive tests generally measure absolute signal levels, in broadband networks the signal levels are typically measured relative to the overall interference or noise. Hence, references in the present patent application and in the claims to measuring or recording of levels should be understood to comprehend both absolute and relative measurements. Taking these differences into account, the methods of the present invention may be applied in a straightforward fashion to both narrowband and broadband networks.
The drive test and/or other mobile measurement results are passed to a drive test processor 37 for analysis, in order to classify the measured signals according to the antennas that are likeliest to have transmitted them. In order to analyze the drive test results, processor 37 receives network control information from MSC 36 and/or other information concerning the network configuration. For example, processor 37 typically receives information regarding the allocation of traffic and control channels among antennas 22, as well as color codes assigned to the channels, where applicable. While control channels are generally transmitted at all times, without transmission power control (TPC), traffic channels may be transmitted intermittently, with or without TPC (or even with TPC applied to some time slots but not others), depending on the network type and service policies.
Channels may also be prioritized by the network, so that the traffic channels assigned to a given sector will be activated according to need, in order of descending priority. The priorities, taken together with traffic density, thus determine the probability that a given antenna will transmit on a particular channel at any given time. Furthermore, based on priority information, processor 37 may decide not to associate a measurement with a particular candidate sector, when the measurement was made on a channel that has a low priority in the candidate sector, and no signal was detected simultaneously on a higher-priority channel for the same sector.
In associating the measurements with the transmitting antennas, processor 37 also uses the known transmission power of antennas 20 and path loss characteristics of region 20. Some of this information may be provided by path loss maps, showing the attenuation of electromagnetic waves propagating between each of the antennas and different mobile unit locations in region 20. Path losses may vary substantially over time, however, so that path loss maps can provide only approximate information. Furthermore, for traffic channels, the transmitted signal power may vary substantially due to TPC. These factors add ambiguity in associating measurements with antennas based on measured signal power levels.
The minimum path loss possible between a transmitting antenna and the receiver is the free-space path loss, which is determined by the distance between the antenna and the receiver, without considering attenuating factors such as topographical characteristics, clutter and weather. If the power level of a measured signal at some location is greater than the maximum transmitted power less the free-space path loss from a particular candidate antenna to the measurement location, then the signal should not be associated with that antenna. Similarly, the signal should not be associated with a candidate antenna if the measured signal level is much greater (typically 30 dB or more) than the level predicted by the path loss map for that antenna.
Processor 37 processes the signal level information throughout region 20 in order to classify each measurement according to its transmitting antenna, and thus to generate a map of signal propagation in the network for each sector or cell. Processor 37 typically comprises a general-purpose computer, which performs these functions under the control of software supplied for this purpose. The software may be conveyed to the computer in electronic form, over a network, for example, or it may be furnished on tangible media, such as CD-ROM. Alternatively or additionally, processor 37 may comprise a dedicated hardware processor, or a combination of hardware and software-based processing elements.
At the most general level, the function of processor 37 can be seen as finding the most probable hypothesis relating the n channel measurements made at each measurement location in region 20 to the m sectors of the cellular network. Formally, we define the set of measurements made at a given location as
Each measurement xi comprises a tuple (fi, ci, wi) of the received channel fi, the color code ci (if present and decoded) and the measured power wi. Any classification of the measurement with a transmitting antenna must accord with a "world state" WI�J, defining the set of channels F transmitted by all sectors S. Each such world state WI�J can be represented as an n�m binary matrix defining a specific channel allocation in each of the sectors in the network. (An element (i,j) of WI�J is one if channel i is transmitted by sector j.)
All the measurements in X are assigned to unique, respective sectors by finding the most probable world state given the set of measurements. The probability of each world state is given by:
The most probable hypothesis HB
This estimation may be performed over all world states, with respect to all locations at which measurements were made. This method, while accurate and complete, requires checking a great many probable world states. Therefore, in the embodiments of the present invention described below, the set of world states is defined per channel, and the measurements are assigned to the likeliest transmitting antennas on a channel-by-channel basis. Defining Vi,j as the world state in which channel i was received from sector j, the most probable hypothesis Hi,B
The probability that this assignment is erroneous is given by:
p(H i,B
Based on this model, processor 37 assigns the measurements made on all channels at a given location to respective sectors using an iterative process. First, the processor finds the likeliest assignment hypothesis for one or several of the applicable channels, based on a metric that is indicative of the likelihood of error of each assignment. Exemplary methods for calculating likelihood metrics that can be used for this purpose are described hereinbelow. Probability of service and channel prioritization, as mentioned above, may also be factored into the likelihood metrics. The channel assignment with highest confidence (i.e., lowest error probability) is chosen, and is used as a basis for recalculating the world state probabilities and error probabilities of the remaining channels. The next most confident assignment is then found, and the process is repeated until all possible channels have been assigned with high confidence.
After assigning the drive test measurements at each location to respective sectors, the assignments at neighboring location may be rechecked against one another to ensure that they together define a reasonable world state, i.e., that they do not conflict with one another. (Such a conflict could arise, for example, when the measurement on a given channel at one point is assigned to a certain sector, while the measurements on the same channel at all the surrounding points are assigned to a different sector). Incorrect classifications that are discovered in this manner may be removed, and possibly replaced with the correct classifications.
The processor then sorts the measurements made at each location by sector, at a sorting step 42. The object of this sorting step is to generate a list, for each sector, of all the measurements that could have originated from that sector. If a particular measurement includes a color code, then the measurement is sorted only into the lists of sectors using that color code. A measurement made on a given frequency channel can be placed on the list for a particular sector only if the sector is known to transmit signals on this frequency channel (based on the network channel assignments), or if it transmits on an adjacent channel, which could create interference on the given frequency channel. Thus, the same measurement may typically appear on the lists of multiple sectors, including all sectors transmitting on the measured frequency channel or on an adjacent channel and having the proper color code, if applicable. Measurements whose power levels are outside the limits defined by the expected path loss from a given sector, as defined above, however, are not listed with that sector.
The process of classifying the measurements according to transmitting sectors now proceeds iteratively, until there are no more measurements left to classify, at an iteration step 44. The process stops either when all measurements have been assigned to sectors with sufficient confidence, or when none of the remaining, unassigned measurements can be assigned to a sector with an adequate level of confidence. The threshold confidence levels to be used for this purpose can be set by a user of processor 37. Typical default levels are noted below.
To begin the process, one of the unassigned measurements is chosen for processing, at a measurement selection step 46. Typically (although not necessarily), the strongest measurement at the location in question that has not yet been assigned is selected. The selection of a particular measurement "triggers" all sectors whose measurement lists include the selected measurement, i.e., the sectors that are known to transmit on the channel of the measurement or on adjacent frequency channels, and which match the color code of the measurement, if applicable. These sectors are candidates to "claim" the selected measurement.
For each of these candidate sectors, processor 37 calculates a significance metric, Sj, for assignment of the measurement to sector j, at a significance calculation step 48. The metric indicates the likelihood that the assignment is correct. In other words, if p is the probability that the assignment is erroneous, as given by equation (4) above, then the significance is an estimate of 1−p. Various methods may be used to estimate the significance or the error probability, as will be apparent to those skilled in the art, and all such methods are considered to be within the scope of the present invention. An exemplary method is described below with reference to
Among all the candidate sectors, processor 37 selects the sector with the highest calculated significance value, at a sector selection step 50. The processor tests the significance value to ensure that the assignment of the measurement to candidate sector j has an adequate level of confidence, at a significance testing step 52. Typically, the calculated significance must be no less than an absolute minimum, Sj≧Smin, and must also be greater than the significance of all other possible assignments of this measurement by at least a relative threshold, Sj−Sk≧SD, for all other candidate sectors k. For example, Smin, may be set to 0.2, and SD to 0.05. If all applicable criteria are satisfied, the measurement is assigned to sector j, at an assignment step 54. Otherwise, the measurement is left unassigned, at a non-assignment step 56.
At step 44, as noted above, processor 37 checks the remaining unassigned measurements to determine whether there are any more measurements at the present location that could still be assigned to a sector with a sufficient confidence level. When no more measurements remain, the processor outputs the classification of the measurements by sector, at an output step 58. The process of
Predicted power
Based on
transmitted power
and path loss
Average received power
Based on previous
among all prior
iterations through
measurements assigned
step 54
to this sector
Initial reference power
Based on prior
assignments and
predicted power
Tentative reference
Includes the tentative
under evaluation
σR 0
Initial reference power
Equation (8), below
Tentative reference
Equation (10),
power accuracy
Number of prior
Can be 0
assignments to this
Number of assignments
at least 1
to this sector
including tentative
Significance level
See below
Current measurement
received power
Average power over
measurements in a block
Standard deviation of
Specified by user -
predicted power -
typically 30
assumed to be the same
for all signals
Standard deviation of
Specified by user -
measured power -
typically 15
assumed to be the same
for all signals
Adjacent factor
Specified by user -
typically 0.3
Maximal number of
Specified by user -
additional measurements
to add in one iteration
Maximal size of
Specified by user -
reference set after
typically 5, but
must add at least
one to existing set
When considering the assignment of a selected measurement (as selected at step 46) to a candidate sector, the significance S of the assignment may be considered not only for the selected measurement itself, but also for a group of measurements, referred to as a "block," that may all be assigned to this sector. In other words, the significance is calculated both for the selected measurement by itself, and for blocks of successive measurements on different channels that may also be assigned to the candidate sector, taken from the list created for this sector at step 42. Blocks may be constructed with up to k additional measurements, beyond the selected measurement, up to a total assignment of K measurements to the sector under consideration.
The significance of an assignment of a selected measurement to a candidate sector is given by the maximum block significance, SP max, which is calculated over all the blocks considered for this sector:
S=S f(f)S P max(t, R 0, σR
The detailed computation of SP max is described below. The significance factor Sf is given by:
Here "co" indicates that the channel on which the measurement was made is one of the channels assigned to this sector; while "adjacent" indicates that an adjacent frequency channel is assigned to this sector. As given in the table above, the adjacent factor FA simply has a fixed, user-set value. Alternatively, FA may be variable, depending, for example, on the power level of the measurements, or on the existence or absence of alternative assignments for given measurements.
To begin the significance calculation for a particular candidate sector, processor 37 calculates the number of possible blocks, M, that may be considered, at an initialization step 60. The number of blocks is given by M=max(min(K−n, k),1). Certain parameters to be used in the calculation that follows are initialized as follows:
The block index i is initialized to 1. For i=1, the block contains only the power of the selected measurement, t. For i>1, the block includes the additional i−1 measurements following t on the list for the candidate sector under consideration, wherein the measurements are typically taken in order of decreasing power.
Processor 37 calculates the specific significance Sp of the assignment of the measurements in block i to the candidate sector, at a block calculation step 62. Taking x to be the power of the latest measurement added to the block (i.e., x is measurement t for i=1, or the (i−1)th measurement after t otherwise), the average power for the block is given by
The reference power and reference power accuracy for the block are given by:
The specific significance for block i is then given by:
wherein Φ is the distribution function of a standard normal distribution:
Processor 37 tests the specific significance it has calculated at step 62 against the current value of SP max, at a significance testing step 64. If the assignment of all the measurements in block i is found to have greater significance than that of block i−1, i.e., SP>SP max, then the current value of Sp becomes the new value of SP max, at a significance update step 66. (Of course, for i=1, SP max is simply set equal to SP.) The block index i is then incremented to the next value, at a block incrementation step 68. The incremented index is tested against the maximum number of blocks M, at an index testing step 70. As long as i has not exceeded M, the processor may continue to test blocks of increasing size. In this case, the processor verifies that there are further measurements remaining on the list for the candidate sector under consideration, at a measurement verification step 72. If so, the processor takes the next measurement from the list to create the next block, and returns to step 62 to calculate the specific significance for this new block.
The process of steps 62–72 continues iteratively until the maximum block size is reached at step 70, or the list of measurements is exhausted at step 72, or the value of Sp calculated for the current block is found to be less than the previous value, SP max, at step 64. In all these cases, the process terminates, and the block size i and significance SP max are recorded, at a termination step 74. Equation (5) is used to determine the significance S of the assignment of the selected measurement to the sector under consideration. This means that if the selected measurement (i.e., the first measurement in the block) is in an adjacent channel, rather than a channel assigned to this sector, the significance is weighted by the factor FA.
The significance value thus calculated is used at steps 50 and 52 in the method shown in
The definition of "significance" expressed above in equations (9), (10) and (11) is heuristic, and other significance metrics may likewise be defined and used, as will be apparent to those skilled in the art. For example, the following alternative formulation uses the parameters ωR and ωM, which are initialized as follows:
The specific significance SP for each block is then calculated at step 62 as follows:
Aside from these changes, determination of SP max and selection of the sector with which to associate the measurement proceed substantially as described above.
In an alternative embodiment of the present invention, which is described hereinbelow, the effects of "masking" between different sectors are taken into account, as are the different channel types (voice or control). "Masking" in this context refers to the probability that a signal transmitted from a certain sector on a given channel will not be detected due to stronger transmission on the same channel by another sector. (It is assumed that no more than one signal, from a single sector, can be measured on any given frequency channel in a given time slot.) The present embodiment is also capable of estimating a Received Signal Strength Indicator (RSSI) for each sector. For simplicity, this embodiment does not consider blocks of measurements, as described above, but rather looks at individual measurements one by one. It will be apparent to those skilled in the art, however, that block estimation may likewise be applied to the method described below, and that other features of the different embodiments described herein may also be combined to provide further alternative implementations of the present invention.
Table II below lists parameters that are used in this alternative embodiment. Some of these parameters are also listed in Table I, but may be used differently or have different values in the embodiment described below.
Predicted power
Based on
transmitted power
and path loss
Average received power
Based on previous
among all prior
iterations through
measurements assigned
step 54
to this sector
Initial reference power
Based on prior
assignments and
predicted power -
equation (20) below
Predicted RSSI for this
Equation (22) below
σR 0
Reference power
Equation (21) below
Number of prior
Can be 0
assignments to this
Number of assignments
At least 1
to this sector
including tentative
Significance level
See below
Current measurement
received power
Unmask probability
probability to
detect a signal
given transmission
Transmit probability
Detection probability
of a signal
Weight of the current
Equation (23) below
Standard deviation of
Specified by user -
predicted power -
typically 15 in
assumed to be the same
this embodiment
for all signals
Voice power control
Specified by user -
standard deviation
typically 7 for GSM
networks, 5 for
TDMA. Can be tuned
automatically per
Control power
Specified by user -
typically 0
Average transmit power
Specified by user -
difference between
typically 12 for
control and voice
GSM networks, 10
for TDMA. Can be
tuned automatically
per sector.
Measurement standard
Specified by user -
deviation when no power
typically 4
control is involved
(within measurements)
Minimal standard
Specified by user -
deviation to consider
typically 4
when classifying
Additional standard
Specified by user -
deviation due to color
typically 20
code retrieval
Transmit probability
Specified by user -
for voice channel
typically 0.5 for
GSM, 0.7 for TDMA
Adjacent factor
Specified by user -
typically 0.8 in
this embodiment
Minimum power gain for
Specified by user -
adjacent channel
typically 18 for
GSM, 40 for TDMA
Standard deviation for
Specified by user -
adjacent channel power
typically 6 for
GSM, 8 for TDMA
Minimal significance
Specified by user -
typically 0.1 in
this embodiment
Minimal significance
Specified by user -
typically 2
Masking C/I
Required C/I ratio
for one signal to
mask another -
specified by user,
typically 8
Minimal cumulative
Specified by user -
significance to
typically 0.2
generate results
Missing color code
Specified by user -
typically 0.8 for
GSM, 0.6 for TDMA
Prediction filter value
Specified by user -
with retrieved color
typically 60
Prediction filter value
Specified by user -
without retrieved color
typically 30
The method of the present embodiment follows generally the flow that is shown in
In the above definitions, "co" indicates that the channel on which the measurement was made is one of the channels assigned to the candidate sector; while "adjacent" indicates that an adjacent frequency channel is assigned to the candidate sector.
The present method also takes into account the probability that a signal transmitted by a given sector is not masked by transmission from another sector transmitting on the same frequency or an adjacent frequency. A sector is a candidate to mask another sector with respect to a given measurement x if conditions 1 and 2 above are satisfied, and if the predicted power P satisfies:
P≧x+Δ CV+ΔCA−ΔCC (17)
Moving on to step 48 in
S P =P D S f(f)S CC S(x, R 0, σR
The parameters in this equation are defined above, except for SCC, which is assigned the value 1 for a measurement with a color code, and the value FCC otherwise.
Before beginning to calculate the values of PD and S, the values of the reference power and other parameters are initialized as follows: R0←P, σR
The detection probability PD of the signal transmitted by a given candidate sector on the frequency channel in question is determined by PT and PD/T, as defined in Table II above. The value of the transmit probability PT depends on characteristics of the network, as well as on whether the drive test measurements are made in a single time slot, or averaged over multiple time slots. For convenience, PT can be set equal to one if the channel in question in the candidate sector is a control channel, and to the fixed value PT/V for voice channels. Alternatively, more complex schemes may be used to determine PT. The values of the parameters μV and σV may likewise be adjusted depending on whether single-or multi-time slot measurements are made.
The value of the unmask probability PD/T can be determined by the following equation (19):
In this equation, it is assumed that there are m candidate sectors for assignment of the measurement in question, and PD/T is calculated for sector 0 by taking a product of probabilities over all the other sectors that may mask the signal of the candidate sector. The difference parameter Δ in equation (19) is given by Δ(i)=ΔCV(i)+ΔCA(i), wherein ΔCV and ΔCA for sector i are given by equation (16) above. Equation (19) actually encompasses four different cases, with respect to the candidate sector (0) and the potential masking sector:
After the specific significance SP has been calculated for each candidate sector, in accordance with equation (18), the sector with highest significance is chosen at step 50, as described above, and is then tested at step 52. Assuming S1 to be the significance of the chosen sector, and S2 to be the next-highest significance calculated among the remaining candidates, the measurement in question will be assigned to the sector with highest significance, at step 54, only if the following criteria are satisfied: S1≧Smin and
The procedure then continues at step 44 with the next measurement on the list.
After a measurement has been assigned to a particular candidate sector at step 54, the reference power and variance values for that sector receive updated values, for use in subsequent significance calculations. For this purpose, the values of μ and σ determined at the previous pass through step 48 are used in calculating the parameters x←x+μ and σx 2←σ2−σR
The predicted RSSI and weight (originally initialized to zero) are now given by:
Upon the conclusion of the assignment process, at step 58, processor 37 may output not only the measurement assignments, but also the estimated RSSI for each sector, given by the final value of R, as long as the weight ω satisfies the requirement that ω≧ω0.
It will be appreciated that the preferred embodiments described above are cited by way of example, and that the present invention is not limited to what has been particularly shown and described hereinabove. Rather, the scope of the present invention includes both combinations and subcombinations of the various features described hereinabove, as well as variations and modifications thereof which would occur to persons skilled in the art upon reading the foregoing description and which are not disclosed in the prior art.
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|U.S. Classification
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|International Classification
|Cooperative Classification
|European Classification
|Mar 18, 2003
Owner name: SCHEMA LTD., ISRAEL
Free format text: ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNORS INTEREST;ASSIGNORS:LAHAV, SHLOMO;SHAFRAN, GIL;ABIRI, RONI;AND OTHERS;REEL/FRAME:013881/0087;SIGNING DATES FROM 20030303 TO 20030306
|Dec 20, 2010
|Fee payment
Year of fee payment: 4
|Dec 3, 2014
|Fee payment
Year of fee payment: 8


text:
Welcome to Extra Credits EDU: A Resource for Educational Games on Steam!
ExtraCreditsPublished: July 8, 20163 views
Published: July 8, 2016
Visit Extra Credits EDU on Steam: http://bit.ly/ExtraEDU
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subset: commoncrawl


text:
The U.S. Postal Inspection Service and other federal, state and local authorities continue their search for the killer or killers of Retail Associate Paula Robinson, 33, and Rural Carrier Associate Judy Spray, 59, who were found shot to death Oct. 18 at the Henning, TN, Post Office.
"This is a tragic loss, not just to those close to them, but to the entire postal family," said PMG Jack Potter. "Our thoughts and prayers go out to the families and friends of our two colleagues."
Robinson began her career as a PTF letter carrier at the Ripley, TN, Post Office. She also worked at the nearby Munford and Brighton Post Offices. She leaves a husband and two young children. Spray had a 13-year career as a rural carrier associate. She had a husband, five children and a stepchild.
A special PO Box has been established for those wishing to offer condolences. Correspondence may be addressed to:
"Family of Judy Spray" or "Family of Paula Robinson"
PO Box 620
Henning, TN 38041-0620
An active investigation is underway with more than 60 local and national law enforcement officers from across the country committed to finding those responsible for the murders.
"Postal Inspectors' duties include protecting postal employees and investigating violent crimes that may occur at postal facilities," said Chief Postal Inspector Guy Cottrell. "Homicides in the Postal Service are rare, but when they do occur, make no mistake, we will aggressively investigate to find those responsible."
The U.S. Postal Inspection Service is offering a reward for information leading to the arrest and conviction of those responsible for the crime. Employees may call the Inspection Service at 877-876-2455 and all information will be kept strictly confidential.
Posters with contact and reward information are being distributed to postal facilities nationwide.


text:
The Clippers beat the Orlando Magic, 114-86, on Wednesday to win their sixth consecutive game.
The Clippers never trailed and led by as many as 31 points. They shot 53.8% from the field compared to the Magic's 41.8%. The Clippers also bested the Magic on the boards, 44-34.
The starters sat in the fourth quarter. Blake Griffin finished with 21 points, eight rebounds and six assists, once again demonstrating his superior passing skills for a power forward.
J.J. Redick had 20 points on seven-for-11 shooting, including four three-pointers. DeAndre Jordan had 16 rebounds and three blocked shots in addition to scoring eight points while Chris Paul had 19 points and 10 assists.
With the win, the Clippers improved to 13-5 overall, 6-3 at home.
Entering Wednesday's game, the Clippers had averaged 109.1 points and shot a league-best 50.5% from the field over the team's last eight games. Wednesday's numbers were on par with their recent success.
Only three players on the Magic (7-14) finished in double figures, with Tobias Harris leading Orlando with 16 points on seven-for-11 shooting.
The Clippers next play at 7:30 p.m. Saturday when they host New Orleans at Staples Center.


text:
Hey lovelies!
I know it has been awhile since my last post again.. But let me give you a small life update for the last month – month and a half..
So as you know if you read one of my latest posts, I have been in Malta .. Thinking to stay for good..
Well, it took me only one week to pack my bags again (actually I never had them unpacked) and to buy a ticket to .. Greece. If you follow me on Instagram you know it already.
I haven't got the chance to blog a lot and I didn't really feel like to post.. I tried a couple of new products and I wasn't super excited about them or I didn't like them. And I really have been thinking on how my blogging is going and what I need to change.
So since I moved to Greece a lot of things have changed for me. A part from the fact I am still having some difficulties to find a proper job, I am very happy for everything else. Everything is so calm, relaxed and easy going here, so I really feel like the time is flying really fast. I spent my first couple of weeks just wandering around, sunbathing and enjoying the beauty of Naxos. Now I am preparing for the presentation of my final thesis, so basically I am done with university.. at least for now 🙂 And I will try to keep you updated with what is going on and I will try to get back to posting a couple of times every week.
If you want to read something or you have any suggestions let me know in the comment section down below or on my social media ❤


text:
UK and Norway Open Way for Two New North Sea Projects
Norwegian Ministry of Petroleum & Energy
|Friday, October 08, 2004
UK and Norwegian Governments have agreed arrangements to pave the way for the development of two new North Sea fields - Boa and Playfair.
To maximize the opportunities for North Sea activity and use of infrastructure, both Governments recognize the need to find ways to move projects forward more easily. Boa and Playfair both have small extensions across the continental shelf boundary - and previously would have been subject of complex agreements between the UK and Norway on how they should be jointly regulated. However, the innovative approach being taken here for the first time will allow the fields to be regulated by the State with the majority field interest - considerably simplifying the process of bringing the fields into development.
Commenting on this new milestone in UK/Norwegian co-operation the Norwegian Energy Minister, Thorhild Widvey said: -I hope other fields will benefit from similar innovative approaches, as the one taken to progress Boa and Playfair. The current agreement arises from initiatives to reduce barriers and to progress trans-boundary projects, and is a clear demonstration of the benefits that can be obtained through close co-operation.
The UK Energy Minister and I will ensure that our countries continue the positive dialogue so that opportunities can be seized on both sides of the boundary. I hope that we will be able to look at other fields in the future that might be treated in similar ways to Boa and Playfair.
Speaking from London, the UK Energy Minister, Mike O'Brien commented: -I am delighted that we have been able to bring forward two trans-boundary projects in such a pragmatic way. Both the UK and Norway are taking a dynamic approach to ensure that the North Sea potential is maximized.
Boa and Playfair have emerged as a result of constructive co-operation between UK and Norwegian licensees and Governments. These positive results have been achieved via close dialogue through PILOT- KON-KRAFT, the Government/industry forums which aim to maximise North Sea investment and activity.
The Playfair development is operated by CNR International, who is drilling a well from their Murchison platform and expects to begin production this autumn. The Boa field is part of the Alvheim development which is operated by Marathon.
The Playfair development lies almost entirely on the UK Continental Shelf but with a small extension on to the Norwegian side. And the Boa development is almost entirely on the Norwegian Continental Shelf with a small extension into the UK area.
Past trans-boundary projects of this nature have been subject to individual treaties between the two Governments. However, both Governments recognized that the circumstances in the case of the small Playfair and Boa fields are very different to those surrounding larger fields such as Statfjord, Frigg and Murchison. Over the past months, the Governments have been working closely with the licensees to find pragmatic ways to bring these projects forward.
Both Governments recognized that these fields were relatively small and that under current plans, the extensions on to the neighboring continental shelf would be unlikely to have a significant impact on overall recovery. The Government with the majority interest will therefore issue all approvals, thereby removing the need for joint agreement across a range of issues.
However, there is also a recognition that offshore developments sometimes produce the unexpected, particularly if, like Boa and Playfair, they are small and relatively un-appraised. Special provisions have therefore been included to reconsider the way that these projects are handled if the reserves turn out to be larger than first expected.
Nearly three years ago under the guidance of PILOT and Kon-Kraft (the Norwegian equivalent to PILOT) the UK and Norway embarked on an initiative aimed at strengthening co-operation between our two countries. This was set in the context that the UK would become a net importer of gas in the medium term and Norway had a growing ability to export energy to the UK. In addition as neighbouring countries we share a common interest in the North Seas oil and gas reserves. The border between our two nations is extensive and this presents both opportunities and challenges in seeking to maximise the value of hydrocarbon reserves that lie close to the median line. The benefits of closer co-operation would have the potential to unlock significant stranded reserves within the Median corridor and thus bring new prosperity to all elements of the Supply Chain with a co-operation prize of as much as $2 billion.
Company: Norwegian Ministry of Petroleum & Energy more info
- 'Oil Facts' App Wins Norwegian Award (Mar 06)
- Norway Takes New Approach to Naming Offshore Fields (Sep 21)
- Ministry of Petroleum and Energy Unveils 21st Licensing Round (Jun 23)
- 'Oil Facts' App Wins Norwegian Award (Mar 06)
- Norway Takes New Approach to Naming Offshore Fields (Sep 21)
- Ministry of Petroleum and Energy Unveils 21st Licensing Round (Jun 23)


text:
Two bedrooms, two bathrooms and a world of secluded elegance with its marble working fireplace, antique Venetian mirrors, original artwork, genuine coral table and Saarinen chairs. Plus every comfort imaginable, including a kitchenette, marble hydro-massage tubs and separate showers, individually controlled heating/air-conditioning, mini bar, walk-in closets and a complete entertainment system that includes Bang & Olufsen TV and DVD player. Outside, two levels of sweeping private terraces set high atop the Mediterranean Sea provide for every possible comfort. On the lower level one more bedroom and bathroom for the babysitter or bodyguard. Luxuriate on a sumptuous antique Indian canopy bed after a swim in the private, deep-water heated infinity pool. Enjoy private suppers at one of two dining areas with unparalleled views of the Mediterranean. Sit under the awning-covered lounges or just sink into one of the plush sofas.
Villa – Sithonia, Administration of Macedonia and Thrace, Greece
33,500 € per week
Land area: 750 m²
- Built in 2010
- 2-floor building
- Total rooms: 3
- Balcony or terrace


text:
Town trash pickup will no longer be delayed by holidays like Martin Luther King Jr. Day.
Town trash pickup will no longer be delayed by holidays like Martin Luther King Jr. Day.
Since the start of 2012, the trash pickup schedule from Allied Waste has been changed so that only for the six major holidays will pickup be delayed to the following day. Those holidays are New Year's Day, Memorial Day, Independence Day, Labor Day, Thanksgiving and Christmas, according to the town.
Town Clerk Dolores Berge said last week she received a wave of calls after Martin Luther King Jr. Day on Monday from residents asking why their trash pickup was not delayed. In the past, trash pickup was delayed by a day on holidays on which Town Hall was closed.
Trash pickup takes place in shifts across town, with each precinct being collected on a different weekday. New precinct changes going into effect with the March 6 presidential primary will not change which day residents have their trash collected, however.
Allied Waste requested that the schedule be changed to observe only the six major holidays, and the Board of Selectmen accepted.
— Grant Welker


text:
MILFORD, Conn. (WTNH) — Milford police have revealed the identity of a body that was found inside a burning car last Friday night.
Officers revealed the victim as 72-year-old Richard Weir. According to police, Weir's body was discovered just after 10:30 p.m. Friday night in the area of 1 Milford Point Road, near the Connecticut Audubon Society building.
Original Story: Body found inside burning car in Milford
When firefighters arrived on the scene, they found the car fully engulfed in flames. After extinguishing the blaze, firefighters discovered the remains of Weir's body inside the vehicle.
Milford Fire and Police Departments are continuing their investigation. Milford officials are working with the Connecticut State Police Fire & Explosion Investigation Unit, as well as the State Medical Examiner to determine what may have the caused the fire.
The Connecticut Post reports that Weir had recently been released from prison, after serving most of a three-year sentence for embezzling more than $230,000 from both the Milford Rotary Club and the Milford Special Olympics. Weir had served as the treasurer for both of those organizations during an 18-year period.


text:
In Coin Dozer: Casino, you have to put down the gold coins so that they push prizes and coins into the slot for you to keep. You'll have to develop a strategy to get the most out of each turn.
Coin Dozer: Casino includes:
· All-new prizes for you to collect and level up!
· All-new casino-themed puzzles to complete!
· Slot Machine with a chance to win a huge coin bonus and gem payouts!
· Double-or-Nothing spin opportunities to double your winnings!
· Collect each letter of JACKPOT for another big win!
· Collect chip stacks for multiple coins!
Drop gold coins onto the pusher and doze them into a pile and over the edge to collect. Be careful not to push coins over the sides! Special coins appear and provide you with a helpful boost! Collect the prizes and puzzle pieces that spawn on the machine board to complete prize lines and unlock bonuses! Come back daily to spend your regenerated coins!
Push coins, win the slots jackpot, and double down if you dare today! Join in the fun and play Coin Dozer: Casino for free!
Editors Notes:
The point of view used in this game makes it feel really realistic, as are the controls. You do get a fair amount of coins to start, which is helpful. There are some neat little Easter eggs hidden throughout as well, including fun little toys. They are generous with the rewards.


text:
Abortion, primarily as a measure of population control, certainly continues to be an emotional, frustrating and stressful event. In continuation of our work on stressful situations in the female life span and biochemical parameters, serum lipid peroxide levels in terms of malondialdehyde (nmol/ml) have been determined in females undergoing abortion [suction curettage (n = 30), Emcredil-induced abortion (n = 30) and spontaneous abortion (n = 40)] and were compared with appropriate gestational controls.
The rate of biological aging is modulated in part by genes interacting with stressor exposures. Basic research has shown that exposure to short-term stress can strengthen cellular responses to stress ("hormetic stress"). Hormetic stress promotes longevity in part through enhanced activity of molecular chaperones and other defense mechanisms. In contrast, prolonged exposure to stress can overwhelm compensatory responses ("toxic stress") and shorten lifespan.
In the late 1960's, preventive health care began to gain in popularity in the United States and the movement carried over into the 1970's. During this time, sizable decreases in deaths from heart disease, strokes, and accidents have been noted. As a result, the lowest death rate in the history of this country (8.9 per 1000) occurred in both 1975 and 1976. Since 1970, an increase in longevity has been documented and it can be said that Americans are living longer--not just longer but hopefully better!
The level of food restriction that results in life extension and retarded aging in rodents also enhances their ability to cope with intense stressors. Moreover, this level of dietary restriction (DR) leads to a modest increase in the daily peak concentration of plasma free corticosterone, which strongly points to DR as a low-intensity stressor. These findings suggest that hormesis plays a role in the life-extending and anti-aging actions of DR. The evidence for and against this possibility is considered, and it is concluded that hormesis does have an important role.
Hormesis in aging is represented by mild stress-induced stimulation of protective mechanisms in cells and organisms resulting in biologically beneficial effects. Single or multiple exposure to low doses of otherwise harmful agents, such as irradiation, food limitation, heat stress, hypergravity, reactive oxygen species and other free radicals have a variety of anti-aging and longevity-extending hormetic effects.
This chapter briefly reviews recent psychological, physiological, molecular biological, and anthropological research which has important implications, both direct and indirect, for the recognition and understanding of the potential life span and health span enhancing effects of the basic yoga meditational regimen. This regimen consists of meditation, yogic breath control practices, physical exercises (of both a postural- and movement-based, including aerobic nature), and dietary practices.
Vertebrates exposed to stressful conditions release glucocorticoids to sustain energy expenditure. In most species elevated glucocorticoids inhibit reproduction. However individuals with limited remaining reproductive opportunities cannot afford to forgo reproduction and should resist glucocorticoid-mediated inhibition of reproductive behavior. The electric fish Brachyhypopomus gauderio has a single breeding season in its lifetime, thus we expect males to resist glucocorticoid-mediated inhibition of their sexual advertisement signals. We studied stress resistance in male B.
Chronically stressed rodents who are allowed to eat calorie-dense "comfort" food develop greater mesenteric fat, which in turn dampens hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenocortical (HPA) axis activity. We tested whether similar relations exist in humans, at least cross-sectionally. Fifty-nine healthy premenopausal women were exposed to a standard laboratory stressor to examine HPA response to acute stress and underwent diurnal saliva sampling for basal cortisol and response to dexamethasone administration.
Integrative Health Topics
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It was a hot June day in Kissimmee, Florida, but several rounds of storms kept water levels high at Lake Toho. When I talked to Bob about fishing the following day, he said there was a good morning bite on shiners, and he was free.
"I found one spot where some big ones bite for a few hours every morning," Bob said. "We have a good chance of catching a big one there tomorrow," he said.
He met me the next morning at my hotel. His beat-up truck pulled a borrowed Ranger. His boat was in the shop, he said.
At the ramp, a few other guides were launching their boats. Their boats were customized with advertising and phone numbers, and they were dressed like pros.
Bob, on the other hand, was unshaven, and looked like he had been through some rough years. However, I was reassured by his confidence in his choice of spots and the fact that he got up at 4:00 a.m. to secure the best shiners around. "Without good shiners," he said, "we would just catch fish around 2-4 pounds like these other guys," he said, pointing to the other guides who had just pulled out.
When we idled out, it was still dark outside, but once he motored past the buoy, he gunned it to about 60 mph, flying past matted vegetation and other wood hazards without flinching.
The deep orange color of the sunrise started to light up the sky, and a few minutes later, we anchored to the first spot.
He baited up quickly and had me throw out three lines with big, lively shiners. He warned me that we probably would not get bit right away, but we were at the exact spot for a big fish.
He was right. We waited for about 15 minutes, just moving baits around, keeping them away from burying themselves in the cover. After that, we began to catch fish immediately. The first fish pulled the shiner down and away, and I reeled in the slack and set the hook. The big bass did not seem to budge and steered my line out and around the boat to deeper water, away from the thick weed line.
"It looks like a decent fish," Bob said, right as the fish made a hard run on the 20-pound test line. A few more runs, and I was breathing hard and worried about losing the fish. About then, the fish was at the side of the boat and Bob netted it.
The fish was so black compared to the bass I was used to catching. It's body frame was so long and big. The heads on these Florida bass were giant. I could never get over that, no matter how many Florida bass I see. I always think they are bigger than they are too.
"Eight pounds?" I asked.
"No, like 6-4, but a good fish nonetheless," Bob said.
He took a picture of me with the fish, and I threw it back.
We did not even have time to re-bait that rod, and another fish had the cork and shiner under water. I reeled in slack and set the hook, playing the fish hard to keep it away from the weed line where it headed. The fish went for a powerful run toward deeper water. All of a sudden, I could not reel any more. I was panicking. I did not know what was happening. This had to be a record bass. My reel was moving all over, and I could not pull line in.
Bob saw the problem and grabbed my reel and held it while I reeled. The reel had busted loose from the rod somehow. The fight was extremely tiring and strange, making it difficult to gauge how much line I was pulling in and where the fish was.
After what seemed like 15 minutes, we had the fish on the side of the boat, and I held my breath, expecting to see a new state record.
Bob netted the fish and held it up. It looked big to me.
"Six and a half," he said.
"That's all?" I asked.
"Amazing, isn't it?" Bob smiled. "These bass are the strongest fish anywhere, with all this Kissimmee grass and these lily pads. They are aggressive and feisty. Have you ever had a fish break the welded parts off your reel?" he asked.
"No, not even in salt water."
He showed me where the fish had broken the Abu Garcia reel at the weld. The flat piece was still held in the rod. The rest of the reel was severed from the clamp.
We put the fish back without a picture. We were talking too much. We re-baited all three lines and waited for some time.
Maybe 20 minutes later, one cork went down. I watched it as it continue down. It wasn't a gar; it was a big bass. I reeled up the slack and set the hook. I could tell it was a big fish because I set the hook hard and did not even move the fish.
Bob was yelling at me. "Steer it away from the weeds!"
I tried, but the fish was going that way. I turned the rod and angled it differently, and the fish turned out to deeper water. It worked. The fish ran out in deeper water for a while before it jumped. It was big, not coming out of the water all the way, but still showing its immense size.
After a few incidents at the side of the boat and having to stick my rod in the water at least once, the fish came up, and Bob netted it.
When I saw the size of the fish, I knew it was one of the biggest I have ever caught. It had to be 12.5 pounds.
"Nice fish!" Bob said. "Did I tell you about this spot, or what?"
"Yeah, you were right," I said.
We took some pictures of the fish. "Do you want to weigh it, Bob?"
"I don't need to," Bob said. "It's exactly 9-8, maybe 9-10."
"That's all? How can you tell?"
"I've weighed hundreds this size."
"Really? No way," I said.
"You don't believe that? I'll show you a spot smaller than one acre that has over 100 fish that weigh between 12 and 15 pounds each.
I threw the fish back in the lake. "OK. You've got my attention."
"The spot is hit or miss on the bite. Florida bass do not bite easily. You have to find the right time and place. However, I know this spot has these fish because I have been scuba diving there a few different times," he said.
We fished for a few more hours, and I landed about 12 additional fish up to 8.5 pounds.
By the time we reeled in the rods and motored to the other spot of legends, it was hot, and the sun was overhead. I did not mind since I was already on an adrenaline rush from the big fish I had caught earlier.
As Bob used the trolling motor to head into the isolated area, he told me the story. He and a famous fisheries biologist found the spot some years ago. "I have never seen so many big fish in one spot. I am not exaggerating when I say there were 100-150 fish. Also, they were all over 10 pounds. Some were 15 pounds. It was an unusual time when the water had not been churned up for a while and we could actually see some feet in front of us. That is the only way you can know how big those fish were. Sonar would not work here because they scatter so fast. The water is too shallow, and they are spooked easily."
"Did you fish this spot a lot?" I asked.
"No. We kept the pressure off the fish because the Bassmaster Top 150 was going to be here, and we wanted our friend to get to fish the spot."
I asked him more about the incident. I had been busy with my own fisheries project and had not been keeping up with Bassmaster and the professional tournaments. Bob claimed that they helped Dean Rojas win the 2001 Bassmaster Top 150 Tournament with this spot. Although I would not be able to verify any of this, I believe Bob's story. After all, he was not lying about the big bass spots that only he knew about and had reserved for me.
Later I learned the other guides had a tough day since it was so hot and only landed fish to four pounds. On the way back to the hotel, Bob was congratulating me on a 37.75 pound 5-fish stringer.
"How did you know it exactly?" I asked.
"I figured it out in my head. I was thinking about Rojas' 45 pound one-day stringer and wondered what you caught today. I have been doing this a long time! It's time I started fishing for marlin or another saltwater species. Bassmaster has about ruined this lake with fishing pressure now. In fact, I would say Bassmaster is the worst and most destructive thing that has ever happened to this sport."
I asked him to explain, and it did not take him more than a few sentences citing evidence that convinced me what he said was true.
Video of the 2001 Bassmaster Top 150 Tournament at Lake Toho


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President Barack Obama on Thursday selected Robert M. Groves to be the next census director, turning to a survey researcher who has clashed with Republicans over the use of statistical sampling to lead the high-stakes head count.
The White House announced Obama's intention to nominate Groves, a former Census Bureau associate director of statistical design from 1990-92. If confirmed by the Senate, Groves will take the helm less than a year before the census, which has been beset by partisan bickering and will be used to apportion House seats and allocate billions in federal dollars.
Groves, 60, has spent decades researching ways to improve survey response rates, helping design surveys for agencies from the U.S. Bureau of Justice Statistics to the EPA and National Institutes of Health.
"The decennial census faces significant challenges, but I am confident that Robert's leadership will help us meet those challenges," said Commerce Secretary Gary Locke. "He is a respected social scientist who will run the Census Bureau with integrity and independence."
House Republicans expressed dismay over the selection of Groves, saying he raised serious questions about Obama's political intentions.
"We will have to watch closely to ensure the 2010 census is conducted without attempting ... statistical sleight of hand," said House Republican Leader John Boehner, R-Ohio.
When he was the bureau's associate director, Groves was among several officials who recommended the 1990 census be statistically adjusted to make up for an undercount of roughly 5 million people, many of them minorities in dense urban areas who tend to vote for Democrats.
But in a fierce political dispute that prompted White House staff to call advisers to the bureau and express opposition, the Census Bureau was overruled by Republican Commerce Secretary Robert Mosbacher, who called the proposed statistical adjustment "political tampering."
The Supreme Court later ruled in 1999 that federal law barred the use of statistical sampling to apportion House seats. Justices, however, indicated that adjustments could be made to the population count when redrawing congressional boundaries.
Locke has made clear that sampling will not be used for apportionment. He stated during his confirmation hearing that there are no plans to use sampling for redistricting, while indicating that sampling could be used to measure census accuracy or collect a wider range of demographic data.
Census experts have said it would be difficult at this point to make plans for sampling in the 2010 census for congressional redistricting purposes since the count is only a year away. It is more likely that Groves could have an impact on statistical methods as part of long-term planning for census surveys after 2010.
Groves, a professor at the University of Michigan, would take over at a critical time. Census officials acknowledge that tens of millions of residents in dense urban areas – about 14 percent of the U.S. population – are at high risk of being missed because of language problems and a deepening economic crisis that has displaced homeowners.
The government is devoting up to $250 million of the $1 billion in stimulus money for outreach, particularly for traditionally hard-to-count minorities.
But Hispanics, blacks and other groups are warning that traditional census outreach will not be enough, citing in particular rising anti-immigration sentiment after the Sept. 11, 2001 terror attacks.
Arturo Vargas, executive director of the National Association of Latino Elected and Appointed Officials, praised Groves as a well-regarded academic, calling the question of statistical adjustment in the 2010 census a "non-issue" because there are no plans for it.
Rep. William Lacy Clay, D-Mo., who chairs a House subcommittee on the census, said Groves will be a strong and effective manager for the bureau. "I look forward to working closely with him to reduce the undercount of minorities," said Clay, speaking also on behalf of the Congressional Black Caucus.
Republicans have been crying foul after the White House earlier this year indicated that it would take greater control over the census to address minority group concerns about Obama's initial nomination of GOP Sen. Judd Gregg as Commerce secretary.
Gregg later withdrew his nomination, partly citing disagreements over handling of the census. The White House has since made clear that Locke will make the final decisions regarding the 2010 head count.
Democrats and Republicans for years have disagreed on whether the census should be based on a strict head count or cross-checked against a "statistical adjustment" to include hard-to-track people, particularly minorities, who might have been missed.
Meanwhile, the cost of the 2010 census is estimated to be $15 billion, the most expensive ever, and experts have long said the Census Bureau must do more to reduce a persistent undercount among minorities, as well as to modernize what is basically a paper mailing operation that has been in place for decades.
On the Net:
Census Bureau: http://www.census.gov
Commerce Department: http://www.commerce.gov/


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With Mother Nature continuing to be unpredictable, coastal fishing action still remains on the slow side, anglers having to pick and choose a time to go between rains and winds.
However, there are definite indications the spring fishing season is about to bloom, with action heating up in the Gulf Stream waters, live bait shrimp becoming more plentiful inshore. Catch reports, although still on the short side, are showing signs of better things to come for the near-shore and inshore waters.
This week's tally of the action covers a variety of offshore species, which are beginning to show up as water temps continue to climb.
The inshore action still has red drum and sheepshead at the top of the list, although whiting action in the channels and sounds is continuing to gain momentum. A variety of sharks are beginning to move into area waters and a single flounder catch was reported. Trout activity continues on the short side this week, again weather and winds apparently a major contributor to the sluggishness.
Shad again are in the who is catching what column, with a single fish report from the Ogeechee and a more encouraging amount of activity from the Savannah River waters below the lock and dam in Augusta.
At the South Ledge
Our offshore action report came from Ben Wall, who Saturday found a variety of action near the South Ledge.
Aboard the family boat "Trash Man" and with his father Burke Wall, Bert Klein, Houston Demere, Chris Brown and Kyle Clarke, the group got in a mix that included tuna, wahoo, dolphin, black sea bass and a mix of other bottom feeders — and some hungry sharks.
"We had a problem with the sharks eating the fish before we could get them to the boat," Wall said — telling of a big hammerhead grabbing a hooked tuna and leaving only the head to be landed.
While the sharks apparently were ready for more, the total take-home catch was a dozen blackfin tuna, two wahoo, three dolphin, plus the mix of bottom feeders which included 30 black seabass.
Inshore, near-shore
Our first inshore and report this week came from Capt. Eric Traub (Savannah Saltwater Charters, 912-655-4595) who late last week reported getting his clients and his wife Rachel into some bull red action. He forwarded some photos showing a 32-inch red Rachel landed along with a couple of 40-inch bulls taken by a couple of Perry teens, Mike Huckabee and Travis McDonald, who were on spring break.
Another came from Tybee Island area. Capt. Brad Stewart, who operates Tybee Island Bait and Tackle and a charter fishing service located on Lazaretto Creek.
According to Capt. Brad, the Tybee area was quite active this past week with whiting, bull reds, both bonnethead and sand sharks and flounder on the catch list for inshore waters. He forwarded a photo of Savannah angler Josh Stubblefield with a full-grown bull red — one of two he landed while fishing from the public pier Friday.
He also made note of good action with both black seabass and sheepshead on the near-shore reefs, along with seabass and a mix of bottom feeders being caught at the Snapper Banks.
More sheepshead, reds
David Wood and wife Sarah apparently were back at one of David's favorite haunts last Saturday along with Sarah's daughter Lilly, with sheepshead and reds the target. The sheepshead action reportedly was good, but no monsters, the tally for the day being nine keepers. The reds action was off, he said.
On Sunday, with his cousin Ricky Williams on board, the targets were reds and trout. A turnaround from the previous days, he noted the red bite was better, the two landing their limit. He also said the sheepshead were active with lots of bites and a couple added to the take-home number.
Tourney results
The Coffee Bluff Inshore Fishing Club held is first monthly tournament of the year this past week with 14 anglers competing and the end results showing the challenge was finding fish.
A three-species target format — spotted sea trout, sheepshead and red drum — with scoring based on the total weight of two fish, one each from any of the three, apparently was hard to fill.
Veterinarian and Coffee Bluff resident Jerry Case took top honors with a sheepshead and red drum, the total weight of both at 3 pounds, 13 ounces.
Mike Smith took second with a spotted sea trout and a red, while third place went to Jimmy Davis.
According to Capt. Ray Golden, who gave us the report, the group had a tough time finding any fish big enough to legally weigh in. Apparently those targeting spotted sea trout found mostly throw-backs.
Ogeechee shad action
It was Capt. Ray who gave us the report of the Ogeechee River shad action — he landed his first-ever big roe and while fishing the Morgan's Bridge area this past Saturday with Case.
No specific weight given, the big roe apparently gave him a run for his money, Capt. Ray using his mountain trout rod with 6-pound mono line.
"We were dragging shad darts with a spoon trailer behind a 1-ounce trolling weight," he said, adding when the shad hit, it nearly took the rod out of his hands.
The two apparently were the only ones trolling for shad, others in the area fishing for bass or redbreasts.
While the shad run on the Ogeechee is either late or almost non-existent to date, action is markedly different on the Savannah River.
Lock and Dam shad
This past week, Savannah area angler John Adams and Gerald Edenfield trolled Savannah River waters directly below Augusta's Lock and Dam. "We landed seven shad consisting of five bucks and two roe out of 15 hook-ups," he wrote, adding that Edenfield at one time had a double on — one of three the two anglers experienced that day.
"I have fished entire season and not seen a double, much less three in one day," John noted, while also admitting his netting of the fish left a bit to be desired. "Out of the six fish, I only managed to net two," he confessed.
The shad run on the Savannah apparently is quite strong, and the fact that they are that far up the river systems suggests problems on the Ogeechee where the run there should be peaking.
Noting that the shad are thick, but that the water level at the Lock and Dam was 6 or 7 feet higher than it should be for good fishing, the two found the best action at 15 to 18 feet depth, with the bite being noted when trolling with the current to get the bait down deep along with some help slowing the troll by "knocking" the motor in and out of gear.
The two roe shad each pushed the 5-pound mark.
Oyster reef volunteers
CCA-Georgia members will be at work Friday and Saturday, building another oyster reef and they could use some volunteers to help.
Michael Denmark, executive director of the group, says a new reef will be constructed on Richardson Creek at Oatland Island.
Friday, commencing at 4:30 p.m. at the Oatland Island parking lot and dock area, deployment boats will be loaded with pallets and bags of oysters, while on Saturday, commencing at 9 a.m. some 18,000 pounds of bagged oyster shells will be spread on the shoreline of the Nature Walk.
Anyone who would like to help should contact CCA-GA. at 912-927-0280 or Stephanie at firstname.lastname@example.com.
As a closure, we have not yet heard of any cobia action in the Broad River or Port Royal Sound area of South Carolina, but look for the popular battlers to soon arrive.
Last year the run started in April and the overall run both in the above mention inshore waters and offshore was excellent. When we hear, we will let you know.
John Burke can be reached at (912) 655-8505, or by e-mail at firstname.lastname@example.com.


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1997 Acura SLX - Consumer Review
Average Consumer Rating
Total Reviews
Premium 4dr SUV (3.2L V6 4x4 4-speed Automatic)
Build Quality
Reliability Value
Build Quality
Reliability Value
Been a Great Car
By Paul on
Vehicle1997 Acura SLX Premium 4dr SUV 4WD
ReviewWe bought this used 3 years ago. It already had 120000 miles on it. We now have over 150000 and have never had to do any maintenance. It's a dressed up Trooper, and I've heard about the Isuzu engine burning oil, but this thing with 150K miles still does not burn anything. It had synthetic in it when we bought it, and have kept with that. The oil still looks pretty fresh at its 3500 mile changes. Maybe we just got a really good one, but this car has been great, especially for what used ones run. Our only complaint is its poor gas mileage for a smaller SUV. It gets about the same as a Suburban and is about half the size. It also rides a little to "truck like".
Best Features4wd. Fancy Acura interior. Reliability.
Worst FeaturesBetter gas mileage. A little smoother ride.
Recommend (0) (0)
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I'm trying to get authentication (email/password) to work in a Chrome Extension. I seems to work just fine if I put my authentication code in the background script. However I can't seem to get it to work as a browser action script.
I used the following code as the base of my extension: https://github.com/firebase/firebase-chrome-extension
I changed browser_action.js to:
var f = new Firebase('https://myapp.firebaseio.com/');
email : "email@example.com",
password : "1234"
}, function(error, authData) {
if (error) {
alert("Login Failed!", error);
} else {
alert("Authenticated successfully with payload:", authData);
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