text:
First Claim
1. -60. (canceled)
0 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Communications with an automobile are in the form of messages. The messages may be delivered to the automobile from a remote server through a communications network, e.g., the Internet. Messages may contain a recall notice to the automobile, map information or advertising information concerning selected entities depending on the current location of the automobile. Messages transmitted from the automobile to the remote server may contain location of the automobile or dynamic data furnished by sensors in the automobile.
9 Citations
View as Search Results
Patent #US 20100179856A1
Filed 01/14/2009
Current AssigneeExcalibur IP LLC
Sponsoring EntityExcalibur IP LLC
Patent #US 20150026728A1
Filed 07/11/2014
Current AssigneeThe Carter Group L.L.C.
Sponsoring EntityThe Carter Group L.L.C.
Patent #US 20150170287A1
Filed 12/18/2013
Current AssigneeTravelers Indemnity Company
Sponsoring EntityTravelers Indemnity Company
Patent #US 20150242953A1
Filed 02/25/2014
Current AssigneeState Farm Mutual Automobile Insurance Company
Sponsoring EntityState Farm Mutual Automobile Insurance Company
|Interactive video viewing
Patent #US 9,986,307 B2
Filed 07/11/2014
Current AssigneeThe Carter Group L.L.C.
Sponsoring EntityThe Carter Group L.L.C.
|Systems and methods for generating data that is representative of an insurance policy for an autonomous vehicle
Patent #US 10,380,693 B2
Filed 02/25/2014
Current AssigneeState Farm Mutual Automobile Insurance Company
Sponsoring EntityState Farm Mutual Automobile Insurance Company
|Geotagging location data
Patent #US 10,445,817 B2
Filed 10/16/2017
Current AssigneeAllstate Insurance Company
Sponsoring EntityAllstate Insurance Company
|Interactive video viewing
Patent #US 10,462,535 B2
Filed 05/25/2018
Current AssigneeThe Carter Group L.L.C.
Sponsoring EntityBottle Rocket LLC.
|Driver information system
Patent #US 6,707,421 B1
Filed 02/18/1999
Current AssigneeContinental Automotive Systems US Incorporated
Sponsoring EntityContinental Automotive GmbH
79 Claims
- 1. -60. (canceled)
- 61. A method, comprising:
a server receiving data via a wireless communication system from a processor within a vehicle, the data relating to the location and speed of the vehicle, the vehicle being associated with a first party identity; the server saving the location and speed data associated with the first party identity; the server providing map data via the wireless communication system to the processor within the vehicle so that the map data is shown on a display within the vehicle, the server selecting the map data based on the received location data so that a location of the vehicle can be depicted on the map shown on the display, the map data also including an indicator of a warning related to traffic, the indicator also configured to be shown on the display; and the server providing location and speed data and the associated first party identity to a plurality of third parties.
- View Dependent Claims (62, 63, 64, 65, 66, 67, 68, 69, 70, 71)
- 72. A method, comprising:
a server receiving data via a wireless communication system from a processor within a vehicle, the data relating to the location and speed of the vehicle; the server saving the location and speed data; the server receiving and storing an image and associated image data, the image data including a location and time at which the image was obtained; the server providing map data via the wireless communication system to the processor within the vehicle, the map data processed to be shown on a display within the vehicle, the server selecting the map data based on the received location data so that a location of the vehicle and an icon representing the location at which the image was obtained can be depicted on the map shown on the display; and the server sending, over the wireless communication network, the image and image data to the processor so that the image and image data can be shown on the display in the vehicle.
- View Dependent Claims (73, 74, 75, 76, 77, 78, 79)
1 Specification
The invention relates to a communications technique, and more particularly to a technique for communicating information, including advertising information, with automobiles.
In this information age, virtually everyone is "connected" with one another via telephone, cellular phone, facsimile, pager, etc. In particular, because of recent major advancements in Internet technology, many people also utilize a personal computer (PC), notebook computer, handheld computer, etc., with a modem to communicate electronic mail (E-mail) with one another over the Internet. In addition, with common web browser software of the type of the NETSCAPE NAVIGATOR or MICROSOFT INTERNET EXPLORER browser installed in one such computer, a user is able to browse, on the computer, web pages from the world wide web (WWW), which is a graphical subnetwork of the Internet.
Many web pages, especially those providing free services such as search engines and other portal services, contain paid advertisements. Some web pages contain displayed options for providing directory assistance. One such option may be a "Yellow Page" option whereby a user may specify the desired product or service, and the area in which the user wants to obtain same. In return, the user is presented with information concerning each location of the provider of the desired product or service in the specified area.
To keep automobile users "wired" even while on the road, a PC specifically designed for them, namely, the "AutoPC," has been introduced. The AutoPC, which may be installed in the standard car stereo slot, comprises well known communications and navigation technologies. For example, the automobile users can utilize the AutoPC to communicate E-mail and pager messages. The users can also rely on the AutoPC to navigate with the aid of the U.S. government'"'"'s constellation of global positioning system (GPS) satellites. In response to signals from such satellites, in a conventional manner, the AutoPC pinpoints the vehicle'"'"'s location (in latitude and longitude). It also detects the vehicle'"'"'s speed and direction. With geographic information stored therein, the AutoPC is capable of verbally and visually communicating to the user instructions for reaching the destination.
The marriage of communications and GPS technologies benefitting automobiles has been observed. The resulting service is known as the "OnStar service." This service requires that an OnStar system including a GPS receiver, and a cellular phone be installed in an automobile subscribing to the service. When an automobile user calls an OnStar service representative via the cellular phone, the system automatically communicates the vehicle'"'"'s location tracked by the GPS receiver. The service representative may then provide the user with directions, restaurant recommendations, and/or roadside assistance depending on the vehicle'"'"'s location.
In addition, to obtain diagnostic information from, and upgrade certain software in, an automobile, a system whereby an automobile communicates, with a remote station, data concerning the automobile is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,442,553 issued Aug. 15, 1995 to Parrillo. In the disclosed system, the remote station communicates the data via a cellular phone network to the automobile having a cellular phone connection, using the cellular phone number to locate the automobile.
We have recognized that the prior art system described above which uses the cellular phone number assigned to a cellular phone connection in a vehicle to locate the vehicle is disadvantageous. This stems from the fact that the cellular phone number appertains to, and is specifically associated with, the subscriber to the cellular phone service, who is most likely the current owner of the vehicle. As the cellular phone number is used for personal communications, when the ownership of the vehicle changes, the new owner would most likely replace the current cellular phone number with a new number for his/her own personal communications. As a result, the remote station in the prior art system can no longer locate and communicate with the vehicle using the old cellular phone number. Thus, the practicability of the prior art system turns on whether the system has a record of the latest phone numbers for locating vehicles. Even if procedures for registration of new phone numbers are in place, the workability of the system is undesirably subject to compliance by the new owners with the registration procedures.
In addition, utilizing the cellular phone network, the remote station in the prior art system when communicating data with multiple automobiles needs to call one automobile at a time. Thus, such a communication scheme is also ineffective especially when the remote station needs to transmit the same data, e.g., information concerning a recall of a certain type of automobile, to many automobiles. In that case, the remote station needs to make multiple calls to the respective vehicles to repeat the same data. Conversely, utilizing the cellular phone network, a vehicle can communicate with one remote station at a time. In the event that the same data from the vehicle needs to be communicated to various stations for different analyses, multiple calls need to be made to the respective stations one at a time, which is undesirable.
In accordance with an aspect of the invention, the communications between a vehicle and remote stations or servers are realized using electronic car-mail, referred to as "C-mail." Like a conventional E-mail message, a C-mail message is formatted in accordance with well known protocols, and it may be delivered by conventional mail servers on a communications network such as the Internet. However, unlike E-mail whose address identifies a person for personal communications and is analogous to the aforementioned cellular phone number, the C-mail has an address identifying the vehicle itself. For example, the C-mail address may be made up of the vehicle identification number (VIN) identifying the vehicle. Such a C-mail address remains unchanged at least over the lifetime of the vehicle. As the C-mail address appertains to, or specifically associated with, the vehicle, rather than a person, e.g., the owner of the vehicle, communications with the vehicle using C-mail is intact throughout the lifetime of the vehicle, surviving all changes in the ownership of the vehicle. In addition, by taking advantage of the well known E-mail features, the vehicle may multicast via C-mail the same information, e.g., diagnostic information, simultaneously to various servers on the Internet for different analyses. Conversely, a server may multicast via C-mail the same information, e.g., recall information, simultaneously to selected vehicles using the corresponding VINs as parts of their C-mail addresses.
In accordance with another aspect of the invention, a user may utilize a car browser to browse advertising information from a communications network, e.g., the Internet. The advertising information is provided in a just-in-time (JIT) fashion, whose content is dependent upon the current location of the vehicle indicated by GPS coordinates.
Further objects, features and advantages of the invention will become apparent from the following detailed description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawing showing an illustrative embodiment of the invention, in which:
In a prior art system, a remote station communicates, with a vehicle having a cellular phone connection, data concerning the vehicle through a cellular phone network, using the cellular phone number assigned to the connection to locate the vehicle. However, such a communications scheme based on the knowledge of the cellular phone number is deficient in that the cellular phone number appertains to, and is specifically associated with, the subscriber to the cellular phone service, who is most likely the current owner of the vehicle. As the cellular phone number is used for personal communications, when the ownership of the vehicle changes, the new owner would most likely replace the current cellular phone number with a new number for his/her own personal communications. As a result, the remote station can no longer locate and communicate with the vehicle using the old cellular phone number. Thus, the practicability of the prior art system turns on whether the system has a record of the latest phone numbers for locating vehicles. Even if procedures for registration of new phone numbers are in place, the workability of the system is undesirably subject to compliance by the new owners with the registration procedures.
In addition, utilizing the cellular phone network, the remote station in the prior art system when communicating data with multiple automobiles needs to call one automobile at a time. Thus, such a communication scheme is also ineffective especially when the remote station needs to transmit the same data, e.g., information concerning a recall of a certain type of automobile, to many automobiles. In that case, the remote station needs to make multiple calls to the respective vehicles to repeat the same data. Conversely, utilizing the cellular phone network, a vehicle can communicate with one remote station at a time. In the event that the same data from the vehicle needs to be communicated to various stations for different analyses, multiple calls need to be made to the respective stations one at a time, which is undesirable.
In accordance with the invention, the communications between a vehicle and remote stations or servers are realized using electronic car-mail, hereinafter referred to as "C-mail." Like a conventional E-mail message, a C-mail message is formatted in accordance with well known protocols such as the well known mail transfer protocol and transmission control protocol/Internet protocol (TCP/IP), and it may be delivered by conventional mail servers on the Internet. However, unlike E-mail whose address identifies a person for personal communications and is analogous to the aforementioned cellular phone number, the C-mail has an address identifying the vehicle itself.
A typical E-mail address is in the format of <user-id>@<domain>, e.g., "email@example.com". As is well known, the <user-id> part before the "@" sign, e.g., "jsmith", identifies the E-mail user, e.g., Joe Smith. The <domain> part after the "@" sign, e.g., "aol.com", identifies the access mail server, e.g., an American Online server connected to the Internet, providing the E-mail service for Joe Smith in this instance. However, in accordance with the invention, a C-mail address is in the format of <vehicle-id>@<domain>. In this instance, the <vehicle-id> part consists of a vehicle identification number (VIN) which identifies the vehicle to which the C-mail address is assigned. In a conventional manner, the VIN uniquely identifies the vehicle by its make, model, year, etc. The <domain> part may represent a predetermined access mail server connected to the Internet for serving the C-mail needs of vehicles. For illustrative purposes, the <domain> part may be "vehicle.com" in this example.
Thus, the C-mail address of the vehicle in question here may be "email@example.com", where "JN1CA23D4TT567890" is the VIN of the vehicle. This C-mail address is stored in memory 107 in system 100, and remains unchanged at least over the lifetime of the vehicle. It should be noted that memory 107 here generically represents a combination of volatile, non-volatile and cache memories. As the C-mail address appertains to, or specifically associated with, the vehicle, rather than a person, e.g., the owner of the vehicle, communications with the vehicle using C-mail is intact throughout the lifetime of the vehicle, surviving all changes in the ownership of the vehicle. In addition, as described hereinbelow, by taking advantage of the well known E-mail features, the vehicle may multicast via C-mail the same information, e.g., diagnostic information, simultaneously to various servers on the Internet for different analyses. Conversely, a server may multicast via C-mail the same information, e.g., recall information, simultaneously to selected vehicles using the corresponding VINs as parts of their C-mail addresses.
System 100 includes communications subsystem 109 for communicating information, including C-mail, in the vehicle.
Referring back to
For example, system 100 affords an adaptive cruise control function using detection subsystem 111, electronic transmission/throttle subsystem 113 and brake subsystem 116. Specifically, detection subsystem ill, which includes sonar, infrared transceiver, laser transceiver and/or Doppler radar, measures the distance to the vehicle just ahead. With electronic transmission/throttle subsystem 113 and brake subsystem 116, processor 103 adjusts the vehicle'"'"'s speed to keep it moving with the traffic flow. If the vehicle ahead speeds up or slows down, subsystem 111 signals processor 103 to accordingly adjust the throttle or brakes to maintain a safe distance. Other automatic driving methodologies involving the above subsystems may be found in copending commonly assigned U.S. patent application Ser. No. 08/904,855 ("the '"'"'855 application"), entitled "Centralized Control and Management System for Automobiles," which however are deemed to be out of the scope of the present invention, and their description are thus omitted here.
Traction control subsystem 121, which may be of the type of the TRAXXAR stability control system, includes sensors for measuring the steering wheel position, yaw rate and lateral acceleration of the vehicle. These sensors work with processor 103 to controllably apply brakes at selected wheels to avoid potential skids.
Similarly, under the control of processor 103, engine subsystem 126 runs the engine of the vehicle at a selected R.P.M. using a selected fuel/air mixture to provide appropriate power for the vehicle.
Wheel subsystem 129 includes sensors for reading tire pressures, detection of loss of tire traction or tread, etc.
Climate control subsystem 131, which includes thermostats and an airflow controller, controllably cools or heats the vehicle compartment for the comfort of passengers, and the trunk/storage to properly preserve cargo; selects an air flow mode; sets fan speeds; enables or disables seat heaters; selects fresh or recirculated air; and enables or disables front and rear defrosters, mirror defrosters and steering wheel heaters.
Through auxiliary subsystem 134, processor 103 controls the functions of the doors, windows, hood, trunk, mirrors, air-bags, restraint devices, lights, etc., of the vehicle.
The above-described subsystems each include sensors (not shown) to provide a variety of dynamic data concerning the components associated therewith to processor 103. Specifically, sensors in communications subsystem 109 provides dynamic data concerning whether transceiver 205 and modem 209 are in proper order, which includes information concerning the level of battery power therefor.
Sensors in detection subsystem 111 provide dynamic data concerning whether the radars and transceivers associated therewith are functioning properly, which also includes information concerning the level of battery power for such radars and transceivers.
Sensors in electronic transmission/throttle subsystem 113 provide dynamic data concerning transmission or the status of the transmission, as well as the status of variables in the transmission including fluid levels, etc.
Sensors in brake subsystem 116 provide dynamic data concerning the wear of the brakes, status of the emergency brake and whether all of the brakes are in proper order.
The aforementioned sensors in traction control subsystem 121 provide dynamic data concerning measurements of the steering wheel position, yaw rate and lateral acceleration of the vehicle.
Sensors in engine subsystem 126 provide dynamic data concerning the engine R.P.M., fuel/air mixture, emissions, pollution content, remaining life of engine oil before the next requisite oil change, etc.
The aforementioned sensors in wheel subsystem 129 provide dynamic data concerning tire pressures, loss of tire traction or tread, etc.
Sensors in climate control subsystem 131 provide dynamic data concerning the temperatures of the compartment and trunk/storage, air flow mode, fan speeds, air quality inside the compartment, and statuses of the front and rear defrosters, mirror defrosters and steering wheel heater.
Sensors in auxiliary subsystem 134 which include, among others, the odometer and speedometer which provide dynamic data concerning the current mileage and speed of the vehicle, respectively. Other sensors in system 134 provide dynamic data concerning statuses of the doors, windows, hood, trunk, mirrors, air-bags, restraint devices, lights, etc., of the vehicle. In particular, some of the data concerns the integrity of the doors, windows, hood, trunk and mirrors, detection of any physical impact on any of them as happens in a collision, and whether or not the air-bags are ready to function or have been deployed, etc.
In addition, clock subsystem 136 provides processor 103 with data concerning the current time and date. Relying on such data, processor 103 duly synchronizes activities of system 100 and keeps track of events. Moreover, utilizing the temporal data, processor 103 realizes planner functions such as scheduling vehicle maintenance, etc.
It will be appreciated that the dynamic data provided by the above-described subsystems is only for illustrative purposes and, depending on the vehicle and the actual components incorporated therein, additional and/or other dynamic data may be desired. In any event, processor 103 polls each subsystem from time to time for the dynamic data and, based on the dynamic data, it may issue warnings, and messages describing irregularities through user interface 141 described below. Some irregularities may cause processor 103 to restrict certain vehicle operations until a corrective action therefor is taken. As described below, processor 103 causes selected ones of the dynamic data to be transmitted via C-mail to one or more remote servers for analyses and records.
Presently, in the United States, about 200 million vehicles operate on public roads. However, the operations of the vehicles are subject to federal and state laws. For instance, each operating vehicle needs to meet certain legal requirements concerning safety, emission, licensing, insurance, operational capabilities, etc. Thus, the law enforcement is interested in obtaining certain information about each vehicle to determine whether the operating vehicle meets such requirements.
In addition, many of the vehicles in the United States are leased or financed through financial institutions. The latter typically place liens on the vehicles with the right to repossess them in the event of non-payment of the underlying loans. Thus, such financial institutions are interested in knowing the whereabouts of the leased or financed vehicles in case of repossession thereof.
Further, auto repair services are interested in knowing the working history of each vehicle to be serviced for diagnostic purposes, and the maintenance history as to what and when previous services have been performed on, and parts have been replaced in, the vehicle. Similarly, potential buyers of a used vehicle may want to have independent records of the working and maintenance histories of the vehicle. In addition, they may want to know whether the vehicle was involved in a collision, whether its odometer reading is accurate, etc.
Still further, auto manufacturers and original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) are interested in obtaining data concerning components in each vehicle manufactured thereby to determine the durability of, and thus the appropriate warranties for, the components after the original sale of the vehicle. Independent watch groups are interested in such data as well for generating reports on vehicle quality for various vehicle brands.
In fact, all of the above data of interest may be provided via C-mail in accordance with the invention. Such data may be multicast by individual vehicles via C-mail to different servers on the Internet using the well known E-mail "carbon copy (cc:)" feature, whereby the destination addresses of the servers can be specified. Each server may be associated with a different entity and compile databases for use by that entity.
Alternatively, in this instance, the data is collected by central server 230 in
The C-mail message composed by processor 103 is transmitted through the established connection to server 222 where it is forwarded through Internet 250 to the central server mailbox, according to its address, e.g., email@example.com, where "carcentral.com" represents the domain associated with central server 230.
Upon receipt of the C-mail message, central server 230 processes the data contained in the message, and distributes the data into appropriate databases to facilitate queries by different entities. Each new data entry to the databases is identified by the VIN of the vehicle which, as mentioned before, forms part of the C-mail origination address.
A first database in central server 230, which may be queried by law enforcement using queries in accordance with the standard relational database programming language SQL, may contain C-mail data from the respective vehicles concerning, e.g., their emission, pollution content, and integrity of lights, restraint devices, etc. For example, after querying the first database, the law enforcement may issue warnings or summonses to the owners of violating vehicles, or even prohibit use of such vehicles when the emission of the vehicles does not meet a certain standard, or when the safety of the vehicles calls into question because of a lack of integrity of their lights, restraint devices, etc. The law enforcement may issue such warnings or summonses via C-mail to the violating vehicles using the VINs, forming part of the C-mail addresses, in the responses to the queries.
In accordance with another aspect of the invention, the subject vehicle includes a security mechanism whereby the vehicle may be remotely disabled via C-mail in case of emergency, car theft, prohibition by law of use of the vehicle, etc. In accordance with such a mechanism, processor 103 checks each incoming C-mail message for a secret code for effecting disablement of the vehicle. If such a secret code is detected, processor 103 accordingly shuts the engine off, preferably when the speed of the vehicle is low to avoid an accident. The rest of the C-mail message may indicate the cause of disablement through user interface 139 described below. In a preferred embodiment, multiple secret codes are used to disable the vehicle, and a particular secret code is assigned to the law enforcement. In the event that the vehicle is disabled because of a violation of law, having so informed by the C-mail message, the vehicle owner needs to resolve the violation with the appropriate law enforcement authority before the vehicle engine is reactivated based on the particular secret code.
A second database in central server 230, which may be queried by financial institutions to track the leased and financed vehicles in case of repossession, may contain C-mail data from the respective vehicles concerning their GPS locations coupled with the dates, times, and heading directions and speeds corresponding to such locations. The knowledge of the whereabouts of each vehicle is also important when the vehicle needs to be located in case of an emergency or accident, especially when the user is incapacitated and unable to communicate the current vehicle location.
A third database in central server 230, which may be queried by auto repair services, OEMs and independent watch groups, may contain C-mail data from the respective vehicles concerning diagnostics of the working components in the vehicles provided by the above-described subsystems. An auto insurance company may also query the third database for data concerning, e.g., the speeds, and statuses of the brakes of a vehicle to assess the driving habit of the user. Based on the data which indicates the frequency of the vehicle'"'"'s exceeding the highway speed limit, the rate at which its brakes wear out, etc., the insurance company determines certain risk factors associated with the user, and the insurance premium for his/her vehicle accordingly.
The auto repair services can also contribute to the third database after they furnish repair, maintenance and/or part replacements to each vehicle, thereby supplementing the database. To that end, each auto repair service sends an E-mail message to the central server mailbox describing the services rendered thereby to the vehicle. The data fields of such an E-mail message may include (a) the destination address field containing the address of the central server mailbox, i.e., firstname.lastname@example.com in this instance, (b) the subject matter or "re:" field containing the VIN of the vehicle just serviced, (c) the origination address field containing the E-mail address identifying the auto repair service, which in this instance has been registered with the central server, and (d) the message body field contains data concerning the services performed on the vehicle, any replacement of vehicle parts and descriptions thereof, and the date and time of the services, with an indication of whether any service or part replacement is in response to a recall notice by an auto manufacturer. The message body field may contain the data in a predetermined format, which may be in code to facilitate the data processing by central, server 230 after receiving the E-mail message. Central server 230 distinguishes such an E-mail message from a C-mail message by the origination address identifying the repair service, which is registered and in a different format than a C-mail address. Upon receipt of the E-mail message from the repair service, central server 230 extracts the data from its message body field and incorporates the data into the third database under the VIN provided in the subject matter field.
Thus, among other things, by querying the supplemented third database, an auto manufacturer can obtain the VINs of those vehicles which responded to a recall notice issued thereby, which may have been sent via snail mail, e.g., the United States Postal Service, to the last known addresses of the vehicle owners of record as in prior art. The auto manufacturer typically maintains, on its own computer, a database of the VINs of the vehicles sold to which the recall notice applies. Thus, by entering the aforementioned VINs obtained from the supplemented third database, and by elimination, the auto manufacturer computer identifies the VINs of those vehicles which have not responded to the recall notice. In accordance with another aspect of the invention, the auto manufacturer computer may multicast a second recall notice via C-mail to those vehicles using the identified VINs as parts of the C-mail "cc:" addresses. Compared with the prior art snail mail approach whose practicability precariously depends on the validity of the record address of each vehicle owner who may have moved or changed, the inventive C-mail approach is much more effective where the recall notice in the form of C-mail is transmitted via the Internet to the vehicle itself, and the user in the vehicle is prompted by a user interface in a manner described below to read the C-mail recall notice as soon as it arrives. In fact, it is more economical and advantageous for the auto manufacturer to multicast the recall notice via C-mail to all of the vehicles concerned in the first instance.
As mentioned before, the third database supplemented by the auto repair services also catalogues the parts of each vehicle, which were replaced by such services, by their replacement dates and times, and descriptions. In the eventual scrappage of the vehicle, by querying the supplemented third database, the history of each replacement part therein is known. Depending on its history, the replacement part can be recycled, refurbished, or properly disposed to better protect the environment.
For used vehicle buyers, the supplemented third database may also provide C-mail data concerning any detection of a physical impact on the body of a vehicle, and any deployment of air-bags therein, indicative of a prior collision. In addition, it may include the odometer readings of the vehicle, coupled with the dates and times corresponding thereto. The odometer readings are assumed accurate if they increase with time.
It should be noted that to prevent fraud or tampering with the databases in central server 230, the data in the E-mail or C-mail to server 230 may be encrypted, or signed with a digital signature for authentication purposes, in accordance with a well known cryptographic algorithm, e.g., the RSA algorithm, digital signature algorithm (DSA), pretty good privacy (POP) algorithm, etc.
It should also be noted that by using a conventional relational database manager (not shown) in server 230, each query against the databases therein results in a concise report satisfying the criteria specified in the query. In the event that any text, graphics, pictures, audio clips and/or video clips are attached to the C-mail or E-mail messages sent to server 230, such attachments are titled and tagged in the databases. The report generated in response to a query includes any relevant attachments.
Referring to
In this instance, interface 139 also includes (1) a conventional speech recognizer and audio input for the user to utter commands and responses to processor 103, and (2) a conventional speech synthesizer and audio output for processor 103 to communicate to the user in audio.
Of course, in addition to, or in lieu of, the above-described touch-screen capability incorporated in user interface 139, other well known user interface hardware/software may be incorporated therein for selecting displayed options on display 405. Such hardware/software includes, e.g., dedicated or programmable keys on the periphery of display 405; an indicator device such as a mouse, joystick, light pen, trackballs, touchpad, or a combination thereof; etc.
As disclosed in the aforementioned '"'"'855 application, processor 103 may cause different screens or pages to be displayed on display 405. Each page contains displayed options for controlling different aspects of the vehicle functions. For example, an audio page provides a choice of radio stations, a climate control page provides for temperature and vent adjustments, etc.
As mentioned before, a C-mail message containing data concerning current statuses of the subject vehicle is transmitted from subsystem 109 to server 222 on the Internet through an established connection from time to time. The frequency of such C-mail transmission may vary with the speed of the vehicle. For example, such transmission may be infrequent when the vehicle is stationary, i.e., at a zero speed, as not many vehicular activities are going on. After each transmission of the C-mail message from subsystem 109 to server 222, the latter in return transmits to subsystem 109 any C-mail messages from the Internet addressed to the vehicle through the same established connection before it is disconnected. As soon as any such C-mail message is received by subsystem 109, processor 103 reads the header of the C-mail message, which indicates whether the message contains display data for browsing and/or non-display data to be processed by processor 103. If processor 103 determines that the C-mail message contains display data, it causes a pop-up C-mail indicator to be displayed on the page that the user is currently on, indicating that a C-mail message has arrived. For example, one such C-mail indicator, denoted 409, appears on the SMART NAVIGATOR page of
By touching in this instance the area of screen 405 where indicator 409 is displayed, exclusive of box 411, the user may open the C-mail message containing display data.
If upon seeing pop-up indicator 409, the user decides to read the C-mail message indicated thereby later, the user may touch the area of screen 405 corresponding to box 411 to minimize indicator 409 for postponing the opening of the C-mail message.
As shown in
Navigation subsystem 141 in
For local navigation, the above map information may be provided from storage in the form of a compact disk (CD). However, because of the limited capacity of the storage, for navigation in remote areas outside the local coverage, subsystem 141 may obtain the necessary map information in real time via C-mail described above, or in the form of a web page in a manner described below. For example, as central server 230 receives C-mail messages from the vehicle from time to time, based on the GPS data in each message, indicating the current location of the vehicle, server 230 determines whether map information concerning remote areas is needed. This determination is based on a prediction as to where the vehicle may be during the interval between the receipt of the present C-mail message and that of the next C-mail message. Such a prediction is realized based on the length of such an interval, the data concerning the current speed and direction of the vehicle in the present C-mail message, etc. If it is determined that any remote area map information is needed, server 230 returns via C-mail to system 100 map information in a just-in-time (JIT) fashion which may be good for a predetermined radius from the current location of the vehicle. Alternatively, server 230 provides the map information affording a coverage based on the above-described prediction.
The user may select WEATHER option 421, TRAFFIC option 425, and/or DIRECTORY option 430 in addition to NAVIGATION option 419 on the SMART NAVIGATOR page. For example, when option 421 is selected in addition to option 419, followed by a selection of ENTER key 435, subsystem 141 provides on display 405 a suggested route to a given destination with indications indicating weather conditions, hazards, etc., along the route, as disclosed in the aforementioned '"'"'855 application. Similarly, when option 425 is selected in addition to option 419, followed by a selection of ENTER key 435, subsystem 141 provides on display 405 a suggested route to a given destination with indicators indicating traffic congestions, highway warnings, etc., along the route. When option 430 is selected in addition to option 419, followed by a selection of ENTER key 435, processor 103 causes a MAIN DIRECTORY page described below to be displayed on display 405. It suffices to know for now that after further selections by the user of additional options on such a page, a suggested route to a given destination with directory information concerning selected products and/or services, e.g., restaurants, gas stations, etc., along the route would be provided on display 405. It should be noted that the above weather information, traffic information and directory information may be aggregated along the same route.
In accordance with another aspect of the invention, the software for a car browser similar to the well known NETSCAPE NAVIGATOR or MICROSOFT INTERNET EXPLORER web browser is stored in memory 107 in system 100 for browsing information provided by servers connected to Internet 250. In particular, the car browser works compatibly with the standard hypertext transfer protocol (HTTP), hypertext markup language (HTML), virtual reality markup language (VRML), graphics interchange format (GIF), JAVA applets, etc.
For example, after selection of DIRECTORY option 430 alone or in combination with NAVIGATION option 419, followed by that of ENTER key 435 on the SMART NAVIGATOR page of
In response, server 230 returns a web page, namely, the MAIN DIRECTORY page, to the car browser according to its IP address provided in the request. Upon receipt of the MAIN DIRECTORY page, the car browser opens same on display 405.
As shown in
Without loss of generality, the user in this instance selects RESTAURANT option 615-1. Upon detecting such a selection, the car browser obtains the GPS coordinates of the current vehicle location from navigation subsystem 141, and then transmits a request for identities of nationally known restaurants within a selected distance, say, five miles, of the current vehicle location indicated by the GPS coordinates just obtained. In response, server 230 provides a RESTAURANT ADVERTISING page based on the received GPS coordinates.
As shown in
It should be noted at this point that server 230 furnishes the directory information concerning product/service providers based on their paid advertising subscription. For example, for nationally known restaurants, server 230 only provides directory information about those restaurants which subscribe to its directory service. Server 230 stores in a memory therein the GPS coordinates of each subscriber restaurant. In providing the RESTAURANT ADVERTISING page of
OPTIONS key 721, BACK key 725 and FORWARD key 727 are also provided on the RESTAURANT ADVERTISING page of
By selecting key 721, the user may also specify the frequency of updating the RESTAURANT ADVERTISING page so that the user is informed of other restaurants on a continual basis as the vehicle is moving. Such a frequency may be defined in terms of time. However, in this preferred embodiment, the frequency is defined in terms of mileage, e.g., once every five miles from the current vehicle location. As soon as the frequency is specified, the car browser continually polls navigation subsystem 141 for the current GPS coordinates of the vehicle, and compares such coordinates with those in the previous request to central server 230. Once it is determined that the two sets of GPS coordinates are more than the specified distance (e.g., five miles) apart, the car browser issues a new request for identities of nationally known restaurants to server 230, which includes the current set of GPS coordinates of the vehicle. In response to the new request, server 230 provides a fresh RESTAURANT ADVERTISING page including any new restaurant tags on display 405.
In a conventional manner, the car browser records the sequence of pages that the user visited or browsed. Selection of BACK key 725 enables the user to revisit the page (e.g., the MAIN DIRECTORY page) immediately before the current page (e.g., the RESTAURANT ADVERTISING page). Similarly, selection of FORWARD key 727 enables the user revisit the page immediately following the current page. In this instance, FORWARD key 727 is non-selectable as the page following the RESTAURANT ADVERTISING page has not been established.
Continuing the above example, having learnt that tag 713 represents McDonald'"'"'s Restaurant, the user may be interested in dining therein, and again selects tag 713 to obtain further information about the restaurant. Upon such a selection, the car browser opens an inquiry window on display 405. As illustrated in
After receiving, from the car browser, a request for further information about McDonald'"'"'s Restaurant, and the user response to the confidentiality inquiry, server 230 first increments a hit count of tag 713, representing McDonald'"'"'s Restaurant in question, by one. In general, server 230 keeps track of a cumulative number of hits of each tag representing a product/service provider-advertiser, the time and day of each hit, etc. The resulting statistics may be used by the provider-advertiser to measure the effectiveness of its directory subscription, and help formulate its promotional plans.
In addition, if the user response indicates that his/her selection of information about a product/service provider is non-confidential, server 230 stores such a selection, the time and day of the selection, etc., in a record identified by the IP address of the car browser representing the user. Any other selection by the user associated with such an IP address is stored in the same record. The resulting database, containing records from different users, may be utilized by the product/service providers to develop profiles of the consumers of their products/services. Taking advantage of the knowledge of the consumer profiles, the providers are able to design advertisements, commercials and promotional campaigns more targeted to their respective groups of consumers.
Finally, server 230 returns a RESTAURANT page onto display 405.
In accordance with yet another aspect of the invention, server 230 collects digital images of subscribers'"'"' business operations and establishments. In this instance, one or more digital cameras are installed in each subscriber restaurant which periodically take pictures of the restaurant facility. The resulting images are formatted in conventional image files, e.g., GIF files, by an Internet processor in the restaurant. Illustratively, each image file includes in its header the GPS coordinates of the restaurant, and the time that the image was taken. The image time may also be embedded in the image itself. In a conventional manner, the image file is transmitted by the Internet processor via Internet 250 to server 230, where the image file is stored according to the GPS coordinates in the file header which identify the subscriber restaurant.
VIEW key 903, NAVIGATE key 905, FAVORITE key 907, BACK key 909, FORWARD key 911, RESTAURANT WEBSITE key 913 and RESTAURANT MENU key 915 are also provided on the RESTAURANT page of
A selection of NAVIGATE key 905 causes navigation subsystem 141 to provide the user with directions to the restaurant in a manner described before. A selection of FAVORITE key 907 enables the user to "bookmark" or register, in an individual registry described below, the GPS coordinates identifying the restaurant in question. It suffices to know for now that the individual registry includes a personal registry and a business registry. The user may bookmark the restaurant'"'"'s GPS coordinates in a personal (business) registry if the restaurant is his/her favorite choice for personal (business) purposes.
BACK key 909 and FORWARD key 911 function similarly to above-described keys 725 and 727, respectively. Key 913 represents a hyperlink to the website of the restaurant. Thus, a selection of key 913 causes the car browser to open the restaurant website on display 405. In addition, a selection of key 915 enables the user to access the RESTAURANT MENU page, which is illustrated in
As shown in
It should be noted at this point that the information concerning the selection of tag 713 representing McDonald'"'"'s Restaurant, and any food and beverage ordered therefrom is stored in a specified memory space in memory 107 according to the GPS coordinates corresponding to tag 713. In the event that the car browser in the future receives, from server 230, tag 713 corresponding to the same GPS coordinates, the car browser retrieves from the specified memory space any stored information corresponding to such GPS coordinates. In the instant example, if the user returns via the same route or a route close thereto, tag 713 would most likely re-appear in the return trip. In that case, based on the stored information corresponding to the same GPS coordinates as tag 713, the car browser highlights tag 713 with a distinguishable color, indicating that the restaurant associated with tag 713 may have been visited. That is, tag 713 would be colored differently from other tags which were not selected. Such a distinguishable color highlight on tag 713 advantageously triggers the user'"'"'s memory about the associated restaurant, and thereby helps him/her to decide whether or not to revisit the restaurant. In the event that the user decides to revisit a restaurant, and thus re-select the associated tag, when the user comes upon selectable items on the associated web pages which were previously selected, for example, those food and beverages on the RESTAURANT MENU page of
Returning to the MAIN DIRECTORY page of
Continuing the example, assuming that it is determined that the vehicle is currently within a predetermined distance of Orlando, Fla., which is known for various theme parks and other tourist attractions. Accordingly, server 230 provides drop down menu 617 which includes, e.g., THEME PARK option 617-1, SOUVENIR option 617-2, . . . and REGIONAL RESTAURANT option 617-K, where K represents an integer. Similar to a selection of RESTAURANT option 615-1 described before, a selection of THEME PARK option 617-1 in this instance causes server 230 to provide a THEME PARK ADVERTISING page (not shown) on display 405. Based on the disclosure heretofore, it is apparent to a person skilled in the art that similar to the above-described RESTAURANT ADVERTISING page of
A selection of INDIVIDUAL option 609 enables the user to access directory information concerning the user'"'"'s favorite product/service providers according to the aforementioned individual registry. As mentioned before, the individual registry includes a business registry and a personal registry. Both the business registry and the personal registry are stored in an allotted memory space in memory 107. The business (personal) registry contains information concerning the user'"'"'s favorite product/service providers for business (personal) purposes, and the corresponding sets of GPS coordinates identifying the location of such providers.
Specifically, upon selection of option 609, drop down menu 619, including BUSINESS option 619-1 and PERSONAL option 619-2, is provided on display 405. Without loss of generality, in this instance BUSINESS option 619-1 is further selected, the car browser then retrieves from the allotted memory space the stored business registry information and, based on the retrieved information, presents on display 405 a BUSINESS REGISTRY page, which is illustrated in
As shown in
DELETE key 1115 provides the inverse function to ADD key 1113 and allows the user to delete out-of-favor product/service providers from the registry page.
To access directory information concerning, say, office supplies according to the user'"'"'s business registry, the user may select OFFICE SUPPLY option 1105 and then ENTER key 1117. In response, the car browser issues a request to server 230 for an OFFICE SUPPLY ADVERTISING page. Server 230 then returns onto display 405 the OFFICE SUPPLY ADVERTISING page (not shown). Similar to the RESTAURANT ADVERTISING page of
In the event that the user'"'"'s trip is multi-purpose, which involves obtaining different products/services in the same trip, the user may select multiple product/service provider options before selecting ENTER key 1117 to aggregate the directory information concerning providers of the different products/services on the same ADVERTISING page. For example, the user may select COMPUTER EQUIPMENT option 1103, in addition to OFFICE SUPPLY option 1105, before selecting ENTER key 1117. In that case, first and second sets of tags associated respectively with any computer equipment providers and office supply providers, as located, would be indicated on the ensuing ADVERTISING page. The tags in the first set differ from those in the second set by their shape, color or other feature to facilitate the user'"'"'s selection of the corresponding providers.
Returning briefly to
The foregoing merely illustrates the principles of the invention. It will thus be appreciated that those skilled in the art will be able to devise numerous other arrangements which embody the principles of the invention and are thus within its spirit and scope.
For example, system 100 is disclosed herein in a form in which various transmitter and receiver functions are performed by discrete functional blocks. However, any one or more of these functions could equally well be embodied in an arrangement in which the functions of any one or more of those blocks or indeed, all of the functions thereof, are realized, for example, by one or more appropriately programmed processors.


text:
STOCKHOLM — Homeschooling advocates and human rights activists around the world are celebrating after a recent appeals court ruling in Sweden came down on October 17: A unanimous verdict affirming that a Jewish family in Gothenburg has the right to homeschool in accordance with their faith despite a virtual ban on the practice implemented last year. However, even with the apparent victory, experts and activists say there is a long way to go before most persecuted Swedish homeschoolers can exercise their rights in peace.
The case in Gothenburg surrounded the Namdar family, Jewish Chabad-Lubavitch representatives to Sweden, who were being threatened and fined by local authorities for educating their children at home and through an online Jewish educational service. At issue: Parliament adopted a massive new education law in 2010 purporting to ban homeschooling for religious and philosophical reasons except in "exceptional circumstances" while forcing all "private" schools to teach the controversial government curriculum.
The legislation sparked an international outcry and an exodus among homeschoolers, many of whom fled to other countries to live as political exiles unless and until the situation in Sweden improves. Some families decided to stay and either defy the law or fight the ban. Despite the backlash, however, the persecution has not relented, with numerous families still under threat for exercising their right to homeschool.
In the Namdar case, the three judges on the appeals court for the southwestern region of Sweden, citing religious freedom and the high-quality education received by the children, ruled against city officials. According to the court, the family's situation — their religious needs would be hard to fulfill in government school, all of the children are receiving an excellent education, and the new law cannot contravene the state's obligation to protect the rights of citizens — qualify as "exceptional" circumstances.
"This is a verdict in which the Administrative Court of Appeal has used the provisions in the law to reach a commonsense solution for the children and the family involved," explained attorney Ruby Harrold-Claesson, who also serves as president of the pro-family Nordic Committee for Human Rights. "The Administrative Court of Appeal in Gothenburg deserves to be commended for this verdict." The municipality is expected to appeal and other embattled homeschooling parents will likely cite the verdict in their own cases, she told The New American in an e-mail.
While it may have been a small victory, some analysts and even the Namdar family said the ruling could indeed be important for persecuted Swedish homeschoolers and even for religious liberty in Sweden. "I think the ruling definitely has broader implications. I would hope that it also has broader implications on the view that Sweden takes toward religion in general," mother Leah Namdar told The New American after her family's success in court. "This is a case that is something much bigger than dealing with one family's homeschooling — this is about God and really having belief in society in general."
Other experts and activists, however, were not quite as enthusiastic just yet. After all, the ruling applies only to the Namdar family and may well be appealed to a higher court, though local officials and the Education Ministry did not respond to multiple requests for comment.
"This is a great success for the family and we are thrilled at their victory. It is a beacon of light in an otherwise very compact Swedish home education darkness," explained Swedish Homeschooling Association (ROHUS) President Jonas Himmelstrand, an internationally recognized expert on Sweden's family policies who fled to Finland with his family earlier this year amid threats of fines or worse.
However, despite the court win, it is not necessarily a cause for broader optimism yet, Himmelstrand added. Among other concerns, he pointed out that authorities could still appeal the case. Meanwhile, the persecution of homeschoolers in Sweden more broadly is continuing to wreak havoc in families' lives.
In one of the most alarming incidents, officials citing homeschooling removed then-seven-year-old Domenic Johansson from his parents. More than three years later, he remains in state custody. Less severe abuses, such as huge fines and vicious threats, continue to plague the small community of home-educating families that has not yet fled abroad. One of the most recent incidents saw authorities threatening to seize a family's property for failure to pay homeschooling fines, forcing ROHUS to pay the fine in order to prevent an even greater tragedy.
"It is unclear to what degree other home education families could benefit from this verdict without such specific circumstances," Himmelstrand said in a statement about the Namdar verdict in an e-mail to The New American. "If home education is to become more generally possible in Sweden again there has to be clear shift in attitude in Government. Without a doubt we will eventually get there, but we are not there yet."
If the case is appealed to the Supreme Administrative Court and the court ends up ruling in favor of the Namdar family, that would be cause for "slight optimism," Himmelstrand explained. However, "not winning would put Swedish home educators back to square one," he added. The real key to victory, though, may be international developments, said Himmelstrand, pointing to the upcoming Global Home Education Conference (GHEC) in Berlin during the first week of November. The New American will be there to cover the conference, and Swedish persecution of homeschoolers is expected to be a hot topic.
"It is an amazing verdict in many ways, but still unclear if it will mean anything at all in general to the liberation of home education in Sweden," Himmelstrand concluded about the recent ruling, possibly trying to put a damper on the euphoria before people got too excited about the small victory. "We congratulate the Namdar family and keep working for a better future for home education in Sweden."
Internationally and especially in the United States, where the persecution of Swedish homeschoolers has become a rallying cry for the homeschooling community and human rights activists, advocates seized on the ruling to emphasize that Sweden's policies were a serious violation of citizens' rights. The Home School Legal Defense Association, for example, quickly reacted to the verdict, calling on the Swedish government to respect the globally recognized right to home education.
"HSLDA calls on the Swedish Riksdag [Parliament] and Swedish courts to follow the ruling of the Namdar case and take immediate action to address this growing national crisis in Sweden," Michael Donnelly, the organization's director of international affairs, told The New American. "Families should not have to choose between their homeland and homeschooling."
Like others concerned about the situation in Sweden, Donnelly and the HSLDA praised the ruling and promised to continue working with the beleaguered Swedes, noting that the fight must go on. "While we celebrate with the Namdar family over their victory, we will continue to fight for families like the Angerstigs, Himmelstrands, and others who have been abused by their own government until justice is done," he added, referring to other families that have found themselves in the cross-hairs over homeschooling.
The Swedish education law that cracked down on homeschooling has severely tarnished Sweden's reputation as a tolerant society that respects human rights, according to experts and activists monitoring the issue. Whether or not the latest ruling will help remains to be seen. Virtually all of the persecuted homeschoolers and their foreign supporters expect to win the battle — eventually at least. Unfortunately, they say, many more families will likely be forced to suffer in the meantime.
Related articles:
Persecuted & Exiled Swedish Homeschoolers "Walk to Freedom," Vow to Fight On
Homeschool Leader Flees Swedish Persecution
Sweden Bans Home-schooling, Religious Instruction
State "Kidnapping" of Swedish Home-schooler Prompts International Outcry
U.S. Judge Grants Asylum for Homeschooling Family
Government Schools Are Bad for Your Kids
A Short History of Government Education
In Sweden, Persecuted Jewish Homeschoolers Win Court BattleWritten by Alex Newman
- font size decrease font size increase font size
STOCKHOLM — Homeschooling advocates and human rights activists around the world are celebrating after a recent appeals court ruling in Sweden came down on October 17: A unanimous verdict affirming that a Jewish family in Gothenburg has the right to homeschool in accordance with their faith despite a virtual ban on the practice implemented last year. However, even with the apparent victory, experts and activists say there is a long way to go before most persecuted Swedish homeschoolers can exercise their rights in peace.

subset: commoncrawl


text:
A Vienna, Va., man who admitted letting a teenage girl die from a heroin overdose rather than seeking help and then dumping her body has pleaded guilty to a federal charge.
Kyle Alifom, 20, entered a guilty plea Monday in U.S. District Court in Alexandria to a charge of tampering with evidence. He had originally been charged with heroin distribution resulting in death.
Court documents indicate that in August Alifom, 16-year-old Emylee Lonczak of McLean and two friends traveled back in August to the District of Columbia to buy heroin.
Lonczak, using heroin for the first time, passed out. The group took Lonczak back to Alifom's house, where she died. Alifom admitted he then hid her body outside the home because he was afraid he would get in trouble.


text:
Recycled Memorial Day Post #3.
After my post last night I laid in bed thinking about sacrifice. My cousin, William Walden and my uncle, William Merrill gave the ultimate sacrifice--their lives. But didn't their family also give the ultimate sacrifice? My Uncle Arthur lost a brother (William Merrill) in WW1 and then lost his prized son (William Walden) in WW2. On cnn.com there was a tribute to servicemen and women who lost their lives in Iraq. One of the photos was a soldier with his 2 small children (both of whom looked under 4). Didn't this family give the ultimate sacrifice? This young mother lost her husband and will be raising her small children alone.
So, today as I celebrate Memorial Day, I not only honor those who lost their lives in service, but also those who lost loved ones in service.
Monday, May 31, 2010
Memorial Day Thoughts--Part 3
Recycled Memorial Day Post #3.
Posted by Amanda at 7:37 PM


text:
I searched but couldn't find a thread that is strictly for high ISO shots, above 3200? Might as well start one up, would be a great reference thread for ISO performance
Must be over 3200 ISO
State your camera model
State your lens model
Any other information that is relevant would be great - like if NR was applied or any other processing?
I'll start with these shots
Canon 6D with 24-105mm ƒ4L USM, 1/200, ƒ/4, ISO 3200, 105 mm NR applied in LR5 - luminosity 40, colour 40
Another log on the fire please? by Mikey Mack, on Flickr
Canon 6D with 10-22mm ƒ3.5-4.5 USM, 30 sec, ƒ/4, ISO 25600, 16 mm NR applied in LR4 - luminosity 30, colour 30
IMAGE LINK: http://www.flickr.com/photos/mikeymack/8994243755/
25600 ISO test (EXPLORED) by Mikey Mack, on Flickr


text:
Let $G$ be a simple algebraic group over an algebraically closed field $k$ of characteristic $p>0$. For $x\in G$, let $C_{G}(x)$ denote the centraliser, considered as a group scheme over $k$. If $p$ is a very good prime for $G$ it is known that $C_{G}(x)$ is smooth (over $ $$k$). Assume that $p$ is not very good for $G$.
Is there a general description of the elements $x\in G$ for which the centraliser $C_{G}(x)$ is not smooth?
It does not seem too difficult to do this via a direct case by case check, so I'm mainly asking whether there is a uniform argument and whether there are any relevant references.
Let $\mathfrak{c}_{\mathfrak{g}}(x)$ denote the centraliser in the Lie algebra $\mathfrak{g}$ of $G$. We have $\dim C_{G}(x)=\dim\mathfrak{c}_{\mathfrak{g}}(x)$ if $C_{G}(x)$ is smooth.
In the cases where $C_{G}(x)$ is not smooth, are the values $\dim\mathfrak{c}_{\mathfrak{g}}(x)-\dim C_{G}(x)$ known?
The second question is related to Problem 12 of Steinberg's 1966 ICM contribution, which asks for a proof of the statement that $\mathfrak{c}_{\mathfrak{g}}(x)$ is always the sum of the Lie algebra of $C_{G}(x)$ and the centre of $\mathfrak{g}$. Steinberg's problem is mentioned in Humphreys's book Conjugacy classes in semisimple algebraic groups (1.10) but there is no indication as to whether Steinberg's problem has been solved or not.


text:
James T. Kirk called space the final frontier for good reason. Who knows what awaits there, what resources exist, what little scientific nuggets lie waiting in a distant galaxy, what discoveries are yet to be made. Planetary Resources, a Seattle-based group of earthlings, is making strides to see just what space has in store. Their mission: to bring "the natural resources of space within humanity's economic sphere of influence." What does this mean? They're finding ways to mine asteroids for valuable resources. And 3D Systems is strapping in for the ride, ready to boldly go…
As of last week, 3D Systems became a proud member of Planetary Resources' core group of investors and a major collaborator in developing and manufacturing components of Planetary's ARKYD Series spacecraft. The ARKYD spacecraft series, comprised of three spacecraft, will provide progressively advanced asteroid monitoring, discovery, measurement and resource assessment in near-earth or deep space scenarios.
[via planetaryresources.com]
Notably, ARKYD 100 Space Telescope is the first public space telescope and represents the steppingstone upon which Planetary will develop progressively advanced asteroid exploration spacecraft. In fact, Planetary just capped off a successful Kickstarter campaign that garnered over 17,000 backers and accumulated over $1.5 million.
Of course, 3D systems is thrilled to play a part by transforming what has always been, in the words of CEO Avi Reichental, "an old-style, labor-intensive process, into something very scalable and affordable that will democratize access to space." And access to space can make a big difference down the line: vast new resource supplies and reduced impact of mining on Earth. Maybe even strange new worlds, new life and new civilizations.


text:
The Explorers Club has been extended by two weeks. Tickets are on sale through Aug. 4. The play opened Off-Broadway June 20 following previews that began May 28.
The cast includes Tony nominee Jennifer Westfeldt ("Kissing Jessica Stein," Wonderful Town), Tony nominee John McMartin (Grey Gardens, Follies), Lorenzo Pisoni (Equus, Humor Abuse), Brian Avers (Rock 'n' Roll), Max Baker (Cyrano DeBergerac), Steven Boyer (Gentlemen Prefer Blondes), Arnie Burton (Peter and the Starcatcher), Carson Elrod (All in the Timing) and David Furr (The Importance of Being Earnest).
Here's how it's billed: "London, 1879. The prestigious Explorers Club is in crisis: their acting president (Pisoni) wants to admit a woman (Westfeldt), and their bartender is terrible. True, this female candidate is brilliant, beautiful, and has discovered a legendary Lost City, but the decision to let in a woman could shake the very foundation of the British Empire, and how do you make such a decision without a decent drink? Grab your safety goggles for some very mad science involving deadly cobras, irate Irishmen and the occasional airship."
Marc Bruni, who directed the recent Encores! concerts of Rodgers and Hammerstein's Pipe Dream and Harold Rome's Fanny, as well as Off-Broadway's Ordinary Days and Old Jews Telling Jokes, stages the comedy.
The creative team includes Tony winner Donyale Werle (scenic design), Anita Yavich (costume design), Philip S. Rosenberg (lighting design), Tony winner Darron L West (sound design), Tony nominee Laurence O'Keefe (original music), Tom Watson (hair and wig design) and Angelina Avallone (makeup design). Click here to read Playbill.com's interview with Jennifer Westfeldt.
The American premiere of Tarell Alvin McCraney's Choir Boy, a play with gospel music, has been extended by two weeks. Performances will also run through Aug. 4.
Choir Boy opened July 2 following previews that began June 18.
Trip Cullman (Assistance; Murder Ballad; Lonely, I'm Not) directs a cast that includes Nicholas L. Ashe (The Lion King), Kyle Beltran (In The Heights), Tony Award winner Chuck Cooper (The Piano Lesson), Grantham Coleman (As You Like It), Austin Pendleton (Ivanov), Jeremy Pope (Little Shop of Horrors) and Wallace Smith (American Idiot).
Here's how MTC bills the play: "The Charles R. Drew Prep School for Boys is dedicated to the creation of strong, ethical black men. Pharus (Jeremy Pope) wants nothing more than to take his rightful place as leader of the school's legendary gospel choir. Can he find his way inside the hallowed halls of this institution if he sings in his own key?"
The production team includes David Zinn (scenic and costume design), Peter Kaczorowski (lighting design), Fitz Patton (sound design) and Jason Michael Webb (music director).
Tickets are available via CityTix at (212) 581-1212, at nycitycenter.org, and at the New York City Center Box Office, 131 W. 55th Street.


text:
Changed your mind? Decided not to comment right now?
Return to Spirit Guide Workshop - May & June 2013 in England .
Join in and write your own page! It's easy to do. How? Simply click here to return to Create Your Event Here.
Spread the word, share this page and support this website by leaving a donation if you happen to enjoy what you find here.
Become A Sponsor
Your token of appreciation keeps me going and motivates me in turn to share with you more of the secrets on how to become a successful, happy and accomplished human being.
Thank you,
And join the Lucid Mind Center Facebook Community
Most Read Pages:
Become A Sponsor
About Me
Hi and welcome. I'm Judith, the creator of this Web Site.
My passion is the mind, to be exact, the happy, awake and joyful mind.
This Web Site is the result of my dream to work from home and be my own boss. Read on


text:
POP Peeper: Email Notifier
POP Peeper is an email notifier that runs in your Windows taskbar and alerts you when you have new email on any of your accounts. Send email directly from POP Peeper with spell checking and use the address book to email your frequently used contacts. A powerful AntiJunk system will clean up your inbox so you won't be distracted by new email only to discover that it's spam. POP Peeper allows you to view messages using HTML or you can choose to safely view all messages in rich or plain text. POP Peeper can be run from a portable device and can be password protected. Many notification options are available to indicate when new email has arrived, such as sound alerts (configurable for each account), skinnable popup notifier, voice notification and more. POP Peeper also implements standard security measures including SSL/TLS and OAuth2 (Gmail, Yahoo, Outlook).
Email Notification Options
- Sound notifications: single sound for any new mail, or a customized sound for each account
- Tray icon notification that display the color and number of new messages for each account
- Flashing scroll-lock or num-lock LED
- Windows popup indicating which account(s) received new email
- BalloonTip displays the subject and sender of the last email message received
- Automatically open POP Peeper or launch your email client when new email is received
- Skin Notifier (optional download)
- ScreenSaver (optional download)
- Chime can repeat a sound until acknowledged and\or launch another program when new mail arrives (optional download)
- Snarl notification system plugin (optional download)
- Voice Notification announces the subject and sender of your new messages (Plus Pack)
Premium options
POP Peeper Pro is a premium version that has all of POP Peeper's core functionality and adds advanced features such as AntiJunk, Spell Checking and integrates Web of Trust to help increase security.
The POP Peeper Plus Pack is a premium add-on that can be used with the Free or Pro versions of POP Peeper and adds capabilities such as Voice Notification, RSS, Sent Mail Viewer and access to folders other than your inbox.
POP Peeper Comparison
|Plus Pack
|IMAP (with push notification)
|Send with SMTP or Webmail
|SSL/TLS encryption
|OAuth2 (Gmail, Yahoo, Outlook)
|View, delete, print, compose email
|Safe message viewing
|Notification plugins
|AntiJunk with rules
|Spell checker
|Profile picture
|Move messages
|Web of Trust integration
|Sent Mail Viewer
|Access remote folders
|Voice notification
|Commercial use


text:
Call him Monsignor Jim.
In a rare honor for a diocesan priest, Pope Benedict XVI approved the investiture of the Rev. James Koenigsfeld of St. Columba Catholic Church as chaplain to His Holiness or papal chamberlain, which carries with it the title of monsignor.
Everywhere hes gone, hes left a mark, said Bishop Fernando Isern of the Pueblo Diocese, who conducted the ceremony Monday before a standing-room-only crowd of almost 500. Especially in this Year of Faith (which began in October to commemorate the 50th anniversary of the opening of Vatican II), the church is looking for examples of fidelity.
Koenigsfeld, 70, who is known for his humility and self-deprecating humor, explained the title in last Sundays church bulletin. There are three degrees of monsignor:
The lowest level is chaplain to His Holiness, which entitles the designee to wear a black cassock with purple trim.
The next level is domestic prelate, also known as prelate of honor, who wears a black cassock with red buttons and trim.
The third level is protonotary apostolic, who wears a silk cape over the cassock.
Koenigsfeld told parishioners he burst out laughing when Isern told him about the honor because he thought it was a joke. He was quick to tell them what being named a monsignor means.
None of these titles make any difference in a persons authority, dignity or salary, he wrote. The titles are purely titles of recognition for a job well done. God knows in my case, a lot has to be overlooked in my style of pastoring in order to say good job, well done. But God is merciful, believe me.
His parishioners are the first to disagree about Koenigsfelds pastoring.
Lisa Schwantes was struck by the music Koenigsfeld chose to have the choir sing at the investiture.
I will choose Christ, I will choose love, I choose to serve, she quoted. That is so Father Jim.
Charlie DiFerdinando agreed.
Hes the fourth priest weve had with the title, he said, but hes had way more parishioners, and hes had to do it all by himself. The others all had assistants.
He noted that Koenigsfeld, who spends much of his free time hiking and camping in the mountains, even invites parishioners to join him on his outdoor adventures.
While Koenigsfeld is the fourth to hold the title monsignor in St. Columbas 131-year history, he is only the second to be honored while actually serving at St. Columba, and his ceremony of investiture at the church is the first ever. The other investiture, for the Rev. Joseph Segourn in 1947, took place in the cathedral in Denver. Koenigsfeld, who has served at parishes across Colorado for 44 years, requested his service be held at his parish.
Isern said only four or five priests out of 50 in his diocese hold the title of monsignor. One other priest in the diocese, the Rev. Jim King, who is the vicar general of the diocese and Iserns principal deputy, received the honor this year.
Isern spoke about a woman from Monte Vista, where Koenigsfeld served from 1975 to 1981, who still considers him her spiritual director 30 years later and drives to Durango for counsel.
And then there was the out-of-town reporter who happened into St. Columba for Mass and was struck by Koenigsfelds plea to parishioners to volunteer for a project to help the poor. Koenigsfeld invited people to come forward to sign up, and the reporter noted that Koenigsfelds name was first on the list.
Hes so enthusiastic and leads by example, Isern said. The reporter wrote a beautiful article about this priest servant-leader.


text:
Audience: Who am I making this for? Am I trying to make something that my audience feels more comfortable with, or something that feels more innovative and new?
|Some audiences are inherently hard to please and have to be
won over. Like hipsters, unless you're Wes Anderson.
Format: How will the audience experience this image/character/environment/etc.? Does the format affect the scope of what I can communicate?
|Fringe's mad scientist is a great character that probably wouldn't work in a video game.
Or in a stand-alone illustration. Internet images have a unique format problem also:
everybody sees them at a different size!
Purpose: What needs does this painting/character/environment need to fill? Are there special or arbitrary parameters from the publisher/art director/marketing/writers/technicians/etc. that need to be included?
|The house in UP had to function as an interior and exterior
environment, hold a storehouse of props, work as a vehicle,
and be something audiences came to care about as a symbol
for Carl's deceased wife.
Story (technically an extension of purpose): What role does this character/environment/etc. play in the property? What emotional chord do I want to strike with the viewer? Are there additional story/moodsetting things I could layer into the piece without distracting from the primary purpose/story?
|Jack Sparrow's costume design is great---an iconic "first read," with lots of
suggested history in the details, yet all of it supports his personality
and the core idea of his character.
Premise: Which of the many ways of expressing the above purpose and story will feel most fresh and interesting to my audience? Is there a way of integrating the publisher's/art director's/etc.'s parameters in a way that "feels right" or gives things an unexpected twist?
Let me reiterate what I said earlier but add something: If you can't answer all of the above questions, DON'T START PAINTING UNTIL YOU CAN. In fact, if you can't answer them in a way that makes you feel inspired about your illustration or whatever you're working on, I'd recommend that you either do some brainstorming or start over with a drawing that inspires some of these things!


text:
Hi, I'm a 5.0 male looking for players for practice hitting and matches. Please contact me if you're interested (male or female). Thanks.
Views: 570
Replies to This Discussion
I'm moving to Houston in a couple of weeks and would be interested. I will be in the Clear Lake area.
Thanks, Chris. Looking forward to it. Send me an email at [edit: please share private info via PM or Friend Request] and we'll set something up after you come to town.
Hey Chris
I live in Webster, TX, pretty close to you, when do you move here? How can I contact you?
I am here now. Email me at firstname.lastname@example.com and we can set something up
Hi Benjamin, I'm on the westside of Houston. Let me know when you can hit. Hit me up at: [edit: please share private info via PM or Friend Request]
Thanks, Dennis. I'll shoot you an email and hopefully we can set something up.
Hey Benjamin - Interested in finding a regular hitting partner as well. Shoot me an email at [edit]. Hopefully, be able to get out on the court soon.
Will do.
Hi Ben,
Ive been looking for a hitting partner.I live in southwest Houston (Sugar Land). Please text me if your interested. 281 943 4161 . Thanks
Hey, if u wanna hit, I live in Tomball area near Willowbrook mall. I think I'm 3.0, but constantly improving.
where do you live? i live near the galleria. fairly new to houston and would love to get hitting again
© 2020 Created by Mark / The Mayor. Powered by


text:
Safety of multiple parallel allergen injections in specific immunotherapy
Suche in Medline nach
|22. Juli 2009
Background: Sensitization against a multitude of different allergens is a common problem in the treatment of allergies with specific immunotherapy (SIT). The aim of this retrospective study was to investigate the risk of simultaneous administration of two or more allergens during SIT with a conventional or Cluster regimen.
Methods: The data of 158 patients receiving different forms of SIT between 2002 and 2007 were evaluated and local (LR) and systemic reactions (SR) were compared.
Results: Patients received a total number of 3178 injections during dose-increase and 4102 injections during maintenance phase. The rate of LR increased during dose-increase phase with rising number of parallel injections (for 1A 0.7%, for 2A 1.5% and for 3A 4.9%). The rate of SR during dose-increase phase was also higher with patients who received simultaneous allergen injections. The increment was however not significant with conventional (for 1A 0%, for 2A 0.3% and for 3A 0.7%) or Cluster therapy (for 1 A 0.3%, for 2A 0.5% and for 3A 0.4%). No increment of SR with rising numbers of parallel allergen injections did occur during maintenance phase (for 1A 0.3%, for 2A 0.1% and for 3A 0.1%).
Conclusion: The results of the present study indicate that a higher rate of local and systemic reactions must be considered during dose-increase phase independent of the kind of induction regime used. Adverse events with 2 different allergen extracts however seem tolerable compared to other safety studies. After reaching maintenance phase there does not seem to be a higher risk of experiencing a SR with parallel allergen injections.


text:
Center for Earth Systems Engineering and Management
A collection of scholarly work published by and supporting the Center for Earth Systems Engineering and Management (CESEM) at Arizona State University.
CESEM focuses on "earth systems engineering and management," providing a basis for understanding, designing, and managing the complex integrated built/human/natural systems that increasingly characterize our planet.
Works in this collection are particularly important in linking engineering, technology, and sustainability, and are increasingly intertwined with the work of ASU's Global Institute of Sustainability (GIOS).
- Chester, Mikhail
- Kimball, Mindy
- Nahlik, Matthew
- Francis, Nick
- Bosfield, Roberta
- 1 Celoza, Amelia
- 1 Christian, Keith
- 1 Flores, Gilbert
- 1 Fraser, Andrew
- more
- 1 Furcini, Ryan
- 1 Garikapati, Madhav
- 1 Johnson, Sam
- 1 Kaehr, Andrew
- 1 Prado, Valentina
- 1 Rostain, Drew
- 1 Xu, Minghao
- 1 Yu, Andy
- 1 Public
- Urban
- 1 Land Use
- 1 Transportation
- Quantifying Vehicle Waste Heat: A Case Study of Phoenix, Arizona
- First-last mile environmental life-cycle assessment of multimodal transit in Los Angeles
- Toward Adaptive Infrastructure: Flexibility and Agility in a Non-stationarity Age
- Heat Exposure and Transit Use: Travel Behavior and Infrastructure
- Methodology for Estimating Generating Capacity Losses in Thermoelectric Power Facilities with Recirculating Cooling Systems under Climate Change
This report is the consolidated work of an interdisciplinary course project in CEE494/598, CON598, and SOS598, Urban Infrastructure Anatomy and Sustainable Development. In Fall 2012, the course at Arizona State University used sustainability research frameworks and life-cycle assessment methods to evaluate the comprehensive benefits and costs when transit-oriented development is infilled along the proposed light rail transit line expansion. In each case, and in every variation of possible future scenarios, there were distinct life-cycle benefits from both developing in more dense urban structures and reducing automobile travel in the process. Results from the report are superseded by our publication in …
- Contributors
- Chester, Mikhail, Bosfield, Roberta, Celoza, Amelia, et al.
- Created Date
- 2012-12


text:
If you have experience in designing, building or operating high performance buildings, you are invited to take part in the Sustainable Building Challenge process. SBE Challenge is a continuation of the Green Building Challenge process that began in 1996 and that has engaged over 75 teams in project assessments, displayed at GBC'98, SB2000, SB02, SB05, SB08, SB11 and SB2014 conferences.
The SBE Challenge process results in the selection of a broad range of high-performance buildings around the world, assessed by the proponents and then presented with key performance indicators and discussed at World Sustainable Building Conferences. The last of these was in Barcelona in 2014.
Parallel sessions at WSBE17 in Hong Kong will include two 90-minute workshops focused on Building Performance Evaluation (BPE). The sessions are sponsored by iiSBE and will take place on 6 June (Session 42) and Session 84 (7 June).
Building Performance Evaluation compares performance in key aspects (e.g. energy, emissions, water, IEQ, cost) that was predicted at the design stage through simulations and other predictive methods and tools, with the actual performance as assessed during the operation of the building, after at least two years of operation.
Research and professional teams from several countries will present, analyze and discuss their own approaches to BPE in the session, supported by case studies where possible.
Such building performance evaluations are extremely useful to all major actors in the industry who want to have a better understanding of the gap in performance between design and operations.
The Canadian iiSBE team has previously undertaken this type of building performance evaluation, and presented the results of the evaluation of nine Canadian case studies at the 2014 WSB Conference in Barcelona. The results were of considerable interest and utility to the Canadian industry, and we anticipate that many other research-oriented teams may find their results to be of equal value in their own regions.
Those teams wishing to participate may make use of the protocol developed by the Canadian iiSBE team, or can use their own, as long as it provides reliable and objective results. The results should be presentable both in poster and oral presentation formats.
For more details and a Session Participation Form, please contact Nils Larsson at .


text:
If you like to garden and particularly if you use plant spacing systems such as Square Foot Gardening or Hexagonal Plant Spacing you may be interested in creating a plastic seed spacer using a 3D printer.
3D Printing enthusiast shop and weblog Proto Paradigm offers many free designs (things) for many gardening accessories atThingiverse, a depository of free 3D printer designs, including hanging garden trellis netting clips, slug traps, a watering spout for a 2-liter soda bottle, and a small garden hand rake.
If you don't have a 3D printer of your own you can try to find a local <a href="http://lifehacker.com/5912598/how-to-find-and-get-involved-with-a-hackerspace-in-your-community"hackerspace or college lab who might be willing to let you use their 3D printer for a small fee.
What to do with a 3D printer: Make garden tools | Proto Paradigm


text:
Toshiba to Make Lytro-like Cameras for Smartphones
Toshiba to Make Lytro-like Cameras for Smartphones
According to the Asahi Shimbun, Toshiba is developing a light-field camera for use in smartphones and tablets. Like the light-field image sensor found in the Lytro camera, Toshiba's camera will allow photographers to change the focal point in an image after it's been shot. Unlike the larger Lytro camera however, Toshiba's camera only measures about 1 centimeter per side.
The cube-shaped module contains a dense array of 500,000 lenses in front of a sensor measuring 5 by 7mm. Light-field cameras have been in development since the 1990s, but early cameras were massive. Lytro created the first mass-market, compact-sized light-field camera, but that camera shipped with some limitations as detailed in our Lytro review: The light-field images are saved to a proprietary format, each image weighing in at about 16MB. When exported to more manageable JPEGs, the images are a tiny 1MP.
It'll be interesting to see how Toshiba tackles the same challenges with its implementation. Toshiba plans to commercialize the camera by end of fiscal year 2013, so it'll be some time before we see it appear in the shops.
Source: Asahi Shimbun via The Verge.


text:
Polow Da Don Exposed? How Ushers "Make Love In This Club" Was A Pre Made Beat!
Some guy finds out how Usher's new smash single was created by a pre-made garageband CPU program. Credit to "Ghostface Killer Her" who found this. He wrote "Usher paid Thousands of dollars for a beat that was already created all Polow did was add a baseline". Some other guy uploaded the loops in garageband if your intersted you can download it at Garageband Loops. Download Them here http://www.mediafire.com/?nrzsxkunldz&IP=188.8.131.52
Please click the "Report" button below if the video on this page is not working properly.
Comments will only be displayed by verified emails. No Spamming or Racism.


text:
Supporting Theatre Since 1955
Theatre House is your one stop theatrical supply shop. We carry a full like of theatre supply, including props, gaffers tape, wigs, makeup, lighting, costumes and fabrics. Quick shipping from our Northern Kentucky location, right across the river from Cincinnati, means you get your items fast. Same day shipping on most items. We honor and accept purchase orders from school systems and businesses with established credit. Contact us for more information, email@example.com.


text:
"I participated in fundraising because I thought it would be a good way to get other people involved. Sharing my story made the experience more meaningful, memorable, and personal." - Undergrad, MN
Click a pic above to download and share
"I fundraised because I think the AFSP Out of the Darkness walks are a great way to help people recognize that suicide prevention is a necessity and so is showing support for the people that need it the most." - Grad Student, PA
Click a pic above to download and share
Click a pic above to download and share
"I decided to fundraise because I had never done it before. I am getting my master's degree in mental health counseling, so it is a cause that is important to me. I felt more connected to the walk because of my fundraising efforts." - Grad Student, IA
Click a pic above to download and share
"If I can help keep anyone from feeling the pain that losing my father caused me I will, so raising awareness and helping with prevention is always something I'm interested in. Sharing my story helped me realize that I'm not alone. It's unfortunate to connect with people over something so tragic, but feeling like nobody else could understand makes the grieving process so much more complicated." - Alumni, MO
View the Tips and Tools
*AFSP's latest data on suicide are taken from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) Data & Statistics Fatal Injury Report for 2015.


text:
AdministratorsAdministrators are Assassin's Creed Wiki editors who have been trusted with access to restricted technical features (tools) and the ability to protect and delete pages, as well as block other editors. Please note that they do not "own" the wiki in any way and are equal to other editors in terms of responsibility for the wiki's upkeep. Please refer to Assassin's Creed Wiki:Administrators for more information.
An asterisk (*) indicates that this administrator is also a bureaucrat.
A plus-minus (±) indicates that this Bureau member is the Dai of the Apprentice Initiative.
|Sol Pacificus*
The Bureau consists of this wiki's moderators, a team of editors who seek to improve the quality of regular articles, as well as maintain the quality of those given a Good and Featured status. While they are basically equal to other editors in terms of responsibility for the wiki's upkeep, they are especially trusted to keep the articles in good shape. For more information, refer to Assassin's Creed Wiki:Bureau.
Chat Moderators
|Jazmin Esfir
Bureaucrats - Administrators - Rollback - Custodians
-- Staff Panel --