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Chevrolet Volt Tax Credit Scandal
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Well folks yesterday GM dealer network hit a new low. According to a report GM dealers are selling their Volts to each other in order to claim the $7,500 tax credit for themselves and later on proceed with selling the same car to the end buyer as "used" who will no longer be able to apply for the credit because it was already used for the vehicle.
This is the full article.
Are GM Dealerships Gaming Chevy Volt Tax Credit?
I recently set out to determine how honest General Motors is being when it claims that demand for the Chevy Volt is exceeding supply. It was not hard to discover that this is not the case as retail sales remain dismal. A web search on vehicle locator sites such as Autotrader and Cars.com exhibit sufficient supply of the Volt, one dealership within 70 miles of my location had six new Volts available for sale.
Even Ebay lists vehicles, many had no bids and one listing in Texas hadn't even met reserve with only one day of bidding time remaining. But I discovered something far more disturbing during my search. Many Volts with practically no miles on them are being sold as "used" vehicles, enabling the dealerships to benefit from the $7,500 credit supplied by the American taxpayers on each car. The process of titling the Volts technically makes the dealerships the first owners of the vehicles, which gives them the ability to claim the subsidies. The cars are then offered to retail customers as "used" vehicles.
The practice of dealerships purchasing from one another is not uncommon. "Dealer trades" are done all the time in the industry. What is very unusual is for the receiving dealership to be able to maximize profits at the expense of taxpayers by claiming tax credits of $7,500. It is also very rare for dealerships to part with any model that has higher demand than supply, as GM claims is the case with the Volt. In addition to qualifying dealerships for a $7,500 tax subsidy, the titling process also allows GM to record Volt sales even if the cars are sitting on dealership lots.
While most of the dealerships offering "used" Chevy Volts for sale are Chevy dealers, I also found other manufacturers selling Volts with low mileage as "used" cars. A Kia dealership in California that I contacted seemed to suspect that they were doing something a bit underhanded when I called them to inquire about a "used" Volt for sale with only 30 miles on it. After I identified myself as being an associate with the National Legal and Policy Center, I was placed on hold. I was then told by a sales manager that the Volts offered at that dealership were rental cars with higher mileage on them. I later called the same dealership back posing as a potential customer and confirmed that a "used" Volt with only 30 miles on it was available. This also raises the question of why GM or Chevy dealerships would be selling Volts to other manufacturers' dealerships when they claim that there are not enough of the cars to meet retail demand.
A Chevy dealer in Chicago was more upfront with the info given on a "used" Chevy Volt with only 10 miles on it. The vehicle was being offered at MSRP. When I asked if I was eligible for the $7500 tax credit, I was told that I probably wasn't since the dealership was applying for the subsidy. This practice is one of the more egregious abuses to date purloined upon taxpayers as a result of the GM bailout. The intent (even if misguided) of the $7500 tax credit offered on the Chevy Volt is to encourage consumers to buy "green" vehicles, not to offer an opportunity for dealerships to game the system and maximize profits at the expense of the taxpayers. I also suspect many purchasers of "used" Volts will attempt to claim the $7500 tax credit for themselves, thus bringing the total tax subsidy on such transactions to $15,000 if not disallowed by the IRS.
General Motors should act immediately to stop the practice of dealership to dealership sales enabling the pilfering of Chevy Volt tax credits. I would go one step further and say that IRS requirements for taking green vehicle tax credits should be changed to eliminate the credit for businesses. Clarification should also be given on whether companies like General Electric will be allowed to take millions of dollars in taxpayer subsidies when they purchase thousands of Chevy Volts. It certainly would not be unprecedented for Treasury to change IRS code; they have made more complex changes as recently as 2009 to allow GM to benefit from a $45 billion tax loss carry-over credit.
Dealerships taking tax credits that were designed to benefit consumers is unacceptable. The practice should be stopped immediately, regardless of the desire of GM and the Obama Administration to do everything in their power to support the appearance of strong Chevy Volt sales.
Thank you for posting that informative article. It is amazing what corporations will do to scam the tax payers of the USA. I hope some prosecutions come as a result of this scam. For the skeptics in the crowd, here is the link to the article.
http://nlpc.org/stories/2011/05/31/gm-admits-dealerships-are-taking-chevy-volt-t- ax-credits
fushigi Chicago suburbsPosts: 1,400This is a dealership issue, not a GM issue. I'm not sure what influence GM can leverage to stop the practice as technically nothing illegal is happening and dealerships trade/buy cars off each other even without the subsidies.
Perhaps the subsidy should be reworded to only allow it for individuals/households or, to allow small businesses to take part should they want to, simply put a limit of 1 subsidy/entity/year. I think that's reasonable.
I find it interesting, too, as while the buying dealerships may realize the short-term profit from the $7500, they still have to sell the car. They must be operating under the assumption that demand is sufficient that the car will sell at something close to MSRP even without the subsidy. Otherwise, if the car is a true sales dud, they may not make back their investment even after the $7500.2017 Infiniti QX60 (me), 2012 Hyundai Elantra (wife)
Well, GM *could* tell them that they'll lose their dealership franchise if they engage in that practice. However, I'm not sure it's their responsibility - except that it could damage their tenuous reputation. "GM took my tax dollars to bail them out of bankruptcy, and now they're taking it AGAIN." Regardless of the facts, it does not look good.
As with every tax regulation, if lawmakers (inadvertently) leave a loophole, you can guarantee that someone will leap through it.
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See I am not sure GM can do anything about it and i am not sure GM can revoke franchise rights. My understanding is that these franchise laws are very favorable to dealers in all states. They are a very powerful group because they employ a lot of people and their businesses generate big tax gains for local governments.
I would like to see GM at the very least verbally address this issue.
Yeah, even as I was writing, I wasn't entirely sure that they could do anything. But, if this ends up blowing up and tarnishing GM's reputation, the short-term benefit of the tax credit is going to be wiped away by the loss in sales (and probably dealerships). GM isn't in a position to take a big, negative PR hit right now.
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The worst part is the dealer who took the credit himself, and then did not take $7500 off the price.
Wouldn't that be construed as "tax fraud" because the tax credit was designed for the CONSUMER of the car. To "steal" the credit then not take that credit off the price seems like straight up TAX FRAUD.
imidazol97 Crossroads of America I70 & I75 Posts: 21,516I suspect the story as written is missing some facts. It seems couched in the omnipresent hatred of GM that ferments in forum after forum without check here and in other places, partly over the bailout money.
I suspect people would be better served looking at the money spent by the government folks on Fannie Mae and Freddy Mac. But I'll go along for a minute here.
The hatred here seems to be following up on the number of sales of the Volt. Those sales were limited to certain states and to my knowledge still are limited. I looked in lower Michigan so I could see a Volt when we go visit. None of the dealerships in the area showed a Volt.
I did find a used one in Columbus, Ohio. It is clearly described by the Chevy dealership as NOT for sale (sorry to bust your bubbles here). They got it from a dealer in California to have one for people locally to see.
As for a dealer purchasing a Volt solely to claim the $7500 tax credit, has that been documented?
Are we going to talk about the Prius subsidies from our own government by tax credits to purchasers for years? Even though the auto maker is not a US company? How is that different than the US government giving a tax credit for an electric-based vehicle if it happens to come from GM? Were any Prius' sold to other dealers who took the tax credit? We need a thorough investigation of this now.
I still suspect the motive behind this is the general attitude toward GM that keeps on going and going like the energizer bunny--which is electric too, just like the Volt.
2015 Cruze 2LT, 2014 Malibu 2LT, 2008 Cobalt 2LT
You may have a point. It seems that the tax credit on hybrids was for individuals. Where this one they made across the board. With GE purchasing a lot of them. If dealer A buys a car from dealer B and claims the tax credit he is buying at a very reasonable price. He can then sell for whatever the market will bear or use it in his business. Seems like it would be reasonable shuttle vehicle. Anyway you cut it there will be people unhappy to see their tax dollars go into the pockets of Corporate leaders.
fintail Posts: 42,979NLPC seems to be far from a high cred source
Other sources don't go for it
Or simply pick it apart
Good articles, fintail. Thanks for doing the research.
As I thought about it, I did wonder how such a scheme could sustain itself long-term. I mean, the only consumer who would buy a used Volt, with no tax credit, at close to MSRP would be a part of the "I must have it NOW" crowd - and there can't be an abundant supply of people who are so eager to get the vehicle that they're willing to forgo getting a new car (with full warranty and tax credit) just because they might have to be on a waiting list.
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Why would there need to be waiting lists tho? Want one? just go buy one...
590 available
I don't think the dealers "cared" if it would have been sustainable, really.
With tough times like today, getting away with 4 or 5 tax credit thefts would probably suit some of them just fine.
I hadn't checked inventory, but it's nice that there are plenty available. But even *if* there were a shortage, these shortages on new vehicles rarely last long.
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Pretty bad when you are buying your own vehicles you still only sell 481 in the month of May. It could be that dealers in states that did not get them are buying and offering at MSRP to people that think they are a great deal at any price.
First 5 months of 2011 Chevy has sold a total of 2184. Probably half to other dealers. Time to end the program and give US our $billions spent on R&D for the Volt.
Yet, the spin doctor paid shills and their coordinated attack on the internet forums have been plugging the Volt as a compplete success while the Nissan Leaf, which outsold it is supposedly a failure...
lemko Philadelphia, PAPosts: 15,294Never heard the Leaf being touted as a dismal failure. Just simply never heard anything about it good or bad.
2 words, "Range anxiety"... They'll flock to any picture of a Leaf that has run out of juice and flood the forums with it. Then follow it up with some comment about tow trucks or how those owners deserve it for their stupidity of buying one, or how they bought an inferior vehicle all the way up to when Nissan should cancel the thing all together because it's nothing more than a glorified golf cart...
But, as soon as the all electric Volt arrives, the concept will be raved about by these same people and "range anxiety" will be an just an exaggeration...
Btw, I am a member of C&G, GMI and a few other GM boards so I read this stuff alot.
elias Posts: 2,147Sounds to me like FUD from H8Rs.
Car shoppers know there is a 7500$ tax credit.
We will subtract it from our offering price or lease-payments no matter whether seller calls the Volt used or new.
over time, as the cars get more used, the buyers will pro-rate/subtract a lesser portion of the $7500 from their offers.
Chevy Volt Tax Credit Flap's A Flop
John O'Dell ferrets out the facts. "The column by a blogger for the National Legal and Policy Center was more about politics than fair play.
it would be illegal for a dealer who bought and registered a new Volt, collected the credit and then sold the car as a used vehicle to tell the new owner that he or she would get a tax credit. We've combed the Internet looking for complaints about that kind of nefarious behavior and haven't found one example yet. The tax code also says that tax credits for advanced technology cars like the Volt – as well as the Nissan Leaf and Tesla Roadster -- aren't to be claimed if the new-car buyer purchased the car just to resell it."
Steve, but the charge is not that they are selling it and telling the buyer that credit is still there. The charge is that they are abusing the taxpayer who gave the discount to buyers who want to be responsible in terms of energy consumption.
No laws are broken, but trust between dealerships and buyers has fallen to a new low.
Got a link? The take-away I got was that John O'Dell couldn't find any situations that matched that scenario. Easy charge to make but not so easy to prove. Be real surprised if we read any "rejected Volt tax credits" after the next tax season.
Be real surprised if we read any "rejected Volt tax credits" after the next tax season.
There were many on the hybrids. Anyone getting put in the AMT bracket was not allowed the tax credit. Same for the first time home buyer tax credit. So if the dealer takes the tax credit and then sells the car at a price less the credit. He has actually done the buyer a favor. I have hesitated to buy anything with a tax credit as about every other year we end up in that horrible AMT category. 29.3% of households in the $75k to $100k were subject to AMT last year. That is a lot of the people likely to buy a hybrid or EV.
When considering the economics of buying a hybrid car, a shopper's first best question has nothing to do with gas consumption, maintenance costs, or resale value. Surprisingly, the most important dollars-and-sense consideration is whether or not you pay the Alternative Minimum Tax (AMT). The answer to that question will determine if you qualify for the federal hybrid tax credit—a few hundred dollars or a couple of thousand dollars, depending on the vehicle purchased and when you buy it.
Unfortunately, many of the consumers most likely to buy a hybrid—prosperous but not ultra-wealthy families with kids and mortgages—are the most likely to pay the AMT. Therefore, a core group of hybrid shoppers will not receive the well-publicized tax credit. This loophole calls into question the federal government's ability and commitment to encouraging consumers to conserve energy by purchasing a hybrid.
That's not the same as the claim that dealers were taxing the credit for themselves and selling nearly new Volts to unsuspecting consumers.
Still no evidence of that eh?
I am a Certified Volt Salesman at a dealership in Indiana. We wanted a Volt sooner than GM was allotting us one. So we found a dealer in NY that was willing to sell one to us. NOw the one we bought was not a dealer trade but is was purchased like such. Meaning the dealer in NY did not want anything in return. Ofcourse we did not purchase it at the regular invoice minus credits. Since it was a dealer to dealer new vehicle transaction it is still a New vehicle and we did not claim any credit. It is sad to hear some of this is going on. All it does is hurt GM. The Volt is a fine vehicle with exceptional technology that far surpasses its competetors. The Leaf is having problems in terms of what they said was the EV range, what the EPA says is the EV range and what the public is actually getting which is lower than the EPA.
I would not be surprised if GM intervined and delayed some dealers alllocation that are practicing this credit game. As a saleman who is on the right of issues it is hard for me to support them since they were bailed out. I will say however the Volt was being designed well before the current administration. The Cruze is a great small compact car, the 2013 Malibu is sure to set fire, and the Volt is awesome technology. I hope GM does the right thing regarding this issue.
I agree it seems that way. It is dirty. But the MSRP is what the manufacturer suggests. The dealer is free to suggest a adjusted market price based on demand and availablility.
Claires Chicago areaPosts: 1,222A couple of people cast some serious doubt on the original blog entry here; seems like it may have been a little short on facts.
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I sold a Volt in a state that to this day has not recieved one directly from GM. We have people wanting the Volt but cant sell them one. The one I sold was purchased through a dealer to dealer trade system but we had to agree to buy it at MSRP which we did. Now that it is gone and so many people waiting I can understand a dealer buying one and selling it pre owned. The dealer want be able to attain the credit and neither will the customer. However as long as you tell the customer that then there is no issue. Most of them could care less.
Over 1400 available
robr2 BostonPosts: 8,862But Chevy has almost 2100 dealers so 1/3 of them would have none in stock if each had one.


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Dragon Wreckage Found
A meticulously restored and rare 1934 De Havilland DH84 Dragon with six aboard went missing Monday northwest of Brisbane, Australia, and its wreckage was found Wednesday in bushland near Mount Kandanga, with no survivors. Weather conditions at the time of the aircraft's afternoon flight, Monday, included low-level clouds. The restored aircraft was not equipped for instrument flight and two hours into the fatal flight, the Dragon's pilot, Des Porter, contacted air traffic controllers for help, saying he'd been flying up and down through clouds trying to establish his location, according to the HeraldSun.com. Rescue teams located the aircraft's wreckage with the aid of mobile phone technology by tracking a signal from a phone that was still operating, post-crash.
The aircraft's condition after the crash was very poor and "fundamentally destroyed," search chief Mike Barton told the CourierMail.com.au. Peaks in the area reach approximately 1200 feet, which may have been above cloud base on the day of the accident. The crash site is located in a remote wooded area. Witnesses reportedly saw the aircraft circling before it disappeared into thick clouds. At least one witness told authorities it appeared the aircraft was trying to find a place to land. Porter was in contact with a rescue helicopter prior to the crash. After being asked to switch to another frequency, he was not heard from again.

subset: commoncrawl


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All quotes tagged Assumed
(460 quotes found)
"I don't care if people hate my guts; I assume most of them do. The important question is whether they are in a position to do anything about it."
"Guys are simple... women are not simple and they always assume that men must be just as complicated as they are, only way more mysterious. The whole point is guys are not thinking much. They are just what they appear to be. Tragically."
"We simply assume that the way we see things is the way they really are or the way they should be. And our attitudes and behaviors grow out of these assumptions."
""The hardest thing in the world is to assume the mood of a warrior. It is of no use to be sad and complain and feel justified in doing so, believing that someone is always doing something it us. Nobody is doing anything to anybody, much less to a warrior.""
"In the present circumstances, no one can afford to assume that someone else will solve their problems. Every individual has a responsibility to help guide our global family in the right direction. Good wishes are not sufficient; we must become actively engaged."
"The Catholic and the Communist are alike in assuming that an opponent cannot be both honest and intelligent."
"I celebrate myself, and sing myself, And what I assume you shall assume, For every atom belonging to me as good belongs to you"


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Colin "Slice Harvester" Hagendorf finally finished his quest to eat at all the slice joints in Manhattan last week, and the Wall Street Journal has a nice profile of him up on its website.
I am in awe of Mr. Hagendorf and his quest. It is a hell of an achievement. How many times has someone joked about doing such a thing? Yet no one to my knowledge has ever actually gone and done it. As I said to the WSJ reporter, "A lot of the time I kick myself for not doing it first, but at the same time I'm glad I didn't have to endure it."
Colin tweeted yesterday that he'd be posting his final review today. Check out Slice Harvester for it. Update: Here it is.
And while you're there, take a spin through his Great Slice tag archive. Solid recs there.
Hats off to the Slice Harvester. It's bittersweet. It's inspiring to see him follow through on this insanity but sad that we'll no longer have his unique brand of pizza reviews to look forward to.
Hasta la pizza, Colin. Good show.


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Rangers, Angels to collide in heated-up rivalry
AL West powers raise stakes in head-to-head clash for AL West
By Alden Gonzalez / MLB.com
Following a highly competitive offseason, that has all changed.
The two clubs will embark on a season that could signal the start of a long-standing tug-of-war in the American League West.
The rivalry reached a fever pitch during the offseason, in the comfort of air-conditioned offices and through the art of savvy business. The Angels and new general manager Jerry Dipoto -- seeking a surge after back-to-back playoff absences -- struck gold on Dec. 8, spending nearly $330 million to sign the best hitter of this era, Albert Pujols, and steal former Rangers ace C.J. Wilson. Then came the Rangers -- eager to maintain their standing as back-to-back division and league champs -- committing more than $110 million to pluck the heralded Yu Darvish out of Japan.
A direct answer to the moves their AL West foes made? Maybe. But a team coming off two straight World Series appearances would never admit that.
"Our goal this offseason was to get better," Rangers GM Jon Daniels simply said. "We had a plan and we followed through with it. We know the Angels are a good organization with outstanding people. We were just focused on what we were trying to do."
And rightfully so, it's the Angels who feel they need to catch up.
For a while, the AL West belonged to them. They won the World Series in 2002, made five playoff appearances from 2004-09 and watched as the Rangers went 10 years without a postseason berth. But the past two seasons, the Angels went a combined 16-22 against the Rangers (including 7-12 in 2011) and finished 10 games behind them in the standings each season.
"Obviously, they've done very well for themselves," Dipoto said of the Rangers. "They're the two-time defending AL champs, and we understand that we're in a division that has the two-time defending best team in the American League. Our job is to go in there as a team and compete with that club, night in and night out, even on the days we're not playing them."
The Angels will get their shots, 19 times in all in 2012.
May 11-13 in Arlington
June 1-3 in Anaheim
July 20-22 in Anaheim
July 30-Aug. 2 in Arlington
Sept. 18-20 in Anaheim
Sept. 28-30 in Arlington, in the final series of the regular season
Who knows where the two clubs will stand by that point, but we can be almost certain that when that time comes, this rivalry will have given us everything we've anticipated.
Darvish vs. Pujols.
Wilson vs. his former team.
Mike Napoli vs. the team that basically gave up on him a year ago, only to see him re-emerge in Texas.
Prince Fielder vs. Jered Weaver? Hey, you never know.
"I think we're pretty even right now, I'd say," Angels center fielder Peter Bourjos said. "It's just a matter of going out and proving that we can go out and play with them. They've proven that they can beat them the last couple of years, and now we've got Pujols and C.J. Wilson. I think we just have to go out and prove that we're just as good as them."
It all will give the AL West more national intrigue than ever. There is no doubt plenty of Rangers-Angels matchups will make their way to national television.
"It's cool, man, because here in the West, we get left out, whether it's the Rangers or the Angels," Angels right fielder Torii Hunter said. "We kind of get left out because of the beasts of the East."
In releasing its partial schedule recently, ESPN announced the May 13 Rangers-Angels game will be its Sunday Night Baseball broadcast, and there should be plenty more where that came from.
Intrigue aside, though, skipper Ron Washington says the Rangers "aren't worried about the Angels," adding, "We're only worried about ourselves. We're only concerned with the Texas Rangers and being as good as we can be."
Just look at their lineup. Nelson Cruz (average of 28 homers and 80 RBIs the past three years) and Napoli (.320 average with a 1.046 OPS in 113 games last season) could make up the bottom third in a very potent batting order.
The Rangers ranked third in the Majors in runs scored last season, and there's no reason why that shouldn't continue, especially if they add Fielder to the mix.
The question comes with their pitching staff, with new closer Joe Nathan not far removed from Tommy John surgery, Neftali Feliz making the move from the ninth inning to the rotation, Darvish making the move from Japan to Texas, Colby Lewis and Derek Holland taking on bigger roles and Wilson now in SoCal.
By adding Wilson to a staff that already included Weaver, Dan Haren and Ervin Santana, the Angels can expect greatness from their rotation.
The issues they face boil down to two questions:
No. 1: Can Jordan Walden take the next step? In other words, can he improve on a 4.35 September ERA to help an Angels bullpen that was tied for the AL lead in blown saves last season?
No. 2: Is there enough protection for Pujols? With Hunter aging, Vernon Wells coming off a down year, Kendrys Morales having missed the past 1 1/2 seasons with a broken left ankle and Mark Trumbo -- recovering from a stress fracture in his right foot -- trying to learn third base, that's still up in the air.
But there's no question the Angels have the pieces to match up with the Rangers, and there should be little question that for the first time since the Washington Senators moved to Texas prior to the 1972 season, the Rangers and Angels actually have something going here.
Sure, these two teams have been close at the top before. But in 2004, when the Angels finished three games ahead of the Rangers, it was the Athletics they had to beat in the final weekend to get in the playoffs. In 1986, when the Angels finished five games ahead of Texas, the Rangers were a young team that overachieved. And in 1979, when the Angels won the division with a three-game lead over Kansas City and a five-game lead over Texas, the Rangers were playing catch-up for most of the second half.
Perhaps this season they'll have a race that resembles that of 1998. That year, the two were tied heading into the second-to-last series. Then the Rangers swept the Angels in Anaheim to put a stamp on the only true head-to-head divisional battle between them.
Since then, the two haven't really been on the same page -- until now. Now, they're seemingly on a collision course.
"The Angels are good," Washington admitted.
But, as Hunter said, "Just because we signed Albert Pujols and C.J. Wilson doesn't mean that we're the champs. [The Rangers] are the champs. We have to take the crown away."
Alden Gonzalez is a reporter for MLB.com. Read his columns and his blog, listen to his podcast and follow him on Twitter. T.R. Sullivan contributed to this report. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Baseball or its clubs.


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Hi....Shiny things rock, I'm easily distracted. I get bored easily. I can learn almosy anything in probably under 5 minutes O.o
And I'm insane. Like everyone else on this planet. At least I'm not alone.
I have A STORY, but its not here 'cause it's so hard to get stories on this site, and I have major editting problems.
Yeah.... o.o So, its at fanfiction.net. Same username when you search. ^.^
If someone would like to Beta, just drop me an e-mail or something.


text:
BERLIN- Wow is about the only word to describe Stephen Decatur's varsity boys' lacrosse team's dramatic triple-overtime 8-7 win over cross-town rival Worcester Prep on Wednesday in a game that included amazing shots, great saves, big hits and even a heavy downpour in the first quarter.
It's always special when the Seahawks and Mallards face off in lacrosse and the 2011 installment might have been the best ever. Ominous dark clouds gathered, as did a huge bi-partisan crowd as the two teams prepared to take the field after the girls' overtime classic. The skies opened up with windblown rain for much of the first quarter, but the sudden storm did little to dampen the action on the field.
Decatur drew first blood on a goal by Curtis Snyder off a beautiful assist on the crease to stake the Seahawks to an early 1-0 lead. Jeff Evans scored for Decatur to give the Seahawks a 2-0 lead with 2:50 remaining in the first quarter, which is how the period would end. Early in the second quarter, Snyder took a great pass on the crease for a Decatur man-down, fast break goal and a 3-0 lead with just over 10 minutes remaining in the period.
Just 12 seconds later, Worcester's Harrison Brennan won the ensuing face-off and ran right down the middle of the field to get the Mallards on the board and cut the lead to 3-1. Decatur's Johnny Moore scored at the 8:22 mark in the second to extend the lead to 4-1, but Worcester's Andrew Ternahan cranked a shot past the Seahawk keeper from the perimeter with 7:30 remaining in the second to cut the lead to 4-2.
Decatur's Erik Geiser came around from behind the Worcester goal and bounced a hard shot past Mallard keeper Austin Gerachis with 1:56 remaining in the second quarter to push the lead back to 5-2, which is how the first half would end.
In the third quarter, Andrew Ternahan took an assist from his brother Alex Ternahan on the wing and fired it home to cut the Decatur lead to 5-3. About three minutes later, Alex Ternahan fired a low, hard shot past Decatur keeper Brooks Gilbert to cut the lead to 5-4 with 7:19 remaining in the third quarter.
In a key stretch of the third quarter, Worcester goalie Austin Gerachis was called for a penalty deep in his own end and had to leave the field. Worcester quickly rushed attackman Jake Emche into the goal to serve out Gerachis' penalty as the Mallard coaches exhorted their defense to protect the out of position player. Decatur tried to seize the opportunity, first with a hard shot that hit a pipe, followed by another shot that sailed over the goal, and finally, a huge save by Emche to stop the threat.
With 1:23 left in the third, Alex Ternahah scored on a perfect shot from the crease to tie the game again at 5-5. Worcester took its first lead of the game just two minutes into the fourth quarter on a blistering shot into the upper left corner by Andrew Ternahan with 10:03 remaining. Decatur's Johnny Moore came right back a little over a minute later to tie the game again at 6-6 with 8:51 remaining.
Geiser put Decatur back on top at 7-6 with goal with 6:36 remaining in the game. Worcester came right back with a goal on a beautiful shot from the wing into the upper left corner by Billy Tyler with 3:05 remaining to tie the game at 7-7. Worcester controlled the ball for much of the remainder of the game, but could not convert on several scoring opportunities and regulation ended in a 7-7 tie.
Both teams had opportunities in the first overtime period, but the score remained tied at 7-7. In the second overtime period, Worcester's Brennan won the face-off and raced right down the middle but his shot was wide of the goal. Decatur got a great look at the goal late in the second overtime, but Gerachis made a huge save and the game went to triple overtime as nobody in the huge crowd was leaving despite the worsening weather.
Finally, in the third overtime, Decatur gained control of a loose ball and called timeout with 2:42 left. Johnny Moore raced down the right side, cut across the face of the Worcester goal and fired a shot into the corner for the dramatic 8-7 triple-overtime win.


text:
I thought I would inform those who are not aware. Microsoft has released a CTP of Visual Studio 10, among which contains Visual C++ 10.
What is so special about this, is that it is one of the first that contains a working implementation of some of the C++0x features. Namely they are lambda expressions, rvalue references, static_assert and the auto keyword. And more are coming.
It also contains some parallel implementations of some STL functions, such as for_each. The parallel implementations are designed for multi-core systems.
They have also improved MFC to support new APIs in Vista & Win7 (as well as the modern interface).
Another new thing for Visual Studio 10, or as I have heard is that they have improved debugging speed, among other things.
All in all, it is gearing up to be one very nice release!
The CTP is available for public download at http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/d...ng=en#filelist


text:
|Publication number
|Publication type
|Application number
|Publication date
|1 Jan 2008
|Filing date
|26 Sep 2003
|Priority date
|26 Sep 2003
|Fee status
|Also published as
|Publication number
|Rami Caspi, William J. Beyda
|Original Assignee
|Siemens Communications, Inc.
|Export Citation
|BiBTeX, EndNote, RefMan
|Patent Citations (64), Referenced by (29), Classifications (17), Legal Events (9)
|External Links: USPTO, USPTO Assignment, Espacenet
This application is related to commonly-assigned, co-pending application Ser. No. 10/672,439, titled, SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR PRESENCE-BASED AREA MONITORING; application Ser. No. 10/672,456, titled, SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR WEB-BASED PRESENCE PERIMETER RULE MONITORING; application Ser. No. 10/672,105, titled, SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR PRESENCE ALARMING; application Ser. No. 10/672,364, titled, SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR PRESENCE PERIMETER RULE DOWNLOADING; application Ser. No. 10/672,902, titled, SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR FAILSAFE PRESENCE MONITORING; application Ser. No. 10/672,641, titled, SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR GLOBAL POSITIONING SYSTEM (GPS) BASED PRESENCE; application Ser. No. 10/672,899, titled, SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR GLOBAL POSITIONING SYSTEM ENHANCED PRESENCE RULES; application Ser. No. 10/672,337, titled, SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR IN-BUILDING PRESENCE SYSTEM; application Ser. No. 10/672,367, titled, SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR ALTERNATIVE PRESENCE REPORTING SYSTEM; and application Ser. No. 10/672,057, titled, SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR CENTRALLY-HOSTED PRESENCE REPORTING, all filed concurrently on Sep. 28, 2003.
The present invention relates to telecommunications systems and, in particular, to an improved system and method for providing and maintaining presence information.
Presence systems, such as Instant Messaging systems, provide relatively basic information to network clients concerning the presence status of related users, such as those on the network clients' buddy lists. In typical operation, a presence status of each user is determined and that information is distributed to those who are watching the corresponding user.
Even in Internet Protocol (IP) telephone networks, presence status is typically determined using relatively basic presence indications. These include, for example, detection of whether the user is logged on, detection of keyboard activity, detection of whether a desk phone is in use or in a do-not-disturb mode, detection of Instant Messaging activity, or detection of a manual presence setting. Consequently, errors or inaccuracies in presence reporting are relatively common.
For example, suppose a user left the office for lunch and has manually changed his presence status to reflect this. He then returns, but forgets to change the status and then leaves on a business trip. People who check his status will be informed that he is still unavailable, i.e., out to lunch, when it may in fact be possible to reach him at an alternative location, such as a cell phone.
As such, there is a need for an improved system and method for accurately reporting a user's presence status. There is a further need for a system and method for tracking a user in a presence system.
These and other drawbacks in the prior art are overcome in large part by a system and method according to embodiments of the present invention.
A telecommunications system, according to an embodiment of the present invention includes a plurality of network clients including a positioning controller and a communications controller; and a positioning server including a coordinating controller for maintaining a database of network clients to be tracked and provide updates of position-related information to a presence server; wherein said plurality of network clients are configured to transmit position information received via said positioning controller to said positioning server via said communications controller, said positioning information including information related to a speed of movement.
A telecommunications device according to an embodiment of the present invention includes a positioning controller adapted to determine positioning information for said telecommunications device, said positioning information including device speed; a cellular telephone controller adapted to receive said positioning information from said positioning controller and cause said positioning information to be transmitted to an associated server; and a database controller for maintaining a database of position-presence correlation rules defining when said positioning information is to be transmitted.
A better understanding of these and other specific embodiments of the invention is obtained when the following detailed description is considered in conjunction with the following drawings.
System Overview and User Interface
Turning now to the drawings and, with particular attention to
The wireless communication network 1004 may be implemented as any of a variety of wireless telecommunications networks, such as a personal communication service (PCS) or cellular-type network, including dial-up cellular, or data cellular networks such as CDPD networks, SMS networks, WiFi networks, and the like. In other embodiments, the wireless communications network 1004 may be implemented as one or more two-way radio networks. The wireless communication network 1104 includes one or more network clients implemented as wireless devices 150, also referred to as remote devices. The wireless devices 150 may include positioning controllers 504 and communication controllers 502. As will be explained in greater detail below, the positioning controller 504 is configured to determine a position or location of the wireless device 150, such as by receiving global positioning network signals from one or more global positioning satellites 1006. It is noted, however, that any mechanism to locate the device within the desired degree of precision may be employed. As will be explained in greater detail below, the remote device 150 operates to receive location information from the positioning system and transmit location and/or presence updates to one or more users or servers using the communication controllers. The remote device 150 may likewise receive presence and/or program updates from the servers. In certain embodiments, the communication controllers 502 are cellular telephone controllers.
In certain embodiments of the present invention, the wireless network 1004 includes one or more positioning or remote servers 152. As will be explained in greater detail below, the remote server 152 may include a coordinating controller including a remote location control unit (RLCU) 162 and a remote presence control unit (RPCU) 164. The remote location control unit 162 may interact with an interface 166 to receive location signals from the remote users 150 and transmit updates, typically received from the enterprise network 1002, to the remote users 150. In certain embodiments, the interface 166 is implemented as a telephone dial-up interface. The remote presence control unit 164 may interact with an interface 168 for transmitting and receiving presence and/or location related updates to the enterprise server 104. Presence and/or location rules, such as user identification and correlation pairs, may be stored in database 107.
As noted above, in the embodiment illustrated, the telecommunications system 1000 of
The server 104 may include one or more controllers 101, which may be embodied as one or more microprocessors, and memory 103 for storing application programs and data. As will be explained in greater detail below, the server 104 may provide a variety of services to various associated client devices, including telephones, personal digital assistants, text messaging units, and the like. Further, according to embodiments of the present invention, the controllers 101 may implement an interactive suite of applications 112, including enterprise presence control units and enterprise location control units, as will be explained in greater detail below.
Also coupled to the LAN 102 is a gateway 116 which may be implemented as a gateway to a private branch exchange (PBX), the public switched telephone network (PSTN) 117, or any of a variety of other networks, such as a wireless, PCS, or cellular network. In addition, one or more local controllers such as LAN or IP telephones 120 a-120 n and one or more computers 122 a-122 n may be operably coupled to the LAN 102. A plurality of cellular telephone units 150 may also couple to the network, via gateway 116.
The computers 122 a-122 n may be personal computers implementing the Windows XP operating system and thus, running Windows Messenger client. In addition, the computers 122 a-122 n may include telephony and other multimedia messaging capabilities using, for example, peripheral cameras, microphones and speakers (not shown) or peripheral telephony handsets. In other embodiments, one or more of the computers may be implemented as wireless telephones, digital telephones, or personal digital assistants (PDAs). Thus, the figures are exemplary only. The computers may include one or more Pentium-type microprocessors, and storage for applications and other programs. The computers may further implement network interface devices 124 for presence control and network interaction and receiving signals for transmission over the network to the server 104.
In operation, a user may use one of the computers 122 to upload a set of one or more location-presence correlation rules to the enterprise presence server 104. The enterprise presence server 104 then maintains a database in memory 103 of presence users and their location rules. This information can then be provided when users' watch lists are updated, as will be explained in greater detail below. In turn, the enterprise server 104 can upload the rules to the remote location server 152. These, in turn, can be transmitted to the appropriate remote device 150, for example, via a dial-up operation. When the remote device 150 then receives location information from the GPS system 1006, it can contact the remote server 152 and transmit the corresponding location and/or presence information. The remote server 152 will then distribute the information to the appropriate local server 104, which will update the presence databases and watch lists for the various users.
Turning now to
According to the embodiment illustrated, the broker module 201 includes a basic services module 214, presence module 215, an advanced services module 216, and a toolkit module 218.
The basic services module 214 functions to implement, for example, phone support, PBX interfaces, call features and management, as well as Windows Messaging and RTC add-ins, when necessary. The phone support features allow maintenance of and access to buddy lists and provide presence status.
It is noted that the above are MS Windows related terminology, but this invention can work in any type of IP based network, such as IBM SameTime, SUN One and the like.
The advanced services module 216 implements functions such as multipoint control unit (MCU), recording, Interactive Voice Response (IVR), and the like. MCU functions are used for voice conferencing and support ad hoc and dynamic conference creation from a buddy list following the SIP conferencing model for ad hoc conferences. In certain embodiments, support for G.711 and G.723.1 codecs is provided. Further, in certain embodiments, the MCU can distribute media processing over multiple MC's (Multimedia Processors) servers using the MEGACO protocol.
Presence features 215 provide device context for both SIP registered devices and user-defined non-SIP devices. Various user contexts, such as In Meeting, On Vacation, In the Office, etc., can be provided for. In addition, voice, e-mail and instant messaging availability may be provided across the user's devices. The presence feature 215 enables real time call control using presence information, e.g., to choose a destination based on the presence of a user's devices. In addition, various components have a central repository for presence information and for changing and querying presence information. In addition, the presence module 215 provides a user interface for presenting the user with presence information.
The broker module 201 may include an interactive voice response (IVR) such as the ComResponse platform, available from Siemens Information and Communication Networks, Inc. ComResponse features include speech recognition, speech-to-text, and text-to-speech, and allow for creation of scripts for applications.
In addition, real time call control is provided by a SIP API 220 associated with the basic services module 214. That is, calls can be intercepted in progress and real time actions performed on them, including directing those calls to alternate destinations based on rules and or other stimuli. The SIP API 220 also provides call progress monitoring capabilities and for reporting status of such calls to interested applications. The SIP API 220 also provides for call control from the user interface.
According to the embodiment illustrated, the application modules 112 include a collaboration module 202, an interaction center module 204, a mobility module 206, an interworking services module 208, and a presence-location control module 114.
The collaboration module 202 allows for creation, modification or deletion of a collaboration session for a group of users. The collaboration module 202 may further allow for invoking a voice conference from any client. In addition, the collaboration module 202 can launch a multi-media conferencing package, such as the WebEx package. It is noted that the multi-media conferencing can be handled by other products.
The interaction center 204 provides a telephony interface for both subscribers and guests. Subscriber access functions include calendar access and voicemail and e-mail access. The calendar access allows the subscriber to accept, decline, or modify appointments, as well as block out particular times. The voicemail and e-mail access allows the subscriber to access and sort messages.
Similarly, the guest access feature allows the guest access to voicemail for leaving messages and calendar functions for scheduling, canceling, and modifying appointments with subscribers. Further, the guest access feature allows a guest user to access specific data meant for them, e.g., receiving e-mail and fax back, etc.
The mobility module 206 provides for message forwarding and "one number" access across media, and message "morphing" across media for the subscriber. Further, various applications can send notification messages to a variety of destinations, such as e-mails, instant messages, pagers, and the like. In addition, the subscriber can set rules that the mobility module 206 uses to define media handling, such as e-mail, voice and instant messaging handling. Such rules specify data and associated actions. For example, a rule could be defined to say "If I'm traveling, and I get a voicemail or e-mail marked Urgent, then page me."
The presence-location control module 114 may include database controller 223, a location control unit 217 and a location-presence control unit 219. As will be described in greater detail below, the database controller 223 operates to supervise network users, their location-presence rules, and their watch lists. The location control unit 217 may operate to receive location information from the remote server 152 or directly from users 150. The location-presence control unit 219 operates in conjunction with the presence unit 215 and the database controller 116 to receive and maintain the presence and/or location rules for the corresponding users.
As noted above, the computers 122 may include interfaces 124 for inputting inbound and outbound location-presence rules and presence information. Such rules define both the user's availability (presence) and a specific location associated with the availability. The user can also specify callers who are allowed particularized access to the user.
As shown in
As shown, example locations 3900 include Exact Address 1 (Office); Exact Address 2 (Home); On Campus; Within City (Radius 1); Outside City (Radius 2); and Within City (Traveling). "Exact addresses" allow the user to specify the exact address of a building or location and set a rule if the user is within a predetermined distance of the location. "On campus" allows the user to specify a rule if the user is on, e.g., the corporate campus. "Within city or outside radius 1" allows the user to specify a rule for when he is outside the campus or a specified building, but within a home city. "Outside city or outside radius 2" allows the user to set a rule for when he is outside the home city or a particular radius. "Within City (Traveling" allows a user to specify that he is within the radius, but may have limited availability.
Example availability 3902 includes Office Phone, E-mail, Instant Messaging, PDA wireless, Cell Phone, PCS cell phone, S49 cell phone, GSM S49 cell phone, and voicemail. The user's availability thus defines the medium to which the call is forwarded or otherwise handled. As can be appreciated, the availability can depend on the user's location. Further, the user may be available via more than one medium concurrently.
Exemplary caller lists 3904 include All Callers; Work Group; or Individual Callers. Using "All Callers," the user can specify rules that will be binding on everyone who calls. "Work Group" is representative of one or more specified lists of users; for example, Family could be another group. "Individual Callers" allow the user to specify a rule to apply on an individual basis to particular callers.
Finally, exemplary presence status 3906 includes At Lunch, At desk, Online, On vacation, In Car, and the like. The status can be set to be automatically updated when a user is at a particular location, or the user can manually set it, as will be explained in greater detail below.
Exemplary rules that can be set include:
In addition to user location, presence status rules may be based on the ability of GPS systems to track user speed. For example, in certain embodiments, the system can detect that the user is traveling at a predetermined speed and then update his presence status and availability to indicate, for example, that his status is "In Car" and that his availability is "car phone", "cell phone," "not available," or the like.
For example, as shown in
For example, as shown in
As can be appreciated, the map of the interface of
As shown in
In addition to setting location rules, the user can set associated status rules, as shown in
Turning now to
In certain embodiments, the rules database 402 stores location-presence rule pairs for registered users and is accessible by the presence control unit 164 and location control unit 162. Similarly, in certain embodiments, the presence-location database 404 receives the actual location information and correlates it with the appropriate rules in the rules database 402. In other embodiments, the remote location server 152 maintains a database only of remote users and their associated enterprises. The location and/or presence information received from the remote users is then transmitted to the enterprise server 104.
The wireless interface 166 allows the server 152 to communicate over the wireless network 1004 (
The message generator 160 and network interface 168 allow communication with the enterprise server 104. More particularly, the message generator 160 may be embodied as an e-mail message generator for formatting presence and/or location information into an e-mail for transmission to designated enterprise users. Similarly, the message generator 160 can be used to unformat or read received messages. In other embodiments, the message generator may implement text messaging, such as Instant Messaging or SMS messaging.
In operation, as will be explained in greater detail below, the remote positioning server 152 can receive messages from the enterprise presence server 104 via the network interface 168 and in a format readable by the message generator 160. These messages can include rules and presence updates from enterprise users 122. Presence updates can be stored by the presence control unit 164 in presence-location database 404. Rules updates can be stored by the presence control unit 164 in the rules database 402. Presence and/or rules updates can then be transmitted by the presence control unit 164 to remote users 150 using the wireless interface 166.
Similarly, location updates from remote users 150 can be received by the location control unit 162 via the wireless interface 166. The location control unit 162 can then store the new location information in the presence-location database 404. The presence control unit 164 can then transmit the new location and/or presence information to the enterprise server 104 using the message generator 160, as discussed above.
It is noted that, in certain embodiments, the enterprise server and the remote server may be the same unit and provided with dial in capability from the remote devices. Thus, the figures are exemplary only.
Turning now to
Turning now to
Turning now to
In the embodiments discussed above, the location and/or presence information is provided to the enterprise via a remote server 152. The remote server can be provided by a cellular service provider, for example. Each enterprise can be associated with a toll free number at the remote server and transmits the positioning data by calling this number. The remote server then uses its message generator to generate, for example, an e-mail message to the enterprise server. It is noted that, in other embodiments, the generated message could be a text message such as an IM message or an SMS message. Alternatively, the enterprise server could also be equipped with a dedicated phone line for receiving the information.
This is generally illustrated with reference to the flowchart of
In the alternative, as shown in
Service Provider Central Server
As noted above, according to embodiments of the present invention, the various of the presence and location server functions may be provided by either the enterprise or the service provider.
For example, as shown in
In operation, when the remote device 150 has a presence status update to transmit to an enterprise client, the remote device 150 dials in to the toll-free number and transmits the information to the server 900. The control unit 161 then accesses the rules database 402 and the presence message generator 160 generates a message 902 to the enterprise containing the status update. The message may be in a variety of formats. For example, the message may be in an e-mail format, or a text massage format such as an SMS format, an IM format, and the like. The status e-mail may be directed to either a particular network client 122 or to the enterprise server 104. If it is directed to a particular network client, the enterprise server or the gateway will simply forward the message to the one or more network clients. Otherwise, the message may be directed to the enterprise server; the enterprise server can then read the message and use the information to update watch lists and presence status, etc.
As noted above, the enterprise and the remote server can share various of the presence-location responsibilities. For example, in one embodiment, the remote server 900 can handle all location presence functions. In this case, the database 402 includes not only party rules, but also the presence status; this information is transmitted in the e-mail updates to the enterprise site. Alternatively, the remote server 900 could merely form a conduit for location information and send location updates to the enterprise according to the rules database. The enterprise server then updates the presence information.
Similarly, the enterprise client computer 122 may also compose a message such as an e-mail message including, for example, program updates or rule updates for transmission to the remote server 900. The update can be either in the body of the e-mail or as an attachment. The e-mail message is received at the remote server 900. The remote server 900 then identifies the sender and recipient; and reads the e-mail. If the e-mail contains a rules update, then the database 402 is updated. The remote device may also be called via the interface 166 and the update uploaded to the device. A program update is handled similarly.
Turning now to
In the embodiment illustrated, a subject line 1004 identifies the message as a presence update message. The body of the message can include party status 1006 and recipients 1008. Alternatively, the TO: line can identify the parties who shall receive the update.
Turning now to
Interfacing to the Remote Device
As discussed above, according to embodiments of the present invention, presence-position and software updates may be transmitted to and from the remote device via a cellular telephone dial-up. That is, to report changes in position, the remote device 150 may dial a toll free number associated with either the remote or enterprise server and using a modem (or similar device on a digital channel), transmit the position information on the voice channel. However, other cellular data technologies may be used. In other embodiments of the invention, any radio data network may be used, such as the cellular control channel (e.g., using SMS or CDPD technologies);
Shown are a remote device 150 and a server 152. Also shown are a wireless network 1302, an SMSC 1300, and Internet/intranet 1304. As will be explained in greater detail below, the remote device 150 receives positioning signals (not shown) from a positioning network and transmits them via the wireless network 1302 to the SMSC 1300. The SMSC 1300 then transmits the message over Internet/Intranet 1304 to the server 152.
In the embodiment illustrated, the remote device 150 includes GPS receiver 504, cellular transceiver 502, and a data interface 159, such as an e-mail or text messaging interface. As illustrated, the interface is particularly SMS control unit 159. Similarly, remote server 152 includes interface 166, which is an interface for receiving the SMS messages via Internet/intranet 1304. Similarly, the remote server 152 can send updates to the remote device 150 as SMS messages.
Exemplary SMS messages are shown in
Operation of an embodiment of the present invention is shown with reference to the signaling diagram of
At 1504, the remote device 150 receives one or more position signals, i.e., GPS position signals. The SMS controller 159 receives position and/or presence signals from the GPS receiver 156, and converts them into the proper SMS message format at 1506, as discussed, for example, with reference to
Transmission of updates to the remote device 150 is shown at 1502. At 1514, the enterprise server 104 receives one or more program updates or location rule updates from the network client (
Remote Device Based Compare
As noted above, the remote device 150 may itself receive rules updates from network clients via the remote server 152. In certain embodiments, the remote device 150 may also perform the location and/or presence compare operations. In such embodiments, the remote device 150 may then need to signal the remote server 152 only when a change in status occurs, such as the remote unit leaving a location defined by a perimeter, boundary, range, or presence rule defined by the user.
Remote device based compare units are shown schematically with reference to
As noted above, either the location or presence may trigger an update signal to the remote server.
At a step 1704, the remote device 150 begins to monitor its current location, such as by receiving global positioning signals. At a step 1706, the remote device 150's location rule compare unit 508 will compare the received location to the corresponding location rule stored in the database 506. If there is not change, as determined in a step 1708, then the remote device 150 will simply continue to monitor the location. If, however, there is a location change, then different actions may occur, depending on the embodiment.
In one embodiment, in a step 1710, the location change is transmitted to the remote server or the enterprise server, which then process the information. Alternatively, in a step 1712, the location rule compare unit 508 can access the rules database 506 for the corresponding presence status rule and determine the current presence state. In certain embodiments, at a step 1716, the remote device 150 will then transmit the accessed current state to the remote or enterprise server. In other embodiments, in a step 1714, the location rules compare unit 508 will determine if there has been a change in the presence state. If so, then in a step 1718, this change, or the new presence state, will be transmitted to the remote or enterprise server. If there has been no state change, then the system continues to monitor location and presence at step 1704.
It is noted that in certain embodiments, the current location may be used to determine whether there has been a presence change, without making an explicit determination of whether there has been a location change. Thus, after step 1706, the system could proceed to step 1712, without an intervening step 1708.
Watchdog Timer
In certain embodiments of the present invention, either or both of the remote units and the server(s) may be provided with a watchdog timer to allow for confirmation the remote units are still running.
Shown in
In one embodiment, the remote unit 150's timer 1804 maintains a predetermined count; when the timer expires, the remote unit 150 sends a current location and/or presence or status change to the remote server 152. Thus, the remote unit 150 sends location and/or presence updates to the remote server 152 on a periodic basis.
In another embodiment, the remote server 152's timer 1802 maintains a count when a user device 150 is detected. Upon expiration of the timer, the server 152 sends a "here I am" signal to the remote user, requesting that it send a location and/or presence update; alternatively, the "here I am" signal could merely indicate that the remote unit 150 should send a response tick, until an actual location or presence change occurs, at which point the remote unit 150 sends the updates. Such timer tick signals may be sent, for example, on cellular control channels. If the remote server 152 does not receive a response to its timer tick, it can update the corresponding remote unit's presence status to "unknown" or "unavailable" or otherwise indicate that the remote user has not responded to the timer tick status request.
Loss of Signal
In certain embodiments of the present invention, it may be the case that a global positioning signal is not received when a user is inside a building. In such a case, the system according to embodiments of the present invention may determine that the user is in a building at an address associated with a position where the signal faded or was lost.
This is illustrated schematically in
It is noted that, while in some cases it may be desirable to update location and presence each time the signal is lost and regained, in other cases the location at which the signal is lost may be a subset of another position related to presence. This is illustrated in
For example, at position 2052 a, the user is within the area 2050 and hence in "Munich." At position 2052 b, the user may be within a building in Munich, where his GPS signal fails. The user's location, Munich, need not necessarily be changed to a more specific one (i.e., the specific address of the building), because the user is still within area 2050. Even when the user's GPS signal is restored at 2052 c, the location need not be updated. Only when the user leaves area 2052 d, e.g., to return home, would the location be updated.
A flowchart illustrating operation of such an embodiment of the present invention is shown in
As discussed above, embodiments of the present invention can be used to define a user presence status based on user speed. For example, a user speed of, say 15 miles per hour or greater can be associated with a presence status of "In car" and an availability of "cell phone." As can be appreciated, however, particularly when driving in large cities and when stopped at a light or in traffic, the user's speed may not be constantly above 15 miles per hour. Consequently, to prevent continuous toggling, a hysteresis time threshold can also be set and transferred to the remote device.
That is, in certain embodiments of the present invention, when a user is "In Car," the appropriate system component must determine that the user has been traveling at a speed below the threshold for a predetermined period prior to deciding that his presence status has changed.
For example,
It is noted that similar hysteresis timers/thresholds can be provided in association with any of the location-status rules. Such hysteresis timers may be particularly useful in situations in which the GPS signal has been lost due to the user entering a building. To prevent the toggling that would result if the user is, say, waiting at the entrance to the building, moving inside and outside GPS range, hysteresis timers may be provided.
This is illustrated more particularly with reference to the flowchart of
Third-Party Monitoring
According to an embodiment of the present invention, an improved third-party location monitoring device is provided. Briefly, in addition to providing the presence capabilities as described above, a remote device according to embodiments of the present invention may be affixed to an object, person, or pet, and set to trigger an alarm if it departs from a user-programmed range. A graphical user interface is provided for setting the range. Rules, presence, location and alarm updates may be transmitted in a manner similar to that discussed above, i.e., wirelessly and/or using e-mail or text messaging techniques.
One embodiment of a remote unit in accordance with the present invention is shown with reference to
Operation of this embodiment of the present invention is shown with reference to
A system for programming the remote unit 2-150 is shown in
In operation, the client computer 2-122 programs location and/or time-date boundaries, which are uploaded to the server 104/152 via modem 2602. The server 104/152 then "calls" the cellular phone number of the remote unit 2-150 and uploads the location parameters and can associate presence information, as well. In turn, the remote unit 2-150 periodically receives GPS signals and transmits the associated coordinates to the server 104/152, which can then send these to the client 2-122. Alternatively, the remote unit 2-150 itself can perform the location compares and transmit to the client 2-122 when it detects it is outside the defined boundaries.
It is noted that, in alternate embodiments, the client computer 2-122 could perform all server-related functions. Further, it is noted that the location alarm could be sent to any desired location, i.e., a user cellular telephone not directly associated with the client computer 2-122. Thus, the figures are exemplary only.
Turning now to
Turning now to
Secure Monitoring
In addition, a tracking system such as described above may be equipped to allow a monitored person to request a boundary or schedule change. Such a system may be used, for example, by a parolee and parole officer. Again, rules, presence, location and alarm updates may be transmitted in a manner similar to that discussed above.
Such a system 3000 is shown in
In operation, the security device 30-150 is programmed with a predetermined user schedule and location boundaries. The security device 30-150 will send an alarm to the monitoring agent 3008 if the user violates those boundaries or deviates from the schedule. In certain embodiments, the alarm may additionally be an audio alarm. Such an alarm could sound when the user exits the permitted area, and increase in volume over a predetermined period or range of the boundary until it achieves a maximum, as will be explained in greater detail below.
In addition, as will be explained in greater detail below, the user may request a temporary deviation from the schedule. For example, if the user must travel to a location not on the schedule or within the boundaries, he can use computer 3004 to request a temporary change in the boundary. The request is transmitted to the monitoring agent 3008, who can deny or grant the request. If the request is granted, the database 3010 is updated.
The actual monitoring of the device 30-150 and communicating updates may be accomplished in a manner similar to that discussed above. The exception request, however, may be made using e-mail and/or a secure Internet host web site Internet such that the user can log in to the host and transmit the request. For example,
In either case, the request is received at the monitoring agent 3108, such as a parole officer. The monitoring agent 3108 can himself log in to the supervising server 31-152 to accept or reject the request. If the request is accepted, the monitoring agent 3108 can update the database and transmit the update to the remote unit. For example, the update may be transmitted to the remote unit 31-150 using the cellular telephone network in a manner similar to that described above.
Turning now to
Intermediate and Audio Alarm
As noted above, the remote device can be equipped with an audible alarm as well as the transmission alarm, which can vary depending on the amount of time or the distance the user has violated the boundary condition. As shown in
Shown in
Operation of this embodiment is shown with reference to the flowchart of
A flowchart illustrating operation of another embodiment of the present invention is shown in
The invention described in the above detailed description is not intended to be limited to the specific form set forth herein, but is intended to cover such alternatives, modifications and equivalents as can reasonably be included within the spirit and scope of the appended claims. For example, while described primarily with reference to global positioning signals, alternative methods for determining device location may be used. These can include, for instance, use of cell location signals within the cellular network.
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I'm currently learning how device drivers are written for Linux (and have to write one shortly). From what i understand, the final control provided to user space for accessing the driver functions is via a device file and system calls.
Now i've seen that the drivers use a variety of interfaces for this file- viz /dev entries, procfs entries, sysfs entries and debugfs entries.Which would be the right choice for a GPIO driver? Assuming i have 32 GPIO ports which i want to access, making a /dev entry for each port does not seem a good idea.What interface type would be ideal?


text:
Discussion in 'Science and Technology' started by gturner, Sep 19, 2013.
io9 link
So, there's that.
I don't care how scientifically accurate it is, the idea of a T-Rex with downy feathers always strikes me as silly.
Call me crazy...
It often amazes me how much our knowledge of dinosaurs has changed since I was a kid. When I was born, the idea that dinosaurs were warm-blooded, often feathered, and evolved into birds wasn't generally accepted. These days, it's practically a mundane fact.
Now just imagine him chirping. "Chirp! Chirp! CHOMP!"
Good thing that I watched Jurassic Park when it was still cool and not inaccurate. These scientists ruin everything.
And then he has to spit out a mouthful of feathers. "Pfewww! Pfthewwww!"
That's ok, the eventual remake is inevitable!
^ While it's entirely possible to justify scaly Dinosaurs through the frog DNA, I do hope a reboot tries to reflect modern Dinosaur understanding, just like the original one did (making them athletic animals as opposed to lumbering beasts).
I'm reminded of this
Anyway, the evolution of feathers is interesting because they now seem to predate flight. The proto-feathers that seem to resemble hair particularly intrigues me. I'm curious to see what developments will follow in our understanding in this field. More knowledge is a good thing, regardless of whether or not it changes someone's childhood perceptions.
Even the asteroid impact that wiped most of them out wasn't even a theory until 1980, when I was in Kindergarten.
Although we also have to keep in mind that not all dinosaurs had feathers, and not all evolved into birds. They were a hugely diverse group of animals. I do remember seeing many years ago a fossil that had an imprint of dinosaur skin (unknown which dinosaur), and it looked bumpy like a collection of gravel, and definitely didn't have feathers.
I still lament the non-existence of the Brontosaurus.
We figured out giant bones were of lizard-like creatures and not giant humans around the same time we invented the telegraph, made the first trains and were working on the first general purpose computer.
And dinosaurs were huge. Imagine if the human civilization dies, and another one emerges in a million years, they'll probably be oblivious of our existence by the time they start their space program, and would figure out we had a civilization of our own right about... now.
I remember watching the VOY episode, Distant Origins, which had in it a background story that said that a dinosaurs species achieved sentience and became intelligent enough to travel in space.
I know it is just fiction, but is there any chance that a species that lived millions of years before us could have achieved sentience. I am not only talking about dinosaurs but other ancient species as well. Animals have been around for 600 millions years at least.
At least Jurassic Park was the first dinosaur movie to depict T. rex as a fast, agile predator that carried the weight of its body balanced on its pelvic girdle like a seesaw, unlike previous depictions that showed the creature walking more or less upright and dragging its tail.
Oh, it exists. It's just called Apatosaurus.
(And why is Firefox suggesting that I correct that to Brontosaurus?)
The Kangasaurus posture.
Why not? We will never knw of course, but sentience is not a magical thing that "BOOM" appears suddenly after x numbers of evolutonary steps.
It's all gradual and some degree of sentience is very possible I think.
Most animals would score somewhere on the sentience scale.
I would put dolphins pretty high on that scale... how long have they been around?
The bigger problem is that a civilization requires more than sentience and intelligence. Things like hands, fingers, ability to vocalize, body posture, environment, incentives such as physical disadvantages against predators, curiosity and so on. Great apes are the only ones who seems to possess all that right now, and we were the ones to make a civilization, everyone else with some kind of disadvantage didn't. Maybe other species had a tendency to evolve a greater intelligence, but without all the rest, had not enough use for it and didn't.
Even if there's a very intelligent group of dolphins somewhere to speak a complex language worthy of a prehistoric human tribe, they are unlikely to develop a writing system, to use anything beyond the simplest tools, or to ever process materials and objects in any significant way. Anything short of an interaction with humans would leave them primitive in the short term (millions of years). Same thing for, say, the cleverest of dogs. Elephants seem to have some remarkable skills for manipulating things with their trunks, so they could be onto something one day. Bears as dog's cousins are not exactly the stupidest of creatures, and also seem to be in the middle of discovering how to use their evolving front paws to grab things. Too bad squirrels are not good in the brain department – those creatures are dexterous. And worse, none of those creatures come close to apes and dolphins (or do they? selective breeding done by humans might come to the rescue)
Speaking of dinosaurs, they didn't do bad either. Parrots and crows are little geniuses. Although they are handicapped physically and aren't going anywhere, they seem to be an indication that the civilization could have sprung from the dinosaur lineage, not our own. Distant Origin is not that crazy. We just got lucky. But assuming a tendency of growing complexity and intelligence, it is unlikely (but not impossible) for there to have been dinosaur Einsteins, even the wisest birds of today aren't wiser than many mammals, I am assuming their ancestors were only dumber.
But as unlikely as it is, thinking of an undiscovered dinosaur species that used and built tools, built houses, cooked food, etc., is truly fascinating and gets me dreamy. Not knowing how easy intelligence evolves makes it worth pondering at least. I adore the image of velociraptors opening doors.
Cheetah's chirp. I know they're not giant lizards or raptors, but the sound seems incongruous just the same.
So, I gather you're not one of those people who throws a tantrum because Pluto is no longer considered a planet, just because that's the way you learned it as a kid. "Planet 10, real soon."
Thank you for posting this article. I thought it was really cool and so did my two very sweet little pet dinosaurs. (I have a Diamond Dove and Budgerigar Parakeet.)
Warmest Wishes,
Whoa Nellie
I'm not sad that we figured out Apatosaurus was the same creature and how it actually looked. However, Brontosaurus was the better name of the too, so I'm sad they didn't choose that (regardless of who was first).
I am not. I never expected it to change because people were used to it, but it was hard to defend Pluto being a planet and not all the other similarly-sized bodies in our solar system. I think it's a good change. Pluto will be taught, just as an example of a Dwarf Planet instead.
Separate names with a comma.


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Discussion in 'Science Fiction & Fantasy' started by Dream, Oct 25, 2011.
Holy shit....
I hope that's not true, and they have watered him down...
Spoiler: Not watered down? comic spoilers
Being sadistic, sure, but really hope they don't have the rape scene in this series. That was disgusting...
But don't think they will include it. So far, they have "watered" down the series compared to the comics, so hopefully that will also include the governor
I'm more intrigued with how they will adapt the story given the death or lack of several key characters in the TV show.
And whether or not they will water down the brutal events of Volume 8 of the graphic novels.
Huh. He looks more clean-cut than I expected.
He sure doesn't look like Danny Trejo! But more importantly, will we see the Games?
Spoiler: Will we see...
Rick get his hand cut off?
Ah, they were type of Zombies that exclusively eat brains, and couldn't find any?
I have no problem with this being the season 3 thread, but could we get a name change on it? Because the title refers to a specific event, the renewal of the show.
It took you ten months to get the punchline?
I keed, I keed...
I vote no. Too hard to pull off the permanent aftermath realistically in a weekly TV series on basic cable.
Spoiler: WD
They'd have to either green screen the hand and then make up his arm, which wouldn't be cheap, or they'd be forced to resort to the old "tie his hand behind him" stunt. Either way it would either look like crap or strain the shows already diminished budget.
After reading the comments here, I hope they don't get carried away with this Governor character. The strength of this show so far has been its focus on adult characterization and interactions; I'd hate to see it lose itself down the D&G road by trying to impress us with over-the-top brutality.
I'm a little slow on the uptake
*I think I must've missed that post originally, and only just saw it*
RJDiogenes, yea, it's a fine line between showing the Governor be Comic Book brutal, and balancing that for the show, without damaging the successful formula they currently have in place. They've done an outstanding job with the show so far, so I have faith they'll keep the balance right.
I suspect the reveal of his psychotic nature to Rick and co. will take far longer. In the comic it was pretty much "This is the Governor. Bam! Look he's nuts!", within a few pages everyone realised he was a nutjob.
For the TV show i would guess it'll be several episodes of Rick and co. suspecting something is up with these Woodbury folk, before the batshit crazy is revealed.
The Governor from the comics scares the hell out of me. I consider him more insane than the Joker was in TDK.
Set photos of Woodbury! There's a very big SPOILER picture (also spoiled in the subtitle) if you follow the link, so I'll post the non-spoiler pictures here.
Woodbury perimeter
Michonne behind the Governor's house
Andrea & Michonne in Woodbury
The Governor's truck
Is it just me who can't see the images in the link?
^^ I can see them okay.
That's a pretty good (and welcome) spoiler.
Another SPOILER photo! If you looked at the spoiler photo from the link in my previous post, you'll be just fine to look at this one.
That photo comes from this set of production photos. If you want to avoid the spoiler, look only at the first three in that set. Those three feature Michonne, Rick, and the photo we've previously seen of the Governor.
Michonne looks pretty wild-- I wonder if they'll have a reasonable backstory for her, considering the usual realism of the show (Zombies aside).
Alll Right!
The Walking Dead: What Resident Evil/Biohazard should have been. tm
I haven't read the comic books yet. I wanna be surprised.
I don't want them to out and out copy the comics. Keep it interesting.
Bit of trivia, what 3 main cast members from last season where in movie together and what was the name of the film?
Separate names with a comma.