text:
Dynamic self-configuring metering network
A dynamic self-configuring system for collecting metering data comprises a collector meter. The collector meter scans for meters that are operable to directly communicate with the collector and registers such meters as level one meters. The collector transmits instructions to the level one meters to scan for meters that are operable to directly communicate with the level one meters. The collector registers meters that respond as level two meters.
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This application is a continuation of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 10/185,664, filed Jun. 27, 2002, and entitled "Dynamic Seif-Configuring Metering Network," the contents of which are hereby incorporated by reference in their entirety.FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to metering systems, and more particularly, to wireless networks for gathering metering data.BACKGROUND
The collection of meter data from electrical energy, water, and gas meters has traditionally been performed by human meter-readers. The meter-reader travels to the meter location, which is frequently on the customer's premises, visually inspects the meter, and records the reading. The meter-reader may be prevented from gaining access to the meter as a result of inclement weather or, where the meter is located within the customer's premises, due to an absentee customer. This methodology of meter data collection is labor intensive, prone to human error, and often results in stale and inflexible metering data.
Some meters have been enhanced to include a one-way radio transmitter for transmitting metering data to a receiving device. A person collecting meter data that is equipped with an appropriate radio receiver need only come into proximity with a meter to read the meter data and need not visually inspect the meter. Thus, a meter-reader may walk or drive by a meter location to take a meter reading. While this represents an improvement over visiting and visually inspecting each meter, it still requires human involvement in the process.
An automated means for collecting meter data involves a fixed wireless network. Devices such as, for example, repeaters and gateways are permanently affixed on rooftops and pole-tops and strategically positioned to receive data from enhanced meters fitted with radio-transmitters. Data is transmitted from the meters to the repeaters and gateways and ultimately communicated to a central location. While fixed wireless networks greatly reduce human involvement in the process of meter reading, such systems require the installation and maintenance of a fixed network of repeaters, gateways, and servers. Identifying an acceptable location for a repeater or server and physically placing the device in the desired location on top of a building or utility pole is a tedious and labor-intensive operation. Furthermore, each meter that is installed in the network needs to be manually configured to communicate with a particular portion of the established network. When a portion of the network fails to operate as intended, human intervention is typically required to test the effected components and reconfigure the network to return it to operation. Thus, while existing fixed wireless systems have reduced the need for human involvement in the daily collection of meter data, such systems require substantial human investment in planning, installation, and maintenance and are relatively inflexible and difficult to manage.SUMMARY
A dynamic self-configuring system for collecting meter data is disclosed herein. In an illustrative embodiment, a plurality of meter devices, which operate to track usage of a service or commodity such as, for example, electricity, water, and gas, are operable to wirelessly communicate. One of the meter devices, which is referred to as a collector, broadcasts messages to identify one or more of the meters with which it can directly communicate. The meters with which the collector is operable to directly communicate may be referred to as level one meters. Data designating these meters as level one meters is stored on the collector and the level one meters.
The collector communicates instructions to the level one meters to scan for meters that are operable to directly communicate with the level one meters. Meters that directly communicate with the level one meters may be referred to as level two meters. Data identifying the level two meters and the communication path to the level two meters is stored on the collector and the level two meters.
The collector continues the process of scanning the last defined level of meters for new meters that communicate with the last defined level. This process gradually provides identification of the meters in the network and the paths by which to communicate with each meter. Additionally, when new meters are added to the network, they are identified via subsequent scans.
Other features of systems and methods for gathering metering data are further apparent from the following detailed description of exemplary embodiments taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, of which:
Exemplary systems and methods for gathering meter data are described below with reference to
Generally, a plurality of meter devices, which operate to track usage of a service or commodity such as, for example, electricity, water, and gas, are operable to wirelessly communicate with each other. A collector meter is operable to automatically identify and register meters for communication with the collector meter. When a meter is installed, the meter becomes registered with the collector that can provide a communication path to the meter. The collectors receive and compile metering data from a plurality of meter devices via wireless communications. A communications server communicates with the collectors to retrieve the compiled meter data.
System 110 further comprises collectors 116. Collectors 116 are also meters operable to detect and record usage of a service or commodity such as, for example, electricity, water, or gas. Collectors 116 comprise an antenna and are operable to send and receive data wirelessly. In particular, collectors 116 are operable to send data to and receive data from meters 114. In an illustrative embodiment, meters 114 may be, for example, an electrical meter manufactured by ABB Incorporated.
A collector 116 and the meters 114 for which it is configured to receive meter data define a subnet 120 of system 110. For each subnet 120, data is collected at collector 116 and periodically transmitted to communication server 122. Communication server 122 stores the data for analysis and preparation of bills. Communication server 122 may be a specially programmed general purpose computing system and may communicate with collectors 116 wirelessly or via a wire line connection such as, for example, a dial-up telephone connection or fixed wire network.
Thus, each subnet 120 comprises a collector 116 and one or more meters 114, which may be referred to as nodes of the subnet. Typically, collector 116 directly communicates with only a subset of the plurality of meters 114 in the particular subnet. Meters 114 with which collector 116 directly communicates may be referred to as level one meters 114a. The level one meters 114a are said to be one "hop" from the collector 116. Communications between collector 116 and meters 114 other than level one meters 114a are relayed through the level one meters 114a. Thus, the level one meters 114a operate as repeaters for communications between collector 116 and meters 114 located further away in subnet 120.
Each level one meter 114a directly communicates with only a subset of the remaining meters 114 in the subnet 120. The meters 114 with which the level one meters 114a directly communicate may be referred to as level two meters 114b. Level two meters 114b are one "hop" from level one meters 114a, and therefore two "hops" from collector 116. Level two meters 114b operate as repeaters for communications between the level one meters 114a and meters 114 located further away from collector 116 in the subnet 120.
While only three levels of meters are shown (collector 114, first level 114a, second level 114b) in
Each meter 114 and collector 116 that is installed in the system 110 has a unique identifier stored thereon that uniquely identifies the device from all other devices in the system 110. Additionally, meters 114 operating in a subnet 120 comprise information including the following: data identifying the collector with which the meter is registered; the level in the subnet at which the meter is located; the repeater meter with which the meter communicates to send and receive data to the collector; an identifier indicating whether the meter is a repeater for other nodes in the subnet; and if the meter operates as a repeater, the identifier that uniquely identifies the repeater within the particular subnet, and the number of meters for which it is a repeater. Collectors 116 have stored thereon all of this same data for all meters 114 that are registered therewith. Thus, collector 116 comprises data identifying all nodes registered therewith as well as data identifying the registered path by which data is communicated with each node.
Generally, collector 116 and meters 114 communicate with and amongst one another using any one of several robust wireless techniques such as, for example, frequency hopping spread spectrum (FHSS) and direct sequence spread spectrum (DSSS).
For most network tasks such as, for example, reading data, collector 116 communicates with meters 114 in the subnet 120 using point-to-point transmissions. For example, a message or instruction from collector 116 is routed through a defined set of meter hops to the desired meter 114. Similarly, a meter 114 communicates with collector 117 through the same set of meter hops, but in reverse.
In some instances, however, collector 117 needs to quickly communicate information to all meters 114 located in its subnet 120. Accordingly, collector 117 may issue a broadcast message that is meant to reach all nodes in the subnet 120. The broadcast message may be referred to as a "flood broadcast message." A flood broadcast originates at collector 116 and propagates through the entire subnet 120 one level at a time. For example, collector 116 may transmit a flood broadcast to all first level meters 114a. The first level meters 114a that receive the message pick a random time slot and retransmit the broadcast message to second level meters 114b. Any second level meter 114b can accept the broadcast, thereby providing better coverage from the collector out to the end point meters. Similarly, the second level meters 114b that receive the broadcast message pick a random time slot and communicate the broadcast message to third level meters. This process continues out until the end nodes of the subnet. Thus, a broadcast message gradually propagates out the subnet 120.
The flood broadcast packet header contains information to prevent nodes from repeating the flood broadcast packet more than once per level. For example, within a flood broadcast message, a field might exist that indicates to meters/nodes which receive the message, the level of the subnet the message is located; only nodes at that particular level may re-broadcast the message to the next level. If the collector broadcasts a flood message with a level of 1, only level 1 nodes may respond. Prior to re-broadcasting the flood message, the level 1 nodes increment the field to 2 so that only level 2 nodes respond to the broadcast. Information within the flood broadcast packet header ensures that a flood broadcast will eventually die out.
Generally, a collector 116 issues a flood broadcast several times, e.g. five times, successively to increase the probability that all meters in the subnet 120 receive the broadcast. A delay is introduced before each new broadcast to allow the previous broadcast packet time to propagate through all levels of the subnet.
Meters 114 may have a clock formed therein. However, meters 114 often undergo power interruptions that can interfere with the operation of any clock therein. Accordingly, the clocks internal to meters 114 cannot be relied upon to provide an accurate time reading. Having the correct time is necessary, however, when time of use metering is being employed. Indeed, in an embodiment, time of use schedule data may also be comprised in the same broadcast message as the time. Accordingly, collector 116 periodically flood broadcasts the real time to meters 114 in subnet 120. Meters 114 use the time broadcasts to stay synchronized with the rest of the subnet 120. In an illustrative embodiment, collector 116 broadcasts the time every 15 minutes. The broadcasts may be made near the middle of 15 minute clock boundaries that are used in performing load profiling and time of use (TOU) schedules so as to minimize tone changes near these boundaries. Maintaining time synchronization is important to the proper operation of the subnet 120. Accordingly, lower priority tasks performed by collector 116 may be delayed while the time broadcasts are performed.
In an illustrative embodiment, the flood broadcasts transmitting time data may be repeated, for example, five times, so as to increase the probability that all nodes receive the time. Furthermore, where time of use schedule data is communicated in the same transmission as the timing data, the subsequent time transmissions allow a different piece of the time of use schedule to be transmitted to the nodes.
Exception messages are used in subnet 120 to transmit unexpected events that occur at meters 114 to collector 116. In an embodiment, the first 4 seconds of every 32-second period are allocated as an exception window for meters 114 to transmit exception messages. Meters 114 transmit their exception messages early enough in the exception window so the message has time to propagate to collector 116 before the end of the exception window. Collector 116 may process the exceptions after the 4-second exception window. Generally, a collector 116 acknowledges exception messages, and collector 116 waits until the end of the exception window to send this acknowledgement.
In an illustrative embodiment, exception messages are configured as one of three different types of exception messages: local exceptions, which are handled directly by the collector 116 without intervention from communication server 122; an immediate exception, which is generally relayed to communication server 122 under an expedited schedule; and a daily exception, which is communicated to the communication server 122 on a regular schedule.
If an immediate exception type has been received, at step 220, collector 116 makes a record of the exception. An immediate exception might identify, for example, that there has been a power outage. Collector 116 may log the receipt of the exception in one or more tables or files. In an illustrative example, a record of receipt of an immediate exception is made in a table referred to as the "Immediate Exception Log Table."
At step 222, collector 116 waits a set period of time before taking further action with respect to the immediate exception. For example, collector 116 may wait 64 seconds. This delay period allows the exception to be corrected before communicating the exception to communication server 122. For example, where a power outage was the cause of the immediate exception, collector 116 may wait a set period of time to allow for receipt of a message indicating the power outage has been corrected.
If at step 224 the exception has not been corrected, at step 226, collector 116 communicates the immediate exception to communication server 122. For example, collector 116 may initiate a dial-up connection with communication server 122 and download the exception data. After reporting an immediate exception to communications server 122, collector 116 may delay reporting any additional immediate exceptions for a period of time such as ten minutes. This is to avoid reporting exceptions from other meters 114 that relate to, or have the same cause as the exception that was just reported.
If a daily exception was received, at step 230, the exception is recorded in a file or a database table. Generally, daily exceptions are occurrences in the subnet 120 that need to be reported to communication server 122, but are not so urgent that they need to be communicated immediately. For example, when collector 116 registers a new meter 114 in subnet 120, collector 116 records a daily exception identifying that the registration has taken place. In an illustrative embodiment, the exception is recorded in a database table referred to as the "Daily Exception Log Table." At step 232, collector 116 communicates the daily exceptions to communications server 122. Generally, collector 116 communicates the daily exceptions once every 24 hours.
According to an aspect of the disclosed system 110, a collector 116 may dynamically identify meters 114 that are operable to communicate with it in a subnet 120 as well as identify more efficient communication paths for previously registered meters. For example, when a collector 116 is initially brought into system 110, it needs to identify and register meters in its subnet 120. A "node scan" refers to a process of communication between connectors 116 and meters 114 whereby a collector may identify and register new nodes in a subnet 120 and allow previously registered nodes to switch paths. A collector 116 can implement a node scan on the entire subnet, referred to as a "full node scan," or a node scan can be performed on specially identified nodes, referred to as a "node scan retry."
A full node scan may be performed, for example, when a collector is first installed. The collector 116 must identify and register nodes from which it will collect usage data.
Collector 116 receives a response from one of the meters 114 at step 312. At step 313, collector 116 identifies a received signal strength (RSSI) value for the response from meter 114. At step 314, collector 116 stores in memory the meter's 114 unique identifier along with the corresponding RSSI value.
Preferably, collector 116 attempts to register meters 114 that will have a reliable data communication path. Accordingly, at step 316, collector 116 compares the RSSI value of the node scan response with a selected threshold value. For example, the threshold value may be −60 dBm. RSSI values above this threshold are sufficiently reliable. Collector 116 maintains a list of meters 114 that responded but which do not satisfy the RSSI threshold. For example, a database table referred to as the Straggler table may be employed to store for each meter that responded to a Node Scan Response and did not meet the RSSI value, the meter's unique identifier and the RSSI value of the response. Accordingly, if at step 316 the RSSI value is not greater than the established threshold, at step 318, collector 116 updates its list to include the meter's unique identifier and RSSI value. Thereafter, processing continues at step 326.
If at step 316, the RSSI value exceeds the threshold, at step 324, collector 116 registers the node. Registering a meter 114 comprises updating a list of the registered nodes at collector 116. For example, the list may be updated to identify the meter's system-wide unique identifier and the communication path to the node. Collector 116 also records the meter's level in the subnet (i.e. whether the meter is a level one node, level two node, etc.), whether the node operates as a repeater, and if so, the number of meters for which it operates as a repeater. Upon initialization, the data indicates the node is not a repeater and the number of meters for which it operates as a repeater is zero. The registration process further comprises transmitting registration information to the meter 114. For example, collector 116 forwards to meter 114 an indication that it is registered, the unique identifier of the collector with which it is registered, the level the meter exists at in the subnet, and the unique identifier of the meter with which it should communicate data. The meter stores this data and begins to operate as part of the subnet by responding to commands from its collector 116.
At step 326, collector 116 determines if there are additional responses to the node scan request. If so, processing continues at step 314.
Steps 310 through 326 may be performed several times so as to insure that all meters 114 that may receive the Node Scan Procedure, have an opportunity for their response to be received at collector 116. Accordingly, at step 328, collector 116 determines whether the Node Scan should be implemented again. Generally, this is determined by comparing the number of times the steps have been completed with a predefined limit. If the limit has not been met, processing continues at step 310. If the limit has been met, a first portion of the node scan procedure is complete. It is presumed that all first level meters 114 have been identified and registered at this point in the process. The Straggler list may identify one or more meters 114 that did not satisfy the RSSI threshold. The node scan process continues by performing a similar process as that described above at each of the now registered level one nodes. This process results in the identification and registration of level two nodes. After the level two nodes are identified, a similar node scan process is performed at the level two nodes to identify level three nodes, and so on.
The meter that receives the Initiate Node Scan Response request responds by performing a node scan process similar to that described above at steps 310 through 328. More specifically, the meter broadcasts a request to which all unregistered nodes respond. The request comprises the number of timeslots available for responding nodes (which is used to set the period for the node to wait for responses), the unique address of the collector that initiated the node scan procedure, a measure of the reliability of the communications between the sending node and the collector (which is used in the process of determining whether a meter's path may be switched as defined below in connection with
Collector 116 attempts to register meters 114 that will have a reliable data communication path. Accordingly, at step 348, collector 116 compares the RSSI value for the selected meter 114 with a selected threshold value. If the RSSI value is not greater than the threshold value, at step 350, collector 116 determines if the particular meter was previously identified as having responded to a Node Scan Response request but having not met the RSSI threshold. Specifically, collector 116 may refer to its Straggler table or similar file where it maintains a list of meters 114 that meet this criteria. If so, at step 352, collector 116 compares the RSSI value with the previously stored value. If the new RSSI value is greater than the previous value, at step 354, collector updates the Straggler table to identify the new RSSI value and the new communication path. If at step 352, the new RSSI value is not greater than the previous value, processing continues at step 362. If at step 350, it is determined that the particular meter 114 is not in the Straggler table, processing continues at step 354, where the Straggler table is updated to reflect the meter identifier, the communication path to this meter and the RSSI value. Thereafter, processing continues at step 362.
If at step 348, the RSSI value exceeded the threshold, at step 360, collector 116 registers the node. Registering a meter 114 comprises updating a list of the registered nodes at collector 116. For example, the list may be updated to identify the meter's unique identifier and the level of the meter in the subnet, i.e. whether the meter is a level one node, level two node, etc. Additionally, the collector's 116 registration information is updated to reflect that the meter 114 from which the scan process was initiated is identified as a repeater for the newly registered node. The registration process further comprises transmitting information to the newly registered meter as well as the meter that will serve as a repeater for the newly added node. For example, the node that issued the node scan response request is updated to identify that it operates as a repeater and, if it was previously registered as a repeater, increments a data item identifying the number of nodes for which it serves as a repeater. Thereafter, collector 116 forwards to the newly registered meter an indication that it is registered, an identification of the collector 116 with which it is registered, the level the meter exists at in the subnet, and the unique identifier of the node with which it communicates to forward information to collector 116.
At step 362, collector 116 determines if there are additional nodes identified in the information retrieved from the meter 114 that performed the node scan request. If so, processing continues at step 346.
If at step 362, there are no potential nodes to be evaluated, at step 364, collector 116 determines if there are other registered nodes on the same level that have not been directed to perform a node scan. For example, if level 1 nodes are being scanned for potential level 2 nodes, at step 364 collector 116 determines if there are any level 1 nodes that have not yet performed a node scan procedure. If so, processing continues at step 340 wherein collector requests that a node scan procedure be performed at the node.
If at step 364, all nodes at the level of the subnet under evaluation have been reviewed, processing continues at step 368, with collector 116 determining if there are registered meters at the next level of the subnet. If so, processing continues at step 340 with node scans being performed at this next level.
If at step 368 there are no registered nodes at the next higher level, at step 370, collector 116 registers the nodes identified in the list of meters that have responded but did not meet the RSSI threshold. At this point in the process, presumably, the list comprises the best path identified for each of the unregistered meters that responded, even if that path does not meet the desired RSSI threshold. If during operation of the network, a meter registered in this manner fails to perform adequately, it may be assigned a different path or possibly to a different collector as described below.
As previously mentioned, a full node scan may be performed when a collector 116 is first introduced to a network. At the conclusion of the full node scan, a collector 116 will have registered a set of meters 114 with which it communicates and reads metering data. Full node scans might be periodically performed by an installed collector to identify new meters 114 that have been brought on-line since the last node scan and to allow registered meters to switch to a different path.
In addition to the full node scan, collector 116 may also perform a process of scanning specific meters 114 in the subnet 120, which is referred to as a "node scan retry." For example, collector 116 may issue a specific request to a meter 114 to perform a node scan outside of a full node scan when on a previous attempt to scan the node, the collector 116 was unable to confirm that the particular meter 114 received the node scan request. Also, a collector 116 may request a node scan retry of a meter 114 when during the course of a full node scan the collector 116 was unable to read the node scan data from the meter 114. Similarly, a node scan retry will be performed when an exception procedure requesting an immediate node scan is received from a meter 114.
According to an aspect of the disclosed embodiment, system 110 automatically reconfigures to accommodate a new meter 114 that may be added. More particularly, the system identifies that the new meter has begun operating and identifies a path to a collector 116 that will become responsible for collecting the metering data. A flow chart of a process for adding a new meter is depicted in
A collector 116 periodically retrieves meter data from the meters that are registered with it. For example, meter data may be retrieved from a meter every 4 hours. Where there is a problem with reading the meter data on the regularly scheduled interval, the collector will try to read the data again before the next regularly scheduled interval. Nevertheless, there may be instances wherein the collector 116 is unable to read metering data from a particular meter 114 for a prolonged period of time. The meters 114 store an indication of when they are read by collector 116 and keep track of the time since their data has last been collected by the collector 116. If the length of time since the last reading exceeds a defined threshold such as for example, 18 hours, presumably a problem has arisen in the communication path between the particular meter 114 and the collector 116. Accordingly, the meter 114 changes its status to that of an unregistered meter and attempts to locate a new path to a collector 116 via the process described above in connection with
In some instances, while a collector 116 may be able to retrieve data from a registered meter 114 occasionally, the level of success in reading the meter may be inadequate. For example, if a collector 116 attempts to read meter data from a meter 114 every 4 hours but is able to read the data, for example, only 70 percent of the time or less, it may be desirable to find a more reliable path for reading the data from that particular meter. Where the frequency of reading data from a meter 114 falls below a desired frequency, the collector 116 transmits a message to the meter 114 to respond to node scans going forward. The meter 114 remains registered but will respond to node scans such as are described above in connection with
In some instances, a more reliable communication path for a meter may exist through a collector other than that with which the meter is registered. A meter may automatically recognize the existence of the more reliable communication path, switch collectors, and notify the previous collector that the change has taken place.
If at step 512, it is determined that the path to the new collector may be better than the path to its existing collector, at step 514, the meter 114 responds to the node scan. Included in the response is information regarding any nodes for which the particular meter may operate as a repeater. For example, the response might identify the number of nodes for which the meter serves as a repeater.
At step 516, collector 116 determines if it has the capacity to service the meter and any meters for which it operates as a repeater. If not, the collector 116 does not respond to the meter that is attempting to change collectors. If, however, the collector 116 determines that it has capacity to service the meter 114, at step 518, the collector 116 stores registration information about the meter 114. At step 520, collector 116 transmits a registration command to meter 114. At step 522, the meter 114 updates its registration data to identify that it is now registered with the new collector. At step 524, collector 116 communicates instruction to the meter 114 to initiate a node scan request. Nodes that are unregistered, or that had previously used meter 114 as a repeater respond to the request to identify themselves to collector 116. The collector registers these nodes as is described above in connection with registering new meters/nodes.
Under some circumstances it may be necessary to change a collector. For example, a collector may be malfunctioning, and need to be taken off-line. Accordingly, a new communication path must be provided for collecting meter data from the meters serviced by the particular collector. The process of replacing a collector is performed by broadcasting a message to unregister, usually from a replacement collector, to all of the meters that are registered with the collector that is being removed from service. According to an aspect of the disclosed embodiment, registered meters may be programmed to only respond to commands from the collector with which they are registered. Accordingly, the command to unregister may comprise the unique identifier of the collector that is being replaced. In response to the command to unregister, the meters begin to operate as unregistered meters and respond to node scan requests. To allow the unregistered command to propagate through the subnet, when a node receives the command it will not unregister immediately, but rather remain registered for a defined period, which may be referred to as the "Time to Live". During this time to live period, the nodes continue to respond to application layer and immediate retries allowing the unregistration command to propagate to all nodes in the subnet. Ultimately, the meters register with the replacement collector as described above in connection with
One of collector's 116 main responsibilities within subnet 120 is to retrieve metering data from meters 114. The self-configuring and self-healing characteristics of system 110 provide that collectors 116 have improved reliability in reading usage data. Generally, meters 114 store data regarding usage of electricity, gas, water, etc. in memory. Collector 116 periodically retrieves this data from nodes in its subnet 120. In an embodiment, collector 116 has as a goal to obtain at least one successful read of the metering data per day from each node in its subnet. Collector 116 attempts to retrieve the data from all nodes in its subnet 120 at a configurable periodicity. For example, collector 116 may be configured to attempt to retrieve metering data from meters 114 in its subnet 120 once every 4 hours.
If at step 614, the meter data was not received at collector 116, at step 620 collector 116 begins a retry procedure wherein it attempts to retry the data read from the particular meter. Collector 116 continues to attempt to read the data from the node until either the data is read or the next subnet reading takes place. In an embodiment, collector 116 attempts to read the data every 60 minutes. Thus, wherein a subnet reading is taken every 4 hours, collector 116 may issue three retries between subnet readings.
The inability to read metering data may be the result of communication failures that can take place at the packet communication level. For example, if for each hop the probability of successful communications is 95%, a level 8 node requires 16 message hops, which would result in a 44% probability a successful round trip message. If 2 immediate retries are used for each hop, the per hop probability increases from 95% to 99.98% and the probability of a successful round trip message increases to 99.8%. Accordingly, in an embodiment of the disclosed system, with each successive retry to read data from a node, the number of packet level retries increases. For example, if during a normal read attempt one packet level retry is undertaken, when an application level retry to read the data is made by the collector, two or more packet level retries may be implemented. Thus, as the number of application level retries increases, so does the number of packet level retries. Furthermore, the number of packet level retries varies according to the level at which the particular meter 114 exists in the subnet 120. The higher the level, the greater the number of packet level retries. The table below lists exemplary packet level retries for various subnet levels and various numbers of prior application level retry attempts.
In an embodiment of system 120, meters 114 are typically two-way meters—i.e. they are operable to both receive and transmit data. However, one-way meters that are operable only to transmit and not receive data may also be deployed in the system 110.
A block diagram for an exemplary meter device operable to perform as meter 114 or collector 116 as described above is depicted in
Those skilled in the art understand that processor readable instructions for implementing the above-described processes, such as those described with reference to
Thus, a dynamic self-configuring system for gathering metering data has been disclosed. This novel system and the methods performed therein provide a reliable and efficient means to collect metering data with minimal human intervention. Furthermore, the system requires minimal human interaction to configure and upgrade efficiencies.
While systems and methods have been described and illustrated with reference to specific embodiments, those skilled in the art will recognize that modification and variations may be made without departing from the principles described above and set forth in the following claims. For example, while communication server 122 has been described as communicating with collectors 116 via a dial-up connection, the communication may take place wirelessly. Accordingly, reference should be made to the following claims as describing the scope of disclosed embodiments.
1. In a network having a collector that receives data from nodes and communicates the data to a communication server, a method of retrieving data from a node, comprising:
- examining a list of nodes registered with said collector;
- identifying a registered node with which communication is to be established;
- reading data from said registered node by sending a request to said node to forward said data to said collector;
- determining if said request resulted in a successful data read from said registered node;
- retrying reading data from said registered node if said request was not successful;
- increasing a number of packet level retries for each successive retry to read data from said registered node; and
- storing said data at said collector.
2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:
- determining if additional data is to be read from additional registered nodes; and
- reading said additional data from said additional registered nodes.
3. The method of claim 2, further comprising:
- determining if said additional data has been read from all registered nodes registered with said collector; and
- waiting a predetermined time period before again reading from said registered nodes.
4. The method of claim 1, wherein said retrying is performed until the data is read or a predetermined subnet reading interval.
5. The method of claim 4, wherein said predetermined subnet reading interval is approximately 4 hours.
6. The method of claim 1, wherein said retrying occurs periodically.
7. The method of claim 1, wherein said nodes are organized into levels, and the method further comprising:
- increasing said number of packet level retries in accordance with an increasingly higher level to which said registered node is assigned.
8. The method of claim 1, wherein said retrying said reading is an application level retry made by said collector, said method further comprising increasing packet level retries with each increasing application level retry.
9. In a collector that receives data from nodes and communicates the data to a communication server, said collector maintaining a list of registered nodes with which said collector communicates, and said nodes being organized into levels within a subnet that communicates with said collector, a method of reading data from nodes within said subnet, comprising:
- identifying a registered node with which communication is to be established from said list of registered nodes;
- requesting data from said registered node;
- determining if data was successfully received from said registered node:
- retrying requesting data from said node if said data was not successfully received;
- increasing a number of packet level retries for each successive retry to request data from said registered node;
- receiving said data; and
- storing said data at said collector.
10. The method of claim 9, further comprising:
- determining if additional data is to be read from additional registered nodes; and
- reading said additional data from said additional registered nodes.
11. The method of claim 10, further comprising:
- determining if said additional data has been read from all registered nodes registered with said collector; and
- waiting a predetermined time period before again reading from said registered nodes.
12. The method of claim 9, wherein said retrying is performed until the data is read or a predetermined subnet reading interval.
13. The method of claim 12, wherein said predetermined subnet reading interval is approximately 4 hours.
14. The method of claim 9, wherein said retrying occurs periodically.
15. The method of claim 9, further comprising:
- increasing said number of packet level retries in accordance with an increasingly higher level to which said registered node is assigned.
16. The method of claim 9, wherein said retrying is an application level retry made by said collector, said method further comprising increasing packet level retries with each increasing application level retry.
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Type: Grant
Filed: Aug 27, 2004
Date of Patent: Dec 5, 2006
Patent Publication Number: 20050083210
Assignee: Elster Electricity, LLC (Raleigh, NC)
Inventors: Kenneth C. Shuey (Zebulon, NC), Rodney C. Hemminger (Raleigh, NC), Robert T. Mason, Jr. (Raleigh, NC), Eugene W. Hodges (Holly Springs, NC)
Primary Examiner: Wendy R. Garber
Assistant Examiner: Hung Q Dang
Attorney: Woodcock Washburn LLP
Application Number: 10/928,825
International Classification: G08C 17/00 (20060101);


text:
Y/n closed her eyes…and never woke up. Now y/n's...
Hello {Luke Hemmings}347777331221
- by BandomAddiction
- Rating:
- Published: 26 Sep 2014
- Updated: 2 Oct 2015
- Status: Complete
Destiny has had a crush on Luke Hemmings since 7th grade and y/n hasn't even met him yet. It's y/n's freshman year and she meets Luke…What will happen when he invites her over after school and they become close???
READ TO FIND OUT!❤❤❤Thanx
READ TO FIND OUT!❤❤❤Thanx
Join MovellasFind out what all the buzz is about. Join now to start sharing your creativity and passion
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subset: commoncrawl


text:
Page 1
|1 of 2
This page
FROM LOCAL SCENES OF ACTION Alexis de Tocqueville, after a visit to the New World, described in 1835 the energy with which Americans were getting things done in their communities: "No sooner do you set foot upon American soil than you are stunned by a kind of tumult.... Everything is in motion around you; here, the people of one quarter of a town are met to decide upon the building of a church; there, the election of a representative is going on; a little further, the delegates of a district are posting to the town in order to consult upon some local improvements; or in another place the labourers of a village quit their ploughs to deliberate upon the project of a road or a public school." Were our visitor to view today the local news on a thousand television sets across the country, he would find that the American drive for-community accomplishment has become a deep-rooted characteristic. Though we claim no systematic study of the matter, there is evidence that the people of Haskins & Sells are no strangers to these local scenes of action. 12 Wilbur Harris, principal in our Chicago Office, had lived only a year in Palatine, Illinois, 30-odd miles northwest of The Loop, when he saw his new home's value threatened. Zoning laws can easily erode in a town that has grown from 2,000 to 17,000 in less than 20 years, and the land across the street was about to be rezoned for commercial use. In fighting that fire, Will Harris got interested in village government, and by 1961 he found himself in a hot four-way contest for mayor as candidate for the new United Citizens Party. He won more than half the votes and carried with him his party's candidates for four of the vacancies on the Board of Trustees and the Police Magistrate as well. In his three years in office, 5,000 more souls have been added to Palatine, and the town is bursting at the seams. Planning and zoning top the agenda. The local courts have been reformed. Pay-as-you-go budgeting has wiped out a $40,000 deficit and brought confidence back to Main Street, while new business has moved in to help share the tax load. After hearing Charles Percy address the annual meeting of the American Institute in 1959, Will Harris told his wife, Patricia, "I could work for that man if he ever runs for office." Last April, against party machine opposition and early adverse odds of ten to one, Harris, as Chairman of the Palatine Township Citizens Percy Committee, delivered a whopping two-to-one margin toward nominating Percy for Governor. Ask people in Hastings-on-Hudson, up-river from New York, about Woolsey Carmalt, and the replies come fast: "I'm a great admirer of him," " . . . a conscientious member of the community," " . . . good citizen." Mr. Carmalt, on the research staff in the Executive Office, has just completed his one-year term as President of the Hastings School Board. He has never "won" an election and couldn't continue as President if he wanted to. The office rotates annually among the trustees, and Hastings thinks it gets its best talent on the Board by keeping these elections uncontested and non-political. In Woolsey Carmalt's brief term in office, confidence in the School Board has been restored. It had been badly shaken in 1963 when the school budget suffered its first defeat in the memory of old-timers. Budget time came again in January of this year, and President Carmalt and his Board went to the taxpayers to explain. For four or five evenings a week they could be found at meetings of any of the seven neighborhood associations in Hastings or the PTA. The budget was approved with a ten per cent increase over last year, and Hastings can now put to effective use its first new school building in thirty years.
Object Description
From local scenes of action
|Personal Name
Harris, Wilbur D.
Carmalt, Woolsey
Rostron, Robert Z.
Marsh, Bob
Yoder, Harold
Amos, Robert
Keller, Jim
Haskins & Sells. Chicago Office
Haskins & Sells. Salt Lake City Office
Haskins & Sells. Cincinnati Office
Haskins & Sells. Dayton Office
Haskins & Sells. Cleveland Office
Haskins & Sells. Miami Office
H&S Reports, Vol. 01, (1964 summer), p. 12-13
|Originally published by: Haskins & Sells
|Copyright and permission to republish held by: Deloitte
|PDF page image with corrected OCR scanned at 400 dpi
|Deloitte Digital Collection
|Digital Publisher
|University of Mississippi Library. Accounting Collection
|Date-Digitally Created


text:
You can update your firmware using an FTDI breakout instead of the expensive cable. These are inexpensive USB->serial converters commonly used for programming embedded devices, and I suspect the same chipset is what is in the OEM cable. I'm a tinkerer/electronics hobbiest and I have half a dozen laying around. I was able to update my firmware using the this module and some generic female/female jumper wires (dupont cables). The pinout on the CP1 is GND (indicated by a triangle on the board) RX TX VCC (3.3v). You just need to connect GND to GND on the breakout, RX on the panel to TX on the breakout, TX on the panel to RX on the breakout. VCC doesn't need to be connected.
Obviously this method isn't for everyone, but if you're somewhat technically inclined, it can save you money on a cable. If you're already into electronics as a hobby, then you likely have the parts laying around already like I did. Was able to update my Vivint panel to 1.14 then roll back to 1.13 to clear lockout and gain installer access.


text:
One week before Kellee Khalil launched her wedding photo startup, Loverly, she received a coffee invitation from a business strategist at a top bridal site.
"We have $70 million to buy competitors just so we can shut them down," Khalil was told.
Intimidated but not discouraged, the 27-year-old entrepreneur pursued Loverly.
Loverly was founded last year. It is a network of 26 wedding blogs. If you visit the site, it looks like Pinterest.
However, instead of taking the blogs' articles, Khalil is taking their photos. Her team tags and posts all of the images by designer, item, photographer, color, price and more. When users browse photos, they're given all of the purchase information they need.
Users can "love" images on Loverly, a feature that resembles Facebook's Like button. They can also "bundle" images, which saves a photo to their personal online collection. If they want more information, Loverly sends them to the original blog source.
Loverly has a vested interest in driving traffic to each of its bloggers. Beginning in April, Khalil will sell advertising across the network, like a Federated Media for wedding blogs, and split revenue with the publishers.
Forming a digital wedding channel isn't easy to pull off. Luckily, Khalil's sister is incredibly well connected in the wedding industry.
Leila Khalil is one of Los Angeles' most well-known wedding publicists. Her own wedding was featured in Martha Stewart's Spring 2012 wedding edition. Kellee is featured too as the Maid of Honor.
Using her older sister's contacts, Kellee was able to recruit the initial bloggers for her network. Her sister, of course, was the first on board with her blog Inspired By This.
Now Loverly is a sizable network with 1.8 million uniques and 10 million monthly pageviews. Hundreds of thousands of photos have been uploaded and tagged, and a significant amount of traffic is already being generated for the partnering sites.
Khalil has raised $500,000 from Joanne Wilson, Mike Edwards, Jordy Levy, Mike Yavonditte, Anu Duggal, and Charles Smith.


text:
Wirtualny Turysta is working with a large number of organisations to promote Poznan's events. If you are interested in taking advantage of our synergy for your marketing needs, or posting information about your own event on our website, please email us at firstname.lastname@example.com.
Don't forget to check out our other events guides to Zakopane Events, Wroclaw Events, Gdansk Events, Warsaw Events, Torun Events and Krakow Events!


text:
Detroit Dog Rescue hosts annual Pet Pantry Project
DETROIT (AP) -- Pet owners who need some help feeding and sheltering their animals this winter can get some help thanks to the efforts of a Detroit-based dog rescue group.
Detroit Dog Rescue is set to host its annual Pet Pantry Project on Saturday.
At the four-hour event in Detroit, pet owners can get a free bag of pet food, hay for dog house bedding and insulation and a Detroit Dog Rescue goodie bag filled with assorted treats, supplies and pet care information and resources.
Detroit Dog Rescue spokesman David Rudolph says last year's Pet Pantry Project gave away over 5,000 pounds of free dog food, 50 bags of hay and 20 small, medium and large size dog houses.


text:
SUA Alternate Spring Break (ASB)
What is THE ASB?
ASB is an alternative break for SUA students to perform short term volunteer service and learn about a variety of human issues such as literacy, poverty, racism, hunger, homelessness and the environment during the spring break period. The project is an opportunity for students to become involved in community-based service projects and to learn about the problems faced by members of communities with whom many students otherwise may have had little or no direct contact. These trips are a complete immersion into diverse environments which enable participants to experience, discuss, and understand social issues in a significant way. The alternative break is intended to promote lifelong active global citizenship whereby the community becomes a priority in an individual's life decision.
For more information about the ASB program, please contact Ruby Nagashima, ASB Service Learning Coordinator, at (949) 480-4190.


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ALL inquiries regarding prints and print sales are to be addressed to our galleries listed under the GALLERY REPRESENTATION section of this website. Please contact the gallery nearest you for an appointment to view works.
The Burtynsky Studio does not handle print sales directly.
email: Karen Machtinger
Studio Manager & Arts Administrator
Edward Burtynsky Photography
80 Spadina Avenue,
Suite 207
Toronto, Ontario, Canada


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On the eve of introducing legislation to create the National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS), Prime Minister Julia Gillard has labelled it a once in a generation opportunity.
Ms Gillard will introduce draft laws in the lower house on Thursday for the scheme that is expected to cost about $15 billion a year when fully implemented in 2018/19.
The bill will establish a launch transition agency with responsibility for running the NDIS.
Labor has set aside $1 billion for trial sites but the coalition is concerned about how it will be funded beyond that.
It will be of particular interest to a young Tasmanian man called Corey who had asked the prime minister when she was going to make the NDIS happen.
"Tonight, I can tell Corey and the whole nation: I will introduce legislation establishing the National Disability Insurance Scheme into the House of Representatives tomorrow (Thursday)," she announced at the National Disability Awards in Canberra on Wednesday.
"I've said in the past we will get this thing done.
"I can say tonight we are getting this thing done."
The cruel lottery for the disabled must end, Ms Gillard said.
"Be proud that you are doing something rare in Australian public policy: adding a pillar to our system of social care alongside the minimum wage, the age pension, Medicare and universal superannuation," Ms Gillard said.
"It's an achievement that happens, at best, once in a generation."
Disability advocates had made the NDIS possible through activism and advocacy, the prime minister said.
She praised their meticulous research and policy development as well as their unity.
Ms Gillard said she could not underestimate what it had taken for the sector riven by the struggles of a failing system to come together in support of change.
Earlier in the Senate on Wednesday, opposition disabilities spokesman Mitch Fifield challenged Labor to reveal how much money would be needed to deliver the full rollout of the National Disability Insurance Scheme.
"Legislation to establish the NDIS is a hollow gesture without funding certainty," Senator Fifield said.
Finance Minister Penny Wong said the federal government would make the announcement in next year's budget.
The scheme is expected to give people with disabilities the flexibility to choose the type of care and support they receive.
The draft legislation sets up the framework for the scheme, including eligibility criteria, age requirements and what constitutes reasonable and necessary support.
The prime minister said a special award - Outstanding Achievement Award - went to Dr Rhonda Galbally in recognition of her outstanding contribution to the disability sector over 30 years of campaigning.
The Minister's Award for Excellence in Disability Reform went to Michael Small of Tasmania and Samantha Jenkinson of Western Australia.
The Emerging Leaders Award went to an actor with Down Syndrome, Gerard O'Dwyer, of Guildford in NSW.
The Captioning Studio in Adelaide and Australian Communication Exchange in Queensland were recognised for their excellence in improving social participation.
Telstra got a gong for excellence in improving employment opportunities and the Safe Futures Foundation of Victoria was recognised for its excellence in Accessible Communities Award.
State Operations Manager, Family and Community Services, for Baptcare in Tasmania, Mary D'Elia, was recognised for her excellence in improving personal and community support.
An excellence in Advocacy and Rights Promotion Award went to Communication Rights Australia; the excellence in improving health outcomes award went to Family Planning in Queensland; and Clifton Hill Primary School principal Geoffrey Warren received an excellence in improving education outcomes award.
The final award, the Yooralla Media Award of Distinction, was given to the Network Ten show The Project, for its commitment to air a range of issues across the disability sector.


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It occured to me today, for the first time actually, that I may be in over my head on my editor/engine project Clockwork.
Not that I don't know what i'm doing, or where to go with it, but I just get a headache thinking about all that's left to be done just to get a decent beta release out.
Part of it's my fault I suppose, since I created extra work by not planning enough before, resulting in a design oversight.
How do you guys keep yourselves from becoming overwhelmed by your own projects?
Sorry for being whiny and complainy, but it had to happen sometime ;p


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MEMPHIS, Tenn.—A strong first-half performance and a hat trick by sophomore Bailey Kimbell helped the Birmingham-Southern women's soccer team defeat Rhodes College, 4-1, Sunday afternoon in Memphis.
The win improves the Panthers' conference record to 4-1, with an overall record of 8-4-1.
The Panthers got on the board early and often in the first half. In the 11tth minute, senior Alicia Plotky found space behind the Lynx defense and crossed the ball back towards the net, where Kimbell used a half-chance to hit a one-time shot past the Rhodes keeper, Stephanie Sermonet.
Kimbell had another opportunity in the 34th minute when, thanks to a long ball sent into the Panthers' attacking half by sophomore Jamie Sullivan, Kimbell found herself in a breakaway against the Lynx keeper, who made a great first initial save on Kimbell's attempt. However, a rebound was given up right into the path of Kimbell's charge towards goal, which she buried into the back of the net.
Before the first half drew to a close, senior Linda Amaya found herself with space to shoot about 35 yards away from the goal. She fired a driven shot to put the Panthers up 3-0 after 45 minutes of play.
The Lynx came into the second half with a much more energized effort. For about sixteen minutes, BSC had to ride out the offensive pressure they were put under. In the 62nd minute, BSC put together its own offensive attack. Plotky found herself with room to run in the middle of the field. After taking the ball wide, she found Kimbell once more making a penetrating run behind the defense. Kimbell, showing great composure, managed to get the shot off before the Rhodes keeper closed down her angle and gave the Panthers a 4-0 lead.
The Lynx were not to be denied a scoring opportunity, and found a way to put a goal on the board after a nice strike from distance by Maddy Esther.
Kimbell finished the game with seven points from her hat trick and her assist to Amaya. Senior Amber Hernandez was credited with the win between the pipes, making six saves on the day.
The Panthers are back on the pitch Saturday, Oct. 22, against the Stormy Petrels of Oglethorpe. The game is set for a 1 p.m. Eastern kickoff in Atlanta.


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Card . Any Occasion - Happy You ExistFreya
Freya . Any Occasion Card . Happy You Exist
This super stylish card featuring the words "I'm so happy you exist", is a lovely greeting card to send to a friend, parent or partner for their birthday or any occasion.
This card is blank inside for your own message.
Design Tips:
Peg up with keepsakes, postcards and other cards on colourful string to create modern nursery bunting.
Use this card to create an informal unframed gallery on the kids bedroom wall with prints, postcards and children's art work. Use washi tape, blue tac or wall stickers to secure the prints.
This card looks great in a small white frame on a shelf with other pictures.
Freya . Any Occasion Card . Happy You Exist
|W 10.5cm H 15cm.
|Made From:
|This is an environmentally friendly card! The card is sourced from sustainable FSC accredited forests and comes with a 100% recycled ribbed craft envelope - both come to you in a sealed bio-degradable cellophane bag. All products are produced in the UK.
|Made In:
|Packaged in a sealed bio-degradable cellophane bag with a co-ordinating envelope. Shipped by us in a stiffened envelope.
|Designed By:
|Fréya Eté.
|About This Brand:
|Fréya Art & Design creations are the work of Fréya Eté. Her wonderfully whimsical work is born from a sense of pure child-like wonder and an ever optimistic view of the world. Her playful and heartwarming pieces are perfect for adults and babies, and bring a smile to our faces every time we send out one of her pieces.


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To view more alumni events, click here.
The annual Johns Hopkins Research Symposium on Engineering in Healthcare brings together experts who advocate for leveraging new and emerging technologies to deliver better health care. We invite anyone – faculty, researchers, students, clinicians, and industry representatives – interested in artificial intelligence for healthcare to join us at the symposium this fall.
This year's symposium topic is "AI in Healthcare: From Bench to Bedside."
Visit the Malone Center for Engineering in Healthcare website for more information.


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Ford and Auburn University are working together on a next-generation crash avoidance system combining a car's traction control system with GPS satellite tracking to predict accidents before they happen and take action to completely avoid them.
The system relies on GPS satellites to properly position the vehicle relative to the upcoming road, then combine it with vehicle data such as speed, attitude, and braking or acceleration to determine if a car is in imminent risk of a skid or crash. It'll also let you know that you can't do that Dave, the car is too important for it to allow you to jeopardize it.
* Joint advanced research by Ford Motor Company and Auburn University shows that global positioning system (GPS) satellites could potentially monitor a vehicle's motion and communicate with in-car safety systems to help prevent accidents
* Virtual reality tests show that GPS satellites can precisely monitor a vehicle's motion, which could improve the speed and effectiveness of electronic stability control systems. The joint research is now moving into the prototype phase
* The research team will present initial research findings at the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers' International Conference on Systems, Man and Cybernetics in San Antonio, Texas, Oct. 11-14
* Ford scientists in Dearborn, Mich., are working with researchers at Auburn University's GPS and Vehicle Dynamics laboratory in Auburn, Ala., as part of ongoing research with universities across the country focused on safety and sustainability
DEARBORN, Mich., Oct. 8, 2009 – A groundbreaking research project by Ford Motor Company and Auburn University shows that global positioning system (GPS) satellites that can "talk" to cars could help prevent serious accidents in the future.
The researchers have found potential for a GPS satellite to act as an early warning system that detects when a vehicle is about to lose control and communicate with the vehicle's stability control systems and other safety features to prevent a rollover or other serious accident.
The research findings will be presented next week at the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers' International Conference on Systems, Man and Cybernetics in San Antonio, Texas, Oct. 11-14.
"A satellite orbiting the earth could someday prevent an auto accident," said Dr. Gerhard Schmidt, Ford's Chief Technical Officer and vice president, Research and Advanced Engineering. "We applaud the Auburn team for these advancements and look forward to working together on the next phase of this research, including developing prototype vehicles."
The project is part of Ford Motor Company's $4 million investment in university research programs in 2009, including 16 safety projects.
Auburn University's GPS and Vehicle Dynamics Laboratory, directed by Dr. David Bevly, received a three-year, $120,000 grant from Ford in 2008 as part of company's University Research Program. The research team is investigating the use of combining GPS and inertial measurement units data to provide precise information on a vehicle's motion. The data could be used to improve performance of a vehicle's electronic stability control system, a computerized technology that improves the safety of a vehicle's stability by detecting and minimizing skids.
"Stability control is one of the most important safety technologies of this decade," said Jeff Rupp, manager, Ford Active Safety Systems Engineering. "Ford is committed to safety leadership, and research partnerships like our work with Auburn help us achieve success."
The project's breakthroughs include developing algorithms combining data from sensors in Ford vehicles with data from GPS receivers. This coordination of data has led to predictive models that can calculate a vehicle's roll angle, sideslip and velocities under various driving conditions.


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A JetBlue aircraft was clipped by another plane on the tarmac at John F. Kennedy International Airport Saturday morning.
According to a JetBlue spokesman, the Airbus 320 was at the gate waiting for a tow bar just after 6 a.m., when an Air India jet taxied into the area and clipped the the JetBlue plane's rudder, causing some damage.
None of the 150 passengers on board the JetBlue plane were hurt in the accident, the spokesman said. It was unclear whether there were any passengers on board the Air India plane.
Passengers on the JetBlue plane, which had been heading to Florida, were switched onto a new plane to continue their trip.
The Airbus was taken out of service and maintenance crews were evaluating the damage.


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I'm actually interested in cases of cross-discipline data re-use.
I know that the SOHO/LASCO coronographs are used for comet finding, that solar telescopes were used to get information about Venus's atmosphere during its solar transit in 2004, and STEREO were rolled to try to look at L4 and L5.
But do the night-time or planetary communities use the images for anything else? For example, does STEREO's separation from Earth make the coronographs or heliospheric imagers useful for any triangulation, or are the exposure times or spatial resolution problematic, or is the relative separation insignificant in the grand scheme of things?
Update: I'm not interested in space weather or for warnings about when to put satellites into 'safe mode'... I'm more interested if the low-level telescope data is useful.


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I have an ATI Radeon HD 3650 512MB AGP graphics card that I can't get to work.
I believe it is a VisionTek 'Silent' (no fan, cooling fins and copper heat pipes). Purchased as 'refurbished'
PC specs:
Motherboard: Mach Speed P4MSD-800D2
North Bridge VIA P4M800 Pro
South Bridge VIA VT8237R PLUS
Processor: Intel Pentium D 940/3.2 GHz
On-board graphics: VIA/SG3 UniChrome Pro IGP
Master 0: 250 GB (2 – 125 GB Partitions, 1-Partition with Win XP Home SP3, 1-Partition with Win 8 Consumer Preview)
Master 1: 400 GB (2-200GB Partitions)
Installed video card is an nVidia Geforce FX 5950 Ultra 256MB, running dual flat-screen monitors (Acer wide-screen 16:9 and Dell std 4:3)
I uninstalled all the nVidia display drivers, replaced the nVidia card with the ATI card. Plugged in power connector to card. Upon reboot, I have no video output from either the DVI connector or the VGA connector. I have VGA output from onboard graphics.
Device manager shows yellow alert next to "VGA compatible graphics card"
Says drivers need to be installed/updated. Attempted to install ATI drivers, with no success.
Tried several iterations of drivers:
The latest from ATI/AMD, the drivers/software from VisionTek and Omega drivers/software.
None would complete the Catalyst installation process. Nor would the drivers load.
Uninstalled the ATI card, installed the nVidia card. Restarted, reloaded nVidia drivers/software. Now, everything is working as it was before.
Tried the ATI card several times and cannot get it to work (no video output)
Does anybody have any ideas? Is the card DOA as purchased or do I have a hardware/software problem?
Any ideas would be appreciated, thx.
Can't get HD 3650 AGP card to work
Forum for all the AMD (Previously ATI) video cards from the past, present and future!
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Chix with Stix – Monthly Knitting Group
Chix with Stix – Monthly Knitting Group Monday, September 9 from 6:00 to 8:00 pm Informal monthly gathering for knitters (or crocheters) at all levels of experience. Assistance with projects or learning techniques is always available. Bring personal projects or participate on a group project. Held second Monday of the month. For information and registration please contact the library. Ages 12 and older.


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Dear WarmlyYours,
I recently received in the mail my new Infinity towel warmer and wanted to write to you with a little bit of feedback.
First, it may not seem like a big deal to you but I'm sure I'm not the only person who has received a damaged product because of inadequate packaging. I was happy to see that it was double boxed, shrink wrapped, and all pieces and parts secured so they wouldn't damage the unit.
There are a lot of things that I do really well but doing anything involving home improvement is not one of those. I normally let other people do that for me but in this case I decided to try my hand at it. Thanks to the well written instructions, it only took one hour to install the unit although I'm sure for somebody that is better with drills, screw drivers, and tape measures it would have taken a quarter of that time.
I knew that I would normally want my towel warmer to work its magic when I wake up in the morning and since the directions said it is designed to be on for three hours before using the towel, I knew that the unit would have to be turned on around 3:30am so I went out and purchased a cheap timer that turns the warmer on while I sleep.
You wouldn't think that something as simple as a towel warmer would be such a luxurious addition to a bathroom but it is. It's one of those products that I wouldn't normally think of adding to my bathroom but having it makes those cold mornings that much more bearable. If I have to go to work, I might as well enjoy my shower, right?
Thanks WarmlyYours! This product is definitely my home improvement of the year!
Tim Parker
Dayton, Ohio
We won't share your information and you can unsubscribe at any time with a single click.


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GRINNELL, Iowa – The MIT men sit in fourth place while the women are 22nd after the first day of the NCAA Division III Indoor track & field championship at Grinnell College. Bolstered by three All-America performances, the men totaled 11 points while the women scored in one event Friday and currently have four points.
Senior Nathan Peterson (Kansas City, Mo.) had the top individual showing of the day, placing fifth in the pole vault. Peterson was one of four athletes to vault 16-3.25 feet and earned fourth on total attempts.
Senior Chinedum Umachi (Detroit, Mich.) landed on the All-America podium thanks to his sixth-place showing in the weight throw with a 61-11.75-foot effort.
Both of MIT's distance medley relay squads earned points for the Cardinal and Gray, as the men's and women's groups each collected fifth-place finishes. The men's group of juniors Justin Bullock (Detroit, Mich.), Kyle Hannon (Park Ridge, Ill.), Patrick Marx (Grand Rapids, Minn.) and sophomore Tyler Singer-Clark (Falmouth, Mass.) ran a time of 10:02.41. The women's squad consisting of seniors Jamie Simmons (Carlsbad, Calif.) and Martha Gross (Short Hills, N.J.), sophomore Louise van den Heuvel (Nashua, N.H.) and freshman Cindy Huang (San Jose, Calif.) also took fifth in 11:53.85.
In preliminary heats, senior Portia Jones (New York, N.Y.) earned a spot in the final of the 60-meter hurdles, beating out the ninth-place finisher by 0.001 seconds. Four athletes were separated by less than one one-hundredth of a second for the final spot in the championship heat, including sophomore Jacqueline Brew (Amherst, N.H.).
Also competing on Friday were freshman Sam Parker (Menlo Park, Calif.), who placed 13th in the 800 and junior Lauren Kuntz (Pittsburgh, Pa.), who took 13th in the pole vault.
Simmons and Jones failed to qualify for the finals during the 400 meter prelims.
Set to compete on Saturday for Tech will be freshman Elaine McVay (San Ramon, Calif.) in the 5000 meters, as well as the men's and women's 4x400 relays and Jones' final of the 60-meter hurdles.


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Kennebunk hopes life settles down after prostitution conviction
Defense attorney says Strong conviction sends message
The Kennebunk prostitution case brought international attention to the small York County village, and now that one of the key figures has been convicted residents hope things will quiet down.
Jurors convicted Mark Strong on Wednesday of 13 counts related to promoting prostitution. He will be sentenced later this month.
Alexis Wright, who is accused of prostitution, is supposed to go on trial in May, but many people think her case won't go to court.
The dance studio at 8 York St. that gained infamous status as a result of the case will reopen soon with a new name and management. But it will be a long time before locals stop associating the storefront with Wright, Strong and the prostitution case.
"I'm glad it's over, and I'm waiting for the new studio to open up and give Zumba a better name than it's had for the last six months," said Kennebunk resident Eileen Willard.
People in and around Kennebunk said they're glad the state went after Strong, even if the investigation cost taxpayers thousands of dollars.
"I think if it's a law that's on the books, you're obligated to pursue it," Willard said.
Now residents would like the notoriety to go away.
"I think people were just sick of hearing the same old stuff," said Bryan Flewelling of Kennebunkport.
Next up is supposed to be Wright's case. She pleaded not guilty, but at least one defense lawyer suggested settling before it goes to court.
"If it was me, I'd start to work on a deal," said Portland lawyer Tim Zerillo.
Zerillo said Strong's conviction is bad news for Wright and her case.
"If they get the video in, then it's a big problem for her," he said.
Zerillo and his law firm also represent four of Wright's alleged clients. He said a lot of the johns in the case may have also been waiting for the outcome of the case against Strong.
"No john wants to be the test case of this thing, but it wouldn't surprise me if somebody stepped up and tried it," he said.
Zerillo said he thinks if Strong is sentenced to any jail time it will be a short sentence meant to send a message. Wrights is scheduled to have a settlement conference with prosecutors later this month.


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Albert Sherman Center
A world-class facility supporting research and education and home to:
Advanced Therapeutics Cluster
The Advanced Therapeutics Cluster (ATC) represents a long-term vision at the UMass Medical School that encourages novel research aimed to develop new biological therapies for diseases, such as cancer, diabetes, infectious and neurodegenerative diseases. Under the umbrella of the ATC, UMass Medical School has formed:
❚ The Center for Stem Cell Biology and Regenerative Medicine focusing on the application of using stem cells for regenerative medicine
❚ The RNA Therapeutics Institute featuring novel strategies for regulating gene expression at the level of RNA, and
❚ The Gene Therapy Center established around the promise of using adeno-associated virus (AAV) and other delivery methods to develop treatments for genetic diseases by replacing missing genes or changing harmful gene expression.
The Department of Quantitative Health Sciences and the Program in Bioinformatics & Integrative Biology (QHS)
The newly formed QHS will play an integral role in the five-campus, university-wide Center for Clinical and Translational Science (CCTS) at the University of Massachusetts. In addition to developing its own population health-oriented research programs, QHS will promote collaborative research programs across quantitative, clinical and basic science disciplines, with the goal of shortening the time between laboratory breakthroughs and clinical applications.
The Center for Experiential Learning and Simulation (CELS)
CELS is an exciting initiative at UMass Medical School that will create an ideal learning environment for training tomorrow's medical professionals to practice safe, effective and compassionate clinical care.
The Center will incorporate innovative hands-on applications, such as learning communities, simulation technology (including virtual reality trainers and simulation mannequins), and standardized patients. Through the creation of the CELS, UMMS will ensure that its educational offerings and interprofessional curricula remain at the forefront of health sciences education.
Program in Bioinformatics and Integrative Biology (BIB)
The BIB program addresses one of the most dynamic and central areas in biomedical research - the ever-increasing quantity of molecular information available to scientists. Combining resources and faculty expertise in mathematics, computer science, statistics, and engineering, this program aims to explore and understand biological systems through the application and development of computational tools.
You can make a gift to the Albert Sherman Center conveniently through our secure online web page or you can mail your check, payable to UMMF, to the Development Office.
For more information, please contact the Office of Advancement at 508-856-5520.
To learn more about the Albert Sherman Center, click here.


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Saturday, September 24, 2011
Spiced Corn on the Cob
From the kitchen of One Perfect Bite...We've had a lot of sweet corn this summer, and while it came from neighboring states, it was not truly local. Our corn was planted late due to weather conditions, and it simply wasn't ready for harvest until now. A middling supply of local corn is finally available in our markets, so the upside of the downside is we'll be able to enjoy fresh sweetcorn through October. My problem is finding new ways to fix it. My grandchildren adore corn on the cob, and because I'm boss and quite formidable, they got to have it any time they wished while they were visiting. Now the Silver Fox enjoys corn as much as the next man, but when he saw ears of it on the kitchen counter he asked me to prepare it a different way. I didn't have enough corn to make a casserole or special dish, so I decided to make a spicy version of the plain boiled corn we had had so much of. There are myriad recipes for spiced corn on the web and I grabbed bits and pieces from several of them to make the corn below. It turned out well and I thought you might enjoy it. It goes especially well with Mexican or Southwestern dishes. Here's the recipe.
Spiced Corn on the Cob...from the kitchen of One Perfect Bite
4 large ears sweet corn
2 tablespoon olive oil
2 tablespoon butter
2 jalapeno pepper, seeded and minced
1/2 teaspoon toasted cumin seeds
1/4 teaspoon ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon pepper
1) Fill a large saucepan half full with water; bring to a boil. Add corn; cover and cook for 5-7 minutes or until tender.
2) Meanwhile, in a small saucepan, heat oil and butter over low heat until butter is melted. Stir in the jalapeno, cumin and pepper. Drain corn; brush with butter mixture. Serve immediately. Yield: 4 servings.
One Year Ago Today: White Chocolate Lime Cookies
Two Years Ago Today: Summer Rolls for Sunday Supper
You might also enjoy these recipes:
Creamed Corn - Katy She Cooks
Summery Sweet Corn- Stainless Steel Thumb
Quick Corn Saute - Sweet Life
Grilled Corn on the Cob - My Catholic Kitchen
Lemon Pepper Corn on the Cob - Beloved Green
Posted by Mary Bergfeld at 12:01:00 AM
3 comments :
- From the Kitchen said...
I think we are going to be able to pick up some corn at this morning's market. It's also the right time for a little spice on the table.
- September 24, 2011 at 7:23 AM
- Now Serving said...
wow I love this new topping on corn - I am sure my family would love this is one!
- September 24, 2011 at 7:57 AM
- Platanos, Mangoes and Me! said...
I have had many a spicy corn in Mexico. You did a greta job.
- November 15, 2011 at 5:24 AM
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