65372 results about "Tower" patented technology

A time / location information delivery system that provides focused advertising and / or other information to individuals based on the time and their location. A wireless identification device is carried by an individual and can be read from or written to when the individual passes by interrogators in a specific geographic location. The detectors read ID information embedded in the wireless identification device. A computer uses the ID and location information to select, from a list of information providers, those information providers which provide information content identifiable or correlated to a location and / or time, and is of interest to the individual. The information content can be forwarded to the individual by a variety of information channels. One channel uses conventional Internet email to deliver advertisements and other information to the individual's Internet mailbox. The email can be delivered to a conventional PC, a portable computer, a PDA, an intelligent telephone, pager or other suitable device. For ease of discussion, a pager and a PDA will be referred to collectively as a PDA. The wireless identification device can be an RFID tag embedded in a card, or even a wireless telephone. The RFID tag is read or written to by fixed interrogators and the location of the wireless telephone is detected by triangulating information from cell towers or by embedding the GPS receiver in the wireless telephone thereby providing the location information directly from the telephone. Of course, other nearly identical location determination means, such as quadrangulation could also be used. The location determination can be performed through similar means with other devices such as PDAs, laptops, pagers, etc.

A system, method and computer program product provides for power line communications (PLC) over electric power lines includes a device mountable near an electrical distribution transformer (DT) to provide a high speed interface and communicates with one or multiple access devices, which provide low speed interfaces for analog signals or digital signals over RS 232, RS 485, optical, wireless and Ethernet. The device transmits data to / from these access devices over the electric lines to other repeaters over one or more wires of an electrical line or over multiple lines, and serves to strengthen and improve signal quality. Upon detecting a wire or line is having problems carrying data, the data is sent over other wires, and upon power line failures, wireless backup to mobile / GSM and WiMax networks is utilized. The device permits utilities and others to read electric meters, monitor the power quality of the distribution grid and detect power losses / failures / outages, and permits telecom service providers and others to provide a communications link to cell phone towers, WiFi Access Points and enable broadband Internet and telephony in rural, remote or sparely populated areas.

Solar power systems and structures are mountable to a power distribution structure, e.g. a power pole or tower, which supports alternating current (AC) power transmission lines. An exemplary power generation structure is fixedly attached to and extends from the power distribution structure, and comprises a mounting rack. A solar array, comprising at least one solar panel, is affixed to the mounting rack. A DC to AC invertor is connected between the DC outputs of the solar array and the AC power transmission lines. The length of the solar array is generally in alignment with the power distribution structure, and the width of the solar array is greater than half the is circumference of the power distribution structure. The mounting rack and solar array may preferably be rotatable, such as based on any of location, time of day, or available light.

A system and method for authenticating votes received from a voter's mobile device. A computer is programmed with a set of computer-readable instructions and a includes database accessable by mobile device reading a durable computer readable medium stored in a computer hardware server, the database comprising a registered voter and a geographical location for the registered voter's postal mail delivery address. The system and method receive a vote in an election over a wireless carrier network, determine the geographical location of a device which transmitted the vote over the wireless network comprising cell tower triangulation, and reject the vote if the geographical location of the device which transmitted the vote is not within a predetermined distance from the geographical location for the registered voter stored in the database.

A wind energy conversion system optimized for offshore application. Each wind turbine includes a semi-submersible hull with ballast weight that is moveable to increase the system's stability. Each wind turbine has an array of rotors distributed on a tower to distribute weight and loads and to improve power production performance where windshear is high. As much of the equipment associated with each rotor as possible is located at the base of the tower to lower the metacentric height. The equipment that may be emplaced at the bottom of the tower could include a power electronic converter, a DC to AC converter, or the entire generator with a mechanical linkage transmitting power from each rotor to the base of the tower. Rather than transmitting electrical power back to shore, it is contemplated to create energy intensive hydrogen-based products at the base of the wind turbine. Alternatively, there could be a central factory ship that utilizes the power produced by a plurality of wind turbines to create a hydrogen-based fuel. The hydrogen based fuel is transported to land and sold into existing markets as a value-added “green” product.

A child locating and tracking apparatus which provides for the location of a child that is lost, abducted or in general danger to be quickly located is disclosed. The apparatus uses a small transmitter that is always carried by the child and as such, is always present when danger arises. The transmitter is easily disguised and hidden in the child's clothing or personal adornments such as shoes, coats, watches, earrings, bracelets, rings and the like. The apparatus uses a system of world wide receivers such as those provided by local cellular telephone towers or by low earth orbiting satellites used for low power communication. When a child is lost or in danger, the child simply activates the transmitter which sends a signal to a central reporting station or stations where trained personnel will contact the respective parents and / or care givers to determine if the child could possibly be in danger. If an affirmative decision is reached, the monitoring station personnel will then assist the local law enforcement officials in the respective area anywhere in the world where the alarm was received in locating the child and removing the child from harm's path.

A power line de-icing apparatus that incorporates both thermal and mechanical means to remove various forms of accumulated ice or wet snow from power lines. The apparatus uses a minimum amount of energy to first de-bond and then break off ice from the power line; using far less power than required to fully melt ice. The apparatus operates autonomously, activating heating and chisel mechanisms, and moving between power line support towers in response to both temperature and ice sensor inputs. This operation is repeated in both directions along the power line as long as icing continues to activate the sensors; removing ice more quickly than it can accumulate and thereby preventing mechanical or electrical damage to the power lines and supporting towers. The apparatus is self contained and powered inductively from the power line. It is installed onto the power line without the need for disconnecting the power line.

The invention discloses a tower-type super fine bubble reactor. The tower-type super fine bubble reactor comprises a body, a primary bubble breaker and a secondary bubble breaker, wherein a reaction cavity is formed in the body, a through hole, a liquid inlet, a circulating liquid outlet, an air inlet and a circulating air outlet are formed in the wall of the reaction cavity, one part of the primary bubble breaker penetrates through the through hole and extends into the reaction cavity, the primary bubble breaker is provided with a circulating liquid inlet, a circulating air inlet and an air-liquid mixture outlet, the circulating liquid inlet is communicated with the circulating liquid outlet, and the circulating air inlet is communicated with the circulating air outlet. The secondary bubble breaker is provided with a feeding port and a discharging port, and the feeding port is communicated with the air-liquid mixture outlet. The tower-type super fine bubble reactor has the advantages of being high in mass transfer efficiency, high in reaction rate, low in energy consumption and the like, the reaction time can be remarkably shortened, and reactor size can be decreased.

A gas injector tube usable in a batch thermal treatment oven including two silicon shells joined together with an adhesive formed of a fine silicon powder and a curable silica-forming agent, such as a spin-on glass, which is ultrasonically homogenized. The tube may have a gas outlet on its distal end or be sealed with a silicon cap and have side outlet holes formed along its side. The silicon injector tube may be used in combination with a silicon tower and a silicon liner so that all bulk parts within the furnace hot zone are formed of silicon.

A plurality of public safety answering points (PSAPs) are accessible via a voice-over-packet (VoP) network. Each wireless access point of the VoP network is identified by a basic service set identifier (BSSID). A mobile node associates with a wireless access point and stores the wireless access point's BSSID as an indicator of the mobile node's location. A user of the mobile node dials digits for an emergency services call. In response, the mobile node transmits a SIP INVITE message that includes the BSSID and an additional indicator of the mobile node's location, e.g., determined using GPS or tower triangulation. A SIP proxy server receives the SIP INVITE message and attempts to determine the appropriate PSAP to answer the call based on the BSSID. If the attempt is unsuccessful, the SIP proxy server determines the appropriate PSAP based on the additional indicator.

A solar-powered power generation system and an associated method are provided. The system includes at least one trough solar absorption device for heating a heat transfer fluid to a first temperature, and at least one tower solar absorption device for further heating the transfer fluid to a second temperature. Thus, the generation system can efficiently heat the transfer fluid to high temperatures. Subsequently, the heated fluid can be used, e.g., to generate steam and / or electricity.

A low-cost, distributed broadband multi-service communication network includes intelligent hybrid communication nodes which communicate with one another. The hybrid communication nodes have multi-media interfaces and processors that allow the node to receive a communication broadcast at one protocol interface, convert the broadcast to other communication protocols, and route it to those different communication protocol interfaces for transmission to other communication media. The smart hybrid communication nodes provides a distributed system that does not rely on a central intelligence, so that the network can be instantly deployed and expanded. In addition, a weatherproof container permits the nodes to be physically mounted adjacent to a communication antenna. This eliminates the need for a cable to connect a transmitter interface to the antenna (which can be several hundred feet away at the top of a tower). Even expensive cable results in substantial power and signal loss.

A turbine control system for a variable speed electrical generator in a wind turbine mounted atop a support tower. The wind turbine converts wind energy into a driving torque applied to the generator. The control system includes a turbine support tower position sensor and may also include other tower acceleration and velocity sensors. A wind flow estimator uses the measured motion, generator rotation rate and blade pitch angle to predict wind flow over the swept area of the turbine's rotor, and the tower motion. The predicted wind flow and motion is used in the turbine control system to properly adjust its operating point, to tune the controller, to control the rotor rotation rate, and to damp tower oscillations.

A baffled liner cover supported at the top of a liner surrounding a wafer support tower for semiconductor thermal processing. The cover may present a continuous horizontal surface for preventing particles from falling within the liner but present horizontal extending gas passageways in a baffle assembly to allow the flow of processing gas through the cover. In one embodiment, the baffle assembly includes a cup-shaped member disposed in a central aperture of a top plate having an open top, a continuous bottom, horizontal holes through the sides, and a flange around sides defining a convolute annular passage. Alternatively, the planar top plate may included slanted holes therethrough or vertical holes occupying a small fraction of the surface area. The liner and cover may be composed of quartz, silicon carbide, or preferably silicon.

Common techniques for processing cellular service uses a signal cellular tower, but these techniques are limited to the capacity of the single cellular tower. In contrast, a system employing an example embodiment of the invention increases ability to process cellular service by using an access point access network using resident wireless devices, referred to as a femtocell. A system supports communications of a resident and roaming device while employing the access point access network, based on database information, to support soft handoff between adjacent femtocells or from femtocell to cell tower and vice-versa. As a result, the system enables the resident and roaming devices to have seamless transitions between the cellular access network and the access point access network. Thus, the access point access network supplements cellular access networks and can provide cellular service regardless of the capacity of the cellular tower.

A process for the recovery of ethane, ethylene, propane, propylene, and heavier hydrocarbon components from a hydrocarbon gas stream is disclosed. The stream is cooled and is thereafter expanded to the fractionation tower pressure and supplied to the fractionation tower at a lower mid-column feed position. A distillation stream is withdrawn from the column below the feed point of the stream and is then directed into heat exchange relation with the tower overhead vapor stream to cool the distillation stream and condense at least a part of it, forming a condensed stream. At least a portion of the condensed stream is directed to the fractionation tower at an upper mid-column feed position. A recycle stream is withdrawn from the tower overhead after it has been warmed and compressed. The compressed recycle stream is cooled sufficiently to substantially condense it, and is then expanded to the pressure of the fractionation tower and supplied to the tower at a top column feed position. The quantities and temperatures of the feeds to the fractionation tower are effective to maintain the overhead temperature of the fractionation tower at a temperature whereby the major portion of the desired components is recovered.

A wafer sorting system is provided. The wafer sorter system is used to simultaneously sort multiple semiconductor wafers of a cassette. The wafer sorter system includes multiple arms which extend from a tower. These arms are at different vertical locations along the tower. The wafer sorter system also comprises a robotic arm which may move the tower to a position where the arms contact wafers. These wafers are in different vertical slots of a cassette. Further included in the wafer sorter system is a belt which may rotate to move arms vertically through slots of the tower. Wafers may become attached to arms by applying a vacuum suction to each arm. The arms having wafers may be rotated to the belt in a clockwise or counterclockwise direction about a portion of the tower via a slot in the tower. The arms may then be attached to the belt. After the belt moves the arms to new levels of the tower, the arms may then be rotated back to their original positions. The rearranged wafers may then be placed in their original cassette, in several different cassettes, or in one different cassette via turning off the vacuum suction.

A wind energy turbine includes a tower, a nacelle rotatably supported by the tower, a rotor rotatably supported by the nacelle, and at least one unit to be cooled and arranged in the tower and / or the nacelle. The unit is adapted to be cooled by a cooling medium flowing in a cooling circuit from the unit to at least one heat exchanger. The at least one heat exchanger is located outside of the tower and / or nacelle and configured to be cooled by ambient air.

A spinal implant apparatus that is an expandable spacer including features to minimize or eliminate spacer cant or offset during and after completing the expansion process. The spacer includes a top component, a base component in engagement with the top component, and an expansion mechanism arranged to change the top component's position with respect to the base component. The mechanism for causing expansion may be a screw, a cam, a wedge or other form of distracting device. In one embodiment, the expandable spacer includes a base component with a set of towers and a top component with a set of corresponding silos, where the towers and silos are configured to minimize or eliminate tilt of the top component as it extends upwardly from the base component. In another embodiment, the spacer may include a stepped arrangement around the perimeter of the top component and the base component for engagement during height expansion with minimal canting or slippage. In another embodiment, the spacer may include texturing modification at the opposite ends of the longitudinal axis of the spacer to prevent tilting, slipping, or canting. Additionally, a portion of one or more exterior surfaces of the spacer may be textured, sawtoothed, dovetailed or the like to increase frictional intervertebral contact. The spacer may contain one or more passageways of selectable shape / dimension for bone growth through the spacer.

A floating wind turbine platform includes a floatation frame (105) that includes three columns (102, 103) that are coupled to each other with horizontal main beams (115). A wind turbine tower (111) is mounted above a tower support column (102) to simplify the system construction and improve the structural strength. The turbine blades (101) are coupled to a nacelle (125) that rotates on top of the tower (111). The turbine's gearbox generator and other electrical gear can be mounted either traditionally in the nacelle, or lower in the tower (111) or in the top of the tower-supporting column (102). The floatation frame (105) includes a water ballasting system that pumps water between the columns (102, 103) to keep the tower (111) in a 10 vertical alignment regardless of the wind speed. Water-entrapment plates (107) are mounted to the bottoms of the columns (102, 103) to minimize the rotational movement of the floatation frame (105) due to waves.

A wind energy conversion system includes upper and lower wind turbines having counter-rotating blade assemblies supported for rotation about a vertical rotation axis, with each blade assembly carrying a rotor for rotation past a stator to produce an electrical output. The wind turbines are supported by a tower at an elevated position above the ground. Each wind turbine produces torque, and the wind energy conversion system provides for balancing the torques to avoid a net torque on the tower. Adjustment mechanisms are provided for adjusting blade pitch and for adjusting the size of an air gap between a stator and a rotor that comes into alignment with the stator as the rotor rotates therepast. The wind energy conversion system provides a hood for supplying intake air to a wind turbine and an exhaust plenum for exhausting air from the wind turbine, with the hood and the exhaust plenum being directionally positionable.

Methods and apparatus are provided for uniformly depositing a coating material from a vaporization source onto a powdered substrate material to form a thin coalescence film of the coating material that smoothly replicates the surface microstructure of the substrate material. The coating material is uniformly deposited on the substrate material to form optical interference pigment particles. The thin film enhances the hiding power and color gamut of the substrate material. Physical vapor deposition processes are used for depositing the film on the substrate material. The apparatus and systems employed in forming the coated particles utilize vibrating bed coaters, vibrating conveyor coaters, or coating towers. These allow the powdered substrate material to be uniformly exposed to the coating material vapor during the coating process.

The present invention provides methods for rapid detection of bioagents for environmental and product testing. The methods can be used for testing air, water, soil, surfaces of buildings, containers, towers and the like, as well as testing of foodstuff and cosmetics.

A three dimensional user interface allows browsing of a database displayed as a three dimensional information space. The data is organized along three axes. A current plane or layer of data is summarized on an information landscape, with different planes being selectable using a tower that is located at the intersection of the three axes. A control wall with incorporated tools is used to formulate database queries. A preview wall previews selected data. The preview wall also provides transition between previewing the searches in the 3D space and actual viewing of the programming in full screen 2D display. Application to TV programming data is shown.

A gaming device having a first chance means and a second, serially dependent, chance means is provided. The first chance means is preferably a multiple reel game having a special outcome for triggering the second chance means. The second chance means is preferably a plurality of wheels rotatably coupled to a tower atop the reel game. The first of the wheels will spin and provide an outcome upon a specified outcome of the reel game. Each successive wheel will spin when a specified outcome is depicted on a previous wheel. This will continue until either the specified outcome does not occur or the last wheel is spun. In another version, plural wheels are each uniquely related-one to a given reel, such that a certain reel outcome will energize its associated wheel only. Multiple wheels, when synchronized to a certain outcome, lead to a bigger wheel for a jackpot.

A fatigue resistant gravity based spread footing under heavy multi-axial cyclical loading of a wind tower having a central vertical pedestal, a substantially horizontal continuous bottom support slab with a stiffened perimeter, a plurality of radial reinforcing ribs extending radially outwardly from the pedestal and a three-dimensional network 500 of post-tensioning elements that keep the structural elements under heavy multi-axial post compression with a specific eccentricity that is intended to reduces stress amplitudes and deflections and allows the foundation to have a desirable combination of high stiffness and superior fatigue resistance. The foundation design reduces the weight and volume of materials used, reduces cost, and improves heat dissipation conditions during construction by having a small ratio of concrete mass to surface area thus eliminating the risk of thermal cracking due to heat of hydration.