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Man Booker Prize 2017: Kamila Shamsie's "Home Fire"
Posted by Dzifa Benson | Nov 6, 2017 | Features, Literature & Film
A novel like Kamila Shamsie's Home Fire – long listed for the Man Booker Prize – could not have existed ten years ago – even five years ago, at a push. For one thing, the Pakistani born author admits she wouldn't have attempted to publish it before she became a British citizen in 2013. Mere weeks before that, the then Home Secretary Theresa May, had sent out vans to patrol London streets with slogans such as 'Go Home or Face Arrest' painted on their sides. In this alarming atmosphere and with the accompanying increase in racial profiling, Shamsie didn't feel complacent enough to push her luck with a book like this before she got her citizenship. Furthermore, it was the time before a British-Asian politician such as Sajid Javid, current Secretary of Culture, Media, and Sport, had attained such an exalted position within government. Given that one of the protagonists in this book, Karamat Lone, is a British-Asian Home Secretary, it might have strained the disbelief a reader would have had to suspend to fully enjoy the tale, if the character of Lone didn't reflect the racial make-up of real life British politics.
It's a bold, provocative, and timely book that chimes with the zeitgeist of here and now. It distils incendiary newspaper headlines into the calamitous tale of two families caught in the crosshairs of love, politics, religion and moral duty both to family and to state, bringing home to the reader how much British Muslims are aware of being viewed with suspicion. But this is a story that reaps more widely universal human themes than that. They all turn on the epigram at the start of the book, a quotation from Seamus Heaney's translation and retelling of Sophocles's 5th century BC tragedy, Antigone, "the ones we love…are enemies of the state."[1]
Once the reader knows this is a reworking of Antigone (an enduring and popular subject for books, plays, and other works by writers such as the aforementioned Heaney, Jean Anouilh and Anne Carson), albeit one that doesn't cleave too closely to the Greek precedent, the reader is braced for the catastrophe she knows must be looming. That disquiet, which builds in steady intensity as the story progresses, is palpable right from the beginning when we meet Isma, the eldest of three siblings, who has been detained for a humiliating round of questioning at Heathrow Airport before she leaves the country. She is quizzed about "Shias, homosexuals, the Queen, democracy, The Great British Bake Off, the invasion of Iraq, Israel, suicide bombers, dating websites."[2] Humour leavens the dread though. In a role-play preparing for this exact scenario, her sister Aneeka says "For instance, if they ask you about the Queen, just say 'as an Asian I have to admire her colour palette.'"[3]
Isma is en route to Amherst in Massachusetts from Wembley in London to pursue a dream she put on hold – studying for a PhD in sociology – to raise her much younger twin siblings Aneeka and Parvaiz, following the death of their mother. Their father abandoned the family (the twins never met him) to fight in the Bosnian war as a jihadi in 1995, before going on to Chechnya and Afghanistan. In the latter, he was tortured in the notorious Bagram prison and dies en route to Guantánamo after that. Isma can't stop fretting about her siblings even though they are ready to fly the coop. Aneeka, beautiful, fiery, and studying law, thinks she knows a lot more about a world that demands more moral compromise than she can imagine. Meanwhile Parvaiz has been seduced by Farooq (who is said to have an 'ecosystem' of a beard) and has left London to work for the media division of Islamic State in Raqqa, Syria. He labours under a profoundly naïve belief that he can claim the legacy of a father who he never met and who never gave any indication of actually caring about him. The reader is put in mind that the name "Antigone" means "worthy of one's parents"[4] and the reader's heart breaks for Parvaiz – his biggest crime is that he is young, foolish, and consumed with the need to belong.
Diametrically opposed to their family is the family of the complex figure of Karamat Lone. Lone, a British Muslim politician who has just been made Home Secretary, tells students on a visit to a Bradford School:
"You are, we are British. Britain accepts this. So do most of you. But for those of you who are in some doubt about it, let me say this: don't set yourselves apart in the way you dress, the way you think, the outdated codes of behaviour you cling to, the ideologies to which you attach your loyalties. Because if you do, you will be treated differently – not because of racism, though that does still exist, but because you insist on your difference from everyone else in this multi-ethnic, multi-religious, multitudinous United Kingdom of ours."[5]
Having jettisoned his own religion to further his political agenda, he tells Muslims that they shouldn't freely express their religion if they do not want to appear un-British. In a scenario that reflects Theresa May's real and seemingly tone-deaf actions when she was Home Secretary in 2014, and coinciding with the early days of Isis's recruitment of young British men, Lone proposes revoking British citizenship from dual nationals suspected of acting against British interests. So rather than addressing the deep-rooted problem of why some young British Muslims feel alienated from wider society, Lone simply says, "I hate the Muslims who make people hate Muslims."[6] It's this intransigence, like Creon's in Antigone, that proves his downfall. He is so bound and burdened by his pragmatism as a politician that he is blind to the more nuanced, politically savvy solutions available to him that would limit the damage that engulfs his family and shoot down the circling vultures in the form of his political rivals.
Meanwhile, his son Eamonn struggles with his own notions of what it means to be worthy of one's parents, specifically of his father. Mixed-race (his mother is an Irish-American interior designer), something of a privileged gadabout, and non-religious – "is that a style thing or a Muslim thing?"[7] he asks Isma about the turban she wears. "You know," she replies, "the only two people in Massachusetts who have ever asked me about it both wanted to know if it's a style thing or a chemo thing."[8] "Laughing, he said, 'Cancer or Islam – which is the greater affliction?'" Even though there's an undeniable connection between Isma and Eamonn, it's Aneeka with whom he begins the torrid and secret love affair that sets both families on a collision course that will change their lives forever. But is Aneeka with him for love or convenience? Or both?
By aligning her story with Antigone, Shamsie has contextualised Home Fire within the canon of classic Western literature even if she didn't set out to do so. Home Fire started life as a commission to write a play retelling Sophocle's original, about a woman who buries (instead of leaving him to rot) her dead brother against the directive of King Creon. It is therefore pretty straightforward to track what Shamsie has made use of and what she has discarded of the Greek original. A young woman's quest to dignify her brother in death remains but is utilised in a very different way to Sophocles's story. Shamsie has reversed the natures of the two sisters but has kept the names of the characters, who are all foils for each other, very similar, possibly to the detriment of her own story. Isma is Ismene, Lone is Creon, Aneeka is Antigone and Eamonn is Haemon. That last stopped this reader short – it's a peculiarly Irish name for the son of a British Muslim politician, especially for one who would have come of age during the IRA's heyday of terrorism in mainland Britain. The author explains it away as an anglicising of the Pakistani name 'Ayman' in order for his father to aid assimilation into an unquestionably British way of life but it doesn't quite ring true. It's as if Shamsie realises this. Eamonn's curiously Irish name is addressed two or three times during the narrative. Isma remembers how her family laughed when a newspaper article accompanying a Lone family photograph revealed Eamonn's name. They conclude that it's just another indicator of Lone's 'integrationist posing.'
The same overarching themes are here as in Sophocle's tragedy: tension between individual actions and irreversible consequences; the political as personal and the political versus the personal; the locus of loyalty; citizenship and statelessness; and the struggle between idealism and pragmatism.
Shamsie's seventh novel, is an unabashedly political one that manages to neatly sidestep polemics. This is partly because it is a masterfully woven story told in a lucid, plain-spoken style that knows when to wield humour and dialogue effectively and what to leave unsaid. It is also because the book is divided into five parts, switching points of view between all the main protagonists so that the reader realises that the writer is taking no one's side. Nobody is blameless in this novel. It's a gripping literary thriller that wears its weighty themes lightly making it a compelling read. There are some small missteps in the telling though – the last third of the novel is told in broader brushstrokes than serves the story properly and is there a whiff of deus ex machina in the undeniably memorable ending? The jury's out on whether it's a twist too far for this reader. Now that British politics is slowly embracing diversity (its very slow even given the ascension of Sadiq Khan to Mayor of London and the aforementioned Sajid Javid to the front bench of the present government), it's possible for this novel to exist but it still feels like a bit of a stretch to imagine a British Home Secretary who comes from an ethnic minority. But these are all mere quibbles.
Above all, this book is primarily about the cost of (and lack of) love, both romantic and familial that makes good on the allusions in its title. It's easy to see why it was long listed for the Man Booker. It's a well-paced literary thriller addressing concerns that are very current with many visually arresting set pieces and as such, would also make for an electrifying story on screen
[1] Kamila Shamsie, Home Fire n.p. (Bloomsbury Circus, 2017)
[2] Ibid. p. 5
[4] 'Antigone'. n.d. In Wikipedia. Retrieved October 15, 2017, from https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Antigone
[5] Ibid. p. 88
[6] Ibid. p. 231
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Dzifa Benson
Dzifa Benson is a London based writer, producer and performance maker. She is currently making a transmedia project, The Spit of Me, that explores the story DNA can tell us about identity and migration.
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Cranial Haemorrhage in the Term Newborn lnfant
Paul Govaert (Author)
Categories: Child Neurology, Neurodevelopmental Disorders and Neurodisability
Keywords: Brain Injury, Clinics in Developmental Medicine, Neonatology, Paediatric Neurology
Intracranial haemorrhage affects more than 1 liveborn term infant in 100. The range of aetiologies has been expanded from trauma due to breech or instrumental delivery, to birth asphyxia, haemorrhagic diathesis, infection and prenatal injury. A shift towards diagnosis in life has been brought about by the application of ultrasound, CT and NMR imaging. Survival of most affected infants has encouraged neonatologists and paediatric radiologists to describe their findings in the past decade, yielding a wealth of data. Medicolegal implications surrounding delivery and neonatal care have increased the demand for thorough description of perinatal intracranial events.
Clinics in Developmental Medicine N0.129
'This is an important contribution as a sourcebook for the paediatrician or general practitioner who cares for newborn infants.' The Journal of Pediatrics, Dec 1994
'This book is unique in its extensive research. One of the strengths of this book is to relate these findings during life to observations at post-mortem examination. This book overall has an air of authority as it introduces clinicians to various types of cranial haemorrhage and their aetiologies.' A W D'Souza, British Journal of Obstet. Gynaecol. 1995
'A detailed review of a large number of cases is a useful guide for clinical practice since individual neonatologists and radiologists may have been involved with few cases. The book is also well referenced and would make an excellent introduction for those wishing to pursue further study in this area.' S Ryan, The British Journal of Radiology, 1995
'Accepted wisdom has it that true birth trauma rarely occurs. Dr Paul Govaert takes a rather different view. Paediatricians mostly think of cranial haemorrhage as affecting preterm infants, but this book concentrates on the term infant.' Early Human Development, 1995
'This is a well-written concise account of an important topic. Its emphasis on diagnosis and pathogenesis will appeal to neonatologists and obstetricians, trainees and established practitioners alike. I strongly recommend this book to pathologists who examine perinatal deaths, for whom imprecise descriptions and inappropriate conclusions can have very serious medico-legal implications.' J W Keeling, Paediatric and Perinatal Epidemiology, 1995
Acquired Brain Injury in the Fetus and Newborn (Chapter 18) – Metabolic Brain Injury in the Fetus and the Neonate
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Acquired Brain Injury in the Fetus and Newborn (Chapter 16) – Perinatal Stroke
Kendall B. Nash and Yvonne W. Wu (Authors) Michael Shevell (Editor) PDF (Sub-Section of Book) £7.50 £3.76 (inc 20% VAT) Add to cart
Acquired Brain Injury in the Fetus and Newborn (Chapter 17) – Brain Injury in Newborn Infants with Congenital Heart Disease
Patrick S. McQuillen, Steven P. Miller and Annette Majnemer (Authors) Michael Shevell (Editor) PDF (Sub-Section of Book) £7.50 £3.76 (inc 20% VAT) Add to cart
Acquired Brain Injury in the Fetus and Newborn (Chapter 19) – The Nutritionally Deprived Fetus and Newborn Infant
Raghavendra Rao and Michael K. Georgieff (Authors) Michael Shevell (Editor) PDF (Sub-Section of Book) £7.50 £3.76 (inc 20% VAT) Add to cart

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


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Welcome Guest! You are here: Home » Education & Career
APSC CC Prelims Result 2018 Declared, Check now
The date for filling up of the Application Form for the Combined Competitive (Main) Examination, 2018 will be notified shortly
Wednesday March 13, 2019 8:41 PM, ummid.com News Network
Guwahati: Assam Public Survice Commission (APSC) has declared on its official website apsc.nic.in the result of Combined
Competitive (Preliminary) Examination 2018.
"The Assam Public Service Commission hereby declares the results of the Combined Competitive (Preliminary) Examination, 2018 held on 30th December,2018. The candidates whose Roll Numbers are mentioned on the website have been declared to have qualified to appear in the Combined Competitive (Main) Examination, 2018", the Commission said.
How to check APSC CC Prelims 2018 Result
Click here to go to official website: apsc.nic.in.
In the Latest News Section on the Home Page, Click on the link: Result: CCE(Prel)-2018 CCE(Prel.)-2018 RESULT
APSC Prelims December 2018 Result will appear in PDF.
"Roll Numbers of qualified candidates are in serial order. The Commission will not be responsible for any printing mistakes", Assam Public Survice Commission (APSC) said.
"The marks of all valid candidates who had appeared in the C.C. (Prel.) Examination, 2018 held on 30/12/2018 will be uploaded in the Commission's website www.apsc.nic.in shortly", Assam Public Survice Commission (APSC) said.
"The list of invalid candidates will be uploaded subsequently. The Answer Keys and Cut Off Marks of the said examination will also be uploaded in due course", it added.
"The date for filling up of the Application Form for the Combined Competitive (Main) Examination, 2018 will be notified shortly. The said Examination will be held tentatively during the month of July, 2019", Assam Public Survice Commission (APSC) said.


Party up with the Dorset limited edition shirt, new to Politix's Red Label. Make every entrance a standout with the large scale floral print, cool burgundy shades and luxe European fabrics of this dress shirt. Stride this floral shirt sharp from party to after the after party with Politix's new season chinos.


The NATO info products collection contains NATO's official reference publications, which are used to describe the history, goals and functions of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization.
The Series contains collections of published articles, official speeches, posters, brochures, pamphlets, and document facsimiles. The Series topics range from general overviews of NATO, to specific topics, such as the NATO AWACS.
The Handbook Series contains NATO's official reference publications, which are used to describe the history, goals and functions of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization.


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FG To Provide Alternative Education For 12 Million Out Of School Children
"It also seeks to equip children with the requisite skills and wherewithal to engage with and contribute meaningfully to the Nigerian economy".
Stakeholders at the steering committee sitting.
The Minister of Humanitarian Affairs, Disaster Management and Social Development Sadiya Umar Farouq quoting the National Bureau of Statistics has indicated that about 12 million children are currently out of school in the country.
She made the disclosure just as the National Steering Committee on Alternate School Program commenced collation of data of all out-of-school children in the country.
Farouk was speaking at the second meeting of the committee held on Tuesday at the office of the Accountant General of the Federation in Abuja.
She said the Committee will work with the statistics made available by the NBS to engage the out of school children.
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"The Alternate School Program possesses the potential for every child to gain access to quality education, irrespective of social, cultural or economic standing, as well as provide a means of improving household incomes for their respective families, through the Federal Government's Social Investment Programmes, as delivered through the Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs, Disaster Management and Social Development.
Umar Farouq explained that the committee has worked closely with the Ministry of Education and other ministries to refine the concept of the Alternate School Programme.
ALSO READ PDP CONVENTION: Full List Of Newly Elected NWC Members
"In collaboration with the Ministry of Education, we have spent the last few weeks in engagement with various stakeholders, in a bid to refine and strengthen the ASP Concept towards successful implementation of this programme; for it is upon this foundation that we can begin to erect necessary building blocks.
"The significance of each member of the National Steering Committee in providing the necessary leadership for the success of the programme cannot be overemphasised."
She said the success of the Alternate School Programme will rely largely on inter-ministerial collaboration and effective stakeholder engagement".
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text:
Woman Fables
Peggy Hong
Once a year, the woman swims across the Atlantic. The longing comes
over her like a seasonal affliction, like ragweed allergies or the
desire for Christmas lights. The woman does not live near the ocean and
she takes great pains to get there from her home in Sandusky, Ohio. She
calls in sick, arranges childcare, and catches a plane to LaGuardia.
"Rockaway Beach," she tells the cab driver, shedding her winter coat
and donning her rubber flippers.
A woman's toes are growing roots. At first, mortified, she clips them
daily, hobbles to work in tightly laced boots. But the more she tries
to hide them, the faster the roots grow, so that one morning as she is
standing at the kitchen sink, drinking coffee, the roots thrust
downward through the linoleum. Her arms grow woody, a branch grows out
of her throat, and she remains, rooted, now leafy in her kitchen. Her
husband walks in, chirps, "Oh, there you are. Up so early?"
A woman gives birth to a violin. She weeps in her stirrups and blue
gown, "It's just what I've always wanted." Her husband cuts the thick
wire cord, and she takes it to her breast. It is perfectly in key,
except for the D string, which seems a little too loose. She mentions it
to the nurse, who swaddles it snugly in a cotton blanket and carries it
to the nursery. Mother and child cry out simultaneously on A, exactly
one octave apart.
A woman burns herself for firewood. It is winter and her children are
cold -- what choice does she have? She'd sell herself on the street, but
she is too old. She starts off with hair and fingernails but obviously
the furnace wants more. She never did use her left hand much and her
children hardly notice the loss. But when her whole arm disappears, the
older ones grow curious. When she hobbles up from the basement with a
cheerful, rallying grin and her legs cut off at the knees, the children
start wondering who will cook their supper.
A woman longs to be alone. She tries sleep but finds the dreams
domineering and the down comforter suffocating. She takes walks, but the
trees hover too close and the clouds make her shoulders ache. She rides
the subway back and forth, crisscrossing the city all night long, but
only feels jet-lagged in the morning. "Stop looking at me," she'll
mouth these words to you if you catch her eye, "stop looking at me."
A woman decides to compost her son. She figures that given the right
conditions, even his eight-year-old body would biodegrade. Like egg
shells, tea bags, dryer lint. Like peach pits, wet newspaper, chicken
bones. His body still small and tender, she folds him between wild mint
stalks and watermelon rinds. In the fall, the ash tree drops its yellow
leaves, cushioning and cradling him. His curled body grows softer,
smoldering, yielding into good black dirt. The following spring, she
spreads the compost over the vegetable beds, and like the volunteer
canteloupe that overtook the potato patch one year, he rises up. He
emerges from the earth, reaching out to her with coily tendrilled arms
and leafy hands, and she cries out, "My son, my son, my son."
Peggy Hong was born in Seoul, South Korea, and raised in Hawaii and New York. She is the author of a poetry collection, Three Truths and a Lie (forthcoming, Water Press and Media); the poetry chapbooks Lies and Fables and The Sister Who Swallows the Ocean (CrowLadies Press); and a fine art letterpress book, Hoofbeats (Gokiburi Press). Poetry publications include Spoon River Poetry Review, Rhino, Bamboo Ridge, and Mothering magazine, among others. A graduate of Barnard College, she received a Master of Fine Arts degree at Antioch University with a dual concentration in poetry and fiction. She lives in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, with her husband and three children, ages 18, 16, and 13. She teaches at Alverno College and Woodland Pattern Book Center.
More from Peggy Hong
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text:
#include "TTDSP.h"

#include "TTResample.h"
#include "TTStaircase.h"

extern "C" TT_EXTENSION_EXPORT TTErr TTLoadJamomaExtension_ResamplingLib(void)
{
	TTDSPInit();

	TTResample::registerClass();
	TTStaircase::registerClass();

	return kTTErrNone;
}

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaGithub


text:
AUTOMATED METER READER
A meter reader for reading a meter have a display portion displaying a total output of a quantity being metered and plural incremental outputs defining the total output. The meter reader includes a sensing mechanism for sensing one of the plural incremental outputs in the meter display portion, and a processing unit coupled to the sensing mechanism for accumulating incremental outputs sensed by the sensing mechanism and for determining accumulated meter output over a time period based on the accumulated incremental outputs. Also included is an output mechanism for outputting the accumulated meter output determined by the processing unit. In one example, the sensing mechanism includes a sensor for sensing only a least significant incremental output in usage included in the meter display portion, and an emitter for illuminating the least significant incremental output included in the meter display portion. Further, the sensing mechanism senses the least significant incremental output included in the meter display portion at least once every full cycle of the least significant incremental output.
Sanderford, Hugh Britton (Covington, LA, US)
SENSUS METERING SYSTEMS (Raleigh, NC, US)
340/870.02, 702/62
G08C15/06
20090153134 POSITION DETECTION DEVICE AND OPTICAL APPARATUS June, 2009 Matsumoto
20100042353 SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR TESTING WORKING CONDITION OF LED INDICATORS ON HARD DISK DRIVES February, 2010 Huang et al.
20030006775 System for measuring spark plug suppressor resistance under simulated operating conditions January, 2003 Wright
20070115012 Reinforced guide panel for vertical probe card May, 2007 Cheng et al.
20090322365 INTEGRATED MEMS METROLOGY DEVICE USING COMPLEMENTARY MEASURING COMBS December, 2009 Garmire et al.
20030184300 underground locator with a laser marking device. October, 2003 Bigelow
20030011360 Magnetoresistive angle sensor January, 2003 Jausel et al.
20080278190 Testing fuse configurations in semiconductor devices November, 2008 Ong et al.
20070038969 Electronic ultimate defects analyzer detecting all defects in pcb/mcm February, 2007 Pitkary et al.
20060119367 Apparatus for Inspecting the front side and backside of a disk-shaped object June, 2006 Iffland et al.
20090021279 SEMICONDUCTOR TESTING CIRCUIT AND SEMICONDUCTOR TESTING METHOD January, 2009 Kishimoto et al.
BENLAGSIR, AMINE
OBLON, MCCLELLAND, MAIER & NEUSTADT, L.L.P. (1940 DUKE STREET, ALEXANDRIA, VA, 22314, US)
1. A meter reader for reading a meter have a display portion displaying a total output of a quantity being metered and plural incremental outputs defining the total output, comprising: a sensing mechanism configured to sense one of the plural incremental outputs in the meter display portion; a processing unit coupled to the sensing mechanism and configured to accumulate incremental outputs sensed by the sensing mechanism and to determine accumulated meter output over a time period based on the accumulated incremental outputs; and an output mechanism configured to output the accumulated meter output determined by the processing unit.
2. The meter reader of claim 1, wherein the sensing mechanism comprises: a sensor configured to sense only a least significant incremental output in usage included in the meter display portion; and an emitter configured to illuminate the least significant incremental output included in the meter display portion.
3. The meter reader of claim 2, wherein the sensing mechanism senses the least significant incremental output included in the meter display portion at least once every full cycle of the least significant incremental output.
4. The meter reader of claim 1, further comprising: a mounting member configured to mount the sensing mechanism on an external surface of the meter in optical communication with said one of the plural incremental outputs.
5. The meter reader of claim 2, further comprising: a mounting member configured to mount the sensor and the emitter on an exterior surface of the meter in optical communication with the least significant incremental output included in the meter display portion.
6. The meter reader of claims 4 or 5, wherein the mounting member includes an inductive coupling mechanism configured to capture electric magnetic field radiation from the meter and to convert the captured radiation to power for the meter reader.
7. The meter reader of claim 6, wherein the coupling mechanism comprises coil wires wrapped around the exterior surface of the meter so as to capture the electric magnetic field radiation from the meter.
8. The meter reader of claims 4 or 5, wherein the mounting member comprises a mounting strap equipped with a tamper detection mechanism for preventing unauthorized removal of the meter reader from the meter.
9. The meter reader of claims 4, wherein the mounting member mounts the meter reader on the external surface of the meter such that the optical communication between the sensing mechanism and said one of the incremental outputs is accurately aligned.
10. The meter reader of claim 1, wherein the sensing mechanism comprises: a plurality of sensors disposed around a periphery of a least significant incremental output included in the meter display portion, said plurality of sensors configured to sense only the least significant incremental output in usage; and an emitter configured to illuminate the least significant incremental output included in the meter display portion.
11. The meter reader of claim 10, further comprising: a mounting member configured to mount the plurality of sensors and the emitter on an exterior surface of the meter in optical communication with the least significant incremental output, wherein the mounting member mounts the plurality of sensors and emitter such that the emitter is positioned directly over a center portion of the least significant incremental output.
12. The meter reader of claim 11, wherein the mounting member includes an inductive coupling mechanism configured to capture an electric magnetic field radiation from the meter and to convert the captured radiation to power for the meter reader.
13. The meter reader of claim 2, wherein the sensor comprises a camera configured to capture an image of the least significant incremental output in usage included in the meter display portion.
14. The meter reader of claim 13, wherein the processing unit comprises a comparator configured to reduce the image captured by the camera to one bit per pixel.
15. The meter reader of claim 13, wherein the processing unit performs an edge-detection algorithm to reduce the image captured by the camera to one bit per pixel.
16. The meter reader of claim 13, wherein the processing unit performs a difference calculation on consecutive images captured by the camera to determine the accumulated meter output.
17. The meter reader of claim 1, wherein the meter reader reads one of an electric meter, a gas meter, a water meter, a pressure meter, a temperature meter, and a flow rate meter.
18. The meter reader of claim 1, further comprising: a power unit including one of a battery, a series of photo cells, and an inductive coupling mechanism configured to capture electric magnetic field radiation from the meter, and configured to provide power to the meter reader.
19. The meter reader of claim 1, wherein the processing unit performs Kalman filtering on the accumulated incremental outputs.
20. A method of reading a meter having a display portion displaying a total output of a quantity being metered and plural incremental outputs defining the total output, comprising: sensing one of the plural incremental outputs in the meter display portion; accumulating incremental outputs sensed in the sensing step; determining accumulated meter output over a time period based on the accumulated incremental outputs; and outputting the accumulated meter output determined in the determining step.
21. The method of claim 20, wherein the sensing step comprises: illuminating a least significant incremental output included in the meter display portion; and sensing only the least significant incremental output in usage included in the meter display portion.
22. The method of claim 21, wherein the sensing step senses the least significant incremental output included in the meter display portion at least once every full cycle of the least significant incremental output.
23. The method of claim 20, wherein the sensing step senses said one of the plural incremental outputs in the meter display portion from an external surface of the meter.
24. The method of claim 20, further comprising: capturing electric magnetic field radiation from the meter; and converting the captured radiation to power for the meter reader.
25. The method of claim 21, wherein the sensing step comprises: capturing an image of the least significant incremental output in usage included in the meter display portion.
26. The method of claim 25, further comprising: reducing the image captured by the capturing step to one bit per pixel.
27. The method of claim 26, wherein the reducing step comprises: comparing pixel values of the image captured by the capturing step with a gray-level value; and setting a bit value to be either 0 or 1 based on whether the pixel values are less than or greater than the gray-level value, respectively.
28. The method of claim 26, wherein the reducing step comprises: comparing pixel values of the image captured by the capturing step with a gray-level value; and setting a bit value to be 1 if and only if a respective pixel value is greater than the gray-level value and a previous pixel value was less than the gray-level value.
29. The method of claim 25, further comprising: calculating a difference between consecutive images captured by the capturing step to determine the accumulated meter output.
30. The method of claim 20, wherein the meter comprises one of an electric meter, a gas meter, a water meter, a pressure meter, a temperature meter, and a flow rate meter.
31. The method of claim 20, further comprising: performing Kalman filtering on the accumulated incremental outputs.
32. A meter reader for reading a meter have a display portion displaying a total output of a quantity being metered and plural incremental outputs defining the total output, comprising: sensing means for sensing one of the plural incremental outputs in the meter display portion; processing means for accumulating incremental outputs sensed by the sensing means and for determining accumulated meter output over a time period based on the accumulated incremental outputs; and outputting means for outputting the accumulated meter output determined by the processing unit.
33. The meter reader of claim 32, wherein the sensing means comprises: sensor means for sensing only a least significant incremental output in usage included in the meter display portion; and emitter means for emitting the least significant incremental output included in the meter display portion.
34. The meter reader of claim 33, wherein the sensor means senses the least significant incremental output included in the meter display portion at least once every full cycle of the least significant incremental output.
35. The meter reader of claim 32, further comprising: mounting means for mounting the sensing means on an external surface of the meter in optical communication with said one of the plural incremental outputs.
36. The meter reader of claim 33, further comprising: mounting means for mounting the sensor means and the emitter means on an exterior surface of the meter in optical communication with the least significant incremental output included in the meter display portion.
37. The meter reader of claims 35 or 36, wherein the mounting means includes inductive coupling means for capturing electric magnetic field radiation from the meter and for converting the captured radiation to power for the meter reader.
38. The meter reader of claims 35 or 36, wherein the mounting means comprises tamper detection means for preventing unauthorized removal of the meter reader from the meter.
39. The meter reader of claim 35, wherein the mounting means mounts the meter reader on the external surface of the meter such that the optical communication between the sensing means and said one of the incremental outputs is accurately aligned.
40. The meter reader of claim 32, wherein the sensing means comprises: sensor means disposed around a periphery of a least significant incremental output included in the meter display portion, said sensor means for sensing only the least significant incremental output in usage; and emitter means for illuminating the least significant incremental output included in the meter display portion.
41. The meter reader of claim 40, further comprising: mounting means for mounting the sensor means and the emitter means on an exterior surface of the meter in optical communication with the least significant incremental output, wherein the mounting means mounts the sensor means and the emitter means such that the emitter means is positioned directly over a center portion of the least significant incremental output.
42. The meter reader of claim 41, wherein the mounting means includes inductive coupling means for capturing an electric magnetic field radiation from the meter and for converting the captured radiation to power for the meter reader.
43. The meter reader of claim 33, wherein the sensor means comprises capturing means for capturing an image of the least significant incremental output in usage included in the meter display portion.
44. The meter reader of claim 43 wherein the processing means comprises comparator means for reducing the image captured by the capturing means to one bit per pixel.
45. The meter reader of claim 43, wherein the processing means comprises edge-detection means for reducing the image captured by the capturing means to one bit per pixel.
46. The meter reader of claim 43, wherein the processing means comprises difference calculation means for determining the accumulated meter output from consecutive images captured by the capturing means.
47. The meter reader of claim 32, wherein the meter reader reads one of an electric meter, a gas meter, a water meter, a pressure meter, a temperature meter, and a flow rate meter.
48. The meter reader of claim 32, further comprising: power means for providing power to the meter reader.
49. The meter reader of claim 32, wherein the processing means comprises means for performing Kalman filtering on the accumulated incremental outputs.
50. A computer program product for reading a meter have a display portion displaying a total output of a quantity being metered and plural incremental outputs defining the total output, comprising: a first computer code configured to instruct a sensing mechanism to sense one of the plural incremental outputs in the meter display portion; a second computer code configured to accumulate incremental outputs sensed by the sensing mechanism and to determine accumulated meter output over a time period based on the accumulated incremental outputs; and a third computer code configured to output the accumulated meter output determined by the second computer code.
51. The computer program product of claim 50, wherein the first computer code instructs the sensing mechanism to sense only a least significant incremental output included in the meter display portion.
52. The computer program product of claim 51, wherein the first computer code instructs the sensing mechanism to sense the least significant incremental output included in the meter display portion at least once every full cycle of the least significant incremental output.
53. The computer program product of claim 50, further comprising: a fourth computer code configured to instruct an inductive coupling mechanism to capture electric magnetic field radiation from the meter and to convert the captured radiation to power for the meter reader.
54. The computer program product of claim 51, wherein the first computer code instructs the sensing mechanism to capture an image of the least significant incremental output in usage included in the meter display portion.
55. The computer program product of claim 54, further comprising: a fourth computer code configured to reduce the image captured by the camera to one bit per pixel.
56. The computer program product of claim 55, wherein the fourth computer code comprises: a fifth computer code configured to compare pixel values of the image captured by the camera with a gray-level value; and a sixth computer code configured to set a bit value to be either 0 or 1 based on whether the pixel values are less than or greater than the gray-level value, respectively,
57. The computer program product of claim 55, wherein the fourth computer code comprises: a fifth computer code configured to compare pixel values of the image captured by the camera with a gray-level value; and a sixth computer code configured to set a bit value to be 1 if and only if a respective pixel value is greater than the gray-level value and a previous pixel value was less than the gray-level value.
58. The computer program product of claim 54, further comprising: a fourth computer code configured to calculate a difference between consecutive images captured by the sensing mechanism to determine the accumulated meter output.
59. The computer program product of claim 50, further comprising: a fourth computer code configured to perform Kalman filtering on the accumulated incremental outputs.
The present invention relates to automated meter reading, and more particularly to a meter reader including a sensor for sensing only a least significant incremental output in usage included in a meter display portion.
2. Discussion of the Background
Modem households are powered by electricity, gas and water, etc. The household receives electricity from the electrical company, in many cases a public utility. Similarly, natural gas is supplied by a gas provider, and water is supplied by the water commission.
The consumption of electricity, gas and water is measured by meters which have been installed at the customer's house. For example, the electricity meter measures the amount of electricity (i.e., power) used by the household and the consumption of electric power is indicated by readings on the meter. The electrical meter typically includes a number of dials which show the power consumption in Kilowatt hours. To bill the customer, it is necessary for the electrical utility to obtain a power consumption reading from the meter. Therefore, before the electrical utility can issue bills to its customers, the electrical meters at each house must be manually read. This represents a significant expenditure of manual effort. The situation is further exacerbated by the inaccessibility of some meters, e.g., located inside the basement of a house, and the unavailability for reading during normal working hours when the occupants of the house are not at home, but are at work.
To contain costs and enhance a competitive position in the utility market place, many utility companies are investigating and implementing automated meter reading capabilities. For example, background automated meter reading solutions sense the current consumption by physically coupling a sensing device to the rotation of the display dials, magnetically coupling the sensing device to the meter, or electrically coupling the sensing device to an LCD or other type of display.
However, in all of these cases, the sensing device must be physically placed within the electrical meter housing (i.e., under the glass covering). This requires an extremely labor-intensive process of retrofitting the meters. This retrofitting process also has a potential of damaging the meter.
Further, other background meter reading devices capture an image corresponding to the entire meter display portion (i.e., all display dials) and transmit this entire image for processing. This increases the battery consumption used by the meter reader and requires complicated circuitry.
In addition, the background devices only fit one particular type of meter and therefore several different types of meter readers are required. Thus, the background meter reading devices are generally expensive to implement, maintain and repair.
Accordingly, one object of the present invention is to solve the above-noted and other problems.
Another object of the present invention is to provide a novel meter reader that does not require an extensive retrofitting process.
Still another object of the present invention is to provide a novel meter reader than can be used with a variety of meters from various venders under all environmental conditions.
Yet another object of the present invention is to provide a novel wireless meter reader that can transmit metering information to a radio receiver, from which a utility company can gather and process the transmitted information.
Another object of the present invention is to provide a low-cost meter reader that is simple to implement, maintain and repair.
To achieve these and other objects, the present invention provides a novel meter reader for reading a meter having a display portion displaying a total output of a quantity being metered and plural incremental outputs defining the total output. The meter reader includes a sensing mechanism for sensing one of the plural incremental outputs in the meter display portion, and a processing unit coupled to the sensing mechanism for accumulating incremental outputs sensed by the sensing mechanism and for determining accumulated meter output over a time period based on the accumulated incremental outputs. Also included is an output mechanism for outputting the accumulated meter output determined by the processing unit. In one example of the present invention, the sensing mechanism includes a sensor for sensing only a least significant incremental output in usage included in the meter display portion, and an emitter for illuminating the least significant incremental output included in the meter display portion. Further, the sensing mechanism senses the least significant incremental output included in the meter display portion at least once every full cycle of the least significant incremental output. The present invention also relates to a method and computer program product for reading a meter.
A more complete appreciation of the invention and many of the attendant advantages thereof will be readily obtained as the same becomes better understood by reference to the following detailed description when considered in connection with the accompanying drawings, wherein:
FIGS. 1A and 1B illustrates a first example of reading a meter according to the present invention;
FIG. 2 illustrates a second example of reading a meter according to the present invention;
FIG. 3A illustrates a comparator according to the present invention for reducing an image captured by a camera to one bit per pixel;
FIG. 3B is a pictorial diagram illustrating an example of pixel values that are extracted from the captured image and converted to bit values;
FIG. 4A illustrates a circuit for generating differential video information according to the present invention;
FIG. 4B is a pictorial diagram illustrating the generation of the differential video information according to the present invention;
FIG. 5 is a pictorial diagram illustrating edge-detection data from two separate image scans according to the present invention;
FIG. 6 is an overview illustrating in more detail the components included in the meter reader according to the present invention;
FIG. 7A is an overview illustrating the meter reader being externally mounted to the meter according to the present invention;
FIG. 7B is a side view of the meter reader shown in FIG. 7A;
FIG. 8A is an overview illustrating a series of photo cells with a parallel capacitor as a first alternative for powering the meter reader according to the present invention;
FIG. 8B is an overview illustrating another alternative for powering the meter reader according to the present invention;
FIG. 9 is an overview illustrating another example of a meter reading according to the present invention;
FIGS. 10A and 10B are overviews illustrating transmission and reception aspects of the meter reading according to the present invention;
FIGS. 11A and 11B are pictorial diagrams illustrating how to properly install and align the electric meter according to the present invention;
FIG. 12 is a pictorial diagram illustrating how an image processing algorithm compensates for possible alignment errors with the meter reading according to the present invention;
FIG. 13 is an overview illustrating a preferable depth of field for the meter reader according to the present invention;
FIG. 14A is a circuit illustrating a hardware based light dark differentiator circuit;
FIG. 14B is an overview illustrating mounting of detector and optics to view hands on meter dial;
FIGS. 15A-15C illustrate adaptive filtering methods according to the present invention to correct glass imperfections and other obstructions with the meter;
FIG. 16 illustrates a Kalman filter prediction method according to the present invention;
FIG. 17 is a pictorial diagram illustrating how the predictable movement of the meter dial can advantageously be monitored by a sensor according to the present invention;
FIG. 18 is a pictorial diagram illustrating the sensor mechanism according to the present invention tracking the number of times a dial hand has crossed a certain point on the dial face;
FIG. 19 illustrates one example of the present invention to overcome alignment problems; and
FIG. 20 illustrates how an optical sensor can be used to read a dial hand according to the present invention.
DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS
Referring now to the drawings, wherein like reference numerals designate identical or corresponding parts throughout the several views, the present invention will be described.
Turning first to FIG. 1A, this figure illustrates a first example of optically reading a meter according to the present invention. In this example, a meter reader according to the present invention includes a light emitter 8 and a light receiver 10. The light emitter 8 emits light towards a rotating disk 4 included in the electric meter. Light reflected from the rotating disk 4 is received by the light receiver 10. Note that in this example the user's current consumption (e.g., metering data) is determined from the rotating disk 4 and not the plurality of dials 2 accompanied with the meter. Also note the rotating disk 4 generally includes a single mark 6.
Thus, as the disk 4 rotates, the optical receiver 10 receives a varying amount of light. For example, FIG. 1B illustrates an example of different brightness levels the light receiver 10 measures as the disk 4 makes a single revolution. These brightness values may be used to determine the amount of power provided to the customer as brightness values above or below a predetermined threshold value may be used to denote a single revolution of the disk 4.
FIG. 2 illustrates a second example of optically detecting metering data according to the present invention. In this example, only a least significant incremental output (e.g., least significant dial) of the meter is read. In more detail, as shown in FIG. 2, an illuminating emitter 20 (such as an infrared LED) is disposed over a center of a least significant dial 27. Further, a plurality of sensors 24, 26, 28, etc. are disposed around a circumference of the least significant dial 27 at locations corresponding to count numbers on the least significant dial 27 (i.e., count numbers 0, 1, 2, 3 . . . 11). In this example, it is preferable the emitter 20 is positioned directly over the center portion of the least significant dial 27 so as to illuminate the entire dial 27.
The plurality of sensors 24, 26 and 28, etc. may then be used to determine the position of a dial hand 22 based on a difference of reflections of light from the emitter 20. For example, the meter reader according to this example may determine that the dial hand 22 is at the count number 0 because the sensor 28 receives significantly less light reflection from the emitter 20 (i.e., because the dial hand 22 is passing thereunder). A processing unit may then process the information sensed by the sensor 28 along with a previous reading so as to determine the amount of power used by the customer.
In another example, it is also possible to concentrate on the sensor that will most likely detect the presence of the dial hand 22. For example, as shown in FIG. 2, if the dial hand 22 is moving in a counterclockwise direction (as shown by the arrow in the drawing) and it is known the dial was just currently sensed by the sensor 24 (as shown by the dash dial hand 22′), the processing unit can concentrate on sensors 26 and 28 and ignore the other sensors or pay less attention to them so as to further reduce the amount of required processing (and accordingly reduce the amount of battery consumption required to operate the meter reader).
Thus, because only the least significant dial is monitored according to the present invention, the size of the image captured is significantly reduced compared to that of the background type meter reading devices. That is, as discussed above, the background devices capture and process an image corresponding to all of the dials. This increases the amount of processing equipment required for the device, as well as the amount of battery consumption by the device. On the contrary, the present invention is significantly able to reduce the amount of battery consumption, the complexity of the device, and provide accurate information about the customer's usage by reading only the least significant dial. Further, the sensing mechanism (i.e., sensors 24, 26 and 28, etc.) are configured to sense the least significant dial 27 at least once every full rotation of the least significant dial 27. Therefore, the amount of power delivered to the meter is properly read.
Another example of reducing the battery consumption and complexity of the device is shown in FIGS. 3A and 3B. In more detail, FIG. 3A illustrates a comparator 36 according to the present invention for reducing an image captured by a camera to one bit per pixel, and FIG. 3B is a pictorial diagram illustrating an example of pixel values that are extracted from the captured image and converted to bit values. In this example, rather than using a plurality of sensors 24, 26, 28, etc. as shown in FIG. 2, the sensing mechanism includes a camera (such as a CCD camera or a CMOS sensing camera) for capturing an image of the least significant dial. The comparator 36 then reduces the image captured by the camera to one bit per pixel.
That is, an average gray-level value 32 is first determined for an entire image. The average gray-level value 32 may change according to ambient light conditions, which ensures that the present invention properly functions over all ambient light conditions. As shown, the average value 32 is used as the negative input to the comparator 36 and the picture stream is input into the input 38 of the comparator 36. Then, at an output 40 of the comparator 36, each pixel is set to be either black or white (i.e., the minimum output voltage or maximum output voltage of the comparator, respectively). Thus, the captured image is reduced to one bit per pixel (i.e., a 0 or a 1). This feature is clearly illustrated in FIG. 3B.
In more detail, the pixel samples 42, 44, 45, etc. are input into the input 38 of the comparator 36. As shown, the output bit value remains at 0 until the pixel sample 44 is input. Because the pixel sample 44 includes mostly a black value in relation to the present gray-level value 32, the output bit value is increased to 1. Thus, because the captured image is reduced to one bit per pixel, the battery usage required to operate the meter reader according to the present invention is further reduced.
FIGS. 4A, 4B and 5 illustrate yet another example of further reducing the required battery usage for operating the meter reader according to the present invention. In these figures, the present invention performs an edge-detection algorithm to reduce the image captured by the camera to one bit per pixel. The present invention may then perform a difference calculation on subsequent images to determine the amount of power used by the consumer. In more detail, FIG. 4A illustrates a circuit 46 which may be used to perform the edge-detection method according to the present invention. The circuit 46 includes an amplifier 48 having an input 56 and output 50, a capacitor 52, and a resistor 54 connected to ground. The pixels of the captured image are input to the input 56 of the circuit 46 and a bit value is output via the output 50. This feature is clearly illustrated in FIG. 4B. Note FIG. 4B differs from FIG. 3B in that the bit value for the pixel 45 is 0 and not 1 as in FIG. 3b. This is because the circuit 46 according to the present invention performs an edge-detection algorithm and only the edges are set to a bit value 1, for example. That is, a bit value is set to be 1 if and only if a respective pixel value is greater than the gray-level value and a previous pixel value was less than the gray-level value.
The edge detection algorithm is further illustrated in FIG. 5. As shown, the captured image of the least significant dial is a 64×64 bit image. Note also that two positions of the dial hand are shown in FIG. 5. That is, the dial hand 22′ shows the position of the dial hand during a first reading of the meter and the dial hand 22 shows the subsequent reading of the meter (similar to the dial hands 22 and 22′ shown in FIG. 2). As shown, the edge-detection algorithm sets all values to 0 other than the edges of the dial hand 22 and 22′, which are set to 1. Note, however, that noise 60 does occur in the image and these values will also be converted to a bit value of 1. These values may be easily ignored as they do not contribute to a shape of the dial hands 22, 22′. Thus, as clearly shown in FIG. 5, the present reading of the meter may be easily accomplished by performing a difference calculation on subsequent images (the differences between the dial hands 22 and 22′). This technique is particularly advantageous in that degraded image sensors resulting in bad pixels will not effect the overall performance of the meter reader. Alternatively, the edge-detection algorithm could simply transmit the change from the last image, which retrieves the movement of the hands, but eliminates any static information (i.e., both images would not have to be transferred—only the change from the last image is transferred).
Turning now to FIG. 6, which is an overview illustrating in more detail the components included in the meter reader according to the present invention. As shown, the meter reader 75 according to the present invention includes a radio transmitter 80, a power unit 78, a camera 76 (such as a CCD camera), a lens 72 and an infrared LED 74. The infrared LED 74 illuminates a display portion 71 of a meter 62 having usage dials 64, 66, 68 and 70. Note according to the present invention, only the least significant dial 64 is captured by the meter reader 75. Thus, as discussed above, accurate metering data can be obtained according to the present invention, while at the same time reducing the amount of battery consumption.
Turning now to FIGS. 7A and 7B, which are an overview illustrating the meter reader being externally mounted to the meter and a side view of the meter reader, respectively. In more detail, as shown in FIG. 7A, the meter reader 75 is mounted to an external surface of the meter 62 via a mounting mechanism 118. Further, the meter reader 75 is positioned over the least significant dial 64 so as to sense information only about the least significant dial 64. The mounting mechanism 118 may also include a mounting strap equipped with a pressure switch so as to serve as a temper detection mechanism, for example. The tamper detection sensor may be a pressure sensitive switch, a reflective sensor, reed switch and magnet or other means to detect that the RF module has been removed from the meter. The coupling mechanism 118 may also include an inductive coupling mechanism (such as coil wires wrapped around the external surface of the meter 62) for capturing electric field magnetic radiation from the meter 62 and converting the captured radiation to power for the meter reader 75 (this feature is discussed in more detail with reference to FIG. 8B). In addition, FIG. 7B illustrates a side view of the meter reader 75 showing the lens 72 positioned to receive light reflected from the least significant dial 64 and to be captured by the camera 76.
Additionally, the power unit 80 illustrated in FIG. 6 may include rechargeable battery cells to provide power to the meter reader 75. Alternatively, as shown in FIG. 8A, the power unit 80 may include a series of photo cells 102 in parallel with a capacitor 104 to provide power to the meter reader 75. In addition, FIG. 8B illustrates yet another alternative of the power unit 80 in which coil wires 162 are wrapped around the external surface of the meter 62 to capture electric magnetic field radiation from the meter so as to provide power to the meter reader 75. That is, the coil wires 106 extract electromagnetic field radiation from the meter 62 which is then impedance matched in the impedance matching circuit 108. The voltage then passes through a diode 110 for supplying power to the meter reader. Also shown is a Germanium/Schottkey 116.
Turning now to FIG. 9, which is an overview illustrating yet another example of a meter reader according to the present invention. In this example, the meter reader reads two least significant dials 82 and 84 (rather than just one least significant dial). As shown, the meter reader includes a lens 86 associated with the sensing mechanism 92 (e.g., a CCD camera), and a processing unit 96 having a CPU 98 and a Random Access Memory (RAM) 100. The least significant dials 82 and 84 are illuminated by an LED 94 and light reflected off the dials 82 and 84 is captured via the lens 86 and CCD camera 92. The processing unit 96 then processes the information sensed by the sensing mechanism 92 so as to determine the amount of power used by the consumer. Further, a depth of field 88 between the lens 86 and optical surface 90 of the CCD camera 92 is set to ensure the proper tolerance such that the least significant dials 82 and 84 are accurately read.
Turning now to FIGS. 10A and 10B, which will be used to illustrate an overall operation of a meter reading system according to the present invention. As shown in FIG. 10A, an LED 94 illuminates a display portion of a meter. In this example, the display portion may include an LCD 84, a mechanical dial 82 having a dial hand, or a series of mechanical dials 80 rotating on a same axis. The sensing mechanism including a lens 86 and camera 88 is used to sense information about the dial. A processing unit (not shown) processes the information sensed by the sensing mechanism so as to determine the amount of power used by the consumer. The meter reader also includes a transmitter 90 with an antenna 92 for transmitting the metering data to a centralized location for further processing. The transmitter 90 may format the image data into an on-air message and transmit this data to a receiver 100 including an antenna 98 (see FIG. 10B). The received image may then be formatted as necessary by a processor 102 and displayed on a display 106. Further, the processor 102 may utilize a visual numeric recognition algorithm (optical character recognition) 96 or other type of optical processor 104 to display the proper metering data.
Turning now to FIGS. 11A-B, in FIG. 11A, the position of the sensor relative to the dials will be perfectly in the radius of the meter. An adjustment may be required (rotation of sensor or housing) to line up with desired meter dial. For instance, the installer may need to key the rotational alignment 108. Once the adjustment is made the alignment can be made to perfectly line up 110 as is illustrated in FIG. 11A. In FIG. 11B a dial 114 is shown with a center knob 112. Using an image of the face of the dial 112 the CPU lines up with the dial circle. In less than 4000 tries, usually closer to 500 tries, the CPU subtracts until a minimum circle remains.
FIG. 12 illustrates how an image processing algorithm of the present invention compensates for possible alignment error in the meter reading. Using the alignment error probability, the recognition algorithm becomes tolerant to the error source 116.
FIG. 13 shows the preferable depth of field for a meter reader in the present invention. In this embodiment, the infrared signal is sent by an infrared transmitter 120 through dusty glass and is measured using two receivers 118 and 122 and a lens 124. The measurement is taken over a change 128 of 10 to 50 sec in the dial hand plane 126. The depth of field 130 is an example of the preferable depth for the measurements in this embodiment.
Once the measurement is accomplished, the signal is processed using a hardware based light/dark differentiator circuit 132 shown in FIG. 14A. Accordingly, once the signal is processed, determining when the hand goes by 134 can be determined from a hump in the A/D sampled signal.
FIG. 14B illustrates a housing 136 that houses the electro-optics used in the measurement process. The focal plane is determined from a lens 124 used to focus the measured beam. In addition the housing 136 includes a circuit board.
FIG. 15A shows an example of the housing 136 from the front. On the housing 136 are infrared sensors 138 similar to the receivers 118 and 122 shown in FIG. 13, one to ten sensors 138 may be used in this configuration. FIG. 15B is a wider view of the housing 136 that also includes the lens 124 and the meter arm. When glass imperfections or obstructions between the housing 136 and the meter cause bad readings, an adaptive filter can be used to provide corrections in the data. In FIG. 15C ten sensors 142 are shown. Using these ten sensors 142 as well as known direction and max speed 140 each LED sensor 142 is put through correlation and produces outputs like 138. The algorithm can then pick the best match, however all ten sensors contribute to the correlation. This process makes the data received from the sensors adaptive.
Additionally, Kalman filtering can be used in the present invention. Kalman filtering is use of "expert" information to eliminate illegal outputs—thus improving accuracy—i.e. the expert system knows the dials go forward, that they can't go at a rate faster than 200 amps per hour on a residential electric meter. Using Kalman filtering the movement of the meter can be predicted. In FIG. 16 the signals from 10 sensors 146 are shown at different points in time and different positions of the meter dial 148. The actual position of the meter hand can be predicted using a Kalman filter.
Further FIG. 17 illustrates that the predictable movement of the meter dial calculated using the Kalman filter can advantageously be monitored by a sensor. The error 152 can be accounted for in this system and the multiple sensitive areas of the CCD response 154 can be taken into account. The worst case scenario is that the system will hold too long on a digit, skip the next digit, but have the correct reading.
FIG. 18 illustrates the sensor mechanism which tracks the number of times a dial hand crosses a certain point on the dial face 160. The acoustic 156 and the signature 158 are both seen in the signal shown in FIG. 18.
FIG. 19 shows an example of techniques used to overcome alignment problems. In the example shown in FIG. 19, the accuracy of the sensors 162 is good but the alignment 164 is poor. However the sensor position 166 can be used to overcome alignment accuracy problems. Two LED sensors are lined up in the rotation axis of error. In this example, receivers A and B 168 are used. The outputs for sensor A 172 and for sensor B 174 are compared in order to dynamically compensate for water, temperature, aging, ambient light and other similar potential problems occurring in the measurement. Using the differential amplifier 176, the change in the signal is accounted for by the system. When a hump 178 is detected in the differential signal 180 the optical systems do not have to be used for a certain amount of time depending on the speed of the wheel. This process greatly enhances the battery life of the device.
Additionally in FIG. 19 there is shown the example when hands appear to the sensors to touch 170, this phenomenon may fool the optics. Accordingly, four LEDS can be used to achieve quadriture detection capability. Further this system can also detect reverse rotation such as in the case of energy theft.
FIG. 20 shows another example of the system of the present invention used to determine when the meter hand passes a certain point. FIG. 20 shows an optical sensor 182 with a sensitive area 184. Each of the optical sensors 186 and 188 are positioned similarly. In this embodiment the IR sensors 186 and 188 corresponding to signals "A" 190 and "B" 192 respectfully have a built-in lens. When the hand measurement is misaligned the difference signal 193 can be used to determine the correct measurement. It should also be noted that the measuring device is tamper proof and unaffected by changes in the ambient light. In order to achieve these features the sensors may have adaptive shutter speed to prevent overload of the sensors CCD dynamic range. In addition, even if one revolution measurement is missed the sensing algorithm can adapt to this mis-measurement
This invention may be conveniently implemented using a conventional general purpose digital computer or microprocessor programmed according to the teachings of the present specification, as will be apparent to those skilled in the computer art. Appropriate software coding can readily be prepared by skilled programmers based on the teachings of the present disclosure, as will be apparent to those skilled in the software art. The invention may also be implemented by the preparation of application specific integrated circuits or by interconnecting an appropriate network of conventional component circuits, as will be readily apparent to those skilled in the art.
The present invention includes a computer program product which is a storage medium including instructions which can be used to program a computer to perform a process of the invention. The storage medium can include, but is not limited to, an type of disk including floppy disks, optical disks, CD-ROMs, and magneto-optical disks, ROMs, RAMs, EPROMs, EEPROMs, magnetic or optical cards, or any type of pure software inventions (e.g., word processing, accounting, Internet related, etc.) media suitable for storing electronic instructions.
Additionally, this invention may be applied to temperature, pressure, flow rate, and other industrial processes.
Obviously, numerous modifications and variations of the present invention are possible in light of the above teachings. It is therefore to be understood that within the scope of the appended claims, the invention may be practiced otherwise than as specifically described herein.
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Pull out enough horizontal fabric until the remaining vertical fabric is roughly the same length as the horizontal fabric you've already pulled out. When it is, take a scissor and cut the fibers off from the sack. Place these along with the rest of the fibers you've shorn from the sack.
Shoot to get your burlap strands about 7" to 14" in length.
Dye the jute if it isn't already dyed (optional). If you decide to use a cheap burlap sack as your jute, you're going to want to dye the burlap the color of your surroundings. Identify greens, browns, even greys in the environment in which you'll be using the ghillie suit and match them with specific dye colors. Follow the instructions on the dye packets for staining the jute strands.
Once the jute strands are dyed, run them through cold water until the water starts coming out clear. Set the strands out to dry in the sun.
Don't be alarmed if the colors turn out darker right out of the dye. While they're still damp, the dye tends to look darker. As it dries, the color turns lighter. Let the jute dry completely before making a determination about the color.
If you think the color is too dark and not realistic, you can submerge the fabric in a water solution diluted with bleach. Start off with a 1:10 bleach to water ratio to begin with and adjust from there.
Tie clumps of jute to the netting with simple knots. Grab about 10 or so strands of jute, clump them together, and then tie them to the mesh netting using a simple overhand knot. Remember to choose 3 or 4 colors that are prevalent in the environment you'll be using your ghillie suit in.
You want to try to randomize colors to avoid over saturation of one type of color in one spot. Work with clumps of a single color at a time, and place them as randomly on the suit as possible.
Remember, the longer the strands, the less of a "natural terrain" look you will have.
Fluff up your ghillie suit after you've done most of the jute tying to look for bald spots. Bald spots are where there's insufficient coverage, making the suit look less realistic. Pick your ghillie suit up, lightly wave it in the air, and set it back down again. Add necessary clumps of jute to any bald spots.
Wear in the webbing (optional). If you've done a good job dying your jute and tying it to the suit, you may not need to do this. But, at the end of the day, it really can't hurt. Wear in the webbing by dragging it behind a vehicle, soaking it in mud, or applying manure. This will help eliminate human scent, especially if the ghillie suit will be used for hunting purposes.
Make a ghillie hood (optional). There are essentially two ways to make a ghillie hood. The easiest way is to cut out an oval piece of mesh netting and simply drape it over your head like a veil. (This tends to fall off easily.) The second way is to glue an oval piece of netting over a hat, the same way you attach the mesh webbing to the suit.
After you've decided on the form of your hood, use the same approach to tie clumps of jute to the suit that you used in previous steps. Weave a bit of organic material, such as shrubbery, grass, or even sticks into the mesh.
Make sure that the amount of jute on the hood is proportional to the amount of jute on the suit. Lay the hood over the suit itself and see if the jute blends in. If it looks a little light, add more jute; if it looks a little heavy, take some off.
Integrate items from your surroundings to keep the best profile. Do this each time you intend on wearing the ghillie, and spend a good 15 to 20 minutes interlacing organic material from the area into the webbing. If you are in a wooded area, for example, attach small branches and leaves to the upper half of the suit and feather it to the bottom with items such as grass or twigs.
Attach more items to the back of the suit than the front; sneaking in a ghillie suit usually involves crawling. Items on your stomach or chest as you belly-crawl will likely get damaged or make noise.
Attach wider items around your head and neck. The human head is the most commonly identified part of the body and the shoulders and neck exaggerate the head. When standing still, your outline must be broken to prevent easy identification.
Be aware of your settings as they change. If it is possible to stay in the same kind of terrain as you get from point A to point B, do so. Otherwise, you'll have to incorporate the materials of the new setting you're moving into as you go along.
Use burlap and camo netting to cover your gun, face, and boots! It's a shame to see ghillie suits given away by black boots sticking out of the back.
Test the suit by giving a friend a pair of binoculars and seeing if he can spot you in a forested area.
Stay away from trees and other objects that make natural lines. We call it tree cancer. It looks unnatural to see a heap of crap next to a tree and you want to blend with what's behind you not in front. You will be spotted sooner if you have the mindset that if you hide behind something you won't be seen. Try moving directly towards your target instead of from side to side, because it is harder for your target to spot you if you are moving straight at the target. And stay to the shadows when ever possible. Don't put grass root side up, it contrasts with your camouflage in a very bad way because it looks unnatural. And last camouflage 10 times, shoot once.
The most important aspect of a ghillie suit is to break up your outline, as you may be much more easily spotted if you keep a human-shaped silhouette.
Use spray paint on burlap to break up your outline and use earthy tones when you're making your ghillie suit as well.
After a couple of days, new attachments will be required as green plants change color and dry up.
Burlap is an okay material to use, but it eventually breaks apart and leaves you with nothing. Go with jute twine, not burlap.
Leave no trace of footsteps, etc.
Lighting is a very keen element. Be aware of the fact shadows change direction through long time periods. Keep an eye on time, as evening shadow-casting can darken camouflage.
You can also make ghillie suit by getting a big piece of camouflage fabric, cutting a hole into the center, and sewing rubber inner tube pieces to the edge. What you end up with is a camouflage poncho with rubber strips on the side for inserting branches into.
Before putting the jute and netting on the front of your suit, glue or sow on pieces of burlap onto the chest, elbows, and knees of the suit. You will have to crawl along the ground and the extra burlap will act as better protection for those areas that will take most of the scraping.
Do not think you are invisible while wearing a ghillie suit. Often, your location is just as important as your camouflage.
The human eyes (and most other mammals' eyes) are very perceptive to movement. A good deal of being sneaky (even with a ghillie suit) is slow, steady, and calculated movement.
Ghillie suits tend to be heavy and hot. The temperature inside a ghillie suit can reach over 120 °F (50 °C) in moderate climates.
While wearing a Ghillie suit, never make any sudden movement; this will not only give away your position, but, if you're hunting, it could also cause someone to think that you're a deer and shoot at you.
If you are hoping to use the suit for hunting, be aware of laws and other hunters. You don't want to face a hefty fine or, worse, a bullet because of your camouflage.
Be aware of lighting and gleaming objects around that may give away your position.
The materials from which ghillie suits are made (jute, burlap, etc.) are quite flammable. To be safe, apply a fire retardant when making your own ghillie suit. (If you cannot find a place to purchase flame-retardant, go to your local fire department and they will give you the proper materials as well as instructions on how to use them.) This is especially important in a military setting where smoke grenades, white phosphorus, and fires are a possibility.
Avoid using poison ivy or other poisonous vegetation that may cause an allergic reaction.
In some countries wearing a BDU is considered an offense.
wikiHow is a "wiki," similar to Wikipedia, which means that many of our articles are co-written by multiple authors. To create this article, 95 people, some anonymous, worked to edit and improve it over time. This article has also been viewed 673,524 times.
A ghillie suit is a type of wearable camouflage that features foliage, branches, and leaves so you can blend in seamlessly with your surrounding environment. To make your own ghillie suit, start by getting a full-body suit that's the color of the environment you want to blend into. Then, attach mesh netting to the suit using glue or wire so the whole thing is covered. When you're finished applying the netting, tie clumps of jute fiber to it, using 3-4 different colors so your suit blends in better. Finally, interlace some organic materials, like leaves and branches, into the netting.


Thu 23 Oct 2008 – A second demonstration flight took place yesterday under the Asia and South Pacific Initiative to Reduce Emissions (ASPIRE) programme which involved the return leg of Qantas' inaugural Airbus A380 service between Australia and the US West Coast. By using optimum air traffic management procedures and the latest technologies, the new aircraft was able to fly from Los Angeles to Melbourne more quickly and efficiently, saving both fuel and emissions.
ASPIRE is a joint initiative formed by Airservices Australia, Airways New Zealand and the US Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), together with Qantas, Air New Zealand and United Airlines.
The first demonstration occurred last month in which an Air New Zealand Boeing 777 flight from Auckland to Los Angeles managed to save an estimated 4,500 litres of fuel and 11 tonnes of CO2 over normal conditions using the procedures (see story).
This time, the flight was in the reverse direction across the Pacific, with fuel saving measures in operation starting on the ground at Los Angeles International Airport, where the A380 used electrical power instead of running its auxiliary power unit. It was then given priority clearance from ATC for taxiing and departure, and then a priority departure route out of Los Angeles and an unimpeded climb to cruise altitude. The flight crew used a preferred route for the most efficient path, taking into account winds and aircraft weight. Two real-time updates of current weather and wind allowed the crew to modify their flight path.
Although not confirmed by Qantas after the flight, it was planned for the aircraft to make a controlled descent approach to Melbourne Airport.
Fuel and emissions savings achieved by the ASPIRE flight will be made available shortly on the ASPIRE website.
Greg Russell, CEO of Airservices Australia, said the demonstration flight showed that with the development of new technologies and advanced air traffic management techniques, aircraft fuel efficiency could be further improved.
Kella described the Qantas Group as having a well-established fuel conservation programme and "challenging" improvement targets that included a commitment to improve fuel efficiency by 25% by 2020.
United Airlines is expected to make the third ASPIRE flight on November 14 between Sydney and San Francisco.


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Electrical Wiring by Reef & Miller
Treasures Among the Stuff
Tombstone Tuesday–John F. (Bahn) Trisel
By Karen in Trisel
John F, adopted son of Henry Trisel, Zion Lutheran Cemetery, Chattanooga, Mercer County, Ohio. (2011 photo by Karen)
This is the tombstone of John F., the adopted son of Henry Trisel, located in row 3 of Zion Lutheran Cemetery, Chattanooga, Mercer County, Ohio. The marker is inscribed:
Adopted Son of
Henry Trisel
11 ys. 4 ms.
Who was this young man? There is no death or burial record for John F. Trisel in Zion Chatt's records.
Zion Chatt's records give a little information about the Trisel family who adopted him. Henry and Elizabeth Trisel and some of their children attended Zion Lutheran in Chattanooga at one time.
Some Trisel burials are recorded at Zion Chatt but they are not all buried in Zion's cemetery. Henry Trisel, his wife Elizabeth (Feldmann), their sons Jacob August and Otto F., as well as Otto's wife Dellie M. are all buried at East Bethel Cemetery, about two miles down the road from the farm the Trisels once owned and lived on.
The Trisels mentioned in the church records:
Elizabeth Barbara Trisel, daughter, born 16 May 1874, baptized at Zion Chatt on 7 June 1874
Jacob August Trisel, son, died 24 September 1888
Mrs. Elizabeth Trisel, nee Feldmann, died 2 May 1917
Another church record entry indicates that Heinrich "Tresser" transferred from the Roman Catholic Church on 19 May 1872. This may be the same person although the spelling is off. The records also indicate that his wife Elizabeth's maiden name was Feldmann.
Henry Trisel and his wife Elizabeth were both German immigrants. Some accounts indicate that they married [1865] and lived in Hamilton County, Ohio, before moving to Mercer County. In Mercer County Henry purchased 80 acres of land in Section 29 of Blackcreek Township, a little over a mile northeast of Chatt. His farm was located on what is now route 707, about ½ mile east of route 49, on the north side of the road. The name was spelled Treusal in the 1888 Mercer County plat map.
But who was John F., the adopted son of Henry Trisel?
There is a burial entry in Zion Chatt's records of a young man and that record nearly matches this tombstone inscription. The death and burial entry is for Johann Friedrich Bahm, who died 19 September 1876 at the age of 11 years, 5 months, and 9 days. That is all that was written.
The information in the church records does not match the tombstone inscription exactly, but it is very close.
Is it just a coincidence? Or were these two young men one and the same? Was this adopted boy John F. Bahm?
Also interesting is the name written on the bottom of Henry Trisel's Civil War Pension index card–John Bahn. Who was John Bahn and why is his name on the bottom of the card? [1]
Henry Trisel Civil War Pension
Bahm? Bahn? The names are very close.
I keep digging.
Eliza Feldman married Johann Bahn on 24 July 1864 in Greenup, Kentucky, [2] which would have been about 10 months before the birth of John F., the adopted son.
The Civil War was in progress. There were several John Bahns in the Civil War and I looked at the one from Ohio. He enlisted as a private in Company H, 183rd Ohio Infantry on 26 September 1864. He was a POW and mustered out on 27 April 1865 and was on the Steamer Sultana. He did not survive the war. [3] How tragic to survive the Civil War and a POW camp, but in the end, on the way home, to perish on the Sultana.
It appears that today's subject was the biological son of Civil War veteran John Bahn, but I am not absolutely one hundred percent sure. It all seems to fit together. Elizabeth Feldman married John Bahn. John went off to war and Elizabeth was pregnant. John was killed on the Sultana about a month before their son John was born. Elizabeth married Henry Trisel in 1865 and Henry adopted John. The son John died in Mercer County and Zion Chatt's records give his surname [birth name] as John F. Bahm. His tombstone shows his name as John F., the adopted son of Henry Trisel.
As is often the case, more research is needed.
[1] Civil War Pension Index: General Index to Pension Files, 1861-1934, card for Henry Trisel, Ohio; database on-line, Ancestry.com (www.ancestry.com : Accessed 28 Mar 2016); from NARA microfilm T288_479.
[2] Kentucky Marriages, 1851-1900, compiled by Jordan Dodd; database on-line, Ancestry.com (www.ancestry.com : accessed 28 Mar 2016.
[3] U.S. Civil War Soldier Records and Profiles, 1861-1865, Historical Data Systems, comp; database on-line, Ancestry.com (www.ancestry.com : accessed 28 Mar 2016).
Tombstone, Trisel
Andy Gappa on March 30, 2016 at 12:08 pm
I think you solved this mystery. You may never find the smoking gun you're looking for and this may be as clear as it gets. Good job!!!
Is there a Civil War Pension Card for John Bahn? Is Eliza Trisel listed as the beneficiary? If not, maybe that's why Bahn is listed on Trisel's card–Eliza was collecting 2 pensions for Henry and John.
Karen on April 1, 2016 at 7:54 am
I have not had the time to go any further with this research but I was sure excited to find what I did. What a story! It would be interesting to look into John Bahn's Civil War information and find out where he was imprisoned. I believe there were quite a number from Andersonville on the Sultana. I don't know if a widow could draw 2 pensions. That is something to look into. I will keep this one on the back burner and try to do more research when I have the time. Such interesting stories of those buried in our cemetery!


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Excellent well formed lustrous deep dark brown crystals of Cassiterite measuring to 1.1cm are abundantly inter grown with bundles of needle crystal of black Schorl, on a light Granitic matrix. A specimen from Old Beam Mine. Records of the mine date back to 1813, late worked as a China Clay Pit. The mine was a dangerous place to work, due to the soft nature of the ground, and was heavily timbered. A rich Cassiterite specimen from the mine.


Was trusting kitchen clock at Mallory's shower and ended up 10 minutes late to 4:00 rehearsal (which i said should actually be a 3:50 show up time). Feel like a hugest screwup in the world right now.
A sure sign I need to sleep.
Have drunk apple-cinnamon tea. Feel currently as if am belching potpourri. Most weird.
what does sturm und drang mean? just curious.
It's a German phrase that translates (I believe) as 'storm and stress'. Refers generally to angsty things. Was being a bit tongue-in-cheek.
I believe the phrase was provided courtesy of some literary movement - for some reason I associate it with Goethe and other phrases like 'emfindsamer Stil', which I have probably misspelled, and I don't remember what it means, and it's probably just because 'emfindsamer Stil' is also German.


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About RGS
RGSHK
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Field Trip "A Visit to Hong Kong Observatory and Tour and Lunch at Chungking Mansions
Monday, 17 Jun 2019
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To reserve places, please email to This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. and state how many places you would like to reserve. You'll then receive from the RGS booking instructions, a booking form and detailed joining instructions.
The Royal Geographical Society is pleased to arrange another visit to the Hong Kong Observatory. The tour takes place principally in the Observatory's Historic Monument building of 1883, together with its surrounding gardens, where measurements are taken. In 1913, the Observatory became the Royal Observatory, an honour granted in recognition of its pioneering work on typhoon prediction, essential to a port city like Hong Kong.
The visit includes an introduction in the Observatory's lecture theatre. This is followed by a viewing of the Observatory's measuring devices, together with advanced computer equipment linked with other observatories around the world. There is a brief introduction to the Observatory's work on a daily basis, also during extreme weather events. In the exhibition hall, members can see how weather forecasts are formulated and disseminated to the public at the Observatory, using the latest technology, as well as some former meteorological maps. There is also an outdoors tour to observe how weather observations are made using meteorological instruments.
After this visit, members have a tour of Chungking Mansions led by the residents. Chungking Mansions is replete with contradictions: it has the cheapest guesthouses and meals in Hong Kong, in a dilapidated seventeen-storey commercial and residential structure in the heart of Hong Kong's tourist district, while being located on some of the most expensive real estate on earth. Its design, built to be luxurious in the 1960s, makes it perfect as a place to escape into and never be seen by the police again. From the start, it had no unified ownership, so rapidly deteriorated, plus making it almost impossible to redevelop. Its tangled history, first in the 1970s and 1980s as a backpacker mecca and then as a developing-world enclave, has made it a tourist attraction. Chungking Mansions is now where people from sub-Saharan Africa, South Asia and other areas seek their fortunes through temporary employment and low-budget transnational trade.
Members then enjoy a lunch at one of the famous restaurants in Chungking Mansions.
Members and their guests are most welcome to attend this event, which is HK$380 for Members and HK$480 for their guests.
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