1. A system comprising:
a network having a plurality of receiving units;
a first receiving unit of the plurality of receiving units, said first receiving unit forming a recording request, when the first receiving unit includes unavailable resources, communicating the recording request through the network;
a second receiving unit having a first available resource; and
a third receiving unit having a second available resource different than the first available resource, said first available resource in combination with the second available resource storing the content in a storage device.
2. A system as recited in claim 1 wherein the first available resource is a tuner, and the second available resource is the storage device.
3. A system as recited in claim 1 wherein the recording request comprises sub-requests such as a request to receive a data stream, a request to process the data stream or a request to store a processed data stream to the storage device.
4. A system as recited in claim 3 wherein the sub-requests are independently serviced and reconciled by the plurality of receiving units, the receiving units forming a processing chain for the output from another of the plurality of receiving units and communicating a resultant output to another of the plurality of receiving units.
5. A system as recited in claim 1 wherein the second receiving unit streams content to the third receiving unit.
6. A system as recited in claim 1 wherein the first receiving unit, the second receiving unit and the third receiving unit comprise satellite receiving units.
7. A method of controlling a system that includes a network having a plurality of receiving units comprising:
forming a recording request at a first receiving unit of the plurality of receiving units;
when the first receiving unit includes unavailable resources, communicating the recording request for the first receiving unit through the network;
receiving the recording request at a second receiving unit of the plurality of receiving units having a first available resource;
receiving the recording request at a third receiving unit of the plurality of receiving units having a second available resource different than the first available resource; and
storing the content in a storage device associated with the third receiving unit using the first available resource in combination with the second available resource.
8. A method as recited in claim 7 wherein the first available resource comprises a tuner, and the second available resource comprises the storage device.
9. A method as recited in claim 7 wherein the recording request comprises sub-requests comprising at least one of a request to receive a data stream, a request to process the data stream or a request to store a processed data stream to the storage device.
10. A method as recited in claim 9 further comprising reconciling the sub-requests independently by the plurality of receiving units, the receiving units forming a processing chain for taking the output from another of the plurality of receiving units; and
communicating a resultant output to another of the plurality of receiving units.
11. A method as recited in claim 7 further comprising receiving the content at the second receiving unit and streaming content from the second receiving unit to the third receiving unit.
12. A method as recited in claim 7 wherein the first receiving unit, the second receiving unit and the third receiving unit comprise satellite receiving units.
13. A method as recited in claim 7 further comprising communicating the content from the storage device to first receiving unit.
14. A method as recited in claim 13 further comprising displaying the content at a display associated with the first receiving unit.
15. A method as recited in claim 7 further comprising streaming the content from the storage device to first receiving unit.
16. A method as recited in claim 15 further comprising displaying the content at a display associated with the first receiving unit.
The claims below are in addition to those above.
All refrences to claim(s) which appear below refer to the numbering after this setence.
1. A method for slowing down the increase in pressure drop across a gas filter caused by clogging as a result of contaminant particles layer being formed on the filter, the method comprising applying acoustic waves from an acoustic wave source to a gas flowing into the filter, wherein said acoustic wave is applied such that said gas be acoustically excited as it reaches the filter.
thereby increasing the porosity of the contaminant particles layer on the filter, and reducing the pressure drop across the filter.
2. The method of claim 1, wherein the acoustic waves are of subsonic frequency.
3. The method of claim 1, wherein the acoustic waves are emitted in the frequency range of 10 Hz to 10 kHz and with acoustic pressure in the range of 90 dB to 140 dB proximally to the filter surface.
4. An apparatus for slowing down the increase in pressure drop across a gas filter caused by clogging as a result of a contaminant particles layer being formed on the filter, the apparatus comprising:
an acoustic wave source positioned so as to emit acoustic waves into gas flowing towards the filter, for applying acoustic waves to the gas flowing into the filter wherein said acoustic wave is applied such that said gas be acoustically excited as it reaches the filter;
thereby increasing the porosity of the contaminant particles layer on the filter, and reducing the pressure drop across the filter.
5. The apparatus of claim 4, wherein said acoustic wave source comprises:
an acoustic wave generator for generating acoustic waves;
an amplifier for amplifying the waves;
a loudspeaker emitting the amplified waves to the gas flowing into the filter.
6. The apparatus of claim 4, wherein the acoustic waves are of subsonic frequency.
7. The apparatus of claim 4, wherein the acoustic wave source generates acoustic frequencies in the range of 10 Hz to 10 kHz with generated acoustic pressure in the range of 90 dB to 140 dB.