1. A mobile communication network comprising a first, a second and a third mobile terminals, a server for storing communication charge information for each user of said mobile terminals, and a first mobile communication network for relaying communication signals between mobile terminals, wherein:
each of said first, second and third mobile terminals has a first wireless interface for exchanging communication signals with said first mobile communication network,
each of said first and second mobile terminals has a second wireless interface for exchanging communication signals with each other through a second mobile communication network different in communication protocol from said first mobile communication network, and
wherein said second mobile terminal operates as a relay for relaying communication signals between said first and third mobile terminals when the first mobile terminal cannot directly communicate with said first mobile communication network and the second mobile terminal is able to communicate with both the first mobile terminal and said first mobile communication network, and
said server includes a memory configured to store, in association with a user identifier of a user of said second mobile terminal, communications charges to be charged to the user and a credit value accumulated arising from use of the second mobile terminal as a relay, and adds to the stored credit value a service point which is awarded to the second mobile terminal for relaying the communication signals between said first and third mobile terminals and calculated based on a predetermined criterion.
2. The mobile communication network according to the claim 1, wherein said credit value accumulated in said memory by said server is usable to offset against said communication charges or to increase network access from said second mobile terminal to said first mobile communication network.
3. The mobile communication network according to claim 1, wherein said server has a timer for measuring the use time of a mobile terminal as a relay,
the server starts the timer when said third mobile terminal acknowledged a communication request having been transmitted from said first mobile terminal and forwarded to the third mobile terminal through said second mobile terminal and said first mobile communication network, and
the server stops the timer when the communication between said first and third mobile terminals was terminated, thereby to calculate said service point to be awarded to said second mobile terminal in accordance with the use time measured with the timer.
4. The mobile communication network according to claim 3, wherein said sever stops said timer when a communication end notification issued by one of said first and second mobile terminals was received or a communication end notification issued by said first mobile terminal and relayed by said second mobile terminal was received.
5. The mobile communication network according to claim 1, wherein said second mobile terminal transmits contribution information relating to its use as a relay to said server when the communication between said first and second mobile terminals is terminated, and
said server calculates said service point to be awarded to said second mobile terminal in accordance with the contribution information.
6. The mobile communication network according to claim 5, wherein said contribution information transmitted from said second mobile terminal includes at least one of the length of time the terminal was used as a relay, a number of packets relayed by the terminal, a number of times the terminal was used as a relay, and the amount of power consumed in the relay operation.
7. The mobile communication network according to claim 5, wherein said second mobile terminal transmits said contribution information to said server, in time of forwarding a communication end notification issued by said first mobile terminal to said server, responding to a communication end notification received from said server, or issuing a communication end notification for terminating operation as a relay by itself.
The claims below are in addition to those above.
All refrences to claim(s) which appear below refer to the numbering after this setence.
What is claimed is:
1. A paving vehicle for spreading paving material onto a road bed, the paving vehicle comprising:
a frame having a front end and a rear end;
a screed for leveling the paving material, the screed being connected with the frame so as to be pulled from the rear end of the frame;
an auger positioned near the screed to spread the paving material along the screed; and
an anti-segregation device positioned near the auger for preventing segregation of the paving material that is positioned on the road bed in front of the screed.
2. The paving vehicle of claim 1 further comprising a hopper for holding a supply of paving material, the hopper being mounted on the frame.
3. The paving vehicle of claim 2 wherein the hopper is mounted on the front end of the frame.
4. The paving vehicle of claim 3 further comprising a conveyor which extends longitudinally on the frame and transports the paving material from the hopper to the rear end of the frame where the paving material falls off the rear end of the frame onto the road bed in front of the screed.
5. The paving vehicle of claim 1 wherein the anti-segregation device includes a first end that is secured to the frame of the paving vehicle and a second end that is proximal to the road bed.
6. The paving vehicle of claim 5 wherein the second end of the anti-segregation device engages the road bed.
7. The paving vehicle of claim 1 wherein the anti-segregation device is configured to contain the paving material between the anti-segregation device and the screed.
8. The paving vehicle of claim 1 wherein the anti-segregation device extends laterally across substantially an entire width of the screed.
9. The paving vehicle of claim 1 wherein the anti-segregation device is a flexible curtain.
10. The paving vehicle of claim 9 wherein the flexible curtain includes an elongated mounting bar coupled to the frame and a plurality of chains spaced across along the length of the mounting bar.
11. The paving vehicle of claim 10 wherein the mounting bar extends laterally across the frame of the paving vehicle.
12. The paving vehicle of claim 10 wherein the mounting bar is permanently affixed to the frame of the paving vehicle.
13. The paving vehicle of claim 12 wherein the mounting bar is affixed to the frame of the paving vehicle by welding.
14. The paving vehicle of claim 10 wherein each chain includes one end attached to the mounting bar and an opposing free end.
15. The paving vehicle of claim 14 wherein the chains are spaced close together along the bar so as to provide a continuous retentive surface for the paving material.
16. The paving vehicle of claim 10 wherein each chain includes a plurality of links.
17. The paving vehicle of claim 1 wherein the anti-segregation device includes a plurality of chains attached to the frame of the paving vehicle.
18. The paving vehicle of claim 17 wherein each of the chains includes a lower end that is disposed upon the road bed.
19. The paving vehicle of claim 18 wherein the lower ends of the chains remain in contact with the road bed as the paving vehicle moves upwardly over an obstruction.
20. The paving vehicle of claim 18 wherein the chains are adapted to flex against the road bed without being damaged.
21. The paving vehicle of claim 17 wherein each chain includes a plurality of links.
22. The paving vehicle of claim 1 wherein the anti-segregation device includes a plurality of separate curtain sections, each of the curtain sections being mounted to the frame by a separate mounting bar.
23. The paving vehicle of claim 22 wherein the plurality of curtain sections extend across substantially an entire width of the screed.
24. The paving vehicle of claim 1 wherein the auger is a telescoping auger that includes a main section and at least one extension section, and the anti-segregation device includes a portion for each of the sections in the auger such that the anti-segregation device is positioned along the entire auger.
25. A paving vehicle for spreading paving material onto a road bed, the paving vehicle comprising:
a frame having a front end and a rear end;
a hopper for holding a supply of paving material, the hopper being mounted on the front end of the frame;
a conveyor which extends longitudinally on the frame and transports the paving material from the hopper to the rear end of the frame where the paving material falls off the rear end of the frame onto the road bed;
a screed for leveling paving material, the screed being connected with the frame so as to be pulled from the rear end of the frame; and
an anti-segregation device positioned near the screed for preventing segregation of the paving material that is positioned on the road bed in front of the screed, the anti-segregation device including a flexible curtain having a first end that is secured to the frame of the paving vehicle and a second end that is proximal to the road bed, the flexible curtain including an elongated mounting bar that extends laterally across the frame and a plurality of chains spaced close together across along the length of the mounting bar to provide a continuous retentive surface for the paving material.