1-25. (canceled)
26. A method for a receiving station to control a number of null carriers included in a transmission signal transmitted by a transmitting station in a communication system adopting a multicarrier modulation system to suppress inter-carrier interference by using the null carrier, the method comprising:
reception-quality measuring including the receiving station measuring a reception quality of a subcarrier group forming the transmission signal; and
number-of-null carriers determining including the receiving station determining the number of null carriers included in a next transmission signal based on the reception quality measured at the reception-quality measuring.
27. The method according to claim 26, wherein
the communication system includes a plurality of transmitting stations,
the reception-quality measuring further includes the receiving station measuring the reception quality of transmission signals transmitted from the transmitting stations, and
the number-of-null carriers determining further includes the receiving station determining a transmitting station to which the subcarrier group is allocated at a time of next transmission and arrangement of the subcarrier group to be allocated to the transmitting station based on each reception quality measured at the reception-quality measuring and determining the number of null carriers included in a determined subcarrier group based on each reception quality.
28. The method according to claim 26, wherein
the communication system includes a plurality of receiving stations,
the reception-quality measuring further includes each of the receiving stations executing the reception-quality measuring, and
the number-of-null carriers determining further includes the receiving station determining arrangement of a subcarrier group in a next transmission signal to be transmitted to the receiving station based on each reception quality measured at the reception-quality measuring and determining the number of null carriers included in a determined subcarrier group based on each reception quality.
29. The method according to claim 26, further comprising prior-estimated-reception quality obtaining including obtaining a prior-estimated reception quality of the subcarrier group in the receiving unit which has been estimated and stored in advance, wherein
the number-of-null carriers determining further includes the receiving station determining the number of null carriers included in the next transmission signal based on the prior-estimated reception quality instead of the reception quality measured at the reception-quality measuring.
30. The method according to claim 26, further comprising known-replica-signal generating including generating a known replica signal to be used for converting a known signal subcarrier to the null carrier, wherein
the number-of-null carriers determining further includes determining the number of the known signal subcarriers included in a transmission subcarrier group instead of the number of null carriers included in the transmission subcarrier group.
31. A method for a transmitting station to control a number of null carriers included in a transmission signal transmitted to a receiving station in a communication system adopting a multicarrier modulation system to suppress inter-carrier interference by using the null carrier, the method comprising:
reception-quality measuring and informing including the receiving station measuring a reception quality of a subcarrier group forming the transmission signal and informing the reception quality measured at the measuring to the transmitting station; and
number-of-null carriers determining including the transmitting station determining the number of null carriers included in a next transmission signal based on the reception quality received from the receiving station.
32. The method according to claim 31, wherein
the communication system includes a plurality of receiving stations,
the reception-quality measuring and informing further includes each of the receiving stations executing the reception-quality measuring and informing, and
the number-of-null carriers determining further includes the transmitting station determining a receiving station to which the subcarrier group is allocated at a time of next transmission and arrangement of the subcarrier group to be allocated to the receiving station based on the each received reception quality, and further determining the number of null carriers included in a determined subcarrier group based on each reception quality.
33. The method according to claim 31, further comprising prior-estimated-reception quality obtaining including obtaining a prior-estimated reception quality of the subcarrier group in the receiving unit which has been estimated and stored in advance, wherein
the number-of-null carriers determining further includes the receiving station determining the number of null carriers included in the next transmission signal based on the prior-estimated reception quality instead of the reception quality measured at the reception-quality measuring.
34. The method according to claim 31, further comprising known-replica-signal generating including generating a known replica signal to be used for converting a known signal subcarrier to the null carrier, wherein
the number-of-null carriers determining further includes determining the number of the known signal subcarriers included in a transmission subcarrier group instead of the number of null carriers included in the transmission subcarrier group.
35. A method for a transmitting station to control a number of null carriers included in a transmission signal transmitted to a receiving station in a communication system adopting a multicarrier modulation system to suppress inter-carrier interference by using the null carrier, the method comprising:
quality-estimating signal generating including the receiving station generating a quality-estimating signal with which the transmitting station estimates a reception quality of the transmission signal;
reception-quality estimating including the transmitting station estimating the reception quality of a subcarrier group forming the transmission signal based on the quality-estimating signal; and
number-of-null carriers determining including the transmitting station determining the number of null carriers included in a next transmission signal based on an estimated reception quality obtained at the reception-quality estimating.
36. The method according to claim 35, wherein
the communication system includes a plurality of transmitting stations,
the reception-quality estimating further includes each of the transmitting stations executing the reception-quality estimating, and
the number-of-null carriers determining includes the transmitting station determining number of executions of data transmission per unit time, which is data transmission probability, and arrangement of the subcarrier group to be used at a time of next data transmission based on the estimated reception quality and determining the number of null carriers included in a determined subcarrier group based on the estimated reception quality.
37. The method according to claim 35, wherein
the communication system includes a plurality of receiving stations,
the quality-estimating signal generating further includes each of the receiving stations executing the quality-estimating signal generating,
the reception-quality estimating further includes the transmitting station estimating the reception quality of a subcarrier group in each of the receiving stations, which has generated the quality-estimating signal, based on the quality-estimating signal received from each of the receiving stations, and
the number-of-null carriers determining further includes the transmitting station determining a receiving station to which the subcarrier group is allocated at a time of next transmission and arrangement of the subcarrier group to be allocated to the receiving station based on the estimated reception quality and determining the number of null carriers included in a determined subcarrier group based on the estimated reception quality.
38. The method according to claim 35, further comprising prior-estimated-reception quality obtaining including obtaining a prior-estimated reception quality of the subcarrier group in the receiving unit which has been estimated and stored in advance, wherein
the number-of-null carriers determining further includes the transmitting station determining the number of null carriers included in the next transmission signal based on the prior-estimated reception quality instead of the estimated reception quality.
39. The method according to claim 35, further comprising known-replica-signal generating including generating a known replica signal to be used for converting a known signal subcarrier to the null carrier, wherein
the number-of-null carriers determining further includes the transmitting station determining the number of the known signal subcarriers included in a transmission subcarrier group instead of the number of null carriers included in the transmission subcarrier group.
40. A receiving station apparatus that controls a number of null carriers included in a transmission signal transmitted by a transmitting station apparatus in a communication system adopting a multicarrier modulation system to suppress inter-carrier interference by using the null carrier, the receiving station apparatus comprising:
a reception-quality measuring unit that measures a reception quality of a subcarrier group forming the transmission signal; and
a number-of-null carriers determining unit that determines the number of null carriers included in a next transmission signal based on the reception quality.
41. The receiving station apparatus according to claim 40, wherein
the communication system includes a plurality of transmitting station apparatuses,
the reception-quality measuring unit measures the reception quality of signals transmitted from the transmitting station apparatuses, and
the number-of-null carriers determining unit determines a transmitting station apparatus to which the subcarrier group is allocated at a time of next transmission and arrangement of the subcarrier group to be allocated to the transmitting station apparatus based on each reception quality obtained as a measurement result of the reception-quality measuring unit, and further determines the number of null carriers included in a determined subcarrier group based on each reception quality.
42. The receiving station apparatus according to claim 40, wherein the number-of-null carriers determining unit determines an arrangement of the subcarrier group in a next transmission signal transmitted from the transmitting station apparatus and the number of null carriers included in the subcarrier group based on the reception quality obtained as a measurement result of the reception-quality measuring unit.
43. A transmitting station apparatus that controls a number of null carriers included in a transmission signal transmitted to a receiving station apparatus in a communication system adopting a multicarrier modulation system to suppress inter-carrier interference by using the null carrier, the transmitting station apparatus comprising:
a number-of-null carriers determining unit that receives a reception quality of a subcarrier group forming the transmission signal measured by the receiving station apparatus, and determines the number of null carriers included in a next transmission signal based on the reception quality.
44. The transmitting station apparatus according to claim 43, wherein
the communication system includes a plurality of receiving station apparatuses, and
the number-of-null carriers determining unit receives the reception quality of the subcarrier group forming the transmission signal measured by each of the receiving station apparatuses, determines a receiving station apparatus to which the subcarrier group is allocated at a time of next transmission and arrangement of the subcarrier group to be allocated to the receiving station apparatus based on each reception quality, and further determines the number of null carriers included in a determined subcarrier group based on each reception quality.
45. A transmitting station apparatus that controls a number of null carriers included in a transmission signal transmitted to a receiving station apparatus in a communication system adopting a multicarrier modulation system to suppress inter-carrier interference by using the null carrier, the transmitting station apparatus comprising:
a reception-quality estimating unit that estimates a reception quality of a signal transmitted by the transmitting station apparatus in the receiving station apparatus based on a quality-estimating signal for estimating the reception quality of the transmission signal generated by the receiving station apparatus; and
a number-of-null carriers determining unit that determines the number of null carriers included in a next transmission signal based on the reception quality obtained as an estimation result (estimated reception quality) by the reception-quality estimating unit.
46. The transmitting station apparatus according to claim 45, wherein the number-of-null carriers determining unit determines number of executions of data transmission per unit time, which is data transmission probability, and arrangement of the subcarrier group to be used at a time of next data transmission based on the estimated reception quality, and further determines the number of null carriers included in a determined subcarrier group based on the estimated reception quality.
47. The transmitting station apparatus according to claim 45, wherein
the communication system includes a plurality of receiving station apparatuses,
the reception-quality estimating unit estimates the reception quality of the subcarrier group in each of the receiving station apparatuses, which has generated the quality-estimating signal, based on the quality-estimating signal received from each of the receiving station apparatuses, and
the number-of-null carriers determining unit determines a receiving station apparatus to which the subcarrier group is allocated at a time of next transmission and arrangement of the subcarrier group to be allocated to the receiving station apparatus based on the reception quality estimated by the reception-quality estimating unit, and further determines the number of null carriers included in a determined subcarrier group based on the estimated reception quality.
48. A communication system that employs a multicarrier modulation system to suppress inter-carrier interference by using a null carrier, the communication system comprising:
a receiving station apparatus that measures a reception quality of a subcarrier group forming a transmission signal to determine number of null carriers included in a next transmission signal based on the reception quality obtained from the measurement; and
a transmitting station apparatus that generates the transmission signal into which the null carrier is embedded based on the number of null carriers determined by the receiving station apparatus.
49. A communication system that employs a multicarrier modulation system to suppress inter-carrier interference by using a null carrier, the communication system comprising:
a receiving station apparatus that measures a reception quality of a subcarrier group forming a transmission signal, and transmits a measurement result; and
a transmitting station apparatus that receives the reception quality of the subcarrier group measured by the receiving station apparatus, and determines a number of null carriers included in a next transmission signal based on the reception quality.
50. A communication system that employs a multicarrier modulation system to suppress inter-carrier interference by using a null carrier, the communication system comprising:
a receiving station apparatus that generates a quality-estimating signal for estimating a reception quality of a subcarrier group forming a transmission signal, and transmits the quality-estimating signal; and
a transmitting station apparatus that receives the quality-estimating signal generated by the receiving station apparatus, estimates the reception quality of a signal transmitted by the transmitting station apparatus in the receiving station apparatus based on the quality-estimating signal, and determines a number of null carriers included in a next transmission signal based on the reception quality obtained as an estimation result.
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 process for the preparation of detergent granules, the process comprising:
(i) a first step of admixing in a mechanical granulator, a solid component and a first liquid binder, to produce a powder; and
(ii) a second step of admixing in a low shear granulator, the powder produced in step (i), and a second liquid binder comprising a liquid nonionic surfactant and also, a soap andor wherein the weight ratio of the liquid nonionic surfactant to the soap andor fatty acid is at least 2:1, to produce the detergent granules;
the second liquid binder having a different composition from said first liquid binder and the weight ratio of the first liquid binder to the second liquid binder being from 15:1to 1:1, preferably from 10:1to 1:1, more preferably from 5:1to 1:1, most preferably from 3:1to 2:1.
2. A process according to claim 1, wherein the first or the second binder comprises a synthetic non-soap anionic surfactant.
3. A process according claim 2, wherein the weight ratio of synthetic non-soap anionic surfactant to nonionic surfactant in the first liquid binder is greater than 1:4, preferably from 1:2to 3:1, more preferably from 1:1to 2:1.
4. A process according to claim 2, wherein the weight ratio of synthetic non-soap anionic surfactant to nonionic surfactant in the second liquid binder is from 0:1to 1:4.
5. A process according to claim 1, wherein the weight ratio of the liquid nonionic surfactant to the fatty acid in the second liquid binder is at least 1:1, preferably at least 2:1, and preferably no more than 5:1.
6. A process according to claim 1, wherein the weight ratio of liquid binder to solid component in step (i) is from 1:9to 2:5, preferably from 1:7to 1:3.
7. A process according to claim 1, wherein the total water content of the total of all materials dosed in step (i) or step (ii) is lower than 10% by weight of the total weight of those materials.
8. A process according to claim 1, wherein the powder produced in step (i) has a d50 average particle size of from 150 \u03bcm to 450 \u03bcm.
9. A process according to claim 1, wherein at least some, preferably more than 50% by weight, more preferably more than 75% by weight of the solid component is non-spray dried material.
10. A process according to claim 1, wherein the granules produced in step (ii) have a d50 average particle size of at least 1.5\xd7the d50 average particle size of the powder produced in step (i).
11. A process according to claim 1, wherein a water soluble salt is introduced into the low shear granulator of step (ii).
12. A process according to claim 11, wherein no more than 9%, preferably no more than 7%, most preferably 0% by weight of water soluble salt, based on the weight of the detergent granules is introduced into the mechanical granulator of step (i).
13. A process according to claim 11, wherein the water soluble salt comprises sodium carbonate.
14. A process according to claim 11, wherein an aluminosilicate is introduced into the mechanical granulator of step (i).
15. A process according to claim 14, wherein in step (ii), no more than 2%, preferably 0% by weight of the aluminosilicate based on the weight of the detergent granules is introduced into the low shear granulator of step (ii).
16. A process according to claim 14, wherein the amount of aluminosilicate in the detergent granules is from 10% to 60%, preferably from 15% to 50% by weight of those granules.
17. A process according to claim 14, wherein up to 90%, preferably up to 70% by weight of the aluminosilicate in the detergent granules is replaced by an insoluble absorbent powder substance.
18. A process according to claim 17, wherein the insoluble absorbent powder substance is selected from clays, silica, calcite and insoluble silicate salts.