1. A shade structure comprising:
first and second shade supports in spaced relation to one another, said first shade support including:
a first shade roll having a first rotatable awning roll; and
a second cable take-up drum associated with said first rotatable awning roll to rotate therewith;
said second shade support structure including:
a second shade roll having a second rotatable awning roll; and
a first cable take-up drum associated with said second rotatable awning roll to rotate therewith;
a first awning fabric having a distal movable end and a fixed end, said fixed end being connected to said first rotatable awning roll such that said first awning fabric is movable between a retracted state in which it is wound about said first rotatable awning roll and an extended state in which said distal movable end is extended at a distance from said first rotatable awning roll; and
a second awning fabric having a distal movable end and a fixed end, said fixed end being connected to said second rotatable awning roll such that said second awning fabric is movable between a retracted state in which it is wound about said second rotatable awning roll and an extended state in which said distal movable end is extended at a distance from said second rotatable awning roll, wherein a first cable connects between said distal movable end of said first awning fabric and said first cable take-up drum, which is operable to extend said first awning fabric from said retracted state to said extended state by retaining at least a portion of said first cable, and wherein a second cable connects between said distal movable end of said second awning fabric and said second cable take-up drum, which is operable to extend said second awning fabric from said retracted state to said extended state by retaining at least a portion of said second cable, wherein the simultaneous rotation of said first rotatable awning roll and said second cable take-up drum causes said second cable to be taken up on said second cable take-up drum, at the same time causing said second awning fabric to be pulled off of said second rotatable awning roll toward its extended state, and causes said first cable to be taken up on said first cable take-up drum, at the same time causing said first awning fabric to be pulled off of said first rotatable awning roll toward its extended state.
2. The shade structure of claim 1, wherein, during extension, the length of said first cable wound on said first cable take-up drum is substantially the same as the length of said first awning fabric unwound from said first rotatable awning roll, and the length of said second cable wound on said second cable take-up drum is substantially the same as the length of said second awning fabric unwound from said second rotatable awning roll, such that substantially consistent tension is maintained in said first and second awning fabrics during the extension and retraction thereof.
3. The shade structure of claim 1, wherein said first awning fabric has opposed tapered sides that extend along an angle of less than 90\xb0 from the axis of said first rotatable awning roll.
4. The shade structure of claim 3, wherein said opposed tapered sides of said first awning roll are bowed inwardly toward one another.
5. The shade structure of claim 1, further comprising solar cells on said first awning fabric for generating photovoltaic power, wherein said solar cells wind about said rotatable awning roll with said awning fabric.
6. The shade structure of claim 5, wherein said first rotatable awning roll includes a stationary spindle upon which said first rotatable awning roll rotates, the shade structure further comprising:
a slip ring communicating between said first rotatable awning roll and said stationary spindle and carrying electric current generated by said solar cells; and
a primary wire in said awning fabric that carries said electric current to said slip ring, said primary wires extending at an angle of less that 90\xb0 from the axis of said rotatable awning roll.
7. The shade structure of claim 1, wherein said first awning fabric winds around said first rotatable awning roll in one direction and said second cable winds around said second cable take-up drum in the direction opposite to that of the winding of said first awning fabric on said first rotatable awning roll; said second awning fabric winds around said second rotatable awning roll in one direction and said first cable winds around said first cable take-up drum in the direction opposite to that of the winding of said second awning fabric on said second rotatable awning roll; said second cable take-up drum is associated with said first rotatable awning roll to rotate therewith in the same direction; and said first cable take-up drum is associated with said second rotatable awning roll to rotate therewith in the same direction.
8. The shade structure of claim 1, wherein, during extension, the length of said first cable wound on said first cable take-up drum is substantially the same as the length of said first awning fabric unwound from said first rotatable awning roll, and the length of said second cable wound on said second cable take-up drum is substantially the same as the length of said second awning fabric unwound from said second rotatable awning roll, such that substantially consistent tension is maintained in said first and second awning fabrics during the simultaneous extension and retraction thereof.
9. The shade structure of claim 8, wherein said first cable take-up drum is contoured, having a large diameter end and a small diameter end, with said large diameter end being substantially of the same diameter as the diameter provided by said first awning fabric when retracted on said first rotatable awning roll and said small diameter end being substantially of the same diameter as the diameter provided by said first rotatable awning roll when said first awning fabric is fully extended; and said second cable take-up drum is contoured, having a large diameter end and a small diameter end, with said large diameter end being substantially of the same diameter as the diameter provided by said second awning fabric when retracted on said second rotatable awning roll and said small diameter end being substantially of the same diameter as the diameter provided by said second rotatable awning roll when said second awning fabric is fully extended, thus maintaining said first and second awning fabrics under tension during extension and retraction thereof.
10. The shade structure of claim 9, wherein said first tapered drum includes a cable groove extending around the circumference thereof from said large diameter end to said small diameter end to received and guide said first cable during the rotation thereof and the take-up of said first cable, and said second tapered drum includes a cable groove extending around the circumference thereof from said large diameter end to said small diameter end to receive and guide said second cable during the rotation thereof and the take-up of said second cable.
11. The shade structure of claim 1, wherein the length of said first cable wound on said first cable take-up drum with each revolution of said first cable take-up drum is greater than the length of said first awning fabric unwound from said first rotatable awning roll with each revolution of said first cable take-up drum, and the length of said second cable wound on said second cable take-up drum with each revolution of said second cable take-up drum is greater than the length of said second awning fabric unwound from said second rotatable awning roll with each revolution of said second cable take-up drum, such that tension is increased in said first and second awning fabrics during the simultaneous extension thereof.
12. The shade structure of claim 11, further comprising:
a first torsional spring acting between said first cable take-up drum and said second rotatable awning roll.
13. the shade structure of claim 12, wherein the position of said first cable on said first cable take-up drum is at a greater radial distance from the center of rotation of said first cable take-up drum than is the position of said first awning fabric on said first awning roll, relative to the center of rotation of said first awning roll; the position of said second cable on said second cable take-up drum is at a greater radial distance from the center of rotation of said second cable take-up drum than is the position of said second awning fabric on said second awning roll, relative to the center of rotation of said second awning roll.
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 2-way terminus device, based on adaptive filtering, for connecting both a signal source and a signal receiver to an end of a cable or wire channel for simultaneous transmission and reception of data signals in the same frequency band in said cable or wire channel, comprising:
(a) a signal source and a first isolation amplifier, and an adaptive filter whose input is connected to said signal source through said first isolation amplifier,
(b) a difference amplifier, and a connection between the output of said adaptive filter and the negative input of said difference amplifier,
(c) a connection between said cable or wire channel and the positive input of said difference amplifier, connected to an output terminal to provide a connection to said signal receiver, the output of said difference amplifier, being the received signal,
(d) a connection between the output of said difference amplifier and the error signal input of said adaptive filter,
(e) a connection between the output of said first isolation amplifier and a small signal delay unit \u0394 whose output provides an input to a second isolation amplifier, said second isolation amplifier having the capability for signal amplification while driving a low impedance load, said delay unit having delay ranging from zero to the time duration of the impulse response of said adaptive filter,
(f) a connection between the output of said second isolation amplifier and a first terminal of an impedance whose impedance value is equal to the characteristic impedance of said cable or wire channel,
(g) a connection between the second terminal of said impedance and the said cable or wire channel, thus providing a two-way signal connection between said 2-way terminus device and said cable or wire channel, and
(h) an adaptive algorithm stored in and implemented by said adaptive filter for the purpose of minimization of the mean square of said error.
2. The 2-way terminus device of claim 1, wherein said input signal is digital, said output signal is digital, and the said output of said second isolation amplifier is digital, and said adaptive filter is implemented in digital form, having a digital input signal, a digital error signal, a digital output signal, and having a sampling frequency or cycle frequency synchronized to that of the said input signal, the said output signal, and the said output of said second isolation amplifier.
3. The 2-way terminus device of claim 1, wherein said adaptive filter has:
(a) an analog-to-digital converter to convert the analog input signal to a digital input signal,
(b) an analog-to-digital converter to convert the analog error signal to a digital error signal,
(c) a digital adaptive filter connected and configured so that its input signal is the said digital input signal, its error signal is the said digital error signal, and its output is a digital output signal, and
(d) a digital-to-analog converter to convert said digital output signal to analog form to provide an analog output signal for the said adaptive filter.
4. A two way-wireless communication system for simultaneous transmission and reception of information signals in the same frequency band or in overlapping frequency bands comprising:
(a) a radio transmitter, a radio receiver, and an antenna,
(b) a coupling means such as a transformer, a directional coupler, or some other electric network for connecting said transmitter and said receiver to said antenna,
(c) an RF modulator and a source of baseband signal to be transmitted, said baseband signal provided as the input to said RE modulator,
(d) an RF power amplifier and a delay device for connecting the output of said RE modulator to said RF power amplifier serving as the transmitter, the delay time of said delay device being small, ranging from zero to the impulse response duration of said RF amplifier,
(e) a connection between the output of said RF amplifier and said coupling means to couple the transmitter to said antenna,
(f) a subtractive means, and a connection between said coupling means and the positive input of said subtractive means,
(g) an adaptive filter,
(h) a connection between the output of said RF modulator and the input of said adaptive filter,
(i) a radio receiver, and a connection between the output of said adaptive filter and the negative input of said subtractive means, the output of said subtractive means connected to the input of said radio receiver,
(j) a connection between the output of said subtractive means and the error input of said adaptive filter to provide an error signal for adapting said adaptive filter,
(k) an adaptive algorithm or mathematical procedure implemented by said adaptive filter for adjusting its parameters for minimization of the mean square of said error signal, and
(l) an output terminal of the radio receiver for outputting a received baseband signal.
5. A 2-way terminus device, incorporating a directional coupler and based on adaptive filtering, for connecting both a signal source and a signal receiver to an end of cable or wire channel for simultaneous transmission and reception of data signals in the same frequency band or in overlapping bands comprising:
(a) a first isolation amplifier, and an adaptive filter whose input is connected to said signal source through said first isolation amplifier,
(b) a difference amplifier, and a connection between the output of said adaptive filter and the negative input of said difference amplifier,
(c) a delay device, and a connection between the adaptive filter input and the input of a delay device, said delay device implementing a small signal delay whose duration could range from zero to the impulse response duration of said difference amplifier,
(d) a connection between the output of said delay device and the input of said second isolation amplifier,
(e) a first impedance device, and a connection between the output of said second isolation amplifier and the first terminal of said first impedance device whose impedance is equal to the characteristic impedance of said cable or wire channel, and a connection between the second terminal of said first impedance device and the input terminal of said directional coupler,
(f) a connection between the output terminal of said directional coupler and the positive input of said difference amplifier,
(g) a second impedance device, and a second impedance device, and a connection between the output terminal of said directional coupler and the first terminal of said second impedance device whose impedance is equal to the characteristic impedance of said cable or wire channel, and a connection between the second terminal of said second impedance device and ground,
(h) a connection between the 2-way terminal of said directional coupler and said cable or wire channel,
(i) a received output signal, and a connection between the output of said difference amplifier and a terminal for outputting said received output signal,
(j) a connection between the output of said difference amplifier and the error input terminal of said adaptive filter for providing an error signal for the adaptive filter, and
(k) an adaptive algorithm or mathematical procedure implemented by said adaptive filter for adjusting its parameters for minimization of the mean square of said error signal.
6. A signal or information transmission system providing wireless individual two-way communication paths between a central antenna array and a plurality of subscriber antenna arrays, all or most communication signals being in the same frequency band, the central array and the distant subscriber arrays all connected respectively to 2-way adaptive beamformers in order to create nulls in their directivity patterns in the directions of all sources of interference, said antenna arrays not transmitting to or receiving from said directions, said information transmission system comprised of:
(a) a central antenna array, a plurality of 2-way adaptive beamformers, at least one individual 2-way adaptive beamformer for each distant subscriber, each of said adaptive beamformers transmitting and receiving through connections with the antenna elements of said central antenna array, each of said 2-way adaptive beamformers comprising,
(1) a plurality of adaptive beamformers, whose number is equal to the number of antenna elements of said central antenna array,
(2) coupling devices connecting to each of said elements to the inputs of each of said adaptive filters, a summing device whose inputs are connected to the output of said adaptive filters, a first subtractive device whose positive input is the summed signal of said summing device, a radio receiver whose input signal is the output signal of said subtractive device, the output of said radio receiver being the received baseband signal, a baseband signal to be transmitted which is inputted to an RF modulator, the output of said RF modulator providing inputs to a plurality of controlled filters that correspond one for one to the said adaptive filters, the architecture and weight values of the controlled filters set to correspond at each moment of time, to the corresponding weights of the adaptive filters, a subtracting adaptive filter whose input signal is the output signal of the said RF modulator, whose output signal is inputted to the negative input of said first subtractive device, the output of said first subtractive device provided as the error signal for said subtracting adaptive filter, so that it can subtract the transmitted signal from the radio receiver input, a coded pilot signal generator for generating a pilot signal used while the 2-way adaptive beamformer is trained, said pilot signal inputted to the positive input of a second subtractive device, the output of said summing device connected to the negative input of said second subtractive device, the output signal of said second subtractive device provided as an error signal during training for all of the adaptive filters of said plurality of adaptive filters, a plurality of RF amplifiers to provide RF power for wireless transmission, the input signals for said RF amplifier are the corresponding output signals from said controlled filters, and connections between the output signals from said RF amplifier and the corresponding said coupling devices provide RF driving currents for the elements of the central antenna array,
(3) subtracting adaptive filters configured for canceling all transmitted signals of the central antenna array from the inputs of all of the radio receivers, the number of transmitters and the number of receivers equal to the number of distant subscribers,
(b) a plurality of distant subscriber antenna arrays each connected and configured as part of a system for the two-way communication with the central antenna array, each said system comprised of,
(1) a subscriber’s array of antenna elements located away from the central antenna array,
(2) a 2-way adaptive beamformer connected to the antenna elements of said subscriber’s array,
(3) an output terminal of the 2-way beamformers for outputting the received baseband signal and an input terminal of the 2-way beamformer for inputting the baseband signal to be transmitted, and
(4) a pilot signal generator used during training of subscriber’s 2-way beamformers, said pilot signal being random, of finite length, and uncorrelated with all other pilot signals used in said information transmission system.
7. The signal or information transmission system of claim 6, wherein said central antenna array contains one or more antenna elements, and wherein each antenna array of said plurality of distant subscriber antenna arrays contains one or more antenna elements.