Author: claimsbot

1. A touch sensing apparatus comprising:
a flip-flop having a first input and a second input and an output;
a sensor connected to the first input of the flip-flop and for receiving electricity signals from an object that touches the sensor;
a microcontroller unit (MCU) having an input, a first output and a second output, the input for receiving and providing output signals of the flip-flop to the MCU to identify a touch on the sensor according to the output signals of the flip-flop, the first output for outputting a first AC signal to the first input of the flip-flop, and the second output for outputting a second AC signal to the second input of the flip-flop;
an integration circuit interposed between the second input of the flip-flop and the second output of the MCU and for delaying the AC signal to be inputted to the second input of the flip-flop; and
a resistor interposed between the first input of the flip-flop and the first output of the MCU;
wherein:
the flip-flop outputs a first type output signal at the output thereof when the sensor not being touched;
the sensor receives electricity signals from the object, and causes a delay of the AC signal to be inputted to the first input of the flip-flop, the delay of the AC signal to be inputted to the first input of the flip-flop further causing the flip-flop to output a second type output signal at the output thereof; and
the MCU detects an output change of the output signals of the flip-flop from the first type output signal to the second type output signal and accordingly identifies a touch on the sensor.
2. The touch sensing apparatus as described in claim 1, wherein the MCU is further provided for executing a predetermined task upon identifying the touch on the sensor.
3. The touch sensing apparatus as described in claim 1, wherein the flip-flop is a D-type flip-flop.
4. The touch sensing apparatus as described in claim 1, further comprising a differential signal source configured for generating a positive signal and a negative signal.
5. The touch sensing apparatus as described in claim 4, further comprising two conductors respectively connected to the positive signal output and the negative signal output of the differential signal source.
6. The touch sensing apparatus as described in claim 5, wherein the sensor locates between the two conductors and forms two simulated capacitors with the two conductors for offsetting environmental noise.
7. The touch sensing apparatus as described in claim 4, wherein the differential signal source is further provided for providing an alternating magnetic field for the touch sensing apparatus.

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 which is claimed is:

1. A method of operating an entity of a communications system, the entity operative to communicate with at least one other entity of the communications system via a communications medium, the method comprising:
transmitting a segment from the entity, the segment conforming to a segment format comprising a data portion and a header portion comprising a field for a sequence number associated with data in the data portion, wherein the header portion of the transmitted segment includes a segment transmission sequence number.
2. A method according to claim 1, wherein, according to the segment format, the field for a sequence number associated with data in the data portion comprises a field for a sequence number of a data byte in the data portion.
3. A method according to claim 1, wherein the header portion of the segment format further comprises an Urgent Pointer field, and wherein the Urgent Pointer field of the header portion of the transmitted segment includes the segment transmission sequence number.
4. A method according to claim 3, further comprising including the segment transmission sequence number in the Urgent Pointer field of the header of the transmitted segment responsive to an absence of urgent data in the data portion of the transmitted segment.
5. A method according to claim 1:
wherein transmitting a segment from the entity comprises transmitting a first segment from the entity, the first segment conforming to the segment format and comprising a segment transmission sequence number in a predefined field of its header portion; and
wherein the method further comprises transmitting a second segment from the entity, the second segment conforming to the segment format and comprising information other than a segment transmission sequence number in the predefined field of its header portion.
6. A method according to claim 1:
wherein the header portion of the segment format further comprises an Urgent Pointer field;
wherein transmitting a segment from the entity comprises transmitting a first segment from the entity, the first segment conforming to the segment format and comprising a header portion comprising a first segment transmission sequence number in its Urgent Pointer field; and
wherein the method further comprises transmitting a second segment from the entity, the second segment conforming to the segment format and comprising a second header portion comprising a value in its Urgent Pointer field that identifies urgent data in a data portion of the second segment.
7. A method according to claim 1, further comprising:
receiving an acknowledgment of the transmitted segment at the entity; and
determining a round trip time responsive to the transmission of the segment and the receipt of the acknowledgment.
8. A method according to claim 7:
wherein transmitting a segment from the entity comprises transmitting a first segment from the entity, the first segment conforming to the segment format and comprising a first segment transmission sequence number in its header portion;
wherein receiving an acknowledgment at the entity comprises receiving a second segment at the entity, the second segment conforming to the segment format and comprising a segment transmission sequence number in its header portion; and
wherein determining a round trip time responsive to the transmission of the segment and the receipt of the acknowledgment comprises determining the round trip time responsive to the transmission of the first segment and the receipt of the second segment.
9. A method according to claim 8, further comprising:
determining a time of transmission of the first segment;
determining a time of reception of the second segment; and
wherein determining the round trip time responsive to the transmission of the first segment and the receipt of the second segment comprises determining the round trip time from the determined time of transmission and the determined time of reception.
10. A method according to claim 7, further comprising adjusting a retransmission timing based on the determined round trip time.
11. A method according to claim 1:
receiving a first segment at the entity, the first segment conforming to the segment format and comprising a segment transmission sequence number in a predefined field of its header portion;
receiving a second segment at the entity, the second segment conforming to the segment format and comprising information other than a segment transmission sequence number in the predefined field of its header portion;
determining a round trip time according to a first procedure responsive to receipt of the first segment; and
determining a round trip time according to a second procedure responsive to the receipt of the second segment.
12. A method according to claim 1, wherein transmitting a segment from the entity comprises transmitting the segment in one of a wireless communications medium, a wireline communications medium, and an optical communications medium.
13. A method of operating an entity of a communications system, the entity operative to communicate with at least one other entity of the communications system via a communications medium, the method comprising:
receiving a segment at the entity, the segment conforming to a segment format comprising a data portion and a header portion comprising a field for a sequence number associated with data in the data portion, wherein the header portion of the received segment includes a segment transmission sequence number; and
transmitting an acknowledgment reflecting the segment transmission sequence number of the received segment from the entity.
14. A method according to claim 13, wherein transmitting an acknowledgment reflecting the segment transmission sequence number of the received segment from the entity comprises transmitting a segment conforming to the segment format and including a segment transmission sequence number in its header portion.
15. A method according to claim 14, wherein the transmitted segment includes the same segment transmission sequence number as the received segment.
16. A method according to claim 13, wherein, according to the segment format, the field for a sequence number associated with data in the data portion comprises a field for a sequence number of a data byte in the data portion.
17. A method according to claim 13, wherein the header portion of the segment format further comprises an Urgent Pointer field, and wherein the Urgent Pointer field of the header portion of the received segment includes the segment transmission sequence number.
18. A method according to claim 13, wherein receiving a segment at the entity comprises receiving the segment from one of a wireless communications medium, a wireline communications medium and an optical communication medium, and transmitting an acknowledgment reflecting the segment transmission sequence number of the received segment from the entity comprises transmitting the acknowledgment in the one of the wireless communications medium, the wireline communications medium and the optical communications medium.
19. A method of formatting TCP segments, the method comprising:
including segment transmission sequence numbers in header portions of the segments.
20. A method according to claim 19, wherein including segment transmission sequence numbers in header portions of the segments comprises including segment transmission sequence numbers in predefined field of header portions of first segments and including information other than segment transmission sequence numbers in the predefined fields of header portions of second segments.
21. A method according to claim 20, further comprising determining a round trip time according to respective first and second different procedures responsive to receipt of the first and second segments.
22. A method according to claim 20, wherein including segment transmission sequence numbers in header portions of the segments comprises including a segment transmission sequence number in an Urgent Pointer field of a segment.
23. A method according to claim 22, wherein including a segment transmission sequence number in an Urgent Pointer field of a segment comprises including a segment transmission sequence number in an Urgent Pointer field of the segment responsive to an absence of urgent data.
24. A method according to claim 19, further comprising determining a round trip time responsive to receipt of a segment transmission sequence number.
25. A method according to claim 24, further comprising adjusting a retransmission timing based on the determined round trip time.
26. A communications data structure embodied in a physical medium, the communications data structure comprising:
a segment comprising a data portion and a header portion comprising a field for a sequence number associated with data in the data portion, wherein the header portion of the segment includes a segment transmission sequence number.
27. A communications data structure according to claim 26, wherein the header portion of the segment further comprises an Urgent Pointer field including the segment transmission sequence number.
28. A communications data structure according to claim 26, embodied in one of a wireless communications medium, a wireline communications medium, an optical communications medium, and a storage medium.
29. An apparatus, comprising:
a circuit configured to construct a segment conforming to a segment format comprising a data portion and a header portion comprising a field for a sequence number associated with data in the data portion, wherein the header portion of the segment includes a segment transmission sequence number.
30. An apparatus according to claim 29, wherein, according to the segment format, the field for a sequence number associated with data in the data portion comprises a field for a sequence number of a data byte in the data portion.
31. An apparatus according to claim 29, wherein the header portion of the segment format further comprises an Urgent Pointer field, and wherein the Urgent Pointer field of the header portion of the segment includes the segment transmission sequence number.
32. An apparatus according to claim 31, wherein the circuit is further operative to include the segment transmission sequence number in the Urgent Pointer field of the header of the segment responsive to an absence of urgent data in the data portion of the segment.
33. An apparatus according to claim 29, wherein the circuit is operative to construct a first segment conforming to the segment format and comprising a segment transmission sequence number in a predefined field of its header and to construct a second segment conforming to the segment format and comprising information other than a segment transmission sequence number in the predefined field of its header.
34. An apparatus according to claim 29:
wherein the header portion of the segment format further comprises an Urgent Pointer field;
wherein the circuit is operative to construct a first segment conforming to the segment format and comprising a first header portion comprising a first segment transmission sequence number in its Urgent Pointer field and to construct a second segment conforming to the segment format and comprising a second header portion comprising a value in its Urgent Pointer field that identifies urgent data in a data portion of the second segment.
35. An apparatus according to claim 29, wherein the circuit is further operative to receive an acknowledgment reflecting the segment transmission sequence number of the constructed segment and to determine a round trip time responsive to receipt of the acknowledgment.
36. An apparatus according to claim 35, wherein the circuit is operative to receive a segment conforming to the segment format and comprising a segment transmission sequence number in its header portion, and to determine the round trip time responsive to receipt of the segment.
37. An apparatus according to claim 35, wherein the circuit is further operative to adjust a retransmission timing based on the determined round trip time.
38. An apparatus according to claim 35, wherein the circuit is operative to receive a first segment conforming to the segment format and comprising a segment transmission sequence number in a predefined field of its header portion and to receive a second segment conforming to the segment format and comprising information other than a segment transmission sequence number in the predefined field of its header portion and to determine round trip time according to respective first and second procedures responsive to receipt of respective ones of the first and second segments.
39. An apparatus according to claim 29, wherein the constructed segment comprises first and second sequence numbers in its header portion.
40. An apparatus according to claim 39, wherein the header portion of the segment format further comprises an Urgent Pointer field, and wherein the first and second segment transmission sequence numbers are included in the Urgent Pointer field of the header portion of the constructed segment.
41. An apparatus according to claim 29, wherein the circuit is operative to transmit the segment in one of a wireless communications medium, a wireline communications medium, and an optical communications medium.
42. An apparatus, comprising:
a circuit configured to receive a segment conforming to a segment format comprising a data portion and a header portion comprising a field for a sequence number associated with data in the data portion, the header portion of the received segment including a segment transmission sequence number and to responsively construct an acknowledgment reflecting the segment transmission sequence number of the received segment.
43. An apparatus according to claim 42, wherein, according to the segment format, the field for a sequence number associated with data in the data portion comprises a field for a sequence number of a data byte in the data portion.
44. An apparatus according to claim 42, wherein the header portion of the segment format further comprises an Urgent Pointer field, and wherein the Urgent Pointer field of the header portion of the received segment includes the segment transmission sequence number.
45. An apparatus according to claim 42, wherein the circuit is operative to receive the segment from one of a wireless communications medium, a wireline communications medium and an optical communication medium and to transmit the acknowledgment in the one of the wireless communications medium, the wireline communications medium and the optical communications medium.
46. A computer program product for creating data structures for transmission in a communications system, the computer program product comprising computer-readable program code embodied in a computer-readable storage medium, the computer-readable program code comprising:
program code for constructing a segment conforming to a segment format comprising a data portion and a header portion comprising a field for a sequence number associated with data in the data portion, wherein the header portion of the segment includes a segment transmission sequence number.
47. A computer program product according to claim 46, wherein, according to the segment format, the field for a sequence number associated with data in the data portion comprises a field for a sequence number of a data byte in the data portion.
48. A computer program product according to claim 46, wherein the header portion of the segment format further comprises an Urgent Pointer field, and wherein the Urgent Pointer field of the header portion of the transmitted segment includes the segment transmission sequence number.
49. A computer program product according to claim 48, wherein the computer-readable program code further comprises program code for including the segment transmission sequence number in the Urgent Pointer field of the header of the segment responsive to an absence of urgent data in the data portion of the segment.
50. A computer program product according to claim 46:
wherein the program code for constructing a segment comprises program code for constructing a first segment conforming to the segment format and comprising a segment transmission sequence number in a predefined field of its header portion; and
wherein the computer-readable program code further comprises program code for constructing a second segment conforming to the segment format and comprising information other than a segment transmission sequence number in the predefined field of its header portion.
51. A computer program product according to claim 46, wherein the computer-readable program code further comprises:
program code for determining a time of transmission for the constructed segment;
program code for determining a reception time of an acknowledgment of the constructed segment; and
program code for determining a round trip time based on the determined transmission and reception times.
52. A computer program product according to claim 51, wherein the computer-readable program code further comprises program code for adjusting a retransmission timing based on the determined round trip time.
53. A computer program product according to claim 46, wherein the computer-readable program code comprises:
program code for receiving a first segment, the first segment conforming to the segment format and comprising a segment transmission sequence number in a predefined field of its header portion;
program code for receiving a second segment, the second segment conforming to the segment format and comprising information other than a segment transmission sequence number in the predefined field of its header portion;
program code for determining a round trip time according to a first procedure responsive to receipt of the first segment; and
program code for determining a round trip time according to a second procedure responsive to the receipt of the second segment.
54. A computer program product for processing data structures in a communications system, the computer program product comprising computer-readable program code embodied in a computer-readable storage medium, the computer-readable program code comprising:
program code for receiving a segment conforming to a segment format comprising a data portion and a header portion comprising a field for a sequence number associated with data in the data portion, wherein the header portion of the received segment includes a segment transmission sequence number; and
program code for constructing an acknowledgment that reflects the segment transmission sequence number.
55. A computer program product according to claim 54, wherein, according to the segment format, the field for a sequence number associated with data in the data portion comprises a field for a sequence number of a data byte in the data portion.
56. A computer program product according to claim 54, wherein the header portion of the segment format further comprises an Urgent Pointer field, and wherein the Urgent Pointer field of the header portion of the received segment includes the segment transmission sequence number.
57. A computer program product according to claim 54, wherein the acknowledgment comprises a segment including first and second segment transmission sequence numbers in its header portion.

1. A method of transmitting multicast broadcast service (MBS) data in an MBS transmitting apparatus, the method comprising:
allocating subbands of an MBS transmission carrier to an MBS region and a non-MBS region;
generating region allocation information of the MBS region and the non-MBS region;
allocating subbands, allocated to the MBS region, to at least one MBS zone;
generating MBS zone allocation information of the at least one MBS zone;
transmitting the region allocation information and the MBS zone allocation information;
transmitting the MBS data through the subbands allocated to the MBS region;
generating multi-input multi-output (MIMO) region allocation information for the MIMO region; and
transmitting the MIMO region allocation information to an MBS receiving apparatus,
wherein the region allocation information indicates whether each subband is allocated to the MBS region or allocated to the non-MBS region, the region allocation information is broadcast through a system information message,
the MBS zone allocation information is broadcast through an MBS-specific message,
the MIMO region allocation information is broadcast through the system information message,
the MBS transmission carrier corresponds to an MBS dedicated carrier,
the non-MBS region corresponds to an unused region,
the dedicated carrier is temporally divided for every superframe,
the dedicated carrier is divided into a plurality of subbands on a frequency axis,
the MBS region is divided into multiple MBS zones on the frequency axis, and
an MBS map is transmitted at the beginning of an MBS scheduling interval.
2. The method of claim 1, wherein the region allocation information comprises a first bitmap including bits corresponding to the subbands, and
each bit of the first bitmap indicates whether a corresponding subband is allocated either to the MBS region or to the non-MBS region.
3. The method of claim 2, wherein the MBS zone allocation information comprises a second bitmap including bits corresponding to remaining subbands not a first subband among the subbands allocated to the MBS region, and
each bit of the second bitmap indicates whether a corresponding subband is allocated to a same MBS region as that allocated by a previous subband.
4. The method of claim 3, wherein the MBS transmission carrier corresponds to a mixed carrier for MBS and non-MBS, and
the method comprising transmitting non-MBS data through subbands allocated to the non-MBS region.
5. The method of claim 1, further comprising:
allocating all or some of the subbands, allocated to the non-MBS region, to the multi-input multi-output (MIMO) region.
6. The method of claim 5, wherein the MIMO region allocation information comprises information of the number of the subbands allocated to the MIMO region, and
subbands not allocated to the MBS region, among subbands corresponding to the number from the first subband, correspond to the MIMO region.
7. The method of claim 5, wherein the MIMO region allocation information comprises a third bitmap including bits corresponding to the subbands allocated to the non-MBS region, and
each bit of the third bitmap indicates whether a corresponding subband is allocated to the MIMO region.
8. The method of claim 5, wherein the MIMO region allocation information comprises information of the number of the subbands allocated to the MIMO region, and
subbands corresponding to the number from a first subband, among the subbands allocated to the non-MBS region, correspond to the MIMO region.
9. The method of claim 5, wherein the MIMO region allocation information comprises a third bitmap including a plurality of bits,
the plurality of bits of the third bitmap corresponds to subbands corresponding to the number of bits of the third bitmap from the first subband, among the subbands that are allocated to the MBS region by a network, and
each bit of the third bitmap indicates whether a corresponding subband is allocated to the MIMO region.
10. An MBS transmitting apparatus, the apparatus comprising:
a region allocator configured to allocate a plurality of subbands of an MBS transmission carrier to an MBS region and a non-MBS region;
a region allocation information generator configured to generate region allocation information of the MBS region and the non-MBS region;
an MBS zone allocator configured to allocate the subbands, allocated to the MBS region to at least one MBS zone;
an MBS zone allocation information generator configured to generate MBS zone allocation information of the at least one MBS zone;
a control data transmitter configured to transmit the region allocation information and the MBS zone allocation information;
an MBS data transmitter configured to transmit MBS data through the subbands allocated to the MBS region;
a multi-input multi-output (MIMO) region allocation information generator configured to generate MIMO region allocation information for the MIMO region,
wherein the control data transmitter transmits the MIMO region allocation information to an MBS receiving apparatus,
the region allocation information indicates whether each subband is allocated either to the MBS region or to the non-MBS region, the region allocation information is broadcast through a system information message,
the MBS zone allocation information is broadcast through an MBS-specific message, and
the MIMO region allocation information is broadcast through the system information message,
the MBS transmission carrier corresponds to an MBS dedicated carrier,
the non-MBS region corresponds to an unused region,
the dedicated carrier is temporally divided for every superframe,
the dedicated carrier is divided into a plurality of subbands on a frequency axis,
the MBS region is divided into multiple MBS zones on the frequency axis, and
an MBS map is transmitted at the beginning of an MBS scheduling interval.
11. The apparatus of claim 10, wherein the region allocation information comprises a first bitmap including bits corresponding to the subbands,
each bit of the first bitmap indicates whether a corresponding subband is allocated either to the MBS region or to the non-MBS region,
the MBS zone allocation information comprises a second bitmap including bits corresponding to remaining subbands not a first subband from among the subbands allocated to the MBS region, and
each bit of the second bitmap indicates whether a corresponding subband is allocated to the same MBS region as that allocated by a previous subband.
12. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein the MBS transmission carrier corresponds to a mixed carrier for MBS and non-MBS, and
the apparatus further comprises:
a non-MBS data transmitter configured to transmit non-MBS data through subbands allocated to the non-MBS region;
a MIMO region allocator configured to allocate all or some of the subbands, allocated to the non-MBS region, to a MIMO region for MIMO; and
a MIMO region allocation information generator configured to generate MIMO region allocation information for the MIMO region,
wherein the control data transmitter transmits the MIMO region allocation information to an MBS receiving apparatus.
13. A method of receiving MBS data in an MBS receiving apparatus, the method comprising:
receiving region allocation information of an MBS region and a non-MBS region;
allocating subbands of an MBS transmission carrier to the MBS region and the non-MBS region based on the region allocation information;
receiving MBS zone allocation information of the at least one MBS zone;
allocating the subbands, allocated to the MBS region, to at least one MBS zone based on the MBS zone allocation information;
receiving MBS data through the subbands allocated to the at least one MBS zone; and
receiving multi-input multi-output (MIMO) region allocation information from an MBS transmitting apparatus,
wherein the region allocation information indicates whether each subband is allocated either to the MBS region or to the non-MBS region, the region allocation information is broadcast through a system information message,
the MBS zone allocation information is broadcast through an MBS-specific message, and
the MIMO region allocation information is broadcast through the system information message,
the MBS transmission carrier corresponds to an MBS dedicated carrier,
the non-MBS region corresponds to an unused region,
the dedicated carrier is temporally divided for every superframe,
the dedicated carrier is divided into a plurality of subbands on a frequency axis,
the MBS region is divided into multiple MBS zones on the frequency axis, and
an MBS map is transmitted at the beginning of an MBS scheduling interval.
14. The method of claim 13, wherein the region allocation information comprises a first bitmap including bits corresponding to the subbands, and
each bit of the first bitmap indicates whether a corresponding subband is allocated either to the MBS region or to the non-MBS region.
15. The method of claim 14, wherein the MBS zone allocation information comprises a second bitmap including bits corresponding to remaining subbands not a first subband among the subbands allocated to the MBS region, and
each bit of the second bitmap indicates whether a corresponding subband is allocated to a same MBS region as that allocated by a previous subband.
16. The method of claim 15, wherein the MBS transmission carrier corresponds to a mixed carrier for MBS and non-MBS, and
wherein the method comprising:
allocating all or some of the subbands, allocated to the non-MBS region, to a MIMO region for MIMO;
generating MIMO region allocation information of the MIMO region;
transmitting the MIMO region allocation information to an MBS receiving apparatus; and
transmitting non-MBS data through subbands allocated to the non-MBS region.
17. An MBS receiving apparatus, the apparatus comprising:
a control data receiver configured to receive region allocation information of an MBS region and a non-MBS region and MBS zone allocation information of at least one MBS zone;
a region allocator configured to allocate subbands of an MBS transmission carrier to the MBS region and the non-MBS region based on the region allocation information;
an MBS zone allocator configured to allocate the subbands, allocated to the MBS zone,
to the at least one MBS zone based on the MBS zone allocation information;
an MBS data receiver configured to receive MBS data through the subbands allocated to the at least one MBS zone;
a multi-input multi-output (MIMO) region allocator configured to allocate MIMO region for MIMO based on a MIMO region allocation information,
wherein the region allocation information indicates whether each subband is allocated to the MBS region or to the non-MBS region, the region allocation information is broadcast through a system information message,
the MBS zone allocation information is broadcast through an MBS-specific message, and
the MIMO region allocation information is broadcast through the system information message,
the MBS transmission carrier corresponds to an MBS dedicated carrier,
the non-MBS region corresponds to an unused region,
the dedicated carrier is temporally divided for every superframe,
the dedicated carrier is divided into a plurality of subbands on a frequency axis,
the MBS region is divided into multiple MBS zones on the frequency axis, and
an MBS map is transmitted at the beginning of an MBS scheduling interval.
18. The apparatus of claim 17, wherein the region allocation information comprises a first bitmap including bits corresponding to the subbands,
each bit of the first bitmap indicates whether a corresponding subband is allocated either to the MBS region or to the non-MBS region,
the MBS zone allocation information comprises a second bitmap including a plurality of bits corresponding to remaining subbands not a first subband from among the subbands allocated to the MBS region, and
each bit of the second bitmap indicates whether a corresponding subband is allocated to a same MBS region as that allocated by the previous subband.
19. The apparatus of claim 18, wherein the MBS transmission carrier corresponds to a mixed carrier for MBS and non-MBS, and
the control data receiver further receives MIMO region allocation information for MIMO, and
wherein the apparatus further comprises:
an open-loop region recognizer configured to recognize all or some of the subbands,
allocated to the non-MBS region, as a MIMO region based on the MIMO region allocation information; and
a non-MBS data receiver configured to receive non-MBS data through the subbands allocated to the non-MBS region.

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 settling tank for dewatering slurry comprising:
a portable open-top container having a bottom and four sides;
a disposable watertight liner covering the bottom and the four sides;
a layer of disposable coarse granular material covering the bottom of the watertight liner, the coarse granular material having interstitial space therein;
a disposable filter cloth covering the coarse granular material and the liner; and
a drain port through the liner into the interstitial space, wherein slurry containing particulate is pumped into the container through the open top, the action of settlement separates relatively clean water from settled particulate, the relatively clean water is removed through the open top by pumping to make room for more slurry until a preferred is buildup of settled particulate is achieved, and the settled particulate is ultimately dewatered by pumping out the filtrate through the drain port.
2. The settling tank of claim 1, wherein the portable, open-top container is a roll-on waste container.
3. The settling tank of claim 1, wherein the coarse granular material is comprised of stones.
4. The settling tank of claim 1, wherein the coarse granular material is replaced by disposable old pallets.
5. The settling tank of claim 1, wherein the disposable watertight liner is comprised of a film having a composition of polyethylene, polypropylene, polyolefin or a combination thereof.
6. The settling tank of claim 5, wherein the film has a thickness of 5-10 mils.
7. The settling tank of claim 1, wherein the filter cloth is a woven or nonwoven fabric.
8. The settling tank of claim 7, wherein the fabric has a sieve size of 100-200 microns.
9. The settling tank of claim 7, wherein the fabric is a geotextile fabric
10. The settling tank of claim 1, further comprising an opening in one side of the portable open-top container and a removable false wall positioned adjacent thereto to function in place of the side, the false wall being sealingly penetrated by the drain port to permit gravity drainage of the filtrate through the opening.
11. The settling tank of claim 10, wherein the opening is a doorway.
12. A method of dewatering slurry, comprising the steps of:
providing a portable, open-top container having a bottom and four sides;
covering the bottom and four sides of the container with a disposable watertight liner;
covering the bottom of the liner with coarse granular material having interstitial space therein;
layering a filter cloth over the coarse granular material and the liner;
providing a drain port through the liner and into the interstitial space;
pumping slurry containing particulate into one end of the container through the open top, whereby settlement produces relatively clean water at the top of the container and settled particulate at the bottom, and filtering through the filter cloth produces a filtrate in the interstitial space;
using a means for reducing water in the slurry while substantially avoiding clogging of the filter cloth, whereby room is provided for the cyclical addition of more slurry;
is draining any remaining filtrate through the drain port;
transporting the container and its residual contents to a disposal site; and
discarding the liner, coarse granular material, filter cloth and residue by dumping the contents to leave the container in its original state.
13. The method of claim 12, wherein the means for reducing water while substantially avoiding clogging comprises pumping the relatively clean water off the top at the opposite end in cycle with the addition of slurry until a predetermined buildup of settled particulate has been achieved.
14. The method of claim 13, wherein the means for reducing water while substantially avoiding clogging further comprises avoiding the application of suction in the drainage of the filtrate, thereby avoiding packing of the settled particulate against the filter cloth other than by means of gravity alone.
15. The method of claim 14, wherein the predetermined buildup of settled particulate is signaled by slurry appearing in the relatively clean water effluent.