Abstract: This invention is a method and system for dynamically rating a target entity's attribute by receiving validation value from an attribute of a qualifying source entity. The validation value involves either a user assigning weights to selected attributes or selected attributes taking weight values from attributes assigned to the user. The validation value is used for updating the rating of a target entity's attribute. Individual weighted attributes are used to define compositional attributes for things such as goods, services, ideas, terms, and quality. Compositional attributes can be comprised of supporting individual component attributes, a mix of supporting individual component attributes and supporting compositional attributes, or a mix of supporting compositional attributes. Thus, compositional attributes can also be used to support another compositional attribute.

Abstract: A power supply line for powering electronic equipment from a power supply remote from the electronic equipment, having a balanced differential power transmission path 31 connecting the power supply 32 to the electronic equipment 13 and at least one isolating transformer 33, 34 in the power supply line, for providing isolation from ground potential rise associated with lightning surge currents. The invention has particular application to a wireless communications tower having the isolated power supply line for powering masthead electronic equipment 13, and an isolated communications link 21 between the masthead electronic equipment and a network terminal 22.

Abstract: A base station for a wireless network has multiple channels for communicating with user equipments, and has multiple channel reuse patterns. The patterns are complementary such that areas of low carrier to interference ratio C/I of one pattern are not coincident with areas of low C/I of other patterns. An allocator allocates channels such that for user equipment located in an area of low C/I of any of the complementary patterns, the allocator favors allocation of a channel of another of the complementary patterns. The sacrifice of capacity can be reduced as there is less need for a capacity-hungry high re-use factor pattern. The channels may be frequencies, time slots or CDMA codes. The reuse patterns can involve reuse on selected base stations, or on selected sectors, or different polarizations. The network can be of any type including fixed wireless access FWA, or mobile networks.

Abstract: A cellular radio communication system for transmitting blocks of data over transmission links in which the quality of the transmission links are monitored. The system comprises a data storage means for storing sets of modulation scheme and forward error correction coding level pairs to give an optimum data rate at a predetermined bit error rate and a predetermined symbol rate for different quality transmission links. The database is interrogated and a modulation scheme and forward error correction coding level pair is allocated and applied to the blocks of data transmitted over a transmission link dependent on the monitored quality of the transmission link.

Abstract: A data storage device comprises a removable and replaceable magnetic tape cassette provided with a software control write protect switch. The switch is adapted to have a first condition in which data may be written to said magnetic tape and a second condition in which said switch is adapted to cause the blocking of a write operation to said tape. The switch is contained within a non-volatile electronic memory device and is electronically configurable between its first and second conditions remotely via a control signal.