| Class / Patent application number | Description | Number of patent applications / Date published |
|---|
| 307040000 | Code-controlled | 16 |
| 20080211307 | Two-Wire Power And Communications For Irrigation Systems - A large number of irrigation system devices connected to a common two-wire cable can be powered and individually controlled from a central location by transmitting over the cable DC pulses of alternating polarity. Control information is conveyed by transmitting a command pulse train consisting of a series of pulses, separated by short no-power intervals, whose polarities indicate logic ones or zeros. Following a command pulse train, a selected watering station decoder acknowledges receipt of instructions by drawing current during a predetermined pulse of an alternating-polarity power pulse cycle, while a sensor decoder returns binary data by drawing current during one or the other of the alternating-polarity pulses of a series of power pulse cycles. | 09-04-2008 |
| 20090200867 | SYSTEM AND METHODS FOR SCHEDULING POWER USAGE - A system for scheduling electric power consumption cycles is provided. A consumption cycle is a time period of human scale, minutes or hours typically, rather than an electrical cycle. The system includes an electric-powered device driven by power supplied by an electric power network. The system also includes a consumption cycle data (CCD) requesting module communicatively linked to the electric-powered device. The link may use electric power lines via methods such as Broadband over Power Line, or may be wireless. The CCD requesting module is configured to generate a CCD request requesting allocation of electric power from the electric power network. Additionally, the system includes an electric power network node electrically connected to the electric-powered device from which electric power is conveyed to the electric-powered device. The system also includes a CCD responding module communicatively linked to the CCD requesting module. The CCD responding module is configured to determine whether the request for allocation of power can be granted subject to a predetermined capacity constraint. | 08-13-2009 |
| 20090236910 | Point of use and network control of electrical appliances and method - A system and method for targeted, remote switching of electrical appliances. The system includes a transmitter for selectively producing a directional output signal and a receiver for detecting the directional output signal from the transmitter. The receiver produces an output signal when the directional output signal from the transmitter is detected that is received by a microcontroller that is incorporated into a switch controller. The microcontroller produces an output that switches the electrical appliance to which the switch controller is connected on and/or off. A coordinator is provided for communicating functional information to and from the switch controller(s) of a plurality of electrical appliances for increased flexibility of operation and control. Although not limited to this use, the system and method of the present invention are particularly adapted for controlling individual light fixtures, even though several fixtures are wired into a single circuit, allowing the individual fixtures to be switched on and/or off as needed and, in the case of light fixtures with multiple lamps, the dimming of the fixture by switching individual lamps in the fixture off. | 09-24-2009 |
| 20100079001 | Outlet switch socket device - An outlet switch socket device includes a plug, at least one socket, at least one switch, a power converter, a communication module, a microprocessor and an infrared module. Moreover, the plug is used to receive an alternating current. Each switch is respectively coupled between each corresponding socket and the plug. The power converter is coupled to the plug and converts the alternating current into a direct current, thereby supplying the direct current to the microprocessor. Moreover, the microprocessor receives the direct current from the power converter and receives a control signal from a remote control via the communication module. Furthermore, the microprocessor is used to control those switches according to the control signal and transmits the control signal to the infrared module. The infrared module is used to output an infrared signal to control an infrared device. | 04-01-2010 |
| 20100314941 | FAN CONTROLLER WITH 8-BIT SIGNAL ENCODING - A self-programmable control system for an electronic device is disclosed. The electronic device may comprise a ceiling fan and associated light fixtures, wherein the ceiling fan is manufactured to be coupled with an AC power source, and includes a motor with associated connection wires for rotating fan blades. Such ceiling fan system may further include at least one lower light fixture, and one upper light fixture, with associated connection wires for adjusting light intensity. The control system may utilize a plurality of wireless or hard-wired controllers, wherein each controller contains a transmitter configured to encode and transmit a control signal from the controller to a receiver. The control system further includes a receiver adapted to receive the encoded control signals, decode the instruction, and provide the decoded instruction to a component of the electronic device. The receiver is adapted to operate in several different modes, including a dimmer mode and a programming mode, whereby the remote transmitters may adjust the illumination intensity and the receiver may program itself to receive instructions only from a specific controller. | 12-16-2010 |
| 20110115293 | METHOD FOR REPLACING A LOAD CONTROL DEVICE OF A LOAD CONTROL SYSTEM - The invention regards a system and method for using a handheld programming device to configure a lighting control system wirelessly. In one embodiment, at least one device configured with a processing section is installed in the lighting control system. A communications receiver that is operable to receive a signal from the handheld programming device is also installed in the lighting control system, wherein the signal includes an instruction for configuring the lighting control system. Further, the signal is wirelessly sent from the handheld programming device to the communications receiver, and the instruction is transmitted from the communications receiver to a device in the system. The instruction functions to configure the lighting control system. | 05-19-2011 |
| 20110248566 | SWITCHING DEVICE FOR, AND A METHOD OF SWITCHING, A DOWNHOLE TOOL - The switching device comprises an electronic switch ( | 10-13-2011 |
| 20110285204 | Method and apparatus for electrical load control network - The methods and apparatus described enable automatic configuration, or commissioning, of controller devices and load control devices through a low voltage communication network controlled by one or more controller devices. These methods and apparatus further enable expansion of the load control system by connection of additional loads and or load control devices and or controller devices which will reinitialize the low voltage communication network and automatically reconfigure the controller devices and load control devices connected to the network. | 11-24-2011 |
| 20110298284 | Systems And Apparatus For Monitoring And Selectively Controlling A Load In A Power System - An electrical system includes at least one power port and at least one monitoring and control device that is coupled to the power port. The monitoring and control device includes a load control module configured to control an amount of electrical power transmitted to at least one electrical load. The load control module is further configured to receive a power control command from a power system and to transmit a power control acknowledgement to the power system. | 12-08-2011 |
| 20110304209 | ELECTRIC RECEPTACLE MODULE - An electric receptacle module is disclosed. The receptacle module includes a remote control device and a power outlet device. The remote control device has a signal transmission unit and an adjusting key. The signal transmission unit launches a timing signal when the adjusting key is pressed, and the adjusting key comprises a plus key and a minus key. The power outlet device has a signal receiving unit, a counting unit, a full-time power output interface and a timed power output interface. The power outlet device is configured to receive a power, the counting unit starts to count a predetermined time when the signal receiving unit receives the timing signal, the full-time power output interface supplies the power at all times, the timed power output interface supplies the power during the predetermined time. | 12-15-2011 |
| 20120001488 | METHOD AND SYSTEM FOR CONTROLLING POWER TO AN ELECTRICALLY POWERED DEVICE - A system and method for remotely controlling power to an electrically powered device in a simple and efficient manner is disclosed herein. The system preferably comprises an apparatus, an electrically-powered device and a controller. The apparatus preferably comprises a cord, an alternating current outlet socket, an alternating current input plug, a latching relay, a processor and a transceiver. The system preferably uses a WiFi communication signal to transmit commands from the remote controller to the apparatus. | 01-05-2012 |
| 20120119577 | Smart Power Sockets, Boards, and Plugs - An approach is provided where a smart socket receives a request over a power line and generates a request based on the received request. The second request is transmitted over a power cord connecting the smart power socket to a device. A response is received from the device and a power setting is identified therefrom. The smart socket regulates electrical current flowing from the smart power socket to the device using the identified setting. In a related approach, the device receives a power down request over a power cord from a smart power socket. The device determines whether power is still needed at the device in order to perform one or more device operations. The device then returns a response to the smart power socket, with the response indicating whether power is still needed at the device. | 05-17-2012 |
| 20140035372 | REMOTE CONTROL AND OPERATION OF LV DISTRIBUTION NETWORKS - A Low Voltage, “LV”, network automation system is provided which enables utilities to remotely identify location of LV faults on their networks, isolate these faults and re-energising the healthy LV circuit by remote control. The hardware for this system is designed to be retrofitted into existing LV switchgears and panels which enables the network changeover to be done cost effectively and with minimum interruption to the network. The system also enables utilities to monitor load flows on the LV networks and identify circuits which are overloaded and gives control room operator options for redistribution of network load where possible. | 02-06-2014 |
| 20140054963 | ELECTRICAL POWER REGULATING AND MONITORING SYSTEMS AND OUTLET SYSTEMS THEREFOR - A system includes a plurality of outlet systems receivable in respective electrical boxes in a building and connected via electrical wires to an electric power supply. The plurality of outlet systems include at least one electrical receptacle connectable to an electrical appliance, a computing unit operable to monitor the electrical appliance, a switch for interrupting electrical power to the electrical appliance in response to the computing unit. The at least one electrical receptacle, the computing unit, and the switch are configured to be receivable within and connectable to the electrical box and covered by a cover plate having at least one opening for accessing the at least one electrical receptacle. A network device is operable for communicating with the plurality of outlet systems and for communicating with a global communications network. | 02-27-2014 |
| 20150084421 | INTELLIGENT WALL PLUG - An intelligent wall plug for use in a location. The location may be associated with a power outlet providing power and a network manager configured to communicate using a first communication protocol. The intelligent wall plug may comprise a plug removably connectable to the power outlet, a device outlet, an interface port configured to receive a second device operable to communicate using a second communication protocol and a processor coupled to the device outlet. The device outlet may be configured to receive a first device for receiving power from said power outlet in response to the first device having been plugged into said power outlet. The interface port may be configured to i) communicate with said network manager via said first communication protocol, ii) determine if a second device has been plugged into said interface port, and, iii) translate the first communication protocol into the second communication protocol. | 03-26-2015 |
| 20160028233 | MAINTAIN POWER SIGNATURE (MPS) POWERED DEVICE (PD) - A Maintain Power Signature (MPS) Powered Device (PD) is described. In one or more implementations, the MPS device comprises a current sensor configured to sense current flowing from Power Sourcing Equipment (PSE) to the PD. The current sense based MPS device also comprises a current generator configured to sink electrical current to prevent the PSE from removing power to the PD. Thus, the electrical current comprises a current amplitude characteristic selected based upon MPS requirements of the PSE. In some implementations, the current is sunk to a ground. In other implementations, the current is sunk to a storage device, such as a storage device included with the PD and/or external to the PD. | 01-28-2016 |
