28814results about "Electric signal transmission systems" patented technology

A telemetry system and method for providing spatial positioning information from within a patient's body are disclosed. The system includes at least one implantable telemetry unit which includes (a) at least one first transducer being for converting a power signal received from outside the body, into electrical power for powering the at least one implantable telemetry unit; (b) at least one second transducer being for receiving a positioning field signal being received from outside the body; and (c) at least one third transducer being for transmitting a locating signal transmittable outside the body in response to the positioning field signal.

An electronic system includes a reader and a remotely powered and remotely interrogated sensor transponder. The sensor transponder includes a coil or an antenna, a switched reactance circuit, a processor, and a sensor. The sensor transponder receives power radiated from the reader to the coil or antenna. The sensor uses the power for sensing. The sensor transponder is capable of processing sensor data in the processor and transmitting the sensor data to the reader using the switched reactance circuit. In one embodiment, the receiver coil or antenna is part of a resonant tank circuit which includes an impedance matching circuit. The impedance matching circuit is connected to the receiver coil or antenna to provide greater current to the sensor or other power-using device than would be available to the sensor or other power-using device if the sensor or other power-using device were connected between the first and second end. The impedance matching circuit can be two or more taps to the coil or antenna.

An improved building automation system is provided which is modular in design thus minimizing the amount of instruction necessary to affect control of a particular building system. A relatively small set of interprocess control commands define an interprocess control protocol which is utilized in relatively high level scripts and control applications. The improved building automation system operates to translate control instructions in one particular control protocol to control instructions in a second control protocol. A text parsing program routes interprocess communication commands between modular communication programs to affect control over the automated building systems. The text parsing program includes executable instructions which allow for conditional communication of interprocess control commands depending upon system events.

The present invention provides a system for operating a power line communications system that employs surface wave communications and conducted communications. The system is comprised of a plurality of network elements, which may take the form of repeaters, communication interface devices, backhaul devices, medium voltage transducers, distribution points, aggregation points, and others. In one embodiment, surface waves are communicated over the medium voltage power lines and the conducted communications are communicated via the low voltage power lines to and from customer premises.

A vehicle imaging system includes an imaging sensor having a field of view exterior of a vehicle, an image processor and a display. The imaging sensor generates a signal indicative of an image representative of a scene occurring within the field of view. The image processor receives the signal from the imaging sensor and processes the signal to detect at least one relevant object within the image. The display is operable to display at least one iconistic representation of the at least one detected relevant object in response to an output signal generated by the image processor. The display is positionable within the vehicle and is viewable by a driver or passenger or occupant of the vehicle. The imaging sensor may be mounted to a mounting bracket mounted at a license plate area of the vehicle.

Wireless communication networks for monitoring and controlling a plurality of remote devices are provided. Briefly, one embodiment of a wireless communication network may comprise a plurality of wireless transceivers having unique identifiers. Each of the plurality of wireless transceivers may be configured to receive a sensor data signal from one of the plurality of remote devices and transmit an original data message using a predefined wireless communication protocol. The original data message may comprise the corresponding unique identifier and sensor data signal. Each of the plurality of wireless transceivers may be configured to receive the original data message transmitted by one of the other wireless transceivers and transmit a repeated data message using the predefined communication protocol. The repeated data message may include the sensor data signal and the corresponding unique identifier. Furthermore, at least one of the plurality of wireless transceivers may be further configured to provide the original data messages and the repeated data messages to a site controller connected to a wide area network. The site controller may be configured to manage communications between the wireless communication network and a host computer connected to the wide area network.

The invention is primarily directed to hot-stick mountable wireless High Voltage Power Line Universal Monitors (PLUM) upon energized electrical power conductors. The PLUM wireless sensors monitor parameters associated with normal, overload and emergency operation of the power line. The present invention provides 0.2% metering grade voltage measurement accuracy through unique e-field measurements, synchronized through UltraSatNet Global Positioning Satellite (GPS) accuracy timing pulses. The invention further improves accuracy using a unique calibration technique during initial installation of the PLUM sensor modules. A PLUM master controller receives time-synchronized data from multiple modules within a substation and across a state-wide power grid for accurate post-fault, sequence-of-events analysis, high impedance fault signature analysis, and environmental and earthquake monitoring.

An wearable communications garment that includes one or more user-selectable inputs integrated into the garment. A sartorial communications apparatus may include a flexible material that is worn (e.g., as an undergarment) by the user and includes one or more interactive sensors that may be manually activated by a user, even through one or more intervening layers of clothing. The apparatus may also include one or more additional body sensors configured to sense a user's position, movement, and/or physiological status. The sensor(s) may be connected via a conductive trace on the garment to a sensor module for analysis and/or transmission. Methods of manufacturing the garments as well as methods of using the garments are also described.

A wireless, programmable system for medical monitoring includes a base unit and a plurality of individual wireless, remotely programmable biosensor transceivers. The base unit manages the transceivers by issuing registration, configuration, data acquisition, and transmission commands using wireless techniques. Physiologic data from the wireless transceivers is demultiplexed and supplied via a standard interface to a conventional monitor for display. Initialization, configuration, registration, and management routines for the wireless transceivers and the base unit are also described.

A system, method and computer program product provides for power line communications (PLC) over electric power lines includes a device mountable near an electrical distribution transformer (DT) to provide a high speed interface and communicates with one or multiple access devices, which provide low speed interfaces for analog signals or digital signals over RS 232, RS 485, optical, wireless and Ethernet. The device transmits data to/from these access devices over the electric lines to other repeaters over one or more wires of an electrical line or over multiple lines, and serves to strengthen and improve signal quality. Upon detecting a wire or line is having problems carrying data, the data is sent over other wires, and upon power line failures, wireless backup to mobile/GSM and WiMax networks is utilized. The device permits utilities and others to read electric meters, monitor the power quality of the distribution grid and detect power losses/failures/outages, and permits telecom service providers and others to provide a communications link to cell phone towers, WiFi Access Points and enable broadband Internet and telephony in rural, remote or sparely populated areas.

Systems and methods for providing energy management utilize wireless wide-area network broadcast signals and a decentralized receiver architecture to allow customers to make informed choices with regard to energy consumption and load shedding for particular appliances. A receiver assembly embedded within an appliance receives a broadcast signal, e.g., an FM subcarrier signal, including tariff data and other electrical grid data. A processor coupled with the receiver controls the appliance in accordance with the received data and in accordance with user-defined preferences. In some embodiments, a transceiver assembly is embedded in one or more appliances in a household. Each transceiver is configured to receive broadcast signals regarding grid data, and to communicate with other appliances and/or a usage meter over a wireless personal area network. Meter data from one or more households may be aggregated and uplinked back to the energy provider or other entities.

An article inventory control system for articles, such as books, uses RFID tags attached to each article. Each tag has a unique identification or serial number for identifying the individual article. An inventory database tracks all of the tagged articles and maintains circulation status information for each article. Articles are checked out of the library using a patron self-checkout system. Checked out articles are returned to the library via patron self-check in devices. The shelves are periodically scanned with a mobile RFID scanner for updating inventory status.

This invention provides a system and method for identifying, locating, authorizing by proximity and communicating with equipment and personnel in a facility that generally employs a series of limited range transceivers for location determination and a distributed wireless data network for data transfer. The system employs unique RF transceiver tags on personnel and equipment that are each uniquely identified and registered with a facility control application that oversees activities in the facility. The tags are tracked by RF communication based upon their proximity to one or more fixed-base networked access points and relays (which transfer location data by RF back to access points) within four range zones. Location data on all tags is uploaded periodically to a location server that interfaces with the facility control server. Tag data is monitored by the facility control server to track, authorize and deauthorize certain data transfers, movements and activities in accordance with rules established for each tag (or type of tag) within the facility control server's application. Wireless networking (WiFi, for example), in combination with the RF-derived location information, allows the facility control server to correlate and transmit data to staff in conjunction with location and proximity. WiFi can transmit authorizations, deauthorizations and general data based upon triggers established by proximity and location. Likewise, data can be transmitted over WiFi from readers etc. from personnel and equipment located and identified by the system.

The present invention provides implantable systems that communicate wirelessly with each other using a unique format that enables devices configurations and applications heretofore not possible. Embodiments of the present invention provide communication apparatuses and methods for exchanging information with implantable medical devices. In some embodiments, two implantable devices communicate with each other using quasi-electrostatic signal transmission in a long wavelength/low frequency electromagnetic band, with the patient's body acting as a conductive medium.

An intelligent home automation system answers questions of a user speaking “natural language” located in a home. The system is connected to, and may carry out the user's commands to control, any circuit, object, or system in the home. The system can answer questions by accessing the Internet. Using a transducer that “hears” human pulses, the system may be able to identify, announce and keep track of anyone entering or staying in the home or participating in a conversation, including announcing their identity in advance. The system may interrupt a conversation to implement specific commands and resume the conversation after implementation. The system may have extensible memory structures for term, phrase, relation and knowledge, question answering routines and a parser analyzer that uses transformational grammar and a modified three hypothesis analysis. The parser analyzer can be dormant unless spoken to. The system has emergency modes for prioritization of commands.