3063 results about "Bidirectional communication" patented technology

A tethered unmanned aerial vehicle (“UAV”) may be outfitted with a sensor payload for data gathering. The tethered UAV may be tethered to a ground station for constricting the flight space of the UAV while also providing the option for power delivery and / or bidirectional communications. The tethered UAV's flight path may be extended by introducing one or more secondary UAVs that cooperate to extend the horizontal flight path of a primary UAV. The ground station, which may be coupled with the tethered aerial vehicle, may comprise a listening switch configured to determine a condition of the tether such that the supply of power to the tether may be terminated when tether damage or a tether severance is detected.

A system and method for monitoring photovoltaic power generation systems or arrays, both on a local (site) level and from a central location. The system includes panel and string combiner sentries or intelligent devices, in bidirectional communication with a master device on the site to facilitate installation and troubleshooting of faults in the array, including performance monitoring and diagnostic data collection.

A lighting control system network and method of providing same including a remote control unit having a RF signal transmitter and a RF receiver and a number of lighting control units, each of the lighting control units having a RF signal transmitter, a RF receiver, and a lighting unit associated therewith. The remote control unit and the lighting control units are configured in a master-slave oriented network. One of the lighting control units is configured as a master in the network and the remaining lighting control units and the remote control unit are configured as slaves in the network. The lighting control units and the remote control units communicate bi-directionally with each other over RF wireless links. The network may include sensors for detecting an environmental or system parameter. Multiple instances of the lighting control network may be interfaced together to form a building-wide network.

The present invention provides a home security system that includes a home security controller for collecting monitor data from various crime prevention and disaster prevention sensors installed in a home via a home network and notifying the portable terminal when a state of emergency occurs. The home security controller also enables devices in the home to be operated through remote control signals via an external network. The home security system further includes a portable terminal capable of connecting to the external network and having fingerprint data inputting means mounted on the body of the portable terminal for inputting fingerprints used for authentication. The fingerprint data inputting means has an assigned ID number. The home security system further includes a security center server having fingerprint authenticating means for receiving fingerprint data from the portable terminal via the external network and authenticating the fingerprint data through comparisons with registered fingerprint data. The fingerprint authenticating means completes authentication by checking the assigned ID number of the fingerprint data inputting means and matching the received fingerprint data with fingerprint data registered in association with the ID number. The security center server allows a connection between the portable terminal and the home security controller and controls bi-directional communications between the two after the security center server has completed authentication, enabling the portable terminal to receive monitor data from and transmit remote control signals to the home security controller via the external network.

Bi-directional communications via TCP ("Transmission Control Protocol") / IP ("Internet Protocol") between an HTML client program (i.e. "web browser") and the linked or embedded HTML server ("Hypertext Markup Language") of a Building Automation System ("BAS") are used to provide an authorized user with access to the interactive graphical panels of the BAS allowing the user to, for instance, monitor, control, configure and interact with the BAS or multiple BAS's.

A repeater mediates traffic between a network transceiver and a user transceiver in a wireless communication system. The repeater comprises a network unit that maintains a network link with the network transceiver, a user unit that maintains a user link with the user transceiver, a two-way communication pathway between the network unit and the user unit; that facilitate the communication of signals between the network transceiver and the user transceiver in autonomous repeater hops between the network transceiver and the network unit, between the user transceiver and the user unit, and between the network unit and the user unit, and a gain controller that compensates for propagation losses between the network unit and user unit alone.

Adaptive system for medical monitoring distributes data processing among computing devices connected to a network to optimize usage of computational resources, network communication speed and user experience. Data processing is distributed into several levels with bi-directional communication between the levels (computing devices) to coordinate and adjust data compression, filtering, and analysis, as well as the size of buffered data available for transmission and / or receiving.

A lighting system for areal illumination is disclosed which includes a remote driver and a plurality of fixtures including luminaires, control devices, and / or standalone sensors. The luminaires include a light source whose output light level can be adjusted, a light sensor co-located therewith adapted to measure light received from adjacent fixtures, and a microcontroller capable of transmitting the output of the light sensor over wires to the remote driver. The remote driver is capable of bidirectional communication with the luminaires and provides independently controllable power for the light sources of the luminaires. A method of commissioning a lighting system is also disclosed which includes installing a plurality of luminaires above the area to be illuminated, causing a light source co-located with each luminaire to emit a signal, detecting the signal at light sensors co-located with each luminaire, converting the signals obtained by the light sensors into distance measurements between luminaires, creating a map recording the relative location of luminaires, and assigning luminaires to groups based on their relative locations in the map. A movable orb region large enough to containing a plurality of luminaires can also be defined and the light levels of individual luminaires can be set according to a defined mathematical function of their location within the orb region, where the defined mathematical function sets light levels which vary from the center to the periphery of said orb region.

The present invention includes a fault indicator for an electrical transmission line comprising: a fault indicator circuit; and a remote communicator operatively coupled to the fault indicator circuit to transmit condition data to a remote location, where such condition data includes current load data. The invention also includes a method of monitoring and responding to current faults and load variations across an electrical transmission network, the method comprising: installing two fault indicators in electrical communication with an electrical transmission network and including two-way communication capability; generating, by the two fault indicators, condition data specific to a respective location of each of the two fault indicators, where such condition data includes current load data; transmitting the condition data from the two fault indicators to a remote location; receiving, at the remote location, the condition data transmitted from the two fault indicators; and, monitoring and processing the condition data received.

a radio communication system which includes a base station apparatus and terminal apparatuses and performs TDD two-way communications using an OFDM signal including subcarriers in a downstream communication from the base station apparatus to each terminal apparatus, and an FH signal having the same frequency band as that of the subcarriers in an upstream communication from the each terminal apparatus to the base station apparatus, the each terminal apparatus estimates transmission channel characteristics of the subcarriers based on the OFDM signal received, transmits an estimation result of the estimation unit to the base station apparatus, and the base station apparatus assigns, to the each terminal apparatus, at least one of subcarriers to be used in the downstream communication of the subcarriers and a hopping pattern to be used in the upstream communication, based on the estimation result transmitted from the each terminal apparatus.

An electrosurgical instrument is provided which includes a housing and an electrocautery blade supported within the housing and extending distally. The housing has a treatment portion attached and defining a chamber therein for retaining an activation circuit and a control circuit. The activation circuit is operably coupled to at least one activation element that is activatable to control the delivery of electrosurgical energy from a generator to tissue proximate the treatment portion. The control circuit includes a microprocessor to enable bidirectional communication between the electrosurgical instrument and the generator relating to usage information of the electrosurgical instrument. The usage information includes serial number of the electrosurgical instrument, instrument type, number of times the electrosurgical instrument has been activated, overall time the electrosurgical instrument has been used, operating parameters of the at least one activation element during each activation, operational status of the treatment portion during each activation, and power settings.

The present invention contemplates a choke control system that provides for local and off-site monitoring and control of the annulus flow pressure of a well. The choke control system includes a choke manifold connected to at least one choke and its associated actuator; a variety of instrumental drilling sensors, pump stroke counter switches, and choke position indicators; a local choke and hydraulic pressure control console; and a programmable controller in communication with the local choke and hydraulic pressure control console. The programmable controller handles the logical operations of the choke control system, including processing instrument measurements and operator input data to produce control signals for operating the choke, the choke actuator and the various valves associated with the choke manifold. The programmable controller is typically either an electronic digital computer and / or a programmable logic controller (PLC). The present invention further contemplates the two-way communication between the choke control system and the Internet via a satellite linkage.

A personal portable integrator is used to integrate the services of an arbitrary audio delivery device such as an MP3, CD, DVD, radio, or other media player, with the services of an arbitrary two-way communication device such as a mobile phone, or a two-way radio such as a walkie talkie, citizen band radio (e.g. CB), HAM radio, marine or aviation radio, and the like. The portable integrator receives and provides input and output signals from both the audio delivery device and the two-way communication device, thereby enabling a user to listen to music or other audio material and receive and place phone calls on a mobile phone simultaneously. The portable integrator provides these services by switching between the audio and communication devices, mixing signals received therefrom, and optionally enabling a user to reduce the volume or mute the signals as desired.

A system and method for generating a 3D personalized avatar including a computerized server, a computerized client device, a bidirectional communications channel between the server and the client device, a memory in the client device, storing 3D scan data of at least part of a user's body, a memory in the server stores the 3D scan data received from the client device. A plurality of 3D model data sets are stored in the server memory. A gaming system selector provides information about a gaming system selected for personalized avatar generation. A personalized 3D avatar generation engine is responsive to the selected gaming system for merging the user 3D scan data with a 3D model data set. An avatar package generator generates a personalized avatar package containing the merged data. An avatar package installer in the client device receives the package and makes the personalized 3D avatar accessible to the selected gaming system.

A security system architecture including bidirectional communication between a sensor control device and one or more sensor devices coupled to the controller is provided. Such functionality is provided by virtue of a bidirectional wireless transceiver and processor in each sensor device. Embodiments of the present invention further provide this functionality by virtue of a coordinating transceiver coupled to the security system controller for communication with the sensor devices.

A security system comprising a plurality of security subsystems each of the security subsystems being discretely located, typically in separate buildings. The security subsystems are interconnected by a system communications bus to enable bi-directional communication between the security subsystems. Each of the security subsystems comprises a user interface, a control panel, a plurality of security devices, a local communications bus, and a panel linking gateway. The panel linking gateway allows data on the local communications bus of each security subsystem to be transmitted to and received from the system communications bus. The security system allows a keypad or other user interface from one security subsystem to access and control a second remote security subsystem.

A system and method for an improved two-way packet-centric like radio communication network that transmits signals and data over Internet Protocol. The improved like radio communications network provides advanced features and enhanced services to its users, such as the capability of roaming across a plurality of similar like radio communications networks. A plurality of client devices including an enhanced client application for the operation of two-way like radio networks that accesses, contacts, and communicates with one or more client devices of the same network or one or more client devices of different like radio networks. The radio network includes an optional server application to establish packet-based radio communications between at least two client devices within a single radio network or across a plurality of radio networks.

A bi-directional communication system comprising a base apparatus and a display apparatus. The display apparatus is a portable liquid crystal display for viewing video programs and browsing the internet. The base apparatus contains a television tuner for receiving broadcast signals and wirelessly transmits programming to the display apparatus. An infrared remote control device connected to the base apparatus is used to control various external input devices (e.g., a VCR or DVD player). Control menus for the base apparatus and the external input device can be displayed on the display apparatus. The display apparatus contains a touch screen, so that a user can select operational commands for controlling the base apparatus and external input devices. The display apparatus wirelessly transmits selected operational commands to the base apparatus, which then retransmits the commands to the appropriate external input device using the infrared remote control device.

A system and method for monitoring photovoltaic power generation systems or arrays, both on a local (site) level and from a central location. The system includes panel and string combiner sentries or intelligent devices, in bidirectional communication with a master device on the site to facilitate installation and troubleshooting of faults in the array, including performance monitoring and diagnostic data collection.

The present invention is a system, apparatus and method for voice over Internet protocol telephone (VoIP) calling using enhanced SS7 signaling packets and may include localized time slot interchanging. A system embodiment of the invention includes originating and terminating VoIP gateway switches in communication with the public switched telephone network (PSTN) and also in communication with an IP-based packet network, such as the Internet, for transmitting packets. The VoIP gateway switches are configured to exchange enhanced SS7 signaling packets over the IP-based packet network for setting up and tearing down VoIP telephone calls. A method of placing a VoIP telephone call in accordance with the present invention includes initiating a telephone call to a destination and connecting the telephone call to an originating VoIP gateway switch using enhanced SS7 signaling packets. The method also includes determining a preferred route from the originating VoIP gateway switch to the destination through an IP-based packet network and through a terminating VoIP gateway switch nearest said destination, and setting up two-way communication through the preferred route using the IP-based packet network using enhanced SS7 signaling packets.

An in-car video system and method is provided where a wireless microphone is configured with bi-directional communications capability. In response to a received RF activation signal, the wireless microphone is automatically switched on to capture (and transmit back to the in-car video system) an audio soundtrack that accompanies the images captured by the car-mounted video camera. A wireless microphone controller mounted in the car transmits the RF activation signal to the wireless microphone. The wireless microphone controller is arranged to transmit the RF activation signal when the video recording device starts recording. In an illustrative embodiment of the invention, the wireless microphone receives information, including a confirmation that the video recording device is recording, from an RF information signal received from the wireless microphone controller mounted in the car. The wireless microphone displays the information to the officer on a display screen. The wireless microphone sounds an audible alert when it receives the RF activation or information signals.

The invention relates to an assembly comprising a power transmitter (E) and a power receiver (R) respectively comprising a primary coil (11) and a secondary coil (22), in which the transmitter and the receiver are of the electromagnetic induction type and allow on the one hand the powering without electrical contact of the receiver by the transmitter, and on the other hand a bidirectional communication without electrical contact between the transmitter and the receiver.

Methods and apparatus for providing secure two-way (reader-to-tag and tag-to-reader) RFID communications. According to one aspect of the invention, a tag receives a noise-encrypted RF carrier signal from a reader and backscatter modulates it with tag information. Eavesdroppers cannot extract the tag information from the backscattered signal because it is masked by the noise encryption. According to another aspect of the invention, establishing a secure two-way RFID communication link includes a reader modulating a carrier signal with a noise encryption signal and broadcasting the noise-encrypted carrier to a singulated tag. The tag backscatter modulates the noise-encrypted carrier with a first portion of a key and / or a one-time pad pseudorandom number. If a key is used, upon receiving the backscattered signal the reader verifies that the tag is authentic, and, if verified as authentic, transmits a second portion of the key, possibly encrypted by a function depending on the one-time pad pseudorandom number, to the tag.

A system for providing interactive collaboration between a plurality of users. The system includes a profile respository for storing a priority level for each of said plurality of users and providing addresses for accessing each of said plurality of users. A media content server indexes audio and video data within the system. A data server stores the audio and video data at locations identified by indexing data located at the media content server. An acquisition processor provides audio and video data streams to requesting ones of the plurality of users. Audio and video data streams are located based on indexing data within the media content server and accessed according to a priority level for each requesting user. A communication processor controls bidirectional communication between requesting users according to the priority level for each requesting user.

A system for measuring the position of transponders for testing and training a user to manipulate the position of the transponders while being guided by interactive and sensory feedback through a bidirectional communication link to a processing system for the purpose of functional movement assessment for exercise and physical rehabilitation.