Electrical housing
Granted: February 9, 1999
Patent Number:
D405422
Electrical housing with module
Granted: January 26, 1999
Patent Number:
D404721
Duplicate message detection method and apparatus
Granted: January 5, 1999
Patent Number:
5856972
A method of determining a transaction identifier for a message to be sent from a node on a network. The node has an address table and a memory. The method comprising the steps of: accessing the address table to determine an address for the message; and accessing the transaction identifier at a memory location corresponding to the address.
Network and intelligent cell for providing sensing, bidirectional communications and control
Granted: December 1, 1998
Patent Number:
5844888
A network for providing sensing and control using cells having distributed intelligence. A link between a first cell and a second cell is established by assigning some cells as repeaters. A first packet is modified with the ID of the cells that rebroadcast the packet as it makes its way in the network from the first cell to the second cell. The second cell returns a packet causing cells in the link to be assigned as repeaters.
Method and apparatus for robust communication based upon angular modulation
Granted: October 27, 1998
Patent Number:
5828676
A robust encoding and decoding system of the present invention for communicating binary information using angular modulation system is disclosed. Binary information to be transmitted is data words consisting of 8 data bits, a parity bit, and two additional coding bits at the end of the data word. A transmitter transmits the data words using a binary phase-shift keying (BPSK) modulated signal. The receiver compares the phase of incoming BPSK modulated signal against a local reference…
Power line communications analyzer
Granted: September 22, 1998
Patent Number:
5812557
A power line communications analyzer (PLCA) provides a signal strength metering system and selectable signal attenuation functions for adjusting the transmitting unit's attenuation and measuring error rate without the need for a user to be present at both the sending and receiving locations under test. Each PLCA is coupled to a power line communication network via an electrical outlet and power lines. In actual operation, one of the PLCAs acts as a data transmitter and the other PLCA…
Golf club head
Granted: July 7, 1998
Patent Number:
5776011
A metalwood golf club head is provided by attaching three distinct stamped pieces: a face and hosel piece, a crown piece and a bottom piece. The hosel of the face and hosel piece has a diameter and a narrowed section adjacent the heel, the narrowed section having a width from the toe to heel direction which is less than the diameter of the hosel. The bottom piece includes a threaded opening for threadably coupling a removable weight which may be selected from a set of removable weights,…
Selecting a protocol class of service for a network variable
Granted: May 19, 1998
Patent Number:
5754779
An improved apparatus and method for communicating information in a networked system wherein network variables are employed to accomplish such communication. Network variables allow for standardized communication of data between nodes in a network. A first node may be programmed, for example, to sense certain information and to report the information as a network variable X. A second node may be programmed to receive the variable X and to control devices based on the current value of the…
Adaptive reference pattern for spread spectrum detection
Granted: May 5, 1998
Patent Number:
5748671
A receiver for detecting spread spectrum binary data particularly on a power line in the presence of channel distortion. In one embodiment a standard pattern ideally suited for minimal distortion in the channel is used in conjunction with an alternate pattern which is developed to better detect carrier and data in the presence of certain channel distortion. The receiver switches between the standard and alternate pattern to provide improved detection. In another embodiment an adaptive…
Networked variables
Granted: April 7, 1998
Patent Number:
5737529
An improved apparatus and method for communicating information in a networked system wherein network variables are employed to accomplish such communication. Network variables allow for standardized communication of data between nodes in a network. A first node may be programmed, for example, to sense certain information and to report the information as a network variable X. A second node may be programmed to receive the variable X and to control devices based on the current value of the…
Capacitor power supply for intermittent transmission
Granted: December 30, 1997
Patent Number:
5703766
A power supply for a node that transmits data onto a power line. A DC supply and capacitor supply power to the node where the output current of the DC supply may be less than required for transmission by the node. When the voltage on the capacitor drops to Vmin transmissions are stopped allowing the capacitor to recharge. A timing circuit is used to determine when to begin transmission to compensate for variables in the node such as line voltages and part tolerances.
Apparatus for powering a transmitter from a switched leg
Granted: December 23, 1997
Patent Number:
5701240
A power supply for operating from a switched leg of an AC power line and for powering a transmitter is described. A switch provides current during the beginning of each AC half cycle to an inductor and charges a capacitor. When the switch is open, the inductor continues to charge the capacitor. During the time that the inductor is coupled to that AC line, the switched leg is open. For instance, the signal used to close the switch also prevents a triac in the switched leg from conducting.…
Split band processing for spread spectrum communications
Granted: November 26, 1996
Patent Number:
5579335
A method and apparatus for compensating for distortion in a spread spectrum communications system particularly useful where the spread spectrum is transmitted over a power line. The information carrying signal (ICS) is split into two sub-bands and the ICS in one sub-band (or a correlation value determined from the ICS in that sub-band) is delayed relative to the other sub-band. The ICS (or correlation values) from the two sub-bands are recombined after the delay and processed in an…
Method and apparatus for storing interface information in a computer system
Granted: November 26, 1996
Patent Number:
5579482
An interface file structure for allowing transfer of information between nodes in a network and a binding process for configuring nodes in the network. The interface offers an advantageous format designed to provide for minimal reading and writing of records while requiring minimal storage space per record. Further, an advantageous format for storing numeric information is disclosed in which information providing the number of buffers allocated and the size of such buffers is stored in a…
Apparatus and method for detecting a signal in a communications system
Granted: September 3, 1996
Patent Number:
5553081
In a communications system, an apparatus and method for detecting a valid signal from noise. An adaptive threshold is used to qualify a received signal. The adaptive threshold is set according to the number of false detects occurring within a given time interval. The number of false detects is initially determined by a quick qualification process. This initial number is subsequently adjusted by a more accurate qualification process. The transmitted signal is modulated with a particular…
Method and apparatus for interfacing between a twisted pair and an intelligent cell
Granted: August 20, 1996
Patent Number:
5548614
A transceiver module for coupling between cells in a distributed intelligence network and a twisted pair line. The module receives power from the line and provides power to its respective cell. At the end of transmitting a packet, the transceiver transmits a code violation, then an anti-code violation to dissipate energy in the line. This is followed by clamping the line for the dead time between packets. N transceivers may be connected (without a cell) to form a repeater. The…
Phase detecting device for determining phase angle between two electrical signals
Granted: May 28, 1996
Patent Number:
5521491
A transmitting box is connected to a first electrical outlet in a building. The phase of the first electrical outlet is used as the reference phase. The transmitter box senses each of the zero-cross-overs of the reference phase and injects a data packet of the data carrier frequency at each zero-cross-over. A receiving box is connected to a second electrical outlet in the building. The second electrical outlet has an unknown phase which may be different from the reference phase. The…
System for installing and configuring (grouping and node address assignment) household devices in an automated environment
Granted: May 21, 1996
Patent Number:
5519878
An apparatus and method for network node identification and network configuration. Prior to physical installation, a first node of a network is communicated with by a dedicated apparatus wherein the first node is requested to transmit a first unique identifier for the node to the apparatus. The apparatus then stores the first unique identifier received from the first node, and generates the first unique identifier on a medium (e.g. a label). This first unique identifier may be…
Method and apparatus using network variables in a multi-node network
Granted: April 30, 1996
Patent Number:
5513324
An improved apparatus and method for communicating information in a networked system wherein network variables are employed to accomplish such communication. Network variables allow for standardized communication of data between nodes in a network. A first node may be programmed, for example, to sense certain information and to report the information as a network variable X. A second node may be programmed to receive the variable X and to control devices based on the current value of the…
Method and apparatus for network variable aliasing
Granted: March 19, 1996
Patent Number:
5500852
A method and apparatus for resolving connection conflicts in a network is provide. A network connection point on a node cannot be added to a first network connection when it already belongs to a second network connection. When a particular configuration would otherwise violate this rule, a network connection point on the node is established as an alias to the network connection point. The alias network connection point is added to the first network connection. A correlation is…
