Mueller International, LLC

Watkins- Johnson Company

Gas Sentinel, LLC

Other

Vectare, Inc.

Benedict J Nardi

Barth Robins Pitchford

Robert Paul Simon

William Dudley Pitchford

Russell Smith

Steven Nagel

Donald Stanford Pitchford

John Hill Pitchford

Brian Gentile

Marc Lovend

Leticia Overton

Russel Stephen Smith

Gary Whipple

Robertp Simon

Russell S Smith

Examples of generating power through the flow of water are disclosed. In one example, remote water meter monitoring system includes an energy converter and a sensor. The energy converter is in fluid connectivity with water flowing through a pipe, the energy convertor being driven by a mechanical energy of water flowing through the pipe to convert the mechanical energy into an electrical energy for charging a battery connected to the energy converter. The sensor detects a level of a property of the water, the sensor being powered by the battery connected to the energy converter.

Systems and methods for generating power through the flow of water

Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) tags will be embedded into materials used to make various items (e.g., garments). Embedded RFID tags will be used to track the manufacturing process, inventory management and verify the authenticity of manufactured goods. RFID tags utilize a standard language (e.g., EPC Gen2 v2, etc.) that distinctly identifies the objects and manufacturers of the items the tags are embedded in. RFID tags also contain memory fields that can be written to from an RFID Interrogator. Containing electronic circuitry and an antenna, RFID tags will activate metal detectors, creating false alarms and neutralizing their usefulness. Techniques are provided for combining a metal detector and a RFID Reader in a single device to enable a security function for differentiating garments and/or accessories with an embedded RFID tag or standalone metal object. This invention applies to all metal detectors, x-ray, and millimeter scanners to include handheld, portable and standalone systems.

Method to differentiate radio frequency identification tags from other metal objects

A remote water meter monitoring system is provided. A mesh network-type transceiver unit is coupled to a water meter housing having a water counting mechanism inside to transmit water consumption information as well as other sensor information, such as backflow detection, water pressure, and water metrics (e.g., residual chlorine and temperature) to a central server system via a bridge device and a corresponding mesh network. Mechanical energy from the water flowing through the water meter housing is converted to electrical energy via an energy conversion unit. An electrically powered shut off valve is remote addressable via the transceiver unit.

A low-cost safety valve for gas lines and similar supply lines that can be remotely activated via a secure wireless link employing a low leakage sealing mechanism that is compatible with low energy actuators to for extended battery life. A miniaturized controller and wireless electronics assembly provides the control mechanism for actuating the valve, as well as reporting data regarding the valve status to wireless interrogators or external networks via an ad hoc wireless network. A variety of simple magnetic valve operating mechanisms can be implemented with the miniaturized electronic control circuits and the valve body. Such control actuation mechanisms enable automatic resetting or manual resetting valves. The gas line shut off valve can provide important safety benefits at an affordable price. An RFID transceiver may be included to enable low-power operation and communications using RFID technologies as well as an automatic antenna tuning capability to maximize radio range.

Wireless fluid shut-off valve

A low-cost safety valve for gas lines and similar supply lines that can be remotely activated via a secure wireless link employing a low leakage sealing mechanism that is compatible with low energy actuators to for extended battery life. A miniaturized controller and wireless electronics assembly provides the control mechanism for actuating the valve, as well as reporting data regarding the valve status to wireless interrogators or external networks via an ad hoc wireless network. A variety of simple magnetic valve operating mechanisms can be implemented with the miniaturized electronic control circuits and the valve body. Such control actuation mechanisms enable automatic resetting or manual resetting valves. The gas line shut off valve can provide important safety benefits at an affordable price.

An emitter locator for locating an emitter transmitting an emitter signal includes a plurality of scatters and a base station. The plurality of scatterers are located at predetermined positions, where each scatterer includes a modulator configured to modulate an electrical signal on an antenna and configured to receive emitter signal and to modulate the emitter signal to generate a scattered signal. The base station is configured to receive a composite signal containing the emitter signal and a plurality of the scattered signals, where the base station includes a processor configured to separate the scattered signals from the composite signal and to identify relative power levels of the scattered signals to determine a location of the emitter. Advantages of the invention include the ability to locate emitters in an efficient and cost effective manner by using scatterers and a base station.

Apparatus and method for emitter location

A phase-locking oscillator circuit having improved phase noise characteristics is disclosed herein. The oscillator circuit includes a tuned oscillator for providing a carrier signal at a tunable carrier frequency. The carrier signal is applied to an input port of a phase modulator operative to impress an RF signal upon output terminal. An error detection and feedback network generates an error signal by comparing a predefined characteristic of the RF output signal to a reference signal. The network includes a loop filter arrangement which operates upon the error signal so as to provide a tuned oscillator tuning signal to a tuning port of the tuned oscillator and a modulator control signal to a control port of the phase modulator. In an exemplary implementation the error detection and feedback network includes a phase detector for generating the error signal in response to the phase difference between the RF output signal and the reference signal.

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Thurmont, MD, United States of America

Benedict J Nardi