General Electric Company

Danijel Maricic

Michael James Hartman

John Erik Hershey

Stanislava Soro

Ramanujam Ramabhadran

David Michael Davenport

Steven William Wik

S M Shajedul Hasan

Robert Dean King

Michael Joseph Dell'Anno

Selaka Bandara Bulumulla

Joseph Lucian Smolenski

Ruediger Soeren Kusch

Mohamed Cherif Ghanem

Jinhui Zhang

David Christopher Shilling

Eric Lavigne

Dennis S Bradley

A power converter is provided. The power converter includes a first phase including a first upper diode and a first lower diode, a second phase including a second upper diode and a second lower diode, a third phase including a third upper diode and a third lower diode, a plurality of MOSFETs, each of the first upper diode, the first lower diode, the second upper diode, the second lower diode, the third upper diode, and the third lower diode electrically connected in parallel with a respective one of the plurality of MOSFETs, and a control system configured to selectively activate each MOSFET when current flows through a diode electrically coupled in parallel with that MOSFET.

Systems and methods for synchronous power conversion

Apparatus, systems and articles of manufacture to provide improved, automatic, and dynamic frequency selection for and/or by medical body area network apparatus are disclosed. Certain examples provide a medical body area network apparatus. The example apparatus includes a radio to receive a beacon signal and a processor to process the beacon signal to determine a location of the apparatus. The example processor is configured to at least: when the beacon signal indicates a first location, communicate via a first frequency band; and when the beacon signal indicates a second location, communicate via a second frequency band.

Automatic frequency band selection using infrastructure-enabled beaconing

A position tracking system includes one or more beacon transmitters and one or more beacon receiver systems configured to be disposed on an object. Each of the one or more beacon receiver systems includes one or more photodetectors configured to receive signals from the one or more beacon transmitters, and an analog-to-digital convertor to convert analog signals received by the one or more photodetectors to digital signals. Each of the one or more beacon receiver systems also includes a memory and a processor configured to execute instructions stored on the memory. The instructions includes receiving signals collected by the one or more photodetectors, converting the received signals to digital signals, and processing the digital signals.

Positioning system based on visible light communications

A beacon location system includes a plurality of first broadcasters configured to broadcast first broadcasts to be received by a registered receiver device, and includes one or more second broadcasters configured to broadcast second broadcasts to be received by the registered receiver device. The beacon location system includes a controller communicatively and operatively coupled to the plurality of first broadcasters, and the one or more second broadcasters, wherein the controller comprises a memory and a processor configured to execute instructions stored on the memory. The instructions include generating one or more masked correspondences between the first broadcasts and locations of the plurality of the first broadcasters, wherein the one or more masked correspondences comprise one or more levels of accuracies. The beacon location system also includes a website accessible to the registered receiver device to obtain the one or more masked correspondences.

System for selective accuracy of an indoor positioning system

A position tracking system includes one or more beacons and one or more sensor pairs. Each of the one or more sensor pairs is configured to be disposed on equipment that moves within a facility. Each of the one or more sensor pairs includes a motion sensor and a beacon sensor configured to receive signals from the one or more beacons. The position tracking system also include a control system, which include a processor configured to receive a first signal collected by the motion sensor, receive a second signal collected by the beacon sensor, compute a first location and/or orientation based on the first signal, and determine a second location and/or orientation based on the second signal.

Indoor positioning system based on motion sensing augmented with beacons

A method for navigating within a retail establishment includes:

System for protected location beacon code generation

Processes for commissioning an indoor lighting system composed of a plurality of lighting fixtures, each including a lighting associate, include the steps of establishing a direct connection table for each lighting associate; forming a full direct connection table represented as a square matrix and comprising data derived from all direct connection tables; grouping the lighting associates using an element reduction operation on the square matrix; and transmitting a group direct connection matrix to each lighting associate. The lighting fixtures may include a first transmitter for transmitting a first message to a second lighting associate; a first receiver for receiving a second message from the second lighting associate; a second transmitter for transmitting a third message via a lighting associate support network; a second receiver for receiving a fourth message via the lighting associate support network; an interval timer; a microcontroller in communication with the interval timer, programmable to execute a networking and communication algorithm to process the first, second, third, and fourth messages; an LED lamp; and a switch between the lamp and a power line, controllable by the microcontroller.

System and processes for commissioning indoor industrial lighting

A system includes a first electronic device configured to attach to an industrial machine or one or more areas of an industrial facility. The first electronic device is configured to transmit a signal indicative of a potentially hazardous condition with respect to personnel of the industrial facility. The system also includes a second electronic device communicatively coupled to the first electronic device and configured to attach to a hardhat of the personnel of the industrial facility. The second electronic device is configured to receive the signal from the first electronic device, determine whether a parameter of the signal is above a threshold, and generate an alarm when the parameter of the signal is above the threshold. The alarm is configured to indicate the potentially hazardous condition to the personnel.

Systems and methods for safety and proximity sensing in industrial environments

An electronic device includes a multi-functional optical sensor configured to couple to one or more light sources within a space. The multi-functional optical sensor is configured to detect occupancy of the space, ambient light within the space, and visible light communication (VLC) signals optically communicated in the space.

Multi-functional optical sensor for indoor lighting systems

A tracking associate system that comprises a rotatable platform; an optically retroreflective label reader attached to the platform; a control unit attached to the rotatable platform; a scene recording camera; and a data network configured to process data produced by the label reader and/or the camera. Another tracking system comprises one, or more, label tracking pairs that each have a recording camera associated with a light source emitter; a platform configured to allow the label tracking pair to track a plurality of optically retroreflective labels that are affixed to objects; and a data network in communication with the label tracking pair that is configured to process data received from the label tracking pair.

Tracking associate for factory and warehousing optimization

An electronic driver is provided. The electronic driver includes a power converter including an output terminal and configured to generate a converter output power based on a first switching frequency of the power converter. The electronic driver also includes a first controller operatively coupled to the power converter and configured to control the first switching frequency of the power converter. The electronic driver further includes a visible light communication adapter operatively coupled to the output terminal of the power converter and configured to alter the converter output power to perform visible light communication.

Electronic driver for an illumination device and method of operating thereof

An electronic driver for operating an illumination device is provided. The electronic driver includes a power converter configured to illuminate the illumination device. The power converter includes a switch capacitor circuit configured to perform at least one of a pulse width modulation dimming and a visible light communication using the illumination device. The switch capacitor circuit includes a plurality of split capacitors operatively coupled in series to a second end of a primary winding of a transformer in the power converter and a control switch operatively coupled to the plurality of split capacitors. The power converter also includes a controller operatively coupled to the control switch and is configured to control the control switch to perform at least one of the pulse width modulation dimming and the visible light communication.

Electronic driver for controlling an illumination device

A method for operating illumination sources includes receiving a first set of images of one or more illumination sources that are generated by an image capturing device. The method further includes computing a first distance and a first perspective angle between the image capturing device and each illumination source during the generation of the first set of images. Furthermore, the method includes generating first characteristic information for each illumination source based on a comparison between at least one of the first distance or the first perspective angle for each illumination source with at least one of a predefined distance or a predefined perspective angle for each illumination source. The method also includes generating a command signal based on a comparison between the first characteristic information and a predefined characteristic threshold for each of the one or more illumination sources.

Method and system for controlling color characteristics of one or more illumination devices

An energy storage and management system (ESMS) includes one or more energy storage devices configured to store electrical energy, a power electronic conversion system having a plurality of energy ports and including a plurality of DC electrical converters, and a controller configured to split a source current flowing from an electrical source that is connected to one of the plurality of energy ports into a first current and a second current, wherein the first and second currents flows respectively first and second of the plurality of DC converters, alter the first current and the second current by selectively turning on and turning off current flow to the first and second DC converters, and form a charging current by passing the first current and the second current simultaneously to a first of the one or more energy storage devices that is coupled to a second of the plurality of energy ports.

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Niskayuna, NY, United States of America

Danijel Maricic