Westinghouse Electric Corporation

James V Faulkner, Jr

Theodore H York

Jerry M Kennon

A transceiver is provided with a means for determining its own prescribed frequency upon the occurrence of an adverse transient condition, such as lightning, or upon initial installation after manufacture. Since it can safely be assumed that a transceiver's prescribe reception frequency is the same as its transmission frequency, the present invention measures the period of its transmission frequency in order to determine the frequency of its reception frequency. The exact frequency of incoming demodulated messages must be known in order for the transceiver's digital demodulator to properly demodulate the incoming signals. A high frequency signal, such as 1 mHz, is used to increment a pulse counter and the values of this pulse counter are stored upon the occurrence of two successive negative edges of the carrier signal. The present invention also provides means for directing its carrier signal to an input port of its microprocessor during power-up sequence in order for the period of the carrier signal to be easily measured.

Transceiver with auto frequency sense

A dual threshold is used in a coherent phase shift keyed demodulator to distinguish situations in which an incoming carrier signal is expected from those open ended conditions when a receiver is active, but when an incoming signal is not imminently expected. The use of a lower threshold permits more rapid detection and demodulation of a valid carrier signal by utilizing a standard which is less strict to determine the presence of a valid carrier signal when an incoming carrier signal is expected.

Power line communication receiver with dual threshold signal

A load management terminal for an electric utility automated distribution system includes a receiver for receiving central commands sent from an electric utility central station by power line carrier signals. A control unit is connected to the receiver for executing the commands such as load shedding and remote metering. The terminal includes means for generating data at the remote site representative of the results of the executed commands and for storing the status data in a memory device. A video signal generator converts the status data into a composite video signal which is supplied to a modulator to produce a standard RF television signal. The terminal is selectively connected to the television receiver of an electric utility customer, whereby the metering and load shed status data is displayed on the customer television receiver.

Growing community of inventors

Raleigh, NC, United States of America

James V Faulkner, Jr