Phoenix Broadband Technologies, LLC

Am Communications, Inc.

General Instrument Corporation

Joseph D Rocci

Michael Louis Quelly

Stephen E Crook

Michael Quelly

Marc W Kauffman

Walter Michael Wilczewski

Michael L Quelly

Robert V Dickinson

Robert Hallett

Norman W Moore

An intelligent battery charge equalization and monitoring system may assist in the management of battery string health by detecting individual batteries within a string that may need servicing. The system may detect a battery within a string that is charged to a higher voltage than other batteries within the string and discharge the overcharged battery until the battery's charge is equalized with the other batteries in the string. The system may use metrics related to how often individual batteries within a string of batteries must be equalized and utilize these metrics to perform maintenance actions.

Method and apparatus for intelligent battery charge equalization and monitoring

There is disclosed a system and method for determining whether a battery or battery system has encountered a thermal failure and/or end of service life condition. The battery monitoring system is configured to generate a plurality of alarms based on the occurrence of a number of conditions in the battery system.

Non-intrusive correlating battery monitoring system and method

A system and method for monitoring batteries is disclosed. There is provided a plurality of sensors each adapted to communicate with one of the batteries, and to provide information concerning a characteristic of the battery in response to application of a stimulus to the battery. A controller that communicates with the sensors is also provided. In one embodiment, the sensor includes the battery.

Method and apparatus for measuring and monitoring a power source

Battery testing sensors, and systems and methods for testing batteries, are disclosed. Each battery sensor has a microcontroller programmed to analyze the frequencies of noise or other undesirable signals ('background noise') present at a battery to be tested, and to determine the duty cycle of a desired pulse width modulation (PWM) signal to be applied to the battery in view of the background noise. Duty cycles of desired PWM signals are selected such that, when applied to the battery, they will at least approximate an AC signal having a frequency that has been determined to provide optimal test results in view of the background noise. The microcontroller analyzes the battery's response from application of the PWM signal thereto. Consequently, measurement errors from background noise present at the battery are minimized. Based on the response, attributes of the battery, such as internal admittance, voltage, current, and temperature, are determined.

Measuring and monitoring a power source

A system and method for monitoring power sources, such as the batteries making up a bank of batteries, is disclosed. There is provided a plurality of addressable sensors each adapted to communicate with one of the power sources, and to provide information concerning a characteristic of the power source in response to application of an event to the power source by the sensor. A controller that addressably communicates with the sensors, and that determines additional information, is also provided. In one embodiment, the sensor includes the power source, such as the battery.

The disclosed battery monitoring systems and methods may minimize measurement errors due to noise and/or other disruptions. The sensor may generate a pulse width modulated signal that when applied to the battery forms an AC test signal having a defined waveform, frequency, amplitude, and/or duration. The sensor may measure the battery's response to the test signal. The resultant response signal may be measured to determine the health of the battery, including its internal admittance. The sensor may determine an optimum frequency to test the battery by scanning a frequency range and measuring the amount of noise present.

A system and method for monitoring a power source using a site controller () and first and second sensors. The system includes a first power source in communication with a second power source. The system further includes a first sensor in communication with the first power source and the first sensor calculates an exponential discharge characteristic of the first power source. The system farther includes a second sensor in communication with the second power source and the second sensor calculates an exponential discharge characteristic of the second power source (). The system further includes a controller in communications with the first sensor via the second sensor wherein the controller determines the characteristics of the first power source as a function of the exponential discharge characteristic of the first power source ().

A modular cable television tap unit includes a base module which receives a cable television signal having an operational power signal component from a cable distribution network. The base unit includes circuitry for separating radio frequency (RF) components and the operational power signal component from the cable television signal. The separated operational power signal is passed through the base module to another cable in the network. The base module includes a set of connectors for receiving a removable directional coupler module and a single connector for receiving a removable addressable signal splitter module. The signal splitter module includes connectors for providing the RF components of the cable television signal to subscribers. The connection for the directional coupler module provides only the RF component of the cable television signal. The connection for the signal splitter module provides a compound signal which includes an RF signal provided by the directional coupler module and the operational power signal component of the cable television signal for operating the addressable tap circuitry. A relatively large number of different types of tap units having different tap loss values and different numbers of subscriber connections may be made from a relatively small number of different module types.

Radio frequency tap unit which can be reconfigured with minimal

A method for calibrating a remote pilot unit is provided wherein both the pilot receiver and the pilot transmitter are calibrated. A test signal of a known magnitude is applied to the pilot unit and the magnitude actually received by the pilot receiver is determined. The two magnitudes are compared and a correction signal is determined. To calibrate the remote transmitter, a signal of a nominal magnitude from the transmitter is applied to a measurement device and the determination is made by the measurement device of the actual magnitude applied. The actual magnitude and the nominal magnitude are compared and a transmitter correction signal is determined. The receiver correction signal and the transmitter correction signal are stored in permanent memory within the pilot unit. This process is repeated at a plurality of frequencies to provide a signature for both the transmitter and the receiver. When the unit is installed in an RF system, signals to and from the units are compensated according to these correction signals.

Monitoring and control of data communications

An RF network has an RF isolation switch and an RF isolation switch control box coupled to each other by a single cable. The single cable coupling the isolation switch and the control box performs the dual functions of (1) applying power from the RF isolation switch to the control box and (2) applying control signals from the control box to the RF isolation switch. The control box may receive control information from a remote location and control the isolation switch in accordance with the received information. Additionally, a local manual switch is provided within the control box for local control of the isolation switch. Further in accordance with the invention, a method is provided for automatically determining at the headend of the network and at units distributed throughout the network that ingress is present and for systematically controlling RF isolation switches to locate the source of ingress.

RF network isolation switch

A cable TV security system utilizes three radio frequency signals as three data communication channels: one downstream channel and two upstream channels. A headend alarm processor transmits system commands on the downstream channel. A plurality of subscriber alarm units, connected to the cable TV system, transmit messages on the upstream channels to the headend alarm processor. The respective center frequency of both upstream channels is selectable by command on the downstream channel transmitted from the headend. In the event that one subscriber's alarm unit malfunctions whereby a continuous stream of upstream transmission jams one of the upstream channels, the headend alarm processor changes the respective transmitter frequency of the remaining subscriber alarm units to a clear channel frequency. Alternatively, the frequency or frequencies of the malfunctioning unit may be changed. In either case, system security coverage is rapidly restored.

Frequency agile security apparatus

A cable TV security system utilizes three radio frequency signals as three data communication channels: one downstream channel and two upstream channels. The system includes a plurality of individual subscriber security units which transmit respective alarm messages on an upstream alarm channel essentially when an alarm condition is first detected. If two or more subscriber units attempt to transmit simultaneous alarm messages on the alarm channel, the resulting collision causes a garbled alarm message to be received at the headend. The present invention provides respective apparatus in each subscriber's security unit for responding to two unique headend search commands for identifying the respective addresses of the subscriber unit or units which originated the garbled alarm messages. The first of these headend search commands requests that subscriber units with a specified bit in their respective address respond if an alarm condition exists and that subscriber unit did not previously respond to a special headend search command. The second headend search command requests that subscriber units with a specified bit in their respective address respond if an alarm condition exists and that unit did previously respond to a special headend search command.

Growing community of inventors

Lansdale, PA, United States of America

Joseph D Rocci