Texas Instruments Corporation

National Semiconductor Corporation

Texas Instruments Incorporated Deutschland, Gmbh

Perry Tsao

Lawrence Herbert Zuckerman

Daniel Ross Herrington

James Harbison Masson

James Michael Patterson

Christoph Goeltner

Joseph V DeNicholas

Werner Berns

Robert W Smith

Thomas Yang

Keiichi McGuire

Chenguang Gong

Ravichander Bairi

A light system (FIG.) is disclosed. The light system includes a plurality of series connected light emitting diodes (-). Each of a plurality of switching devices (-) has a control terminal and each has a current path coupled in parallel with a respective LED. A plurality of fault detector circuits (-) are each coupled in parallel with a respective light emitting diode. Each fault detector circuit has a first comparator (FIG.) arranged to compare a voltage across the respective light emitting diode to a respective first reference voltage (). When a fault is detected, a control signal is applied to the control terminal to turn on a respective switching device of the plurality of switching devices.

LED bypass and control circuit for fault tolerant LED systems

A light system (FIG.) is disclosed. The light system includes a plurality of series connected light emitting diodes (-). Each of a plurality of switching devices (-) has a control terminal and each has a current path coupled in parallel with a respective LED. A plurality of fault detector circuits (-) are each coupled in parallel with a respective light emitting diode. Each fault detector circuit has a first comparator (FIG.) arranged to compare a voltage across the respective light emitting diode to a respective first reference voltage (). When a fault is defected, a control signal is applied to the control terminal to turn on a respective switching device of the plurality of switching devices.

A master modem is configured to generate a carrier signal for transmission over a wired connection. A slave modem is configured to change an impedance of the wired connection to alter generation of the carrier signal by the master modem. The impedance of the wired connection is changed based on data to be provided by the slave modem. The master modem can demodulate its own carrier signal to obtain the data provided by the slave modem. The impedance of the wired connection could be changed by changing an impedance of a transformer winding or inductor of the slave modem, where the transformer winding or inductor is coupled to the wired connection. The impedance of the wired connection could also be changed by changing a reactance of a circuit coupled to the wired connection.

Distributed modem architectures for power line communication systems and other wired communication systems

An apparatus includes terminals configured to be coupled to a string wiring of a photovoltaic string. The apparatus also includes a power controller configured to control a power provided over the string wiring by a photovoltaic panel in the photovoltaic string. The apparatus further includes a wireless radio configured to at least one of transmit and receive wireless signals using the string wiring as an antenna. The wireless signals contain data associated with the photovoltaic panel and/or the power controller. For example, the wireless radio could be configured to receive a first signal containing a command for the power controller from the string wiring and to provide the command to the power controller. The wireless radio could also be configured to receive an acknowledgement associated with the command from the power controller and to transmit a second signal containing the acknowledgement over the string wiring for wireless transmission.

Use of photovoltaic array string wiring as antenna and transmission line for wired and wireless data communications

Growing community of inventors

Sunnyvale, CA, United States of America

Perry Tsao