Westinghouse Electric Corporation

Elster Electricity, LLC

Waymon A Melvin, Jr

Kenneth C Shuey

Leonard C Vercellotti

Theodore H York

Michael A Murphy

Charles Cunningham, Jr

Lars A Lindqvist

John S Phillips

Allan A Dudash

An electronic meter that is capable of handling an analog cellular phone or radio modem under the meter cover provides significant improvements in the thermal management and power handling that is associated with a circuit switched wireless device. The electronic meter comprises a power supply capable of delivering the transmitter power plus the associated losses due to transmitter efficiency. It is desirable to deliver the high power over a wide range of AC input voltages (typically from about 90 to 530 VAC). The meter packaging allows the power supply and the analog cellular modem to operate in an enclosed metering package without exceeding the operating temperatures of the electronic components. The packaging adapts to increased steady state (idle) conditions as well as increased transmit conditions.

Electronic meter with enhanced thermally managed communications systems and methods

An apparatus for controlling the output of a switching amplifier includes a signal dividing circuit which generates a delayed replica of the carrier signal and a doubled signal having twice the carrier frequency. The doubled signal is effective for establishing a second time delayed signal relative to the first time delayed signal. The first and second time delayed signals are logically operated on so that a three state output representing the carrier signal is attained. A summing amplifier utilizes the two time delayed signals to generate this three state output whereby if the two time delayed signals are out-of-phase, a zero voltage is connected to the drive portion of the switching amplifier thereby limiting the output of the switching amplifier.

Apparatus for controlling a switching amplifier

A time diversity carrier signal sampler utilizes a shift register in conjunction with a timer and a plurality of phase samplers. The instantaneous logic level of each phase is measured on a time diversity basis in order to avoid the disadvantageous affects of noise pulses which can occur coincidently on all three phases. The resulting carrier signal data is then provided to a microprocessor for subsequent analysis and phase characteristic determinations. By judiciously selecting the sample and clock frequencies of the shift register, the sampling frequency for each phase and the time between sampling each of the phases can be preselected.

Apparatus and method for sampling multiple carrier signals

A communication system for a three-phase power distribution network is comprised of a plurality of remote devices, with certain of the remote devices being used as signal repeaters. Injection point circuitry provides an out-going communication signal which is coupled to the three-phase conductors such that each phase conductor carries an identical, independent, outgoing communication signal. The signal repeaters are each coupled to at least two of the three-phase conductors. Each signal repeater includes circuitry for producing a composite signal in response to the coupled signals. The composite signal has a signal-to-noise ratio typically superior to, but not worse than, the signal-to-noise ratio of the best of the coupled signals. The remainder of the remote devices are independently coupled to at least one of the three-phase conductors so as to facilitate communication with each of the remote devices.

Three-phase power distribution network communication system

A receiver for a distribution network power line carrier communication system is magnetically coupled to a distribution power line. A carrier signal, phase-shift keyed modulated by an information signal and carried by the distribution power line, is thereby coupled to the receiver circuitry. A first receiver amplification circuit includes an automatic gain control circuit, to prevent saturation of the receiver electronics, and a feedback circuit to determine the gain. The automatic gain control circuit utilizes a field effect transistor which cooperates with the amplifier's feedback circuit to modify the gain. The drain source resistance of the field effect transistor is varied in accord with the magnitude of the received noise or modulated carrier signal to lower the amplifier's gain when excessive positive or negative noise or modulated carrier signal peaks are encountered. The modulated carrier signal is then processed through several filter stages and further amplified. Finally, the information signal is removed from the modulated carrier by a phase shift keyed demodulator. The information is available for input to a remote device which is responsive thereto for performing any of a variety of automated functions.

Receiver for a distribution network power line carrier communication

Bidirectional addressable repeaters of a power line carrier communication system each include an address recognition and a receive and transmit control logic circuit having programmable zone and address identifying states for connection in plural repeating levels defining branch paths linking a central control terminal with multiple remote terminals via a distribution line network. Each repeater retransmits an interrogation message, provides its own repeater address modification, and remains in a response-wait status. The alerted repeaters define the predetermined route of branch paths for being sequentially activated by a response message. Simplified repeater response address formats are used and each repeater modified its address data upon response message retransmission. The desired sequentially occurring repeating transmissions are assured upon retransmission of both the interrogation and response messages.

Distribution network communication system having branch connected

A half-duplex communication repeater for use with power distribution lines. The repeater includes two receivers, two signal generators, a single power amplifier, and a control circuit. The control circuit coordinates the operation of the receivers and the signal generators and prevents the application of the signals from both generators simultaneously to the signal amplifier. The outputs of the two signal generators are applied to transmission gates which are both coupled to the signal amplifier. When an appropriate signal is detected by one receiver, it produces an output signal which is coupled to a latching circuit. The latching circuit turns on the appropriate transmission gate to pass the signal from the corresponding signal generator to the signal amplifier. Due to the operation of the latching circuit, a signal detected simultaneously by the other receiver will not cause the other transmission gate to turn on and apply two signals simultaneously to the signal amplifier. A third transmission gate may be coupled to the common output connections of the other two transmission gates for providing a load on the gate devices to reduce the signal transfer through the gate devices when they are in the turned-off condition.

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Raleigh, NC, United States of America

Waymon A Melvin, Jr