Abstract: A device in a utility distribution system may comprise a housing, a heat source, a first heat sink, a second heat sink, a heat pipe, and a flexible directional thermal interface material (“DTIM”) with a high-conductivity orientation. The first heat sink may be thermally coupled to the heat source. The second heat sink may be attached to the first heat sink, and the flexible DTIM and the heat pipe may be arranged between the first and second heat sinks. The flexible DTIM may be thermally coupled with the first heat sink and the heat pipe. The heat pipe may be capable of movements with respect to the flexible DTIM. During the movements, the heat pipe may maintain the thermal coupling with the flexible DTIM, such that heat present in the first heat sink may be transferred to the heat pipe via the high-conductivity orientation of the flexible DTIM.

Abstract: An electricity meter includes: a housing; a plurality of antennas, each of the plurality of antennas comprising a contacting portion, the contacting portion formed on an interior surface of the housing; a printed circuit board (PCB) disposed within the housing, the PCB including a plurality of communications circuits, each of the plurality of communications circuits operable to communicate using different communications technologies; and a plurality of contacts disposed on the PCB, each of the plurality of contacts configured to provide a solderless electrical connection between contacting portions of one or more of the plurality of antennas and one of the plurality of communications circuits when the PCB is installed in the housing.

Abstract: A device in a utility distribution system may comprise a housing, a heat source, a first heat sink, a second heat sink, a heat pipe, and a flexible directional thermal interface material (“DTIM”) with a high-conductivity orientation. The first heat sink may be thermally coupled to the heat source. The second heat sink may be attached to the first heat sink, and the flexible DTIM and the heat pipe may be arranged between the first and second heat sinks. The flexible DTIM may be thermally coupled with the first heat sink and the heat pipe. The heat pipe may be capable of movements with respect to the flexible DTIM. During the movements, the heat pipe may maintain the thermal coupling with the flexible DTIM, such that heat present in the first heat sink may be transferred to the heat pipe via the high-conductivity orientation of the flexible DTIM.

Abstract: An electricity meter includes: a housing; a plurality of antennas, each of the plurality of antennas comprising a contacting portion, the contacting portion formed on an interior surface of the housing; a printed circuit board (PCB) disposed within the housing, the PCB including a plurality of communications circuits, each of the plurality of communications circuits operable to communicate using different communications technologies; and a plurality of contacts disposed on the PCB, each of the plurality of contacts configured to provide a solderless electrical connection between contacting portions of one or more of the plurality of antennas and one of the plurality of communications circuits when the PCB is installed in the housing.

Abstract: Aspects of the present disclosure are directed toward detection of leakage from an enclosed component using an apparatus. The apparatus includes a printed circuit board (PCB) including a first conductive trace, a second conductive trace, and sets of terminals electrically connected to the first and second conductive traces configured and arranged to indicate changes in impedance caused by leaked liquid. The respective portions of the first and second conductive traces are interleaved, and configured and arranged to suspend flow of the leaked liquid from an enclosed component, thereby causing a change in impedance between at least one of the sets of terminals.

Abstract: Aspects of the present disclosure are directed toward power outage assessment using customer-site communication devices which are powered by utility power lines and which communicate with a remotely-situated computer server over a broadband network according to certain schedules. The server can receive from the devices, communications indicative of an operating status of each respective communication device as expected according to the schedules. In response to receiving and/or not receiving the respective communications from the devices and taking into account other parameters, the server can assess a possible power outage within one or more regions by comparing the received communications and threshold criteria associated with the schedules. Based on such criteria, the server can detect and report on conditions suggestive of a power outage in regions associated with the communication devices.

Abstract: Embodiments in accordance with the present disclosure are directed to communications apparatuses and methods thereof that includes a radio frequency (RF) front-end circuitry and RF back-end circuitry. The RF front-end circuit receives sets of RF signals concurrently and as transmitted from at least two disparate communication networks. The front-end circuitry includes a tunable radio having at least one antenna feeding signal conditioning and down conversion circuitry, and decimation circuitry. The decimation circuitry filters and decimates data associated with the RF signals into a plurality of digital data streams. The RF back-end circuitry includes a plurality of digital-signal processors (DSPs) that extract raw data packets from the digital data streams and a microprocessor. The microprocessor transmits the plurality of digital data streams to the plurality of DSPs and transmits the extracted raw data packets, received from the plurality of DSPs, to an end-user device.

Abstract: Aspects of the present disclosure are directed toward detection of leakage from an enclosed component using an apparatus. The apparatus includes a printed circuit board (PCB) including a first conductive trace, a second conductive trace, and sets of terminals electrically connected to the first and second conductive traces configured and arranged to indicate changes in impedance caused by leaked liquid. The respective portions of the first and second conductive traces are interleaved, and configured and arranged to suspend flow of the leaked liquid from an enclosed component, thereby causing a change in impedance between at least one of the sets of terminals.

Abstract: Power-line communication (PLC) systems collect information over power lines from end-point devices respectively associated with customer sites, for assessment by a central processing circuit operated on behalf of a power utility company. In the PLC system, each of a number of PLC data-collector circuits includes a plurality of data interface units and PLC end-point device data computation circuit. Typically, one data interface circuit is located proximate, and another is distal, the location of the computation circuit. Each data interface unit includes a transformer circuit for selectively receiving data from a subset of the end-point devices via the power lines, a transformer-coupling circuit for selectively sending data to the subset of the end-point devices via the power lines, and a high-throughput data driver circuit for outputting data in accordance with a data-transfer protocol which is common to the other high throughput driver circuits which operate in accordance with the data-transfer protocol.

Abstract: In one or more embodiments, a plurality of PLC endpoints and a data processing circuit are configured to share information, in the form of data blocks over power lines in a power line communication (PLC) network. A first signal representing a transmitted one of the data blocks is received over a first one of the plurality of different communication channels. A second signal representing the transmitted one of the data blocks is received over a second one of the plurality of different communication channels. Information carried by said one of the data blocks is discerned, as a function of a signal versus noise measure associated with the first signal and the second signal, by combining energy from the first and second signals, and converting the combined energy for generating output data.

Abstract: Power-line communication (PLC) systems collect information over power lines from end-point devices respectively associated with customer sites, for assessment by a central processing circuit operated on behalf of a power utility company. In the PLC system, each of a number of PLC data-collector circuits includes a plurality of data interface units and PLC end-point device data computation circuit. Typically, one data interface circuit is located proximate, and another is distal, the location of the computation circuit. Each data interface unit includes a transformer circuit for selectively receiving data from a subset of the end-point devices via the power lines, a transformer-coupling circuit for selectively sending data to the subset of the end-point devices via the power lines, and a high-throughput data driver circuit for outputting data in accordance with a data-transfer protocol which is common to the other high throughput driver circuits which operate in accordance with the data-transfer protocol.

Abstract: Aspects of the present disclosure are directed toward power outage assessment using customer-site communication devices which are powered by utility power lines and which communicate with a remotely-situated computer server over a broadband network according to certain schedules. The server can receive from the devices, communications indicative of an operating status of each respective communication device as expected according to the schedules. In response to receiving and/or not receiving the respective communications from the devices and taking into account other parameters, the server can assess a possible power outage within one or more regions by comparing the received communications and threshold criteria associated with the schedules. Based on such criteria, the server can detect and report on conditions suggestive of a power outage in regions associated with the communication devices.

Abstract: An apparatus is provided for data communication over power lines in a PLC system. The apparatus includes a data-coupling circuit configured to provide data to the power lines for transmission. The data-coupling circuit includes a DC-isolation circuit configured to isolate circuitry of the data-coupling circuit from the power lines. The apparatus also includes a feedback circuit connected to the DC-isolation circuit. The feedback circuit has a power-tap circuit on an endpoint side of the feedback circuit. The power-tap circuit is configured to indicate/estimate of an amount of power, current, and/or voltage provided from the data-coupling circuit through the DC-isolation circuit and to the power lines. Based on the feedback the signal, the strength of a transmitted may be adjusted (e.g., to maintain constant signal strength).

Abstract: In various embodiments, a power-line communication apparatus provides data over a power-line communication network by transmitting data symbols to endpoint circuits over a power line. The power-line communication apparatus includes a signal-processing circuit configured to combine a plurality of different data streams, each of the plurality of different data streams respectively formatted according to different communication schemes, to form a signal that represents a combination of the different data streams and corresponding communication schemes. Further, the power-line communication apparatus includes a pulse-modulation circuit configured to convert the signals, as combined, as a pulse-width modulated or a pulse-density modulated signal, the pulse-modulation circuit configured to switch at a frequency higher than frequencies of the different communication schemes.

Abstract: In one or more embodiments, a plurality of PLC endpoints and a data processing circuit are configured to share information, in the form of data blocks over power lines in a power line communication (PLC) network. A first signal representing a transmitted one of the data blocks is received over a first one of the plurality of different communication channels. A second signal representing the transmitted one of the data blocks is received over a second one of the plurality of different communication channels. Information carried by said one of the data blocks is discerned, as a function of a signal versus noise measure associated with the first signal and the second signal, by combining energy from the first and second signals, and converting the combined energy for generating output data.

Abstract: A system for communicating data over power utility lines includes a plurality of endpoint devices. The endpoint devices can have modulation circuits configured and arranged to modulate data using multiple-orthogonal frequency sub-channels. The endpoint devices can also have a power line interface circuit configured and arranged to transmit the modulated data over a power utility line. A detection module can be configured and arranged to detect undesirable post modulation of a communication from one of the plurality of endpoint devices and to generate a signal responsive to the detected post modulation. The endpoint devices can then set a spacing between the multiple orthogonal frequency sub-channels in response to the signal responsive to the detected post modulation.

Abstract: A load control device is directly connected to a power utility line carrying electrical power using alternating current (AC) and to a load provided by a device located at premises. At the load control device, values are monitored for one or more load-responsive parameters of the electrical power over a period of time. A nominal value is determined for each of the one or more load-responsive parameters based upon the monitored values over the period of time. Threshold values are determined for the one or more load-responsive parameters based upon an acceptable deviation from the corresponding nominal value. A load-responsive parameter is detected as being outside of the threshold values. The load control device is then used to interrupt the providing of power to the load in response to the one or more load-responsive parameters being detected as being outside of the threshold values.

Abstract: In various embodiments, a power-line communication apparatus provides data over a power-line communication network by transmitting data symbols to endpoint circuits over a power line. The power-line communication apparatus includes a signal-processing circuit configured to combine a plurality of different data streams, each of the plurality of different data streams respectively formatted according to different communication schemes, to form a signal that represents a combination of the different data streams and corresponding communication schemes. Further, the power-line communication apparatus includes a pulse-modulation circuit configured to convert the signals, as combined, as a pulse-width modulated or a pulse-density modulated signal, the pulse-modulation circuit configured to switch at a frequency higher than frequencies of the different communication schemes.

Abstract: In one or more embodiments, a plurality of PLC endpoints and a data processing circuit are configured to share information, in the form of data blocks over power lines in a power line communication (PLC) network. A first signal representing a transmitted one of the data blocks is received over a first one of the plurality of different communication channels. A second signal representing the transmitted one of the data blocks is received over a second one of the plurality of different communication channels. Information carried by said one of the data blocks is discerned, as a function of a signal versus noise measure associated with the first signal and the second signal, by aligning phases of the first and second signals, combining energy from the first and second signals as aligned, and converting the combined energy and therefrom providing output data representing the transmitted one of the data blocks.

Abstract: In various embodiments, a power-line communication apparatus provides data over a power-line communication network by transmitting data symbols to endpoint circuits over a power line. The power-line communication apparatus includes a signal-processing circuit configured to combine a plurality of different data streams, each of the plurality of different data streams respectively formatted according to different communication schemes, to form a signal that represents a combination of the different data streams and corresponding communication schemes. Further, the power-line communication apparatus includes a pulse-modulation circuit configured to convert the signals, as combined, as a pulse-width modulated or a pulse-density modulated signal, the pulse-modulation circuit configured to switch at a frequency higher than frequencies of the different communication schemes.