Abstract: Various aspects of invention provide portable power manager operating methods. One aspect of the invention provides a method for operating a power manager having a plurality of device ports for connecting with external power devices and a power bus for connecting with each device port. The method includes: disconnecting each device port from the power bus when no external power device is connected to the device port; accessing information from newly connected external power devices; determining if the newly connected external power devices can be connected to the power bus without power conversion; if not, determining if the newly connected external power devices can be connected to the power bus over an available power converter; and if so, configuring the available power converter for suitable power conversion.

Abstract: Various aspects of invention provide portable power manager operating methods. One aspect of the invention provides a method for operating a power manager having a plurality of device ports for connecting with external power devices and a power bus for connecting with each device port. The method includes: disconnecting each device port from the power bus when no external power device is connected to the device port; accessing information from newly connected external power devices; determining if the newly connected external power devices can be connected to the power bus without power conversion; if not, determining if the newly connected external power devices can be connected to the power bus over an available power converter; and if so, configuring the available power converter for suitable power conversion.

Abstract: Various aspects of invention provide portable power manager operating methods. One aspect of the invention provides a method for operating a power manager having a plurality of device ports for connecting with external power devices and a power bus for connecting with each device port. The method includes: disconnecting each device port from the power bus when no external power device is connected to the device port; accessing information from newly connected external power devices; determining if the newly connected external power devices can be connected to the power bus without power conversion; if not, determining if the newly connected external power devices can be connected to the power bus over an available power converter; and if so, configuring the available power converter for suitable power conversion.

Abstract: Various aspects of invention provide portable power manager operating methods. One aspect of the invention provides a method for operating a power manager having a plurality of device ports for connecting with external power devices and a power bus for connecting with each device port. The method includes: disconnecting each device port from the power bus when no external power device is connected to the device port; accessing information from newly connected external power devices; determining if the newly connected external power devices can be connected to the power bus without power conversion; if not, determining if the newly connected external power devices can be connected to the power bus over an available power converter; and if so, configuring the available power converter for suitable power conversion.

Abstract: Various aspects of invention provide portable power manager operating methods. One aspect of the invention provides a method for operating a power manager having a plurality of device ports for connecting with external power devices and a power bus for connecting with each device port. The method includes: disconnecting each device port from the power bus when no external power device is connected to the device port; accessing information from newly connected external power devices; determining if the newly connected external power devices can be connected to the power bus without power conversion; if not, determining if the newly connected external power devices can be connected to the power bus over an available power converter; and if so, configuring the available power converter for suitable power conversion.

Abstract: Various aspects of invention provide portable power manager operating methods. One aspect of the invention provides a method for operating a power manager having a plurality of device ports for connecting with external power devices and a power bus for connecting with each device port. The method includes: disconnecting each device port from the power bus when no external power device is connected to the device port; accessing information from newly connected external power devices; determining if the newly connected external power devices can be connected to the power bus without power conversion; if not, determining if the newly connected external power devices can be connected to the power bus over an available power converter; and if so, configuring the available power converter for suitable power conversion.

Abstract: A power manager including a power bus operable at a DC bus voltage. A plurality of device ports operably connect to the power bus. A first data processing device and a first memory device are associated with the first data processing device. A data communication channel extends between the first data processing device and each of the plurality of device ports. An energy management schema operates on the first data processing device. For each of the plurality of device ports, the energy management schema establishes a communication link with an external power device connected to the device port over the data communication channel and determines if an external power device is connected to the device port and if so, determines an external power device type.

Abstract: A portable DC power manager (400) includes an internal power bus (410) and a plurality of device ports (1150, 1160, 1170, 1180, 1190, 1200) for connecting with external power and energy sources, external power loads and other external power managers. Each device port is isolated for the internal power bus by controllable switches (A, B, C, D). Power converters (440, 442, 510) may be disposed between device ports and the internal power bus to convert voltages and attenuate current amplitude. Energy management schema operating on the power manager sums available power and allocates the available power to connected power loads according to power priority settings. A hot-change-over circuit (1300) connects additional sources to the internal bus in response to a voltage drop on the internal power bus. A compact and lightweight package (1100) enables a portability.

Abstract: Various aspects of invention provide portable power manager operating methods. One aspect of the invention provides a method for operating a power manager having a plurality of device ports for connecting with external power devices and a power bus for connecting with each device port. The method includes: disconnecting each device port from the power bus when no external power device is connected to the device port; accessing information from newly connected external power devices; determining if the newly connected external power devices can be connected to the power bus without power conversion; if not, determining if the newly connected external power devices can be connected to the power bus over an available power converter; and if so, configuring the available power converter for suitable power conversion.

Abstract: Various aspects of invention provide portable power manager operating methods. One aspect of the invention provides a method for operating a power manager having a plurality of device ports for connecting with external power devices and a power bus for connecting with each device port. The method includes: disconnecting each device port from the power bus when no external power device is connected to the device port; accessing information from newly connected external power devices; determining if the newly connected external power devices can be connected to the power bus without power conversion; if not, determining if the newly connected external power devices can be connected to the power bus over an available power converter; and if so, configuring the available power converter for suitable power conversion.

Abstract: Various aspects of invention provide portable power manager operating methods. One aspect of the invention provides a method for operating a power manager having a plurality of device ports for connecting with external power devices and a power bus for connecting with each device port. The method includes: disconnecting each device port from the power bus when no external power device is connected to the device port; accessing information from newly connected external power devices; determining if the newly connected external power devices can be connected to the power bus without power conversion; if not, determining if the newly connected external power devices can be connected to the power bus over an available power converter; and if so, configuring the available power converter for suitable power conversion.

Abstract: Various aspects of invention provide portable power manager operating methods. One aspect of the invention provides a method for operating a power manager having a plurality of device ports for connecting with external power devices and a power bus for connecting with each device port. The method includes: disconnecting each device port from the power bus when no external power device is connected to the device port; accessing information from newly connected external power devices; determining if the newly connected external power devices can be connected to the power bus without power conversion; if not, determining if the newly connected external power devices can be connected to the power bus over an available power converter; and if so, configuring the available power converter for suitable power conversion.

Abstract: A portable DC power manager (400) includes an internal power bus (410) and a plurality of device ports (1150, 1160, 1170, 1180, 1190, 1200) for connecting with external power and energy sources, external power loads and other external power managers. Each device port is isolated for the internal power bus by controllable switches (A, B, C, D). Power converters (440, 442, 510) may be disposed between device ports and the internal power bus to convert voltages and attenuate current amplitude. Energy management schema operating on the power manager sums available power and allocates the available power to connected power loads according to power priority settings. A hot-change-over circuit (1300) connects additional sources to the internal bus in response to a voltage drop on the internal power bus. A compact and lightweight package (1100) enables a portability.

Abstract: Various aspects of invention provide portable power manager operating methods. One aspect of the invention provides a method for operating a power manager having a plurality of device ports for connecting with external power devices and a power bus for connecting with each device port. The method includes: disconnecting each device port from the power bus when no external power device is connected to the device port; accessing information from newly connected external power devices; determining if the newly connected external power devices can be connected to the power bus without power conversion; if not, determining if the newly connected external power devices can be connected to the power bus over an available power converter; and if so, configuring the available power converter for suitable power conversion.

Abstract: Various aspects of the invention provide power manager enclosures. One aspect of the invention provides a power manager enclosure including: a sealed housing comprising opposing substantially rectangular top and bottom faces, opposing substantially rectangular longitudinal front and back faces and opposing substantially rectangular transverse left and right side faces; and a plurality of device ports for operably connecting external power devices to the power manger disposed on one or more of the left and right side faces and on only one of the front and back faces.

Abstract: Methods for improved cable modem ranging in a data-over-cable system. One method includes receiving a value that characterizes how equipment in the network is configured. Using this characteristic value, a cable modem may estimate loss in its upstream path from a measurement of a downstream signal and thereby estimate its initial transmit level during ranging. Launching at a proper initial transmit level may ensure that range request messages arrive at the cable modem termination system with sufficient strength to be detected and hence ameliorate ranging. Another method collects difference between these estimated initial transmit levels and the final transmit levels that succeeded in evoking a response from the cable modem termination system. The collected differences are analyzed and the result of the analysis is passed to cable modems to adjust their estimated initial transmit levels.

Abstract: In a data-over-cable system, a cable head-end transmits a signal that includes a plurality of analog television signal components an at least one quadrature amplitude modulated (QAM) digital signal component, the signal components being defined by frequency channels. A cable modem has a tunable frequency selection system, operable at a first bandwidth, corresponding to the bandwidth of the frequency channels, and at a second, substantially narrower bandwidth, that provides a filtered signal and a power measurement system that measures the power level of the filtered signal. The frequency selection system scans through the channels, operating at its second bandwidth, and, in each channel, tunes to a first frequency and a second frequency. The power levels of the filtered signals from the first and second frequencies are measured and compared to distinguish the QAM digital signal components from the other signal components.