Abstract: In one embodiment, an energy management module having a form factor adapted to fit within one or more slots of a load center or panelboard of a structure is provided. The energy management module includes a housing configured to fit within the one or more slots of the load center or panelboard. It has a plurality of current sensor connectors configured to connect to current sensors that measure current flowing through breakers of the load center or panelboard to circuits within the structure. One or more power measurement DSPs are provided to measure power consumption of the circuits. It further has a microcontroller unit with a wireless network interface configured to communicate the power consumption measurements to a host controller or cloud services that provide the power consumption measurements for display in an energy management user interface.

Abstract: A technique enables microgrid switchover using zero cross detection. A flexible load management system includes a virtual critical load panel (vCLP) that utilizes circuit breakers in combination with companion modules configured to sense power provided to one or more loads to identify zero-crossings. When a preconfigured number of consecutive, missed zero-crossings is detected, the companion module is alerted as to potential main power loss and transitions to a virtual critical load (vCL) mode for load adjustment prior to operation under local power. Upon detection of main power loss, the companion module is configured for load activation (or deactivation) via states of one or more vCL bits that configure each load for either ON or OFF state when operating under local power.

Abstract: A technique enables microgrid switchover using zero cross detection. A flexible load management system includes a virtual critical load panel (vCLP) that utilizes circuit breakers in combination with companion modules configured to sense power provided to one or more loads to identify zero-crossings. When a preconfigured number of consecutive, missed zero-crossings is detected, the companion module is alerted as to potential main power loss and transitions to a virtual critical load (vCL) mode for load adjustment prior to operation under local power. Upon detection of main power loss, the companion module is configured for load activation (or deactivation) via states of one or more vCL bits that configure each load for either ON or OFF state when operating under local power.

Abstract: A power controller configured to fit in a circuit breaker panel powering one or more loads. The power controller is further configured to manage critical loads of the one or more loads each controlled by a component that is capable of being actuated by the power controller and operated from a smartphone via the power controller, wherein the critical loads need not be wired to a dedicated circuit breaker panel.

Abstract: A power controller configured to fit in a circuit breaker panel powering one or more loads. The power controller is further configured to dynamically manage critical loads of the one or more loads each controlled by a component that is capable of being actuated by the power controller and operated from a smartphone via the power controller, wherein the critical loads need not be wired to a dedicated circuit breaker panel.

Abstract: A group of homes, businesses, or other electric power consuming premises are aggregated and commonly controlled to dynamically reduce loads in sufficient quantities, and with sufficient rapidity and duration, to participate as a market participant in the energy markets including participating as a peaking power plant. While the amount of reduced power consumption for a single premises is typically quite small, the total reduced consumption of an aggregation of just a few thousand homes or businesses may be on the order of hundreds of kilowatts. A premises power controller in conjunction with intelligent circuit breakers, which may include dimmers, enable dynamic management of individual loads in each premises.

Abstract: An intelligent circuit breaker electrically is capable of being actuated and interfacing with a conventional circuit breaker. The intelligent circuit breaker includes a wireless transceiver for communicating with other intelligent circuit breakers, a breaker controller, memory, and a display. The memory may be used to temporarily store data of interest regarding the intelligent circuit breaker's status, power consumption, operating history, and the like. The intelligent circuit breaker may advantageously be constructed in a form factor which is compatible with standard circuit breaker panels.

Abstract: In one embodiment, a smart light switch/thermostat is provided for deployment in rooms of a multi-room property (e.g., hotel) that is capable of monitoring and controlling in-room devices (e.g., climate control devices, lighting devices, A/V devices, etc.), as well as improving power optimization and reducing latency of certain battery-powered WPAN devices. The smart light switch/thermostat may be an in-wall device mounted in an electrical box (e.g., a 1-gang box) that maintains network connections (e.g., wired, WPAN and/or WLAN connections) to in-room devices being controlled and monitored, as well as to mobile guest devices and a central host controller that provides access to cloud control services. The smart light switch/thermostat may improve power optimization and reducing latency of certain battery-powered WPAN devices (e.g.

Abstract: In one embodiment, two or more programmable multimedia controllers are provided a multimedia system that includes a plurality of audio/video (A/V) devices that source or output digital media streams. Each of the programmable multimedia controllers has at least a processing subsystem and a switch capable of switching the digital media streams. Arbitration is conducted among the programmable multimedia controllers to select one of the programmable multimedia controllers as winning the arbitration. Master status is assigned to the one of the programmable multimedia controllers that won the arbitration. Subordinate status is assigned to at least one other programmable multimedia controller that did not win the arbitration. It is periodically verified whether the programmable multimedia controller assigned master status is operating.

Abstract: An intelligent circuit breaker is electrically capable of dimming a load using sine wave dimming and forward or reverse cut-phase dimming. The intelligent circuit breaker may include low on resistance transistors switching at a 100 kHZ or higher using pulse width modulation to achieve the sine wave dimming while filtering out the high frequency switching and allowing a line frequency pass through. The intelligent circuit breaker may include a wireless module for receiving one or commands to perform power dimming of the load. The intelligent circuit breaker may advantageously be constructed in a form factor which is compatible with standard circuit breaker panels.

Abstract: An intelligent circuit breaker electrically is capable of being actuated and interfacing with a conventional circuit breaker. The intelligent circuit breaker includes a wireless transceiver for communicating with other intelligent circuit breakers, a breaker controller, memory, and a display. The memory may be used to temporarily store data of interest regarding the intelligent circuit breaker's status, power consumption, operating history, and the like. The intelligent circuit breaker may advantageously be constructed in a form factor which is compatible with standard circuit breaker panels.

Abstract: A group of homes, businesses, or other electric power consuming premises are aggregated and commonly controlled to dynamically reduce loads in sufficient quantities, and with sufficient rapidity and duration, to participate as a market participant in the energy markets including participating as a peaking power plant. While the amount of reduced power consumption for a single premises is typically quite small, the total reduced consumption of an aggregation of just a few thousand homes or businesses may be on the order of hundreds of kilowatts. A premises power controller in conjunction with intelligent circuit breakers, which may include dimmers, enable dynamic management of individual loads in each premises.

Abstract: In one embodiment, graphics frames are received, where each graphics frame includes one or more regions where pixels depict graphics that represent an on screen display (OSD) used to interact with a programmable multimedia controller, and a background region where pixels are set to the one or more predetermined colors. Further, video images are received, where at least some of the video images correspond to the plurality of graphics frames. Mixed images are created by mixing the graphics frames and the corresponding video images, the mixing to, where pixels of the graphics frame are not set to the one more predetermined colors, blend a color of at least some of the pixels of the graphics frame with a color of pixels of a corresponding video image, and, where pixels of the graphics frame are set to the one more predetermined colors, pass pixels of the corresponding video image.

Abstract: In one embodiment, two or more programmable multimedia controllers are provided a multimedia system that includes a plurality of audio/video (A/V) devices that source or output digital media streams. Each of the programmable multimedia controllers has at least a processing subsystem and a switch capable of switching the digital media streams. Arbitration is conducted among the programmable multimedia controllers to select one of the programmable multimedia controllers as winning the arbitration. Master status is assigned to the one of the programmable multimedia controllers that won the artitration. Subordinate status is assigned to at least one other programmable multimedia controller that did not win the arbitration. It is periodically verified whether the programmable multimedia controller assigned master status is operating.

Abstract: A distributed switching system for use with a programmable multimedia controller. In the system, data streams originating from the controller or any of a plurality of devices interconnected with the controller are accessible by the other devices which may switch the streams as needed.

Abstract: In one embodiment, graphics frames are received, where each graphics frame includes one or more regions where pixels depict graphics that represent an on screen display (OSD) used to interact with a programmable multimedia controller, and a background region where pixels are set to the one or more predetermined colors. Further, video images are received, where at least some of the video images correspond to the plurality of graphics frames. Mixed images are created by mixing the graphics frames and the corresponding video images, the mixing to, where pixels of the graphics frame are not set to the one more predetermined colors, blend a color of at least some of the pixels of the graphics frame with a color of pixels of a corresponding video image, and, where pixels of the graphics frame are set to the one more predetermined colors, pass pixels of the corresponding video image.

Abstract: In one embodiment, graphics from a general-purpose computer are mixed with video images from a video source. A first interface receives the graphics, the graphics including a plurality of graphics frames, at least some graphics frames including one or more regions having pixels set to one or more predetermined color values. A second interface receives video images from the video source, each video image corresponding to one of the plurality of graphics frames. A video mixer includes logic configured to recognize pixels in the at least some graphics frames that are set to the one or more predetermined color values, and in the one or more regions where the pixels are set to the one or more predetermined color values to mix pixels from the corresponding video image with the graphics frame, to create a plurality of mixed images. One or more output interfaces outputs the mixed images.

Abstract: An audio system includes a general-purpose computer in the audio signal path to provide, or to enhance, pre-amplification functions. In one embodiment, in response to audio signals from a pre-amplifier, a programmable multimedia controller including the general-purpose computer generates control commands and passes these control commands via a signal path back to the pre-amplifier. In a second embodiment, rather than control a separate pre-amplifier, the programmable multimedia controller itself implements the pre-amplification functions. In yet another embodiment, a power amplifier includes the general-purpose computer and pre-amplification functions are implemented there. Also, a display screen shows a virtual control panel that is used to control the pre-amplification of audio signals. The virtual control panel provides a graphical user interface that simulates, replicates, or replaces with an alternate arrangement, the physical controls and readouts found on the control panel of a physical device.

Abstract: In one embodiment, graphics from a general-purpose computer are mixed with video images from a video source. A first interface receives the graphics, the graphics including a plurality of graphics frames, at least some graphics frames including one or more regions having pixels set to one or more predetermined color values. A second interface receives video images from the video source, each video image corresponding to one of the plurality of graphics frames. A video mixer includes logic configured to recognize pixels in the at least some graphics frames that are set to the one or more predetermined color values, and in the one or more regions where the pixels are set to the one or more predetermined color values to mix pixels from the corresponding video image with the graphics frame, to create a plurality of mixed images. One or more output interfaces outputs the mixed images.

Abstract: A distributed switching system for use with a programmable multimedia controller. In the system, data streams originating from the controller or any of a plurality of devices interconnected with the controller are accessible by the other devices which may switch the streams as needed.