A smart lock box system is described. One implementation of the lock box system includes a locking mechanism configured to securely hold a cover over a compartment. The lock box system includes a receiver capable of receiving signals from a user device. The lock box system also includes a processor configured to identify an access message in a received signal, a service to verify that the access message was provided by an authorized party, and cause the locking mechanism to be released in response to verifying that the access message was provided by the authorized party. The open/close events are recorded in a distributed ledger to document which user's device was used to access a given property at a given time. Furthermore, the smart lock box system utilizes a push notification service, based on user device's GPS, to inform owners when to depart/return to the property.

A data storage device includes a power line communication (PLC) circuit and a storage controller. The PLC circuit is coupled to a power line. The storage controller is coupled to the PLC circuit. The storage controller is configured to access a plurality of memory block. The PLC circuit is configured to carry at least one signal outputted from the storage controller on the power line, in order to transmit the at least one signal to an external device such that an operational state of the data storage device can be debugged/monitored.

A system that includes a powerline communication network with a reactive routing protocol and at least one gateway comprising a powerline communication interface and one radio-frequency communication interface. A smart electricity meter also includes a powerline communication interface and at least one radio-frequency communication interface: broadcasts an announcement request message on each of its communication interfaces; after reception of one or more announcement messages, selects a relay agent having the lowest route cost for joining a centralised management device; and making a registration request, using the selected relay agent as a proxy. After registration, the routing of messages coming from or going to said smart electricity meter takes place at the data link layer of the OSI model.

A smart locker system includes an enclosure unit and a cassette unit. The smart locker is extendable by adding additional enclosure units and the cassette units. The cassette unit includes storage bins and a control bin. The cassette unit contains different size of storage bins and a control bin. The smart locker system further includes a touch screen and authentication devices. The smart locker system can arrange the storage bins and the control bins to maintain the height of the smart locker system.

Methods, systems, and apparatus for monitoring and controlling electronic devices using wired and wireless protocols are disclosed. The systems and apparatus may monitor their environment for signals from electronic devices. The systems and apparatus may take and disambiguate the signals that are received from the devices in their environment to identify the devices and associate control signals with the devices. The systems and apparatus may use communication means to send control signals to the identified electronic devices. Multiple apparatuses or systems may be connected together into networks, including mesh networks, to make for a more robust architecture.

Aspects of the subject disclosure may include, for example, antenna structure that includes a dielectric antenna having a dielectric lens and a dielectric body, and a feedline coupled to the dielectric antenna, wherein an endpoint of the feedline is configured to reduce a reflection of an electromagnetic wave transmission, wherein electromagnetic waves generated by the electromagnetic wave transmission are guided along the feedline without requiring an electrical return path, and wherein the electromagnetic waves propagate through the dielectric body to the dielectric lens to generate wireless signals. Other embodiments are disclosed.

Aspects of the subject disclosure may include, for example, a transmission medium for propagating electromagnetic waves. The transmission medium can include a core for propagating electromagnetic waves guided by the core without an electrical return path, a rigid material surrounding the core, wherein an inner surface of the rigid material is separated from an outer surface of the core, and a conductive layer disposed on the rigid material. Other embodiments are disclosed.

Aspects of the subject disclosure may include, for example, a transmission medium for propagating electromagnetic waves. The transmission medium can include a core for propagating electromagnetic waves guided by the core without an electrical return path, a rigid material surrounding the core, wherein an inner surface of the rigid material is separated from an outer surface of the core, and a conductive layer disposed on the rigid material. Other embodiments are disclosed.

A first device may establish, with a second device, a first logical link associated with short-range communications. The first device may detect the transmission of a first packet from a master device to the second device carried on a second logical link. The first device may decode at least part of the first packet comprising data intended for the first device. The first device may transmit, to the second device, a request for a re-transmission of the first packet when the first device fails to decode at least part of the first packet. The first device may receive, from the second device, at least one re-transmission of the first packet. The first device may apply an error correction operation on the at least one re-transmission of the first packet received from the second device and the first packet received from the master device.

An integrated circuit for digital signal routing. The integrated circuit has analog and digital inputs and outputs, including digital interfaces for connection to other integrated circuits. Inputs, including the digital interfaces, act as data sources. Outputs, including the digital interfaces, act as data destinations. The integrated circuit also includes signal processing blocks, which can act as data sources and data destinations. Signal routing is achieved by means of a multiply-accumulate block, which takes data from one or more data source and, after any required scaling, generates output data for a data destination. Data from a data source is buffered for an entire period of a data sample clock so that the multiply-accumulate block can retrieve the data at any point in the period, and output data of the multiply-accumulate block is buffered for an entire period of the data sample clock so that the data destination can retrieve the data at any point in the period. Multiple signal paths can be defined by configuration data supplied to the device, either by a user, or by software. The multiply-accumulate block operates on a time division multiplexed basis, so that multiple signal paths can be processed within one period of the sample clock. Each signal path has a respective sample clock rate, and paths with different sample clock rates can be routed through the multiply-accumulate block on a time division multiplexed basis independently of each other. Thus, speech signals at 8 kHz or 16 kHz can be processed concurrently with audio data at 44.ikHz or 48 kHz.