An edge computing device may control load devices and DER (distributed energy resource) devices. The edge computing device may be associated with an electric meter located at a premises or with a distribution transformer located at a secondary substation. The control of the load devices and DER devices may be based in part on forecasted pricing information that considers factors such as equipment ratings for distribution equipment, environmental conditions, historical patterns of generation and load, and user input.

A method for establishing signal and power communication between a surgical instrument and a staple cartridge is disclosed.

Disclosed is a surgical instrument, comprising: an end effector configured to grasp tissue. The end effector comprises a jaw, and a staple cartridge seatable in the jaws, wherein the staple cartridge comprises a sensor array. The surgical instrument further comprises a power source configured to supply power to the staple cartridge, and a transmission system configured to wirelessly transmit at least one of the power and a data signal between the staple cartridge and the surgical instrument, and a control circuit. The control circuit is configured to detect a bandwidth of data transmission through the transmission system, detect a discharge rate of the power source, and select a sensor sampling rate of the sensor array based on a detected value of the bandwidth and a detected value of the bandwidth and a detected value of the discharge rate.

Disclosed is a surgical end effector for use with a surgical instrument. The surgical end effector comprises a jaw, and a staple cartridge seatable in the jaw. The staple cartridge comprises a sensor array configured to take measurements corresponding to a parameter associated with a function of the surgical instrument, a processor, and a memory storing program instructions. The memory storing program instructions that, when executed by the processor, cause the processor to perform an initial calibration of the sensor array, determine an initial adjustment to the measurements based on the initial calibration, perform an in-use calibration of the sensor array, and modify the initial adjustment based on the in-use calibration.

A server includes circuitry to receive data from plural control devices of a plural users. The data from each control device includes consumption records of electric devices. The circuitry determines whether an amount consumed by the plural users is greater than one provided by producers, and based on a determination, calculates a reduction amount for each of one or more users, according to an order of a priority set on the plural users from a top to one until a condition is satisfied. For each of the one or more users, the circuitry determines, a specific electric device and a reduction amount of the specific electric device, based on the data and reference data, and generates consumption control data including information on the specific electric device and the reduction amount. The circuitry transmits to, each of specific control devices of the one or more users, the consumption control data.

A control system may include a direct-current (DC) power bus for charging internal energy storage elements in control devices of the control system. For example, the control devices may be motorized window treatments configured to adjust a position of a covering material to control the amount of daylight entering a space. The system may include a bus power supply that may generate a DC voltage on the DC power bus. For example, the DC power bus may extend from the bus power supply around the perimeter of a floor of the building and may be connected to all of the motorized window treatments on the floor (e.g., in a daisy-chain configuration). An over-power protection circuit may be configured to disconnect the bus power supply if a bus current exceeds a threshold for a period of time.

A power distribution system comprising a power input, and at least two controlled power outlets configured for connection to devices. The power outlets may include first and second power outlets, with at least the first power outlet having a first priority level and at least the second power outlet having a second priority level. A power sensing circuit may be configured to detect a level of power being drawn from a power supply circuit. A power control circuit may individually control power supplied to each power outlet such that power drawn from each outlet may be removed without removing power from another outlet. The power control circuit may be configured to remove power from at least one of the controlled power outlets according to the relative priority levels of the power outlets when a cumulative power draw level for the outlets may exceed a threshold cumulative power draw level.

A power control device that can charge a battery by controlling an output of a conversion unit configured to convert a supplied grid electric power into an electric power for charging the battery, the power control device includes: a sensing unit configured to sense voltage and current of the supplied grid electric power; a determination unit configured to determine whether a sensed voltage sensed by the sensing unit is in an unstable state in which the sensed voltage drops relative to a rated voltage of the supplied grid electric power; a calculation unit configured to calculate an allowable power value based on the sensed voltage and a rated current of the supplied grid electric power in a case when the determination unit determines that the sensed voltage is in the unstable state; and a control unit configured to control the output of the conversion unit based on the allowable power value.

A backup device includes: a charging unit that charges a second power source unit on the basis of the power supply from a first power source unit; a voltage detection unit detects the output voltage of the second power source unit; a vehicle speed information acquisition unit acquires vehicle speed information; and a control unit sets, on the basis of at least the vehicle speed information acquired by the vehicle speed information acquisition unit, a charging target voltage according to a setting method in which the voltage is set higher as the vehicle speed indicated by the vehicle speed information is greater, and causes, on the basis of the output voltage of the second power source unit detected by the voltage detection unit, the charging unit to perform the charging operation so as to bring the output voltage of the second power source unit close to the charging target voltage.

A reduction instruction receiver receives a reduction instruction for energy from a server. An energy setter sets, when the reduction instruction receiver receives the reduction instruction, individual target energies for the respective subsystems, the individual target energies each being a target value of a consumption energy for a corresponding subsystem such that (i) a total of individual target energies that are target values of consumption energies for the respective subsystems is smaller than a total target energy that is a target value of a consumption energy of an entirety of the subsystems, and (ii) a higher correlation among consumption energies of the respective subsystems provides an increase in a total margin energy, the total margin energy being a difference between the total target energy and the sum of the individual target energies. The control-instruction transmitter transmits control-instruction information for control of the facility device based on the set individual target energies.