Load control interlocks are disclosed and described. The interlocks provide for coupling a power circuit to one or more load circuits once the one or more load circuits and the power circuit are both coupled to the interlock, and disconnects the power circuit from the one or more load circuits if the one or more load circuits or the power circuit are uncoupled form the interlock or an electrical connection between the power circuit and the one or more load circuits is broken.

There is described a network distribution system using common communication and power comprising a power line, multiple fire alarm units, and a power line control device. The power line provides alternating current, and the fire alarm units are coupled to the power line. The power line control device is coupled to the power line and a particular fire alarm unit of the plurality of fire alarm units. The power line control device comprises a communication translator to convert between power line and non-power line protocols and a power line core to modulate signals to, and demodulate signals from, the power line.

A communication circuit generates a clock signal that is a digital signal corresponding to a serial clock, and a data signal that is a digital signal corresponding to serial data to be sent. A modulation circuit generates a first modulated signal obtained by digital modulating a first carrier wave having a first frequency with the clock signal and second modulated signal obtained by modulating the second carrier wave having a second frequency different than the first frequency with the data signal, and applies the first modulated signal and the second modulated signal between a first conductor and a second conductor. A demodulation circuit includes a buffer amplifier that has high input impedance, demodulates the first modulated signal and the second modulated signal, and generates the clock signal and the data signal. The communication circuit acquires serial data on the basis of the clock signal and the data signal.

A high-voltage power source device includes: a first terminal connected to a first end of an electrical wire disposed around a predetermined region; a second terminal connected to a second end of the electrical wire; a high-voltage generation circuit connected to the first terminal and generating high-voltage electricity; a voltage detection circuit connected to the second terminal, and measuring a voltage value of the high-voltage electricity at the second terminal and determining presence of an abnormality in the electrical wire, based on a measured voltage value; a timing circuit instructing the high-voltage generation circuit to generate high-voltage electricity at a timing when the high-voltage electricity is generated, and sending an instruction to measure a voltage value of the high-voltage electricity at the second terminal to the voltage detection circuit; and a notification circuit for notifying a determination result of the voltage detection circuit to outside.

A split-type in-wall smart switch module comprises a switching signal generation unit, a mechanical switch, a switching signal receiving and processing unit, a wireless module unit, a switching unit and a load, wherein the switching signal generation unit is connected to a live wire in mains electricity, the mechanical switch and the switching signal receiving and processing unit, respectively; the switching signal receiving and processing unit is also connected to the wireless module unit and a neutral wire in mains electricity respectively; the other end of the wireless module unit is connected to the switching unit; the other end of the switching unit is connected to the load; and the other end of the load is connected to the neutral wire in mains electricity. The switch can realize the control of turning-on and turning-off by means of a switch panel.

Activity sensing in the home has a variety of important applications, including healthcare, entertainment, home automation, energy monitoring and post-occupancy research studies. Many existing systems for detecting occupant activity require large numbers of sensors, invasive vision systems, or extensive installation procedures. Disclosed is an approach that uses a single plug-in sensor to detect a variety of electrical events throughout the home. This sensor detects the electrical noise on residential power tines created by the abrupt switching of electrical devices and the noise created by certain devices while in operation. Machine learning techniques are used to recognize electrically noisy events such as turning on or off a particular light switch, a television set, or an electric stove. The system has been tested to evaluate system performance over time and in different types of houses. Results indicate that various electrical events can be learned and classified with accuracies ranging from 85-90%.

A system (and system controller) has powering of, and communication with, a set of fixtures using an AC cable having a power line (e.g. a mains live wire), a reference line (e.g. a mains neutral wire) and a data line. Fixtures are at different positions along the cable, each powered by the local voltage difference between the power line and the reference line. A system controller provides a data signal over the data line, wherein the data signal for a fixture is defined by the local voltage difference between the data signal on the data line and the reference line (or power line). In order to compensate for voltage drops, a compensation circuit adds a voltage offset waveform to the data signal which is dependent on the overall set of positions of the fixtures. This enables an increased number of fixtures and/or reach of the fixtures connected to the system controller.

A downhole system has a plurality of telemetry systems and a control system configured to obtain information from one or more sensors and transmit that information on one or more of the plurality of telemetry systems. The configuration of a controller may be changed so as to change which information is transmitted on a given telemetry system and how the information is to be transmitted on the given telemetry system.

The invention relates to a cable (12) and a male connector (10, 20) attachable to the cable (12) for transmission of power and data for use in power focused applications, in particular lighting applications. The male connector (10, 20) comprises a contact for power transmission (P), a contact for data communication (D) and optionally a contact for configuration signaling (C), wherein a conversion circuit (11, 21) is configured to translate the configuration signaling (C) to be transmitted via a single twisted pair of signaling wire together with the power transmission (P), and/or the data communication (D). Providing conversion circuitry within the connector allows to combine two or more signals received via respective connectors of the male connector and generate a combined signal to be transmitted over a single pair of twisted signal wire, the connector allows the usage of a cable with much higher flexibility.

The present invention improves power supply efficiency during power line communication. This electronic device, comprising at least a portion of a constant current circuit connected to a predetermined load, has a circuit unit that controls the voltage to be applied to the predetermined load on the basis of a state related to the predetermined load. The circuit unit has: a path (a path from end to end via a constant voltage diode) in which at least a portion of the voltage to be applied to the predetermined load is generated when a constant current flowing in the constant current circuit flows therein; and a field effect transistor serving as a switch unit for switching between short-circuiting the path and undoing the same. A control unit controls the voltage to be applied to the predetermined load by switching the state of the switch unit.