Class / Patent application number | Description | Number of patent applications / Date published |
361930200 | Digital control | 26 |
20080225455 | OVERCURRENT DETECTION LATCH CIRCUIT - An overcurrent detection circuit assembly provides a diagnostic feedback signal indicative of an overcurrent or short condition is disclosed. The detection circuit receives a sense current that is proportional to a load current provided to an electrical device or load. The detection circuit provides the feedback signal to a microcontroller that can control the device and the power supply to protect the device against short circuit or other fault condition. | 09-18-2008 |
20090021879 | APPARATUS AND METHOD FOR FAULT CURRENT INTERRUPTION - A circuit interrupter method for interrupting a flow of current, including: providing a controller for determining the presence of predetermined current in the circuit, the predetermined current value stored in the controller; providing a circuit breaker comprising a trip mechanism for receiving trip signal, a current transformer for providing output proportional to predetermined current in the circuit, a switch for interrupting the flow of current in the circuit, a control input for receipt of an operating signal by the trip mechanism, and proximate and distal connectors connecting the circuit breaker to a source and a circuit, respectively; determining, by the controller, the presence of a current in the circuit; receiving a trip signal at the circuit breaker from the controller, and interrupting the flow of current in the circuit, when the current in the circuit is determined by the controller to be a predetermined current. | 01-22-2009 |
20090046403 | Breaker device for low-voltage applications - In breaker devices an early short-circuit recognition is required and also a tripping of the contacts. The recognition of a short-circuit occurs so early that with consideration of the response time of the measuring probes and the unlocking mechanism by a suitable analysis algorithm the release of the movable contact occurs before or at least at the time that the current-breaking forces correspond to the contact force. The contact force is hence compensated for and a rapid opening of the contacts can be achieved. | 02-19-2009 |
20090103221 | ADAPTIVE POWER MANAGEMENT SYSTEM FOR AIRCRAFT GALLEYS - The adaptive power management system for aircraft galleys includes one or more programmable circuit breakers for corresponding interchangeable aircraft galley inserts. Current rating settings of the programmable circuit breakers can be changed by direct interrogation by a galley network controller, which can also automatically switch selected circuit breakers to open to shut down the power supply to an entire galley complex or individual galley inserts, as needed, or by a passive signal. | 04-23-2009 |
20090147424 | CIRCUIT BREAKERS WITH AUTOMATIC BREAKER RATING - An electronic control for a circuit breaker with automatic breaker rating is disclosed. The electronic control includes a memory to store circuit breaker ratings, a breaker rating switch to select circuit breaker ratings, and a microprocessor operatively coupled to the breaker rating switch and the memory. The microprocessor is configured to interpret a selected circuit breaker rating of the breaker rating switch, set an amplifier gain adjustment for the circuit breaker based on the selected circuit breaker rating, and transmit the selected circuit breaker rating to the memory for storage in the memory. | 06-11-2009 |
20090213515 | Multiple-channel active sensing and switching device - The present invention provides a multichannel active sensing and switching device featuring a multiple sensing and switching module configured to respond to operational conditions of different load types and provide load type sensor signals containing information about the operational conditions of the different load types, and also configured to respond to controller signals for controlling the operation of the different load types in two or more different protection configurations; and a controller module configured to respond to the load type sensor signals and provide the controller signals in order to control the operation of the different load types in the two or more different protection configurations. The controller module may be programmable and configured to provide a default circuit breaker configuration and a device specific configuration using active intelligence (AI). | 08-27-2009 |
20090296299 | OVERCURRENT CONTROLLER FOR A REMOTELY CONTROLLED CEILING FAN PROVIDED WITH LAMPS AND LANTERNS - An overcurrent controller for a remotely controlled ceiling fan provided with lamps and lantern, one terminal of which is connected to AC power and the other terminal is connected to at least one ceiling fan and at least one lamp and lantern, the controller comprising a power conversion unit, a microprocessor unit, an overcurrent control unit, a wireless signal control unit, a ceiling fan control unit, and a lamp and lantern control unit. Thus, when the current of lamp and lantern exceeds a set current, the output transition of an operation amplifier of the overcurrent control unit may be achieved to trigger the microprocessor unit, the microprocessor unit being thereby provided with an output in 3 modes: 1. Down-regulation mode; 2. Flicker alarm mode; and 3. Power failure mode for achievement of power saving and prevention of energy waste. | 12-03-2009 |
20100020457 | Protective Digital Relay Device - Relay devices, systems and methods for obtaining an accurate representation of a current monitored with a Rogowski coil, without integration of the Rogowski coil output voltage signal in the time domain. | 01-28-2010 |
20100033888 | CIRCUIT BREAKER WITH ARC FAULT DETECTION AND METHOD OF OPERATION - A circuit breaker having a series arc fault detector and method of operation is provided. The series arc fault detector measures the RMS current and monitors current stability in response to a change in current levels. The sensitivity of the series arc fault detection is changed in response to the current satisfying a stability criterion. The circuit breaker further enables and disables series arc fault detection based on an enable threshold. The enable threshold is set based on the level of sensitivity being used to detect a series arc fault. | 02-11-2010 |
20100053832 | POWER DISTRIBUTION SWITCH CIRCUITS WITH FAST RESPONSES TO HARD SHORT-CIRCUITS - Methods and apparatus to provide power distribution switch circuits with fast responses to hard short-circuits are disclosed. In one example, a power distribution switch to detect a hard short-circuit condition is described, comprising a switching device having a resistance between an input terminal and an output terminal, to conduct a current from an input power source having an input voltage to an output terminal having an output voltage, a voltage feedback loop having a digital output voltage to increase the resistance of the switching device in response to a short-circuit based on the output voltage, and an analog current feedback loop to increase the resistance of the switching device based on a current through the switching device and a reference current. | 03-04-2010 |
20100067159 | ELECTRONIC TRIP UNIT OF A CIRCUIT BREAKER - An electronic trip unit which includes a processing unit and a comparator circuit. The processing unit receives an input voltage, and a reset signal to reset the electronic trip unit, and generates a trip signal when sensed current of the electronic trip unit exceeds a predetermined threshold. The comparator circuit includes a first comparator which receives the trip signal from the processing unit and compares the trip signal with a predetermined reference voltage determined based on the reset signal, and a second comparator which compares a voltage generated by a power supply with the predetermined reference voltage. The comparator circuit determines whether the trip signal is for a valid trip event based comparison results of the first comparator and the second comparator. | 03-18-2010 |
20100149712 | Digital Overcurrent Protection Device for a Power Supply Device and Related Power Supply Device - A digital overcurrent protection device for a power supply device includes a receiving end for receiving a current sensing signal, a digital reference voltage generator for digitally generating a reference voltage, a comparator coupled between the receiving end and the digital reference voltage generator for comparing the current sense signal with the reference voltage in order to generate a comparison result, and a control unit coupled to the comparator for controlling a power switch of the power supply device according to the comparison result. | 06-17-2010 |
20100220422 | Circuit Protection Device - The present invention provides a circuit protection device for protecting an electrical circuit, the circuit protection device having a signal processing unit which includes a digital processor which is adapted to receive a digital signal I | 09-02-2010 |
20110007443 | APPARATUS, METHOD, AND SYSTEM FOR MONITORING LEAKAGE CURRENT AND DETECTING FAULT CONDITIONS IN ELECTRICAL SYSTEMS - Disclosed herein are apparatus, methods, and systems for monitoring and detection of conditions indicative of an electrical fault for an electrical circuit or system. In one aspect, a central control can simultaneously monitor a plurality of geographically distributed electrical circuits or systems for conditions that have been predetermined to be indicative of an electrical fault or concern, and provide either some communication (e.g., a warning) or instruction (e.g., to terminate power) back to the monitored circuit/system, the owner/operator/user of the circuit/system, or both. The central control can collect, store, mine, and analyze data from the diverse monitoring of plural systems. A knowledge base can be built up over time and used to establish monitoring of the same, other circuits and systems, develop more accurate monitoring and communication of faults or concerns, and account for factors related to normal operation of a circuit or system. | 01-13-2011 |
20110141644 | DIRECT CURRENT ARC FAULT CIRCUIT INTERRUPTER, DIRECT CURRENT ARC FAULT DETECTOR, NOISE BLANKING CIRCUIT FOR A DIRECT CURRENT ARC FAULT CIRCUIT INTERRUPTER, AND METHOD OF DETECTING ARC FAULTS - A direct current arc fault circuit interrupter includes separable contacts and a trip circuit to trip open the contacts. The trip circuit includes a number of alternating current sensors structured to sense a current flowing through the separable contacts, a number of filter circuits cooperating with the AC current sensors to output a number of AC signals, a number of peak detectors cooperating with the filter circuits to output a number of peak current signals, and a processor cooperating with at least the peak detectors. The processor inputs the number of peak current signals as a plurality of peak current signals or inputs the number of peak current signals and determines the plurality of peak current signals. The processor also determines if the peak current signals exceed corresponding predetermined thresholds for a predetermined time, and responsively causes the contacts to trip open. | 06-16-2011 |
20110205680 | Inrush current control circuit and method for utilizing same - Disclosed is an inrush current control circuit for controlling current into a high-current circuit block. The inrush current control circuit comprises a number of distributed switches and a digital control circuit coupled to at least one of the distributed switches. The digital control circuit is configured to switch a first group of the distributed switches in response to an enable/disable signal. The digital control circuit is further configured to switch a second group of the distributed switches after a first programmable delay. According to one embodiment, a method comprises switching a first group of distributed switches by a digital control circuit of an inrush current control circuit in response to an enable/disable signal, and switching a second group of the distributed switches by the digital control circuit after a first programmable delay, thereby resulting in regulation of a flow of an inrush current. | 08-25-2011 |
20120120536 | SHARED MEMORY ARCHITECTURE FOR PROTECTION OF ELECTRICAL DISTRIBUTION EQUIPMENT - A power equipment protection system includes a plurality of trip units including at least a first trip unit and a second trip unit, wherein each of the plurality of trip units is configured to monitor operation data. The system also includes a shared memory device coupled to the plurality of trip units via a network, wherein the shared memory device is configured to transmit a synchronization request to at least the second trip unit, receive a response from the second trip unit, including operation data associated with the second trip unit, receive a data request from the first trip unit, and transmit the operation data associated with the second trip unit to the first trip unit via the network. | 05-17-2012 |
20120287543 | TRIP UNIT INCLUDING SEPARABLE COMPONENT TO SAVE AND RESTORE SETTINGS, AND CIRCUIT BREAKER INCLUDING THE SAME - A circuit breaker includes separable contacts, an operating mechanism to open and close the contacts, and a trip unit cooperating with the operating mechanism to trip open the contacts. The trip unit includes a first component having a processor and a first memory storing a first set of a plurality of trip unit settings, and a second component of the trip unit. The second component is separable from the first component or the trip unit, and includes a second memory storing a second set of a plurality of trip unit settings. The second component saves the first set of the plurality of trip unit settings as the second set of the plurality of trip unit settings in the second memory, and restores the second set of the plurality of trip unit settings in the first memory of the first component or of another first component of another trip unit. | 11-15-2012 |
20140118875 | CONTROL AND MONITORING UNIT FOR A CIRCUIT INTERRUPTER ELECTRONIC TRIP UNIT AND SYSTEM INCLUDING SAME - A circuit interrupter system includes a circuit interrupter including a processing unit, a serial port interface operatively coupled to the processing unit for enabling communication with the processing unit, and a USB processing unit configured to run a USB stack and operatively coupled to the serial port interface for enabling communication with the processing unit through the serial port interface, and a portable computing device selectively connectable to the USB processing unit of the circuit interrupter through a USB connection, the portable computing device being structured to function as a USB host and to implement a graphical user interface for enabling communication between the portable computing device and the processing unit of the circuit interrupter through the serial port interface and the USB processing unit when the portable computing device is connected to the USB processing unit of the circuit interrupter. | 05-01-2014 |
20140146431 | CIRCUIT BREAKER PANEL WITH WIRELESS COMMUNICATIONS CAPABILITY - In at least some embodiments, a system includes a plurality of circuit breakers and trip control logic external to and coupled to the circuit breakers. The trip control logic enables a plurality of different tripping options to be selected for each of the circuit breakers. | 05-29-2014 |
20140301008 | METHOD AND DEVICE FOR DETECTING ELECTRIC ARC IN A PHOTOVOLTAIC INSTALLATION - A method for detecting an electrical arc in a photovoltaic installation includes measurement (E | 10-09-2014 |
20140368961 | CONTROL AND PROTECTION DEVICE FOR LOW-VOLTAGE ELECTRICAL APPLIANCE - Disclosed is a control and protection device for a low-voltage electrical apparatus, comprising a pedestal and a control and protection module. The control and protection module may be plugged into the pedestal and is replaceable. The pedestal comprises a base and a housing, and is further provided with a moving contact, a static contact, and a current conductor connected to a main circuit current; a control electromagnet operation mechanism for controlling close and open of the moving contact and the static contact according to a control signal, and maintaining a close or open status of the moving contact and the static contact; a manual operation knob providing a control signal for controlling the close and open of the moving contact and the static contact; a control contact connected to the manual operation knob; and a current sensor for detecting a current that flows through the main circuit current conductor and generating a sensing signal. The control and protection device further comprises: a signal processing unit for controlling a state of the control electromagnet according to the sensing signal via an electrical circuit; and a tripping device for controlling actions of the operation mechanism with a mechanical connection in response to the signal processing unit. The current sensor has a secondary circuit connection detection device. | 12-18-2014 |
20150326001 | Power Distribution System and Method, and Circuit Breaker for Use Therein - A programmable circuit breaker, including an input unit, a sensor, and, a trip mechanism. The input unit permits user input and/or adjustment of predetermined load parameters. The sensor senses actual values of a load. A microcontroller receives and processes the values, and operates/trips the circuit breaker when the sensed values exceed predetermined load parameters. The sensor preferably includes a Hall-Effect sensor. The circuit breaker is preferably able to be programmed, monitored and/or tripped remotely. It preferably includes an RCD. In a power distribution system, at least one such current breaker is provided, controllable by a controller, which may be remote from the current breaker. | 11-12-2015 |
20160061879 | SYSTEMS AND METHODS FOR IDENTIFYING FAULT LOCATION USING DISTRIBUTED COMMUNICATION - A fault location system for locating a fault in a power distribution system is provided. The fault location system includes a grounding resistor assembly configured to generate, in response to detection of the fault, a tracing signal that alternates between on periods and off periods, and a plurality of power distribution networks, wherein a first power distribution network of the plurality of power distribution networks is configured to receive a synchronizing message that includes a timing for the on periods and the off periods, measure, based on the synchronization message, a current through the first power distribution network to attempt to detect the fault, broadcast a fault detection message to all other power distribution networks of the plurality of power distribution networks when the fault is detected at the first power distribution network, and determine whether the first power distribution network is the location of the fault. | 03-03-2016 |
20160072278 | Field Device having a Protection Circuit - A field device comprising a protection circuit between a communication interface and a signal processing unit. A communication interface is preferably an Ethernet connection of the field device, wherein between the communication interface and the signal processing unit a first system is provided, which serves for electrical current limiting, wherein between the first system for electrical current limiting and the signal processing unit a means is provided, which serves for voltage limiting, and wherein between the means for voltage limiting and the signal processing unit a second system is provided, which serves for energy limiting. | 03-10-2016 |
20160149389 | ADAPTIVE ARC FAULT DETECTION TRIP DECISION BUFFER - An autonomous adaptive arc fault detection device includes a memory for storing data of arc fault tripping events detected on a circuit over a period of time. The device also includes a processor, in communication with the memory, for determining whether a newly detected arc fault tripping event is an unwanted tripping event based on a number of times a same type of tripping event, as the newly detected arc fault tripping event, has occurred, and inhibiting interruption of the circuit if the newly detected arc fault tripping event is determined to be an unwanted tripping event. The memory can store data, such as sensed or calculated electrical characteristic parameters defining a signature of a detected arc fault tripping event as well as a number of times a stored tripping event has occurred over a period of time. | 05-26-2016 |