ENERGY INFORMATION MANAGEMENT METHOD FOR USE WITH A CIRCUIT BREAKER

• US 20020032535A1
• Filed: 03/19/1998
• Published: 03/14/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 03/19/1998
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Siemens Energy & Automation Incorporated (Siemens AG)
• Original Assignee: Siemens Energy & Automation Incorporated (Siemens AG)
• Inventors: ALEXANDER, JAMES O., KING, WILLIAM A., LEONE, DAVID A.
• Application Number:
  US09/044,717
• Publication Number:
  US 20020032535A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 702/64
• CPC Class Codes: G01R 21/133 by using digital technique

Abstract

An energy information management method for use with a circuit breaker coupled between a power source and a load, the method comprising the steps of: (a) sensing at least one of a voltage and a current flowing between the power source and the load through the circuit breaker; (b) counting a number of times the circuit breaker trips and interrupts the current flow between the power source and the load; (c) measuring the current flow through the circuit breaker when the circuit breaker trips and interrupts the current flow between the power source and the load; (d) determining a plurality of conditions of the circuit breaker; (e) accepting a user input, the user input for at least one of controlling the circuit breaker and displaying the plurality of conditions of the circuit breaker; (f) displaying at least one of the plurality of conditions of the circuit breaker responsive to the user input; and (g) communicating at least one of the plurality of conditions to a remote terminal.

Claims

1. An energy information management method for use with a circuit breaker coupled between a power source and a load, the method comprising the steps of:

(a) sensing at least one of a voltage and a current flowing between the power source and the load through the circuit breaker;

(b) counting a number of times the circuit breaker trips and interrupts the current flow between the power source and the load;

(c) measuring the current flow through the circuit breaker when the circuit breaker trips and interrupts the current flow between the power source and the load;

(d) determining a plurality of conditions of the circuit breaker;

(e) accepting a user input, the user input for at least one of controlling the circuit breaker and displaying the plurality of conditions of the circuit breaker;

(f) displaying at least one of the plurality of conditions of the circuit breaker responsive to the user input; and

(g) communicating at least one of the plurality of conditions to a remote terminal.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising the steps of:

(h) converting a line voltage of the power source to a voltage lower than the line voltage; and

(I) biasing the lower voltage above a ground potential by a predetermined voltage to produce a full-wave biased voltage,

wherein the plurality of conditions of the circuit breaker are determined from the full-wave biased voltage.

3. An energy information management method for use with a circuit breaker coupled between a power source and a load, the method comprising the steps of:

(a) sensing at least one of a voltage, and a current flowing between the power source and the load through the circuit breaker;

(b) detecting at least two transitions of a sensed voltage and determining a corresponding frequency;

(c) converting the voltage of the power source to a lower voltage,

(d) biasing the lower voltage above a ground potential by a predetermined voltage to produce a full-wave biased voltage;

(e) counting a number of times the circuit breaker trips and interrupts the current flow between the power source and the load;

(f) measuring the current flow through the circuit breaker when the circuit breaker trips and interrupts the current flow between the power source and the load;

(g) determining a plurality of conditions of the circuit breaker based on at least one of the voltage and the current sensed in Step (a), and for the frequency determined in step (b);

(h) accepting a user input for controlling the circuit breaker;

(i) displaying at least one of the plurality of conditions of the circuit breaker device responsive to the input accepted in Step (h); and

(j) communicating at least one of the plurality of conditions to a remote terminal.