Self-powered power bus sensor employing wireless communication

• US 20060076946A1
• Filed: 01/19/2005
• Published: 04/13/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 10/12/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Eaton Corp. (Wisconsin) (Eaton Corporation PLC.)
• Original Assignee: Eaton Corp. (Wisconsin) (Eaton Corporation PLC.)
• Inventors: Luebke, Charles J., Engel, Joseph C., Matsko, Joseph J., Solveson, Mark G., Shvach, Randal P.
• Granted Patent: US 7,253,602 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 324/126
• CPC Class Codes: G01D 21/00 Measuring or testing not otherwise provided for
• CPC Class Codes: G01K 13/00 Thermometers specially adapted for specific purposes
• CPC Class Codes: G01K 2215/00 Details concerning sensor power supply
• CPC Class Codes: G01R 15/14 Adaptations providing voltage or current isolation, e.g. for high-voltage or high-current networks
• CPC Class Codes: G01R 15/146 Measuring arrangements for current not covered by other subgroups of G01R15/14, e.g. using current dividers, shunts, or measuring a voltage drop if no voltage isolation is involved G01R1/203 or G01R19/0092
• CPC Class Codes: G01R 15/183 using transformers with a magnetic core
• CPC Class Codes: G01R 15/202 using Hall-effect devices Hall elements in arrangements for measuring electrical power G01R21/08
• CPC Class Codes: H01H 1/0015 Means for testing or for inspecting contacts, e.g. wear indicator measuring circuits G01R31/3274
• CPC Class Codes: H01H 2300/03 Application domotique, e.g. for house automation, bus connected switches, sensors, loads or intelligent wiring
• CPC Class Codes: Y02B 90/20 Smart grids as enabling technology in buildings sector smart grids supporting the management or operation of end-user stationary applications in general, or like technologies with no associated climate change mitigation effect Y04S20/00
• CPC Class Codes: Y04S 20/14 Protecting elements, switches, relays or circuit breakers

Abstract

A sensor apparatus is for a power bus including a plurality of characteristics. The sensor apparatus includes a housing; one or more sensors each adapted to sense a characteristic of the power bus; and a circuit adapted to transmit or receive a wireless signal. A processor includes a low-power mode and a routine adapted to wake up from the low-power mode, to input the sensed characteristic from the one or more sensors, to output a corresponding signal to the circuit to transmit as the wireless signal, and to sleep in the low-power mode. A power supply is adapted to power the sensors, the circuit and the processor from flux arising from current flowing in the power bus. The power supply includes one or more voltages.

Claims

1. A sensor apparatus for a power bus including a plurality of characteristics, said sensor apparatus comprising:

a housing;

at least one sensor, each of said at least one sensor being adapted to sense a characteristic of said power bus;

a circuit adapted to at least transmit a wireless signal;

a processor comprising a low-power mode and a routine adapted to wake up from said low-power mode, to input said sensed characteristic of said power bus from said at least one sensor, to output a corresponding signal to said circuit to transmit as said wireless signal, and to sleep in said low-power mode; and

a power supply adapted to power said at least one sensor, said circuit and said processor from flux arising from current flowing in said power bus, said power supply including at least one voltage.

2. The sensor apparatus of claim 1 wherein said power supply comprises a coil including an output having an alternating current voltage, a voltage multiplier circuit including an input electrically interconnected with the output of said coil and an output having a direct current voltage, and a voltage regulator including at least one output having said at least one voltage.

3. The sensor apparatus of claim 2 wherein said power supply further comprises a circuit adapted to monitor said output having the direct current voltage and disable said voltage regulator when said direct current voltage is below a predetermined value.

4. The sensor apparatus of claim 1 wherein said routine is further adapted to determine a power on initialization state of said processor and to responsively input said sensed characteristic of said power bus from said at least one sensor and output said corresponding signal to said circuit to transmit as said wireless signal before sleeping in said low-power mode, and, otherwise, to sleep in said low-power mode before inputting said sensed characteristic of said power bus from said at least one sensor and outputting said corresponding signal to said circuit to transmit as said wireless signal before sleeping again in said low-power mode.

5. The sensor apparatus of claim 4 wherein said power supply further comprises a circuit adapted to monitor said output having the direct current voltage and disable said voltage regulator when said direct current voltage is below a predetermined value;

and wherein said processor is adapted to wake up from said low-power mode after a predetermined time interval.

6. The sensor apparatus of claim 1 wherein said routine is further adapted to sleep in said low-power mode after waking up from said low-power mode and after outputting as said corresponding signal a single corresponding signal to said circuit to transmit as a single wireless signal.

7. The sensor apparatus of claim 1 wherein said routine is further adapted to sleep in said low-power mode after waking up from said low-power mode, after inputting a first sensed characteristic of said power bus from said at least one sensor, after outputting a first corresponding signal to said circuit to transmit as a first wireless signal, after inputting a second sensed characteristic of said power bus from said at least one sensor, and after outputting a second corresponding signal to said circuit to transmit as a second wireless signal.

8. The sensor apparatus of claim 1 wherein said routine is further adapted to prepare a message to output as said corresponding signal to said circuit.

9. The sensor apparatus of claim 8 wherein said routine is further adapted to determine whether to output said message as said corresponding signal to said circuit based upon a predetermined change in said sensed characteristic of said power bus.

10. The sensor apparatus of claim 8 wherein said circuit is further adapted to transmit as said wireless signal a first wireless signal and to receive a second wireless signal;

and wherein said routine is further adapted to process a received message from said received second wireless signal.

11. The sensor apparatus of claim 10 wherein said routine is further adapted to output a transmit message as said corresponding signal to said circuit in response to said received message.

12. The sensor apparatus of claim 1 wherein said processor is further adapted to wake up from said low-power mode in response to a predetermined change in said sensed characteristic of said power bus.

13. The sensor apparatus of claim 1 wherein said at least one sensor is a single sensor;

and wherein said housing encloses a first printed circuit board including said single sensor and also encloses a second printed circuit board including said circuit adapted to at least transmit a wireless signal.

14. The sensor apparatus of claim 13 wherein said second printed circuit board is a radio transceiver circuit board including an antenna output;

wherein said circuit adapted to at least transmit a wireless signal comprises an antenna formed from a printed conductor on said first printed circuit board; and

wherein said first printed circuit board comprises a connector electrically connecting said printed conductor to the antenna output of said radio transceiver circuit board.

15. The sensor apparatus of claim 1 wherein said characteristics of said power bus include a temperature of said power bus;

and wherein said at least one sensor is a temperature sensor adapted to sense the temperature of said power bus.

16. The sensor apparatus of claim 1 wherein said characteristics of said power bus include a current flowing in said power bus;

and wherein said at least one sensor comprises two Hall detectors adapted to sense said current.

17. The sensor apparatus of claim 1 wherein said circuit is adapted to transmit said wireless signal as a remote keyless entry frequency shift keying radio frequency signal.

18. The sensor apparatus of claim 1 wherein said wireless signal is adapted to trip a switchgear device.

19. The sensor apparatus of claim 1 wherein said wireless signal is adapted to alarm said sensed characteristic of said power bus.

20. The sensor apparatus of claim 1 wherein said wireless signal is adapted to display said sensed characteristic of said power bus.