Intelligent electronic device with embedded multi-port data packet controller

• US 20070147415A1
• Filed: 12/23/2005
• Published: 06/28/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 12/23/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: GE Infrastructure Technology, LLC (General Electric Company)
• Original Assignee: General Electric Company
• Inventors: Mazereeuw, Jeffrey, Marusca, Ioan, Kasztenny, Bogdan, Pilon, Michael
• Granted Patent: US 8,730,834 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 370/465
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/0817 by checking functioning
• CPC Class Codes: Y04S 40/00 Systems for electrical power generation, transmission, distribution or end-user application management characterised by the use of communication or information technologies, or communication or information technology specific aspects supporting them

Abstract

An intelligent electronic device (IED) configured to supervise a process having a state has at least one of a current, voltage or resistive input configured to monitor the state of the process, a binary status input configured to monitor the state of the process, a binary status input configured to receive a digitally encoded serial communication package for monitoring the state of the process, a control output configured to output a signal to control process protection, control, or automation, or a combination thereof, or a control output configured to output a digitally encoded serial communication package to control protection, control, or automation, or a combination thereof. The IED is also configured to facilitate digital communication between at least two compatible devices by directing communication packets from ports connected to an originating compatible device to ports connected to a destination compatible device.

Claims

1. An intelligent electronic device (IED) supervising a process having a state, the IED further having at least one of:

a) at least one current, voltage or resistive input configured to monitor the state of the process;

b) at least one binary status input configured to monitor the state of the process;

c) at least one binary status input configured to receive a digitally encoded serial communication package for monitoring the state of the process;

d) at least one control output configured to output a signal to control process protection, control, or automation, or a combination thereof;

e) at least one control output configured to output a digitally encoded serial communication package to control protection, control, or automation, or a combination thereof;

and said IED configured to facilitate digital communication between at least two compatible devices by directing communication packets from ports connected to an originating said compatible device to ports connected to a destination said compatible device.

2. An IED in accordance with claim 1 in which the originating and destination devices are internal to said IED.

3. An IED in accordance with claim 1 configured to facilitate digital communication by directing communication packets in accordance with addressing information carried by the packets.

4. An IED in accordance with claim 1 wherein to direct communication packets, said IED configured to buffer received packets before sending them if a destination port is busy.

5. An IED in accordance with claim 4 further configured to tag packets with a priority and to elevate packets waiting for transmission and having high priorities be elevated in the buffer.

6. An IED in accordance with claim 1 wherein said communication ports are configured to utilize either electrical physical connections, optical physical connections, or wireless connections, or a combination thereof.

7. An IED in accordance with claim 6 wherein said communication ports include electrical ports shared with power supply lines of said IED.

8. An IED in accordance with claim 1 further comprising a packet directing circuit isolated from other circuitry so said packet directing circuit or said other circuitry can function independently of one another in the event of a failure of either.

9. An IED in accordance with claim 8 in which said packet directing circuit is controlled by firmware or software residing in a memory internal to said IED.

10. An IED in accordance with claim 9 in which said firmware or software is independently modifiable.

11. An IED in accordance with claim 1 having an internal clock, and said IED is configured to synchronize said internal clock via a timing signal received via a port.

12. An IED in accordance with claim 11 wherein said internal clock is a time and date clock or a sampling clock.

13. An IED in accordance with claim 1 configured to alter a transmit signal for a given said port in response to a failure of a receive signal of the same said port, to force a connected IED to switch transmission to an alternate port.

14. An IED in accordance with claim 1 having a plurality of communication ports configured for different media and different protocols.

15. An IED in accordance with claim 1 further configured to transmit at least some packets that include more than one compatible IED.

16. An IED in accordance with claim 1 having at least one port configured to communicate encrypted information, manage security of the encrypted communication, or both.

17. A network comprising:

a plurality of communicating devices;

at least one intelligent electronic device (IED) that supervises a process having a state, each said IEDs further having at least one of;

a) at least one current, voltage or resistive input configured to monitor the state of the process;

b) at least one binary status input configured to monitor the state of the process;

c) at least one binary status input configured to receive a digitally encoded serial communication package for monitoring the state of the process;

d) at least one control output configured to output a signal to control process protection, control, or automation, or a combination thereof;

e) at least one control output configured to output a digitally encoded serial communication package to control protection, control, or automation, or a combination thereof;

and each said IED further configured to facilitate digital communication between at least two compatible devices by directing communication packets from ports connected to an originating said compatible device to ports connected to a destination said compatible device.

18. A network in accordance with claim 17 wherein said network is compatible with each said IED, said originating compatible device and said destination compatible device, and said originating compatible device and said destination compatible device are connected directly to said IED.

19. A network in accordance with claim 17 wherein said network is a self-healing network.

20. A network in accordance with claim 17 wherein said network is a star, ring, daisy-chain, or physical media sharing network.