Current protection apparatus and method
First Claim
1. A current protection apparatus, comprising:
- a current sampling circuit that samples a first current value consisting of a current flowing from a power source to a first load device;
a processing unit coupled to receive the first current value and controlled by a software program to compare the first current value with a predetermined current limit value to generate a first compare result; and
a switching circuit coupled between the power source and the first load device, the switching circuit interrupting the current flowing from the power source to the load device in response to at least the first compare result indicating that the first current value exceeds the predetermined current limit value.
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Accused Products
Abstract
A current protection apparatus (200) and current protection method (1000) that may include programmable current protection characteristics has been disclosed. A current protection apparatus (200) may include a power distribution unit (230) with power distribution outlets (PDO-1 to PDO-8), each having a corresponding circuit breaker unit (CB1 to CB8). Each circuit breaker unit (CB1 to CB8) may operate in response to a processing unit (236) that can sample current values flowing between a respective power distribution outlet (PDO-1 to PDO-8) and a load device (LD1 to LD8). Processing unit 236 may operate under control of software stored on a memory (238) to control a switching circuit (320). Current protection characteristics for each circuit breaker unit may be independently programmed and/or altered by a user, for example by way of a computer (250). In this way, each power distribution outlet (PDO-1 to PDO-8) may have current rating characteristics independently provided for a particular load device (LD1 to LD8).
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Citations
21 Claims
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1. A current protection apparatus, comprising:
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a current sampling circuit that samples a first current value consisting of a current flowing from a power source to a first load device; a processing unit coupled to receive the first current value and controlled by a software program to compare the first current value with a predetermined current limit value to generate a first compare result; and a switching circuit coupled between the power source and the first load device, the switching circuit interrupting the current flowing from the power source to the load device in response to at least the first compare result indicating that the first current value exceeds the predetermined current limit value. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9)
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10. A current protection apparatus for a power distribution unit, comprising:
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a current sampling circuit that samples a first current value of a first current flowing from a first power distribution outlet to a first load device and a second current value of a second current flowing from a second power distribution outlet to a second load device; a processing unit coupled to receive the first current value and the second current value and controlled by a software program to compare the first current value with a first predetermined current limit value to generate a first comparison result and compare the second current value with a second predetermined current limit value to generate a second comparison result; a first switching circuit coupled between the first power distribution outlet and the first load device, the first switching circuit interrupting the first current flowing from the first power distribution outlet to the first load device in response to at least the first compare result indicating that the first current value exceeds the first predetermined current limit value; and a second switching circuit coupled between the second power distribution outlet and the second load device, the second switching circuit interrupting the second current flowing from the second power distribution outlet to the second load device in response to at least the second compare result indicating that the second current value exceeds the second predetermined current limit value. - View Dependent Claims (11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16)
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17. A current protection apparatus for a power distribution unit, comprising
a current sampling circuit that samples a plurality of first current values, each first current value corresponding to a current flowing from one of a plurality of power distribution outlets to a corresponding one of a plurality of load devices; -
a processing unit coupled to receive the plurality of first current values and controlled by a software program to compare each of the plurality of first current values with a corresponding one of a plurality of predetermined current limit values to generate a plurality of first compare results; and a plurality of switching circuits, each one of the plurality of switching circuits coupled between one of the plurality of power distribution outlets and a corresponding one of the plurality of load devices, each one of the plurality of switching devices interrupting the corresponding one of the plurality of currents flowing between one of the plurality of power distribution outlets and the corresponding one of the plurality of load devices in response to at least the corresponding one of the plurality of first compare results indicating that the corresponding one of the plurality of first current values is greater than the corresponding one of the plurality of predetermined current limit values. - View Dependent Claims (18, 19, 20, 21)
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Specification