Current protection apparatus and method

• US 20080019068A1
• Filed: 05/19/2006
• Published: 01/24/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 05/06/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Cyber Switching Patents LLC
• Original Assignee: Cyber Switching Incorporated
• Inventors: Reynolds, Charles H., Silorio, Ron L., Reynolds, Gregory A.
• Granted Patent: US 7,672,104 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 361/93.1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/26 Power supply means, e.g. regulation thereof for memories G11C
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/266 Arrangements to supply power to external peripherals either directly from the computer or under computer control, e.g. supply of power through the communication port, computer controlled power-strips
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2200/261 PC controlled powerstrip
• CPC Class Codes: H02H 3/08 responsive to excess current responsive to abnormal temperature caused by excess current H02H5/04
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/10 Current supply arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/12 Arrangements for remote connection or disconnection of substations or of equipment thereof
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/02 based on web technology, e.g. hypertext transfer protocol [HTTP]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/025 for remote control or remote monitoring of applications
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/329 in the application layer [OSI layer 7]
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 11/007 with remote control systems remote control in general G08C
• CPC Class Codes: Y02B 70/30 Systems integrating technologies related to power network operation and communication or information technologies for improving the carbon footprint of the management of residential or tertiary loads, i.e. smart grids as climate change mitigation technology in the buildings sector, including also the last stages of power distribution and the control, monitoring or operating management systems at local level
• CPC Class Codes: Y02D 30/50 in wire-line communication networks, e.g. low power modes or reduced link rate
• CPC Class Codes: Y04S 20/20 End-user application control systems

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).

Claims

1. A current protection method, comprising the steps of:

sampling a current value consisting of a current flowing from a power source to a load device for at least one current characteristic; and

interrupting the current flowing from the power source to the load device according to a comparison between the at least one current characteristic and at least one programmable limit.

2. The current protection method according to claim 1, wherein:

the at least one programmable limit is a predetermined current limit value.

3. The current protection method according to claim 1, wherein:

the at least one programmable limit is a predetermined time period and the current value exceeds a predetermined current limit value for essentially the predetermined time period.

4. The current protection method of claim 3, wherein:

the at least one programmable limit includes the predetermined current limit value.

5. The current protection method of claim 3, wherein:

the step of sampling a current value of a current flowing from a power source to a load device for at least one current characteristic is repeated a plurality of times during the predetermined time period.

6. The current protection method of claim 1, wherein:

the step of sampling a current value includes taking current readings of the current flowing from the power source to the load device and performing parametric calculations with the current readings to provide the current value.

7. The current protection method of claim 6, wherein the current value is determined from performing parametric calculations from the group consisting of:

peak current, root mean square current, and crest factor harmonic current.

8. The current protection method of claim 1, wherein:

the step of interrupting the current flowing from the power source to the load device is performed automatically according to the comparison between the at least one current characteristic and at least one programmable limit.

9. A current protection method for a power distribution unit, comprising the steps of:

sampling 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;

comparing the first current value with a first predetermined current limit value and the second current value with a second predetermined current limit value; and

interrupting the first current flowing from the first power distribution outlet to the first load device in response to the first current value exceeding the first predetermined current limit value and interrupting the second current flowing from the second power distribution outlet to the second load device in response to the second current value exceeding the second predetermined current limit value.

10. The current protection method according to claim 9, wherein:

the first predetermined current limit value and the second predetermined current limit value are programmable.

11. The current protection method according to claim 9, wherein:

the step of comparing the first current value with a first predetermined current limit value and the second current value with a second predetermined current limit value is performed with software.

12. The current protection method according to claim 9, wherein:

when the step of comparing the first current value results in the first current value exceeding the first predetermined current limit value, repeating the step of sampling the first current value and the step of comparing the first current value with the first predetermined current limit value after a first predetermined time period and when the step of comparing the second current value results in the second current value exceeding the second predetermined current limit value, repeating the step of sampling the second current value and the step of comparing the second current value with the second predetermined current limit value after a second predetermined time period; and

interrupting the first current flowing from the first power distribution outlet only when the second step of comparing results in the first current value exceeding the first predetermined current limit value and interrupting the second current flowing from the second power distribution outlet only when the second step of comparing results in the second current value exceeding the second predetermined current limit value.

13. The current protection method according to claim 12, wherein:

the first predetermined time period and the second predetermined time period are the same.

14. The current protection method according to claim 12, wherein:

the first predetermined time period and the second predetermined time period are different.

15. The current protection method according to claim 12, wherein:

the step of comparing the first current value with the first predetermined current limit value after the first predetermined time period and the step of sampling the second current value and the step of comparing the second current value with the second predetermined current limit value after the second predetermined time period are performed with software.

16. A current protection method for a power distribution unit, comprising the steps of:

sampling a plurality of current values for a plurality of currents, each of the plurality of currents comprising a current flowing between one of a plurality of power distribution outlets and a corresponding load device;

comparing each of the plurality of current values with a corresponding one of a plurality of predetermined current limit values; and

interrupting the current flowing between the corresponding power distribution outlet and the corresponding load device if the corresponding current value is greater than the corresponding predetermined current limit value.

17. The current protection method for a power distribution unit of claim 16, wherein:

each of the plurality of predetermined current limit values is programmable.

18. The current protection method for a power distribution unit of claim 17, wherein:

the step of comparing each of the plurality of current values with the corresponding one of the plurality of predetermined current limit values is performed with software.

19. A current protection computer program embodied on computer readable media, comprising:

a reading code portion for reading a plurality of current values for a plurality of currents, each of the plurality of currents comprising a current flowing between one of a plurality of power distribution outlets and a corresponding load device; and

a comparing code portion for comparing each of the plurality of current values with a corresponding one of a plurality of predetermined current limit values and providing an interrupt command for interrupting the current flowing between the corresponding power distribution outlet and the corresponding load device if the corresponding current value is greater than the corresponding predetermined current limit value.

20. The current protection computer program embodied on computer readable media according to claim 19, wherein:

each one of the plurality of predetermined current limit values is programmable.

21. The current protection computer program embodied on computer readable media according to claim 19, wherein:

the reading code portion reads the plurality of current values during a predetermined time period; and

the comparing code portion provides the interrupt command if the corresponding current value is greater than the corresponding predetermined current value for essentially the predetermined time period.

22. The current protection computer program embodied on computer readable media according to claim 21, wherein:

the predetermined time period is programmable.