Intelligent electronic device having audible and visual interface

• US 20080086222A1
• Filed: 10/30/2006
• Published: 04/10/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 10/28/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: EI Electronics LLC (Hubbell, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Electro Industries/Gaugetech
• Inventors: Kagan, Erran
• Granted Patent: US 8,442,660 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 700/22
• CPC Class Codes: G01D 4/002 Remote reading of utility meters
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 23/027 Alarm generation, e.g. communication protocol; Forms of alarm
• 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 10/52 Outage or fault management, e.g. fault detection or location
• CPC Class Codes: Y04S 20/30 Smart metering, e.g. specially adapted for remote reading

Abstract

An intelligent electronic device having an audible and visual interface for providing audible and visual instructions to a user in an event of an alarm or trouble indication in the electrical power system. The intelligent electronic device includes at least one sensor configured for measuring at least one power parameter of an electrical circuit and generating at least one analog signal indicative of the at least one power parameter; at least one digital to analog converter for receiving the at least one analog signal and converting the at least one analog signal to at least one digital signal; a processor configured for receiving the at least one digital signal and detecting at least one event occurring in the electrical circuit; and an interface configured for providing instructions associated to the at least one detected event. The instructions may be in the form of text, audio and/or video.

Claims

1. An intelligent electronic device for monitoring power usage of an electrical circuit comprising:

at least one sensor coupled to the electric circuit configured for measuring at least one power parameter of the electrical circuit and generating at least one analog signal indicative of the at least one power parameter;

at least one digital to analog converter coupled to the at least one sensor configured for receiving the at least one analog signal and converting the at least one analog signal to at least one digital signal;

a processor configured for receiving the at least one digital signal and detecting at least one event occurring in the electrical circuit; and

an interface configured for providing instructions associated to the at least one detected event.

2. The intelligent electronic device as in claim 1, wherein the interface includes a display device configured for providing text instructions.

3. The intelligent electronic device as in claim 2, wherein the text instructions is a operating manual, a flowchart or checklist.

4. The intelligent electronic device as in claim 1, wherein the interface includes an audio output device configured for providing audible instructions.

5. The intelligent electronic device as in claim 4, further comprising an audio input device configured for recording audible instructions.

6. The intelligent electronic device as in claim 1, wherein the interface includes a display device configured for providing video instructions.

7. The intelligent electronic device as in claim 1, wherein the at least one detected event is an alarm condition.

8. The intelligent electronic device as in claim 1, further comprising a memory configured to store a first plurality of predetermined instructions, each of the first plurality of predetermined instructions associated with at least one event.

9. The intelligent electronic device as in claim 8, wherein the memory is removable.

10. The intelligent electronic device as in claim 8, further comprising a communication device configured for retrieving a second plurality of predetermined instructions from a remote server over a network and storing the second plurality of predetermined instructions in the memory.

11. The intelligent electronic device as in claim 10, wherein the communication device communicates via Transmission Control Protocol/ Internet Protocol (TCP/IP), File Transfer Protocol (FTP), Hypertext Transfer Protocol (HTTP), Internet Protocol Security Protocol (IPSec), Point-to-Point Tunneling Protocol (PPTP) or Secure Sockets Layer (SSL) Protocol.

12. The intelligent electronic device as in claim 1, further comprising a communication device configured for conducting voice communications to a remote location.

13. The intelligent electronic device as in claim 12, wherein the communication device communicates via GPRS (General Packet Radio Service) data protocol or a 3G protocol.

14. The intelligent electronic device as in claim 1, further comprising a communication device configured for retrieving at least one associated instruction from a remote server upon at least one detected event.

15. In an intelligent electronic device for monitoring power usage of an electrical circuit, a method for providing instructions comprising:

measuring at least one power parameter of the electrical circuit and generating at least one analog signal indicative of the at least one power parameter;

receiving the at least one analog signal and converting the at least one analog signal to at least one digital signal;

receiving the at least one digital signal and detecting at least one event occurring in the electrical circuit; and

providing instructions associated to the at least one detected event.

16. The method as in claim 15, wherein the instructions are text instructions.

17. The method as in claim 16, wherein the text instructions is a operating manual, a flowchart or checklist.

18. The method as in claim 15, wherein the instructions are audible instructions.

19. The method as in claim 15, wherein the instructions are video instructions.

20. The method as in claim 15, wherein the at least one detected event is an alarm condition.

21. The method as in claim 15, wherein the providing step further comprising retrieving the instructions from a first plurality of predetermined instructions stored in a memory of the intelligent electronic device, each of the first plurality of predetermined instructions associated with at least one event.

22. The method as in claim 21, further comprising retrieving a second plurality of predetermined instructions from a remote server over a network.

23. The method as in claim 22, further comprising storing the second plurality of predetermined instructions in a memory of the intelligent electronic device.

24. The method as in claim 22, wherein the intelligent electronic device communicates over the network via Transmission Control Protocol/ Internet Protocol (TCP/IP), File Transfer Protocol (FTP), Hypertext Transfer Protocol (HTTP), Internet Protocol Security Protocol (IPSec), Point-to-Point Tunneling Protocol (PPTP) or Secure Sockets Layer (SSL) Protocol.

25. The method as in claim 15, further comprising conducting voice communications to a remote location.

26. The method as in claim 25, wherein the intelligent electronic device communicates via GPRS (General Packet Radio Service) data protocol or a 3G protocol.

27. The method as in claim 15, further comprising retrieving at least one associated instruction from a remote server upon at least one detected event.

28. A system for providing instructions to a user of an electrical power distribution system, the system comprising:

an intelligent electronic device for monitoring power usage of at least one electrical circuit of the electrical power distribution system including;

at least one sensor coupled to the electric circuit configured for measuring at least one power parameter of the electrical circuit and generating at least one analog signal indicative of the at least one power parameter;

at least one digital to analog converter coupled to the at least one sensor configured for receiving the at least one analog signal and converting the at least one analog signal to at least one digital signal;

a processor configured for receiving the at least one digital signal and detecting at least one event occurring in the electrical circuit;

an interface configured for providing instructions associated to the at least one detected event; and

a communication device configured for coupling the intelligent electronic device to a network; and

a server coupled to the network including a database for storing a plurality of predetermined instructions, wherein upon detecting the at least one event, the communication device retrieves at least one instruction associated to the at least one detected event from the plurality of predetermined instructions.

29. The system as in claim 28, wherein upon detecting the at least one event, the communication device retrieves updating operating instructions from the server.