POWER METER HAVING FAULT TOLERANCE

• US 20090066527A1
• Filed: 09/07/2007
• Published: 03/12/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 09/07/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Power Measurement Ltd. (Schneider Electric SE)
• Original Assignee: Power Measurement Ltd. (Schneider Electric SE)
• Inventors: TEACHMAN, Michael E.
• Granted Patent: US 8,493,231 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 340/657
• CPC Class Codes: G01R 11/25 Arrangements for indicating or signalling faults
• CPC Class Codes: G01R 22/10 using digital techniques
• CPC Class Codes: G01R 35/04 of instruments for measuring time integral of power or current

Abstract

A power meter having fault tolerance enhances the monitoring of electrical power by increasing the reliability of data output by the power meter having fault tolerance. The power meter having fault tolerance may enhance the monitoring process by transitioning from a faulty power monitoring device to a non-faulty power monitoring device without losing or corrupting power management data.

Claims

1. A power meter having fault tolerance, comprising:

a housing;

a first power monitoring device that performs a power management function and transmits power management data, the first power monitoring device positioned within the housing; and

a second power monitoring device that performs the power management function and transmits power management data that is not transmitted by the first power monitoring device, the second power monitoring device positioned within the housing.

2. The power meter of claim 1, further comprising a controller in communication with the first power monitoring device, the second power monitoring device, and a network, and where the controller controls transmission of power management data from the first power monitoring device and the second power monitoring device.

3. The power meter of claim 2, where the first power monitoring device generates a fault signal indicative of an operating state of the first power monitoring device.

4. The power meter of claim 3, where the first power monitoring device is further configured to perform verify that transmitted power monitoring data is substantially identical to generated power monitoring data.

5. The power meter of claim 3, further comprising a display that displays the operating state of the first power monitoring device.

6. The power meter of claim 3, where the second power monitoring device generates a fault status signal indicative of an operating state of the second power monitoring device.

7. The power meter of claim 6, further comprising a display that displays the operating state of the second power monitoring device.

8. The power meter of claim 1, where the second power monitoring device is in communication with the first power monitoring device, and where the second power monitoring device monitors a first power monitoring device status signal.

9. The power meter of claim 8, where the first power monitoring device and the second power monitoring device are in communication with a network.

10. The power meter of claim 9, where a connection to the network comprises a bi-directional transmission medium.

11. The power meter of claim 8, where the first power monitoring device transmits the first power monitoring device status signal at a periodic interval.

12. The power meter of claim 11, where the periodic interval comprises about one second.

13. The power meter of claim 8, further comprising an interface in communication with the first power monitoring device, the second power monitoring device, and the network connection, where the interface is positioned between the network connection and the first power monitoring device and the second power monitoring device.

14. The power meter of claim 13, further comprising a first communication device in communication with the interface.

15. The power meter of claim 14, further comprising a second communication device in communication with the interface.

16. A power meter having fault tolerance, comprising:

a housing;

a first power monitoring device that performs a power management function and generates power management data, the first power monitoring device positioned within the housing;

a second power monitoring device that performs the power management function and generates power management data, the second power monitoring device positioned within the housing; and

means for transmitting the power management data from the second power monitoring device when the first power monitoring device cannot transmit the power management data.

17. A method of providing fault tolerance to a power meter, comprising:

receiving electrical data;

performing a power management function on the electrical data at a first power monitoring device to generate power management data;

performing the power management function on the electrical data at a second power monitoring device to generate the power management data;

detecting a fault status at the first power monitoring device; and

transmitting from the second power monitoring device the power management data that cannot be transmitted by the first power monitoring device.

18. The method of claim 17, where the act of detecting a fault at the first power monitoring device comprises receiving a fault status signal indicating the fault.

19. The method of claim 17, where the act of detecting a fault at the first power monitoring device comprises executing a loopback test at a communication device in communication with the first power monitoring device.

20. The method of claim 17, where the act of detecting a fault at the first power monitoring device comprises not receiving a response to a status query within a determined time period.

21. The method of claim 17, further comprising displaying an operational status of the first power monitoring device on a display.