Apparatus And Method For Mapping A Wired Network

• US 20100085894A1
• Filed: 10/29/2007
• Published: 04/08/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 10/27/2006
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Efacto, LLC
• Original Assignee: Outsmart Power Systems, LLC
• Inventors: Mehlman, Jeffrey A., Johnson, Kevin M., Hilton, Paul C. M.
• Application Number:
  US12/447,138
• Publication Number:
  US 20100085894A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 370/254
• CPC Class Codes: H02G 3/00 Installations of electric cables or lines or protective tubing therefor in or on buildings, equivalent structures or vehicles installations of bus-bars H02G5/00; overhead installations H02G7/00; installations in or on the ground H02G9/00

Abstract

The present disclosure relates to a device, system and method for generating an electrical wiring diagram of an electrical network containing nodes by determining node locations with respect to other nodes and mapping the nodes. The nodes may include a processor, a sensor and a low voltage power supply and may be configured to supply and detect an electrical signal. A processor may also be provided, which may be configured to identify the node locations in the network relative to other nodes and performing the function of mapping.

Claims

1. A system for determining the electrical connections for a network of wired nodes comprising:

an electrical power distribution system;

a plurality of nodes connected to said power distribution system;

each of said nodes configured to supply and detect a node electrical signal such that the direction from which said node electrical signal was supplied can be ascertained;

said system configured to identify the wiring configuration of said nodes relative to other nodes based upon said node electrical signal.

2. The system of claim 1 wherein said system includes a processor for identifying said wiring configuration of said nodes relative to other nodes.

3. The system of claim 2 wherein said processor is a central processor.

4. The system of claim 3, wherein said central processor is positioned in a breaker supply panel and is configured to communicate via one or more phases simultaneously.

5. The system of claim 2, wherein each of said nodes includes a processor and said plurality of processors identify said wiring configuration of said nodes relative to other nodes.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein each of said nodes is configured to communicate its state to the system.

7. The system of claim 1 wherein said node electrical signal is a voltage signal generated by said node and modified to create a different signal upstream versus downstream.

8. The system of claim 1 wherein said node electrical signal is an incremental load.

9. The system of claim 1, wherein said system is further configured to map said nodes to a location associated with a physical location.

10. The system of claim 1, further comprising a breaker in communication with at least one of said plurality of nodes, wherein if said breaker is tripped, said breaker is configured to provide communication from said breaker to at least one node.

11. The system of claim 10, wherein said node is self powered and configured to communicate when said breaker is tripped.

12. The system of claim 10, wherein said breaker is configured to provide power to said node(s) when said breaker is tripped.

13. The system of claim 2, wherein said processor is configured to initiate a roll call, identifying said plurality of nodes, and synchronize said plurality of nodes by issuing a synchronization command wherein each of said nodes is configured to record a line cycle number at the time of receiving said synchronization command.

14. The system of claim 1, further configured to:

characterize a load attached to a node based on one or more of the following characteristics and/or their cross correlation;

power usage, current draw, power factor, duty cycle, start up current, shut down current, standby power, line voltage, current wave form, time of day, date, location and/or environmental conditions; and

create a use profile over time from which departures over time can be detected and one of the following actions may be taken;

an alert may be sent, the change may be ignored, the change may be recorded or power may be shut off.

15. The system of claim 1, further configured to develop a cost profile over time for power consumed by at least one of said nodes.

16. A system for determining the electrical connections for a network of wired nodes comprising:

at least three nodes connected to a common bus;

each of said nodes configured to supply and detect a node electrical signal along said common bus such that the direction from which said node electrical signal was supplied can be ascertained;

said system configured to identify the wiring configuration of said nodes relative to other nodes based upon said node electrical signal.

17. The system according to claim 16, wherein there is more than one common bus.

18. A node comprising:

a conductive pathway;

a sensor in communication with said conductive pathway configured to measure current in said conductive patheway and/or voltage between said conductive pathway and another location;

a switchable load connected between said conductive pathway and another location;

a microcontroller in communication with said sensor and said switchable load, configured to send and receive a node electrical signal such that the directionality of signals sent from other such nodes may be ascertained.

19. The node of claim 18, wherein said node includes a user detectable signal.

20. The node of claim 18, wherein said conductive pathway passes through said node.

21. The node of claim 18, wherein said conductive pathway passes from said node to an electrical load.

22. The node of claim 18, wherein said conductive pathway passes around said node and said sensor is tethered to said node.

23. A method for identifying unintended power dissipation comprising:

identifying at least one upstream node and at least one downstream node;

identifying power transmitted through said upstream node to be delivered to said downstream node;

determining a difference between the power transmitted by said upstream node and the power drawn from and through said downstream node; and

determining if there is a unsafe level of unintended power dissipation and providing an alert and/or removing power from a node upstream of where the unintended power dissipation may have occurred.

24. The method of claim 23 including identifying a plurality of downstream nodes associated with said upstream node and summing the power drawn from or through said downstream nodes and determining the difference between said power transmitted by said upstream node and the sum of the power drawn from or through said downstream nodes.

25. A method for mapping comprising:

providing a plurality of nodes on a power distribution network, each of said nodes configured to supply and detect a node electrical signal and a processor for identifying said wiring configuration of said nodes relative to other nodes;

initiating a roll call, identifying said plurality of nodes based upon said node electrical signals; and

identifying a wiring configuration of said nodes relative to other nodes based upon said node electrical signals.