System and Method for Determining a Phase Conductor Supplying Power to a Device

• US 20100262395A1
• Filed: 03/01/2010
• Published: 10/14/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 04/08/2009
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Current Technologies International GmbH
• Original Assignee: Current Technologies International GmbH
• Inventors: Sharma, Manu, Wikiera, Jacek M., Lu, Yi Qun
• Application Number:
  US12/714,968
• Publication Number:
  US 20100262395A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 702/79
• CPC Class Codes: G01R 29/18 Indicating phase sequence; Indicating synchronism

Abstract

A system and method for determining one of a plurality of power line conductors to which a remote device is electrically connected is provided. In one embodiment the method includes transmitting a data beacon, determining a relative time period associated with each power line conductor between a zero crossing of the voltage of the power line conductor and the transmission of the data beacon, receiving the data beacon with the remote device, determining a first time period between reception of the data beacon and a zero crossing of a voltage at the first remote device, and transmitting data of the first time period to a computer system. The method further includes with the computer system receiving the data of the first time period, determining that the first time period satisfies a similarity threshold with a relative time period associated with a first power line conductor, and storing in a memory information associating the first remote device with the first power line conductor.

Claims

1. A method of using a system to determine one of a plurality of power line conductors to which a first remote device is electrically connected and wherein each power line conductor carries a different phase of power having a zero crossing of the alternative current (AC) voltage at a different point in time, the method comprising:

transmitting a data beacon;

determining a relative time period associated with each power line conductor that comprises a time period between a zero crossing of the voltage of the power line conductor and the transmission of the data beacon;

storing in a memory the relative time period associated with each power line conductor;

with the first remote device, receiving the data beacon;

with the first remote device, determining a first time period comprising a time period between reception of the data beacon and a zero crossing of a voltage at the first remote device;

with the first remote device, transmitting data of the first time period to a remote computer system;

with the computer system, receiving the data of the first time period;

with the computer system, determining that the first time period satisfies a similarity threshold with a relative time period associated with a first power line conductor; and

with the remote computer system, storing in a memory information associating the first remote device with the first power line conductor.

2. The method according to claim 1, further comprising with the computer system:

receiving a plurality of time periods transmitted from a plurality of remote devices connected to different power line phase conductors of the plurality of power line phase conductors.

3. The method according to claim 1, wherein said determining whether the first time period satisfies a similarity threshold comprises:

comparing the first time period with the relative time period of each power line conductor.

4. The method according to claim 1, wherein the first remote device comprises a electric power meter.

5. The method according to claim 1, wherein said transmitting the data beacon comprises wirelessly transmitting.

6. The method according to claim 1, wherein said determining that the first time period satisfies a similarity threshold comprises:

selecting the relative time period that is closest to the first time period.

7. The method according to claim 1, wherein said transmitting data of the first time period comprises wirelessly transmitting data of the first time period.

8. The method according to claim 1, wherein the plurality of power line conductors comprises medium voltage phase conductors and the first remote device is electrically connected to one of the medium voltage phase conductors via a low voltage power line and a distribution transformer.

9. The method according to claim 1, wherein the plurality of power line conductors comprises low voltage phase conductors and the first remote device is electrically connected to one of the low voltage phase conductors.

10. The method according to claim 1, further comprising outputting information identifying the first power line conductor as the power line conductor to which the first remote device is electrically connected.

11. The method according to claim 1, wherein the first time period comprises the time period between reception of the data beacon and a subsequent zero crossing of the voltage at the first remote device.

12. The method according to claim 1, wherein the first time period comprises the time period between reception of the data beacon and a prior zero crossing of the voltage at the first remote device

13. A system to determine one of a plurality of power line conductors to which a remote device is electrically connected and wherein at least some of the power line conductors have a zero crossing of an AC voltage of the power carried by the power line conductor at a different point in time, the system comprising:

a communication device configured to transmit a phase identifier message;

a controller configured to determine a relative time period associated with each power line conductor that comprises a time period between a zero crossing of the voltage of the power line conductor and the transmission of the phase identifier message;

a memory configured to store the relative time period associated with each power line conductor;

a remote device configured to monitor a voltage of a low voltage power line and to receive the phase identifier message;

wherein said remote device is configured to determine a first time period comprising a time period between a the zero crossing of the voltage and the reception of the phase identifier message;

wherein said remote device is configured to transmit a notification that includes information of the first time period to a computer system and information identifying the remote device;

said computer system configured to select a first power line conductor having an associated relative time period that that satisfies a similarity threshold with the first time period; and

wherein said computer system is configured to output information identifying the first power line conductor.

14. The system according to claim 13, wherein the first time period comprises the time period between reception of the phase identifier message and a prior zero crossing of the voltage at the first remote device.

15. The system according to claim 13, wherein the first time period comprises the time period between reception of the phase identifier message and a subsequent zero crossing of the voltage at the first remote device.

16. The system according to claim 13, wherein said remote device comprises a controller in communication with a memory and a modem.

17. The system according to claim 13, wherein said communication device is configured to wirelessly transmit the phase identifier message.

18. The system according to claim 13, wherein said computer system is configured to select a first power line conductor having an associated relative time period that that satisfies a similarity threshold with the first time period by selecting the power line conductor having an associated relative time period that is closest to the first time period.

19. The system according to claim 13, wherein said computer system is configured to select a first power line conductor having an associated relative time period that that satisfies a similarity threshold with the first time period by comparing the first time period with the relative time period of each power line conductor.

20. The system according to claim 13, wherein the first remote device comprises a electric power meter.

21. The method according to claim 13, wherein the plurality of power line conductors comprises medium voltage power line conductors and said remote device is electrically connected to one of the medium voltage power line conductors via a low voltage power line and a distribution transformer.

22. A method of using a computer system to determine one of a plurality of power line conductors to which a remote device is electrically connected and wherein at least some of the power line conductors have a zero crossing of an AC voltage of the power carried by the power line conductor at a different point in time, the method comprising:

transmitting a phase identifier message;

determining a relative time period associated with each power line conductor that comprises a time period between a zero crossing of the voltage of the power line conductor and the transmission of the phase identifier message;

storing in a memory the relative time period associated with each power line conductor;

with a first remote device, receiving the phase identifier message;

with the first remote device, determining a first time period comprising a time period between reception of the phase identifier message and a zero crossing of a voltage at the first remote device;

with the first remote device, transmitting data of the first time period to a remote computer system;

with the computer system, receiving the data of the first time period;

with the computer system, accessing the memory to determine that the first remote device is electrically connected to a first power line conductor based on;

(a) the relative time period associated with the first power line conductor; and

(b) the data of the first time period.

23. The method according to claim 22, further comprising with the computer system, outputting information indicating that the first remote device is electrically connected to the first power line conductor.

24. The method according to claim 22, wherein the relative time period associated with each power line conductor comprises the time period between a zero crossing of the voltage of the power line conductor and a subsequent transmission of the phase identifier message.

25. The method according to claim 22, further comprising:

with a second remote device, receiving the phase identifier message;

with the second remote device, determining a second time period comprising a time between reception of the phase identifier message and a zero crossing of a voltage at the second remote device;

with the second remote device, transmitting data of the second time period to the remote computer system;

with the computer system, receiving the data of the second time period;

with the computer system, accessing the memory to determine that the second remote device is electrically connected to a second power line conductor based on;

(a) the relative time period associated with the second power line conductor; and

(b) the data of the second time period.

26. The method according to claim 25, wherein said computer system is configured to access the memory to determine that the first remote device is electrically connected to a first power line by selecting the power line conductor having an associated relative time period that is closest to the first time period.

27. The method according to claim 22, wherein said transmitting a first phase identifier message comprises wirelessly transmitting.

28. The method according to claim 22, wherein the relative time period associated with each power line conductor comprises the time period between a zero crossing of the voltage of the power line conductor and a prior transmission of the phase identifier message.

29. The method according to claim 22, wherein said computer system is configured to access the memory to determine that the first remote device is electrically connected to a first power line by comparing the first time period with the relative time period of each power line conductor.