Apparatus and Methods for Mapping a Wired Network

• US 20110210717A1
• Filed: 03/04/2011
• Published: 09/01/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 09/05/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Efacto, LLC
• Original Assignee: Outsmart Power Systems, LLC
• Inventors: JOHNSON, Kevin M., HILTON, Paul C. M.
• Granted Patent: US 8,638,085 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 324/66
• CPC Class Codes: G01R 19/15 Indicating the presence of current
• 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 system and method for determining the electrical connections of a plurality of nodes. The nodes may include an electrical power distribution system including a plurality of nodes, connected to the power distribution system. At least two of the nodes include node electronics, at least one of the nodes is configured to be operatively coupled to an external power drawing load, and at least one of the nodes upstream from the node configured to be operatively coupled to the external power drawing load is configured to detect power drawn by the external power drawing load. The at least one upstream node is configured to send a node electrical signals using the node electronics indicating that the drawn power was detected. The system is configured to identify the wiring configuration of the plurality of nodes relative to each other based on the node electrical signal.

Claims

1. A system for determining the electrical connections of a plurality of nodes, comprising:

an electrical power distribution system including

a plurality of nodes, connected to said power distribution system, wherein at least two of said nodes includes node electronics;

wherein at least one of said nodes is configured to be operatively coupled to an external power drawing load and at least one of said nodes upstream from said node configured to be operatively coupled to the external power drawing load is configured to detect power drawn by said external power drawing load and said at least one upstream node is configured to send a node electrical signal using said node electronics indicating that said drawn power was detected; and

said system is configured to identify the wiring configuration of said plurality of nodes relative to each other based on said node electrical signal.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein said node electronics further includes a sensor for detecting said drawn power.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein said node configured to be operatively coupled to an external power drawing load is also configured to detect said power drawn from said external power drawing load.

4. The system of claim 1, further comprising a processor in communication with said plurality of nodes configured to receive said node electrical signal and identify said wiring configuration using said node electrical signal.

5. The system of claim 4, wherein said processor is configured to initiate a roll call and said plurality of nodes are configured to provide an identifying node electrical signal.

6. The system of claim 5, wherein said processor is configured to initiate said roll call upon providing power to said processor.

7. A method for determining the electrical connections of a network of a plurality of nodes comprising:

operatively coupling an external power drawing load to one of a plurality of nodes on a conductive pathway, wherein said node is downstream from at least one upstream node of said plurality of nodes and said external power drawing load draws power from said conductive pathway,

detecting by said at least one upstream node that said power has been drawn by said external power drawing load; and

identifying a wiring configuration of said nodes relative to other nodes based upon which upstream nodes detected said power drawn.

8. The method of claim 7, further comprising, supplying a node electrical signal by said at least one upstream node to a processor upon detecting said power draw.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein said processor identifies said wiring configuration using said node electrical signals.

10. The method of claim 7, wherein said external power drawing load is an appliance or device to which power is being provided for operation.

11. The method of claim 7, further comprising initiating a roll call, whereupon said plurality of nodes send an identifying node electrical signal.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein said roll call is initiated by a processor upon providing power to said processor.

13. The method of claim 7, further comprising operatively coupling said external power drawing load to all of said nodes on said conductive pathway.

14. The method of claim 7, wherein said node to which said external power drawing load is operatively coupled detects said power drawn by said external power drawing load.

15. The method of claim 7, wherein detecting said power drawn includes detecting changes in said power drawn.

16. A node for mapping an electrical power distribution system comprising:

a conductive pathway, wherein said conductive pathway includes a hot conductor and a neutral conductor;

a ground conductor;

a sensor operatively coupled to said conductive pathway, wherein said sensor is configured to measure an imbalance of current pass through the conductive pathway;

a microcontroller, in communication with said sensor and a communications chip, configured to send a node electrical signal through said conductive pathway by said communications chip; and

a switchable load configured to connect to said hot conductor and to said ground conductor and in communication with said microcontroller.

17. The node of claim 16, wherein at least a portion of said conductive pathway is coupled to said node.

18. The node of claim 16, wherein said sensor is tethered to said node.

19. A system for determining the electrical connections of a plurality of nodes, comprising:

an electrical power distribution system including

a conductive pathway;

a ground conductor;

a plurality of nodes, connected to said power distribution system, wherein at least one node is upstream from at least another node, which is downstream, and at least two of said nodes includes node electronics;

wherein said node electronics are configured to draw current from said conductive pathway to said ground conductor; and

wherein said upstream node is configured to determine whether said downstream node has drawn current from said conductive pathway to said ground conductor and to send a node electrical signal using said node electronics indicating that said current draw was detected; and

wherein said system is configured to identify the wiring configuration of said plurality of nodes relative to each other based on said node electrical signal.

20. The system of claim 19, wherein said node electronics further includes a sensor configured to determine an imbalance in current passing through said conductive pathway.

21. The system of claim 19, wherein said node electronics include a switchable micro-load, configured to draw said current to said ground conductor.

22. The system of claim 19, further comprising a processor in communication with said plurality of nodes configured to receive said node electrical signal and identify said wiring configuration using said node electrical signal.

23. A method for determining the electrical connections for a network of a plurality nodes comprising:

drawing by at least one downstream node current from a conductive pathway to a ground conductor;

determining by at least one node upstream from said downstream node that current has been drawn from said conductive pathway; and

identifying a wiring configuration of said nodes relative to other nodes based upon which upstream nodes identify said current drawn to said ground conductor.

24. The method of claim 23, wherein said downstream node includes a micro-load and said micro-load draws said current to said ground conductor.

25. The method of claim 23, further comprising, supplying a node electrical signal by said at least one upstream node to a processor upon determining that said current has been drawn.

26. The method of claim 25, wherein said processor identifies a wiring configuration using said node electrical signal.

27. The method of claim 25, wherein said processor provides an initiation signal to said nodes indicating to said nodes to draw current.

28. The method of claim 27, wherein said processor provides said initiation signal to all of said nodes and said nodes draw said current at a different time.

29. The method of claim 27, wherein said processor provides said initiation signal to one of said nodes.