APPARATUS AND METHOD FOR IMPROVED GEO-LOCATION OF UTILITY EQUIPMENT

• US 20140244166A1
• Filed: 02/28/2013
• Published: 08/28/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 02/28/2013
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Eaton Corp. (Wisconsin) (Eaton Corporation PLC.)
• Original Assignee: Eaton Corp. (Wisconsin) (Eaton Corporation PLC.)
• Inventors: Klancher, Frank, Tallman, David
• Application Number:
  US13/780,151
• Publication Number:
  US 20140244166A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 701/515
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 21/185 Electrical failure alarms
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 13/00024 by means of mobile telephony
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 13/00026 involving a local wireless network, e.g. Wi-Fi, ZigBee or Bluetooth
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 60/00 Enabling technologies; Technologies with a potential or indirect contribution to GHG emissions mitigation
• CPC Class Codes: Y04S 40/126 using wireless data transmission

Abstract

A system for geographically locating a component of utility equipment may comprise a geo-location interface (GLI) in communication with and in proximity to the component, the GLI having a navigation system that provides geo-location data, wherein the GLI receives an input relating to an operating state of the component and transmits an output containing the geo-location data and an alert relating to the operating state, and at least one remote station that receives a digital message based on the output from the GLI and generates a display based on the digital message.

Claims

1. A system for geographically locating a component of utility equipment, comprising:

a geo-location interface (GLI) in communication with and in proximity to the component, the GLI having a navigation system that provides geo-location data, wherein the GLI receives an input relating to an operating state of the component and transmits an output containing the geo-location data and an alert relating to the operating state; and

at least one remote station that receives a digital message based on the output from the GLI and generates a display based on the digital message.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the GLI includes a logic unit that receives the input from the component, detects the operating state, and generates the alert based on the operating state.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the GLI includes a memory that stores data relating to the component.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein the digital message is the alert from the GLI.

5. The system of claim 1, further comprising a central station, wherein the central station receives the alert from the GLI.

6. The system of claim 5, wherein the central station retransmits the alert from the GLI as the digital message.

7. The system of claim 5, wherein the central station includes software that analyzes the alert from the GLI, and wherein the digital message includes the alert and additional data resulting from the analysis.

8. The system of claim 1, wherein the component of utility equipment includes a housing, and wherein the GLI is disposed within the housing.

9. The system of claim 1, wherein said at least one remote station is a portable electronic device with at least one software application for receiving the digital message and generating the display.

10. A system for geographically locating a component of utility equipment, comprising:

a geo-location interface (GLI) in communication with and at generally the same location as the component, the GLI having a navigation system that provides geo-location data and a logic unit that receives an input relating to the operating state of the piece, wherein the logic unit detects the operating state, generates a digital message based on the operating state, and transmits an output containing the geo-location data and an alert relating to the operating state;

a central station that receives the alert from the GLI and generates a digital message based on the alert; and

a plurality of remote stations that selectively receive the digital message and generate a display based on the digital message.

11. The system of claim 10, wherein the GLI includes a non-volatile memory that stores data relating to the component.

12. The system of claim 10, wherein the central station retransmits the alert from the GLI as the digital message.

13. The system of claim 10, wherein the central station includes software that analyzes the alert from the GLI, and wherein the digital message includes the alert and additional data resulting from the analysis.

14. The system of claim 10, wherein the component includes a housing, and wherein the GLI is disposed outside of the housing.

15. The system of claim 10, wherein the plurality of remote stations are portable electronic devices each with at least one software application for receiving the digital message and displaying the corresponding information.

16. The system of claim 15, wherein the plurality of remote stations are selected from the group consisting of smartphones, hand-held devices, laptop computers, on-board vehicle computers, and tablets.

17. The system of claim 10, wherein the central station further comprises software that generates a control signal for controlling the component for the GLI, and wherein the GLI generates an output that operates the component of utility equipment.

18. A central station for a system for geographically locating a component of utility equipment, the central station comprising:

a memory containing instructions; and

a processor configured to execute the instructions to receive a first message from a geo-location interface (GLI) in communication with a component of utility equipment, to extract a location of the GLI and an operating state of the component from the first message, and to generate a second message to be transmitted to a remote station, the second message including the location of the GLI and the operating state of the component.

19. The central station of claim 18, wherein the processor is further configured to execute the instructions to determine driving directions from a location of the remote station to the location of the GLI and to include the directions in the second message.

20. The central station of claim 18, wherein the processor is further configured to execute the instructions to receive a third message from the remote station, to extract a desired operational command from the third message, and to generate a fourth message for the GLI to operate the component.