Facilitating Analysis of a Electrical Power System

• US 20170097755A1
• Filed: 10/05/2015
• Published: 04/06/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 10/05/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Bentley Systems Incorporated
• Original Assignee: EasyPower LLC (Bentley Systems Incorporated)
• Inventors: McAravey, Shaun, Johnson, Eric Lee, Koch, Michael D., Balderree, II, Theodore G., Morgan, Carol Anne, Ricker, Alan, Bates, Kevin
• Granted Patent: US 10,528,654 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 30/398 Design verification or optimisation, e.g. using design rule check [DRC], layout versus schematics [LVS] or finite element methods [FEM] optical proximity correction [OPC] design processes G03F1/36
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 40/169 Annotation, e.g. comment data or footnotes
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 50/06 Energy or water supply
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 11/60 Editing figures and text; Combining figures or text
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 2200/24 involving graphical user interfaces [GUIs]

Abstract

Examples related to facilitating analysis of an electrical power system are disclosed. One disclosed example provides a device comprising a display, a processor, and a storage device storing instructions executable by the processor to receive a request to operate in first and second input/output modes. In the first mode, the instructions are executable to display a graphical representation of an electrical power system illustrating components and connectivities in a schematic view, and receive a user input specifying a selected component of a plurality of candidate components and also an associated connectivity. The instructions are executable to display the selected component in the graphical representation of the electrical power system and store the selected component and associated connectivity in a data structure. In the second mode, the instructions are executable to display a text-based representation of the distribution system organizing the components and connectivities in a tabular view.

Claims

1. A device comprising:

a display;

a processor; and

a storage device storing instructions executable by the processor to

receive a user request to operate in a first input/output mode, in the first input/output mode, display a graphical representation of an electrical power system illustrating components and connectivities in a schematic view, display a user interface comprising a plurality of candidate electrical power system components;

receive a first user input specifying a selected component of the plurality of candidate electrical power component to include in the electrical power system and also a connectivity for the selected component;

in response, display the selected component in the graphical representation of the electrical power system and also store the selected component and the connectivity for the selected component in a data structure representing components and connectivities in the electrical power system;

receive a user request to operate in a second input/output mode;

in the second input/output mode, display a text-based representation of the distribution system organizing the components and connectivities in a tabular view.

2. The device of claim 1, wherein the selected component is a first selected component, and wherein the instructions are further executable to, while operating in the second input/output mode,

display a user interface comprising one or more of text entry fields and corresponding selection menus,

receive a second user input specifying a second selected component to include in the electrical power system and also a connectivity for the second selected component, and

in response, display the second selected component in the text- or cell-based view and also store the second selected component and the connectivity for the second selected component in the data structure.

3. The device of claim 2, wherein the instructions are further executable to receive, while operating in the first or second input/output mode, sensor data corresponding to the first selected component, the sensor data including one or more of a parameter and an equipment device setting for the first selected component.

4. The device of claim 3, wherein the sensor data is received via an image sensor and comprises an image of the first selected component.

5. The device of claim 3, wherein the sensor data is received via a global positioning system (GPS) sensor and comprises location data for the first selected component.

6. The device of claim 5, wherein the instructions are further executable to determine a length of a conductor based on the sensor data received via the GPS sensor.

7. The device of claim 3, wherein the sensor data is received from a touch input sensor and comprises one or more of handwritten notes and sketches corresponding to the first selected component, the instructions further executable to store the one or more of the handwritten notes and sketches in the data structure in association with the first selected component, and the handwritten notes and sketches comprising standalone handwritten notes and sketches or handwritten notes and sketches provided as annotations over a photograph of the first selected component.

8. The device of claim 3, wherein the sensor data is received from a radiofrequency identification (RFID) sensor and comprises one or more parameters of the first selected component as read from an RFID tag corresponding to the first selected component.

9. The device of claim 3, wherein components and connectivities shown in the schematic view of the first input/output mode along a common line are represented in the text- or cell-based view of the second input/output mode by cells extending in a common direction.

10. A device comprising:

a touch-input display configured to detect touch input;

one or more sensors;

a processor; and

a storage device storing instructions executable by the processor to

receive an input of component data and connectivity data for a first component along an electrical power path of an electrical power system;

display a representation of the first component in an input/output user interface;

receive an input of sensor data for the first component via a first sensor of the one or more sensors including one or more of a parameter and an equipment device setting for the first component;

store the sensor data for the first component with the component data and connectivity data for the first component in a data structure representing components and connectivities in the electrical power system;

receive a request to view the sensor data for the first component; and

in response, display the sensor data for the first component in the input/output user interface view.

11. The device of claim 10, wherein the instructions are further executable to

receive input of component data for a second component along an electrical power path via a second sensor of the one or more sensors, the second component being connected to the first component via a conductor,

display a representation of the second component in the input/output user interface,

receive an input of sensor data corresponding to the second component via a second sensor of the one or more sensors,

store the sensor data for the second component with the component data and connectivity data for the second component in the data structure,

receive a request to view the sensor data for the second component, and

in response, display the sensor data for the second component in the input/output user interface view.

12. The device of claim 10, wherein the first sensor comprises an image sensor, the sensor data comprising an image of a feature of the first selected component, and wherein the instructions are further executable to automatically populate parameters for the first selected component in the data structure based on the image.

13. The device of claim 10, wherein the first sensor comprises one or more of a global positioning system (GPS) sensor and a radiofrequency identification (RFID) sensor.

14. The device of claim 13, wherein the instructions are further executable to determine a conductor length between the first component and a second component based on sensor data from the GPS sensor.

15. The device of claim 13, wherein the instructions are further executable to associate a location of one or more of the first component and the second component with a location on a map of the electrical power system based on sensor data from the GPS sensor.

16. The device of claim 10, further comprising a communication subsystem configured to synchronize data from the data structure with a cloud-based server.

17. A method for alerting a user to an error in a representation of an electrical power system, the method comprising:

for each of a plurality of components of an electrical power system, receiving input of component data and connectivity data;

storing the component data and connectivity data in a data structure representing the plurality of components of the electrical power system as nodes, and conductors of the electrical power system as connectivities between the nodes;

displaying a representation of the electrical power system in an input/output user interface view;

validating the data structure by evaluating the nodes and connectivities for violations of any rules defining constraints of a valid data structure; and

presenting an alert to the user responsive to detecting a violation of a rules for the data structure.

18. The method of claim 17, further comprising receiving user input to override the alert, and, in response, suppressing the alert.

19. The method of claim 17, wherein the rule comprises one or more of required component data and required connectivity data.

20. The method of claim 17, further comprising automatically validating the data structure responsive to detecting that the user travelled a threshold distance from the electrical power system.