TEST DEVICE AND ALTERNATING CURRENT POWER DETECTION METHOD OF THE SAME

• US 20170205471A1
• Filed: 08/04/2016
• Published: 07/20/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 01/20/2016
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Test Research Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Test Research Incorporated
• Inventors: HUANG, Hsin-Wei, CHEN, Chien-Wei
• Granted Patent: US 10,139,454 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• CPC Class Codes: G01R 1/08 Pointers; Scales; Scale illumination
• CPC Class Codes: G01R 19/16547 voltage or current in AC supplies switching for protection H02H; circuits for emergency power supply H02J9/00
• CPC Class Codes: G01R 31/42 AC power supplies
• CPC Class Codes: G01R 31/44 Testing lamps
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 21/182 Level alarms, e.g. alarms responsive to variables exceeding a threshold

Abstract

A test device is provided. The test device includes test components, power supplies, an alternating current (AC) power detection circuit and an alert module. The power supplies convert an AC power through a first wire, a second wire and an earth wire to a direct current (DC) power and supply the DC power to the test components. The AC power detection circuit receives the AC power through the first wire, the second wire and the earth wire to determine whether both of voltage differences between the first wire and the earth wire and between the second wire and the earth wire is outside of respective predetermined ranges. When both of the voltage differences are outside of the corresponding predetermined range, the AC power detection circuit controls the alert module to generate an alerting signal.

Claims

1. A test device comprising:

a plurality of test components;

a plurality of power supplies electrically coupled in parallel each to receive an alternating current (AC) power through a first wire, a second wire and an earth wire to convert the AC power to a direct current (DC) power and supply the DC power to the test components;

an AC power detection circuit electrically coupled to the power supplies in parallel to receive the AC power through the first wire, the second wire and the earth wire, wherein the AC power detection circuit determines whether a first voltage difference between the first wire and the earth wire is outside of a first predetermined range and determines whether a second voltage difference between the second wire and the earth wire is outside of a second predetermined range; and

an alert module;

wherein when the first voltage difference is outside of the first predetermined range and the second voltage difference is outside of the second predetermined range, the AC power detection circuit controls the alert module to generate an alerting signal.

2. The test device of claim 1, wherein one of the first wire and the second wire is a live wire and the other is a neutral wire.

3. The test device of claim 1, wherein the alert module is a light-emitting module, and the alerting signal is a light signal or a flashing light signal.

4. The test device of claim 1, wherein the alert module is a sound-generating module, and the alerting signal is a sound signal.

5. The test device of claim 1, wherein the alert module is electrically coupled to a host such that the host receives the alerting signal to initiate a protection procedure to protect the test components.

6. The test device of claim 1, wherein the alert module is electrically coupled to a host comprising a display unit such that the host receives the alerting signal to display an intimating frame on the display unit.

7. The test device of claim 2, wherein the AC power detection circuit comprises a photo coupler electrically coupled between the live wire and the earth wire to be conducted during either a negative cycle or a positive cycle of the AC power to determine whether the voltage difference between the live wire and the earth wire is outside of the predetermined range.

8. The test device of claim 7, wherein the AC power detection circuit further comprises a resistor-capacitor circuit electrically coupled in series with the photo coupler.

9. An AC power detection method used in a test device comprising:

electrically coupling a plurality of power supplies in parallel each to receive an AC power through a first wire, a second wire and an earth wire to convert the AC power to a DC power and supply the DC power to a plurality of test components in the test device;

electrically coupling an AC power detection circuit to the power supplies in parallel to receive the AC power through the first wire, the second wire and the earth wire;

determining whether a first voltage difference between the first wire and the earth wire is outside of a first predetermined range and determines whether a second voltage difference between the second wire and the earth wire is outside of a second predetermined range by the AC power detection circuit; and

when the first voltage difference is outside of the first predetermined range and the second voltage difference is outside of the second predetermined range, controlling an alert module to generate an alerting signal by the AC power detection circuit.

10. The AC power detection method of claim 9, wherein one of the first wire and the second wire is a live wire and the other is a neutral wire.

11. The AC power detection method of claim 9, wherein the alert module is a light-emitting module, and the alerting signal is a light signal or a flashing light signal.

12. The AC power detection method of claim 9, wherein the alert module is a sound-generating module, and the alerting signal is a sound signal.

13. The AC power detection method of claim 9, wherein the alert module is electrically coupled to a host, and the AC power detection method further comprises:

receiving the alerting signal by the host; and

initiating a protection procedure to protect the test components.

14. The AC power detection method of claim 9, wherein the alert module is electrically coupled to a host comprising a display unit, and the AC power detection method further comprises:

receiving the alerting signal by the host; and

displaying an intimating frame on the display unit.

15. The AC power detection method of claim 10, wherein the AC power detection circuit comprises a photo coupler electrically coupled between the live wire and the earth wire, and the AC power detection method further comprises:

conducting the photo coupler during either a negative cycle or a positive cycle of the AC power; and

determining whether the voltage difference between the live wire and the earth wire is outside of the predetermined range.

16. The AC power detection method of claim 15, further comprising:

electrically coupling a resistor-capacitor circuit in series with the photo coupler.