Remote load control relay processor

• US 4,562,550 A
• Filed: 11/01/1983
• Issued: 12/31/1985
• Est. Priority Date: 11/01/1983
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: General Electric Company
• Original Assignee: General Electric Company
• Inventors: Miller, Edward B., Huber, Paul G., Beatty, Robert M.
• Primary Examiner(s): Wise, Edward J.
• Application Number:
  US06/547,619
• Time in Patent Office: 791 Days
• Field of Search: 364/492, 364/493, 364/483, 307/38, 307/40, 307/113, 307/115, 307/140, 307/39, 307/107, 340/310 A, 340/825.06, 340/825.07
• US Class Current: 700/295
• CPC Class Codes: Y02B 90/20 Smart grids as enabling technology in buildings sector smart grids supporting the management or operation of end-user stationary applications in general, or like technologies with no associated climate change mitigation effect Y04S20/00
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 60/00 Enabling technologies; Technologies with a potential or indirect contribution to GHG emissions mitigation
• CPC Class Codes: Y04S 10/30 State monitoring, e.g. fault, temperature monitoring, insulator monitoring, corona discharge
• CPC Class Codes: Y04S 40/124 using wired telecommunication networks or data transmission busses

Abstract

An improved relay actuating processor for a system that remotely control distributed electrical loads. The relay module is a part of a transceiver decoder that receives commands from a central controller for controlling the state of latching relays for controlling the power circuits of the loads. The improvements include: the use of a progressively variable pulse length relay actuation signal to shorten perceived response time; the provision of automatic power and reset detective and annunciation; a matrix arrangement for pulsing relays that minimizes the number of relay drivers required for a given number of relays to be controlled; utilizing a power clamp limiting circuit for protecting relay drivers from overcurrent; automatic verification of a control actuation command from the central controller; the use of an improved watch dog reset including AC coupling; warning (flicker) mode operation which provides a warning that lights in a given area will soon go off; and a multi-mode reset arrangement permitting the automatic testing of relays.

Claims

1. In a system for controlling distributed electrical loads including a central controller for providing a data signal defining the manner in which said loads are to be controlled;

plural transceiver devices, each device being connected to control a subset of said loads by controlling relays in respective power circuits of said loads; and

a single data line connecting said central controller with each transceiver device, and improved transceiver device, comprising;

means for receiving, from said data line, said data signal requesting that the transceiver device cause a particular load control state to exist;

means, responsive to said receiving means, for determining which relays are required to be state changed in order to bring about the requested load control state;

means, responsive to said determining means, for applying power in sequence to said relays to be state changed, with power being applied to each relay in sequence for a first duration of time, and after power has been applied once to each of said relays to be state changed, then again applying power in sequence to each of said relays to be state changed, each application of power being for a second duration of time greater than said first duration of time, said first duration of time being selected such that a substantial number of said relays to be state changed will respond to the initial application of power, allowing a user to perceive a substantially immediate response of the system to said data signal, the further application of power being for state changing relays not state changed by the first application of power thereto.

2. An improved transceiver device according to claim 1, wherein said power applying means comprises means for sequentially applying power to said relays to be state changed more than two complete cycles of a sequence, each cycle having a longer duration of time of applying power to each relay than the previous cycle.

3. In a system for controlling distributed electrical loads including a central controller for providing a data signal defining the manner in which said loads are to be controlled;

plural transceiver devices, each device being connected to control a subset of said loads by controlling relays in respective power circuits of said loads; and

a single data line connecting said central controller with each transceiver device, and improved transceiver device, comprising;

means for receiving, from said data line, said data signal requesting that the transceiver device cause a particular load control state to exist;

means, responsive to said receiving means, for determining which relays are required to be state changed in order to bring about the requested load control state;

means, responsive to said determining means, for actuating relays to achieved the load control state defined by said data signal;

means for resetting a transceiver device upon the occurrence of a particular condition, the relays under the control of a reset transceiver not necessarily being in a desired state as defined by a previous data signal to said reset transceiver; and

means responsive to the occurrence of a reset, for annunciating to said central controller that a reset has taken place, so that the central controller can check the status of relays controlled by the reset transceiver and take corrective action if necessary.

4. An improved transceiver according to claim 3 wherein said particular condition is a power-up of said transceiver.

5. An improved transceiver according to claim 3 wherein said particular condition is a power loss to said transceiver.

6. An improved transceiver according to claim 5 wherein said power loss is a partial power loss.

7. In a system for controlling distributed electrical loads including a central controller for providing a data signal defining the manner in which said loads are to be controlled;

plural transceiver devices, each device being connected to control a subset of said loads by controlling relays in respective power circuits of said loads; and

a single data line connecting said central controller with each transceiver device, and improved transceiver device, comprising;

means for receiving, from said data line, said data signal requesting that the transceiver device cause a particular load control state to exist;

means, responsive to said receiving means, for identifying a particular three terminal, two coil relay to be state changed in order to bring about the requested load control state; and

means, responsive to said determining means, for driving said identifying relay including means for sourcing current to a common terminal of said two coils and sinking current from one of said two coils, said driving means being organized in matrix form to selectively energize two of the three terminals of any relay controlled by said transceiver device.

8. In a system for controlling distributed electrical loads including a central controller for providing a data signal defining the manner in which said loads are to be controlled;

plural transceiver devices, each device being connected to control a subset of said loads by controlling relays in respective power circuits of said loads; and

a single data line connecting said central controller with each transceiver device, and improved transceiver device, comprising;

means for receiving, from said data line, said data signal requesting that the transceiver device cause a particular load control state to exist;

means, responsive to said receiving means, for determining which relays are required to be state changed in order to bring about the requested load control state;

means, responsive to said determining means, for applying power in sequence to said relays to be state changed; and

power clamp limiting circuit means for monitoring power to said power applying means and limiting power thereto when the monitored power exceeds a predetermined level.

9. An improved transceiver device according to claim 8 further including means, responsive to a current limiting, for annunciating to the central controller via the data line that a current limiting function has been carried out.

10. In a system for controlling distributed electrical loads including a central controller for providing a data signal defining the manner in which said loads are to be controlled;

plural transceiver devices, each device being connected to control a subset of said loads by controlling relays in respective power circuits of said loads; and

a single data line connecting said central controller with each transceiver device, and improved transceiver device, comprising;

means for receiving, from said data line, said data signal requesting that the transceiver device cause a particular load control state to exist;

means, responsive to said receiving means, for determining which relays are required to be state changed in order to bring about the requested load control state;

means, responsive to said determining means, for applying power in sequence to said relays to be state changed; and

power detecting circuit means for monitoring power to said power applying means and indicating when power is below a predetermined level thereby detecting a missing relay.

11. In a system for controlling distributed electrical loads including a central controller for providing a data signal defining the manner in which said loads are to be controlled;

plural transceiver devices, each device being connected to control a subset of said loads by controlling relays in respective power circuits of said loads; and

a single data line connecting said central controller with each transceiver device, and improved transceiver device, comprising;

means for receiving, from said data line, said data signal requesting that the transceiver device cause a particular load control state to exist;

means, responsive to said receiving means, for determining which relays are required to be state changed in order to bring about the requested load control state;

means, responsive to said determining means, for applying power in sequence to said relays to be state changed; and

a watchdog reset circuit coupled to said microprocessor for monitoring the operation thereof, and providing a reset signal thereto in the event of a failure of proper operation thereof, said watchdog reset circuit being AC coupled to said microprocessor so that its operation is not defeated by a malfunction that would cause a DC condition in a signal resetting a watchdog timer of the watchdog reset circuit.

12. In a system for controlling distributed electrical loads including a central controller for providing a data signal defining the manner in which said loads are to be controlled;

plural transceiver devices, each device being connected to control a subset of said loads by controlling relays in respective power circuits of said loads; and

a single data line connecting said central controller with each transceiver device, and improved transceiver device, comprising;

means for receiving, from said data line, said data signal requesting that the transceiver device cause a particular load control state to exist;

means, responsive to said receiving means, for determining which relays are required to be state changed in order to bring about the requested load control state;

means, responsive to said determining means, for applying power in sequence to said relays to be state changed; and

means for causing a brief period of intermittent operation of said relays to be state changed before they are permanently state changed to warn a user of an impending state change.

13. In a system for controlling distributed electrical loads including a central controller for providing a data signal defining the manner in which said loads are to be controlled;

plural transceiver devices, each device being connected to control a subset of said loads by controlling relays in respective power circuits of said loads; and

a single data line connecting said central controller with each transceiver device, and improved transceiver device, comprising;

means for receiving, from said data line, said data signal requesting that the transceiver device cause a particular load control state to exist;

means, responsive to said receiving means, for determining which relays are required to be state changed in order to bring about the requested load control state;

means, responsive to said determining means, for applying power in sequence to said relays to be state changed; and

means for resetting said transceiver device to a state of predetermined conditions of relays associated therewith, said resetting means being operable in any one of the following three models;

all on or all off relays;

individual relay test wherein a particular relay can be manually state controlled; and

automatically cycling wherein the relays are reset in a predetermined sequence, one after another.