Graphical display for an energy management device

• US 5,745,114 A
• Filed: 03/09/1995
• Issued: 04/28/1998
• Est. Priority Date: 09/30/1994
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Siemens Industry Incorporated (Siemens AG)
• Original Assignee: Siemens Energy & Automation Incorporated (Siemens AG)
• Inventors: King, William A., Jenkins, Jeffrey Alan, Alexander, James Oliver
• Primary Examiner(s): Tung, Kee M.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Huynh, Ba
• Application Number:
  US08/401,388
• Time in Patent Office: 1,146 Days
• Field of Search: 395/340, 395/341, 395/352, 395/353, 364/481, 364/482, 364/483, 364/484, 364/485, 364/551.01, 364/487, 364/488, 364/511
• US Class Current: 715/810
• CPC Class Codes: G01R 19/25 using digital measurement techniques
• CPC Class Codes: G01R 19/2513 Arrangements for monitoring electric power systems, e.g. power lines or loads; Logging
• CPC Class Codes: G01R 21/133 by using digital technique
• CPC Class Codes: G01R 22/00 Arrangements for measuring time integral of electric power or current, e.g. electricity meters
• CPC Class Codes: H01H 2071/006 Provisions for user interfaces for electrical protection devices
• CPC Class Codes: H02B 1/03 for energy meters
• CPC Class Codes: H02B 15/00 Supervisory desks or panels for centralised control or display
• CPC Class Codes: H02H 3/00 Emergency protective circuit arrangements for automatic disconnection directly responsive to an undesired change from normal electric working condition with or without subsequent reconnection specially adapted for specific types of electric machines or apparatus or for sectionalised protection of cable or line systems H02H7/00; systems for change-over to standby supply H02J9/00 ; integrated protection for motors H02H7/0822
• CPC Class Codes: H02H 3/04 with warning or supervision in addition to disconnection, e.g. for indicating that protective apparatus has functioned watching of pilot wires H02H1/0084; protection of protective arrangements H02H7/008; indication of the state of electronic switches H03K17/18

Abstract

A graphics based display for use with an electronic circuit protection device is taught. Briefly stated, a utility-type electric meter or an electronic circuit protection device has incorporated therewith an LCD display which allows for the graphical display of AC electrical load parameters. Upon system start-up or key activation, a menu is displayed which allows for user selection of the information or parameters of the AC load connected to the electronic circuit protection device to be sampled and displayed.

Claims

1. A graphical display system having a menu for user selection of power related information for an AC load control device, comprising:

a device for monitoring AC electrical load usage of a load;

a graphical display device connected to said device for monitoring AC electrical load usage, said graphical display device adapted so as to graphically display indicia and at least one parameter of the AC electrical load usage of the load said parameters being displayed as a waveform;

menu means for displaying a plurality of selections on said graphical display device, each of said plurality of selections representing at least one parameter of the AC electrical load usage; and

menu selection means for selecting at least one of said plurality of selections so as to cause said graphical display device to graphically present the waveform representing said at least one parameter of the AC electrical load usage associated with said selections.

2. A graphical display system according to claim 1 wherein said menu means displays said plurality of indicia on said graphical display device in a hierarchical format.

3. A graphical display system according to claim 1 wherein said menu selection means comprises a user selectable keypad input for scrolling through said plurality of indicia displayed by said menu means onto said graphical display device, thereby enabling a user to select and view the said at least one parameter of the A/C electrical load usage of a load.

4. A graphical display system according to claim 3 wherein said user selectable keypad input comprises a touch input keypad.

5. A graphical display system according to claim 3 wherein said user selectable keypad input comprises a touch input device overlaid onto said graphical display device.

8. A graphical display system according to claim 1, wherein said display means comprises an LCD display.

9. A graphical display system according to claim 8 wherein said LCD display is at least 128 pixels square.

10. A graphical display system according to claim 1 wherein said display means comprises an Electrofluorescent display.

16. A graphical display system according to claim 1, wherein the graphical display device simultaneously produces multiple corresponding waveforms representing the same parameter for a plurality of different indicia of the AC electrical load usage.

18. A graphical display system according to claim 1, wherein the graphical display device simultaneously produces graphic images of the processed signals representing (1) voltage and (2) current by waveforms, and (3) harmonics and (4) phase balance in a histogram format.

6. A graphical display system having a menu for user selection of power related information for an AC load control device, comprising:

a device for monitoring AC electrical load usage of a load;

a graphical display device connected to said device for monitoring AC electrical load usage, said graphical display device adapted so as to graphically display indicia and at least one parameter of the AC electrical load usage of the load said parameters being displayed as a waveform;

menu means for displaying a plurality of selections on said graphical display device, each of said plurality of selections representing at least one parameter of the AC electrical load usage;

menu selection means for selecting at least one of said plurality of selections so as to cause said graphical display device to graphically present the waveform representing said at least one parameter of the AC electrical load usage associated with said selections; and

a circuit protective device for interrupting electrical power to the load responsive to said at least one parameter of the AC electrical load usage.

7. A graphical display system according to claim 6 wherein said circuit protective device is a circuit breaker.

11. A graphical display system having a menu for user selection of power related information for an AC load control device, comprising:

a circuit protective device for interrupting electrical power to a load;

means for monitoring AC electrical load usage of a load comprising a first means for controlling said circuit protective device and a second means for producing a plurality of signals representative of at least one of the current, voltage and power related characteristics of the load;

menu means for displaying a plurality of indicia on a graphical display device, each of said plurality of indicia representing at least one parameter of the AC electrical load usage;

menu selection means for selecting at least one of said plurality of indicia so as to cause the graphical display device to graphically present said at least one parameter of the AC electrical load usage associated with said indicia; and

a graphical display device connected to said means for monitoring AC electrical load usage and adapted so as to graphically display at least one parameter of the AC electrical load usage of the load as a waveform, said graphical display device comprising a metering means connected to said second means for receiving and processing and storing said plurality of signals and for producing graphics related output image signals, and a display means connected to said metering means and adapted to receive said graphics related output image signal for producing graphic images which are viewable by the user.

12. A graphical display system according to claim 11, wherein said display means comprises an LCD display.

13. A graphical display system according to claim 12 wherein said LCD display is at least 128 pixels square.

14. A graphical display system according to claim 11 wherein said display means comprises an Electrofluorescent display.

17. A graphical display system according to claim 11, wherein the graphical display device simultaneously produces multiple corresponding waveforms representing the same parameter for a plurality of different indicia of the AC electrical load usage.

19. A graphical display system according to claim 11, wherein the graphical display device simultaneously produces graphic images of the processed signals representing (1) voltage and (2) current by waveforms, and (3) harmonics and (4) phase balance in a histogram format.

15. A method for graphically displaying a menu for selection and viewing of the load related parameters of a load connected to an AC load control device, comprising the steps of:

A. monitoring the load related parameters of the load connected to the AC load control device;

B. displaying on a graphical display device a menu of a plurality of indicia representing the monitored load related parameters;

C. scrolling through each indicia on said menu; and

D. selecting an item from said menu thereby causing the load related parameters relating to the said indicia to appear on said graphical display device as a waveform.

20. A method for graphically displaying a menu for selection and viewing of the load related parameters of a load connected to an AC load control device, comprising the steps of:

A. monitoring the load related parameters of the load connected to the AC load control device;

B. displaying on a graphical display device a menu of a plurality of indicia representing the monitored load related parameters;

C. scrolling through each indicia on said menu; and

D. selecting an item from said menu thereby causing the load related parameters relating to the said indicia to appear on said graphical display device in waveform and histogram forms simultaneously.