Apparatus for and method of inhibiting and overriding an electrical control device

• US 6,385,732 B1
• Filed: 10/23/2000
• Issued: 05/07/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 03/20/1998
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Leviton Manufacturing Company Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Leviton Manufacturing Company Incorporated
• Inventors: Bonasia, Gaetano, Eckel, David P.
• Primary Examiner(s): Sheikh, Ayaz
• Assistant Examiner(s): Jean, Frantz B.
• Application Number:
  US09/694,780
• Time in Patent Office: 561 Days
• Field of Search: 713/300, 713/324, 713/340, 713/330, 340/825.16, 340/916, 307/31, 315/194, 315/86, 361/64, 323/239, 364/493
• US Class Current: 713/300
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 13/00002 characterised by monitoring
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 13/00016 using a wired telecommunication network or a data transmission bus
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 13/00017 using optical fiber
• CPC Class Codes: Y02B 70/30 Systems integrating technologies related to power network operation and communication or information technologies for improving the carbon footprint of the management of residential or tertiary loads, i.e. smart grids as climate change mitigation technology in the buildings sector, including also the last stages of power distribution and the control, monitoring or operating management systems at local level
• 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 20/242 Home appliances
• CPC Class Codes: Y04S 40/124 using wired telecommunication networks or data transmission busses
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 315/04 Dimming circuit for fluorescent lamps
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 323/905 Lamp dimmer structure
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 323/909 Remote sensing

Abstract

An apparatus for and method of inhibiting and overriding the normal operating mode of an input device connected to a communications network function within an electrical network made up of input devices, with a group of the input devices being capable of commanding an electrical control device to apply and remove electrical power from an electrical load. The input devices or nodes communicate with the electrical control device over the communications network. When one of the input devices is turned off, the normal operating mode of all of the other input sensors is inhibited. The electrical control device remains inhibited until all of the input devices are no longer in the off position. Thus, electrical power to the load controlled by the electrical control device remains disconnected until all input devices are in the on position. Local and remote signaling, control, and indication diagnostic and monitoring functions are also performed.

Claims

1. A method of inhibiting the normal operating mode of a plurality of nodes logically connected to an electrical control device, said method comprising the steps of:

tracking, in a memory, the status of each of the plurality of nodes as being either on or off;

placing a first node of said plurality of nodes in the off state;

communicating to said electrical control device a status message indicating that said first node has been placed in the off state;

inhibiting said electrical control device, in response to said status message, from activating an electrical load connected thereto until each of said plurality of nodes is removed from the off state;

removing power from the electrical load using the electrical control device responding to the status message; and

updating, in the memory, the tracked status of each of the plurality of nodes as each node changes between on and off states.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein said plurality of nodes and said electrical control device are adapted to communicate over a communications network.

3. The method according to claim 1, wherein said plurality of nodes and said electrical control device are adapted to operate in a LonWorks compatible system.

4. The method according to claim 1, wherein said plurality of nodes and said electrical control device are adapted to operate in a CEBus compatible system.

5. The method according to claim 1, further comprising the step of providing switch means at each node permitting a user to place said node in the off state.

6. The method according to claim 1, further comprising the step of inhibiting each node from instructing said electrical control device to apply electrical power to said electrical load.

7. The method according to claim 1, further comprising the steps of:

maintaining a table of node identifiers;

adding an identifier associated with a node to said table when a node has been placed in the off state;

removing the identifier associated with a node from said table when the node has been removed from the off state; and

enabling said electrical control device to activate an electrical load connected thereto when all node identifiers have been removed from said table.

8. The method according to claim 7, wherein said node identifier comprises the address of the node.

9. The method according to claim 1, further comprising the step of providing local and remote signaling, control and associated indication when a node is being tested, fails or passes diagnostic tests, requires testing, is in a degraded state, is about to fail or is operating outside of specification.

10. The method according to claim 1, further comprising the step of providing indication means in each node to indicate the occurrence of various events to a user.

11. The method according to claim 1, further comprising the step of providing indication means in each node to indicate the occurrence of various events to a user, wherein said indication means may be set to flash at a plurality of rates.

12. The method according to claim 1, wherein said step of inhibiting comprises the step of providing a mechanical lock out mechanism on a node to prevent other nodes logically bound to it from being placed in the on mode.

13. The method according to claim 1, further comprising the step of saving data and current operating state information in the event of an electrical power loss and the subsequent restoring of said data when electrical power is restored.

14. In an electrical network including a plurality of input devices and an electrical control device coupled to and controlling electrical power to an electrical load, said input devices and said electrical control device adapted to communicate over a communications network, a method of inhibiting the normal operation of said input devices, said method comprising the steps of:

tracking, in a memory, the status of each of the plurality of input devices as being either on or off;

inhibiting a first input device in response to it being placed in the off state;

transmitting an inhibit message from said first input device to said electrical control device;

removing electrical power from said load in response to said inhibit message;

inhibiting said electrical control device from responding to commands issued by any of said input devices to apply electrical power to said load until all input devices are removed from the off state;

removing power from the load using the electrical control device responding to the inhibit message;

transmitting a feedback inhibit message from said electrical control device to each of said input devices;

inhibiting all input devices from activating said electrical control device to apply electrical power to said load until all input devices are removed from the off state; and

updating, in the memory, the tracked status of each of the plurality of input devices as each input device changes between on and off states.

15. The method according to claim 14 wherein said plurality of input devices and said electrical control device are adapted to operate in a LonWorks compatible system.

16. The method according to claim 14, wherein said plurality of input devices and said electrical control device are adapted to operate in a CEBus compatible system.

17. The method according to claim 14, further comprising the step of providing switch means at each input device permitting a user to place said input device in the off state.

18. The method according to claim 14, further comprising the steps of:

maintaining a table of input device identifiers within said electrical control device;

adding an identifier associated with an input device to said table when an input device has been placed in the off state;

removing the identifier associated with an input device from said table when the input device has been removed from the off state; and

enabling said electrical control device to activate said electrical load when all input device identifiers have been removed from said table.

19. The method according to claim 18, wherein said input device identifier comprises the address of the input device.

20. The method according to claim 14, further comprising the step of providing local and remote signaling, control and associated indication when an input device is being tested, fails or passes diagnostic tests, requires testing, is in a degraded state, is about to fail or is operating outside of specification.

21. The method according to claim 14, further comprising the step of providing indication means in each input device to indicate the occurrence of various events to a user.

22. The method according to claim 14, further comprising the step of providing indication means in each input device to indicate the occurrence of various events to a user, wherein said indication means may be set to flash at a plurality of rates.

23. The method according to claim 14, wherein said step of inhibiting comprises the step of providing a mechanical lock out mechanism on an input device to prevent other input devices logically bound to it from being placed in the on mode.

24. The method according to claim 14, further comprising the step of saving data and current operating state information in the event of an electrical power loss and the subsequent restoring of said data when electrical power is restored.

25. An apparatus for inhibiting the normal operating mode of a plurality of nodes logically connected to an electrical control device, comprising:

means for tracking, in a memory, the status of each of the plurality of nodes as being either on or off;

means for placing a first node in the off state;

means for communicating to said electrical control device a status message indicating that said first node has been placed in the off state;

means for inhibiting said electrical control device, in response to said status message, from activating an electrical load connected thereto until each of said plurality of nodes is removed from the off state;

means for removing power from the electrical load using the electrical control device responding to the status message; and

means for updating, in the memory, the tracked status of each of the plurality of nodes as each node changes between on and off states.

26. The apparatus according to claim 25, wherein said plurality of nodes and said electrical control device are adapted to communicate over a communications network.

27. The apparatus according to claim 25, wherein said plurality of nodes and said electrical control device are adapted to operate in a LonWorks compatible system.

28. The apparatus according to claim 25, wherein said plurality of nodes and said electrical control device are adapted to operate in a CEBus compatible system.

29. The apparatus according to claim 25, further comprising switch means at each node permitting a user to place said node in the off state.

30. The apparatus according to claim 25, further comprising means for inhibiting each node from instructing said electrical control device to apply electrical power to said electrical load.

31. The apparatus according to claim 25, further comprising:

a table of node identifiers;

means for adding an identifier associated with a node to said table when a node has been placed in the off state;

means for removing the identifier associated with a node from said table when the node has been removed from the off state; and

means for enabling said electrical control device to activate an electrical load connected thereto when all node identifiers have been removed from said table.

32. The apparatus according to claim 31, wherein said node identifier comprises the address of the node.

33. The apparatus according to claim 25, further comprising means for providing local and remote signaling, control and associated indication when a node is being tested, fails or passes diagnostic tests, requires testing, is in a degraded state, is about to fail or is operating outside of specification.

34. The apparatus according to claim 25, further comprising indication means in each node to indicate the occurrence of various events to a user.

35. The apparatus according to claim 25, further comprising indication means in each node to indicate the occurrence of various events to a user, wherein said indication means may be set to flash at a plurality of rates.

36. The apparatus according to claim 25, wherein said means for inhibiting said electrical control device comprises a mechanical lock out mechanism to prevent other nodes logically bound to it from being placed in the on mode.

37. The apparatus according to claim 25, further comprising means for saving data and current operating state information in the event of an electrical power loss and the subsequent restoring of said data when electrical power is restored.