Electric outlet remote control and power protection circuit

• US 6,633,472 B2
• Filed: 09/10/2001
• Issued: 10/14/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 09/10/2001
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Jung-Hua Lai
• Original Assignee: Jung-Hua Lai
• Inventors: Lai, Jung-Hua
• Primary Examiner(s): Jackson, Stephen W.
• Application Number:
  US09/948,614
• Publication Number:
  US 20030048587A1
• Time in Patent Office: 764 Days
• Field of Search: 361/93.1, 361/115, 361/42, 361/62, 361/64, 361/66, 361/45, 361/100
• US Class Current: 361/93.1
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: H02H 3/10 additionally responsive to some other abnormal electrical conditions
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 13/00006 characterised by information or instructions transport means between the monitoring, controlling or managing units and monitored, controlled or operated power network element or electrical equipment
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 13/0004 involved in a protection system
• 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: Y04S 40/12 characterised by data transport means between the monitoring, controlling or managing units and monitored, controlled or operated electrical equipment

Abstract

A remote control and power protection circuit installed in an electric outlet and adapted to control the operation of each electric socket of the electric outlet by means of a remote controller and to automatically trip off the circuit upon an overcurrent or overvoltage. The remote control and power protection circuit includes a CPU having voltage/current detector and amplifier circuit means and voltage/current judging circuit means adapted to detect the voltage/current value of inputted power supply, and to drive a red LCD to flash and a buzzer to buzz when inputted current value approaches the rated value, and to drive an overload switch element to trip off power supply upon an overcurrent or overvoltage.

Claims

1. A remote control and power protection circuit comprising:

a current detector installed in an electric outlet and adapted to detect current value of inputted power supply at said electric outlet;

a CPU (central processing unit), said CPU comprising a current amplifier connected to said current detector and adapted to amplify detected current signal;

an integrating circuit connected to said current amplifier and adapted to integrate amplified current signal for comparison with a predetermined safety reference value;

an A/D converter converts a current sent by integrating circuit between digital and analog signal;

a current judging circuit connected to said integrating circuit and adapted to judge overcurrent status subject to the comparison with the predetermined safety reference value;

a trip-off output driver adapted to receive output signal from said current judging circuit and to produce a trip-off control signal subject to the overcurrent status of the output signal from said current judging circuit;

a LCD driver adapted to display the current value of the output signal from said current judging circuit; and

an overload switch element controlled by said trip-off output driver to switch on/off power supply subject to the current value of the output signal from said current judging circuit;

wherein said current detectors detects a signal upon loading of a load at said electric outlet, enabling the detected signal to be amplified by said current amplifier and then sent through said integrating circuit to an A/D converter for conversion into a corresponding digital signal and simultaneously to a comparator for comparison, so that said voltage/current judging circuit judges the comparison result, and drives said LCD driver to display the value of the detected signal and said overload switch element to switch off power supply when the current value of detected signal surpasses the predetermined safety reference value.

2. The remote control and power protection circuit of claim 1 further comprising:

a power generator adapted to convert inputted power supply to a predetermined voltage value for said CPU; and

an output control circuit, said output control circuit having one end connected through at least one socket of said electric outlet to output end of said overload switch element;

wherein said current detectors detects a signal upon loading of a load at said electric outlet, enabling the detected signal to be amplified by said current amplifier and then sent through said integrating circuit to an A/D converter for conversion into a corresponding digital signal and simultaneously to a comparator for comparison, so that said voltage/current judging circuit judges the comparison result, and drives said LCD driver to display the value of the detected signal and said overload switch element to switch off power supply when the current value of detected signal surpasses the predetermined safety reference value.

3. The remote control and power protection circuit of claim 1 further comprising:

a voltage detector adapted to detect input voltage value of inputted power supply; and

a voltage amplifier installed in said CPU and adapted to amplifier the voltage signal detected by said voltage detector; and

a voltage judging circuit connected to said voltage amplifier and adapted to judge the 110V/220V of the voltage value of the amplified voltage signal and to drive said LCD driver to turn on a green light emitting diode when the voltage value of the amplified voltage signal is 110V or a red light emitting diode when the voltage value of the amplified voltage signal is 220V;

wherein said voltage detectors detects a signal upon loading of a load at said electric outlet, enabling the detected signal to be amplified by said voltage amplifier and then sent through said integrating circuit to an A/D converter for conversion into a corresponding digital signal and simultaneously to a comparator for comparison, so that said voltage/current judging circuit judges the comparison result, and drives said LCD driver to display the value of the detected signal and said overload switch element to switch off power supply when the voltage value of detected signal surpasses the predetermined safety reference value.

4. The remote control and power protection circuit of claim 1 further comprising:

a buzzer adapted to buzz when the voltage or current value of the detected signal surpasses the predetermined safety reference value; and

a buzzer driver installed in said CPU and adapted to drive said buzzer subject to the judging result of said current judging circuit and said voltage-judging circuit.

5. The remote control and power protection circuit of claim 1 further comprising:

a plurality of light emitting diodes of different colors for current and voltage status display; and

a LED driver controlled by said current judging circuit and said voltage judging circuit to drive said light emitting diodes to display the current and voltage status of the detected signal.

6. The remote control and power protection circuit of claim 1 further comprising a voltage setting circuit and a current setting circuit for the setting the predetermined reference current value and the predetermined reference voltage value.

7. The remote control and power protection circuit of claim 1 further comprising an overcurrent setting circuit and an overcurrent trip-off circuit for the setting of safety current value and trip-off current value respectively.

8. The remote control and power protection circuit of claim 1 wherein said CPU comprises a data memory adapted to store module code for each of said at least one socket of said electric outlet, a sequential operation/coding encoding memory unit adapted to call out module codes sequentially and to calculate module codes 1.5 seconds per each time so as to check conformity of each outputted module code with the remitted radio frequency of the remote controller being used to control the operation of the remote control and power protection circuit, a coding/encoding memory for enabling the user to change the module code of each of the at least one socket of said electric outlet through a matrix button circuit, and a timer for calculating time for on/off control of the at least one socket of said electric outlet.

9. The remote control and power protection circuit of claim 1 further comprising a matrix button circuit, said matrix button circuit comprising a time setting button for setting time, a switching button for LCD voltage/current display switching and socket module code reset switching, and a function button for power consumption display.