AC/DC monitor system
First Claim
1. A combined AC/DC monitoring system for simultaneously monitoring an AC power supply and a DC power supply in a mobile unit, comprising:
- a transformer for electrically isolating the AC power supply from the combined AC/DC monitoring system and for providing an isolated, AC voltage signal to the combined AC/DC monitoring system;
AC voltage monitor input terminals connected to the isolated AC signal for monitoring the isolated AC voltage signal;
DC voltage monitor input terminals connected to the DC power supply for monitoring a DC voltage for the DC power supply;
a DC shunt, said DC shunt having a first terminal connected to a positive, non-grounded terminal of the DC power supply and said DC shunt having a second terminal;
a first DC current monitor input terminal and a second DC current monitor input terminal that are respectively connected to the first and to the second terminals of the DC shunt for measuring DC current from the DC power supply;
an analog-to-digital converter ADC system having respective input terminals connected to the AC voltage monitor input terminals, the DC voltage monitor input terminals, and the DC current monitor input terminals, wherein the ADC provides respective digital output signals indicative of instantaneous sampled values of the isolated AC signal, the DC voltage, and the DC current;
a microcontroller having input terminals for receiving respective digital output signals of the ADC, wherein said microcontroller digitally computes various respective computed variables from the respective digital output signals received from the ADC;
a visual display system that receives signals representative of the computed variables from the microcontroller and that simultaneously visually displays a plurality of pre-selected ones of the respective computed variables;
an alarm system that is selectively activated when a pre-selected computed variable is in a respective alarm condition that is outside (exceeds) a predetermined limit;
wherein the microcontroller provides user menus displayed on the visual display system and wherein the microcontroller has keypress terminals for receiving respective user control signals from user-operated switches that are operated by a user in conjunction with the user menus to control operation of the microcontroller, the visual display system, and the alarm system.
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Accused Products
Abstract
A combined AC/DC monitoring system simultaneously monitors an AC power supply and a DC power supply in a mobile unit. The monitoring system is electrically isolated from an AC input source through an AC isolation transformer. A microcontroller digitally provides various computed variables from various digitized input signals. The monitoring system simultaneously displays a plurality of the computed variables while the system monitors for various user-selected high/low conditions of the computed variables. The system monitors AC power surges and can alternately displays a high voltage level for a predetermined time and a low voltage level for a predetermined time. An algorithm determines whether the AC voltage is a true sine wave or otherwise. The system monitors DC current on the high side, or positive terminal, of a battery. User selectable DC shunts are provided to measure a range of DC currents.
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Citations
30 Claims
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1. A combined AC/DC monitoring system for simultaneously monitoring an AC power supply and a DC power supply in a mobile unit, comprising:
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a transformer for electrically isolating the AC power supply from the combined AC/DC monitoring system and for providing an isolated, AC voltage signal to the combined AC/DC monitoring system;
AC voltage monitor input terminals connected to the isolated AC signal for monitoring the isolated AC voltage signal;
DC voltage monitor input terminals connected to the DC power supply for monitoring a DC voltage for the DC power supply;
a DC shunt, said DC shunt having a first terminal connected to a positive, non-grounded terminal of the DC power supply and said DC shunt having a second terminal;
a first DC current monitor input terminal and a second DC current monitor input terminal that are respectively connected to the first and to the second terminals of the DC shunt for measuring DC current from the DC power supply;
an analog-to-digital converter ADC system having respective input terminals connected to the AC voltage monitor input terminals, the DC voltage monitor input terminals, and the DC current monitor input terminals, wherein the ADC provides respective digital output signals indicative of instantaneous sampled values of the isolated AC signal, the DC voltage, and the DC current;
a microcontroller having input terminals for receiving respective digital output signals of the ADC, wherein said microcontroller digitally computes various respective computed variables from the respective digital output signals received from the ADC;
a visual display system that receives signals representative of the computed variables from the microcontroller and that simultaneously visually displays a plurality of pre-selected ones of the respective computed variables;
an alarm system that is selectively activated when a pre-selected computed variable is in a respective alarm condition that is outside (exceeds) a predetermined limit;
wherein the microcontroller provides user menus displayed on the visual display system and wherein the microcontroller has keypress terminals for receiving respective user control signals from user-operated switches that are operated by a user in conjunction with the user menus to control operation of the microcontroller, the visual display system, and the alarm system. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27)
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28. A combined AC/DC monitoring system for a recreational vehicle that simultaneously monitors an AC power supply and a DC power supply and that display pre-selected computed variables, comprising:
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a step-down isolation transformer for electrically isolating the AC power supply from the monitoring system and for providing an isolated, stepped-down AC voltage signal to the monitoring system;
AC voltage monitor input terminals connected to the isolated AC signal for monitoring the isolated AC voltage signal;
DC voltage monitor input terminals connected to the DC power supply for monitoring a DC voltage for the DC power supply;
a DC shunt, said DC shunt having a first terminal connected to a positive;
non-grounded, terminal of the DC power supply and said DC shunt having a second terminal;
first and second DC current monitor input terminals respectively connected to the first and to the second terminals of the DC shunt for measuring current from the DC power supply;
an analog-to-digital converter ADC system having respective input terminals connected to the AC voltage monitor input terminals, the DC voltage monitor input terminals, and the DC current monitor input terminals, wherein the ADC provides respective digital output signals indicative of instantaneous values of the isolated AC signal, the DC voltage, and the DC current;
a microcontroller having input terminals for receiving respective digital output signals of the ADC, said microcontroller digitally computing various respective computed variables from the respective digital output signals received from the ADC;
a visual display screen that receives signals representative of the computed variables from the microcontroller and that simultaneously visually displays pre-selected ones of the respective computed variables;
an audible alarm that is selectively activated when a pre-selected computed variable is in a respective alarm condition that is outside a predetermined limit;
wherein the microcontroller includes keypress terminals for receiving from user-operated switches respective user control signals for operation of the microcontroller;
wherein the microcontroller provides user menus that are displayed on the display screen and wherein the microcontroller has keypress terminals for receiving respective user control signals from user-operated switches that are operated by a user in conjunction with the user menus to control operation of the microcontroller, the visual display screen, and the audible alarm; and
wherein the computed variables are selected from a group comprising;
an AC voltage, an AC current, an AC r.m.s. voltage, an AC frequency, a DC current, a DC voltage, DC ampere hours, and temperature.
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29. A method of simultaneously monitoring an AC power supply and a DC power supply for a mobile unit with a combined AC/DC monitoring system, comprising the steps of:
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electrically isolating the AC power supply with a transformer and providing an isolated AC voltage signal to the combined AC/DC monitoring system;
coupling the isolated AC signal to AC voltage monitor input terminals for monitoring the isolated AC voltage signal;
coupling the DC power supply to DC voltage monitor input terminals for monitoring a DC voltage for the DC power supply;
for measurement of DC current from the DC power supply, connecting a first terminal of a DC shunt to a positive, non-grounded terminal of the DC power supply, connecting the first terminal of the DC shunt to a first DC-current monitor input terminal; and
connecting a second terminal of the DC shunt to a second DC-current monitor input terminal;
coupling the AC voltage monitor input terminals, the DC voltage monitor input terminals, and the DC current monitor input terminals to input terminals of an analog-to-digital converter ADC system, and the ADC providing respective digital output signals indicative of instantaneous sampled values of the isolated AC signal, the DC voltage, and the DC current;
receiving respective digital output signals of the ADC at input terminals of a microcontroller and said microcontroller digitally computing various respective computed variables from respective digital output signals received from the ADC;
a visual display system receiving signals representative of the computed variables from the microcontroller and simultaneously visually displaying a plurality of pre-selected ones of the respective computed variables;
selectively activating an alarm system when a pre-selected computed variable is in a respective alarm condition that is outside a predetermined limit;
the microcontroller providing user menus that are displayed on the visual display system;
the microcontroller receiving at keypress terminals respective user control signals from user-operated switches that are operated by a user in conjunction with the user menus to control operation of the microcontroller, the visual display system, and the alarm system. - View Dependent Claims (30)
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Specification