Load information display device and circuit breaker

• US 7,171,317 B2
• Filed: 02/23/2005
• Issued: 01/30/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 10/01/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Hitachi Industrial Equipment Systems Company Limited (Hitachi, Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: Hitachi Industrial Equipment Systems Company Limited (Hitachi, Ltd.)
• Inventors: Watanabe, Tetsunori, Kato, Kazuhiko, Kimura, Toshiko, Aihara, Kazuya, Hayakawa, Hideki
• Primary Examiner(s): Tsai; Carol S. W.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Barbee; Manuel L
• Application Number:
  US11/062,823
• Publication Number:
  US 20060085148A1
• Time in Patent Office: 706 Days
• Field of Search: 702 57- 59, 702 60- 62, 702/64, 702/65, 702/187, 702/188, 324/424, 324/140.R, 324/141, 324/142, 324/114, 340/637, 340/638, 340/639, 340/646
• US Class Current: 702/62
• CPC Class Codes: G01D 4/002 Remote reading of utility meters
• CPC Class Codes: H01H 2071/006 Provisions for user interfaces for electrical protection devices
• CPC Class Codes: H01H 2300/03 Application domotique, e.g. for house automation, bus connected switches, sensors, loads or intelligent wiring
• 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: 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 20/14 Protecting elements, switches, relays or circuit breakers
• CPC Class Codes: Y04S 20/20 End-user application control systems
• CPC Class Codes: Y04S 20/30 Smart metering, e.g. specially adapted for remote reading

Abstract

This invention is intended to reduce the cost by displaying the load information of a plurality of circuits with a single display device and transferring one of the two communication units in the measuring instruments from the measuring instruments to the display device to acquire the load information of a plurality of circuits. The display device and the measuring instruments are separated from each other, and the display device includes a plurality of communications units connectable with a plurality of devices, while each of many measuring instruments includes a single communication unit.

Claims

1. A load information display device connected with a plurality of measuring instruments to measure the load information including the current, voltage, power, wattage and power factor of an electrical circuit, comprising:

recording means for recording the load information measured by said measuring instruments;

display means for displaying said recorded load information;

selecting means for selecting the items displayed on said display means; and

two types of digital signal communication means connectable with a plurality of devices;

wherein one type of digital signal communication means is connected to a central processing unit to use said one type of said digital signal communication means as communication means for recoding and centrally managing the load information measured by said measuring instruments in said central processing unit;

wherein another type of digital signal communication means is connected to at least one of said measuring instruments to use said another type of digital signal communication means as communication means for acquiring the load information measured by said at least one of measuring instrument;

wherein said two types of digital signal communication means are separated by said display means;

wherein a communication protocol to acquire the load information measured by said plurality of measuring instruments and a communication protocol to transmit the load information measured by said plurality of the measuring instruments to the central processing unit for recording and centrally managing the load information are shared with each other; and

wherein said displaying means receives a request for the load information to be recorded and centrally managed in said central processing unit from said central processing unit, makes said request for the load information to said at least one of said measuring instruments connected to said another type of digital signal communication means, and transmits the information acquired from said at least one of said measuring instruments to the central processing unit.

2. A load information display device according to claim 1,

wherein unique addresses, types and a number of the measuring instruments for measuring the load information at the time of switching on power are automatically recognized.

3. A load information display device according to claim 2,

wherein the load information measured by a plurality of measuring instruments can be displayed by being switched by an operation unit.

4. A circuit breaker having the functions of measuring, displaying and transmitting the load information, comprising:

a contact unit for opening and closing a main circuit;

an open/close mechanism for opening and closing said contact unit;

a means for detecting the current flowing in each phase;

a means for detecting the voltage between lines;

a control unit for controlling the opening of said contact point based on the current value detected by said current detection means and calculating the load information of the circuit based on the information acquired from said current detection means and said voltage detection means;

a means for transmitting the calculated load information to other devices; and

a plurality of load information display devices according to claim 2;

wherein the plurality of load Information display devices are connected to each other through the digital signal communication means.

5. A load information display device according to claim 1,

wherein the load information measured by a plurality of measuring instruments can be displayed by being switched by an operation unit.

6. A circuit breaker having the functions of measuring, displaying and transmitting the load information, comprising:

a contact unit for opening and closing a main circuit;

an open/close mechanism for opening and closing said contact unit;

a means for detecting the current flowing in each phase;

a means for detecting the voltage between lines;

a control unit for controlling the opening of said contact point based on the current value detected by said current detection means and calculating the load information of the circuit based on the information acquired from said current detection means and said voltage detection means;

a means for transmitting the calculated load information to other devices; and

a plurality of load information display devices according to claim 3;

wherein the plurality of load information display devices are connected to each other through the digital signal communication means.

7. A circuit breaker having the functions of measuring, displaying and transmitting the load information, comprising:

a contact unit for opening and closing a main circuit;

an open/close mechanism for opening and closing said contact unit;

a means for detecting the current flowing in each phase;

a means for detecting the voltage between lines;

a control unit for controlling the opening of said contact point based on the current value detected by said current detection means and calculating the load information of the circuit based on the information acquired from said current detection means and said voltage detection means;

a means for transmitting the calculated load information to other devices; and

a plurality of load information display devices according to claim 1;

wherein the plurality of load information display devices are connected to each other through the digital signal communication means.