Circuit protector monitoring and management system user interface method, system and program

• US 7,391,299 B2
• Filed: 09/09/2005
• Issued: 06/24/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 09/10/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Eaton Intelligent Power Limited (Eaton Corporation PLC.)
• Original Assignee: Cooper Technologies Company (Eaton Corporation PLC.)
• Inventors: Douglass, Robert Stephen, Henricks, Michael Craig, Bender, Robert Lawrence, Speno, Timothy Hamilton
• Primary Examiner(s): Trieu; Van T.
• Application Number:
  US11/223,618
• Publication Number:
  US 20060077611A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,019 Days
• Field of Search: 340/292, 340/288, 340/534, 340/535, 340/539.14, 340/635, 340/649, 340/650, 340/662, 340/663, 340/664, 340/502, 340/506, 340/638
• US Class Current: 340/292
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/06 Resources, workflows, human or project management; Enterprise or organisation planning; Enterprise or organisation modelling
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/087 Inventory or stock management, e.g. order filling, procurement or balancing against orders
• CPC Class Codes: H01H 2085/0266 Structural association with a measurement device, e.g. a shunt
• 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 3/042 combined with means for locating the fault locating faults in cables G01R31/08
• CPC Class Codes: H02H 7/261 involving signal transmission between at least two stations transmission of signals in general H02H1/0061
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 13/00001 characterised by the display of information or by user interaction, e.g. supervisory control and data acquisition systems [SCADA] or graphical user interfaces [GUI]
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 13/00036 the elements or equipment being or involving switches, relays or circuit breakers circuits for indication of single switches H01H9/167
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 13/0004 involved in a protection system
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 60/00 Enabling technologies; Technologies with a potential or indirect contribution to GHG emissions mitigation
• CPC Class Codes: Y04S 10/20 using protection elements, arrangements or systems
• CPC Class Codes: Y04S 10/40 Display of information, e.g. of data or controls
• CPC Class Codes: Y04S 10/50 Systems or methods supporting the power network operation or management, involving a certain degree of interaction with the load-side end user applications
• CPC Class Codes: Y04S 10/52 Outage or fault management, e.g. fault detection or location

Abstract

A user interface, method system and program for circuit protector management in an electrical system.

Claims

1. A method of managing circuit protectors in an electrical system wherein circuit protector status elements are associated with the circuit protectors, the status elements adapted to generate a data signal for communication to a remote electronic operation system, the method comprising:

accepting at the operation system installation data corresponding to the respective circuit protectors in the electrical system;

receiving data messages, the data messages corresponding to operating states of the circuit protectors;

determining whether the data messages correspond to an alarm condition;

if an alarm condition is determined, presenting information regarding the alarm condition for inspection by a user; and

determining whether any of the circuit protectors need to be replaced and, if so, communicating with an inventory management system to facilitate ordering of replacement circuit protectors.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising presenting the information in a screen display, the screen display including an alarm summary display, an alarm detail display, and an alarm options display.

3. The method of claim 2, the alarm options display comprising an alarm acknowledgment, an alarm clearance or an alarm forward option.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising presenting the information in a site plan and circuit protector overview display, wherein the relative locations of the circuit protectors in the electrical system may be determined.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the information comprises at least one of a circuit protector location and a circuit protector type.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising electronically generating an alarm notification and summons to designated personnel via at least one of an email notification, a fax notification, a pager notification, or voice messaging.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising, awaiting electronic acknowledgement of an alarm condition, and if the alarm condition is not acknowledged, to automatically notify designated personnel.

8. The method of claim 7, further comprising escalating the alarm condition if the alarm condition is not acknowledged.

9. The method of claim 1, further comprising initiating special procedures pertaining to the electrical system.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the data messages include at least one of a plurality of data bits selected from the group comprising a unique radio identifier, a manufacturer serial number for the status element, a device type code for the circuit protector, a location or address code for the circuit protector, a power/control code, an equipment identification code, a testing code, a fault code, a customer code, a temperature code, a vibration code, a displacement code, a mechanical stress code, a mechanical strain code, an acoustical emission code, a noise code, a thermal imagery code, an electrical resistance code, a pressure code, a humidity code and a video code.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein presenting information comprises presenting information in one of a tabular form and graphical form.

12. The method of claim 1, wherein the data messages correspond to operating states of circuit protectors fuses having a primary fuse element constructed to open upon predetermined current conditions flowing through the fuse.

13. The system of claim 1, wherein the display information comprises a facilities tree depicting the electrical system and associated circuit protectors.

14. The method of claim 1, wherein the information includes a facilities tree including circuit protector locations.

15. A network-based system for managing circuit protector information corresponding to an electrical system, said system comprising:

a client system comprising a browser;

a database for storing information; and

a server system adapted to be coupled to said client system and said database, said server

further adapted to;

accept installation data corresponding to the respective circuit protectors in the electrical system;

receive data signals corresponding to operating states of the circuit protectors and determine whether the data signals indicate that an alarm condition is present;

if the alarm condition is present, display information regarding the alarm condition for inspection by a user; and

determine whether any of the circuit protectors need to be replaced and, if so, communicate with an inventory management system to facilitate ordering of replacement circuit protectors.

16. The system of claim 15, wherein the display information comprises an alarm condition summary screen.

17. The system of claim 15 wherein the display information comprises a circuit protector summary display.

18. The system of claim 15, wherein the display information comprises a site plan for the electrical system.

19. The system of claim 15, wherein the display information is presented in tabular form.

20. The system of claim 15, wherein the display information comprises alarm severity information.

21. The system of claim 15, wherein the display information comprises alarm acknowledgment information.

22. The system of claim 15, wherein the display information comprises alarm clearance information.

23. The system of claim 15, wherein the display information comprises at least one of a circuit protector location and a circuit protector type.

24. The system of claim 15, wherein the display information comprises alarm forwarding information.

25. The system of claim 15, wherein the system is adapted to automatically generate an alarm notification and summons to designated personnel via at least one of an email notification, a fax notification, a pager notification, or voice messaging.

26. The system of claim 15, wherein the server system is further adapted to await acknowledgement of an alarm condition, and if the alarm condition is not acknowledged, to notify designated personnel.

27. The system of claim 26, wherein the server system is adapted to escalate the alarm condition if the alarm condition is not acknowledged.

28. The system of claim 26, wherein the server system is adapted to initiate special procedures pertaining to the electrical system.

29. The system of claim 15, wherein the data signals include at least one of a plurality of data bits selected from the group comprising a unique radio identifier, a manufacturer serial number for the status element, a device type code for the circuit protector, a location or address code for the circuit protector, a power/control code, an equipment identification code, a testing code, a fault code, a customer code, a temperature code, a vibration code, a displacement code, a mechanical stress code, a mechanical strain code, an acoustical emission code, a noise code, a thermal imagery code, an electrical resistance code, a pressure code, a humidity code and a video code.

30. The system of claim 15, wherein the alarm condition comprises at least one of a threshold alarm or an opened circuit protector alarm.

31. The system of claim 15, wherein a user associated with the client system comprises at least one of an electrical system technician, a maintenance person, a circuit protect manufacturer technical support person, a facilities manager for the electrical system, and a circuit protector distributor.

32. The system of claim 15, wherein the server system is further in communication with at least one remote system being selected from the group of:

a computerized maintenance management system, a supervisory control and data acquisition system, an industrial control and automation system, an enterprise resource planning system, an electronic data interchange system, a manufacturing resources planning system, and a supply chain management system.

33. The system of claim 15 wherein the server system is adapted to receive data signals corresponding to operating states of circuit protectors fuses having a primary fuse element constructed to open upon predetermined current conditions flowing through the fuse;

determine whether the data signals correspond to a threshold alarm or an opened fuse alarm; and

if an alarm condition is detected, display information regarding the fuse associate with the alarm for inspection by a user.

34. The system of claim 15, wherein the server system is adapted to present map information corresponding to a circuit protector in the electrical system, alarm notification information, and alarm acknowledgment information.

35. The system of claim 15, wherein the display information comprises a facilities tree depicting the electrical system and associated circuit protectors.

36. A network-based system for managing circuit protector information corresponding to an electrical system, the circuit protectors comprising fuses comprising primary fuse elements opening in response to predetermined current conditions flowing through, and status elements generating data signals relating to the operating state of the fuses, the network-based system comprising:

a client system comprising a browser;

a database for storing installation information relating to the circuit protectors and the electrical system; and

a server system adapted to be coupled to said client system and said database, said server further adapted to;

receive data signals corresponding to operating states of the circuit protectors;

determine whether the data signals correspond to an alarm condition;

if an alarm condition is detected, display information regarding the alarm condition for inspection by a user, the information including at least a fuse location and a fuse type corresponding to the alarm, thereby allowing alarm response personnel to quickly locate a source of the alarm and to rectify the alarm condition; and

determine whether any of the circuit protectors need to be replaced and, if so, communicate with an inventory management system to facilitate ordering of replacement circuit protectors.

37. The system of claim 36, wherein the display information comprises fuse alarm condition summary screen.

38. The system of claim 36 wherein the display information comprises a fuse summary display.

39. The system of claim 36, wherein the display information comprises a site plan for the electrical system.

40. The system of claim 36, wherein the display information comprises alarm severity information.

41. The system of claim 36, wherein the display information comprises a fuse alarm detail screen.

42. The system of claim 36, wherein the display information comprises alarm acknowledgment information.

43. The system of claim 36, wherein the display information comprises alarm clearance information.

44. The system of claim 36, wherein the display information comprises alarm forwarding information.

45. The system of claim 36, wherein the system is adapted to automatically generate an alarm notification and summons to designated personnel via at least one of an email notification, a fax notification, a pager notification, or voice messaging.

46. The system of claim 36, wherein the server system is further adapted to await acknowledgement of an alarm condition, and if the alarm condition is not acknowledged, to notify designated personnel.

47. The system of claim 36, wherein the server system is adapted to escalate the alarm condition if the alarm condition is not acknowledged.

48. The system of claim 36, wherein a user associated with the client system comprises at least one of an electrical system technician, a maintenance person, a circuit protect manufacturer technical support person, a facilities manager for the electrical system, and a circuit protector distributor.

49. The system of claim 36, wherein the display information comprises a facilities tree depicting the electrical system and associated fuses.

50. A computer program embodied on a computer readable medium for managing circuit protector information corresponding to an electrical system, the computer program comprising at least one code segment that receives data signals corresponding to operating states of the circuit protectors, and, in response to the received signals;

determines whether the data signals correspond to an alarm condition;

displays information regarding alarm conditions for inspection by a user; and

determines whether any of the circuit protectors need to be replaced and, if so, communicates with an inventory management system to facilitate ordering of replacement circuit protectors.

51. The computer program of claim 50, further comprising at least one code segment that displays an alarm condition summary screen comprising a circuit protector location and a circuit protection type.

52. The computer program of claim 50, further comprising at least one code segment that displays a site plan for the electrical system, the site plan including the location of the circuit protectors in the electrical system.

53. The computer program of claim 50, further comprising at least one code segment that displays alarm severity information.

54. The computer program of claim 50, further comprising at least one code segment that displays alarm acknowledgment information.

55. The computer program of claim 50, further comprising at least one code segment that displays alarm clearance information.

56. The computer program of claim 50, further comprising at least one code segment that displays a picture of a type of circuit protector corresponding to the alarm condition.

57. The computer program of claim 50, further comprising at least one code segment that forwards an alarm to a user entered contact number or address.

58. The computer program of claim 50, further comprising at least one code segment automatically generating an alarm notification and summons to designated personnel via at least one of an email notification, a fax notification, a pager notification, and voice messaging.

59. The computer program of claim 50, further comprising at least one code segment awaiting acknowledgement of an alarm condition, and if the alarm condition is not acknowledged, to notify designated personnel.

60. The computer program of claim 50, further comprising at least one code segment escalating the alarm condition if the alarm condition is not acknowledged.

61. The computer program of claim 50, further comprising at least one code segment initiating special procedures pertaining to the electrical system.

62. The computer program of claim 50, further comprising at least one code segment communicating with at least one remote system, the at least one remote system being selected from the group of:

a computerized maintenance management system, a supervisory control and data acquisition system, an industrial control and automation system, an enterprise resource planning system, an electronic data interchange system, a manufacturing resources planning system, and a supply chain management system.

63. The computer program of claim 50, further comprising at least one code segment identifying hazard information and precautions for responding to a circuit protector condition.

64. The computer program of claim 50, further comprising at least one code segment receiving data signals corresponding to operating states of circuit protector fuses having a primary fuse element constructed to open upon predetermined current conditions flowing through the fuse.

65. The computer program of claim 50, further comprising at least one code segment displaying a facilities tree depicting the electrical system and associated circuit protectors.

66. An electronic system for managing circuit protector information corresponding to an electrical system having at least one circuit protector and a status element associated with the circuit protector, the system comprising:

means for storing installation data related to at least one circuit protector in the electrical system;

means for receiving data messages relating to an operative condition of the at least one circuit protector;

means for displaying a circuit protector alarm condition and information to a user, the information including at least a location of a circuit protector causing the alarm condition and a circuit protector type; and

means for communicating with an inventory management system to facilitate ordering of replacement circuit protectors.

67. The system of claim 66 wherein the means for storing installation data comprises a database.

68. The system of claim 66 wherein the installation data is selected from the group of, unique radio identifiers, circuit protector serial numbers, device type codes, circuit protector location codes, wireless addresses for communication devices, an IP address for the gateway device, time/date stamps for incoming data signals, a software revision code, a hardware revision code, a data packet count for an incoming message, an error count for incoming data packets and messages, error codes site layout diagrams, electrical system site schematics, customer identifiers, and automated alert notification contact information.

69. The system of claim 66 wherein the means for receiving comprises a network-based system.

70. The system of claim 66 wherein the means for displaying comprises a computer program embodied on a computer readable medium.

71. The system of claim 66 wherein the alarm condition comprises an alarm threshold or an opened circuit protector alarm.

72. The system of claim 66 further comprising means for responding to the alarm condition and evaluating the circuit protector.

73. The system of claim 66 wherein the alarm condition comprises an alarm severity designation.

74. The system of claim 66 further comprising means for directly contacting designated personnel.

75. The system of claim 74 wherein the means for directly contacting comprises a phone, a pager, a fax machine, a text messaging device, or a personal digital assistant device.

76. The system of claim 74 wherein the means for displaying comprises a client system, wherein a user associated with the client system comprises at least one of an electrical system technician, a maintenance person, a circuit protect manufacturer technical support person, a facilities manager for the electrical system, and a circuit protector distributor.