Systems and methods for monitoring and controlling circuit breakers

• US 7,580,235 B2
• Filed: 10/11/2005
• Issued: 08/25/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 10/12/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: The Boeing Co.
• Original Assignee: The Boeing Co.
• Inventors: Hale, Justin E., Hamasaki, George H., Owens, Gregory P., Kirby, Norman F., Crane, Robert J., Sikora, Joseph A., McAvoy, Michael B., Nguyen, Phuoc D., Kesterson, Bryan P., Herter, Thanh-Ha N.
• Primary Examiner(s): Jackson; Stephen W
• Application Number:
  US11/249,127
• Publication Number:
  US 20060108873A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,414 Days
• Field of Search: 361/115, 361/62
• US Class Current: 361/115
• CPC Class Codes: B64D 43/00 Arrangements or adaptations of instruments arrangements of cameras B64D47/08; aeronautical measuring instruments per se G01C
• CPC Class Codes: H01H 2071/006 Provisions for user interfaces for electrical protection devices
• 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: 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 13/00017 using optical fiber
• 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: H02J 2310/44 for aircrafts
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 4/00 Circuit arrangements for mains or distribution networks not specified as ac or dc
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 60/00 Enabling technologies; Technologies with a potential or indirect contribution to GHG emissions mitigation
• CPC Class Codes: Y04S 40/124 using wired telecommunication networks or data transmission busses

Abstract

Systems and methods for presenting information corresponding to circuit breakers and for controlling such circuit breakers are disclosed. In one embodiment, the system can include a menu-driven, pointer-accessible graphical user interface via which an operator can receive information corresponding to circuit breakers, and can automatically change the states of the circuit breakers. Menus of circuit breaker information can be organized by the state of the circuit breaker, the location of the circuit breaker, the bus to which the circuit breaker is coupled, the electrical system to which the circuit breaker belongs, and/or the system or subsystem of which the circuit breaker is a part. In further embodiments, the circuit breaker information can be organized according to custom-made arrangements.

Claims

1. A method for handling circuit breaker information and/or state changes, comprising:

receiving information corresponding to the states of multiple electronic circuit breakers;

displaying the information corresponding to the states of the electronic circuit breakers in a menu-driven format at a graphical user interface;

presenting a pointer at the graphical user interface;

in response to a first command from a user, moving the pointer at the graphical user interface;

in response to a second command from the user, selecting an icon aligned with the pointer, the icon corresponding to a selected one of the electronic circuit breakers;

receiving a third command from the user; and

in response to the third command, handling additional information corresponding to the electronic circuit breaker, or directing the electronic circuit breaker to change state, or both, wherein handling additional information includes presenting the information corresponding to the states of the electronic circuit breakers by displaying non-textual, graphical representations of the states.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising displaying information corresponding to non-electronic circuit breakers.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein displaying information corresponding to the states of the circuit breakers includes displaying information corresponding to a locked state of the circuit breaker, along with instructions corresponding to the locked state.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising providing an electronic link to at least one of a computer-based maintenance manual and a computer-based crew manual.

5. The method of claim 1 wherein displaying information includes displaying information arranged by the states of the circuit breakers.

6. The method of claim 1 wherein displaying information includes displaying information arranged by how recently information corresponding to the circuit breakers was accessed.

8. The method of claim 1, further comprising searching for a requested circuit breaker by a keyword corresponding to the circuit breaker.

9. The method of claim 1, further comprising providing a warning message when an instruction from the user is to unlock a locked circuit breaker.

10. The method of claim 1, further comprising receiving an instruction to lock a circuit breaker from further state changes when the circuit breaker is unpowered.

11. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving an instruction to lock a circuit breaker from further state changes; and

receiving an instruction to associate a textual explanation with the locked circuit breaker.

12. The method of claim 1 wherein displaying the information corresponding to the states of the electronic circuit breakers includes displaying first information and first user-selectable input icons at a first location of the graphical user interface, and wherein handling additional information includes:

presenting the additional information to overlay the first information, wherein the additional information includes additional user-selectable input icons that do not overlay the first input icons.

13. The method of claim 1 wherein directing the electronic circuit breaker to change state includes directing the electronic circuit breaker to change state while power is not applied to the circuit controlled by the electronic circuit breaker.

14. The method of claim 1 wherein directing an electronic circuit breaker to change state includes directing multiple electronic circuit breakers to change state in an at least approximately simultaneous manner.

15. The method of claim 1, further comprising providing a dynamic list of circuit breakers, with the identity of circuit breakers on the dynamic list changing in response to a user input.

16. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving input from the user to correlate selected electronic circuit breakers with each other; and

presenting information for the selected electronic circuit breakers together.

7. The method of example 1 wherein displaying information includes displaying information arranged by how recently the states of the circuit breakers were changed.

17. An aircraft, comprising:

a fuselage that includes a flight deck;

a wing coupled to the fuselage;

a plurality of electrical systems having at least a corresponding plurality of circuit breakers, including at least one electronic circuit breaker; and

a computer operatively coupled to the circuit breakers, the computer including;

a receiver configured to receive information corresponding at least in part to the states of multiple electronic circuit breakers;

a display medium configured to display the information corresponding at least in part to the states of the electronic circuit breakers in a menu-driven format at a graphical user interface so as to include first information and first user-selectable input icons at a first location of the graphical user interface; and

a computer-readable medium configured to;

move a pointer at the graphical user interface in response to a first command from a user;

select an icon aligned with the pointer in response to a second command from the user, the icon corresponding to a selected one of the electronic circuit breakers; and

direct the electronic circuit breaker to change state, or handle additional information corresponding to the circuit breaker, or both, in response to a third command from the user, wherein the computer-readable medium is configured to display the additional information so as to overlay the first information, and wherein the additional information includes additional user-selectable input icons that do not overlay the first input icons.

18. The aircraft of claim 17 wherein the computer-readable medium is configured to display information arranged by the states of the circuit breakers.

19. The aircraft of claim 17 wherein the computer-readable medium is configured to search for a requested circuit breaker by a keyword corresponding to the circuit breaker.

20. The aircraft of claim 17 wherein the computer-readable medium is configured to direct multiple electronic circuit breakers to change state in an at least approximately simultaneous manner.

21. A method for handling circuit breaker information and/or state changes, comprising:

receiving information corresponding to the states of multiple electronic circuit breakers;

displaying the information corresponding to the states of the electronic circuit breakers in a menu-driven format at a graphical user interface;

presenting a pointer at the graphical user interface;

in response to a first command from a user, moving the pointer at the graphical user interface;

in response to a second command from the user, selecting an icon aligned with the pointer, the icon corresponding to a selected one of the electronic circuit breakers;

receiving a third command from the user;

in response to the third command, handling additional information corresponding to the electronic circuit breaker, or directing the electronic circuit breaker to change state, or both; and

displaying information corresponding to non-electronic circuit breakers.

22. A method for handling circuit breaker information and/or state changes, comprising:

receiving information corresponding to the states of multiple electronic circuit breakers;

displaying the information corresponding to the states of the electronic circuit breakers in a menu-driven format at a graphical user interface;

presenting a pointer at the graphical user interface;

in response to a first command from a user, moving the pointer at the graphical user interface;

in response to a second command from the user, selecting an icon aligned with the pointer, the icon corresponding to a selected one of the electronic circuit breakers;

receiving a third command from the user;

in response to the third command, handling additional information corresponding to the electronic circuit breaker, or directing the electronic circuit breaker to change state, or both; and

providing an electronic link to at least one of a computer-based maintenance manual and a computer-based crew manual.

23. A method for handling circuit breaker information and/or state changes, comprising:

receiving information corresponding to the states of multiple electronic circuit breakers;

displaying the information corresponding to the states of the electronic circuit breakers in a menu-driven format at a graphical user interface;

presenting a pointer at the graphical user interface;

in response to a first command from a user, moving the pointer at the graphical user interface;

in response to a second command from the user, selecting an icon aligned with the pointer, the icon corresponding to a selected one of the electronic circuit breakers;

receiving a third command from the user;

in response to the third command, handling additional information corresponding to the electronic circuit breaker, or directing the electronic circuit breaker to change state, or both; and

searching for a requested circuit breaker by a keyword corresponding to the circuit breaker.

24. A method for handling circuit breaker information and/or state changes, comprising:

receiving information corresponding to the states of multiple electronic circuit breakers;

displaying the information corresponding to the states of the electronic circuit breakers in a menu-driven format at a graphical user interface, wherein displaying the information corresponding to the states of the electronic circuit breakers includes displaying first information and first user-selectable input icons at a first location of the graphical user interface;

presenting a pointer at the graphical user interface;

in response to a first command from a user, moving the pointer at the graphical user interface;

in response to a second command from the user, selecting an icon aligned with the pointer, the icon corresponding to a selected one of the electronic circuit breakers;

receiving a third command from the user; and

in response to the third command, handling additional information corresponding to the electronic circuit breaker, or directing the electronic circuit breaker to change state, or both, wherein handling additional information includes presenting the additional information to overlay the first information, and wherein the additional information includes additional user-selectable input icons that do not overlay the first input icons.

25. A method for handling circuit breaker information and/or state changes, comprising:

providing a dynamic list of circuit breakers, with the identity of circuit breakers on the dynamic list changing in response to a user input;

receiving information corresponding to the states of multiple electronic circuit breakers;

displaying the information corresponding to the states of the electronic circuit breakers in a menu-driven format at a graphical user interface;

presenting a pointer at the graphical user interface;

in response to a first command from a user, moving the pointer at the graphical user interface

in response to a second command from the user, selecting an icon aligned with the pointer, the icon corresponding to a selected one of the electronic circuit breakers;

receiving a third command from the user; and

in response to the third command, handling additional information corresponding to the electronic circuit breaker, or directing the electronic circuit breaker to change state, or both.