Electrical power distribution system
First Claim
1. An electrical power distribution system for connecting an electrical device, having a predetermined electrical load rating, electrically connected to an electrical plug, to a source of electrical power and disconnecting the electrical device therefrom, the system comprising:
- a PCD tag carried by a plug connected to the electrical device, the PCD tag comprising a PCD tag memory in which data related to the electrical device is stored in a format readable by the PCD reader, said data comprising an electrical device load rating for the electrical device that is used to program the value of a disconnect signal;
a PCD reader associated with at least one electrical receptacle electrically connectable to the source of electrical power, said at least one receptacle having a predetermined maximum electrical receptacle load rating and being adapted to receive said electrical plug electrically connected to the electrical device;
at least one switch device for connecting said at least one electrical receptacle to the source of electrical power and for disconnecting said at least one electrical receptacle from the source of electrical power upon receipt of said disconnect signal, wherein the value of said disconnect signal is determined to be the lower of the data stored in said PCD tag carried by the electrical plug and the maximum electrical receptacle load rating so that the same electrical receptacle can be used for electrical devices having different electrical load ratings that do not exceed the maximum electrical load rating of the electrical receptacle;
at least one measuring device for measuring actual current presented through said at least one electrical receptacle by the electrical device; and
a control circuit adapted to compare said actual load current of said electrical device to said electrical load rating of said electrical device stored in said PCD tag and said maximum electrical receptacle load rating to provide said disconnect signal based upon the lower of said electrical load rating of said electrical device stored in said PCD tag and said maximum electrical receptacle load rating to said at least one switch device upon said actual current load exceeding the lower of said electrical load rating of said electrical device as stored in said PCD tag memory and said maximum electrical receptacle load rating.
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Accused Products
Abstract
An electrical power distribution system for connecting an electrical device to a source of electrical power and disconnecting the electrical device therefrom. The system includes a PCD tag associated with the electrical device, and a PCD reader associated with a receptacle electrically connectable to the source of electrical power. The PCD tag has a PCD tag memory in which data related to the electrical device is stored in a format readable by the PCD reader, the data including an electrical device load rating. The system also has a switch device for connecting and disconnecting the receptacle to the power source. In addition, the system has a measuring device for measuring actual load and a control circuit for comparing actual load to the electrical device load rating. The control circuit provides a disconnect signal to the switch device upon the actual load exceeding the electrical device load rating.
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Citations
57 Claims
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1. An electrical power distribution system for connecting an electrical device, having a predetermined electrical load rating, electrically connected to an electrical plug, to a source of electrical power and disconnecting the electrical device therefrom, the system comprising:
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a PCD tag carried by a plug connected to the electrical device, the PCD tag comprising a PCD tag memory in which data related to the electrical device is stored in a format readable by the PCD reader, said data comprising an electrical device load rating for the electrical device that is used to program the value of a disconnect signal; a PCD reader associated with at least one electrical receptacle electrically connectable to the source of electrical power, said at least one receptacle having a predetermined maximum electrical receptacle load rating and being adapted to receive said electrical plug electrically connected to the electrical device; at least one switch device for connecting said at least one electrical receptacle to the source of electrical power and for disconnecting said at least one electrical receptacle from the source of electrical power upon receipt of said disconnect signal, wherein the value of said disconnect signal is determined to be the lower of the data stored in said PCD tag carried by the electrical plug and the maximum electrical receptacle load rating so that the same electrical receptacle can be used for electrical devices having different electrical load ratings that do not exceed the maximum electrical load rating of the electrical receptacle; at least one measuring device for measuring actual current presented through said at least one electrical receptacle by the electrical device; and a control circuit adapted to compare said actual load current of said electrical device to said electrical load rating of said electrical device stored in said PCD tag and said maximum electrical receptacle load rating to provide said disconnect signal based upon the lower of said electrical load rating of said electrical device stored in said PCD tag and said maximum electrical receptacle load rating to said at least one switch device upon said actual current load exceeding the lower of said electrical load rating of said electrical device as stored in said PCD tag memory and said maximum electrical receptacle load rating. - 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, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34, 35, 36, 37)
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38. An electrical power distribution system for connecting a plurality of electrical devices to a source of electrical power, the system comprising
a plurality of electrical outlets, each electrical outlet having a maximum electrical outlet load rating and comprising at least one electrical receptacle; -
each electrical receptacle being adapted to receive an electrical plug electrically connected to one of said electrical devices; each electrical device having a PCD tag carried by a plug connected to the electrical device, each PCD tag comprising a PCD tag memory in which data related to each of said electrical devices respectively is stored in a format readable by each said PCD reader respectively, said data comprising an electrical load rating for said electrical device respectively; each electrical outlet having a PCD reader associated therewith; each electrical outlet comprising at least one switch device for connecting each of said electrical outlets to the source of electrical power and for disconnecting each of said electrical outlets from the source of electrical power upon receipt of said disconnect signal, wherein the value of said disconnect signal is the lower of the data in said PCD tag and the maximum electrical outlet load rating; each outlet comprising at least one measuring device for measuring actual current presented through each of said electrical outlets respectively by said electrical devices connected to each said outlet respectively; and each outlet comprising a control circuit adapted to compare such actual load to said electrical device load rating as stored in said PCD tag memory for each said electrical device connected with each outlet respectively, and to provide the disconnect signal to at least one switch device upon said actual load exceeding said electrical device load rating. - View Dependent Claims (39, 40, 41)
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42. An electrical plug electrically connectable to an electrical device, the plug being receivable in at least one electrical receptacle having a maximum electrical receptacle load rating and which includes a PCD reader, a switch for connecting the electrical receptacle to a source of electrical power, a current measurement circuit and a control circuit for disconnecting the electrical receptacle from the source of electrical power when the electrical current through the electrical receptacle exceeds an electrical load rating, the electrical plug including a PCD tag comprising a PCD tag memory in which data related to the electrical device is stored in a format readable by a PCD reader associated with said at least one electrical receptacle, said data comprising an electrical load rating for the electrical device, said load rating being read, wherein the lower of said data in said PCD tag memory and said maximum electrical receptacle load rating is used to program the value at which said electrical receptacle is disconnected from said source of electrical power.
- 43. A PCD tag for use in an electrical power distribution system that includes a mating electrical receptacle, the PCD tag carried by an electrical plug having a conventional profile and a mating face for mating with an electrical receptacle having a electrical receptacle load rating and a switch for disconnecting said electrical receptacle from a source of electrical power, the PCD tag comprising a circuit assembly which includes a PCD tag memory in which data related to an electrical device is stored in a format readable by a PCD reader associated with at least one electrical receptacle, said data comprising an electrical load rating for the electrical device, wherein the lower of said data stored in said PCD tag memory and said electrical receptacle load rating is used to program the value at which said electrical receptacle is disconnected from said source of electrical power.
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54. An electrical outlet for connecting at least one electrical device to a source of electrical power and disconnecting said at least one electrical device therefrom, the electrical outlet comprising:
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at least one electrical receptacle having an electrical receptacle load rating and being electrically connectable to the source of the electrical power, said at least one electrical receptacle being adapted to receive an electrical plug electrically connected to said at least one electrical device, said at least one electrical device having a PCD tag carried by said plug, the PCD tag comprising a PCD tag memory in which data related to said at least one electrical device is stored, said data comprising an electrical device load rating for said at least one electrical device;
at least one switch device for connecting said at least one receptacle to the power source and for disconnecting said at least one receptacle from the power source upon receipt of a disconnect signal;a control circuit for comparing the current through said at least one receptacle and generating said disconnect signal if the current through said at least one receptacle exceeds the lower of said electrical receptacle load rating or said electrical load rating of said electrical device; a measuring device for measuring current through said at least one electrical receptacle by said at least one electrical device, and for communicating said measured current to the control circuit; a PCD reader for reading at least a portion of said data and communicating said portion to the control circuit, said portion including said electrical load rating of said electrical device.
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55. An electrical power distribution system for connecting an electrical device to a source of electrical power and disconnecting the electrical device therefrom, the system comprising:
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a PCD tag carried by a plug electrically connected to the electrical device, the PCD tag comprising a PCD tag memory in which data related to the electrical device is stored in a format readable by the PCD reader, said data comprising an electrical device current rating for the electrical device; a PCD reader associated with at least one electrical receptacle having an electrical receptacle load rating and being electrically connectable to the source of electrical power, said at least one electrical receptacle being adapted to receive an electrical plug electrically connected to the electrical device; at least one switch device for connecting said at least one electrical receptacle to the source of electrical power and for disconnecting said at least one electrical receptacle from the power source upon receipt of a disconnect signal; a measuring device for measuring the current drawn from said at least one electrical receptacle by the electrical device; and a control circuit adapted to compare said drawn by said electrical device load rating as stored in said PCD tag memory, and to provide the disconnect signal to said at least one switch device upon said current exceeding the lower of said electrical load rating of said electrical device and said electrical receptacle load rating.
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56. An electrical power distribution system comprising:
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an electrical receptacle for receiving an electrical plug, a switch for disconnecting said electrical receptacle from a source of electrical power in response to a disconnect signal; a measuring device for measuring the magnitude of electrical current flowing through the electrical receptacle; a PCD tag reader for reading a remote PCD tag carried by a plug connected to an electrical device, said PCD tag reader configured to read said PCD tag when said PCD tag is brought within range of said PCD tag reader;
said PCD tag pre-programmed with data representative of an electrical load rating of the electrical device connected to said electrical plug used to configure the value of current which causes a disconnect signal to be generated; anda control circuit for generating a disconnect signal when the electrical current flowing through the electrical receptacle exceeds the lower of value the pre-programmed in said PCD tag or the electrical receptacle load rating, said control circuit further configured to generate a disconnect signal at different electrical current values depending on the value in the PCD tag associated with the electrical device whose electrical plug is in proximity of the PCD tag reader.
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57. A method of programming an electrical power distribution system which includes an electrical receptacle having an electrical receptacle load rating, a switch for disconnecting said electrical receptacle from a source of electrical power, a measuring device for measuring the electrical current flowing through the electrical receptacle, a PCD tag reader for reading PCD tags carried by plugs that are connected to an electrical device and a control circuit for comparing the electrical current flowing through said electrical receptacle with a load rating value of said electrical device and said electrical receptacle load rating and generating a disconnect signal to disconnect said receptacle from said electrical power source when said electrical current flowing through said electrical receptacle exceeds the lower of said load rating value as stored in the PCD tag memory and said electrical receptacle load rating, the method comprising the step of programming the load rating value in said PCD tag.
Specification