Intelligent electronic device having audible and visual interface

• US 8,442,660 B2
• Filed: 10/30/2006
• Issued: 05/14/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 10/28/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: EI Electronics LLC (Hubbell, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Electro Industries/Gaugetech
• Inventors: Kagan, Erran
• Primary Examiner(s): Ali, Mohammad
• Assistant Examiner(s): Rao, Sheela S
• Application Number:
  US11/589,381
• Publication Number:
  US 20080086222A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,388 Days
• Field of Search: 700/21, 700/22, 700/80, 700/32, 700/286, 700291-293, 712/233, 324/142, 702 58- 62
• US Class Current: 700/22
• CPC Class Codes: G01D 4/002 Remote reading of utility meters
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 23/027 Alarm generation, e.g. communication protocol; Forms of alarm
• 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 10/52 Outage or fault management, e.g. fault detection or location
• CPC Class Codes: Y04S 20/30 Smart metering, e.g. specially adapted for remote reading

Abstract

An intelligent electronic device having an audible and visual interface for providing audible and visual instructions to a user in an event of an alarm or trouble indication in the electrical power system. The intelligent electronic device includes at least one sensor configured for measuring at least one power parameter of an electrical circuit and generating at least one analog signal indicative of the at least one power parameter; at least one digital to analog converter for receiving the at least one analog signal and converting the at least one analog signal to at least one digital signal; a processor configured for receiving the at least one digital signal and detecting at least one event occurring in the electrical circuit; and an interface configured for providing instructions associated to the at least one detected event. The instructions may be in the form of text, audio and/or video.

Claims

1. An intelligent electronic device for monitoring power usage of an electrical circuit, the intelligent electronic device comprising:

at least one sensor coupled to the electrical circuit, the at least one sensor configured for measuring at least one power parameter of the electrical circuit and generating at least one analog signal indicative of the at least one power parameter;

at least one analog to digital converter coupled to the at least one sensor, the at least one analog to digital converter configured for receiving the at least one analog signal and converting the at least one analog signal to at least one digital signal indicative of the at least one power parameter;

a memory configured for storing at least one instructional audio file, each of the at least one instructional audio file being associated with a respective event that may occur in the electrical circuit and including spoken instructions on how to rectify the respective event;

a processor configured for receiving the at least one digital signal indicative of the at least one power parameter and detecting, based on the at least one power parameter, if at least one first event occurs in the electrical circuit, the processor further configured for retrieving, from the memory, the at least one instructional audio file associated with the detected at least one first event when the at least one first event occurs; and

an audio output device coupled to the processor and disposed on the intelligent electronic device, the audio output device configured for receiving from the processor the retrieved at least one instructional audio file and playing the retrieved at least one instructional audio file to provide spoken instructions, at the intelligent electronic device, on how to rectify the detected at least one first event, the spoken instructions being provided to a user of the intelligent electronic device.

2. The intelligent electronic device as in claim 1, further comprising a display device configured for providing text instructions on how to rectify the detected at least one first event.

3. The intelligent electronic device as in claim 2, wherein the text instructions are an operating manual associated with the intelligent electronic device.

4. The intelligent electronic device as in claim 2, wherein the text instructions are a checklist for troubleshooting the detected at least one first event.

5. The intelligent electronic device as in claim 2, wherein the text instructions are a flowchart for troubleshooting the detected at least one first event.

6. The intelligent electronic device as in claim 2, wherein the text instructions are a checklist for troubleshooting the detected at least one first event.

7. The intelligent electronic device as in claim 2, wherein the text instructions are a flowchart for troubleshooting the detected at least one first event.

8. The intelligent electronic device as in claim 1, further comprising an audio input device disposed on the intelligent electronic device configured for recording spoken instructions on how to rectify at least one event that may occur in the electrical circuit.

9. The intelligent electronic device as in claim 1, wherein the memory is further configured for storing at least one instructional video file on how to rectify at least one event that may occur in the electrical circuit, each of the at least one instructional video file being associated with at respective event, and further comprising a user interface including a display device disposed on the intelligent electronic device, the user interface being configured for receiving from the processor a retrieved at least one instructional video file and playing the at least one instructional video file, causing the display device to provide video instructions on how to rectify the detected at least one first event.

10. The intelligent electronic device as in claim 1, wherein the detected at least one first event is an alarm condition.

11. The intelligent electronic device as in claim 1, wherein the memory is removable.

12. The intelligent electronic device as in claim 1, further comprising a communication device configured for retrieving at least one second instructional audio file from a remote server over a network and storing the at least one second instructional audio file in the memory.

13. The intelligent electronic device as in claim 12, wherein the communication device communicates via Transmission Control Protocol/ Internet Protocol (TCP/IP), File Transfer Protocol (FTP), Hypertext Transfer Protocol (HTTP), Internet Protocol Security Protocol (IPSec), Point-to-Point Tunneling Protocol (PPTP) or Secure Sockets Layer (SSL) Protocol.

14. The intelligent electronic device as in claim 1, further comprising a communication device configured for conducting voice communications to a remote location.

15. The intelligent electronic device as in claim 14, wherein the communication device communicates via GPRS (General Packet Radio Service) data protocol or a 3G protocol.

16. The intelligent electronic device as in claim 1, further comprising a communication device configured for retrieving the at least one instructional audio file associated with the respective event from a remote server upon detection of the respective event.

17. In an intelligent electronic device for monitoring power usage of an electrical circuit, a method for providing instructions comprising:

measuring at least one power parameter of the electrical circuit and generating at least one analog signal indicative of the at least one power parameter;

receiving the at least one analog signal and converting the at least one analog signal to at least one digital signal indicative of the at least one power parameter;

receiving the at least one digital signal indicative of the at least one power parameter and detecting if at least one event occurs in the electrical circuit based on the at least one power parameter;

retrieving at least one instructional audio file from a memory of the intelligent electronic device when the at least one event is detected; and

playing the retrieved at least one instructional audio file on an audio output device to provide spoken instructions on how to rectify the at least one detected event.

18. The method as in claim 17, further comprising providing text instructions on a display device on how to rectify the at least one detected event.

19. The method as in claim 18, wherein the text instructions are an operating manual associated with the intelligent electronic device.

20. The method as in claim 17, further comprising:

retrieving at least one instructional video file from the memory of the intelligent electronic device based on the at least one detected event;

playing the retrieved at least one instructional video file; and

providing video instructions on a display device on how to rectify the at least one detected event.

21. The method as in claim 17, wherein the at least one detected event is an alarm condition.

22. The method as in claim 17, further comprising retrieving at least one second instructional audio file from a remote server over a network.

23. The method as in claim 22, further comprising storing the at least one second instructional audio file in the memory of the intelligent electronic device.

24. The method as in claim 22, wherein the intelligent electronic device communicates over the network via Transmission Control Protocol/ Internet Protocol (TCP/IP), File Transfer Protocol (FTP), Hypertext Transfer Protocol (HTTP), Internet Protocol Security Protocol (IPSec), Point-to-Point Tunneling Protocol (PPTP) or Secure Sockets Layer (SSL) Protocol.

25. The method as in claim 17, further comprising conducting voice communications to a remote location.

26. The method as in claim 25, wherein the intelligent electronic device communicates via GPRS (General Packet Radio Service) data protocol or a 3G protocol.

27. The method as in claim 17, further comprising retrieving at least one second instructional audio file associated with the at least one event from a remote server upon detection of the at least one event.

28. A system for providing instructions to a user of an electrical power distribution system, the system comprising:

an intelligent electronic device for monitoring power usage of at least one electrical circuit of the electrical power distribution system, the intelligent electronic device including;

at least one sensor coupled to the electrical circuit, the at least one sensor configured for measuring at least one power parameter of the electrical circuit and generating at least one analog signal indicative of the at least one power parameter;

at least one analog to digital converter coupled to the at least one sensor, the at least one analog to digital converter configured for receiving the at least one analog signal and converting the at least one analog signal to at least one digital signal indicative of the at least one power parameter;

a memory configured for storing at least one instructional audio file, each of the at least one instructional audio file being associated with a respective event that may occur in the electrical circuit and including spoken instructions on how to rectify the respective event;

a processor configured for receiving the at least one digital signal indicative of the at least one power parameter and detecting, based on the at least one power parameter, if at least one first event occurs in the electrical circuit, the processor further configured for retrieving, from the memory, the at least one instructional audio file associated with the detected at least one first event when the at least one first event occurs;

an audio output device coupled to the processor and disposed on the intelligent electronic device, the audio output device configured for receiving from the processor the retrieved at least one instructional audio file and playing the retrieved at least one instructional audio file to provide spoken instructions, at the intelligent electronic device, on how to rectify the detected at least one first event, the spoken instructions being provided to a user of the intelligent electronic device; and

a communication device configured for coupling the intelligent electronic device to a network; and

a server coupled to the network including a database for storing a plurality of instructional audio files on how to rectify a plurality of events that may occur in the electrical circuit, wherein upon detecting the at least one first event, the communication device retrieves at least one instructional audio file associated with the detected at least one first event from the plurality of instructional audio files in the database and provides the at least one instructional audio file to the audio output device.

29. The system as in claim 28, wherein upon detecting the at least one first event, the communication device retrieves updated operating instructions from the server.

30. An intelligent electronic device for monitoring power usage of an electrical circuit, the intelligent electronic device comprising:

at least one sensor coupled to the electrical circuit, the at least one sensor configured for measuring at least one power parameter of the electrical circuit and generating at least one analog signal indicative of the at least one power parameter;

at least one analog to digital converter coupled to the at least one sensor, the at least one analog to digital converter configured for receiving the at least one analog signal and converting the at least one analog signal to at least one digital signal indicative of the at least one power parameter;

a memory configured for storing at least one instructional video file on how to rectify at least one event that may occur in the electrical circuit, each of the at least one event being assigned an event code and each event code being further associated with the a respective instructional video file;

a processor configured for receiving the at least one digital signal indicative of the at least one power parameter, detecting, based on the at least one power parameter, if at least one first event occurs in the electrical circuit, determining the event code for a detected at least one first event, and retrieving the respective instructional video file associated with the determined event code; and

a display device coupled to the processor and disposed on the intelligent electronic device, the display device configured for receiving from the processor the retrieved instructional video file and playing the retrieved instructional video file to provide video instructions on how to rectify the detected at least one first event, the video instructions provided to a user of the intelligent electronic device.

31. The intelligent electronic device as in claim 30, further comprising a communication device configured for transmitting the determined event code to a remote server, wherein the remote server returns to the intelligent electronic device the respective instructional video file associated with the event code.