Visualisation arrangement

• US 8,791,829 B2
• Filed: 03/06/2006
• Issued: 07/29/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 03/07/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Counterflo AB
• Original Assignee: The Interactive Institute II AB
• Inventors: Gustafsson, Anton, Gyllenswrd, Magnus, hman, Christina, Ilstedt-Hjelm, Sara
• Primary Examiner(s): GIRMA, FEKADESELASS
• Application Number:
  US11/885,697
• Publication Number:
  US 20080191890A1
• Time in Patent Office: 3,067 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 340/635
• CPC Class Codes: G01R 13/0227 Controlling the intensity or colour of the display
• CPC Class Codes: G01R 13/402 using active, i.e. light-emitting display devices, e.g. electroluminescent display G01R13/36 and G01R13/42 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G01R 19/145 Indicating the presence of current or voltage
• CPC Class Codes: G01R 19/2513 Arrangements for monitoring electric power systems, e.g. power lines or loads; Logging
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/001 the light being emitted along at least a portion of the lateral surface of the fibre
• CPC Class Codes: H01B 7/366 being a tape, thread or wire extending the full length of the conductor or cable

Abstract

The present invention relates to a method and an arrangement for visual indication of an electrical quantity, being one or several of power, current and/or voltage through a conductor. The arrangement comprises a substantially wire shaped illuminator and a controller which controls at least one illumination characteristic of said illuminator with respect to said electrical feature.

Claims

1. An arrangement for visual indication of an electrical quantity, being one or several of power, current or voltage through a conductor, wherein the arrangement comprises a substantially wire shaped illuminator and a controller for control at least one illumination characteristic of said wire shaped illuminator with respect to said electrical quantity by measuring the electrical quantity and feeding the wire shaped illuminator with varying current or voltage corresponding to the electrical quantity measured in the conductor.

2. The arrangement of claim 1, wherein said wire shaped illuminator is arranged along said conductor.

3. The arrangement of claim 1, wherein said wire shaped illuminator is electroluminescent.

4. The arrangement of claim 1, wherein said wire shaped illuminator is an optical fiber.

5. The arrangement of claim 1, wherein said controller further sends a control signal to control said wire shaped illuminator.

6. The arrangement of claim 3, wherein said electroluminescent includes a central conductive wire coated with a phosphorus material coating and transmitter wires wrapped around it, and covered by a coating and a colored vinyl coat.

7. The arrangement of claim 1, wherein said controller comprises a processing arrangement and a measuring arrangement and a driver for driving said wire shaped illuminator receiving control signals from said processing arrangement.

8. The arrangement of claim 1, wherein said illumination characteristic is one or several of intensity, color or frequency.

9. A cord comprises at least one electric wire and a substantially wire shaped illuminator at least partly arranged along an extension of said at least one electric wire, said substantially wire shaped illuminator having means for illumination when energized to indicate an electrical quantity, being one or several of power, current or voltage through the at least one electric wire,

wherein said substantially wire shaped illuminator indicates the current or voltage through said at least one electric wire when at least one illumination characteristic of said substantially wire shaped illuminator is controlled with respect to said electrical quantity by feeding the substantially wire shaped illuminator with varying current or voltage corresponding to the current or voltage through at least one electrical wire.

10. The cord of claim 9, further comprising a substantially translucent coating, covering said at least one electric wire and substantially wire shaped illuminator.

11. The cord of claim 9, wherein said substantially wire shaped illuminator is an electroluminescent wire.

12. The cord of claim 9, wherein said substantially wire shaped illuminator is an optical fiber.

13. The cord of claim 9, wherein said substantially wire shaped illuminator indicates current or power through said at least one electric wire.

14. A method of visually indicating an electrical quantity, being one or several of power, current or voltage through a conductor, the method comprising the steps of:

energizing a substantially wire shaped illuminator and controlling at least one illumination characteristic of said substantially wire shaped illuminator with respect to said electrical quantity by measuring the electrical quantity and

feeding the substantially wire shaped illuminator with varying current or voltage corresponding to the current or voltage through the conductor.

15. A device for providing a variable visual indication of consumption of electricity comprising:

a measurement unit, disposed between an external power source and a device which consumes said electricity, configured to measure a variable electrical quantity associated with said electricity; and

a controller connected to said measurement unit and configured to receive said measured variable electrical quantity from said measurement unit, and further configured to control a plurality of illumination devices based on said received said measured variable electrical quantity;

wherein said plurality of illumination devices output light which varies over time as a function of said measured variable electrical quantity.

16. The device of claim 15, wherein said plurality of illumination devices each comprise a copper wire coated with a phosphorous material and two transmitter wires wrapped around the copper wire.

17. The device of claim 15, wherein said light output by said plurality of illumination devices varies in at least one of intensity, color or frequency over time based on said measured variable electrical quantity.