Electrical system mapping utilizing plug-in modules

• US 9,836,558 B2
• Filed: 03/16/2015
• Issued: 12/05/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 03/16/2015
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Lectrispect, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Lectrispect, Inc.
• Inventors: Graves, Kenneth L.
• Primary Examiner(s): Nguyen, Tung X
• Assistant Examiner(s): HAWKINS, DOMINIC E
• Application Number:
  US14/658,687
• Publication Number:
  US 20160274174A1
• Time in Patent Office: 995 Days
• Field of Search: 324 66, 324 67
• CPC Class Codes: G01R 19/2513 Arrangements for monitoring electric power systems, e.g. power lines or loads; Logging
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2113/16 Cables, cable trees or wire harnesses
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 30/13 Architectural design, e.g. computer-aided architectural design [CAAD] related to design of buildings, bridges, landscapes, production plants or roads

Abstract

A system for testing an electrical circuit includes a handheld device, and first and second plug-in modules. The handheld device includes a first sensor that senses a current within the electrical circuit, and a second sensor that senses a voltage within the electrical circuit. The first plug-in device is connectable to a first outlet of the electrical circuit and configured to provide an identification number on the electrical circuit. The second plug-in device is connectable to a second outlet of the electrical circuit and configured to display the identification number of the first plug-in device. The handheld device receives the identification number from the first plug-in device and displays the identification number.

Claims

1. A system for mapping an electrical circuit, wherein the electrical circuit includes a circuit breaker panel that receives mains power, and wherein the circuit breaker panel provides the mains power as branch power to a branch circuit of the electrical circuit, the system comprising:

a handheld device comprising a first sensor that senses a current within the electrical circuit at a circuit breaker panel, and a second sensor that senses an electrical field from a voltage within the electrical circuit at the circuit breaker panel;

a first plug-in device connectable to the branch circuit remote from the circuit breaker panel, the first plug-in device configured to identify itself as an active device using the branch power and transmit an identification number on the branch circuit;

a second plug-in device connectable to the branch circuit, the second plug-in device configured to identify itself as a passive device based upon a received pulse from the first plug-in device and receive and display the identification number of the first plug-in device; and

wherein the handheld device receives the identification number from the first plug-in device at the circuit breaker panel and displays the identification number.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the first plug-in device comprises a pulse transmitter that generates the pulse on the branch circuit to designate the first plug-in device as the active device and provide the identification number, and wherein the second plug-in device comprises a pulse receiver that receives the pulse from the first plug-in device.

3. The system of claim 2, wherein the first plug-in device further comprises:

a counter configured to count zero-crossings of voltage of the branch power received on the branch circuit; and

a microcontroller configured to designate the first plug-in device as the active device based on zero-crossing count and to provide the identification number to the pulse transmitter.

4. The system of claim 2, wherein the second plug-in device further comprises:

a counter configured to count zero-crossings of voltage of the branch power received on the branch circuit; and

a microcontroller configured to detect the received pulse and display the identification number of the first plug-in device based upon the zero-crossing count.

5. The system of claim 2, further comprising:

a passive plug-in device comprising;

a counter configured to count zero-crossings of voltage of the branch power received on the branch circuit;

a voltage pulse receiver configured to receive the pulse from the first plug-in device; and

a display configured to output the identification number of the first plug-in device based upon the received pulses and the zero-crossing count; and

wherein the passive plug-in device is configured to connect to a switch of the branch circuit, and wherein the first and second plug-in devices are configured to connect to outlets or receptacles of the branch circuit.

6. The system of claim 2, wherein the second sensor of the handheld test device is configured to sense zero-crossings on the electrical circuit of the branch power, wherein the first sensor is configured to receive the current pulse from the first plug-in device.

7. The system of claim 6, wherein the handheld device further comprises:

a microcontroller configured to count the zero-crossings on the electrical circuit and verify the identification number based upon the zero-crossing count.

8. An apparatus for use in mapping an electrical circuit, wherein the electrical circuit includes a circuit breaker panel that receives mains power, and wherein the circuit breaker panel provides the mains power as branch power to a branch circuit of the electrical circuit, and wherein the apparatus is connected to the branch circuit remote from the circuit breaker panel, the apparatus comprising:

a receiver configured to receive pulses from remote plug-in modules on the branch circuit;

a transmitter configured to generate the pulses for the remote plug-in modules on the branch circuit; and

a microcontroller configured to determine a status of the apparatus using the branch power received from the circuit breaker panel, wherein the status is one of an active device and a passive device with relation to the remote plug-in modules connected to the branch circuit; and

a display configured to display a circuit identification number based upon the status of the apparatus.

9. The apparatus of claim 8, further comprising:

a first circuit board comprising the receiver and the transmitter; and

a second circuit board comprising the microcontroller and the display, wherein the second circuit board is galvanically isolated from the first circuit board.

10. The apparatus of claim 8, wherein the apparatus is configured to connect to an outlet of the electrical circuit.

11. The apparatus of claim 8, further comprising a counter configured to count zero-crossings of voltage of the branch power on the electrical circuit, wherein the microcontroller is further configured to receive the zero-crossing count and determine the status of the apparatus based upon the zero-crossing count, and wherein the zero-crossing count begins when the apparatus begins receiving the branch power.

12. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein the microcontroller is configured to designate the status of the apparatus as active if the zero-crossing count reaches a threshold value prior to receiving one of the pulses on the branch circuit from the remote plug-in modules.

13. The apparatus of claim 12, wherein the microcontroller is further configured to designate the apparatus as passive if the receiver receives one of the pulses from the remote plug-in modules prior to the zero-crossing count reaching the threshold value.

14. The apparatus of claim 13, wherein the microcontroller is configured to receive the circuit identification number from one of the remote plug-in modules on the electrical circuit if the status of the apparatus is designated as passive.

15. The apparatus of claim 12, wherein the microcontroller is configured to provide a stored value as the circuit identification number on the electrical circuit to the remote plug-in modules if the apparatus is designated as active.

16. The apparatus of claim 15, wherein the microcontroller is configured to provide the stored value by providing pulses indicative of the stored value on the electrical circuit during the zero-crossings.

17. An apparatus for use in mapping an electrical circuit, wherein the circuit includes a circuit breaker panel that receives mains power, and wherein the circuit breaker panel provides the mains power as branch power to a branch circuit of the electrical circuit, the apparatus comprising:

a first sensor configured to detect current pulses on the branch circuit at the circuit breaker panel from at least one plug-in module connected to the branch circuit remote from the circuit breaker panel;

a microcontroller configured to determine an identification number of an active plug-in module of the at least one plug-in module based upon the detected current pulses, wherein the active plug-in module provides the current pulses on the branch circuit while receiving the branch power; and

a display configured to output the identification number.

18. The apparatus of claim 17, further comprising:

a second sensor configured to detect zero-crossings of voltage of the branch power on the electrical circuit; and

wherein the microcontroller is further configured to count the zero-crossings and verify the identification number of the active plug-in module based upon the count of the zero-crossings.

19. The apparatus of claim 18, wherein the first sensor is a magnetic field sensor and the second sensor is an electrical field sensor.

20. The apparatus of claim 18, wherein the microcontroller is further configured to count the zero-crossings between a first detected current pulse and a second detected current pulse.