Load center monitor with optical waveguide sheet
First Claim
1. A load center monitor, comprising:
- a circuit breaker mounted in a load center and electrically connected to an electrical distribution bus, the circuit breaker including a current sensor being configured to sense a current conducted by the circuit breaker, the circuit breaker including an optical transmitter coupled to the current sensor, the optical transmitter being configured to transmit an optical signal outside of the circuit breaker, the optical signal characterizing the current sensed by the current sensor, the optical signal carrying identification information to identify the circuit breaker;
an aggregator mounted in the load center, the aggregator including an optical receiver being configured to receive the optical signal through an optical window of the aggregator, the aggregator further including an identifier circuit coupled to the optical receiver, the identifier circuit being configured to identify a circuit breaker that transmitted the received optical signal, based on the identification information in the received optical signal; and
an optical waveguide sheet being fastened to an inward facing access door of the load center so that when the access door is closed, the optical waveguide sheet is positioned so that one portion thereof is juxtaposed with the optical transmitter of the circuit breaker to enable the optical waveguide sheet to receive the optical signal transmitted by the optical transmitter in the circuit breaker, the optical waveguide sheet being further positioned so that another portion thereof is juxtaposed with the optical window of the aggregator, the optical waveguide sheet being configured to conduct the internally reflected optical signal from the optical transmitter of the circuit breaker to the optical window of the aggregator, to provide the received optical signal in the aggregator.
1 Assignment
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
An optical waveguide sheet 50 is fastened to an inward facing access door 4 of the load center 2. When the door is closed, the optical waveguide sheet is positioned so that one portion is juxtaposed with the circuit breaker 10A in the load center, to enable the optical waveguide sheet to receive an optical signal 70A characterizing current in the circuit breaker. The optical waveguide sheet 50 is further positioned so that another portion is juxtaposed with an optical window 48 of an aggregator. The optical waveguide sheet is configured to internally reflect the optical signal 70A within its body and to conduct the internally reflected optical signal from the circuit breaker to the optical window of the aggregator. The aggregator may provide information characterizing current usage to an alarm, a measurement device, the smart grid, or a storage device for later use.
-
Citations
11 Claims
-
1. A load center monitor, comprising:
-
a circuit breaker mounted in a load center and electrically connected to an electrical distribution bus, the circuit breaker including a current sensor being configured to sense a current conducted by the circuit breaker, the circuit breaker including an optical transmitter coupled to the current sensor, the optical transmitter being configured to transmit an optical signal outside of the circuit breaker, the optical signal characterizing the current sensed by the current sensor, the optical signal carrying identification information to identify the circuit breaker; an aggregator mounted in the load center, the aggregator including an optical receiver being configured to receive the optical signal through an optical window of the aggregator, the aggregator further including an identifier circuit coupled to the optical receiver, the identifier circuit being configured to identify a circuit breaker that transmitted the received optical signal, based on the identification information in the received optical signal; and an optical waveguide sheet being fastened to an inward facing access door of the load center so that when the access door is closed, the optical waveguide sheet is positioned so that one portion thereof is juxtaposed with the optical transmitter of the circuit breaker to enable the optical waveguide sheet to receive the optical signal transmitted by the optical transmitter in the circuit breaker, the optical waveguide sheet being further positioned so that another portion thereof is juxtaposed with the optical window of the aggregator, the optical waveguide sheet being configured to conduct the internally reflected optical signal from the optical transmitter of the circuit breaker to the optical window of the aggregator, to provide the received optical signal in the aggregator. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10)
-
-
11. A load center monitor, comprising:
-
a circuit breaker mounted in a load center and electrically connected to an electrical distribution bus, the circuit breaker including a current sensor being configured to sense a current conducted by the circuit breaker, the circuit breaker including an optical transmitter coupled to the current sensor, the optical transmitter being configured to transmit an optical signal outside of the circuit breaker, the optical signal characterizing the current sensed by the current sensor, the optical signal carrying identification information to identify the circuit breaker; an aggregator mounted in the load center, the aggregator including an optical receiver being configured to receive the optical signal through an optical window of the aggregator, the aggregator further including an identifier circuit coupled to the optical receiver, the identifier circuit being configured to identify a circuit breaker that transmitted the received optical signal, based on the identification information in the received optical signal; and an optical waveguide being positioned so that one portion thereof is juxtaposed with the optical transmitter of the circuit breaker to enable the optical waveguide to receive the optical signal transmitted by the optical transmitter in the circuit breaker, the optical waveguide being further positioned so that another portion thereof is juxtaposed with the optical window of the aggregator, the optical waveguide being configured to conduct the internally reflected optical signal from the optical transmitter of the circuit breaker to the optical window of the aggregator, to provide the received optical signal in the aggregator.
-
Specification