Non-linear qualitative visualization

• US 10,877,636 B2
• Filed: 05/27/2016
• Issued: 12/29/2020
• Est. Priority Date: 05/28/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Schneider Electric USA, Inc. (Schneider Electric SE)
• Original Assignee: Schneider Electric USA, Inc. (Schneider Electric SE)
• Inventors: Thompson, David Charles, Mroz, Przemyslaw, Losey, Mathew
• Primary Examiner(s): Kumar, Anil N
• Application Number:
  US15/166,749
• Publication Number:
  US 20160349954A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,677 Days
• CPC Class Codes: G01D 4/00 Tariff metering apparatus in taximeters G07B13/00; apparatus actuated by coins, cards or the like with meter-controlled dispensing of liquid, gas, or electricity G07F15/00
• CPC Class Codes: G05F 1/66 Regulating electric power
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04812 Interaction techniques based on cursor appearance or behaviour, e.g. being affected by the presence of displayed objects
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0484 for the control of specific functions or operations, e.g. selecting or manipulating an object, an image or a displayed text element, setting a parameter value or selecting a range
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 11/001 Texturing; Colouring; Generation of texture or colour inpainting G06T5/77
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 11/206 Drawing of charts or graphs
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 2200/24 involving graphical user interfaces [GUIs]

Abstract

A system includes an item of electrical equipment, a power meter configured to monitor a parameter of power delivered to and/or supplied by the item of electrical equipment, a processor configured to receive an indication of the monitored parameter and determine a rating from at least the indication of the monitored parameter, and a graphical user interface (GUI) configured to display the rating in a visualization including an object divided into a plurality of graphical category sub-sections. Each of the plurality of graphical categories represents a range of ratings, At least one of the plurality of graphical categories represents a greater range of ratings than at least one other of the plurality of graphical categories.

Claims

1. A Power Quality Meter comprising:

one or more measurement systems capable of monitoring or measuring an aspect of Power Quality at a facility and/or of one or more items of electrical or electronic equipment at the facility;

a processor coupled to the one or more measurement systems and configured to;

receive an indication of the monitored or measured aspect of Power Quality from the one or more measurement systems, and determine a Power Quality Rating or Power Quality Ratings for the facility and/or the one or more items of electrical equipment from at least the indication of the monitored or measured aspect of Power Quality; and

a graphical user interface (GUI) coupled to the processor and configured to display the Power Quality Rating or the Power Quality Ratings in a visualization including an object divided into a plurality of graphical category sub-sections, each of the plurality of graphical category sub-sections representing a range of Power Quality Ratings, at least one of the plurality of graphical category sub-sections representing a greater range of Power Quality Ratings than at least one other of the plurality of graphical category sub-sections, wherein the processor is configured to automatically cause one or more actions to be taken in response to the Power Quality Rating or Power Quality Ratings for the facility and/or the one or more items of electrical equipment falling into a range outside of a desired range, and wherein data associated with the Power Quality Rating or the Power Quality Ratings is positioned on the visualization based on a non-linear and/or non-logarithmic transfer function defining how the data is positioned on the visualization.

2. The Power Quality Meter of claim 1, wherein the GUI is configured to display each of the graphical category sub-sections with a substantially similar size.

3. The Power Quality Meter of claim 1, wherein the GUI further includes an indication of a target range of Power Quality Ratings.

4. The Power Quality Meter of claim 1, wherein the GUI is configured to graphically indicate the graphical category sub-section representing the range of Power Quality Ratings including the Power Quality Rating or the Power Quality Ratings in an enhanced manner relative to the at least one other of the plurality of graphical category sub-sections.

5. The Power Quality Meter of claim 1, wherein the GUI is configured to display factors contributing to the Power Quality Rating or the Power Quality Ratings.

6. The Power Quality Meter of claim 1, wherein the GUI is further configured to display a warning responsive to the Power Quality Rating or Power Quality Ratings being outside of a desired range.

9. The Power Quality Meter of claim 1, wherein the GUI indicates whether the facility is operating in a range of Power Factor that will not incur a penalty from an associated utility, or alternatively if the facility is operating in a range of Power Factor that will incur a penalty.

10. The Power Quality Meter of claim 1, wherein the GUI provides information regarding the Power Quality Rating performance of the facility as compared with other similar types of facilities.

14. The Power Quality Meter of claim 1, wherein the actions affect the one or more items of electrical equipment falling into the range outside of the desired range.

15. The Power Quality Meter of claim 1, wherein the actions include at least a first action, the first action including a visual and/or audio warning or some other form of warning message, textual or otherwise, to an operator of a centralized monitoring and control system associated with the Power Quality Meter.

16. The Power Quality Meter of claim 15, wherein the visual and/or audio warning or other form of warning message indicates a Power Quality issue or Power Quality issues associated with the facility and/or one or more the items of electrical equipment.

17. The Power Quality Meter of claim 16, wherein the Power Quality issue or Power Quality issues are determined based, at least in part, on the Power Quality Rating or Power Quality Ratings of the facility and/or the one or more items of electrical equipment.

18. The Power Quality Meter of claim 15, wherein the actions further include at least a second action in response to a Power Quality issue or Power Quality issues associated with the facility and/or the one or more items of electrical equipment not being resolved and the Power Quality Rating or Power Quality Ratings of the facility and/or the one or more items of electrical equipment continuing to fall.

19. The Power Quality Meter of claim 18, wherein the second action is one which is configured to help alleviate the Power Quality issue or the Power Quality issues.

20. The Power Quality Meter of claim 1, wherein the Power Quality Meter is a portable device.

21. The Power Quality Meter of claim 1, wherein the Power Quality Meter is configured to store data regarding the monitored or measured aspect of Power Quality in a memory device of the Power Quality Meter.

22. The Power Quality Meter of claim 18, wherein the second action includes switching from utility power to backup power, removing power from the one or more items of electrical equipment, causing the one or more items of electrical equipment to transition from an idle state to an active state or vice versa, or adjusting one or more operating parameters of a cooling system.

7. A method comprising:

monitoring an aspect of Power Quality at a facility and/or of one or more items of electrical or electronic equipment at the facility using one or more measurement systems of a Power Quality Meter;

receiving an indication of the monitored aspect of Power Quality and determining a rating from at least the indication of the monitored aspect of Power Quality from the one or more measurement systems, and determining a Power Quality Rating or Power Quality Ratings for the facility and/or the one or more items of electrical equipment from at least the indication of the monitored aspect of Power Quality using a processor of the Power Quality Meter;

displaying the Power Quality Rating or Power Quality Ratings in a visualization on a graphical user interface (GUI) of the Power Quality Meter, the visualization including an object divided into a plurality of graphical category sub-sections, each of the plurality of graphical category sub-sections representing a range of Power Quality Ratings, at least one of the plurality of graphical category sub-sections representing a greater range of Power Quality Ratings than at least one other of the plurality of graphical category sub-sections, wherein data associated with the Power Quality Rating or the Power Quality Ratings is positioned on the visualization based on a non-linear and/or non-logarithmic transfer function defining how the data is positioned on the visualization; and

automatically causing, by the processor, one or more actions in response to the Power Quality Rating or Power Quality Ratings for the facility and/or the one or more items of electrical equipment falling into a range outside of a desired range.

8. The method of claim 7, further comprising displaying each of the plurality of graphical category sub-sections with a substantially similar size.

11. The method of claim 7, wherein the GUI indicates whether the facility is operating in a range of Power Factor that will not incur a penalty from an associated utility, or alternatively if the facility is operating in a range of Power Factor that will incur a penalty.

12. The method of claim 7, wherein the GUI provides information regarding the Power Quality Rating performance of the facility as compared with other similar types of facilities.

13. The method of claim 7, wherein the actions include switching from utility power to backup power, removing power from the one or more items of electrical equipment, causing the one or more items of electrical equipment to transition from an idle state to an active state or vice versa, or adjusting one or more operating parameters of a cooling system.