METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR SMART CIRCUIT BREAKER

• US 20080167755A1
• Filed: 01/09/2008
• Published: 07/10/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 01/09/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Power Monitors, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Power Monitors, Inc.
• Inventors: Curt, Walter
• Granted Patent: US 9,595,825 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 700/293
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 50/06 Energy or water supply
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 15/003 for electricity
• CPC Class Codes: H01H 2089/065 Coordination between protection and remote control, e.g. protection job repartition, mutual assistance or monitoring
• CPC Class Codes: H01H 89/06 Combination of a manual reset circuit with a contactor, i.e. the same circuit controlled by both a protective and a remote control device
• CPC Class Codes: H02H 3/42 responsive to product of voltage and current
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 13/00007 using the power network as support for the transmission
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 13/00024 by means of mobile telephony
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 13/00026 involving a local wireless network, e.g. Wi-Fi, ZigBee or Bluetooth
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 13/0004 involved in a protection system
• 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: Y02E 60/00 Enabling technologies; Technologies with a potential or indirect contribution to GHG emissions mitigation
• CPC Class Codes: Y04S 40/121 using the power network as support for the transmission
• CPC Class Codes: Y04S 40/126 using wireless data transmission

Abstract

A smart circuit breaker is provided. An electronic device can be electrically positioned between a utility and an electrical power outlet, electrical subpanel, load center, transformer, or other power distribution center. The electronic device can include a circuit breaker associated with an electrical power circuit, a communications device, a monitoring device and an electronic circuit. The electronic circuit can be operable with the circuit breaker, the communications device and the monitoring device to determine an account of a user of the electrical power circuit and to determine from the account whether to supply power to the electrical power circuit. Further, the electronic circuit can be operable with the circuit breaker, the communications device and the monitoring device to, if power is supplied to the electrical power circuit, charge the account and activate the circuit breaker if the monitoring device detects an undesirable power condition.

Claims

1. An electronic device electrically positioned between a utility and an electrical power outlet or panel comprising:

a circuit breaker associated with an electrical power circuit;

a communications device;

a monitoring device; and

an electronic circuit operable with the circuit breaker, the communications device and the monitoring device to;

(i) determine an account of a user of the electrical power circuit,

(ii) determine from the account whether to supply power to the electrical power circuit, and

(iii) if power is supplied to the electrical power circuit,

(A) charge the account, and

(B) activate the circuit breaker if the monitoring device detects an undesirable power condition.

2. The electronic device of claim 1, wherein the communications device is a power line communication device.

3. The electronic device of claim 1, wherein the electronic circuit is operable with the circuit breaker, the communications device and the monitoring device to determine the account by transmitting an identifier associated with the user to a database.

4. The electronic device of claim 3, wherein the identifier is entered by the user via a user interface.

5. The electronic device of claim 3, wherein the identifier is obtained from a card reader.

6. The electronic device of claim 1, wherein the electronic circuit is operable with the circuit breaker, the communications device and the monitoring device to determine to not supply power to the electrical power circuit if a balance of the account is below a threshold value.

7. The electronic device of claim 1, wherein the electronic circuit is operable with the circuit breaker, the communications device and the monitoring device to stop supplying power to the electrical power circuit if charging the account causes a balance of the account to meet a threshold condition.

8. The electronic device of claim 1, wherein the electronic device is electrically positioned between a utility power meter and an electrical power outlet or panel.

9. The electronic device of claim 1, wherein the electronic device is configured to operate at least partly as a utility power meter.

10. An electronic device electrically positioned between a utility and an electrical power outlet or panel comprising:

a circuit breaker associated with an electrical power circuit;

a communications device;

a monitoring device; and

an electronic circuit operable with the circuit breaker, the communications device and the monitoring device to;

(i) identify a user of the electrical power circuit,

(ii) supply power to the electrical power circuit after the user is identified,

(iii) attribute to the user an amount of power usage based on the power supplied to the electrical power circuit after the user is identified, and

(iv) activate the circuit breaker if the monitoring device detects an undesirable power condition.

11. The electronic device of claim 10, wherein the communications device is a power line communication device.

12. The electronic device of claim 10, wherein the electronic circuit is operable with the circuit breaker, the communications device and the monitoring device to identify the user by transmitting an identifier associated with the user to a database.

13. The electronic device of claim 12, wherein the identifier is entered by the user via a user interface.

14. The electronic device of claim 12, wherein the identifier is obtained from a card reader.

15. The electronic device of claim 10, wherein the electronic circuit is operable with the circuit breaker, the communications device and the monitoring device to determine to not supply power to the electrical power circuit if an account balance associated with the user meets a threshold condition.

16. The electronic device of claim 10, wherein the electrical power circuit is publicly accessible and the electrical power outlet is associated with the electrical power circuit.

17. The electronic device of claim 16, wherein the electrical power outlet is located in a transportation terminal, an airport terminal, a parking facility, an office building, a restaurant, a retail facility, a book store, a government building, a college or university campus, a public park, a recreational vehicle park, or a community association common room or facility.

18. The electronic device of claim 10, wherein the electronic device is electrically positioned between a utility power meter and an electrical power outlet or panel.

19. The electronic device of claim 10, wherein the electronic device is configured to operate at least partly as a utility power meter.

20. An electronic system electrically positioned between a utility and a plurality of electrical power outlets or panels comprising:

a first circuit breaker associated with a first electrical power circuit;

a second circuit breaker associated with a second electrical power circuit;

a communications device;

a monitoring device; and

an electronic circuit operable with the first circuit breaker, the second circuit breaker, the communications device and the monitoring device to;

(i) identify a user of the first electrical power circuit,

(ii) attribute to the user a first amount of power usage based on a first amount of power supplied to the first electrical power circuit,

(iii) attribute to the user a second amount of power usage based on a second amount of power supplied to the second electrical power circuit and a number of other users, the other users having been identified as users of the second electrical power circuit,

(iv) activate the first circuit breaker if an undesirable power condition is detected for the first electrical power circuit, and

(v) activate the second circuit breaker if the undesirable power condition is detected for the second electrical power circuit.

21. The electronic system of claim 20, wherein the communications device is a power line communication device.

22. The electronic system of claim 20, wherein the electronic circuit is operable with the first circuit breaker, the second circuit breaker, the communications device and the monitoring device to identify the user by transmitting an identifier associated with the user to a database.

23. The electronic system of claim 20, wherein the second electrical power circuit is associated with lighting of a location of the user.

24. The electronic device of claim 20, wherein the second electrical power circuit is associated with climate control of a location of the user.

25. The electronic device of claim 20, wherein the electronic device is electrically positioned between a utility power meter and an electrical power outlet or panel.

26. The electronic device of claim 20, wherein the electronic device is configured to operate at least partly as a utility power meter.