Anti-Theft Monitoring Device and a Method for Monitoring an Electrical Applicance, Especially a Solar Module

• US 20100295680A1
• Filed: 05/05/2010
• Published: 11/25/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 11/05/2007
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Erhard Dumps
• Original Assignee: Erhard Dumps
• Inventors: Dumps, Erhard
• Application Number:
  US12/774,423
• Publication Number:
  US 20100295680A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 340/568.1
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 13/1418 Removal detected by failure in electrical connection between the appliance and a control centre, home control panel or a power supply
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 31/02021 for solar cells electrical connection means, e.g. junction boxes, specially adapted for structural association with photovoltaic modules H02S40/34
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 10/50 Photovoltaic [PV] energy

Abstract

The invention relates to an anti-theft monitoring device, particularly for one or more solar modules, including an input for supplying a control signal that changes over time, two terminals, between which the object that is to be monitored is connected. The monitoring device further includes a switch that can be triggered by the control signal, for supplying a monitoring signal to the terminal. A comparison circuit is coupled with the input and with the other one of the terminals, for detecting a change in the temporal course between the control signal and the monitoring signal.

Claims

1. An anti-theft monitoring device, comprising:

an input terminal configured to receive a control signal that changes over time;

two terminals configured to be coupled to an appliance that is to be monitored against theft;

a switch configured to be triggered by the control signal, and configured to selectively supply a monitoring signal to a first terminal of the two terminals;

a comparison circuit having a first input coupled to the input terminal, and a second input coupled to the second terminal of the two terminals, wherein the comparison circuit is configured to detect a change over time between the control signal and the monitoring signal provided by the appliance at the second terminal.

2. The anti-theft monitoring device of claim 1, wherein the control signal comprises a rectangular pulse signal.

3. The anti-theft monitoring device of claim 1, wherein the control signal has an amplitude or a logical level that changes randomly with time.

4. The anti-theft monitoring device of claim 1, further comprising a controllable power supply that comprises a switch configured to deliver a current to the first terminal in response to the control signal.

5. The anti-theft monitoring device of claim 1, wherein the comparison circuit comprises at least one element configured to logically link the control signal at the input terminal and the monitoring signal at the second terminal.

6. The anti-theft monitoring device of claim 5, wherein the comparison circuit comprises at least one XOR gate, one NAND gate, or one NOR gate.

7. The anti-theft monitoring device of claim 1, further comprising a delay circuit configured to delay a timing of the control signal provided to the first input to the comparison circuit to compensate for a running time delay of the monitoring signal provided to the second input of the comparison circuit caused by the appliance that is to be monitored.

8. The anti-theft monitoring device of claim 7, wherein the delay circuit comprises a filter connected to an output of the comparison circuit.

9. The anti-theft monitoring device of claim 8, wherein the filter comprises an adjustable lowpass filter.

10. The anti-theft monitoring device of claim 7, wherein the delay circuit comprises a number of delay elements that are disposed between the input terminal and the first input of the comparison circuit.

11. The anti-theft monitoring device of claim 1, further comprising a voltage detector having a first input coupled to the first terminal, and configured to compare a voltage at the first terminal with a reference value provided at a second input of the voltage detector.

12. The anti-theft monitoring device of claim 1, further comprising two toggle switches configured to selectively couple the two terminals between the appliance and a DC to AC inverter.

13. The anti-theft monitoring device, comprising:

an input terminal configured to receive a control signal that varies over time;

a voltage connection terminal configured to couple to a controllable power supply that emits a signal to one or more appliances that are to be monitored in response to the control signal;

a comparison circuit configured to compare a processed signal, processed by the appliance or appliances to be monitored, with the control signal and responds in the event that there is a change in a temporal course between the control signal and the processed signal.

14. The anti-theft monitoring device of claim 13, wherein the appliance comprises one or more solar cells that are connected in a flow direction.

15. The anti-theft monitoring device of claim 13, wherein the control signal comprises an amplitude or a pulse sequence that changes over time.

16. The anti-theft monitoring device of claim 13, further comprising a voltage detection device configured to compare a voltage associated with the appliance to be monitored to a reference voltage, and further configured to detect a change in the voltage caused by an attempt to manipulate the appliance or appliances.

17. The anti-theft monitoring device of claim 16, wherein the comparison circuit is configured to respond in the event of a change in a temporal course between the control signal and the processed signal or of a change in a signal of the voltage detection device (430).

18. The anti-theft monitoring device of claim 13, wherein the anti-theft monitoring device is disposed in a housing that is provided with an alarm mechanism as protection against unauthorized opening.

19. The antitheft monitoring device of claim 13, further comprising a delay circuit configured to delay a timing of the control signal to compensate for a running time between the processed signal from the appliance or appliances to be monitored and the control signal.

20. A method for monitoring an electrical appliance, comprising:

receiving a control signal that changes over time;

generating a monitoring signal derived from the control signal;

supplying the monitoring signal to the electrical appliance and detecting the signal emitted by the appliance in response thereto;

determining a change in the course of the signal emitted by the appliance, over time; and

generating an alarm signal in response to a change in the emitted signal.

21. The method of claim 20, wherein determining the change comprises comparing the signal emitted by the appliance to the control signal.

22. The method of claim 20, wherein the control signal comprises for which the temporally changing control signal (KS) is a randomly changing logical signal with two different signal levels.

23. The method of claim 20, wherein determining the change comprises:

compensating a running time delay difference between the signal, emitted by the appliance, and the control signal by;

filtering a signal representing the change in the emitted signal, or

delaying the control signal by a period of time that corresponds to the running time delay difference.

24. The method of claim 20, wherein supplying the monitoring signal comprises supplying a monitoring current to the electrical appliance, the monitoring current being produced by controlling a power supply with the control signal.

25. A method of claim 20, further comprising:

determining a voltage associated with the electrical appliance;

comparing the determined voltage determined to a reference value; and

selectively producing an alarm signal in response to the comparison.