Faulted circuit indicator monitoring device with wireless memory monitor

• US 7,877,624 B2
• Filed: 05/18/2007
• Issued: 01/25/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 05/19/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Schweitzer Engineering Laboratories, Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Schweitzer Engineering Laboratories, Incorporated
• Inventors: Teller, Witold R., McMahon, Steven A., Anderson, Luther S., Park, Douglas A., Hicks, Donald C.
• Primary Examiner(s): Maskulinski; Michael C
• Application Number:
  US11/750,932
• Publication Number:
  US 20080010528A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,348 Days
• Field of Search: 714/1
• US Class Current: 714/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/0748 in a remote unit communicating with a single-box computer node experiencing an error/fault remote testing G06F11/2294
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/2294 by remote test
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 1/0061 Error detection codes

Abstract

A wireless communications system for viewing and modifying memory locations within a power system device is provided including a wireless device and a power system device. The wireless device includes an input mechanism adapted to accept input from a user indicating a memory location the user wishes to view; a first radio frequency transmitter for transmitting a first signal including the memory location within the power system device the user wishes to view; and a first radio frequency receiver for receiving a second signal. The power system device includes at least one randomly accessible memory location and a processor coupled to at least one randomly accessible memory location; a second radio frequency receiver coupled to the processor and a second radio frequency transmitter coupled to the processor for receiving the first signal. The processor retrieves the value of the memory location included within the first signal and activates the second radio frequency transmitter to transmit a second signal including the value of the memory location. The value of the memory location may be a command or control that is executed by the power system device.

Claims

1. A method for wirelessly modifying memory locations within a power system device comprising the steps of:

i) selecting a memory location within the power system device to modify using a wireless device;

ii) inputting into the wireless device a new value to replace the present value within the selected memory location;

iii) transmitting the selected memory location and the new value to the power system device; and

iv) replacing the present value within the selected memory location of the power system device with the new value

v) wirelessly viewing memory locations within the power system device by;

transmitting the selected memory location from the wireless device to the power system device;

retrieving a value of the selected memory location within the power system device;

transmitting the value of the selected memory location to the wireless device; and

displaying an indication that the new value replaced the present value.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising the step of transmitting a response from the power system device to the wireless device.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the response includes an indication that the new value replaced the present value.

4. A system for wirelessly modifying memory locations within a power system device comprising:

i) a wireless device including;

(1) an input mechanism adapted to accept input from a user indicating an address and further adapted to accept input from a user indicating a value the user wishes the address to contain;

(2) a first radio frequency transmitter for transmitting a first signal indicating the address within the power system device the user wishes to modify and the value the user wishes the address to contain, the value corresponding to a command or control the user wishes the power system device to perform; and

ii) a power system device including;

(1) a first radio frequency receiver for receiving the first signal;

(2) a processor coupled to the first radio frequency receiver which communicates the first signal to the processor, wherein the processor performs the command the user wishes the power system device to perform,

wherein the power system device only performs the command if the address is a predetermined address.

5. The system of claim 4, wherein the power system device is a faulted circuit indicator monitoring device.

6. The system of claim 4, wherein the first signal includes data selected from the group consisting of a header, a start address field, a number of bytes field, a data field, and a cyclical redundancy check field.

7. The system of claim 4, wherein the first signal includes an identification number of the power system device.

8. The system of claim 4, wherein the power system device further comprises a radio frequency transmitter, and wherein the wireless device further comprises a radio frequency receiver, and wherein the processor generates a second signal containing a header and a CRC field, and causes the radio frequency transmitter of the power system device to transmit the second signal to the radio frequency receiver of the wireless device.

9. The system of claim 8, wherein the second signal comprises a value placed by the processor to the memory location.

10. The system of claim 9, wherein the wireless device further comprises a display for displaying the value placed by the processor to the memory location.

11. The system of claim 8, wherein the second signal comprises a value corresponding to execution of the command or control.

12. The system of claim 11, wherein the wireless device further comprises a display for displaying the value corresponding to the execution of the command or control.

13. A system for wirelessly modifying memory locations within a power system device comprising:

i) a wireless device including;

(1) an input mechanism adapted to accept input from a user indicating an address and further adapted to accept input from a user indicating a value the user wishes the address to contain;

(2) a first radio frequency transmitter for transmitting a first signal indicating the address within the power system device the user wishes to modify and the value the user wishes the address to contain, the value corresponding to a command or control the user wishes the power system device to perform; and

ii) a power system device including;

(1) a first radio frequency receiver for receiving the first signal;

(2) a processor coupled to the first radio frequency receiver which communicates the first signal to the processor, wherein the processor performs the command the user wishes the power system device to perform,

wherein the address does not correspond to a physical memory location.

14. The system of claim 13, wherein the power system device is a faulted circuit indicator monitoring device.

15. The system of claim 13, wherein the first signal includes data selected from the group consisting of a header, a start address field, a number of bytes field, and a cyclical redundancy check field.

16. The system of claim 13, wherein the first signal includes an identification number of the power system device.

17. The system of claim 13, wherein the wireless device further includes a display for viewing the value of the memory location transmitted from the second radio frequency transmitter.