Claims
- 1. A device for monitoring and reporting at least one parameter of an electric circuit, said device comprising:
at least one sensor coupled with said electric circuit and operative to sense at least one electrical parameter in said electric circuit and generate at least one analog signal indicative thereof; an analog to digital converter coupled with said at least one sensor and operative to convert said at least one analog signal to at least one digital signal representative of said at least one analog signal; a processor coupled with said analog to digital converter and operative to generate at least one computed value from said at least one digital signal; a local display coupled with said processor and operative to report said computed value; a communications port coupled with said processor and a digital network and operative to facilitate reporting of said computed value onto said digital network; and a summing module coupled with said digital network, said summing module operative to receive said computed value and further sum said computed value to a second value.
- 2. The device of claim 1 further comprising a multiplexer coupled between said at least one sensor and said analog to digital converter.
- 3. The device of claim 1, wherein said analog to digital converter comprises first and second analog to digital converters, said first analog to digital converter being operative to convert a voltage analog signal to at least one digital sample and said second analog to digital converter being operative to convert a current analog signal to at least one digital sample.
- 4. The device of claim 1, wherein said local display is operative to display said at least one electrical parameter.
- 5. The device of claim 1, further comprising a time synchronization receiver, said processor operative to receive a first time synchronization signal from said time synchronization receiver whereby said processor is further operative to alter a timing clock signal based on said first time synchronization signal.
- 6. The device of claim 5 further comprising a local synchronization circuit, said local synchronization circuit operative to output said timing clock signal to said processor.
- 7. The device of claim 5, wherein said first time synchronization signal comprises a network time signal.
- 8. The device of claim 5, wherein said first time synchronization signal comprises a second time synchronization signal from a second device coupled with said digital network.
- 9. The device of claim 8, wherein said second time synchronization signal from said second device is transmitted to a plurality of devices coupled with said digital network.
- 10. The device of claim 5, wherein said time synchronization receiver comprises a GPS receiver wherein said GPS receiver is operative to receive a GPS signal.
- 11. The device of claim 10, wherein said GPS receiver wirelessly receives said GPS signal.
- 12. The device of claim 5, wherein said first time synchronization signal is computed from a fundamental line frequency computation of said electric circuit.
- 13. The device of claim 1 further comprising a remote module, said remote module operative to allow a second device to remotely connect to said device over said digital network.
- 14. The device of claim 13, wherein said second device comprises at least one computer.
- 15. The device of claim 13, wherein said second device comprises a meter.
- 16. The device of claim 13, wherein said second device comprises a protection device.
- 17. The device of claim 13, wherein said second device further comprises a second remote module, said second remote module operative to allow said device to remotely connect to a third device over the digital network.
- 18. The device of claim 13, wherein said second device comprises a circuit breaker, said circuit breaker comprising a second communications port coupled with said digital network.
- 19. The device of claim 1, wherein said digital network comprises an Ethernet network, said communications port comprising an Ethernet port.
- 20. The device of claim 1, wherein said digital network comprises a digital data transmission network.
- 21. The device of claim 1, wherein said digital network comprises a TCP/IP communications network.
- 22. The device of claim 1, wherein said digital network comprises a fiber optic data communications network.
- 23. The device of claim 1 further wherein said processor is operative to receive said one or more digital samples and provide digital data representative of said electrical parameters.
- 24. The device of claim 23 further wherein said device is operative to transmit said digital data onto said digital network.
- 25. The device of claim 23, wherein said digital data is transmitted in substantially real time.
- 26. The device of claim 1, said processor further comprising an inverse current module, said inverse current module operative to determine a fault condition on said electric circuit.
- 27. The device of claim 26, wherein said fault condition is determined by calculating I2T.
- 28. The device of claim 1, wherein said device is further coupled with at least a second electric circuit, said device operative to perform an overcurrent protection function.
- 29. The device of claim 1 further comprising at least a second communication port.
- 30. The device of claim 29, wherein said at least a second communication port comprises an Ethernet port.
- 31. The device of claim 29, wherein said at least second communication port is coupled with a second device.
- 32. The device of claim 1 further comprising a second communication port coupled with said digital network and a third communication port coupled with said digital network.
- 33. The device of claim 32, wherein said second communication port and said third communication port each comprise at least one RS232 port.
- 34. The device of claim 32, wherein said second communication port and said third communication port comprise at least one RS485 port.
- 35. The device of claim 32, wherein said second communication port comprises an RS232 port and said third communication port comprises a RS485 port.
- 36. The device of claim 1 wherein said communications port further is operative to scale said digital network for communications among additional of said power monitoring devices without substantially degrading real time communications among any at least two of said power monitoring devices.
- 37. The device of claim 1, wherein said communications port enables centralized simultaneous knowledge of a status of said plurality of said power monitoring devices.
- 38. The device of claim 1, wherein said communications port enables substantially simultaneous real time reporting of said computed value over said network from a plurality of said devices without any one of said plurality of devices waiting for another of said plurality of devices.
- 39. The device of claim 1, wherein said digital network comprises a wireless network.
- 40. The device of claim 1, wherein said communication port is further operative to communicate with substantially simultaneous connections with a plurality of power monitoring devices over said digital network.
- 41. The device of claim 1, wherein said summing module comprises a phasor summing module.
- 42. The device of claim 1, wherein said summing module is coupled with said processor.
- 43. A device for measuring electrical energy in an electric circuit, said device comprising:
at least one sensor coupled with said electric circuit and operative to sense at least one electrical parameter in said electric circuit and generate at least one analog signal indicative thereof; at least one analog to digital converter coupled with said at least one sensor and operative to convert said at least one analog signal to at least one digital sample; a time synchronization receiver operative to generate a time synchronization signal; and a processor coupled with said at least one analog to digital converter and said time synchronization receiver, said processor operative to alter a timing clock signal based on said time synchronization signal.
- 44. The device of claim 43 further comprising a local synchronization circuit coupled with said processor which outputs said timing clock signal to said processor.
- 45. The device of claim 43, wherein said time synchronization receiver is further coupled with a communications network.
- 46. The device of claim 45, wherein said time synchronization receiver is operative to transmit said time synchronization signal onto said communications network.
- 47. The device of claim 43, wherein said time synchronization signal comprises a network time signal.
- 48. The device of claim 43, wherein said time synchronization signal comprises an external time synchronization signal generated externally to said device.
- 49. The device of claim 43, wherein said time synchronization receiver comprises a GPS receiver operative to receive a GPS signal.
- 50. The device of claim 49, wherein said GPS receiver is operative to wirelessly receive said GPS signal.
- 51. A system for measuring the delivery of electrical energy from an energy supplier to a consumer through an electric circuit, said system comprising:
a digital network; at least first and second devices coupled with said digital network, said first and second devices each comprising:
at least one sensor coupled with said electric circuit and operative to sense at least one power parameter in said electric circuit and generate at least one analog signal indicative thereof; at least one analog to digital converter coupled with said at least one sensor and operative to convert said at least one analog signal to at least one digital signal representative thereof; a processor coupled with said at least one analog to digital converter and operative to generate at least one computed value from said at least one digital signal; and a plurality of communication ports, each of said communication ports operative to receive input and transmit said input to said processor, said communication ports being coupled with said digital network, wherein said device is operative to engage in a plurality of substantially simultaneous communications from said communication ports; whereby said first device communicates with at least said second device over said digital network.
- 52. The system of claim 51, wherein at least one of said first and second devices further comprises a local synchronization circuit coupled with said processor which outputs a timing clock signal to said processor.
- 53. The system of claim 51, said first device further comprising a communications module, said communications module operative to allow a device coupled to the digital network to communicate with said processor of said first device.
- 54. The system of claim 51, whereby said first device communicates with at least said second device over said digital network substantially in real time.
- 55. The system of claim 51, wherein said plurality of communication ports comprises at least one Ethernet port.
- 56. The system of claim 51, wherein said plurality of communication ports comprises at least two RS232 ports.
- 57. The system of claim 51, wherein said plurality of communication ports comprises at least two RS485 ports.
- 58. The system of claim 51, wherein said plurality of communication ports comprises at least one Ethernet port and at least one of a RS232 port and a RS485 port.
- 59. A protection device for use with an electrical circuit, said protection device comprising:
a communications port operative to couple said protection device with a data network; at least one output coupled with said electric circuit and operative to control a flow of electrical power through said electrical circuit; a processor coupled with said communications port and said at least one output, said processor executing at least one programmable module, each of said at least one programmable module operative to receive data from said communications port, process said data and generate a signal on said at least one output to at least one of interrupt and restore said flow of electrical power through said electrical circuit.
- 60. The protection device of claim 59, wherein said data network comprises an Ethernet network.
- 61. The protection device of claim 59, wherein said electrical circuit comprises at least one circuit breaker, said at least one output being coupled with said at least one circuit breaker to control operation of said at least one circuit breaker.
- 62. The protection device of claim 61, wherein said at least one output is coupled with said at least one circuit breaker via said digital network.
- 63. The protection device of claim 59, wherein each of said at least one programmable module comprises at least one object oriented program module.
- 64. The protection device of claim 59, wherein each of said at least one programmable module comprises a plurality of programmable sub-modules, said plurality of programmable sub-modules capable of being linked together to perform an arbitrary function.
- 65. The protection device of claim 64, wherein said arbitrary function comprises a protection function.
- 66. The protection device of claim 64, wherein at least one of said plurality of programmable sub-modules is operative to receive data from at least one other device coupled with said network.
- 67. The protection device of claim 59, wherein said processor is further operative to receive data from at least one other device coupled with said network.
- 68. The protection device of claim 67, wherein said at least one other device comprises at least one sensor coupled with said electric circuit and operative to sense at least one electrical parameter in said electric circuit, generate an analog signal representative thereof, digitize said analog signal and transmit said digitized analog signal onto said digital network.
- 69. The protection device of claim 67, wherein said at least one other device comprises at least one other protection device.
- 70. The protection device of claim 67, wherein said at least one programmable module comprises at least one programmable sub-module coupled with said at least one other device to receive said data.
- 71. A protection device for use with an electrical circuit, said protection device comprising:
communications means for coupling said protection device with a data network; output means for coupling said protection device with said electric circuit to control a flow of electrical power through said electrical circuit; processor means, coupled with said communications means and said output means, said processor means for executing at least one programmable module means, each of said at least one programmable module means operative to receive data from said communications means, process said data and generate a signal on said output means to at least one of interrupt and restore said flow of electrical power through said electrical circuit.
- 72. The protection device of claim 71, wherein said data network comprises an Ethernet network.
- 73. The protection device of claim 71, wherein said electrical circuit comprises at least one circuit breaker, said output means being coupled with said at least one circuit breaker to control operation of said at least one circuit breaker.
- 74. The protection device of claim 73, wherein said output means is coupled with said at least one circuit breaker via said digital network.
- 75. The protection device of claim 71, wherein each of said at least one programmable module means comprises at least one object oriented program module.
- 76. The protection device of claim 71, wherein each of said at least one programmable module means comprises a plurality of programmable sub-module means, said plurality of programmable sub-module means capable of being linked together to perform an arbitrary function.
- 77. The protection device of claim 76, wherein said arbitrary function comprises a protection function.
- 78. The protection device of claim 76, wherein at least one of said plurality of programmable sub-module means is operative to receive data from at least one other device coupled with said network.
- 79. The protection device of claim 71, wherein said processor means is further operative to receive data from at least one other device coupled with said network.
- 80. The protection device of claim 79, wherein said at least one other device comprises at least one sensor means for sensing at least one electrical parameter in said electric circuit, generating an analog signal representative thereof, digitizing said analog signal and transmitting said digitized analog signal onto said digital network.
- 81. The protection device of claim 79, wherein said at least one other device comprises at least one other protection device.
- 82. The protection device of claim 79, wherein said at least one programmable module means comprises at least one programmable sub-module means coupled with said at least one other device to receive said data.
- 83. A power control and monitoring system, comprising:
an electrical power distribution network; a plurality of protection devices, each of said plurality of protection devices being associated with at least one portion of said electrical power distribution network and each of said plurality of protection devices including a communications port for connection to a data network; wherein each of said plurality of protection devices includes user-programmable logic, and wherein logic inputs and outputs are communicated between said plurality of protection devices over said data network.
RELATED APPLICATIONS
[0001] This application is a continuation under 37 C.F.R. §1.53(b) of U.S. application Ser. No. 08/798,723, filed Feb. 12, 1997, pending, which is hereby incorporated by reference herein, and which was filed on the same day as and incorporated by reference, U.S. patent application Ser. No. 08/798,724, entitled “DIGITAL SENSOR APPARATUS AND SYSTEM FOR PROTECTION, CONTROL, AND MANAGEMENT OF ELECTRICITY DISTRIBUTION SYSTEMS”, filed on Feb. 12, 1997 herewith, the entire disclosure of which is incorporated by reference herein.
Continuations (1)
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Number |
Date |
Country |
Parent |
08798723 |
Feb 1997 |
US |
Child |
10068431 |
Feb 2002 |
US |