Methods and devices for automatic communication addressing of load center breakers

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10498113-B2
Application number	US-201715623991-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jun 15, 2017
Priority date	Jun 15, 2017
Publication date	Dec 3, 2019
Grant date	Dec 3, 2019

Abstract

An electrical distribution panel includes a primary breaker, an auxiliary breaker, and a resistive element that is electrically connected between the primary breaker and the auxiliary breaker. The resistive element is configured to provide a resulting signal based on a voltage drop of a signal from the primary breaker to the auxiliary breaker. A communication address of the auxiliary breaker is based on the voltage drop of the signal from the primary breaker to the auxiliary breaker. Related methods and devices are also discussed.

First claim

That which is claimed is:

1. An electrical distribution panel comprising:
a primary breaker;
an auxiliary breaker; and
a resistive element electrically connected between the primary breaker and the auxiliary breaker, the resistive element configured to provide a resulting signal based on a voltage drop of a signal from the primary breaker to the auxiliary breaker,
wherein a communication address of the auxiliary breaker is based on the voltage drop of the signal from the primary breaker to the auxiliary breaker.

2. The electrical distribution panel of claim 1 , wherein the auxiliary breaker comprises a first auxiliary breaker, wherein the resistive element comprises a first resistive element, and wherein the first resistive element is electrically connected to the primary breaker at a first port of the first resistive element and is electrically connected to the first auxiliary breaker at a second port of the first resistive element, the electrical distribution panel further comprising:
one or more additional auxiliary breakers; and
one or more additional resistive elements associated with respective ones of the one or more additional auxiliary breakers,
wherein a first one of the one or more additional resistive elements is electrically connected to the first auxiliary breaker and the first resistive element at a first port of the first one of the one or more additional resistive elements,
wherein the first one of the one or more additional resistive elements is electrically connected to a respective one of the one or more additional auxiliary breakers at a second port of the first one of the one or more additional resistive elements, and
wherein respective communication addresses of the one or more additional auxiliary breakers are based on respective voltage drops of respective signals across respective ones of the one or more additional resistive elements.

3. The electrical distribution panel of claim 2 ,
wherein remaining ones of the one or more additional resistive elements are electrically connected to a previous one of the one or more additional resistive elements and electrically connected to a previous one of the one or more additional auxiliary breakers at a respective first port of the remaining ones of the one or more additional resistive elements, and are electrically connected to respective ones of the one or more additional auxiliary breakers at a respective second port of the remaining ones of the one or more additional resistive elements.

4. The electrical distribution panel of claim 2 ,
wherein resistance values of each of the one or more additional resistive elements are the same as a resistance value of the first resistive element.

5. The electrical distribution panel of claim 3 , further comprising:
a terminating resistor electrically connected from a first port of the terminating resistor to the respective second port of a last one of the remaining ones of the one or more additional resistive elements, and electrically connected to ground from a second port of the terminating resistor.

6. The electrical distribution panel of claim 1 ,
wherein the signal comprises a single phase electrical signal associated with a single port of the primary breaker.

7. The electrical distribution panel of claim 6 , wherein the single port of the primary breaker comprises a first port of the primary breaker, and wherein the single phase electrical signal comprises a first single phase electrical signal, the primary breaker further comprising:
a second port associated with a second single phase electrical signal whose phase is different from that of the first single phase electrical signal.

8. The electrical distribution panel of claim 7 , the electrical distribution panel further comprising:
one or more second single phase auxiliary breakers; and
one or more second single phase resistive elements associated with respective ones of the one or more second single phase auxiliary breakers,
wherein a first port of the first one of the one or more second single phase resistive elements is electrically connected to the second port of the primary breaker,
wherein a second port of the first one of the one or more second single phase resistive elements is electrically connected to a first one of the one or more second single phase auxiliary breakers, and
wherein respective first ports of remaining ones of the one or more second single phase resistive elements are electrically connected to a second port of a previous one of the one or more second single phase resistive elements and electrically connected to a respective one of the one or more second single phase auxiliary breakers.

9. The electrical distribution panel of claim 1 , wherein the auxiliary breaker comprises:
a noise rejecting filter that reduces noise in the resulting signal to produce a noise-reduced signal that is input to a processor.

10. The electrical distribution panel of claim 1 , wherein the auxiliary breaker comprises a processor configured to perform operations comprising:
determining an input voltage of an input signal associated with the resulting signal; and
determining that the resulting signal is addressed to the auxiliary breaker, responsive to the input voltage being within a voltage range.

11. The electrical distribution panel of claim 10 , wherein the processor is further configured to perform operations comprising:
controlling the operation of the auxiliary breaker, responsive to the determining that the resulting signal is addressed to the auxiliary breaker.

12. The electrical distribution panel of claim 10 , wherein the auxiliary breaker further comprises:
a noise rejecting filter that reduces noise in the resulting signal to produce the input signal that is input to the processor.

13. The electrical distribution panel of claim 10 , wherein the determining that the resulting signal is addressed to the auxiliary breaker, responsive to the input voltage being within the voltage range comprises:
mapping the input voltage to an address value;
quantizing the address value to an allowable address value; and
determining that the resulting signal is addressed to the auxiliary breaker based on the allowable address value being associated with the auxiliary breaker.

14. The electrical distribution panel of claim 2 , wherein the one or more additional auxiliary breakers comprise respective one or more processors that are configured to perform operations comprising:
determining a respective input voltage of a respective input signal available to the respective one of the one or more processors; and
determining that the respective input signal is addressed to a respective one of the one or more additional auxiliary breakers, responsive to the respective input voltage being within a respective voltage range.

15. A method of managing a load center breaker, the method comprising:
receiving, by a processor of the load center breaker, an input signal associated with a signal from a primary breaker whose voltage has been scaled by a resistive element that is electrically connected between the load center breaker and the primary breaker;
determining, by the processor of the load center breaker, an input voltage based on the input signal; and
determining, by the processor of the load center breaker, that the input signal is addressed to the load center breaker based on the input voltage.

16. The method of claim 15 , further comprising:
controlling operation of the load center breaker, responsive to the determining that the input signal is addressed to the load center breaker.

Assignees

• Eaton Corp
• Eaton Intelligent Power Ltd

Inventors

• Jiao Jian

Classifications

• H02J13/1317

  using an auxiliary transmission line · CPC title

• H01H2300/03

  Application domotique, e.g. for house automation, bus connected switches, sensors, loads or intelligent wiring · CPC title

• H01H71/04

  Means for indicating condition of the switching device {(by means of an auxiliary contact H01H71/46)} · CPC title

• H02H3/006

  Calibration or setting of parameters · CPC title

• H02B1/24 Primary

  Circuit arrangements for boards or switchyards · CPC title