Communication enabled circuit breakers

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11228912-B2
Application number	US-201816487479-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Feb 27, 2018
Priority date	Feb 28, 2017
Publication date	Jan 18, 2022
Grant date	Jan 18, 2022

Abstract

Wireless communication enabled circuit breakers are described. Methods associated with such wireless communication enabled circuit breakers are also described. The wireless communication enabled circuit breakers may controlled by a remote entity. The remote entity may wirelessly case the wireless communication enabled circuit breakers to trip.

First claim

We claim:

1. A communication enabled circuit breaker controller, comprising:
wireless communications circuitry comprising a wireless radio;
a processor electrically coupled to the wireless communication circuitry; and
a memory coupled to the processor, the memory comprising instructions, which when executed by the processor, cause the processor to:
receive, wirelessly via the wireless radio, from at least one communication enabled circuit breaker via the wireless communication circuitry, data associated with one or more arc faults generated, the data comprising one or more detected fault signatures associated with the one or more arc faults and indications of one or more operating conditions incident to the one or more detected fault signatures of the at least one communication enabled circuit breaker;
cause transmission of the data to a remote device; and
receive, from the remote device, updated fault interruption instructions for detection of arc faults based on the data for the at least one communication enabled circuit breaker; and
sending the updated fault interruption instructions to the at least one communication enabled circuit breaker.

2. The communication enabled circuit breaker controller of claim 1 , wherein the processor executes the instructions to add the data to a database associated with the at least one communication enabled circuit breakers.

3. The communication enabled circuit breaker controller of claim 1 , wherein the processor executes the instructions to determine at least one of power factor, active power factor, reactive power factor, power loss, or voltage sags based on the data.

4. The communication enabled circuit breaker controller of claim 1 , wherein the processor executes the instructions to send the data to a power grid operator.

5. The communication enabled circuit breaker controller of claim 1 , wherein the processor executes the instructions to send a command to one of the at least one communication enabled circuit breakers to cause the one of the at least one communication enabled circuit breakers to send updated data to the communication enabled circuit breaker controller.

6. The communication enabled circuit breaker controller of claim 1 , wherein the wireless communication circuitry is arranged to establish a wireless communication channel via one of Bluetooth, Bluetooth Low Energy, Wi-Fi, ZigBee, or near field communication.

7. An apparatus for a wireless circuit breaker, comprising:
a line side phase terminal;
a load side phase terminal;
a memory comprising fault interrupter instructions and power metering instructions;
an interrupter coupled to the a processor, the interrupter to interrupt an electrical communication between the line side phase terminal and the load side phase terminal based at least in part on execution of the fault interrupter instructions by the processor;
an electrical sensor coupled to at least one of the line side phase terminal or the load side phase terminal;
a wireless radio; and
a processor coupled to the memory and the wireless radio and communicatively coupled with the interrupter, the processor to perform operations, in response to executing the power metering instructions, the operations to:
generate data associated with one or more arc faults based on received signals from the electrical sensor, the data comprising one or more detected fault signatures associated with the one or more arc faults and indications of one or more operating conditions incident to the one or more detected fault signatures;
send the data to a remote entity via the wireless radio;
receive updated fault interrupter instructions; and
store the updated fault interrupter instructions in the memory

wherein the processor and the wireless radio are coupled with the line side phase terminal to communicate via the wireless radio while the wireless circuit breaker is tripped.

8. The apparatus of claim 7 , wherein the remote entity is a mobile phone, a laptop computer, a tablet computer or a communication enabled circuit breaker controller.

9. The apparatus of claim 7 , wherein at least one of the one or more operating conditions are current flow between the line side phase terminal and the load side phase terminal, voltage level of the line side phase terminal, power consumed via the load side phase terminal, humidity, or temperature.

10. The apparatus of claim 7 , wherein the processor executes the power metering instructions to repeatedly receive signals from the electrical sensor, generate data related to one or more operating conditions based on the repeatedly received signals, and communicates the data to the remote entity via the wireless radio.

11. The apparatus of claim 7 , wherein the processor executes the power metering instructions to determine a status of the apparatus and send the status to the remote entity, the status comprising indications of a signature of a load coupled to the load side phase terminal or indications of tripping of the interrupter.

12. The apparatus of claim 7 , the wireless radio arranged to communicate via Bluetooth, Bluetooth Low Energy, Wi-Fi, ZigBee, or near field communication.

13. A system comprising:
at least one communication enabled circuit breaker, each of the at least one communication enabled circuit breakers comprising:
a line side phase terminal;
a load side phase terminal;
a first memory comprising fault interrupter instructions and power metering instructions;
a fault interrupter coupled to the first memory, the fault interrupter to interrupt an electrical communication between the line side phase terminal and the load side phase terminal based at least in part on the fault interrupter instructions;
an electrical sensor coupled to at least one of the line side phase terminal or the load side phase terminal;
a first wireless radio; and
a first processor coupled to the first memory and the first wireless radio; and

a circuit breaker controller comprising:
a second wireless radio;
a second memory comprising controller instructions; and
a second processor electrically coupled to the second wireless radio and the second memory;

wherein the second processor, in response to executing the controller instructions to:
receive, wirelessly, from the at least one communication enabled circuit breaker via the first wireless radio, data associated with one or more arc faults, the data comprising one or more detected fault signatures associated with the one or more arc faults and indications of one or more operating conditions incident to the one or more detected fault signatures of the at least one communication enabled circuit breaker;
cause transmission of the data to a remote entity;
receive, from the remote entity, updated fault interruption instructions for detection of arc faults based on the data for the at least one communication enabled circuit breaker; and
sending the updated fault interruption instructions to the at least one communication enabled circuit breaker.

14. The system of claim 13 , wherein at least one of the one or more operating conditions are current flow between the line side phase terminal and the load side phase terminal, voltage level of the line side phase terminal, power consumed via the load side phase terminal, humidity, or temperature.

15. The system of claim 13 , wherein the first processor executes the power metering instructions to collect a status of the at least one communication enabled circuit breaker and communicates the status to the circuit breaker controller via the first wireless radio.

16. The system of claim 15 , the statu

Assignees

• Leviton Manufacturing Co

Inventors

• Freeman Scott
• Golwala Abhishek
• Monir Rejaul
• Ostrovsky Michael
• Lombardi Alfred J
• Keser Ozgur
• Kevelos Adam
• Soccoli Paul
• Berghoff Justin

Classifications

• H04Q9/00

  Arrangements in telecontrol or telemetry systems for selectively calling a substation from a main station, in which substation desired apparatus is selected for applying a control signal thereto or for obtaining measured values therefrom · CPC title

• H04W12/03

  Protecting confidentiality, e.g. by encryption · CPC title

• G06F7/588

  Random number generators, i.e. based on natural stochastic processes · CPC title

• G05B2219/25112

  Using firmware stored in processor · CPC title

• H04W4/80

  Services using short range communication, e.g. near-field communication [NFC], radio-frequency identification [RFID] or low energy communication · CPC title