Transmission and distribution system with electric shock protection function and method of operating the same

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11356012-B2
Application number	US-202016983401-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Aug 3, 2020
Priority date	May 11, 2020
Publication date	Jun 7, 2022
Grant date	Jun 7, 2022

Abstract

A transmission and distribution system with electric shock protection function includes a transmitting terminal and a receiving terminal. The transmitting terminal includes a switch, a current measurer, a signal generator, and a controller. The receiving terminal includes a filter. The switch is coupled to a first DC power and a transmission line. The current measurer is coupled to the transmission line, and measures a current of the transmission line and provides a current signal. The signal generator provides a disturbance signal to the transmission line. The controller receives the current signal and controls the switch. If the controller determines that the current signal contains the disturbance signal, the controller turns off the switch.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A transmission and distribution system with electric shock protection function, comprising a transmitting terminal and a receiving terminal, wherein the transmitting terminal transmits a first DC power to the receiving terminal through a transmission line, the transmitting terminal comprising:
a switch coupled to the first DC power and the transmission line;
a current measurer coupled to the transmission line, and configured to measure a current of the transmission line and provide a current signal;
a signal generator configured to provide a disturbance signal to the transmission line, wherein a voltage magnitude of the disturbance signal is less than a voltage magnitude of the first DC power; and
a controller configured to receive the current signal and control the switch accordingly,
wherein the receiving terminal comprises a filter coupled to the transmission line, and
wherein the controller is configured to turn off the switch if the controller determines that the current signal contains the disturbance signal.

2. The transmission and distribution system with electric shock protection function in claim 1 , wherein the disturbance signal is carried on the first DC power.

3. The transmission and distribution system with electric shock protection function in claim 1 , wherein the disturbance signal is a high-frequency voltage signal.

4. The transmission and distribution system with electric shock protection function in claim 1 , wherein the disturbance signal has at least one frequency.

5. The transmission and distribution system with electric shock protection function in claim 1 , wherein when a resistance is between a positive end and a negative end of the transmission line, the current signal contains the disturbance signal.

6. The transmission and distribution system with electric shock protection function in claim 3 , wherein the controller has a high-pass filter, and the high-pass filter is configured to filter and extract the high-frequency voltage signal.

7. The transmission and distribution system with electric shock protection function in claim 1 , wherein the current measurer is a Hall sensor.

8. The transmission and distribution system with electric shock protection function in claim 1 , wherein the controller is configured to perform a Fast Fourier Transform on the current signal to analyze the disturbance signal.

9. The transmission and distribution system with electric shock protection function in claim 1 , wherein the receiving terminal further comprises:
a DC converter coupled to the filter, and configured to step down the first DC power to a second DC power.

10. The transmission and distribution system with electric shock protection function in claim 9 , wherein the DC converter is a switch mode power supply, and a maximum switching frequency of the switch mode power supply is less than a frequency of the disturbance signal.

11. The transmission and distribution system with electric shock protection function in claim 1 , wherein if the current measurer does not measure the disturbance signal, the controller turns on the switch.

12. A method of operating a transmission and distribution system with electric shock protection function, comprising steps of:
transmitting a first DC power from a transmitting terminal to a receiving terminal through a transmission line;
providing a disturbance signal to the transmission line, wherein a voltage magnitude of the disturbance signal is less than a voltage magnitude of the first DC power;
measuring a current of the transmission line and providing a current signal; and
interrupting the first DC power to the receiving terminal if determining that the current signal contains the disturbance signal.

13. The method of operating the transmission and distribution system with electric shock protection function in claim 12 , wherein the disturbance signal is carried on the first DC power.

14. The method of operating the transmission and distribution system with electric shock protection function in claim 12 , wherein the disturbance signal is a high-frequency voltage signal and has at least one frequency.

15. The method of operating the transmission and distribution system with electric shock protection function in claim 12 , wherein when a resistance is between a positive end and a negative end of the transmission line, the current signal contains the disturbance signal.

16. The method of operating the transmission and distribution system with electric shock protection function in claim 12 , wherein a Fast Fourier Transform is performed on the current signal to analyze the disturbance signal.

Assignees

• Delta Electronics Inc

Inventors

• Liu Chien-Hung
• Chang Yi-Hua

Classifications

• H02H3/50

  responsive to the appearance of abnormal wave forms, e.g. AC in DC installations · CPC title

• H02M3/33507

  with automatic control of the output voltage or current, e.g. flyback converters (H02M3/33561, H02M3/33569 take precedence) · CPC title

• H02H5/12 Primary

  responsive to undesired approach to, or touching of, live parts by living beings · CPC title

• H02M1/0009

  Devices or circuits for detecting current in a converter · CPC title

• H02H3/40

  responsive to ratio of voltage and current · CPC title