Externally configurable worksite power distribution box

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11424601-B2
Application number	US-201615340574-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Nov 1, 2016
Priority date	Nov 2, 2015
Publication date	Aug 23, 2022
Grant date	Aug 23, 2022

Abstract

Systems and methods for configuring, with an external device, a power distribution box having priority disconnects. The power distribution box includes a housing portion and a base portion elevating the housing portion. The power distribution box receives power from an external power source and distributes the power to a plurality of alternating current (AC) output receptacles. The power distribution box further includes an antenna and a power disconnect controller coupled to the antenna to communicate with and be configured by an external device, such as a smart phone, tablet, or laptop computer. Using the external device, a user can configure the priority level and mode of the AC output receptacles. In the case of high current, the power distribution box will disconnect receptacles in accordance with the priority level and mode configuration provided by the external device.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A method of configuring a power distribution box, the method comprising:
receiving advertisement messages from a plurality of power distribution boxes including the power distribution box in advance of establishing a wireless communication link; displaying, on a screen of the external setting device, a list of the plurality of power distribution boxes based on the received advertisement messages;

receiving a user selection of a first power distribution box from the list of the plurality of power distribution boxes;
establishing, by an external setting device, the wireless communication link with the first power distribution box;
providing, on the screen of the external setting device, a configuration screen for the first power distribution box;
receiving, at the external setting device, a user input specifying newdisconnect configuration data, the newdisconnect configuration data including a priority level and mode information for each of a plurality of outlet circuits of the first power distribution box,
wherein the mode information includes one selected from a group of an always-on mode in which a priority disconnect operation is disabled and a priority disconnect mode in which the priority disconnect operation is enabled; and
transmitting, by the external setting device, via the wireless communication link the new disconnect configuration data to the first power distribution box to configure the first power distribution box.

2. The method of claim 1 , further comprising: receiving, from the first power distribution box, a notification indicating at least one selected from a group consisting of a tripped breaker of the first power distribution box and opening of a disconnect switch associated with a first outlet circuit of the plurality of outlet circuits.

3. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
after establishing the wireless communication link, receiving current disconnect configuration data from the first power distribution box, and

wherein providing the configuration screen includes displaying current priority levels of the plurality of outlet circuits, obtained from the current disconnect configuration data, on the screen of the external setting device.

4. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
obtaining, over the wireless communication link, power data captured by the first power distribution box; and
displaying the power data on the screen.

5. A method of configuring a power distribution box, the method comprising: receiving advertisement messages at an external setting device from one or more power distribution boxes in advance of establishing a wireless communication link;
displaying, on a screen of the external setting device, the one or more power distribution boxes based on the received advertisement messages;
receiving a user selection of a first power distribution box from the one or more power distribution boxes;
establishing the wireless communication link with the first power distribution box based on the user selection;
receiving, over the wireless communication link from the external setting device, discon nect configuration data for a plurality of outlet circuits of the first power distribution box, wherein the disconnect configuration data includes priority data and mode information for each of the plurality of outlet circuits;
configuring the first power distribution box by setting a priority level and setting a mode for each of the plurality of outlet circuits in accordance with the priority data and mode information in the received disconnect configuration data;
receiving, at a power input of the first power distribution box, alternating current (AC) power from an external power source; and
distributing the AC power received from the external power source to the plurality of outlet circuits in accordance with the priority data and the mode information in the received disconnect configuration data.

6. The method of claim 5 , wherein distributing the AC power received from the external power source to the plurality of outlet circuits in accordance with the disconnect configuration data comprises:
detecting a sum current level for the plurality of outlet circuits;
determining that the sum current level exceeds a priority disconnect threshold; and
in response to determining that the sum current level exceeds the priority disconnect threshold, selectively disconnecting a first outlet circuit of the plurality of outlet circuits from the power input based on the priority level of the first outlet circuit.

7. The method of claim 5 , further comprising broadcasting, by the one or more power distribution boxes, the advertisement messages to the external setting device to identify the one or more power distribution boxes in advance of establishing the wireless communication link.

8. The method of claim 5 , further comprising after establishing the wireless communication link and before receiving the disconnect configuration data, transmitting, over the wireless communication link, current disconnect configuration data of the first power distribution box, wherein the current disconnect configuration data includes an initial priority level for each of the plurality of outlet circuits.

9. The method of claim 5 , wherein the mode of each of the plurality of outlet circuits is one selected from the group of an always-on mode in which a priority disconnect operation is disabled and a priority disconnect mode in which the priority disconnect operation is enabled.

10. The method of claim 5 , further comprising transmitting, by the first power distribution box, a notification to the external setting device indicating at least one selected from a group consisting of a tripped breaker of the first power distribution box and opening of a disconnect switch associated with a first outlet circuit of the plurality of outlet circuits.

11. The method of claim 5 , further comprising:
capturing power data from a current sensor; and
transmitting, by the first power distribution box, the power data over the wireless communication link.

12. The method of claim 5 , further comprising:
detecting a sum current level for the plurality of outlet circuits; and
generating, by an indicator on the first power distribution box, an indication that the sum current level is approaching a priority disconnect threshold before the sum current level exceeds the priority disconnect threshold.

13. The method of claim 5 , further comprising:
detecting a first current level for a first outlet circuit of the plurality of outlet circuits; and
generating, by a light indicator on the first power distribution box, an indication that the first current level is approaching an individual current threshold before the first current level exceeds the individual circuit current threshold.

14. A system comprising:
an external device configured to:
receive advertisement messages from one or more power distribution boxes in advance of establishing a wireless communication link;
display, on a screen of the external setting device, the one or more power boxes based on the received advertisement message;
receive a user selection of a first power distribution box from the one or more power distribution boxes; and
establish the wireless communication link with the first power distribution box

based on the user selection,
the first power distribution box comprising:
a housing portion;
a base portion elevating the housing portion above a surface on which the first power distribution box is placed;
a power source input operable to r

Assignees

• Milwaukee Electric Tool Corp

Inventors

• Mergener Matthew J
• Ebner Jeremy R

Classifications

• H02J2105/42

  Home appliances · CPC title

• H02J13/1331

  using wireless data transmission · CPC title

• H02J13/333

  the equipment forming part of substations · CPC title

• H02J13/14

  the power network being locally controlled, e.g. home energy management systems [HEMS] · CPC title

• H02J13/1335 Primary

  involving a local wireless network, e.g. Wi-Fi®, ZigBee® or Bluetooth® · CPC title