Protecting electronic devices from electrical supply disturbances

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2015349508-A1
Application number	US-201514821965-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Aug 10, 2015
Priority date	Oct 19, 2011
Publication date	Dec 3, 2015
Grant date	—

Abstract

Embodiments of the present invention provide an approach for monitoring electrical disturbance (e.g., surges, outages, etc.) possibilities, and then automatically isolating electronic devices (also referred to herein as electronics) for the duration of the disturbance (or threat thereof). In a typical embodiment, a probability of an electrical disturbance occurring at a specified location will be determined. Then, a set of device protection profiles will be accessed. The set of device protection profiles comprises a set of thresholds and a corresponding set of device topologies associated with a set of electronic devices positioned. The set of thresholds in the set of device protection profiles will then be compared to the probability to identify a matching device topology from the set of device topologies. According to the matching device topology, at least one electronic device will be isolated from an electrical power source.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . A computer-implemented method for protecting electronic devices from electrical disturbances, comprising:
determining, prior to an occurrence of an electrical disturbance, a numerical probability of an electrical disturbance on an electrical line in an electrical grid occurring at a future time at a specified location; accessing a set of device protection profiles from at least one computer storage device, the set of device protection profiles comprising a set of thresholds having a plurality of thresholds and a corresponding set of device topologies associated with a set of electronic devices positioned at the specified location; comparing the set of thresholds in the set of device protection profiles to the numerical probability to identify a matching device topology from the set of device topologies; and isolating at least one electronic device of the set of electronic devices from an electrical power source according to the matching device topology.

2 . The computer-implemented method of claim 1 , the isolating comprising switching the at least one electronic device from a wired mode to a wireless mode.

3 . The computer-implemented method of claim 1 , the comparing comprising:
identifying a specific threshold corresponding to the probability; and identifying a specific device topology that corresponds to the specific threshold.

4 . The computer-implemented method of claim 1 , each of the set of device topologies identifying a particular power connection configuration for the set of electronic devices positioned at the location.

5 . The computer-implemented method of claim 1 , the set of device protection profiles further specifying at least one characteristic selected from a group consisting of: a time of day, a day of the week, an air temperature, a number of people at the location, and an age of at least one person at the location.

6 . The computer-implemented method of claim 5 , the comparing being further based on the at least one characteristic.

7 . The computer-implemented method of claim 1 , the probability being determined based on at least one of the following: weather conditions, maintenance schedules, or historical disturbance data.

8 . A system for protecting electronic devices from electrical disturbances, comprising:
a memory medium comprising instructions; a bus coupled to the memory medium; and a processor coupled to the bus that when executing the instructions causes the system to:
determine, prior to an occurrence of an electrical disturbance, a numerical probability of an electrical disturbance on an electrical line in an electrical grid occurring at a future time at a specified location;
access a set of device protection profiles from at least one computer storage device, the set of device protection profiles comprising a set of thresholds having a plurality of thresholds and a corresponding set of device topologies associated with a set of electronic devices positioned at the specified location;
compare the set of thresholds in the set of device protection profiles to the numerical probability to identify a matching device topology from the set of device topologies; and

isolate at least one electronic device of the set of electronic devices from an electrical power source according to the matching device topology.

9 . The system of claim 8 , the memory medium further comprising instructions for causing the system to switch the at least one electronic device from a wired mode to a wireless mode.

10 . The system of claim 8 , the memory medium further comprising instructions for causing the system to:
identify a specific threshold corresponding to the probability; and identify a specific device topology that corresponds to the specific threshold.

11 . The system of claim 8 , each of the set of device topologies identifying a particular power connection configuration for the set of electronic devices positioned at the location.

12 . The system of claim 8 , the set of device protection profiles further specifying at least one characteristic selected from a group consisting of: a time of day, a day of the week, an air temperature, a number of people at the location, and an age of at least one person at the location.

13 . The system of claim 12 , the matching device topology being further identified based on the at least one characteristic.

14 . The system of claim 8 , the probability being determined based on at least one of the following: weather conditions, maintenance schedules, or historical disturbance data.

15 . A computer program product for protecting electronic devices from electrical disturbances, the computer program product comprising a computer readable storage device, wherein the computer readable storage media is not a transitory signal, and program instructions stored on the computer readable storage device, to:
determine, prior to an occurrence of an electrical disturbance, a numerical probability of an electrical disturbance on an electrical line in an electrical grid occurring at a future time at a specified location; access a set of device protection profiles from at least one computer storage device, the set of device protection profiles comprising a set of thresholds having a plurality of thresholds and a corresponding set of device topologies associated with a set of electronic devices positioned at the specified location; compare the set of thresholds in the set of device protection profiles to the numerical probability to identify a matching device topology from the set of device topologies; and
isolate at least one electronic device of the set of electronic devices from an electrical power source according to the matching device topology.

16 . The computer program product of claim 15 , the computer readable storage media further comprising instructions to switching the at least one electronic device from a wired mode to a wireless mode.

17 . The computer program product of claim 15 , the computer readable storage media further comprising instructions to:
identify a specific threshold corresponding to the probability; and identify a specific device topology that corresponds to the specific threshold.

18 . The computer program product of claim 15 , each of the set of device topologies identifying a particular power connection configuration for the set of electronic devices positioned at the location.

19 . The computer program product of claim 15 , the set of device protection profiles further specifying at least one characteristic selected from a group consisting of: a time of day, a day of the week, an air temperature, a number of people at the location, and an age of at least one person at the location, a matching device topology being further identified based on the at least one characteristic.

20 . The computer program product of claim 15 , the probability being determined based on at least one of the following: weather conditions, maintenance schedules, or historical disturbance data.

Assignees

• IBM

Inventors

• Anderson Jason L
• Boss Gregory J
• Jones Andrew R
• Mcconnell Kevin C
• Moore Jr John E

Classifications

• H02H1/0092 Primary

  concerning the data processing means, e.g. expert systems, neural networks · CPC title

• H02H7/20

  for electronic equipment (for converters H02H7/10; for electric measuring instruments G01R1/36; for DC voltage or current semiconductor regulators G05F1/569; for amplifiers H03F1/52; for electronic switching circuits H03K17/08) · CPC title

• H02H11/00

  Emergency protective circuit arrangements for preventing the switching-on in case an undesired electric working condition might result · CPC title

• H02H1/04 Primary

  Arrangements for preventing response to transient abnormal conditions, e.g. to lightning {or to short duration over voltage or oscillations; Damping the influence of DC component by short circuits in AC networks} · CPC title

• G06F1/30

  Means for acting in the event of power-supply failure or interruption, e.g. power-supply fluctuations (for resetting only G06F1/24) · CPC title