Intelligent power tap for providing power and communicating in industrial automation applications

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2018024604-A1
Application number	US-201615217352-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Jul 22, 2016
Priority date	Jul 22, 2016
Publication date	Jan 25, 2018
Grant date	—

Abstract

Systems and methods for providing diagnostic information by an intelligent power tap is disclosed. The power tap includes a circuit board and a microcontroller disposed on the circuit board. The microcontroller is configured to provide a status report of the intelligent power tap. The power tap further includes a physical layer network interface connected to the microcontroller and the physical network. The intelligent power tap is configured to inject at least one of a network power and a switched power into the network system.

First claim

We claim:

1 . An intelligent power tap in a network system, comprising:
a circuit board; a microcontroller disposed on the circuit board, wherein the microcontroller is configured to provide a status report of the intelligent power tap; and a physical layer network interface connected to the microcontroller and the network system, wherein the intelligent power tap is configured to inject at least one of a network power and a switched power into the network system.

2 . The intelligent power tap of claim 1 , wherein the status report comprises a geographical location on the network system of the intelligent power tap.

3 . The intelligent power tap of claim 2 , wherein the microcontroller communicates as a network node via a network bus connected to a physical layer of the network system; and
wherein the microcontroller is configured to allow the geographical location of the intelligent power tap to be determined in the network system.

4 . The intelligent power tap of claim 2 , further comprising:
a first voltage sensor that senses an incoming voltage to the intelligent power tap; a second voltage sensor that senses at least one of a network voltage and a switched voltage to be injected into the network system; and a current sensor that senses at least one of a network current and a switched current to be injected into the network system.

5 . The intelligent power tap of claim 4 , further comprising:
one or more options that are configurable over the network system, wherein the options comprises at least one of the following: a first option for controlling the network power; a second option for controlling the switched power; a third option for whether to provide diagnostic information in the status report; and a fourth option for whether to provide prognostic information in the status report.

6 . The intelligent power tap of claim 4 , wherein the microcontroller is configured to receive diagnostics information from the first and second voltage sensors and the current sensor in real time and send the diagnostics information to a network node in the network system.

7 . The intelligent power tap of claim 4 , wherein the microcontroller is configured to send prognostics information to a network node in the network system.

8 . The intelligent power tap of claim 7 , wherein the prognostics information comprises at least one of the following:
an over-voltage warning when at least one of the network voltage and the switched voltage is greater than a preset upper voltage limit; an under-voltage warning when at least one of the network voltage and the switched voltage is lower than a preset lower voltage limit; an over-current warning when at least one of the network current and the switched current is greater than a preset upper current limit; and an under-current warning when at least one of the network current and the switched current is lower than a preset lower current limit.

9 . The intelligent power tap of claim 7 , wherein the prognostics information comprises:
an over-current warning based on a self identification of a zone device and its current characteristics.

10 . The intelligent power tap of claim 8 , further comprising a user-input interface configured to receive current characteristics of a zone device,
wherein the prognostics information comprise: a second over-current warning based on the current characteristics of the zone device provided via the user-input interface.

11 . The intelligent power tap of claim 1 , further comprising:
a first switch configured to shut off the network power into the network system based on a first command received from the microcontroller; and a second switch configured to shut off the switched power into the network system based on a second command received from the microcontroller.

12 . The intelligent power tap of claim 1 , further comprising:
a 24V voltage input that provides power to the microcontroller, the network power, and the switched power; and an internal fuse holder that holds a replaceable fuse connected to the 24V voltage input.

13 . The intelligent power tap of claim 1 , further comprising:
a network power output that outputs the network power into the network system; and an internal fuse holder that holds a replaceable fuse connected to and protecting the network power output.

14 . The intelligent power tap of claim 1 , further comprising:
a switched power output that outputs the switched power into the network system; and an internal fuse holder that holds a replaceable fuse connected to and protecting the switched power output.

15 . A system comprising:
a network power zone comprising one or more devices; a switched power zone; an intelligent power tap configured to inject network power to the network power zone; and a master device connected to the intelligent power tap, wherein the intelligent power tap is configured to provide geographical location of the intelligent power tap to the master device.

16 . The system of claim 15 , wherein the switched power zone at least partially overlaps with the network power zone; and
wherein the intelligent power tap is further configured to inject switched power to the switched power zone.

17 . The system of claim 16 , wherein the intelligent power tap comprises:
a circuit board; a microcontroller disposed on the circuit board; and a physical layer network interface connected to the microcontroller and a physical network.

18 . A method for providing diagnostic information, comprising:
connecting an intelligent power tap to a control network system, wherein the intelligent power tap comprises a voltage sensor; obtaining, by the intelligent power tap, at least one of an incoming network voltage and an incoming switched voltage injected into the intelligent power tap; and sending, by the intelligent power tap, a first warning to the control network system when determining that the incoming network voltage or the incoming switched voltage is not within a first preset voltage range.

19 . The method of claim 18 , further comprising:
identifying, by the intelligent power tap or network master, one or more control devices connected downstream of the intelligent power tap; obtaining, by the intelligent power tap, at least one of an outgoing network voltage and an outgoing switched voltage to be injected into the one or more control devices; and generating a second warning for the control network system when determining that the outgoing network voltage or the outgoing switched voltage is not within a voltage range determined by voltage needs of the downstream devices.

20 . The method of claim 19 , further comprising:
obtaining, by the intelligent power tap, a supply voltage of a direct current power supply to the intelligent power tap; and sending, by the intelligent power tap, a third warning to the control network system when determining that the third voltage is not within a third preset voltage range.

Assignees

• Rockwell Automation Tech Inc

Inventors

• Haensgen Steven T
• Caspers John P
• Wang Yutao
• Kilburn Jeffrey A
• Whitley Darryl E

Classifications

• H02J13/12

  Monitoring network conditions, e.g. electrical magnitudes or operational status · CPC title

• H02J13/14 Primary

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

• H02J2105/12

  supplying households or buildings · CPC title

• H02J1/08

  Three-wire DC power distribution systems; Systems having more than three wires · CPC title

• G05B19/418

  Total factory control, i.e. centrally controlling a plurality of machines, e.g. direct or distributed numerical control [DNC], flexible manufacturing systems [FMS], integrated manufacturing systems [IMS] or computer integrated manufacturing [CIM] · CPC title