Determining current

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9529021-B2
Application number	US-201313946781-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jul 19, 2013
Priority date	Jul 19, 2012
Publication date	Dec 27, 2016
Grant date	Dec 27, 2016

Abstract

Methods, systems, and devices for determining current are described herein. One method includes receiving power from a current conductor using a first quantity of coils of a wire around a magnetic core at least partially surrounding a portion of the current conductor, receiving an indication associated with a determined current through the current conductor from a current sensor associated with the wire, and receiving power from the current conductor using a second quantity of the coils of the wire, wherein the second quantity is determined based, at least in part, on the determined current.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A method for determining current, comprising:
receiving power from a current conductor using a first quantity of coils of a wire around a magnetic core at least partially surrounding a portion of the current conductor, the first quantity of coils being associated with at least one closed switch of at least a first switch and a second switch, wherein the first switch is connected to a first subset of the coils of the wire, wherein the second switch is connected to a second subset of the coils of the wire, and wherein none of the first subset is included in the second subset;
receiving an indication associated with a determined current through the current conductor from a current sensor associated with the wire; and
receiving power from the current conductor using a second quantity of the coils of the wire, the second quantity of coils being associated with at least two closed switches of the at least first switch and a second switch, wherein the second quantity is determined based, at least in part, on the determined current.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the method includes:
receiving the indication associated with the determined current following a change in a switch from a first state to a second state; and
receiving power from the current conductor using the second quantity of the coils of the wire following a change in the switch from the second state to the first state.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein the method includes:
receiving the indication, wherein the indication is associated with a reduced current; and
receiving power from the current conductor using the second quantity of the coils of the wire, wherein the second quantity exceeds the first quantity.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein the method includes:
receiving the indication, wherein the indication is associated with an increased current; and
receiving power from the current conductor using the second quantity of the coils of the wire, wherein the first quantity exceeds the second quantity.

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein the second quantity of coils of the wire includes the first quantity of coils of the wire.

6. The method of claim 1 , wherein the second quantity of coils of the wire does not include the first quantity of coils of the wire.

7. The method of claim 1 , wherein the method includes:
receiving the indication associated with the determined current; and
receiving power from the current conductor using the second quantity of the coils of the wire, wherein the second quantity is equal to the first quantity.

8. The method of claim 1 , wherein the method includes not contacting the current conductor.

9. The method of claim 1 , wherein the method includes receiving another indication associated with another determined current a particular period of time after receiving the indication associated with the determined current.

10. The method of claim 9 , wherein the method includes receiving the other indication associated with the other determined current after receiving power from the current conductor using the second quantity of coils of the wire.

11. A system for determining current, comprising:
a magnetic core associated with a current conductor, wherein the magnetic core is wound by a plurality of wire coils associated with a current sensor;
a first switch connected to a first subset of the plurality of wire coils and a second switch connected to a second subset of the plurality of wire coils, wherein none of the first subset is included in the second subset; and
a controller, configured to:
receive an indication associated with a particular level of a current through the current conductor determined by the current sensor;
cause the first switch and the second switch to be closed based, at least in part, on the received indication; and
receive power from the current conductor using the first subset and the second subset of the plurality of wire coils.

12. The system of claim 11 , wherein the system is not connected to an external power source.

13. The system of claim 11 , wherein the controller is configured to receive a respective indication associated with each of a plurality of determined power levels, and wherein the plurality of determined power levels are determined sequentially at a particular interval.

14. The system of claim 13 , wherein the controller is configured to receive power from the current conductor between the sequential determinations of power levels at the particular interval.

15. The system of claim 11 , wherein the system includes a rectifying bridge and power conversion component, and wherein the rectifying bridge and power conversion component includes:
at least one zener diode;
at least one rectifying bridge; and
at least one capacitor.

16. The system of claim 11 , wherein the rectifying bridge and power conversion component is connected to each of the first and second switches, and wherein the controller is configured to cause at least one of the first and second switches to be closed based on a threshold voltage associated with a rectifying bridge of the rectifying bridge and power conversion component.

17. A non-transitory computer-readable medium having instructions stored thereon executable by a processor to:
determine a current through a current conductor while the current conductor is conducting the current using a magnetic core at least partially surrounding a portion of the current conductor, wherein the magnetic core is wound by a plurality of wire coils;
determine a number of the plurality of wire coils around the core to conduct a current scavenged from the current conductor to a control unit responsive to the determined current, the number comprising at least one subset of the plurality of wire coils, wherein the determined number is sufficient to yield a threshold voltage in a rectifying bridge;
determine at least one switch of a plurality of switches between the magnetic core and the control unit to open; and
determine at least two switches of the plurality of switches between the magnetic core and the control unit to close, wherein the at least two switches include a first switch connected to a first subset of the plurality of wire coils and a second switch connected to a second subset of the plurality of wire coils, and wherein none of the first subset is included in the second subset.

18. The computer-readable medium of claim 17 , wherein the first subset of coils is a different quantity of coils than the second subset of coils.

Assignees

• Honeywell Int Inc

Inventors

• Peczalski Andrzej
• Padmanabhan Aravind

Classifications

• Y10T307/865

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