Abstract: A device for detecting the position occupied by a mobile element operatively associated therewith in relation to a reference position, comprising at least one container containing a fluid and a detector device operatively connected to said container, said detector device being configured so as to provide a signal to indicate the actual position of said mobile element as a function of at least one parameter recorded thereby and indicative of an operative condition of the fluid, or of a condition of operative interaction between the fluid and the detector device.

Abstract: The present invention provides a wide area protection control measurement system and method which excels in economy, reliability and expandability, in which applied arithmetic operation functions for protection, control and measurement can be freely added and changed, without adding or changing power monitoring terminals to be installed in the electric-supply station. The wide area protection control measurement system is configured from N number of power monitoring terminals 1 installed in an electric-supply station in a target range, one electric quantity aggregation device 3 connected with these power monitoring terminals 1 via a communication network 2, and M number of applied arithmetic operation devices 4 connected with the electric aggregation device 3 through an inter-device connection. Each power monitoring terminal 1 transmits electric quantity data to the electric quantity aggregation device 3 via the communication network 2.

Abstract: An apparatus includes a current source, a current monitor circuit which monitors a current amount of the current source, and outputs a current amount signal corresponding to the current amount being monitored, a counter circuit which counts a count value based on the current amount signal, the count value corresponding to a period being taken until when the current amount reaches a predetermined value, and a control circuit which modifies an operation parameter for operating a circuit unit according to the count value.

Abstract: At least one embodiment of the present invention provides a method for detecting voltage disturbance. In at least one embodiment the method includes storing the digitized point values of a voltage reference waveform; detecting actual voltage values, and converting the actual voltage values by digitization into point values of the actual voltage which are in one-to-one correspondence with the point values of the reference waveform; comparing the point values of the actual voltage with the corresponding point values of the reference waveform; judging that a voltage disturbance occurs if, for N successive points, the differences between the point values of the actual voltage and the corresponding point values of the reference waveform are all greater than a predetermined disturbance threshold, wherein N is an integer greater than 0. A technical solution of at least one embodiment of the present invention improves the response speed of the detection, and shortens the response time.

Abstract: Systems and methods for monitoring, managing, and testing power systems are disclosed. In various embodiments, a site server collects data from one or more generators, automatic transfer switches, sensors, and cameras at a site. The site server stores captured data and triggers alarm events when preselected limits are exceeded. The site server also enables users to configure, initiate, pause, resume, monitor, and abort scripted tests of the monitored entities. In some of these and other embodiments, an enterprise-wide server collects data from multiple site servers, makes the data available via a web-based or other client interface, and provides consolidated monitoring, alarm, test management, and management resources.

Abstract: There is provided a power system for an area containing a set of power consumers which can be applied to a collective housing consisting of a single or more buildings and can prevent power supply stop of a supply line having a higher priority. The system includes: means for cutting off each of the power supply lines in a single power consumer section from a remote management section by remote operation; means for setting the power consumption limit amount within the maximum power that can be supplied to the single power consumption section via the Internet; and means for setting the power supply priority for the power supply lines in advance and outputting an instruction to cut off power in the power supply line having the lowest power supply priority by the remote out-off means when the remote measurement value of the total power consumption amount exceeds the set value of the power consumption limit amount.

Abstract: An energy measurement system including a radio frequency (“RF”) device powered by a solar panel. The RF device comprising a wireless communication port operative to transmit and receive communication over a wireless network of additional RF devices. The energy measurement system able to transmit energy parameters of the RF device over the wireless network.

Abstract: An electrical sub-metering system for making available information associated with power consumption is disclosed. The system includes an electrical panel board configured to distribute power to a plurality of circuits, means for measuring voltage of each circuit, a module including means for measuring current flow, a hub in signal communication with the module and the means for measuring voltage, and a data collector in signal communication with the hub. The hub is configured to collect the information associated with power consumption from the means for measuring voltage and the module, and the data collector is configured to collect and make available to a user the information associated with power consumption for each circuit. The module is in signal communication with the hub via a single communication link, the single communication link having a plurality of communication paths.

Abstract: Disclosed is a simplified electrical power disturbance gage. The gage is capable of measuring high-speed anomalies on power mains. The gage includes elements capable of detecting power line anomalies that effect the operation of electrical devices connected to the power line.

Abstract: A power line distribution includes one or more impedance devices coupled to the neutral conductor of the power line distribution to segment the power line distribution for fault detection.

Abstract: A magneto-resistive effect element includes a first ferromagnetic film; a second ferromagnetic film; and a first nonmagnetic film interposed between the first ferromagnetic film and the second ferromagnetic film. The first ferromagnetic film has a magnetization more easily rotatable than a magnetization of the second ferromagnetic film by an external magnetic field. The first ferromagnetic film has an effective magnetic thickness of about 2 nm or less.

Abstract: A method is disclosed of monitoring an environmental condition associated with a container with a set of electronic components including attaching a moisture recorder to the container, the moisture recorder comprising a sensing element responsive to atmospheric moisture content, a memory storage device, and a processor electrically coupled to the sensing element and the memory storage device, the processor being configured to periodically receive information from the sensing element indicative of atmospheric moisture content and to store data in the memory storage device based on the received information.

Abstract: A method is disclosed of monitoring an environmental condition associated with a container with a set of electronic components including attaching a moisture recorder to the container, the moisture recorder comprising a sensing element responsive to atmospheric moisture content, a memory storage device, and a processor electrically coupled to the sensing element and the memory storage device, the processor being configured to periodically receive information from the sensing element indicative of atmospheric moisture content and to store data in the memory storage device based on the received information.

Abstract: An simplified power disturbance gage is provided which can measure and quantify high speed anomalies on the power mains, and which requires no special training and can be used by a service technician in just a few moments to determine which power line anomalies are the cause of failure of connected equipment, without the need for complicated graphs or analysis by experienced technicians or engineering professionals additionally, the gage of the present invention can learn the acceptable limits of operation and report when the power lines deviate from the normally established limits of the power disturbances or the learned limits of the power disturbances.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a method of detecting a defect area without any mistake during data recording on a writable disk. This method detects a level of a servo error signal produced during a recording operation, checks whether the servo error signal is in an abnormal state based on the detected level, detects a periodic wobble signal or periodicity of the abnormal state occurrences of the servo error signal produced during the recording operation, and determines whether a recording area is in defect based on successful decoding of the detected periodic wobble signal or the periodicity of the abnormal state occurrences if the servo error signal is in an abnormal state. This method ensures exact detection of a defect area, whereby unnecessary speed reduction can be eliminated and successful data writing can be also guaranteed even in a defect area.

Abstract: An electrical signal measurement device comprises a system unit which is carried on the person of a technician by attachment to a belt, harness or the like and, in one embodiment, a headpiece incorporating a display, microphone and ear phone. The display, microphone and ear phone are linked to the system unit and supported by software, including a speech recognition system, running on a central processing unit (CPU) which is part of the system unit. In operation, the technician connects a probe to a test point in the cable system, and the technician operates the device by speaking into the microphone. The speech recognition system responds to the technician's spoken words to direct and navigate through a displayed user interface in order to operate the signal level meter measurement functions. Synthesized speech signals are generated to provide user feedback and messages. A signal introduced at the probe is sampled and digitized by the CPU and then formatted for display by the headpiece mounted display.

Abstract: A portable unit, preferably adapted for plugging into a common wall outlet, has circuitry for monitoring the voltage and/or current provided through an electrical outlet. In addition to the monitoring circuitry, the unit preferably includes a microprocessor for digitally processing the power waveform as well as analytical quantities related to the waveform. Further, the unit preferably has a storage area for storing samples of the input waveform as well as a log of related analytical quantities for downloading to a computer, local area network, or other destination, for collection and analysis. Preferably, the unit is provided with a local visual display and an alarm indicator.

Abstract: An electronic energy meter register which, in one aspect, is configured to perform load profile recording in a manner which eliminates a need for a back-up battery is described. In other aspects, the present invention is a routine of operating a meter register for providing a cost savings and/or productivity gain when a utility customer relocates and for ensuring that load control commands are effectively executed. The register, in one embodiment, is configured to be coupled to a meter including an eddy current disk and shaft which rotate in response to the rate of energy consumption by a load being metered. The register, in the one embodiment, includes a microprocessor, a non-volatile memory, and a disk sensing optics assembly.

Abstract: Lightning strikes on or proximate to an optical fiber cable may be detected via a lightning detector (18) that monitors the characteristics of voltage present on a metallic sheath (12) associated with the cable. The lightning detector (18) detects excessive voltage levels, spikes and/or frequency variations associated with a lightning strike and generates an alarm signal communicated to a central monitoring facility.

Abstract: A power monitoring system with associated signal processing and storage capabilities. Each leg of a three-phase power signal is simultaneously sampled on a plurality of channels to capture the instantaneous content of the power signal without time-skewing between the channels. In a further embodiment, the sampled data is converted into the frequency domain and parameters relating to the power quality of the power signal is derived from frequency-domain data.

Abstract: A power monitoring system with associated signal processing and storage capabilities. An input signal is sampled and the samples are compared to a threshold to identify an impulse. The system analyzes the length of each impulse to dynamically adapt a memory storage size to store a number of samples occurring during an impulse period. In a further embodiment, the input signal must remain below a second threshold for a fixed number of samples before storing of the samples is terminated.

Abstract: A power monitoring system with associated signal processing and storage capabilities. Historical data for an electrical signal is retained and displayed by dividing the electrical signal in the time domain into segments herein referred to as events. A detected disturbance of the electrical signal forms a boundary between two events. For each such boundary, the steady-state value of a signal parameter such as root-mean-square (rms) voltage is stored for the two events delimited by the boundary. Samples of the electrical signal immediately surrounding the boundary are stored so that disturbances of interest can be closely inspected.

Abstract: A power monitoring system with associated signal processing and storage capabilities. Disturbances on an electrical signal are evaluated based upon a quality factor and the disturbance and associated quality factor are stored. Disturbances with the lowest quality factor are deleted from storage when the storage device becomes full.

Abstract: A power monitoring system with associated signal processing and storage capabilities. Impulses that are superimposed on an alternating-current electrical signal are identified and evaluated based upon amplitude, duration, and phase position. Impulses that are not substantially similar to impulses on immediately preceding cycles of the input signal are recorded. In a further embodiment, if a series of substantially identical impulses occurs, a count of the number of impulses is stored, and detailed data is stored for only the first impulse in the series. In another embodiment, the impulses are ranked according to a quality factor, and data for the impulse with the lowest quality factor is deleted from a storage device when the device becomes full.

Abstract: A programmable multi-channel load profile recorder includes a plurality of memory-based tables, such as a load profile configuration table, a plurality of channel and display configuration tables and an operations table, which can be updated when the recorder is reprogrammed in the field to record additional channels of metering quantities or reconfigured with new formulas. The load profile configuration table containing entries therein for each of a plurality of user-selected metering quantities to be recorded. The plurality of channel and display configuration tables contain parameter data and the operations table contains pointers therein to respective memory-based operation modules, each of which contains executable instructions therein. The metering quantities can be quantities such as watt-hours (Wh), var-hours (Vh), volt-ampere-hours (VAh), volt.sup.2 -hours (V.sup.2 h), ampere.sup.2 -hours (A.sup.2 h) and power factor (PF) as well as other user-selected quantities.

Abstract: The present invention provides a portable data collection device that has a variety of sensors that are interchangeable with a variety of input ports in the device. The various sensors include a data identification feature that provides information to the device regarding the type of physical data produced by each sensor and therefore the type of sensor itself. The data identification feature enables the device to locate the input port where the sensor is connected and self adjust when a sensor is removed or replaced. The device is able to collect physical data, whether or not a function of a time.

Abstract: An improved monitoring system which identifies the particular event (contact operation) and therefore the particular electromechanical relay (20, 22, and 24 which operated). This information is output from a MCU (30), along with the relative time the event occurred, to a PC and an LCD display (40). In addition, the relative occurrence time is recorded to the thousandths of a second.

Abstract: Stale data is detected in a shift register containing time characters representing event occurrence times, expressed in timing data counts of a cyclic counter, by comparing the most significant bit of each stored time character with a value based on the most significant bits of a current timing data count. A stale stored time character is disposed of by setting its associated validity flag, which indicates that the time character is not to be read out of the shift register.

Abstract: A system for monitoring power usage of various devices at remote facilities is described. The system employs sensors at each facility to sense the on/off condition of the devices. A processor at each facility, under the control of a host computer at a central location, stores the output data of the sensors in stripped-down form. The host computer specifies to the processor at each facility the time and date at which it should begin polling the sensors, the interval between pollings of the outputs of the sensors, the time and date at which the processor should report to the host computer and transmit the stored data, and the address location to be used when the processor initiates polling of the data. A master clock/calendar at the central location is used to synchronize the clock/calendars at each facility.

Abstract: A single optical port in an electric meter is multiplexed between at least two internal systems by using a multiplexer circuit which has a set of data lines which can be connected to the optical port and to one of the internal systems. The multiplexer is controlled by means of a magnetic reed switch which is mounted within the cover of the meter, so no mechanical changes to the meter cover are required.

Abstract: A method for an alarm system is intended in particular for the monitoring of service apartments for elderly and/or handicapped persons. The energy consumption of each apartment is recorded over a period, for example in a computer. The results are presented in the form of a reference curve or standard curve for each apartment. Thereafter the actual energy consumption is compared with the value for the normal curve, and alarms of various kinds and of various degrees of urgency are triggered if the values differ by a predetermined amount.

Abstract: A digital oscilloscope includes an acquisition system for digitizing an input signal to produce and store in memory a waveform data sequence representing the input signal. A display system within the instrument reads out and processes the data stored in the memory to produce a waveform display representing the input signal. The instrument responds to an input "erase" command from a user by overwriting the waveform data sequence stored in memory with a predetermined data sequence defining an easily recognizable display pattern. The oscilloscope thereafter performs a checksum operation on overwritten portions of memory to determine whether the overwrite operation was successful, and displays an indication of overwrite success on its screen.

Abstract: A device for recording time of energy use for use with standard electric meters having a rotatable disc. The device includes a housing securable within a meter below the disc. A series of mounting holes are formed in the housing for mounting the device within the meter. The holes are arranged such that the device may be mounted within any standard electric meter.

Abstract: An oscilloscope to sequentially store, process and display an electrical input signal according to various signal events and characteristics. The oscilloscope is physically and functionally modular having both selectable hardware configurations from among various "plug-in" modules and selectable processing and display features chosen from among a predetermined selection by software control contained, in part, within the plug-in modules. The particular control settings, as well as a representation of the signal itself, is recorded on a removable storage device, such as a magnetic disc. High frequency signals are sampled, digitized and stored in a high speed intercascaded signal memory, independent from the program and data memory associated with the oscilloscope signal processing.

Abstract: A prepayment utility metering method and apparatus which uses encoded mag-stripe cards to transfer purchase information from the utility billing office to the customer's premises. The mag-stripe cards are read at the customer's premises by a microprocessor-controlled utility metering and control device which meters the utilities according to the amount purchased at the utility billing office. The value information encoded on the mag-stripe cards is comprised of the amount of the purchase coded in terms of number of shaft revolutions of the metering disk, a rate schedule for metering the value of the utilities consumed, and a special sequential password containing an encrypted combination of the consumer's account number, the consumer's site identification, and the sequence number of the current purchase. This encoding scheme for prepayment of utilities provides an effective and economical method of distributing utilities that prevents fraud and tampering.

Abstract: A monitoring system and apparatus is employed to duplicate unique environmental conditions at a first location so that sensitive electronic devices can be tested at a second location. Initially an environment recorder is plugged into the AC line at the first location. Line voltage characteristics including transients are then captured on tape. The environment recorder has the ability to record and respond only to unusual environmental conditions. The tape of the environment recorder is subsequently removed to a second location, typically the manufacturer's laboratory, where it is played back through the same or another environmental recorder into a reproduction line driver. Output voltages produced by the reproduction line driver exactly mimic the environmental conditions at the first location. The duplicated output is fed into the sensitive electronic device which might be a computer or other sensitive instrument to see how it responds to the simulated electronic conditions from the first location.

Abstract: A battery backup installation for a time of use register for an electric meter is mounted within a case of the electric meter. The case includes a hatch which permits removal and replacement of the battery without requiring removal of the case from the meter. In one embodiment, the battery is installed in a battery clip on the face plate of the meter where it is accessible through the hatch. An extra length of wires from the battery permits the battery, and its mating connectors, to be withdrawn through the hatch for replacement thereof. In a second embodiment of the invention, the battery is captured in a door of the hatch and is withdrawn from the meter by the action of opening the hatch. In this embodiment, the hatch may be hinged or not hinged. Battery replacement is facilitated while the electronic register module is separated from line-supplied power. An auxiliary battery provides an auxiliary source of backup power during batterychange.

Abstract: A raster display digital oscilloscope includes an analog to digital converter and a memory array for developing and storing a digital measurement signal amplitude-dependent on an acquired input signal. After processing stored digital signals are conveyed to an output circuit which includes a raster-scanned CRT and three display memory planes independently addressable by the CPU for receiving in discrete address locations the digital data. Corresponding address locations in the three planes are read in synchronism with the CRT scan to develop a display signal for application to the CRT to produce a display corresponding to the sum of the data stored in the three planes. The digital signals are automatically spread out or bunched up within the display planes to compensate for differences between the data acquisition rate and the scan rate.

Abstract: The circular array of 200 equally angularly spaced marks about the surface of the rotating calibration disk of a watt-hour meter is optically sensed to provide a series of meter pulses indicative of the rate at which power is being consumed. Each meter pulse corresponds to 1/200 of the amount of the watts rating of the watt-hour meter as represented by one revolution of its disk. These small wattage meter pulses are converted into high frequency pulses and applied onto the household a.c. supply lines. A portable display unit plugged into any outlet of the a.c. supply lines is tuned to receive the high frequency pulses and feed them as digital meter pulses to a single chip microprocessor.

Abstract: A power load survey apparatus is disclosed with an electronic power sensor for detecting a power load in the form of a pulse signal, a collector cartridge detachably coupled to the electronic power sensor and having a memory for storing the pulse signal and the time of data collection. The time is obtained from a self-contained time keeping circuit. A memory and magnetic tape converting device is detachably coupled to the collector cartridge and includes a magnetic tape device for transferring and recording data from the memory of the electronic power sensor, and a standard clock 52. The time data obtained from the collector cartridge is time rectified to a standard time from the standard clock 52 each time the collector cartridge is coupled to the memory/magnetic tape converting device thereby insuring that the collector cartridge shows a correct time.

Abstract: A pair of uniquely designed spring clips are snapped onto existing elements of a visual indicator such as the dial of a utility meter. An encoder having attachment elements with a spacing therebetween corresponding to the spacing between the clips is attached to the clips to quickly, easily, and precisely attach the encoder to the dial in properly aligned position.

Abstract: The system includes a basic recorder module where a delay element is followed by a solid state buffer memory, digital interface circuits for transferring the recorded data, processing means, a printer and/or magnetic memory unit, a detachable programming terminal for the dialogue with the recorder and its programming, as well as a separate power supply for the working part, so that the latter is only supplied in the recording mode or during a connection of the programming terminal.

Abstract: A multiple rate metering system suitable for use with an existing single rate, electromechanical electricity meter employing an Eddy current disc mounted in a casing, comprises a first unit mountable inside the casing of the electricity meter, and a second unit, which is portable so that it can be brought into close proximity with said first unit by a meter reader. The first unit comprises a sensor for generating pulses in response to rotation of the Eddy current disc, a first microprocessor, a first read-only-memory for storing a program to control the operation of said first microprocessor, a random-access-memory, the first microprocessor being programmed to store data in said random-access memory related to the pulse count in different predetermined periods during which different electricity rates apply, and a first coupling device for establishing communication through the casing with said second unit when said second unit is brought into proximity with said first unit.

Abstract: To analyze a human patient's heart activity over an extended period of time a portable EKG monitor is attached to the patient through electrodes and the patient maintains a diary of his activities and subjective feelings over a monitoring period. The recorded data is then used to form a graphic record consisting of a plurality of trace segments each representative of short consecutive intervals in the overall monitoring period. These records are necessarily to a very reduced scale and to allow the physician to obtain more detailed information regarding anomolous periods the graphic record is observed and various interesting segments are recorded on a substantially amplified scale. The first macroscopic and the second microscopic display segment are arranged in book form with the enlarged microscopic display segments on opposed pages from the macroscopic display segments to allow their simultaneous review and evaluation.

Abstract: An electrical energy meter for measuring various parameters of electrical energy consumption has a cover-mounted time-of-day multifunction register. Digital signals representative of electrical energy usage are input to the time-of-day multifunction register which measures energy consumption during the on-peak, off-peak, and intermediate-peak periods of each day. The multifunction register communicates by way of light radiations with an external programmer/reader unit having a plurality of fingers at its front face. These fingers engage recesses in the meter cover for accurate alignment of the multifunction register and the programmer/reader unit. Attaching the multifunction register to the meter cover rather than to the meter frame offers improved alignment between the multifunction register and the programmer/reader unit and provides easy retrofitting of present watthour meters lacking the time-of-day feature with a time-of-day multifunction register.

Abstract: An electrostatic voltage detecting device includes a detecting electrode for detecting an electrostatic voltage generated by charge on a recording medium, a variable capacitance diode whose capacitance changes according to an output signal applied from the detecting electrode, a primary coil combined with the variable capacitance diode to form a resonance circuit, an oscillator for supplying an oscillating output signal of predetermined frequency to the primary coil, and a secondary coil inductively coupled with the primary coil. The capacitance of the variable capacitance diode changes according to an output voltage applied from the detecting electrode to vary a resonance frequency of the resonance circuit and consequently a voltage induced in the secondary coil.

Abstract: A coupling circuit for coupling a printer to a meter permits single line digital printout of metered data in response to operation of a manual switch. Printing is initiated when a bistable occupies one state and a print command is produced by the meter indicating that a stable voltage has been detected by the meter. That bistable state is produced by manual operation of a switch, such operation also triggering a hold unit within the meter to hold the stable reading for a period permitting data to be shifted to the printer and for printing to occur. While printing and paper advance is under way, the printer delivers a busy signal to the bistable to change its state. Subsequent state reversal can then only take place on manually operating the switch once again. In this way only a single line of print is achieved on command. The particular logic arrangement described prevents erroneous printing of lines of data in response to switch contact bounce.

Abstract: An integrated semiconductor circuit device is provided with a special purpose readable indicator without providing additional pins. The indicator may be utilized to store information pertinent to the operativeness of the integrated circuit. The results of quality control monitoring may be written into the store to serve as a flag. A specific application is in semiconductor memory arrays having redundancy memory capability to automatically replace defective memory cells in the primary array. To enable one to know whether or not the redundancy memory array is being used, this information is written into a quality control storage cell. This cell may be a ROM system which may be accessed during a check mode.

Abstract: A survey recorder for measuring electrical loads and providing a magnetic tape record of data with time reference signals in format capable of providing computer compatible information. The data recording circuit utilizes a light emitting diode with a phototransistor to determine each quantum measurement by the meter, and a trigger circuit driven by the phototransistor feeds a solid state divider circuit which is programmable to provide various I/O pulse ratio outputs to the data recording head. A power outage circuit detects outages which are greater than a predetermined duration and provides distinctive pulses to a time recording circuit to effect a recognizable format on the magnetic tape which identifies the power outage.

Abstract: A system for monitoring power usage of various devices at remote facilities is described. The system employs sensors at each facility to sense the on/off condition of the devices. A processor at each facility, under the control of a host computer at a central location, stores the output data of the sensors in stripped-down form. The host computer specifies to the processor at each facility the time and date at which it should begin polling the sensors, the interval between pollings of the outputs of the sensors, the time and date at which the processor should report to the host computer and transmit the stored data, and the address location to be used when the processor initiates polling of the data. A master clock/calendar at the central location is used to synchronize the clock/calendars at each facility.