Patents by Inventor J. Forth

J. Forth has filed for patents to protect the following inventions. This listing includes patent applications that are pending as well as patents that have already been granted by the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO).

  • Publication number: 20080065335
    Abstract: A line device monitors at least one power parameter of an electric power line and produces at least one representation thereof. The at least one representation is communicated to a microprocessor based device. The representation is compared with a measurement of the at least one power parameter produced by legacy instrumentation.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 31, 2007
    Publication date: March 13, 2008
    Inventors: Paul Doig, Martin Hancock, Colin Gunn, J. Forth, Peter Cowan, Simon Lightbody
  • Publication number: 20080046205
    Abstract: An electric power meter is disclosed. The meter comprises means for digitally sampling voltage and current. The meter further comprises means for storing the digitally sampled voltage and current. The meter further comprises means for performing power calculations upon the digitally sampled voltage and current, and converting the calculations and the digitally sampled voltage and current into at least one network protocol. The meter further comprises means for interfacing with an external network. A system for modifying the functionality of the electric power meter is also disclosed.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 6, 2007
    Publication date: February 21, 2008
    Inventors: Bryan Gilbert, J. Forth, Jordon Dagg, Martin Hancock, Markus Hirschbold, Geoffrey Hyatt, Simon Lightbody
  • Publication number: 20070136010
    Abstract: An apparatus for sensing the current in a power line of a power system and systems incorporating the apparatus are disclosed. The apparatus may comprise an enclosure providing a window operable to permit the passage of the power line therethrough. The apparatus may further comprise an active current transformer set within the enclosure and operative to produce a scaled version of the current. The apparatus may further comprise an amplifier coupled with the active current transformer and operative to reduce the phase shift and ratio error between the current and the scaled version of the current. The apparatus may further comprise a powering current transformer set within the enclosure and operative to receive power from the power line on a primary winding and deliver power on a secondary winding.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 12, 2007
    Publication date: June 14, 2007
    Inventors: Colin Gunn, Martin Hancock, J. Forth, Simon Lightbody, Jason Sheppard, Brian Kingham
  • Publication number: 20060271244
    Abstract: An energy monitoring device including procedures for secure communication of data from the device is disclosed. The energy monitoring device includes a public/private key pair used to encrypt and/or digitally sign communications by the device. This allows the receivers of these communications to authenticate the communications to ensure that the device and/or communications have not been compromised. The energy monitoring device is further capable of communications via an ad-hoc “mesh” network, thereby facilitating communications among devices which are substantially inaccessible due to either physical or economic limitations.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 31, 2006
    Publication date: November 30, 2006
    Inventors: Daniel Cumming, J. Forth, Arthur Wynans, Eric Haight, Douglas Ransom, Martin Hancock
  • Publication number: 20060241880
    Abstract: An energy monitoring device includes means for sensing current in a power line and generating an analog signal representative thereof. The energy monitoring device includes means for generating a digital representation of the current. The energy monitoring device includes means for assuming a voltage value and calculating at least one measure of power consumption using the sensed current and the assumed voltage. A method executable by said energy monitoring device is also disclosed.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 17, 2006
    Publication date: October 26, 2006
    Inventors: J. Forth, Daniel Cumming, Simon Lightbody
  • Publication number: 20060230394
    Abstract: A system for modifying the functionality of intelligent electronic devices installed and operating in the field is disclosed. Each of the intelligent electronic devices operates with a software configuration to monitor electrical energy. A copy of the software configurations may be maintained in a database. Changes to the operation of one or more of the intelligent electronic devices may be made as a function of modifications to the database.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 16, 2006
    Publication date: October 12, 2006
    Inventors: J. Forth, Jordan Dagg, Martin Hancock, Markus Hirschbold, Geoffrey Hyatt, Simon Lightbody
  • Publication number: 20060052958
    Abstract: A power management intergrated circuit for monitoring a parameter of a power system is disclosed. The integrated circuit comprises an analog front end operative to receive and at least one of amplify, attenuate and filter analog signals representative of at least one of voltage and current in a power system to produce modified analog signals. The integrated circuit further comprises an analog to digital converter coupled with the analog front end. The analog to digital converter is operative to produce digital signals representative of the modified analog signals. The integrated circuit further comprises logic coupled with the analog to digital converter, operative to receive the digital signals and produce a power parameter. The logic comprises a processor core. The integrated circuit further comprises a random access memory coupled with the logic and operative to store the power parameter. The logic is operative to implement a setpoint to detect when the power parameter is outside a determined range.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 17, 2005
    Publication date: March 9, 2006
    Inventors: Martin Hancock, J. Forth, Simon Lightbody, Benedikt Huber, Michael Teachman
  • Publication number: 20050288877
    Abstract: Systems and methods for reclassifying instrument transformers. A line mounted device that includes a sensor that can be attached to a power line. The line mounted device generates data or representations of the power parameters of the power line. A processor in the line mounted device produces modified representations of the power parameters that are transmitted wirelessly to a microprocessor based device. The microprocessor based device also receives second representations of the power parameters from legacy instrumentation. Compensation data is produced based on the modified representations from the line mounted device and the second representations from the legacy instrumentation. The compensation data can be used to compensate or correct the representations of the power parameters from the legacy instrumentation even after the line mounted device is no longer attached to the power line.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 25, 2005
    Publication date: December 29, 2005
    Inventors: Paul Doig, Martin Hancock, Colin Gunn, J. Forth, Peter Cowan, Simon Lightbody, Marcie Cochrane, Stewart Harding, Daniel Loewen
  • Publication number: 20050288876
    Abstract: Systems and methods for reclassifying instrument transformers. A line mounted device that includes a sensor that can be attached to a power line. The line mounted device generates data or representations of the power parameters of the power line. A processor in the line mounted device produces modified representations of the power parameters that are transmitted wirelessly to a microprocessor based device. The microprocessor based device also receives second representations of the power parameters from legacy instrumentation. Compensation data is produced based on the modified representations from the line mounted device and the second representations from the legacy instrumentation. The compensation data can be used to compensate or correct the representations of the power parameters from the legacy instrumentation even after the line mounted device is no longer attached to the power line.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 25, 2004
    Publication date: December 29, 2005
    Inventors: Paul Doig, Martin Hancock, Colin Gunn, J. Forth, Peter Cowan, Simon Lightbody
  • Publication number: 20050138432
    Abstract: A power management architecture for an electrical power distribution system, or portion thereof, is disclosed. The architecture includes multiple electronic devices distributed throughout the power distribution system to manage the flow and consumption of power from the system using real time communications. Power management application software and/or hardware components operate on the electronic devices and the back-end servers and inter-operate via the network to implement a power management application. The architecture provides a scalable and cost effective framework of hardware and software upon which such power management applications can operate to manage the distribution and consumption of electrical power by one or more utilities/suppliers and/or customers which provide and utilize the power distribution system.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 2, 2005
    Publication date: June 23, 2005
    Inventors: Douglas Ransom, Martin Hancock, Ronald Hart, J. Forth, Michael Teachman, Andrew Blackett
  • Publication number: 20050065743
    Abstract: An energy monitoring device including procedures for secure communication of data from the is disclosed. The energy monitoring device includes a public/private key pair used to encrypt and/or digitally sign communications by the device. This allows the receivers of these communications to authenticate the communications to ensure that the device and/or communications have not been compromised. The energy monitoring device is further capable of communications via an ad-hoc “mesh” network, thereby facilitating communications among devices which are substantially inaccessible due to either physical or economic limitations.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 16, 2004
    Publication date: March 24, 2005
    Inventors: Daniel Cumming, J. Forth, Arthur Wynans, Eric Haight, Douglas Ransom, Martin Hancock
  • Publication number: 20050017751
    Abstract: Devices that couple to high voltage transmission lines obtain power themselves using the body capacitance of an element of the devices. The devices generate a comparatively lower voltage from the current flowing between the high voltage line and the element of the device that generates the body capacitance. The devices can be used to operate sensors that monitor the transmission lines or parameters of the power distribution system, such as current, line temperature, vibration, and the like. The devices can also be used as indicators, such as aircraft warning lights, information signs, etc. In addition, the devices can operate as RF transmission/reception or repeater devices, radar devices, mesh networking nodes, video/audio surveillance, sound emitting devices for scaring animals, drones that traverse the power line, etc. Because the devices operate in response to line voltage rather than current, the devices are reliable even in low current conditions.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 6, 2004
    Publication date: January 27, 2005
    Inventors: Colin Gunn, Simon Lightbody, J. Forth, Martin Hancock, Geoffrey Hyatt