Patents by Inventor Nataniel Barbosa Vicente

Nataniel Barbosa Vicente 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: 20090257160
    Abstract: A universal trip unit for use with a circuit breaker apparatus is provided and includes a communication unit configured to communicate with a personality module of the circuit breaker apparatus and to thereby receive key breaker personality parameters that relate to operational characteristics of the circuit breaker apparatus, and a controller. The controller includes a memory on which a universal register, previously stored key parameters and the received key breaker personality parameters are stored, the controller being configured to control the communication unit to receive the key breaker personality parameters in accordance with information determined from the universal register, and components to execute trip protection when at least one of a current and a voltage Within the circuit breaker apparatus exceeds a respective predetermined threshold as defined by the previously stored key parameters and the received key breaker personality parameters.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 15, 2008
    Publication date: October 15, 2009
    Applicant: General Electric Company
    Inventors: Nataniel Barbosa Vicente, Marcelo Esteban Valdes, Rafael Gutierrez, JR.
  • Publication number: 20090257158
    Abstract: A circuit breaker system and method having zone selective interlock features is provided. The system and method include the transmission of a selective interlock signal from a downstream circuit breaker to an upstream circuit breaker in the event a first or second fault condition is detected. The upstream circuit breaker upon receipt of this signal changes the response of the second circuit breaker depending on whether the first or second fault condition has been detected.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 15, 2008
    Publication date: October 15, 2009
    Applicant: GENERAL ELECTRIC COMPANY
    Inventors: Nataniel Barbosa Vicente, Mark Fredrick Culler, Brian Patrick Lenhart, JR., Marcelo Esteban Valdes
  • Publication number: 20090257163
    Abstract: An electronic trip unit for a circuit breaker, the electronic trip unit includes a rating plug having a plurality of switches each configured to indicate a specified current rating for the rating plug and for selectively supplying a current rating for the electronic trip unit, a processing unit which receives and reads a value of the selected current rating from the rating plug upon power-up, and a gain control unit including a plurality of gain circuits. Each of the gain circuits including a plurality of gain switches set by the processing unit based upon the selected current rating, to control a gain of input current of the electronic trip unit.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 15, 2008
    Publication date: October 15, 2009
    Applicant: GENERAL ELECTRIC COMPANY
    Inventors: Nataniel Barbosa Vicente, Brian Patrick Lenhart, JR., Stephen James West, Todd Greenwood, Zubair Hameed, Sreenivasulu R. Devarapalli
  • Publication number: 20090256426
    Abstract: A system for controlling power in a circuit breaker trip unit is disclosed. The system includes: a user interface operably coupled to the trip unit and having a plurality of input keys; a power conditioner operably coupled to the user interface and operably coupled to a battery power source and an external power source; and a power control circuit. The power control circuit is configured to automatically electrically connect the battery power source to the power conditioner in response to activation of any of the plurality of input keys, and in the absence of an electrical connection between the external power source and the power conditioner.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 15, 2008
    Publication date: October 15, 2009
    Applicant: General Electric Company
    Inventors: Nataniel Barbosa Vicente, Brian Patrick Lenhart, JR., Stephen James West, Todd Greenwood, Sreenivasulu R. Devarapalli, Zubair Hameed
  • Publication number: 20090243590
    Abstract: The present disclosure describes a system for measuring current amplitude in a conductor, comprising at least one Rogowski coil, an integration circuit directly connected to the at least one Rogowski coil, a microprocessor circuit in communication with the integration circuit and configured to receive output from the integration circuit and to calculate energy data comprising current amplitude in the conductor. A method for measuring current in a conductor is also presented.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 1, 2008
    Publication date: October 1, 2009
    Inventors: Stephen James West, Nataniel Barbosa Vicente, Brian Patrick Lenhart, Todd Greenwood, Zubair Hameed, Sreenivasulu Devarapalli
  • Patent number: 7589625
    Abstract: A control system includes an enclosure, a control panel, and a plurality of controls, indicators, or both mounted on the control panel or in the enclosure. At least some of the plurality of controls, indicators, or both are configured to wirelessly communicate with each other inside the enclosure, and at least some controls including wirelessly controlled relays are configured to control devices outside the enclosure. Also, the wirelessly configured controls, indicators, or both are further configured to communicate with a plurality of other controls, indicators, or both in the control system.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 20, 2005
    Date of Patent: September 15, 2009
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventors: Nataniel Barbosa Vicente, Charles Stephen Pitzen
  • Publication number: 20090147424
    Abstract: An electronic control for a circuit breaker with automatic breaker rating is disclosed. The electronic control includes a memory to store circuit breaker ratings, a breaker rating switch to select circuit breaker ratings, and a microprocessor operatively coupled to the breaker rating switch and the memory. The microprocessor is configured to interpret a selected circuit breaker rating of the breaker rating switch, set an amplifier gain adjustment for the circuit breaker based on the selected circuit breaker rating, and transmit the selected circuit breaker rating to the memory for storage in the memory.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 6, 2007
    Publication date: June 11, 2009
    Applicant: GENERAL ELECTRIC COMPANY
    Inventors: Nataniel Barbosa Vicente, Sreenivasulu Reddy Devarapalli, Todd Elliott Greenwood, Zubair Hameed, Brian Patrick Lenhart, JR., Stephen James West
  • Publication number: 20090122453
    Abstract: A rating plug for an electronic trip unit is disclosed. The rating plug has a housing with a plurality of switches disposed within the housing, each of the switches positionable in one of two positions. The settings of the switches establish a digital signature associated with the rating plug, providing for a universal rating plug that can be used on any circuit breaker that is accepting of the rating plug and that has a sensor value equal to or greater than the rating plug current rating. For instance, a rating plug having a 1000 Amp rating can be used on any circuit breaker sensor for use at or above 1000 A.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 29, 2008
    Publication date: May 14, 2009
    Inventors: Nataniel Barbosa VICENTE, Brian Patrick Lenhart, Stephen James West, Todd Greenwood
  • Publication number: 20080180196
    Abstract: An electronic trip unit for a circuit breaker is disclosed. The electronic trip unit has a processing circuit, and a real time clock circuit that is operational in the absence of current in the circuit breaker. The processing circuit is responsive to input signals representative of a current in the circuit breaker, and the real time clock circuit is in signal communication with the processing circuit. In response to an off event at the circuit breaker following a current flow condition thereat, the real time clock circuit is configured to generate time information relating to the circuit breaker being off as a result of the off event for use by the processing circuit.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 31, 2008
    Publication date: July 31, 2008
    Applicant: GENERAL ELECTRIC COMPANY
    Inventors: Nataniel Barbosa Vicente, John J. Dougherty, Michael S. Tignor
  • Publication number: 20080158763
    Abstract: A method and apparatus providing automatic circuit breaker identification to an electronic trip unit includes a processor and a configuration module comprising configuration data identifying the particulars of a circuit breaker and that is in operable communication with the processor.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 4, 2007
    Publication date: July 3, 2008
    Inventors: John James Dougherty, Geoff F. Butland, Mark Fredrick Culler, Nataniel Barbosa Vicente
  • Publication number: 20080158762
    Abstract: A rating plug that, in addition to setting the percentage de-rating on the voltage conditioning (i.e., gain/filter) circuit, by controlling the operational amplifier gain with analog switches in series with the opamp feedback loop, provides breaker frame and/or sensor information to a microprocessor.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 29, 2006
    Publication date: July 3, 2008
    Inventors: Brian Patrick Lenhart, Nataniel Barbosa Vicente, Stephen James West, Todd Greenwood
  • Publication number: 20080142486
    Abstract: A circuit breaker includes a microprocessor and a wireless sensor in communication with the microprocessor, the wireless sensor being configured to detect the presence of a person within a predetermined area around the circuit breaker such that a level of protection of the circuit breaker is changed by the microprocessor when the presence of the person within the predetermined area is detected by the wireless sensor. Methods of reducing a level of arc-flash protection of a circuit breaker are also within the scope of the disclosed invention.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 19, 2006
    Publication date: June 19, 2008
    Inventors: Nataniel Barbosa Vicente, Arun Kumar Singh, Kenneth U. Nsofor, Edli Papadhima, Bhanwar Lal Bishnoi, Dinesh Tripathi, Sitara Vasudevan Unni
  • Patent number: 7369389
    Abstract: An electronic trip unit for a circuit breaker is disclosed. The electronic trip unit has a processing circuit, a real time clock chip, and a power source for powering the real time clock chip in the absence of current in the circuit breaker. The processing circuit is responsive to input signals representative of a current in the circuit breaker, and productive of a trip signal for tripping the circuit breaker. The real time clock chip is in signal communication with the processing circuit. In response to an off event at the circuit breaker following a current flow condition thereat, the real time clock chip is configured to generate time information for use by the processing circuit, which is configured to apply the time information to calculate a cooling effect arising from the circuit breaker being off, thereby providing for thermal memory.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 8, 2005
    Date of Patent: May 6, 2008
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventors: Nataniel Barbosa Vicente, John J. Dougherty, Michael S. Tignor
  • Publication number: 20070139210
    Abstract: A control system includes an enclosure, a control panel, and a plurality of controls, indicators, or both mounted on the control panel or in the enclosure. At least some of the plurality of controls, indicators, or both are configured to wirelessly communicate with each other inside the enclosure, and at least some controls including wirelessly controlled relays are configured to control devices outside the enclosure. Also, the wirelessly configured controls, indicators, or both are further configured to communicate with a plurality of other controls, indicators, or both in the control system.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 20, 2005
    Publication date: June 21, 2007
    Inventors: Nataniel Barbosa Vicente, Charles Stephen Pitzen
  • Patent number: D380737
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 25, 1995
    Date of Patent: July 8, 1997
    Inventors: Michael Paul Weir, Matthew Douglas Marple, Jung Yoon Park, Nataniel Barbosa Vicente, Laurie Satsue Hiyakumoto
  • Patent number: D381633
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 25, 1995
    Date of Patent: July 29, 1997
    Inventors: Laurie Satsue Hiyakumoto, Matthew Douglas Marple, Jung Yoon Park, Nataniel Barbosa Vicente, Michael Paul Weir