Recording Patents (Class 324/113)
  • Patent number: 12117469
    Abstract: A scheme for measuring AC and DC load-line (LL) using voltage and current monitoring apparatus. During calibration for LL measurement, a tested or known workload is executed on a processor or system-on-chip (SoC). The calibration can be done when the processor is first used in a real-time system (customer) scenario, or repeated whenever necessary to compensate silicon aging or other effects that affect the LL values. LL is estimated, determined, and/or calculated for each power supply rail in the processor or SoC. The measured LL is used in calculations that determine the operating voltage of an input voltage regulator (VR) at run time, thereby optimizing the power/performance characteristics of that specific system.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 19, 2020
    Date of Patent: October 15, 2024
    Assignee: Intel Corporation
    Inventors: Vijay Anand Mathiyalagan, Stephen Gunther
  • Patent number: 11215482
    Abstract: A data logger for logging values of a physical environment parameter as a function of time includes a sampling subsystem which acquires a sequence of sample values of the physical environment parameter at sampling moments which are separated by sample intervals, an encoding subsystem which converts the sequence of sample values in data records including a representative value representing groups of one sample value or a number of successive sample values with variations which meet a stability criterion and information representative of the lengths of the groups, a memory subsystem which stores a sequence of defined data, and the data logger is arranged to determine in which range of a plurality of ranges a sample of the environment parameter is located, and to use a stability criterion for the encoding which depends on the determined range.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 2, 2016
    Date of Patent: January 4, 2022
    Assignee: MISSIO B.V.
    Inventor: Josephus Joannes Antonius Geboers
  • Patent number: 11063773
    Abstract: Aspects of the disclosure provide a network device that includes a plurality of network ports, a power management controller and port controllers. The plurality of network ports is configured to respectively couple external devices with the network device via network cables, and provide power to the external devices via the network cables. The power management controller is configured to allocate power to the external devices following a power allocation order that is sorted according to power priorities of the external devices. A port controller detects an external device coupled to a particular network port having an operational error. In response to the error detection, the port controller assigns an error priority that is lower than regular power priorities to the external device. The regular priorities are assigned to external devices without the operational error. Further, the port controller provides the error priority to the power management controller for power allocation.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 31, 2019
    Date of Patent: July 13, 2021
    Assignee: MARVELL ISRAEL (M.I.S.L) LTD.
    Inventor: Gai Nachum
  • Patent number: 10510070
    Abstract: A dynamic transaction card that includes a number of layers, each of which may be interconnected to one another. For example, a dynamic transaction card may include an outer layer, a potting layer, a sensor layer, a display layer (including, for example, LEDs, a dot matrix display, and the like), a microcontroller/microprocessor storing firmware, Java applets, Java applet integration, and the like, an EMV processor, an energy storage component, one or more antenna (e.g., Bluetooth antenna, NFC antenna, and the like), a power management component, a flexible printed circuit board (PCB), a chassis, and/or a card backing layer. A display layer may include enhanced features such as the use of LED display components as a photosensor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 14, 2016
    Date of Patent: December 17, 2019
    Assignee: CAPITAL ONE SERVICES, LLC
    Inventors: David Wurmfeld, Tyler Locke
  • Patent number: 10321210
    Abstract: Provided is a sensor system provided with: a terminal apparatus that has a sensor; and a base station that communicates with the terminal apparatus. The terminal apparatus stores acquisition frequency of a measurement data set to be transmitted to the base station, in measurement data sets of the sensor, and transmits first data that includes a reference time of an acquisition period of the measurement data sets of the sensor and the acquisition frequency, and second data that corresponds to the first data and that includes multiple measurement data sets, of the sensor, which have been acquired at the acquisition frequency in the acquisition period. The base station identifies the acquisition time of each of the measurement data sets included in the second data corresponding to the first data, on the basis of the reference time and the acquisition frequency included in the first data.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 19, 2016
    Date of Patent: June 11, 2019
    Assignee: Hitachi, Ltd.
    Inventor: Miki Hayakawa
  • Patent number: 10018657
    Abstract: A current measuring circuit for redundantly measuring electrical current includes a measuring resistor, a magnetic field sensor, and an evaluation circuit on an evaluation circuit board. The evaluation circuit is used to determine electrical current using the measuring resistor. The magnetic field sensor on the evaluation circuit board and the evaluation circuit board are arranged in direct proximity to the measuring resistor such that the magnetic field sensor is configured to detect the magnetic field from the current-carrying resistor. A battery includes the current measuring circuit and a motor vehicle includes the battery.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 15, 2012
    Date of Patent: July 10, 2018
    Assignees: Robert Bosch GmbH, Samsung SDI Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Patrick Kaupp
  • Patent number: 9835661
    Abstract: Information to be displayed on a display is generated in such a way that a gateway processes a measured value (with a time stamp) transmitted from a power meter, an appliance monitor, a solar module, and a battery center through a wireless LAN. In the gateway, information relating to the consumed electric energy is synchronized with each other by the time stamp. Further, an integrated value of the consumed electric energy is calculated with respect to time. The information can be secured by obtaining the integrated value of data even if breakdown of devices and the like occurs due to power failure.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 29, 2011
    Date of Patent: December 5, 2017
    Assignee: SONY CORPORATION
    Inventors: Eiichiro Kubota, Antonio Avitabile, Costantino Cristiano Mariella, Christopher Michael Rutherford, Edward Grellier Colby, Nicholas George Bailey, Alexander Charles Knill, Harshul Deepak Mehta
  • Patent number: 9792552
    Abstract: At least one aspect of the invention is directed to a power monitoring system including a generator coupled to a fuel tank, a plurality of monitors, and a processor configured to monitor one or more loads drawing power from the generator; monitor one or more parameters that affect the amount of power drawn by the one or more loads; monitor a fuel consumption rate of the generator; generate one or more load profiles for each of the one or more loads; receive a set of the one or more loads for which a predicted time is to be generated; receive values for the one or more parameters; generate a predicted load profile for the set of the one or more loads and the values of the one or more parameters; receive information indicating an amount of remaining fuel; and calculate a predicted available run time.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 29, 2012
    Date of Patent: October 17, 2017
    Assignee: SCHNEIDER ELECTRIC USA, INC.
    Inventors: Markus F. Hirschbold, John C. Van Gorp
  • Patent number: 9733278
    Abstract: A system for measuring a loss in power between a power transmission side and a power reception side in a high voltage direct current (HVDC) system is provided. The system for measuring the loss in power includes: a first loss measurement unit installed at the power transmission side, and a second loss measurement unit installed at the power reception side, wherein each of the first and second loss measurement units is installed at a location at which a current or voltage is measured, and includes a voltage sensor for measuring a voltage, a current sensor for measuring a current, a GPS module for providing time information on when measurement is performed by the voltage sensor and the current sensor, and a storage unit storing the time information along with a voltage value and a current value measured by the voltage sensor and the current sensor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 9, 2015
    Date of Patent: August 15, 2017
    Assignee: LSIS CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Yong Kil Choi, Eun Jae Lee
  • Patent number: 9680471
    Abstract: An apparatus may include an energy monitoring circuit configured to generate a bitstream dependent upon an amount of charge passing through a sensing unit. The apparatus may also include a control unit configured to receive the bitstream from the energy monitoring circuit, and modify a count value in response to a determined state of each bit of the bitstream. The control unit may also read a first value of the count value at a first time and at a later second time read a second value of the count value. The control unit may assert a wake-up signal in response to a determination that a difference between the first value and the second value is greater than a predetermined threshold value.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 6, 2015
    Date of Patent: June 13, 2017
    Assignee: Apple Inc.
    Inventor: Gary L. Stirk
  • Patent number: 9625503
    Abstract: A method for analyzing quality of electrical energy in a three-phase electric network, the method including: measuring a set of electrical magnitudes, the set including one electrical magnitude per phase; forming a space vector from an instantaneous three-dimensional transformation of the set of measured electrical magnitudes; and determining a set including at least one parameter representative of the quality of the electrical energy in the three-phase electric network, according to the space vector.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 16, 2012
    Date of Patent: April 18, 2017
    Assignee: SCHNEIDER ELECTRIC INDUSTRIES SAS
    Inventors: Benoit Leprettre, Octavian Craciun, Seddik Bacha, Pierre Granjon, Daniel Radu
  • Patent number: 9548797
    Abstract: A lighting unit is described comprising: a microcontroller; and a near field communication (NFC)-enabled embedded device comprising NFC shared memory configured to be written to by both an external NFC reader/writer using near field communication and the microcontroller and configured to enable an operation of the lighting unit to be both monitored and controlled using NFC. In this manner, the operation of a lighting unit may be monitored using NFC and controlled by using one of two approaches, such as via a microcontroller within the lighting unit and/or a near field communication, NFC, via the NFC-enabled embedded device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 16, 2016
    Date of Patent: January 17, 2017
    Assignee: Telensa Limited
    Inventors: Jonathan Simon Green, Philip Alan Bowden, Adam Sutton
  • Patent number: 9471042
    Abstract: A delay apparatus of an embodiment is an apparatus for delaying a signal to a plurality of chain-based time-to-digital circuits (TDCs) and includes a plurality of propagation path devices each connected to a respective one of the plurality of TDCs. Each propagation path device is configured to delay a common start signal sent to each propagation path device by a selectable amount based on a delay selection signal received by the propagation path device, and to transmit the delayed start signal to the respective one of the TDCs.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 31, 2015
    Date of Patent: October 18, 2016
    Assignee: Toshiba Medical Systems Corporation
    Inventor: Gregory J Mann
  • Patent number: 9432214
    Abstract: A load panel includes an enclosure; an aggregator having a first processor and a number of communicating mechanisms; and a number of circuit breakers. The first processor includes a first routine communicating using the number of communicating mechanisms. Each of the number of circuit breakers includes a second processor, and first and second communicating mechanisms. The aggregator and the number of circuit breakers are arranged as a linear structure within the load panel. The second processor includes a second routine communicating using the first and second communicating mechanisms and assigning a unique address to a corresponding one of the number of circuit breakers with respect to the aggregator and any remaining number of the number of circuit breakers. The first communicating mechanism communicates with or toward the aggregator. The second communicating mechanism communicates with at most one of the any remaining number of the number of circuit breakers.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 15, 2013
    Date of Patent: August 30, 2016
    Assignee: EATON CORPORATION
    Inventors: Dhananjay Lal, Abhay Raosaheb Shinde, Jason K. A. Okerman
  • Patent number: 9377496
    Abstract: An approach for cancelling reverse reflections in very-fast transmission line pulse (VFTLP) testing of an electrostatic discharge (ESD) device in a semiconductor is provided. A method includes generating an incident pulse in a VFTLP system for applying to a device under test (DUT). The method also includes generating a delayed replica of the incident pulse. The method also includes cancelling a portion of a reverse reflection of the incident pulse by combining the delayed replica with the reverse reflection at a power divider.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 30, 2015
    Date of Patent: June 28, 2016
    Assignee: INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS MACHINES CORPORATION
    Inventors: Shunhua T. Chang, James P. Di Sarro, Robert J. Gauthier, Jr.
  • Patent number: 8994364
    Abstract: A power supply controlling apparatus including: a measurement portion that measures electric power information concerning electric power supplied to another apparatus, a storing control portion that stores the electric power information measured by the measurement portion and measurement time when the electric power information is measured, into a volatile storage, and stores the electric power information and the measurement time stored into the volatile storage, into a nonvolatile storage in desired timing; and a supplement portion that, when a first power supply is turned off and turned on again, supplements to the volatile storage electric power information and time concerning electric power assumed to be supplied to the another apparatus between final measurement time in a plurality of pieces of measurement time stored in the nonvolatile storage and time when the first power supply is turned on again.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 24, 2011
    Date of Patent: March 31, 2015
    Assignee: Fujitsu Component Limited
    Inventors: Shinichi Katayama, Naoyuki Nagao
  • Patent number: 8983785
    Abstract: A method and system for displaying waveforms generated from input signals received at a common input channel (CIC) of a data acquisition (DAQ) device. An input signal received at the CIC can be displayed as a present-time waveform, and while the input signal is displayed as a present-time waveform, the input signal can be tagged for displaying the input signal as a historical waveform for the CIC. After receiving another input signal at the CIC, a display can be refreshed to display, simultaneously, the historical waveform for the CIC and the other input signal as another present-time waveform for the CIC. The DAQ device can tag the displayed input signal in response to a user pushing a selector device on the DAQ device. The display can display other present-time waveforms with the historical waveform to allow a user to compare input signals received at the CIC.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 4, 2011
    Date of Patent: March 17, 2015
    Assignee: Snap-on Incorporated
    Inventor: James A. Panko
  • Publication number: 20150008900
    Abstract: An acquisition unit acquires first measurement values of the amounts of electric power of respective branch circuits or respective load devices and second measurement values of the amount of electric power of a master circuit provided for a building from a measurement device. An overall set unit obtains an overall reference value on the basis of a history of the second measurement values, and the unit receives a reduction target to set an overall target value on the basis of the overall reference value and the reduction target. An individual set unit sets an individual target value by distributing the overall target value set in the overall set unit to the amounts of electric power of the respective branch circuits or the respective load devices as allocation objects. A display instruction unit instructs display of the individual target value and the first measurement values acquired by the acquisition unit.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 26, 2014
    Publication date: January 8, 2015
    Inventor: Kiyotaka TAKEHARA
  • Publication number: 20140354264
    Abstract: Implementations of the present disclosure involve a system and/or method for measuring on-die voltage levels of an integrated circuit through a digital sampling circuit. In particular, the system and/or method utilizes a delay line based analog-to-digital sampling circuit that produces a voltage reading over time, such as at every high frequency clock cycle. The digitized samples are routed to either an on-die memory structure for later analysis or are transmitted to one or more pins of a chip for capture and analysis by an external analyzer.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 28, 2013
    Publication date: December 4, 2014
    Applicant: Oracle International Corporation
    Inventor: Sebastian Turullols
  • Publication number: 20140340075
    Abstract: A power management device includes an obtaining portion for obtaining information on power consumption from a plurality of electrical appliances, a display portion, and a controller for causing the display portion to display information on power consumption in the plurality of electrical appliances obtained through the obtaining portion. In each electrical appliance, a plurality of pieces of attribute information are set in advance in association, the controller carries out grouping of the plurality of electrical appliances in a plurality of layers based on the plurality of pieces of attribute information, and for each group categorized through grouping into the plurality of layers, the controller causes information on power consumption in an electrical appliance belonging to the group to be displayed.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 7, 2012
    Publication date: November 20, 2014
    Applicant: Sharp Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Misuzu Doi, Yohhei Iwami, Yumiko Kawazoe, Satoshi Kishi, You Ka, Hirosuke Miki, Hiroyoshi Toda
  • Patent number: 8890510
    Abstract: Circuits and methods for fast detection of a low voltage in the range of few ?Volts have been achieved. In a preferred embodiment the low voltage represents a current via a shunt resistor and the circuit is used to generate a digital wake-up signal. In regard of the wake-up application the circuit invented is activated periodically and in case of a certain level of the voltage drop, e.g. 50 ?V, at the shunt resistor. The time required for a measurement of the voltage drop is inclusive calibration and integration time far below 1 ms. It is obvious that the circuit invented can be used for any measurements of very small voltages.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 8, 2012
    Date of Patent: November 18, 2014
    Assignee: Dialog Semiconductor GmbH
    Inventors: Horst Knoedgen, Francesco Marraccini
  • Publication number: 20140333286
    Abstract: A branch circuit monitor is for a load panel inputting a number of line voltages and including a plurality of currents. The branch circuit monitor includes a processor component having a plurality of digital interfaces and is structured to receive a plurality of first digital values from each of the digital interfaces; and a plurality of metering mechanisms external to the processor component. Each of the metering mechanisms is structured to: communicate with a corresponding one of the digital interfaces, convert analog values from the number of line voltages and a plurality of the currents to a plurality of second digital values, determine a plurality of digital energy values from the second digital values, and transmit the second digital values and the digital energy values to the corresponding one of the digital interfaces.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 7, 2013
    Publication date: November 13, 2014
    Applicant: EATON CORPORATION
    Inventors: RONGSHENG WANG, CHRISTOPHER D. WELLS, MICHAEL P. KING, TIMOTHY FREDRIC THOMPSON, MICHAEL CHARLES DADIAN
  • Patent number: 8862435
    Abstract: An intelligent electronic device (IED) has enhanced power quality and communications capabilities. The power meter can perform energy analysis by waveform capture, detect transient on the front end voltage input channels and provide revenue measurements. The power meter splits and distributes the front end input channels into separate circuits for scaling and processing by dedicated processors for specific applications by the power meter. Front end voltage input channels are split and distributed into separate circuits for transient detection, waveform capture analysis and revenue measurement, respectively. Front end current channels are split and distributed into separate circuits for waveform capture analysis and revenue measurement, respectively.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 16, 2012
    Date of Patent: October 14, 2014
    Assignee: Electric Industries/Gauge Tech
    Inventors: Joseph Spanier, Erran Kagan, Wei Wang
  • Publication number: 20140218011
    Abstract: Aspects of dynamic power profiling are described herein. In various embodiments, a current sense operating mode is set for a current sense circuit, and the current sense circuit is enabled for operation. The current sense circuit senses an amount of current supplied by at least one of a plurality of power rails based on the current sense operating mode. The current sense circuit also accumulates and stores a value of the amount of current over a period of time. In certain aspects, a system controller averages the value of the amount of current based on the period of time. The current sense circuit may be configured to operate in various modes of operation including single or scan rail modes of operation, and the average of the value of the amount of current may be evaluated based on the modes of operation of the current sense circuit and/or the system.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 25, 2013
    Publication date: August 7, 2014
    Inventors: Walid Nabhane, Mark D. Rutherford, Chun-Nan Ke, Veronica Alarcon, John Russell Platenak, Arun Palaniappan
  • Patent number: 8723506
    Abstract: A capacitor charging circuit is provided in a utility meter. The utility meter includes a measurement circuit configured to provide consumption data, a memory configured to store the consumption data from the measurement circuit, and a communications device configured to transmit the consumption data to a remote location. The utility meter also includes a power supply configured to supply an unregulated DC voltage and a regulated voltage within the utility meter. The regulated DC voltage is output from a voltage regulator and is provided to the measurement circuit. The unregulated DC voltage is supplied to the communications device. The capacitor charging circuit is configured to charge a capacitor with the unregulated DC voltage when the regulated DC voltage is provided to the charging circuit from the voltage regulator. The capacitor charging circuit may be a supercapacitor charging circuit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 21, 2011
    Date of Patent: May 13, 2014
    Assignee: Landis+Gyr, Inc.
    Inventor: Anibal Diego Ramirez
  • Publication number: 20140003180
    Abstract: A storage device includes a first measurement unit, a second measurement unit, and a collection unit. The first measurement unit measures electric power consumed in each of a plurality of memory devices. The second measurement unit measures electric power consumed in a control unit controlling access from an information processing apparatus to the plurality of memory devices. The collection unit collects first information regarding the electric power measured by the first measurement unit and second information regarding the electric power measured by the second measurement unit.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 11, 2013
    Publication date: January 2, 2014
    Applicant: FUJITSU LIMITED
    Inventor: Shinnosuke MATSUDA
  • Patent number: 8583390
    Abstract: A method for improving bandwidth of an oscilloscope involves, in preferred embodiments, the use of frequency up-conversion and down-conversion techniques. In an illustrative embodiment the technique involves separating an input signal into a high frequency content and a low frequency content, down-converting the high frequency content in the analog domain so that it may be processed by the oscilloscope's analog front end, digitizing the low frequency content and the down-converted high frequency content, and forming a digital representation of the received analog signal from the digitized low frequency content and high frequency content.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 27, 2011
    Date of Patent: November 12, 2013
    Assignee: Teledyne LeCroy, Inc.
    Inventors: Peter J Pupalaikis, David C Graef
  • Patent number: 8536893
    Abstract: A circuit for recording a magnitude of an ESD event during semiconductor assembly includes a voltage divider connected between an input and a ground. The circuit also includes a measurement block having a recorder device. Each measurement block receives current from a segment of the voltage divider. The magnitude of the ESD event is determined based upon a read-out of the measurement devices after the ESD event. The recorder device may be a capacitor that would be damaged during the ESD event. During the ESD event the capacitor may be damaged. Reading out the recorder device determines if the magnitude of the ESD event exceeded a threshold magnitude that damages the capacitor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 13, 2009
    Date of Patent: September 17, 2013
    Assignee: QUALCOMM Incorporated
    Inventors: Eugene R. Worley, Brian Matthew Henderson
  • Patent number: 8537028
    Abstract: An electronic electric meter for use in a networked automatic meter reading environment. The meter includes a meter microcontroller, a measurement microcontroller, a communication microcontroller and spread spectrum processor, and a plurality of other communication interface modules for communicating commodity utilization and power quality data to a utility. The meter measures electricity usage and monitors power quality parameters for transmission to the utility over a spread spectrum local area network (LAN) to a remotely located gateway node. The gateway node transmits this data to the utility over a commercially available fixed wide area network (WAN). The meter also provides direct communication to the utility over a commercially available network interface that plugs into the meter's backplane or bus system, bypassing the local area network communication link and gateway node.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 2, 2008
    Date of Patent: September 17, 2013
    Assignee: Silver Spring Networks, Inc.
    Inventors: Lance A. Ehrke, Kimbel A. Nap, Donn R. Dresselhuys
  • Publication number: 20130234699
    Abstract: A power supply monitoring system for monitoring power supplied to electronic components is disclosed. The power supply monitoring system includes a monitoring bus, a monitoring module, an interrupt module, and a data storage module. The monitoring bus is connected to electronic components. The monitoring module monitors variations of levels of power supplied to the electronic components via the monitoring bus. The interrupt module interrupts the monitoring module when the monitoring module monitored the variations of levels of power supplied to the electronic components. The data storage module is connected to the interrupt module. The interrupt module stores the variations of levels of power supplied to the electronic components into the data storage module when the interrupt module is interrupted.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 1, 2012
    Publication date: September 12, 2013
    Inventor: MING YU
  • Publication number: 20130214763
    Abstract: Used electric energy is collected while maintaining accuracy. Information to be displayed on a display 14 is generated in such a way that a gateway 4 processes a measured value (with a time stamp) transmitted from a power meter 2, an appliance monitor 5, a solar module 10, and a battery center 13 through a wireless LAN. In the gateway 4, the used electric energy is synchronized with each other by the time stamp. Further, an integrated value of the used electric energy in the time direction is calculated. The information can be secured by obtaining the integrated value of data even if breakdown of devices and the like due to power failure occurs.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 29, 2011
    Publication date: August 22, 2013
    Applicant: SONY CORPORATION
    Inventors: Eiichiro Kubota, Antonio Avitabile, Costantino Cristiano Mariella, Christopher Michael Rutherford, Edward Grellier Colby, Nicholas George Bailey, Alexander Charles Knill, Harshul Deepak Mehta
  • Publication number: 20130200880
    Abstract: The method permits the detection of ‘standby’ state’ in linear and non-linear loads connected to the power grid and their automatic disconnection, and comprises at least the detection of the normal operating state of at least one load by means of detection, and obtaining the maximum value of the current in said operating state for the determination of the ‘standby state’ of the at least one load.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 7, 2012
    Publication date: August 8, 2013
    Applicant: GOOD FOR YOU GOOD FOR THE PLANET, S.L.
    Inventors: Jesús BARTOLOMÉ GARCÍA, José Angel ZABALEGUI LABARTA, Antoni SUDRIÀ ANDREU, Joan Gabriel BERGAS JANÉ, Miquel TEIXIDO CASAS
  • Patent number: 8482277
    Abstract: A surge current detection device 30 is detachably attached to a conductor 11 and detects a surge current entering the conductor 11. The surge current detection device 30 includes: a holder 40 releasably holding the conductor 11 via first and second holder bodies 40-1 and 40-2 facing each other; a magnetic force concentrating member 60 having a substantially U-shaped cross-section, the magnetic force concentrating member 60 being secured inside the holder 40 and concentrating a magnetic flux included in a magnetic field generated by the surge current entering the magnetic flux conductor 11 to a high density at a predetermined detection region; and a magnetic material sheet 70 secured inside the holder 40 in such a manner that the magnetic material sheet 70 is positioned at the detection region, the magnetic material sheet 70 detecting the surge current.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 2, 2012
    Date of Patent: July 9, 2013
    Assignee: Sankosha Corporation
    Inventors: Takayuki Okawa, Hideyoshi Saeki, Takuya Ouchi
  • Publication number: 20130127444
    Abstract: An apparatus and method for distinguishing between tack-welding and welding are provided. The apparatus for distinguishing between tack-welding and welding includes: a current sensor configured to detect arc current of a welder; and a distinguish control unit configured to distinguish whether a welding operation performed by the welder is tack-welding or welding based on the arc current detected by the current sensor for a predefined period of time. Accordingly, the amount of work performed by a welding worker can be fairly and accurately evaluated.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 27, 2011
    Publication date: May 23, 2013
    Applicant: UDMTEK CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Eui Koog Ahn, Lock-Jo Koo, hee won Jo, Seung Taek Hong, Chang Ho Lee, Gi Nam Wang, Sang Chul Park
  • Publication number: 20130113462
    Abstract: The invention relates to gas-discharge electrical instrumentation technology. The device for measuring electromagnetic field intensity comprises a measuring instrument for recording the glow of a gas discharge and a gas-discharge chamber that is formed between electrodes 1 and 2 separated by a dielectric 3. The electrode 1 is cylindrical, while the electrode 2 is in the form of a disk. The electrodes 1 and 2 are coupled to an electrical voltage source, wherein a capacitive element in the form of a pair comprising an antenna 5 and a connection to ground 6 is incorporated into the line coupling the cylindrical electrode 1 to the electrical voltage source. A capacitor 7 with variable capacitance is incorporated into the line coupling the cylindrical electrode 1 to the antenna 5. The technical result consists in providing the possibility of detecting a useful signal in a wide frequency range.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 17, 2010
    Publication date: May 9, 2013
    Inventor: Konstantin G. Korotkov
  • Publication number: 20130088238
    Abstract: An ion chamber provides a current representative of its characteristics as affected by external conditions, e.g., clean air or smoke. A direct current (DC) voltage is applied to the ion chamber at a first polarity and the resulting current through the ion chamber and parasitic leakage current is measured at the first polarity, then the DC voltage is applied to the ion chamber at a second polarity opposite the first polarity, and the resulting current through the ion chamber and parasitic leakage current is measured at the second polarity. Since substantially no current flows through the ion chamber at the second polarity, the common mode parasitic leakage current contribution may be removed from the total current measurement by subtracting the current measured at the second polarity from the current measured at the first polarity, resulting in just the current through the ion chamber.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 2, 2012
    Publication date: April 11, 2013
    Applicant: MICROCHIP TECHNOLOGY INCORPORATED
    Inventor: MICROCHIP TECHNOLOGY INCORPORATED
  • Patent number: 8410773
    Abstract: A protection element (e.g., an arrester) protects a piece of equipment to be protected, from surge currents line terminals and an earth terminal. Surge current detection devices are provided on respective conductors connected to the arrester. Each of the surge current detection devices is to detect the surge current penetrated into a conductor for a short period of time, and includes a magnetic flux concentration member by which a magnetic flux produced by the penetrated surge current is concentrated in a given detection area at a high density, and a ferromagnetic material sheet positioned on the given detection area. The ferromagnetic material sheet includes a recording layer which is able to record and erase the penetration state of the surge current. A plurality of microcapsules are arranged in the recording layer, and each of the microcapsules contains a suitable liquid, and a plurality of magnetic particles suspended in the suitable liquid.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 13, 2010
    Date of Patent: April 2, 2013
    Assignee: Sankosha Corporation
    Inventors: Takayuki Okawa, Yasuharu Yamada, Hideyoshi Saeki, Takuya Ouchi
  • Publication number: 20130021021
    Abstract: A capacitor charging circuit is provided in a utility meter. The utility meter includes a measurement circuit configured to provide consumption data, a memory configured to store the consumption data from the measurement circuit, and a communications device configured to transmit the consumption data to a remote location. The utility meter also includes a power supply configured to supply an unregulated DC voltage and a regulated voltage within the utility meter. The regulated DC voltage is output from a voltage regulator and is provided to the measurement circuit. The unregulated DC voltage is supplied to the communications device. The capacitor charging circuit is configured to charge a capacitor with the unregulated DC voltage when the regulated DC voltage is provided to the charging circuit from the voltage regulator. The capacitor charging circuit may be a supercapacitor charging circuit.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 21, 2011
    Publication date: January 24, 2013
    Applicant: LANDIS+GYR, INC.
    Inventor: Anibal Diego Ramirez
  • Publication number: 20120286770
    Abstract: A lighting system is disclosed having a plurality of luminaires in which the energy usage of each luminaire can individually be metered using a luminaire controller having a metering circuit.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 10, 2012
    Publication date: November 15, 2012
    Applicant: SCHREDER
    Inventors: Helmut Schröder, Daniel Brand
  • Publication number: 20120262151
    Abstract: A sensor assembly for measuring an intensity of a current includes a first sensor apparatus configured to record an intensity of the electrical current with contact, a second sensor apparatus configured to record an intensity of the electrical current, the second sensor apparatus having a common measurement range with the first sensor apparatus, and a first analog-digital converter configured to convert analog measured values into digitized measured values. The first sensor apparatus, the second sensor apparatus and the first analog-digital converter are arranged on a common circuit carrier.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 16, 2012
    Publication date: October 18, 2012
    Applicant: MAGNA E-Car Systems GmbH & Co OG
    Inventors: Renato MANDIC, Roland PLANK, Guido POSCHARNIG
  • Patent number: 8248058
    Abstract: A system for testing power line carrier signal integrity or strength in a building electrical system includes a transmitter module electrically coupled to a first electrical outlet and configured to transmit a power line carrier signal over the building electrical system. The system also includes a receiver module electrically coupled to a second electrical outlet and configured to receive the power line carrier signal from the transmitter module. The receiver module includes circuitry configured to determine whether at least one of the integrity and strength of the power line carrier signal is sufficient for a load control system installed in the building electrical system to communicate with relay modules installed in the building electrical system using power line carrier signals. The receiver module includes a user interface configured to provide an indication of at least one of the integrity and strength of the power line carrier signal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 15, 2010
    Date of Patent: August 21, 2012
    Assignee: Briggs & Stratton Corporation
    Inventors: Kenny J. Stair, Brandon M. Batzler, Sie T. Lim
  • Patent number: 8203814
    Abstract: An electrical switching apparatus includes a plurality of poles each having a Rogowski coil and a conductor passing through an opening thereof, and a processor circuit including a sensor circuit including a plurality of inputs each electrically interconnected with an output of the Rogowski coil of a corresponding pole. The sensor circuit further includes a number of outputs having values each corresponding to current flowing through the conductor, a memory including for each corresponding pole an offset value and a gain correction factor for the sensor circuit, and a gain correction factor for the Rogowski coil, a number of routines, and a processor cooperating with the sensor circuit and the routines to provide for each pole a corrected current value as a function of a corresponding one of the values, the sensor circuit offset value and gain correction factor, and the Rogowski coil gain correction factor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 31, 2009
    Date of Patent: June 19, 2012
    Assignee: Eaton Corporation
    Inventor: Lawrence B. Farr
  • Patent number: 8160824
    Abstract: An intelligent electronic device (IED) has enhanced power quality and communications capabilities. The power meter can perform energy analysis by waveform capture, detect transient on the front end voltage input channels and provide revenue measurements. The power meter splits and distributes the front end input channels into separate circuits for scaling and processing by dedicated processors for specific applications by the power meter. Front end voltage input channels are split and distributed into separate circuits for transient detection, waveform capture analysis and revenue measurement, respectively. Front end current channels are split and distributed into separate circuits for waveform capture analysis and revenue measurement, respectively.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 3, 2008
    Date of Patent: April 17, 2012
    Assignee: Electro Industries/Gauge Tech
    Inventors: Joseph Spanier, Erran Kagan, Wei Wang
  • Patent number: 8046183
    Abstract: Pre-trigger and post-trigger acquisition for a no dead time acquisition system, where the data being displayed does not include a related trigger event, has a variable record length buffer having a maximum record length equal to a maximum desired pre-trigger interval, and has a trigger FIFO and timer for delaying the related trigger event. The record length of the buffer is determined by the desired pre-trigger interval, and fast rasterizers access the oldest data that encompasses the desired pre-trigger data. A first trigger event in the trigger signal may be delayed by a desired post-trigger interval before the fast rasterizers begin drawing the waveform data that encompasses the desired post-trigger data.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 4, 2008
    Date of Patent: October 25, 2011
    Assignee: Tektronix, Inc.
    Inventors: Kenneth P. Dobyns, Kristie L. Veith
  • Publication number: 20110181270
    Abstract: A power supply controlling apparatus including: a measurement portion that measures electric power information concerning electric power supplied to another apparatus, a storing control portion that stores the electric power information measured by the measurement portion and measurement time when the electric power information is measured, into a volatile storage, and stores the electric power information and the measurement time stored into the volatile storage, into a nonvolatile storage in desired timing; and a supplement portion that, when a first power supply is turned off and turned on again, supplements to the volatile storage electric power information and time concerning electric power assumed to be supplied to the another apparatus between final measurement time in a plurality of pieces of measurement time stored in the nonvolatile storage and time when the first power supply is turned on again.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 24, 2011
    Publication date: July 28, 2011
    Applicant: FUJITSU COMPONENT LIMITED
    Inventors: Shinichi Katayama, Naoyuki Nagao
  • Publication number: 20110121816
    Abstract: A protection element (e.g., an arrester) protects a piece of equipment to be protected, from surge currents line terminals and an earth terminal. Surge current detection devices are provided on respective conductors connected to the arrester. Each of the surge current detection devices is to detect the surge current penetrated into a conductor for a short period of time, and includes a magnetic flux concentration member by which a magnetic flux produced by the penetrated surge current is concentrated in a given detection area at a high density, and a ferromagnetic material sheet positioned on the given detection area. The ferromagnetic material sheet includes a recording layer which is able to record and erase the penetration state of the surge current. A plurality of microcapsules are arranged in the recording layer, and each of the microcapsules contains a suitable liquid, and a plurality of magnetic particles suspended in the suitable liquid.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 13, 2010
    Publication date: May 26, 2011
    Applicant: SANKOSHA CORPORATION
    Inventors: Takayuki Okawa, Yasuharu Yamada, Hideyoshi Saeki, Takuya Ouchi
  • Patent number: 7840383
    Abstract: A monitoring system capable of being operationalized. Power consumption is electrical devices is monitored by the use of new and innovative consumption power monitoring device in accordance with the present invention. Power consumption information is collected by an intelligent power hub that is communicatively coupled to a remote server that presents overall power usage displays. A method of operationalizing a power usage monitoring system comprises powering up an energy pump device when the energy pump device is plugged into a first power socket, setting the energy pump device automatically to a SET mode to acquire new monitoring devices, and discovering the presence of a power consumption monitoring device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 1, 2009
    Date of Patent: November 23, 2010
    Inventor: Eugene Wang
  • Publication number: 20100228601
    Abstract: Information relating to electrical energy usage for a given account is associated with a time segment that corresponds to a period when the electrical energy was received from an electrical energy distribution system. Electrical energy generation carbon impact information is retrieved for the corresponding time segment specifying when the electrical energy was received from an electrical energy distribution system. A carbon credit is calculated according to the retrieved electrical energy generation carbon impact information, and the retrieved electrical energy usage information associated with the time segment. The calculated carbon credit is then used to update a display of carbon credit related information, such as account balance, rate of carbon credit usage, currently applicable “cost” for carbon credit usage. Notifications can be provided to the consumer if any of this information crosses a threshold value.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 1, 2009
    Publication date: September 9, 2010
    Applicant: SILVER SPRING NETWORKS, INC.
    Inventors: Raj Vaswani, Sean M. Fitzgerald
  • Publication number: 20100225347
    Abstract: A circuit for recording a magnitude of an ESD event during semiconductor assembly includes a voltage divider connected between an input and a ground. The circuit also includes a measurement block having a recorder device. Each measurement block receives current from a segment of the voltage divider. The magnitude of the ESD event is determined based upon a read-out of the measurement devices after the ESD event. The recorder device may be a capacitor that would be damaged during the ESD event. During the ESD event the capacitor may be damaged. Reading out the recorder device determines if the magnitude of the ESD event exceeded a threshold magnitude that damages the capacitor.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 13, 2009
    Publication date: September 9, 2010
    Applicant: QUALCOMM INCORPORATED
    Inventors: Eugene R. Worley, Brian Matthew Henderson
  • Patent number: 7737677
    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.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 3, 2008
    Date of Patent: June 15, 2010
    Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba
    Inventors: Katsuhiko Sekiguchi, Hideyuki Takani, Hideaki Sugiura