Power Parameter Patents (Class 702/60)
  • Patent number: 8346402
    Abstract: An intelligent electronic device is operable to use a signal derived from an electrical power delivery system to effectively detect an islanding condition. The intelligent electronic device is configured to compare a frequency deviation (from nominal frequency) and a rate-of-change of frequency of the electrical power delivery system to a protection characteristic of the intelligent electronic device to quickly and securely detect islanding conditions thereby enhancing power protection, automation, control, and monitoring performance. The intelligent electronic device uses local measurements of the electrical power deliver system to provide reliable and economical means to properly separate a generation site from the remainder of the electrical power delivery system. Such may be useful to prevent reclosing out of synchronism.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 10, 2010
    Date of Patent: January 1, 2013
    Assignee: Schweitzer Engineering Laboratories Inc
    Inventors: Armando Guzman-Casillas, Mangapathirao Venkata Mynam, Marcos A. Donolo
  • Patent number: 8340831
    Abstract: In accordance with one embodiment, a system for non-intrusive load monitoring includes an output device, a data storage device including program instructions stored therein, a sensing device operably connected to a common source for a plurality of electrical devices, and an estimator operably connected to the output device, the data storage device, and the sensing device, the estimator configured to execute the program instructions to obtain data associated with a sensed state of the common source from the sensing device, obtain at least one model of each of the plurality of electrical devices, solve a Mixed Integer Programming problem for the at least one models over a fixed time horizon using the obtained data to determine a combination of operational stages of the plurality of electrical devices, and store operational data based on the solved Mixed Integer Programming problem.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 16, 2011
    Date of Patent: December 25, 2012
    Assignee: Robert Bosch GmbH
    Inventors: Diego Benitez, Rui Huang
  • Patent number: 8340931
    Abstract: The invention compares geographically remote locations on a power grid by determining at each location the amount of change to phasor measurements for a period of time, and then comparing the determined change values from each location to determine relative differences in values as an indicator of the stability of the power grid. One embodiment calculates the product of the node's most recent phasor and a complex conjugate of that nodes previous phasor sample to produce a phase difference phasor for that node. The various phase difference phasors are sent to a monitoring location (which may be local for one of the phasors) and comparisons made among the phase difference phasors to assess the amount of load imbalance among the nodes that are being compared.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 5, 2009
    Date of Patent: December 25, 2012
    Assignee: Mehta Tech, Inc.
    Inventor: Richard T. Dickens
  • Publication number: 20120323509
    Abstract: A method and apparatus for estimating virtual machine energy consumption, and in particular, a method and apparatus for estimating virtual machine energy consumption in a computer system. The method includes: obtaining system energy consumption of the system hardware resources; obtaining event information of a plurality of functional units into which the system hardware resources are divided, and mapping the event information to the respective virtual machines; and calculating energy consumption of the virtual machines according to a plurality of energy consumption coefficients corresponding to the plurality of functional units and according to the event information mapped to the functional units of the respective virtual machines.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 28, 2012
    Publication date: December 20, 2012
    Applicant: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Ying Chen, Li Li, Liang Liu, Hao Wang, Ying Zhou
  • Publication number: 20120323508
    Abstract: A low voltage detector (100) includes a power supply voltage monitor circuit (110) that produces a voltage VSP related to a first a power supply voltage, and a voltage generator (105), which includes a plurality of self-cascode MOSFET (SCM) structures (101-103) in a cascade configuration, that generates a reference voltage Vxm. A voltage comparator (140) outputs an output signal in response to a differential between Vxm and VSP, wherein Vxm and VSP have proportional to absolute temperature behavior (PTAT) over temperature with respect to a second power supply voltage. The output signal changes state when the first power supply voltage equals a trip point of the comparator. Each SCM structure is sized to provide a rate of change with temperature of the PTAT behavior of Vxm that matches a rate of change with temperature of the PTAT behavior of VSP.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 16, 2011
    Publication date: December 20, 2012
    Applicant: FREESCALE SEMICONDUCTOR, INC.
    Inventors: Andre Luis VILAS BOAS, Alfredo OLMOS, Edgar Mauricio CAMACHO GALEANO, Fabio DE LACERDA
  • Publication number: 20120316806
    Abstract: The present invention discloses a method for monitoring energy efficiency performance of a device, which comprises: connecting the monitored device, obtaining input energy and output energy of the monitored device in a period of time, and calculating an energy efficiency index of the monitored device; and obtaining an energy efficiency deviation based on a standard energy efficiency index of the monitored device, and determining a state of the monitored device based on the energy efficiency deviation. The present invention further discloses a apparatus for monitoring energy efficiency performance of a device. Using the method and apparatus described above, the fine assessment for the device performance can be implemented in a simple way.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 3, 2010
    Publication date: December 13, 2012
    Inventors: Mingming Liu, Yanni Meng, Lingqiao Teng, Baohang Zhou, Shuwang Wei
  • Patent number: 8332169
    Abstract: An apparatus estimates SOH of a battery based on a battery voltage variation pattern. A data storing unit obtains and stores battery voltage, current and temperature data from sensors, at each SOH estimation. A first SOC estimating unit estimates first SOC by current integration using the battery current data. A second SOC estimating unit estimates open-circuit voltage from the voltage variation pattern, and calculates and stores second SOC corresponding to the open-circuit voltage and temperature using correlations between the open-circuit voltage/temperature and SOC. A weighted mean convergence calculating unit calculates and stores convergence value for weighted mean value of ratio of the second SOC variation to the first SOC variation. A SOH estimating unit estimates capacity corresponding to the weighted mean convergence value using correlation between the weighted mean convergence value and the capacity, estimates relative ratio of the estimated capacity to an initial capacity, and stores it as SOH.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 7, 2011
    Date of Patent: December 11, 2012
    Assignee: LG Chem, Ltd.
    Inventors: Jung-Soo Kang, Jee-Ho Kim, Ju-Young Kim, Chang-Gi Jung
  • Patent number: 8332055
    Abstract: Devices and systems control energy usage in accordance with instructions from a head end system. A device may be instructed to cease energy consumption. Another device may allow users to override some instructions. Messages may be provided to users to request the cessation of energy consumption; the users may, but need not comply.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 21, 2008
    Date of Patent: December 11, 2012
    Assignee: Trilliant Networks, Inc.
    Inventor: Michel Veillette
  • Patent number: 8326536
    Abstract: A computer-implemented system and method for correlating satellite imagery for use in photovoltaic fleet output estimation is provided. Pixels in satellite imagery data of overhead sky clearness is correlated to a bounded area within a geographic region. Each pixel represents collective irradiance that is converted into point clearness indexes for the points within the bounded area relative to clear sky irradiance. The point clearness indexes in the point clearness indexes are averaged for the points within the bounded area into an area clearness index. A variance of the area clearness index is determined in proportion to a physical area covered by each pixel. For each point, a variance of the point clearness index is determined as a ratio of the area clearness index variance and the physical area relative to the point clearness index, regional cloud speed, and a time interval relating to a time resolution of collective irradiance observation.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 23, 2012
    Date of Patent: December 4, 2012
    Assignee: Clean Power Research, L.L.C.
    Inventor: Thomas E. Hoff
  • Patent number: 8326576
    Abstract: Power quality (PQ) events in a waveform in a power distribution network are detected by sampling the waveform. For each sample, a normalized sample is determined by subtracting an undistorted waveform from the sample. An accumulated weighted log-likelihood ratio (LLR) is determined for all normalized samples, as well as a minimum of the accumulated weighted LLR. If the difference between the accumulated weighted LLR an the minimum LLR is greater than a predetermined threshold, then the PQ event is signaled. The network can be a smart grid.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 30, 2009
    Date of Patent: December 4, 2012
    Assignee: Mitsubishi Electric Research Laboratories, Inc.
    Inventor: Man-On Pun
  • Publication number: 20120303166
    Abstract: A system and method for improving energy usage and conservation of at least one air-management unit in a data center where a multiplicity of rack mounted power distribution units are used for power distribution to a multiplicity of electronic devices mounted on a plurality of racks in at least one computer room of the data center. A group of power load, temperature, humidity and differential pressure sensors are provided throughout the racks, and coupled to a computer through a network interface for automatically calculating multiple air-management effectiveness and energy efficiency indices (e.g., rack cooling index RCI, rack humidity index RHI, rack airflow index RAI, rack differential pressure index RPI and return temperature index RTI) based on the data from the sensors, such that the operation of the air-management unit can be adjusted accordingly to achieve an optimal efficiency of safe energy usage and conservation.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 27, 2011
    Publication date: November 29, 2012
    Applicant: ATEN INTERNATIONAL CO., LTD.
    Inventor: Herlin Chang
  • Publication number: 20120303299
    Abstract: A method and apparatus measures electrical power usage and quality, while mitigating the effects of noise on measured signals or parameters. Specifically, a digital electrical power and energy meter employs a method in which a processor averages a parameter, such as voltage or current, over a plurality of cycles of a time-varying signal, such as an AC electrical signal. The method employed by the meter samples a parameter over the plurality of cycles and computes the average of the samples corresponding to the same phase angle of the signal to produce an average signal.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 10, 2012
    Publication date: November 29, 2012
    Applicant: ELECTRO INDUSTRIES/GAUGE TECH
    Inventor: Tibor Banhegyesi
  • Publication number: 20120303298
    Abstract: A diagnosis device (17) for a solar power generation system, which diagnosis device (17) diagnoses a whole or a part of an output in the solar power generation system includes: a measurement data acquiring section (21) for acquiring an electric current value and a voltage value from an ammeter (12a) and a voltmeter (12b), respectively; and an diagnosing section (25) diagnoses the output on the basis of a motion of a power point indicated by the electric current value and the voltage value thus acquired.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 17, 2011
    Publication date: November 29, 2012
    Applicants: NATIONAL INSTITUTE OF ADVANCED INDUSTRIAL SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY, OMRON CORPORATION
    Inventors: Takuya Nakai, Takanori Ishii, Akira Enami, Akihiro Funamoto, Kazuhiko Kato
  • Patent number: 8321162
    Abstract: A power system may comprise two or more transformers operating in parallel. A voltage differential may exist between the transformers, which may create a circulating current in the power system. The system voltage of the power system may be modified by performing a tap change operation on one or more of the transformers. The tap change operation may be configured to minimize the circulating current. The circulating current may be minimized by determining the bias between the transformers using an angular difference between the transformer currents. The angular difference may be calculated using time-aligned measurement data. A tap change operation configured to modify the system voltage, while minimizing circulating current, may be determined using the transformer bias.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 28, 2010
    Date of Patent: November 27, 2012
    Assignee: Schweitzer Engineering Laboratories Inc
    Inventors: Casper A. Labuschagne, Normann Fischer, Satish Samineni, Armando Guzman-Casillas
  • Patent number: 8321163
    Abstract: A power distribution unit (PDU) disposable in an electrical equipment rack. The PDU has a housing, a power input penetrating the housing, outlets in the housing, a processor disposed in the housing, voltage and current sensors, and a voltage calculation procedure communicable with the processor. The processor samples voltage and current waveforms and calculates RMS values and other power parameters. A method of managing electrical loads each drawing electrical power from a PDU includes repeatedly sampling voltage across and current flowing through each of the loads, calculating raw RMS values of voltage and current, and scaling the raw RMS values to obtain corrected RMS voltage and current values and other power parameters.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 4, 2010
    Date of Patent: November 27, 2012
    Assignee: Server Technology, Inc.
    Inventors: Carrel W. Ewing, James P. Maskaly, Brian Auclair, Dennis McGlumphy
  • Publication number: 20120296584
    Abstract: Even at an unknown power point, control by estimated maximum power point is carried out. An MPPT controller (20) includes: a measurement data acquiring section (31), which acquires an amount of solar radiation and/or a temperature from a pyrheliometer (14)/a thermometer (15), and which acquires an electric current value and/or a voltage value from an ammeter (17a)/a voltmeter (17b); a search control section (34), which searches for a maximum power point by controlling a power point of an array (10) by controlling an inverter (18); an estimate equation computing section (32), which estimates an estimate equation (A) that holds between the amount of solar radiation and a maximum operating current value and/or an estimate equation (B) that holds between the temperature and a maximum operating voltage value; and an MPP estimating section 35, which estimates a maximum power point at an amount of solar radiation or at a temperature by using the estimate equation (A) or (B).
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 13, 2011
    Publication date: November 22, 2012
    Applicant: OMRON CORPORATION
    Inventor: Hideaki Itoh
  • Patent number: 8315717
    Abstract: A client device manages consumption of power supplied by an electric utility to one or more power consuming devices. Power flow to the power consuming devices is controlled by one or more controllable devices, which are controlled by the client device. The client device receives a power control message, such as from a remote system controller. The power control message may have been issued in furtherance of a power reduction event initiated by the electric utility. The power control message indicates an amount of electric power to be reduced and/or identification of at least one controllable device to be instructed to disable a flow of electric power to one or more associated power consuming devices. Responsive to the power control message, a flow of electric power is disabled or otherwise reduced to at least one power consuming device based on the contents of the power control message.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 29, 2011
    Date of Patent: November 20, 2012
    Assignee: Consert Inc.
    Inventors: Joseph W. Forbes, Jr., Joel L. Webb
  • Patent number: 8311753
    Abstract: A system and method for monitoring power sources, such as the batteries making up a bank of batteries, is disclosed. There is provided a plurality of addressable sensors each adapted to communicate with one of the power sources, and to provide information concerning a characteristic of the power source in response to application of an event to the power source by the sensor. A controller that addressably communicates with the sensors, and that determines additional information, is also provided. In one embodiment, the sensor includes the power source, such as the battery.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 27, 2011
    Date of Patent: November 13, 2012
    Assignee: Phoenix Broadband Technologies, LLC
    Inventors: Joseph D. Rocci, Michael L. Quelly
  • Patent number: 8312306
    Abstract: A system may include acquisition of a supply voltage information representing past supply voltages supplied to an electrical component, acquisition of a temperature information representing past temperatures of the electrical component, and control of a performance characteristic of the electrical component based on the supply voltage information and the temperature information. Some embodiments may further include determination of a reliability margin based on the supply voltage information, the temperature information, and on a reliability specification of the electrical component, and change of the performance characteristic based on the reliability margin.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 12, 2010
    Date of Patent: November 13, 2012
    Assignee: Intel Corporation
    Inventors: Siva G. Narendra, James W. Tschanz, Vivek K. De, Stephen H. Tang
  • Publication number: 20120283968
    Abstract: A technique is provided, which makes it possible to continuously supply the driving electric power stably to a sensor even when the continuous monitoring period ranges over a long period of time when the numerical information is measured in relation to a test substance contained in a sample.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 17, 2011
    Publication date: November 8, 2012
    Applicant: ARKRAY, INC.
    Inventors: Koji Katsuki, Yasunori Shiraki
  • Publication number: 20120283967
    Abstract: A state-matrix-independent dynamic process estimation method in real-time for weakly observable measurement nodes without PMU is only dependent on real-time measurement dynamic data of measurement nodes with Phasor Mesurement Unit (PMU) and measurement data of Supervisory Control And Data Acquisition (SCADA) system in electric power system or state estimation data. According to the SCADA measurement data or state estimation data at some continuous moments, the method utilizes recursive least squares solution to find a linear combination relationship between variation of measurement parameter to be estimated of nodes without PMU and variation of corresponding measurement parameter of nodes with PMU. Using the linear combination of relationship, the dynamic process of measurement nodes without PMU is estimated in real-time. The method provides high estimation precision and meets error requirements of engineering application.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 9, 2009
    Publication date: November 8, 2012
    Applicants: BEIJING SIFANG ENGINEERING CO., LTD., BEIJING SIFANG AUTOMATION CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Gang Duan, Jingtao Wu, Xiaoyan Sun, Dong Yang
  • Patent number: 8307225
    Abstract: A system, which includes a system controller and client devices, manages consumption of power supplied by at least one electric utility to multiple power consuming devices. Electric power flow to the consuming devices is controlled by controllable devices, which are controlled by the client devices. The controller includes an event manager, a database, and a client device manager. The event manager generates event instructions, including instructions requiring a reduction of consumed electric power. The database stores, on a per client device basis and/or a per electric utility basis, information relating to power consumed by the consuming devices. The client device manager selects, based on the database information and responsive to a power reduction event instruction, at least one client device to which to communicate a message indicating a power reduction amount and/or identification of at least one controllable device to be instructed to disable power flow to associated consuming devices.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 29, 2011
    Date of Patent: November 6, 2012
    Assignee: Consert Inc.
    Inventors: Joseph W. Forbes, Jr., Joel L. Webb
  • Patent number: 8307229
    Abstract: A method of measuring power consumption of an electric appliance is provided. The method may include determining an operation mode of the electric appliance, extracting power consumption data corresponding to the determined operation mode of the electric appliance, and calculating an integrated power consumption based on the extracted power consumption data and the operation time of the electric appliance.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 23, 2010
    Date of Patent: November 6, 2012
    Assignee: LG Electronics Inc.
    Inventor: Kangwon Lee
  • Patent number: 8301404
    Abstract: An energy monitoring and management system and method are provided herein. The system and method centralize load metering by utilizing at least one sensor for observing load characteristics (e.g., Volts, Amperes, Watts, active energy . . . ) communicatively coupled via a backplane to a waveform analyzer component of a control component. The waveform analyzer component generates metered data values after receiving input from the at least one sensor. Subsequently and if so desired, the control component can send a control signal to the load to alter the state of the load or simply reduce the power to a load. Such input, output, and processing functionality, according to an aspect of the present invention, are employed using a backplane to facilitate high-speed communication among components and to allow metered data to be centrally stored, manipulated, analyzed or communicated to other components or sub-components.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 29, 2007
    Date of Patent: October 30, 2012
    Assignee: Rockwell Automation Technologies, Inc.
    Inventors: Kevin P. Wright, Steven A. Lombardi
  • Patent number: 8301416
    Abstract: A method is for calculating an optical noise index of a signal light extraction apparatus that extracts signal light in a polarization plane by inputting signal light and a sampling pulse, different from the signal light in polarization plane by a given angle, to a nonlinear optical medium, and by passing light output from the nonlinear optical medium through an orthogonal polarizer having a polarization plane orthogonal to that of the signal light. The method includes calculating an output optical noise of the signal light extraction apparatus using a parametric gain of the nonlinear optical medium, a power of a quantum noise of the light having passed through the orthogonal polarizer, and a ratio of a power of the signal light and a power of the signal light sampled by the sampling pulse; and calculating an optical noise index using the output optical noise.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 27, 2009
    Date of Patent: October 30, 2012
    Assignee: Fujitsu Limited
    Inventors: Shunsuke Ono, Shigeki Watanabe
  • Publication number: 20120271574
    Abstract: Various methods and systems are provided for impulse response monitoring in power systems. In one embodiment, a method includes obtaining raw power system data associated with a power system, cross-correlating the raw power system data with a synchronized pseudo-random sequence signal injected into the power system to determine a correlated impulse response and determining a condition of the power system based at least in part upon the correlated impulse response. In another embodiment, a system includes a plurality of signal injection systems and a data capture device coupled to a power system. A data analysis device cross-correlates raw power system data obtained by the data capture device with at least one synchronized pseudo-random sequence signal injected by a signal injection system and determines a condition of the power system based at least in part upon a frequency spectrum based upon a correlated impulse response.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 19, 2011
    Publication date: October 25, 2012
    Applicant: Southern Company Services, Inc.
    Inventors: Olin Alvin Williams, JR., Michael Jack Swan
  • Publication number: 20120271575
    Abstract: A phase angle drift method for loss of mains/grid protection is disclosed. According to one aspect, an accumulated electrical phase angle drift derived from the difference between the current measured local frequency and the estimated frequency using historical data is compared to an angle threshold. An estimated grid frequency may be calculated based on the historical delay, and the window, over which the estimated frequency is calculated. An addition/subtraction of a phase angle offset value is calculated for a half cycle is performed when the frequency difference between the estimated frequency fnest and the measured frequency fn is greater or equal to a first determined value.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 30, 2009
    Publication date: October 25, 2012
    Applicant: Alstom Technology Ltd
    Inventors: Ryan M. Tumilty, Adam Dysko, Graeme Burt
  • Patent number: 8295990
    Abstract: A method and system for controlling the operation of accessories in a home energy management system which manages a plurality of communication networks. The schedules are generated by using a central controller and interacting with a user interface found on a device separate from the central controller. The plurality of schedules are stored in the storage of the central controller, and a current schedule is selected from the stored schedules. The selected schedule is loaded onto an accessory through one of the communication channels for controlling the associate accessory.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 3, 2011
    Date of Patent: October 23, 2012
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventors: Natarajan Venkatakrishnan, Michael Francis Finch, Robert Marten Bultman, Timothy Dale Worthington, David C. Bingham, Jeff Donald Drake, William Anthony Watts, Kevin Farrelly Nolan, Cathy Diane Emery, Henry Kobraei
  • Patent number: 8290726
    Abstract: A Built-In Test (BIT) for a photoconductive photodiode is performed using the health or characteristics of the photodiode's parasitic capacitance as a “proxy” for the health or characteristics of the photodiode itself. A failure or degradation of the photodiode manifests as a similar failure or degradation of the parasitic capacitance. Under normal operating conditions, the photoconductive photodiode responds to incident photons from a target by generating a photocurrent signal at its cathode. A processor processes the signals from one or more photodiodes to evaluate characteristics of the target. To perform the BIT, a time-varying voltage signal is applied at the photodiode's anode. This signal is coupled through the parasitic capacitance to produce a test current signal at the photodiode's anode. The processor processes the signal to evaluate the health or characteristics of the parasitic capacitance and thus the photodiode.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 28, 2010
    Date of Patent: October 16, 2012
    Assignee: Raytheon Company
    Inventors: Richard A. Schmidt, Mitchell O. Perley, Robert A. Kuehn
  • Patent number: 8290635
    Abstract: An apparatus, system and methods system for reducing power consumption in a network including electrical appliances connected via electrical outlets to an electricity supplier and/or a system managing power consumption. The system comprises a management system and apparatuses, each comprising a measurement unit, a processing unit, an optional communications unit and a control unit, such that each apparatus is connected to an electrical outlet and is associated with an appliance or a group of appliances. Control units inject electrical signals via the associated electrical outlet to the electrical appliance. The measurement unit measures electrical parameters at the outlet, and the processing unit analyzes the electrical parameters measured in view of the electrical signal and detects the electrical signature of the associated electrical appliance therefrom. The electrical signature is utilized to characterize various characteristics of the electrical appliances and manage power consumption of the network.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 23, 2010
    Date of Patent: October 16, 2012
    Assignee: Greenlet Technologies Ltd
    Inventor: Avner Cohen
  • Patent number: 8290710
    Abstract: Methods and apparatus associated with monitoring and controlling streetlights include monitoring light levels and voltage levels at corresponding streetlights and controlling the streetlights to set or maintain a particular light output at the respective streetlights or providing power consumption estimates for respective streetlights (streetlight specific metering) based on the voltage levels and light levels. A streetlight controller for a streetlight includes a microcontroller; a first sensor to sense a light level from a lamp within the streetlight; a second sensor operative to sense a voltage level on a power supply for the streetlight; and a switching network coupled with the microcontroller and operative to adjust the light level of the lamp. Methods includes monitoring a light level and voltage level and adjusting a light level, estimating power consumption, or facilitating maintenance in accordance with the light level and voltage level.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 7, 2007
    Date of Patent: October 16, 2012
    Assignee: LED Roadway Lighting Ltd.
    Inventors: Donald A. Cleland, Pratibha Sharma, Simon H. Lightbody, Velvet Warrior
  • Patent number: 8290727
    Abstract: A system, method and computer program product for processing utility data of a power grid is provided. In one embodiment, the system includes a datamart comprised of a plurality of physical databases storing utility data, a plurality of applications comprising an automated meter application configured to process power usage data from a plurality of automated meters, a power outage application configured to identify a location of a power outage, and a power restoration application configured to identify a location of a power restoration. The system may include an analysis engine comprising a plurality of analysis objects with each analysis object configured to process data to provide a specific analysis, wherein said analysis engine is accessible via one or more of the plurality of applications, and the system may include a report module configured to receive an output from the analysis engine and to output a report.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 15, 2011
    Date of Patent: October 16, 2012
    Assignee: Current Communications Services, LLC
    Inventors: David G. Kreiss, Daniel S. Brancaccio
  • Publication number: 20120259564
    Abstract: The remaining capacity of a power source, such as a battery, may be monitored with a microprocessor by integrating data received from a current sensor. The microprocessor may measure electrons passing through the battery by sampling the integrator and summing the values recorded from the integrator. Each time the integrator is sampled, the microprocessor may reset the integrator to prevent the integrator from saturating. The microprocessor may sample the integrator when the integrator approaches a predetermined value. The remaining capacity of the battery may be calculated based on calibration values and the sum of electrons measured by the integrator. The remaining capacity may be communicated to remote users through a network and displayed in an executive dashboard.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 18, 2012
    Publication date: October 11, 2012
    Applicant: Southwest Electronic Energy Group
    Inventors: Claude L. Benckenstein, JR., Clint Alfred Davis, Dean Perkins
  • Patent number: 8285500
    Abstract: A system, method and computer program product for processing utility data of a power grid is provided. In one embodiment, the system includes a datamart comprised of a plurality of physical databases storing utility data, a plurality of applications comprising an automated meter application configured to process power usage data from a plurality of automated meters, a power outage application configured to identify a location of a power outage, and a power restoration application configured to identify a location of a power restoration. The system may include an analysis engine comprising a plurality of analysis objects with each analysis object configured to process data to provide a specific analysis, wherein said analysis engine is accessible via one or more of the plurality of applications, and the system may include a report module configured to receive an output from the analysis engine and to output a report.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 15, 2011
    Date of Patent: October 9, 2012
    Assignee: Current Communications Services, LLC
    Inventors: David G. Kreiss, Daniel S. Brancaccio
  • Patent number: 8285514
    Abstract: A method, computer readable medium and system for detecting a sensor fault includes identifying one or more of a plurality of tools to use with at least one of a plurality of data acquisition systems based on data obtained from and at least one characteristic of the at least one of the data acquisition systems. The identified one or more tools are utilized on the obtained data to determine at least one confidence rating. An operational status for the at least one of the data acquisition systems is determined and provided based on at least the one determined confidence rating.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 21, 2008
    Date of Patent: October 9, 2012
    Assignee: Rochester Institute of Technology
    Inventors: Omar Anbari, Michael G. Thurston
  • Publication number: 20120253709
    Abstract: An automatic machine status detection system uses apparatus data from one or more sensors or machine components to determine a status for an agricultural machine. An automatic data unit onboard a machine can receive apparatus data and communicate it to a central management system. In an exemplary embodiment, a status determination module can receive the apparatus data, use the to make one or more state determinations, and based on the results of those determinations, determine an activity status for a machine. Engine state, motion state, heading state, implement state and PTO state can be used to determine that a machine has a status identified as “Off”, “Idle”, “Traveling”, “Turning” or “Working”. Machine status information can be provided to a user to improve operations efficiency and facilitate billing and administrative services.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 30, 2011
    Publication date: October 4, 2012
    Applicant: AGCO CORPORATION
    Inventors: Lee A. Schmidt, Lorenz Riegger
  • Patent number: 8280655
    Abstract: A digital power monitoring circuit for monitoring power through an output inductor of a switching power supply in accordance with an embodiment of the present application includes a first analog to digital converter receiving a current sense signal indicative of the current through the output inductor and providing a first digital signal including information regarding the current through the output inductor, a second analog to digital converter receiving a signal indicative of the output voltage of the switching power supply and providing a second digital signal containing information regarding the output voltage of the switching power supply; and a convolver circuit operable to receive the first digital signal and the second digital signal and to provide a third digital signal including information regarding the power through the output inductor based on the first and second digital signals.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 29, 2008
    Date of Patent: October 2, 2012
    Assignee: International Rectifier Corporation
    Inventor: Ryan Foran
  • Patent number: 8280656
    Abstract: A system, method and computer program product for processing utility data of a power grid is provided. In one embodiment, the system includes a datamart comprised of a plurality of physical databases storing utility data, a plurality of applications comprising an automated meter application configured to process power usage data from a plurality of automated meters, a power outage application configured to identify a location of a power outage, and a power restoration application configured to identify a location of a power restoration. The system may include an analysis engine comprising a plurality of analysis objects with each analysis object configured to process data to provide a specific analysis, wherein said analysis engine is accessible via one or more of the plurality of applications, and the system may include a report module configured to receive an output from the analysis engine and to output a report.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 15, 2011
    Date of Patent: October 2, 2012
    Assignee: Current Communications Services, LLC
    Inventors: David G. Kreiss, Daniel S. Brancaccio
  • Patent number: 8275560
    Abstract: A method and system to enable power measurements of a system-on-chip in various modes. In one embodiment of the invention, the system-on-chip has full controllability of its logic and circuitry to facilitate configuration of the system-on-chip into a desired mode of operation. This allows hooks or interfaces to access the system-on-chip externally for measurements. For example, in one embodiment of the invention, the hooks in the system-on-chip allow a backend tester to configure the system-on-chip into various modes easily to perform power consumption measurements of one or more individual components of the system-on-chip. The power consumption measurement of the individual components in the system-on-chip can be performed faster and can be more accurate. In addition, the overall yield of the SOC can be increased as it is easier to detect failure parts.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 10, 2009
    Date of Patent: September 25, 2012
    Assignee: Intel Corporation
    Inventors: Sivakumar Radhakrishnan, Sin S. Tan, Stephan J. Jourdan, Lily P. Looi, Yi-Feng Liu
  • Patent number: 8275561
    Abstract: Techniques and mechanisms for evaluating a plurality of electrical devices variously powered by a common alternating current service. In an embodiment, a set of transition reports are processed to determine a cluster of transition reports including on-transition reports for an electrical device. In another embodiment, a data structure is created based on such an identified cluster, the data structure characterizing a first device of the plurality of electrical devices. The data structure is provided in one embodiment for an automatic determining of whether a first transition report subsequent to the set of transition reports corresponds to the first device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 5, 2009
    Date of Patent: September 25, 2012
    Assignee: Home Comfort Zones, Inc.
    Inventor: Harold Gene Alles
  • Publication number: 20120239322
    Abstract: There is provided an abnormality diagnosis device including: a storage storing power generation output data representing a current and a voltage of electrical power generated by each of the subsystems according to sampling time; a correcting unit configured to correct, for each of the subsystems, at least the current out of the current and the voltage in the power generation output data to a current corresponding to a standard insolation condition to generate corrected data including a corrected current and either one of a corrected voltage or the voltage in the power generation output data; a gradient estimating unit configured to produce, for each of the subsystems, an approximation graph of the corrected data and calculate a gradient of the approximation graph; and an abnormality diagnosing unit determining a subsystem for which the gradient satisfies a first threshold to be a subsystem including an abnormal module.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 28, 2012
    Publication date: September 20, 2012
    Applicant: Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba
    Inventors: Makoto SATO, Yoshiaki Hasegawa
  • Patent number: 8271215
    Abstract: Method and practical use system for measuring the imbalance potential of an electrical installation or system comprising: i) acquiring instantaneous values of voltage (vA, vB, vC) and electrical intensity (iA, iB, iC) of each of the phases A, B, C of the installation, and breaking them down into their fundamental frequency components (vA1, vB1, vC1), (iA1, iB1, iC1); ii) obtaining effective voltage and intensity values and angles for initial phase difference between voltage and intensity, and, starting from these effective values obtaining active powers (PA, PB, PC) and reactive (QA, QB, QC) potentials for each of the phases; iii) from the active and reactive potentials, obtaining (4) a phasor imbalance potentials (?U) according to the following expression: ?U=?{square root over (2)}( p·|PA+a2PB+aPC|+ q·|QA+a2QB+aQC|) where a=1|120° and p and q are orthogonal unit phasors. The invention also relates to a device for calibrating (21) instruments for measurement instruments of this imbalance power.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 30, 2008
    Date of Patent: September 18, 2012
    Assignee: Universidad Politecnica de Valencia
    Inventors: Navarro Antonio Cazorla, Garcia José Giner, Martinez Vicente Leon, Romeu Joaquín Montañana
  • Publication number: 20120232814
    Abstract: The present invention provides a frequency-sampling circuit and method for characterizing a health condition of a test unit attached to a power supply. The frequency-sampling circuit is connected externally to the test unit. The circuit comprises an inductor and a capacitor connected in series at an output. When switched, the circuit resonates with an AC loop current to produce a damped-frequency response at the output. Frequency measurements of this response are processed to generate SoH or RUL estimates for the test unit. The voltages applied within the frequency-sampling circuit are limited, which in turn limits the AC loop current to avoid loading the power supply. Incorporating the inductance and capacitance with in the frequency-sampling circuit allows the circuit to be configured for different classes of test units having a wide range of characteristic impedances.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 28, 2012
    Publication date: September 13, 2012
    Inventors: James P. Hofmeister, Douglas L. Goodman, William J. Gleeson, III
  • Patent number: 8266458
    Abstract: Embodiments of the invention disclose a system and a method for estimating the power consumption of virtual servers that operate in various hardware configurations and making a charge. The system consists of a resource utilization measurement unit that measures utilization of a hardware resource by an operation of a virtual server. The system also includes a conversion unit that converts the utilization of the hardware resource measured by the resource utilization measurement unit to utilization of a hardware resource in a case where the operation of the virtual server is performed in a reference server including a preset hardware configuration.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 27, 2009
    Date of Patent: September 11, 2012
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventor: Hiroshi Inoue
  • Patent number: 8261118
    Abstract: A heat potential value for each of a set of available server locations is calculated via a data center controller based upon at least one active server in a data center. A minimal calculated heat potential value for the set of available server locations is identified. An available server location associated with the identified minimal calculated heat potential value is selected from the set of available server locations.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 25, 2009
    Date of Patent: September 4, 2012
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Seraphin B. Calo, David L. Kaminsky, Dinesh C. Verma, Xiping Wang
  • Publication number: 20120221264
    Abstract: An apparatus and method for determining and quantifying “sparkle”—the random noise that is generated when a pixelated image is viewed through a roughened surface of a transparent sample. The apparatus includes a pixelated source and an imaging system located in an optical path originating from the pixelated source, wherein a transparent sample may be placed in the optical path between the pixelated source and the optical system. The degree of sparkle is determined by obtaining an integrated image for the pixelated image; and calculating a standard deviation of the integrated pixel power. An objective level of sparkle can be defined by correlating the amount of sparkle provided by the apparatus with visual impressions.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 20, 2012
    Publication date: August 30, 2012
    Inventors: Jacques Gollier, Shandon Dee Hart, Garrett Andrew Piech, James Andrew West
  • Publication number: 20120209439
    Abstract: A prediction device for predicting a prediction interval being a time interval predicted with a high possibility of appliance utilization starts includes: an evaluation unit calculating, using utilization interval history data, an evaluation value for determining a prediction scheme for each appliance; a determination unit, based on the evaluation value at least for each appliance, determining at least one of a first and a second prediction scheme as the scheme of the prediction interval for the appliance, the first prediction scheme using a property that the appliance is utilized in a predetermined cycle, and the second prediction scheme using a property that the utilization of a second appliance being the appliance is started in a period from a start or an end of utilization of a first appliance being another appliance to a passage of a predetermined time; a prediction unit predicting a prediction interval according to the determined scheme.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 24, 2012
    Publication date: August 16, 2012
    Inventors: Tsuyoshi INOUE, Jun OZAWA
  • Patent number: 8244489
    Abstract: A method and apparatus measures electrical power usage and quality, while mitigating the effects of noise on measured signals or parameters. Specifically, a digital electrical power and energy meter employs a method in which a processor averages a parameter, such as voltage or current, over a plurality of cycles of a time-varying signal, such as an AC electrical signal. The method employed by the meter samples a parameter over the plurality of cycles and computes the average of the samples corresponding to the same phase angle of the signal to produce an average signal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 5, 2011
    Date of Patent: August 14, 2012
    Assignee: Electro Industries/Gauge Tech
    Inventor: Tibor Banhegyesi
  • Publication number: 20120203480
    Abstract: Power estimates for an integrated circuit may be obtained without having to individually enter monitor statements at hierarchical levels in a design. The current, or consumed power may be considered at the transistor level throughout the entire circuit, even when the circuit is divided into hierarchical modules. Current, or power measurements may be obtained after a circuit has been synthesized and an extracted transistor-level netlist has been created. Separate netlists may be created for different modules, and estimate results collected from the different modules, since current measurements are performed at the transistor level. To accurately estimate the power consumption, the current flowing through transistors that are connected to power rails in the netlist may be measured during circuit simulation. This may be accomplished via measurement statements created for these transistors, and placed in a simulation input file, by a script or program, for example.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 14, 2011
    Publication date: August 9, 2012
    Inventors: Jason A. Frerich, Christopher M. Goertz, Edward M. McCombs
  • Patent number: 8239147
    Abstract: Provided is a test apparatus that tests a device under test, comprising a test signal generating section that generates a test signal to be applied to the device under test; a first driver that is electrically connected to a terminal of the device under test and that supplies the test signal to the terminal of the device under test; a correction signal generating section that generates a correction signal for correcting attenuation of the test signal occurring until the test signal reaches the terminal of the device under test; and a second driver that is electrically connected to the terminal of the device under test and that supplies the correction signal to the terminal of the device under test.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 19, 2009
    Date of Patent: August 7, 2012
    Assignee: Advantest Corporation
    Inventors: Daisuke Watanabe, Toshiyuki Okayasu