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US 11,300,590 B2Granted
Switch system and method for switching a switch
AssigneeLandis+Gyr, Inc.
InventorTimothy James Fawcett
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A switching system for an electricity meter, an electricity meter with a switch system and a method of switching switch are provided. In order to improve lifetime of the switch the timing of outputting a switching signal is adjusted based on a time difference between previously outputting the switching signal and achieving a predefined switching state.
Claims18
A switch system for an electricity meter with at least one switch, namely a supply control switch and/or a load control switch, wherein
- the switch system comprises a control device that is adapted to output a switching signal to the at least one switch for starting a switching event of the at least one switch,
- wherein the switch system comprises a sensor that is adapted to transform output current and/or output voltage of the at least one switch into a sensor signal, the sensor being connected to the control device in a sensor signal transmitting manner, wherein
- the control device is adapted to determine a switching state of the at least one switch based on the sensor signal, to determine a time difference between a first point in time at which the switching signal is output, and a second point in time, at which the switching state of the at least one switch corresponds to a predefined switching state, and to adjust the timing of the output of the switching signal based on the time difference and with respect to a zero crossing of an AC voltage and/or current to be switched, wherein
- the switch system comprises another sensor that is adapted to transform current drawn by a switching coil of the at least one switch into another sensor signal, and that is connected to the control device in a sensor signal transmitting manner, wherein the control device is adapted to adjust the timing of the output of the switching signal based on the other sensor signal.
1 more element
A method for switching a switch, wherein the method comprises the steps of
- outputting a switch signal to a switch at a first point in time,
- determining a switching state of the switch based on a voltage and/or a current output by the switch,
- determining a second point in time at which the switching state corresponds to a predefined switching state,
- determining a time difference between the first point in time and the second point in time,
- adjusting the timing of a switching signal to be output based on the time difference and with respect to a zero crossing of an AC voltage and/or an AC current to be switched, and
- determining current drawn by a switching coil of the switch, and by adjusting the timing of the switching signal to be output based on the current drawn by the switching coil.
3 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.