Communication enabled circuit breakers and circuit breaker panels
AssigneeLeviton Manufacturing Co., Inc.
InventorsAdam Kevelos, Alfred J. Lombardi, Michael Ostrovsky, Paul Soccoli
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
Communication enabled circuit breakers and circuit breaker panels are described. Methods associated with such communication enabled circuit breakers and circuit breaker panels are also described. A circuit breaker panel may include a circuit breaker controller and one or more communication enabled circuit breakers. Two-way wireless communication is possible between the circuit breaker controller and the one or more communication enabled circuit breakers.
Claims25
A communicating circuit breaker for use in a panel system, the panel system having a plurality of communicating circuit breakers in a panel, the communicating circuit breaker comprising:
- a miniature circuit breaker (MCB) housing comprising:
- a memory to comprise circuit breaker instructions;
- a processor coupled with the memory to execute the circuit breaker instructions;
- a first wireless radio configured to establish a first direct wireless connection with a wireless circuit breaker controller in the panel;
- and
- a second wireless radio configured to establish a direct wireless connection with a mobile device that is separate from the panel system, wherein the mobile device is located outside of the panel of the panel system;
- wherein the communicating circuit breaker is configured to validate new circuit breaker instructions received from:
- the wireless circuit breaker controller via the first wireless radio;
- or the mobile device via the second wireless radio.
A method for a communicating circuit breaker, for use with a communicating circuit breaker controller and a mobile device, within a panel of a panel system, the method comprising the steps of:
- executing, by a processor in a miniature circuit breaker (MCB) housing of the communicating circuit breaker, circuit breaker instructions to cause a circuit interrupter in the communicating circuit breaker to interrupt a current flow between a line side phase connection and a load side phase connection of the communicating circuit breaker upon detection of a fault;
- establishing a first direct wireless connection via a first wireless radio with a communicating circuit breaker controller in the panel;
- establishing a second direct wireless connection via a second wireless radio with a mobile device that is separate from the panel system and wherein the mobile device is located outside of the panel;
- and
- selectively transmitting information on the first and second direct wireless connections, wherein the information comprises one or more of a status, a trip alarm, fault information, or operating parameters;
- wherein the communicating circuit breaker is configured to validate new circuit breaker instructions received from:
- the communicating circuit breaker controller via the first wireless radio;
- or the mobile device via the second wireless radio.
A machine-readable, non-transitory storage medium comprising instructions, which, when executed by a processor, causes the processor to perform operations to:
- execute circuit breaker instructions to cause a fault interrupter of a communicating circuit breaker to interrupt a current flow between a line side phase connection and a load side phase connection of the communicating circuit breaker upon detection of a fault;
- establish a first direct wireless connection via a first wireless radio with a communicating circuit breaker controller within a panel of a panel system, wherein the processor is within a miniature circuit breaker (MCB) housing of the communicating circuit breaker within the panel of the panel system;
- establish a second direct wireless connection via a second wireless radio with a mobile device that is separate from the panel system and wherein the mobile device is located outside of the panel;
- and
- selectively transmit information on the first and second direct wireless connections, wherein the information comprises one or more of a status, a trip alarm, fault information, or operating parameters for the communicating circuit breaker;
- wherein the communicating circuit breaker is configured to validate new circuit breaker instructions received from:
- the communicating circuit breaker controller via the first wireless radio;
- or the mobile device via the second wireless radio.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.