# US 12,601,764 B2 · Electric circuit arrangement and method for the galvanically separate, AC/DC-sensitive residual-current measurement

> Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt

- Number: US 12,601,764 B2
- Document ID: US12601764B2
- Status: Granted
- Kind: B2
- Application number: 18/502,217
- Filed: 2023-11-06
- Published: 2024-05-09
- Granted: 2026-04-14
- Earliest claimed: 2022-11-08
- Assignees: Bender GmbH & Co. KG
- Applicants: Bender GmbH & Co. KG
- Inventors: Pascal Becker
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US12601764B2

## CPC

- G01R 15/183: {using transformers with a magnetic core}
- G01R 31/52: Testing for short-circuits, leakage current or ground faults
- G01R 15/185: {with compensation or feedback windings or interacting coils, e.g. 0-flux sensors (using galvano-magnetic field sensors G01R15/20; conversion of DC into AC using transductors G01R19/20)}
- G01R 19/25: using digital measurement techniques
- G01R 35/005: {Calibrating; Standards or reference devices, e.g. voltage or resistance standards, "golden" references (G01R33/0035, G01R35/002 take precedence)}
- G01R: MEASURING ELECTRIC VARIABLES; MEASURING MAGNETIC VARIABLES (indicating correct tuning of resonant circuits H03J3/12)

## Abstract

An electric circuit arrangement and to a measuring method for the galvanically separate, AC/DC-sensitive residual-current measurement, the measuring method including registering a residual current (Id) by means of a measuring current transformer having a toroid and precisely one secondary winding; supplying power to the secondary winding and generating a time-modulated, binary measuring signal (V) having a corresponding dwell time (Th, T1) in a first state (S1) and a second state (S2) by means of a driver circuit having an oscillation circuit; evaluating the dwell times (Th, T1) by means of a computing unit and outputting a residual-current measured value (Im, I'm) by a data interface, wherein the driver circuit having the oscillation circuit forms an integral structural unit in the form of a driver module, which is supplied with a shared, unipolar operating voltage (Ub) by a power-supply device together with the computing unit.

## Claims

### Claim 1

An electric circuit arrangement for galvanically separate, AC/DC-sensitive residual-current measurement, the electric circuit arrangement consisting of:
a measuring current transformer having a toroid and precisely one secondary winding for registering a residual current, a driver circuit having an oscillation circuit for supplying power to the secondary winding and for generating a time-modulated, binary measuring signal having a corresponding dwell time in a first state and a second state,
a computing unit having a data interface for evaluating the dwell times and for outputting a residual-current measured value,
wherein the driver circuit having the oscillation circuit forms an integral structural unit in the form of a driver module configured to be supplied with a shared, unipolar operating voltage by a power-supply device together with the computing unit.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The electric circuit arrangement according to claim 1, wherein the driver module is configured to reverse the direction of electric current in the secondary winding by changing the polarity at the secondary winding.

### Claim 3 (depends on 1)

The electric circuit arrangement according to claim 1, wherein the data interface is configured to output the residual-current measured value in digital form and/or in analog form by a digital-to-analog converter.

### Claim 4 (depends on 1)

The electric circuit arrangement according to claim 1, wherein the measuring current transformer has a test and calibration winding.

### Claim 5 (depends on 4)

The electric circuit arrangement according to claim 4, wherein the test and calibration winding has the same number of windings as the secondary winding.

### Claim 6

A measuring method for the galvanically separate, AC/DC-sensitive residual-current measurement, the method comprising the method steps of:
registering a residual current by a measuring current transformer having a toroid and precisely one secondary winding,
supplying power to the secondary winding and generating a time-modulated, binary measuring signal having a corresponding dwell time in a first state and a second state by a driver circuit having an oscillation circuit,
evaluating the dwell times by a computing unit and outputting a residual-current measured value by a data interface,
wherein the driver circuit having the oscillation circuit forms an integral structural unit in the form of a driver module, which is supplied with a shared, unipolar operating voltage by a power-supply device together with the computing unit.

### Claim 7 (depends on 6)

The measuring method according to claim 6, wherein the direction of electric current in the secondary winding is reversed via a change of polarity at the secondary winding by the driver module.

### Claim 8 (depends on 6)

The measuring method according to claim 6, wherein that the residual-current measured value is output in digital form via the data interface and/or in analog form by a digital-to-analog converter.

### Claim 9 (depends on 6)

The measuring method according to claim 6, wherein the measuring current transformer is tested and calibrated by a test and calibration winding.