# US 2014/0197843 A1 · Plug-In Electric Vehicle Charger Validation and Test Device > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 2014/0197843 A1 - Document ID: US20140197843A1 - Status: Published application - Kind: A1 - Application number: 13/743,183 - Filed: 2013-01-16 - Published: 2014-07-17 - Earliest claimed: 2013-01-16 - Inventors: Thomas Michael Schurman; Melvin G. Oster; Nathan H. Tobol - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US20140197843A1 ## CPC - G01R 31/40: Testing power supplies (testing photovoltaic devices H02S50/10) - B60L 3/00: Electric devices on electrically-propelled vehicles for safety purposes; Monitoring operating variables, e.g. speed, deceleration or energy consumption (methods or circuit arrangements for monitoring or controlling batteries or fuel cells B60L58/00) - B60L 53/14: Conductive energy transfer - B60L 53/62: in response to charging parameters, e.g. current, voltage or electrical charge - B60L 58/13: Maintaining the SoC within a determined range - G01R 31/52: Testing for short-circuits, leakage current or ground faults - Y02T 10/70: Energy storage systems for electromobility, e.g. batteries - Y02T 10/7072: Electromobility specific charging systems or methods for batteries, ultracapacitors, supercapacitors or double-layer capacitors - Y02T 90/12: Electric charging stations - Y02T 90/14: Plug-in electric vehicles - Y02T 90/16: Information or communication technologies improving the operation of electric vehicles - G01R: MEASURING ELECTRIC VARIABLES; MEASURING MAGNETIC VARIABLES (indicating correct tuning of resonant circuits H03J3/12) - B60L: PROPULSION OF ELECTRICALLY-PROPELLED VEHICLES (arrangements or mounting of electrical propulsion units or of plural diverse prime-movers for mutual or common propulsion in vehicles B60K1/00, B60K6/20; arrangements or mounting of electrical gearing in vehicles B60K17/12, B60K17/14; preventing wheel slip by reducing power in rail vehicles B61C15/08; dynamo-electric machines H02K; control or regulation of electric motors H02P); SUPPLYING ELECTRIC POWER FOR AUXILIARY EQUIPMENT OF ELECTRICALLY-PROPELLED VEHICLES (electric coupling devices combined with mechanical couplings of vehicles B60D1/64; electric heating for vehicles B60H1/00); ELECTRODYNAMIC BRAKE SYSTEMS FOR VEHICLES IN GENERAL (control or regulation of electric motors H02P); MAGNETIC SUSPENSION OR LEVITATION FOR VEHICLES; MONITORING OPERATING VARIABLES OF ELECTRICALLY-PROPELLED VEHICLES; ELECTRIC SAFETY DEVICES FOR ELECTRICALLY-PROPELLED VEHICLES - Y02T: CLIMATE CHANGE MITIGATION TECHNOLOGIES RELATED TO TRANSPORTATION ## Abstract A process and apparatus for performing a ground fault test of a device is disclosed. A current level may be selected from a plurality of predetermined current levels. A ground fault current may be generated between a first power line and a ground at the selected current level until a ground fault interrupter within the device trips, or until expiration of an on-time period associated with the selected current level. The ground fault current may then be set to zero for an off-time period associated with the selected current level. The process may be repeated for each of the plurality of current levels. When the ground fault interrupter within the device trips, the current level and a time interval from an onset of the ground fault current at the selected level and a time when the ground fault interrupter tripped may be recorded. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A process for performing a ground fault test of a device that delivers power to a load via one or more power lines, the process comprising: selecting a current level from a plurality of current levels that differ from one another generating a ground fault current between a first power line of the one or more power lines and ground at the selected current level until a ground fault interrupter within the device trips in response to the ground fault current, or until expiration of an on-time interval associated with the selected current level, whichever occurs first, after generating the ground fault current at the selected current level, setting the ground fault current to zero for an off-time interval associated with the selected current level, and repeating the selecting, generating, and setting for each of the plurality of current levels, wherein when the ground fault interrupter within the device trips, the process further comprising reporting the selected current level at which the ground fault interrupter tripped and a time interval from an onset of the ground fault current at the selected level and a time when the ground fault interrupter tripped. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The process of claim 1, wherein the one or more power lines is a plurality of power lines, and the process further comprises performing the selecting, generating, setting, repeating, and reporting for one or more power lines other than the first power line. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The process of claim 1 wherein: the plurality of current levels include at least one current level less than a specified minimum trip current of the ground fault interrupter and at least one current level above the minimum trip current. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The process of claim 1, wherein at least some of the on-time intervals associated with the plurality of current levels are different from each other. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The process of claim 1, wherein at least some of the off-time intervals associated with the plurality of current levels are different from each other. ### Claim 6 An apparatus for performing a ground fault test of a device that delivers power to a load via one or more power lines, the apparatus comprising: a first controllable current generator connect to generate a first ground fault current between ground and a first power line of the one or more power lines; and a controller coupled to the first controllable current generator, the controller configured to perform actions including: selecting a current level from a plurality of current levels that differ from one another, controlling the first controllable current generator to generate a ground fault current at the selected current level until a ground fault interrupter within the device trips in response to the ground fault current, or until expiration of an on-time interval associated with the selected current level, whichever occurs first, after controlling the first controllable current generator to generate a ground fault current at the selected current level, controlling the first controllable current generator to set the ground fault current to zero for an off-time interval associated with the selected current level, and repeating the selecting and controlling actions for each of the plurality of current levels, wherein when the ground fault interrupter within the device trips, the actions performed further include reporting the selected current level at which the ground fault interrupter tripped and a time interval from an onset of the ground fault current at the selected level and a time when the ground fault interrupter tripped. ### Claim 7 (depends on 6) The apparatus of claim 6 wherein: the plurality of current levels include at least one current level less than a specified minimum trip current of the ground fault interrupter and at least one current level above the minimum trip current. ### Claim 8 (depends on 6) The apparatus of claim 6, wherein at least some of the on-time intervals associated with the plurality of current levels are different from each other. ### Claim 9 (depends on 6) The apparatus of claim 6 wherein at least some of the off-time intervals associated with the plurality of current levels are different from each other. ### Claim 10 (depends on 6) The apparatus of claim 6, wherein the controller further comprises: a processor storage coupled to the processor, the storage storing instructions that, when executed by the processor, cause the controller to perform the selecting, controlling repeating, and reporting actions. ### Claim 11 (depends on 6) The apparatus of claim 6, further comprising: a second controllable current generator connect to generate a second ground fault current between ground and a second power line of the plurality of power lines, wherein the controller is coupled to the second controllable current generator and configured to perform actions including: selecting a current level from a plurality of current levels that differ from one another, controlling the second controllable current generator to generate a ground fault current at the selected current level until a ground fault interrupter within the device trips in response to the ground fault current, or until expiration of the on-time period associated with the selected current level, whichever occurs first, after controlling the second controllable current generator to generate a ground fault current at the selected current level, controlling the second controllable current generator to set the ground fault current to zero for the off-time interval associated with the selected current level, and repeating the selecting and controlling actions for each of the plurality of current levels, wherein when the ground fault interrupter within the device trips, the actions performed further include reporting the current level at which the ground fault interrupter tripped and a time interval from an onset of the ground fault current at the selected level and a time when the ground fault interrupter tripped.