# US 2018/0024604 A1 · Intelligent power tap for providing power and communicating in industrial automation applications > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 2018/0024604 A1 - Document ID: US20180024604A1 - Status: Published application - Kind: A1 - Application number: 15/217,352 - Filed: 2016-07-22 - Published: 2018-01-25 - Earliest claimed: 2016-07-22 - Assignees: Rockwell Automation Technologies, Inc. - Applicants: Rockwell Automation Technologies, Inc. - Inventors: Steven T. Haensgen; John P. Caspers; Yutao Wang; Jeffrey A Kilburn; Darryl E. Whitley - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US20180024604A1 ## CPC - H02J 13/14: the power network being locally controlled, e.g. home energy management systems [HEMS] - G05B 19/0425: {Safety, monitoring} - G05B 19/418: Total factory control, i.e. centrally controlling a plurality of machines, e.g. direct or distributed numerical control [DNC], flexible manufacturing systems [FMS], integrated manufacturing systems [IMS] or computer integrated manufacturing [CIM] - G06F 1/266: {Arrangements to supply power to external peripherals either directly from the computer or under computer control, e.g. supply of power through the communication port, computer controlled power-strips} - G06F 13/362: with centralised access control - H02J 1/08: Three-wire DC power distribution systems; Systems having more than three wires - H02J 13/12: Monitoring network conditions, e.g. electrical magnitudes or operational status - H02J 2105/12: supplying households or buildings - Y02B 90/20: Smart grids as enabling technology in buildings sector (smart grids supporting the management or operation of end-user stationary applications in general, or like technologies with no associated climate change mitigation effect Y04S20/00) - Y04S 20/00: Management or operation of end-user stationary applications or the last stages of power distribution; Controlling, monitoring or operating thereof - H02J: ELECTRIC POWER NETWORKS; CIRCUIT ARRANGEMENTS OR SYSTEMS FOR SUPPLYING OR DISTRIBUTING ELECTRIC POWER; SYSTEMS FOR STORING ELECTRIC ENERGY - G05B: CONTROL OR REGULATING SYSTEMS IN GENERAL; FUNCTIONAL ELEMENTS OF SUCH SYSTEMS; MONITORING OR TESTING ARRANGEMENTS FOR SUCH SYSTEMS OR ELEMENTS (systems for controlling or regulating non-electric variables G05D; systems for regulating electric or magnetic variables G05F; control devices or systems insofar as characterised by mechanical features only G05G) - G06F: ELECTRIC DIGITAL DATA PROCESSING (computer systems based on specific computational models G06N) - Y02B: CLIMATE CHANGE MITIGATION TECHNOLOGIES RELATED TO BUILDINGS, e.g. HOUSING, HOUSE APPLIANCES OR RELATED END-USER APPLICATIONS - Y04S: SYSTEMS INTEGRATING TECHNOLOGIES RELATED TO POWER NETWORK OPERATION, COMMUNICATION OR INFORMATION TECHNOLOGIES FOR IMPROVING THE ELECTRICAL POWER GENERATION, TRANSMISSION, DISTRIBUTION, MANAGEMENT OR USAGE, i.e. SMART GRIDS ## Abstract Systems and methods for providing diagnostic information by an intelligent power tap is disclosed. The power tap includes a circuit board and a microcontroller disposed on the circuit board. The microcontroller is configured to provide a status report of the intelligent power tap. The power tap further includes a physical layer network interface connected to the microcontroller and the physical network. The intelligent power tap is configured to inject at least one of a network power and a switched power into the network system. ## Claims ### Claim 1 An intelligent power tap in a network system, comprising: a circuit board; a microcontroller disposed on the circuit board, wherein the microcontroller is configured to provide a status report of the intelligent power tap; and a physical layer network interface connected to the microcontroller and the network system, wherein the intelligent power tap is configured to inject at least one of a network power and a switched power into the network system. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The intelligent power tap of claim 1, wherein the status report comprises a geographical location on the network system of the intelligent power tap. ### Claim 3 (depends on 2) The intelligent power tap of claim 2, wherein the microcontroller communicates as a network node via a network bus connected to a physical layer of the network system; and wherein the microcontroller is configured to allow the geographical location of the intelligent power tap to be determined in the network system. ### Claim 4 (depends on 2) The intelligent power tap of claim 2, further comprising: a first voltage sensor that senses an incoming voltage to the intelligent power tap; a second voltage sensor that senses at least one of a network voltage and a switched voltage to be injected into the network system; and a current sensor that senses at least one of a network current and a switched current to be injected into the network system. ### Claim 5 (depends on 4) The intelligent power tap of claim 4, further comprising: one or more options that are configurable over the network system, wherein the options comprises at least one of the following: a first option for controlling the network power; a second option for controlling the switched power; a third option for whether to provide diagnostic information in the status report; and a fourth option for whether to provide prognostic information in the status report. ### Claim 6 (depends on 4) The intelligent power tap of claim 4, wherein the microcontroller is configured to receive diagnostics information from the first and second voltage sensors and the current sensor in real time and send the diagnostics information to a network node in the network system. ### Claim 7 (depends on 4) The intelligent power tap of claim 4, wherein the microcontroller is configured to send prognostics information to a network node in the network system. ### Claim 8 (depends on 7) The intelligent power tap of claim 7, wherein the prognostics information comprises at least one of the following: an over-voltage warning when at least one of the network voltage and the switched voltage is greater than a preset upper voltage limit; an under-voltage warning when at least one of the network voltage and the switched voltage is lower than a preset lower voltage limit; an over-current warning when at least one of the network current and the switched current is greater than a preset upper current limit; and an under-current warning when at least one of the network current and the switched current is lower than a preset lower current limit. ### Claim 9 (depends on 7) The intelligent power tap of claim 7, wherein the prognostics information comprises: an over-current warning based on a self identification of a zone device and its current characteristics. ### Claim 10 (depends on 8) The intelligent power tap of claim 8, further comprising a user-input interface configured to receive current characteristics of a zone device, wherein the prognostics information comprise: a second over-current warning based on the current characteristics of the zone device provided via the user-input interface. ### Claim 11 (depends on 1) The intelligent power tap of claim 1, further comprising: a first switch configured to shut off the network power into the network system based on a first command received from the microcontroller; and a second switch configured to shut off the switched power into the network system based on a second command received from the microcontroller. ### Claim 12 (depends on 1) The intelligent power tap of claim 1, further comprising: a 24V voltage input that provides power to the microcontroller, the network power, and the switched power; and an internal fuse holder that holds a replaceable fuse connected to the 24V voltage input. ### Claim 13 (depends on 1) The intelligent power tap of claim 1, further comprising: a network power output that outputs the network power into the network system; and an internal fuse holder that holds a replaceable fuse connected to and protecting the network power output. ### Claim 14 (depends on 1) The intelligent power tap of claim 1, further comprising: a switched power output that outputs the switched power into the network system; and an internal fuse holder that holds a replaceable fuse connected to and protecting the switched power output. ### Claim 15 A system comprising: a network power zone comprising one or more devices; a switched power zone; an intelligent power tap configured to inject network power to the network power zone; and a master device connected to the intelligent power tap, wherein the intelligent power tap is configured to provide geographical location of the intelligent power tap to the master device. ### Claim 16 (depends on 15) The system of claim 15, wherein the switched power zone at least partially overlaps with the network power zone; and wherein the intelligent power tap is further configured to inject switched power to the switched power zone. ### Claim 17 (depends on 16) The system of claim 16, wherein the intelligent power tap comprises: a circuit board; a microcontroller disposed on the circuit board; and a physical layer network interface connected to the microcontroller and a physical network. ### Claim 18 A method for providing diagnostic information, comprising: connecting an intelligent power tap to a control network system, wherein the intelligent power tap comprises a voltage sensor; obtaining, by the intelligent power tap, at least one of an incoming network voltage and an incoming switched voltage injected into the intelligent power tap; and sending, by the intelligent power tap, a first warning to the control network system when determining that the incoming network voltage or the incoming switched voltage is not within a first preset voltage range. ### Claim 19 (depends on 18) The method of claim 18, further comprising: identifying, by the intelligent power tap or network master, one or more control devices connected downstream of the intelligent power tap; obtaining, by the intelligent power tap, at least one of an outgoing network voltage and an outgoing switched voltage to be injected into the one or more control devices; and generating a second warning for the control network system when determining that the outgoing network voltage or the outgoing switched voltage is not within a voltage range determined by voltage needs of the downstream devices. ### Claim 20 (depends on 19) The method of claim 19, further comprising: obtaining, by the intelligent power tap, a supply voltage of a direct current power supply to the intelligent power tap; and sending, by the intelligent power tap, a third warning to the control network system when determining that the third voltage is not within a third preset voltage range.