System and method utilizing virtual switching for electrical panel metering
OwnerErran Kaganinventor
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Abstract
A system and method utilizing virtual switching in an electrical panel meter. The virtual switching enables the meter to be upgraded or downgraded through a switching signal, by activating or deactivating the metering functions that are to be performed in the meter. Accordingly, when the upgrade or downgrade is necessary, the meter does not have to be replaced.
Claims21
An electrical metering device for controlling multiple metering functions comprising:
- a function operating unit storing the multiple metering functions;
- and
- a virtual switching unit including a plurality of virtual switches, each virtual switch corresponding to each available metering function for selectively activating and deactivating the corresponding metering function,
- wherein the virtual switching unit is configured for receiving a single switching signal indicating which of at least two of the available metering functions are to be activated and activating or deactivating the corresponding virtual switches.
In an electrical metering device including a function unit storing multiple metering functions and a virtual switching unit including a plurality of virtual switches, each virtual switch corresponding to each available metering function for selectively activating and deactivating the corresponding metering function, a method of controlling the multiple metering functions consisting of:
- receiving a single switching signal indicating which of at least two of the available metering functions are to be activated;
- selectively activating and deactivating each virtual switch corresponding to the at least two available metering function according to the single switching signal;
- and
- performing the multiple metering functions corresponding to the activated virtual switches.
In an electrical metering device including a function unit storing multiple metering functions and a virtual switching unit including a plurality of virtual switches, each virtual switch corresponding to each available metering function for selectively activating and deactivating the corresponding metering function, a method of upgrading the metering device comprising the steps:
- presenting a list of available metering functions;
- enabling or disabling at least two available metering functions from the presented list;
- generating a single switch signal for activating each virtual switch corresponding to each enabled metering function and deactivating each virtual switch corresponding to each disabled metering function;
- and
- receiving the single switch signal by the virtual switching unit;
- determining which of the at least two available metering functions is enabled or disabled;
- and
- selectively activating each virtual switch corresponding to each enabled metering function and deactivating each virtual switch corresponding to each disabled metering function.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.