Data processing: measuring – calibrating – or testing – Measurement system in a specific environment – Electrical signal parameter measurement system
Reexamination Certificate
2000-10-31
2003-07-22
Wachsman, Hal (Department: 2857)
Data processing: measuring, calibrating, or testing
Measurement system in a specific environment
Electrical signal parameter measurement system
C702S068000, C702S067000, C702S124000, C702S130000, C340S146200, C340S501000, C340S870030, C324S600000, C324S605000, C324S606000, C700S009000, C700S022000, C700S084000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06598003
ABSTRACT:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to analog signal monitoring systems and methods and in particular, to a power and environmental condition monitoring system and method that monitors power and environmental conditions at a remote site.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
As a result of the widespread use of computers and other microprocessor-based equipment, the quality of power and other environmental conditions at sites having such equipment has become increasingly important. Utility companies deliver electric power to customer sites as an alternating current (AC) voltage through an secondary power distribution system. Various distribution system and environmental factors, however, can cause power line transients, such as spikes, surges, or sags, and can cause blackouts, brownouts, or other distribution system problems that greatly affect the quality of power received by the customer at a site. Electronic equipment, such as computers and other equipment with microprocessors, are susceptible to damage and/or a faulty operation as a result of power line transients and other poor power quality conditions. The quality of power is likely to become increasingly important as the utility industry is deregulated and the utility companies compete more aggressively for power users.
One attempt at improving the quality of power at a site has been to install a power conditioner. This solution, however, often provides a false sense of security. Power protection manufacturers typically design power conditioner systems assuming that a site meets the National Electrical Code for safety. Power protection manufacturers also assume that a site has good, solid earth ground and only one grounding path. With substandard grounding, many power conditioners will not provide optimum protection and the resulting impulse let through and high frequency noise will adversely affect system performance. Thus, power conditioners may suffer from the same problems caused by poor power quality. Also some power conditioners do not address all potential power quality problems, such as voltage regulation issues or outages. The typical power conditioner is designed to filter high frequency events only leaving the system vulnerable to low frequency events, such as power factor correction and harmonics. Power conditioning also fails to address numerous other issues that can affect the equipment reliability and performance, such as temperature, humidity, air quality, vibration and numerous other environmental conditions.
Another solution is to use power monitoring equipment to monitor the power quality at a site either before installing electronic equipment or after problems occur with the electronic equipment. Conventional power monitoring equipment suffers from numerous drawbacks. Existing power monitoring equipment is overly complex, expensive, and typically requires a special setup, depending upon the site. In addition to not being user-friendly, the existing systems are not capable of organizing the data and presenting the data in a useful format. Although existing systems are capable of gathering large amounts of data, these systems are unable to adequately process, save and transmit that data for use in generating power quality reports that facilitate correcting the problems. In these systems, the vast amount of data must often be recorded and sent out for processing, and a report is mailed at a much later time.
In addition to systems that generate too much data, some existing systems generate too little data such that a determination cannot be made as to why certain power events might have occurred. Existing power monitoring equipment also does not have the capability of monitoring multiple channels including extensive monitoring of environmental conditions as well as power conditions and power events. Traditional power monitors are also not set up to do interactive tests (e.g., input and output of a UPS or power conditioner, data gathering of the UPS status log, or a line impedance test for measuring the line resistance). the ability to provide a more comprehensive data gathering for all of the site's conditions has traditionally been lacking.
Accordingly, a system and method is needed for monitoring power and environmental conditions that is easier to set up and operate. A power and environmental condition monitoring system and method is also needed that improves the processing, storage and transfer of data using data compression techniques. A power and environmental condition monitoring system and method is also needed that is capable of presenting analyzed data in a format that allows a customer to understand the problem and to attempt to correct that problem. A power and environmental condition monitoring system and method is also needed that monitors multiple channels in real time, including environmental condition signals, and that has the ability to run interactive tests and gather data from remote devices (i.e., UPS system logs).
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The present invention features a power and environmental condition monitoring system, for monitoring power and environmental conditions at a site. The system comprises at least one analog signal receiver including a plurality of analog signal channels for receiving a plurality of analog measurement signals representing power and environmental conditions, for converting the analog measurement signals into digital signals including digital signal data, and for buffering the digital signal data. The analog signal channels include at least one high/low frequency voltage channel for monitoring voltage signals including high frequency voltage events and at least one configurable multi-purpose channel for monitoring low frequency analog measurement signals. At least one digital signal processor, connected to the analog receiver, reads the digital signal data buffered by the analog signal receiver and processed the digital signal data. The digital signal processor processes the digital signal data by logging at least some of the digital signal data, and wherein digital signal processor processes the digital signal data by analyzing at least some of the digital signal data to detect a pattern consistent with an event and by logging selected values of the digital signal data sufficient to define said event. A post-processing system, connected to the digital signal processor, stores and post processes processed digital signal data received from the digital signal processor.
The post-processing system preferably includes a communications device for communicating with a remote location and for transmitting said processed digital signal data to the remote location. In one embodiment, the post-processing system is implemented on a personal computer. In this embodiment, the analog signal receiver includes at least one analog board connected to the personal computer, and the digital signal processor includes at least one digital signal processor board connected to the personal computer. The multi-purpose channel is preferably configurable to monitor one of a low frequency voltage signal, a current signal, and an environmental condition signal and the personal computer preferably includes software for configuring the multi-purpose channel.
The digital signal processor preferably includes a sample digital signal processor, connected to the analog signal receiver, and a process digital signal processor, connected to the sample digital signal processor. The sample digital signal processor reads the digital signal data buffered by the analog signal receiver and addresses and buffers the digital signal data. The process digital signal processor receives the digital signal data transmitted by the sample digital signal processor and processes the digital signal data. The sample digital signal processor reads digital signal data buffered by the analog signal receiver using an interrupt, and polls the digital signal data buffered by the analog signal receiver to read the digital signal data representing the high frequency events.
The present invention also featu
Heino Todd V.
Kindseth Erik J.
Thomas Robert T.
Carroll Kevin J.
Desta Elias
Divine, Millimet & Branch, PA
Remus Paul C.
RX Monitoring Services, LLC
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