World wide web enabled and digital rating plug
US6836396B1 · kind B1 · utility
Assignee
Inventors
Key dates
| Filing date | Sep 13, 2000 |
| Grant date | Dec 28, 2004 |
| Priority date | — |
| Expiry date | Dec 22, 2021 |
Classification
- Technology area (CPC H)Electricity
- CPC primaryH02H1/0061
- WIPO fieldElectrical machinery, apparatus, energy
- WIPO sectorElectrical engineering
Abstract
Improvements to a rating plug for an electronic trip unit of a circuit breaker are disclosed. The rating plug includes a non-volatile memory which has access to current and frame rating information. A microcomputer in the electronic trip unit may receive new current rating information over the World Wide Web from a vendor system to update the current rating information of the rating plug. A program within the circuit breaker may detect errors in the new current rating information and may reject such and revert to a safe mode of operation. A billing system may be connected to the vendor system for calculating charges based on the transmission of the new current rating information. Preferably, the non-volatile memory of the rating plug is programmed at the factory site and a label adhered to the outer case of the rating plug for indicating the current rating. The rating plug may then be inserted within the electronic circuit breaker at the field and the current rating altered as necessary using the remote altering system.
Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.