Method and apparatus pertaining to automatic electrical-fault detection

US8537023B2 · kind B2 · utility

Assignee

• iLight Technologies, Inc. · US

Inventors

• Joseph Christian Ernest · Woodstock, US
• Sean Edward Callahan · Elmhurst, US
• Edward Wayted Chen · Chicago, US
• Thomas M. Kopera · Villa Park, US
• Timothy Edward Canzano · Glen Ellyn, US

Key dates

• Filing date: May 26, 2011
• Grant date: Sep 17, 2013
• Expiry date: Apr 11, 2032

Classification

• Technology area (CPC G): Physics
• CPC primary: G01R31/44
• WIPO field: Measurement
• WIPO sector: Instruments

Abstract

An automatic fault detector momentarily interrupts a provision of operating power to a load having a minimal forward-bias voltage requirement to thereby provide a testing window and then applies a test voltage during this window that is less than the minimal forward-bias voltage requirement to the load and monitors for a power-to-ground fault. By one approach the aforementioned momentarily interruption of power is neither frequent enough nor long enough in duration to substantially impair the provision of power to the load. Accordingly, load performance is not noticeably diminished. One can then responsively prohibit subsequent provision of the operating power to the load. One can then continue to monitor for the power-to-ground fault while continuing to prohibit provision of operating power to the load. If and when the fault disappears, these teachings will then accommodate automatically resuming an ordinary provision of power to the load.