U.S. patent application number 13/155919 was filed with the patent office on 2012-01-12 for intelligent electronic device having a programmable display.
This patent application is currently assigned to Electro Industries/Gauge Tech. Invention is credited to Erran Kagan.
Application Number | 20120010831 13/155919 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 45439185 |
Filed Date | 2012-01-12 |
United States Patent
Application |
20120010831 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Kagan; Erran |
January 12, 2012 |
INTELLIGENT ELECTRONIC DEVICE HAVING A PROGRAMMABLE DISPLAY
Abstract
An intelligent electronic device (IED) having a programmable
display is provided. The present disclosure provides for defining
screens of a display on a revenue based energy meter. The method
utilizes Modbus registers and defines a programming technique
wherein a user can custom make any desired screen for every
application based on what a user needs. The programming utilizes
Modbus registers maps to allow for the customizable screens.
Moreover, the display interface allows for customized labeling to
provide notice and information to users as to measured parameters
other than electricity that the meter might be accumulating such as
steam, water, gas or other type of commodity.
Inventors: |
Kagan; Erran; (Great Neck,
NY) |
Assignee: |
Electro Industries/Gauge
Tech
Westbury
NY
|
Family ID: |
45439185 |
Appl. No.: |
13/155919 |
Filed: |
June 8, 2011 |
Related U.S. Patent Documents
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Application
Number |
Filing Date |
Patent Number |
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11589381 |
Oct 30, 2006 |
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13155919 |
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60731006 |
Oct 28, 2005 |
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61352613 |
Jun 8, 2010 |
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Current U.S.
Class: |
702/60 |
Current CPC
Class: |
G01D 4/004 20130101;
Y02B 90/20 20130101; Y04S 20/30 20130101 |
Class at
Publication: |
702/60 |
International
Class: |
G06F 19/00 20110101
G06F019/00 |
Claims
1. An intelligent electronic device for monitoring power usage of
an electrical circuit comprising: at least one sensor coupled to
the electric circuit configured for measuring at least one power
parameter of the electrical circuit and generating at least one
analog signal indicative of the at least one power parameter; at
least one analog to digital converter coupled to the at least one
sensor configured for receiving the at least one analog signal and
converting the at least one analog signal to at least one digital
signal; a processor configured for receiving the at least one
digital signal, performing at least one calculation based on the
received at least one digital signal and storing the data in at
least one memory location; and an interface configured for
displaying data from the at least one memory location.
Description
[0001] This application is a continuation-in-part application of
U.S. application Ser. No. 11/589,381, filed Oct. 30, 2006, entitled
"INTELLIEGNT ELECTRONIC DEVICE HAVING AUDIBLE AND VISUAL
INTERFACE", which claims priority on U.S. Provisional Patent Appl.
No. 60/731,006, filed Oct. 28, 2005, the content of which are
hereby incorporated by reference in their entities.
[0002] This application also claims priority on U.S. Provisional
Patent Appl. No. 61/352,613, filed Jun. 8, 2010, entitled
"INTELLIGENT ELECTRONIC DEVICE HAVING A PROGRAMMABLE DISPLAY", the
content of which is hereby incorporated by reference in its
entirety.
BACKGROUND
[0003] 1. Field of the Invention
[0004] The present disclosure relates generally to intelligent
electronic devices for electrical power systems, and more
particularly, to an intelligent electronic device (IED) having a
programmable display. The present disclosure provides for defining
screens of a display on a revenue based energy meter. The method
utilizes Modbus registers and defines a programming technique
wherein a user can custom make any desired screen for every
application based on what a user needs. The programming utilizes
Modbus registers maps to allow for the customizable screens.
[0005] 2. Description of the Related Art
[0006] Electric utility companies ("utilities") track electric
usage by customers by using power meters. These meters track the
amount of power consumed at a particular location. These locations
range from power substations, to commercial businesses, to
residential homes. The electric utility companies use information
obtained from the power meter to charge its customers for their
power consumption, i.e. revenue metering.
[0007] A popular type of power meter is the socket-type power
meter, i.e., S-base or Type S meter. As its name implies, the meter
itself plugs into a socket for easy installation, removal and
replacement. Other meter installations include panel mounted,
switchboard mounted, and circuit breaker mounted. Additional meter
forms include switchboard drawout forms, substation panel metering
forms, and A-base front wired forms. Typically the power meter
connects between utility power lines supplying electricity and a
usage point, namely a residence or commercial place of business.
All the forms are used for similar purposes and are in need of
visual and audible alarms.
[0008] A power meter may also be placed at a point within the
utility's power grid to monitor power flowing through that point
for distribution, power loss, or capacity monitoring, e.g., a
substation. These power and energy meters are installed in
substations to provide a visual display of real-time data and to
alarm when problems occur. These problems include limit alarms,
breaker control, outages and many other types of events.
Conventionally, the visual display includes numerical information
and/or an alarm indication, e.g., a LED, on the face of the
meter.
[0009] All power utilities use revenue meters to bill customers for
their power usage. The issue in the United States is that every
jurisdiction has a separate regulatory body commonly referred to as
a Public Service Commission or similar type name. These regulatory
bodies have many differing types of regulation concerning how
customers should be billed by a utility. Since there are 50 states,
there are multitudes of configuration requirements for which each
regulatory body.
[0010] These requirements include different methods and type of
screens that need to be on a revenue meter and even what order the
screens must be displayed in. Moreover, each utility company itself
also has its requirements and guidelines concerning specifics for
the meters.
[0011] Therefore, a need exists for techniques for defining a user
interface, e.g., screens of a display of an intelligent electronic
device (IED) such a revenue meter, which is programmable or
customizable by an end user to meet requirements of various
regulatory bodies.
SUMMARY
[0012] An intelligent electronic device (IED), e.g., an electrical
revenue meter, having a programmable display is provided. The
techniques of the present disclosure allows a user to custom make
any desired screen of a display in a revenue meter based upon any
Modbus register available in the meter, i.e., any measured reading
that the IED measures. In addition, the user can modify the Modbus
register to add custom scaling and/or formulas to allow a user to
create any desired number out of the data from the register. This
expands the functionality of the display to having any capability
either a user or a regulatory body can conceive of. Moreover, the
display or interface allows for customized labeling to provide
notice and information to users as to measured parameters other
than electricity that the meter might be accumulating such as
steam, water, gas or other type of commodity.
[0013] In one embodiment of the present disclosure, a user will
program the screens of the display using a PC computer and then
download the screen files to the IED over a network or by direct
connection. In one aspect, the intelligent electronic device
includes a communication device configured for communicating over
the network to a programming device such a PC computer. In this
embodiment, the communication device communicates via Transmission
Control Protocol/Internet Protocol (TCP/IP), File Transfer Protocol
(FTP), Hypertext Transfer Protocol (HTTP), Internet Protocol
Security Protocol (IPSec), Point-to-Point Tunneling Protocol (PPTP)
or Secure Sockets Layer (SSL) Protocol.
[0014] The above and other aspects, features, and advantages of the
present disclosure will become more apparent in light of the
following detailed description when taken in conjunction with the
accompanying drawings.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING
[0015] FIG. 1 is a diagram of an intelligent electronic device in
accordance with an embodiment of the present disclosure;
[0016] FIG. 2 is a flow chart illustrating a method for providing
instructions to an intelligent electronic device in accordance with
an embodiment of the present disclosure;
[0017] FIG. 3 is a system for retrieving instruction for an
intelligent electronic device in accordance with an embodiment of
the present disclosure;
[0018] FIG. 4 illustrates an exemplary revenue meter and exemplary
screens configured in accordance with the present disclosure;
[0019] FIG. 5 is a flow chart illustrating a method for programming
a display of an intelligent electronic device in accordance with an
embodiment of the present disclosure;
[0020] FIG. 6 illustrates a programming interface used to define
various display modes and screens associated to each display
mode;
[0021] FIG. 7 illustrates a screen layout template in accordance
with the present disclosure;
[0022] FIG. 8 is a table illustrating various available
configurations of a display layout in accordance with the present
disclosure;
[0023] FIG. 9 illustrates another screen layout template in
accordance with the present disclosure;
[0024] FIG. 10 is a table illustrating data available in the IED
that can be displayed in accordance with the present
disclosure;
[0025] FIG. 11 is a table illustrating screen layout definitions in
accordance with the present disclosure;
[0026] FIG. 12 illustrates a programming interface used to select a
standard or predefined screen for use in a revenue meter in
accordance with the present disclosure;
[0027] FIG. 13 illustrates a programming interface used to define a
predefined with custom labeling screen for use in a revenue meter
in accordance with the present disclosure;
[0028] FIG. 14 illustrates a programming interface used to define a
custom screen for use in a revenue meter in accordance with the
present disclosure; and
[0029] FIG. 15 is a front view of a revenue meter displaying a
custom screen layout in accordance with the present disclosure.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS
[0030] Preferred embodiments of the present disclosure will be
described herein below with reference to the accompanying drawings.
In the following description, well-known functions or constructions
are not described in detail to avoid obscuring the present
disclosure in unnecessary detail.
[0031] As used herein, intelligent electronic devices ("IED's")
include Programmable Logic Controllers ("PLC's"), Remote Terminal
Units ("RTU's"), electric power meters, protective relays, fault
recorders and other devices which are coupled with power
distribution networks to manage and control the distribution and
consumption of electrical power. A meter is a device that records
and measures power events, power quality, current, voltage
waveforms, harmonics, transients and other power disturbances.
Revenue accurate meters ("revenue meter") relate to revenue
accuracy electrical power metering devices with the ability to
detect, monitor, report, quantify and communicate power quality
information about the power which they are metering. Exemplary
intelligent electronic devices are disclosed and described in the
following commonly owned U.S. issued patents and published
applications: U.S. patent application Ser. No. 10/146,339 entitled
"METER WITH IRDA PORT" filed on May 15, 2002; U.S. patent
application Ser. No. 10/958,456 entitled "METER HAVING A
COMMUNICATION INTERFACE FOR RECEIVING AND INTERFACING WITH A
COMMUNICATION DEVICE" filed on Oct. 5, 2004; U.S. patent
application Ser. No. 11/087,438 entitled "SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR
SIMULTANEOUS COMMUNICATION ON MODBUS AND DNP 3.0 OVER ETHERNET FOR
ELECTRONIC POWER METER" filed on Mar. 23, 2005; U.S. patent
application Ser. No. 11/109,351 entitled `SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR
COMPENSATING FOR POTENTIAL AND CURRENT TRANSFORMERS IN ENERGY
METERS" filed on Apr. 18, 2005; U.S. patent application Ser. No.
11/039,316 entitled "MULTIPLE ETHERNET PORTS ON POWER METER" filed
on Jan. 19, 2005; U.S. patent application Ser. No. 11/003,064
entitled "CURRENT INPUTS INTERFACE FOR AN ELECTRICAL DEVICE" filed
on Dec. 3, 2004; U.S. patent application Ser. No. 11/042,588
entitled "SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR CONNECTING ELECTRICAL DEVICES USING
FIBER OPTIC SERIAL COMMUNICATION" filed on Jan. 24, 2005; U.S.
Design Pat. No. D525,893 entitled "ELECTRONIC POWER METER" issued
on Aug. 1, 2006; U.S. patent application Ser. No. 11/091,254
entitled "SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR PROVIDING UNIVERSAL ADDITIONAL
FUNCTIONALITY FOR POWER METERS" filed on Mar. 28, 2005; U.S. patent
application Ser. No. 11/341,802 entitled "METERING DEVICE WITH
CONTROL FUNCTIONALITY AND METHOD THEREOF" filed on Jan. 27, 2006;
U.S. Design patent application No. 29/224,737 entitled "WALL MOUNT
ASSEMBLY" filed on Mar. 7, 2005; U.S. Design Pat. No. D526,920
entitled "ELECTRONIC METER" issued on Aug. 22, 2006; U.S. patent
Continuation-in-Part application Ser. No. 11/317,227 entitled "TEST
PULSES FOR ENABLING REVENUE TESTABLE PANEL METERS" filed on Dec.
22, 2005; U.S. Pat. No. 6,735,535 entitled "POWER METER HAVING AN
AUTO-CALIBRATION FEATURE AND DATA ACQUISITION CAPABILITIES" issued
on May 11, 2004; U.S. Pat. No. 6,636,030 entitled "REVENUE GRADE
METER WITH HIGH-SPEED TRANSIENT DETECTION" issued on Oct. 21, 2002;
U.S. Pat. No. 6,751,563 entitled "ELECTRONIC POWER METER" issued on
Jun. 15, 2004; U.S. patent application Ser. No. 10/896,489 entitled
"SYSTEM AND METHOD UTILIZING VIRTUAL SWITCHING FOR ELECTRIC PANEL
METERING" filed on Jul. 22, 2004; U.S. patent application Ser. No.
10/896,521 entitled "ELECTRICAL METER INSTALLATION SYSTEM AND
METHOD" filed on Jul. 22, 2004; U.S. patent application Ser. No.
10/969,713 entitled "TEST PULSES FOR ENABLING REVENUE TESTABLE
PANEL METERS" filed on Oct. 20, 2004; U.S. patent application Ser.
No. 10/969,592 entitled "SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR PROVIDING
COMMUNICATION BETWEEN INTELLIGENT ELECTRONIC DEVICES VIA AN OPEN
CHANNEL" filed on Oct. 20, 2004; and U.S. patent application Ser.
No. 10/969,706 entitled "ON-LINE WEB ACCESSED ENERGY METER" filed
on Oct. 20, 2004, the contents of all of which are hereby
incorporated by reference in their entireties.
[0032] An intelligent electronic device (IED) 100 for monitoring
and determining an amount of electrical power usage by a consumer
and for providing audible and visual indications to a user is
illustrated in FIG. 1. Generally, the IED 100 includes sensors 112,
a plurality of analog-to-digital (A/D) converters 114 and a
processing system including a central processing unit (CPU) 118
and/or a digital signal processor (DSP) 116. The sensors 112 will
sense electrical parameters, e.g., voltage and current, of the
incoming lines from an electrical power distribution system, e.g.,
an electrical circuit. Preferably, the sensors will include current
transformers and potential transformers, wherein one current
transformer and one voltage transformer will be coupled to each
phase of the incoming power lines. A primary winding of each
transformer will be coupled to the incoming power lines and a
secondary winding of each transformer will output a voltage
representative of the sensed voltage and current. The output of
each transformer will be coupled to the ND converters 114
configured to convert the analog output voltage from the
transformer to a digital signal that can be processed by the CPU 18
or DSP 116.
[0033] The CPU 18 is configured for receiving the digital signals
from the A/D converters 114 to perform the necessary calculations
to determine the power usage and controlling the overall operations
of the IED 100. In another embodiment, the DSP 116 will receive the
digital signals from the ND converters 114 and perform the
necessary calculations to determine the power usage to free the
resources of the CPU 118. It is to be appreciated that in certain
embodiments the CPU 118 may perform all the functions performed by
the CPU 118 and DSP 116, and therefore, in these embodiments the
DSP 116 will not be utilized.
[0034] A power supply 120 is also provided for providing power to
each component of the IED 100. In one embodiment, the power supply
120 is a transformer with its primary windings coupled to the
incoming power distribution lines and having an appropriate number
of windings to provide a nominal voltage, e.g., 5 VDC, at its
secondary windings. In other embodiments, power is supplied from an
independent source to the power supply 120, e.g., from a different
electrical circuit, a uninterruptible power supply (UPS), etc.
[0035] The IED 100 of the present disclosure will have user
interface for interacting with a user and for communicating events,
alarms and instructions to the user. The user interface will
include a display 122 for providing visual indications to the user.
The display 122 may include a touch screen, a liquid crystal
display (LCD), a back-lit LCD, a plurality of LED number segments,
individual light bulbs or any combination of these or any other
know display device. The display 122 may provide the information to
the user in the form of alpha-numeric lines, computer-generated
graphics, videos, etc. Visual information provided on the display
122 may include but is not limited to instructional videos,
operating manuals associated with an IED, a flowchart for
troubleshooting, a checklist for troubleshooting, etc. Digital
files including the various visual instructions are stored in
either memory 128 or retrieved from a remote event server.
[0036] The user interface will also include an audible output
device 124, e.g., a speaker. The speaker 124 will be coupled to the
CPU 118 via a digital-to-analog converter (D/A) 126 for converting
digital audio files stored in memory 128 to analog signals playable
by the speaker 122. The audible output device 124 may simply
provide audible instructions to a user when an event is detected or
may provided audio with a corresponding video being displayed on
the display 122.
[0037] The device 100 of the present disclosure will support
various file types including but not limited to Microsoft Windows
Media Video files (.wmv), Microsoft Photo Story files (.asf),
Microsoft Windows Media Audio files (.wma), MP3 audio files (.mp3),
JPEG image files (.jpg, .jpeg, .jpe, .jfif), MPEG movie files
(.mpeg, .mpg, .mpe, .m1v, .mp2v .mpeg2), Microsoft Recorded TV Show
files (.dvr-ms), Microsoft Windows Video files (.avi) and Microsoft
Windows Audio files (.wav).
[0038] The memory 128 is configured for storing the files including
the visual and/or audible instructions. The memory 128 is further
configured for storing any values measured or calculated by the
IED. The memory 128 includes internal storage memory, e.g., random
access memory (RAM), or removable memory such as magnetic storage
memory; optical storage memory, e.g., the various known types of CD
and DVD media; solid-state storage memory, e.g., a CompactFlash
card, a Memory Stick, SmartMedia card, MultiMediaCard (MMC), SD
(Secure Digital) memory; or any other memory storage that exists
currently or will exist in the future. By utilizing removable
memory, an IED can be easily upgraded with new instruction files as
needed.
[0039] In one embodiment, the memory 128 stores screen layout
configurations for providing a screen display on the display 122.
In certain embodiments, the screen layout configurations include a
first look-up table for determining a relationship between data
placeholders on a screen layout and a Modbus map and a second
look-up table for determining a relationship between the Modbus map
and a location in memory of stored data, the details of which will
be described below.
[0040] Referring to FIG. 2, operations of the IED 100 will be
described. Generally, the IED 100 monitors an electrical circuit
and measures power parameters, e.g., voltage and current (step
202). The CPU 118 will be programmed upon detecting certain events
(step 204), e.g., an alarm condition, a trouble condition, to
retrieve one of a plurality of stored digital files, e.g.,
predetermined instructions, from memory 128 associated to the
detected event (step 206). In memory 128, each event will
associated with a file including instructions for the specific
event. In one embodiment, each event will be assigned an event code
and the event code will be utilized to retrieve an instruction
file. In this manner if two different events utilize the same
instruction file, only one instruction file will be stored in
memory thus reducing the size of the memory.
[0041] The retrieved digital file will then be sent to the
interface for providing instructions, e.g., on how to rectify the
problem, to a user (step 208). Depending on the type of file
retrieved, the file will be sent to the appropriate interface
component. For example, a digital audio file is sent to the D/A 126
to convert the digital signals to analog signals, which will
subsequently be sent to the speaker 124. As a further example, a
text file (e.g., a word processing document or PDF file) or video
file (e.g., mpeg file) will be sent to the display 122.
[0042] Upon occurrence of an event, the CPU 118 may display an
indication that an event had occurred along with an audible
indication to alert operators in the vicinity of the IED that an
event has occurred. The audible indication may be a beep, tone or a
voice spoken indication. It is to be appreciated different alarm
indications may be associated to different types of alarms so a
user may readily discern what type of alarm has occurred once it
has been initiated.
[0043] In one embodiment, the user will be able to acknowledge or
silence the alarm at the IED via a button, touchpad, touch screen,
etc (step 210). After the alarm has been silenced, the IED 100 may
be programmed to audibly give instructions to the user, for
example, in how to rectify the alarm or the location of the alarm.
Furthermore, the IED 100 may display visual steps on the display
122 in conjunction with the spoken instructions, e.g., a flowchart,
checklist, etc.
[0044] In one embodiment, the digital audio files may be programmed
directly through the IED 10. In this embodiment, the IED 100 will
include an audio input device 130, e.g., a microphone, for
receiving spoken words in the form of analog signals. The analog
signals will then be sent to an analog-to-digital converter (ND)
132 to convert the analog signals into digital signals
understandable by the CPU 118. The CPU 118 will then store the
recorded digital audio file in the memory 128. The user may
associate the recorded digital file with a particular alarm through
the touch screen display 122. Alternatively, the user may associate
the recorded digital file with an event code.
[0045] In a further embodiment, the IED 100 will include a
communication device 134 for enabling communications between the
IED 100 and other computing devices, e.g., a desktop computer,
laptop computer, other IEDs, etc. The communication device 134 may
be a modem, network interface card (NIC), wireless transceiver,
etc. The communication device 134 will perform its functionality by
hardwired and/or wireless connectivity. The hardwire connection may
include but is not limited to hard wire cabling e.g., parallel or
serial cables, USB cable, Firewire (1394 connectivity) cables, and
the appropriate port. The wireless connection will operate under
any of the various known wireless protocols including but not
limited to Bluetooth.TM. interconnectivity, infrared connectivity,
radio transmission connectivity including computer digital signal
broadcasting and reception commonly referred to as Wi-Fi or
802.11.X (where x denotes the type of transmission), satellite
transmission or any other type of communication protocols or
systems currently existing or to be developed for wirelessly
transmitting data.
[0046] The IED 100 will communicate to a server 304 via a
communication network 302. The IED 100 and server 304 may be
connected to the communications network 302, e.g., the Internet, by
any known means, for example, a hardwired or wireless connection
308, such as dial-up, hardwired, cable, DSL, satellite, cellular,
PCS, wireless transmission (e.g., 802.11a/b/g), etc. It is to be
appreciated that the network 302 may be a local area network (LAN),
wide area network (WAN), the Internet or any known network that
couples a plurality of computers to enable various modes of
communication via network messages. Furthermore, the server 304
will communicate using the various known protocols such as
Transmission Control Protocol/Internet Protocol (TCP/IP), File
Transfer Protocol (FTP), Hypertext Transfer Protocol (HTTP), etc.
and secure protocols such as Internet Protocol Security Protocol
(IPSec), Point-to-Point Tunneling Protocol (PPTP), Secure Sockets
Layer (SSL) Protocol, etc. The server 304 will further include a
storage medium 306 for storing a database of instructional videos,
operating manuals, etc., the details of which will be described in
detail below.
[0047] In this embodiment, the digital audio and/or video files,
e.g., instruction files, may be recorded on a remote server 304 and
downloaded to the IED 100 via the communication device 134 over a
network, e.g., the Internet. In one embodiment, the server 304
includes a database 306 of predetermined instruction files which
may be downloaded to the IED 100 and stored in the memory 128 upon
an event command issued by a user, on a schedule or by triggered by
the IED 100. In another embodiment, upon each detection of an
event, the IED 100 will transmit to the server 304 an event code
and the server 304 will return an instruction file associated to
the event code. In this embodiment, the instruction files will be
maintained in one location ensuring all available IEDs 100 in a
network will access the most up-to-date instructions.
[0048] It is to be appreciated that any known or to be developed
digital audio and/or visual format may be employed in the IED of
the present disclosure, e.g., MP3, WMA (Windows Media Audio), WAV,
Real Audio, MIDI, etc. Furthermore, the remote server 204 will
include a plurality of digital file converters for converting the
digital files in database 206 from any available format to a format
compatible with the IED.
[0049] In a further embodiment, microphone 106 and speaker 124 are
further coupled to the communication device 134 for enabling voice
communication from the IED to a remote location. In one embodiment,
the communication device 134 will enable voice communications with
VoIP (Voice over Internet Protocol) or may include a mobile
communications module operating on CDMA, PCS, GSM or any other
known wireless communication technology.
[0050] It is to be appreciated that the communication device 134
may include a single integrated circuit chip to perform data
transfer and voice communications or a single module including a
separate data transfer chip, e.g., a WiFi transceiver, and a
separate voice communication chip, e.g., a CDMA chip. In one
embodiment, the communication device 134 will operate on the
wireless GPRS (General Packet Radio Service) data protocol or a 3G
protocol such as W-CDMA, CDMA2000 and TD-SCDMA. Both the GPRS and
3G protocols have the ability to carry both voice and data over the
same service.
[0051] In this embodiment, when an event is detected, an operator
at the location of the IED 100 may communicate with a remote
operator, e.g., a technical support operator, for facilitating the
rectification of the event. The operator at the IED 100 will have a
two-way communication with the technical support operator in an
attempt to troubleshoot the event.
[0052] In another embodiment, upon an occurrence, upon a request, a
schedule or for any other reason, the IED may send the
instructional information by e-mail, FTP or other protocol to a
remote computing device to view. The remote computing device may
include a phone, mobile phone, PDA, personal computer (PC), laptop
or other type of computing device designed for personal or
industrial use. The data can be sent via direct connection or
indirectly via a network, wireless or other indirect
connection.
[0053] It is to be understood that the present disclosure may be
implemented in various forms of hardware, software, firmware,
special purpose processors, or a combination thereof. The IED also
includes an operating system and micro instruction code. The
various processes and functions described herein may either be part
of the micro instruction code or part of an application program (or
a combination thereof) which is executed via the operating
system.
[0054] It is to be further understood that because some of the
constituent system components and method steps depicted in the
accompanying figures may be implemented in software, the actual
connections between the system components (or the process steps)
may differ depending upon the manner in which the present
disclosure is programmed. Given the teachings of the present
disclosure provided herein, one of ordinary skill in the related
art will be able to contemplate these and similar implementations
or configurations of the present disclosure.
[0055] The techniques of the present disclosure can be used to
automatically maintain program data and provide field wide updates
upon which IED firmware, e.g., operating instructions, can be
upgraded. An event command can be issued by a user, on a schedule
or by digital communication that will trigger the IED to go to the
remote server and obtain the new program code. This will ensure
that program data will also be maintained allowing the user to be
assured that all information is displayed identically on all
units.
[0056] In a further embodiment, the display 122 of the IED 100 is
highly programmable to enable an end user to design customizable
screens. The techniques of the present disclosure allow a user to
custom make any desired screen of the display 122 in, for example,
a revenue meter based upon any Modbus register available in the
meter. That is, the display 122 can be configured to display any
measured or calculated value in the meter by mapping the Modbus
register (holding the measured or calculated value) to a data line
or placeholder in a screen layout of the display. In addition, the
user can modify the Modbus register to add custom scaling and/or
formulas to allow a user to create any desired number out of the
data from the register. This expands the functionality of the
display to having any capability either a user or a regulatory body
can conceive of. Moreover, the display or interface allows for
customized labeling to provide notice and information to users as
to measured parameters other than electricity that the meter might
be accumulating such as steam, water, gas or other type of
commodity.
[0057] Utilizing the techniques of the present disclosure, the user
builds portions of the view screen based on the Modbus protocol
readings the IED, or meter, has. This allows the user to add
functionality to the meter even after the meter is installed by
allowing the display to be constantly adjusted or reconfigured to
have new functionality. Moreover, using the communication protocol
values has a benefit in that it allows the user to be sure that
what the meter is putting out by the protocol is available on the
display and matches in numbers exactly without errors, truncations
and rounding issues. This is important for revenue application
wherein data integrity is paramount.
[0058] Referring to FIG. 4, an exemplary revenue meter 400 is
shown. The meter 400 includes at least the components describes in
relation to the IED 10 shown in FIG. 1. The meter 400 includes
display 422 which is programmable by the end user. Also illustrated
in FIG. 4 are several exemplary screen shots 402, 404, 406, 408 of
display 422, which have been programmed via the techniques of the
present disclosure.
[0059] The meter 400 includes a generally cylindrical housing 410
with the display 422 disposed upon a face 412. The face 412 of the
housing 410 includes various controls and indicators. A mode switch
414 is provided to enable a user to activate different modes, e.g.,
three modes, with each mode displaying on the display 422 different
information. The mode switch 414 is activated by swiping a magnet
over the mode switch 414 on the face 412 of the meter 400. Reset
switch 416 is provided to reset demand in the meter.
[0060] An optical port 418 facilitates infrared communication with
the meter by an external device such as a reader, computing device,
notebook computer, etc. The display 422 of the meter 400 can be
programmed in accordance with the techniques of the present
disclosure by a computing device coupled to the meter via the
optical port 418. The computing device can be coupled to the meter
for programming the display by any of the other means described
above in relation to the communication device 134, e.g., hardwired
or wireless connectivity, a USB connection, a RS-485 or RS-232
connection, etc.
[0061] An infrared test pulse 420 is also provided on the face 412
for verifying the accuracy of the meter 400 in revenue
applications.
[0062] A method for assigning screens to user modes and for
creating new customized screens will be described below in relation
to FIG. 5. Furthermore, the programming interface to create the
customized screens will also be described.
[0063] Initially, in step 502, display screens are assigned to one
of at least three possible user modes. A plurality of displays
screens are available, for example, 76, which may be allocated to
the 3 modes in any combination the user wishes. In one embodiment,
the screens are identified by 3 digit numbers, assigned by the
user. In certain embodiments, the screen numbers will show in all 3
modes. In some embodiments, some screens cannot show their screen
number (e.g., phasors, harmonics, segment test screens). These will
still have 3-digit numbers for identification purposes although
they will not show. When assigning screens to the 3 modes, the user
may choose any of three types of layouts: 1) standard
previously-programmed layouts, or predefined layouts; 2) predefined
layouts with custom labeling and/or new custom layouts, also know
as user defined layouts. There are no limitations on mixing the 3
types of layouts (standard, standard with customized titles, and
user-defined).
[0064] Next, in step 504, a screen number is assigned to each
screen layout being used. Then in step 506, a standard layout, a
standard layout with customized titles, or a new custom layout is
selected for each screen. If a standard layout is employed, the
layout is retrieved from memory in step 508. It is to be
appreciated that no other programming is required when using the
standard or predefined layout. If using a standard layout with
customized titles, the layout is retrieved from memory of the
programming device, in step 514 and the user is prompted to enter
new text for the data being displayed in step 516. If a new custom
layout is selected in step 506, the layout editor is invoked to
define the layout and all its parameters, step 518. Here, a
template is selected (in step 520), and the user may selected any
data that is available in the meter to be displayed (step 522).
Optionally, in step 524, scaling factors may be applied to the data
selected and text is entered for each of the data selected.
[0065] After all the layouts have been defined, the user will list
the screen numbers for each mode in the proper sequence for display
scrolling, in step 510, as shown in FIG. 6. Screens are identified
by the user-defined numbers assigned above. In FIG. 6, window 602
lists all the available screens. Window 604 includes a list for
each user mode, e.g., View Mode 1, View 2, and View Mode 3. Any
available screen can be selected from window 602 and assigned to
one of the three View Modes. Once assigned, the screen will appear
in the appropriate assigned View Mode window 604. From each View
Mode window, the screens can be arranged in any desired display
sequence via move up button 606 and move down button 608. Then, the
screen layouts are uploaded to the meter via update display button
610, in step 512, and the meter will begin to display the screens
in the order determined by the user, in step 526.
[0066] It is to be appreciated that the programming of the screen
layouts may be preformed while the meter is connected to a
computing device executing the display programming software, or
alternatively, the programming may be performed offline and
uploaded to the meter at a later time.
[0067] Upon the screen layouts being uploaded to the meter, the
screen layouts will be stored in memory, e.g., memory 128 described
above. In one embodiment, the screen layouts include a first
look-up table associating the defined data in the screen
placeholders with a register of a Modbus map. A second look-up
table is also stored in memory which associates the Modbus
registers with locations in the memory where measured and
calculated data are stored. In operation, as a screen layout is
displayed, the processor of the meter will read the data defined in
the placeholder of the screen layout and use this information to
determine the associated Modbus register from the first look-up
table. The processor then employs the second look-up table to
determined the location in memory, e.g., RAM, flash, etc., of the
desired data based on the Modbus register.
[0068] Each of the three different types of screen layout will now
be described in more detail. The standard layouts conform to the
general arrangement shown in FIG. 7, shown for 2 entities. Features
of this template include: a 3-digit screen number in the upper left
corner 702 (default) or screen number not shown (optional); 0, 1,
or 2 lines of title text 704, placed to the right of the screen
number and left-aligned with each other, the location of text 704
does not change even if the screen number is not shown; and a
status bar 706 across the bottom, which shows date, time and phase
(if there are inputs). The template of FIG. 7 further includes 1 to
5 lines of variable data values 708 in the space between titles 704
and status bar 706 with optional prefixes 710 and suffixes 712 for
each line. Examples of the standard or predefined layouts include
meter data, WH Delivered, WH Received, kVARh per Quadrant, kVAh per
Quadrant, Rolling W Demand Delivered, Block W Demand Delivered,
etc.
[0069] The user may elect to modify the text in the standard
layouts. The user may specify one or more custom layouts that
conform to the template shown above. Such layouts are limited to no
more than 5 Modbus entities (i.e. a voltage, power, energy,
timestamp, etc.) and all entities must be homogeneous, meaning that
they are all subject to the same conversions and formatting. Thus
it is allowed to show W, VA, & VAR together, but not W &
Wh. The user may specify one or more custom layouts that conform to
a second template, described below, which displays a single entity
and its associated timestamp, optionally conditioned by a status
register. Standard and custom layouts may be mixed freely in all 3
user modes.
[0070] The next type of layout is a standard layouts with
user-specified text or custom labeling. Here, for any standard
layout conforming to the template shown above, the title, prefix,
and suffix strings may be overridden with user text, up to 16
characters per title line, 3 per prefix, and 2 per suffix. For
those standard layouts not conforming to the template, some may
still have their titles overridden while others may not. The table
below itemizes the user's options. Only those layouts that don't
match the template are listed.
TABLE-US-00001 Standard Text Layout Override Number Description
Options Reason 18 Phasors None No title 20 VAR, PF, & Title
Non-homogeneous data Frequency 21-26 Harmonics Title No prefixes or
suffixes 60 Segment check None No text 64 Optical Port Settings
Title Non-homogeneous data 65 Comm Ports Title Non-homogeneous data
66 Nexus Status Title Non-homogeneous data 67 Firmware Versions
Title Non-homogeneous data 68 Nexus Info Title Non-homogeneous data
76-77 Rolling/Block Title No prefixes or suffixes Demand 80-89 TOU
Energy Title No prefixes or suffixes 90-93 TOU Demand Title No
prefixes or suffixes Note: Standard layout has 3 titles but only 2
may be overridden. In this case, the 3.sup.rd is omitted. 94-95 TOU
+/- VARh Title No prefixes or suffixes
[0071] User-defined layouts will conform to either of 2 templates,
one of which is shown in FIG. 7. As described above, a 3-digit
screen number 702 in the upper left corner (default) or screen
number not shown (optional); 0, 1, or 2 lines of title text 704 up
to 16 characters each, placed to the right of the screen number and
left-aligned with each other; and a status bar 706 are provided.
Firmware will choose font sizes to be as large as possible given
the amount of data to be shown. Where possible, data values 708
will be in large font and titles 704 in medium font relative to the
data values. Firmware will also space the lines to achieve a
balanced appearance. In one embodiment, the maximum data size per
entity is 8 Modbus registers.
[0072] The user-defined layout further includes 1 to 5 lines of
variable data values 708 in the space between titles 704 and status
bar 706. Data must be homogeneous, i.e., apply the same transforms
and formatting to all lines. Each line of data may optionally have
a prefix 710 (different for each line) and/or a suffix 712 (same
for all lines). For instance, a screen showing phase to phase
voltages might have a single title (Volts P-P), 3 lines of data
with prefixes (Vab, Vbc, Vca), and the same suffix (MV) on all 3
lines. The title, prefix, and suffix strings may include a dynamic
scale character, i.e., a special symbol (.about.) to be replaced by
firmware with the appropriate scale character "on the fly". Screen
real estate limits the number of title lines vs. number of data
lines as shown in the table of FIG. 8.
[0073] Referring to FIG. 9, a second type of template 900 for a
user-defined custom layout is provided. Similar to the template
shown in FIG. 7, a screen number 902, title texts 904 and a status
bar 906 are provided. 2 lines of variable data values in the space
between titles 904 and status bar 906 are provided. The upper line
908 may be anything but is typically a demand; the lower line 910
is a timestamp. Each is centered on its respective line. An
optional third entity is also polled but not displayed. This is
interpreted as a status register indicating the validity of the
remaining entities, such as the registers that indicate when demand
or TOU data is ready. The title strings 904 may include a dynamic
scale character, i.e., a special symbol (.about.) to be replaced by
firmware with the appropriate scale character "on the fly".
[0074] In the user-defined custom layouts, data can be transformed
or formatted by the end user. Transformation of the data from raw
form per the Modbus Map to properly scaled and formatted values on
the screen will occur in 3 steps, each specified separately as
follows: [0075] 1. Conversion from raw form to measured value, such
as secondary volts or watts. Conversions will be specified as a
bit-mapped word in which multiple bits, or no bits, may be set as
appropriate. [0076] 2. Numeric transforms perform such conversions
as secondary to primary multiplication, or multiplication by a
user-set multiplier. Transforms will be specified as a bit-mapped
word in which multiple bits, or no bits, may be set as appropriate.
[0077] 3. Formatting for display will specify how to show the
results on screen. For scaled numeric data, this will include
scale, number of digits (1-10), decimal point placement (0-9), and
formatting options. In addition to the usual K, M, etc., scale may
be none or auto, indicating that all 1-5 entities on screen are to
be scaled together (Template of FIG. 7) or just that firmware is to
set the scale (Template of FIG. 9). Options specify use of sign and
leading zero characters. For displaying scaled energy, it is up to
the user to specify a format compatible with the programmable
settings. For unscaled or non-numeric data, the same bytes will be
text abbreviations indicating the form of the data, such as ASCII
text, timestamp, power factor, etc.
[0078] For the raw conversion bits, meaningful combinations are no
bits set, any single bit set, or signed entity bit plus one other
set, but other combinations will be executed except as noted.
[0079] Signed Entity [0080] Indicates that the registers polled
contain a signed number.
[0081] Divide by 65536 [0082] Converts entities such as RMS volts,
frequency, or 1 second watts to floating point representation.
[0083] Divide by 100 [0084] Converts entities such as angles or
percentages to floating point representation.
[0085] BCD to Binary [0086] Converts entities such as packed BCD
energy registers into binary. Ignores all other bits.
[0087] RTU Power
[0088] RTU Current
[0089] RTU Voltage
[0090] RTU Frequency [0091] Converts current, voltage, power, or
frequency entities from RTU format to floating point
representation; ignores all other bits.
[0092] Numeric transform bits include:
[0093] Multiply by CT Ratio
[0094] Multiply by PT Ratio [0095] Set one or both of these bits to
convert from secondary readings to primary.
[0096] Multiply by User-Set Factor [0097] Multiplies the converted
value by the factor specified with the layout. [0098] Different
layouts may have different factors.
[0099] For format bits, individual bytes will specify the scale,
number of digits, and number of decimal places. Scale will be a
single ASCII character, N for none, A for auto, k for kilo, M for
mega, G for giga. Number of digits will be an ASCII number, 1-9 for
1-9 digits or 0 for 10 digits. Number of decimal places will be an
ASCII number, 0-9 for 0-9 places. For non-numeric data, the same 3
bytes will be 3 character abbreviations: [0100] TXT for text [0101]
Text will be left-justified if there is a prefix on the line,
centered if not. [0102] PF_for power factor (_ is a space.) [0103]
Power factor will be formatted according to the method selected in
Nexus programmable settings. [0104] TIM for time [0105] DAT for
date [0106] TS_for timestamp (_ is a space.) [0107] Timestamp will
be of the form "mm/dd/yy hh:mm:ss" with date month/day ordering per
the date format setting in the display's programmable settings.
Date and time will be their respective portions of the timestamp.
[0108] Sxx for status; 4 forms are possible: [0109] ST1 Show 0 data
as "NOT OK" and non-zero data as "OK". [0110] ST0 Show 0 data as
"OK" and non-zero data as "NOT OK". [0111] S##, where ## is 00
through 15. [0112] Only the ## bit in the register is tested; shows
OK if the bit is 0. Bits are numbered LSB to MSB. [0113] S##, where
## is 15 through 31. [0114] Only the (##-16) bit in the register is
tested; shows OK if the bit is 1
[0115] Furthermore, the following option bits are provided:
[0116] Show Sign [0117] Causes numeric data to always show either a
plus or minus sign before the first digit.
[0118] Force Positive [0119] Shows the absolute value of the
data.
[0120] Force Negative [0121] Causes numeric data to always show a
minus sign before the first digit, even if the data is
unsigned.
[0122] A user-set multiplier value will be specified as a 5
character text string containing only digits and optionally a
single decimal point and/or minus sign. Leading digits may be
either spaces or zeroes, but 5 characters are required. Scientific
notation (e.g. 1.2E6 for 1,200,000) is also accepted.
[0123] FIG. 10 is a table showing which of the types of data values
F1-F67 are supported plus the conversion and transform bits
typically used with each. In order to not limit the flexibility of
the system, firmware will execute as many of the specified
conversions and transforms as possible, and will not restrict
itself to those shown in the table. Conversions that would require
changing the basic entity representation, such as text to numeric,
will not be attempted.
[0124] The display will not have sufficient information in custom
user layouts to perform range validation on Modbus data. For
example, both angles and percentages use the same "divide by 100"
conversion formula and are therefore indistinguishable, yet valid
angles are -180 to +180 while valid percentages are -327.68 to
327.67. The display is relying on the meter or IED to provide
sensible data.
[0125] By supporting only layouts conforming to the given
templates, the system defined here precludes very dense screen
arrangements as well as many involving non-homogeneous
registers.
[0126] The display supports a subset of characters in the ASCII
set. Unsupported characters are skipped over. The supported
characters available for user-defined text fields is: all upper
& lower case letters, digits 0-9, space, + sign, - sign,
period, forward slash, colon, question mark.
[0127] A user-defined field is provided for setting for time to
show each screen when scrolling. i.e., dwell time while scrolling.
The dwell time while scrolling default is 7 seconds, and has a
range from 3 to 30 seconds.
[0128] Screen layout definitions are mixed binary and ASCII with a
fixed size for each layout type. All definitions are placed into a
common block in no specific order. Size of this block is 3840 bytes
(64 bytes per layout*60 custom layouts, or 50 bytes per layout*76
layouts). 8 layout types are defined. Layout 0 is used to specify
one of the standard layouts, layout 1 is for one of the standard
layouts with user text changes. Layouts 2 through 6 specify custom
layouts conforming to the template shown in FIG. 7 with 1 to 5
lines of data, respectively. Layout 7 is for custom layouts
conforming to the template shown in FIG. 9. FIG. 11 itemizes the
exact definition for each layout.
[0129] Text strings for all titles, prefixes, and suffixes in the
template are embedded in the layout definition as is a string for
the user-defined multiplier in some layouts. Each is an ASCII
string placed in a fixed-length field. Strings shorter than the
field length should be null padded at the end. Unused strings or
strings in standard layouts to be displayed using default text
should be all nulls. Titles, prefix, and suffix strings may include
the tilde character (.about.) as the dynamic scale substitute. This
character was chosen because it is not included in any of the
display's fonts. It causes firmware to substitute the actual scale
in the indicated position while running.
[0130] Referring to FIG. 11, layouts 0 and 1 cover all the standard
layouts. Layout 0 specifies a standard layout with no text changes
and is the most compact at only 5 bytes. Layout 1 specifies a
standard layout with text changes and requires 54 bytes. User
interface software prevents potential user confusion by only
permitting the strings applicable to each screen to be changed.
Firmware will ignore any text provided that does not apply to the
given standard layout.
[0131] Examples, shown as Layout 0 and Layout 1:
TABLE-US-00002 Screen Layout 0 (phase to neutral voltage): 0x0009
0x00 0x10 0x00 0x0009 0x01 [32 zero bytes] ~V Van Vbn Vcn [6 zero
bytes] 0x10 0x00 Screen Layout 1 (PF): 0x007B 0x00 0x39 0x00 0x007B
0x01 PF [47 zero bytes] 0x39 0x00
Layouts 2 to 6 cover user-defined screens with 1 to 5 homogeneous
Modbus entities shown. The definition follows a consistent format
that grows with the number of entities. Each of the fields shown
for layouts 2-6 in FIG. 11 will now be described.
[0132] User screen number and layout number are the standard first
3 bytes for all layouts. Title, prefix, and suffix strings, up to
maximum length without termination, null padding at the end of any
short string. Entity size is the number of Modbus registers to poll
for each entity, e.g. 2 for voltage, 4 for timestamp, etc. Since
the entities are homogeneous, all require polling the same number
of registers. Entity registers comprise a list of the starting
Modbus addresses of the 1 to 5 entities to be polled. The 2 raw
conversion bytes form a word of bit-mapped flags identifying how to
convert the raw data into meaningful units. The raw conversion bits
are as listed above and in FIG. 10. The 2 numeric transform bytes
form a word of bit-mapped flags identifying the numeric transforms
applied to obtain the properly scaled value to be displayed. The
numeric transform bits are as listed above and in FIG. 10. The
format string is 3 ASCII characters telling how to format the
result on screen. The formatting bits are listed above and in FIG.
10. The 2 format options bytes form a word of bit-mapped flags
identifying general format options. The option bits are as listed
above and in FIG. 10. The multiplier field is an ASCII string
specifying the value of the user-defined multiplier for numeric
transforms. This string may only have any 5 character format
recognized by C as a floating point value. For example, 125.0 or
00125 or 125E0 all specify a multiplier of 125. Zero indicates no
multiplier (same as multiplier=1). 5 characters are required; null
terminate if needed.
Example
TABLE-US-00003 [0133] User screen 12 (frequency): FREQ 0x000C 0x02
[28 0's] 0x0002 0x0000 N74 0x0000 1.000 [2 0's] 0x02 [5 0's] 0x00E3
user layout 2 1 title unsigned, no add'1 no scale no no no 2 regs
no 1 poll screen 1 entity div by xforms 7 digits options mult
suffix per poll mult address num 65536 4 dec plc
[0134] Layout 7 shows an entity that has a timestamp associated
with it, such as peak demand. It also has a status byte, not
displayed, that alters the display when the status indicates that
the entity is not yet valid. The definition requires 56 bytes.
Bytes 0-2 are the user screen number and layout number, the
standard first 3 bytes for all layouts. Bytes 3-34 are the 2
optional titles. This layout does not permit prefixes or suffixes.
Bytes 35-48 are the raw conversion, numeric transform, format
string, format options, and multiplier, and are identical to the
same fields for Layouts 2-6. They apply to the first register.
Formatting of the timestamp and status-related text requires no
user input. Bytes 49-51 define the entity size and address. Bytes
52-53 give the address for the timestamp. 4 registers will be
polled. Bytes 54-55 give the address for the status register.
Non-zero status indicates OK. For zero status, the entity fields
will display N/A and the timestamp will be omitted.
[0135] Layouts 8-255 are reserved for future. They are intended as
a means of adding more complex user-defined layouts should the need
arise.
[0136] The display is permitted access to password protected Modbus
registers without use of the password by merit of its privileged
location within the meter itself. This applies primarily to Time of
Use registers. Conventionally, a block of special addresses was
allocated for this purpose, i.e., the display would poll these
registers instead of the normal ones. This method is not suitable
for user-defined layouts because the user has no knowledge of these
special addresses. The new approach to this problem is for the
display to poll the meter using a special undocumented Modbus
function code (0x33) for all its data polls. By this means, the
meter can permit the display to access all registers while
subjecting polls passed through from the optical port to the normal
password restrictions.
[0137] Referring to FIGS. 12-14, a programming interface is
illustrated which facilitates creation of the custom user layouts
and for entering user text for eligible standard layouts. A
sequenced pair of windows is provided, the first to determine the
general parameters of the layout and the second to be a form with
the correct number and placement of boxes to be filled in by the
user.
[0138] The initial window designated as 1202 in FIG. 12 is designed
to obtain various pieces of information from the user. A user
screen number section is provided 1204 and a screen type selection
portion 1206 is provided for allowing the user to select one of the
three types of screen layouts. Based on the screen type selection,
the user will be prompted for more information, for example, if
standard or predefined layout is selected, the user is prompted to
select a predefined screen from predetermined groups. The
predefined screens are classified into groups to narrow down the
available number of screens. Here, a group of screens can be
selected via drop down menu 1208, and an a screen from the selected
group can be selected form drop down menu 1210.
[0139] It is to be appreciated that if a predefined screen layout
is selected, no further editing or programming is required. The
selected predefined screen can be uploaded and the meter will
display the screen upon the upload.
[0140] If a predefined with custom labeling layout is selected via
screen type selection portion 1306, the user will be presented with
a window 1302 as shown in FIG. 13. As in FIG. 12, the user screen
number is adjustable via section 1304 and a predefined screen can
be selected via group down menu 1308 and item drop down menu 1310.
In the screen layout section 1312, labels 1314 for the data
associated with the screen layout can be modified by the user.
[0141] If the user defined or custom layout is selected, the user
will be presented with a window 1402 as shown in FIG. 14. The
window designated as 1404 in FIG. 14 is designed to obtain the
various pieces of information from the user. In addition to the
user screen number section 1404 and the screen type selection
portion 1406, a layout arrangement section 1408 is provided for
prompting the user to select how much information is to be
displayed on the screen, e.g., 1-5 items or 1 demand, 1 timestamp.
Based on the selection in the layout arrangement section 1408, a
screen layout section 1410 is generated to loosely mimic the
template shown in FIG. 7 when a number of items is selected or the
template shown in FIG. 9 when the 1 Demand, 1 Timestamp is
selected. When a number of items is selected, the screen layout
section 1410 includes a text box for each data line 1412, a text
box for each prefix 1414 and a text box for the suffix 1416. In the
example of FIG. 14, five items are selected and five lines of items
are generated in the screen layout section 1410. Furthermore, the
screen layout section 1410 includes a text box for screen titles
1417. Depending on the number of items selected, the number of
lines for the screen titles or labels is dictated by table shown in
FIG. 8.
[0142] As an example, a screen containing phase to phase voltages
might have a single title "Volts P-P", three lines of data with
prefixes "Vab", "Vbc", "Vca", and the same suffix "MV" on all three
lines. Referring to FIG. 15, meter 1500 illustrates this example.
Display 1522 includes title 1522, prefixes 1514 for each of the
three lines of data and suffixes 1516 for each of the three lines
of data. The display 1522 further includes a status bar 1518
showing the time, date and phase.
[0143] For each data item or entity 1412, the user can define what
is placed in the field by employing the meter's Modbus map to
identify the data that is desired to be displayed. This could be a
selection from a list, entry of a Modbus address, or some mix of
these approaches. The Modbus map defines what the data is (e.g.,
voltage readings, current readings, etc.), where the data is stored
(e.g., data addresses), and how the data is stored (data types,
byte and word ordering) in the meter, in accordance with the Modbus
protocol which is incorporated by reference. In one embodiment, the
desired data is defined by entering the starting value of the
Modbus Register containing the data for the item. Once the starting
value of the Modbus Register is entered, details for each entry are
added via interpretation section 1418, i.e., screen's Modbus
registers' data interpretation section, e.g., a number of registers
per item, what the registers contents are, if the data is signed or
unsigned and if to divide the register contents by a number.
[0144] Once the data is selected or the Modbus address entered into
field 1412, the data can be modified via interpretation section
1418, i.e., screen's Modbus registers' data interpretation section.
In the embodiment shown, check boxes for raw conversion bits, text
entry for numeric transforms, and drop-down menus for format
options are provided. Suitable controls for scale, number of
digits, and number of decimal places are also provided. Optionally,
a text box for user-set multiplier is provided. The table below
shows the fields of the screen's Modbus registers' data
interpretation section and valid entries for each.
TABLE-US-00004 ENTRY FIELDS POSSIBLE ENTRIES Register per item 1-8
Register contents Binary, BCD, Text, Scaled Energy Data Signed,
Unsigned Divide contents by 1, 100, 65536 Multiply by User
multiplier (enter in blank field), PT Ratio, CT Ratio Data format
Number, Text, Power factor, Time Date, Time & Date, Status
indicator Numerical sign Auto, Forced negative, Forced positive
Show Sign No, Yes Scale Auto, None, kilo (k), Mega (M), Giga (G)
Total digits 1-10 Digits to the right of the 1-8 decimal place
[0145] It is to be appreciated that although the embodiments
described illustrate a meter or IED with a display disposed
directly on the meter or a housing thereof, it is contemplated to
be within the scope of this disclosure that the programmable
display can be an external device which is located remotely from
the meter and coupled to the meter by wired or wireless means.
[0146] Although the disclosure herein has been described with
reference to particular illustrative embodiments, it is to be
understood that these embodiments are merely illustrative of the
principles and applications of the present disclosure. Therefore
numerous modifications may be made to the illustrative embodiments
and other arrangements may be devised without departing from the
spirit and scope of the present disclosure, which is defined by the
appended claims.
[0147] Furthermore, although the foregoing text sets forth a
detailed description of numerous embodiments, it should be
understood that the legal scope of the invention is defined by the
words of the claims set forth at the end of this disclosure. The
detailed description is to be construed as exemplary only and does
not describe every possible embodiment, as describing every
possible embodiment would be impractical, if not impossible. One
could implement numerous alternate embodiments, using either
current technology or technology developed after the filing date of
this patent, which would still fall within the scope of the
claims.
[0148] It should also be understood that, unless a term is
expressly defined in this patent using the sentence "As used
herein, the term `______` is hereby defined to mean . . . " or a
similar sentence, there is no intent to limit the meaning of that
term, either expressly or by implication, beyond its plain or
ordinary meaning, and such term should not be interpreted to be
limited in scope based on any statement made in any section of this
patent (other than in the claims). To the extent that any term
recited in the claims at the end of this patent is referred to in
this patent in a manner consistent with a single meaning, that is
done for sake of clarity only so as to not confuse the reader, and
it is not intended that such claim term be limited, by implication
or otherwise, to that single meaning. Finally, unless a claim
element is defined by reciting the word "means" and a function
without the recital of any structure, it is not intended that the
scope of any claim element be interpreted based on the application
of 35 U.S.C. .sctn.112, sixth paragraph.
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