Patent ID: 6448758
Filing Date: 2002-09-10
Classification: G01R,H01H,H02H

Abstract:
A diagnostic method for determining a characteristic of electrode contacts and/or contacted surfaces comprising the steps of:sensing, during a movement that causes an electrode to have a break contact event with a first contacted surface and to have a make contact event with a second contacted surface, an RF signal from at least one electrical discharge event during said movement; and using a parameter of said RF signal to diagnose said characteristic of said electrode contact and/or contacted surfaces, wherein said using step comprises the step of determining at least one of: RF activity using said break contact and make contact events and determining a delay between said break contact event and said make contact event; an amplitude of said RF signal during at least one of said break contact event and make contact event; and an integral of a portion of said RF signal, wherein the portion of said RF signal is integrated by a perturbation detector.