Abstract:
The present invention relates to a communication module plug-in device for an electronic trip unit including both wired and wire-less conventional communication methodologies. The device comprising a housing, the housing being structurally configured for the releasable connection to an electronic trip unit, wherein the housing further facilitates the electronic communication between the communication plug-in device and the electronic trip unit. The device also comprises a communication controller that is situated within the housing, a transceiver situated within the housing, wherein the transceiver is in communication with the communication controller, and a memory storage device situated within the housing, the memory storage device being in communication with the communication controller and the transceiver.

Description:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION 
       [0001]    This invention relates to circuit interrupting devices comprising electronic tripping units, and particularly to plug-in modules configured to expand the functional operations of the electronic trip units. 
       DESCRIPTION OF BACKGROUND 
       [0002]    Electronic trip units implemented within circuit breakers have been utilized to perform a plurality of functional operations. Many electronic trip units employ microprocessors for the execution of instructional operations pertaining to the monitoring and gathering of systematic information, such information including information in regard to environmental and performance standards that may affect a circuit breaker. Since the operational performance standards of a circuit breaker operating in the field may change over time, the information or software that is needed to diagnose or update a currently configured operational function within the microprocessor may change. 
         [0003]    Thus, there exists a need for a solution for updating software and performance standard information within an electronic trip unit of a circuit breaker. 
       SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
       [0004]    Exemplary embodiments of the present invention comprise a communication module plug-in device for an electronic trip unit. The device comprising a housing, the housing being structurally configured for the releasable connection to an electronic trip unit, wherein the housing further facilitates the electronic communication between the communication plug-in device and the electronic trip unit. The device also comprises a communication controller that is situated within the housing, a transceiver situated within the housing, wherein the transceiver is in communication with the communication controller, and a memory storage device situated within the housing, the memory storage device being in communication with the communication controller and the transceiver. 
         [0005]    A further exemplary embodiment of the present invention comprises a system for the communication between an electronic trip unit and a communication device. The system comprises an electronic trip unit, the electronic trip unit comprising a housing, the housing being structurally configured for the releasable connection to a modular plug-in device, and a microcontroller situated within the housing. The system further comprises a communication module plug-in device in electrical communication with the electronic trip unit. The communication plug-in device comprising a housing, the housing being structurally configured for the releasable connection to an electronic trip unit, wherein the housing further facilitates the electronic communication between the communication plug-in device and the electronic trip unit, a communication controller situated within the housing, a transceiver situated within the housing, wherein the transceiver is in communication with the communication controller; and a memory storage device situated within the housing, the memory storage device being in communication with the communication controller and the transceiver. 
         [0006]    A yet further exemplary embodiment of the present invention comprises the inclusion of conventional wired and wireless communication mechanisms that are practiced in industry. The exemplary plug-in communication device of the present invention comprises all the capability required—electronic, electrical and mechanical mentioned as a part of this invention—to facilitate an array of plug-in communication devices where in only one plug-in communication device is necessitated to be releasably connected to an electronic trip unit at a time. 
         [0007]    Additional features and advantages are realized through the techniques of the present invention. Other embodiments and aspects of the invention are described in detail herein and are considered a part of the claimed invention. 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         [0008]    The subject matter that is regarded as the invention is particularly pointed out and distinctly claimed in the claims at the conclusion of the specification. The foregoing and other objects, features, and advantages of the invention are apparent from the following detailed description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings in which: 
           [0009]      FIG. 1  is a diagram of a circuit breaker system and the sub-parts of the circuit system in accordance with exemplary embodiments of the present invention. 
           [0010]      FIG. 2  is a diagram of an electronic trip unit implemented in accordance with exemplary embodiments of the present invention. 
           [0011]      FIG. 3  is a diagram of a communication module plug-in device implemented in accordance with exemplary embodiments of the present invention. 
       
    
    
       [0012]    The detailed description explains the exemplary embodiments of the invention, together with advantages and features, by way of example with reference to the drawings. 
       DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
       [0013]    One or more exemplary embodiments of the invention are described below in detail. The disclosed embodiments are intended to be illustrative only since numerous modifications and variations therein will be apparent to those of ordinary skill in the art. In reference to the drawings, like numbers will indicate like parts continuously throughout the views. 
         [0014]    It is typical for an electronic trip unit to be sold with additional functions that are not part of the standard commercial offering for the electronic trip unit. Traditionally, these additional functions may be offered as upgrades to the electronic trip unit and may be enabled within the electronic trip unit prior to the shipping of the product at the request of a customer. However, problems may occur in the event that a customer desires to upgrade the functions of the electronic trip unit or add differing functionality to an electronic trip unit that has already been delivered to the customer. 
         [0015]    Exemplary embodiments of the present invention provide for an add-on communication module for operational usage with an electronic trip unit. The communication plug-in module is provided as a solution for the installation of desired operational electronic trip unit functionality in the field. As such, the electronic trip unit is configured to have a common interface bus that serves to cater to a plethora of communication plug-in module housing connector configurations. Further, the communication plug-in module is configured to communicate to a user data signals that are fed to it as well as communicate the data signals to a main microcontroller of main device i.e. an electronic trip unit. This communicative aspect is accomplished within exemplary embodiments of the present invention via the implementation of a communication controller or a combination of equivalent circuitry. 
         [0016]    The communication capabilities of a communication plug-in module can be provided by the implementation of a communication controller or a combination of equivalent circuitry—the equivalent circuitry being known to one of ordinary skill in the art. Further, individual communication plug-in modules can be identified by an electronic trip unit by the means of a unique electronic identification code that is assigned to each communication plug-in module. When a communication plug-in module is connected to an electronic trip unit, upon the electronic trip unit recognizing the identification code of a communication plug-in module, a set of instructions that is stored upon the device can thereafter be accessed and executed to serve the purposes of the connected communication plug-in module. 
         [0017]    Further exemplary embodiments of the present invention provide for an efficient, stand-alone, reliable communication plug-in module. The communication plug-in module can be presented as an independent and separate component in order to provide additional functionality for an electronic trip unit. Further, the communication plug-in module provides a simple solution for an operator to install desired operational electronic trip unit functionality in the field. 
         [0018]    Further aspects of the exemplary embodiments of the present invention detail the communication module, the communication plug-in module being configured to convert microcontroller data to ready-to-transmit communication protocol compatible data. Similarly, communication data received at the communication plug-in module is formatted into microcontroller data, which is then passed to microcontroller. 
         [0019]      FIG. 1  shows a diagram of a circuit breaker  100  system, wherein the circuit breaker  100  comprises an electronic trip unit  105  and a plug-in communication module  110 . The electronic trip unit  105  and the communication module  110  are both comprised within separate housing enclosures, wherein the electronic trip unit  105  and the communication module  110  are physically releasably connected by conventional structural plug-in housing connection means. Thus, the communication module  110  can be configured as a plug-in module that can be physically attached to the electronic trip unit  105  before or after the complete assembly of the breaker  100 ; even in the event that the breaker  100  is in the field. 
         [0020]    The electronic trip unit further comprises a microcontroller  120 , wherein the microcontroller  120  comprises a universal synchronous/asynchronous receiver/transmitter (USART)  125  ( FIG. 2 ). The USART  125  is employed for the reception and transmittal of serial data from the communication controller  130  of the communication module  110  ( FIG. 3 ). Internally, the communication controller  130  communicates with the microcontroller  120  using the USART  125  lines. The communication controller  130  communicates with an external device  115  through a transceiver  135 . The transceiver  135  is utilized to facilitate communication with remote devices (that is, a PDA, laptop computer, cell phone, for example). The communication module  110  further comprises a memory  140  (for example, flash memory or a non-flash EEPROM) that is in communication with the communication controller  130 . 
         [0021]    The microprocessor  120  of the electronic trip unit  105  executes software instructions stored within its internal memory or downloaded to its memory (not shown). The memory of the electronic trip unit comprises a look-up table that comprises the unique electronic identification codes for each communication module  110  and the array of software instructions that are associated with the communication module  110 , thus supporting the functions of the communication module  110 . 
         [0022]    Each communication module  110  is assigned a unique identification code. This unique identification code is programmed into the electronic trip unit  105 . The unique identification code for a communication module  110  is further associated with at least one set of software instructions that has been pre-programmed into the electronic trip unit  105 . The electronic trip unit  105  utilizes the unique identification code for a communication module  110  to “unlock” the pre-programmed software instructions that are associated with the unique identification code of the communication module  110 . Updates for software instructions for the electronic trip unit  105  can be downloaded from a device to the communication module  110  for further downloading to the electronic trip unit  105 . 
         [0023]    Data that can be uploaded or downloaded from the electronic trip unit  105  to a device  115  include, but are not limited to: the configuration parameters for the electronic trip unit  105 , the monitoring on-line parameters, supervisory control commands operations, and electronic optioning parameters. Further, the automated testing of the electronic trip unit may be performed from a communicating device  115  via the communication module  110 . The data downloaded from the electronic trip unit  105  via the communication module  110  can be presented to a device  115  user at the device. Further, the data that is uploaded from the device to the electronic trip unit  105  via the communication module  110  can be delivered to the microcontroller  120 . 
         [0024]    Within exemplary embodiments of the present invention communication between the electronic trip unit  105  and a device  115  are facilitated via the communication module  110 . Within the present invention communication can be accomplished using a wide variety of conventional communication protocols (e.g., RF-inclusive of the entire frequency range, short range radio frequency technologies such as Bluetooth, and infrared technologies). 
         [0025]    Within further exemplary embodiments of the present invention communication between an electronic trip unit  105  and a device  115  can be facilitated via the communication module  110  and the device  115 , wherein each device comprises an appropriate physically compatible interface for communication. Communication between the devices can be accomplished over a physical interface via serial communication (e.g., implementing the use of conventional communication methodologies such as Fieldbus, RS-232, or RS-485 physical links over any conventional industry standard or proprietary protocol) and Ethernet communication (e.g., HTTP, TCP/IP, SNMP, etc . . . ). Yet further exemplary embodiments the devices can be configured for physical or wireless parallel communication data linkage in order to facilitate communication between the communication module  110  and a device  115 . 
         [0026]    For the further explanatory purposes of the present invention exemplary embodiments detailing communication via infrared technology will be discussed. The electronic trip unit  105  has a common bus of interface signals, wherein a variety of communication plug-in modules  110  are supported. Each communication module  110  comprises an electronic assembly that provides the resource for an electronic trip unit  105  to communicate to an IrDA compatible hand held device that is configured with an infrared communication link. 
         [0027]    Within an infrared communication implementation, the communication module  110  comprises an infrared communication controller  130  and an infrared transceiver  135  to receive or transmit data through an infrared channel. The communication controller  130  further comprises the IrDA communication protocol stack, a RAM for buffering data, and means for communicating with the microprocessor  120  of the main electronic trip unit assembly  105 . Data that is to be transferred on a point-to-point link between the electronic trip unit  105  and the communication module  110  is wrapped into a predetermined industry standard communication protocol format. This implementation has the benefit of almost no impact on the main memory of the communication module  110 , which also comprises the executable code of the module  110 . Communication on an infrared physical medium provides highly reliable, point-to-point, high-speed data transfer, in addition to being suitable for noise-prone environments. 
         [0028]    The communication module  110  provides an electronic trip unit  105  with a communicative capacity. Whereas the communication module  110  serves to encode and decode communication information that is received and transmitted to a device  115  via the transceiver  135  of the communication module  110 . As such, any circuit breaker  100  system that is configured to accept the communication module plug-in  110  can be customized to perform a plethora of optional preset or upgraded operational functions. 
         [0029]    As described, the present invention provides simple, low-cost, stand alone communication module. The communication module can be provided in conjunction with a circuit breaker/electronic trip unit system or as a separate ad-on functional component to the circuit breaker system in the field. 
         [0030]    While the invention has been described with reference to exemplary embodiments, it will be understood by those skilled in the art that various changes may be made and equivalents may be substituted for elements thereof without departing from the scope of the invention. In addition, many modifications may be made to adapt a particular situation or material to the teachings of the invention without departing from the essential scope thereof. Therefore, it is intended that the invention not be limited to the particular embodiments disclosed for carrying out this invention, but that the invention will include all embodiments falling within the scope of the claims.