Patent ID: 8773827

Claim:
A method of scheduling operation of a plurality of powered devices associated with a circuit breaker, said method comprising: enabling a user to enter one or more parameters to create a user-generated device schedule, said user-generated device schedule indicating first and second ones of said plurality of powered devices that are authorized for use during first and/or second time ranges, said first ones of said plurality of powered devices not being authorized for use during said first time range, and said second ones of said plurality of powered devices being authorized for use during both said first and said second time ranges; determining a current time; and managing functioning of at least one powered device based at least in part on said user-generated device schedule, and said current time, said managing functioning comprising; determining whether said at least one powered device is authorized for use during said current time based at least in part on whether said at least one powered device is within said first ones or said second ones of said plurality of powered devices, and whether said current time is within said first or said second time range; when it is determined that said at least one powered device is authorized for use during said current time, periodically evaluating a plurality of power data associated with use of said at least one powered device to generate an operating power signature for comparison to a calibration power signature characteristic of a properly functioning device; alerting said user that said at least one powered device is experiencing an error condition when said comparison of said operating and calibration power signatures indicates a change that satisfies a first criteria; providing a suggested cause of said error condition of said at least one powered device based upon said comparison; and disallowing continued use of said at least one powered device when it is experiencing said error condition.