Patent ID: 8638085

Claim:
A system for determining the electrical connections of a plurality of nodes coupled to a circuit, comprising: an electrical power distribution system including a circuit; a processor coupled to said circuit; a plurality of nodes connected to said circuit and in communication with said processor, wherein at least a first node of said plurality of nodes and a second node of said plurality of nodes include node electronics, and said node electronics are configured to receive and send node electrical signals; an external power drawing load coupled to said first node, wherein said external power drawing load draws power from said circuit and through said first node, wherein said node electronics in said first node are configured 1) to detect said power drawn by said external power drawing load and 2) to send a node electrical signal from said first node to said processor by said circuit, indicating that said first node has sensed said power drawn by said external power drawing load, and said node electronics in said second node are configured 1) to detect power drawn through said second node and 2) to send a node electrical signal from said second node to said processor by said circuit, indicating said power drawn through said second node; and wherein said processor is configured to identify which of said plurality of nodes are upstream or downstream relative to one another on said circuit based on said node electrical signal sent from said first node and said node electrical signal sent from said second node, wherein if said second node is upstream from said first node said power drawn through said second node includes said power drawn by said external power drawing load.