PATENT CLAIM ANALYSIS

Application Number: 16231998
Application Type: Utility
Filing Date: 2018-12
Publication Date: 2019-05
Patent Classification: ["324", "509000"]

Abstract:
A test circuit performs fault detection tests on a motor branch circuit, to detect pre-existing faults before a motor start-up to pre-empt potential damage to the motor branch circuit therefrom. The test circuit is configured to be coupled to the phase lines of a motor branch circuit at a set of test points strategically located on the phase lines. The test circuit includes test lines that are each coupled to a different one of the phase lines at one of the set of test points. The test circuit includes a test controller that, during a test mode, sequentially presents a low voltage supply to each phase line through the test line coupled thereto, to test for ground faults then sequentially couples the low voltage supply across each possible pairing of the phase lines to test for line-to-line faults. The test mode can be initiated manually or automatically.

Claim (Index 1):
A test circuit for performing nondestructive detection of faults in a motor branch circuit, the motor branch circuit including two or more phase lines, each phase line coupling a phase inductor of a motor to a different phase of a branch circuit AC supply voltage through a circuit breaker, the test circuit comprising:\n a test voltage source; a test circuit isolating means; a test controller; and a plurality of test lines, each configured to be physically coupled to a different one of the phase lines at a unique one of a set of test points through the test circuit isolating means, each of the plurality of test lines being conductively coupled to the test point on the phase line to which it is physically coupled when the test circuit isolating means is in a closed state, and isolated therefrom when the test circuit isolating means is in an open state, each of the test lines including:\n a current sensor for sensing current flowing in the test line; and \n switching means for coupling at least one terminal of the test voltage source to the test point to which it is physically coupled when the isolating means is closed, the switching means responsive to control signals generated by the controller, \n wherein when the test circuit is placed in a test mode, the test controller is configured to perform a short-circuit test sequence including:\n closing the primary isolating means; \n controlling the switching means of each possible pairing of the test lines to sequentially couple the test voltage source across each possible pairing of the phase lines to produce a current response, and \n identifying a line-to-line fault between any of the pairings of phase lines when a magnitude of the current response exceeds a threshold magnitude for the current response.

Metadata:
- Claim Count in Document: 47.0
- Percentile: 98.0
- Lexical Diversity: 2.32836
- Patent Class: 324.0
- Transitional Phrase Type: open
- Component Type: 1
- Foreign Priority: False
- Related Applications: ['15683749', '12642737', '13274291', '14583174', '09682730']

Analysis Scores:
- 35 USC 101 Eligibility (BERT): 0.5197579773042565
- 35 USC 102 Novelty (BERT): 0.5429180945473693
- Combined Prediction Score: 0.5220739890285678
- Mean Citation Score: 239.150182
- Max Citation Score: 390.5549
- Similarity Product: 374.9772514075577

Labels:
- Claim Label 101: 1
- Claim Label 102: 1
- Claim Label 103: 1
- Claim Label 112: 0
- Combined Label: 1
- Label 101 Adjusted: 1

Dataset: test