System and method for providing information to and/or obtaining information from a component of an electrical distribution system

Abstract

An electrical distribution system wherein information is communicated to and/or from an electrical component of the electrical distribution system using near-field communications. The information may be communicated to and/or from the electrical component using an electronic device such as a dedicated near-field device, a smartphone or a configuration card device. Also, a method of obtaining information from an electrical component of an electrical distribution system, such as a circuit interrupter, includes generating a machine readable element that comprises first information in encoded form, the first information relating to the operation and/or status of the circuit interrupter, displaying the machine readable element on the circuit interrupter, capturing an image of the machine readable element, obtaining the first information based on the image, and displaying second information based on the obtained first information.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A circuit interrupter system, comprising:
 a circuit interrupter, the circuit interrupter having a first processor apparatus and a first display, the first processor apparatus being structured to: (i) generate a machine readable element that comprises first information in encoded form, the first information relating to the operation and/or status of the circuit interrupter, and (ii) cause the machine readable element to be displayed on the first display; and   a portable computing device having a second processor apparatus, a second display, and an image capture device, the second processor apparatus being structured to: (i) cause the image capture device to capture an image of the machine readable element, (ii) obtain the first information based on the image, and (iii) cause second information to be displayed on the second display based on the obtained first information.   
     
     
         2 . The system according to  claim 1 , wherein the machine readable element is a 2D barcode. 
     
     
         3 . The system according to  claim 1 , wherein the machine readable element is generated in response to a trip in the circuit interrupter, and wherein the first information includes information relating to one or more of: (i) a cause of the trip, (ii) a current flowing in the circuit interrupter prior to the trip, (iii) configuration settings information for the circuit interrupter that are relevant to the trip, (iv) service related information that is relevant to the trip, and (v) voltage and/or current waveform information for a certain amount to time prior to the trip. 
     
     
         4 . The system according to  claim 3 , wherein the second information includes information relating to one or more of: (i) the cause of the trip, (ii) the current flowing in the circuit interrupter prior to the trip, (iii) configuration settings information for the circuit interrupter that are relevant to the trip, (iv) service documentation for the circuit interrupter and/or contact information for a service electrician/technician for the circuit interrupter, and (v) voltage and/or current waveform information for a certain amount to time prior to the trip. 
     
     
         5 . The system according to  claim 1 , wherein the first information includes current information and/or voltage information for the circuit interrupter. 
     
     
         6 . The system according to  claim 5 , wherein the first information includes one or more current values and/or one or more voltage values for the circuit interrupter. 
     
     
         7 . The system according to  claim 6 , wherein the first processor apparatus is structured to, following generation of the machine readable element, sequentially and on a periodic basis generate and cause to be displayed on the first display a plurality of updated machine readable elements that each comprise updated first information in encoded form, wherein in each case the updated first information includes one or more updated current values and/or one or more updated voltage values for the circuit interrupter. 
     
     
         8 . The system according to  claim 5 , wherein the first information includes current waveform information and/or voltage waveform information for the circuit interrupter. 
     
     
         9 . The system according to  claim 8 , wherein the first processor apparatus is structured to, following generation of the machine readable element, sequentially and on a periodic basis generate and cause to be displayed on the first display a plurality of updated machine readable elements that each comprise updated first information in encoded form, wherein in each case the updated first information includes updated current waveform information and/or updated voltage waveform information for the circuit interrupter. 
     
     
         10 . A method of obtaining information from an electrical component of an electrical distribution system, comprising:
 generating a machine readable element that comprises first information in encoded form, the first information relating to the operation and/or status of the electrical component;   displaying the machine readable element on the electrical component;   capturing an image of the machine readable element;   obtaining the first information based on the image; and   displaying second information based on the obtained first information.   
     
     
         11 . The method according to  claim 10 , wherein the machine readable element is a 2D barcode. 
     
     
         12 . The method according to  claim 10 , wherein the electrical component is a circuit interrupter. 
     
     
         13 . The method according to  claim 12 , wherein the generating is performed in response to a trip in the circuit interrupter, and wherein the first information includes information relating to one or more of: (i) a cause of the trip, (ii) a current flowing in the circuit interrupter prior to the trip, (iii) configuration settings information for the circuit interrupter that are relevant to the trip, (iv) service related information that is relevant to the trip, and (v) voltage and/or current waveform information for a certain amount to time prior to the trip. 
     
     
         14 . The method according to  claim 13 , wherein the second information includes information relating to one or more of: (i) the cause of the trip, (ii) the current flowing in the circuit interrupter prior to the trip, (iii) configuration settings information for the circuit interrupter that are relevant to the trip, (iv) service documentation for the circuit interrupter and/or contact information for a service electrician/technician for the circuit interrupter, and (v) voltage and/or current waveform information for a certain amount to time prior to the trip. 
     
     
         15 . The method according to  claim 12 , wherein the first information includes current information and/or voltage information for the circuit interrupter. 
     
     
         16 . The method according to  claim 15 , wherein the first information includes one or more current values and/or one or more voltage values for the circuit interrupter. 
     
     
         17 . The method according to  claim 16 , further comprising, following the generating of the machine readable element, sequentially and on a periodic basis generating and displaying on the circuit interrupter a plurality of updated machine readable elements that each comprise updated first information in encoded form, wherein in each case the updated first information includes one or more updated current values and/or one or more updated voltage values for the circuit interrupter. 
     
     
         18 . The method according to  claim 15 , wherein the first information includes current waveform information and/or voltage waveform information for the circuit interrupter. 
     
     
         19 . The method according to  claim 18 , further comprising, following the generating of the machine readable element, sequentially and on a periodic basis generating and displaying on the circuit interrupter a plurality of updated machine readable elements that each comprise updated first information in encoded form, wherein in each case the updated first information includes updated current waveform information and/or updated voltage waveform information for the circuit interrupter.