METHODS AND SYSTEMS FOR IDENTIFYING THE SOURCE OF A FAULT, SUCH AS AN ARC FAULT OR A GROUND FAULT, IN A COMMUNICATION PANEL

Abstract

A branch circuit fault analysis system is described that identifies the source of a fault, such as an arc fault or a ground fault, in a communication panel. The system comprises an application running on a mobile device, configured to display the physical location and conditions experienced by each electronic circuit breaker. The system further comprises an electronic circuit breaker that includes trip identification means to clearly identify a branch circuit that has resulted in a breaker trip, record and transmit this information to the mobile device for an end user, and one or more proximity sensors to determine the physical location of the electronic circuit breaker in a panel. The load current, voltage, and noise levels are continuously monitored and displayed in the application with timestamps.In the event of a trip condition, the application uses timestamp conditions to highlight the shunt that caused the trip.

Description

METHODS AND SYSTEMS FOR IDENTIFYING THE SOURCE OF A FAULT, SUCH AS AN ARC FAULT OR A GROUND FAULT, IN A COMMUNICATION PANEL BACKGROUND 1. Field The aspects of the present invention relate in general to methods and systems for identifying the source of a fault, such as an arc fault or a ground fault in a communication panel. 2. Description of the related technique The customer or end user of a residential power distribution system doesn't fully understand the layout of their panel or easily accessible power distribution system to help troubleshoot problems or issues that may arise in their home, private residence, or building. The end user (homeowner or electrical contractor) often faces the need to identify the source of such a problem and may not understand what caused an event, such as a residential circuit breaker tripping or a load disconnecting due to a fault. In some cases, circuit breakers trip or loads on a circuit are disconnected due to noisy electronic loads, arc fault events, or ground fault events and / or an overload within the same circuit. There are other cases where this is not the reason. In these cases, for example, an arc fault circuit interrupter (AFCI) or a ground fault circuit interrupter (GFCI) may trip as a result of the malfunctioning of a load on a separate circuit, whether due to a fault condition or another reason. In this case, diagnosing the exact nature of the fault, its cause, or the circuit that may have caused the trip is often overlooked. The homeowner or electrical contractor will spend more time troubleshooting individual circuits or branches originating from a panel within a power distribution system to find the cause of the trip, or they will focus solely on the device monitoring the branch that caused the trip and misdiagnose the problem. Today's latest AFCI, GFCI, and dual-function AFCI (DF AFCI) devices have light-emitting diodes (LEDs) that can be energized or controlled by intelligent hardware operations through microprocessors or microcontrollers for indications and, in some cases, to store information, such as fault events or waveforms of load conditions that can identify fault conditions within non-volatile memory components, either as standalone components or integrated into the microprocessors or microcontrollers, even though end users may not be aware of the conditions that caused the circuit breaker to trip or the loads connected to specific branches to disconnect. In the absence of truly accurate methods for identifying the exact nature of a fault, the end user (homeowner or electrical contractor) performs their own assessment on individual circuits one by one to rule out the nature of the fault before identifying the possible root causes. Since this assessment relies on experience and pre-existing wiring standards, human error in identification is likely. Furthermore, the increasing use of smart devices that generate significant electronic noise can sometimes interfere with the functionality of an electronic circuit breaker, further complicating the end user's ability to correctly identify the root cause of the faults. Therefore, there is a need for a better system or method for analyzing the failures of a branch or panel. SUMMARY Briefly described, the aspects of the present invention relate to a panel fault analysis system or method for identifying the source of a fault, such as an arc fault or a ground fault, in a panel. There is a need for an AFCI / GFCI circuit breaker to include a means of identifying the source of the fault that caused the breaker to trip. Adjacent AFCI / GFCI circuit breakers need to record their relative proximity to the faulty circuit, record the fault condition, and transmit this information to a remote device easily accessible to the end user. With the advent of cellular mobile devices (mobile phones or tablets with a wireless connection) and their widespread use in everyday life, it is assumed that this information can be seamlessly transmitted to an end user's cellular mobile device. This invention aims to solve the technical difficulty of understanding the relative positioning of each electronic circuit breaker. It also incorporates AFCI / GFCI circuit breakers with the means to identify surrounding circuits and locations within a residential power distribution system or panel, and to continuously monitor the status of each electronic circuit breaker. Once all the electronic circuit breakers have been correctly installed in a panel, each breaker is able to communicate with its neighboring circuit breaker and transfer this mesh information to a remote display device. This process can also be described as follows: when the installed circuit breaker is switched ON or powered by turning the handle to the ON position, it completes its installation process. During this process, the circuit breakers establish wireless communication, perform self-diagnostics to verify operation, and complete a commissioning phase. In the commissioning phase, the circuit breakers perform a self-discovery of the surrounding circuit breakers, thus confirming their proximity and spatial presence.Once self-discovery is complete, the electronic circuit breaker panel sends a notification to the end user's registered mobile device and uploads a user interface confirming that the circuit breaker(s) are functioning correctly. For example, the qj vcnn / cznz / e / YiAi electronic circuit breaker should be able to identify its own location and the location of its nearest neighbors using a proximity sensor or some other equivalent means. According to an illustrative embodiment of the present invention, a branch fault analysis system comprises an application running on a mobile device. The application is configured to display the physical location and conditions experienced by each circuit breaker in a plurality of circuit breakers. The system further comprises a circuit breaker that includes trip identification means to clearly identify the branch that caused a tripping event, record and transmit this information to the mobile device for an end user, and one or more proximity sensors to determine the physical location of the circuit breaker on a panel.The load current, voltage, and noise levels are continuously monitored for each electronic circuit breaker in the plurality of electronic circuit breakers and are displayed in the application with timestamps. In the event of a tripping condition, the application is configured to use the timestamp conditions to highlight the shunt that caused the tripping. According to an illustrative embodiment of the present invention, a panel fault analysis system comprises a mobile device and / or a home area network (HAN) with an available display and an aggregator or access device. The system further comprises an application running on the mobile device or the home area network (HAN) configured to display the physical location and conditions experienced by each circuit breaker in a plurality of circuit breakers. The application running on the mobile device or the home area network (HAN) is capable of communicating with the aggregator or access device to receive information from all individual circuit breakers in the plurality of circuit breakers.The system also includes an electronic circuit breaker with trip identification capabilities to clearly identify the branch circuit that caused the breaker to trip, record and transmit this information to a mobile device and / or home area network (HAN) for an end user via the aggregator or access device. The electronic circuit breaker monitoring each branch circuit must communicate with the aggregator or access device. The electronic circuit breaker further includes one or more proximity sensors to determine its physical location on a panel. Load current, voltage, and noise levels are continuously monitored for each electronic circuit breaker in the plurality of circuit breakers and displayed in the application with timestamps.In the event of a circuit breaker tripping, the application is configured to use timestamp conditions to highlight the shunt that caused the trip. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE FIGURES Figure 1 illustrates a fault analysis system in a branch line according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention. Figure 2 illustrates a panel failure analysis system according to an alternative embodiment of the present invention. Figure 3 illustrates a circuit breaker position identifier as circuit breaker 1 in the upper left according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention. Figure 4 illustrates an electrical fault detection center (circuit breaker) with an external input position identifier according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention. Figure 5 illustrates an electrical fault detection center (circuit breaker) with an external input position identifier according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention. Figure 6 illustrates an electrical fault detection center (circuit breaker) with a user input position identifier according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention. Figure 7 illustrates the circuit breakers installed and put into service; after automatic detection, it sends a notification to a mobile device in accordance with an exemplary embodiment of the present invention. Figure 8 illustrates a view of a residential power distribution system comprising circuit breakers installed and in service in relative spatial proximity according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention. Figure 9 illustrates a panel failure analysis system according to an alternative embodiment of the present invention. Figure 10 illustrates an example scenario of load state monitoring using complementary circuit breakers according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention. Figure 11 illustrates an example of incorrect tripping as shown in the complementary circuit breakers according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention. Figure 12 illustrates the RF noise to easily discern possible failure conditions according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention. Figure 13 illustrates an example of incorrect tripping correctly diagnosed using complementary communicating circuit breakers according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention. Figure 14 illustrates the operation of a circuit breaker tripping - an individual communication circuit breaker according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention. Figure 15 illustrates an individual circuit breaker that communicates with alerts and messages on a home area network according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention. Figure 16 illustrates the operation in a tripping event of a circuit breaker - a main control unit that communicates with each circuit breaker according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention. Figure 17 illustrates a main control unit that communicates with alerts and messages on the home area network according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention. qj vcnn / cznz / e / YiAi DETAILED DESCRIPTION To facilitate understanding of the embodiments, principles, and features of the present invention, they are explained below with reference to their implementation in illustrative embodiments. In particular, they are described in the context of a fault analysis system or method for a branch circuit or panel to identify the source of a fault, such as an arc fault or a ground fault in a communication panel. However, the embodiments of the present invention are not limited to their use in the devices or methods described. The components and materials described below, which comprise the various embodiments, are intended to be illustrative and not restrictive. Many suitable components and materials that would perform the same or a similar function, such as those described herein, are intended to be encompassed within the scope of the embodiments of the present invention. These and other embodiments of the failure analysis system or method according to this disclosure are described below with reference to Figures 1-17 shown later. Reference numbers used in the drawings identify similar or identical elements in the various views. The drawings are not necessarily to scale. According to an embodiment of the present invention, Figure 1 represents a branch fault analysis system 100 according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention. The branch fault analysis system 100 comprises an application 105 running on a mobile device 107 configured to display a physical location 110(1) and the conditions 110(2) experienced by each electronic circuit breaker of a plurality of electronic circuit breakers 115(1-n). The branch fault analysis system 100 further comprises an electronic circuit breaker 115(1) including a trip identification means 117 for clearly identifying a branch 120 that resulted in the tripping of a circuit breaker 122, recording and transmitting this information to the mobile device 107 for an end user.The electronic circuit breaker 115(1) further includes one or more proximity sensors 125 to achieve the physical location 110(1) of the electronic circuit breaker 115(1) in a panel 130. The load current 135(1), voltage 135(2) and noise levels 135(3) are continuously monitored at each electronic circuit breaker of the plurality of electronic circuit breakers 115(1-n) and are displayed in the application 105 with timestamps 137. In the event of a tripping condition 140, the application 105 is configured to use the timestamp conditions 137 to highlight the branch 120 that caused the tripping. The application 105 running on the mobile device 107 has a timestamp 137(1) included with predefined intervals 145 for monitoring voltage 135(2), load current 135(1), and noise levels 135(3), as well as a position 147 for each branch circuit of a plurality of branch circuits 150(1-m). The application 105 further comprises an algorithm 152 including a method 155 for comparing the timestamp 137(1) of the conditions if a power outage occurs and identifying a specific electronic circuit breaker 115(1). Algorithm 152 includes a method 157 in which a timed overload condition 160 is evaluated such that algorithm 152 identifies the electronic circuit breaker 115(1) with an overload condition that triggered the tripping of circuit breaker 122. Algorithm 152 establishes a baseline of the noise levels 135(3) in each operating branch circuit of the plurality of branch circuits 150(1-m) and compares this value to an acceptable noise level. The algorithm includes a notification 162 of an abnormal condition that exceeds a baseline used to determine a faulty branch circuit 120 that led to the tripping condition 140. The algorithm includes an accumulation 165 of a noise level from the faulty branch circuit 120 that tripped and the higher noise levels to identify the faulty circuit 120 that caused the tripping of circuit 122. Algorithm 152 includes a color code 167 that represents the noise levels 135(3) and / or overload conditions 160 of each branch circuit in the plurality of branch circuits 150(1 m). Green represents normal noise levels and overload conditions, yellow indicates elevated noise levels and overload conditions, and red indicates excessive noise levels and overload conditions. A color-coding method can be used to identify abnormal conditions in voltage levels 135(2) and current levels 135(1). With reference to Figure 2, it illustrates a panel fault analysis system 200 according to an alternative embodiment of the present invention. The panel fault analysis system 200 comprises a mobile device 207 and / or a home area network (HAN) 209 with an available display 211. The panel fault analysis system 200 further comprises an aggregator or access device 213 and an application 205 running on the mobile device 207 or on the home area network (HAN) 209. The application 205 is configured to display a physical location 210(1) and the conditions 210(2) experienced by each electronic circuit breaker of a plurality of electronic circuit breakers 215(1-n).The application 205 running on the mobile device 207 or on the home area network (HAN) 209 is able to communicate with the aggregator or access device 213 to receive information from all individual circuit breakers of the plurality of electronic circuit breakers 215(1-n). The panel 200 fault analysis system further comprises an electronic circuit breaker 215(1) that includes a trip identification means 217 to clearly identify the branch circuit 220 that caused the circuit breaker 222 to trip, record, and relay this information to the mobile device 207 and / or the home area network (HAN) 209 for an end user via the aggregator or access device 213. The electronic circuit breaker 215(1) monitoring each branch circuit would have to communicate with the aggregator or access device 213. The electronic circuit breaker 215(1) further includes one or more proximity sensors 225 to achieve the physical location 210(1) of the electronic circuit breaker 215(1) in a panel 230. The load current 235(1), voltage 235(2), and noise levels 235(3) are continuously monitored at each electronic circuit breaker of the plurality of electronic circuit breakers 215(1-n) and are shown in application 205 with timestamps 237.In the case of a trip condition 240, application 205 is set up to use the timestamp conditions 237 to highlight the branch circuit 220 that caused the trip. The application 205 running on the mobile device 207 or on the display 211 that is part of the home area network (HAN) 209 further comprises an algorithm 252 comprising a timestamp 237(1) with predefined intervals 245 to monitor voltage 235(2), load current 235(1) and noise levels 235(3), and a position 247 for each branch circuit of a plurality of branch circuits 250(1-m). The individual timestamp information of the branch is communicated to the aggregator or access device 213 for processing and retransmission to the mobile device 207 and / or the home area network (HAN) 209. The timing information of the noise levels 235(3) of each branch circuit is communicated to the aggregator or access device 213 for processing and retransmission to the mobile device 207 and / or the home area network (HAN) 209 so that the access device 213 identifies the branch circuit 220 with an excessive noise level condition that could trigger a tripping event and retransmits the information to the mobile device 207 and / or the home area network (HAN) 209.The timestamp information of the overload conditions 260 of each individual circuit is communicated to the aggregator or access device 213 for processing and relaying of information to the mobile device 207 and / or the home area network (HAN) 209 so that the access device 213 identifies branch 220 with an excessive overload condition that could trigger a tripping event and relays the information to the mobile device 207 and / or the home area network (HAN) 209. The algorithm 252 of application 205 running on the mobile device 207 or on the display 211 that is part of the home area network (HAN) 209 establishes a baseline of noise levels 235(3) and overload conditions 260 on each operating branch circuit of a plurality of branch circuits 250(1 -m) and compares this value to an acceptable noise level. Algorithm 252 further includes a notification 262 of abnormal noise and an abnormal overload condition that exceeds the baseline used to determine a faulty branch circuit 120 that resulted in the disconnection condition 240. Algorithm 252 further includes an accumulation 265 of a noise level from the faulty branch circuit 220 that tripped and the highest noise levels to identify the faulty branch circuit that caused the circuit breaker 222 to trip. Algorithm 252 further includes a color code 267 that represents the noise levels 235(3) and overload conditions 260 of each branch circuit in the plurality of branch circuits 250(1 -m).Algorithm 252 includes a green color that represents normal noise levels and overload conditions, a yellow color that indicates high noise levels and overload conditions, and a red color that indicates excessive noise levels and overload conditions. Returning now to Figure 3, a circuit breaker position identifier, electronic circuit breaker #1 305, is illustrated in the upper left corner according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention. Electronic circuit breaker #1 305 shall be capable of identifying its own location and the location of its nearest neighbors using a proximity sensor or some other equivalent means. One realization of this spatial and residential recognition of circuit breakers is through a slight modification of the way in which circuit breaker #1 305 is installed in a residential load panel 310. A panel position identifier can be introduced to circuit breaker #1 305 so that it can self-recognize, for example, as circuit breaker #1 305 on the upper left side. In this embodiment, a plastic fitting 315, as identified in Figure 3, may be an additional plastic fitting that can be press-fitted or attached to a neutral bar 320 and extends to press a button on an electronic interface on circuit breaker #1 305 to provide it with a position identification. Furthermore, this plastic fitting 315 may be present in only one position to identify circuit breaker #1 305 in the upper left, or it may be present in two upper positions to identify the circuit breaker in the upper position of panel 310. Figure 4 illustrates a circuit breaker detection unit with an external input position identifier according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention. U.S. Patent No. 8,929,036, entitled "Are Fault Circuit Detection Methods, Systems and Apparatus Including Delay," by Nayak et al., discloses an arc circuit detection system comprising a unit containing a microprocessor-driven system. Figure 4 shows a unit 405 with connections to a panel (not shown) and a load 407. As shown in Figure 5, an electrical fault detection unit (circuit breaker) 500 is illustrated with an external input position identifier 505 according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention. In this embodiment, the position identifier 505 can be considered as a push button that identifies a voltage level so that a microprocessor 510 recognizes a current system as the required position. For example, when the position identifier 505 is pressed, a specific general-purpose input / output (GPIO) for the microprocessor 510 may appear with a different voltage value compared to when the position identifier 505 is not pressed. As shown in Figure 6, an electrical fault detection unit (circuit breaker) 600 is illustrated with a user-entered position identifier 605 according to another embodiment of the present invention. In this embodiment, the position identifier 605 can be defined by user-configurable DIP switches 610(1-5) as shown in Figure 6. In this case, when installing a device on a panel, the user can locate the position of the identification circuit breaker by setting the corresponding individual switches 610 to a location position. For example, in Figure 6, the position identifier 605 is pointing to position #1 by setting DIP switch #1 610(1) to state 1. The advantage of this method is that no additional accessories are required on the panel. However, it does require user intervention to align it with the correct position of the circuit breaker on the panel. Figure 7 illustrates circuit breakers installed and put into service 700 after the self-recognition system sends a notification 705 to a mobile device 710 according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention. One embodiment of this nearest neighbor recognition could be the transmission of a receipt acknowledgment message 715 from one installed and operational electronic circuit breaker to another, and thus, using the signal strength of the message 715 received by an original electronic circuit breaker, it can recognize the spatial positioning of one circuit breaker relative to the other. After sending notification 705 to mobile device 710 and / or a home information hub, an end user can, through a special application (app) running on mobile device 710 or the home information hub, navigate to a view of a residential power distribution system or panel. An example of this is shown in Figure 8. Figure 8 illustrates an 800 view of a residential power distribution system comprising circuit breakers 805(1-12) commissioned and installed in close spatial proximity according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention. In this case, each electronic circuit breaker 805 can be further identified by a unique user name, a unique address specified within the panel, and / or recognized by a main load on a wired branch circuit, such as a washing machine or a heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC) system. A mobile device application (app) as described in Figures 1-2 could also display, among other things, for each electronic circuit breaker 805, a rating, a circuit breaker type, a panel circuit, an address, and a primary or secondary fault source. An example of this is shown in Figure 9. Figure 9 illustrates the information for the individual circuit breaker 900 according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention. A specified unique address 905 may be part of the traceability code integrated into a device or be a unique independent number assigned to each AFCI / GFCI circuit breaker and stored in non-volatile memory within an electronic circuit breaker during the manufacturing process. As part of this mobile application (app), each electronic circuit breaker (AFCI / GFCI) will be able to communicate its own current operating status and the status of neighboring devices within the panel. If the self-diagnostic is successful, the status of the specific location will be stored as CORRECT. If the self-diagnostic returns a fault, or if a specific location experiences an arc fault, ground fault, or instantaneous fault event, the specific status, address, and location information will be sent to all AFCI / GFCI circuit breakers in the panel, along with the type of event that occurred. Since AFCI / GFCI circuit breakers constantly send their own status and that of neighboring circuit breakers to the mobile application (app), this would allow information to be transmitted with spatial notation to the end user via the mobile application (app) running on the 710 mobile device. This enables the end user to quickly identify the specific circuit breaker that experienced a problem during operation, from any AFCI / GFCI circuit breaker in the panel, as shown in Figures 1-2. The recorded status can be sent to a cellular mobile device running iOS or Android, or to a central home panel via a Voice over IP (VoIP) connection, or connected to a cloud data service over the internet in a home area network (HAN), as shown in Figures 1-2, which may include pop-up graphics to alert or draw the end user's attention. An example of this alert or alarm message could incorporate a voice-activated assistant such as commonly available solutions like Alexa, Amazon's virtual assistant, or similar ones when available, to inform the user about the alert or alarm in question. U.S. Patent No. 7,864,492, entitled "Systems and Methods for Arc Fault Detection," by Restrepo et al., describes the detection of a high-frequency component of a sinusoidal electrical power signal, also called the Received Signal Strength Indication (RSSI), which indicates the power content of the signal. By monitoring this signal, the electronic circuit breaker can provide indications of the presence of fault-like conditions, thus regulating how the arc breakers provide safety to downstream loads. Figure 10 illustrates an example scenario for monitoring the load status using complementary circuit breakers according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention. In one of the methods described herein, Figure 10 shows complementary electronic circuit breakers 1000(1-2) that can occupy adjacent positions in a residential load panel. In this particular example, one of the circuit breakers 1000(1) is connected to a load 1005(1) consisting of a lamp or similar load that draws a load current of less than 5 amperes. In this example, it is assumed that this first branch circuit 1010(1) experiences a wiring fault and consequently generates RF noise that can be recognized by the electronic circuit breaker 1000(1) as fault-induced noise. While the load 1005(1) itself draws less than 5 amperes, the branch circuit 1010(1) is not required to trip as defined by safe operation, as detailed in UL Standard ns1699, also known as UL 1699. In another adjacent branch circuit 1010(2), a supplementary circuit breaker 1000(2) is energized; However, a switch 1015 to enable a load 1005(2) is off, resulting in a non-active load. Figure 11 illustrates an example of incorrect tripping as shown in the auxiliary circuit breakers according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention. Furthermore, in this example, as highlighted in Figure 11, the load 1005(2) of the neighboring branch circuit 1010(2) trips the auxiliary electronic circuit breaker 1000(2). It is possible that the auxiliary circuit breaker 1000(2) also receives RF noise radiated through the branch circuit 1010(2) via cross-interference, and since the load 1005(2) connected to this branch circuit 1010(2) is drawing more than 5 amperes, the circuit breaker 1000(2) experiences a tripping condition according to the safe operating requirements detailed in UL 1699.If a user or electrical contractor is investigating this issue, they may misdiagnose and focus on the second branch circuit 1010(2) while the potential cause of the problem is in the first branch circuit 1010(1). Figure 12 illustrates RF noise 1200 to easily discern possible fault conditions of qj vcnn / cznz / e / YiAi according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention. In this example, if the user or the electrical contractor had a way of receiving additional diagnostic information confirming the presence of RF noise 1200 radiated from the first branch 1010(1) to the second branch 1010(2), it would have been much easier to find the root cause. For example, RF noise 1200 could be considered to be present in a low proportion as good or acceptable RF noise 1205(1) and in a high proportion as bad or fault-inducing RF noise 1205(2), for example, as shown in Figure 12. This information, together with a timestamp, could be transmitted by a respective electronic circuit breaker to a mobile phone or home information center so that the owner or user can obtain additional information regarding the identification of the source and location of the fault, as shown in Figure 13. Figure 13 illustrates an example of a correctly diagnosed mistrip using complementary communicating circuit breakers 1000(1-2) according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention. The crosstalk mistrip information 1305 is sent by the circuit breaker 1000(2) to a mobile phone 1310 or a home information center (not shown). The mobile phone 1310 displays two timestamps 1315(1-2). A real reason for a trip 1320 is the timestamp 1315(1) "Bad RSSI since yesterday." Figure 14 illustrates the operation of a circuit breaker tripping system—an individual communication circuit breaker—according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention. To describe the above example in more detail, in this method, the individual circuit breakers continuously monitor the status of each other. Relevant information is sent to multiple devices within the house / residence and / or to cellular mobile devices (mobile phones, tablets with wireless connectivity). If the status of all circuit breakers is correct, the breaker's status and location are recorded and displayed on various media (an application running on a mobile phone, tablet, etc., a home information center via VoIP, and a cloud data service).In the event of a fault, such as arc fault / ground fault / instantaneous fault, the circuit breaker that tripped is recorded along with the circuit breaker identification and the location where the fault originally started (see Figure 14). Figure 15 illustrates an individual circuit breaker that communicates with alerts and messages on a home area network 1525 according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention. In one embodiment, the occurrence of such an event 1505 can also send a signal to a user's PC 1510 connected to a wireless network. The PC 1510 would have auto-dialing software 1515 connected to an IP voice 1520 on the owner's network to send an alert message. Figure 16 illustrates the operation in a circuit breaker trip event—a main control unit communicating with each circuit breaker according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention. In another embodiment, the identification of the source of an AFCI / GFCI event may be delegated to a central or main processing unit or controller (a main control unit 1605) installed within a panel 1607 that acts as an aggregator or access device. In this alternative concept, the main control unit 1605 within the panel 1607 performs the operation of identifying the surrounding circuits and the locations of the circuit breakers within the panel 1607. It continuously monitors the status of each circuit breaker. Each circuit breaker sends information to the main control unit 1605, such as its current status and the load conditions it faces.Among the parameters that it can communicate are the intensity of the arc detection signals present, such as the mean square of the load current, the mean square of the line voltage, the average radio frequency (RF) noise content, etc. If these parameters are within acceptable limits, the status will be stored as CORRECT for the specific location or address. However, if the parameters are outside acceptable limits, or if the electronic circuit breaker has detected an arc fault / ground fault / instantaneous fault event on a specific circuit, the status / address / location will be sent to the main control unit 1605 within the panel 1607, along with the type of event that occurred. From the main control unit 1605, the recorded status can be sent to a cellular mobile device running iOS or Android, or to a central / home automation panel via a Voice over IP (VoIP) connection, or via a cloud data service over the internet on a home area network (HAN), including pop-up graphics to alert or draw the end user's attention.This would allow the end user to have the ability to identify a specific circuit breaker that experienced a problem during operation from any electronic circuit breaker within the 1607 panel. If the 1605 main control unit continuously monitors the status of each circuit breaker, the relevant information is sent to multiple home and / or mobile devices. If all circuit breakers are functioning correctly, their status and location are recorded and displayed on various communication devices (mobile phone, tablet, etc., and home information center). If a fault event occurs, such as an arc fault, ground fault, or instantaneous fault, the location of the tripped circuit breaker is recorded, along with its identification and the location where the fault event originally originated. The figure illustrates a main control unit 1705 communicating alerts and messages on a home area network 1725 according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention. In one embodiment, the occurrence of such an event can also send a signal to a user's personal computer 1710 connected to a wireless network. The personal computer 1710 would have auto-dialing software 1715 and would be connected to an IP voice 1720 on the owner's network to send an alert message. While a cellular mobile device such as a cell phone or mobile phone is described herein, the range of other wireless devices is also contemplated by the present invention. For example, other wireless devices based on one or more of the features presented above can be implemented without departing from the objective of the present invention. The techniques described here can be particularly useful for different types of circuit breakers or circuit interrupting devices. Although the specific implementations are described in terms of AFCI and GFCI circuit breakers, the techniques described here are not limited to these breakers and can also be used with other types of circuit breakers. Although the embodiments of the present invention have been described by way of example, it will be evident to those skilled in the art that many modifications, additions, and deletions can be made to the embodiments without departing from the objective and scope of the invention and its equivalents, as set forth in the following claims, The embodiments and their various advantageous features and details are explained in greater detail with reference to the non-limiting embodiments illustrated in the accompanying drawings and detailed in the following description. Descriptions of basic materials, processing techniques, components, and well-known equipment are omitted to avoid unnecessarily obscuring the embodiments in detail. It should be understood, however, that the detailed description and specific examples, while indicating preferred embodiments, are given only by way of illustration and not by way of limitation. Various substitutions, modifications, additions, and / or rearrangements within the objective and / or scope of the underlying inventive concept will become apparent to those skilled in the art from this disclosure. As used herein, the terms comprise, comprising, include, having, or any variation thereof, are intended to encompass a non-exclusive inclusion. For example, a process, article, or apparatus comprising a list of elements is not necessarily limited to only those elements but may include other elements not expressly listed or inherent in that process, article, or apparatus. Furthermore, the examples or illustrations given herein should not be considered in any way as restrictions, limitations, or express definitions of any term or terms with which they are used. Instead, these examples or illustrations should be considered as describing a particular embodiment and are illustrative only. Those skilled in the art will appreciate that any term or terms with which these examples or illustrations are used will encompass other embodiments that may or may not occur with these, or elsewhere in the specification, and all such embodiments are included within the scope of such term or terms. In the preceding specification, the invention has been described with reference to specific embodiments. However, a person skilled in the art will appreciate that various modifications and changes can be made without departing from the scope of the invention. Accordingly, the specification and figures should be considered, in one sense, illustrative and not restrictive, and all such modifications should be included within the scope of the invention. Although the invention has been described with respect to specific embodiments of the invention, these embodiments are merely illustrative and not restrictive. The present description of the illustrated embodiments of the invention is not intended to be exhaustive, nor to limit the invention to the precise forms disclosed herein (and, in particular, the inclusion of any particular embodiment, feature, or function is not intended to limit the scope of the invention to that embodiment, feature, or function). Rather, the description is intended to depict illustrative embodiments, features, and functions in order to provide a person with basic skills in the context of the art to understand the invention without limiting the invention to any particular embodiment, feature, or function described.Although the specific embodiments and examples of the invention are described herein for illustrative purposes only, various equivalent modifications within the object and scope of the invention are possible, as will be recognized and appreciated by those skilled in the art. As indicated, such modifications to the invention may be made in light of the foregoing description of the illustrated embodiments of the invention and must be included within the object and scope of the invention. Thus, while the invention has been described herein with reference to particular embodiments, a degree of modification, various changes, and substitutions in the preceding disclosures is intended, and it will be appreciated that in some cases certain features of the embodiments of the invention may be employed without a corresponding use of other features, without departing from the scope and objective of the invention as stated.Therefore, many modifications can be made to adapt a particular situation or material to the scope and essential objective of the invention. The phrases "in an embodiment," "in a specific embodiment," or similar terminology, appearing in various places in this specification, do not necessarily refer to the same embodiment. Furthermore, the features, structures, or characteristics of any particular embodiment may be combined in any other way with one or more other embodiments. It should be understood that other variations and modifications of the embodiments described and illustrated herein are possible in light of the teachings contained herein and should be considered part of the objective and scope of the invention. In this description, numerous specific details, such as examples of components and / or methods, are provided to provide a complete understanding of the embodiments of the invention. A person skilled in the relevant art will recognize, however, that an embodiment may be capable of being practiced without one or more of the specific details or with other apparatus, systems, assemblies, methods, components, materials, parts, and / or the like. In other cases, well-known structures, components, systems, materials, or operations are not shown or described in detail to avoid obscuring aspects of the embodiments of the invention. While the invention may be illustrated by the use of a particular embodiment, this does not and does not limit the invention to any particular embodiment, and a person with a basic knowledge of the art will recognize that additional embodiments are readily understandable and form part of this invention. It will also be appreciated that one or more of the elements represented in the drawings / figures can also be implemented in a more separate or integrated manner, or even removed or rendered inoperable in certain cases, as useful according to a particular application. The benefits, other advantages, and solutions to problems have been described with respect to specific implementations. However, these benefits, advantages, solutions to problems, and any component that may cause or enhance any benefit, advantage, or solution should not be interpreted as a critical, necessary, or essential feature or component.

Claims

1. A branch circuit fault analysis system, characterized in that it comprises: an application running on a mobile device, which is configured to display a physical location and the conditions experienced by each electronic circuit breaker of a plurality of electronic circuit breakers;and an electronic circuit breaker including: trip identification means to clearly identify a branch circuit that has resulted in a tripping event of the circuit breaker, record and transmit this information to the mobile device for an end user, and one or more proximity sensors to achieve the physical location of the electronic circuit breaker on a panel, wherein the load current, voltage and noise levels are continuously monitored with respect to each electronic circuit breaker of the plurality of electronic circuit breakers and displayed in the application with timestamps, and wherein the application is configured to use the timestamp conditions in the event of a disconnection condition to highlight the branch that has caused the disconnection.

2. The system of claim 1, characterized in that the application running on the mobile device has a timestamp included with predefined intervals to monitor voltage, load current and noise levels, and a position for each branch circuit of a plurality of branch circuits.

3. The system of claim 2, characterized in that the application running on the mobile device further comprises: an application algorithm, wherein the application algorithm includes a method for comparing the timestamp of the conditions if a trip occurs and identifying a specific electronic circuit breaker.

4. The system of claim 3, characterized in that the application algorithm includes a method in which a timestamped overload condition is evaluated in such a way that the application algorithm identifies the electronic circuit breaker with an overload condition that triggered the circuit breaker tripping event.

5. The system of claim 1, characterized in that the application algorithm establishes a baseline of noise levels in each operating branch circuit of a plurality of branch circuits and compares this value with an acceptable noise level.

6. The system of claim 3, characterized in that the application algorithm includes a notification of an abnormal condition that exceeds a baseline used to determine a faulty derivation that resulted in a disconnection condition.

7. The system of claim 6, characterized in that the application algorithm includes an accumulation of a noise level from the faulty lead that was triggered and higher noise levels to identify the faulty lead that led to the lead disconnection event.

8. The system of claim 5, characterized in that the application algorithm includes a color code representing the noise level and / or overload conditions of each circuit derived from a plurality of derived circuits.

9. The system of claim 8, characterized in that the color green represents normal noise levels and overload conditions, the color yellow indicates elevated noise levels and overload conditions, and the color red indicates excessive noise levels and overload conditions.

10. The system of claim 1, characterized in that a color coding method is used to identify abnormal conditions in voltage and current levels.

11. A panel fault analysis system characterized in that it comprises: a mobile device and / or a home area network (HAN) with an available display; an aggregator or access device; an application running on the mobile device or on the home area network (HAN) configured to display the physical location and conditions experienced by each electronic circuit breaker of a plurality of electronic circuit breakers, wherein the application running on the mobile device or on the home area network (HAN) is capable of communicating with the aggregator or access device to receive information from all individual circuit breakers of the plurality of electronic circuit breakers; and an electronic circuit breaker including: trip identification means for clearly identifying a branch fault that has caused the circuit breaker to trip,to record and transmit this information to the mobile device and / or the home area network (HAN) for an end user via the aggregator or access device, wherein the electronic circuit breaker monitoring each branch would have to communicate with the aggregator or access device, and one or more proximity sensors to achieve the physical location of the electronic circuit breaker on a panel, wherein the load current, voltage, and noise levels are continuously monitored with respect to each electronic circuit breaker of the plurality of electronic circuit breakers and displayed in the application with timestamps, and wherein the application is configured to use the timestamp conditions in the event of a tripping condition to highlight the branch that caused the tripping.

12. The system of claim 11, characterized in that the application running on the mobile device or on the screen that is part of the home area network (HAN) further comprises: an algorithm including a timestamp with predefined intervals for monitoring voltage, load current, and noise levels, and a position for each branch circuit of a plurality of branch circuits.

13. The system of claim 11, characterized in that the individual branch timestamp information is communicated to the aggregator or access device for processing and retransmission to the mobile device and / or the home area network (HAN).

14. The system of claim 11, characterized in that the individual timestamp information 5 of the branch circuit noise levels is communicated to the aggregator or access device for processing and retransmission to the mobile device and / or the home area network (HAN), such that the access device identifies the branch circuit with an excessive noise level condition that could trigger a disconnection event and retransmits the information to the mobile device and / or the home area network (HAN). 10 15.The system of claim 11, characterized in that the individual timestamp information of the branch circuit overload conditions is communicated to the aggregator or access device for processing and information retransmission to the mobile device and / or the home area network (HAN), such that the access device identifies the branch circuit with an excessive overload condition that could trigger a disconnection event and retransmits the information to the mobile device and / or the home area network (HAN).

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