FCI Remote Display Optical Communication System
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Existing Faulted Circuit Indicators (FCIs) require specially trained personnel to access enclosures for resetting, testing, and maintenance, which is costly and time-consuming, especially with the migration to smaller remote display mounting holes making prior art solutions less desirable.
Innovation Solution
A system and method utilizing an LED in a bolt-shaped housing for both displaying FCI status and enabling external resetting, testing, and maintenance through optical serial communication with a handheld user command tool, accommodating smaller mounting holes and eliminating the need for physical access to the enclosure.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If remote display is mounted on outside wall of enclosure, then utility personnel can view fault condition externally, but specially trained personnel must still access enclosure interior for resetting and maintenance
Solution Approach 1:
The LED is assigned multiple functions: it serves as both the fault indication display element and the communication interface for resetting and maintenance operations. By making the LED multi-functional, the patent eliminates the need for separate access mechanisms while maintaining full operational capability through external optical communication.
Solution Approach 2:
Optical communication serves as an intermediary mechanism between the handheld tool and the FCI microcontroller. The optical interface allows commands and data to be transmitted externally without physical enclosure access, mediating the interaction between utility personnel and the FCI system.
2Ease of manufacture
If migration to smaller remote display mounting holes, then ease of installation improves, but prior art solutions become less desirable and more difficult to implement
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces mechanical access methods (physical switches, buttons, or components inside the enclosure) with an optical communication system. The handheld tool transmits commands optically through the LED, eliminating the need for mechanical interaction with internal FCI components and making mounting hole size irrelevant to operational access.
3Duration of action of stationary object
If manual resetting of FCI is performed, then power supply life is extended by terminating timer countdown, but requires physical access to enclosure
Solution Approach 1:
The FCI system is designed to respond to externally transmitted optical commands, allowing it to perform self-resetting operations without human intervention in the enclosure. The microcontroller receives reset commands optically and autonomously terminates the timer countdown and resets the fault condition, enabling the system to service itself remotely.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
Enables utility personnel to perform FCI resetting, testing, and maintenance activities outside the enclosure, reducing costs and time requirements while extending the life of the FCI power supply by allowing for remote configuration and data retrieval.
Implementation Method 1
causes an optical signal to be generated by an LED operatively coupled to the remote display and included in the enclosure, and causes the optical signal to be converted into a signal usable by a microcontroller
Data Source
AI summary
Provided is a system, a tool and a method for communicating with a faulted circuit indicator (FCI), the faulted circuit indicator including a detection circuit for monitoring an electrical conductor of a power system. The system includes a remote display mounted in a wall of an enclosure and visible from outside of the enclosure and a first light emitting diode associated with the remote display. The first light emitting diode generates an optical FCI status signal in response to an occurrence of a fault in the electrical conductor. The system also includes a first microcontroller operatively coupled to the remote display and the detection circuit, and a handheld user command tool adapted to optically couple with the remote display. The handheld user command tool is also adapted to generate an optical serial communication. The optical serial communication provides data and commands for operation of the faulted circuit indicator.