DSP Power Meter Pulse Quantization for High-Load Accuracy
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing power metering technologies struggle to accurately measure high-power consumption scenarios, such as automobile charging stations, due to the limitations of simple cycle counting methods, which result in inaccurate energy measurement when multiple pulses occur per mains cycle.
Innovation Solution
A power-meter apparatus utilizing a digital signal processor (DSP) with a dequantizer and pulse generator to determine energy consumption in predetermined time intervals, employing integer arithmetic and pulse smoothing to generate consistent LED blinks, allowing for more accurate and robust power measurement.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Device complexity
If simple cycle counting methods are used for power metering, then device complexity is reduced, but measurement precision deteriorates when multiple pulses occur per mains cycle
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the energy measurement process into discrete time intervals (e.g., mains cycles) and processes each interval independently through a dequantizer that converts continuous energy values into discrete pulse counts. This segmentation allows accurate measurement even when multiple pulses occur per cycle by treating each cycle's energy consumption as a separate quantization problem.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent implements dynamic pulse generation where the number of pulses per cycle is not fixed but determined by the actual energy consumption in each time interval. The dequantizer dynamically calculates the pulse count based on the ratio of consumed energy to a reference energy value, allowing the system to adapt to varying load conditions and maintain measurement precision across different power levels.
2Measurement precision
If larger impulse numbers are used to improve pulse resolution, then measurement precision is improved, but device complexity increases due to need for sophisticated measurement techniques
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces complex mechanical pulse generation systems with a digital signal processor that performs mathematical quantization. Instead of using mechanical counters or complex electronic circuits to generate pulses, the system uses software-based dequantization algorithms that divide consumed energy by a reference energy value to determine pulse counts, significantly reducing hardware complexity while maintaining or improving measurement precision.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent changes the fundamental parameter from fixed pulse-per-cycle to variable pulse-count-per-interval. By allowing the pulse count to be a calculated parameter rather than a fixed mechanical ratio, the system can achieve higher effective resolution (larger impulse numbers) through software calculation without requiring proportionally more complex hardware. The dequantizer can generate fractional pulse equivalents by accumulating energy over multiple intervals.
3Measurement precision
If multiple pulses are generated per mains cycle to increase measurement granularity, then measurement precision is improved, but susceptibility to noise and tampering increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements feedback through the dequantizer that continuously monitors the relationship between consumed energy and generated pulses. By calculating pulse counts based on actual energy measurements rather than simple cycle counting, the system provides feedback that compensates for noise and anomalies. The accumulated energy measurement across multiple intervals provides a running feedback mechanism that smooths out transient noise effects.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent performs preliminary energy accumulation and validation before generating pulses. The dequantizer calculates the total energy consumed over a complete time interval before determining the pulse count, ensuring that pulse generation is based on verified energy measurements rather than intermediate noisy signals. This preliminary processing of energy data before pulse output reduces susceptibility to noise and tampering.
Data Source
AI summary
A power-meter includes a digital signal processor (DSP) configured to determine a respective consumed energy within each of a plurality of predetermined contiguous time intervals, a dequantizer, and a pulse generator. The dequantizer is configured to, for each time interval, determine a sum of a remainder and the consumed energy, calculate an integer pulse-count by dividing the sum of the remainder and the consumed energy by a predetermined pulse-quantum, calculate a new remainder by subtracting the product of the integer pulse-count and the pulse-quantum from the sum, and replace the remainder by the new remainder The pulse generator is configured to, for each time interval, generate the integer pulse-count number of pulses of an indicator signal.