Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
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Remote Generator Controller Systems and Devices
BACKGROUND
[0001] 1. Technical Field
[0002] This disclosure relates generally to a system for transmitting
generator operation
information to a monitoring location for processing and monitoring the data.
More specifically, the
system disclosed herein may both transmit and receive information
representative of generator
operation information from a generator controller and receive information at a
control center to
provide generator operation information to a remote user. The system may
include one or more
devices which facilitate transmitting generator operation information from a
generator and
receiving the generator operation information at a control center.
[0003] 2. Description of the Related Art
[0004] Throughout history, the spread of access to electricity has changed
the way humans live
faster and more drastically than virtually any other discovery arguably since
man mastered the use
of fire. So great was the demand for electricity, that dams were built in
previously unthinkable
places to power electrical turbines to produce electricity. Electrical wires
were soon strung or
buried across virtually every continent. Even so, electrical power from an
electrical grid is still not
available everywhere it is desired.
[0005] Today, electrical power is still not available in remote locations,
where quarries, mines,
logging, cement plants, ranches, farms, and other similar activities take
place. Further, even if
electrical power is available, it is not available in high enough amperages to
power electrically
powered equipment associated with quarries, mines, logging, cement plants,
ranches, farms, and
other similar activities take place. Due to the desire for electricity in
remote locations, fuel based
electrical generators were developed to generate electricity from fuel.
[0006] Today, diesel fuel generators are ubiquitous in remote locations.
That is electrical
generators have been developed with internal fuel tanks that operate a fuel
based engine to create
the necessary rotation to generate electricity via an alternator, or similar
device. Diesel fuel has
been determined to be a cost efficient way of generating electrical power in
generators because
diesel engines tend to have a significant serviceable lifespan, diesel fuel is
readily available, and
the ratio of electricity produced to fuel consumed is relatively lower for
diesel fuel than for other
types of fuels.
[0007] Thus, generators, particularly diesel generators, have become the
backbone of many
remote locations providing electricity for not only the equipment necessary to
perform a particular
job, but also for the workers to have light in their shelters, cook their
food, and run pumps that
provide drinking water. Unfortunately, diesel generators, as reliable as they
are, sometimes fail,
often at inopportune times. Further, due to the remoteness of the locations
where diesel
generators are frequently used, obtaining new parts, and finding a technician
to install them can
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be a long, time consuming, and expensive process. Also, many of the breakdowns
that do occur
in generators could have been prevented if someone knew that a potential
problem was
developing.
[0008] Conventional maintenance for fuel based generators is performed on
an "engine hours"
basis. That is, for every so many hours of operation the generator (engine
hours), certain
maintenance must be performed. For example, a manufacturer may suggest
replacing a
generator air filter every 100 engine hours to ensure that the generator has
adequate air flow to
facilitate chemical combustion in the engine. In some circumstances, a
technician may be able to
use an OBD II scanner to connect to a generator and obtain coded information
about engine
operation. Some late model generators include gauges which provide information
about the motor
and electrical output of the generator. However, obtaining coded information
through an OBD II
scanner or from the generator itself is largely impractical for a variety of
reasons. First, information
retrieved from an OBD II scanner is coded and must be decoded to be
interpreted, which takes
significant time and cost. Second, it is impractical for a technician to
visually monitor the gauges
on the generator during use. Many generators are run twenty four hours a day,
seven days a
week for months at a time, only shutting down for routine maintenance or
occasional refueling.
Moreover, many generators are placed at a location that is relatively distant
from other machines
to reduce exposure to dust and to reduce noise in a certain locality. It is
equally impractical for a
technician to travel from one generator to the next constantly on a site to
determine if any of the
gauges or the OBD II scanner reveals that the generator is about to
malfunction.
[0009] Finally, when generators fail without warning, operators experience
high costs in
downtime. For example, in a cement plant, various generators may provide
electrical power to
conveyor belts which move rocks of a larger size into rock crushers to create
successively smaller
rocks for use in concrete. However, when one generator fails, one of the
conveyor belts may lose
electrical power and also fail. However, since other generators are still
operating, a previous
conveyor belt or a rock crusher may still be depositing rocks into a hopper of
the disabled
conveyor belt. This accumulation of rocks may prevent the conveyor belt from
restarting because
of the weight of the rocks in the hopper. In other words, the conveyor belt
may be jammed due to
excessive weight on the conveyor belt. Even if the generator requires only a
simple fix which can
be performed in mere minutes, it may take hours to manually unload the hopper
on the generator.
An entire production line may be shut down for a day, or longer, because a
generator
unexpectedly failed. Tens of thousands, hundreds of thousands, or even
millions of dollars, in
some cases, can be lost because of a generator failure.
[0010] It is therefore one object of this disclosure to provide an
interface and transmitter device
which may receive generator operation information from a generator and
transmit the generator
operation information to a control device. It is another object of this
disclosure to provide a
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receiver device which receives generator operation information from the
interface and transmitter
device. It is another object of this disclosure to provide a control device
which processes
generator operation information received by the receiver device and
communicated to the control
device. It is a further object of this disclosure to provide the processed
generator operation
information on a display for user monitoring and interaction.
SUMMARY
[0011] Disclosed herein is a system is disclosed which includes a remote
generator interface
controller and a generator interface device. The generator interface device
receives generator
operation information and transmits the generator operation information to the
remote generator
interface controller.
[0012] Further disclosed herein is a remote generator controller device.
The remote generator
controller device includes a processor, a screen, and a wireless receiver
connected wirelessly to
receive generator operation information from the generator interface device
connected to a
generator.
[0013] Also disclosed herein is a generator interface device. The generator
interface device
includes a processor connected to a generator which receives generator
operation information
from at least one of a generator computer and a generator sensor and a
transmitter connected
wirelessly to transmit the generator operation information wirelessly from the
generator interface
device to the remote generator controller device.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0014] The accompanying drawings illustrate various embodiments of the
remote generator
dashboard system and devices.
[0015] FIG. 1 illustrates an exemplary implementation of a remote generator
dashboard system
operating in an exemplary cement plant environment.
[0016] FIG. 2 illustrates an exemplary system level implementation of a
remote generator
dashboard system.
[0017] FIG. 3 illustrates various elements of a control device and receiver
transmitter/device
associated with the remote generator dashboard system.
[0018] FIG. 4 illustrates various elements of a generator interface device
and information
transmitter device.
[0019] FIG. 5 illustrates an exemplary user interface for the control
device.
[0020] FIG. 6 illustrates a second exemplary user interface for the control
device.
[0021] FIG. 7 illustrates a third exemplary user interface for the control
device.
[0022] FIG. 8 illustrates various hardware elements of the control device.
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DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS
[0023] In the following description, for purposes of explanation and not
limitation, specific
techniques and embodiments are set forth, such as particular techniques and
configurations, in
order to provide a thorough understanding of the device disclosed herein.
While the techniques
and embodiments will primarily be described in context with the accompanying
drawings, those
skilled in the art will further appreciate that the techniques and embodiments
may also be
practiced in other similar devices.
[0024] Reference will now be made in detail to the exemplary embodiments,
examples of which
are illustrated in the accompanying drawings. Wherever possible, the same
reference numbers
are used throughout the drawings to refer to the same or like parts. It is
further noted that
elements disclosed with respect to particular embodiments are not restricted
to only those
embodiments in which they are described. For example, an element described in
reference to one
embodiment or figure, may be alternatively included in another embodiment or
figure regardless of
whether or not those elements are shown or described in another embodiment or
figure. In other
words, elements in the figures may be interchangeable between various
embodiments disclosed
herein, whether shown or not.
[0025] Figure 1 illustrates an exemplary implementation of a remote
generator dashboard
system 100 operating in an exemplary cement plant environment. A cement plant
may include, for
example, a first conveyor belt 102 which includes a hopper 104 for receiving
rocks 120 of a first
size. Conveyor belt 102 may include a conveyor control device 106 which may
control various
functionalities of the conveyor belt, e.g., belt speed, on/off, etc. Conveyor
belt 102 is typically
operates using electricity provided by generator 108.
[0026] Generator 108 may generate electricity by converting chemical fuel
into electricity by, for
example, a diesel motor stored in compartment 110. Generator 108 may provide
an emergency
shutoff button 112 and may include one or more interface elements 114 which
allow a user to
control various functionalities of the generator. Generator 108 may include an
interface device
116 which may retrieve generator operation information from generator 108 and
a transmitter
device 118 which transmits the generator operation information from generator
108 to a remote
generator controller device, which will be discussed below.
[0027] Interface device 116 may be connected to generator 108 using any
suitable connection.
Interface device 116 may obtain generator operation information from generator
108 that includes
information such as operational status (on/off), engine hours, average
rotations per minute of a
motor, current rotations per minute of a motor, electrical output frequency,
generator load, average
output voltage, fuel pressure, fuel storage level, coolant temperature, oil
pressure, oil level, battery
voltage, current output, motor temperature, airflow, and any other information
that may be relevant
to operation of generator 108. Interface device 116 may provide the generator
operation
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information to transmitter device 118 which may transmit the generator
operation information from
generator 108 to a remote generator device, as will be discussed below.
[0028] As conveyor belt 102 receives electricity generated by generator
108, via electrical
connection 124, conveyor belt 102 carries rocks 120 of a first size up the
conveyor 102 by
successively higher supports 122. It is noted that conveyor 102 may simply
carry rocks of a first
size 120 from one location to another without raising the level of conveyor
102 by successively
higher supports 122. Conveyor 102 may be flat or angled down. However, merely
for purposes of
description, conveyor 102 includes supports 122 which raise conveyor 102 from
a first end to a
second end which is raised higher than the first end. Rocks of a first size
120 are carried by
conveyor into hopper 126 which feeds a rock crusher 128. Rock crusher 128 may
also operate by
receiving electrical power and using a variety of mill wheels, grinding
wheels, hammers, or other
devices to break rocks of a first size 120 into rocks 144 of a second size,
smaller than rocks of a
first size 120.
[0029] Generator 132 may be similar to generator 108, discussed above, and
generate
electricity by converting chemical fuel into electricity by, for example, a
diesel motor stored in
compartment 134. Generator 132 may provide an emergency shutoff button 136 and
may include
one or more interface elements 138 which allow a user to control various
functionalities of the
generator. Generator 132 may include an interface device 140 which may
retrieve generator
operation information from generator 132 and a transmitter device 142 which
transmits the
generator operation information from generator 132 to a remote generator
controller device, which
will be discussed below.
[0030] Interface device 140 may be connected to generator 132 using any
suitable connection.
Interface device 140 may obtain generator operation information from generator
132 that includes
information such as operational status (on/off), engine hours, average
rotations per minute of a
motor, current rotations per minute of a motor, electrical output frequency,
generator load, average
output voltage, fuel pressure, fuel storage level, coolant temperature, oil
pressure, oil level, battery
voltage, current output, motor temperature, airflow, and any other information
that may be relevant
to operation of generator 132. Interface device 140 may provide the generator
operation
information to transmitter device 142 which may transmit the generator
operation information from
generator 132 to a remote generator device, as will be discussed below.
[0031] Rock crusher 128 receives electricity generated by generator 132,
via electrical
connection 130, and mills, grinds, or breaks rocks of a first size 120 into
rocks of a second size
144, smaller than rocks of a first size 120. Rocks of a second size 144 may be
disposed onto a
conveyor belt 150 which includes a conveyor control device 146 which may be
used to control
various functionality of conveyor 150. Conveyor 150 may carry rocks of a
second size 144 up
conveyor 150 by successively higher supports 148, although supports 148 need
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successively higher and may simply be equal in height or may be implemented as
successively
lower supports 148. However, for purposes of description in Figure 1, conveyor
belt 150 is shown
as including successively higher supports 150 to carry rocks of a second size
out of rock crusher
128.
[0032] As before with conveyor 102, conveyor 150 requires electrical power
to operate. Thus,
conveyor 150 is connected to generator 154 by electrical connection 152.
Generator 154 may be
similar to generator 108 and generator 132, discussed above, and generate
electricity by
converting chemical fuel into electricity by, for example, a diesel motor
stored in compartment 156.
Generator 154 may provide an emergency shutoff button 158 and may include one
or more
interface elements 160 which allow a user to control various functionalities
of the generator.
Generator 154 may include an interface device 162 which may retrieve generator
operation
information from generator 154 and a transmitter device 164 which transmits
the generator
operation information from generator 154 to a remote generator controller
device, which will be
discussed below.
[0033] Interface device 162 may be connected to generator 154 using any
suitable connection.
Interface device 162 may obtain generator operation information from generator
154 that includes
information such as operational status (on/off), engine hours, average
rotations per minute of a
motor, current rotations per minute of a motor, electrical output frequency,
generator load, average
output voltage, fuel pressure, fuel storage level, coolant temperature, oil
pressure, oil level, battery
voltage, current output, motor temperature, airflow, and any other information
that may be relevant
to operation of generator 154. Interface device 162 may provide the generator
operation
information to transmitter device 164 which may transmit the generator
operation information from
generator 154 to a remote generator controller device, as will be discussed
below.
[0034] Conveyor belt 150 may move rocks of a second size 144 into a hopper
166 that may
feed a second rock crusher, another conveyor belt or another device as
necessary to create
cement in the cement plant. Figure 1 illustrates three consecutive dots which
identify that further
devices may be implemented as necessary. Further, various different sites
performing various
different activities may have different mechanical and electrical needs.
Mines, logging sites,
farms, ranches, and other locations may require the use of different
electrically operated
equipment that is generated by one or more generators. Figure 1 merely
illustrates a simple
example of a cement plant for explanatory purposes.
[0035] The cement plant illustrated in Figure 1, or any other similar
sites, may provide a control
center 168 which allows a user to monitor the progress of material through,
for example, conveyor
belt 102, rock crusher 128, and conveyor belt 150. In many situations,
controls for conveyor belt
102, rock crusher 128, and conveyor belt 150 may be connected to a remote
controller, such as
controller 176, controller 178, and controller 180, by wire 170, wire 172, and
wire 174. Remote
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controller 176 may, for example, be connected to conveyor control device 106
by wire 170 and
allow a user to adjust a speed, turn conveyor 150 on/off, or include an
emergency stop. Remote
controller 178 may, for example, be connected to rock crusher 128 by wire 172
and allow a user to
turn rock crusher 128 on/off or include an emergency stop. Remote controller
180 may, for
example, be connected to conveyor control device 146 by wire 174 and allow a
user to adjust a
speed, turn conveyor 150 on/off, or include an emergency stop.
[0036] Generator 108, generator 132, and generator 154 may connect by
wireless connection
188, wireless connection 190, and wireless connection 192 to remote generator
controller device
182. Remote generator controller device 182 may include controller/receiver
184 (which will be
discussed in more detail below) and receive generator operation information
from transmitter
device 118, transmitter device 142, and transmitter device 164 of generator
108, generator 132,
and generator 154, respectively. Generator operation information received by
remote generator
controller device 182 may be provided to a user via remote generator
controller device 182.
Remote generator controller device 182 may include a power input 186 to
provide power for
operation of remote generator controller device 182. It should be noted that
remote generator
controller device 182 may be located in any convenient location. For example,
remote generator
controller device 154 may be located in a front-end loader (or any other piece
of equipment) which
is loading material into a hopper, such as hopper 104, to allow an operator of
the front end loader
to monitor the operational condition of one or more generators (such as
generator 108, generator
132, and generator 154) while loading material into hopper 104.
[0037] As will be further discussed below, remote generator controller
device 182 may detect
problems in generator 108, generator 132, and generator 154 before a generator
is forced to shut
down by, for example, a current limiter circuit, and manually stop other parts
of the system such
that material does not jam conveyor belt 102, rock crusher 128, and conveyor
belt 150, for
example.
[0038] In one exemplary circumstance, for purposes of illustration and
description only, remote
generator controller device 182 may detect an excess current draw in generator
132 and
immediately shut down conveyor belt 102, rock crusher 128, and conveyor belt
150 to identify the
cause of the excess current draw. Upon examination, for example, a user may
determine that a
broken iron tool became lodged between milling wheels, causing rock crusher
128 to draw
additional current from generator 132 in an attempt to continue spinning
milling wheels. However,
since the user was able to shut down conveyor belt 102, rock crusher 128, and
conveyor belt 150,
none of hopper 104, hopper 126, or hopper 166 became jammed with excess
material. Thus,
once the broken tool is removed from rock crusher 128, conveyor belt 102, rock
crusher 128, and
conveyor belt 150 may be restarted without significant downtime for the cement
plant. If hopper
104, hopper 126, or hopper 166 became jammed by material, such as rocks or
dirt, a substantial
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amount of manual labor and time may be required to dislodge the jam. A costly
delay in concrete
production may be so avoided because early information that a problem existed
in generator 132
was identified before the problem could cause generator 132 to automatically
shut down.
[0039] Figure 2 illustrates an exemplary system level implementation of a
remote generator
dashboard system 200. Remote generator dashboard system 200 includes a
generator controller
device 202 which interfaces with generator 204. Generator controller device
202 may include a
screen 206 which may provide generator operation information to a user and
allow the user to
interact with generator controller device 202. Remote generator controller
device 202 may further
include a receiver/transmitter 208 to receive and transmit information from
remote generator
controller device 202 to generator 204, as will be described below. Remote
generator controller
device 202 may further include one or more electrical components 210 to
regulate input voltage
and input current received through wire 212 and 120V (or 240V) AC plug 214.
Electrical
components 210 may be implemented as necessary to receive power using standard
input power
available in different countries (e.g. 120V or 240V power). While remote
generator controller
device 202 is shown in Figure 2 as receiving AC power, remote generator
controller device 202
may be battery powered, using appropriate batteries.
[0040] Generator 204 includes a base 216 which may be implemented in a
manner that allows
generator 204 to be dragged from one position to another. For example, various
connection
points may be installed in base 216 which may be chained to, for example, an
excavator, a front
end loader, a bull dozer, a truck, or other vehicle to drag generator 204 from
one location to
another. Generator 204 may include an access door 218 which provides access to
an internal
motor, a fuel storage, and other components of generator 204. Access door 218
may include
vents 220 to allow fresh air to be drawn into generator 204. Access door 218
may further include
a latch 222 which may secure access door 218 in a closed position or which may
release to allow
a user to open access door 218. Generator 204 may further include a controller
door 224 which
provides access to various generator controls. Controller door 224 may include
an opening to
provide interface elements 226 for providing a user with control over
generator 204. Interface
elements 226 may include a screen, screen interface buttons and a keyhole 228
for receiving a
key in a key switch to start and stop generator 204. Alternatively, interface
elements, such as
screen 226 may be provided only by opening controller door 224 via latch 230.
[0041] Regardless, disposed within controller door 224 of generator 204,
are a generator
interface device 234 and a receiver/transmitter 232. Generator interface
device 234 may connect
to one or more information ports (not shown in Figure 2) provided by generator
204 or generator
sensors (not shown in Figure 2) to receive generator operation information
from generator 204.
As before, generator operation information may include information such as
operational status
(on/off), engine hours, average rotations per minute of a motor, current
rotations per minute of a
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motor, electrical output frequency, generator load, average output voltage,
fuel pressure, fuel
storage level, coolant temperature, oil pressure, oil level, battery voltage,
current output, motor
temperature, airflow, and any other information that may be relevant to
operation of generator 204.
Generator operation information may be transmitted via transmitter/receiver
232 to generator
controller device 202 to be provided to a user at a remote location via screen
206. Generator 204
may further include an emergency shut down button 236.
[0042] Generator interface device 234 and transmitter/receiver 232 may
include hardware
components may include a combination of Central Processing Units ("CPUs"),
buses, volatile and
non-volatile memory devices, storage units, non-transitory computer-readable
media, data
processors, processing devices, control devices transmitters, receivers,
antennas, transceivers,
input devices, output devices, network interface devices, and other types of
components that are
apparent to those skilled in the art. Generator interface device 234 and
transmitter/receiver 232
may also include software and hardware modules, sequences of instructions,
routines, data
structures, display interfaces, and other types of structures that execute
interface operations. In
one embodiment, transmitter/receiver 232 may transmit and receive information
by a wireless
connection 238 established between transmitter/receiver 232 in generator 204
and
transmitter/receiver 208 in remote generator controller 202. In one
embodiment,
transmitter/receiver 232 in generator 204 and transmitter/receiver 208 in
remote generator
controller 202 may have a wireless communication range of approximately 4
miles (approximately
6.4 km). Transmitter/receiver 232 in generator 204 and transmitter/receiver
208 in remote
generator controller 202 may communicate using radio frequency communication.
However, any
suitable communication connection may be implemented including any wired,
wireless, cellular
based, or internet based connections. Examples of these various communication
connections
include internet based communication protocols Wi-Fi, ZigBee, Z-Wave, RF4CE,
Ethernet,
telephone line, cellular channels, or others that operate in accordance with
protocols defined in
IEEE (Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers) 802.11, 801.11a,
801.11b, 801.11e,
802.11g, 802.11h, 802.11i, 802.11n, 802.16, 802.16d, 802.16e, or 802.16m using
any network
type including a wide-area network ("WAN"), a local-area network ("LAW), a 2G
network, a 3G
network, a 4G network, a Worldwide Interoperability for Microwave Access
(WiMAX) network, a
Long Term Evolution (LTE) network, Code-Division Multiple Access (CDMA)
network, Wideband
CDMA (WCDMA) network, any type of satellite or cellular network, or any other
appropriate
protocol to facilitate communication between transmitter/receiver 232 in
generator 204 and
transmitter/receiver 208 in remote generator control device 202 or vice versa.
[0043] In one example, generator interface device 234 may detect a fault in
generator 204
which may be transmitted to remote generator control device 202 for display on
screen 206. In
response, a user may interact with screen 206 to send an emergency stop
command to generator
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204 via transmitter/receiver 208 in remote generator control device 202 to
transmitter/receiver 232
in generator 204. Transmitter/receiver 232 in generator 204 may provide the
emergency stop
command to generator 204 via generator interface device 234 which causes
generator 204 to shut
down virtually instantaneously. A technician may then review generator
operation information
provided to remote generator control device 202 and inspect generator 204, or
associated
devices, to determine the cause of the fault.
[0044] Figure 3 illustrates various elements of a control device 306 and
transmitter/receiver
device 314 associated with the remote generator controller device 300 of a
remote generator
dashboard system, such as remote generator dashboard system 200, shown in
Figure 2. Remote
generator controller device 300 may be implemented as a hinged box which may
have a top
portion 302 and a bottom portion 304. Top portion 302 may include a controller
306. Controller
306 may include power connectors and information connectors 308 in addition to
other connectors
for interfacing with a screen (not shown in Figure 3). Controller 306 may
include hardware
components may include a combination of Central Processing Units ("CPUs"),
buses, volatile and
non-volatile memory devices, storage units, non-transitory computer-readable
media, data
processors, processing devices, control devices transmitters, receivers,
antennas, transceivers,
input devices, output devices, network interface devices, and other types of
components that are
apparent to those skilled in the art. In addition, controller 306 may provide
a screen accessible to
a user. Wire 310 may connect controller 306 to both power and information from
bottom portion
304, as will be described below.
[0045] Bottom portion 304 may include transmitter/receiver device 314 which
may
communicate with other devices, which will be shown and described below with
respect to Figure
4, transmitter/receiver device 314 may transmit received information to
controller 306 via wire 310.
Further, transmitter/receiver device 314 may receive power in appropriate
voltages through power
regulator 318. Power regulator 318 may receive AC (alternating current)
electricity via a power
port 324 which connects to wire 326 and receives AC electricity via plug 328.
Power regulator 318
may be implemented as a circuit breaker device, a fuse, a power supply, or any
other device
known in the art. Further, while power regulator 318 is illustrated in Figure
3 as being connected
by wire 320 to rectifier/DC voltage regulator 312, rectifier/DC voltage
regulator 312 and power
regulator 312 may be implemented together in a single housing of electrical
components. Power
regulator 318 may receive AC electricity and ensure that a current input is
below an acceptable
threshold for rectifier/DC voltage regulator 312. Power regulator 318 may then
provide electricity
to rectifier/DC voltage regulator 312 which may be converted from AC
electricity to DC (direct
current) electricity and regulated to an appropriate voltage level to operate
controller 306 and
transmitter/receiver 314.
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[0046] It should be noted that remote generator controller device 300 may
be implemented with
a battery back up in case AC electricity supplied to remote generator
controller device 300 fails.
Further, remote generator controller device 300 may, via transmitter/receiver
314, interface with
one or a plurality of generators simultaneously, or virtually simultaneously
(as shown in Figure 1).
In other words, remote generator controller device 300 may receive generator
operation
information from each generator in intervals of less than 10 seconds, for
example, such that a
change in generator operation information can be immediately detected and
reported to a user.
Transmitter/receiver 314 may further include an antenna 316 which may extend a
wireless
communication range for transmitter/receiver 314 to approximately 4 miles (6.5
km). In another
embodiment, a remote generator controller device 300 may be provided for an
individual generator
individually using a serialized connection to ensure that only the remote
generator controller
device 300 may be used with remote generator controller device 300. Wire 322
may receive
power from rectifier/DC voltage regulator 312 and provide DC electricity to
transmitter/receiver
314.
[0047] Figure 4 illustrates various elements of an interface 400 which
includes a generator
interface device 402 and information transmitter/receiver device 404.
Generator interface device
402 may include a processor 406 and implement a combination of Central
Processing Units
("CPUs"), buses, volatile and non-volatile memory devices, storage units, non-
transitory computer-
readable media, data processors, processing devices, control devices
transmitters, receivers,
antennas, transceivers, input devices, output devices, network interface
devices, and other types
of components that are apparent to those skilled in the art.
[0048] Generator interface device 402 may further include a power connector
408 which may
receive electrical power in a variety of ways. As shown in Figure 4, power
connector 408
implements ground connection 410, a positive voltage connection 412, and a
negative voltage
connection 414 to receive power in a DC electrical environment. However, a
variety of
implementations are possible in both a DC electrical environment and an AC
electrical
environment. Electrical power supplied to connector 408 may be derived from a
battery in a
generator or may be obtained through an interface connection with the
generator.
[0049] Generator interface device 402 may further include a generator
sensor information
connector 416, a generator computer information connector 418, and an
information connector
420 for sending information to transmitter/receiver device 426. Information
connector 416 may
receive generator sensor information from a generator sensor 422 which may be
provided to
processor 406. Generator sensor information may be any information that is
obtained from a
sensor in a generator. For example, an over current sensor, a battery voltage
sensor, or other
sensor in a generator may directly interface with generator interface device
402.
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[0050] Information connector 418 may receive information from a generator
computer 424
which may be provided to processor 406. Generator computer 424 may provide
real time
generator operation information to processor 406. Generator computer 424 may
be a computer
which controls the operation of a generator. Generator interface device 402
may receive the
information from generator sensor 422 and/or generator computer 424 and
provide generator
operation information (which includes generator sensor information) to
transmitter/receiver 404 via
a wire disposed between information connector 420 and connector 426 on
transmitter/receiver
404.
[0051] Transmitter/receiver 404 may include a hardware for transmitting and
receiving
information wirelessly using any of the information communication and
transmission protocols
discussed above. Transmitter/receiver 404 receives generator operation
information from
generator interface device 402 and wirelessly transmits the information to a
remote generator
controller device, such as remote generator controller device 300, shown in
Figure 3.
Transmitter/receiver 404 may further include an antenna 428 which may extend a
wireless
communication range for transmitter/receiver 404 to approximately 4 miles (6.5
km).
[0052] FIG. 5 illustrates an exemplary user interface 500 for the remote
generator controller
device 502 which may be similar in implementation and description to other
remote generator
controller devices disclosed herein. As shown in Figure 5, a remote generator
controller device
502 provides a screen 504. Screen 504 may be implemented as a touch screen or
another type of
screen that uses a tactile element (e.g., a touch pad) or peripheral device
(e.g., a mouse) to
interface with a user.
[0053] User interface 500 includes an engine hours icon 506 and an
identifier 508 of "engine
hours" to display to a user that a generator, for example, has operated for
3641.4 hours.
Additionally, user interface 500 may include button elements 510 which provide
a user with an
ability to provide input into remote generator controller device 502. Button
element 510 may
implement an emergency stop 512 which, when pressed, may send a command to a
generator
interface device, such as generator interface device 402, shown in Figure 4,
to shut down
immediately. User interface 500 may further include information elements, such
as information
element 514 which provide information to a user about a generator or
information currently
displayed on a screen. As shown in Figures, information element 514 provides
information 516
that the screen being shown is a "remote generator dashboard." Information
element 514 may
begin to flash, emit sounds, or otherwise notify a user when generator
operation information
changes in a manner that indicates a potential problem may arise.
[0054] User interface 500 may further allow a user to select other user
interfaces that the user
wishes to access. For example, user interface button 518, when interacted
with, may cause
remote generator controller device 500 to update graphical user interface 500
with another
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graphical user interface, such as those that will be discussed below, or
others. Button 518 may
provide engine information about a generator in a new user interface.
Similarly, user interface
button 520, when interacted with, may cause remote generator controller device
500 to update
graphical user interface 500 with a second graphical user interface. User
interface button 520,
may provide master information about different generators in the system or
provide master control
over a particular generator, for example..
[0055] FIG. 6 illustrates a second exemplary user interface 600 for the
remote generator
controller device 602. Remote generator controller device 602 may be similar
in implementation
and description to other remote generator controller devices disclosed herein
and provide a screen
604. Screen 604 may be implemented as a touch screen or another type of screen
that uses a
tactile element (e.g., a touch pad) or peripheral device (e.g., a mouse) to
interface with a user.
[0056] User interface 600 may provide a number of generator electrical
information elements
such as generator information element 606. Generator information element 606
provides
information related to an average number of rotations per minute for a
generator in a bar graph
style information graph. Generator information element 608 provides numerical
information for a
generator's current average number of rotations per minute. Generator
information element 610
provides information related to a frequency of electrical output for a
generator in a bar graph style
information graph. Generator information element 612 provides numerical
information for a
generator's current frequency of electrical output for the generator.
Generator information element
614 provides information related to a percentage of generator electrical load
that may be output by
a generator in a bar graph style information graph. Generator information
element 616 provides
numerical information for a generator's current electrical load. Finally,
generator information
element 618 provides information related to an average voltage output by the
generator in a bar
graph style information graph. Generator information element 620 provides
numerical information
for a generator's average voltage output. In one embodiment, one or more of
information
elements 606-620 may flash or change colors to indicate to a user that a
certain electrical
characteristic or generator output condition may have the potential to cause a
problem or indicate
a fault in the generator.
[0057] User interface 600 may further provide navigation elements, such as
navigation element
622 and navigation element 624 which allow a user to scroll through different
user interfaces to
obtain the desired information.
[0058] FIG. 7 illustrates a third exemplary user interface 700 for remote
generator controller
device 702. Remote generator controller device 702 may be similar in
implementation and
description to other remote generator controller devices disclosed herein and
provide a screen
704. Screen 704 may be implemented as a touch screen or another type of screen
that uses a
tactile element (e.g., a touch pad) or peripheral device (e.g., a mouse) to
interface with a user.
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[0059] User interface 700 may provide a number of generator motor
information elements such
as generator information element 706. Generator information element 706
provides information
related to a fuel pressure in a bar graph style information graph. Generator
information element
708 provides numerical information for a fuel pressure. Generator information
element 710
provides information related to a coolant temperature for a motor in a
generator in a bar graph
style information graph. Generator information element 712 provides numerical
information for a
coolant temperature for a motor in a generator for the generator. Generator
information element
714 provides information related to an oil pressure in a motor of a generator
in a bar graph style
information graph. Generator information element 716 provides numerical
information for an oil
pressure in a motor of a generator. Finally, generator information element 718
provides
information related to a battery voltage for a generator in a bar graph style
information graph.
Generator information element 720 provides numerical information for a battery
voltage for a
generator. In one embodiment, one or more of information elements 706-720 may
flash or change
colors to indicate to a user that a certain electrical characteristic or
generator output condition may
have the potential to cause a problem or indicate a fault in the generator.
[0060] User interface 700 may further provide navigation elements, such as
navigation element
722 and navigation element 724 which allow a user to scroll through different
user interfaces to
obtain the desired information.
[0061] Figure 8 illustrates various hardware elements of the remote
generator controller device
800, such as those remote generator controller devices disclosed herein.
Remote generator
controller device 800 may include or utilize a special purpose or general-
purpose computer,
including computer hardware, such as, for example, one or more processors and
system memory,
as discussed in greater detail below. Implementations within the scope of the
present disclosure
may also include physical and other computer-readable media for carrying or
storing computer-
executable instructions and/or data structures. Such computer-readable media
can be any
available media that can be accessed by a general purpose or special purpose
computer system.
Computer-readable media that store computer-executable instructions are
computer storage
media (devices). Computer-readable media that carry computer-executable
instructions are
transmission media. Thus, by way of example, and not limitation,
implementations of the
disclosure can comprise at least two distinctly different kinds of computer-
readable media:
computer storage media (devices) and transmission media.
[0062] Computer storage media (devices) includes RAM, ROM, EEPROM, CD-ROM,
solid
state drives ("SSDs") (e.g., based on RAM), Flash memory, phase-change memory
("PCM"), other
types of memory, other optical disk storage, magnetic disk storage or other
magnetic storage
devices, or any other medium which can be used to store desired program code
means in the form
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of computer-executable instructions or data structures and which can be
accessed by a general
purpose or special purpose computer.
[0063] A "network" is defined as one or more data links that enable the
transport of electronic
data between computer systems and/or modules and/or other electronic devices.
In an
implementation, a remote generator controller device and a generator interface
device may be
networked in order to communicate with each other, and other components,
connected over the
network to which they are connected. When information is transferred or
provided over a network
or another communications connection (either hardwired, wireless, or a
combination of hardwired
or wireless) to a computer, the computer properly views the connection as a
transmission medium.
Transmissions media can include a network and/or data links, which can be used
to carry desired
program code means in the form of computer-executable instructions or data
structures and which
can be accessed by a general purpose or special purpose computer. Combinations
of the above
should also be included within the scope of computer-readable media.
[0064] Further, upon reaching various computer system components, program
code in the form
of computer-executable instructions or data structures that can be transferred
automatically from
transmission media to computer storage media (devices) (or vice versa). For
example, computer-
executable instructions or data structures received over a network or data
link can be buffered in
RAM within a network interface module (e.g., a "N IC"), and then eventually
transferred to
computer system RAM and/or to less volatile computer storage media (devices)
at a computer
system. RAM can also include solid state drives. Thus, it should be understood
that computer
storage media (devices) can be included in computer system components that
also (or even
primarily) utilize transmission media.
[0065] Computer-executable instructions comprise, for example, instructions
and data which,
when executed at a processor, cause a general purpose computer, special
purpose computer, or
special purpose processing device to perform a certain function or group of
functions. The
computer executable instructions may be, for example, binaries, intermediate
format instructions
such as assembly language, or even source code. Although the subject matter
has been
described in language specific to structural features and/or methodological
acts, it is to be
understood that the subject matter defined in the appended claims is not
necessarily limited to the
described features or acts described above. Rather, the described features and
acts are
disclosed as example forms of implementing the claims.
[0066] Those skilled in the art will appreciate that the remote generator
controller device may
be implemented in many types of computing environments with many types of
computer system
configurations, including, personal computers, desktop computers, laptop
computers, message
processors, control units, camera control units, hand-held devices, hand
pieces, multi-processor
systems, microprocessor-based or programmable consumer electronics, network
PCs,
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minicomputers, mainframe computers, mobile telephones, PDAs, tablets, pagers,
routers,
switches, various storage devices, and the like. The disclosure may also be
practiced in
distributed system environments where local and remote computer systems, which
are linked
(either by hardwired data links, wireless data links, or by a combination of
hardwired and wireless
data links) through a network, both perform tasks. In a distributed system
environment, program
modules may be located in both local and remote memory storage devices.
[0067] Further, where appropriate, functions described herein can be
performed in one or
more of: hardware, software, firmware, digital components, or analog
components. For example,
one or more application specific integrated circuits (ASICs) or field
programmable gate arrays
(FPGAs) can be programmed to carry out one or more of the systems and
procedures described
herein. Certain terms are used throughout the following description and claims
to refer to
particular system components. As one skilled in the art will appreciate,
components may be
referred to by different names. This document does not intend to distinguish
between components
that differ in name, but not function.
[0068] Figure 8 is a block diagram illustrating a remote generator
controller device 800.
Remote generator controller device 800 may be used to perform various
procedures, such as
those discussed herein. Remote generator controller device 800 may function as
a server, a
client, or any other computing entity. Remote generator controller device 800
can perform various
monitoring functions as discussed herein, and can execute one or more
application programs,
such as the application programs described herein. Remote generator controller
device 800 can
be any of a wide variety of computing devices, such as a desktop computer, a
notebook computer,
a server computer, a handheld computer, tablet computer and the like.
[0069] Remote generator controller device 800 includes one or more
processor(s) 804, one or
more memory device(s) 806, one or more interface(s) 812, one or more mass
storage device(s)
820, one or more Input/Output (I/O) device(s) 826, and a display device 828
all of which are
coupled to a bus 802. Processor(s) 804 include one or more processors or
controllers that
execute instructions stored in memory device(s) 806 and/or mass storage
device(s) 820.
Processor(s) 804 may also include various types of computer-readable media,
such as cache
memory.
[0070] Memory device(s) 806 include various computer-readable media, such
as volatile
memory (e.g., random access memory (RAM) 808) and/or nonvolatile memory (e.g.,
read-only
memory (ROM) 810). Memory device(s) 806 may also include rewritable ROM, such
as Flash
memory.
[0071] Mass storage device(s) 820 include various computer readable media,
such as
magnetic tapes, magnetic disks, optical disks, solid-state memory (e.g., Flash
memory), and so
forth. Remote generator controller device 800 may include a hard disk drive
822. Various drives
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may also be included in mass storage device(s) 820 to enable reading from
and/or writing to the
various computer readable media. Mass storage device(s) 820 include removable
media 824
and/or non-removable media.
[0072] I/O device(s) 826 include various devices that allow data and/or
other information to be
input to or retrieved from remote generator controller device 800. Example I/O
device(s) 826
include digital imaging devices, electromagnetic sensors and emitters, cursor
control devices,
keyboards, keypads, microphones, monitors or other display devices, speakers,
printers, network
interface cards, modems, lenses, CCDs or other image capture devices, and the
like.
[0073] Display device 828 includes any type of device capable of displaying
information to one
or more users of remote generator controller device 800. Examples of display
device 828 include
a screen, a touch screen, a monitor, a display terminal, a video projection
device, and the like.
[0074] Interface(s) 812 include various interfaces that allow remote
generator controller device
800 to interact with other systems, devices, or computing environments.
Example interface(s)
812may include user interface elements 814. Other exemplary interface(s) may
include any
number of different network interfaces 816, such as interfaces to local area
networks (LANs), wide
area networks (WANs), wireless networks, and the Internet. Other interface(s)
include a
peripheral device interface 818. The interface(s) 812 may also include one or
more peripheral
interfaces such as interfaces for printers, pointing devices (mice, track pad,
etc.), keyboards, and
the like.
[0075] Bus 802 allows processor(s) 804, memory device(s) 806, interface(s)
812, mass storage
device(s) 820, and I/O device(s) 826 to communicate with one another, as well
as other devices or
components coupled to bus 802. Bus 802 represents one or more of several types
of bus
structures, such as a system bus, PCI bus, IEEE 1394 bus, USB bus, and so
forth.
[0076] For purposes of illustration, programs and other executable program
components are
shown herein as discrete blocks, although it is understood that such programs
and components
may reside at various times in different storage components of remote
generator controller device
800, and are executed by processor(s) 804. Alternatively, the systems and
procedures described
herein can be implemented in hardware, or a combination of hardware, software,
and/or firmware.
For example, one or more application specific integrated circuits (ASICs) or
field programmable
gate arrays (FPGAs) can be programmed to carry out one or more of the systems
and procedures
described herein.
[0077] The foregoing description has been presented for purposes of
illustration. It is not
exhaustive and does not limit the invention to the precise forms or
embodiments disclosed.
Modifications and adaptations will be apparent to those skilled in the art
from consideration of the
specification and practice of the disclosed embodiments. For example,
components described
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herein may be removed and other components added without departing from the
scope or spirit of
the embodiments disclosed herein or the appended claims.
[0078] Other embodiments will be apparent to those skilled in the art from
consideration of the
specification and practice of the disclosure disclosed herein. It is intended
that the specification
and examples be considered as exemplary only, with a true scope and spirit of
the invention being
indicated by the following claims.
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