Paul Andrew Reid

US Patent:

6577485, Jun 10, 2003

Filed:

Oct 12, 2001

Appl. No.:

09/976706

Inventors:

Paul A. Reid - Marion IA
Steven M. Meehleder - Cedar Rapids IA

Assignee:

Square D Company - Palatine IL

International Classification:

H02H 308

US Classification:

361 931, 361 933, 361 18

Abstract:

A wide input range power supply for a circuit protection and/or fault detector device includes a passive supply for providing power to a load under nominal input voltage conditions at or near the nominal line voltage with minimum power loss, and a linear regulating supply path for assisting the passive supply at an input line voltage substantially below the nominal line voltage value.

US Patent:

6583997, Jun 24, 2003

Filed:

Jan 30, 2002

Appl. No.:

10/060542

Inventors:

Paul A. Reid - Cedar Rapids IA
Randall J. Gass - Cedar Rapids IA

Assignee:

Square D Company - Palatine IL

International Classification:

H02H 710

US Classification:

363 50, 363 55, 363 5605, 363 561, 363 97

Abstract:

A wide input range switching power supply for a circuit protection device includes a rectifier circuit for rectifying an AC line voltage at a supply input, and a switch-mode DC-to-DC converter coupled to the rectifier circuit for providing a low voltage DC power to a load at a supply output. The converter includes a switch having an open state and a closed state and a control circuit for controlling the state of the switch. The control circuit is operatively coupled to receive operating power from the supply output.

US Patent:

7193827, Mar 20, 2007

Filed:

Oct 16, 2003

Appl. No.:

10/687068

Inventors:

Paul A. Reid - Cedar Rapids IA, US
Randall J. Gass - Oak Park IL, US
Steve M. Meehleder - Cedar Rapids IA, US

Assignee:

Square D Company - North Andover MA

International Classification:

H02H 9/08
G01R 27/26

US Classification:

361 42, 324684, 324685

Abstract:

A microcontroller-based temperature compensated circuit for ground-fault circuit interrupter to meet the requirements of UL 943 using a single sensor to detect both ground-fault and grounded-neutral fault conditions in both full-wave and half-wave AC power supplies as part of a ground-fault circuit breaker or a receptacle device.

US Patent:

7859802, Dec 28, 2010

Filed:

Jul 2, 2007

Appl. No.:

11/824680

Inventors:

William Davison - Cedar Rapids IA, US
Kevin John Malo - Iowa City IA, US
Steve M. Meehleder - Cedar Rapids IA, US
Ryan James Moffitt - Coralville IA, US
Paul Andrew Reid - Cedar Rapids IA, US

International Classification:

H01H 77/04
H01H 81/02

US Classification:

361 42, 355 44

Abstract:

An automatic temperature compensation method that automatically adjusts trip point thresholds of a motor circuit protector in response to changes in temperature. The relationship between two curves is exploited to match temperature sensor readings from a temperature sensor circuit with burden resistor percentage values derived from a burden resistor circuit. A temperature inflection point is determined from the intersection of (1) the temperature sensor curve plotting the voltage output of the temperature sensor versus temperature and (2) the burden resistance curve plotting burden resistance versus temperature. A temperature value along the temperature sensor curve is transformed into the corresponding burden resistance on the burden resistance curve. The burden resistance is expressed as a percentage variance from a burden resistance at an ambient temperature. An adjusted trip point threshold is calculated from the computed burden resistor percentage, and the adjusted trip point threshold is stored in a memory.

US Patent:

8054593, Nov 8, 2011

Filed:

Dec 29, 2008

Appl. No.:

12/344864

Inventors:

Paul A. Reid - Cedar Rapids IA, US
Robert Erger - Swisher IA, US

International Classification:

H02H 3/00
G01R 33/14

US Classification:

361 42, 361 45, 361 57, 361 63, 324222

Abstract:

A circuit that includes a single grounded fault sensing transformer coupled to a resonant circuit that produces an output signal used by a microcontroller to determine a load current flowing through at least two conductors passing through the center of the sensing transformer. The microcontroller pings the resonant circuit, causing an impulse disturbance at the output signal, and the microcontroller calculates the inductance component of the resonant circuit based on the frequency of the decaying output signal. The microcontroller calculates the resistive core loss as a function of a known resistance of the resonant circuit, a known capacitance of the resonant circuit, the calculated inductance, and the determined rate of decay of the output signal. The calculated resistive core loss is compared to a table or to a polynomial function that characterizes known resistive core losses with known load currents to determine the load current corresponding to the calculated resistive core loss.

US Patent:

8284535, Oct 9, 2012

Filed:

Nov 14, 2008

Appl. No.:

12/271019

Inventors:

Paul A. Reid - Cedar Rapids IA, US
Robert Erger - Swisher IA, US

Assignee:

Schneider Electric USA, Inc. - Palatine IL

International Classification:

H02H 3/00
H02H 3/027

US Classification:

361 98, 361 94

Abstract:

A circuit breaker capable of microcontroller-based fault detection having a backup circuit for causing the circuit to trip in response to a microcontroller fault or a failure of a regulated power supply powering the microcontroller. The circuit breaker includes an RC circuit connected to an SCR. The resistor of the RC circuit is connected between the anode and gate of the SCR, and the capacitor is connected between the gate and cathode of the SCR. The microcontroller has a first pin coupled to the RC circuit, which is initially in a high input impedance state. In the event of a microcontroller fault or power supply failure, the capacitor will charge to a voltage sufficient to activate the SCR and trip the breaker. If the microcontroller startup routine is successful, the pin is configured as an output and is pulled low, shorting out the capacitor.

US Patent:

8542021, Sep 24, 2013

Filed:

Nov 16, 2010

Appl. No.:

12/947001

Inventors:

Gary W. Scott - Mount Vernon IA, US
Paul A. Reid - Cedar Rapids IA, US

Assignee:

Schneider Electric USA, Inc. - Palatine IL

International Classification:

G01R 31/14
G01R 31/08
H01H 9/50
G01R 31/02
H02H 1/00

US Classification:

324509, 324536

Abstract:

A fault detection system is provided for a power distribution system having at least first and second line conductors carrying AC currents that are out of phase with each other from a source to a load, and a common neutral conductor. The system includes an arcing fault current sensor comprising a coil wound on a hollow core and coupled to both of the line conductors in a manner that the electrical currents in the line conductors flow in opposite directions inside the hollow core, thus inducing in the coil an output signal that is a function of the difference of the electrical currents in the line conductors. A neutral current sensor produces an output signal representing the magnitude and phase direction of current in the neutral conductor. An arcing fault detection circuit includes a processor programmed to (1) respond to a change in the first output signal to analyze the second output signal to determine whether the change in the first output signal is attributable at least in part to current in a line-to-line circuit, (2) if the answer is affirmative, determine a scaling factor to be used to adjust the value of the first output signal, and (3) analyze the adjusted first output signal to determine whether an arcing fault has occurred and produce a trip signal in response to the detection of an arcing fault.

US Patent:

20130329331, Dec 12, 2013

Filed:

Jun 11, 2012

Appl. No.:

13/493076

Inventors:

Robert Erger - Swisher IA, US
William Broghammer - Anamosa IA, US
Brett Larson - Cedar Rapids IA, US
Paul A. Reid - Cedar Rapids IA, US

Assignee:

Schneider Electric USA, Inc. - Palatine IL

International Classification:

H02H 3/08

US Classification:

361102

Abstract:

A circuit breaker (such as a miniature circuit breaker) that wirelessly communicates state and fault information to a main energy monitoring module. The wireless circuit breaker includes a transceiver and a power supply that harvests energy inductively from the line current conductor without the need for a connection to a neutral conductor. The wireless circuit breaker can be implemented in the same package as existing circuit breakers, eliminating the need to replace the panel when upgrading to a system that employs a main energy monitoring module. The wireless circuit breaker can also include an energy storage device for supplying power to the circuit breaker after it has tripped, allowing the circuit breaker to transmit information after a trip. The main energy monitoring module includes a processor and a gateway for evaluating and transmitting information received from the circuit breaker to other applications, such as webpages and smartphones.