Method and apparatus for monitoring electrical devices

Claim 1

An apparatus for monitoring power or current consumption of one or more electronic devices, the apparatus comprising: means for providing a plurality of scalers corresponding to a signature of at least one of a power or current consumption of the one or more electronic devices at various voltage levels during operation; means for periodically sampling voltage levels applied to said one or more electronic devices at selected time intervals; means for sampling power or current consumption values representing power or current consumed by said one or more electronic devices at said selected time intervals; means for adjusting said sampled power or current consumption values with said scalers; and means for providing an indication when one of said adjusted power or current consumption values varies from another of said adjusted power or current consumption values by more than a predetermined amount.

Claim 2

An apparatus for monitoring power or current consumption of one or more electronic devices, the apparatus comprising: means for providing a plurality of scalers corresponding to a signature of at least one of a power or current consumption of the one or more electronic devices at various voltage levels during operation; means for periodically sampling voltage levels applied to said one or more electronic devices at selected time intervals; means for sampling power or current consumption values representing power or current consumed by said one or more electronic devices at said selected time intervals; means for adjusting said sampled power or current consumption values with said scalers; and means for providing an indication when one of said adjusted power or current consumption values varies from another of said adjusted power or current consumption values by more than a predetermined amount.

Claim 5

A method for monitoring parameters of one or more electronic devices, the method comprising the steps of: determining a signature of at least one of said electronic devices, said signature including electrical parameters of said device while in a known operating condition; storing said signature as values in a memory for recall during subsequent operation of said device; detecting said electrical parameters of said device at selected time intervals during said device's subsequent operation; adjusting said detected electrical parameters with an input representative of said signature values; and providing an indication signal when one of said adjusted electrical parameters detected at one of said selected time intervals exceeds another of said adjusted electrical parameters detected at another of said selected time intervals.

Claim 6

A method for monitoring parameters of one or more electronic devices, the method comprising the steps of: determining a signature of at least one of said electronic devices, said signature including electrical parameters of said device while in a known operating condition; storing said signature as values in a memory for recall during subsequent operation of said device; detecting said electrical parameters of said device at selected time intervals during said device's subsequent operation; adjusting said detected electrical parameters with an input representative of said signature values; and providing an indication signal when one of said adjusted electrical parameters detected at one of said selected time intervals exceeds another of said adjusted electrical parameters detected at another of said selected time intervals.

Claim 10

A method of monitoring the condition of an electrically energizable device, the method comprising the steps of: energizing the device by application of different levels of voltage in succession; measuring the power consumption of the device for each different voltage level; storing a plurality of scalers which have a predetermined relationship with the power consumption of the device at said different levels of voltage; measuring, at selected times subsequent to storing the scalers, sample voltage levels applied to the device and sample power consumption values applied to the device; providing adjusted power consumption values for the device by modifying the sample power consumption values of the device with a corresponding one of the scalers; comparing one adjusted power consumption value with another adjusted power consumption value; and providing a signal when one adjusted power consumption value of the device varies by a predetermined amount greater than another adjusted power consumption value.

Claim 11

A method of monitoring the condition of an electrically energizable device, the method comprising the steps of: energizing the device by application of different levels of voltage in succession; measuring the power consumption of the device for each different voltage level; storing a plurality of scalers which have a predetermined relationship with the power consumption of the device at said different levels of voltage; measuring, at selected times subsequent to storing the scalers, sample voltage levels applied to the device and sample power consumption values applied to the device; providing adjusted power consumption values for the device by modifying the sample power consumption values of the device with a corresponding one of the scalers; comparing one adjusted power consumption value with another adjusted power consumption value; and providing a signal when one adjusted power consumption value of the device varies by a predetermined amount greater than another adjusted power consumption value.

Claim 22

An apparatus for monitoring the electrical power consumption of a device, the apparatus comprising: voltage measuring means for detecting a plurality of different voltage levels, each different voltage level representing a voltage applied to the device during known operating conditions; power measuring means for providing initial power consumption values, each initial power consumption value corresponding to a power consumption at each of the different voltage levels; a memory for storing a table of scalers, each scaler corresponding to a ratio between the initial power consumption at each of the different voltage levels and the initial power consumption at a selected one of the different voltage levels; voltage measuring means for detecting a sample voltage corresponding to a voltage level applied to the device at selected time intervals; power measuring means for detecting a sample power consumption value corresponding to a power consumption of the device at each of the sample voltage levels at the selected time intervals; a processor including: (a) means for adjusting said power consumption values with the scaler corresponding to the voltage level applied to the device at the selected time interval; (b) means for subtracting the magnitude of one of the adjusted power consumption values from the magnitude of another adjusted power consumption value; and (c) means for providing a signal indicating that one adjusted power consumption value differs from another adjusted power consumption value.

Claim 23

An apparatus for monitoring the electrical power consumption of a device, the apparatus comprising: voltage measuring means for detecting a plurality of different voltage levels, each different voltage level representing a voltage applied to the device during known operating conditions; power measuring means for providing initial power consumption values, each initial power consumption value corresponding to a power consumption at each of the different voltage levels; a memory for storing a table of scalers, each scaler corresponding to a ratio between the initial power consumption at each of the different voltage levels and the initial power consumption at a selected one of the different voltage levels; voltage measuring means for detecting a sample voltage corresponding to a voltage level applied to the device at selected time intervals; power measuring means for detecting a sample power consumption value corresponding to a power consumption of the device at each of the sample voltage levels at the selected time intervals; a processor including: (a) means for adjusting said power consumption values with the scaler corresponding to the voltage level applied to the device at the selected time interval; (b) means for subtracting the magnitude of one of the adjusted power consumption values from the magnitude of another adjusted power consumption value; and (c) means for providing a signal indicating that one adjusted power consumption value differs from another adjusted power consumption value.