FORM 2
THE PATENTS ACT, 1970
(39 of 1970)
&
THE PATENTS RULES, 2003

COMPLETE SPECIFICATION
(See section 10, rule 13)

“A voltage Monitoring Apparatus”

Tejas Networks Limited
No. 58, First Main Road, J.P Nagar,
3rd Phase, Bangalore – 560 078, Karnataka, India

The following specification particularly describes the invention and the manner in which it is to be performed.

Field of the Invention
The invention generally relates the art of electrical measurements. More particularly, the invention relates to a monitoring system for multiple feed power supply.

Background of the invention
In the modern complex power systems the use of power supply with multiple feed finds an important use. Multiple feed provide an option for redundancy, which may help in error detection and maintaining backup. Therefore said feeds play a vital role and are required to be measured and monitored continuously. The multiple feed is generally transferred to a supervisor/ supervisor module for monitoring and reporting purpose.

A standard method of transferring the measured voltage is to use independent isolation technique for each measured voltage. The isolation technique keeps the power supply and the supervisor module electrically isolated while transferring the measured voltages. The commonly used isolation technique is optical and galvanic isolation. The optical isolation technique involves optical transmission path converting the electrical signal to an optical signal and back to the electrical signal at the supervisor module.

In the telecommunication power supply with dual input /feed, each input/ feed may be first scaled i.e., the amplitude, frequency and the like parameters of the input/feed are fixed. The scaling may be done by the individual prescalar and driver circuit meant for each input or feed. Each prescalar and driver circuit is working over independent ground reference. The scaled input/ feed are converted into an appropriate signal. The converted signal is then transferred to the supervisor module using any of the above mentioned isolation technique. For example each scaled (prescalar and driver processed) feed (voltage) is transferred to the supervisor module using separate optical isolation paths. Each prescalar and driver circuit is powered by the individual local power supply which in turn receives individual input from each individual feed.

A standard monitoring apparatus use a technique of dual input power supply as illustrated in figure 1 wherein an input (A) and input (B) is scaled through separate processor unit (110 and 120 respectively). Each processor unit (110 and 120) is coupled to a separate local power supply unit (130 and 140 respectively) which in turn receives input (A) and input (B) respectively. The processor unit (110 and 120) generates the scaled output of their respective input (A) and input (B). Each generated output may be transmitted through their respective suitable isolation channel (150 and 160) to a supervisor module (170) for further analysis and monitoring.

In the conventional monitoring apparatus, multiple prescalar and driver unit is required for multiple input/ feed. Further, multiple local power supply is required to power each prescalar and driver. Moreover, separate isolation path is required for each feed/ input to be transmitted to the supervisor module.

Thus, a problem of incompatibility arises in that the power supply apparatus including a power supply monitoring apparatus ends up incurring rather higher production cost with the configuration of a conventional monitoring apparatus. Therefore, a simplified and cost effective monitoring system is required for multiple feed power supply that can obviate the above mentioned problems.

Summary of the Invention

An aspect of the present invention is to address at least the above-mentioned problems and/or disadvantages and to provide at least the advantages described below.
Accordingly, an aspect of the present invention is to provide a voltage monitoring apparatus, comprising of: a logic circuitry for receiving at least two input signals, a signal processing unit configured to receive a common output from the logic circuitry, wherein the output of the circuitry generates a power supply to the signal processing section and an isolator coupled to receive at least one input from the signal processing section and the other from the logic circuitry, wherein the isolator is configured to transfer the received signals to a controller.
Other aspects, advantages, and salient features of the invention will become apparent to those skilled in the art from the following detailed description, which, taken in conjunction with the annexed drawings, discloses exemplary embodiments of the invention.

Brief description of the drawings
The above and other aspects, features, and advantages of certain exemplary embodiments of the present invention will be more apparent from the following description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings in which:
Figure 1 illustrates a standard monitoring technique for dual input power supply.

Figure 2 shows the block diagram of a monitoring system for multiple feed power supply employing principles and concepts of the invention.

Persons skilled in the art will appreciate that elements in the figures are illustrated for simplicity and clarity and may have not been drawn to scale. For example, the dimensions of some of the elements in the figure may be exaggerated relative to other elements to help to improve understanding of various exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure.

Detail description of the Invention
The following description with reference to the accompanying drawings is provided to assist in a comprehensive understanding of exemplary embodiments of the invention as defined by the claims and their equivalents. It includes various specific details to assist in that understanding but these are to be regarded as merely exemplary. Accordingly, those of ordinary skill in the art will recognize that various changes and modifications of the embodiments described herein can be made without departing from the scope and spirit of the invention. In addition, descriptions of well-known functions and constructions are omitted for clarity and conciseness.
The terms and words used in the following description and claims are not limited to the bibliographical meanings, but, are merely used by the inventor to enable a clear and consistent understanding of the invention. Accordingly, it should be apparent to those skilled in the art that the following description of exemplary embodiments of the present invention are provided for illustration purpose only and not for the purpose of limiting the invention as defined by the appended claims and their equivalents.
It is to be understood that the singular forms “a,” “an,” and “the” include plural referents unless the context clearly dictates otherwise. Thus, for example, reference to “a component surface” includes reference to one or more of such surfaces.
By the term “substantially” it is meant that the recited characteristic, parameter, or value need not be achieved exactly, but that deviations or variations, including for example, tolerances, measurement error, measurement accuracy limitations and other factors known to those of skill in the art, may occur in amounts that do not preclude the effect the characteristic was intended to provide.
Figs. 1 through 2, discussed below, and the various embodiments used to describe the principles of the present disclosure in this patent document are by way of illustration only and should not be construed in any way that would limit the scope of the disclosure. Those skilled in the art will understand that the principles of the present disclosure may be implemented in any suitably arranged communications system. The terms used to describe various embodiments are exemplary. It should be understood that these are provided to merely aid the understanding of the description, and that their use and definitions in no way limit the scope of the invention. Terms first, second, and the like are used to differentiate between objects having the same terminology and are in no way intended to represent a chronological order, unless where explicitly stated otherwise. A set is defined as a non-empty set including at least one element.
According to one embodiment of the present invention and as represented in figure 2 shows a voltage monitoring apparatus for multiple feed power supply.
Referring to figure 2, a voltage monitoring apparatus for multiple feed power supply includes an ORing circuit (210) that may perform an ‘OR’ operation on an input (A) and an input (B) to generate an ORed output. The ORed output may form a common ground reference. The ORed output provides an input to a power unit (250) which in turn powers a processor circuit (240). The processor circuit (240) may be provided with the ORed output as the ground reference. The processor circuit (240) may be coupled to differential amplifiers (220 and 230) meant the input (A) and the input (B) respectively.
The differential amplifier (220 and 230) may have high input impedance. The differential amplifier (220 and 230) may be selected such that the differential amplifier (220 and 230) may provide adequate rating to the input (A) and input (B) respectively so that the input (A) and input (B) may handle a maximum isolation voltage requirement between the input (A) and the input (B). For example, the input (A) along with a reference (C) may be provided to the differential amplifier (220) and the input (B) along with a reference (D) may be provided to the differential amplifier (230). Each differential amplifier (220 and 230) may provide an output signal for their respective input (A and B).
The output signal of the differential amplifier (220 and 230) may be supplied to a processor circuit (240) for further processing. The processor circuit (240) may include a prescalar and driver circuit and a multiplexer. The multiplexer multiplexes both the output signal to generate a single output signal. The multiplexed output signal may be processed by the prescalar and the driver circuit to fix the frequency, amplitude and the like parameters of the multiplexed signal. The multiplexed and the processed signal may then be transmitted to the supervisor module (270). The transmission may be done vide an isolation channel (260) following a suitable isolation technique. For example the isolation technique may be the optical isolation technique.
In another embodiment of the invention a analog to digital converter (ADC) may be incorporated to send the multiplexed and processed digital signal to the supervisor module (270). For example the analog to digital converter (ADC) having two channel input may be used to convert the multiple and processed analog signal in digital form. Alternately, two ADC’s may be used for each output signal of the differential amplifier (220 and 230). The analog to digital converter (ADC) may send the converted digital signal to the processor module (270) vide any suitable above mentioned isolation technique.
Thus, the present invention provides a cost effective and simplified monitoring system for multiple feed power supply wherein single reference is used for measuring multiple voltage feed and a single processor (prescalar and driver) processes the multiple voltage feed/ input. Further, a single isolation path may be used for transferring the processed voltage signal for further analysis and monitoring. Therefore, the invention replaces large number of component by optimum number and thereby reducing cost.
In the foregoing detailed description of embodiments of the invention, various features are grouped together in a single embodiment for the purpose of streamlining the disclosure. This method of disclosure is not to be interpreted as reflecting an intention that the claimed embodiments of the invention require more features than are expressly recited in each claim. Rather, as the following claims reflect, inventive subject matter lies in less than all features of a single disclosed embodiment. Thus, the following claims are hereby incorporated into the detailed description of embodiments of the invention, with each claim standing on its own as a separate embodiment.
It is understood that the above description is intended to be illustrative, and not restrictive. It is intended to cover all alternatives, modifications and equivalents as may be included within the spirit and scope of the invention as defined in the appended claims. Many other embodiments will be apparent to those of skill in the art upon reviewing the above description. The scope of the invention should, therefore, be determined with reference to the appended claims, along with the full scope of equivalents to which such claims are entitled. In the appended claims, the terms “including” and “in which” are used as the plain-English equivalents of the respective terms “comprising” and “wherein,” respectively.

We Claim:
1. A voltage monitoring apparatus, comprising of:
a logic circuitry for receiving at least two input signals;
a signal processing unit configured to receive a common output from the logic circuitry, wherein the output of the circuitry generates a power supply to the signal processing section; and
an isolator coupled to receive at least one input from the signal processing section and the other from the logic circuitry, wherein the isolator is configured to transfer the received signals to a controller.
2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the input signals received by the logic circuitry are first transferred to a single common ground reference in order to measure the voltage.
3. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the logic circuit is an OR gate.
4 The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the signal processing unit comprising:
at least two differential amplifiers, wherein each differential amplifier configured to receive an input signal and a reference signal;
a multiplexer for providing one signal from the received signals from the differential amplifiers;
a pre-scalar for scaling the received signal; and
a driver unit to convert the signal into an appropriate signal for the isolator.
5. The apparatus of claim 4, wherein the differential amplifier are selected such that the inputs are adequately rated to handle the maximum isolation voltage requirement between the two inputs.
6. The apparatus of claim 4, wherein the differential amplifiers are at high input impedance.
7. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the isolator is an optical or a galvanic isolator.
Dated this the 31st day of March, 2011
S Afsar
Agent for the Applicant
Of Krishna & Saurastri Associates
Registration No. IN/PA-1073

Abstract
A voltage monitoring apparatus
The invention relates to a monitoring apparatus for multiple feed power supply. In one embodiment this is accomplished by a logic circuitry for receiving at least two input signals, a signal processing unit configured to receive a common output from the logic circuitry, wherein the output of the circuitry generates a power supply to the signal processing section and an isolator coupled to receive at least one input from the signal processing section and the other from the logic circuitry, wherein the isolator is configured to transfer the received signals to a controller.
Figure 2