The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document.
The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge covers the following: Patent number, Date patent was issued, Date patent was filed, Title of the patent, Applicant, Inventor, Assignee, Attorney firm, Primary examiner, Assistant examiner, CPCs, and Abstract. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document (in Adobe Acrobat format, aka pdf). To download or print any patent click here.
Patent No.:
Date of Patent:
Dec. 05, 1995
Filed:
Jan. 05, 1994
Joel M Libove, Fremont, CA (US);
Jerome R Singer, Berkeley, CA (US);
Other;
Abstract
An apparatus for performing non-contacting measurements of the voltage, current and power levels of conductive elements such as wires, cables and the like includes an arrangement of capacitive sensors for generating a first current in response to variation in voltage of a conductive element. Each sensor is positioned in an electric field of the conductive element, and is thereby coupled to the conductive element through a coupling capacitance. A reference source drives the capacitive sensor arrangement at a reference frequency so as to induce the flow of a reference current therethrough. A measurement network is disposed to calculate the coupling capacitance based on a measurement of the reference current, and to then determine the voltage in the conductive element based on the first current and the coupling capacitance. Measurements of a composite current through single or multiple-element conductors may be effected using a similar procedure, wherein the composite current induces a measurement current to flow within a set of coils positioned in a predetermined manner proximate the conductor. In both current and voltage measurements a balancing procedure may be employed, in which a measurement signal is balanced by a feedback signal so as to improve accuracy and reduce the effects of stray coupling.