"A fuse" Technical Field:

This invention relates to a fuse. More specifically, the present invention relates to a fuse operable to monitor and optionally control electricity consumption, a plug containing such a fuse, an appliance with a plug containing such a fuse, and an electricity monitoring system incorporating the fuse.

Background Art:

As the "internet of things" grows in popularity, an increasing number of devices are being made remotely accessible so that they may be monitored and/or controlled. One area where this has gained significant traction is the home automation industry where several companies have been working to allow homeowners remotely access and control household equipment such as thermostats. As the concept grows in popularity, consumers are looking to be able to monitor and control more devices remotely. By doing so, it is believed that the consumers will be able to not only more comprehensive monitor and control their devices but that they will also be able to more closely monitor and control their electricity usage. There are however problems satisfying this increasing consumer demand. First of all, the overwhelming majority of existing equipment is not configured to allow remote monitoring and control. In order to allow these types of items to be monitored and controlled, new items must be purchased to replace the old items. This is prohibitively expensive, can be wasteful, and significantly slows down the pace at which additional devices may be monitored and controlled remotely. Secondly, heretofore, those manufacturers that have enabled their devices to be monitored and controlled remotely have done so using bespoke equipment and software. Therefore, consumers have had to familiarise themselves with numerous disparate interfaces for monitoring and controlling different devices which is confusing and is understood to be a barrier to greater uptake. One approach to solving at least some of the above-mentioned problems is described in UK Patent Application Publication No. GB2409048 entitled "Remote display of electrical power consumption" in the name of Robertson et al. Robertson et al discloses a device that may be mounted intermediate a plug of an appliance and the electrical socket. The device can thereafter be used to monitor the electricity passing to the appliance through the socket. The device may further comprise a controllable power interruption means to allow interruption of the electrical power passing through the socket to the appliance. In this way, the device can be used in conjunction with existing appliances in the household and this offering addresses at least some of the known problems.

However, there are still a number of problems with the solution proposed by Robertson et al. First of all, the solution proposed by Robertson et al requires an additional device to be placed intermediate the plug and the socket, thereby changing the physical configuration of the plug and socket combination. This can be undesirable as it will increase the distance by which the plug protrudes from the wall socket. This can mean that a sideboard or appliance located in front of the plug socket will have be spaced further apart from the wall than would otherwise be necessary which is unsightly and disadvantageous. Secondly, although the solution proposed in Robertson et al goes some way to allowing an individual to monitor the electricity consumption of certain pieces of equipment, it is not guaranteed that the device will be monitoring a given piece of equipment as it is not uncommon for several devices to be plugged into a socket interchangeably. Furthermore, it is not uncommon for extension plugs or extension cables to be used to supply electricity to numerous devices through a particular socket. Therefore, the device of Robertson could be monitoring several different pieces of equipment over time or simultaneously and therefore the measurements are not entirely reliable.

JP2005174595 in the name of Taiheiyo, describes a fuse for a motor vehicle having a current sensor incorporated therein. It does not appear that the fuse is controllable.

It is an object of the present invention to provide a fuse that overcomes at least some of the above-identified problems. It is a further object of the present invention to provide a fuse that offers a useful choice to the consumer. Summary of Invention:

According to the invention there is provided a fuse comprising a housing having a pair of end caps, one at either end of the housing, and a current interruption device located inside the housing, characterised in that there is further provided, mounted inside the housing, a current sensing device to monitor the current being drawn through the fuse, a microprocessor in communication with the current sensing device to receive information about the current being drawn through the fuse, and a communication module in communication with the microprocessor operable to transmit the information about the current being drawn through the fuse to a remote monitoring station.

By having such a fuse, the fuse may be installed into any plug that is configured to receive a fuse. The fuse can thereafter be used to monitor the amount of current that is being drawn through the fuse and thereafter transmit that information to a remote monitoring station. In this way, the electricity usage of the device that is fed electricity through the fuse can be monitored closely. This is achieved without having to redesign or change the internal configuration of the device itself. Furthermore, by providing such a fuse, the fuse may be retrofit into an existing plug and the electricity consumption of any mains electricity connected device may be monitored. Accordingly, the number of devices that can be monitored in a household for example is exponentially increased thereby enabling far greater visibility of electricity usage to the consumer.

Importantly, by having a fuse that may be incorporated directly into a plug, it is possible to know with certainty what the electricity consumption of the appliance permanently connected to the plug is and there is no danger of the device inadvertently monitoring electricity consumption of other appliances. Furthermore, by having a fuse that may be incorporated directly into a plug, such a configuration will not change the physical characteristics of the plug and socket connection. In addition, the fuse may be retrofitted into an existing plug without having to remove the plug from the appliance and therefore the monitoring can be achieved without interfering with any warranty covering the appliance that may be voided if the entire plug were to be removed or replaced.

In one embodiment of the invention there is provided a fuse in which the communication module is operable to receive control information from the remote monitoring station and pass the control information to the microprocessor. This is seen as a particularly preferred embodiment of the present invention. By having such a fuse, the fuse can receive control information and can control the device based on that information. For example, the control information may be an instruction to turn on or shut off a lamp or to disconnect the power supply to certain equipment at certain times of the day to limit their usage and/or to avail of different charging tariffs. Furthermore, this may also allow the fuse to be reset if the fuse "blew" due to a fault rather than replacing the fuse in its entirety. In one embodiment of the invention there is provided a fuse in which the current interruption device comprises a microprocessor-controlled solid state relay.

In one embodiment of the invention there is provided a fuse in which the microprocessor- controlled solid state relay comprises a thyristor. In one embodiment, the micro- processor-controlled solid state relay comprises a triac.

In one embodiment of the invention there is provided a fuse in which the current interruption circuit further comprises a temperature sensor. By having a temperature sensor, the function of the fuse is further enhanced as the fuse can be used to interrupt the circuit if the temperature in the plug or the socket rises to an unacceptable level.

In one embodiment of the invention there is provided a fuse in which the temperature sensor comprises a thermistor. In one embodiment of the invention there is provided a fuse in which the current interruption circuit, the current sensing device, the microprocessor and the communication module are mounted on a printed circuit board (PCB). This is seen as a particularly efficient way of mounting the components and will facilitate manufacture of the fuse.

In one embodiment of the invention there is provided a fuse in which the PCB is a two part PCB folded back on itself in a stack configuration inside the housing. The two part PCB folded back on itself is seen as useful as it will allow for better use of space in the fuse case. Alternatively, a wafer board configuration could be implemented to good effect.

In one embodiment of the invention there is provided a fuse in which there is provided a ribbon cable to provide electrical connections between the two parts of the PCB.

In one embodiment of the invention there is provided a fuse in which two of the current sensing device, the communication module, the current interruption device and the microprocessor are mounted on one side of the PCB and two of the current sensing device, the communication module, the current interruption device and the microprocessor are mounted on the other side of the PCB.

In one embodiment of the invention there is provided a fuse in which the current sensing device comprises a hall effect device.

In one embodiment of the invention there is provided a fuse in which there is provided a rechargeable power supply mounted internally in the housing.

In one embodiment of the invention there is provided a fuse in which the rechargeable power supply comprises a rechargeable battery.

In one embodiment of the invention there is provided a fuse in which the rechargeable power supply comprises a capacitor. In one embodiment of the invention there is provided a fuse in which the housing comprises a cylindrical casing.

In one embodiment of the invention there is provided a fuse in which at least one of the end caps and the cylindrical casing have a diameter of less than or equal to 0.0065m (6.5mm).

In one embodiment of the invention there is provided a fuse in which the cylindrical casing has a diameter of the order of 0.0057m (5.7mm). ln one embodiment of the invention there is provided a fuse in which the end caps have a diameter of the order of 0.0064m (6.4mm).

In one embodiment of the invention there is provided a fuse in which the length of the fuse is of the order of 0.0254m (25.4mm). By having such dimensions, the fuse may be incorporated into an existing plug configured to receive a fuse.

In one embodiment of the invention there is provided a fuse in which the end caps are constructed from a conductive material and the housing is constructed from an insulator material.

In one embodiment of the invention there is provided a fuse in which there is provided an induction coil embedded in a wall of the housing. In one embodiment of the invention there is provided a fuse in which the communication module is operable to communicate with the remote monitoring station using wireless communications.

In one embodiment of the invention there is provided a fuse in which the communication module is operable to communicate with the remote monitoring station using electrical wiring of the wiring system in which it is installed.

In one embodiment of the invention there is provided a fuse in which there is provided an electrical field sensor mounted inside the housing.

In one embodiment of the invention there is provided an electricity monitoring system comprising: at least one fuse as described mounted in an electric plug; and a remote monitoring station, the remote monitoring station having: a communication module operable to receive the information about the current being drawn through the fuse; and a processor to process that information. ln one embodiment of the invention there is provided an electricity monitoring system in which the remote monitoring station comprises means to transmit control instructions to the fuse, thereby controlling the fuse. In one embodiment of the invention there is provided an electricity monitoring system in which the remote monitoring station comprises means to receive control instructions from a remote third party device and relay those control instructions onwards to the fuse.

In one embodiment of the invention there is provided an electricity monitoring system in which the remote monitoring station comprises memory for storage of control instructions for the fuse.

In one embodiment of the invention there is provided an electric plug comprising a plug casing having a plurality of pins mounted thereon, each for connection to one of a live electrical wire and a neutral electrical wire of an appliance at one of their ends and each for insertion into an electrical socket at the other of their ends, the electrical plug further comprising a fuse for connection in series intermediate the live electrical wire of the appliance and the pin of the plug connected thereto, the fuse comprising a housing having a pair of end caps, one at either end of the housing, and a current interruption device located inside the housing, characterised in that there is further provided, mounted inside the housing, a current sensing device to monitor the current being drawn through the fuse, a microprocessor in communication with the current sensing device to receive information about the current being drawn through the fuse, and a communication module in communication with the microprocessor operable to transmit the information about the current being drawn through the fuse to a remote monitoring station.

By having such a plug, it will be possible to monitor the electricity (and more specifically the current) passing through the plug to an appliance connected thereto. In this way, the power consumption of the appliance can be measured with a great deal of certainty and the appliance can be controlled individually if desired. This is also achieved without having to change the physical dimensions of the plug and/or a plug and socket combination. ln one embodiment of the invention there is provided an electrical appliance having an elongate electrical cable connected to the electrical appliance at one of its ends and the elongate electrical cable having an electric plug connected to the other of its ends, the elongate electrical cable having a live electrical wire and a neutral electrical wire housed therein; the electric plug comprising a plug casing having a plurality of pins mounted thereon, each pin being for connection to one of the live electrical wire and the neutral electrical wire of the appliance at one of their ends and each for insertion into an electrical socket at the other of their ends, the electrical plug further comprising a fuse for connection in series intermediate the live electrical wire of the appliance and the pin of the plug connected thereto, the fuse comprising a housing having a pair of end caps, one at either end of the housing, and a current interruption device located inside the housing, characterised in that: there is further provided, mounted inside the fuse housing, a current sensing device to monitor the current being drawn through the fuse, a microprocessor in communication with the current sensing device to receive information about the current being drawn through the fuse, and a communication module in communication with the microprocessor operable to transmit the information about the current being drawn through the fuse to a remote monitoring station.

By having such an appliance plug, it will be possible to monitor the electricity consumption of the appliance with great accuracy and certainty. Furthermore, it will be possible to control the appliance individually if desired.

Brief Description of the Drawings: The invention will be more clearly understood from the following description of some embodiments thereof given by way of example only and with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:-

Figure 1 is a diagrammatic representation of a plug housing a fuse known in the art;

Figure 2 is a diagrammatic representation of a fuse according to the invention; Figure 3 is a diagrammatic representation of the fuse shown in Figure 2 with the housing and end caps shown in ghost outline;

Figure 4 is an exploded view of the fuse shown in Figure 2 without the housing;

Figure 5 is a diagrammatic representation of an electricity monitoring system according to the invention;

Figure 6 is a partially exploded, partially cut-away view of an alternative embodiment of fuse according to the invention;

Figure 7 is an exploded view of the fuse shown in Figure 6;

Figure 8 is a perspective view of a PCB with components of the fuse mounted thereon;

Figure 9 is a front view of the PCB of Figure 8;

Figure 10 is a top perspective view of the PCB of Figures 8 and 9 with the PCB in the process of being folded back on itself;

Figure 1 1 is a partially exploded, partially cut-away view of a further alternative embodiment of fuse according to the invention; and Figure 12 is a cross-sectional view of the embodiment of fuse of Figure 1 1.

Detailed Description of the Drawings:

Referring to Figure 1 , there is shown a diagrammatic representation of a plug, indicated generally by the reference numeral 1 , showing the internal wiring of the plug. The plug 1 is a three pin, British Standard (BS1363) plug having an earth pin 3, a neutral pin 5 and a live pin 7. The earth pin 3, the neutral pin 5 and the live pin 7 are connected to an earth wire 9, a neutral wire 1 1 and a live wire 13 respectively of an electrical cable 15 led from an appliance (not shown). A cable restraint 17 is provided to prevent inadvertent removal of the electrical cable from the plug. The plug 1 further comprises a fuse 19 mounted intermediate the live pin 7 and the live wire 13. The fuse comprises a cylindrical housing mounted between a pair of end caps. A current interruption circuit, in this case a sacrificial element, is housed inside the housing and is electrically coupled to each of the end caps. As will be understood in the art, the purpose of the fuse 19 is to protect the load (not shown) from a surge in current. If there is a surge in current, the fuse 19 will "blow" as the sacrificial element melts, thereby protecting the load circuitry.

Referring now to Figures 2 to 4, there is shown a fuse according to the invention, indicated generally by the reference numeral 20. The fuse 20 comprises a housing 21 , in this case a cylindrical casing, mounted intermediate a pair of end caps 23, 25. Importantly, the external dimensions of the fuse 20 are the same as the fuse 19 known in the art. This will allow the fuse 20 to be retrofit into existing plugs 1 to replace the existing fuse 19. The fuse 20 differs from the known fuse in that the fuse 20 according to the invention comprises means 27 to monitor and record information about the current being drawn through the fuse and a communication module 29 operable to transmit the information about the current being drawn through the fuse to a remote monitoring station (not shown). The means 27 to monitor and record information about the current being drawn through the fuse 20 comprises a current sensing device 31 and a microprocessor 33 in communication with the current sensing device 31. The current interruption circuit comprises a solid state relay, in this case a thyristor 35. The communication module 29 is further operable to receive control information from the remote monitoring station and pass the control information to the microprocessor.

In use, the current sensing device 31 monitors the current passing through the fuse and passes that information to the microprocessor 33. In an overcurrent situation, the fuse 20 will operate as any normal fuse would in that it will stop the flow of current. In order to do this, the microprocessor 33 will operate the solid state relay 35 to stop current passing through the relay 35 into the load circuit. Under normal operating conditions, the microprocessor 33 receives current usage information from the current sensing device 31 and the microprocessor passes that information on to the transceiver 29 which transmits the current usage information to a remote monitoring station for further analysis. The remote monitoring station may in turn make that information available for a consumer to view and analyse on their computing device. In this way, the consumer can see what the electricity consumption of that device is. Similarly, the remote monitoring station may transmit control instructions to the microprocessor to activate or deactivate the relay 35 to allow or prevent usage of the device. For example, the consumer may, through the remote monitoring device, send operating instructions to the fuse 20 that will cause the fuse to either allow or prevent the flow of electricity therethrough.

The remote monitoring station may be pre-programmed with an electricity usage profile for the appliance having the fuse 20 in its plug. For example, the device could be a games console that is only allowed operate for one hour in a 24 hour period or the device could be an immersion heater that is only allowed to operate at fixed times each day to avail of cheaper time of day tariffs. The remote monitoring station can monitor the electricity usage of the device and shut it down if desired by instructing the relay to stop the flow of current to the device.

Referring now to Figure 5, there is shown a diagrammatic representation of an electricity monitoring system according to the invention, which for illustration purposes has been shown installed in a household 50. It will be understood that the electricity monitoring system could equally well be installed in an office, factory or retail outlet to good effect. Some parts of the electricity monitoring system have been shown enlarged for clarity. The electricity monitoring system comprises a plurality of fuses 20, each of which is mounted in one of a plurality of plugs 1 and a remote monitoring station 51. The remote monitoring station 51 in the example shown comprises a dongle that is plugged into a spare socket 53 in the household 50. The plugs 1 are inserted into other sockets 55 in the household and are each electrically connected to a piece of electrical equipment such as a computer monitor 57, a toaster 59, a washing machine 61 or a flat screen TV 63. As both the plugs 1 and the dongle 51 are plugged into a socket 53, 55 of the electrical wiring system 65 of the household, the plug 1 (or more specifically the fuse 20 in the plug 1 ) will be able to communicate with the dongle 51 over the wiring 65. Alternatively, the fuse 20 and the dongle 51 may be equipped with suitable communications equipment to communicate with each other using wireless communications, such as, but not limited to, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, ZigBee or the like. It is envisaged that the dongle 51 will have the ability to access a router (not shown) in the household from where the information on the dongle can be passed onwards to a remote server and/or a remote device, such as a tablet 67. Alternatively or in addition to this, the dongle may have a Bluetooth (or similar) capability and an interface to allow direct access to the dongle by a computing device such as the tablet 67. In use, a consumer, using the tablet 67 can monitor the electricity usage of each of the pieces of electrical equipment 57, 59, 61 , 63

Data on the amount of current that is drawn by each piece of electrical equipment 57, 59, 61 , 63 is passed from the fuse 20 in its respective plug 1 to the dongle 51 . From there, the data is passed via a router to a remote server where in turn it can be accessed by the consumer using a computing device such as a tablet 67. The tablet may have a bespoke app for accessing the data or it may be through a web interface. From there, the consumer will be able to review the electricity usage and if desired, can send a message via the dongle to one or more fuses to control the flow of electricity.

Referring to Figures 6 and 7, there is shown an alternative embodiment of fuse, indicated generally by the reference numeral 70, where like parts have been given the same reference numeral as before. The fuse 70 comprises a solid state relay 35, in this case a triac, a microprocessor 33, a communication module 29, in this case a power line carrier communication (PLCC) modem, and a current sensing device 31 , provided by way of a Hall effect device. The communications module 29, current sensing device 31 , microprocessor 33 and solid state relay 35 are mounted on a two part PCB board 71. A rechargeable battery 73 is provided at one end of the fuse and a slow discharge capacitor 75 is provided at the other end of the fuse. Then fuse 70 further comprises a housing 21 and a pair of end caps 23, 25 as before.

The rechargeable battery and the slow discharge capacitor are operable to charge up when current is flowing through the fuse and thereafter provide a power supply to the circuitry on the PCB when the current has been removed. This will allow the device to be "woken up" and polled for data when there is no current flowing through the fuse and will allow the fuse to transmit fault data to the remote monitoring unit. The rechargeable battery 73 may be provided instead of the capacitor 75, the capacitor 75 may be provided instead of the rechargeable battery 73, or a combination of the two as shown may be provided. Again, the housing and the end caps are of standard dimensions for a plug fuse. The Hall effect device could be provided by way of a Hall effect chip such as those produced by Allegro Microsystems LLC of Worcester, Massachusetts (USA) capable of withstanding high current levels of the order of tens of Amps.

Referring now to Figures 8 to 10 inclusive, there is shown a number of views of the PCB board 71. The PCB board 71 is a two part board with a first part 77 and a second part 79. The communications module 29 and the current sensing device 31 are mounted on the first part 77 of the PCB board 71 , and the microprocessor 33 and the solid state relay 35 are mounted on the second part 79 of the PCB board 71. A ribbon cable 81 provides electrical pathways between the first part 77 and the second part 79 of the PCB board. Referring specifically to Figure 10, it can be seen that the first part 77 and the second part 79 of the PCB board 71 may be folded back on each other until the two parts of the PCB board are back to back, as illustrated in Figures 6, 11 and 12.

Referring now to Figures 1 1 and 12, there is shown another alternative embodiment of fuse according to the invention, indicated generally by the reference numeral 1 10, where like parts have been given the same reference numeral as before. The fuse 1 10 differs from the fuse 70 of Figures 6 and 7 in that the fuse 1 10 comprises a rechargeable battery 73 but does not include a slow-discharge capacitor. Furthermore, the fuse 1 10 comprises a pick-up induction coil 1 11 formed in the cylindrical casing 21 of the fuse 1 10. The induction coil may be used to pick up a magnetic field and allow a current to flow through the induction coil 1 1 1. This current can be used to trickle charge the rechargeable battery 73 and/or power one or more components on the PCB board 71. The coil is a copper coil that has been preferably insert molded into the casing.

It will be understood from the foregoing that it is now possible, using the fuses 20 according to the present invention, to retrofit existing equipment in the household 50 and allow the consumer to monitor and if desired control the electricity consumption of those devices. This obviates the need to purchase new, more expensive equipment. Furthermore, this will enable the control of all devices using a single interface. Various other features and benefits of the invention will now be elaborated upon below. In the embodiments shown, the fuse has been installed in a plug however it will be understood that the fuse may also be installed in appropriate switches if desired. The intelligent plug fuse, as the fuse 20 is also referred to, is a conventionally shaped fuse performing the same function as an existing household plug fuse but in a solid-state format. The fuse has a length of the order of 0.0254metres (25.4mm), the cylindrical casing has a diameter of the order of between 0.0057 metres (5.7mm) and 0.0065metres (6.5mm) and the end caps have a diameter of the order of 0.0064metres (6.4mm). The end caps 23, 25 are constructed from a conducting material, preferably a metal and the casing 21 is constructed predominantly from an insulating material such as a plastic or glass material. In addition to basic fuse function, the intelligent fuse has the capability of transmitting information from the plug onto household wiring and relaying the information back to a designated dongle, also plugged into the household electrical wiring. The Information transmitted back by intelligent fuse to the dongle comprises two or more of the following: an ID pulse; an On/Off status of the appliance; the Power consumption status; the surge or brownout automatic circuit trip status; the temperature trip switch status; a notification when fuse is tripped; and confirmation of receipt of on/off commands from the dongle. If communicating over wireless communications, the device, if provided with an electrical field sensor, can be used to detect when it is unplugged and therefore the device can send a notification to the dongle when it has been unplugged.

In relation to the ID Pulse: when the intelligent fuse is initially fitted to a plug and the plug is inserted into a socket, information is sent down the power line to the dongle asking for the device that the fuse is connected to to be identified. (For example: a kettle, a fridge, a toaster). Thereafter, the fuse is identified with that particular appliance and when a communication is received from that fuse, the system will know that the information concerns a certain piece of equipment. In relation to the On/Off Status: Continuous information is available from each intelligent fuse connected to the system. The system according to the invention is aware at all times if the appliance to which the fuse relates is on, is off (but on standby), is off (but not on standby) or off (unplugged).

It is advantageous from a security point of view to be able to tell whether or not the item has been unplugged. For example, if the system detects that the item has been unplugged when the homeowner is not at home, it could detect the presence of an intruder in the house unplugging an expensive item of electrical equipment. As a consequence of the appliance being unplugged, an alarm can be sent to consumer's smart phone and/or computer or other computing device. Furthermore, this configuration allows the possibility of having home/premises monitored by a security service. If the appliance in question was unplugged, an alert signal could be sent to an alarm monitoring company for follow up by them. Some microprocessors incorporate WiFi and are sufficiently small enough to be able to be used in the fuse according to the invention. If such a microprocessor is used, this may make it possible to locate those items. It may also be possible to incorporate cellular data coverage options to enable longer range communications from the fuse if desired. There are other advantages to being able to tell when an appliance has been unplugged. For example, it may be desirable to generate an alert or warn a homeowner if a freezer has been unplugged or there is an interruption to the power supply to that appliance.

The fact that smart fuse may incorporate a temperature sensor will also allow for analyses by insurance companies and fire departments in situations when fires have started due to appliance failures. It is envisaged that the information may be available on uploaded sites and could help the responsible individuals determine reasons for fires. Furthermore, if the measurements from a number of devices in a household are obtained, it may be possible to determine the path of spread of the fire by determining which devices experienced a spike in their temperature first. This could be useful in crime scene or accident scene analysis.

In relation to the power consumption: each intelligent fuse relays back to the dongle the amount of power/current being used by the appliance that is connected to the household power grid. In the event of a power surge, short circuit, brown out or a sudden or gradual rise in temperature in a plug, the intelligent fuse will automatically trip the circuit to shut power off. In relation to Notifications to the Dongle: In the event of an automatic circuit trip by the intelligent fuse, a notification is sent to the dongle advising the circumstances and the appliance in question. In those circumstances, the intelligent fuse will need to be replaced or reset. Finally, in relation to On/Off Commands: the intelligent fuse is capable of receiving pulses from the dongle via the house wiring system to the plug. The relayed information will direct the fuse to either complete or break the circuit in the plug. Ideally, the intelligent fuse is exactly the same size and shape as the existing plug fuses and is installed in the same way. The intelligent fuse functions in the same way as the conventional fuses in that it will break the power circuit in the event of an overload. Unlike conventional fuses, the intelligent fuse will automatically trip in the event of a set temperature increase in the plug. The intelligent fuse can be reset once the plug or item has been inspected for faults and any faults have been rectified. The reset can be performed electronically. The intelligent fuse is constructed in a cylindrical shape with metal caps on each end with the same dimensions and size of existing fuses. Inside the cylinder there is provided a solid state circuit board. Mounted on the board are the following components: a microprocessor (PCB board); a communication module; a thyristor (i.e. an On/Off switch); a temperature sensing device; and a power source operable to harvest/scavenge ambient electricity as required. The PCB board will be of a dimension that fits inside the insulated (i.e. glass) cylinder. The required components will be assembled to the PCB board and contact springs, if desired, can be provided on the board ends to complete the circuit with fused metal caps.

The information that is gained by the intelligent fuse is transmitted to the dongle 51 and may be used in several different ways and configurations. This information may be transmitted over the household wiring or by Wi-Fi or radio frequency communications in order to reach the designated dongle that is also plugged into the household wiring system or set up to receive wireless communication. The dongle receives transmissions sent by intelligent fuses placed throughout the home in (ideally) all appliances in the household. Each intelligent fuse has an ID pulse that allows the dongle 51 to recognize which fuse 20 is sending the information. A programmed CPU in the dongle 51 then accesses the information to configure it into graphic and statistical formats that allows the consumer to gain precise information on the power consumption in real time, historically and for individual appliances, along with total electricity consumption. This information can be manipulated into charts and graphs showing status such as kWh unit costs, peak / off- peak rates, real time and historic information for each appliance, as well as overall real time and historic information. It will also allow the user to set timers, alarms when quotas have been reached, and to turn on and off items in real time or by programmed settings. The processed information is preferably relayed to a household internet router either by Wi-Fi or a LAN line connection from the dongle to the router and ultimately to a server accessed over the internet. Once the information is available on the server, it can be accessed through a designated app or interface for use on smartphones, tablets, phablets, iPads, laptops, palmtops, netbook, notebook and/or desktop computers. The consumer can then control and monitor all of their appliances from anywhere once they are connected to the Internet. An additional feature of the present invention is that it may request permission from the consumer to send information regarding a particular appliance back to a manufacturer. This will give the manufacturer information on power consumption, frequency of use, duration of use and a historic graph showing changes in efficiency. All of this information can be used for providing improvements in newer models. As a result of this two-way system set up between the appliance, the consumer and the manufacturer by the intelligent fuse, it now becomes possible for updating information to be sent to the appliance once the manufacturer has installed hardware/software in the appliance. It is also possible for the manufacturer to retrieve additional information via the intelligent fuse regarding aspects of particular appliances.

In addition to plugs, the intelligent fuse 20 according to the invention is installed in a custom housing to allow for installment of the fuse into household wall light switches, cooker switches, emersion heater switches and the like. The fuse 20 can be installed in all mains-electrical power consuming items and appliances in any home, office, factory as well as small and medium size businesses and offices.

In the embodiment shown, reference is made to a microprocessor in the fuse. Alternatively, it is envisaged that the microprocessor could be a microcontroller and the term microprocessor will be understood to encompass microcontroller unless otherwise specifically stated.

In this specification the terms "comprise, comprises, comprised and comprising" and the terms "include, includes, included and including" are all deemed totally interchangeable and should be afforded the widest possible interpretation.

The invention is in no way limited to the embodiments hereinbefore described but may be varied in both construction and detail within the scope of the claims.