Solar panel personality engine

• US 10,122,320 B2
• Filed: 09/21/2016
• Issued: 11/06/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 10/26/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: SolPad, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Sunculture Solar, Inc.
• Inventors: Estes, Christopher A.
• Primary Examiner(s): Bahta, Kidest
• Application Number:
  US15/271,400
• Publication Number:
  US 20170012581A1
• Time in Patent Office: 776 Days
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 31/02021 for solar cells electrical connection means, e.g. junction boxes, specially adapted for structural association with photovoltaic modules H02S40/34
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 2300/24 of photovoltaic origin
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 3/381 Dispersed generators
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 3/46 Controlling of the sharing of output between the generators, converters, or transformers
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 9/06 with automatic change-over , e.g. UPS systems
• CPC Class Codes: H02S 20/32 specially adapted for solar tracking
• CPC Class Codes: H02S 40/30 Electrical components
• CPC Class Codes: H02S 40/36 characterised by special electrical interconnection means between two or more PV modules, e.g. electrical module-to-module connection
• CPC Class Codes: H02S 40/38 Energy storage means, e.g. batteries, structurally associated with PV modules
• CPC Class Codes: H02S 50/00 Monitoring or testing of PV systems, e.g. load balancing or fault identification
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 10/56 Power conversion systems, e.g. maximum power point trackers
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 70/30 Systems combining energy storage with energy generation of non-fossil origin

Abstract

A solar panel is disclosed that detects conditions triggered by operational events and then selects behavioral actions for the solar panel to execute in response to the operational events. Condition detection devices detect conditions that the solar panel is exposed to where each condition is triggered by an operational event that the solar panel is encountering. The condition detection devices generate condition data that provides information as to each of the conditions that the solar panel is exposed to and each operational event that triggered each of the conditions that the solar panel is encountering. A personality engine analyzes the condition data provided by the condition detection devices to determine a behavioral action that the solar panel is to execute in response to each operational event that the solar panel is encountering and executes the determined behavioral action to respond to each operational event that the solar panel is encountering.

Claims

1. A solar panel, comprising:

a plurality of condition detection devices configured to;

detect a plurality of conditions that the solar panel is exposed to, wherein each condition is triggered by an operational event that the solar panel is encountering, and

generate condition data that provides information as to each of the conditions that the solar panel is exposed to and each operational event that triggered each of the conditions that the solar panel is encountering; and

a personality engine configured to;

analyze the condition data provided by each of the condition detection devices to determine a behavioral action from a plurality of behavioral actions that the solar panel is to execute in response to each operational event that the solar panel is encountering, and

execute the determined behavioral action so that each executed behavioral action is a response to each operational event that the solar panel is encountering,

wherein the personality engine is further configured to;

analyze the condition data provided by each of the condition detection devices to determine a type of operational event that generated each of the conditions detected by each of the condition detection devices; and

categorize each of the conditions into an operational event category selected from a plurality of operational event categories based on the type of operational event that triggered each of the conditions,

wherein the personality engine is further configured to associate each of the behavioral actions to at least one operational event category so that each behavioral action associated with each operational event category that is executed by the personality engine responds to the operational event that the solar panel is encountering,

wherein the personality engine is further configured to;

randomly select a behavioral action associated with an operational event category that a condition detected by at least one condition detection device is categorized within; and

execute the randomly selected behavioral action so that the solar panel responds to the operational event that the solar panel is encountering.

2. The solar panel of claim 1, wherein the personality engine is further configured to:

determine whether a condition detected by the at least one condition detection device satisfies a threshold that is associated with the condition;

randomly select a behavioral action associated with an operational event category that a condition detected by at least one condition detection device is categorized within when the condition satisfies the threshold associated with the condition; and

execute the randomly selected behavioral action so that the solar panel responds to the operational event that the solar panel is encountering when the condition satisfies the threshold associated with the condition.

3. A solar panel, comprising:

a plurality of condition detection devices configured to;

detect a plurality of solar energy conditions that the solar panel is exposed to as the solar panel is collecting energy from a light source, wherein each solar energy condition is triggered by an solar energy operational event that the solar panel is encountering as the solar panel is collecting energy from the light source, and

generate solar energy condition data that provides solar energy information as to each of the solar energy conditions that the solar panel is exposed to and each solar energy operational event that triggered each of the conditions that the solar panel is encountering as the solar panel is collecting energy from the light source; and

a personality engine configured to;

analyze the solar energy condition data provided by each of the condition detection devices to determine a behavioral action from a plurality of behavioral actions that the solar panel is to execute in response to each solar energy operational event that the solar panel is encountering as the solar panel is collecting energy from the light source, and

execute the determined behavioral action so that each executed behavioral action is a response to each solar energy operational event that the solar panel is encountering as the solar panel is collecting energy from the light source

wherein the plurality of condition detection devices comprises;

a three-dimensional compass configured to;

detect a position of the solar panel relative to a position of the light source, and

generate condition data that is associated with the position of the solar panel relative to the position of the light source; and

a power meter configured to;

measure an amount of power stored by the solar panel as the solar panel collects energy from the light source, and

generate condition data that is associated with how the solar panel stores power as the solar panel collects energy from the light source.

4. The solar panel of claim 3, wherein the personality engine is further configured to:

randomly select a behavioral action associated with the positioning of the solar panel relative to the light source based on the solar energy condition detected by the three-dimensional compass as the solar panel collects energy from the light source; and

execute the randomly selected behavioral action associated with the positioning of the solar panel relative to the light source so that the solar panel responds to the solar energy operational event that the solar panel is encountering as the solar panel collects energy from the light source.

5. The solar panel of claim 3, wherein the personality engine is further configured to:

randomly select a behavioral action associated with the amount of power stored by the solar panel as the solar panel collects energy from the light source; and

execute the randomly selected behavioral action associated with the amount of power stored by the solar panel so that the solar panel responds to the solar energy operational event that the solar panel is encountering as the solar panel collects energy from the light source.

6. The solar panel of claim 4, wherein the personality engine is further configured to execute a selected behavioral action that provides feedback to a user that is attempting to position the solar panel in an optimal position relative to the light source so that a maximum amount of energy as generated by the light source is absorbed by the solar panel.

7. The solar panel of claim of claim 5, wherein the personality engine is further configured to execute a selected behavioral action that provides feedback to a user that exposure of the solar panel to the light source is compromised due to a decrease in the amount of power that the solar panel is storing as the solar panel collects energy from the light source.