Sunlight intensity or cloud detection with variable distance sensing
First Claim
1. A method comprising:
- using two detectors, each detector having at least one sensor and a field of view of one of two regions of the sky, to measure sensor data of intensity of solar radiation received from the two regions of the sky;
determining cloud cover at each of the two regions of the sky based on the sensor data measured by the at least one sensor of each of the two detectors and by predicted values from a solar calculator; and
classifying the cloud cover at each of the two regions based on at least the sensor data.
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Accused Products
Abstract
Certain aspects pertain to a cloud detector comprising a first detector module directed to a first region of the sky and a second detector module directed to a second region of the sky. Each detector module has a tube enclosing one or more sensing elements. The one or more sensing elements of the first detector module are configured to take weather condition readings from the first region of the sky. The one or more sensing elements of the second detector module are configured to take weather condition readings from the second region of the sky. In one aspect, the cloud detector is configured to detect cloud cover based on these weather condition readings. In some cases, the one or more sensing elements comprise an infrared radiation detector (e.g., thermopile) for measuring infrared radiation intensity and a photosensor element for measuring sunlight intensity.
85 Citations
14 Claims
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1. A method comprising:
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using two detectors, each detector having at least one sensor and a field of view of one of two regions of the sky, to measure sensor data of intensity of solar radiation received from the two regions of the sky; determining cloud cover at each of the two regions of the sky based on the sensor data measured by the at least one sensor of each of the two detectors and by predicted values from a solar calculator; and classifying the cloud cover at each of the two regions based on at least the sensor data. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14)
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Specification