Automated accurate viable solar area determination

• US 10,373,011 B2
• Filed: 08/24/2016
• Issued: 08/06/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 08/26/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: OnSwitch, LLC
• Original Assignee: OnSwitch, LLC
• Inventors: Ananthakrishnan, Vijay Anand, Okura, Stacia Renee, Bronez, Mark Andrew
• Primary Examiner(s): Mistry, Oneal R
• Application Number:
  US15/246,360
• Publication Number:
  US 20170091578A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,077 Days
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 11/06 by comparison of two or more pictures of the same area
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/3617 using user history, behaviour, conditions or preferences, e.g. predicted or inferred from previous use or current movement
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2111/04 Constraint-based CAD
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 30/13 Architectural design, e.g. computer-aided architectural design [CAAD] related to design of buildings, bridges, landscapes, production plants or roads
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 11/206 Drawing of charts or graphs
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 3/4038 Image mosaicing, e.g. composing plane images from plane sub-images
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 20/176 Urban or other man-made structures
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 20/188 Vegetation

Abstract

A system for determining a viable area automatically and accurately includes an interface and a processor. The interface is configured to receive location information. The processor is configured to determine multi-view imagery data based on the location information, to determine a point cloud using the multi-view imagery data, determine one or more features using the point cloud, determine viable area using the one or more features, and determine a solar irradiance of the viable area.

Claims

1. A system for determining a viable area for solar radiation, comprising:

an interface configured to;

receive location information; and

a processor configured to;

determine multi-view imagery data based on the location information;

determine a point cloud using the multi-view imagery data, wherein the point cloud comprises a set of three dimensionally specified points representing an upper-most surface of a location associated with the location information, wherein the determining of the point cloud comprises to;

combine, using aerial triangulation, a plurality of images of the multi-view imagery data;

determine points corresponding with the combined plurality of images;

determine coordinates associated with the points; and

project the points onto images of the earth to obtain the set of three dimensionally specified points;

determine one or more features using the point cloud, wherein determining the one or more features using the point cloud comprises to;

classify ground points based on a determination of points in a plane;

classify vegetation points based on a signature associated with points in an infrared image; and

classify structure points based on a determination of points that are above a ground plane;

determine a viable area using the one or more features, comprises to;

extract corners of a structure of the one or more features;

determine adjacent points based on the corners, wherein the adjacent points have the same orientation or tilt; and

determine the viable area based on the adjacent points; and

determine solar irradiance of the viable area.

2. The system as in claim 1, wherein determining the point cloud includes stitching the multi-view imagery data.

3. The system as in claim 1, wherein determining the point cloud includes determining point correspondence.

4. The system as in claim 1, wherein a feature of the one or more features comprises vegetation.

5. The system as in claim 1, wherein a feature of the one or more features comprises structure.

6. The system as in claim 1, wherein a feature of the one or more features comprises ground.

7. The system as in claim 1, wherein the processor is further configured to determine a solar power configuration.

8. The system as in claim 7, wherein the solar power configuration is determined based at least in part on an optimization criteria.

9. The system as in claim 8, wherein the optimization criteria comprise one or more of the following:

maximum financial return of the solar system, maximum solar energy generation, or achievement of a system cost target.

10. The system as in claim 7, wherein the solar power configuration is determined based at least in part on a constraint criteria.

11. The system as in claim 10, wherein the constraint criteria comprises one or more of the following:

a mounting plane limit, an array shape, a component constraint, a minimum irradiance level constraint, a regulatory constraint, a mounting constraint, a racking constraint, or an electrical constraint.

12. The system as in claim 7, wherein the processor is further configured to determine whether the solar power configuration is to be recalculated.

13. The system as in claim 12, wherein in response to a determination that the solar power configuration is to be recalculated, one or more calculation parameters are adjusted.

14. The system of claim 1, wherein the viable area comprises a roof area, a parking lot area, or an open ground area.

15. The system of claim 1, wherein the location information comprises an address of the location.

16. A method for determining a viable area for solar radiation, comprising:

receiving location information;

determining, using a processor, multi-view imagery data based on the location information;

determining a point cloud using the multi-view imagery data, wherein the point cloud comprises a set of three dimensionally specified points representing an upper-most surface of a location associated with the location information, wherein the determining of the point cloud comprises;

combining, using aerial triangulation, a plurality of images of the multi-view imagery data;

determining points corresponding with the combined plurality of images;

determining coordinates associated with the points; and

projecting the points onto images of the earth to obtain the set of three dimensionally specified points;

extracting one or more features using the point cloud, wherein determining the one or more features using the point cloud comprises;

classifying ground points based on a determination of points in a plane;

classifying vegetation points based on a signature associated with points in an infrared image; and

classifying structure points based on a determination of points that are above a ground plane;

determining a viable area using the one or more features, comprises;

extracting corners of a structure of the one or more features;

determining adjacent points based on the corners, wherein the adjacent points have the same orientation or tilt; and

determining the viable area based on the adjacent points; and

determining a solar irradiance of the viable area.

17. A computer program product for determining a viable area for solar radiation, the computer program product being embodied in a non-transitory computer readable storage medium and comprising computer instructions for:

receiving location information;

determining, using a processor, multi-view imagery data based on the location information;

determining a point cloud using the multi-view imagery data, wherein the point cloud comprises a set of three dimensionally specified points representing an upper-most surface of a location associated with the location information, wherein the determining of the point cloud comprises;

combining, using aerial triangulation, a plurality of images of the multi-view imagery data;

determining points corresponding with the combined plurality of images;

determining coordinates associated with the points; and

projecting the points onto images of the earth to obtain the set of three dimensionally specified points;

extracting one or more features using the point cloud, wherein determining the one or more features using the point cloud comprises;

classifying ground points based on a determination of points in a plane;

classifying vegetation points based on a signature associated with points in an infrared image; and

classifying structure points based on a determination of points that are above a ground plane;

determining a viable area using the one or more features, comprises;

extracting corners of a structure of the one or more features;

determining adjacent points based on the corners, wherein the adjacent points have the same orientation or tilt; and

determining the viable area based on the adjacent points; and

determining a solar irradiance of the viable area.