METHOD AND SYSTEM FOR COST-EFFECTIVE POWER LINE COMMUNICATIONS FOR SENSOR DATA COLLECTION

• US 20100117858A1
• Filed: 05/15/2009
• Published: 05/13/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 11/12/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Tigo Energy, Inc
• Original Assignee: Tigo Energy, Inc
• Inventors: ROZENBOIM, Leonid
• Granted Patent: US 8,325,059 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 340/870.70
• CPC Class Codes: G08C 19/00 Electric signal transmission systems G08C17/00 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 2203/5483 using coupling circuits
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 2203/5491 using filtering and bypassing
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 3/54 Systems for transmission via power distribution lines
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 3/56 Circuits for coupling, blocking, or by-passing of signals
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 27/10 Frequency-modulated carrier systems, i.e. using frequency-shift keying H04L27/32 takes precedence

Abstract

A method and system includes a solar panel. A power bus is coupled to the solar panel. The power bus supports transmission of AC communication signals. A slave node, coupled to the power bus, transmits information regarding solar panel performance. A master node, remotely coupled to the slave node over the power bus, receives the information regarding solar panel performance from the slave node.

Claims

1. A system comprising:

a solar panel;

a power bus, coupled to the solar panel, supporting transmission of AC communication signals;

a slave node, coupled to the power bus, for transmitting information regarding solar panel performance; and

a master node, remotely coupled to the slave node over the power bus, the master node receiving the information regarding solar panel performance from the slave node.

2. The system of claim 1 wherein the slave node includes a first controller.

3. The system of claim 1 wherein the master node includes a second controller.

4. The system of claim 1 wherein the information regarding solar panel performance is transmitted using a spread spectrum communications technique.

5. The system of claim 1 wherein the master node transmits information regarding configuration to the slave node.

6. The system of claim 5 wherein the information regarding configuration includes at least one of identification information, channel information, and transmission timing information.

7. The system of claim 1 wherein the slave node includes a single channel modem.

8. The system of claim 1 wherein the slave node includes a single channel modem employing single carrier FSK.

9. The system of claim 1 wherein the master node includes a plurality of single channel modems.

10. The system of claim 1 wherein the master node includes a digital signal processor (DSP).

11. The system of claim 1 wherein the information regarding solar panel performance includes at least one of electrical power consumption, electrical power generation, power quality, and environmental parameters.

12. The system of claim 1 wherein the slave node operates in a configuration mode and a data collection mode.

13. The system of claim 1 wherein the slave node is a sensor having an LED to visibly indicate operation in a configuration mode or a data collection mode.

14. The system of claim 1 further comprising a backup master node.

15. An energy generation system for supporting AC communication signals comprising:

an array of solar panels;

a plurality of slave nodes for transmitting information regarding solar panel performance, each solar panel in the array associated with a corresponding slave node; and

a single master node, remotely coupled to the plurality of slave nodes over a power bus, the master node receiving the information regarding solar panel performance from the plurality of slave nodes.

16. The system of claim 15 wherein the master node transmits information regarding configuration to the plurality of slave nodes.

17. The system of claim 16 wherein the information regarding configuration includes at least one of identification information, channel information, and transmission timing information.

18. The system of claim 15 wherein each of the plurality of slave nodes includes a single channel modem.

19. The system of claim 15 wherein the master node includes a plurality of single channel modems.

20. A method of control in an energy generation system comprising:

a slave node, having an associated first modem, listening for configuration commands from a master node, having an associated second modem;

the slave node periodically changing channels during the listening for configuration commands before the configuration commands are received;

the slave node receiving a command from the master node to transmit self-identifying information to the master node;

the slave node transmitting the self-identifying information to the master node;

the slave node receiving information regarding configuration from the master node; and

the slave mode switching to a data collection mode.