POWER MANAGEMENT MESSAGE BUS SYSTEM

• US 20160125556A1
• Filed: 10/29/2014
• Published: 05/05/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 10/29/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Tesla Inc.
• Original Assignee: SolarCity Corporation (Tesla Inc.)
• Inventors: Carlson, Eric Daniel, Varadarajan, Karthikeyan, Aguinaldo, Franklin
• Granted Patent: US 9,830,672 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 13/161 with latency improvement
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 50/06 Energy or water supply
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 13/00028 involving the use of Internet protocols
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 2300/22 The renewable source being solar energy
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 2300/24 of photovoltaic origin
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 3/381 Dispersed generators
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 3/54 Systems for transmission via power distribution lines
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2209/30 using a wired architecture
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2209/60 for transmitting utility meters data, i.e. transmission of data from the reader of the utility meter
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 9/00 Arrangements in telecontrol or telemetry systems for selectively calling a substation from a main station, in which substation desired apparatus is selected for applying a control signal thereto or for obtaining measured values therefrom
• CPC Class Codes: Y02D 10/00 Energy efficient computing, e.g. low power processors, power management or thermal management
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 10/56 Power conversion systems, e.g. maximum power point trackers
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 40/70 Smart grids as climate change mitigation technology in the energy generation sector
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 60/00 Enabling technologies; Technologies with a potential or indirect contribution to GHG emissions mitigation
• CPC Class Codes: Y04S 10/123 the energy generation units being or involving renewable energy sources
• CPC Class Codes: Y04S 40/121 using the power network as support for the transmission
• CPC Class Codes: Y04S 40/128 involving the use of Internet protocol

Abstract

A message bus is utilized for energy management/control. The publish/subscribe message bus present between site gateways, a central server farm, and other entities, facilitates exchange of messages pertaining to management and control of power generation and/or storage. On-site publishers/subscribers can include, e.g., PV inverters, battery devices, energy meters, etc. Non-site specific publishers/subscribers can include, e.g., web clients, database servers (for logging), and various server components of the message bus. Messages exchanged between publishers and subscribers can include control messages (e.g., begin charging battery X) and measurement messages (e.g., the current charge of battery X is Y). Embodiments may implement logic at a site gateway prioritizing transmission of messages to local site devices. Thus where a gateway cannot simultaneously transmit device control messages and device data acquisition messages (e.g., due to processing burden or congestion), site gateway logic can prioritize transmission of the control messages over the locally-generated data acquisition requests.

Claims

1-20. -20. (canceled)

21. A method comprising:

managing, by a site gateway, a subscription logic for one or more devices for handling energy, the one or more devices in communication with the site gateway at a local site wherein each device comprises a photovoltaic device, an energy storage device, a controllable load, a meter, or an inverter;

receiving, by the site gateway, a power management message including a topic;

determining whether to forward the power management message to any of the one or more devices based on the subscription logic and the topic of the message;

referencing, by the site gateway, prioritization logic to assign a priority to the power management message; and

transmitting, by the site gateway, the power management message to a determined device of the one or more devices according to the priority, the priority being higher than a priority of a different message transmitted by the site gateway,

wherein the power management message includes a control message causing the determined device to change an attribute.

22. The method of claim 21 wherein the different message comprises a data acquisition message causing the determined device to respond with a message including the requested data.

23. The method of claim 22 wherein the different message is generated at the site gateway.

24. The method of claim 21 wherein the different message is also published to the message bus system.

25. The method of claim 21 wherein the priority is assigned based upon the topic.

26. The method of claim 21 wherein the priority is assigned based upon a device identifier.

27. The method of claim 21 wherein the priority is assigned based upon content within a body of the message.

28. The method of claim 21 wherein the priority is assigned based upon a message expiration time, a latency, or a quality of communication between the site gateway and the device.

29. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium having stored thereon program code executable by a site gateway computer system located at a site including a plurality of devices for handling energy, the program code comprising:

code that causes the computer system to manage a subscription logic for the plurality of devices for handling energy, the plurality of devices in communication with the site gateway at a local site wherein each device comprises a photovoltaic device, an energy storage device, a controllable load, a meter, or an inverter;

code that causes the computer system to receive a power management message including a topic;

code that causes the computer system to determine whether to forward the power management message to any of the plurality of devices based on the subscription logic and the topic of the message;

code that causes the computer system to reference prioritization logic to assign a priority to the power management message; and

code that causes the computer system to transmit the power management message to a determined device of the one or more devices according to the priority, the priority being higher than a priority of a different message transmitted by the site gateway,

wherein the power management message comprises a control message causing the determined device to change an attribute.

30. The non-transitory computer-readable storage method of claim 29 wherein the different message comprises a data acquisition message generated at the site gateway.

31. The non-transitory computer-readable storage method of claim 29 wherein the different message is also published to the message bus system.

32. The non-transitory computer-readable storage method of claim 29 wherein the priority is assigned based upon the topic, a device identifier, a content within a body of the message, a message expiration time, a latency, or a quality of communication between the site gateway and the determined device.

33. A power management gateway located at a site with a plurality of devices for handling energy, the gateway comprising:

a processor that communicates with a remote server and the plurality of devices located at the site, the gateway communicating with the remote server over a first network type and with at least one of the plurality of devices over a second network type; and

a non-transitory computer readable medium having stored thereon program code that, when executed by the processor, causes the processor to;

manage a subscription logic for the plurality of devices for handling energy;

receive, from the remote server, a power management message including a topic;

determine whether to forward the power management message to any of the one or more devices based on the subscription logic and the topic of the message;

reference prioritization logic to assign a priority to the power management message; and

transmit the power management message to a determined device of the one or more devices according to the priority, the priority being higher than a priority of a different message transmitted by the site gateway, wherein the determined device responds to the power management message by altering its operation or replying to the message with a state of the determined device,

wherein the plurality of devices comprises a photovoltaic device, an energy storage device, a controllable load, a meter, or an inverter.

34. The system of claim 33 wherein the power management message comprises a control message.

35. The system of claim 33 wherein the different message comprises a data acquisition message generated at the site gateway.

36. The system of claim 33 wherein the priority is assigned based on the topic, a device identifier, a content within a body of the message, a message expiration time, a latency, or a quality of communication between the site gateway and the determined device.

37. The system of claim 33 wherein the device comprises a photovoltaic device, an energy storage device, a controllable load, a meter, or an inverter.

38. A system for managing power devices comprising:

a server comprising a first subscription data structure storing rules for a message bus system;

a gateway at an energy site, the gateway in communication with the server;

a plurality of devices for managing energy at the energy site, each device in communication with the gateway and wherein the plurality of devices each comprise a photovoltaic device, an energy storage device, a controllable load, a meter, or an inverter,

wherein the gateway comprises a second subscription data structure storing rules for a message bus system, a prioritization data structure for managing conflicts among messages, and a processor for accepting, processing, and forwarding messages from the server to one or more of the plurality of devices based on the subscription data structure and the prioritization data structure,

wherein the messages from the server each comprise a message topic and the first and second subscription data structures store indications of which of the plurality of devices subscribe to the message topic, and

wherein at least one of the plurality of devices for managing energy responds to a subscribed message by adjusting an energy operation of the device.

39. The system of claim 38 further comprising:

a second gateway at a second energy site, the second gateway in communication with the server; and

at least another device for managing energy in communication with the second gateway, the at least another device comprising a photovoltaic device, an energy storage device, a controllable load, a meter, or an inverter.