Skyline imaging system for solar access determination

• US 7,861,422 B2
• Filed: 02/05/2010
• Issued: 01/04/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 08/22/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Fluke Corporation (Fortive Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Solmetric Corporation (Fortive Corp.)
• Inventors: MacDonald, Willard S.
• Primary Examiner(s): Johnson; Amy Cohen
• Application Number:
  US12/658,456
• Publication Number:
  US 20100139105A1
• Time in Patent Office: 333 Days
• Field of Search: 33/1.A, 33/1.C, 33/1.G, 33/1.H, 33/1.SC, 33/1.CC, 33/1.DD, 33268-273, 332/75.R, 332/75.G, 333/00, 333/01, 33331-333, 396/50, 356/139.01, 250/203.1, 250/203.4, 250/206.2
• US Class Current: 33/268
• CPC Class Codes: G01B 21/22 for measuring angles or tapers; for testing the alignment of axes
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 15/10 Plumb lines
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 17/28 Electromagnetic compasses with north seeking magnetic elements and having electric pick-offs G01C17/26
• CPC Class Codes: G01J 1/02 Details
• CPC Class Codes: G01J 1/0266 Field-of-view determination; Aiming or pointing of a photometer; Adjusting alignment; Encoding angular position; Size of the measurement area; Position tracking; Photodetection involving different fields of view for a single detector
• CPC Class Codes: G01J 2001/4266 for measuring solar light
• CPC Class Codes: G01J 5/22 Electrical features thereof
• CPC Class Codes: G01W 1/12 Sunshine duration recorders measuring intensity of sunshine G01J

Abstract

A skyline imaging system includes an image sensor and an inclination reference coupled to the image sensor. The inclination reference provides a righting moment for the image sensor and establishes a predetermined orientation for the image sensor relative to the Earth'"'"'s gravity vector. A heading reference determines an azimuth heading for the image sensor.

Claims

1. A skyline imaging system, comprising:

an image sensor;

a heading reference determining an azimuth heading for the image sensor; and

an inclination reference coupled to the image sensor providing for pivotal mounting of the image sensor about at least one pivot axis within a housing, wherein the image sensor acquires an orientation-referenced image of a skyline within a field of view that is offset from the Earth'"'"'s gravity vector.

2. The skyline imaging system of claim 1 wherein providing the field of view that is offset from the Earth'"'"'s gravity vector increases centering of one or more paths that the Sun traverses on at least one of a daily and a seasonal timescale within the field of view of the image sensor, relative to a field of view that is aligned with the Earth'"'"'s gravity vector.

3. The skyline imaging system of claim 1 wherein the inclination reference includes a one-dimensional gimbal having a single pivot axis.

4. The skyline imaging system of claim 1 wherein the inclination reference includes a two-dimensional gimbal having two pivot axes.

5. The skyline imaging system of claim 1 wherein the orientation-referenced image of the skyline is provided to a processor enabled to establish referenced elevation angles and referenced azimuth angles within the orientation-referenced image of the skyline.

6. The skyline imaging system of claim 5 wherein the processor maps pixels within the orientation-referenced image of the skyline to corresponding pairs of referenced elevation angles and referenced azimuth angles for the orientation-referenced image of the skyline.

7. The skyline imaging system of claim 6 wherein the processor establishes a detected skyline within the orientation-referenced image of the skyline.

8. The skyline imaging system of claim 5 wherein the processor overlays within the orientation-referenced image of the skyline, one or more paths that the Sun traverses on at least one of a daily and a seasonal timescale.

9. The skyline imaging system of claim 8 wherein the processor determines solar access based on a detected skyline established from the orientation-referenced image of the skyline and the one or more paths that the Sun traverses on at least one of a daily and a seasonal timescale.

10. The skyline imaging system of claim 1 further comprising a processor enabled to establish a detected skyline from the orientation-referenced image of the skyline.

11. The skyline imaging system of claim 10 wherein the processor determines solar access based on the detected skyline and established referenced elevation angles and referenced azimuth angles within the orientation-referenced image of the skyline.

12. A skyline imaging system, comprising:

an image sensor coupled to an orientation reference having an inclination reference providing pivotal mounting for the image sensor about at least one pivot axis, wherein the image sensor acquires an orientation-referenced image of a skyline that has a field of view that is offset from the Earth'"'"'s gravity vector;

a heading reference that determines an azimuth heading for the image sensor; and

a processor that receives the orientation-referenced image of the skyline provided by the image sensor.

13. The skyline imaging system of claim 12 wherein the field of view that is offset from the Earth'"'"'s gravity vector increases centering of one or more paths that the Sun traverses on at least one of a daily and a seasonal timescale within the orientation-referenced image of the skyline, relative to a field of view that is aligned with the Earth'"'"'s gravity vector.

14. The skyline imaging system of claim 13 wherein the processor maps pixels within the orientation-referenced image of the skyline to corresponding pairs of referenced elevation angles and referenced azimuth angles within the orientation-referenced image of the skyline.

15. The skyline imaging system of claim 14 wherein the processor also establishes a detected skyline from the orientation-referenced image of the skyline.

16. The skyline imaging system of claim 15 wherein the processor further establishes a solar access based on the detected skyline and the corresponding pairs of referenced elevation angles and referenced azimuth angles within the orientation-referenced image of the skyline.

17. The skyline imaging system of claim 12 wherein the inclination reference includes a one-dimensional gimbal having a single pivot axis within a housing.

18. The skyline imaging system of claim 12 wherein the inclination reference includes a two-dimensional gimbal having two pivot axes within a housing.

19. The skyline imaging system of claim 12 wherein the processor maps pixels within the orientation-referenced image of the skyline to corresponding pairs of referenced elevation angles and referenced azimuth angles within the orientation-referenced image of the skyline.

20. The skyline imaging system of claim 12 wherein the processor establishes a detected skyline from the orientation-referenced image of the skyline.