Systems and methods for a communication protocol between a local controller and a master controller

• US 8,773,236 B2
• Filed: 09/30/2010
• Issued: 07/08/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 12/29/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Tigo Energy, Inc
• Original Assignee: Tigo Energy, Inc
• Inventors: Makhota, Maxym, Eizips, Daniel, Arditi, Shmuel, Hadar, Ron
• Primary Examiner(s): Mehmood, Jennifer
• Assistant Examiner(s): CASILLASHERNANDEZ, OMAR
• Application Number:
  US12/895,745
• Publication Number:
  US 20110161722A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,377 Days
• Field of Search: 340/2.7, 340/3.1, 340/541, 714/4.2, 455/63.3, 700/286
• US Class Current: 340/2.7
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 31/02021 for solar cells electrical connection means, e.g. junction boxes, specially adapted for structural association with photovoltaic modules H02S40/34
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 1/22 using redundant apparatus to increase reliability
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/12 specially adapted for proprietary or special-purpose networking environments, e.g. medical networks, sensor networks, networks in vehicles or remote metering networks
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 10/50 Photovoltaic [PV] energy
• CPC Class Codes: Y04S 40/18 Network protocols supporting networked applications, e.g. including control of end-device applications over a network

Abstract

Systems and methods for local management units in a photovoltaic energy system. In one embodiment, a method implemented in a computer system includes: attempting to communicate on a first active channel with a master management unit from a local management unit that controls a solar module; if communication with the master management unit on the first active channel has not been established, attempting to communicate on a second active channel with the master management unit.

Claims

1. A method, comprising:

attempting to communicate, from a first local management unit of a plurality of local management units, on a first active channel at a predetermined frequency with a master management unit, each of the plurality of local management units coupled to control a respective solar module of a plurality of solar modules;

determining if communication with the master management unit on the first active channel has been established;

in response to a determination that the communication on the first active channel has not been established, attempting to communicate on a second active channel with the master management unit, the second active channel having a frequency different from the first active channel;

determining if communication with the master management unit on the second active channel has been established; and

after communication with the master management unit has been established, restarting the first local management unit and subsequently communicating with the master management unit at a frequency other than the predetermined frequency.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising after the communication on the second active channel has been established, receiving a first communication from the master management unit.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the first communication comprises an instruction, the method further comprising executing the instruction on the first local management unit.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the plurality of local management units are connected in series.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the plurality of local management units are connected in parallel.

6. The method of claim 2, wherein the communication on the first active channel is at the predetermined frequency used by the master management unit for establishing communication with new local management units.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

communicating from the first local management unit to the master management unit an identification code associated with the first local management unit; and

receiving a profile from the master management unit, the profile corresponding to the identification code.

8. The method of claim 7, further comprising in response to receiving the identification code, retrieving, via the master management unit, the profile from a database that includes a plurality of different profiles suitable for configuration of local management units.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the first local management unit comprises an antenna, and the attempting to communicate on the first active channel comprises sending a wireless signal via the antenna.

10. The method of claim 2, further comprising:

after the communication on the second active channel has been established, determining that an error has occurred in communication with the master management unit; and

in response to the error, initiating an error treatment protocol for the first local management unit.

11. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

in response to a determination that the communication on the second active channel has not been established, attempting to communicate on a third active channel with the master management unit, the third active channel having a frequency different from the first and second active channels;

determining if communication with the master management unit on the third active channel has been established;

in response to a determination that the communication on the third active channel has not been established, determining whether a predetermined number of available channels for communication with the master management unit has been exceeded; and

in response to a determination that the predetermined number has been exceeded, initiating an error treatment protocol for the first local management unit.

12. A method, further comprising:

waking up a first local management unit of a plurality of local management units, each of the plurality of local management units coupled to control a respective solar module of a plurality of solar modules;

after the waking up, determining whether the first local management unit is storing a configuration profile;

in response to a determination that the first local management unit is not storing the configuration profile, communicating to the master management unit a first identification code associated with the first local management unit, including;

attempting to communicate, from the first local management unit, on a first active channel with a master management unit;

determining if communication with the master management unit on the first active channel has been established;

in response to a determination that the communication on the first active channel has not been established, attempting to communicate on a second active channel with the master management unit, the second active channel having a frequency different from the first active channel; and

determining if communication with the master management unit on the second active channel has been established;

receiving a first profile from the master management unit, the first profile corresponding to the first identification code, and the first profile including a time period; and

configuring the first local management unit using the first profile.

13. The method of claim 12, further comprising:

after the communication on the second active channel has been established, receiving a first instruction from the master management unit;

executing the first instruction on the first local management unit;

after the executing the first instruction, waiting for the time period;

after the waiting, communicating with the master management unit to receive a second instruction; and

executing the second instruction on the first local management unit.

14. The method of claim 12, further comprising:

establishing communication with the master management unit from a second local management unit of the plurality of local management units; and

communicating to the master management unit a second identification code associated with the second local management unit;

receiving a second profile from the master management unit, the second profile corresponding to the second identification code; and

configuring the second local management unit using the second profile.

15. local management unit, comprising:

memory storing software instructions; and

a controller coupled to the memory, the controller configured via the software instructions to execute a method comprising;

controlling, under supervision by a master management unit, a first solar module of a plurality of solar modules, the master management unit coupled to supervise a plurality of local management units, wherein the plurality of local management units are coupled by a power bus, and each one of the plurality of local management units controls a respective one of the plurality of solar modules,

in response to a determination that the first local management unit is not storing a configuration profile, attempting to communicate with the master management unit,

determining if communication with the master management unit on a first active channel has been established,

in response to a determination that communication with the master management unit has not been established on the first active channel, attempting to communicate with the master management unit on a second active channel, the second active channel having a frequency different from the first active channel,

determining if communication with the master management unit on the second active channel has been established,

receiving, from the master management unit, a first configuration profile having a time period, and

configuring the first local management unit using the first configuration profile.

16. The system of claim 15, further comprising a modem or wireless network interface to attempt to communicate with the master management unit on a first active channel.

17. The system of claim 15, wherein the plurality of local management units are configured to, under supervision of the master management unit, balance currents between the plurality of solar modules in the power bus.

18. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium for tangibly storing thereon computer readable instructions, the instructions causing a data processing system to perform a method, the method comprising:

attempting to communicate, from a first local management unit of a plurality of local management units, on a first active channel at a predetermined frequency with a master management unit, each of the plurality of local management units coupled to control a respective solar module of a plurality of solar modules;

determining if communication with the master management unit on the first active channel has been established;

in response to a determination that the communication on the first active channel has not been established, attempting to communicate on a second active channel with the master management unit, the second active channel having a frequency different from the first active channel; and

determining if communication with the master management unit on the second active channel has been established;

after communication with the master management unit has been established, restarting the first local management unit and subsequently communicating with the master management unit at a frequency other than the predetermined frequency.

19. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 18, wherein the method further comprises:

communicating from the first local management unit to the master management unit an identification code associated with the first local management unit; and

receiving a profile from the master management unit, the profile corresponding to the identification code.