Method and apparatus for managing installation information

• US 9,940,412 B2
• Filed: 01/06/2014
• Issued: 04/10/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 04/01/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Enphase Energy Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Enphase Energy Incorporated
• Inventors: Eich, Chris
• Primary Examiner(s): Frenel, Vanel
• Application Number:
  US14/148,081
• Publication Number:
  US 20140195206A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,555 Days
• Field of Search: 705 28, 705 44, 705 1458, 709226, 709203, 370328, 370 29, 4554221
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 19/485 whereby the further system is an optical system or imaging system
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 30/00 Computer-aided design [CAD]
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/087 Inventory or stock management, e.g. order filling, procurement or balancing against orders
• CPC Class Codes: Y04S 10/50 Systems or methods supporting the power network operation or management, involving a certain degree of interaction with the load-side end user applications

Abstract

A method and apparatus for generating an array layout template. In one embodiment the method comprises scanning, using an installation application on a mobile device comprising at least one processor, a tag coupled to a splice box that is coupled to a trunk cable in a solar installation; and generating, via the installation application and based on information obtained by scanning the tag, a template that shows a physical layout of the splice box and a plurality of solar array components that are coupled to the trunk cable.

Claims

1. An apparatus for generating an array layout template, comprising:

a mobile device comprising an installation application for (i) scanning a tag coupled to a splice box that is coupled to a trunk cable in a solar installation, and (ii) generating, based on information obtained by scanning the tag, a template that shows a physical layout of the splice box and a plurality of solar array components that are coupled to the trunk cable.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the plurality of solar array components comprises a plurality of power converters.

3. The apparatus of claim 2, wherein the template shows the relative positions along the trunk cable for the splice box and the plurality of power converters.

4. The apparatus of claim 2, wherein the template shows the absolute positions for the splice box and the plurality of power converters.

5. The apparatus of claim 2, wherein the template identifies which AC phase each power converter of the plurality of power converters is coupled to on the trunk cable.

6. The apparatus of claim 2, wherein the plurality of solar array components further comprises a plurality of splice boxes and a plurality of photovoltaic (PV) modules.

7. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the template shows an identification number for the splice box and for each solar array component in the plurality of solar array components.

8. A method for generating an array layout template, comprising:

scanning, by an installation application on a mobile device comprising at least one processor, a tag coupled to a splice box that is coupled to a trunk cable in a solar installation; and

generating, by the installation application and based on information obtained by scanning the tag, a template that shows a physical layout of the splice box and a plurality of solar array components that are coupled to the trunk cable.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein the plurality of solar array components comprises a plurality of power converters.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein the template shows the relative positions along the trunk cable for the splice box and the plurality of power converters.

11. The method of claim 9, wherein the template shows the absolute positions for the splice box and the plurality of power converters.

12. The method of claim 9, wherein the template identifies which AC phase each power converter of the plurality of power converters is coupled to on the trunk cable.

13. The method of claim 9, wherein the plurality of solar array components further comprises a plurality of splice boxes and a plurality of photovoltaic (PV) modules.

14. The method of claim 8, wherein the template shows an identification number for the splice box and for each solar array component in the plurality of solar array components.

15. A computer readable medium for storing a program that, when executed by a processor, causes the processor to perform a method for generating an array layout template, the method comprising:

obtaining information via scanning a tag coupled to a splice box that is coupled to a trunk cable in a solar installation; and

generating, based on the information, a template that shows a physical layout of the splice box and a plurality of solar array components that are coupled to the trunk cable.

16. The computer readable medium of claim 15, wherein the plurality of solar array components comprises a plurality of power converters.

17. The computer readable medium of claim 16, wherein the template shows the relative positions along the trunk cable for the splice box and the plurality of power converters.

18. The computer readable medium of claim 16, wherein the template shows the absolute positions for the splice box and the plurality of power converters.

19. The computer readable medium of claim 16, wherein the template identifies which AC phase each power converter of the plurality of power converters is coupled to on the trunk cable.

20. The computer readable medium of claim 15, wherein the template shows an identification number for the splice box and for each solar array component in the plurality of solar array components.