Method and apparatus for provisioning an alternative energy source generator

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2016043684-A1
Application number	US-201514818014-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Aug 4, 2015
Priority date	Aug 5, 2014
Publication date	Feb 11, 2016
Grant date	—

Abstract

A method and apparatus for provisioning an alternative energy source generator operable with a gateway in communication with a web portal. In one embodiment, the method includes entering system information into the gateway, and transmitting the system information to the web portal. The method also includes validating the system information, determining configuration information for the alternative energy source generator in response to validation of the system information, and transmitting the configuration information to the gateway. The method also includes initiating a discovery process to ascertain discovery information for the alternative energy source generator in response to the configuration information, and transmitting the discovery information to the web portal. The method still further includes validating the discovery information, and configuring the alternative energy source generator with the gateway in accordance with the configuration information and in response to validation of the discovery information.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . A method for provisioning an alternative energy source generator operable with a gateway in communication with a web portal, comprising:
entering system information into said gateway; transmitting said system information to said web portal; validating said system information; determining configuration information for said alternative energy source generator in response to validation of said system information; transmitting said configuration information to said gateway; initiating a discovery process to ascertain discovery information for said alternative energy source generator in response to said configuration information; transmitting said discovery information to said web portal; validating said discovery information; and configuring said alternative energy source generator with said gateway in accordance with said configuration information and in response to validation of said discovery information.

2 . The method as recited in claim 1 , further comprising:
reviewing said system information, said configuration information and said discovery information via said web portal; approving an operation of said alternative energy source generator based on said system information, said configuration information and said discovery information; and providing an approval of said operation to said gateway.

3 . The method as recited in claim 1 wherein if said system information is not validated, further comprising:
sending an error message to said gateway;
reentering said system information into said gateway;
retransmitting said system information to said web portal; and
revalidating said system information.

4 . The method as recited in claim 1 wherein if said discovery information is not validated, further comprising:
sending an error message to said gateway;
reinitiating said discovery process to ascertain said discovery information for said alternative energy source generator;
retransmitting said discovery information to said web portal; and
revalidating said discovery information.

5 . The method as recited in claim 1 wherein entering said system information comprises transmitting or scanning said system information from a communication device into said gateway.

6 . The method as recited in claim 1 wherein said gateway communicates with said alternative energy source generator via a power line carrier (PLC) protocol.

7 . The method as recited in claim 1 wherein said alternative energy source generator is an alternating current photovoltaic (ACPV) module.

8 . The method as recited in claim 1 wherein said system information comprises global positioning system (GPS) coordinates, time zone information, location information, naming information, and/or installer information.

9 . The method as recited in claim 1 wherein said configuration information comprises utility grid settings and/or time zone information.

10 . The method as recited in claim 1 wherein said discovery information comprises identifying information of said alternative energy source generator.

11 . An apparatus for provisioning of an alternative energy source generator, comprising:
a processor; and memory including computer program code, said memory and said computer program code configured to, with said processor, cause said apparatus to perform at least the following:
receive system information;
transmit said system information to a web portal;
receive configuration information for said alternative energy source generator in response to validation of said system information;
initiate a discovery process to ascertain discovery information for said alternative energy source generator in response to said configuration information;
transmit said discovery information to said web portal; and
configure said alternative energy source generator in accordance with said configuration information and in response to validation of said discovery information.

12 . The apparatus as recited in claim 11 , wherein if said system information is not validated, said memory and said computer program code are further configured to, with said processor, cause said apparatus to:
receive an error message from said web portal; re-receive said system information; and retransmit said system information to said web portal for revalidation.

13 . The apparatus as recited in claim 11 , wherein if said discovery information is not validated, said memory and said computer program code are further configured to, with said processor, cause said apparatus to:
receive an error message from said web portal; reinitiate said discovery process to ascertain said discovery information for said alternative energy source generator; retransmit said discovery information to said web portal for revalidation.

14 . The apparatus as recited in claim 11 , wherein said apparatus communicates with said alternative energy source generator via a power line carrier (PLC) protocol.

15 . The apparatus as recited in claim 11 wherein said alternative energy source generator is an alternating current photovoltaic (ACPV) module.

16 . An apparatus for provisioning of an alternative energy source generator, comprising:
a processor; and memory including computer program code, said memory and said computer program code configured to, with said processor, cause said apparatus to perform at least the following:
receive system information from a gateway;
validate said system information;
determine configuration information for said alternative energy source generator in response to validation of said system information;
transmit said configuration information to said gateway;
receive discovery information for said alternative energy source generator in response to said configuration information; and
validate said discovery information to allow said gateway to configure said alternative energy source generator in accordance with said configuration information and in response to validation of said discovery information.

17 . The apparatus as recited in claim 16 , wherein said memory and said computer program code are further configured to, with said processor, cause said apparatus to:
review said system information, said configuration information and said discovery information; approve an operation of said alternative energy source generator based on said system information, said configuration information and said discovery information; and provide an approval of said operation to said gateway.

18 . The apparatus as recited in claim 16 , wherein if said system information is not validated, said memory and said computer program code are further configured to, with said processor, cause said apparatus to:
send an error message to said gateway; re-receive said system information from said gateway; and revalidate said system information.

19 . The apparatus as recited in claim 16 , wherein if said discovery information is not validated, said memory and said computer program code are further configured to, with said processor, cause said apparatus to:
send an error message to said gateway; re-receive said discovery information for said alternative energy source generator in response to said configuration information; and revalidate said discovery information to allow said gateway to configure said alternative energy source generator in accordance with said configuration information and in response to validation of said discovery information.

20 . The apparatus as recited in claim 16

Assignees

• Sunpower Corp

Inventors

• Harif Shlomi

Classifications

• H02J2101/24

  Photovoltaics · CPC title

• H02J13/1311

  using the power network as support for the transmission · CPC title

• H02S40/32

  comprising DC/AC inverter means associated with the PV module itself, e.g. AC modules · CPC title

• H04L67/02

  based on web technology, e.g. hypertext transfer protocol [HTTP] · CPC title

• Y04S40/121

  using the power network as support for the transmission · CPC title