Smart solar tile networks

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2018097467-A1
Application number	US-201715835132-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Dec 7, 2017
Priority date	Jul 23, 2015
Publication date	Apr 5, 2018
Grant date	—

Abstract

Methods, systems, and apparatus, including computer programs encoded on a computer storage medium, for a dynamic solar tile network. In one aspect, a method includes designating a first solar tile in a set of solar tiles as a control tile. Selecting a subset of solar tiles in the set of solar tiles as controlled tiles that are each controlled by the control tile to form a solar tile network that includes the control tile and the controlled tiles. Receiving, at the control tile, status information from each of the controlled tiles. Determining, by the control tile, an operational state for each of the controlled tiles based on the status information. Transmitting, by the control tile, operation instructions to the controlled tiles that cause each controlled tile to switch to the operational state determined by the control tile.

First claim

1 . (canceled)

2 . A method, comprising:
designating a first solar tile in a set of solar tiles as a control tile, wherein each tile in the set of solar tiles is a photovoltaic panel and is operative to be selectively placed in one of a plurality of operational states, wherein each operational state has a corresponding tile function that the solar tile performs while in that operational state, the designating causing the control tile to be placed in a control operational state in which the control tile sends operational instructions to controlled tiles that cause each controlled tile to switch to one of the plurality of operational states specified by the operational instructions; selecting a subset of solar tiles in the set of solar tiles as the controlled tiles that are each controlled by the control tile to form a solar tile network that includes the control tile and the controlled tiles; receiving, at the control tile, status information from each of the controlled tiles, the status information specifying, for the controlled tile from which it is received, an illumination level value that indicates that the controlled tile is in a sunlit environmental state when the illumination level value meets an illumination level threshold, and that indicates that the controlled tile is not in a sunlit environmental state when the illumination level value does not meet the illumination level threshold; determining, by the control tile, an operational state for each of the controlled tiles based on the status information, including determining a charging operational state for each controlled tile having an illumination level value that indicates that the controlled tile is in not in a sunlit environmental state, and a power generation operational state for each controlled tile having an illumination level value that indicates that the controlled tile is in a sunlit environmental state; and transmitting, by the control tile, operation instructions to the controlled tiles that cause each controlled tile to switch to the operational state determined by the control tile.

3 . The method of claim 2 , further comprising:
receiving, at the control tile, updated status information for the each of the controlled tiles; determining, by the control tile, updated operational states for each of the controlled tiles based on the status information; transmitting, by the control tile, updated operation instructions to the controlled tiles that cause at least one controlled tile to switch from a charging operational state to a power generation operational state, or at least one controlled tile to switch from a power generation operational state to a charging operational state.

4 . The method of claim 2 , wherein based on the status information received at the control tile, transmitting the operation instructions to the controlled tiles such that the operation instructions change different operational features within the respective operational state.

5 . The method of claim 4 , wherein changing different operational features within the operational state comprises altering display images of the controlled tiles within a particular location of the network, based at least in part on one of the following: status information received at the control solar tile, time of day, and relative maximization of solar tile charging capacity.

6 . The method of claim 4 , wherein changing different operational features within the respective operational state comprises altering display images of the controlled tiles within a particular location of the network based on a predefined timed interval.

7 . The method of claim 2 , further comprising:
transmitting, by the control tile, operation instructions to the controlled tiles that cause each controlled tile to switch to the operational state determined by the control tile; and in response to the operation instructions, changing a location of at least one display image, the location chosen based in part on at least one of the following: status information received at the control solar tile, time of day, and maximization of solar tile network operations.

8 . The method of claim 2 , further comprising:
receiving, at the control tile, status information from each of the controlled tiles; and based on the status information received from each of the controlled tiles, determining an environmental state for the controlled tile, wherein the environmental state is defined by an environmental condition of an environment for which the respective solar tile is deployed.

9 . The method of claim 2 , wherein the solar tile network comprises at least one of the following: a mesh network, an ad hoc network, a wide area network, a star network, and a fully connected network.

10 . The method of claim 2 , wherein receiving, at the control tile, status information from each of the controlled tiles comprises receiving status information according to a predefined time interval.

11 . A system, comprising:
a first solar tile in a set of solar tiles that is a control tile; a plurality of controlled tiles, wherein each controlled tile is a solar tile that is a photovoltaic panel and is operative to be selectively placed in one of a plurality of operational states, wherein each operational state has a corresponding tile function that the solar tile performs while in that operational state; wherein the control tile:
receives status information from each of the controlled tiles, the status information specifying, for the controlled tile from which it is received, an illumination level value that indicates that the controlled tile is in a sunlit environmental state when the illumination level value meets an illumination level threshold, and that indicates that the controlled tile is not in a sunlit environmental state when the illumination level value does not meet the illumination level threshold;
determines an operational state for each of the controlled tiles based on the status information, including determining a charging operational state for each controlled tile having an illumination level value that indicates that the controlled tile is in not in a sunlit environmental state, and a power generation operational state for each controlled tile having an illumination level value that indicates that the controlled tile is in a sunlit environmental state; and transmits operation instructions to the controlled tiles that cause each controlled tile to switch to the operational state determined by the control tile.

Assignees

• Google Llc

Inventors

• Sills Maxwell Andrew
• Berlin Daniel J

Classifications

• G05B15/02

  electric · CPC title

• H02S50/00 Primary

  Monitoring or testing of PV systems, e.g. load balancing or fault identification · CPC title

• H02S10/00 Primary

  PV power plants; Combinations of PV energy systems with other systems for the generation of electric power · CPC title

• Y02E10/50

  Photovoltaic [PV] energy · CPC title