Smart solar tile networks

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9843286-B2
Application number	US-201514807718-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jul 23, 2015
Priority date	Jul 23, 2015
Publication date	Dec 12, 2017
Grant date	Dec 12, 2017

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

What is claimed is:

1. 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;
determining, by the control tile, an operational state for each of the controlled tiles based on the status information, including determining a first operational state for a first controlled tile and a second operational state for a second controlled tile, and the first operational state is different from the second operational 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, including transmitting first operational instructions to the first controlled tile to cause the first controlled tile to switch to the first operational state, and second operational instructions to the second controlled tile to cause the second controlled tile to switch to the second operational state;
receiving, at the control tile, updated status information for the each of the controlled tiles;
determining, by the control tile, that an environmental condition for the control tile and the first controlled tile has changed based on the updated status information and information collected by the control tile about environmental surroundings of the control tile;
transmitting, by the control tile, operation instructions to the first control tile designating the first control tile to change the operational state for the first controlled tile from the first operational state to the control operational state, the designating changing the first controlled tile to a new control tile different than the control tile; and
changing, by the control tile, the operational state of the control tile from the control operational state to a first operational state, such that the control tile is changed to a third controlled tile.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the operational states comprise a charging operational state, a display operational state, and a power generation operational state; wherein a display operational state includes transmitting image data to the controlled solar tiles that defines an illuminated pattern to be displayed on a surface of the controlled solar tiles such that an image is created on the surface of the controlled solar tiles.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein the operation instructions comprise an instruction for a display operational state; wherein the display operational state includes transmitting image data to the controlled solar tiles that defines an illuminated pattern to be displayed on a surface of the controlled solar tiles such that an image is created on the surface of the controlled solar tiles.

4. The method of claim 3 , wherein transmitting operation instructions for the display operational state includes transmitting image data to the controlled tiles that defines an illuminated pattern to be displayed on a surface of the controlled solar tiles such that an image is created on the surface of the controlled solar tiles.

5. The method of claim 1 , 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.

6. The method of claim 5 , 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.

7. The method of claim 5 , 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.

8. The method of claim 1 , 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.

9. The method of claim 1 , 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.

10. The method of claim 9 , wherein determining an operational state for each of the controlled tiles is based on selecting an operational state that corresponds to the determined environmental state, the operational state dictating an executable function for the controlled tile.

11. The method of claim 9 , wherein determining the environmental state of the controlled tile comprises determining whether an environmental state threshold has been met, wherein the environmental state threshold defines a measure that an environmental condition exists in an environment for which the controlled tile is deployed.

12. The method of claim 9 , wherein determining the environmental state of the controlled tile comprises determining an environmental state time threshold has been met wherein the environmental state time threshold defines a length of time that the environmental condition exists in an environment for which the controlled tile is deployed.

13. The method of claim 1 , 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.

14. The method of claim 1 , wherein receiving, at the control tile, status information from each of the controlled tiles comprises receiving status information according to a predefined time interval.

Assignees

• Google Inc

Inventors

• Sills Max Andrew
• Berlin Daniel J

Classifications

• 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

• G05B15/02

  electric · CPC title

• Y02E10/50

  Photovoltaic [PV] energy · CPC title