# US 12,224,365 B2 · Apparatus and method for determining an order of power devices in power generation systems

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- Number: US 12,224,365 B2
- Document ID: US12224365B2
- Status: Granted
- Kind: B2
- Application number: 18/451,161
- Filed: 2023-08-17
- Published: 2023-12-07
- Granted: 2025-02-11
- Earliest claimed: 2016-03-03
- Assignees: Solaredge Technologies Ltd.
- Applicants: Solaredge Technologies Ltd.
- Inventors: Ilan Yoscovich; Yoav Galin; Amir Fishelov; Yakir Loewenstern; David Braginsky; Lior Handelsman; Ohad Gidon; Guy Sella; Gil Litmanovitch
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US12224365B2

## CPC

- H02S 50/00: Monitoring or testing of PV systems, e.g. load balancing or fault identification
- H10F 19/902: {for series or parallel connection of photovoltaic cells}
- H10F 77/215: {Geometries of grid contacts}
- H10F 77/937: {Busbar structures for modules}
- Y02E 10/50: Photovoltaic [PV] energy
- H02S: GENERATION OF ELECTRIC POWER BY CONVERSION OF INFRARED RADIATION, VISIBLE LIGHT OR ULTRAVIOLET LIGHT, e.g. USING PHOTOVOLTAIC [PV] MODULES (obtaining electrical energy from radioactive sources G21H1/12; light sensitive inorganic semiconductor devices H10F; light sensitive organic semiconductor devices H10K30/00; thermoelectric devices H10N10/00; pyroelectric devices H10N15/00)
- H10F: INORGANIC SEMICONDUCTOR DEVICES SENSITIVE TO INFRARED RADIATION, LIGHT, ELECTROMAGNETIC RADIATION OF SHORTER WAVELENGTH OR CORPUSCULAR RADIATION
- Y02E: REDUCTION OF GREENHOUSE GAS [GHG] EMISSIONS, RELATED TO ENERGY GENERATION, TRANSMISSION OR DISTRIBUTION

## Abstract

Various implementations described herein are directed to determining an order of power devices connected in a serial string to a central power device. The physical order may be stored in a non-volatile computer-readable storage medium.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A method comprising:
receiving, by at least one power device of a plurality of power devices, a signal from each power device of the plurality of power devices;
determining, based on strengths of the received signals, an order of the plurality of power devices; and
storing the order of the plurality of power devices.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, wherein the signal from each power device of the plurality of power devices comprises an identification of a respective power device of the plurality of power devices.

### Claim 3 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, wherein the signal from each power device of the plurality of power devices comprises power line communication signals.

### Claim 4 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, wherein the determining the order of the plurality of power devices is further based on a map, wherein the map comprises locations of the plurality of power devices and does not specify identities of the plurality of power devices.

### Claim 5 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, wherein the plurality of power devices are connected in a serial string.

### Claim 6 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, wherein the determining the order of the plurality of power devices is further based on a known location of at least one of the plurality of power devices.

### Claim 7 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, wherein the receiving the signal from each power device of the plurality of power devices is performed multiple times for each of the at least one power device, and wherein the determining the order of the plurality of power devices comprises averaging the strengths of the received signals.

### Claim 8 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, wherein the determining the order of the plurality of power devices is further based on analyzing pairwise distance estimates among the plurality of power devices.

### Claim 9 (depends on 8)

The method of claim 8, wherein the determining the order of the plurality of power devices is further based on minimizing a disparity among the pairwise distance estimates.

### Claim 10 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, wherein the determining the order of the plurality of power devices is further based on at least one of: simulated annealing, convex optimization, semidefinite programming, or multidimensional scaling.

### Claim 11 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, wherein the determining the order of the plurality of power devices is further based on a least squares analysis of the strengths of the received signals.

### Claim 12

A system comprising:
a plurality of power devices, wherein each of the plurality of power devices comprises a processor and a communication circuit;
a central power device comprising a central processor and a central communication circuit; and
a plurality of conductors connecting the plurality of power devices in a serial string and to the central power device,
wherein each of the plurality of power devices is configured to:
transmit, using the communication circuit, a first signal to other power devices of the plurality of power devices;
receive at least one second signal from the other power devices;
record a signal strength of the at least one second signal; and
send the signal strength to the central processor, and
wherein the central power device is configured to:
determine an order of the plurality of power devices based on the signal strength.

### Claim 13 (depends on 12)

The system of claim 12, wherein the central power device is further configured to perform at least one of:
storing the order of the plurality of power devices, or
displaying the order of the plurality of power devices.

### Claim 14 (depends on 12)

The system of claim 12, wherein the at least one second signal comprises an identification of a respective transmitting power device.

### Claim 15 (depends on 12)

The system of claim 12, wherein the at least one second signal comprises a power line communication signal.

### Claim 16 (depends on 12)

The system of claim 12, wherein the central power device is configured to determine the order of the plurality of power devices further based on a map, wherein the map comprises locations of the plurality of power devices and does not specify identities of the plurality of power devices.

### Claim 17 (depends on 12)

The system of claim 12, wherein the central power device is configured to determine the order of the plurality of power devices further based on a known location of at least one of the plurality of power devices.

### Claim 18 (depends on 12)

The system of claim 12, wherein the central power device is configured to receive the at least one second signal multiple times for each of the other power devices, and
wherein the central power device is configured to determine the order of the plurality of power devices by averaging the signal strength.

### Claim 19 (depends on 12)

The system of claim 12, wherein the central power device is configured to determine the order of the plurality of power devices by analyzing pairwise distance estimates among the plurality of power devices.

### Claim 20 (depends on 19)

The system of claim 19, wherein the central power device is configured to determine the order of the plurality of power devices by minimizing a disparity among the pairwise distance estimates.

### Claim 21 (depends on 12)

The system of claim 12, wherein the central power device is configured to determine the order of the plurality of power devices further based on at least one of: a simulated annealing, a convex optimization, a semidefinite programming, or a multidimensional scaling.

### Claim 22 (depends on 12)

The system of claim 12, wherein the central power device is configured to determine the order of the plurality of power devices further based on a least squares analysis of the signal strength.