# US 2009/0260618 A1 · Solar tracking apparatus and solar electric power generation system thereof > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 2009/0260618 A1 - Document ID: US20090260618A1 - Status: Published application - Kind: A1 - Application number: 12/425,072 - Filed: 2009-04-16 - Published: 2009-10-22 - Earliest claimed: 2008-04-17 - Inventors: Tarrence Liu - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US20090260618A1 ## CPC - G01S 3/7861: {Solar tracking systems} - H02S 20/32: specially adapted for solar tracking - F24S 50/20: for tracking - Y02E 10/50: Photovoltaic [PV] energy - G01S: RADIO DIRECTION-FINDING; RADIO NAVIGATION; DETERMINING DISTANCE OR VELOCITY BY USE OF RADIO WAVES; LOCATING OR PRESENCE-DETECTING BY USE OF THE REFLECTION OR RERADIATION OF RADIO WAVES; ANALOGOUS ARRANGEMENTS USING OTHER WAVES - 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) - F24S: SOLAR HEAT COLLECTORS; SOLAR HEAT SYSTEMS (for producing mechanical power from solar energy F03G6/00) - Y02E: REDUCTION OF GREENHOUSE GAS [GHG] EMISSIONS, RELATED TO ENERGY GENERATION, TRANSMISSION OR DISTRIBUTION ## Abstract The present invention provides a solar tracking apparatus for use with a power driving apparatus. The solar tracking apparatus includes: a memory unit for recording a first solar image; an image capturing unit for capturing a second solar image; and an processing unit for obtaining difference between the first solar image and the second solar image; wherein the processing unit activates the power driving apparatus in response to the difference. Furthermore, the present invention also provides a solar power generation system using the solar tracking apparatus. Besides the solar tracking apparatus, the solar power generation system also includes a solar panel; the power driving apparatus for adjusting the position of the solar panel, wherein the processing unit of the solar tracking apparatus activates the power driving apparatus based on the difference so that the solar panel is aligned with the sun to gather the solar energy of the sun. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A solar tracking apparatus for use with a power driving apparatus, the solar tracking apparatus comprises: a memory unit for recording a first solar image; an image capturing unit for capturing a second solar image; and an processing unit for obtaining a difference between the first solar image and the second solar image; wherein the processing unit activates the power driving apparatus in response to the difference. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The solar tracking apparatus of claim 1, wherein the first solar image is a default reference solar image, and the second solar image is a solar image taken on the spot. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The solar tracking apparatus of claim 1, wherein the processing unit further calculates a first solar center from the first solar image and a second solar center from the second solar image, and the difference is obtained by comparing the first solar center with the second solar center. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The solar tracking apparatus of claim 1, wherein the difference is recorded in the memory unit to provide the processing unit to activate the power driving apparatus in advance. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The solar tracking apparatus of claim 1, further comprising an optical unit for focusing the sun light onto the image capturing unit to form the second solar image. ### Claim 6 (depends on 5) The solar tracking apparatus of claim 5, wherein the optical unit is a lens. ### Claim 7 (depends on 5) The solar tracking apparatus of claim 5, wherein the optical unit is a wide-angle lens. ### Claim 8 (depends on 1) The solar tracking apparatus of claim 1, wherein the image capturing unit is a charge coupled device (CCD) or a complementary metal-oxide semiconductor (CMOS). ### Claim 9 (depends on 1) The solar tracking apparatus of claim 1, wherein the image capturing unit further captures a plurality of second solar images, and each second solar image is taken after a predetermined time interval. ### Claim 10 A solar power generation system includes: a solar panel; a power driving apparatus for adjusting the solar panel; and a solar tracking apparatus including: a memory unit for recording a first solar image; an image capturing unit for capturing a second solar image; and an processing unit for obtaining difference between the first solar image and the second solar image; wherein the processing unit activates the power driving apparatus in response to the difference so that the solar panel can be aligned towards the sun to gather sun light. ### Claim 11 (depends on 10) The system of claim 10, wherein the first solar image is a default reference solar image, and the second solar image is a solar image taken on the spot. ### Claim 12 (depends on 10) The system of claim 10, wherein the processing unit further calculates a first solar center from the first solar image and a second solar center from the second solar image, and the difference is obtained by comparing the first solar center with the second solar center. ### Claim 13 (depends on 10) The system of claim 10, wherein the difference is recorded in the memory unit to provide the processing unit to activate the power driving apparatus in advance. ### Claim 14 (depends on 10) The system of claim 10, further comprising an optical unit for focusing the sun light onto the image capturing unit to form the second solar image. ### Claim 15 (depends on 14) The system of claim 14, wherein the optical unit is a lens. ### Claim 16 (depends on 14) The system of claim 14, wherein the optical unit is a wide-angle lens. ### Claim 17 (depends on 10) The system of claim 10, wherein the image capturing unit is a charge coupled device (CCD) or a complementary metal-oxide semiconductor (CMOS). ### Claim 18 (depends on 10) The system of claim 10, wherein the image capturing unit further captures a plurality of second solar images, and each second solar image is taken after a predetermined time interval.