# US 2014/0195206 A1 · Method and apparatus for managing installation information

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- Number: US 2014/0195206 A1
- Document ID: US20140195206A1
- Status: Published application
- Kind: A1
- Application number: 14/148,081
- Filed: 2014-01-06
- Published: 2014-07-10
- Earliest claimed: 2010-04-01
- Assignees: Enphase Energy, Inc.
- Applicants: Enphase Energy, Inc.
- Inventors: Chris Eich
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US20140195206A1

## CPC

- G06Q 50/08: Construction
- G01S 19/485: {whereby the further system is an optical system or imaging system}
- G06F 30/00: Computer-aided design [CAD]
- G06Q 10/087: Inventory or stock management, e.g. order filling, procurement or balancing against orders
- G06Q 10/0877: {by inventory control or reporting using inventory tracking or counting}
- Y04S 10/50: Systems or methods supporting the power network operation or management, involving a certain degree of interaction with the load-side end user applications
- G06Q: INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY [ICT] SPECIALLY ADAPTED FOR ADMINISTRATIVE, COMMERCIAL, FINANCIAL, MANAGERIAL OR SUPERVISORY PURPOSES; SYSTEMS OR METHODS SPECIALLY ADAPTED FOR ADMINISTRATIVE, COMMERCIAL, FINANCIAL, MANAGERIAL OR SUPERVISORY PURPOSES, NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR
- 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
- G06F: ELECTRIC DIGITAL DATA PROCESSING (computer systems based on specific computational models G06N)
- Y04S: SYSTEMS INTEGRATING TECHNOLOGIES RELATED TO POWER NETWORK OPERATION, COMMUNICATION OR INFORMATION TECHNOLOGIES FOR IMPROVING THE ELECTRICAL POWER GENERATION, TRANSMISSION, DISTRIBUTION, MANAGEMENT OR USAGE, i.e. SMART GRIDS

## Abstract

A method and apparatus for generating an array layout template. In one embodiment the method comprises scanning, using an installation application on a mobile device comprising at least one processor, a tag coupled to a splice box that is coupled to a trunk cable in a solar installation; and generating, via the installation application and based on information obtained by scanning the tag, a template that shows a physical layout of the splice box and a plurality of solar array components that are coupled to the trunk cable.

## Claims

### Claim 1

An apparatus for generating an array layout template, comprising:
a mobile device comprising an installation application for (i) scanning a tag coupled to a splice box that is coupled to a trunk cable in a solar installation, and (ii) generating, based on information obtained by scanning the tag, a template that shows a physical layout of the splice box and a plurality of solar array components that are coupled to the trunk cable.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the plurality of solar array components comprises a plurality of power converters.

### Claim 3 (depends on 2)

The apparatus of claim 2, wherein the template shows the relative positions along the trunk cable for the splice box and the plurality of power converters.

### Claim 4 (depends on 2)

The apparatus of claim 2, wherein the template shows the absolute positions for the splice box and the plurality of power converters.

### Claim 5 (depends on 2)

The apparatus of claim 2, wherein the template identifies which AC phase each power converter of the plurality of power converters is coupled to on the trunk cable.

### Claim 6 (depends on 2)

The apparatus of claim 2, wherein the plurality of solar array components further comprises a plurality of splice boxes and a plurality of photovoltaic (PV) modules.

### Claim 7 (depends on 1)

The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the template shows an identification number for the splice box and for each solar array component in the plurality of solar array components.

### Claim 8

A method for generating an array layout template, comprising:
scanning, using an installation application on a mobile device comprising at least one processor, a tag coupled to a splice box that is coupled to a trunk cable in a solar installation; and
generating, via the installation application and based on information obtained by scanning the tag, a template that shows a physical layout of the splice box and a plurality of solar array components that are coupled to the trunk cable.

### Claim 9 (depends on 8)

The method of claim 8, wherein the plurality of solar array components comprises a plurality of power converters.

### Claim 10 (depends on 9)

The method of claim 9, wherein the template shows the relative positions along the trunk cable for the splice box and the plurality of power converters.

### Claim 11 (depends on 9)

The method of claim 9, wherein the template shows the absolute positions for the splice box and the plurality of power converters.

### Claim 12 (depends on 9)

The method of claim 9, wherein the template identifies which AC phase each power converter of the plurality of power converters is coupled to on the trunk cable.

### Claim 13 (depends on 9)

The method of claim 9, wherein the plurality of solar array components further comprises a plurality of splice boxes and a plurality of photovoltaic (PV) modules.

### Claim 14 (depends on 8)

The method of claim 8, wherein the template shows an identification number for the splice box and for each solar array component in the plurality of solar array components.

### Claim 15

A computer readable medium for storing a program that, when executed by a processor, causes the processor to perform a method for generating an array layout template, the method comprising:
obtaining information via scanning a tag coupled to a splice box that is coupled to a trunk cable in a solar installation; and
generating, based on the information, a template that shows a physical layout of the splice box and a plurality of solar array components that are coupled to the trunk cable.

### Claim 16 (depends on 15)

The computer readable medium of claim 15, wherein the plurality of solar array components comprises a plurality of power converters.

### Claim 17 (depends on 16)

The computer readable medium of claim 16, wherein the template shows the relative positions along the trunk cable for the splice box and the plurality of power converters.

### Claim 18 (depends on 16)

The computer readable medium of claim 16, wherein the template shows the absolute positions for the splice box and the plurality of power converters.

### Claim 19 (depends on 16)

The computer readable medium of claim 16, wherein the template identifies which AC phase each power converter of the plurality of power converters is coupled to on the trunk cable.

### Claim 20 (depends on 15)

The computer readable medium of claim 15, wherein the template shows an identification number for the splice box and for each solar array component in the plurality of solar array components.