# US 2017/0255172 A1 · Solar tracker and related methods, devices, and systems > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 2017/0255172 A1 - Document ID: US20170255172A1 - Status: Published application - Kind: A1 - Application number: 15/295,787 - Filed: 2016-10-17 - Published: 2017-09-07 - Earliest claimed: 2013-01-15 - Assignees: Drift Marketplace, Inc. - Applicants: Drift Marketplace, Inc. - Inventors: Herbert Alan Tilley; Gregory William Robinson; Edwin Eugene McKenzie - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US20170255172A1 ## CPC - G05B 15/02: electric - F24S 30/452: Vertical primary axis - F24S 50/20: for tracking - G05F 1/67: to the maximum power available from a generator, e.g. from solar cell - H02S 20/10: Supporting structures directly fixed to the ground (H02S20/30 takes precedence) - H02S 20/32: specially adapted for solar tracking - F24S 2030/145: {Tracks} - F24S 2201/00: Prediction; Simulation - Y02E 10/47: Mountings or tracking - Y02E 10/56: Power conversion systems, e.g. maximum power point trackers - Y10T 29/49355: Solar energy device making - G05B: CONTROL OR REGULATING SYSTEMS IN GENERAL; FUNCTIONAL ELEMENTS OF SUCH SYSTEMS; MONITORING OR TESTING ARRANGEMENTS FOR SUCH SYSTEMS OR ELEMENTS (systems for controlling or regulating non-electric variables G05D; systems for regulating electric or magnetic variables G05F; control devices or systems insofar as characterised by mechanical features only G05G) - F24S: SOLAR HEAT COLLECTORS; SOLAR HEAT SYSTEMS (for producing mechanical power from solar energy F03G6/00) - G05F: SYSTEMS FOR REGULATING ELECTRIC OR MAGNETIC VARIABLES - 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) - Y02E: REDUCTION OF GREENHOUSE GAS [GHG] EMISSIONS, RELATED TO ENERGY GENERATION, TRANSMISSION OR DISTRIBUTION - Y10T: TECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER US CLASSIFICATION ## Abstract Systems and methods that provide trackers and tracking assemblies having node managers, such as smart node managers are described herein. Aspects of the disclosure are directed to an autonomous energy distribution network including a plurality of solar tracker devices configured to receive solar energy and transform the solar energy into electrical energy, where each of the solar tracker devices is directly connected to a node in a power distribution grid. The network also includes a node manager configured to receive status information from the solar trackers, where the status information includes information regarding the state of the node to which each of the solar tracker device are directly connected. ## Claims ### Claim at position 1 1-22. (canceled) ### Claim 23 A method for operating a solar tracker having a tracker assembly, one or more motors coupled to the assembly, and tracker electronics operably coupled to the motors, the method comprising: providing control signals to the motors to control an orientation of a photovoltaic array; receiving status information form one or more sensors configured to measure at least one of ambient, operating, and performance conditions local to the tracker electronics; and modifying the control signals based, at least in part, on the status information; and communicating, via the tracker electronics, at least a portion of the status information over a cellular communication via a cellular link. ### Claim 24 (depends on 23) The method of claim 23 wherein the tracker electronics are configured to modify the control signals without intervention from a remote computer device. ### Claim 25 (depends on 23) The method of claim 23 wherein the status information is a first status information, and wherein the method further comprises: locally storing the first status information; receiving second status information form the sensors; and comparing the second status information to at least the first status information; further modifying the control signals based, at least in part, on the comparison of the second status information to the first status information. ### Claim 26 (depends on 25) The method of claim 25 wherein the tracker electronics: compare the second status information to the first status information without intervention from a remote computer device; and modify the control signals without intervention from the remote computer device. ### Claim 27 (depends on 23) The method of claim 23, further comprising: communicating the status information to a remote computer device via the cellular link; and modifying the control signals in response to at least one instruction from the remote computer device, wherein the instruction from the remote computer device is based, at least in part, on the status information. ### Claim 28 (depends on 23) The method of claim 23, further comprising deriving global positioning information and time stamp information from the cellular communication. ### Claim 29 A method for operating a node manager device, comprising: applying one or more rules that dictate, at least in part, operation of a controller device operably coupled to a node in a power distribution network; acquiring information associated with at least one of ambient, operating, and performance conditions at the node; deriving analytics based on the acquired information; and modifying at least one of the rules based on the derived analytics. ### Claim 30 (depends on 29) The method of claim 29 wherein the acquired information includes a geographical location of the solar tracker and a time stamp. ### Claim 31 (depends on 29) The method of claim 29 wherein: the controller device is operably coupled to a solar tracker at the node; the solar tracker is configured to dynamically orient one or more photovoltaic arrays based on the modified rules. ### Claim 32 (depends on 31) The method of claim 31 wherein: the rules identify an initial orientation of the solar tracker; the modified rules correspond to a modification in orientation of the solar tracker; and the method further comprises applying the modifying rules to further control the operation of the controller device. ### Claim 33 (depends on 29) The method of claim 29 wherein: the node manager device is coupled between a solar tracker at the node and at least one power line in a power distribution grid; and the acquired information includes information corresponding to one or more signal conditions at the power line. ### Claim 34 (depends on 33) The method of claim 33 wherein the acquired information further includes a time stamp corresponding to the signal conditions at a discrete time. ### Claim 35 (depends on 33) The method of claim 33 wherein the analytics correspond to whether the solar tracker is to disconnect from the power line. ### Claim 36 (depends on 29) The method of claim 29, further comprising communicating the acquired information to another device over a communication network. ### Claim 37 (depends on 29) The method of claim 29 wherein: the node manager device is coupled between a solar tracker at the node and at least one energy storage component; the acquired information includes information corresponding to an output power of the solar tracker; and the modified rules correspond to at least one of— whether a portion of the output power is to be diverted to charge the energy storage component, and whether the energy storage component is to provide at least a portion of the output power. ### Claim 38 A node manager device, comprising a processor and a memory storing instructions that are executable by the processor, wherein the instructions direct the processor to: provide status information wirelessly over a cellular link to a remote computing device, wherein the status information is produced by nodal equipment coupled to a node in a power distribution grid, wherein the nodal equipment is configured to generate power and/or store power; and provide control information over the cellular link to the node manager device that directs, at least in part, the operation of the nodal equipment. ### Claim 39 (depends on 38) The node manager device of claim 38 wherein: the nodal equipment includes one or more solar panels operably coupled to a tracker assembly; and the instructions further direct the processor to control an orientation of the solar panel arrays based, at least in part, on the control information. ### Claim 40 (depends on 38) The node manager device of claim 38 wherein the nodal equipment includes energy storage component, and wherein the instructions further direct the processor to store power from the distribution grid at the energy storage component based, at least in part, on the control information. ### Claim 41 (depends on 38) The node manager device of claim 38 wherein the instructions further direct the processor to isolate the nodal equipment from the distribution grid based, at least in part, on the control information. ### Claim 42 (depends on 38) The node manager device of claim 38 wherein the instructions further direct the processor to balance an electrical load at the node via the nodal equipment based, at least in part, on the control information. ### Claim 43 (depends on 38) The node manager device of claim 38 wherein the instructions further direct the processor to operate the node manager autonomously from the remote computing device. ### Claim 44 An autonomous energy distribution network, comprising: a plurality of solar tracker devices configured to receive solar energy and transform the solar energy into electrical energy, wherein each of the solar tracker devices is directly connected to a node in a power distribution grid; and a node manager configured to receive status information from the solar trackers, wherein the status information includes information regarding the state of the node to which each of the solar tracker device are directly connected. ### Claim 45 (depends on 44) The energy distribution network of claim 44 wherein the status information further includes geographical location of the solar tracker and a time stamp. ### Claim 46 (depends on 45) The energy distribution network of claim 45 wherein the information regarding the state of the node includes power signal condition. ### Claim 47 (depends on 46) The energy distribution network of claim 46 wherein the node manager is configured to associate the power signal condition at individual nodes with the corresponding geographical location and time stamp of the nodes. ### Claim 48 (depends on 44) The energy distribution network of claim 44 wherein at least one of the solar trackers includes the node manager. ### Claim 49 (depends on 48) The energy distribution network of claim 48 wherein the node manager is a first node manager, and wherein: the energy distribution network further comprises a remote computing device including a second node manager in communication with the first node manager; the second node manager is configured to control operation of the first node manager over a computer network. ### Claim 50 (depends on 49) The energy distribution network of claim 49 wherein the computer network comprises a communication path that includes a cellular link between the first node manager and the second node manager. ### Claim 51 (depends on 45) The energy distribution network of claim 45 wherein the node manager operates the solar tracker based, at least in part, on the status information and without intervention from a remote computing device. ### Claim 52 A system, comprising: a remote computer device; and a power distribution node in communication with the remote computer device over a computer network, the power distribution node including a node manager configured to— receive first electrical power from a first power source via a power distribution network, receive second electrical power from a second power source independent of the distribution network, power an electrical load with a portion of the first electrical power and/or the second electrical power, and provide status information to the remote computer device, wherein the status information includes at least one of— signal condition of the first electrical power at the node, power level of the first electrical power, and power level of the second electrical power. ### Claim 53 (depends on 52) The system of claim 52, further comprising a controller at the power distribution node configured to store status information associated with the power source and to provide the status information to the remote computer device. ### Claim 54 (depends on 52) The system of claim 52 wherein the second power source comprises one or more solar trackers. ### Claim 55 (depends on 54) The system of claim 54 wherein the node manager is further configured to isolate the solar trackers from the distribution grid based, at least in part, on the status information. ### Claim 56 A system for distributing renewable power, comprising: first output power at a power distribution node and a second output power of the photovoltaic array; and at least one computing device in communication with the solar tracker devices over a computer network, wherein the computing device is configured to determine a price of power based on the first output power and the second output power. ### Claim 57 (depends on 56) The system of claim 56 wherein the computing device is further configured to: determine a quality of the first power; and determine the price of power further based on the quality of the first power. ### Claim 58 (depends on 56) The system of claim 56 wherein the price includes an amount of renewable energy credits. ### Claim 59 (depends on 56) The system of claim 56 wherein the second power is an aggregate amount of power produced by the solar tracker devices. ### Claim 60 (depends on 56) The system of claim 56 wherein the computing device is further configured to determine the price of power further based on whether the first power is at a peak demand level. ### Claim 61 (depends on 56) The system of claim 56 wherein the computing device is further configured to: receive user input corresponding to one or more bids; and set the price based on the bids.