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US 8,553,035 B2Granted
Method and apparatus for electrical power visualization
AssigneeEnphase Energy, Inc.
InventorsBenjamin Smith, Jonathon Wolfe, Chris Eich
Life of this patent
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AssigneeEnphase Energy, Inc.
InventorsBenjamin Smith, Jonathon Wolfe, Chris Eich
Estimating the term…
A method and apparatus for providing a visualization of power for display. The method establishes a power visualization scale based on a color saturation and intensity range for a hue and a range of power to be visualized, and generates a display image for at least one measured value of power as a level of color saturation and intensity for the hue based on the power visualization scale.
A method for visualizing power generated by an array of solar panels comprising:
An apparatus for visualizing power generated by an array of solar panels comprising:
A system for visualizing power generated by an array of solar panels comprising:
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.
Drawings are temporarily unavailable. Open the PDF at USPTO
From the US filing history. Foreign family members aren’t listed.
Two-dimensional [2D] image generation: drawing from basic elements
Two-dimensional [2D] image generation: texturing; Colouring; Generation of textures or colours
Image data processing or generation, in general
About 2 years 4 months of term left · ends 10 Mar 2029 (estimated)
1. Field of the Invention
Embodiments of the present disclosure relate generally to a method and apparatus for visualization of electrical power data.
2. Description of the Related Art
So that the manner in which the above recited features of the present invention can be understood in detail, a more particular description of the invention, briefly summarized above, may be had by reference to embodiments, some of which are illustrated in the appended drawings. It is to be noted, however, that the appended drawings illustrate only typical embodiments of this invention and are therefore not to be considered limiting of its scope, for the invention may admit to other equally effective embodiments.
FIG. 1 is a block diagram of a system for providing electrical power visualization in accordance with one or more embodiments of the present invention;
FIG. 2 is a block diagram of a controller in accordance with one or more embodiments of the present invention;
FIG. 1 is a block diagram of a system 100 for providing electrical power visualization in accordance with one or more embodiments of the present invention. The system 100 comprises a plurality of distributed generators (DGs) 1021, 1022, . . . , 102n, (hereinafter, DGs 102), a plurality of controllers 1041, 1042, . . . , 104n, (hereinafter, controllers 104), a user 106, a master controller 108, and a communications network 110. The controllers 104, the user 106, and the master controller 108 are communicably coupled via the communications network 110, e.g., the Internet.
The DGs 102 generate power from a renewable resource, such as solar energy, wind energy, hydroelectric energy, and the like. In some embodiments, a DG 102 is comprised of a plurality of solar panels arranged in groups as solar arrays, where each solar panel is comprised one or more inverters coupled to one or more PV modules in a one-to-one correspondence. Additionally, a DC-DC converter may be coupled between each PV module and each inverter (e.g., one converter per PV module). In one or more alternative embodiments, multiple PV modules may be coupled to a single inverter (i.e., a centralized inverter); in some such embodiments, a DC-DC converter may be coupled between the PV modules and the centralized inverter.
The PV module generates a direct current (DC) relative to the amount of solar energy it receives. The inverter converts the DC current generated by the PV module to an alternating current (AC). The generated AC current may be used to operate appliances in a home or business, coupled to a commercial power grid and sold to the commercial power utility, or a combination of both. In other embodiments, one or more of the DGs 102 may additionally or alternatively comprise a plurality of wind turbines, as in a “wind farm”, for generating the DC current.