Self-discovery of PV array installation mapping using wireless communication methods

Abstract

A photovoltaic (PV) generator is configured to enable a gateway computer to generate a network map. The PV generator comprises: at least one PV module comprising a plurality of PV cells; a wireless communication interface; a power line coupler configured to be connected to a power line; and a module level power electronics (MLPE), the MLPE comprising processing circuitry and a memory storing computer readable instructions that, when executed by the processing circuitry, cause the MLPE to: determine a time of arrival (ToA) between the MLPE and a neighboring MLPE included in a neighboring PV generator; generating an adjacent list, wherein the adjacent list comprises a list of adjacent MLPEs and data corresponding to the ToA of each adjacent MLPE in the listed adjacent MLPEs; and sending the adjacency list to the gateway computer to enable the gateway computer to generate the network map based on the adjacency list.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] Various example implementations relate to PV (photovoltaic) modules including MLPE (module-level power electronic devices) for measuring distances between adjacent modules, systems including the PV modules, methods for using the PV modules to self-map photovoltaic modules, and / or non-transitory computer-readable media including computer-readable instructions for performing the methods. Background Technology

[0002] During the commissioning of a new PV generator array and / or the modification of an existing array, PV module location mapping (e.g., array layout) is performed. Mapping (module layout) is important for managing individual PV modules as power sources and assets that require periodic tracking. Typically, mapping is performed manually using methods that involve assigning a unique ID to each PV module (marked with a QR (Quick Response) code) and manually monitoring the distances between the identified PV modules. Therefore, methods that automatically determine the location and adjacency of individual PV modules will reduce the time and cost of installation, maintenance, and asset tracking. Summary of the Invention

[0003] Technical issues

[0004] Various example implementations relate to PV (photovoltaic) modules including MLPE (module-level power electronic devices) for measuring distances between adjacent modules, systems including the PV modules, methods for using the PV modules to self-map photovoltaic modules, and / or non-transitory computer-readable media including computer-readable instructions for performing the methods.

[0005] Solution to the problem

[0006] According to an example implementation, a photovoltaic (PV) generator may include: at least one PV module comprising a plurality of PV cells; a wireless communication interface; a power line coupler configured to be connected to a power line; and a module-level power electronic device (MLPE) including a processing circuitry and a memory storing computer-readable instructions, which, when executed by the processing circuitry, cause the MLPE to: determine the time of arrival (ToA) between the MLPE and neighboring MLPEs included in a neighboring PV generator; generate an adjacency list comprising a list of neighboring MLPEs and data corresponding to the ToA of each of the listed neighboring MLPEs; and send the adjacency list to a gateway computer, enabling the gateway computer to generate a network map based on the adjacency list.

[0007] According to an example implementation, a photovoltaic (PV) generator network may include: an array of PV generators; and a gateway computer, wherein each PV generator in the PV generators includes a PV module, a wireless communication interface, a power line coupler connected to a power line, and a module-level power electronic device (MLPE), the MLPE including a processing circuitry and a memory storing computer-readable instructions, which, when executed by the processing circuitry, cause the MLPE to: determine the time of arrival (ToA) between the MLPE and neighboring MLPEs included in neighboring PV generators; generate an adjacency list including a list of neighboring MLPEs and data corresponding to the ToA of each of the listed neighboring MLPEs; and send the adjacency list to the gateway computer, wherein the gateway computer is configured to receive the adjacency list and generate a network map based on the adjacency list.

[0008] According to an example implementation, the gateway computer may include: a processing circuitry; and a memory storing computer-readable instructions that, when executed by the processing circuitry, cause the gateway computer to: receive a plurality of adjacency lists from a plurality of photovoltaic (PV) generators, each adjacency list including a list of neighboring PV generators detected by the respective PV generator and data corresponding to the time of arrival (ToA) of each of the listed neighboring PV generators detected by the respective PV generator; and generate a network map based on the plurality of adjacency lists, the network map indicating the distance and direction between each of the plurality of PV generators. Attached Figure Description

[0009] The exemplary embodiments will be more fully understood from the detailed description and accompanying drawings given below, wherein the same elements are indicated by the same reference numerals, and these descriptions and drawings are given by way of illustration only and therefore do not limit the scope of this disclosure.

[0010] Figure 1 An example of a photovoltaic (PV) generator according to at least one exemplary embodiment is shown;

[0011] Figure 2 An example of an array of PV generators according to at least one exemplary embodiment is shown;

[0012] Figure 3 A diagram is shown for determining the adjacency relationships in an array of PV generators according to at least one example embodiment;

[0013] Figure 4 This is a flowchart illustrating a method according to at least one example implementation;

[0014] Figure 5A diagram is shown for determining the time of arrival (ToA) between the initiator and the responder according to at least one example implementation;

[0015] Figure 6 It is a flowchart illustrating a method according to at least one example implementation; and

[0016] Figure 7 This is a flowchart illustrating a method according to at least one example implementation. Detailed Implementation

[0017] According to an example implementation, a photovoltaic (PV) generator may include: at least one PV module comprising a plurality of PV cells; a wireless communication interface; a power line coupler configured to be connected to a power line; and a module-level power electronic device (MLPE) including a processing circuitry and a memory storing computer-readable instructions that, when executed by the processing circuitry, cause the MLPE to determine: the time of arrival (ToA) between the MLPE and neighboring MLPEs included in a neighboring PV generator; generate an adjacency list comprising a list of neighboring MLPEs and data corresponding to the ToA of each of the listed neighboring MLPEs; and send the adjacency list to a gateway computer, enabling the gateway computer to generate a network map based on the adjacency list.

[0018] The mode of the present invention

[0019] Various exemplary embodiments will now be described more fully with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which some exemplary embodiments are shown, and throughout the description of the drawings, reference numerals refer to the same elements.

[0020] Detailed illustrative embodiments are disclosed herein. However, the specific structural and functional details disclosed herein are merely representative for the purpose of describing exemplary embodiments. These exemplary embodiments may be implemented in many alternative forms and should not be construed as being limited to the exemplary embodiments set forth herein.

[0021] Therefore, while various modifications and alternatives are possible with respect to the exemplary embodiments, the embodiments are shown by way of example in the accompanying drawings and will be described in detail herein. It should be understood that there is no intention to limit the exemplary embodiments to the specific forms disclosed. Rather, the exemplary embodiments will cover all modifications, equivalents, and alternatives falling within the scope of this disclosure.

[0022] It should be understood that many of the example implementations described herein can be used in combination.

[0023] As discussed in this article, the terms “one or more” and “at least one” are used interchangeably.

[0024] Figure 1 An example of a photovoltaic (PV) generator 100 is shown. The PV generator 100 may include a module-level power electronics (MLPE) 110, at least one PV module 120, a communication interface 130, and a power line coupler 155, etc. The PV generator 100 may be configured to communicate with an external device 200, such as a gateway computer, discussed in more detail below.

[0025] According to at least one example embodiment, the PV module 120 may include multiple PV cells sealed within, for example, an environmentally friendly protective laminate and / or a protective transparent material. In the PV module, the PV cells may be connected in parallel and / or in series. The PV module 120 may also include at least one pair of conductive contacts, wherein one contact is configured to serve as an output of electricity generated by the PV cells, and the other contact is configured to serve as an input for completing a circuit. The PV cells are configured to generate electricity (e.g., energy, current, etc.) in response to excitation from radiation (e.g., solar radiation, etc.). For example, in at least one example, the PV cells are configured to operate as an electronic pump in response to excitation from photons. In at least one example embodiment, each PV cell may include, but is not limited to, at least one of photovoltaic crystal, polycrystalline, amorphous, and / or thin-film semiconductor structures.

[0026] In at least one example implementation, a plurality of PV modules 120 may be included in a PV panel (not shown), and a plurality of panels may be included in a PV array (not shown).

[0027] According to at least one example implementation, MLPE 110 is configured to perform maximum power point tracking (MPPT) at the PV module level. For example, in at least one example implementation, MLPE 110 may be configured to control and / or adjust the operating current and / or voltage combination of PV module 120 (and / or multiple PV modules 120 in an array) based on, for example, changes in the power output of PV module 120, to maximize power output. For example, MLPE 110 may be configured to monitor the current generated by PV module 120 and adjust the voltage in response to current changes caused by, for example, time of day, weather conditions, shading and / or contamination (e.g., dust, dirt, water, smoke, etc.) on PV module 120, degradation and / or damage to PV module 120, etc., but the example implementation is not limited thereto. Although Figure 1The example shown illustrates an MLPE 110 that monitors a single PV module 120, but the example is not limited thereto, and for example, in at least some example embodiments, the MLPE 110 may be configured to monitor and manage each of a plurality of PV modules, such as PV panels, at least a portion of a PV array, and / or a PV array.

[0028] MLPE 110 may include a processing circuitry system 111 and a memory 112. The processing circuitry system 111 may include: hardware circuitry or hardware including logic circuitry; a hardware / software combination, such as a processor executing software and / or firmware; or a combination thereof. For example, the processing circuitry system may more specifically include (and / or be included in) a central processing unit (CPU), an arithmetic logic unit (ALU), a digital signal processor, a microcomputer, a field-programmable gate array (FPGA), a system-on-a-chip (SoC), a programmable logic unit, a microprocessor, an application-specific integrated circuit (ASIC), etc., but is not limited thereto.

[0029] Memory 112 may include computer-readable program code stored in a computer-readable medium. The computer-readable program code may be provided to a processor of a variety of computers or other data processing devices. The computer-readable medium may be, for example, a non-transitory computer-readable medium. As used herein, the term "non-transitory" is a description of the medium itself (e.g., tangible rather than signaling) and not a limitation on the persistence of data storage (e.g., volatile memory versus non-volatile memory, etc.). For example, a computer-readable recording medium may be any tangible medium capable of storing or containing a program in or connected to an instruction execution system, apparatus, or device, and may include random access memory (RAM), read-only memory (ROM), and / or non-volatile mass storage devices, such as disk drives and / or solid-state drives, etc. Memory 112 may include, for example, computer-readable instructions to be executed by the processing circuitry system 111. In at least some example embodiments, such computer-readable instructions may be loaded from a non-transitory computer-readable storage medium independent of memory 230 using a drive mechanism (not shown). For example, memory 112 may include various special-purpose program codes, which include computer-executable instructions that can cause PV module 120 to perform one or more of the methods of the example embodiments.

[0030] Additionally, the processing circuitry 111 is configured to execute processes by retrieving program code (e.g., computer-readable instructions) and data from memory 112 for processing, thereby performing dedicated control and functions for the entire PV module 120. Once the dedicated program instructions are loaded into the processing circuitry 111, the processing circuitry 111 executes the dedicated program instructions, thereby transforming the processing circuitry 111 into a dedicated processor.

[0031] In at least one example embodiment, the processing circuitry 111 and the memory 112 may be included, for example, as a printed circuit board assembly (PCBA), a system-on-a-chip, etc.

[0032] In at least one example embodiment, MLPE 110 may also include an MLPE housing 140 that protects the processing circuitry system 111, memory 112, etc.

[0033] The PV generator 100 also includes a communication interface 130. The communication interface 130 may be a wireless communication interface including one or more antennas. In at least one example embodiment, the communication interface 130 may also include a wired communication interface (e.g., Ethernet connection, power line communication (PLC) connection, etc.). For example, the communication interface 130 may be configured to establish a wireless connection and communicate wirelessly with another wireless communication interface. For example, the communication interface 130 may be configured to establish at least one of Bluetooth connection, Wi-Fi connection, wireless mesh network connection, cellular network connection, ultra-wideband (UWB) connection, etc.

[0034] In at least one example embodiment, the communication interface 130 may be configured to communicate with a gateway computer (described further in detail below) and / or a user's device (e.g., a smartphone, computer, monitoring device, etc.), for example, via a direct connection and / or via a wireless network connection (e.g., a cellular network connection, a wireless mesh network, etc.). More specifically, in at least one example embodiment, multiple PV generators may be configured to establish a wireless network that is configured to connect the PV generators and connect the PV generators to external devices such as the gateway computer and / or the user's device.

[0035] The PV generator 100 also includes a power line coupler 155 configured to connect to the power line 150 and transmit power generated by the photovoltaic module 120 to the power line 150. In at least some example embodiments, the MLPE 110 may be configured to communicate with a neighboring MLPE using, for example, a PLC. For simplicity and clarity, the figures show only one PV module 120 associated with the MLPE 110; however, the example embodiments are not limited thereto. For example, the MLPE 110 may be configured to monitor and control the operation of one or more PV modules 120 and / or one or more PV panels.

[0036] Figure 2 Examples of arrays of PV generators 100-1 to 104-4 are shown; and Figure 3 A diagram is shown to determine the adjacency relationships in an array of PV generators. Although for clarity, Figure 2 and Figure 3 An array of PV generators arranged in a two-dimensional grid is shown, but the example implementation is not limited thereto, and for example, the arrangement of the array of PV generators may also include a third dimension (e.g., a vertical component).

[0037] According to at least one example implementation, a PV generator (e.g., Figure 1 The PV generators 100 can be included in a plurality of PV generators 100-0, 101-1 to 101-4, 102-1 to 102-4, 103-1 to 103-112-3, and 101-4 to 104-4, but the example embodiments are not limited thereto. In at least one example embodiment, the plurality of PV generators 100-0 to 104-4 can be included in a grid configuration (e.g., including a plurality of columns and rows, as shown), and / or in a honeycomb configuration (e.g., including a plurality of staggered rows or columns, not shown), but are not limited thereto. According to some example embodiments, the plurality of PV generators 100-0 to 104-4 can be arranged at the same vertical height and / or different vertical heights. For example, the plurality of PV generators 100-0 to 104-4 can be on a flat surface, a slope, a ridge, etc.

[0038] Each of the multiple PV generators can be adjacent to a plurality of first-order adjacent PV generators, where a first-order adjacent PV generator represents the nearest neighboring PV generator to the reference / selected PV generator. For example, a PV generator in the corner of the grid array (e.g., one of PV generators 101-4 to 104-4) may include two (two) first-order adjacent PV generators, a PV generator in the edge of the grid array but not in the corner (e.g., one of PV generators 101-3 to 112-3) may include three (three) first-order adjacent PV generators, and a PV generator in the grid array but not in the corner or edge (e.g., PV generators 100-0 to 102-4) may include four (four) first-order adjacent PV generators. For example, using PV generator 100-0 as a reference, each of the PV generators in the grid array but not in the corner or edge includes a plurality of first-order adjacent PV generators 101-1 to 104-1. Alternatively, PV generators in the corners of a cellular array may include two (two) first-order adjacent PV generators, PV generators in the edges of a cellular array but not in the corners may include three (three) to five (five) first-order adjacent PV generators, and PV generators in a grid array but not in the corners or edges may include six (six) first-order adjacent PV generators.

[0039] In an array of PV generators, rows (or columns) of PV generators can be connected in series, but are not limited to this. For example, in at least one example embodiment, each PV generator in a row of the array of PV generators can be connected in a string or chain (e.g., in series), and each row can be connected in parallel. The array can also be connected to an electrical load 250, such as a power grid, batteries, etc.

[0040] In at least some example embodiments, each MLPE included in the PV generator can be configured to establish communication (e.g., wireless communication) with each of the first-order adjacent MLPEs included in the first-order adjacent PV generator. For example, as described in further detail below, the MLPEs included in PV generator 100-0 can be configured to send a ping signal 235-1 with a first strength, and / or multiple ping signals with increasing strengths (e.g., 235-1 to 235-n). For clarity, the MLPEs are described as being at the center of the PV generator, but the examples are not limited thereto.

[0041] In at least one example implementation, the MLPE that responds to the first ping 235-1 can be defined as a first-order adjacent MLPE. For example, in some example implementations, the strength of the first ping 235-1 can be set to a level where the signal strength of the first ping 235-1 is at or above a threshold of the first-order adjacent MLPE, and is less than the threshold at a distance beyond the first-order threshold.

[0042] The first ping 235-1 can be configured to adapt to the width W and length L of the PV generator. For example, when the PV generators are expected and / or designed to be spaced at a distance d, and the length L of the PV generator is between one and two times the width of the PV generator, the MLPE can set the strength of the first ping 235-1 such that the signal level at a distance d+0.5L is equal to a first-order threshold. However, this is merely an example, and the example implementation is not limited thereto. For example, in at least one example implementation, the strength of the first ping 235-1 can be set such that the signal level at a distance d+L is equal to a first-order threshold, thereby including a subset of first-order adjacent PV generators and second-order adjacent PV generators.

[0043] For example, in these cases, such as Figure 3 As shown, a corner MLPE (e.g., MLPE-1) is configured to establish a wireless connection with its orthogonal first-order adjacent MLPEs (e.g., MLPE-2 and MLPE-3) and the nearest diagonal second-order MLPE (e.g., MLPE-4). Similarly, MLPEs at the edge of the grid array but not at the corner (e.g., MLPE-3) are configured to establish a wireless connection with their orthogonal first-order adjacent MLPEs (e.g., MLPE-1, MLPE-4, and MLPE-9) and the nearest diagonal second-order MLPEs (e.g., MLPE-2 and MLPE-10); and MLPEs not at the edge or corner (e.g., MLPE-4) are configured to establish a wireless connection with their orthogonal first-order adjacent MLPEs (e.g., MLPE-2, MLPE-3, MLPE-7, and MLPE-10) and the nearest diagonal second-order MLPEs (e.g., MLPE-1, MLPE-5, MLPE-9, and MLPE-11).

[0044] The MLPE can also be configured to respond to pings and to establish a wireless connection with the MLPE that sends the ping and / or initiates the connection. For example, the MLPE can be configured to determine whether to respond to a ping based on its strength and / or the number of pings received. For example, in at least one implementation, the MLPE can be configured to respond to pings of a first strength greater than or equal to a first-order threshold, and / or respond after receiving a desired number of pings of a second strength greater than or equal to a second-order threshold (which is less than the first-order threshold). Figure 7 The sending of higher-order pings is discussed in more detail.

[0045] Figure 4 It is a flowchart illustrating a method according to at least one example implementation; and Figure 5 A graph is shown for determining the time of arrival (ToA) between the initiating MLPE and at least one responding MLPE. In at least some example implementations, Figure 4 The method can be, for example, Figure 1 The processing circuitry system 111 performs the operation, but is not limited to this.

[0046] At operation S410, the MLPE is configured to send a first ping of a first strength, and the first ping may include information such as an initiator identifier identifying the initiator sending the first ping, a transmission time corresponding to the time the initiator sends the first ping, a ping identifier identifying the ping as the first ping, etc. In at least one example embodiment, the strength of the ping (e.g., transmission strength, etc.) may be set such that neighboring MLPEs receiving the MLPE are enabled and / or that they identify themselves as first-order neighbors in response to receiving a ping of the first strength (or greater). In at least some example embodiments, the MLPE is also configured to respond to a received ping of the first strength, or in other words, if the strength (and / or transmission strength) of the received first ping is greater than or equal to a desired threshold strength (e.g., associated with and / or corresponding to a desired distance), the responder will respond to the received first ping. The MLPE responding to the ping may also be referred to as the responder (and / or the responder MLPE), and the MLPE sending the first ping may be referred to as the initiator (and / or the initiator MLPE). The ping response may include information such as a responder identifier of the responder MLPE that responded to the first ping, and the transmission time corresponding to the time when the responder MLPE sent its response to the first ping, but is not limited thereto. In at least one example implementation, the MLPE may be configured to send a ping in response to a trigger, but is not limited thereto. For example, in some example implementations, the initiation of a ping may be in response to at least one of the following: a start signal from the gateway computer, determination that the PV generator is in installation mode, determination that the change in power generated by the PV generator is greater than a first threshold, determination that the change in power received from at least one of the neighboring PV generators is greater than a second threshold, or any combination thereof.

[0047] At operation S420, the initiator receives a response to the first ping from the responder. In some example embodiments, if the initiator does not receive a response to the first ping, the initiator is configured to periodically repeat the ping. For example, the initiator may be configured to send pings based on a predetermined (or other desired) interval. In at least some example embodiments, the initiator may be configured to adjust the period for sending pings based on the initiator's operating mode. For example, in some example embodiments, the initiator may be configured to send pings based on a first interval when the initiator is in install mode, and based on a second interval (longer than the first interval) when the initiator is in monitor mode, but is not limited thereto. According to other example embodiments, the initiator may receive instructions, such as from a gateway computer, to send pings, etc.

[0048] At operation S430, the initiator and responder establish a connection, such as a wireless connection. In at least some example embodiments, the wireless connection may be at least one of Bluetooth, Wi-Fi, wireless mesh, cellular, ultra-wideband (UWB), etc. In at least one example embodiment, the initiator and one or more responders may use the wireless connection to establish a communication network (e.g., a mesh network) that enables the MLPE to communicate with each other, with a gateway computer, and / or with other wirelessly enabled devices. For example, in some example embodiments, the MLPE may use the communication network to send health reports, status reports, etc., of the PV generator. In at least some example embodiments, establishing a connection may include: establishing a frequency band and / or communication strength between the initiator and responder, and / or establishing a communication protocol to mitigate interference between the initiator and other potential responders.

[0049] At operation S440, the initiator establishes the time of arrival (ToA) and / or angle of arrival (AoA). In this document, ToA may also be referred to as time of flight (ToF).

[0050] In at least one example, the initiator sends a polling message to at least one responder and receives a response message from the identified at least one responder in operation S420; however, the example implementation is not limited to this. For example, the initiator may directly send polling messages to and receive response messages from the desired responders based on a communication network established between the initiator and the desired responders. As another example, the initiator may send and / or broadcast polling messages to multiple desired responders through an established communication network and receive multiple response messages from multiple desired responders, etc. In at least one example implementation, the initiator may be configured to send error polling messages, and / or one or more responders may be configured to respond to error polling messages.

[0051] The response may include a response time indicator ( Figure 5 T reply ToA indicates the time period during which the responder replies to a received poll. In at least some example implementations, ToA can be determined as the time between the initiator sending a poll and receiving a response (T0). loop ) and response time (T) reply Half the difference between (ToA and ToA). In at least one example implementation, the initiator can be configured to assume line-of-sight (LoS) conditions when determining ToA, but the example implementation is not limited to this. For example, in these cases, to simplify computational requirements, the initiator may not compensate for obstacles and / or the curvature of the Earth.

[0052] Furthermore, the example implementations are not limited to this, and for example, the ToA can be determined based on the ping and the response to the ping performed in operations S410 and S420, etc. For example, in at least one example implementation, operation S440 can be integrated into operations S410 and / or S420, such that the initiator establishes the ToA based on the ping and the response. For example, in at least some example implementations, the ping of operation S410 may include a polling message, and / or the response of S420 may include a response time indicator (…). Figure 5 T reply ).

[0053] Furthermore, in at least one example implementation, the polling message may include information such as an initiator identifier that identifies the initiator that sends the polling message, a sending time corresponding to the time when the initiator sends the polling message, and a polling message identifier that identifies the message as a polling message.

[0054] Furthermore, in at least one example implementation, response message information includes, for example, a responder identifier that identifies the responder of the polling message, a response time indicator, a reception time corresponding to the time the responder receives the polling message, and a transmission time corresponding to the time the responder sends the response message.

[0055] In at least one example implementation, the MLPE can be configured to perform operation S440 in response to, for example, a start signal from a gateway computer, determining that the change in power generated by the PV generator is greater than a first threshold, determining that the change in power received from at least one of the neighboring PV generators is greater than a second threshold, or any combination thereof.

[0056] At operation S450, the initiator generates an adjacency list based on ToA. For example, in some example implementations, the initiator may use ToA to determine the distance between the initiator and the responders and / or may send data including the ToA of each of one or more responders to the gateway computer, thereby enabling the gateway computer to determine the distance between PV generators and / or generate a map of the PV generators, etc.

[0057] An adjacency list may include, for example, a list of MLPEs responding to pings and a corresponding ToA for each of the listed MLPEs. In some example implementations, the adjacency list may also identify whether a listed MLPE is identified as a first-order adjacent MLPE or a higher-order adjacent MLPE (e.g., a second-order adjacent MLPE, etc.). In some example implementations, the adjacency list may include the distance between the initiator and the listed MLPEs.

[0058] In at least some example implementations, the initiator may receive a response twice. For example, if the initiator includes two or more antennas, the initiator may receive a response at a first antenna and a second antenna. In these cases, the initiator may determine the AoA based on the difference between the ToA of the first antenna and the ToA of the second antenna; and the adjacency list may also include the ToA of two or more antennas and / or the corresponding AoA of each of the listed MLPEs.

[0059] In at least some example implementations, the MLPE is also configured to determine the distance between the initiator and the responder, which is directly connected to the initiator via a power line. For example, the attenuation of PLC signals transmitted and / or received via the power line can be compared to a predetermined (or otherwise determined) maximum value, and the difference is used to determine the length of the power line. In at least some example implementations, the length of the power line can be used to confirm and / or calibrate the determined ToA. The MLPE can be configured to include attenuation values ​​(e.g., at least one of the result of a comparison and / or the distance determined based on the comparison) as attenuation data in the adjacency list.

[0060] In at least some example implementations, the initiator may send an adjacency list to a gateway computer connected to the array of PV generators, thereby enabling the gateway computer to determine the distance between neighboring PV generators, generate a map of the PV generators, and / or monitor the array of PV generators, etc.

[0061] According to some example implementations, all MLPEs in the PV generator array can act as starters and perform operations S410 to S450, etc. However, the example implementations are not limited to this, and for example, a subset of the MLPEs in the PV generator array can act as starters. For example, according to at least one example implementation, during monitoring mode, only a subset of MLPEs can be configured as starters, and / or the gateway computer can select the next MLPE to act as a starter and can send a start signal to the selected MLPE, etc., thereby reducing the energy consumption of the PV generator array.

[0062] Although the above reference Figure 4 An example has been described, but the example implementation is not limited to the specific order provided above.

[0063] Figure 6 This is a flowchart illustrating a method according to at least one example implementation. In at least some example implementations, Figure 6 The method can be connected to Figure 2 The gateway computer of the PV generator array (e.g., Figure 1The gateway computer may be included in one of the PV generators in the array of PV generators, and / or as a separate computer including a processing circuitry system. (The implementation may be described in the 200)

[0064] At operation S510, the gateway computer receives distance data from multiple MLPEs. For example, the distance data may include multiple adjacency lists generated by the multiple MLPEs.

[0065] At operation S520, the gateway computer generates a network map based on distance data. In at least one example implementation, generating the network map may include sorting the received information based on the identity of the initiator and / or the identity of the responder. For example, sorting may include sorting the data in ascending order for each adjacency list received from multiple MLPEs. The adjacent MLPEs of each MLPE can then be determined and saved as a subset list.

[0066] For example, refer to Figure 3 and Figure 6 Each MLPE subset can be represented by n (m1, m2, m3, m4), where n represents the initiator's identifier (ID) and m represents the first-order neighbor MLPE. Figure 3 Each MLPE in the numbered MLPE can be represented by 1 (2, X, 4, X), 2 (1, 3, 5, X), 3 (10, 2, 6, X), 10 (13, 3, 11, X), 13 (10, X, 14, X), 4 (X, X, 7, 1), 5 (6, 4, 8, 2), 6 (11, 5, 3, 9), 11 (14, 6, 10, 12), 14 (11, X, 15, 13), 7 (X, 8, X, 4), 8 (9, 7, X, 5), 9 (12, 8, 6, X), 12 (9, 15, 11, X), 15 (12, X, 14, X). For simplicity and clarity, distance data has been omitted from the example subset list above, but the example is not limited to this. In the example where the adjacency list also includes AoA data, subsets can also be listed based on orientation (or direction) relative to the initiator and / or include AoA data. For example, the subset can be represented as n(E, W, S, N), where E, W, S, and N represent east, west, south, and north relative to the example shown.

[0067] In at least one example, one of the MLPEs in the subset list can be selected as the seed (or kernel) for building the map, and the map can be expanded from the seed.

[0068] For example, based on the above, the gateway computer can select MLPE-1 as a seed and generate a map such that MLPE-2 and MLPE-4 are to the left and south of MLPE-4, respectively. Then, the gateway computer can select at least one of MLPE-2 and / or MLPE-4 and expand the map such that MLPE-3 and MLPE-5 are to the left and south of MLPE-2, respectively, and / or MLPE-7 is south of MLPE-4. The map can be iteratively expanded until every MLPE is included in the map. In at least some example implementations, the map can be validated during expansion (e.g., at each iteration and / or after a predetermined number of iterations). For example, the gateway computer can redirect the map in case of conflicts between the map and the subset list (e.g., where the map orientation does not match the adjacency of the subset list), can validate distances between MLPEs, can identify missing MLPEs, mislocated or improperly located MLPEs, and / or can identify any other errors in the map and / or subset list. Additionally, the gateway computer can be configured to compensate for differences between ToA data and / or Loss of Sense (LoS) assumptions.

[0069] In at least some example implementations, the gateway computer is configured to periodically update the map. For example, in at least some example implementations, the gateway computer may receive health reports from the array of PV generators and send a start signal in response to determining that a change (e.g., a decrease) in the power generated by the array of PV generators exceeds a threshold, an interruption and / or disconnection of communication from neighboring MLPEs, etc. The start signal may include instructions for the MLPEs included in the array of PV generators (e.g., the MLPE with decreased power generation and / or neighboring MLPEs) to initiate the determination of the ToA between the selected MLPE and its neighboring MLPEs. The gateway computer may receive updates from the selected MLPEs and revise the map based on the received updates.

[0070] In this way, the gateway computer can sense when changes have occurred in the PV generator array, such as when a PV generator has been moved and / or removed from the array, when a PV generator has been damaged, when an obstacle has appeared, or when the power line connection between PV generators has been damaged.

[0071] At operation S530, the gateway computer can generate notifications of changes to the PV generator array and send them to the user. For example, when in installation mode, an alarm from the gateway computer can notify the user of the relative position of the MLPE (and its corresponding PV generator) and the distance to neighboring MLPEs, thereby reducing the installation time and cost of installing PV generators in the array. More specifically, since the gateway computer notifies the user of the relative position of the MLPE and the distance to neighboring MLPEs, the user does not need additional tools and / or time to determine the distance. Additionally, when in monitoring mode, the user can be notified if the MLPE (and its corresponding PV generator) has been moved and / or removed from the array, or has been damaged. Therefore, the user can be notified of anomalies such as potential theft without continuous manual monitoring by, for example, additional equipment and / or personnel, thereby reducing the cost of asset tracking. For example, in at least one example implementation, an alarm can be generated and sent to the user when changes in the map are greater than or equal to an allowable value. Furthermore, in at least some example embodiments, the wireless communication network established by the MLPE can be configured to establish a connection with the user's device, such that when the user's device connects to the wireless communication network established by the MLPE, the gateway computer can determine the position of the user's device relative to the MLPE in the network map, thereby enabling the gateway computer to update the relative position of the user's device. For example, in at least some example embodiments, if the MLPE is identified as requiring maintenance and / or repair, the gateway computer can guide the user's device to the identified MLPE, mark the location of the MLPE on the PV generator map, etc.

[0072] In at least some example implementations, an alarm can be provided to, for example, a user's device (e.g., a mobile device, computer, etc.) via an application (“App”) running on the device. In at least one example implementation, the alarm can also activate additional security devices when in monitoring mode. For example, in at least one example implementation, the alarm can prompt a security camera and / or microphone to begin recording and / or streaming video and / or audio fed from the security camera and / or microphone to the user's device.

[0073] Figure 7 This is a flowchart illustrating a method according to at least one example implementation. Figure 7 In this context, operations S710, S720, S730, S740, and S790 can be the same as or substantially similar to operations S410 to S450, respectively. Therefore, for the sake of brevity, repeated descriptions of them are omitted in the following description.

[0074] At operation S750, the initiator sends a second ping. The second ping can be configured to be a second-order and / or third-order adjacency MLPE (e.g., ...). Figure 2 (102-1 to 102-4 and / or 101-3 112-3) detection. For example, in at least some example implementations, the strength (or signal strength) of the second ping can be set to be higher than that of the first ping, and / or the responder can be configured to respond after receiving two ping second-order thresholds (e.g., between the first-order threshold and the minimum threshold, lowering the response threshold), after operation S740, etc.

[0075] At operation S760, the initiator receives a response to the second ping from a second-order and / or third-order adjacent MLPE, and at operation S770, the initiator establishes a connection with the responding second-order and / or third-order adjacent MLPE that did not respond to the first ping.

[0076] At operation S780, the initiator determines the ToA of a second-order and / or third-order adjacent MLPE that did not respond to the first ping. For example, in at least one example, the initiator sends a poll (or handshake) and receives a response from the second-order and / or third-order adjacent MLPE that did not respond to the first ping. The response may include a response time indicator ( Figure 5 T reply ToA indicates the time period during which the responder replies to a received poll. In at least some example implementations, ToA can be determined as the time between the initiator sending a poll and receiving a response (T0). loop ) and response time (T) reply The difference between ToA and ToA is half of the difference between the two antennas. Additionally, in at least some example implementations, the initiator may receive a response twice. For example, if the initiator includes two or more antennas, it may receive a response at both the first and second antennas. The initiator may determine AoA based on the difference between ToA of the first antenna and ToA of the second antenna. In these cases, the adjacency list may also include the ToA of the two or more antennas and / or the corresponding AoA of each of the listed MLPEs.

[0077] At operation S790, the MLPE generates an adjacency list such that the adjacency list includes the distance data of the MLPEs that responded to the first ping and the second-order and / or third-order adjacent MLPEs that did not respond to the first ping.

[0078] Despite the above about Figure 7Examples have been described, but the exemplary implementations are not limited thereto. For example, in at least one exemplary implementation, operation S740 may be integrated into operations S710 and / or S720, and / or operation S780 may be integrated into operations S750 and S760, such that the initiator establishes a ToA based on ping and response. For example, in at least some exemplary implementations, the ping of operation S410 may include polling, and the response of S420 may include a response time indicator (…). Figure 5 T reply In some of these example implementations, operation S770 may also be omitted.

[0079] As described above, an array of PV generators that includes multiple self-reporting MLPEs enables the array to self-monitor, thereby reducing the time and cost of installation, maintenance, and asset tracking.

[0080] While the terms first, second, etc., may be used herein to describe various elements, these elements should not be limited by these terms. These terms are used only to distinguish one element from another. For example, without departing from the scope of this disclosure, a first element may be referred to as a second element, and similarly, a second element may be referred to as a first element. As used herein, the term "and / or" includes any one and all combinations of one or more of the associated listed items.

[0081] When an element is described as "connected" or "coupled" to another element, it can be directly connected or coupled to the other element, or there may be intermediate elements. In contrast, when an element is described as "directly connected" or "directly coupled" to another element, there are no intermediate elements. Other terms used to describe the relationship between elements should be interpreted in a similar manner (e.g., "between" versus "directly between," "adjacent" versus "directly adjacent," etc.).

[0082] The terminology used herein is for the purpose of describing particular exemplary embodiments only and is not intended to be limiting. As used herein, the singular forms “a,” “an,” and “the” are also intended to include the plural forms unless the context clearly indicates otherwise. It will also be understood that the terms “comprising,” “including,” “including,” and / or “comprising” as used herein specify the presence of the stated features, integers, steps, operations, elements, and / or components, but do not exclude the presence or addition of one or more other features, integers, steps, operations, elements, components, and / or combinations thereof.

[0083] It should also be noted that in some alternative implementations, the functions / actions mentioned may not occur in the order shown in the diagram. For example, depending on the functions / actions involved, two diagrams shown consecutively may actually be executed substantially simultaneously, or sometimes in reverse order.

[0084] Specific details have been provided in the preceding description to provide a comprehensive understanding of the exemplary embodiments. However, those skilled in the art will understand that the exemplary embodiments can be practiced without these specific details. For example, a system may be shown in block diagrams to avoid obscuring the exemplary embodiments with unnecessary details. In other instances, well-known processes, structures, and techniques may be shown without unnecessary details to avoid obscuring the exemplary embodiments.

[0085] As discussed herein, illustrative exemplary implementations will be described with reference to symbolic representations of actions and operations that can be implemented as program modules or functional processes (e.g., in the form of flowcharts, data flow diagrams, structure diagrams, block diagrams, etc.), including routines, programs, objects, components, data structures, etc., which perform specific tasks or implement specific abstract data types and can be implemented using existing hardware such as existing switches, hubs, routers, or other network elements, equipment, and / or hardware. Such existing hardware can be processing or control circuitry systems, such as, but not limited to, one or more processors, one or more central processing units (CPUs), one or more controllers, one or more arithmetic logic units (ALUs), one or more digital signal processors (DSPs), one or more microcomputers, one or more field-programmable gate arrays (FPGAs), one or more system-on-a-chip (SoCs), one or more programmable logic units (PLUs), one or more microprocessors, one or more application-specific integrated circuits (ASICs), or any other device capable of responding to and executing instructions in a defined manner.

[0086] Although a flowchart can describe operations as a sequential process, many operations within an operation can be executed in parallel, concurrently, or simultaneously. Furthermore, the order of operations can be rearranged. A process can terminate when its operations are completed, but it can also have additional steps not included in the diagram. A process can correspond to a method, function, program, subroutine, subroutines, etc. When a process corresponds to a function, its termination can correspond to the function returning to the calling function or the main function.

[0087] As used herein, the terms “including” and / or “having” are defined as including (i.e., open-ended). As used herein, the term “coupling” is defined as a connection, although not necessarily a direct connection and not necessarily a mechanical connection. Terms derived from the word “instruction” (e.g., “instruction” and “signature”) are intended to encompass all the various techniques that can be used to convey or reference the indicated object / information. Some, but not all, examples of techniques that can be used to convey or reference the indicated object / information include: the transmission of the indicated object / information, the transmission of an identifier of the indicated object / information, the transmission of information used to generate the indicated object / information, the transmission of some part or portion of the indicated object / information, the transmission of some derivative of the indicated object / information, and the transmission of some symbols representing the indicated object / information.

[0088] The benefits, other advantages, and solutions to problems have been described above with reference to specific exemplary embodiments of the invention. However, the benefits, advantages, solutions to problems, and any one or more elements that may achieve or produce such benefits, advantages, or solutions, or make such benefits, advantages, or solutions more significant, should not be construed as key, essential, or necessary features or elements of any or all claims.

Claims

1. A photovoltaic (PV) generator, comprising: At least one PV module including multiple PV cells; Wireless communication interface; A power line coupler configured to connect to a power line; as well as A module-level power electronic device (MLPE), the MLPE including a processing circuitry and a memory storing computer-readable instructions, which, when executed by the processing circuitry, cause the MLPE to: Determine the arrival time (ToA) between the MLPE and a neighboring MLPE included in a neighboring PV generator. Generate an adjacency list, which includes a list of neighboring MLPEs and data corresponding to the ToA of each of the listed neighboring MLPEs, and The adjacency list is sent to the gateway computer, enabling the gateway computer to generate a network map based on the adjacency list.

2. The PV generator according to claim 1, wherein, It also enables the MLPE to determine the ToA through the following operations: Send a first ping, which is configured to be detected by a first-order adjacent MLPE from the neighboring MLPEs, and Determine the ToA between the MLPE and the neighboring MLPE that responded to the first ping.

3. The PV generator according to claim 2, wherein, It also enables the MLPE to determine the ToA through the following operations: Send a second ping, the second ping being configured to be detected by at least a portion of the second-order adjacent MLPEs in the neighboring MLPEs, and Determine the ToA between the MLPE and a neighboring MLPE that responds to the second ping but does not respond to the first ping.

4. The PV generator according to claim 1, wherein, It also makes the MLPE: Based on the ToA, determine the distance between the MLPE and each of the listed neighboring MLPEs, and The data corresponding to ToA includes the determined distance.

5. The PV generator according to claim 1, wherein, The wireless communication interface includes at least a first antenna and a second antenna, and It also enables the MLPE to: determine the ToA between the MLPE and the neighboring MLPE by determining a first ToA corresponding to the first antenna and a second ToA corresponding to the second antenna for each of the neighboring MLPEs, and to determine the angle of arrival (AoA) of each of the neighboring MLPEs based on the time difference between the first ToA and the second ToA.

6. The PV generator according to claim 1, wherein, The adjacency list includes attenuation data corresponding to the attenuation value of power line communication (PLC) between the PV generator and at least one of the neighboring PV generators.

7. The PV generator according to claim 1, wherein, It also causes the MLPE to initiate the determination of the ToA in response to at least one of the following: The startup signal from the gateway computer It is confirmed that the PV generator is in installation mode. It is determined that the change in the electricity generated by the PV generator is greater than a first threshold. Determine that the change in power received from at least one of the neighboring PV generators is greater than a second threshold, or Any combination thereof.

8. A network for a photovoltaic (PV) generator, comprising: The array of PV generators; as well as Gateway computer, Each PV generator in the PV generators includes: PV module, Wireless communication interface, A power line coupler connected to the power line, and A module-level power electronic device (MLPE), the MLPE including a processing circuitry and a memory storing computer-readable instructions, which, when executed by the processing circuitry, cause the MLPE to: Determine the arrival time (ToA) between the MLPE and a neighboring MLPE included in a neighboring PV generator. Generate an adjacency list, which includes a list of neighboring MLPEs and data corresponding to the ToA of each of the listed neighboring MLPEs, and Send the adjacency list to the gateway computer, and The gateway computer is configured to receive the adjacency list and generate a network map based on the adjacency list.

9. The network according to claim 8, wherein, The array of PV generators includes at least: The first string of PV generators connected in series, and The second string of PV generators connected in series, and The first string and the second string are connected in parallel.

10. The network according to claim 9, wherein, It also enables the MLPE to determine the attenuation value of power line communication (PLC) between series-connected PV generators, and The adjacency list includes data corresponding to the determined attenuation value.

11. The network according to claim 8, wherein, Each of the PV generators is configured to establish a wireless connection with at least one of the neighboring PV generators.

12. The network according to claim 11, wherein, Each of the PV generators is configured to send a health report via the wireless connection.

13. The network according to claim 11, wherein, The wireless connection includes at least one of the following: Bluetooth connection, Wi-Fi connection, wireless mesh network connection, cellular network connection, or ultra-wideband (UWB) connection.

14. The network according to claim 8, wherein, It also causes the MLPE to update the adjacency list in response to at least one of the following: The startup signal from the gateway computer It is determined that the change in electricity generated by at least one of the PV generators is greater than a first threshold. Determine that the change in power received from at least one of the neighboring PV generators is greater than a second threshold, or any combination thereof.

15. The network according to claim 14, wherein, Updating the adjacency list includes: redetermining the ToA between the MLPE and the neighboring MLPE.

16. The network according to claim 14, wherein, The gateway computer is also configured to: The update is initiated in response to a change in the power generated by at least one of the PV generators, and In response to a difference greater than a permissible value between the network map and the updated network map generated using the updated adjacency list, a notification indicating a potential anomaly is automatically sent.

17. The network according to claim 8, wherein, The network map represents the distance and direction between the neighboring MLPEs.

18. The network according to claim 8, wherein, The array of PV generators is configured to establish a wireless communication network, which is configured to communicate with user equipment. The gateway computer is configured to determine the relative position of the user's device with respect to at least one of the MLPEs included in the network map.

19. A gateway computer, comprising: Processing circuit system; as well as A memory storing computer-readable instructions that, when executed by the processing circuitry system, cause the gateway computer to: Multiple adjacency lists are received from multiple photovoltaic (PV) generators. Each adjacency list includes a list of neighboring PV generators detected by the corresponding PV generator and data corresponding to the time of arrival (ToA) of each of the listed neighboring PV generators detected by the corresponding PV generator. A network map is generated based on the plurality of adjacency lists, the network map indicating the distance and direction between each of the plurality of PV generators.

20. The gateway computer according to claim 19, wherein, It also enables the gateway computer to generate the network map through the following operations: Select the first adjacency list from the plurality of adjacency lists, wherein the first adjacency list corresponds to the first PV generator among the plurality of PV generators; The network map is generated based on the selected first adjacency list by assigning a corresponding orientation relative to the first PV generator to each of the listed neighboring PV generators included in the first adjacency list. Select a second adjacency list from the plurality of adjacency lists, the second adjacency list corresponding to one of the listed neighboring PV generators; The network map is expanded based on the second adjacency list by assigning a corresponding orientation relative to the second PV generator to each of the listed neighboring PV generators included in the second adjacency list. It was determined that there were mismatches in the stated orientation; as well as The expanded network map is verified based on the determination that there is no mismatch between the orientations.

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