Solar powered boat fender positioning system with removable solar panel and low- power standby mode

Abstract

A solar powered boat fender positioning system with low-power standby mode comprising a power unit, a line, and a boat fender wherein the power unit comprises a motor, a spool, a microcontroller, a voltage boost converter, a removable solar power component, and an electrically-controllable switch. The microcontroller controls positioning of the boat fender on the line by spooling and unspooling of the line on the spool and disconnection of power to the motor during periods of non-use. The removable solar power component is configured to allow easy replacement of solar panels in the event of failure, and solar panels of the removable solar power component are configured to provide voltage lower than that required by the motor, wherein the voltage is increased to the voltage required by the motor by the voltage boost converter.

Description

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

[0001] The following patent applications are expressly incorporated herein by reference in their entireties:

[0002] Ser. No. 18 / 444,444

[0003] Ser. No. 17 / 353,785

[0004] Ser. No. 17 / 229,439

[0005] Ser. No. 16 / 716,074

[0006] Ser. No. 16 / 130,968

[0007] Ser. No. 15 / 709,421

[0008] Ser. No. 15 / 237,603

[0009] Ser. No. 15 / 178,515

[0010] Ser. No. 14 / 981,858

[0011] Ser. No. 14 / 929,369

[0012] 62 / 200,089

[0013] 62 / 165,798

[0014] 62 / 157,857

[0015] 62 / 153,185

[0016] 62 / 148,725BACKGROUNDField of the Art

[0017] The disclosure relates to the field of boating, and more particularly to automated deployment and retrieval of protective boat fenders for use in docking boats.Discussion of the State of the Art

[0018] Boating, in a motorized or sail-powered craft, is both a popular recreational activity and the foundation of the seafood industry. The operator of the craft must be able to navigate it safely and also to dock it safely; whether at a stationary, land-based dock, next to another boat, or at some other, similar large adjacent object (any and all of which are hereinafter referred to as a “dock”). Because fenders are located on the outer edge of the boat, manual deployment of fenders may involve some risk. Boaters may need to lean over the railing to deploy the fenders. A primary risk of personal injury is from slip and fall accidents including falling onto the deck, falling into the water, falling onto a dock, slipping on the boat hull, or falling between the boat and the dock. There is risk of damage to the boat, as well, if the fenders are deployed improperly. These risks are exacerbated in cases of stormy weather or large waves, where deploying and positioning the protective boat fenders to keep the boat from violently hitting a dock can be especially tricky and dangerous. Currently available motorized deployment systems are relatively complicated, and require either wired power or use of disposable batteries.

[0019] What is needed is a motorized fender positioning system that enables a boat operator to safely and conveniently deploy and retract boat fenders when needed at reduced cost and increased reliability. We may refer to the system as deployment, retrieval, reeling, lifting, positioning or similar terms, they are all referring to the same system. What is further needed is a solar powered boat fender positioning system.SUMMARY

[0020] Accordingly, the inventor has conceived and reduced to practice, a solar powered boat fender positioning system with low-power standby mode. In an embodiment, the solar powered boat fender comprises a power unit, a line, and a boat fender wherein the power unit comprises a motor, a spool, a microcontroller, a voltage boost converter, a removable solar power component, and an electrically-controllable switch. The microcontroller controls positioning of the boat fender on the line by spooling and unspooling of the line on the spool and disconnection of power to the motor during periods of non-use. The removable solar power component is configured to allow easy replacement of solar panels in the event of failure, and solar panels of the removable solar power component are configured to provide voltage lower than that required by the motor, wherein the voltage is increased to the voltage required by the motor by the voltage boost converter.BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING FIGURES

[0021] FIG. 1 is a front isometric view of an exemplary embodiment of the power unit of a solar powered boat fender positioning system.

[0022] FIG. 2 is a front isometric view of an exemplary embodiment of the power unit of a solar powered boat fender positioning system with its front cover removed.

[0023] FIG. 3 is a front isometric view of an exemplary embodiment of the power unit of a solar powered boat fender positioning system with its front cover and middle panel removed.

[0024] FIG. 4 is a side elevation view of an exemplary embodiment of the power unit of a solar powered boat fender positioning system showing details of an exemplary mounting system for the power unit.

[0025] FIG. 5 is a front isometric view of an exemplary embodiment of a removable solar power component of a solar powered boat fender system.

[0026] FIG. 6 is an exploded front isometric view of an exemplary embodiment of a removable solar power component of a solar powered boat fender system.

[0027] FIG. 7 is a front isometric view of another exemplary embodiment of a removable solar power component of a solar powered boat fender system.

[0028] FIG. 8 is an exploded front isometric view of an exemplary embodiment of a removable solar power component of a solar powered boat fender system.

[0029] FIG. 9 is a block diagram illustrating an exemplary system architecture of a control system for a solar powered boat fender system.

[0030] FIG. 10 is a block diagram illustrating an exemplary communication and control setup between a microcontroller and various devices.

[0031] FIG. 11 shows an exemplary application of a solar-powered boat fender positioning system.

[0032] FIG. 12 illustrates an exemplary computer system on which embodiments described herein may be implemented.DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0033] The inventor has conceived, and reduced to practice, a solar powered boat fender positioning system with low-power standby mode. In an embodiment, the solar powered boat fender comprises a power unit, a line, and a boat fender wherein the power unit comprises a motor, a spool, a microcontroller, a voltage boost converter, a removable solar power component, and an electrically-controllable switch. The microcontroller controls positioning of the boat fender on the line by spooling and unspooling of the line on the spool and disconnection of power to the motor during periods of non-use. The removable solar power component is configured to allow easy replacement of solar panels in the event of failure, and solar panels of the removable solar power component are configured to provide voltage lower than that required by the motor, wherein the voltage is increased to the voltage required by the motor by the voltage boost converter.

[0034] While solar-powered device are useful in that no external energy source is required to power them, solar-powered devices has several disadvantages as currently designed. A primary component that fails in many solar-powered devices are the solar panels themselves. Solar panels have a lifetime of about 15 years, and their performance degrades about 1% each year. Further, on portable solar-powered devices, the solar panels are prone to failure due to impact damage (such as impacts on the solar panels or dropping of the device in which they are installed) causing one or more of the photovoltaic cells in the solar panel to be damaged, rendering the solar panel useless.

[0035] Unfortunately, existing solar-powered devices are not designed for the solar panels to be removable, and so the solar panels cannot be replaced without major refurbishment of the device into which they are installed. A device without removable solar panels must be disassembled, the solar panels must be unglued and / or unsoldered, new solar panels must be glued and / or soldered back, and the device must be re-assembled. Such devices are not considered user-repairable and must be sent back to the manufacturer or to a specialized repair facility to have the solar panels replaced. These repairs and refurbishments are often so costly that it is more economical just to replace the entire device. Thus, removable solar panels would be a major improvement over existing designs for solar powered devices.

[0036] In the case of automatic boat fender positioning devices, using solar power is advantageous in that boats are typically in the sun for long periods of time, so batteries in such a device will be kept charged. Further, using solar power allows such a device to be mounted to the rails of a boat without requiring external power lines running into the boat or otherwise connected to the boat's electrical system, if any. However, the boating environment is harsh and electronic devices often fail due to the constant exposure to the sun and / or the corrosive environment of salt water. Therefore, removable solar panels would be a major improvement for solar powered automatic boat fender positioning devices.

[0037] Further improvements in solar powered devices described herein relate to control systems that reduce the number of photovoltaic cells required to power devices at a given voltage, reduce the number of batteries required to power devices at a given voltage, and reducing leakage current of the system during periods of non-use. Solar panels are made up of multiple photovoltaic cells (PV cells, also known as solar cells). Each PV cell generates a certain nominal voltage, about 0.5V for a typical silicon-based PV cell. These PV cells are connected in series to obtain a desired voltage. For example, 24 PV cells will generate a nominal 12V. Additional current at the desired voltage may be obtained by adding more PV cell series parallel to one another (i.e., multiple rows of PV cells series, each PV cell series generating the desired voltage). As the failure of a single PV cell in a series can prevent that series from generating voltage, the failure of a single PV cell in a small solar panel can greatly reduce the voltage and / or current supplied, rendering the solar panel unsuitable for its purpose. Thus, it is advantageous to reduce the number of PV cells required to power a device, so as to reduce the number of potential points of failure in the solar panel.

[0038] Likewise, batteries for solar-powered systems are made up of multiple battery cells. Each battery cell generates a certain nominal voltage, about 1.5V for a typical lithium-ion rechargeable battery cell. These battery cells are connected in series to obtain a desired voltage. For example, 8 battery cells will generate a nominal 12V. Additional current at the desired voltage may be obtained by adding more battery cell series parallel to one another (i.e., multiple rows of battery cells series, each battery cell series generating the desired voltage). As the failure of a single battery cell in a series can prevent that series from generating voltage, the failure of a single battery cell in a small unsuitable for its purpose. Thus, it is advantageous to reduce the number of battery cells required to power a device, so as to reduce the number of potential points of failure in the battery.

[0039] Lastly, leakage current in solar-powered devices is problematic because solar-powered devices are often low-power devices that don't store a great deal of energy in their batteries. Small leakage currents will drain the batteries of such small systems quickly when the device is not in the sun, such that the device may not be usable when it is needed. Leakage currents occur because no components of an electronic system are perfect. For example, dielectric insulators inside capacitors may leak some small amount of current. Leakage current can also occur as displacement current flowing through the capacitance between electrically active components and passive conductive components of an electronic or electromagnetic device, which is common in electric motors. Almost all circuits exhibit some level of leakage current.

[0040] Leakage current can drain batteries over time, which is problematic for systems that have long periods of non-use. In the boating world, for example, boats can often be stored in shelters during winter or in some climates boats can be operated for long periods with little sunlight. Thus, batteries of solar-powered devices on boats used in these conditions can drain due to leakage current, rendering the solar-powered devices unusable until sufficiently charged. Preventing or reducing leakage current in solar-powered devices is advantageous to allow these devices to remain on standby for long periods of time, still ready to use when the standby period ends.

[0041] As described herein, leakage current can be greatly reduced by utilizing a lower-power, electrically-controlled switch in the control circuit of the device which disconnects power to load components prone to leakage current (motor drivers, motors, etc.) while maintaining power to the controller so that it can be awakened from standby when required. A non-limiting list of electrically-controlled switches includes PN junction diodes, bipolar junction transistors (BJTs), NPN transistors, PNP transistors, field-effect transistors (FETs), metal-oxide-semiconductor field-effect transistors (MOSFETs), silicon controlled rectifiers (SCRs), insulated bipolar transistors (IGBTs), gate turn-off thyristors (GTOs), diode for ACs (DIAC), triode for alternating currents (TRIACs), electrically-controlled dual inline package (DIP) switches, and electromechanical relays. In some embodiments, a transistor is used as the low-power, electrically-controlled switch to disconnect the load components of the device. In some embodiments, the transistor is a field-effect transistor (FET) such as a metal-oxide-semiconductor field-effect transistor (MOSFET), which requires almost no current to disconnect the load components of the device. In some embodiments, electronically-controlled switches may be used. Electronically-controlled switches are a subset of electrically-controlled switches having additional electronic components such as Inter-Integrated Circuit bus (I2C), Universal Asynchronous Receiver / Transmitter (UART), and Serial Peripheral Interface (SPI) interfaces for selection and operation using these serial data protocols.

[0042] While many components of electronic systems have leakage current, motors are particularly prone to leakage current. Thus, disconnecting the motor from the solar panels and battery during periods of non-use dramatically extends the standby time of the solar powered device when the motor is not in use and particularly when the solar panel is not producing power to charge the battery (e.g., at night, during cloudy days, when the boat is in a covered storage dock, etc.). As an example, in real-world tests of embodiments shown herein disconnecting the motor block from the power block reduced leakage current from 70 microamps down to 6 microamps, a leakage current reduction of nearly 12 times. Assuming that we wish to keep the battery at or above 90% capacity so that it is immediately available for use without charging, and assuming use of a 7.2V battery with a capacity of 700 mA, the standby time of the solar-powered device would be increased from about 42 days (1.4 months) to about 387 days (12.9 months). A particular advantage of this embodiment is that users of solar-powered systems no longer have to manually disconnect batteries from their solar-powered devices for periods of use of a year or more. For boaters storing their boats over winter in covered docks, this marks a tremendous improvement over other solar-powered systems.

[0043] One or more different aspects may be described in the present application. Further, for one or more of the aspects described herein, numerous alternative arrangements may be described; it should be appreciated that these are presented for illustrative purposes only and are not limiting of the aspects contained herein or the claims presented herein in any way. One or more of the arrangements may be widely applicable to numerous aspects, as may be readily apparent from the disclosure. In general, arrangements are described in sufficient detail to enable those skilled in the art to practice one or more of the aspects, and it should be appreciated that other arrangements may be utilized and that structural, logical, software, electrical and other changes may be made without departing from the scope of the particular aspects. Particular features of one or more of the aspects described herein may be described with reference to one or more particular aspects or figures that form a part of the present disclosure, and in which are shown, by way of illustration, specific arrangements of one or more of the aspects. It should be appreciated, however, that such features are not limited to usage in the one or more particular aspects or figures with reference to which they are described. The present disclosure is neither a literal description of all arrangements of one or more of the aspects nor a listing of features of one or more of the aspects that must be present in all arrangements.

[0044] Headings of sections provided in this patent application and the title of this patent application are for convenience only, and are not to be taken as limiting the disclosure in any way.

[0045] Devices that are in communication with each other need not be in continuous communication with each other, unless expressly specified otherwise. In addition, devices that are in communication with each other may communicate directly or indirectly through one or more communication means or intermediaries, logical or physical.

[0046] A description of an aspect with several components in communication with each other does not imply that all such components are required. To the contrary, a variety of optional components may be described to illustrate a wide variety of possible aspects and in order to more fully illustrate one or more aspects. Similarly, although process steps, method steps, algorithms or the like may be described in a sequential order, such processes, methods and algorithms may generally be configured to work in alternate orders, unless specifically stated to the contrary. In other words, any sequence or order of steps that may be described in this patent application does not, in and of itself, indicate a requirement that the steps be performed in that order. The steps of described processes may be performed in any order practical. Further, some steps may be performed simultaneously despite being described or implied as occurring non-simultaneously (e.g., because one step is described after the other step). Moreover, the illustration of a process by its depiction in a drawing does not imply that the illustrated process is exclusive of other variations and modifications thereto, does not imply that the illustrated process or any of its steps are necessary to one or more of the aspects, and does not imply that the illustrated process is preferred. Also, steps are generally described once per aspect, but this does not mean they must occur once, or that they may only occur once each time a process, method, or algorithm is carried out or executed. Some steps may be omitted in some aspects or some occurrences, or some steps may be executed more than once in a given aspect or occurrence. When a single device or article is described herein, it will be readily apparent that more than

[0047] one device or article may be used in place of a single device or article. Similarly, where more than one device or article is described herein, it will be readily apparent that a single device or article may be used in place of the more than one device or article.

[0048] The functionality or the features of a device may be alternatively embodied by one or more other devices that are not explicitly described as having such functionality or features. Thus, other aspects need not include the device itself.

[0049] Techniques and mechanisms described or referenced herein will sometimes be described in singular form for clarity. However, it should be appreciated that particular aspects may include multiple iterations of a technique or multiple instantiations of a mechanism unless noted otherwise.

[0050] Process descriptions or blocks in figures should be understood as representing modules, segments, or portions of code which include one or more executable instructions for implementing specific logical functions or steps in the process. Alternate implementations are included within the scope of various aspects in which, for example, functions may be executed out of order from that shown or discussed, including substantially concurrently or in reverse order, depending on the functionality involved, as would be understood by those having ordinary skill in the art.

[0051] The skilled person will be aware of a range of possible modifications of the various embodiments described herein. Accordingly, the present invention is defined by the claims and their equivalents.Definitions

[0052] The term “battery” as used herein means a device that electrical energy. A battery typically comprises multiple battery cells. Each battery cell generates a certain nominal voltage, about 1.5V for typical battery types such as alkaline, nickel-metal hydride, and lithium-ion type battery cells. These battery cells are connected in series to obtain a desired voltage, and battery cell series can be connected in parallel to obtain additional current at the desired voltage. The term battery includes large-capacity capacitors when used as energy storage to power a solar-powered device.

[0053] The term “nominal” as used herein means the nominal rating (e.g., voltage rating, current rating, etc.) of a given electrical or electro-mechanical device. The term nominal means the specified ideal rating for the device and is often called the “name plate” rating as it is the specification placed on the name plate of the device (or in the device's data sheet). The operating values of the device may differ from the nominal rating and may be in a range around the nominal value. For example, the nominal voltage of a battery may be 7.2V, but the operating voltage of a 7.2V battery commonly ranges from a half volt above the nominal voltage to a couple of volts below the nominal voltage. The phrase “solar-powered” as used herein means a device is powered in whole or in part by

[0054] solar panels, whether the solar panels provide power directly to the device or the solar panels charge batteries that provide power to the device, or a combination of the two.

[0055] The phrase “solar panel” as used herein means a device that converts light energy into electrical energy. Solar panels typically comprise multiple photovoltaic cells (PV cells, also known as solar cells). Each PV cell generates a certain nominal voltage, about 0.5V for a typical silicon-based battery cell. These PV cells are connected in series to obtain a desired voltage, and PV cell series can be connected in parallel to obtain additional current at the desired voltage. Detailed Description of the Drawing Figures

[0056] FIG. 1 is a front isometric view of an exemplary embodiment of the power unit of a solar powered boat fender positioning system. The power unit 100 of this embodiment comprises a primary housing 200, and a removable solar power component 300. The primary housing 200 is attachable to a structure on a boat (such as a railing), and holds a motor, the electronic control system for the power unit 100, a battery, and a spool for line used to deploy and retract boat fenders. The removable solar power component 300 is attached to the primary housing 200 and is configured to hold a removable solar panel or removable solar panel enclosure.

[0057] The primary housing 200 of this embodiment comprises a front cover 210, a middle panel 220, a rear cover 230, and one or more clamps 240 for attachment of the power unit 100 to a railing or handhold of a boat.

[0058] The front cover 210 of this embodiment comprises a front panel 211 having side panels 212, one or more holes 213 in the side panels for letting out and reeling in line, and one or more screw holes 214 for securing the front cover 210, middle panel 220, and rear cover 230 together using screws or other fasteners. The front cover further comprises extensions 216 with holes 217 for attachment of clamps 240 for attachment of the power unit 200 to a boat railing or handhold. Note that this embodiment comprises two clamps, one on either side of the power unit 100, but only one of the clamps 240 is shown for purposes of clarity in the drawing.

[0059] The clamps 240 of this embodiment are described in detail below herein, but comprise components visible in this drawing of a front bracket 241 with a hexagonal hole for insertion of a nut into which a bolt may be screwed to tighten the front bracket 241 of the clamp 240 and rear bracket (partially shown) of the clamp 240 around the extensions 216 of the front cover 210.

[0060] FIG. 2 is a front isometric view of an exemplary embodiment of the power unit of a solar powered boat fender positioning system with its front cover removed. The power unit 100 of this embodiment comprises a primary housing 200, and a removable solar power component 300. The primary housing 200 is attachable to a structure on a boat (such as a railing), and holds a motor, the electronic control system for the power unit 100, a battery, and a spool for line used to deploy and retract boat fenders. The removable solar power component 300 is attached to the primary housing 200 and is configured to hold a removable solar panel or removable solar panel enclosure.

[0061] The primary housing 200 of this embodiment comprises a front cover 210, a middle panel 220, a rear cover 230, and one or more clamps 240 for attachment of the power unit 100 to a railing or handhold of a boat.

[0062] The middle panel 220 of this embodiment comprises an electronics enclosure 222, a cavity 221 for holding a spool 225 around which line is wound and unwound by a motor, and a hole 223 through which a shaft 251 of the motor is inserted to be attached to the spool 225. The spool 225 comprises outer discs 226 that contain the spooled line and a hole 227 for attachment to the motor shaft 251. The middle panel 220 also comprises columns 224 for attachment of the front cover 210 using screws or other fasteners. The electronics enclosure 222 holds the control system and other electronics for the power unit 100.

[0063] The clamps 240 of this embodiment are described in detail below herein, but comprise components visible in this drawing of a front bracket 241 with a hexagonal hole for insertion of a nut into which a bolt may be screwed to tighten the front bracket 241 of the clamp 240 and rear bracket (partially shown) of the clamp 240 around the extensions 216 of the front cover 210.

[0064] FIG. 3 is a front isometric view of an exemplary embodiment of the power unit of a solar powered boat fender positioning system with its front cover and middle panel removed. The power unit 100 of this embodiment comprises a primary housing 200, and a removable solar power component 300. The primary housing 200 is attachable to a structure on a boat (such as a railing), and holds a motor, the electronic control system for the power unit 100, a battery, and a spool for line used to deploy and retract boat fenders. The removable solar power component 300 is attached to the primary housing 200 and is configured to hold a removable solar panel or removable solar panel enclosure.

[0065] The primary housing 200 of this embodiment comprises a front cover 210, a middle panel 220, a rear cover 230, and one or more clamps 240 for attachment of the power unit 100 to a railing or handhold of a boat.

[0066] The rear cover 230 comprises a real panel (not shown) and side panels 231. In this embodiment, the side panels are thickened to provide sufficient rigidity while having voids 232 to reduce weight. The rear cover 230 houses a motor 250 for winding line on a spool (not shown) attached to the motor's shaft 251 to raise and lower boat fenders and a battery 260 for powering the motor 250 and control system of the power unit 100. The rear cover 230 also comprises screw holes 233 for attachment of the front cover 210 and middle panel 220 using screws or other fasteners.

[0067] The motor 250 of this embodiment is a brushless, direct current, permanent magnet motor, but any suitable type of small motor may be used. In this embodiment, a rotary encoder 252 is used to track the number of full or partial revolutions of the motor shaft 251 in order to determine the amount of line that has been let out from the spool 225. The rotary encoder 252 may likewise be used to track the amount of line that has been reeled in from the spool 225, but in this embodiment full retraction is determined by overcurrent in the motor 250 as detected by the control system monitoring a current meter attached to the motor 250. Using overcurrent in the motor (when the motor is straining at the top of the retraction and unable to reel in the line further) ensures that the line is pulled taut at the top of the retraction.

[0068] The clamps 240 of this embodiment are described in detail below herein, but comprise components visible in this drawing of a front bracket 241 with a hexagonal hole for insertion of a nut into which a bolt may be screwed to tighten the front bracket 241 of the clamp 240 and rear bracket (partially shown) of the clamp 240 around the extensions 216 of the front cover 210.

[0069] FIG. 4 is a side elevation view of an exemplary embodiment of the power unit of a solar powered boat fender positioning system showing details of an exemplary mounting system for the power unit. Here, the power unit 100 is shown from the side with exterior portions of the primary housing 200 and removable solar power component 300 shown, as well as a more detailed side view of the clamps 240.

[0070] The clamps 240 of this embodiment are designed to attach the power unit 100 to a railing, handhold, or similar structure 101 of a boat. In this case, a boat railing 101 is shown in cross-section. In this embodiment, there are two clamps 240, one on each side of the primary housing 200.

[0071] In this embodiment, each clamp 240 comprises a front bracket 241a with a lower jaw portion 243a, a rear bracket 241b with a lower jaw portion 243b, and a single-piece upper jaw 244. The front bracket 241a and rear bracket 241b are clamped either around the extensions 216 via a screw or bolt 247 or, as shown in this configuration, around a short spacer 248 that is the same width as the extensions 216. This affixes the clamps 240 to the primary housing 200. After the clamps 240 are affixed to the primary housing 200, the lower jaw portions 243a-b are placed under the railing 101 and the upper jaw 244 is placed over the railing and secured to the lower jaw portions 243a-b using screws, bolts, or other fasteners. This affixed the power unit 100 to the railing 101 via the clamps 240.

[0072] The clamps are configured to be attached to the primary housing 200 at the extensions 216 on the primary housing 200. In this configuration, while the clamps are still attached to the primary housing 200 at the extensions 216, they are extended backward from the extensions 216 by a long spacer 246 which project the power unit 100 out away from the railing (which is advantageous in situations where the railing is inset from the edge of the boat deck so as to keep the line from rubbing the edge of the boat deck).

[0073] FIG. 5 is a front isometric view of an exemplary embodiment of a removable solar power component of a solar powered boat fender system.

[0074] A primary component that fails in many solar-powered devices are the solar panels themselves. Solar panels have a lifetime of about 15 years, and their performance degrades about 1% each year. Further, on portable solar-powered devices, the solar panels are prone to failure due to impact damage (such as impacts on the solar panels or dropping of the device in which they are installed) causing one or more of the photovoltaic cells in the solar panel to be damaged, rendering the solar panel useless.

[0075] Unfortunately, existing solar-powered devices are not designed for the solar panels to be removable, and so the solar panels cannot be replaced without major refurbishment of the device into which they are installed. A device without removable solar panels must be disassembled, the solar panels must be unglued and / or unsoldered, new solar panels must be glued and / or soldered back, and the device must be re-assembled. Such devices are not considered user-repairable and must be sent back to the manufacturer or to a specialized repair facility to have the solar panels replaced. These repairs and refurbishments are often so costly that it is more economical just to replace the entire device. Thus, removable solar panels would be a major improvement over existing designs for solar powered devices.

[0076] In the case of automatic boat fender positioning devices, using solar power is advantageous in that boats are typically in the sun for long periods of time, so batteries in such a device will be kept charged. Further, using solar power allows such a device to be mounted to the rails of a boat without requiring external power lines running into the boat or otherwise connected to the boat's electrical system, if any. However, the boating environment is harsh and electronic devices often fail due to the constant exposure to the sun and / or the corrosive environment of salt water. Therefore, removable solar panels would be a major improvement for solar powered automatic boat fender positioning devices.

[0077] In this embodiment, the removable solar power component 300 comprises a solar panel housing 310 configured to allow easy installation, removal, and replacement of a solar panel 320 to power the power unit 100 and / or charge the power unit's 100 batteries. The solar panel housing 310 of this embodiment comprises an outer housing 311, a cavity (not shown) for insertion and retention of the solar panel 320, one or more tabs or clips 312 to retain the solar panel 320 in the cavity, and a finger slot 313 for tool-free removal of the solar panel 320 if it needs to be replaced. The solar panel housing 310 further comprises an opening 314 through which wires from the solar panel may be connected to the control system housed in the electronics enclosure 222.

[0078] FIG. 6 is an exploded front isometric view of an exemplary embodiment of a removable solar power component of a solar powered boat fender system. In this embodiment, the removable solar power component 300 comprises a solar panel housing 310 configured to allow easy installation, removal, and replacement of a solar panel 320 to power the power unit 100 and / or charge the power unit's 100 batteries. The solar panel housing 310 of this embodiment comprises an outer housing 311, a cavity 315 for insertion and retention of the solar panel 320 (the cavity 315 of this embodiment having a recessed ledge 318 to hold the outer edge of the solar panel 320), one or more tabs or clips 312 to retain the solar panel 320 in the cavity, and a finger slot 313 for tool-free removal of the solar panel 320 if it needs to be replaced. The solar panel housing 310 further comprises an opening 314, 317 through which wires from the solar panel may be connected to the control system housed in the electronics enclosure 222. The solar panel housing 310 further comprises a raised lip 316 around the opening 314, 317 to prevent water intrusion into the electronics enclosure 222 and drainage holes 318 on the bottom of the solar panel housing 310 to allow any water (whether from leaks or from condensation) inside the solar panel housing 318 to escape. In this embodiment, the joint between the outer edge of the solar panel 320 and the solar panel housing 310 is sealed after installation with silicone adhesive to prevent water intrusion into the solar panel housing 320.

[0079] FIG. 7 is a front isometric view of another exemplary embodiment of a removable solar power component of a solar powered boat fender system. In this alternate embodiment, the removable solar power component 400 comprises the solar panel housing 310 as previously described and a solar panel module 420, configured to allow easy installation, removal, and replacement of the solar panel module 420 to power the power unit 100 and / or charge the power unit's 100 batteries. The components of the solar panel module are shown and described the next drawing.

[0080] FIG. 8 is an exploded front isometric view of an exemplary embodiment of a removable solar power component of a solar powered boat fender system. In this alternate embodiment, the removable solar power component 400 comprises the solar panel housing 310 as previously described and a solar panel module 420, configured to allow easy installation, removal, and replacement of the solar panel module 420 to power the power unit 100 and / or charge the power unit's 100 batteries.

[0081] The solar panel module 420 of this embodiment comprises an upper shell 421 having one or more slots 422, a seal 423 to prevent water intrusion into the solar panel module 420, a glass plate light concentrator 424 for protecting the solar panel 425 from damage and concentrating light into the solar cells of the solar panel 424, a solar panel 425 for generating electrical energy to power the power unit 100 or charge its batteries, a lower shell 426 having one or more tabs for insertion into the slots 422 of the upper shell, one or more holes 428 for drainage and for routing of wires from the solar panel to the control system in the electronics enclosure 222, and a raised lip 429 to keep the solar panel 425 off the bottom of the lower shell 426 to allow any water to drain out of the solar panel module 420 and to allow room for routing of the wires from the solar panel 425 to the holes 428.

[0082] The solar panel module 420 can be easily attached or removed from the solar panel housing 310 by clipping the solar panel module 420 into the one or more tabs or clips 312 of the solar panel housing 310. The entire solar panel module 420 can be replaced or the solar panel module 420 can be easily opened and closed to replace just the solar panel 425 by inserting or removing the one or more tabs 427 of the lower shell 427 into the one or more slots 422 of the upper shell 421. When the solar panel module 420 is closed, the upper shell 421 and lower shell 427 are attached to each other with the seal 423, glass plate light concentrator 424, and the solar panel 425 sandwiched inside.

[0083] FIG. 9 is a block diagram illustrating an exemplary system architecture of a control system for a solar powered boat fender system. The control system 900 of this embodiment has two major improvements over existing control systems for solar-powered devices.

[0084] First, the control system 900 reduces the number of points of failure in the power block 910 of the system by reducing the number of photovoltaic cells required to power devices at a given voltage and reducing the number of battery cells required to power devices at a given voltage.

[0085] Solar panels are made up of multiple photovoltaic cells (PV cells, also known as solar cells). Each PV cell generates a certain nominal voltage, about 0.5V for a typical silicon-based PV cell. These PV cells are connected in series to obtain a desired voltage. For example, 24 PV cells will generate a nominal 12V. Additional current at the desired voltage may be obtained by adding more PV cell series parallel to one another (i.e., multiple rows of PV cells series, each PV cell series generating the desired voltage). As the failure of a single PV cell in a series can prevent that series from generating voltage, the failure of a single PV cell in a small solar panel can greatly reduce the voltage and / or current supplied, rendering the solar panel unsuitable for its purpose. Thus, it is advantageous to reduce the number of PV cells required to power a device, so as to reduce the number of potential points of failure in the solar panel.

[0086] Likewise, batteries for solar-powered systems are made up of multiple battery cells. Each battery cell generates a certain nominal voltage, about 1.5V for a typical lithium-ion rechargeable battery cell. These battery cells are connected in series to obtain a desired voltage. For example, 8 battery cells will generate a nominal 12V. Additional current at the desired voltage may be obtained by adding more battery cell series parallel to one another (i.e., multiple rows of battery cells series, each battery cell series generating the desired voltage). As the failure of a single battery cell in a series can prevent that series from generating voltage, the failure of a single battery cell in a small unsuitable for its purpose. Thus, it is advantageous to reduce the number of battery cells required to power a device, so as to reduce the number of potential points of failure in the battery.

[0087] In this embodiment, the motor 933 is a motor having a nominal (name plate) voltage at 12V, which is a typical voltage for motors used for applications such as the boat fender positioning system described herein. Normally, this would require a solar panel that produces a nominal 12V and a battery that stores energy at a nominal 12V. However, a solar panel with a nominal 12V requires 24 photovoltaic (PV) cells in series, the failure of any one of which will require replacement of the solar panel. A battery storing a nominal 12V requires 8 battery cells, the failure of any one of which will require replacement of the battery. The control system 900 of this embodiment allows for the use of a nominal 7.2V solar panel 911 having only 15 PV cells and a nominal 7.2V battery 912 having only 5 batteries, reducing the number of potential points of failure in both the solar panel 911 and the battery 912, extending the average mean time between failures for both the solar panel 911 and the battery 912. The control system 900 does this by using a boost converter 931 (also known as a voltage boost converter) to increase (boost) the 7.2V from the power block 910 to 12V at the motor block 930. Solar panels are made up of multiple photovoltaic cells (PV cells, also known as solar cells). Each PV cell generates a certain nominal voltage, about 0.5V for a typical silicon-based PV cell. These PV cells are connected in series to obtain a desired voltage. For example, 24 PV cells will generate a nominal 12V. Additional current at the desired voltage may be obtained by adding more PV cell series parallel to one another (i.e., multiple rows of PV cells series, each PV cell series generating the desired voltage). As the failure of a single PV cell in a series can prevent that series from generating voltage, the failure of a single PV cell in a small solar panel can greatly reduce the voltage and / or current supplied, rendering the solar panel unsuitable for its purpose. Thus, it is advantageous to reduce the number of PV cells required to power a device, so as to reduce the number of potential points of failure in the solar panel.

[0088] Second, the control system 900 reduces leakage current of the system during periods of non-use by using a low-power, electrically-controlled switch to disconnect the motor block 930 from power during periods of non-use.

[0089] Leakage current in solar-powered devices is problematic because solar-powered devices are often low-power devices that don't store a great deal of energy in their batteries. Small leakage currents will drain the batteries of such small systems quickly when the device is not in the sun, such that the device may not be usable when it is needed. Leakage currents occur because no components of an electronic system are perfect. For example, dielectric insulators inside capacitors may leak some small amount of current. Leakage current can also occur as displacement current flowing through the capacitance between electrically active components and passive conductive components of an electronic or electromagnetic device, which is common in electric motors. Almost all circuits exhibit some level of leakage current.

[0090] Leakage current can drain batteries over time, which is problematic for systems that have long periods of non-use. In the boating world, for example, boats can often be stored in shelters during winter or in some climates boats can be operated for long periods with little sunlight. Thus, batteries of solar-powered devices on boats used in these conditions can drain due to leakage current, rendering the solar-powered devices unusable until sufficiently charged. Preventing or reducing leakage current in solar-powered devices is advantageous to allow these devices to remain on standby for long periods of time, still ready to use when the standby period ends.

[0091] Leakage current can be greatly reduced by utilizing a lower-power, electrically-controlled switch in the control circuit of the device which disconnects power to load components prone to leakage current (motor drivers, motors, etc.) while maintaining power to the controller so that it can be awakened from standby when required. A non-limiting list of electrically-controlled switches includes PN junction diodes, bipolar junction transistors (BJTs), NPN transistors, PNP transistors, field-effect transistors (FETs), metal-oxide-semiconductor field-effect transistors (MOSFETs), silicon controlled rectifiers (SCRs), insulated bipolar transistors (IGBTs), gate turn-off thyristors (GTOs), diode for ACs (DIAC), triode for alternating currents (TRIACs), electrically-controlled dual inline package (DIP) switches, and electromechanical relays. In some embodiments, a transistor is used as the low-power, electrically-controlled switch to disconnect the load components of the device. In some embodiments, the transistor is a field-effect transistor (FET) such as a metal-oxide-semiconductor field-effect transistor (MOSFET), which requires almost no current to disconnect the load components of the device. In this embodiment, the electrically-controlled switch 913 is a power MOSFET designed to operate high-current devices. Power MOSFETs are available for a wide variety of voltages and currents, with very common MOSFETs having specifications of 5-36V and 15-30A. The MOSFET is operated by the microcontroller (MCU) 922 by passing low-current voltage from one of the MCU's 922 output pins to the base of the MOSFET, allowing a much larger current to pass between the emitter and collector of the MOSFET, powering the motor block 930.

[0092] While many components of electronic systems have leakage current, motors are particularly prone to leakage current. Thus, disconnecting the motor block 930 from the power block 910 during periods of non-use dramatically extends the standby time of the power unit 100 when the motor 933 is not in use and particularly when the solar panel 911 is not producing power to charge the battery 912 (e.g., at night, during cloudy days, when the boat is in a covered storage dock, etc.). As an example, in real-world tests of the embodiment shown here disconnecting the motor block 930 from the power block 910 reduced leakage current from 70 microamps down to 6 microamps, a leakage current reduction of nearly 12 times. Assuming that we wish to keep the battery at or above 90% capacity during standby so that it is immediately available for use without charging when the standby period ends, and assuming use of a 7.2V battery with a capacity of 700 mA, the standby time of the power unit 100 would be increased from about 42 days (1.4 months) to about 387 days (12.9 months). A particular advantage of this embodiment is that users of solar-powered systems no longer have to manually disconnect batteries from their solar-powered devices for periods of use of a year or more. For boaters storing their boats over winter in covered docks, this marks a tremendous improvement over other solar-powered systems.

[0093] The control system 900 of this embodiment comprises a power block 910, a control block 920, and a motor block 930.

[0094] The power block 910 comprises a solar panel 911, a battery 912, and an electrically-controlled switch 913. The solar panel 911 generates electricity from light and provides power to the battery 912, the control block 920, and the motor block 930. As the battery 912 is connected to the same components, the battery 912 also provides power to the control block 920 and motor block 930. In this configuration, some combination of the solar panel 911 and battery 912 will provide power to the control block 920 and motor block 930. When the power required by the control block and motor block 930 is greater than the solar panel 911 can provide by itself, the battery 912 supplies the remainder of the power needed. When the power required is less than the solar panel 911 can provide, the extra power from the solar panel 911 charges the battery 912.

[0095] As described above, the solar panel 911 and battery 912 of this embodiment are optimized to reduce the number of points of failure in the power block system. The control system 900 of this embodiment comprises a nominal 7.2V solar panel 911 and a nominal 7.2V battery to power a nominal 12V motor. The control system 900 does this by using a boost converter 931 (also known as a voltage boost converter) to increase (boost) the 7.2V from the power block 910 to 12V at the motor block 930.

[0096] The control block 920 of this embodiment comprises a voltage regulator 921, a microcontroller (MCU) 922, and a wireless transceiver 923. The control block 920 is always powered by the power block 910. The voltage regulator 921 lowers the 7.2V from the power block 910 down to the operating voltage of the MCU 922 (typically 3.3V or 5V). The wireless transceiver 923 is used to allow communication with external control devices such as mobile phones running applications that allow for control of the power unit 100 (e.g., by having controls for raising and lowering fenders, etc.). The wireless transceiver 923 may be of any suitable type including, but not limited to, WiFi, Bluetooth, etc. The MCU 922 controls the operation of various components and devices of the power unit 100, in this embodiment controlling the wireless transceiver 923, the motor driver 932 (which operates the motor), and the electrically-controlled switch 913. In other embodiments, the MCU 922 may control other components and devices. The MCU 922 receives data from various sensors and devices of the power unit 100, in this embodiment receiving data from the current meter 934 (also known as an ammeter) and from a rotary encoder 934.

[0097] The motor block 930 of this embodiment comprise a boost converter 931, a motor driver 932, a motor 933, a current meter 934 (or ammeter), and a rotary encoder 935.

[0098] The boost converter 931 (also known as a voltage boost converter) increases (boosts) the 7.2V from the power block 910 to 12V at the motor block 930. Boost converters are can be purchased with a variety of input and output voltages, and in other embodiments different voltages may be used for solar panel 911, battery 912, and motor 933.

[0099] The motor driver 932 receives control signals from the MCU 922 and applies the necessary voltage, current, directionality to the motor 933 to implement the control signals. Motor drivers are commonly-available electronic components.

[0100] The motor 933 of this embodiment is a brushless, direct current, permanent magnet motor, but any suitable type of small motor may be used, including stepper motors in some embodiments.

[0101] The current meter 934 is placed in series with the power leads of the motor 933 and is used by the MCU 922 to determine whether the current drawn by the motor 933 is over a specified threshold, indicating that the motor 933 is stalled (e.g., when the line is fully retracted and the boat fender is at the top of its range of motion in its stowed position), in which case the MCU 922 shuts off the motor 933. The rotary encoder 935 is connected to the shaft of the motor and detects the number of full or partial revolutions of the motor shaft 251 in order to determine the amount of line that has been let out from the spool 225.

[0102] In this embodiment, a rotary encoder 935 is used to track the number of full or partial revolutions of the motor shaft in order to determine the amount of line that has been let out from the spool. The rotary encoder 935 may likewise be used to track the amount of line that has been reeled in from the spool, but in this embodiment full retraction is determined by overcurrent in the motor 933 as detected by the MCU 922 monitoring the current meter 934 attached to the motor 933. Using overcurrent in the motor (when the motor is straining at the top of the retraction and unable to reel in the line further) ensures that the line is pulled taut at the top of the retraction. In some embodiments, a stepper motor may be used, obviating the need for a rotary encoder as stepper motors operate in distinct angles of rotation which can be counted by the MCU 922 (i.e., they “step” at a defined angle of rotation for each step).

[0103] FIG. 10 is a block diagram illustrating an exemplary communication and control setup between a microcontroller (MCU) and various devices. In this example, the control system 1060 comprises a power source 1020, a microcontroller 1010, an external interface 1030, and one or more input / output devices 1040a-n. The core of the control system is a microcontroller 1010, which is a small computing device with one or more processors, a memory, communications controllers, and one or more input pins and output pins. Microcontrollers 1010 in this type of application are typically pre-programmed for the intended use. The microcontroller 1010 may have onboard power and / or may be powered by an external power source 1020. The microcontroller 1010 is used to receive input signals at its input pins from one or more devices, make calculations or decisions according to its programming, and send output signals to its output pins to one or more devices. The devices may be any electrical or electronic component or device such as, but not limited to, other computing devices, switches, controls, or sensors.

[0104] The microcontroller 1010 of this example contains an Inter-Integrated Circuit bus (also known as I2C) which allows for fully addressable serial communication with slave devices such as rotary encoders, digital potentiometers, accelerometers, gyroscopes, light sensors, switches, or other devices using common wires for +5v and ground (for power), a clock signal, and data. In this example, the input / output devices 1040a-n contain a communications controller allowing for I2C serial communications with the microcontroller 1010. However, devices in communication may use any other available means of communication with the microcontroller 1010. Some non-limiting examples of other available means of communication include serial communication protocols such as Inter-Integrated Circuit bus (I2C), Universal Asynchronous Receiver / Transmitter (UART), and Serial Peripheral Interface (SPI); parallel communication protocols such as Small Computer System Interface (SCSI), Peripheral Component Interconnect (PCI), and Integrated Drive Electronics (IDE); wireless communication protocols such as Wireless Fidelity (Wi-Fi), Bluetooth, Radio-Frequency Identification (RFID), and cellular network protocols; or simple high / low or on / off voltage signals on a wire or switch.

[0105] As an example of communication inputs, assume that device A 1040a is a rotary encoder that outputs square-wave signals indicating rotation of the rotary encoder shaft. The signals from the rotary encoder are received by the microcontroller 1010, which counts each change in the signal (typically from low to high, but the reverse is also possible). The degree of rotation of the rotary encoder shaft for each signal change is determined by the resolution of the rotary encoder (e.g., a 10-bit rotary encoder would have 1,024 changes per revolution, with each change representing 0.31062 degrees). In addition to counting the number of changes, the micro-controller can use timers to determine the frequency of changes (corresponding to the angular velocity of the rotary encoder shaft) and changes in the frequency (corresponding to acceleration or deceleration of the rotary encoder shaft). As an example of communications outputs, assume that device B 1040b is a digital potentiometer which contains an I2C controller, allowing the digital potentiometer to be individually addressed as a slave device by the microcontroller, and it resistance to be adjusted electronically, which changes the resistance across the leads of another device, such as a motor.

[0106] FIG. 11 shows an exemplary application of a solar-powered boat fender positioning system. FIG. 11 shows a side 1100 of an exemplary boat fender positioning system set up on a boat with a railing 1101, a deck side 1102, and a rub edge 1103 of a boat above the waterline 1114 (all partial view cutouts). In this embodiment, the solar-powered boat fender positioning system comprises a power unit 100 as described in earlier embodiments above, a line 1108 attached at one end to the spool 225 of the power unit 100 and at its other end to an attachment point 1109 on the boat (in this case the railing 1101), and a fender 1104 having an opening through which the line 1108 passes. In this exemplary embodiment, the opening in the fender 1004 is along the fender's longitudinal axis. Further, a fender 1104 in retracted position (with a dotted line indicating the center hole) is shown, and a line 1108 that passes through the fender's center hole. Line 1108 is attached at one end to a fixed location 1109 of the boat, for example the railing 1109. That fixed location may be the boat cleat, the stanchion or any other boat part. In some cases one may connect that fixed location directly to the boat using a screw, a glue, a vacuum or some other mechanism. The other end of line 1108 may be connected to a spool or winding drum or some other mechanism 225 attached to the power unit 100 which may be attached to the boat railings 1101 with screws or bolts or zip ties or some other attaching mechanism 1107a,b such as clamps 240 as described above. The motor of the power unit 100 is controlled by the MCU 922 to pull up the fender 1104 into a top resting position whereupon, while retracting fender 1104, the power unit 100 may be configured to detect changes in current or other means such as a switch, and is configured to change its operation if change in state is detected for example an overcurrent or change in current state is detected. Fender 1104 is also shown in lower positions, such as 1110 and 1112. These are not additional fenders to fender 1104, but one and the same, in different positions based on line loop extensions as indicated by longer lines loops 1111 and 1113 respectively. The line comes out of the spool or winding drum or another winding mechanism 225 on power unit 100. Further, in some cases state detection (current, switch or other) is based at least in part on a configured current limit. Also, in some other cases an overcurrent condition or change in current state may be caused by a tangle in the line 1108. Furthermore, in yet other cases, upon current change detection, the system attempts to achieve a full retraction to the rest position by reversals of line 1108 movement. In yet other cases, a camera (not shown) with visual recognition software is used instead of or in addition to current sensing. In some cases, if fender 1104 retraction fails after the number of reversals, an alert is provided to an operator. In several of the herein described cases, after the user selects a height, the time to reach said height is changed based on the voltage of the batteries, to compensate for the actual speed of the motor of the power unit 100. Further, in some cases, the system deploys to a previously determined height upon approaching a previously set area for docking. Positioning in this configuration relies on a combination of gravity and friction to change the orientation of the fender from roughly horizontal to roughly vertical. As gravity pulls the fender down by sliding along the line as the line is let out, friction between the line and fender to keeps the fender closer to the point of attachment along the line than to the power unit 100, meaning that the end of the fender facing toward the power unit 100 is lowered more than the end of the fender facing the attachment point 1109. In some aspects flexible tubing (not shown) maybe added to the inside of the fender 1104 or around the line 1108 to better control friction. In some cases end pieces may be added with a funnel shape (not shown) to control friction and / or to improve longevity of fender 1104. In yet other cases, the line 1108 may have a special coating to control friction.Exemplary Computer System for Computer-Implemented Aspects and Embodiments

[0107] FIG. 12 illustrates an exemplary computer system on which embodiments described herein may be implemented, in full or in part. This exemplary computer system describes computer-related components and processes supporting enabling disclosure of computer-implemented embodiments. Inclusion in this exemplary computer system of well-known processes and computer components, if any, is not a suggestion or admission that any aspect or embodiment is no more than an aggregation of such processes or components. Rather, implementation of an aspect or embodiment using processes and components described in this exemplary computer system will involve programming or configuration of such processes and components resulting in a machine specially programmed or configured for such implementation. The exemplary computer system described herein is only one example of such an environment and other configurations of the components and processes are possible, including other relationships between and among components, and / or absence of some processes or components described. Further, the exemplary computer system described herein is not intended to suggest any limitation as to the scope of use or functionality of any embodiment implemented, in whole or in part, on components or processes described herein.

[0108] The exemplary computer system described herein comprises a computing device 10 (further comprising a system bus 11, one or more processors 20, a system memory 30, one or more interfaces 40, one or more non-volatile data storage devices 50), external peripherals and accessories 60, external communication devices 70, remote computing devices 80, and cloud-based services 90.

[0109] System bus 11 couples the various system components, coordinating operation of and data transmission between, those various system components. System bus 11 represents one or more of any type or combination of types of wired or wireless bus structures including, but not limited to, memory busses or memory controllers, point-to-point connections, switching fabrics, peripheral busses, accelerated graphics ports, and local busses using any of a variety of bus architectures. By way of example, such architectures include, but are not limited to, Industry Standard Architecture (ISA) busses, Micro Channel Architecture (MCA) busses, Enhanced ISA (EISA) busses, Video Electronics Standards Association (VESA) local busses, a Peripheral Component Interconnects

[0110] (PCI) busses also known as a Mezzanine busses, or any selection of, or combination of, such busses. Depending on the specific physical implementation, one or more of the processors 20, system memory 30 and other components of the computing device 10 can be physically co-located or integrated into a single physical component, such as on a single chip. In such a case, some or all of system bus 11 can be electrical pathways within a single chip structure.

[0111] Computing device may further comprise externally-accessible data input and storage devices 12 such as compact disc read-only memory (CD-ROM) drives, digital versatile discs (DVD), or other optical disc storage for reading and / or writing optical discs 62; magnetic cassettes, magnetic tape, magnetic disk storage, or other magnetic storage devices; or any other medium which can be used to store the desired content and which can be accessed by the computing device 10. Computing device may further comprise externally-accessible data ports or connections 12 such as serial ports, parallel ports, universal serial bus (USB) ports, and infrared ports and / or transmitter / receivers. Computing device may further comprise hardware for wireless communication with external devices such as IEEE 1394 (“Firewire”) interfaces, IEEE 802.11 wireless interfaces, BLUETOOTH® wireless interfaces, and so forth. Such ports and interfaces may be used to connect any number of external peripherals and accessories 60 such as visual displays, monitors, and touch-sensitive screens 61, USB solid state memory data storage drives (commonly known as “flash drives” or “thumb drives”) 63, printers 64, pointers and manipulators such as mice 65, keyboards 66, and other devices 67 such as joysticks and gaming pads, touchpads, additional displays and monitors, and external hard drives (whether solid state or disc-based), microphones, speakers, cameras, and optical scanners.

[0112] Processors 20 are logic circuitry capable of receiving programming instructions and processing (or executing) those instructions to perform computer operations such as retrieving data, storing data, and performing mathematical calculations. Processors 20 are not limited by the materials from which they are formed or the processing mechanisms employed therein, but are typically comprised of semiconductor materials into which many transistors are formed together into logic gates on a chip (i.e., an integrated circuit or IC). The term processor includes any device capable of receiving and processing instructions including, but not limited to, processors operating on the basis of quantum computing, optical computing, mechanical computing (e.g., using nanotechnology entities to transfer data), and so forth. Depending on configuration, computing device 10 may comprise more than one processor. For example, computing device 10 may comprise one or more central processing units (CPUs) 21, each of which itself has multiple processors or multiple processing cores, each capable of independently or semi-independently processing programming instructions. Further, computing device 10 may comprise one or more specialized processors such as a graphics processing unit (GPU) 22 configured to accelerate processing of computer graphics and images via a large array of specialized processing cores arranged in parallel.

[0113] System memory 30 is processor-accessible data storage in the form of volatile and / or nonvolatile memory. System memory 30 may be either or both of two types: non-volatile memory and volatile memory. Non-volatile memory 30a is not erased when power to the memory is removed, and includes memory types such as read only memory (ROM), electronically-erasable programmable memory (EEPROM), and rewritable solid state memory (commonly known as “flash memory”). Non-volatile memory 30a is typically used for long-term storage of a basic input / output system (BIOS) 31, containing the basic instructions, typically loaded during computer startup, for transfer of information between components within computing device, or a unified extensible firmware interface (UEFI), which is a modern replacement for BIOS that supports larger hard drives, faster boot times, more security features, and provides native support for graphics and mouse cursors. Non-volatile memory 30a may also be used to store firmware comprising a complete operating system 35 and applications 36 for operating computer-controlled devices. The firmware approach is often used for purpose-specific computer-controlled devices such as appliances and Internet-of-Things (IoT) devices where processing power and data storage space is limited. Volatile memory 30b is erased when power to the memory is removed and is typically used for short-term storage of data for processing. Volatile memory 30b includes memory types such as random access memory (RAM), and is normally the primary operating memory into which the operating system 35, applications 36, program modules 37, and application data 38 are loaded for execution by processors 20. Volatile memory 30b is generally faster than non-volatile memory 30a due to its electrical characteristics and is directly accessible to processors 20 for processing of instructions and data storage and retrieval. Volatile memory 30b may comprise one or more smaller cache memories which operate at a higher clock speed and are typically placed on the same IC as the processors to improve performance.

[0114] Interfaces 40 may include, but are not limited to, storage media interfaces 41, network interfaces 42, display interfaces 43, and input / output interfaces 44. Storage media interface 41 provides the necessary hardware interface for loading data from non-volatile data storage devices 50 into system memory 30 and storage data from system memory 30 to non-volatile data storage device 50. Network interface 42 provides the necessary hardware interface for computing device 10 to communicate with remote computing devices 80 and cloud-based services 90 via one or more external communication devices 70. Display interface 43 allows for connection of displays 61, monitors, touchscreens, and other visual input / output devices. Display interface 43 may include a graphics card for processing graphics-intensive calculations and for handling demanding display requirements. Typically, a graphics card includes a graphics processing unit (GPU) and video RAM (VRAM) to accelerate display of graphics. One or more input / output (I / O) interfaces 44 provide the necessary support for communications between computing device 10 and any external peripherals and accessories 60. For wireless communications, the necessary radio-frequency hardware and firmware may be connected to I / O interface 44 or may be integrated into I / O interface 44.

[0115] Non-volatile data storage devices 50 are typically used for long-term storage of data. Data on non-volatile data storage devices 50 is not erased when power to the non-volatile data storage devices 50 is removed. Non-volatile data storage devices 50 may be implemented using any technology for non-volatile storage of content including, but not limited to, CD-ROM drives, digital versatile discs (DVD), or other optical disc storage; magnetic cassettes, magnetic tape, magnetic disc storage, or other magnetic storage devices; solid state memory technologies such as EEPROM or flash memory; or other memory technology or any other medium which can be used to store data without requiring power to retain the data after it is written. Non-volatile data storage devices 50 may be non-removable from computing device 10 as in the case of internal hard drives, removable from computing device 10 as in the case of external USB hard drives, or a combination thereof, but computing device will typically comprise one or more internal, non-removable hard drives using either magnetic disc or solid state memory technology. Non-volatile data storage devices 50 may store any type of data including, but not limited to, an operating system 51 for providing low-level and mid-level functionality of computing device 10, applications 52 for providing high-level functionality of computing device 10, program modules 53 such as containerized programs or applications, or other modular content or modular programming, application data 54, and databases 55 such as relational databases, non-relational databases, and graph databases.

[0116] Applications (also known as computer software or software applications) are sets of programming instructions designed to perform specific tasks or provide specific functionality on a computer or other computing devices. Applications are typically written in high-level programming languages such as C++, Java, and Python, which are then either interpreted at runtime or compiled into low-level, binary, processor-executable instructions operable on processors 20. Applications may be containerized so that they can be run on any computer hardware running any known operating system. Containerization of computer software is a method of packaging and deploying applications along with their operating system dependencies into self-contained, isolated units known as containers. Containers provide a lightweight and consistent runtime environment that allows applications to run reliably across different computer architectures, operating systems, and environments.

[0117] The memories and non-volatile data storage devices described herein do not include communication media. Communication media are means of transmission of information such as modulated electromagnetic waves or modulated data signals configured to transmit, not store, information. By way of example, and not limitation, communication media includes wired communications such as sound signals transmitted to a speaker via a speaker wire, and wireless communications such as acoustic waves, radio frequency (RF) transmissions, infrared emissions, and other wireless media.

[0118] External communication devices 70 are devices that facilitate communications between computing device and either remote computing devices 80, or cloud-based services 90, or both. External communication devices 70 include, but are not limited to, data modems 71 which facilitate data transmission between computing device and the Internet 75 via a common carrier such as a telephone company or internet service provider (ISP), routers 72 which facilitate data transmission between computing device and other devices, and switches 73 which provide direct data communications between devices on a network. Here, modem 71 is shown connecting computing device 10 to both remote computing devices 80 and cloud-based services 90 via the Internet 75. While modem 71, router 72, and switch 73 are shown here as being connected to network interface 42, many different network configurations using external communication devices 70 are possible. Using external communication devices 70, networks may be configured as local area networks (LANs) for a single location, building, or campus, wide area networks (WANs) comprising data networks that extend over a larger geographical area, and virtual private networks (VPNs) which can be of any size but connect computers via encrypted communications over public networks such as the Internet 75. As just one exemplary network configuration, network interface 42 may be connected to switch 73 which is connected to router 72 which is connected to modem 71 which provides access for computing device 10 to the Internet 75. Further, any combination of wired 77 or wireless 76 communications between and among computing device 10, external communication devices 70, remote computing devices 80, and cloud-based services 90 may be used. Remote computing devices 80, for example, may communicate with computing device through a variety of communication channels 74 such as through switch 73 via a wired 77 connection, through router 72 via a wireless connection 76, or through modem 71 via the Internet 75. Furthermore, while not shown here, other hardware that is specifically designed for servers may be employed. For example, secure socket layer (SSL) acceleration cards can be used to offload SSL encryption computations, and transmission control protocol / internet protocol (TCP / IP) offload hardware and / or packet classifiers on network interfaces 42 may be installed and used at server devices.

[0119] In a networked environment, certain components of computing device 10 may be fully or partially implemented on remote computing devices 80 or cloud-based services 90. Data stored in non-volatile data storage device 50 may be received from, shared with, duplicated on, or offloaded to a non-volatile data storage device on one or more remote computing devices 80 or in a cloud computing service 92. Processing by processors 20 may be received from, shared with, duplicated on, or offloaded to processors of one or more remote computing devices 80 or in a distributed computing service 93. By way of example, data may reside on a cloud computing service 92, but may be usable or otherwise accessible for use by computing device 10. Also, certain processing subtasks may be sent to a microservice 91 for processing with the result being transmitted to computing device 10 for incorporation into a larger processing task. Also, while components and processes of the exemplary computer system are illustrated herein as discrete units (e.g., OS 51 being stored on non-volatile data storage device 51 and loaded into system memory 35 for use) such processes and components may reside or be processed at various times in different components of computing device 10, remote computing devices 80, and / or cloud-based services 90.

[0120] Remote computing devices 80 are any computing devices not part of computing device 10. Remote computing devices 80 include, but are not limited to, personal computers, server computers, thin clients, thick clients, personal digital assistants (PDAs), mobile telephones, watches, tablet computers, laptop computers, multiprocessor systems, microprocessor based systems, set-top boxes, programmable consumer electronics, video game machines, game consoles, portable or handheld gaming units, network terminals, desktop personal computers (PCs), minicomputers, main frame computers, network nodes, and distributed or multi-processing computer architectures. While remote computing devices 80 are shown for clarity as being separate from cloud-based services 90, cloud-based services 90 are implemented on collections of networked remote computing devices 80.

[0121] Cloud-based services 90 are Internet-accessible services implemented on collections of networked remote computing devices 80. Cloud-based services are typically accessed via application programming interfaces (APIs) which are software interfaces which provide access to computing services within the cloud-based service via API calls, which are pre-defined protocols for requesting a computing service and receiving the results of that computing service. While cloud-based services may comprise any type of computer processing or storage, three common categories of cloud-based services 90 are microservices 91, cloud computing services 92, and distributed computing services 93.

[0122] Microservices 91 are collections of small, loosely coupled, and independently deployable computing services. Each microservice represents a specific computing functionality and runs as a separate process or container. Microservices promote the decomposition of complex applications into smaller, manageable services that can be developed, deployed, and scaled independently. These services communicate with each other through well-defined application programming interfaces (APIs), typically using lightweight protocols like HTTP or message queues. Microservices 91 can be combined to perform more complex processing tasks.

[0123] Cloud computing services 92 are delivery of computing resources and services over the Internet 75 from a remote location. Cloud computing services 92 provide additional computer hardware and storage on as-needed or subscription basis. Cloud computing services 92 can provide large amounts of scalable data storage, access to sophisticated software and powerful server-based processing, or entire computing infrastructures and platforms. For example, cloud computing services can provide virtualized computing resources such as virtual machines, storage, and networks, platforms for developing, running, and managing applications without the complexity of infrastructure management, and complete software applications over the Internet on a subscription basis.

[0124] Distributed computing services 93 provide large-scale processing using multiple interconnected computers or nodes to solve computational problems or perform tasks collectively. In distributed computing, the processing and storage capabilities of multiple machines are leveraged to work together as a unified system. Distributed computing services are designed to address problems that cannot be efficiently solved by a single computer or that require large-scale computational power. These services enable parallel processing, fault tolerance, and scalability by distributing tasks across multiple nodes.

[0125] Although described above as a physical device, computing device 10 can be a virtual computing device, in which case the functionality of the physical components herein described, such as processors 20, system memory 30, network interfaces 40, and other like components can be provided by computer-executable instructions. Such computer-executable instructions can execute on a single physical computing device, or can be distributed across multiple physical computing devices, including being distributed across multiple physical computing devices in a dynamic manner such that the specific, physical computing devices hosting such computer-executable instructions can dynamically change over time depending upon need and availability. In the situation where computing device 10 is a virtualized device, the underlying physical computing devices hosting such a virtualized computing device can, themselves, comprise physical components analogous to those described above, and operating in a like manner. Furthermore, virtual computing devices can be utilized in multiple layers with one virtual computing device executing within the construct of another virtual computing device. Thus, computing device 10 may be either a physical computing device or a virtualized computing device within which computer-executable instructions can be executed in a manner consistent with their execution by a physical computing device. Similarly, terms referring to physical components of the computing device, as utilized herein, mean either those physical components or virtualizations thereof performing the same or equivalent functions.

Claims

1. A power unit for a boat fender positioning system comprising:a motor with a nominal operating voltage at a first voltage;a solar panel having a nominal output voltage at a second voltage, the second voltage being lower than the first voltage of the motor; anda voltage boost converter configured to increase the voltage from the second voltage of the solar panel to the first voltage of the motor.

2. The power unit of claim 1, further comprising:a motor shaft of the motor;a spool attached to the motor shaft; anda microcontroller comprising a memory, a processor, and a plurality of programming instructions stored in the memory which, when operating on the processor, causes the microcontroller to:operate the motor in a first direction to reel in a line by winding it around the spool; andoperate the motor in a second direction to let out the line by unwinding it from the spool.

3. The power unit of claim 2 further comprising:an electrically-controllable switch connected between the motor and the battery; anda second plurality of programming instructions stored in the memory which, when operating on the processor, causes the microcontroller to:switch the electrically-controllable switch on when operation of the motor is needed; andswitch the electrically-controllable switch off when operation of the motor is not needed.

4. The power unit of claim 2 further comprising: a removable solar power component comprising:a solar panel housing configured for insertion and removal of the solar panel or the solar panel inserted into a solar panel module; andone or more tabs configured to hold the solar panel or solar panel module in the housing after insertion.

5. A power unit for a boat fender positioning system comprising:a motor; anda removable solar power component comprising:a solar panel housing configured for insertion and removal of a solar panel or solar panel module;one or more tabs configured to hold the solar panel or solar panel module in the housing after insertion; anda solar panel.

6. The power unit of claim 5, wherein the solar panel housing configured for tool-free insertion and removal of a solar panel or solar panel module.

7. The power unit of claim 6, wherein the removable solar power component further comprises:a cavity for insertion and retention of the solar panel, the cavity having a recessed ledge to hold the outer edge of the solar panel;a finger slot for tool-free removal of the solar panel;an opening through which wires from the solar panel may be passed into an electronics enclosure;a raised lip around the opening to prevent water intrusion into the electronics enclosure; anddrainage holes on the bottom of the solar panel housing to allow any water inside the solar panel housing to escape.

8. The power unit of claim 5, further comprising:a motor shaft of the motor;a spool attached to the motor shaft; anda microcontroller comprising a memory, a processor, and a plurality of programming instructions stored in the memory which, when operating on the processor, causes the microcontroller to:operate the motor in a first direction to reel in a line by winding it around the spool; andoperate the motor in a second direction to let out the line by unwinding it from the spool.

9. The power unit of claim 8, further comprising:an electrically-controllable switch connected between the motor and the solar power component; anda second plurality of programming instructions stored in the memory which, when operating on the processor, causes the microcontroller to:switch the electrically-controllable switch on when operation of the motor is needed; andswitch the electrically-controllable switch off when operation of the motor is not needed.

10. The power unit of claim 5, wherein:the motor has a nominal operating voltage at a first voltage;the solar panel has a nominal output voltage at a second voltage, the second voltage being lower than the first voltage of the motor; anda voltage boost converter configured to increase the voltage from the second voltage of the solar panel to the first voltage of the motor.

11. A power unit for a boat fender positioning system comprising:a motor;a battery of sufficient nominal voltage to operate the motor;an electrically-controllable switch connected between the motor and the battery; anda microcontroller comprising a memory, a processor, and a plurality of programming instructions stored in the memory which, when operating on the processor, causes the microcontroller to:switch the electrically-controllable switch on when operation of the motor is needed; andswitch the electrically-controllable switch off when operation of the motor is not needed.

12. The power unit of claim 11, wherein the electrically-controllable switch is one of a PN junction diode, a bipolar junction transistor (BJT), an NPN transistor, a PNP transistor, a field-effect transistor (FET), a metal-oxide-semiconductor field-effect transistor (MOSFET), a silicon controlled rectifier (SCR), an insulated bipolar transistor (IGBT), a gate turn-off thyristors (GTO), a diode for AC (DIAC), a triode for alternating current (TRIAC), an electrically-controlled dual inline package (DIP) switch, and an electromechanical relay.

13. The power unit of claim 12, wherein the electrically-controllable switch is a field effect transistor (FET).

14. The power unit of claim 13, wherein the FET is a metal-oxide-semiconductor field-effect transistor (MOSFET).

15. The power unit of claim 11, further comprising:a motor shaft of the motor;a spool attached to the motor shaft; andadditional programming instructions stored in the memory which, when operating on the processor, causes the microcontroller to:operate the motor in a first direction to reel in a line by winding it around the spool; andoperate the motor in a second direction to let out the line by unwinding it from the spool.

16. The power unit of claim 11, wherein:the motor has a nominal operating voltage at a first voltage;the power unit further comprises a solar panel having a nominal output voltage at a second voltage, the second voltage being lower than the first voltage of the motor; andthe power unit further comprises a voltage boost converter configured to increase the voltage from the second voltage of the solar panel to the first voltage of the motor.

17. The power unit of claim 11, further comprising: a removable solar power component comprising:a solar panel housing configured for insertion and removal of a solar panel or solar panel module; andone or more tabs configured to hold the solar panel or solar panel module in the housing after insertion.

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