US 12,305,891 B2
Daylighting systems and or solar tracking systems
Ricardo Mateo Ramirez, III, San Marcos, TX (US); and Bahram Asiabanpour, San Marcos, TX (US)
Assigned to Texas State University, San Marcos, TX (US)
Filed by Texas State University, San Marcos, TX (US)
Filed on Nov. 14, 2022, as Appl. No. 17/986,602.
Application 17/986,602 is a continuation in part of application No. 16/968,989, granted, now 11,904,459, previously published as PCT/US2019/021304, filed on Mar. 8, 2019.
Claims priority of provisional application 62/640,446, filed on Mar. 8, 2018.
Prior Publication US 2023/0071150 A1, Mar. 9, 2023
Int. Cl. F24S 30/40 (2018.01); F24S 23/30 (2018.01); F24S 30/00 (2018.01); F24S 30/20 (2018.01)
CPC F24S 30/40 (2018.05) [F24S 23/31 (2018.05); F24S 30/20 (2018.05); F24S 2030/12 (2018.05); F24S 2030/17 (2018.05)] 20 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A solar tracking system, the system comprising:
an end effector comprising optical elements, a face for orienting toward sunlight, a central axis extending normal to the face, and an X-axis and a Y-axis dividing the face into quadrants, the X-axis corresponding to a solar angle and the Y-axis corresponding to a solar azimuth;
a course sensor comprising light dependent resistors (LDRs) mounted on the face to measure illuminance, the LDRs comprising a first LDR located in a first upper quadrant, a second LDR located in a second upper quadrant, a third LDR located in a first lower quadrant, and a fourth LDR located in a second lower quadrant, wherein the first and second upper quadrants are located on an upper side of the Y-axis, the first and second lower quadrants are located on a lower side of the Y-axis, the first upper quadrant and the first lower quadrant are located on a first side of the X-axis, and the second upper quadrant and the second lower quadrant are located on a second side of the X-axis;
an actuator coupled to the end effector;
a controller in communication with the course sensor and the actuator, the controller configured to:
determine a vertical difference between an average of the illuminance received in the first and second upper quadrants and an average of the illuminance received in the first and second lower quadrants;
determine a lateral difference between an average of the illuminance received in the first upper quadrant and the first lower quadrant and an average of the illuminance received in the second upper quadrant and the second lower quadrant;
cause the end effector to move along the X-axis in response to comparing the vertical difference to a vertical tolerance; and
cause the end effector to move along the Y-axis in response to comparing the lateral difference to a lateral tolerance.