US 12,088,248 B2
System and method for enhanced watch dog in solar panel installations
Ron Hadar, Capitola, CA (US); Shmuel Arditi, Discovery Bay, CA (US); and James Bickford, Tacoma, WA (US)
Assigned to Tigo Energy, Inc., Campbell, CA (US)
Filed by Tigo Energy, Inc., Los Gatos, CA (US)
Filed on Apr. 14, 2022, as Appl. No. 17/721,206.
Application 17/721,206 is a continuation of application No. 17/576,791, filed on Jan. 14, 2022, granted, now 11,646,695.
Application 17/576,791 is a continuation of application No. 16/899,351, filed on Jun. 11, 2020, granted, now 11,228,278, issued on Jan. 18, 2022.
Application 16/899,351 is a continuation of application No. 16/293,514, filed on Mar. 5, 2019, granted, now 10,686,403, issued on Jun. 16, 2020.
Application 16/293,514 is a continuation of application No. 15/717,244, filed on Sep. 27, 2017, granted, now 10,256,770, issued on Apr. 9, 2019.
Application 15/717,244 is a continuation of application No. 15/203,713, filed on Jul. 6, 2016, granted, now 9,813,021, issued on Nov. 7, 2017.
Application 15/203,713 is a continuation of application No. 14/473,659, filed on Aug. 29, 2014, granted, now 9,397,612, issued on Jul. 19, 2016.
Application 14/473,659 is a continuation of application No. 13/092,783, filed on Apr. 22, 2011, granted, now 8,823,218, issued on Sep. 2, 2014.
Application 13/092,783 is a continuation in part of application No. 12/628,977, filed on Dec. 1, 2009, granted, now 8,933,321, issued on Jan. 13, 2015.
Application 13/092,783 is a continuation in part of application No. 12/411,317, filed on Mar. 25, 2009, granted, now 7,602,080.
Application 13/092,783 is a continuation in part of application No. 12/254,780, filed on Oct. 20, 2008, granted, now 7,884,278, issued on Feb. 8, 2011.
Claims priority of provisional application 61/343,155, filed on Apr. 22, 2010.
Claims priority of provisional application 61/276,753, filed on Sep. 16, 2009.
Claims priority of provisional application 61/275,977, filed on Sep. 3, 2009.
Claims priority of provisional application 61/200,601, filed on Dec. 2, 2008.
Claims priority of provisional application 61/001,587, filed on Nov. 2, 2007.
Prior Publication US 2022/0271711 A1, Aug. 25, 2022
Int. Cl. H02S 50/00 (2014.01); G01R 31/00 (2006.01); H01L 31/02 (2006.01); H02J 3/00 (2006.01); H02J 3/38 (2006.01); H02S 50/10 (2014.01)
CPC H02S 50/00 (2013.01) [G01R 31/00 (2013.01); H01L 31/02021 (2013.01); H02J 3/38 (2013.01); H02J 3/388 (2020.01); H02S 50/10 (2014.12); H02J 3/001 (2020.01); H02J 2300/24 (2020.01); H04B 2203/5458 (2013.01); Y02E 10/50 (2013.01)] 20 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A system, comprising:
a local controller; and
a watch dog unit coupled between a solar module and a power bus, the power bus configured to connect a plurality of solar modules to an inverter;
wherein the local controller is configured to:
monitor a power line communication from a central controller, wherein the power line communication is a signal whose modulation represents coded information, and determine:
(1) whether the power line communication has been interrupted for a period longer than a predetermined time or number of allowed skips; or
(2) whether the power line communication is not received; and
at least one component configured to disconnect the solar module connected to the at least one component from the power bus in response to:
a determination by the local controller that the power line communication from the central controller does not match the coded signal or that the power line communication was not received;
wherein the watch dog unit is configured to connect the solar module connected to the watch dog unit to the power bus when the power line communication is not interrupted;
wherein the watch dog unit includes a bypass path for a current to go through the watch dog unit when the solar module is disconnected from the power bus.