The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document.
The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge covers the following: Patent number, Date patent was issued, Date patent was filed, Title of the patent, Applicant, Inventor, Assignee, Attorney firm, Primary examiner, Assistant examiner, CPCs, and Abstract. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document (in Adobe Acrobat format, aka pdf). To download or print any patent click here.
Patent No.:
Date of Patent:
Sep. 14, 2010
Filed:
Oct. 24, 2008
James Sherman, Hillsborough, NJ (US);
James Sherman, Hillsborough, NJ (US);
Emcore Solar Power, Inc., Albuquerque, NM (US);
Abstract
An automated method causes a terrestrial solar cell array to track the sun. The solar cell system includes motors that adjust a position of the array along different respective axes with respect to the sun, wherein a first motor adjusts the inclination angle of the array relative to the surface of the earth and a second motor rotates the array about an axis substantially perpendicular to that surface. The method includes (a) using a software algorithm to predict a position of the sun at a future time; (b) using a computer model to determine respective positions for the motors corresponding to the solar cell array being substantially aligned with the sun at the future time; and (c) activating and operating the motors at respective particular speeds so that at the future time the solar cell array is substantially aligned with the sun.