Patents by Inventor Karthikeyan Varadarajan

Karthikeyan Varadarajan has filed for patents to protect the following inventions. This listing includes patent applications that are pending as well as patents that have already been granted by the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO).

  • Patent number: 10498155
    Abstract: A system for controlling a battery state-of-energy within a microgrid includes an energy generation (EG) system, an electrical load coupled to the EG system, an energy storage system coupled to the EG system and the electrical load, and a controller coupled to the EG system and the energy storage system. The energy storage system can charge and discharge according to a target charge value and a target discharge value, which may be based on a state-of-energy of the energy storage system. The controller can control a power generation of the EG system based on the load demand and the target charge value and target discharge value of the energy storage system. The controller can further control a power generation of a second EG system when the EG system cannot meet the load demand and maintain the state-of-energy of the energy storage system within a desired level.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 29, 2016
    Date of Patent: December 3, 2019
    Assignee: SolarCity Corporation
    Inventors: Karthikeyan Varadarajan, Ali Riazi
  • Patent number: 10277031
    Abstract: Techniques for provisioning energy generation and/or storage systems. In one embodiment, a method is provided that can comprise automatically determining, by a site gateway, information pertaining to one or more components of an energy storage system, where the site gateway and the one or more components are located at a customer site. The method can further comprise configuring, by the site gateway, the energy storage system based on the automatically determined information.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 26, 2015
    Date of Patent: April 30, 2019
    Assignee: SolarCity Corporation
    Inventors: Eric Daniel Carlson, Karthikeyan Varadarajan
  • Patent number: 10193932
    Abstract: Embodiments of the present technology may include a method to enable real-time data requests. The method may include subscribing to real-time data enable requests for a device on an energy generation (EG) network. The method may also include intercepting, from a requester, a request for real-time data for the device on an EG system within the EG network. The method may further include publishing a single request to the device to post a single measurement corresponding to the real-time data request. The single request may be published at less than or equal to a predetermined frequency for a request cycle that lasts for a predetermined duration.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 23, 2015
    Date of Patent: January 29, 2019
    Assignee: SolarCity Corporation
    Inventors: Eric Daniel Carlson, Karthikeyan Varadarajan, Franklin Aguinaldo
  • Patent number: 9927471
    Abstract: Techniques for controlling an energy storage device to reduce peak power demand at a site are provided. In one embodiment, instantaneous power usage at the site can be monitored, where the instantaneous power usage corresponds to power that is instantaneously imported or exported at a point of common coupling (PCC) between the site and a utility-managed energy grid. A historical power usage value for the site can then be calculated based on the monitored instantaneous power usage, and the historical power usage value can be compared with a target peak value plus a buffer value. If the historical power usage value exceeds the target peak value plus the buffer value, the target peak value can be set to the historical power usage value.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 3, 2013
    Date of Patent: March 27, 2018
    Assignee: SolarCity Corporation
    Inventors: Eric Daniel Carlson, Karthikeyan Varadarajan
  • Patent number: 9830672
    Abstract: A message bus is utilized for energy management/control. The publish/subscribe message bus present between site gateways, a central server farm, and other entities, facilitates exchange of messages pertaining to management and control of power generation and/or storage. On-site publishers/subscribers can include, e.g., PV inverters, battery devices, energy meters, etc. Non-site specific publishers/subscribers can include, e.g., web clients, database servers (for logging), and various server components of the message bus. Messages exchanged between publishers and subscribers can include control messages (e.g., begin charging battery X) and measurement messages (e.g., the current charge of battery X is Y). Embodiments may implement logic at a site gateway prioritizing transmission of messages to local site devices. Thus where a gateway cannot simultaneously transmit device control messages and device data acquisition messages (e.g.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 29, 2014
    Date of Patent: November 28, 2017
    Assignee: SolarCity Corporation
    Inventors: Eric Daniel Carlson, Karthikeyan Varadarajan, Franklin Aguinaldo
  • Patent number: 9831677
    Abstract: A software abstraction layer for energy generation and/or storage systems. In one embodiment, a method is provided that can comprise receiving, by a site gateway, one or more standardized operating parameters for a physical component of an energy storage system, and translating, by the site gateway, the one or more standardized operating parameters into one or more vendor specific parameters, where the one or more vendor specific parameters are specific to a vendor-defined communication protocol supported by the physical component. The physical component can then be controlled using the one or more vendor specific parameters.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 19, 2012
    Date of Patent: November 28, 2017
    Assignee: SolarCity Corporation
    Inventors: Eric Daniel Carlson, Karthikeyan Varadarajan
  • Publication number: 20170288413
    Abstract: A system for controlling a battery state-of-energy within a microgrid includes an energy generation (EG) system, an electrical load coupled to the EG system, an energy storage system coupled to the EG system and the electrical load, and a controller coupled to the EG system and the energy storage system. The energy storage system can charge and discharge according to a target charge value and a target discharge value, which may be based on a state-of-energy of the energy storage system. The controller can control a power generation of the EG system based on the load demand and the target charge value and target discharge value of the energy storage system. The controller can further control a power generation of a second EG system when the EG system cannot meet the load demand and maintain the state-of-energy of the energy storage system within a desired level.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 29, 2016
    Publication date: October 5, 2017
    Inventors: Karthikeyan Varadarajan, Ali Riazi
  • Publication number: 20160134116
    Abstract: Embodiments of the present technology may include a method to enable real-time data requests. The method may include subscribing to real-time data enable requests for a device on an energy generation (EG) network. The method may also include intercepting, from a requester, a request for real-time data for the device on an EG system within the EG network. The method may further include publishing a single request to the device to post a single measurement corresponding to the real-time data request. The single request may be published at less than or equal to a predetermined frequency for a request cycle that lasts for a predetermined duration.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 23, 2015
    Publication date: May 12, 2016
    Inventors: Eric Daniel Carlson, Karthikeyan Varadarajan, Franklin Aguinaldo
  • Publication number: 20160125556
    Abstract: A message bus is utilized for energy management/control. The publish/subscribe message bus present between site gateways, a central server farm, and other entities, facilitates exchange of messages pertaining to management and control of power generation and/or storage. On-site publishers/subscribers can include, e.g., PV inverters, battery devices, energy meters, etc. Non-site specific publishers/subscribers can include, e.g., web clients, database servers (for logging), and various server components of the message bus. Messages exchanged between publishers and subscribers can include control messages (e.g., begin charging battery X) and measurement messages (e.g., the current charge of battery X is Y). Embodiments may implement logic at a site gateway prioritizing transmission of messages to local site devices. Thus where a gateway cannot simultaneously transmit device control messages and device data acquisition messages (e.g.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 29, 2014
    Publication date: May 5, 2016
    Inventors: Eric Daniel Carlson, Karthikeyan Varadarajan, Franklin Aguinaldo
  • Patent number: 9270118
    Abstract: Techniques for controlling energy generation and/or storage systems. In one embodiment, a method is provided that can comprise receiving from a control server a plurality of schedules for controlling the charging and discharging of an energy storage device, where each schedule corresponds to a function that takes as input one or more input parameters and returns as output an output parameter corresponding to a power level for the energy storage device. The method can further comprise determining relative priorities for the plurality of schedules and controlling charging/discharging of the energy storage device based on the plurality of schedules and their relative priorities.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 19, 2012
    Date of Patent: February 23, 2016
    Assignee: SolarCity Corporation
    Inventors: Eric Daniel Carlson, Karthikeyan Varadarajan
  • Publication number: 20150280437
    Abstract: Techniques for provisioning energy generation and/or storage systems. In one embodiment, a method is provided that can comprise automatically determining, by a site gateway, information pertaining to one or more components of an energy storage system, where the site gateway and the one or more components are located at a customer site. The method can further comprise configuring, by the site gateway, the energy storage system based on the automatically determined information.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 26, 2015
    Publication date: October 1, 2015
    Inventors: Eric Daniel Carlson, Karthikeyan Varadarajan
  • Publication number: 20150153394
    Abstract: Techniques for controlling an energy storage device to reduce peak power demand at a site are provided. In one embodiment, instantaneous power usage at the site can be monitored, where the instantaneous power usage corresponds to power that is instantaneously imported or exported at a point of common coupling (PCC) between the site and a utility-managed energy grid. A historical power usage value for the site can then be calculated based on the monitored instantaneous power usage, and the historical power usage value can be compared with a target peak value plus a buffer value. If the historical power usage value exceeds the target peak value plus the buffer value, the target peak value can be set to the historical power usage value.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 3, 2013
    Publication date: June 4, 2015
    Applicant: SolarCity Corporation
    Inventors: Eric Daniel Carlson, Karthikeyan Varadarajan
  • Patent number: 8996191
    Abstract: Techniques for provisioning energy generation and/or storage systems. In one embodiment, a method is provided that can comprise automatically determining, by a site gateway, information pertaining to one or more components of an energy storage system, where the site gateway and the one or more components are located at a customer site. The method can further comprise configuring, by the site gateway, the energy storage system based on the automatically determined information.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 19, 2012
    Date of Patent: March 31, 2015
    Assignee: SolarCity Corporation
    Inventors: Eric Daniel Carlson, Karthikeyan Varadarajan
  • Publication number: 20140025215
    Abstract: A software abstraction layer for energy generation and/or storage systems. In one embodiment, a method is provided that can comprise receiving, by a site gateway, one or more standardized operating parameters for a physical component of an energy storage system, and translating, by the site gateway, the one or more standardized operating parameters into one or more vendor specific parameters, where the one or more vendor specific parameters are specific to a vendor-defined communication protocol supported by the physical component. The physical component can then be controlled using the one or more vendor specific parameters.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 19, 2012
    Publication date: January 23, 2014
    Applicant: SOLARCITY CORPORATION
    Inventors: Eric Daniel Carlson, Karthikeyan Varadarajan
  • Publication number: 20140025220
    Abstract: Techniques for controlling energy generation and/or storage systems. In one embodiment, a method is provided that can comprise receiving from a control server a plurality of schedules for controlling the charging and discharging of an energy storage device, where each schedule corresponds to a function that takes as input one or more input parameters and returns as output an output parameter corresponding to a power level for the energy storage device. The method can further comprise determining relative priorities for the plurality of schedules and controlling charging/discharging of the energy storage device based on the plurality of schedules and their relative priorities.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 19, 2012
    Publication date: January 23, 2014
    Applicant: SolarCity Corporation
    Inventors: Eric Daniel Carlson, Karthikeyan Varadarajan
  • Publication number: 20140020244
    Abstract: Techniques for provisioning energy generation and/or storage systems. In one embodiment, a method is provided that can comprise automatically determining, by a site gateway, information pertaining to one or more components of an energy storage system, where the site gateway and the one or more components are located at a customer site. The method can further comprise configuring, by the site gateway, the energy storage system based on the automatically determined information.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 19, 2012
    Publication date: January 23, 2014
    Applicant: SOLARCITY CORPORATION
    Inventors: Eric Daniel Carlson, Karthikeyan Varadarajan