Patent Publication Number: US-2010122723-A1

Title: Photovoltaic Power for Communications Networks

Description:
NOTICE OF COPYRIGHT PROTECTION 
     A portion of the disclosure of this patent document and its figures contain material subject to copyright protection. The copyright owner has no objection to the facsimile reproduction by anyone of the patent document or the patent disclosure, but otherwise reserves all copyrights whatsoever. 
     BACKGROUND 
     Exemplary embodiments generally relate to communications and to electricity and, more particularly, to circuit amplification, to telephony subscriber lines, to voltage boosting circuits, to transmission line power supplies, to ringing circuitry, to photoelectric batteries, and to solar-sourced electricity. 
     Communications networks use a lot of electricity. A telephone network, for example, operates by applying electrical voltage to telephone lines, and the electrical voltage causes some network devices to provide the telephone service we all use. Packet-based networks also utilize current and voltage as signals to communicate our emails, pages, and other forms of electronic communications. Wireless networks, too, require electrical power to transmit electromagnetic signals to cell phones and to other wireless devices. Because these communications networks rely on electricity, communications networks may be connected to the electrical grid. The electrical grid provides electricity that is needed for our communications services. The network providers who operate and maintain these communications networks thus spend millions of dollars per year in electricity costs. Network providers thus embrace concepts that reduce their consumption of electricity. 
     SUMMARY 
     Exemplary embodiments provide methods, systems, apparatuses, and products for providing supplemental electrical power to any system. The system consumes electrical power from the electrical grid. Exemplary embodiments, however, supplement the electrical needs of the system using photovoltaic power. The photovoltaic power is produced by a photovoltaic device, such as solar cells. When the photovoltaic power is provided to the system, the photovoltaic power supplements the electrical needs of the system. The electrical power consumed from the electrical grid may thus be reduced according to the photovoltaic power produced by the photovoltaic device. 
     Exemplary embodiments include a method of providing photovoltaic power in a communications network. AC electrical power is consumed at a rectifier in the communications network. Photovoltaic power, produced by a photovoltaic device, is received. The consumption of the AC electrical power is reduced in response to the photovoltaic power produced by the photovoltaic device. 
     Other exemplary embodiments include a system providing photovoltaic power to a communications network. A rectifier consumes an AC input to produce a DC output. A photovoltaic device produces an output. A first transmission line provides a parallel connection between the DC output from the rectifier and the output from the photovoltaic device. The AC input consumed by the rectifier is reduced by an amount of power produced by the output of the photovoltaic device. 
     More exemplary embodiments include a computer readable storage medium that stores processor-executable instructions for performing a method of providing photovoltaic power to a communications network. Consumption of AC electrical power is measured in a rectifier that produces a DC output to a telephony transmission line. The DC output in the telephony transmission line is measured. Photovoltaic power produced by a photovoltaic device is measured that is applied to the telephony transmission line. The consumption of the AC electrical power in the rectifier is reduced in response to the photovoltaic power produced by the photovoltaic device. 
     Other systems, methods, and/or computer program products according to the exemplary embodiments will be or become apparent to one with ordinary skill in the art upon review of the following drawings and detailed description. It is intended that all such additional systems, methods, and/or computer program products be included within this description, be within the scope of the claims, and be protected by the accompanying claims. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE SEVERAL VIEWS OF THE DRAWINGS 
       These and other features, aspects, and advantages of the exemplary embodiments are better understood when the following Detailed Description is read with reference to the accompanying drawings, wherein: 
         FIG. 1  is a simplified schematic illustrating a supplemental photovoltaic power source, according to exemplary embodiments; 
         FIG. 2  is a schematic illustrating supplemental photovoltaic power for a communications network, according to exemplary embodiments; 
         FIG. 3 , for example, is a simplified schematic illustrating supplemental photovoltaic power for a telephony network, according to exemplary embodiments; 
         FIG. 4  is a block diagram further illustrating a feedback mechanism, according to exemplary embodiments; 
         FIGS. 5 and 6  are more detailed schematic illustrating supplemental photovoltaic power for the telephony network, according to exemplary embodiments; 
         FIG. 7  is a flowchart illustrating a method of providing supplemental electrical power, according to exemplary embodiments; 
         FIG. 8  illustrates other operating environments, according to exemplary embodiments; and 
         FIG. 9  is a schematic illustrating a graphical user interface  300 , according to exemplary embodiments. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
     The exemplary embodiments will now be described more fully hereinafter with reference to the accompanying drawings. The exemplary embodiments may, however, be embodied in many different forms and should not be construed as limited to the embodiments set forth herein. These embodiments are provided so that this disclosure will be thorough and complete and will fully convey the exemplary embodiments to those of ordinary skill in the art. Moreover, all statements herein reciting embodiments, as well as specific examples thereof, are intended to encompass both structural and functional equivalents thereof. Additionally, it is intended that such equivalents include both currently known equivalents as well as equivalents developed in the future (i.e., any elements developed that perform the same function, regardless of structure). 
     Thus, for example, it will be appreciated by those of ordinary skill in the art that the diagrams, schematics, illustrations, and the like represent conceptual views or processes illustrating the exemplary embodiments. Those of ordinary skill in the art further understand that the exemplary hardware, software, processes, methods, and/or operating systems described herein are for illustrative purposes and, thus, are not intended to be limited to any particular named manufacturer. 
     As used herein, the singular forms “a,” “an,” and “the” are intended to include the plural forms as well, unless expressly stated otherwise. It will be further understood that the terms “includes,” “comprises,” “including,” and/or “comprising,” when used in this specification, specify the presence of stated features, integers, steps, operations, elements, and/or components, but do not preclude the presence or addition of one or more other features, integers, steps, operations, elements, components, and/or groups thereof. It will be understood that when an element is referred to as being “connected” or “coupled” to another element, it can be directly connected or coupled to the other element or intervening elements may be present. Furthermore, “connected” or “coupled” as used herein may include wirelessly connected or coupled. As used herein, the term “and/or” includes any and all combinations of one or more of the associated listed items. 
     It will also be understood that, although the terms first, second, etc. may be used herein to describe various elements, these elements should not be limited by these terms. These terms are only used to distinguish one element from another. For example, a first device could be termed a second device, and, similarly, a second device could be termed a first device without departing from the teachings of the disclosure. 
       FIG. 1  is a simplified schematic illustrating a supplemental photovoltaic power source, according to exemplary embodiments.  FIG. 1  illustrates a system  20  that receives electrical power from a photovoltaic power source  22  and from a rectifier  24 .  FIG. 1  only generically illustrates the system  20 , as the system  20  may be any mechanical, electrical, chemical, and/or biological system that uses electrical power to produce an output, provide a service, or even grow or multiply. As those of ordinary skill in the art understand, the photovoltaic power source  22  absorbs optical energy and outputs electrical power (e.g., current and/or voltage) to the system  20 . Most readers are familiar with solar cells and solar panels, which are photovoltaic devices that convert the sun&#39;s solar energy into electrical energy. As those of ordinary skill in the art also understand, the rectifier  24  receives alternating current (“AC”) electrical power from a power source and converts, or “rectifies,” the AC electrical power into direct current (“DC”) electrical power.  FIG. 1  illustrates the rectifier  24  receiving AC electrical power from an electric grid  26 . The electric grid  26  is typically provided, for example, by an electric utility. The rectifier  24 , of course, may additionally or alternatively receive AC electrical power from other sources, such as a generator or another photovoltaic power source. Regardless, as the operations of both the photovoltaic power source  22  and the rectifier  24  are well-known, neither is described in great detail. 
       FIG. 1  also illustrates a feedback mechanism  28 . The feedback mechanism  28  senses, detects, or is informed of the amount of photovoltaic power produced by the photovoltaic power source  22 . The feedback mechanism  28  also senses, detects, or is informed of the amount of DC power produced by the rectifier  24 . The feedback mechanism  28  compares the DC output from the rectifier  24  to the photovoltaic power produced by the photovoltaic power source  22 . The feedback mechanism  28  may then reduce the DC output from the rectifier  24  by an amount equal to the photovoltaic power produced by the photovoltaic power source  22 . Because the DC output from the rectifier  24  may be proportionally or correspondingly reduced, the feedback mechanism  28  also causes a reduction in the consumption of the AC electrical power in the rectifier  24 . The photovoltaic power source  22 , in other words, supplements the electrical power required by the system  20  and reduces the consumption of electricity by the rectifier  24 . Because the rectifier  24  consumes less AC electrical power from the electric grid  26 , exemplary embodiments cause a reduction in electricity costs for operating the system  20 . 
       FIG. 2  is a schematic illustrating supplemental photovoltaic power for a communications network  40 , according to exemplary embodiments. Here the communications network  40  receives electrical power from both the photovoltaic power source  22  and from the rectifier  24 . The feedback mechanism  28  measures the photovoltaic power produced by the photovoltaic power source  22 . The feedback mechanism  28  also measures the DC power produced by the rectifier  24 . Because the photovoltaic power source  22  provides supplemental electrical power to the communications network  40 , the feedback mechanism  28  may reduce the DC output produced by the rectifier  24 . Because the rectifier  24  produces less DC output, the rectifier  24  may consume less AC electrical power from the electric grid  26 . The electricity costs for operating the rectifier  24  are correspondingly reduced. 
     Exemplary embodiments may be applied to any networking environment. The communications network  40 , for example, may be a telephony network that uses metallic cables or wires. The communications network  40 , however, may also be a cable network operating in the radio-frequency domain and/or the Internet Protocol (IP) domain. The communications network  40 , however, may also include fiber optic lines and/or hybrid-coaxial lines. The communications network  40  may even include wireless portions utilizing any portion of the electromagnetic spectrum and any signaling standard (such as the I.E.E.E. 802 family of standards, GSM/CDMA/TDMA or any cellular standard, and/or the ISM band). The communications network  40  may even include powerline portions, in which signals are communicated via electrical wiring. The concepts described herein may be applied to any wireless/wireline communications network, regardless of physical componentry, physical configuration, or communications standard(s). 
       FIG. 3 , for example, is a simplified schematic illustrating supplemental photovoltaic power for a telephony network  50 , according to exemplary embodiments. The telephony network  50  comprises a first transmission line  52  and a second transmission line  54 . The first transmission line  52 , for example, may be a ring line and/or tip line of the telephony network  50 . The ring and tip lines of the telephony network  50  are well-known conductors in the telephony network  50  and, thus, not further described. One or more batteries  56  may be connected to the first transmission line  52  to provide a biasing voltage.  FIG. 3  illustrates the second transmission line  54  as having a connection to electrical ground  58 , but the second transmission line  54  may have any voltage potential that suits the service provided by the telephony network  50 . 
     The telephony network  50  receives electrical power from both the photovoltaic power source  22  and from the rectifier  24 . The rectifier  24  receives AC electrical power from the electric grid  26  and converts the AC electrical power to DC power. The rectifier  24  has a first output terminal  70  connected to the first transmission line  52  and a second output terminal  72  connected to the second transmission line  54 . The photovoltaic power source  22  converts optical energy (e.g., sunlight if a solar panel) into DC voltage. The DC voltage from the photovoltaic power source  22  is herein termed “photovoltaic power” to distinguish from the DC power produced by the rectifier  24 . The photovoltaic power source  22  has a first terminal  74  connected to the first transmission line  52  and a second terminal  76  connected to the second transmission line  54 . 
     The feedback mechanism  28  may again cause a reduction in the AC electrical power consumed by the rectifier  24 . The feedback mechanism  28  determines the photovoltaic power (e.g., current and/or voltage) produced by the photovoltaic power source  22 . The feedback mechanism  28  also measures the DC power (e.g., current and/or voltage) produced by the rectifier  24 . Because the photovoltaic power source  22  provides supplemental electrical power to the telephony network  50 , the feedback mechanism  28  may reduce the DC output produced by the rectifier  24 . When the rectifier  24  produces less DC output, the rectifier  24  may consume less AC electrical power from the electric grid  26 . The electricity costs for operating the rectifier  24  are thus correspondingly reduced. 
       FIG. 3  illustrates a typical telephony plant. The one or more batteries  56  provide a biasing voltage to the first transmission line  52 . The biasing voltage applied by the one or more batteries  56  may be a negative forty eight (−48) Volts DC, but the biasing voltage may be any value that suits the telephony network  50 . The first transmission line  52  is thus connected in parallel with the one or more batteries  56 , with the photovoltaic power source  22 , and with the rectifier  24 . The second transmission line  54  creates a parallel connection to the electrical ground  58  for the photovoltaic power source  22  and for the rectifier  24 . In the −48 Volts DC telephony power plant, the telephone power charge and discharge busses may be connected in parallel to the photovoltaic power source  22 . The parallel connections may be made at the main charge battery bus and at the main charge ground bus. Because the photovoltaic power source  22  provides additional electrical power to the telephony network  50 , the rectifier  24  may consume less AC electrical power from the electric grid  26 . The electricity costs for operating the telephony network  50  are thus reduced. 
       FIG. 4  is a block diagram further illustrating the feedback mechanism  28 , according to exemplary embodiments. The feedback mechanism  28  may comprise one or more devices that read or measure current, voltage, and/or electrical power.  FIG. 4 , for example, illustrates a photovoltaic power meter  70  that reads or measures the DC photovoltaic power (e.g., current and/or voltage) produced by the photovoltaic power source  22 . The photovoltaic power meter  70  sends a photovoltaic power reading  72  to the feedback mechanism  28 . Similarly, a rectifier output power meter  74  reads or measures the DC power (e.g., current and/or voltage) produced by the rectifier  24 . The rectifier power meter  74  sends a DC power reading  76  to the feedback mechanism  28 . A battery power meter  78  may measure the electrical power provided by the one or more batteries  56 , and a battery power reading  80  is sent to the feedback mechanism  28 . A rectifier input power meter  82  may measure the AC electrical power consumed by the rectifier  24 , and an AC power consumption reading  84  is sent to the feedback mechanism  28 . 
     The feedback mechanism  28  may include a processor-controlled device  90 . The processor controlled device  90  is illustrated as a server, but later paragraphs will illustrate other devices. The processor controlled device  90  may store and execute an electrical power management application  92 . The electrical power management application  92  may be stored in memory  94 , and a processor  96  may communicate with the server&#39;s memory  94  and execute the electrical power management application  92 . The electrical power management application  92  may receive the photovoltaic power reading  72 , the DC power reading  76 , the battery power reading  80 , and/or the AC power consumption reading  84 . The electrical power management application  92  may comprise methods, computer programs, and/or computer program products that monitor these readings to reduce the consumption of electricity by the rectifier  24 , as the above paragraphs explained. 
     The processor-controlled device  90  is only simply illustrated. Because the architecture and operating principles of computers and processor-controlled devices are well known, their hardware and software components are not further shown and described. If the reader desires more details, the reader is invited to consult the following sources, all incorporated herein by reference: A NDREW  T ANENBAUM , C OMPUTER  N ETWORKS  (4 th  edition 2003); W ILLIAM  S TALLINGS , C OMPUTER  O RGANIZATION AND  A RCHITECTURE : D ESIGNING FOR  P ERFORMANCE  (7 th  Ed., 2005); and D AVID  A. P ATTERSON  &amp; J OHN  L. H ENNESSY , C OMPUTER  O RGANIZATION AND  D ESIGN : T HE  H ARDWARE /S OFTWARE  I NTERFACE  (3 rd  Edition 2004). 
       FIGS. 5 and 6  are more detailed schematic illustrating supplemental photovoltaic power for the telephony network  50 , according to exemplary embodiments.  FIG. 5  illustrates a unidirectional device  100  connected in series with the second transmission line  54  and with the second terminal  76  of the photovoltaic power source  22 . The unidirectional device  100  is illustrated as a diode  102  having a first terminal  104  connected to the second transmission line  54  (and thus the electrical ground  58 ) and a second terminal  106  connected to the second terminal  76  of the photovoltaic power source  22 . The diode  102  only permits current to flow in a single direction when properly biased. Only when the diode  102  is properly biased will current flow through the diode  102  and to or from the second transmission line  54  and the photovoltaic power source  22 . 
       FIG. 6  illustrates the measurement of current flow in the diode  102 . A power meter  110  is connected in series with the diode  102  to measure the electrical power in the diode  102 . A diode power reading  112  is sent to the electrical power management application  92 . 
       FIG. 7  is a flowchart illustrating a method of providing supplemental electrical power, according to exemplary embodiments. AC electrical power consumed in the rectifier  24  is measured (Block  200 ). A DC output produced by the rectifier  24  is measured (Block  202 ). Photovoltaic power produced by the photovoltaic power source  22  is measured (Block  204 ). Current is measured in a diode having a series connection to the photovoltaic power source  22  (Block  206 ). The DC output from the rectifier  24  is compared to the photovoltaic power produced by the photovoltaic power source  22  (Block  208 ). The consumption of the AC electrical power in the rectifier  24  is reduced in response to the photovoltaic power produced by the photovoltaic power source  22  (Block  210 ). 
       FIG. 8  is a schematic illustrating more processor-controlled devices  90 . The electrical power management application  92  may operate in a personal digital assistant (PDA)  222 , a Global Positioning System (GPS) device  224 , an interactive television  226 , an Internet Protocol (IP) phone  228 , a pager  230 , a cellular/satellite phone  232 , or any computer system and/or communications device utilizing a digital signal processor (DSP)  234 . The processor-controlled device  90  may also include watches, radios, vehicle electronics, clocks, printers, gateways, and other apparatuses and systems. 
       FIG. 9  is a schematic illustrating a graphical user interface  300 , according to exemplary embodiments. The graphical user interface  300  may be displayed by any of the processor-controlled devices  90  illustrated in  FIGS. 4 ,  6 , and  8 . The graphical user interface  300  may be produced by the electrical power management application (illustrated as reference numeral  92  in  FIGS. 4 ,  6 , and  8 ). The graphical user interface  300  may visually display the photovoltaic power reading  72 , the DC power reading  76 , the battery power reading  80 , the AC power consumption reading  84 , and/or the diode power reading  112 . The graphical user interface  300  may also present a calculated or actual reduction  302  in AC electrical power consumption due to the photovoltaic power reading  112 . The graphical user interface  300  may also present a financial savings calculation  304  and even a historical comparison  306  of electrical usage. Management, for example, may use the financial savings calculation  304  to determine an investment payback for the photovoltaic power source  22 . 
     Exemplary embodiments may be physically embodied on or in a computer-readable storage medium. This computer-readable medium may include CD-ROM, DVD, tape, cassette, disk, memory card, and large-capacity disk. The computer-readable medium, or media, could be distributed to end-users, licensees, and assignees. A computer program product for providing photovoltaic power comprises the computer-readable medium and processor-readable instructions, as the above paragraphs explained. 
     While exemplary embodiments have been described with respect to various features, aspects, and embodiments, those skilled and unskilled in the art will recognize exemplary embodiments are not so limited. Other variations, modifications, and alternative embodiments may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the claims.