Patent Document ID: 9103719
Application ID: 13106686
Patent Status: 1

Claim One:
1. A method, comprising: receiving an electronic image of the Sun that comprises a first plurality of pixels that have a first plurality of values; receiving an electronic image of an entity that receives solar radiation that comprises a second plurality of pixels that have a second plurality of values; and causing a processor to compute a solar irradiance distribution over a surface of the entity captured in the electronic image of the entity that receives the solar radiation based at least in part upon the first plurality of values and the second plurality of values; wherein the solar irradiance distribution over the surface of the entity comprises a plurality of computed irradiance values that correspond to the second plurality of pixels, and further comprising utilizing the following algorithm to compute the plurality of irradiance values: E R , i = V CCD , i ⁢ E DNI ρ R , i ⁢ tan 2 ⁡ ( γ 2 ) ⁢ π ⁢ ⁢ r sun ⁢ _ ⁢ pixel ⁢ s 2 ∑ sun ⁢ ⁢ V CCD ⁢ _ ⁢ sun , i , where E R,i is an irradiance value for the surface of the entity that corresponds to pixel i in the electronic image of the entity, V CCD,i is a value of pixel i in the electronic image of the entity, E DNI is the direct normal irradiance at a time that the electronic image of the Sun was captured, r sun — pixels is a number of pixels in the radius of the Sun captured in the electronic image of the Sun, ρ R,i is a measurement of reflectivity at a location on the surface that corresponds to pixel i in the electronic image of the entity, γ is the angle subtended by the Sun, and V CCD — sun,i is a value of pixel i in the electronic image of the Sun.