Configuring a carrier wave for energy harvesting at an IoT device

Abstract

A method for configuring a carrier wave, the carrier wave for reception at one or more user equipment, UE, and the one or more UE configured for energy harvesting from the received carrier wave. The m

Claims

1. A method for configuring a carrier wave, the carrier wave for reception at one or more user equipment, UE, and the one or more UE configured for energy harvesting from the received carrier wave, the method comprising:receiving, at a reader from each UE of the one or more UE, data indicating a status of energy harvesting at the UE;modifying, at a transmitter of the carrier wave, the carrier wave configuration based on the data indicating the status of energy harvesting at the one or more UE, to adjust the rate of energy transmission by the carrier wave towards the one or more UE and so adjust the energy available for harvesting by the one or more UE.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein modifying the carrier wave configuration comprises increasing or decreasing the power and / or the bandwidth of the carrier wave.

3. The method of any preceding claim, wherein modifying, at a transmitter of the carrier wave, the carrier wave configuration based on the data indicating the status of energy harvesting at the one or more UE comprises:determining, based on the data indicating the status of energy harvesting at the one or more UE, a rate of energy harvesting at the one or more UE;comparing the rate of energy harvesting at the one or more UE to a preferred range of rates of energy harvesting at the one or more UE to determine if the rate of energy harvesting at the one or more UE is appropriate;wherein if it is determined that the rate of energy harvesting is not appropriate, then: identifying a modification to the carrier wave configuration to adjust the rate of energy transmission by the carrier wave towards the one or more UE to enable a rate of energy harvesting at the one or more UE within the preferred range of rates of energy harvesting; andapplying, at the transmitter of the carrier wave, the modification to the carrier wave configuration.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein if it is determined that the rate of energy harvesting is appropriate, then:comparing the rate of energy harvesting at the one or more UE to a rate of energy transmission by the carrier wave towards the one or more UE, to determine if excess energy is being transmitted by the carrier wave towards the one or more UE;wherein if excess energy is being transmitted by the carrier wave towards the one or more UE, then:identifying a modification to the carrier wave configuration to reduce the rate of energy transmission by the carrier wave towards the UE whilst maintaining a rate of energy harvesting at the one or more UE within the preferred range of rates of energy harvesting; andapplying, at the transmitter of the carrier wave, the modification to the carrier wave configuration.

5. The method of any preceding claim, wherein the data indicating the status of energy harvesting at each UE comprises data for determining a rate of energy harvesting at each UE of the one or more UE.

6. The method of any preceding claim, wherein data indicating the status of energy harvesting at the UE comprises one or more of the following parameters:a present rate of charging at the UE;a number of bits or bytes that can be transmitted by the UE at the present level of charge;a present energy level or charge level of the UE;a received power of the carrier wave at the UE;a time period required to reach a predefined charge level of the UE at the present rate of charging;a time period required to reach a predefined charge level of the UE at a specified rate of charging;an indication of a request for an increase or a decrease in received bandwidth of the carrier wave;an indication of a request for an increase or a decrease in rate of charging at the UE.

7. The method of any preceding claim, wherein one or more UE comprises a plurality of UEs, and wherein modifying the carrier wave configuration based on the data indicating the status of energy harvesting at the one or more UE comprises modifying the carrier waveconfiguration based on a trend identified in the data indicating the status of energy harvesting at the plurality of UEs.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein identifying the trend in the data indicating the status of energy harvesting at the plurality of UEs uses machine learning techniques.

9. The method of any one of claims 1 to 6, wherein one or more UE comprises a plurality of UEs, and wherein modifying the carrier wave configuration based on the data indicating the status of energy harvesting at the one or more UE comprises:determining an optimal modification of the carrier wave configuration, the optimal modification of the carrier wave configuration being optimised to adjust the rate of energy transmission by the carrier wave towards the plurality of UEs so as to maximise a proportion of the plurality of UEs at which a rate of energy harvesting is within the preferred range of rates of energy harvesting; andapplying, at the transmitter of the carrier wave, the determined optimal modification to the carrier wave configuration.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein determining an optimal modification of the carrier wave configuration uses machine learning techniques.

11. The method of any one of claims 1 to 6, wherein one or more UE comprises a plurality of UEs, and wherein modifying the carrier wave configuration based on the data indicating the status of energy harvesting at the one or more UE comprises:determining, for each UE of the plurality of UEs and based on the data indicating the status of energy harvesting at the UE, a rate of energy harvesting;comparing, for each UE of the plurality of UEs, the rate of energy harvesting to a preferred range of rates of energy harvesting at the UE to determine if the rate of energy harvesting at the UE is appropriate;wherein for each UE of the plurality of UEs that it is determined that the rate of energy harvesting at the UE is not appropriate, then identifying a modification to the carrier wave configuration to adjust the rate of energy transmission by the carrier wave towards the plurality of UEs to enable a rate of energy harvesting at the plurality of UEs within the preferred range of rates of energy harvesting;evaluating, across the plurality of UEs, a set of modifications, the set comprising each identified modification to the carrier wave configuration, the evaluating to identify a principal modification amongst the set of the modifications; andapplying, at the transmitter of the carrier wave, the principal modification to the carrier wave configuration.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein the principal modification to the carrier wave configuration is the modification for which there is demand by:more than a predetermined threshold proportion of the plurality of UEs; orone or more specified UE of the plurality of UEs.

13. The method according to any previous claim, wherein the one or more UE are one or more ambient internet-of-things (A-loT) devices.

14. The method of any preceding claim, wherein prior to the step of receiving data indicating the status of energy harvesting at the UE by a reader, the method further comprises:sending a request, by the reader to the one or more UE, for the data indicating the status of energy harvesting at the UE; andwherein each of the one or more UE responds to the request by transmitting a message including the data indicating the status of energy harvesting at the UE.

15. The method of any preceding claim, wherein the transmitter of the carrier wave is a component of a telecommunications network, and the carrier wave is for communication over the telecommunications network.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein the carrier wave is a radio frequency continuous wave transmission for communications over the telecommunications network17. The method of claim 16, wherein the continuous wave is for 4G, 5G or 6G communications.

18. The method of any one of claims 15 to 17, wherein the transmitter of the carrier wave is comprised within the reader and / or is a base station within the telecommunications network.

19. A system for configuring a carrier wave, the carrier wave received at one or more user equipment, UE, the one or more UE configured for energy harvesting from a received carrier wave, the system comprising:a reader in communication with the one or more UE, the reader configured to receive a message from each of the one or more UE including data indicating a status of energy harvesting at the UE;a transmitter configured to transmit the carrier wave to the one or more UE; anda controller configured to determine a modification of the carrier wave configuration based on the data received by the reader indicating a status of energy harvesting at the one or more UE, the modification for adjusting the rate of energy transmission by the carrier wave towards the UE and so adjusting the energy available for harvesting by the one or more UE, and the controller further configured to initiate said modification to the carrier wave configuration for the carrier wave transmitted by the transmitter.

20. The system of claim 19, further comprising the one or more UE, each UE configured for energy harvesting from the received carrier wave and further configured to transmit to the reader the message including data indicating a status of energy harvesting at the UE.

21. The system of claim 19 or claim 20, wherein the reader, transmitter and controller are components of a telecommunications network, and the carrier wave is for communication over the telecommunications network.

22. A user equipment, UE, comprising:an energy harvester;an energy store configured to receive energy from the energy harvester and power the UE using the stored energy;a processor; andmemory storing computer-executable instructions that, when executed by the processor, cause the UE to:transmit to a reader a message including data indicating a status of energy harvesting at the UE.

23. The UE of claim 22, wherein the energy harvester is a radio frequency inductor for harvesting energy from a received carrier wave.

24. The UE of claim 22 or 23, wherein the computer-executable instructions further cause the UE to transmit the message that includes data indicating a status of energy harvesting at the UE upon receipt of a request from the reader.27

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