Wireless energy harvesting sensor

Abstract

A wireless energy-harvesting sensor (WEHS) device which may include a sensor configured to collect sensor data from a target object within a cabin of an aircraft. The device may include an energy harvester configured to harvest energy from an energy source within the cabin of the aircraft and an energy storage configured to store energy harvested from the energy harvester. The device may include a processor configured to process the sensor data received from the sensor such that the processor may be configured to store the sensor data in a data storage. The device may also include a transceiver configured to receive the sensor data from the processor such that the transceiver is configured transmit the sensor data to a network.

Description

Attorney Docket No.110708-1449199 Client Ref. No. B-030545PCT01 Patent Application WIRELESS ENERGY HARVESTING SENSOR FIELD OF THE INVENTION

[0001] The field of the invention relates to sensors in passenger vehicles, and, more particularly, to wireless energy harvesting sensors for passenger vehicles. BACKGROUND

[0002] Passenger vehicles, such as aircraft, typically include various sensors that are connected to equipment to monitor various factors within a cabin of the aircraft. Conventionally, installing sensors in aircraft equipment that did not have sensors or a wired source of power when the equipment was originally manufactured requires equipment to undergo extensive refurbishments at specialized facilities and incur substantial downtime in order to connect the sensors to the aircraft’s electrical systems. Due to the size and shape of common passenger aircraft, installing numerous sensors may require removing internal compartments, lavatory doors, seats, separation walls, or similar. In addition to the aforementioned complexities, labor costs of installing sensors in passenger aircrafts can escalate budgets. Moreover, weight and / or the volume / size of the added electrical components, including wires, may be excessive and may cause weight and / or power inefficiencies for the aircraft. SUMMARY

[0003] The terms “invention,” “the invention,” “this invention” and “the present invention” used in this patent are intended to refer broadly to all of the subject matter of this patent and the patent claims below. Statements containing these terms should be understood not to limit the subject matter described herein or to limit the meaning or scope of the patent claims below. Embodiments of the invention covered by this patent are defined by the claims below, not this summary. This summary is a high-level overview of various aspects of the invention and introduces some of the concepts that are further described in the Detailed Description section below. This summary is not intended to identify key or essential features of the claimed subject matter, nor is it intended to be used in isolation to determine the scope of the claimed subject matter. The subject matter should be understood by reference toAttorney Docket No.110708-1449199 Client Ref. No. B-030545PCT01 Patent Application appropriate portions of the entire specification of this patent, any or all drawings and each claim.

[0004] According to certain embodiments, a wireless energy-harvesting sensor (WEHS) device can be used in an aircraft. The WEHS device may include a sensor, an energy harvester, an energy storage, a processor, and a transceiver. The sensor may be configured to collect sensor data from a target object within a cabin of the aircraft. The energy harvester may be configured to harvest energy from an energy source within the cabin of the aircraft. The energy storage may be configured to store energy harvested from the energy harvester. The processor may be configured to process the sensor data received from the sensor, and the processor may be configured to store the sensor data in a data storage. The transceiver may be configured to receive the sensor data from the processor, and the transceiver may be configured to transmit the sensor data to a network.

[0005] According to various embodiments, the WEHS may include a substrate configured to be coupled to the sensor, the energy harvester, the energy storage, the processor, the transceiver, or combinations thereof.

[0006] According to various embodiments, the substrate may be configured with a planar form factor with a length in a range of 1 inches to 5 inches, a width in a range of 0.5 inches to 2.0 inches, and a height in a range of 0.01 inches to 0.20 inches.

[0007] According to various embodiments, the substrate may be a thin film sticker configured to be attached to the target object using an adhesive, and the sensor, the energy harvester, the energy storage, the processor, the transceiver, or combinations thereof may be bonded to the thin film sticker.

[0008] According to various embodiments, the sensor may be modular, such that the sensor may be configured to be removably coupled to the substrate.

[0009] According to various embodiments, the sensor, the energy harvester, the energy storage, the processor, the transceiver, or combinations thereof may be fabricated directly on the substrate.

[0010] According to various embodiments, the sensor may include a first sensor coupled to the substrate and a second sensor coupled to the substrate such that the first sensor and the second sensor may be selected from a group comprising: a velocity sensor, an acceleration sensor, a strain gauge sensor, a force sensor, a pressure sensor, a humidity sensor, a proximity sensor, and a temperature sensor. In some embodiments, the first sensor and the second sensor may be configured to measure at least two different types of data.Attorney Docket No.110708-1449199 Client Ref. No. B-030545PCT01 Patent Application

[0011] According to various embodiments, the energy harvester may be a vibration energy harvester that may be configured to convert vibrations to electrical energy that occur in the cabin of the aircraft such that the vibrations may occur with a vibration frequency in a range of 30 Hz to 200 Hz.

[0012] According to various embodiments, the energy harvester may be configured to convert inertial forces to electrical energy, wherein the inertial forces have accelerations in a range of 0.10g to 2.0g, and where g is the acceleration of gravity.

[0013] According to various embodiments, the energy storage may be a super capacitor.

[0014] According to various embodiments, the sensor may be a velocity sensor, an acceleration sensor, a strain gauge sensor, a force sensor, a pressure sensor, a humidity sensor, a proximity sensor, a temperature sensor, or combinations thereof.

[0015] According to various embodiments, the energy harvester may be configured to provide power to the sensor, the energy storage, the processor, the transceiver, or combinations thereof.

[0016] According to various embodiments, the energy source may be a vibration source, a temperature source, a mechanical source, an electrical source, a radio frequency source, or combinations thereof.

[0017] According to various embodiments, the target object is selected from a group comprising: a door, a door component, a seat, a seat component, a cart, a cart component, a sidewall, a sidewall component, a storage bin, a storage bin component, a cabinet, a cabinet component, a refrigeration unit, a refrigeration component, a liquid storage unit, a liquid storage component, a galley insert, a gallery insert component, a water supply system, a water supply component, an air supply system, an air supply component, or combinations thereof.

[0018] According to various embodiments, the processor may be configured to use the transceiver to communicate with a second WEHS device in a mesh network such that the transceiver may be configured to receive second sensor data from the second WEHS device.

[0019] According to various embodiments, a method for a wireless energy-harvesting sensor (WEHS) may include collecting, by a sensor, sensor data from a target object within a cabin of an aircraft and may include harvesting, by an energy harvester, energy from an energy source within the cabin of the aircraft. In some embodiments, the method may include storing, by an energy storage, harvested energy from the energy harvester and may include processing, by a processor, the sensor data received from the sensor. In some embodiments, the methodAttorney Docket No.110708-1449199 Client Ref. No. B-030545PCT01 Patent Application may include storing, by the processor, the sensor data in a data storage and may include transmitting, by a transceiver coupled to the processor, the sensor data to a network.

[0020] According to various embodiments, the method may include detecting, by the sensor, a first change to a condition of the target object and, in response to detecting the first change to the condition of the target object, activating, by the processor, a wake-up mode to begin collecting sensor data from the target object. In some embodiments, the method may include detecting, by the sensor, a second change to the condition of the target object, and, in response to detecting the second change to the condition of the target object, activating, by the processor, a sleep mode to stop collecting sensor data from the target object.

[0021] According to various embodiments, the method may include collecting, by the sensor, the sensor data from the target object within the cabin of the aircraft during flight and determining, by receiving a signal or by the processor, that the aircraft has landed. In some embodiments, in response to determining that the aircraft has landed, the method may include transmitting, by the transceiver, the sensor data to the network, and, in response to determining that the sensor data has transmitted the sensor data to the network, removing, by the processor, the sensor data from the data storage.

[0022] According to various embodiments, a non-transitory computer readable medium may have stored thereon computer-readable instructions that, when executed by a processor, cause the processor to perform operations that may include collecting, using a sensor, sensor data from a target object within a cabin of an aircraft and harvesting, using an energy harvester, energy from an energy source within the cabin of the aircraft. The operations may further include storing, using an energy storage, harvested energy from the energy harvester and processing the sensor data received from the sensor. The operations may further include storing the sensor data in a data storage and transmitting, using a transceiver, the sensor data to a network.

[0023] According to various embodiments, the network may be a mesh network and the operations may further include transmitting the sensor data, using the transceiver, to a wireless energy-harvesting sensor (WEHS) node in the cabin of the aircraft in the mesh network.

[0024] Various implementations described herein may include additional systems, methods, features, and advantages, which cannot necessarily be expressly disclosed herein but will be apparent to one of ordinary skill in the art upon examination of the following detailed description and accompanying drawings. It is intended that all such systems, methods, features,Attorney Docket No.110708-1449199 Client Ref. No. B-030545PCT01 Patent Application and advantages be included within the present disclosure and protected by the accompanying claims. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0025] FIG. 1 is an example flow diagram for wireless energy harvesting sensors, according to various embodiments.

[0026] FIG. 2 is an example block diagram for a wireless energy harvesting sensor, according to various embodiments.

[0027] FIG.3 is an example exploded-view diagram for a wireless energy harvesting sensor, according to some embodiments.

[0028] FIG.4 is an example method for a wireless energy harvesting sensor, according to some embodiments.

[0029] FIG. 5 is an example network diagram for a network of wireless energy harvesting sensors, according to some embodiments.

[0030] In the drawings, like reference numerals refer to like parts throughout the various views unless otherwise specified. Not all instances of an element are necessarily labeled to reduce clutter in the drawings where appropriate. The drawings are not necessarily to scale, emphasis instead being placed upon illustrating the principles being described. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0031] The subject matter of embodiments of the present invention is described here with specificity to meet statutory requirements, but this description is not necessarily intended to limit the scope of the claims. The claimed subject matter may be embodied in other ways, may include different elements or steps, and may be used in conjunction with other existing or future technologies. This description should not be interpreted as implying any particular order or arrangement among or between various steps or elements except when the order of individual steps or arrangement of elements is explicitly described.

[0032] The described embodiments of the invention provide wireless energy harvesting sensors (WEHS) for passenger vehicles. While the WEHS are discussed for use with aircraft, they are by no means so limited. Rather, embodiments of the WEHS may be used in passenger vehicles of any type or otherwise as desired.Attorney Docket No.110708-1449199 Client Ref. No. B-030545PCT01 Patent Application

[0033] The described embodiments herein use the terms ‘sensor’, ‘sensor(s)’, and similar. When these terms are used alone (e.g., the sensor provides sensor data), the terms are referring to one or more sensors installed on WEHS unless explicitly stated otherwise in the context of the discussion.

[0034] Passenger vehicles such as aircraft, buses, trains, or similar may be equipped with various products such as air conditioning units for cooling and / or heating passengers, coffee makers (e.g., espresso makers) for dispensing beverages, doors for accessing various facilities like lavatories, actuators for seats to enable adjustments, and other products as desired. During operation, the normal use or sometimes abusive use of the product may cause wear and damage to the products over time. As a result, these products may have sensors installed for monitoring product operations or performance. The sensors may function to measure and record performance and / or failure of the products over a few days to a few years. Conventionally, the sensors have been connected to the product by installing bulky wiring, heavy circuitry, or similar which adds weight to the vehicle and complexity to the sensor installation in the vehicle since the sensors typically need to be connected to the vehicle power source. The vehicle sensors may be used by technicians to diagnose if the product being monitored experienced a failure or fault of some sort. This after-the-fact monitoring may fail to detect an imminent product failure or malfunction and be ineffective in predicting future failures. Moreover, conventional sensors may be specific to the product they are attached to and require a specialized technician to retrieve the sensor data relating to the product. This process of data retrieval may result in significant downtime for the vehicle that has the products being monitored; thus losing money and productivity. Due to the aforementioned complications, these processes may be inefficient and do not provide a simple or quick solution to installing sensors, identifying failures, troubleshooting problems, or characterizing behaviors associated with objects and / or products.

[0035] Techniques, sensors, devices, systems, and methods discussed herein are directed towards a wireless energy harvesting sensor (WEHS) which may remedy the aforementioned deficiencies, among others, and provide substantial advantages over conventional sensor systems. The WEHS sensor(s) may be an easily installed sensor that may be installed along with existing systems / products in any suitable type of vehicle without the significant downtime that accompanies retrofitting vehicles with conventional sensor systems. The WEHS also offers an improved small profile which is beneficial for use in airplanes where space is limited and must be used efficiently. For example, the WEHS may have a substantiallyAttorney Docket No.110708-1449199 Client Ref. No. B-030545PCT01 Patent Application flat profile, measured in inches, which may aid in installing the WEHS in hard-to-reach places, such as small spaces between storage cabinets, that typically may be unable to be monitored by bulkier sensor solutions. The WEHS may include a simple adhesive or magnetic surface that may readily enable the WEHS to be adhered or otherwise attached to any suitable surface where characterization is desired.

[0036] According to certain embodiments, the WEHS may also include an ability to harvest power from the local environment (e.g., a cabin of an aircraft) thus reducing, or entirely eliminating, the need for extensive wiring and retrofitting procedures requiring wiring the sensor to the vehicle power source. The WEHS may be able to harvest energy from multiple sources such as local heat sources, local light sources using the photoelectric effect (e.g., like a solar panel), or abundant mechanical vibrations that occur during flight. Unlike conventional sensors, the WEHS may harvest energy from the local environment to power internal components such as processors, sensors, and the like. This modular power harvesting scheme enables the WEHS to be utilized at any suitable location in a vehicle without new engineering solutions being developed, new wiring being retrofitted, and the downtime associated with installing wired sensors.

[0037] According to certain embodiments, the WEHS may include a transmitter to transmit sensor data that characterizes the product or environment the WEHS is monitoring substantially in real-time or according to a schedule. This enables technicians to not only monitor the products in real-time, but also enables the gathering of sensor data of products or environments on demand. For example, if an aircraft were to land in Sydney Australia with a coffee machine that malfunctioned mid-flight, a technician could know of the malfunction as soon as the aircraft has landed and can take the necessary actions to repair or replace the coffee machine as quickly as possible.. In addition, if the technician would like to add similar measuring capabilities to other equipment, the technician may board the flights before or during passenger boarding to install the WEHS which may only take a few minutes. Since the installation is as simple as coupling the WEHS onto the product, the installation of the WEHS does not interfere with normal flight operations and the technician may go largely unnoticed by passengers going about their busy days. This simplified retrofit solution has the potential to save thousands of work hours, vehicle downtime, limit negative experiences affecting customers, and may provide important characterization information to diagnose problems that coffee machines, as well as other products, experience.Attorney Docket No.110708-1449199 Client Ref. No. B-030545PCT01 Patent Application

[0038] According to certain embodiments, the WEHS may be able to form a “mesh” network. For example, each WEHS installed in a vehicle may form a “node”, or a piece of a larger network, which may communicate with any other WEHS node installed in the vehicle and / or a network outside of the vehicle by way of a wireless connection. The collective communication ability of each WEHS node may form the mesh network of WEHS nodes. Forming of the mesh network increases the data transmission range and reliability of the individual WEHS within the aircraft. The data that is collected and transmitted by the network of WEHS within the aircraft may be sent to airlines so that the airlines may better understand the usage of their equipment, vehicles, and / or generate independent insights that may be used to improve operations or passengers’ experience. In addition, this data may help predict, or provide the ability to determine, if and / or when a product may fail before it happens using historical data, models, or predictive algorithms.

[0039] According to certain embodiments, FIG.1 is an example flow diagram 100 for wireless energy harvesting sensor(s). By way of example, one or more wireless energy harvesting sensor(s) 120 (WEHS) may be installed on and / or in target object(s) 122 (e.g., a lavatory door, a chair, a luggage compartment, a coffee maker, or similar) in a vehicle 118 (e.g., an aircraft). The WEHS 120 may be securely, and / or removably, installed on a surface, in a compartment, and / or integrated in the target object(s) 122 to collect sensor data 121, using one or more sensor(s) (e.g., sensor(s) 240 as depicted in FIG.2) from the target object(s) 122 within an area (e.g., a cabin) of the vehicle 118. The sensor data 121 may include measured data related to the target object(s) 122 and / or the area in proximity to the target object(s) 122 such as usage data, motion data, acceleration data, temperature data, or similar. In some examples, the sensor data 121 be used to monitor for a malfunction, operation, and / or failure of the target object(s) 122.

[0040] In certain embodiments, the WEHS 120 may harvest energy from an energy source using an energy harvester(s) 123. For example, the energy harvester(s) 123 may generate electrical energy from kinetic movement of the target object(s) 122. In this example, if the WEHS 120 is attached to, or otherwise installed on, a lavatory door, the vibrations that are produced by a flying aircraft may cause the energy harvester(s) 123 to convert the kinetic movement (e.g., vibrations) of the lavatory door being used to electrical energy to power the WEHS 120 and components of the WEHS 120. The energy harvester(s) 123 may relay the electrical energy harvested to one or more energy storage(s) 126 (e.g., a battery). In some examples, each WEHS 120 may include one or more energy harvester(s) 123 and one or moreAttorney Docket No.110708-1449199 Client Ref. No. B-030545PCT01 Patent Application energy storage(s) 126 connected to the energy harvester(s). The energy storage(s) 126 may be connected to individual components of the WEHS 120 to facilitate powering the individual components.

[0041] In certain embodiments, the WEHS 120 may include one or more processor(s) 128 connected to the sensor(s). The processor(s) 128 may communicate with the sensor(s) to process and store the sensor data 121 on one or more data storage(s) (e.g., data storage(s) 229 of FIG. 2). In addition, or alternatively, the processor(s) 128 may communicate with the sensor(s) and may be configured to start and / or stop the data gathering process.

[0042] In certain embodiments, the WEHS 120 may include one or more transceiver(s) 130 to transmit the sensor data 121 to one or more network(s) 132. The transceiver(s) 130 may include antenna and suitable electronics to transmit and / or receive communications from the network(s) 132. The transceiver(s) 130 may be configured to work in tandem with the processor(s) 128 to facilitate communication of sensor data 121 stored on the data storage(s), and / or operations / instructions for components installed on the WEHS 120.

[0043] FIG.2 is an example block diagram 200 for a wireless energy harvesting sensor, according to various embodiments. According to certain embodiments, a wireless energy harvesting sensor (WEHS) 220 may be the same as, or similar to, the WEHS 120 of FIG.1 and may perform the methods and / or operations as in FIG.1 and FIG.4. One or more components depicted in the block diagram 200 may be connected to one another by wired and / or wireless connections. The WEHS 220 may include any suitable number of components as one skilled in the art would readily recognize, and may include fewer or more components than the components depicted in FIG. 2. The WEHS 220 may include one or more sensor(s) 240 to obtain sensor data corresponding to one or more target object(s) 250. In certain embodiments, the sensor(s) 240 may include, but are not limited to, a velocity sensor, an acceleration sensor, a strain gauge sensor, a force sensor, a pressure sensor, a humidity sensor, a proximity sensor, a temperature sensor, a voltage sensor, a current sensor, a photoelectric sensor, a photovoltaic sensor, other sensors as desired, or combinations thereof.

[0044] The sensor(s) 240 may be configured to obtain the sensor data from one or more target object(s) 222 and / or an area in proximity to the target object(s) 222. By way of a non- limiting example, passenger aircraft typically have seat-trays for passengers to enjoy meals, read books, and / or otherwise support various items the passengers would like to use. In this example, if the WEHS 220 is coupled to a target object 222, such as the seat-tray in the cabin of the aircraft, and the sensor(s) 240 includes an acceleration sensor, the acceleration sensorAttorney Docket No.110708-1449199 Client Ref. No. B-030545PCT01 Patent Application may detect each time the seat-tray is opened or closed by the passenger by detecting changes in acceleration of the seat-tray as the seat-tray rotates up into a closed position and down in an open position. In still a further example, the WEHS 220 may be attached to a bi-fold lavatory door that may have an upper limit on how many times the door may open or close before an expected failure, or has a well-defined performance characteristic, such as the time that is takes the door to close on its own after it has been opened (e.g., such as getting stuck or part failure). The WEHS 220 may monitor the opening and closing of the door to predict (as discussed later) when the door may fail. According to certain embodiments, the processor(s) 228 may store the sensor data in one or more data storage(s) 229 installed in the WEHS 220 for future transmission and / or analysis. In certain embodiments, the data storage(s) 229 may be a memory (e.g., RAM, ROM, FLASH).

[0045] The sensor(s) 240 may be powered by one or more energy storage(s) 226. In certain embodiments, the energy storage(s) 226 may include one or more batteries (e.g., rechargeable Li-ion), super capacitors, or similar. The energy storage(s) 226 may be connected to and may receive electrical energy from one or more energy harvester(s) 224. The energy harvester(s) 224 may be any suitable energy harvester capable of actively and / or passively collecting energy from the target object(s) 222 or the area in proximity to the target object(s) 222. The energy harvester(s) 224 may include, but are not limited to, radio frequency (RF) energy harvesters, vibration energy harvesters, inductive coupling energy harvesters (e.g., Hall effect), capacitive coupling energy harvesters, photovoltaic / photoelectric converter harvesters, thermal energy harvesters, microwave energy harvester, magneto-dynamic coupler harvesters, other suitable energy harvesters, or combinations thereof to harvest energy from an energy source(s) 225. In certain embodiments, the energy harvester(s) 224 may convert, using one or more of the aforementioned harvesters, an energy source(s) 225 into electrical energy for storage in the energy storage(s) 226. In addition, or alternatively, the energy harvester(s) 224 may be configured to use one or more transceiver(s) 230, which may include one or more antenna, to harvest RF and / or microwave electromagnetic signals from the energy source(s) 225.

[0046] In certain embodiments, the energy source(s) 225 may include, but are not limited to, vibrations, inertial forces, ambient and / or direct heating, electromagnetic fields (e.g., light), radio frequency sources, inductive chargers, applied external pressure, a mechanical source (e.g., applied pressure or pump), an electrical source (e.g., AC / DC source), a high frequency vibration source a low frequency vibration source, or any other desired energyAttorney Docket No.110708-1449199 Client Ref. No. B-030545PCT01 Patent Application source. In some embodiments, the low frequency vibrations may range from approximately 10 Hz to approximately 200 Hz, the inertial forces may have accelerations that range from approximately 0.10g to approximately 2.0g in which g is the acceleration of gravity of approximately 9.8 meters per second squared. Additionally or alternatively, the high frequency vibration source may have vibrations that exceed approximately 500 Hz. The energy harvester(s) 224 may be configured to actively and / or passively collect energy from the energy source(s) 225. In some embodiments, the energy harvester(s) 224 may collect energy from the energy source(s) 225 and may function to receive, transmit, and / or store energy associated with the energy harvester(s) 224 according to a pre-defined schedule, frequency, duty cycle, or via user request.

[0047] In certain embodiments, the transceiver(s) 230 may include one or more antenna (e.g., RF transmitter) to relay data from the processor(s) 228 to one or more mesh node(s) 260, one or more network(s) 270, one or more gateway(s) 280, or combinations thereof. For example, the WEHS 220 may function as a mesh node 260 in a mesh network of a number of grouped WEHS (e.g., a few WEHS to a few hundred WEHS). The mesh network may include any suitable number of WEHS 220 functioning as mesh node(s) 260. Each of the WEHS 220 may use their respective transceiver(s) 230 to communicate with each other, and relay any suitable data to each other. In addition, or alternatively, each of the WEHS 220 may transmit and / or receive data from the network(s) 270. In certain embodiments, each of the WEHS 220 installed within the vehicle may communicate with the network(s) 270 by way of the mesh network. In addition, or alternatively, the WEHS 220 may communicate with one or more gateway(s) 280. The WEHS 220 may communicate with the gateway(s) 280 directly, or indirectly using the mesh network and / or network(s) 270. The network(s) 270 may be any suitable network such as a wide area network (WAN), local area network (LAN), WIFI, Bluetooth, or similar. The gateway(s) 280 may be any suitable gateway such as a cloud server, router, virtual private network (VPN), cellular network (e.g., 4G / 5G), or similar.

[0048] In certain embodiments, WEHS 220, the mesh node(s) 260, the network(s) 270, and / or the gateway(s) may communicate with one or more characterization server(s) 290. The characterization server(s) 290 may receive data, including the sensor data, from the WEHS 220, the mesh node(s) 260, the network(s) 270, and / or the gateway(s) 280. The characterization server(s) 290 may apply one or more predictive algorithm(s) on the sensor data to predict a failure and / or malfunction of the target object(s) the WEHS are applied to. For example, the characterization server(s) 290 may apply a linear regression algorithm, or any other suitableAttorney Docket No.110708-1449199 Client Ref. No. B-030545PCT01 Patent Application machine learning algorithm, to historical sensor data (e.g., sensor data from the last two years) to generate one or more characterization model(s) of the target object(s). The characterization model(s) may include parameters such as, but not limited to, 1) lifetime expectancy of the target object(s), 2) average downtime of the target object(s), 3) average failure of the target object(s), 4) predicted failure time frame of the target object(s), 5) type of vehicle the WEHS are installed on, 6) number of WEHS installed on the vehicle, 7) vibration characteristics of the vehicle, 8) vibration characteristics of the target object(s), 9) temperature characteristics of the vehicle, 10) temperature characteristics of the target object(s), 11) installation data of the WEHS, 12) last refurbishment date of the vehicle and / or target object(s), 13) an identification number of the WEHS, any other desired parameter, or combinations thereof. The historical data may be stored for retrieval in one or more memories (e.g., RAM, ROM, etc.) of the characterization server(s) 290.

[0049] In certain embodiments, the WEHS and / or mesh node(s) 260 (e.g., networked WEHS) may send a notification to the network(s) 270 and / or the gateway(s) 280 if one or more of the WEHS experienced an event outside of a threshold. For example, during a flight it is not uncommon to experience turbulence where the aircraft chaotically shakes while navigating turbulent airways. During shaking and / or abrupt changes in inertial forces during the flight, strong vibrations (e.g., accelerations, jerks, etc.) may be detected by the WEHS. In another example, vehicular accidents are commonplace, and the WEHS may detect if a collision has occurred by measuring the “jerk” in the vibrations and / or a measurable temperature increase / decrease. The threshold may be adaptively developed by the predictive algorithms or may be pre-defined by a user (e.g., technician). These thresholds may be identified and stored in the data storage(s) 229 for each WEHS for comparisons. In certain embodiments, the WEHS may detect when a flight has landed and may attempt to connect with the network(s) 270 and / or the gateway(s) 280 to quickly transmit the most recent sensor data. In addition, or alternatively, the WEHS may communicate with an onboard vehicle communication network (e.g., in flight Internet) to relay sensor data substantially in real-time.

[0050] FIG. 3 is an example exploded-view diagram 300 for an example wireless energy harvesting sensor (WEHS), according to some embodiments. According to certain embodiments, a wireless energy harvesting sensor 320 may be the same as, or similar to, the WEHS 120 of FIG. 1, the WEHS 220 of FIG. 2, and may perform the methods and / or operations as in FIG. 1, FIG. 2, or FIG. 4. In certain embodiments, the wireless energy harvesting sensor 320 may include one or more layers. By way of example, the WEHS 320Attorney Docket No.110708-1449199 Client Ref. No. B-030545PCT01 Patent Application may include one or more top layer(s) 327. The top layer(s) 327 may include a cover layer that may be configured to protect components within the WEHS 320 and / or display a description of the type of WEHS 320 (e.g., printed, engraved, color scheme, etc.). The top layer(s) 327 may include an opaque layer, a semi-transparent layer, and / or a layer that is transparent to one or more wavelengths of light. The top layer(s) 327 may be included in any suitable order as recognized by one skilled in the art to protect and / or facilitate operations of the components within the WEHS 320. In addition, or alternatively, the top layer(s) 327 may be one or more adhesive layers which may connect the top layer(s) 327 to one or more intermediate layer(s) 329 and / or a surface of a target object(s) 322.

[0051] The intermediate layer(s) 329 of the WEHS 320 may include, but are not limited to, components such as energy harvester(s) 324, energy storage(s) 326, sensor(s) 340, processor(s) 328, data storage(s) (not depicted), and / or transceiver(s) 330. These components may be the same or similar to the components in FIG.1 and FIG.2. The intermediate layer(s) 329 may include any suitable electronic arrangement to facilitate the operations and functions of the components. The components may be on separate intermediate layer(s) 329 or may share the same intermediate layer(s) 329. The intermediate layer(s) 329 may include printed circuit boards (PCB), integrated circuits, and / or photonic integrated circuits (PIC). In certain embodiments utilizing photovoltaic and / or photoelectric energy harvester(s) 324, the intermediate layer(s) 329 may include flexible copper-indium-gallium-selenide (CIGS), polyethylene terephthalate (PET), polyimide (PI), or similar materials to convert light into electrical energy.

[0052] The intermediate layer(s) 329 of the WEHS 320 may be coupled to the top layer(s) 327 using an adhesive, layered epoxy resin bonding, wafer bonding, vacuum deposition, or other suitable coupling mechanism. In addition, or alternatively, the intermediate layer(s) 329 of the WEHS 320 may be coupled to one or more bottom layer(s) 325 using an adhesive, layered epoxy resin bonding, wafer bonding, vacuum deposition, or other bonding mechanism. In certain embodiments, the bottom layer(s) 325 may include one or more adhesive layer(s) (e.g., glue, resin, epoxy, or similar). By way of example, the bottom layer(s) 325 may include a substrate and / or one or more adhesive layer(s) which may be peeled off serially to reveal the next sequential adhesive layer. In this example, the WEHS 320 may be removably attached, retrofitted, and / or repositioned on one or more target object(s) 322 interchangeably. In various embodiments, the substrate and adhesive layer(s) may be the same. In addition, orAttorney Docket No.110708-1449199 Client Ref. No. B-030545PCT01 Patent Application alternatively, the top layer(s) 327, the intermediate layer(s) 329, and / or the bottom layer(s) 325 may be a single unitary layer or may be any suitable combination of layers.

[0053] In certain embodiments, the substrate may be configured to couple and / or provide support to energy harvester(s) 324, energy storage(s) 326, sensor(s) 340, processor(s) 328, data storage(s) (not depicted), transceiver(s) 330, or combinations thereof. The substrate may be configured with a planar form factor with a length in a range of one inch to five inches, a width in a range of 0.5 inches to 2.0 inches, and a height in a range of 0.01 inches to 0.20 inches. While these dimensional ranges for the substrate, and therefore the WEHS, illustrate example dimensions of the WEHS, the dimensional ranges should not be considered limiting and any suitable dimensions and shape (e.g., square, rectangular, circular, or similar) of the WEHS is readily recognized by those skilled in the art depending on a desired suitable application of the WEHS. In certain embodiments, the substrate may be configured as a thin film sticker (e.g., from ten micrometers to a few millimeters thick) configured to be attached to the target object(s) 322 using an adhesive. In various embodiments, the energy harvester(s) 324, energy storage(s) 326, sensor(s) 340, processor(s) 328, data storage(s) (not depicted), transceiver(s) 330, or combinations thereof, may be wafer bonded, or otherwise adhered, to the thin film sticker. In certain embodiments, the energy harvester(s) 324, energy storage(s) 326, sensor(s) 340, processor(s) 328, data storage(s) (not depicted), transceiver(s) 330 or combinations thereof, may be modular layer(s) that may be removably coupled to the substrate or directly fabricated on the substrate. In addition, or alternatively, the WEHS 320 may be attached to any suitable target object(s) 322 within a vehicle, including, but not limited to, a door, a door component, a seat, a seat component, a cart, a cart component, a sidewall, a sidewall component, a storage bin, a storage bin component, a cabinet, a cabinet component, a refrigeration unit, a refrigeration component, a liquid storage unit, a liquid storage component, a galley insert, a gallery insert component, a water supply system, a water supply component, an air supply system, an air supply component, other objects within a vehicle, or combinations thereof. In addition, or alternatively, the bottom layer(s) 325 may include one or more magnetic layers and / or magnets for attachment to the target object(s) 322.

[0054] FIG. 4 is an example method 400 for a wireless energy harvesting sensor (WEHS), according to some embodiments. In some embodiments, the method 400 may include more or fewer steps than the number depicted in FIG.4. It should be appreciated that the steps of the method 400 may be performed in any suitable order. The method 400 may be implemented by one or more components of the WEHS of FIG.1-3, or 5. The method 400 mayAttorney Docket No.110708-1449199 Client Ref. No. B-030545PCT01 Patent Application begin at step 402, where one or more sensor(s) (e.g., sensor(s) 240 of FIG.2) collects sensor data from a target object within a cabin of an aircraft. For example, in an instance where the target object is a lavatory door within the cabin of the aircraft, the sensor(s) may detect a first change to a condition of the lavatory door, such as the lavatory door opening. The sensor(s) may relay the first change to a processor(s) (e.g., such as processor(s) 228 of FIG.2), and, in response to detecting the first change to the condition of the lavatory door (e.g., target object(s)), the processor(s) may activate a wake-up mode where the sensor(s) begin collecting sensor data from the lavatory door. The sensor(s) may collect sensor data from the lavatory door continuously, according to a duty cycle (e.g., once every ten milliseconds), on demand, and / or according to an amount of energy stored in energy storage(s) (e.g., energy storage(s) 226 of FIG.2). In addition, or alternatively, the sensor(s) may be configured to detect a first change in the vehicle. The first change may be, but not limited to, 1) a taxiing aircraft, 2) an aircraft taking off, 3) an aircraft climbing in altitude, 4) an aircraft reaching cruising altitude, 5) an aircraft descending altitude, 6) an increase in air pressure, 7) a decrease in air pressure, other changes, or combinations thereof.

[0055] At step 404, one or more energy harvester(s) (e.g., energy harvester(s) 224) may be configured to harvest energy from one or more energy source(s) (e.g., energy source(s) 225 of FIG. 2). Referring back to the lavatory door example, the WEHS may be attached to the lavatory door by an adhesive (e.g., adhesive(s) as in FIG.3) and be configured to harvest energy from vibrations in / on the lavatory door and / or movement of the lavatory door. The vibrations may be caused by the flight of the aircraft. In addition, or alternatively, the energy harvester(s) may harvest two or more types of energy. For example, the WEHS may include a first energy harvester that may harvest heat from a heat source and a second energy harvester that may harvest low frequency vibrations. The first energy harvester and the second energy harvester may be configured to convert the energy source(s) to electrical energy.

[0056] At step 406, one or more energy storage(s) (e.g., energy storage(s) 226 of FIG. 2) may store energy (e.g., electrical energy) harvested from the energy harvester(s). The energy storage(s) may store energy according to a pre-defined schedule, frequency, duty cycle, or via request (e.g., energy request from other components of the WEHS). Referring back to the lavatory door example, when the energy harvester(s) relay electrical energy, generated by vibrations in / on the lavatory door, to the energy storage(s), the energy storage(s) may store the electrical energy and / or may relay the electrical energy to the components (e.g., processor(s)Attorney Docket No.110708-1449199 Client Ref. No. B-030545PCT01 Patent Application 228, transceiver(s) 230, etc. of FIG.2) that need power. In addition, or alternatively, the energy storage(s) may separate and / or combine electrical energy from the energy harvester(s).

[0057] At step 408, one or more processor(s) (e.g., processor(s) 228 of FIG. 2) may receive the sensor data from the sensor(s) (e.g., sensor(s) 240 of FIG. 2). The sensor(s) may transmit the sensor data to the processor(s) as an analog signal and / or a digital signal. The processor(s) may encode the sensor data in a secure manner using any suitable encoding / encryption technique. In certain embodiments, the processor(s) may perform an analysis on the sensor data to make one or more determination(s). Referring back to the lavatory door example, the processor(s) may analyze the sensor data from the sensor(s) to determine what type of change has occurred. For example, the processor(s) may be configured to determine when the lavatory door has been opened, has been closed, and / or if the lavatory door is experiencing vibrations known to exist as a result of the aircraft taking off, flying, and / or landing. The processor(s) may utilize one or more machine learning models (e.g., neural networks, deep learning algorithms, etc.) to make the determinations.

[0058] At step 410, the processor(s) may relay the sensor data, processed and / or unprocessed, to one or more data storage(s) (e.g., data storage(s) 229 of FIG. 2). The data storage(s) may store the sensor data in any suitable secure format that is readily available to the processor(s) and / or transceiver(s) (e.g., transceiver(s) 230 of FIG.2). Referring back to the lavatory door example, the WEHS may be coupled to the lavatory door in an inconspicuous manner. The WEHS may be assigned an identifier (e.g., serial number, unique identification number, etc.) associated with the lavatory door. The identifier may be stored in the data storage(s) such that when the sensor(s) transmit sensor data to the processor(s), the processor(s) may store the sensor data along with the identifier. In addition, or alternatively, some or all WEHS may function as a mesh network and may determine relative positions and / or locations based on suitable ranging techniques (e.g., range triangulation, Bluetooth range estimation, etc.). The positions and / or locations of the WEHS may be stored in respective data storage(s) along with the identifiers.

[0059] At step 412, one or more transceiver(s) (e.g., transceiver(s) 230 of FIG.2) may transmit the sensor data to a network (e.g., network(s) 270 of FIG.2). The transceiver(s) may receive processed and / or unprocessed sensor data from the processor(s) and / or data storage(s). The transceiver(s) may be configured to function with the processor(s) to encrypt and / or encode the sensor data to ensure secure data transmission. Referring back to the lavatory door example, the transceiver(s) may be configured to transmit and / or receive the sensor data from the WEHSAttorney Docket No.110708-1449199 Client Ref. No. B-030545PCT01 Patent Application attached to the lavatory door when the processor(s) and / or sensor(s) determine that a second change to the condition of the lavatory door (e.g., target object(s)) has occurred. The second change to the condition of the lavatory door may include, but are not limited to, opening of the lavatory door, closing of the lavatory door, the lavatory door remaining opening for a time period, or other condition changes. In addition, the second change to the condition may include a change to the condition of the vehicle such as, but not limited to, 1) a taxiing aircraft, 2) an aircraft taking off, 3) an aircraft climbing in altitude, 4) an aircraft reaching cruising altitude, 5) an aircraft descending altitude, 6) an increase in air pressure, 7) a decrease in air pressure, other vehicle condition changes, or combinations thereof. The sensor(s) may relay the second change to the condition to the processor(s), and, in response to detecting the second change to the condition of the lavatory door, the processor(s) may activate a sleep-up mode where the sensor(s) stop collecting sensor data from the lavatory door. The sensor(s) may stop collecting sensor data from the lavatory door immediately, after a countdown (e.g., thirty seconds), according to a duty cycle, on demand, and / or according to an amount of energy stored in energy storage(s) (e.g., energy storage(s) 226 of FIG.2).

[0060] The transceiver(s) may receive instructions to communicate with mesh node(s) (e.g., mesh node(s) 260 of FIG.2), network(s), and / or gateway(s) (e.g., gateway(s) 280 of FIG. 2), or combinations thereof, from the processor(s) in response to the first change, the second change, or any suitable change to the target object(s) and / or vehicle occurring. For example, the transceiver(s) may receive instructions from the processor(s) to transmit accumulated sensor data from the WEHS (e.g., mesh nodes) within the vehicle once the vehicle has landed. The transceiver(s) may receive one or more acknowledgement(s) from the mesh node(s), network(s), and / or gateway(s) that the sensor data has been received. In certain embodiments, the transceiver(s) may relay the acknowledgements to the processor(s) such that the processor(s) may erase, clear, or otherwise remove some or all data from the data storage(s). Returning to the lavatory door example, during operation the sensor(s) may determine that the aircraft has taken off and / or achieved cruising altitude. In response, the sensor(s) may receive instructions from the processor(s) to enter a wake-up mode where the sensor(s) collect sensor data from the lavatory door more frequently. The sensor data may be collected and stored in the data storage(s) during flight. At some later time, the sensor(s) and / or the processor(s) may determine that the aircraft has landed. In addition, or alternatively, the WEHS may receive a signal from the network(s) and / or gateway(s) that the aircraft has landed. In this example, the processor(s) may instruct the sensor(s) to relay any remaining sensor data and enter sleep mode.Attorney Docket No.110708-1449199 Client Ref. No. B-030545PCT01 Patent Application The processor(s) may instruct the transceiver(s) to relay the sensor data to the network(s) for analysis and further processing. The data storage(s) may then receive instructions to remove the sensor data or may automatically remove the sensor data upon entering the sleep mode. In addition, or alternatively, the transceiver(s) may relay the sensor data to a mesh node (e.g., a different WEHS) for transmission to the network(s) or similar.

[0061] FIG. 5 is a network diagram 500 for a wireless energy harvesting sensor(s) (WEHS) network, according to some embodiments. The WEHS network may include any suitable number of WEHS 520. The WEHS 520 may be the same or similar to the WEHS in FIG. 1-4. Each WEHS 520 may include one or more processor(s) 528. The processor(s) 528 may include one processing device or multiple processing devices each (e.g., multi-core). By way of example, any suitable processor(s) 528 may be used including, but not limited to, Field- Programmable Gate Array (FPGA), an application specific integrated circuit (ASIC), a microprocessor, or any combination of these. The processor(s) 528 may execute instructions stored in one or more data storage(s) 529 to perform operations, such as the operations of the WEHS 100-300 of FIG. 1-3, and / or the method 400 of FIG. 4. In some examples, the instructions may include processor-specific instructions generated by a compiler or an interpreter from code written in any suitable computer-programming language, such as C, C++, C#, Python, Java, or similar.

[0062] In certain embodiments, the data storage(s) 529 may include one memory device or multiple memory devices. The data storage(s) 529 may be non-volatile and may include any type of memory device that retains stored information when powered off. By way of example, data storage(s) 529 may include electrically erasable and programmable read-only memory (EEPROM), flash memory, or any other type of non-volatile memory. At least some of the data storage(s) 529 may include a non-transitory computer-readable medium from which the processor(s) 528 may read instructions via bus 502. The bus 502 may be a communication and / or power the bus that enables processor(s) 528 to communicate with data storage(s) 529. The non-transitory computer-readable medium can include electronic, optical, magnetic, or other storage devices capable of providing the processor(s) 528 with the instructions or other program code. Non-limiting examples of the non-transitory computer-readable medium include magnetic disk(s), memory chip(s), RAM, an ASIC, or any other medium from which a computer processor can read instructions.

[0063] In certain embodiments, the transceiver(s) 530 may include one or more antenna. The transceiver(s) 530 may include layered antenna, or may be integrated on a singleAttorney Docket No.110708-1449199 Client Ref. No. B-030545PCT01 Patent Application layer. The transceiver(s) 530 may be RF transceivers, fiber-optic transceivers, Bluetooth transceivers, wireless transceivers which may operate on 2G, 5G or other cellular standard networks, Zigbee transceivers, infrared transceivers, or other types of transceivers. In addition, or alternatively, the transceiver(s) 530 may include connections for ethernet wires. The transceiver(s) 530 of each WEHS 520 may function to communicate with other WEHS 520, and / or relay transmissions along the mesh network.

[0064] In certain embodiments, one or more mesh node(s) 560, one or more network(s) 570, and / or one or more gateway(s) 580 may communicate with one or more WEHS 520 along bus 502, and / or wirelessly. The mesh node(s) 560 (e.g., WEHS 520) may collectively form a mesh network of WEHS device(s) 520 which may be interconnected wirelessly using the transceiver(s) 530. The mesh network may communicate with the network(s) 570. The network(s) may include any suitable network LAN, WAN, private, public, or similar. In addition, or alternatively, the mesh network may communicate with the gateway(s) 580. The gateway(s) 580 may include any suitable network gateway such as a router, modem, server, cloud interface, or similar.

[0065] The terms and expressions which have been employed are used as terms of description, not of a form of limitation, and there is no intention in the use of such terms and expressions of excluding any equivalents of the features shown and described or portions thereof, but it should be recognized by those skilled in the art that various modifications are possible within the scope of the claims. Thus, it should be understood that although the present disclosure includes specific embodiments and optional features, modification and variation of the concepts herein disclosed may be implemented to by those skilled in the art, and that such modifications and variations are considered to be within the scope of the claims and description.

[0066] As used in this application and in the claims, the singular forms “a”, “an”, and “the” include the plural forms unless the context clearly dictates otherwise. Additionally, the term “includes” means “comprises”. Further, the term “coupled” does not exclude the presence of intermediate elements between the coupled items. In some examples, values, procedures, or devices are referred to by comparisons to other values, procedures, or devices. It will be appreciated that such descriptions are intended to indicate that a selection among many used functional alternatives can be made, and such selections need not be better, smaller, or otherwise preferable to other selections. Additionally, the description sometimes uses terms like “produce” and “provide” or similar to describe the disclosed methods. These terms shouldAttorney Docket No.110708-1449199 Client Ref. No. B-030545PCT01 Patent Application be considered high-level abstractions of the actual operations that are performed. The actual operations that correspond to these terms may vary depending on the particular implementation and are readily discernible by one or ordinary skill in the art.

[0067] The systems, apparatuses, and methods described herein should not be construed as limiting in any way. Instead, the present disclosure is directed toward all novel and non-obvious features and aspects of the various disclosed embodiments, alone and in various combinations and sub-combinations with one another. The disclosed WEHS, methods, and networked systems are not limited to any specific aspect or feature or combinations thereof, nor do the disclosed WEHS, methods, and networked systems require that any one or more specific advantages be present or problems be solved. Any theories of operation are to facilitate explanation, but the disclosed systems, methods, and apparatuses are not limited to such theories of operation.

[0068] Although the operations of some of the disclosed techniques, processes, and / or methods are described in a particular, sequential order for convenient presentation, it should be understood that this manner of description encompasses rearrangement, unless a particular ordering is required by specific language set forth below. For example, operations described sequentially may in some cases be rearranged or performed concurrently. Moreover, for the sake of simplicity, the attached figures may not show the various ways in which the disclosed systems, methods, and networked systems may be used in conjunction with other systems, methods, and networked systems.

[0069] Where terms are used without explicit definition, it is understood that the ordinary meaning of the word is intended, unless a term carries a special and / or specific meaning in the field of charged particle microscopy systems or other relevant fields. The terms “approximately”, “same”, “about”, “similar”, or “substantially” are used to indicate a deviation from the stated property or numerical value within which the deviation has little to no influence of the corresponding function, property, or attribute of the structure being described. In an illustrated example, where a value is described as “substantially equal” or “approximate” to another value, the term “substantially” or “approximate” is intended to reflect that the two values being compared can be unequal within a percentage (e.g., + / - ten percent).

[0070] The description provides exemplary embodiments, and is not intended to limit the scope, applicability or configuration of the devices and / or methods. Rather, the ensuing description of the exemplary embodiments will provide those skilled in the art with an enabling description for implementing various embodiments. It is understood that various changes mayAttorney Docket No.110708-1449199 Client Ref. No. B-030545PCT01 Patent Application be made in the function and arrangement of elements without departing from the spirit and scope as set forth in the appended claims. In addition, specific details are given in the description to provide a thorough and detailed understanding of the embodiments. However, it will be understood that the embodiments may be practiced without these specific details. For example, specific WEHS, networks, methods, and other elements of the present disclosure may be shown in schematic diagram form or omitted from illustrations in order not to obscure the embodiments in unnecessary detail. In other instances, well-known circuits, processes, components, structures, and / or techniques may be shown without unnecessary detail.

[0071] In the following, further examples are described to facilitate the understanding of the invention:

[0072] Example 1. A wireless energy-harvesting sensor (WEHS) device for use in an aircraft, the WEHS device comprising: a sensor configured to collect sensor data from a target object within a cabin of the aircraft; an energy harvester configured to harvest energy from an energy source within the cabin of the aircraft; an energy storage configured to store energy harvested from the energy harvester; a processor configured to process the sensor data received from the sensor, wherein the processor is configured to store the sensor data in a data storage; and a transceiver configured to receive the sensor data from the processor, wherein the transceiver is configured to transmit the sensor data to a network.

[0073] Example 2. The WEHS device of any of the preceding or subsequent examples or combination of examples, further comprising a substrate configured to be coupled to the sensor, the energy harvester, the energy storage, the processor, the transceiver, or combinations thereof.

[0074] Example 3. The WEHS device of any of the preceding or subsequent examples or combination of examples, wherein the substrate is configured with a planar form factor with a length in a range of 1 inches to 5 inches, a width in a range of 0.5 inches to 2.0 inches, and a height in a range of 0.01 inches to 0.20 inches.

[0075] Example 4. The WEHS device of any of the preceding or subsequent examples or combination of examples, wherein the substrate is a thin film sticker configured to be attached to the target object using an adhesive, and wherein the sensor, the energy harvester, the energy storage, the processor, the transceiver, or combinations thereof are bonded to the thin film sticker.Attorney Docket No.110708-1449199 Client Ref. No. B-030545PCT01 Patent Application

[0076] Example 5. The WEHS device of any of the preceding or subsequent examples or combination of examples, wherein the sensor is modular, and wherein the sensor is configured to be removably coupled to the substrate.

[0077] Example 6. The WEHS device of any of the preceding or subsequent examples or combination of examples, wherein the sensor, the energy harvester, the energy storage, the processor, the transceiver, or combinations thereof are fabricated directly on the substrate.

[0078] Example 7. The WEHS device of any of the preceding or subsequent examples or combination of examples, wherein the sensor includes a first sensor coupled to the substrate and a second sensor coupled to the substrate, wherein the first sensor and the second sensor are selected from a group comprising: a velocity sensor, an acceleration sensor, a strain gauge sensor, a force sensor, a pressure sensor, a humidity sensor, a proximity sensor, and a temperature sensor; and wherein the first sensor and the second sensor are configured to measure at least two different types of data.

[0079] Example 8. The WEHS device of any of the preceding or subsequent examples or combination of examples, wherein the energy harvester is a vibration energy harvester configured to convert vibrations to electrical energy that occur in the cabin of the aircraft, wherein the vibrations occur with a vibration frequency in a range of 30 Hz to 200 Hz.

[0080] Example 9. The WEHS device of any of the preceding or subsequent examples or combination of examples, wherein the energy harvester is configured to convert inertial forces to electrical energy, wherein the inertial forces have accelerations in a range of 0.10g to 2.0g, and wherein g is the acceleration of gravity.

[0081] Example 10. The WEHS device of any of the preceding or subsequent examples or combination of examples, wherein the energy storage is a super capacitor.

[0082] Example 11. The WEHS device of any of the preceding or subsequent examples or combination of examples, wherein the sensor is a velocity sensor, an acceleration sensor, a strain gauge sensor, a force sensor, a pressure sensor, a humidity sensor, a proximity sensor, a temperature sensor, or combinations thereof.

[0083] Example 12. The WEHS device of any of the preceding or subsequent examples or combination of examples, wherein the energy harvester is configured to provide power to the sensor, the energy storage, the processor, the transceiver, or combinations thereof.

[0084] Example 13. The WEHS device of any of the preceding or subsequent examples or combination of examples, wherein the energy source is a vibration source, a temperatureAttorney Docket No.110708-1449199 Client Ref. No. B-030545PCT01 Patent Application source, a mechanical source, an electrical source, a radio frequency source, or combinations thereof.

[0085] Example 14. The WEHS device of any of the preceding or subsequent examples or combination of examples, wherein the target object is selected from a group comprising: a door, a door component, a seat, a seat component, a cart, a cart component, a sidewall, a sidewall component, a storage bin, a storage bin component, a cabinet, a cabinet component, a refrigeration unit, a refrigeration component, a liquid storage unit, a liquid storage component, a galley insert, a gallery insert component, a water supply system, a water supply component, an air supply system, an air supply component, or combinations thereof.

[0086] Example 15. The WEHS device of any of the preceding or subsequent examples or combination of examples, wherein the processor is configured to use the transceiver to communicate with a second WEHS device in a mesh network, and wherein the transceiver is configured to receive second sensor data from the second WEHS device.

[0087] Example 16. A method for a wireless energy-harvesting sensor (WEHS) comprising: collecting, by a sensor, sensor data from a target object within a cabin of an aircraft; harvesting, by an energy harvester, energy from an energy source within the cabin of the aircraft; storing, by an energy storage, harvested energy from the energy harvester; processing, by a processor, the sensor data received from the sensor; storing, by the processor, the sensor data in a data storage; and transmitting, by a transceiver coupled to the processor, the sensor data to a network.

[0088] Example 17. The method of any of the preceding or subsequent examples or combination of examples, further comprising: detecting, by the sensor, a first change to a condition of the target object; in response to detecting the first change to the condition of the target object, activating, by the processor, a wake-up mode to begin collecting sensor data from the target object; detecting, by the sensor, a second change to the condition of the target object; and in response to detecting the second change to the condition of the target object, activating, by the processor, a sleep mode to stop collecting sensor data from the target object.

[0089] Example 18. The method of any of the preceding or subsequent examples or combination of examples, further comprising: collecting, by the sensor, the sensor data from the target object within the cabin of the aircraft during flight; determining, by receiving a signal or by the processor, that the aircraft has landed; in response to determining that the aircraft has landed, transmitting, by the transceiver, the sensor data to the network; and in response toAttorney Docket No.110708-1449199 Client Ref. No. B-030545PCT01 Patent Application determining that the sensor data has transmitted the sensor data to the network, removing, by the processor, the sensor data from the data storage.

[0090] Example 19. A non-transitory computer readable medium having stored thereon computer-readable instructions that, when executed by a processor, cause the processor to perform operations comprising: collecting, using a sensor, sensor data from a target object within a cabin of an aircraft; harvesting, using an energy harvester, energy from an energy source within the cabin of the aircraft; storing, using an energy storage, harvested energy from the energy harvester; processing the sensor data received from the sensor; storing the sensor data in a data storage; and transmitting, using a transceiver, the sensor data to a network.

[0091] Example 20. The non-transitory computer readable medium of any of the preceding or subsequent examples or combination of examples, wherein the network is a mesh network; and wherein the operations further comprise: transmitting the sensor data, using the transceiver, to a wireless energy-harvesting sensor (WEHS) node in the cabin of the aircraft in the mesh network.

[0092] Different arrangements of the components depicted in the drawings or described above, as well as components and steps not shown or described are possible. Similarly, some features and sub-combinations are useful and may be employed without reference to other features and sub-combinations. Embodiments of the invention have been described for illustrative and not restrictive purposes, and alternative embodiments will become apparent to readers of this patent. Accordingly, the present invention is not limited to the embodiments described above or depicted in the drawings, and various embodiments and modifications may be made without departing from the scope of the claims below.

Claims

Attorney Docket No.110708-1449199 Client Ref. No. B-030545PCT01 Patent Application CLAIMS That which is claimed is:

1. A wireless energy-harvesting sensor (WEHS) device for use in an aircraft, the WEHS device comprising: a sensor configured to collect sensor data from a target object within a cabin of the aircraft; an energy harvester configured to harvest energy from an energy source within the cabin of the aircraft; an energy storage configured to store energy harvested from the energy harvester; a processor configured to process the sensor data received from the sensor, wherein the processor is configured to store the sensor data in a data storage; and a transceiver configured to receive the sensor data from the processor, wherein the transceiver is configured to transmit the sensor data to a network.

2. The WEHS device of claim 1, further comprising a substrate configured to be coupled to the sensor, the energy harvester, the energy storage, the processor, the transceiver, or combinations thereof.

3. The WEHS device of claim 2, wherein the substrate is configured with a planar form factor with a length in a range of 1 inches to 5 inches, a width in a range of 0.5 inches to 2.0 inches, and a height in a range of 0.01 inches to 0.20 inches.

4. The WEHS device of claim 2, wherein the substrate is a thin film sticker configured to be attached to the target object using an adhesive, and wherein the sensor, the energy harvester, the energy storage, the processor, the transceiver, or combinations thereof are bonded to the thin film sticker.

5. The WEHS device of claim 2, wherein the sensor is modular, and wherein the sensor is configured to be removably coupled to the substrate.

6. The WEHS device of claim 2, wherein the sensor, the energy harvester, the energy storage, the processor, the transceiver, or combinations thereof are fabricated directly on the substrate.Attorney Docket No.110708-1449199 Client Ref. No. B-030545PCT01 Patent Application 7. The WEHS device of claim 2, wherein the sensor includes a first sensor coupled to the substrate and a second sensor coupled to the substrate, wherein the first sensor and the second sensor are selected from a group comprising: a velocity sensor, an acceleration sensor, a strain gauge sensor, a force sensor, a pressure sensor, a humidity sensor, a proximity sensor, and a temperature sensor; and wherein the first sensor and the second sensor are configured to measure at least two different types of data.

8. The WEHS device of claim 1, wherein the energy harvester is a vibration energy harvester configured to convert vibrations to electrical energy that occur in the cabin of the aircraft, wherein the vibrations occur with a vibration frequency in a range of 30 Hz to 200 Hz.

9. The WEHS device of claim 1, wherein the energy harvester is configured to convert inertial forces to electrical energy, wherein the inertial forces have accelerations in a range of 0.10g to 2.0g, and wherein g is the acceleration of gravity.

10. The WEHS device of claim 1, wherein the energy storage is a super capacitor.

11. The WEHS device of claim 1, wherein the sensor is a velocity sensor, an acceleration sensor, a strain gauge sensor, a force sensor, a pressure sensor, a humidity sensor, a proximity sensor, a temperature sensor, or combinations thereof.

12. The WEHS device of claim 1, wherein the energy harvester is configured to provide power to the sensor, the energy storage, the processor, the transceiver, or combinations thereof.

13. The WEHS device of claim 1, wherein the energy source is a vibration source, a temperature source, a mechanical source, an electrical source, a radio frequency source, or combinations thereof.

14. The WEHS device of claim 1, wherein the target object is selected from a group comprising: a door, a door component, a seat, a seat component, a cart, a cart component, a sidewall, a sidewall component, a storage bin, a storage bin component, a cabinet, a cabinet component, a refrigeration unit, a refrigeration component, a liquid storage unit, a liquidAttorney Docket No.110708-1449199 Client Ref. No. B-030545PCT01 Patent Application storage component, a galley insert, a gallery insert component, a water supply system, a water supply component, an air supply system, an air supply component, or combinations thereof.

15. The WEHS device of claim 1, wherein the processor is configured to use the transceiver to communicate with a second WEHS device in a mesh network, and wherein the transceiver is configured to receive second sensor data from the second WEHS device.

16. A method for a wireless energy-harvesting sensor (WEHS) comprising: collecting, by a sensor, sensor data from a target object within a cabin of an aircraft; harvesting, by an energy harvester, energy from an energy source within the cabin of the aircraft; storing, by an energy storage, harvested energy from the energy harvester; processing, by a processor, the sensor data received from the sensor; storing, by the processor, the sensor data in a data storage; and transmitting, by a transceiver coupled to the processor, the sensor data to a network.

17. The method of claim 16, further comprising: detecting, by the sensor, a first change to a condition of the target object; in response to detecting the first change to the condition of the target object, activating, by the processor, a wake-up mode to begin collecting sensor data from the target object; detecting, by the sensor, a second change to the condition of the target object; and in response to detecting the second change to the condition of the target object, activating, by the processor, a sleep mode to stop collecting sensor data from the target object.

18. The method of claim 16, further comprising: collecting, by the sensor, the sensor data from the target object within the cabin of the aircraft during flight; determining, by receiving a signal or by the processor, that the aircraft has landed; in response to determining that the aircraft has landed, transmitting, by the transceiver, the sensor data to the network; and in response to determining that the sensor data has transmitted the sensor data to the network, removing, by the processor, the sensor data from the data storage.Attorney Docket No.110708-1449199 Client Ref. No. B-030545PCT01 Patent Application 19. A non-transitory computer readable medium having stored thereon computer-readable instructions that, when executed by a processor, cause the processor to perform operations comprising: collecting, using a sensor, sensor data from a target object within a cabin of an aircraft; harvesting, using an energy harvester, energy from an energy source within the cabin of the aircraft; storing, using an energy storage, harvested energy from the energy harvester; processing the sensor data received from the sensor; storing the sensor data in a data storage; and transmitting, using a transceiver, the sensor data to a network.

20. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 19, wherein the network is a mesh network; and wherein the operations further comprise transmitting the sensor data, using the transceiver, to a wireless energy-harvesting sensor (WEHS) node in the cabin of the aircraft in the mesh network.

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