Battery-less IoT Tag for Real-time Product Pick-up Sensing
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current pick-up sensing solutions for IoT devices, particularly in retail environments, rely on batteries and external sensors, which increase costs, size constraints, and maintenance needs, and lack effective real-time marketing analysis of customer data.
Innovation Solution
A battery-less pick-up sensing system using IoT tags with integrated energy harvesting and on-die components that transmit data via low-power protocols, allowing for real-time detection of product interest through frequency analysis and analytics processing on a cloud-based server.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If battery and external sensor are used for pick-up sensing, then sensing functionality is achieved, but cost and device complexity increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines the sensing functionality, processing unit, and communication module into a single integrated IoT tag chip. This merging eliminates the need for separate external sensors and reduces overall device complexity while maintaining reliable pick-up sensing capability through the integrated accelerometer and processing unit.
Solution Approach 2:
The IoT tag is designed with multi-functionality, serving as both a tracking device and a sensing unit. The same device performs pick-up detection, data processing, and wireless communication, eliminating the need for separate dedicated sensing equipment and reducing overall system complexity.
2Measurement precision
If external crystal and sensor are added to SoC, then timing and sensing accuracy improve, but total cost and integration space increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent integrates the crystal oscillator and sensor elements directly into the SoC chip structure. This consolidation provides accurate timing reference and sensing capability while reducing the total integration space required, as all components share the same chip substrate rather than requiring separate mounting areas.
3Use of energy by moving object
If battery is integrated to power SoC, sensor, and crystal, then device operation is enabled, but maintenance cost and embeddability are reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts and eliminates the battery component from the IoT tag system. The tag is designed to be completely passive, drawing power only during brief communication windows with the reader device. This extraction of the battery enables easy embedding in products without concerns about power supply, maintenance, or environmental disposal.
Solution Approach 2:
The IoT tag operates using periodic communication bursts rather than continuous power consumption. The passive tag is activated only when a reader device initiates communication, allowing it to transmit sensed data and receive commands in short intervals, thereby eliminating the need for a continuous power source like a battery.
4Reliability
If ad-hoc sensor and Bluetooth SoC are used, then pick-up detection is achieved, but overall solution cost increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges the accelerometer-based pick-up detection, data processing unit, and Bluetooth communication capabilities into a single integrated IoT tag chip. This consolidation reduces the bill of materials cost by eliminating separate components and reduces assembly complexity, thereby lowering the overall solution cost while maintaining reliable pick-up detection functionality.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
This solution reduces maintenance and costs by eliminating battery replacement, enhances embeddability, and provides immediate analytics on customer interest and marketing campaign effectiveness, optimizing product placement and promotional strategies.
Implementation Method 1
power supply may be harvested from other sources, such as light, mechanical movement, and electromagnetic power (e.g., existing radio frequency transmissions)
Data Source
AI summary
A system and method for detecting a pick-up of an item and determining analytics based on the detected pick-up. The method includes receiving data packets from a plurality of Internet of Things (IoT) tags, wherein each of the IoT tags is attached to a product, extracting a frequency word from each of the plurality of IoT tags, analyzing each of the extracted frequency words to detect a pick-up event associated with each IoT tag, and determining analytics related to an interest in the product based on the detected pick-up events.