Mains-Powered Beacon Rebroadcasting for Longer Sensor Battery Life
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Solution Overview
Problem
Battery-powered sensor devices face challenges in maintaining battery life due to frequent beacon broadcasts, which can be addressed by using a mains-powered device to rebroadcast sensor data without significant delay, thereby reducing power consumption.
Innovation Solution
A mains-powered electronic device, such as a lighting device, equipped with a wireless receiver and transmitter, rebroadcasts beacon signals from battery-powered sensors multiple times to ensure timely data transmission while preserving battery life.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Speed
If battery-powered sensor devices broadcast beacons frequently to ensure timely data transmission, then data delivery speed is improved, but battery lifetime deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces mains-powered electronic devices (such as lighting devices) as intermediaries that receive beacon signals from battery-powered sensor devices and rebroadcast them. This mediator approach allows sensor devices to transmit data infrequently (preserving battery life) while the intermediary ensures timely and widespread data delivery through multiple rebroadcasts at different time intervals
Solution Approach 2:
The patent segments the data transmission function between two types of devices: battery-powered sensor devices that generate data but transmit infrequently, and mains-powered intermediary devices that handle the frequent rebroadcasting. This segmentation allows each device type to operate within its power constraints while achieving the overall goal of timely data delivery
2Use of energy by moving object
If battery-powered sensor devices broadcast beacons with large intervals to preserve battery life, then power consumption is reduced, but data delivery timeliness deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The patent ensures continuous data availability by having mains-powered intermediary devices rebroadcast sensor data multiple times at different time intervals. This continuous rebroadcasting action compensates for the infrequent original transmissions from sensor devices, ensuring data reaches target devices timely without requiring continuous sensor transmission
Solution Approach 2:
The intermediary devices perform preliminary rebroadcasting of sensor data before the original sensor device would need to transmit again. By proactively rebroadcasting received data multiple times, the system ensures data is already in the network and can reach target devices without waiting for the next sensor transmission cycle
3Reliability
If battery-powered sensor devices broadcast beacons frequently to ensure data reaches target devices, then data delivery reliability is improved, but battery lifetime deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The patent uses mains-powered electronic devices as intermediaries to enhance data delivery reliability. These intermediaries receive and rebroadcast sensor data multiple times, creating redundant transmission paths that increase the probability of successful data delivery without requiring the battery-powered sensor devices to transmit frequently
4Duration of action of moving object
If battery-powered sensor devices broadcast beacons with large intervals to extend battery life, then battery lifetime is improved, but transmission range effectiveness deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extends the effective transmission area by adding a spatial dimension through multiple intermediary devices distributed throughout the environment. Each intermediary receives and rebroadcasts data, creating a multi-hop transmission network that expands the effective coverage area far beyond the limited range of individual battery-powered sensor devices
Data Source
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Figure 5~6
AI summary
A mains-powered electronic device (1), e.g. a lighting device, is configured to receive a wireless broadcast of a beacon signal (201) from a battery-powered sensor device (11). The beacon signal comprises sensor data of the battery-powered sensor device. The mains-powered electronic device is further configured to broadcast a plurality of secondary beacon signals (211-215) at different moments in time. Each of the secondary beacon signals comprises the sensor data.