Body Area Network Backscatter Scheduling for Reliable Sensor Data
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing body area networks face challenges in managing power consumption, data rate, and latency for battery-powered wearable sensors, particularly in medical applications, where stringent data security and interoperability are required, and there are no specific standards for personalized applications.
Innovation Solution
The use of wireless backscatter communication among body-worn devices, employing monostatic or bistatic configurations, with energy scavenging and optimized channel arbitration techniques to manage power consumption and ensure data transfer efficiency.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If multiple backscatter devices communicate simultaneously in a body area network, then system capacity and data rate are improved, but interference between devices increases and data reception reliability deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The patent divides the communication medium into distinct time slots, assigning each backscatter device a specific time slot for transmission. This temporal segmentation eliminates simultaneous transmissions from multiple devices, preventing interference while maintaining system capacity to support multiple sensors.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent implements periodic time-slot-based communication cycles where backscatter devices transmit in sequentially assigned slots. This periodic structure allows the data collector to systematically receive data from multiple devices over time, achieving both high system capacity and reliable reception by avoiding collisions.
2Productivity
If backscatter devices transmit data frequently to improve data rate, then data rate is improved, but power consumption increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent employs periodic time-slotted communication where backscatter devices transmit data at scheduled intervals rather than continuously. This allows devices to remain in low-power states between transmissions while still achieving adequate data rates through efficient use of active transmission periods.
Solution Approach 2:
The backscatter devices leverage the excitation signal from other devices or the data collector to power their transmissions without requiring their own power sources. This self-service approach allows frequent data transmission at improved rates while minimizing power consumption by harvesting energy from the communication environment.
3Ease of operation
If backscatter devices use wireless communication to transmit sensor data, then ease of operation is improved, but power consumption increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent enables backscatter devices to harvest power from the excitation signals present in the wireless environment, allowing them to perform wireless communication without dedicated power sources. This self-service mechanism maintains ease of wireless operation while dramatically reducing power consumption by eliminating the need for separate battery systems.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent replaces traditional active radio frequency transmitters with passive backscatter communication. Instead of generating their own radio signals requiring power, backscatter devices modulate reflected excitation signals, substituting a power-intensive mechanical transmission system with a power-efficient reflection-based system.
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
Achieves significant power savings and efficient data transfer in body area networks, optimizing power consumption while meeting data rate and latency requirements, and ensuring interoperability among wearable sensors.
Implementation Method 1
backscatter devices are configured to backscatter from an excitation signal... each of the plurality of backscatter devices is configured to transmit in an individually-assigned time slot
Data Source
AI summary
Configuring and utilizing a body area network (BAN) is provided. In a configuration phase, configuration messages are sent for scheduling a plurality of backscatter devices such that during a data collection phase each of the plurality of backscatter devices is configured to transmit in an individually-assigned time slot. In the data collection phase, a data collector device receives, from the plurality of backscatter devices, sensor data messages including sensor data from the backscatter devices, the sensor data messages being scheduled according to the configuration phase.