Buffered Sensor Gateway with Duty-Cycled Wireless Transmission
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing gateways for sensor data transmission face challenges in flexibility and economic efficiency due to high power consumption, requiring frequent battery changes or recharging, which limits their operational flexibility and economic viability.
Innovation Solution
A low-power gateway with a dual communication module setup, where one module continuously receives sensor data and the other module is switched on only for data transmission, using energy-saving modes and integrated energy storage, allowing for flexible operation without external power sources.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If a gateway is battery powered to improve flexibility, then portability and installation flexibility are improved, but power consumption becomes excessive requiring frequent battery changes or recharging
Solution Approach 1:
The gateway is divided into separate functional modules: a low-power microcontroller that remains active, and high-power components (wireless communication module, display module) that are activated only when needed. This segmentation allows the system to maintain flexibility while dramatically reducing average power consumption by keeping only essential components running continuously.
Solution Approach 2:
High-power components are activated periodically rather than continuously. The wireless communication module wakes up at scheduled intervals to transmit collected sensor data, and the display module activates only when new data is available. This periodic activation pattern significantly extends battery life while maintaining full functionality when needed.
2Reliability
If the gateway operates continuously to maintain data transmission, then data freshness and responsiveness are improved, but battery life is reduced requiring frequent recharging
Solution Approach 1:
Sensor data is collected and buffered in memory before transmission. The gateway continuously monitors and stores data from connected sensors, preparing it for future transmission. This preliminary data collection allows the system to remain responsive to data changes while deferring energy-intensive transmission operations to scheduled intervals, extending battery life without compromising data availability.
Solution Approach 2:
The gateway autonomously manages its power consumption by implementing intelligent sleep/wake cycles. The microcontroller monitors data buffer status and automatically wakes the wireless communication module only when data is ready for transmission. This self-service power management eliminates the need for continuous operation while ensuring data is transmitted promptly when possible, balancing reliability with battery conservation.
Data Source
AI summary
Described herein is a gateway for sensor data forwarding, including first communication circuitry adapted to receive sensor data from at least one sensor data source, processing circuitry connected to the first communication circuitry and adapted to collect and buffer the sensor data and to execute programs, which map a communication protocol, second communication circuitry connected to the processing circuitry and arranged for transmitting the collected and buffered sensor data, wherein the processing circuitry is arranged to switch on the second communication circuitry for transmitting the collected data and to switch the second communication circuitry off after transmitting the collected data.