Cold Chain Sensor Sampling Control for Battery and Bandwidth Limits
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Current environmental parameter sensing systems in cold chain distribution strain bandwidth and drain battery power due to high-frequency real-time monitoring, necessitating an energy-efficient solution for monitoring environmental parameters.
Innovation Solution
An environmental parameter monitoring system with adjustable sampling rates, featuring sensors that transmit readings only upon environmental or user-induced events, and a communication module for wireless data transmission, allowing for power conservation and efficient data logging.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If high frequency real time monitoring is implemented, then monitoring precision is improved, but energy consumption increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements dynamic sampling rate adjustment where the monitoring frequency changes based on environmental conditions. The controller increases sampling frequency when temperature or humidity changes exceed thresholds, and reduces frequency when conditions are stable, thereby maintaining monitoring precision when needed while conserving energy during normal operations
Solution Approach 2:
The system changes the sampling rate parameter dynamically based on environmental parameter variations. When the absolute change in temperature or humidity exceeds a predetermined threshold, the sampling rate is increased; otherwise, it is reduced, allowing the system to adapt monitoring intensity to actual conditions
2Measurement precision
If high frequency data transmission is performed, then data accuracy is improved, but bandwidth consumption increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements dynamic transmission frequency adjustment where data is transmitted at high frequency only when environmental changes exceed thresholds. During stable conditions, transmission frequency is reduced, thereby maintaining data accuracy for critical events while significantly reducing overall bandwidth consumption
Solution Approach 2:
The system uses periodic sampling with variable intervals based on environmental conditions. Instead of continuous high-frequency transmission, the system performs periodic measurements and transmissions only when changes warrant attention, reducing unnecessary data traffic while maintaining accuracy for significant events
Data Source
Figure 1
Figure 2
AI summary
A method and an apparatus for cold chain monitoring of perishable goods, including at least one environmental sensor to monitor at least one environmental parameter; at least one event detector to detect at least one of an environmental altering event and a user induced event; and a controller to receive and log a plurality of readings from the at least one environmental sensor at a selected sampling rate. Wherein the sampling rate adjusts depending on at least one of the perishable goods, the environmental altering event, and the user induced event.