Configurable Communication Modules for Energy-Limited Wireless Systems
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Energy-limited wireless systems face limitations in achieving ubiquitous connectivity due to the short-range communication capabilities of low-power, low-cost IoT devices, which restricts the full realization of various applications across different sectors.
Innovation Solution
The implementation of configurable communication modules in energy-limited wireless nodes and gateways, including auxiliary receivers and transmitters, allows for dynamic configuration to optimize energy consumption and performance, enabling flexible communication modes and network architectures.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Use of energy by moving object
If low-power, low-cost IoT devices are used, then device cost and power consumption are reduced, but communication range is limited to short-range
Solution Approach 1:
The communication system is segmented into two functional parts: a low-power auxiliary receiver for wake-up signal detection and a main communication module for data transmission. This segmentation allows the main module to remain in sleep mode while the auxiliary receiver operates continuously, extending effective communication range without significantly increasing power consumption.
Solution Approach 2:
An auxiliary receiver acts as an intermediary between the wake-up signal and the main communication module. The auxiliary receiver detects incoming signals and triggers the main module to wake up, enabling long-range communication capability while keeping the main module powered down most of the time.
2Speed
If main communication module operates continuously, then communication responsiveness is improved, but energy consumption increases
Solution Approach 1:
The system dynamically switches between sleep and active states based on incoming wake-up signals. The auxiliary receiver operates continuously at low power, while the main communication module dynamically wakes up only when needed, achieving a balance between responsiveness and energy consumption.
Solution Approach 2:
The main communication module operates periodically rather than continuously, waking up in response to wake-up signals from the auxiliary receiver. This periodic operation reduces average power consumption while maintaining communication capability when needed.
3Productivity
If configurable communication modules are implemented, then energy and spectral efficiencies are improved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The auxiliary receiver is designed with multi-functionality, serving both as a wake-up signal detector and as a configuration receiver that can receive configuration commands from the network controller. This universal design reduces the need for separate dedicated components.
Solution Approach 2:
The configurable communication modules allow dynamic adjustment of operational parameters such as sensitivity, transmission power, and communication protocols. These parameter changes enable optimization of energy and spectral efficiency for different operating conditions without requiring hardware changes.
Data Source
Figure 1
Figure 2
Figure 3
AI summary
A capability for flexible communications within an energy-limited wireless system is presented. An energy-limited wireless node includes a communication module configured to switch between a sleep mode in which the communication module is not operable to communicate and an active mode in which the communication module is operable to communicate, a configurable auxiliary receiver configured to initiate switching of the communication module from the sleep mode to the active mode based on detection of a wake-up signal, and a controller configured to control configuration of the configurable auxiliary receiver to operate using an auxiliary receiver configuration. A controller includes a processor and a memory communicatively connected to the processor wherein the processor is configured to determine a configuration for a configurable auxiliary communication module of an energy-limited wireless node, and propagate, toward the energy-limited wireless node, an indication of the configuration for the configurable auxiliary communication module of the energy-limited wireless node.