Flexible Tape Antenna Segmentation for IoT Power Optimization
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Solution Overview
Problem
Integrating IoT devices into thin and flexible materials like paper poses challenges in scaling RF antenna size while maintaining transmission reliability, as reducing antenna size increases power consumption and limits transmission distance, and traditional assembly processes require significant modifications for different applications.
Innovation Solution
The method involves patterning metal on a flexible tape, creating holes for electronic devices, electrically connecting them, cutting the tape to form component portions with attached antennas, and bonding these portions to a ribbon, allowing for adjustable antenna lengths and multiple frequencies, enabling efficient communication without significant changes to the assembly process.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Volume of moving object
If antenna size is reduced to enable integration into thin and flexible materials, then device flexibility and thinness are improved, but power consumption increases and transmission distance is limited
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the antenna into multiple sections along the flexible tape, allowing selective activation of different antenna segments based on transmission distance requirements. This enables the system to use larger effective antenna size for long-distance communication when needed, rather than being constrained to a single small fixed size, thus reducing power consumption while maintaining flexibility for thin material integration.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent implements dynamic antenna configuration where the effective antenna length and configuration can be changed based on communication requirements. The system can dynamically select different antenna elements or adjust antenna impedance matching, allowing optimal power efficiency for varying transmission distances while maintaining the physical flexibility needed for thin material integration.
2Volume of moving object
If antenna size is reduced to enable integration into thin and flexible materials, then device flexibility and thinness are improved, but transmission distance is limited
Solution Approach 1:
The patent divides the antenna system into multiple segments along the flexible tape, where different segments can be activated based on required transmission distance. This allows the system to effectively use longer antenna configurations for distant communication while maintaining the ability to integrate into thin flexible materials, resolving the contradiction between compact size and transmission range.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent utilizes the flexible tape dimension to extend antenna length in a different spatial configuration. By arranging antenna elements along the flexible substrate, the system achieves extended transmission distance capability without increasing the compact form factor when folded or integrated into thin materials, effectively using dimensional flexibility to resolve the transmission distance limitation.
3Ease of manufacture
If traditional assembly processes are used for different applications, then manufacturing simplicity is maintained, but process modifications are required for each application
Solution Approach 1:
The patent creates a universal assembly platform using flexible tape with pre-configured antenna segments and electronic device mounting positions. This single platform can accommodate multiple different applications and antenna configurations without requiring fundamental process changes, achieving both manufacturing simplicity and application versatility through standardized modular components.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent performs preliminary configuration of antenna patterns and electronic device mounting locations on the flexible tape during manufacturing. This pre-preparation allows different application-specific configurations to be achieved through simple selection and assembly of pre-configured modules, rather than requiring complex modifications to the assembly process for each application.
Data Source
AI summary
The present invention provides a method and a structure of electrical component assembly on flexible materials. In an exemplary embodiment, the method and the structure include patterning metal on a tape, creating one or more holes in the tape, attaching one or more electronic devices to the tape in the one or more holes such that a profile of the tape and the one or more electronic devices is less than a threshold, electrically connecting the one or more electronic devices to the patterned metal, cutting the tape, resulting in one or more component portions of the tape and one or more excess portions of the tape, where the one or more component portions comprises at least one of the one or more electronic devices, attached to the patterned metal, and bonding the one or more component portions to a ribbon.