IoT Base Station Duty Cycle Optimization for Power Efficiency

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Solution Overview

Problem

IoT base stations in remote areas face challenges with unreliable power sources and intermittent internet connectivity, leading to degraded service quality and increased downtime due to high power consumption and weather-dependent solar or wind power availability.

Innovation Solution

A power-efficient base station design that determines optimized on/off duty cycles and synchronization schedules based on available power from solar or wind sources, prioritizes data transmission, and utilizes weather forecasts to minimize power consumption and maintain connectivity, allowing seamless internet access for users.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Reliability

If the base station operates continuously to maintain connectivity and data transmission, then service quality is improved, but power consumption increases

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveservice reliabilityVSAvoidpower consumption

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSUse of energy by moving object

Solution Approach 1:

The base station implements periodic duty cycling where communication modules are activated only during scheduled intervals rather than continuously. The system alternates between active periods for data collection and synchronization, and sleep periods for power conservation, maintaining service reliability through periodic operation while significantly reducing average power consumption from unstable sources.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #19Periodic action

Solution Approach 2:

The base station dynamically adjusts its operational state based on real-time conditions including available power from solar/wind sources, data buffer status, and network synchronization requirements. The system transitions between different power modes (active, standby, sleep) and modulates transmission power levels to match actual needs, optimizing the balance between service reliability and power consumption.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #15Dynamics

2Loss of information

If data synchronization with the network is performed frequently to maintain data freshness, then data quality is improved, but power consumption increases

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvedata synchronization qualityVSAvoidpower consumption

Core Design Contradiction:

Loss of informationVSUse of energy by moving object

Solution Approach 1:

Data synchronization with the network is performed periodically at scheduled intervals rather than continuously. The base station accumulates collected data in local storage during active periods and synchronizes with the network during designated communication windows, ensuring data freshness while avoiding the power consumption of constant synchronization.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #19Periodic action

Solution Approach 2:

The base station performs preliminary data accumulation and buffering during active periods before network synchronization is needed. Data is collected and stored in local memory during daytime active periods, then synchronized with the network during evening or nighttime communication windows, preparing data in advance to reduce synchronization frequency and power consumption.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #10Preliminary action

3Use of energy by stationary object

If the base station operates during daytime to utilize solar power, then power availability is improved, but nighttime operation becomes limited

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvepower availabilityVSAvoidoperational duration

Core Design Contradiction:

Use of energy by stationary objectVSDuration of action of moving object

Solution Approach 1:

The base station performs preliminary data collection and processing during daytime when solar power is available, accumulating data in local storage. It then utilizes stored energy from batteries or supercapacitors charged during daytime to maintain critical operations during nighttime, extending operational duration beyond daylight hours through advance energy accumulation.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #10Preliminary action

Solution Approach 2:

The base station dynamically adjusts its operational schedule to align with power availability, intensifying data collection and processing activities during daytime when solar power is abundant, and transitioning to lower-power modes during nighttime. The system modulates transmission power and data collection frequency based on real-time power source availability to extend effective operational duration.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #15Dynamics

Data Source

PatentEP3610681B1Power efficient base station

Publication Date: 2022.02.16 MICROSOFT TECHNOLOGY LICENSING LLC

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Figure 1B
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AI summary

A base station utilizes duty cycle requirements of each of multiple base station components to efficiently consume power. The base station may include a synchronization module that allows the base station to send collected data from a cache to a gateway, which then, sends it up to the cloud. The base station may also include a sensor connectivity module that establishes a connection between the base station and data collecting devices deployed to collect data for storage in the cache. A base station controller serves as the cache for the data collected by the sensor module and sends the data to the gateway for synchronization in the cloud using the synchronization module. A base station controller determines/coordinates the duty cycle of the sensor connectivity module and synchronization module in a power efficient way depending on the current power available to the base station, network needs, and the weather conditions.