Self-Powered IoT Sensor Energy Harvesting and Transmission
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Solution Overview
Problem
IoT sensor devices rely on batteries, which limit their operational lifetime and pose environmental concerns due to battery disposal and recycling issues, and existing battery-less solutions do not effectively manage energy harvesting for efficient communication.
Innovation Solution
A self-powered IoT sensor device equipped with an energy converting unit, energy harvesting unit, and wireless network unit that sends messages only when a predetermined amount of energy is harvested, using a sequence counter to indicate energy levels, allowing for low-power operation and extended device lifetime without batteries.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Duration of action of moving object
If a battery is used in the sensor device, then the device can operate continuously, but the operational lifetime is limited by battery capacity and the device dimensions are increased
Solution Approach 1:
The patent removes the battery from the sensor device system entirely, extracting the energy storage component that was limiting both lifetime and increasing device volume. The solution replaces battery-based operation with energy harvesting from the environment, eliminating the need for a dedicated power source while maintaining continuous operation capability.
Solution Approach 2:
The sensor device becomes self-powered by harvesting energy from its environment through the energy harvesting unit. The device serves itself by converting environmental energy (light, heat, motion) into electrical energy to power its operations, eliminating dependency on external battery replacement or charging infrastructure.
2Productivity
If the sensor device sends messages frequently to report status, then the communication is continuous, but the energy consumption increases
Solution Approach 1:
Instead of continuous communication, the system uses periodic message transmission triggered by energy harvesting events. The microprocessor sends messages only when a predetermined amount of energy is harvested, creating intermittent but purposeful communication that balances data reporting with energy conservation.
Solution Approach 2:
The system incorporates feedback through the sequence counter mechanism, where the microprocessor tracks energy harvesting events and uses this information to determine when to transmit messages. The feedback loop ensures communication occurs only when energy conditions justify transmission, optimizing the balance between communication frequency and energy consumption.
3Loss of information
If the message contains detailed data about energy levels, then the information is complete, but the message size and transmission energy increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts the essential information from detailed energy level data and represents it simply through the sequence counter value. Instead of transmitting complete energy level measurements, the system sends only the counter increment, which provides sufficient information for the receiving unit to understand energy harvesting events while minimizing transmission energy requirements.
Solution Approach 2:
The system uses a simple, lightweight message format with minimal data content. The message contains only the sequence counter value rather than comprehensive energy data, creating a disposable, low-cost communication protocol that prioritizes energy efficiency over information completeness for the transmission medium.
4Duration of action of moving object
If the device operates continuously to harvest energy, then the operational lifetime is extended, but the power consumption increases
Solution Approach 1:
The microprocessor operates in periodic intervals, waking up to check energy levels and send messages only when necessary. This periodic operation pattern extends operational lifetime by minimizing active processing time while maintaining the ability to harvest and communicate energy data when conditions are favorable.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
The solution enables extended operational lifetime and environmental sustainability by eliminating the need for batteries, with the sequence counter ensuring accurate energy harvesting measurements even if messages are lost, and allowing for additional physical quantity measurements with excess energy.
Implementation Method 1
an energy converting unit (150) to convert a first physical quantity into energy. The sensor device (100) also comprises an energy harvesting unit (110) to harvest energy associated to the first physical quantity
Data Source
Figure 1A
Figure 1B
Figure 2~3
AI summary
A self-powered sensor device (100) is provided which comprises a wireless network unit (140) configured to enable a communication in a Low-Power Wide- Area Network (LPWAN), an energy converting unit (150) configured to convert a first physical quantity into energy, and an energy harvesting unit (110) configured to harvest energy from the energy converted by the energy converting unit (150), and to initiate a sending of a message via the wireless network unit (140) every time a predetermined amount of energy is harvested by the energy harvesting unit (110).