Opportunistic IoT Forwarding via Wake-Up Circuits

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Solution Overview

Problem

The limited range and connectivity of low-power, low-cost IoT devices restrict their ability to achieve ubiquitous interconnectivity, as they primarily support short-range wireless communications, hindering the realization of various applications across different domains.

Innovation Solution

Configuring wireless terminals to act as gateways between IoT devices and wireless access networks, using a wake-up circuit to switch from a sleep mode to an active mode upon detecting a wake-up signal, enabling opportunistic forwarding of information between IoT devices and wireless access nodes, thereby extending their connectivity to wide-area networks.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Use of energy by moving object

If IoT devices use low-power, short-range wireless communication to reduce energy consumption and cost, then energy usage and device cost decrease, but communication range and connectivity capability deteriorate

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveenergy consumptionVSAvoidcommunication range

Core Design Contradiction:

Use of energy by moving objectVSLength of moving object

Solution Approach 1:

The patent introduces wireless terminals as intermediary devices that relay communications between IoT devices and the network. The terminal includes a first wireless communication interface for short-range communication with IoT devices and a second wireless communication interface for wide-area network communication, acting as a mediator that extends connectivity without requiring the IoT devices themselves to have long-range communication capabilities

Inventive Principle:

Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

Solution Approach 2:

The system is segmented into two functional parts: IoT devices that maintain low-power short-range communication modes, and wireless terminals that handle wide-area network communications. This segmentation allows each component to operate in its optimal mode, with the terminal bearing the burden of long-range communication while IoT devices remain energy-efficient

Inventive Principle:

Principle #1Segmentation

2Use of energy by moving object

If IoT devices remain in sleep mode to conserve energy, then energy consumption decreases, but ability to receive communications and respond deteriorates

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveenergy consumptionVSAvoidcommunication availability

Core Design Contradiction:

Use of energy by moving objectVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The wireless terminal acts as an intermediary that maintains communication availability by staying in active mode to receive and forward communications to IoT devices in sleep mode. The terminal's first wireless communication interface continuously monitors for messages intended for sleeping IoT devices, ensuring reliable delivery without requiring the IoT devices to remain awake

Inventive Principle:

Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

Solution Approach 2:

The system performs preliminary actions by having the wireless terminal intercept and buffer communications before they are needed by the IoT device. The terminal can forward messages to sleeping IoT devices when they wake up, or store messages for later delivery, ensuring communication reliability without requiring continuous IoT device availability

Inventive Principle:

Principle #10Preliminary action

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

This solution enhances the connectivity of IoT devices by allowing them to communicate through wide-area networks, enabling efficient data exchange and management, even when they are not actively powered, thus overcoming the limitations of short-range communications.

Implementation Method 1

detecting, at a wake-up circuit of the energy limited node, a wake-up signal from a wireless terminal where the wake-up signal includes a modulated waveform signal

Methodology Applied

Scientific EffectModulated waveform detection:

Data Source

PatentUS9565633B2Opportunistic information forwarding using wireless terminals in the internet-of-things

Publication Date: 2017.02.07 ALCATEL LUCENT SA

AI summary

A capability for opportunistic forwarding of information using a wireless terminal is presented. An energy limited node includes a wake-up circuit configured to detect a wake-up signal from a wireless terminal where the wake-up signal includes a modulated waveform signal, and a communication module configured to switch, based on a control signal generated by the wake-up circuit, from a sleep mode in which the communication module is not operable to communicate with the wireless terminal to an active mode in which the communication module is operable to communicate with the wireless terminal. A wireless terminal includes a first wireless communication interface configured for communication with a device using a wireless communication protocol, a second wireless communication interface configured for wireless communication with a wireless access node of a wireless network, and a processor configured to support opportunistic forwarding of information between the device and the wireless access node of the wireless network.