Battery-Powered Item Clustering for Power Conservation
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing solutions fail to effectively preserve battery power and prevent electronic circuits from becoming non-operational due to battery depletion, leading to limited lifespan and operational failures.
Innovation Solution
A system and method that utilize a container with a beacon to determine item location and battery status, cluster items based on location, and designate a master item with higher battery charge to sense parameters, reducing power consumption by minimizing communication among items.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If all items continuously communicate with the server to report their status, then the server can maintain real-time monitoring of all items, but the battery power of each item is depleted quickly
Solution Approach 1:
Multiple items are grouped into clusters where they share a common master item. The cluster master represents the entire cluster to the server, consolidating multiple communication tasks into a single communication channel. This merging reduces the total number of communications from N items to N/cluster_size masters, significantly reducing power consumption while maintaining monitoring coverage.
Solution Approach 2:
The cluster master item acts as an intermediary between the server and other items in the cluster. Instead of direct communication between the server and each item, the master receives server commands and transmits sensed parameters from other items to the server. This intermediary role reduces communication frequency for individual items, extending their battery life.
2Loss of information
If each item independently senses and transmits parameters, then complete data collection is achieved, but communication overhead and power consumption increase significantly
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges the sensing and transmission functions of multiple items into a single cluster master. The master item collects sensed parameters from other items in the cluster and transmits them to the server in consolidated messages. This ensures complete data collection while reducing communication energy expenditure by eliminating redundant transmissions from each individual item.
Solution Approach 2:
The cluster master item performs multiple functions: it senses parameters itself, collects parameters from other cluster members, processes the data, and communicates with the server. This multi-functional approach consolidates what would otherwise require separate operations from each item, reducing overall system energy consumption while maintaining data completeness.
3Use of energy by moving object
If items form clusters to reduce communication, then power consumption decreases, but the system complexity increases due to cluster management
Solution Approach 1:
Items automatically perform clustering operations based on their sensed parameters and battery status without requiring manual configuration. The system self-organizes into clusters, automatically selecting masters and establishing communication protocols. This self-service approach reduces the operational complexity burden on users while maintaining the power-saving benefits of clustering.
Solution Approach 2:
The system implements feedback mechanisms where items continuously report their status to the server, which then provides instructions for cluster formation and master selection. This feedback loop allows the system to dynamically adjust cluster configurations based on current conditions, managing complexity through automated control rather than static pre-configuration.
4Duration of action of moving object
If the system selects a master item with highest battery charge, then power distribution is optimized, but the selection process requires additional communication overhead
Solution Approach 1:
Items report their battery status to the server in advance of cluster formation. The server uses this pre-collected information to identify suitable master candidates without requiring additional real-time communication rounds. This preliminary data collection allows the server to make informed master selections efficiently, extending battery life while minimizing time loss.
Solution Approach 2:
The system maintains continuous monitoring of battery status as part of normal operation, so the information needed for master selection is already available when clustering is needed. This continuous action ensures that master selection can occur immediately without requiring separate data gathering phases, optimizing both battery life extension and time efficiency.
Data Source
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AI summary
Aspects of the invention are directed towards a system and method for saving power of a battery associated with item/s. One or more embodiments of the invention describe the method comprising steps of receiving a location and a charged status of a battery associated with each of one or more items placed inside a container. The method further describes steps of assigning a cluster to a group of items from the one or more items based on the location of each of the one or more items and identifying a master item from the group of items based on the charged status of each item in the cluster. The method also describes steps of transmitting a message to the master item for sensing a parameter for the group of items in the cluster and receiving a sensed parameter from the master item for the group of items.