LoRa Utility Meter Data Prioritization for Battery Life
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Solution Overview
Problem
Battery-powered utility metering devices consume more energy and drain faster when transmitting data at higher spreading factors to ensure robust communication, leading to a reduced service life.
Innovation Solution
A method of assigning priority levels to data items and determining a transmission interval and data rate to efficiently transmit data while minimizing energy consumption, using LoRa communications.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If higher spreading factors are used to ensure robust communication, then communication reliability is improved, but energy consumption increases and battery life decreases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent dynamically adjusts the spreading factor parameter based on communication conditions and data priority. Instead of always using the highest spreading factor (SF12) for robust communication, the system selects appropriate spreading factors from available options (SF7-SF12) depending on whether robustness is needed and how much energy can be spent, thereby resolving the contradiction between reliability and energy consumption.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent implements dynamic adaptation of transmission parameters including spreading factor, data rate, and transmission interval. The system continuously monitors communication quality and adjusts these parameters in real-time, allowing it to use lower spreading factors when conditions permit, thus reducing energy consumption while maintaining adequate communication reliability.
2Reliability
If higher spreading factors are used to ensure robust communication, then communication reliability is improved, but transmission time increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent changes the spreading factor parameter dynamically based on requirements. When high reliability is needed, higher spreading factors are used despite longer transmission time. When reliability requirements are lower or data is low-priority, lower spreading factors are used to reduce transmission time, thus resolving the contradiction between reliability and transmission time.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent applies partial action by using higher spreading factors only when necessary for high-priority data or poor communication conditions, rather than always using the maximum spreading factor. This selective approach reduces overall transmission time while maintaining reliability where it matters most.
3Loss of information
If data transmission is performed frequently to ensure data freshness, then data availability is improved, but energy consumption increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements periodic data transmission with variable intervals based on data priority and energy availability. Instead of continuous or fixed frequent transmission, the system transmits data periodically at optimized intervals, reducing energy consumption while ensuring data freshness is maintained through regular updates.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent dynamically adjusts the transmission interval parameter based on data priority level and energy status. High-priority data triggers more frequent transmissions, while low-priority data uses longer intervals to conserve energy. This adaptive approach resolves the contradiction between data availability and energy consumption.
Data Source
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AI summary
A method (400, 500) of transmitting data, by a utility metering device (200) and to a further device, using long range, LoRa, communications. The method (400, 500) comprises assigning, to each item of data (302a-j) of a plurality of data (300) to be transmitted by the utility metering device (200), a priority level from a plurality of priority levels; determining a desired transmission interval based a desired energy consumption from a power source powering the utility metering device (200), during transmission, by the utility metering device, of a predetermined size of data at a first data rate associated with a first spreading factor, wherein the first data rate is one of a plurality of predefined data rates, each data rate of the plurality of data rates being associated with a corresponding spreading factor, and wherein the first data rate is the lowest data rate of the plurality of predefined data rates and the first spreading factor is the highest spreading factor of the corresponding spreading factors; determining a transmission data rate; determining which one or more items of data, of the plurality of data, to transmit at the desired transmission interval, based on the determined transmission data rate and the priority level assigned to each item of data; and transmitting the determined one or more items of data to the further device at the desired transmission interval using the determined transmission data rate.