LoRa Sensor Spectral Peak Transmission for Low-Power Monitoring

Resolve Bottlenecks,
Find Innovative Solutions
Generate Solutions

Solution Overview

Problem

Existing sensor devices for industrial facilities are expensive, inefficient, and consume large amounts of power, with conventional communication protocols like 802.11x and LTE having limited range and high carrier frequency, making them costly and difficult to implement in environments with many metallic obstacles.

Innovation Solution

A sensor device using a LoRaWAN protocol with a power manager to selectively transmit frequency domain data, including a subset of frequency peaks, and incorporating an external memory and power switches to minimize power consumption, allowing long-term operation and efficient data transmission.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Use of energy by moving object

If conventional communication protocols (802.11x, LTE) are used for data transmission, then data transmission capability is maintained, but power consumption increases and device lifespan decreases to 2 years or several months

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvepower consumptionVSAvoiddevice lifespan
Core Design Contradiction:
Use of energy by moving objectVSDuration of action of moving object

Solution Approach 1:

The patent changes the communication parameter from high-frequency protocols (802.11x, LTE) to LoRaWAN protocol operating at lower frequencies (868MHz, 915MHz). This parameter change reduces power consumption significantly while extending device lifespan to 10 years or more, resolving the contradiction between energy usage and operational duration

Inventive Principle:
Principle #35Parameter changes

2Speed

If high carrier frequency protocols (2.4GHz) are used, then data transmission speed is maintained, but penetration capability through metallic obstacles deteriorates and transmission range is limited to less than 100m

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvedata transmission speedVSAvoidpenetration capability
Core Design Contradiction:
SpeedVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The patent changes the carrier frequency parameter from 2.4GHz to lower frequencies (868MHz, 915MHz) used by LoRaWAN. This parameter change improves penetration capability through metallic obstacles and extends transmission range to several kilometers while maintaining sufficient data transmission speed for sensor data

Inventive Principle:
Principle #35Parameter changes

3Loss of information

If all frequency domain data is transmitted, then data completeness is maintained, but data transmission volume increases and power consumption increases

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvedata completenessVSAvoidpower consumption
Core Design Contradiction:
Loss of informationVSUse of energy by moving object

Solution Approach 1:

The patent extracts and transmits only the most relevant frequency domain data points - specifically those corresponding to peak frequencies identified through spectral analysis. This extraction approach maintains data completeness for diagnostic purposes while significantly reducing transmission volume and power consumption compared to transmitting all frequency data

Inventive Principle:
Principle #2Taking out (Extraction)

4Measurement precision

If sophisticated sensor devices with full functionality are deployed, then sensing capability is improved, but device cost increases and infrastructure requirements increase

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvesensing capabilityVSAvoiddevice cost
Core Design Contradiction:
Measurement precisionVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent extracts and transmits only the most relevant frequency domain data points - specifically those corresponding to peak frequencies identified through spectral analysis. This extraction approach maintains data completeness for diagnostic purposes while significantly reducing transmission volume and power consumption compared to transmitting all frequency data

Inventive Principle:
Principle #2Taking out (Extraction)

Solution Approach 2:

The patent segments the frequency domain data into individual frequency points and selectively transmits only those corresponding to peak frequencies. This segmentation allows the system to maintain sensing capability while reducing transmission requirements and overall device complexity

Inventive Principle:
Principle #1Segmentation

Data Source

PatentEP3861444B1A sensor device
Publication Date: 2025.08.06 WOODSIDE ENERGY TECH PTY LTD
  • EP3861444B1 patent drawingFigure 1~2
  • EP3861444B1 patent drawingFigure 3
  • EP3861444B1 patent drawingFigure 4

AI summary

A sensor device is disclosed that comprises a sensor arranged to produce time domain data representative of a sensed time dependent characteristic adjacent the sensor, and a signal processing component, the signal processing component arranged to use the time domain data to produce frequency domain 5 data indicative of frequency components present in the time domain data. The sensor device also includes a data transmission component arranged to transmit at least a portion of the frequency domain data. The sensor device is arranged to select a subset of frequency domain data corresponding to a defined number of highest peaks in the frequency domain data and to transmit 10 the selected subset of frequency domain data.