Modular Wireless Sensor With On-Board Data Processing

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Solution Overview

Problem

Existing wireless sensing systems lack integrated architectures, requiring users to develop entire systems from scratch and are costly due to the need for multiple transducer interface devices and gateways, leading to excessive data transmission and energy consumption.

Innovation Solution

A wireless sensor device with a primary processor, secondary processor, and tertiary transducer interface bodies, allowing for modular, cost-effective on-board processing and data reduction by stream processing and selectively transmitting only changed data, forming a mesh network for reduced energy and storage needs.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Reliability

If multiple transducer interface devices and gateways are used to achieve comprehensive sensing coverage, then measurement precision and reliability are improved, but device complexity and cost increase

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvesensing system reliabilityVSAvoidsystem architecture complexity

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent combines multiple transducer interface functions and gateway capabilities into a single integrated wireless sensor device. The device includes a processor that can interface with multiple transducers directly, eliminating the need for separate interface devices and gateways while maintaining comprehensive sensing coverage and system reliability

Inventive Principle:

Principle #5Merging (Combining)

Solution Approach 2:

The wireless sensor device is designed with universal functionality to interface with multiple types of transducers through a single platform. The processor can handle various sensing modalities (acoustic, vibration, temperature, etc.) and perform multiple functions including data acquisition, processing, and wireless transmission, replacing multiple specialized devices

Inventive Principle:

Principle #6Universality (Multi-functionality)

2Loss of information

If all transducer data are transmitted to the cloud for processing, then information completeness is improved, but energy consumption and data transmission requirements increase

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvedata information completenessVSAvoidwireless sensor energy consumption

Core Design Contradiction:

Loss of informationVSUse of energy by moving object

Solution Approach 1:

The processor performs preliminary data processing, filtering, and feature extraction locally before transmission. By pre-processing the data to extract only relevant information and discard redundant data, the system maintains information completeness for critical parameters while significantly reducing the volume of data transmitted to the cloud

Inventive Principle:

Principle #10Preliminary action

Solution Approach 2:

The system extracts only the essential features and critical data from the raw transducer signals for transmission to the cloud. The processor identifies and transmits only the most important information (such as anomaly detections, trend changes, or critical measurements) while retaining and processing locally the remaining data

Inventive Principle:

Principle #2Taking out (Extraction)

3Device complexity

If a single processor handles all processing tasks, then device complexity is reduced, but processing speed and real-time performance deteriorate

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveprocessor architecture complexityVSAvoiddata processing speed

Core Design Contradiction:

Device complexityVSProductivity

Solution Approach 1:

The processing architecture is segmented into different functional units within the processor system, including data acquisition modules, signal processing modules, feature extraction modules, and wireless communication modules. This segmentation allows parallel processing of different data streams and tasks, improving real-time performance while maintaining manageable system complexity

Inventive Principle:

Principle #1Segmentation

4Loss of information

If complete raw data are stored for later analysis, then data completeness is improved, but storage requirements and processing overhead increase

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvedata completeness for analysisVSAvoiddata storage volume

Core Design Contradiction:

Loss of informationVSQuantity of substance

Solution Approach 1:

The system extracts and stores only the essential features, key parameters, and critical events from the raw transducer data. By transforming raw data into extracted features (such as vibration frequencies, temperature trends, or anomaly markers), the system maintains analytical completeness while reducing storage requirements by orders of magnitude

Inventive Principle:

Principle #2Taking out (Extraction)

Data Source

PatentUS10425791B2Wireless sensor device

Publication Date: 2019.09.24 PERCEV LLC

AI summary

A wireless sensor device can include a primary body, a primary processor mounted to the primary body, a first plurality of sockets mounted to the primary body and in electrical communication with the primary processor, a first transducer mounted to the primary body, a secondary body mounted to the primary body through a first socket of the first plurality of sockets, a secondary processor mounted to the secondary body, a second plurality of sockets mounted to the secondary body and disposed in electrical communication with the secondary processor, a tertiary body mounted to the secondary body, a tertiary transducer mounted to the tertiary body and disposed in electrical communication with the secondary processor, and a first wireless transceiver disposed in electrical communication with and selectively controlled by the primary processor.