Passive Backscatter Device for Low Power Mobile Communication
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Mobile communication devices face challenges in extending battery life, particularly in low-cost devices like sensors with built-in communications, where existing power-saving approaches are inadequate in reducing power consumption effectively.
Innovation Solution
The use of passive device components to backscatter received RF signals, allowing them to perform functions typically done by active components, thereby reducing overall power consumption while maintaining or enhancing mobile communication device operation.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If active device components are used to perform communication functions, then communication performance is maintained, but power consumption increases
Solution Approach 1:
The passive backscatter device utilizes the incident RF signal from the network to perform communication functions without requiring its own power source. The device modulates the backscattered signal by changing its impedance state, enabling it to transmit data while consuming minimal power, thus resolving the contradiction between maintaining communication performance and reducing power consumption
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces a passive backscatter device as an intermediary between the network and the ultimate communication target. This intermediary uses the network's transmitted signal as a carrier to convey information, eliminating the need for the device to generate its own signal and thereby reducing power consumption while maintaining communication functionality
2Duration of action of moving object
If battery capacity is increased to extend battery life, then power availability increases, but device size and cost increase
Solution Approach 1:
The passive backscatter device eliminates the need for a battery by using the incident RF signal to power its operation. The device harvests energy from the received signal to modulate its impedance and transmit data, achieving indefinite operation without a battery, thus extending operational duration while reducing device size and eliminating battery-related complexity
3Use of energy by moving object
If passive device components are used to backscatter signals, then power consumption is reduced, but communication capability is limited
Solution Approach 1:
The passive backscatter device dynamically switches between different impedance states (high and low impedance) to modulate the backscattered signal. This dynamic impedance switching enables the device to encode data in the reflected signal, providing communication capability despite the passive nature of the components, thus resolving the contradiction between low power consumption and communication versatility
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 approach effectively reduces power consumption by allowing active device components to remain powered off for longer periods, extending battery life in mobile communication devices without compromising performance.
Implementation Method 1
operation of the passive device components to backscatter a received forward signal
Data Source
AI summary
Aspects of the present application relate to mobile communication devices having active device components and passive device components and, more particularly, to operation of the passive device components to form a backscatter signal from a received forward signal. Forming the backscatter signal may include generating the backscatter signal from the received forward signal without decoding a plurality of sub-signals in the received forward signal, the backscatter signal being a time-domain function of a contiguous subset of the time-domain plurality of sub-signals in the received forward signal. Upon receipt of the backscatter signal, a reception point may obtain information about the mobile communication device that contains the passive device components. Such information may relate to timing, position and identity.