Remote Sensor Deep Standby Mode Battery Life Extension
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Solution Overview
Problem
Remote information sensors, such as those used in electric meters, face premature battery drain due to unnecessary energy consumption before being commissioned, limiting their operational lifespan to fifteen years.
Innovation Solution
Implementing a deep standby mode that conserves battery power until the sensor is connected to a meter, where it transitions to active mode only upon detecting a signal from the meter, optimizing energy usage and extending the sensor's autonomous life.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Speed
If the sensor is kept in active mode to ensure readiness for operation, then the response time to detect meter signals is improved, but the battery consumption increases significantly
Solution Approach 1:
The sensor dynamically adjusts its operational state based on external conditions. It transitions between deep standby mode (low power) and active mode (high power) depending on whether a meter signal is detected. This dynamic state change allows the sensor to maintain fast response capability when needed while minimizing power consumption during idle periods.
Solution Approach 2:
The sensor employs periodic polling or interrupt-driven activation rather than continuous operation. It periodically checks for meter signals or activates upon detecting specific conditions, allowing it to remain in low-power deep standby mode most of the time while still maintaining the ability to detect and respond to meter signals when they occur.
2Reliability
If the sensor operates continuously to ensure data collection readiness, then the data collection reliability is improved, but the autonomous life of the sensor is reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The sensor dynamically switches between operational states to balance reliability and duration. In deep standby mode, it consumes minimal power extending autonomous life. When a meter signal is detected, it transitions to active mode to perform demodulation and data collection, ensuring reliability only when actually needed rather than maintaining constant readiness.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent extracts the demodulation function from continuous operation and activates it only when specifically needed. The demodulation module, which is power-intensive, is taken out of continuous operation and activated only upon detection of a meter signal, thereby extending battery life while maintaining data collection capability when required.
3Difficulty of detecting and measuring
If the demodulation module is always powered to enable signal processing, then the signal detection capability is improved, but the energy waste increases during pre-commissioning period
Solution Approach 1:
The sensor performs preliminary detection of meter signals using a low-power detection mechanism before activating the full demodulation module. This preliminary action allows the system to identify when signal processing is needed without continuously powering the energy-intensive demodulation module, thereby reducing energy waste during the pre-commissioning period while maintaining signal detection capability.
Solution Approach 2:
The demodulation module transitions from a static always-on state to a dynamic on-demand state. It is activated only when a meter signal is detected by the detection module, and deactivated when no signal is present. This dynamic control eliminates energy waste during periods when the sensor is not actually connected to or receiving signals from a meter.
Data Source
Figure 1~2
Figure 3~5
AI summary
The invention relates to a method for managing the operation of an information sensor (10) for a meter (1), characterized in that it comprises various steps consisting of: putting (21) the sensor (10) into a deep standby mode, in which a battery (5) of said sensor (10) does not supply electrical power in particular to a module (2) for demodulating signals from said meter (1); connecting (22) the sensor (10) to the meter (1); detecting (23), using a detection module (3) of the sensor (10), an information signal (Sin) from the meter (1); removing (24) the sensor (10) from the deep standby mode in order to put same into an operative mode in which the battery (5) supplies electrical power in particular to the demodulation module (2).