Time Division Multiplexing Hub for Sensor Data Aggregation
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing sensor systems face challenges in efficiently delivering sensor data from multiple sensors to a control circuit, particularly due to high clock frequencies required for time division multiplexing, which lead to power consumption issues and timing constraints.
Innovation Solution
A sensor system architecture that includes a primary sensor device connected directly to the control circuit and multiple groups of secondary sensor devices, each connected to the primary sensor device. This setup uses separate time division multiplexing schemes for each group of secondary sensors, allowing for lower clock frequencies and reducing power consumption and timing constraints.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If time division multiplexing is used to transmit data from multiple sensors to the control circuit, then data transmission capability is improved, but clock frequency becomes very high leading to power consumption issues
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the sensor system into a primary sensor device and multiple groups of secondary sensor devices. Each group operates with its own separate time division multiplexing scheme at lower clock frequencies, while only the primary device communicates with the control circuit at the higher multiplexed frequency. This segmentation allows the system to achieve high data transmission capability without all sensors operating at high frequencies simultaneously, thereby reducing overall power consumption.
2Productivity
If time division multiplexing is used to transmit data from multiple sensors to the control circuit, then data transmission capability is improved, but timing constraints become very tight
Solution Approach 1:
The patent divides the sensor system into hierarchical levels with the primary sensor device directly connected to the control circuit and multiple groups of secondary sensor devices connected to the primary device. Each group manages its own timing for data collection and transmission to the primary device, which then aggregates and transmits the combined data to the control circuit. This segmentation relaxes timing constraints by allowing each group to operate independently with its own timing schedule rather than all sensors requiring simultaneous synchronization with the control circuit.
3Productivity
If time division multiplexing is used to transmit data from multiple sensors to the control circuit, then data transmission capability is improved, but electromagnetic compatibility becomes difficult to achieve
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the data transmission paths into multiple separate channels: each group of secondary sensor devices has its own dedicated time division multiplexing channel to the primary sensor device, and then the primary device has a separate channel to the control circuit. This segmentation allows each group to transmit data independently at lower frequencies, reducing electromagnetic interference between different sensor groups and improving overall electromagnetic compatibility while maintaining high data transmission capability through the hierarchical structure.
Data Source
AI summary
An integrated circuit includes a control circuit, a primary sensor device coupled to the control circuit, and a plurality of groups of secondary sensor devices coupled to the primary sensor device. The primary sensor device receives a master clock signal from the control device and outputs, to each group of secondary sensor devices, a respective secondary clock signal with a frequency lower than the primary clock signal. The primary sensor device generates primary sensor data. The primary sensor device receives secondary sensor data from each group of secondary sensor devices. The primary sensor device combines the primary sensor data and all of the secondary sensor data into a sensor data stream with a time division-multiplexing scheme and outputs the sensor data stream to the control circuit.