Wearable Activity Pulse Transducer for Energy Harvesting

Solution Overview

Problem

Wearable sensor systems face challenges in power consumption due to high energy requirements, especially when relying on batteries or energy harvesting, which limits their sustained operation and battery life.

Innovation Solution

Incorporating a transducer that generates electric power from ambient kinetic energy and stores it for periodic transmission as an activity pulse, reducing the need for separate sensing components and processing at the wearable device, using a piezoelectric transducer with a cantilevered beam configuration and Bayesian decision theory for activity classification at a remote computing device.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Measurement precision

If a separate sensing component and processor are used for activity classification, then measurement precision and reliability are improved, but power consumption increases significantly

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveactivity classification accuracyVSAvoidpower consumption

Core Design Contradiction:

Measurement precisionVSUse of energy by moving object

Solution Approach 1:

The patent combines the sensing function with the energy harvesting transducer. The transducer generates electrical signals from kinetic energy that inherently contain activity information, eliminating the need for separate sensing components and reducing power consumption while maintaining measurement capability

Inventive Principle:

Principle #5Merging (Combining)

Solution Approach 2:

The patent extracts only the essential activity classification function from the wearable device and relocates it to a remote server. The wearable device transmits only raw transducer signals or minimal processed data, while the computationally intensive classification is performed remotely, significantly reducing on-device power consumption

Inventive Principle:

Principle #2Taking out (Extraction)

2Use of energy by moving object

If energy is harvested from ambient kinetic energy, then power requirements are reduced, but the amount of harvestable energy is small compared to power requirements

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvepower requirementsVSAvoidamount of harvestable energy

Core Design Contradiction:

Use of energy by moving objectVSQuantity of substance

Solution Approach 1:

The patent uses periodic transmission of activity pulses instead of continuous data transmission. The transducer signals are accumulated over time intervals and transmitted periodically as pulses, reducing the average power consumption of the communication system while maintaining effective activity monitoring

Inventive Principle:

Principle #19Periodic action

Solution Approach 2:

The patent changes the transmission parameter from continuous analog signals to discrete periodic pulses. By transmitting accumulated energy as periodic activity pulses rather than continuous signals, the system reduces average power consumption while preserving the information needed for activity classification

Inventive Principle:

Principle #35Parameter changes

3Measurement precision

If large amounts of voltage data are transmitted to a remote server, then activity classification accuracy is improved, but energy consumption due to communication increases

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveactivity classification accuracyVSAvoidcommunication energy consumption

Core Design Contradiction:

Measurement precisionVSUse of energy by moving object

Solution Approach 1:

The patent extracts only the essential activity classification function from the wearable device and relocates it to a remote server. The wearable device transmits only raw transducer signals or minimal processed data, while the computationally intensive classification is performed remotely, significantly reducing on-device power consumption

Inventive Principle:

Principle #2Taking out (Extraction)

Solution Approach 2:

The patent uses periodic transmission of activity pulses instead of continuous data transmission. The transducer signals are accumulated over time intervals and transmitted periodically as pulses, reducing the average power consumption of the communication system while maintaining effective activity monitoring

Inventive Principle:

Principle #19Periodic action

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 significantly reduces power consumption by eliminating the need for separate sensors and data processing at the wearable device, achieving near energy neutrality with an accuracy of 85% activity classification using kinetic energy harvesting and remote computation.

Implementation Method 1

The transducer may be a piezoelectric transducer with a cantilevered beam configuration

Methodology Applied

Scientific EffectPiezoelectric effect: Piezoelectric Effect

Data Source

PatentUS11369288B2Activity pulse

Publication Date: 2022.06.28 NAT ICT AUSTRALIA

AI summary

Described is device for monitoring an activity. The device comprises a transducer that generates electric power from the activity and an energy store that stores the electric power over consecutive time intervals. The device further comprises a transmitter that periodically transmits the stored energy as an activity pulse indicative of an activity classification.