Wireless Concrete Sensor Activation and Cloud Data Transmission
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Existing sensor systems for monitoring building materials like concrete slabs require manual activation, limiting flexibility and ease of installation, and often rely on intermediate devices for data transmission.
Innovation Solution
A concrete sensor device with a power management subcircuit that can be wirelessly activated by a remote computing device or cloud-based system, allowing for flexible activation and direct cellular transmission of data to a cloud-based computing system without intermediate devices.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If manual activation method is used, then sensor can be activated after installation, but installation flexibility and ease are reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces manual mechanical activation (removing light-blocking packaging) with wireless activation using electromagnetic signals. The controller receives wireless signals from a remote device to activate the sensor, eliminating the need for manual intervention during installation and improving ease of operation.
Solution Approach 2:
The sensor system performs self-activation through wireless communication without requiring manual user action. The controller automatically powers on and begins monitoring when receiving wireless activation signals, making the system self-sufficient and easier to install.
2Reliability
If intermediate devices are used for data transmission, then sensor can communicate with remote systems, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts and eliminates intermediate devices from the data transmission path. The sensor's communications circuitry directly transmits data wirelessly to remote computing systems, removing unnecessary intermediaries and simplifying the overall system architecture while maintaining reliable data transmission.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent combines the sensor, controller, and communications circuitry into an integrated unit that directly communicates with remote systems. This merging of functions eliminates the need for separate intermediate devices and reduces system complexity.
Data Source
AI summary
A system includes a sensor device for monitoring properties of a building material within which the sensor device can be embedded. The sensor device includes a controller, a memory associated with the controller, one or more sensors communicatively connected to the controller for measuring one or more properties of the building material, and a power supply for powering components of the sensor device. The power supply includes a battery and a power regulator. The sensor device includes communications circuitry connected to the controller, where the controller is configured to receive data on the one or more properties of the building material from the one or more sensors after the sensor device is embedded into the building material. The communications circuitry wirelessly transmits the data on the one or more properties to a cloud-based computing system via a cellular transmission.