Wireless Slave Device Power Management for Entrance Monitors

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Solution Overview

Problem

Current wireless communication systems for entrance monitors, particularly those used in single-occupant households, face challenges in reducing power consumption across both slave and master devices, with existing technologies either focusing on reducing power consumption for the slave device or transmission operations but not adequately addressing the overall power usage, including reception operations.

Innovation Solution

A wireless communication system comprising a slave device and a master device, where the slave device includes a wireless communicator, a power supply unit, an interrupt detector, and a controller that selectively powers units only when necessary, performing initialization and regular reception operations to minimize power consumption by optimizing the initialization process and reducing unnecessary continuous transmission.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Reliability

If the slave device continuously receives signals or the master device continuously transmits signals to establish synchronization, then synchronization reliability is improved, but power consumption increases

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvesynchronization reliabilityVSAvoidpower consumption
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSUse of energy by moving object

Solution Approach 1:

The slave device performs regular reception at predetermined intervals rather than continuous reception. The interrupt detector activates the power supply unit at specific time intervals to receive capture signals from the master device, then returns to standby state. This periodic operation maintains synchronization reliability while dramatically reducing power consumption compared to continuous operation.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #19Periodic action

2Reliability

If the slave device performs complete initialization process upon receiving capture signal, then communication reliability is improved, but power consumption and processing time increase

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvecommunication reliabilityVSAvoidpower consumption
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSUse of energy by moving object

Solution Approach 1:

The slave device performs a simplified initialization process of the wireless communicator upon receiving the capture signal, preparing only the necessary communication functions. The complete initialization is deferred until the response signal transmission is actually required, which occurs less frequently. This preliminary action maintains communication reliability while reducing immediate power consumption and processing time.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #10Preliminary action

Solution Approach 2:

The initialization process is made dynamic and conditional rather than static and complete. The slave device adapts the scope of initialization based on the current operational state and actual needs - performing minimal initialization for capture signal reception and complete initialization only when response signal transmission is required. This dynamic approach optimizes both power consumption and communication reliability.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #15Dynamics

3Reliability

If the master device continuously transmits capture signals, then synchronization establishment is improved, but power consumption of the master device increases

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvesynchronization establishmentVSAvoidpower consumption
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSUse of energy by moving object

Solution Approach 1:

The master device transmits capture signals periodically at predetermined intervals rather than continuously. This periodic transmission is synchronized with the slave device's regular reception timing, ensuring reliable synchronization establishment while minimizing power consumption by keeping the transmission unit in standby state between intervals.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #19Periodic action

4Ease of manufacture

If battery-powered devices are used for simple installation in single-occupant households, then ease of installation is improved, but power consumption becomes a critical limitation

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveease of installationVSAvoidpower consumption
Core Design Contradiction:
Ease of manufactureVSUse of energy by moving object

Solution Approach 1:

Both master and slave devices operate in periodic cycles with predetermined intervals, transitioning between active transmission/reception states and standby states. This periodic operation enables battery-powered portable devices to achieve simple installation without wiring while managing power consumption within acceptable limits for battery operation.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #19Periodic action

Solution Approach 2:

The system maintains continuous useful action through coordinated periodic operations - the master device continuously transmits at intervals and the slave device continuously receives at intervals, ensuring uninterrupted synchronization and communication capability while minimizing total active time to reduce power consumption.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #20Continuity of useful action

Data Source

PatentEP2999205B1Wireless communication system, and wireless communication method in wireless communication system
Publication Date: 2019.11.06 PANASONIC INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY MANAGEMENT CO LTD
  • EP2999205B1 patent drawingFigure 1
  • EP2999205B1 patent drawingFigure 2
  • EP2999205B1 patent drawingFigure 3

AI summary

In a wireless communication system including a slave device, and a master device wirelessly connected to the slave device, the slave device includes a slave device wireless communicator that performs wireless communication with the master device, a slave device power supply unit that supplies power to each unit of the slave device, a slave device interrupt detector that detects various interrupts, and a slave device controller that controls the entire slave device, the slave device interrupt detector supplies the power from the slave device power supply unit to each unit of the slave device when detecting a timer interrupt occurring at predetermined intervals, and the slave device controller performs control to perform an initialization process of the slave device wireless communicator when the power is supplied from the slave device power supply unit to each unit of the slave device, and perform an entire initialization process of the slave device when a capture signal is received via the slave device wireless communicator.