Zero-Power IoT Synchronization Using Repeated Reference Sequences
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing IoT devices face challenges in extreme environments due to power supply limitations, maintenance issues, and size and cost constraints, particularly in scenarios like high-temperature, low-temperature, high-humidity, high-voltage, high-radiation, and high-speed movement conditions, where conventional power supplies fail, and battery replacement is difficult.
Innovation Solution
A zero-power communication method utilizing RF energy harvesting and backscattering communication for IoT devices, employing simple RF and baseband circuits with flexible synchronization techniques to ensure accurate time and frequency synchronization, enabling devices to operate without batteries and maintain precise communication.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If conventional power supplies are used in IoT devices, then devices can operate continuously, but devices become larger, more expensive, and require maintenance in extreme environments
Solution Approach 1:
The patent removes the battery component from the IoT device entirely, extracting the power storage function and replacing it with an energy harvesting circuit that collects ambient RF energy. This extraction of the battery eliminates maintenance requirements and improves reliability in extreme environments while reducing device complexity.
Solution Approach 2:
The device employs self-powered operation through energy harvesting from ambient RF signals. The energy harvesting circuit automatically collects and stores energy from the environment, eliminating the need for external power supply intervention, battery replacement, or charging infrastructure, thereby improving reliability and reducing complexity.
2Ease of operation
If batteries are used in IoT devices, then devices can function independently, but replacement and maintenance become difficult in extreme environments
Solution Approach 1:
The energy harvesting circuit continuously collects ambient RF energy and stores it in an energy storage component, enabling the device to be self-powered without external intervention. This eliminates battery replacement needs and maintains continuous operation in extreme environments, greatly improving ease of operation while preserving reliability.
Solution Approach 2:
Instead of using disposable batteries that need replacement, the system recovers and accumulates energy continuously from ambient RF sources. The energy harvesting circuit captures available energy and stores it for ongoing operation, eliminating the discard-replace cycle and improving both maintenance ease and continuous operation capability.
3Measurement precision
If traditional synchronization signals are used for zero-power devices, then synchronization can be achieved, but signal detection accuracy deteriorates due to low signal energy
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies preliminary energy accumulation by harvesting and storing ambient RF energy before the actual communication and synchronization operations. The energy storage component accumulates energy in advance, ensuring sufficient energy is available to transmit synchronization signals with adequate power for accurate detection, thereby improving measurement precision without increasing instantaneous energy consumption.
Solution Approach 2:
The system employs periodic energy harvesting and accumulation cycles, where ambient RF energy is collected over multiple periods and stored progressively. This periodic accumulation allows the device to build up sufficient energy reserves to transmit synchronization signals effectively, improving detection accuracy while maintaining low average power consumption through intermittent rather than continuous transmission.
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
The method enables battery-free, low-cost, and ultra-small IoT devices to function reliably in challenging environments by harnessing ambient energy for communication, reducing power consumption, and ensuring accurate synchronization, thus overcoming limitations of conventional power-dependent IoT devices.
Implementation Method 1
A zero-power communication method utilizing RF energy harvesting and backscattering communication for IoT devices
Implementation Method 2
employing simple RF and baseband circuits with flexible synchronization techniques to ensure accurate time and frequency synchronization
Data Source
AI summary
Provided is a communication method for synchronization. The method is applicable to zero-power communication and performed by a network device, and includes: transmitting a reference signal, wherein the reference signal is used for time-domain synchronization and frequency-domain synchronization of a zero-power device, and the reference signal includes at least one sequence group, wherein the at least one sequence group is formed based on a synchronization sequence repeated N times, N being an integer greater than or equal to 1.