IoT tag and invivo sensor system and communication method

• US 10,178,449 B1
• Filed: 10/31/2017
• Issued: 01/08/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 10/31/2017
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Tionesta, Llc
• Original Assignee: Tionesta, Llc
• Inventors: Struhsaker, Paul
• Primary Examiner(s): Dsouza, Adolf
• Application Number:
  US15/799,178
• Time in Patent Office: 434 Days
• Field of Search: None
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/12 specially adapted for proprietary or special-purpose networking environments, e.g. medical networks, sensor networks, networks in vehicles or remote metering networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2209/47 using RFID associated with sensors
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2209/84 Measuring functions
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2209/883 where the sensing device enters an active or inactive mode
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2209/886 using energy harvesting, e.g. solar, wind or mechanical
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 9/00 Arrangements in telecontrol or telemetry systems for selectively calling a substation from a main station, in which substation desired apparatus is selected for applying a control signal thereto or for obtaining measured values therefrom
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/70 Services for machine-to-machine communication [M2M] or machine type communication [MTC]
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 40/244 using a network of reference devices, e.g. beaconing
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/18 Self-organising networks, e.g. ad-hoc networks or sensor networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 92/20 between access points

Abstract

A sensor system is provided. The sensor system includes: a battery that powers the sensor system; a radio-frequency identification (RFID) tag that stores a unique identifier of the sensor system; a sensor that provides a sensing data for the sensor system; an internet of things (IoT) transceiver that communicates with an access point in an IoT system; and a processor that receives the sensing data from the sensor and controls an activation of the sensor and a frequency of communication of the IoT transceiver with the access point.

Claims

1. A sensor system comprising:

a battery that powers the sensor system;

a radio-frequency identification (RFID) tag that stores a unique identifier of the sensor system;

a sensor that provides a sensing data for the sensor system;

an internet of things (IoT) transceiver that communicates with an access point in an IoT system;

a processor that;

receives the sensing data from the sensor; and

controls an activation of the sensor and a frequency of communication of the IoT transceiver with the access point;

a charge controller that;

controls a charging of the battery;

monitors a battery status information; and

communicates the battery status information to the processor; and

a solar cell that provides power to the charge controller,

wherein, in the event that the battery status information received by the processor indicates a low battery level, the processor;

notifies the access point of the battery status information using the IoT transceiver,

reduces the frequency of communication of the IoT transceiver with the access point, and

deactivates the sensor.

2. The sensor system of claim 1, further comprising:

a global positioning system (GPS) receiver that captures ephemeris data to determine a geographical location of the sensor system.

3. The sensor system of claim 1, further comprising:

an accelerometer to track a movement of the sensor system.

4. The sensor of claim 1, wherein the sensor provides an analog form or a digital form of an environmental or a physiological data to the sensor system.

5. The sensor system of claim 1, wherein the IoT transceiver:

receives a time base from the access point, a configuration for the sensor system, and a firmware for the processor; and

transmits the sensing data from the sensor and a status of the sensor system that includes the battery status information.

6. The sensor system of claim 1, further comprising:

an in-vivo transceiver that communicates with an in-vivo sensor of the IoT system,

wherein the sensor system is associated with the in-vivo sensor.

7. The sensor system of claim 1, wherein the sensor system is a tag sensor that is attached to an asset using a pin or a mount.

8. A sensor system comprising:

a battery that powers the sensor system;

a sensor that provides a sensing data for the sensor system;

a transceiver that communicates with an IoT sensor system in an IoT system;

a processor that;

receives the sensing data from the sensor; and

controls an activation of the sensor and a frequency of communication of the transceiver with the IoT sensor,

wherein the sensor system searches for a beacon message transmitted by the IoT sensor and synchronizes to the beacon message to establish an association with the IoT sensor.

9. The sensor system of claim 8, further comprising a charge controller that:

controls a charging of the battery;

monitors a battery status information; and

communicates the battery status information to the processor.

10. The sensor system of claim 9, wherein, in the event that the battery status information received by the processor indicates a low battery level, the processor:

notifies the IoT sensor of the battery status information using the transceiver,

reduces the frequency of communication of the transceiver with the IoT sensor, and

deactivates the sensor.

11. The sensor system of claim 8, wherein

the transceiver communicates with an in-vivo transceiver of a tag sensor in the IoT system,

and the sensor system is associated with the tag sensor.

12. The sensor system of claim 8, wherein

the sensor system transmits a data packet that includes the sensing data to the IoT sensor and enters a deep sleep mode after the data packet is transmitted, and

upon entering deep sleep mode, activates a countdown timer to enter an active mode upon an expiration of the countdown timer.

13. The sensor system of claim 8, wherein the synchronization to the of the sensor system to the IoT sensor is updated every time the sensor system transitions between the deep sleep mode to the active mode.

14. The sensor system of claim 8, wherein the processor utilizes a Frequency Shift Key (FSK) or Minimum Shift Key (MSK) modulation scheme at an operation frequency that is different from an operation frequency of the IoT sensor.

15. The sensor system of claim 8, wherein the sensor system is disposed in a hermetically-sealed capsule made of a hydrophobic material.

16. The sensor system of claim 8, wherein the sensor system is disposed in a dermal sensor attached to a surface of an asset.

17. The sensor system of claim 12, wherein the sensor system is an in-vivo sensor.

18. A communication method between an Internet of Things (IoT) sensor, one or more in-vivo sensors associated with the IoT sensor, and an access point in an IoT system, the communication method comprising:

synchronizing the IOT sensor with the access point;

re-synchronizing the IoT sensor with the access point during a predetermined period when synchronization is lost;

measuring, by the IoT sensor and the one or more in-vivo sensors, a sensing data;

transmitting, by the one or more in-vivo sensors to the IoT sensor, the sensing data measured by one or more in-vivo sensors;

merging, by the IOT sensor, the sensing data measured by the one or more in-vivo sensors with the sensing data measured by the IoT sensor; and

transmitting, by the IoT sensor, the merged sensing data to the access point.

19. The communication method of claim 18, wherein

a measuring rate of the sensing data by the IoT sensor and the one or more in-vivo sensors is adjusted based on a time of day and a command issued by the access point, and

the one or more in-vivo sensors transmits a battery status information to the IoT sensor that contains a low battery alert.