SENSOR SYSTEMS WIRELESSLY UTILIZING POWER INFRASTRUCTURES AND ASSOCIATED SYSTEMS AND METHODS
First Claim
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1. A sensor node, comprising:
- a sensing mechanism configured to sense an environmental condition;
an antenna; and
a transmitter configured to wirelessly transmit data regarding the environmental condition from the antenna to a receiving antenna using a long-range, near-field transmission, wherein the receiving antenna comprises a preexisting electrically conductive structure of a building.
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Abstract
Systems and methods for a low-power sensor node and network. A low-power sensor node including a battery, a microcontroller, a sensor module, and a transmitter is used to sense an environmental condition and transmit the information back to a base station via a preexisting power line infrastructure such as power lines of a house or apartment building.
42 Citations
28 Claims
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1. A sensor node, comprising:
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a sensing mechanism configured to sense an environmental condition; an antenna; and a transmitter configured to wirelessly transmit data regarding the environmental condition from the antenna to a receiving antenna using a long-range, near-field transmission, wherein the receiving antenna comprises a preexisting electrically conductive structure of a building. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19)
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20. A system, comprising:
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a base station connected to a preexisting power line installation of a building; and a sensor node including— a sensing mechanism; a microcontroller; and a transmitter; wherein the sensor node is configured to wirelessly transmit information gathered by the sensing mechanism to the preexisting power line installation which then relays the information to the base station. - View Dependent Claims (21, 22, 23)
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24. A method, comprising:
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sensing an environmental condition with a sensing mechanism at a sensor node; and transmitting information representing the environmental condition wirelessly to a preexisting electrical power line installation which then relays the information to a base station connected to the preexisting electrical power line installation, wherein the sensor node is configured to operate with less than approximately 1 mW while transmitting. - View Dependent Claims (25, 26, 27, 28)
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Specification