Ad Hoc Wireless Sensor Package

• US 20140175876A1
• Filed: 08/07/2013
• Published: 06/26/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 12/26/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Elwha LLC (Intellectual Ventures LLC)
• Original Assignee: Elwha LLC (Intellectual Ventures LLC)
• Inventors: Cheatham, Jesse R. III, Dyor, Matthew G., Glaskowsky, Peter N., Hallman, Kimberly D.A., Hyde, Roderick A., Ishikawa, Muriel Y., Jung, Edward K.Y., Koenig, Michael F., Lord, Robert W., Lord, Richard T., Mundie, Craig J., Myhrvold, Nathan P., Petroski, Robert C., Tan, Desney S., Wood, Lowell L. Jr.
• Granted Patent: US 10,491,050 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 307/23
• CPC Class Codes: H01F 2038/143 for signals
• CPC Class Codes: H01F 38/14 Inductive couplings for wireless supply or distribution of electric power using inductive coupling H02J50/10
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 50/001 Energy harvesting or scavenging
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 50/10 using inductive coupling
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 50/20 using microwaves or radio frequency waves
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 50/30 using light, e.g. lasers
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 50/40 using two or more transmitting or receiving devices H02J50/50 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 50/60 responsive to the presence of foreign objects, e.g. detection of living beings
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 50/80 involving the exchange of data, concerning supply or distribution of electric power, between transmitting devices and receiving devices
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 50/90 involving detection or optimisation of position, e.g. alignment

Abstract

Systems, methods, computer-readable storage mediums including computer-readable instructions and/or circuitry for control of transmission to a target device with communicating with one or more sensors in an ad-hoc sensor network may implement operations including, but not limited to: generating electrical power from at least one ambient source via at least one structurally integrated electromagnetic transducer; powering at least one transmitter via the electrical power to wirelessly transmit one or more sensor operation activation signals to one or more sensors; and at least one of powering one or more sensing operations of one or more sensors via the electrical power or charging one or more power storage devices electrically coupled to the one or more sensors via the electrical power.

Claims

1. A method for powering one or more sensors in an ad-hoc sensor network comprising:

generating electrical power from at least one ambient source via at least one structurally integrated electromagnetic transducer; and

at least one of powering one or more sensing operations of one or more sensors via the electrical power or charging one or more power storage devices electrically coupled to the one or more sensors via the electrical power.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the generating electrical power from at least one ambient source via at least one structurally integrated electromagnetic transducer includes:

generating electrical power from at least one radio frequency source via at least one structurally integrated electromagnetic transducer.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the generating electrical power from at least one ambient source via at least one structurally integrated electromagnetic transducer includes:

generating electrical power from at least one ambient source via at least one structurally integrated electromagnetic transducer at least partially integrated within a portion of a partition defining a region to be monitored by the one or more sensors.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein the generating electrical power from at least one ambient source via at least one structurally integrated electromagnetic transducer at least partially integrated within a portion of a partition defining a region to be monitored by the one or more sensors includes:

generating electrical power from at least one ambient source via at least one structurally integrated electromagnetic transducer at least partially integrated within a portion of sheetrock defining a region to be monitored by the one or more sensors.

5. The method of claim 3, wherein the powering one or more sensing operations of one or more sensors via the electrical power includes:

powering at least one sensor disposed on a surface of the portion of a partition defining a region to be monitored by transmitting the electrical power from the at least one structurally integrated electromagnetic transducer to the at least one sensor via one or more electrical connections routed through at least a portion the partition defining a region to be monitored by the one or more sensors.

6. The method of claim 3, wherein the powering one or more sensing operations of one or more sensors via the electrical power includes:

powering at least one sensor disposed on a surface of the portion of a partition defining a region to be monitored by transmitting the electrical power from the at least one structurally integrated electromagnetic transducer to the at least one sensor via one or more inductive couplings between the at least one structurally integrated electromagnetic transducer and the at least one sensor.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the generating electrical power from at least one ambient source via at least one structurally integrated electromagnetic transducer includes:

generating electrical power from at least one ambient source via at least one structurally integrated electromagnetic transducer at least partially disposed on a surface of a portion of a partition defining a region to be monitored by the one or more sensors.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein the generating electrical power from at least one ambient source via at least one structurally integrated electromagnetic transducer at least partially disposed on a surface of a portion of a partition defining a region to be monitored by the one or more sensors includes:

generating electrical power from at least one ambient source via at least one structurally integrated micro-strip antenna at least partially disposed on a surface of a portion of a partition defining a region to be monitored by the one or more sensors.

9. The method of claim 7, wherein the generating electrical power from at least one ambient source via at least one structurally integrated electromagnetic transducer at least partially disposed on a surface of a portion of a partition defining a region to be monitored by the one or more sensors:

generating electrical power from at least one ambient source via at least one structurally integrated electromagnetic transducer integrated into at least one sheet affixed to a surface portion of a partition defining a region to be monitored by the one or more sensors.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein the generating electrical power from at least one ambient source via at least one structurally integrated electromagnetic transducer integrated into at least one sheet affixed to a surface portion of a partition defining a region to be monitored by the one or more sensors includes:

generating electrical power from at least one ambient source via at least one structurally integrated electromagnetic transducer integrated into the at least one sheet electrically coupled to at least one second sheet structurally integrated electromagnetic transducer integrated into at least one second sheet.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein the powering one or more sensing operations of one or more sensors via the electrical power includes:

powering at least one transmitter via the electrical power to wirelessly transmit one or more sensor operation activation signals to one or more sensors.

12. The method of claim 11, further comprising:

receiving one or more wireless signals indicative of one or more locations of the one or more sensors within a portion of a region to be monitored.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein the powering at least one transmitter via the electrical power to wirelessly transmit one or more sensor operation activation signals to one or more sensors includes:

powering at least one transmitter via the electrical power to wirelessly transmit one or more sensor operation activation signals to one or more sensors according to the one or more locations of the one or more sensors.

14. The method of claim 1, wherein the powering one or more sensing operations of one or more sensors via the electrical power includes:

transmitting one or more signals to a portion of a region to be monitored with one or more sensors.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein the transmitting one or more signals to a portion of a region to be monitored with one or more sensors includes:

transmitting one or more radio frequency signals to a portion of a region to be monitored with one or more sensors.

16. The method of claim 14, wherein the transmitting one or more signals to a portion of a region to be monitored with one or more sensors includes:

transmitting one or more optical frequency signals to a portion of a region to be monitored with one or more sensors.

17. The method of claim 14,

wherein the transmitting one or more signals to a portion of a region to be monitored with one or more sensors includes:

transmitting one or more lower-power signals to one or more sensors with a sensor monitoring device; and

wherein the powering at least one transmitter via the electrical power to wirelessly transmit one or more sensor operation activation signals to one or more sensors includes;

powering at least one transmitter via the electrical power from at least one ambient source to wirelessly transmit one or more higher-power signals to the one or more sensors with the sensor monitoring device.

18. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

transmitting one or more signals indicative of a presence of a sensor within the portion of the region to be monitored to a sensor monitoring device.

19. The method of claim 18, wherein the transmitting one or more signals indicative of a presence of a sensor within the portion of the region to be monitored to a sensor monitoring device includes:

transmitting one or more signals indicative of a presence of a sensor via a passive radio frequency identification chip of the sensor.

20. The method of claim 18, wherein the transmitting one or more signals indicative of a presence of a sensor within the portion of the region to be monitored to a sensor monitoring device includes:

transmitting one or more signals indicative of a presence of a sensor via a retro-reflector of the sensor.

21. The method of claim 18, wherein the transmitting one or more signals indicative of a presence of a sensor within the portion of the region to be monitored to a sensor monitoring device includes:

transmitting one or more signals indicative of a presence of a sensor via a micro-electromechanical device of the sensor.

22. The method of claim 18, wherein the transmitting one or more signals indicative of a presence of a sensor within the portion of the region to be monitored to a sensor monitoring device includes:

transmitting one or more signals indicative of a sensor type associated with a sensor.

23. The method of claim 1, wherein the powering at least one transmitter via the electrical power to wirelessly transmit one or more sensor operation activation signals to one or more sensors includes:

wirelessly transmitting one or more sensor operation activation signals to one or more sensors according to one or more external control signals.

24. The method of claim 23, wherein the powering at least one transmitter via the electrical power to wirelessly transmit one or more sensor operation activation signals to one or more sensors includes:

wirelessly transmitting one or more sensor operation activation signals to one or more sensors according to one or more external control signals received from at least one external device.

25. The method of claim 23, wherein the powering at least one transmitter via the electrical power to wirelessly transmit one or more sensor operation activation signals to one or more sensors includes:

wirelessly transmitting one or more sensor operation activation signals to one or more sensors according to one or more external control signals received from one or more switches.

26. The method of claim 1, wherein the powering at least one transmitter via the electrical power to wirelessly transmit one or more sensor operation activation signals to one or more sensors includes:

wirelessly transmitting one or more sensor operation activation signals to one or more sensors according one or more sensor signals indicative of a presence or absence of one or more objects within the portion of a region including at least one sensor.

27. The method of claim 1, wherein the powering one or more sensing operations of one or more sensors via the electrical power includes:

powering one or more thermal sensing operations of a sensor via the electrical power.

28. The method of claim 1, wherein the powering one or more sensing operations of one or more sensors via the electrical power includes:

powering one or more pressure sensing operations of a sensor via the electrical power.

29. The method of claim 1, wherein the powering one or more sensing operations of one or more sensors via the electrical power includes:

powering one or more motion sensing operations of a sensor via the electrical power.

30. The method of claim 1, wherein the powering one or more sensing operations of one or more sensors via the electrical power includes:

powering one or more image sensing operations of a sensor via the electrical power.

31. The method of claim 1, wherein the powering one or more sensing operations of one or more sensors via the electrical power includes:

powering one or more audio sensing operations of a sensor via the electrical power.

32. The method of claim 1, wherein the powering one or more sensing operations of one or more sensors via the electrical power includes:

powering one or more electromagnetic radiation sensing operations of a sensor via the electrical power.

33. The method of claim 1, wherein the charging one or more power storage devices electrically coupled to the one or more sensors via the electrical power comprises:

charging one or more batteries via the electrical power.

34. The method of claim 1, wherein the charging one or more power storage devices electrically coupled to the one or more sensors via the electrical power comprises:

charging one or more capacitors via the electrical power.

35. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

powering one or more sensing operations of a sensor via the one or more power storage devices.

36. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

wirelessly transmitting sensor data from the sensor to the sensor monitoring device.

37. A system for communicating with one or more sensors in an ad-hoc sensor network comprising:

means for generating electrical power from at least one ambient source via at least one structurally integrated electromagnetic transducer;

means for powering at least one transmitter via the electrical power to wirelessly transmit one or more sensor operation activation signals to one or more sensors; and

means for at least one of powering one or more sensing operations of one or more sensors via the electrical power or charging one or more power storage devices electrically coupled to the one or more sensors via the electrical power.

38. A system for communicating with one or more sensors in an ad-hoc sensor network comprising:

circuitry for generating electrical power from at least one ambient source via at least one structurally integrated electromagnetic transducer;

circuitry for powering at least one transmitter via the electrical power to wirelessly transmit one or more sensor operation activation signals to one or more sensors; and

circuitry for at least one of powering one or more sensing operations of one or more sensors via the electrical power or charging one or more power storage devices electrically coupled to the one or more sensors via the electrical power.

39. A computer-readable medium tangibly embodying computer-readable instructions for execution of a process on a computing device, the process comprising:

generating electrical power from at least one ambient source via at least one structurally integrated electromagnetic transducer;

powering at least one transmitter via the electrical power to wirelessly transmit one or more sensor operation activation signals to one or more sensors; and

at least one of powering one or more sensing operations of one or more sensors via the electrical power or charging one or more power storage devices electrically coupled to the one or more sensors via the electrical power.