Power managing energy-harvesting for selectively controlling a state of individual computer based on a harvesting energy stored available

• US 8,769,315 B1
• Filed: 06/29/2011
• Issued: 07/01/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 09/30/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: the united states of america as represented by the secretary of the navy
• Original Assignee: the united states of america as represented by the secretary of the navy
• Inventors: Ortiz, Albert, Dalessandro, Donald D., Dong, Qing, Overby, John K.
• Primary Examiner(s): Lee, Thomas
• Assistant Examiner(s): NGUYEN, PHIL K
• Application Number:
  US13/172,185
• Time in Patent Office: 1,098 Days
• Field of Search: 713/300, 713/320, 713/324
• US Class Current: 713/300
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/3206 Monitoring of events, devices or parameters that trigger a change in power modality
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/325 Power saving in peripheral device
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 50/001 Energy harvesting or scavenging
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 50/40 using two or more transmitting or receiving devices H02J50/50 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/345 using capacitors as storage or buffering devices
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2209/823 where the data is sent when the measured values exceed a threshold, e.g. sending an alarm
• 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

Abstract

According to typical inventive practice, each inventive sensor node performs computer processing that is tri-chotomized in a progressive, power-regulating scheme of three processors, namely, a low-performance processor, a middle-performance processor (which remains in sleep mode until activated upon demand for a middle-computation function), and a high-performance processor (which remains in sleep mode until activated upon demand for a high-computation function). The low-performance processor performs low computation functions such as routine sensing functions. The middle-performance processor performs middle-computation functions such as validative sensing functions. The high-performance processor performs high computation functions such as remedial communicative functions. Each sensor node has one or more transceivers for wirelessly transmitting and receiving radio signals (e.g. remedial communication) to and from transceivers of other sensor nodes. Some transceivers may be specifically dedicated to wirelessly communicating “wake-up” signals among nodes. Inventive practice is notably efficacious in furtherance of situational awareness of damage events onboard naval ships.

Claims

1. An autonomous sensing unit suitable for use in wireless communication, the device comprising:

at least one temperature sensor;

a radio frequency transmitter;

a primary energy harvester;

an auxiliary energy harvester, for harvesting thermal energy;

an energy storage device, for storing energy harvested by said primary energy harvester and said auxiliary energy harvester, the stored said energy being available for powering components of said autonomous sensing unit including said at least one temperature sensor, said radio frequency transmitter, a first computer, a second computer, and a third computer;

said first computer, for processing initial sensing performed by said at least one temperature sensor, said first computer configured to execute computer program logic that, when executed, establishes an initial sensory temperature data delimitation, informs said second computer upon initial indication by said at least one temperature sensor that an abnormally high temperature condition exists, and transforms said first computer from an active state to a sleep state upon informing said second computer of the initially indicated said abnormally high temperature condition, said initial sensory temperature data delimitation including a threshold temperature for initially indicating said abnormally high temperature condition, said second computer and said third computer each being in a sleep state while said first computer is in an active state;

said second computer, for processing validative sensing performed by said at least one temperature sensor, said second computer configured to execute computer program logic that, when executed, establishes a validative sensory temperature data delimitation, transforms said second computer from a sleep state to an active state upon being informed by said first computer of said initial indication of said abnormally high temperature condition, informs said third computer upon validation by said second computer that said abnormally high temperature condition exists, and transforms said second computer from an active state to a sleep state upon informing said third computer of the validated said abnormally high temperature condition, said validative sensory temperature data delimitation including a threshold duration for validating said abnormally high temperature condition, said first computer and said third computer each being in a sleep state while said second computer is in an active state; and

said third computer, for processing in furtherance of action remedial of the validated said abnormally high temperature condition, said action including communication with at least one entity other than said autonomous sensing unit, said third computer configured to execute computer program logic that, when executed, establishes communicative procedure using said radio frequency transmitter, transforms said third computer from a sleep state to an active state upon being informed by said second computer of the validated said abnormally high temperature condition, and causes said radio frequency transmitter to transmit, to said at least one entity, information that is related to the validated said abnormally high temperature condition, said first computer and said second computer each being in a sleep state while said third computer is in an active state;

wherein said abnormally high temperature condition results in an incremental increase in thermal energy harvested by said auxiliary energy harvester, said energy storage device thereby being characterized by an incremental increase in the stored said energy available for powering said third computer and said radio frequency transmitter while said third computer is in an active state.

2. The autonomous sensing unit of claim 1 further comprising a radio frequency receiver, wherein the stored said energy is available for powering said radio frequency receiver.

3. A method for sensing and communicating in a power-managed manner, the method comprising implementation of a first computer, a second computer, a third computer, at least one temperature sensor, a wireless transmitter, a primary energy harvester, and an auxiliary energy harvester, wherein:

use of said first computer includes establishing an initial sensory temperature data delimitation, receiving sensory temperature data from at least one said temperature sensor, and, upon initial indication that an abnormally high temperature condition exists, changing said first computer from an active state to a sleep state and informing said second computer of the initially indicated said abnormally high temperature condition, said initial sensory temperature data delimitation including a threshold temperature for initially indicating said abnormally high temperature condition, said second computer and said third computer each being in a sleep state while said first computer is in an active state;

use of said second computer includes establishing a validative sensory temperature data delimitation, receiving sensory data from at least one said temperature sensor, and, upon validation that an abnormally high temperature condition exists, changing said second computer from an active state to a sleep state and informing said third computer of the validated said abnormally high temperature condition, said validative sensory temperature data delimitation including a threshold duration for validating said abnormally high temperature condition, said first computer and said third computer each being in a sleep state while said second computer is in an active state;

use of said third computer includes causing wireless transmission, by said wireless transmitter to at least one separate entity, of information relating to the validated said abnormally high temperature condition, said first computer and said second computer each being in a sleep state while said third computer is in an active state;

use of said energy storage device includes storing energy harvested by said primary energy harvester and said auxiliary energy harvester, said auxiliary energy harvester being capable of harvesting thermal energy, wherein the stored said energy harvested by said primary energy harvester and said auxiliary energy harvester is available for powering said at least one temperature sensor, said wireless transmitter, said first computer, said second computer, and said third computer, and wherein said abnormally high temperature condition results in an incremental increase in thermal energy harvested by said auxiliary energy harvester, said energy storage device thereby being characterized by an incremental increase in the stored said energy available for powering said third computer and said radio frequency transmitter while said third computer is in an active state.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein

said wireless transmission is radio transmission.

5. A computer program product comprising a non-transitory computer readable storage medium having a computer readable program stored thereon for execution by at least three computers to perform a method for sensing and communicating in a power-managed manner, each computer executing a portion of the computer readable program, the method including implementation of a low-level computer, a mid-level computer, a high-level computer, at least one temperature sensor, a wireless transmitter, a primary energy harvester, and an auxiliary energy harvester, wherein:

use of said low-level computer includes establishing an initial sensory temperature data delimitation, receiving sensory temperature data from at least one said temperature sensor, and, upon initial indication that an abnormally high temperature condition exists, changing said low-level computer from an active state to a sleep state and informing said mid-level computer of the initially indicated said abnormally high temperature condition, said initial sensory temperature data delimitation including a threshold temperature for initially indicating said abnormally high temperature condition, said mid-level computer and said high-level computer each being in a sleep state while said low-level computer is in an active state;

use of said mid-level computer includes establishing a validative sensory temperature data delimitation, receiving sensory data from at least one said temperature sensor, and, upon validation that an abnormally high temperature condition exists, changing said mid-level computer from an active state to a sleep state and informing said high-level computer of the validated said abnormally high temperature condition, said validative sensory temperature data delimitation including a threshold duration for validating said abnormally high temperature condition, said low-level computer and said high-level computer each being in a sleep state while said mid-level computer is in an active state;

use of said high-level computer includes causing wireless transmission, by said wireless transmitter to at least one separate entity, of information relating to the validated said abnormally high temperature condition, said low-level computer and said mid-level computer each being in a sleep state while said high-level computer is in an active state;

use of said energy storage device includes storing energy harvested by said primary energy harvester and said auxiliary energy harvester, said auxiliary energy harvester being capable of harvesting thermal energy, wherein the stored said energy harvested by said primary energy harvester and said auxiliary energy harvester is available for powering said at least one temperature sensor, said wireless transmitter, said low-level computer, said mid-level computer, and said high-level computer, and wherein said abnormally high temperature condition results in an incremental increase in thermal energy harvested by said auxiliary energy harvester, said energy storage device thereby being characterized by an incremental increase in the stored said energy available for powering said high-level computer and said wireless transmitter while said high-level computer is in an active state.

6. The computer program product of claim 5, wherein:

said wireless transmission is radio transmission.