Sensor nodes, apparatuses, and methods for wirelessly transmitting data to a power infrastructure

• US 9,218,736 B2
• Filed: 09/11/2013
• Issued: 12/22/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 09/11/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: University of Washington
• Original Assignee: University of Washington
• Inventors: Patel, Shwetak N., Cohn, Gabriel A., Reynolds, Matthew S.
• Primary Examiner(s): Previl, Daniel
• Application Number:
  US14/024,388
• Publication Number:
  US 20140070940A1
• Time in Patent Office: 832 Days
• Field of Search: 340/506, 340/501, 340/517, 340521-522, 340/541, 340/552, 340/565, 340/568.2, 340/539.19, 340/539.21, 340/539.26, 340/539.22
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 25/06 using power transmission lines
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 29/02 Monitoring continuously signalling or alarm systems
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 2203/5408 using protocols
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 2203/5441 Wireless systems or telephone
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 2203/5445 Local network
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 3/542 the information being in digital form
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 27/14 Demodulator circuits; Receiver circuits
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 24/08 Testing, supervising or monitoring using real traffic

Abstract

Apparatuses, sensor nodes, systems and methods for modulating and transmitting sensor data wirelessly to an existing power line network are described. An apparatus may include a microcontroller having an oscillator and an input/output buffer. The microcontroller may process an electrical signal and the input/output buffer may drive a digital signal. The apparatus may include a transmitter utilizing the oscillator and the input/output buffer of the microcontroller. The transmitter may include a resonator coupled to the oscillator and modulation circuitry coupled to the oscillator and resonator. The resonator may modulate a frequency of the oscillator responsive to a modulation signal based on the processed electrical signal. The transmitter may further include an antenna coupled to the input/output buffer of the microcontroller for transmission of the data, and a resonant tank coupled to an output of the input/output buffer to provide an analog signal to the antenna.

Claims

1. An apparatus, comprising:

a microcontroller comprising an oscillator and an input/output buffer, wherein the microcontroller is configured to process an electrical signal and the input/output buffer is configured to drive a digital signal;

a transmitter including the oscillator and the input/output buffer of the microcontroller, wherein the transmitter further includes;

a resonator coupled to the oscillator;

modulation circuitry coupled to the oscillator and resonator and configured to modulate an output of the oscillator responsive to a modulation signal based on the processed electrical signal;

an antenna coupled to the input/output buffer of the microcontroller for transmission of the data, wherein the antenna is configured to wirelessly couple an analog signal to a powerline; and

a resonant tank coupled to an output of the input/output buffer to provide the analog signal to the antenna.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising a sensor configured to provide the electrical signal to the microcontroller responsive to an environmental parameter.

3. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the modulation circuitry comprises a first capacitor coupled in series with a first transistor between a first node of the oscillator and a reference node;

and wherein the modulation circuitry further comprises a second capacitor coupled in series with a second transistor between a second node of the oscillator and the reference node.

4. The apparatus of claim 3, wherein the first transistor is configured to be enabled based on the modulation signal, and where second transistor is configured to be enabled based on the modulation signal.

5. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the resonant tank a capacitive element coupled in series with the antenna between an output of the input/output buffer and a reference node.

6. The apparatus of claim 5, wherein the resistive element is variable resistor configured to be adjusted to control output power during transmission of the data.

7. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the input/output buffer comprises a supply input, and wherein the apparatus further comprises a variable supply coupled to the supply input and configured to control output power during transmission of the data.

8. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the input/output buffer comprises an input configured to control drive strength of the input/output buffer, and wherein the input is coupled to circuitry configured to control output power during transmission of data.

9. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the microcontroller includes a processor configured to process the electrical signal, and wherein the processor is further configured to provide the modulation signal.

10. The apparatus of claim 9, wherein the processor is further configured to turn off after providing the plurality of register values, wherein the timer is configured to provide an interrupt to the processor to turn on the processor responsive to completing the timer cycle, wherein the processor is further configured to provide a next set of register values to the timer responsive to the interrupt.

11. The apparatus of claim 9, wherein the microcontroller further comprises a direct memory access controller configured to provide register values from the memory to the timer, wherein the processor is configured to turn off after providing the register values to the memory, wherein the timer is configured to provide an interrupt to the direct memory access controller to turn on the direct memory access controller responsive to completing the timer cycle based on the register values, wherein the direct memory access controller is configured to provide a next set of register values to the timer responsive to the interrupt.

12. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the microcontroller further includes a processor configured to generate a plurality of register values corresponding to the data, and store the register values in a memory, and wherein the microcontroller further comprises a timer coupled to the memory and configured to provide, during a timer cycle, the modulation signal having a sequence of one or more pulses based on the register values.

13. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the modulation circuitry configured to modulate the output of the oscillator responsive to the modulation signal based on the processed electrical signal comprises the modulation circuitry configured to modulate a frequency of the output of the oscillator responsive to the modulation signal based on the processed electrical signal.

14. A non-transitory computer readable medium comprising instructions that, when executed by one or more processing units, cause the one or more processing units to:

convert a data packet into pulse widths;

convert the pulse widths into register values;

configure a timer configuration register with a first set of register values of the register values, wherein a modulation signal is toggled responsive to completion of a first timer cycle at a timer, wherein the timer cycle is based on the first set of register values;

receive an interrupt from the timer, wherein the timer is configured to provide the interrupt responsive to completion of a last timer cycle, wherein the last timer cycle is based on a last set of register values of the register values; and

wake up the one or more processing units responsive to receiving the interrupt.

15. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 14, further comprising instructions that, when executed by one or more processing units, cause the one or more processing units to turn off after configuring the timer configuration register with the first set of register values.

16. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 14, wherein the interrupt is a last interrupt, the non-transitory computer readable medium further comprising instructions that, when executed by one or more processing units, cause the one or more processing units to:

receive a first interrupt from the timer; and

configure the timer configuration register with a next set of register values of the register values responsive to the first interrupt.

17. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 16, further comprising instructions that, when executed by one or more processing units, cause the one or more processing units to toggle the modulation signal.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein the first set of register values identify a start time and a stop time for the first timer cycle.

19. A method, comprising:

converting, at a processor of a microcontroller, a data packet into pulse widths;

converting the pulse widths into register values;

configuring a timer configuration register of the microcontroller with a first set of register values of the register values;

toggling a modulation signal at an output of the timer responsive to completion of a first timer cycle at a timer of the microcontroller, wherein the timer cycle is based on the first set of register values;

providing, from the timer to the processor, an interrupt responsive to completion of a last timer cycle, wherein the last timer cycle is based on a last set of register values of the register values; and

turning on the processor responsive to receiving the interrupt.

20. The method of claim 19, further comprising turning off the processor after configuring the timer configuration register with the first set of register values.

21. The method of claim 19, wherein the interrupt is a last interrupt, the method further comprising:

providing a first interrupt from the timer responsive to completion of the first timer cycle; and

configuring the timer configuration register with a next set of register values of the register values responsive to the first interrupt.

22. The method of claim 21, further comprising receiving the first interrupt at direct memory access circuitry of the microcontroller, wherein configuring the timer configuration register with a next set of register values comprises waking up the direct memory access circuitry.

23. The method of claim 21, wherein configuring the timer configuration register with a next set of register values comprises retrieving the next set of register values from a memory of the microcontroller.

24. The method of claim 19, further comprising:

providing the modulation signal to a modulation circuit; and

providing a modulated signal to an oscillator of the microcontroller that is modulated based on the modulation circuit, wherein the modulation circuit is configured to couple capacitors to a resonant tank of the oscillator responsive to toggling of the modulation signal.

25. The method of claim 24, further comprising driving an antenna to transmit a modulated output signal from the microcontroller, wherein the modulated output signal is based on the modulated signal provided from the oscillator of the microcontroller.