Ultra low power sensing platform with multimodal radios

• US 9,729,189 B2
• Filed: 08/30/2013
• Issued: 08/08/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 08/30/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: University of Virginia Patent Foundation (University of Virginia)
• Original Assignee: Board of Regents of the University of Michigan (University of Michigan), University of Virginia Patent Foundation (University of Virginia)
• Inventors: Calhoun, Benton H., Shakhsheer, Yousef, Zhang, Yanqing, Klinefelter, Alicia, Oh, Seunghyun, Wentzloff, David D., Roberts, Nathan E.
• Primary Examiner(s): HSIEH, PING Y
• Application Number:
  US14/015,425
• Publication Number:
  US 20150303975A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,439 Days
• Field of Search: 4555521, 4555531, 455572, 455574
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 1/1607 Supply circuits converters H02M; filters therefor H02M1/14; voltage stabilisers G05F1/46
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 1/406 with more than one transmission mode, e.g. analog and digital modes
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/70 Services for machine-to-machine communication [M2M] or machine type communication [MTC]
• CPC Class Codes: Y02D 30/70 in wireless communication networks

Abstract

An apparatus comprises a system on a chip (SoC). In some embodiments, the SoC includes a power supply circuit, a power management circuit operatively coupled to the power supply circuit, a first wireless communications circuit and a second wireless communications circuit. The first wireless communications circuit is configured to receive an RF signal and is operatively coupled to the power supply circuit and the power management circuit. The first wireless communications circuit has a net radio frequency (RF) power gain no more than unity before at least one of downconversion of the RF signal or detection of the RF signal. The second wireless communications circuit is operatively coupled to the power supply circuit and the power management circuit.

Claims

1. An apparatus, comprising:

a system on a chip (SoC) including;

a power supply circuit;

a power management circuit operatively coupled to the power supply circuit;

a first wireless communications circuit configured to receive an RF signal and operatively coupled to the power supply circuit and the power management circuit,

the first wireless communications circuit, when receiving an input signal power, has an output signal power that is no greater in magnitude than the input signal power such that a net radio frequency (RF) power gain of the first wireless communications circuit is at most unity and,

the first wireless communication circuit configured to remain operational at least nearly constantly during operation of the SoC; and

a second wireless communications circuit operatively coupled to the power supply circuit and the power management circuit, the second wireless communications circuit configured to be inactive or duty-cycled during at least an ultra-low power consumption mode,

the first wireless communications circuit configured to consume less power than the second wireless communications circuit during an operation of the SoC when the first wireless communications circuit and the second wireless communications circuit are both operational in a same operational mode established by the power management circuit.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein:

the first wireless communications circuit is configured to operate according to a first communication standard,

the second wireless communications circuit is configured to operate according to a second communication standard different than the first communication standard.

3. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein:

the RF signal is a first RF signal;

the first wireless communications circuit is configured to receive the first RF signal at a first frequency band,

the second wireless communications circuit is configured to perform at least one of transmit a second RF signal or receive a third RF signal at a second frequency band different than the first frequency band.

4. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein:

the RF signal is a first RF signal;

the first wireless communications circuit is configured to receive the first RF signal at a first frequency band,

the second wireless communications circuit is configured to transmit a second RF signal at a second frequency band different than the first frequency band, the second wireless communications circuit having an ultra-wideband (UWB) transmitter.

5. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein:

the SoC includes a memory circuit and a digital processor circuit,

the first wireless communications circuit is configured to receive the RF signal without requiring use of the digital processor circuit, the RF signal having information, the first wireless communications circuit is configured to send the information to the memory circuit without requiring use of the digital processor circuit.

6. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising:

an analog sensor interface circuit operatively coupled to the SoC, the analog sensor interface circuit and the SoC collectively defining a wireless sensor node configured to collect sensor data and send wirelessly a signal based on the sensor data.

7. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein:

the power supply circuit includes an energy harvesting circuit,

the power management circuit, the first wireless communications circuit and the second wireless communication circuit configured to be powered by the energy harvesting circuit.

8. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein:

the power management circuit is configured to select an operational mode from a plurality of operational modes based on at least one of (1) an amount of energy incoming to the SoC, (2) an amount of stored energy associated with the SoC, or (3) a rate of power consumption by the SoC, the plurality of operational modes including a first operational mode and a second operational mode,

the power management circuit configured to send a signal to the first wireless communication circuit when the first operational mode is selected such that the first wireless communication circuit is activated,

the power management circuit configured to send a signal to the second wireless communication circuit when the second operational mode is selected such that the second wireless communication circuit is activated.

9. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein:

the SoC includes a first transistor and a second transistor,

the first wireless communication circuit is operatively coupled to the first transistor, the first transistor is configured to gate power received by the first wireless communication circuit,

the second wireless communication circuit is operatively coupled to the second transistor, the second transistor is configured to gate power received by the second wireless communication circuit.

10. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the first wireless communications circuit includes an ultra-low-power architecture that consumes less than 100 nW at a sensitivity of about −

40 decibels relative to one milliwatt.

11. An apparatus, comprising:

a system on a chip (SoC) including;

a power supply circuit;

a power management circuit operatively coupled to the power supply circuit;

a first wireless communications circuit configured to receive an RF signal and operatively coupled to the power supply circuit and the power management circuit, the first wireless communications circuit having a net radio frequency (RF) power gain such that, when receiving an input signal power, the first wireless communications circuit has an output signal power is no greater than the input signal power before downconversion of the RF signal; and

a second wireless communications circuit operatively coupled to the power supply circuit and the power management circuit, the second wireless communications circuit configured to be inactive or duty-cycled during at least an ultra-low power consumption mode,

the first wireless communications circuit configured to consume less power than the second wireless communications circuit during an operation of the SoC when the first wireless communications circuit and the second wireless communications circuit are both operational in a same operational mode established by the power management circuit.

12. An apparatus, comprising:

a system on a chip (SoC) including;

a power supply circuit;

a power management circuit operatively coupled to the power supply circuit, the power management circuit configured to establish a plurality of SoC operational modes based at least in part on information from the power supply circuit, the plurality of SoC operational modes including an ultra-low power consumption operational mode;

a first wireless communications circuit operatively coupled to the power supply circuit and the power management circuit, the first wireless communications circuit configured to be at least nearly continuously operational during the plurality of SoC operational modes; and

a second wireless communications circuit operatively coupled to the power supply circuit and the power management circuit, the second wireless communications circuit configured to be inactive or duty-cycled during at least the ultra-low power consumption mode,

the first wireless communications circuit configured to consume less power than the second wireless communications circuit during an operation of the SoC when the first wireless communications circuit and the second wireless communications circuit are both operational in a same operational mode established by the power management circuit.

13. The apparatus of claim 12, wherein the first wireless communications circuit and the second wireless communications circuit are configured to receive radio frequency (RF) signals, the first wireless communications circuit configured to consume less power than the second wireless communications circuit at least in part due to reduced RF sensitivity in comparison to the second wireless communications circuit.

14. The apparatus of claim 12, wherein the first wireless communications circuit is a narrow band RF receiver and the second wireless communications circuit is wide-band RF transmitter.

15. The apparatus of claim 12, wherein the power management circuit is configured to regulate power consumption performance of the first wireless communications circuit and/or the second wireless communications circuit based on an energy consumption level of an operational mode selected for the SoC.

16. The apparatus of claim 12, wherein:

the first wireless communications circuit is configured to receive first radio frequency (RF) signals,

the second wireless communications circuit is configured to receive and/or transmit second radio frequency (RF) signals, and

the power management circuit is configured to regulate power consumption performance of the first wireless communications circuit and/or the second wireless communications circuit by selection of one or more of a radio, a protocol, a data rate, a modulation scheme and a frequency range used by the first wireless communications circuit and/or the second wireless communications circuit in communicating the first RF signals and/or the second RF signals, respectively.

17. The apparatus of claim 12, wherein:

the second wireless communications circuit is configured to transition from (1) a state of being inactive or duty-cycled, to (2) a state of operation or inhibited duty-cycling, when activated in response to an instructions signal received by the first wireless communications circuit,

the instructions signal generated when the information from the power supply circuit indicates availability of increased power supply.

18. The apparatus of claim 12, wherein:

the SoC includes a digital processor circuit,

the second wireless communications circuit is configured to transition from (1) a state of being inactive or duty-cycled, to (2) a state of operation or inhibited duty-cycling, the transition occurring in response to an instructions signal received by the first wireless communications circuit without requiring use of the digital processor circuit.

19. The apparatus of claim 12, wherein:

the second wireless communications circuit is configured to (1) reactivate from a state of inactivity and (2) transmit sensed data, in response to an instructions signal received by the first wireless communications circuit,

a data transfer rate of the sensed data exceeds a data transfer rate of the received instructions signal.

20. The apparatus of claim 12, further comprising:

an analog sensor interface circuit operatively coupled to the SoC, the analog sensor interface circuit and the SoC collectively defining a wireless sensor node configured to collect sensor data,

the second wireless communications circuit configured to (1) reactivate from a state of inactivity and (2) transmit sensed data, in response to an instructions signal received by the first wireless communications circuit,

the sensed data including physiologic information obtained via the sensor node.