Wireless coded communication (WCC) devices with power harvesting power sources for WiFi communication

• US 9,888,337 B1
• Filed: 07/23/2016
• Issued: 02/06/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 07/25/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Albert S. Penilla, Gary M. Zalewski
• Original Assignee: Albert S. Penilla, Gary M. Zalewski
• Inventors: Zalewski, Gary M., Penilla, Albert S.
• Primary Examiner(s): Le, Thanh
• Application Number:
  US15/217,975
• Time in Patent Office: 563 Days
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0635 Processing of requisition or of purchase orders
• CPC Class Codes: H02N 11/002 Generators
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 1/1607 Supply circuits converters H02M; filters therefor H02M1/14; voltage stabilisers G05F1/46
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 1/3833 Hand-held transceivers
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/10 in which an application is distributed across nodes in the network software deployment G06F8/60; multiprogramming arrangements G06F9/46
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/12 specially adapted for proprietary or special-purpose networking environments, e.g. medical networks, sensor networks, networks in vehicles or remote metering networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/125 involving control of end-device applications over a network
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/50 Service provisioning or reconfiguring
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/70 Services for machine-to-machine communication [M2M] or machine type communication [MTC]
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/80 Services using short range communication, e.g. near-field communication [NFC], radio-frequency identification [RFID] or low energy communication
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 76/10 Connection setup
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 76/14 Direct-mode setup
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/12 WLAN [Wireless Local Area Networks]
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/02 Terminal devices
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/06 adapted for operation in multiple networks or having at least two operational modes, e.g. multi-mode terminals
• CPC Class Codes: Y02D 30/70 in wireless communication networks
• CPC Class Codes: Y04S 40/18 Network protocols supporting networked applications, e.g. including control of end-device applications over a network

Abstract

Devices, systems, and method are provided for wireless coded communication (WCC) devices, which are configured for wireless communication with other devices, e.g., over a network. A WCC device is a type of internet of things (IOT) device that can sense data, process data, send data, respond to data requests and exchange data with other WCC device, a network device, a user device, and/or systems over the internet. In some configurations, a WCC device may include a power source that enables usage of low power, e.g., to send data that is sensed, request data and/or communicate data wirelessly. WCC devices maybe function as standalone devices or may be integrated into other devices. In some configurations, a WCC device may include power harvesting circuitry, including power harvesting user controls. A WCC device may be pre-configured or coded to report occurrence of an event, log an event, log state, cause an action, send a message or request data from one or more end nodes. In some configurations, the devices enable communication over a wireless network, which enables access to the Internet and further enables cloud processing on data received or processing for data returned or communicated.

Claims

1. A wireless coded communication (WCC) device, comprising,

a wireless chip;

a memory interfaced with the wireless chip;

a power storage cell;

a logic chip interfaced the wireless chip, the memory, and the power storage cell, the memory being programmed with a predefined function that is executed by the logic chip, logic chip is configured to trigger execution of the predefined function upon detecting a threshold amount of power in the power storage cell; and

a power pump, the power pump configured to generate power in response a mechanical force applied to an element of the power pump, the power being transferred to the power storage cell such that when the power storage cell has the threshold amount of power the logic chip executes the predefined function;

wherein the element of the power pump is flexible and is configured to transition between an initial state before receiving the mechanical force and a strained state upon receiving the mechanical force, the element is configured to automatically return to the initial state when no mechanical force is applied;

wherein a toggle switch is interfaced with the element of the power pump, toggle switch is configured to be pressed into a housing of the WCC device in response to a direct trigger causing the mechanical force, the pressing into the housing forces the element to transition between the initial state to the strained state;

wherein each one of the transitions between the initial state and the strained state is correlated to a power level in the power storage cell, wherein one power level is assigned to the predefined function.

2. The WCC device of claim 1, wherein the toggle switch includes a pressing surface, the pressing surface is configured to be pressed into the housing of the WCC device, the pressing into the housing forces the element to transition between the initial state to the strained state.

3. The WCC device of claim 1, wherein the memory is configured to store program instructions for the predefined function, the logic chip when triggered to execute the predefined function interfaces with the wireless chip, the wireless chip is configured to communicate a code to an end point, the end point being a device that receives the code over a network;

wherein the wireless chip communicates with a wireless access point;

wherein the code is defined by the predefined function.

4. The WCC device of claim 3, wherein the wireless access point is one of a wireless router, a repeater, a cellular node, a wireless mesh network device, a Wi-Fi device, or a Bluetooth device, or a Bluetooth Low Energy (LE) device, or a radio frequency transmission device.

5. The WCC device of claim 4, wherein a wireless access code for connecting to a wireless access point is programmable to the memory of the WCC device.

6. The WCC device of claim 1, wherein the element is a piezoelectric element defined by one of a ceramic element or a single crystal element.

7. The WCC device of claim 1, wherein a voltage is produced when the element flexes between the initial state and the strained state, the voltage produces charge that is saved to the power storage cell, and the power storage cell is defined by at least one or more capacitors.

8. The WCC device of claim 1, wherein the predefined function is configured to operate with Wifi-Aware networks.

9. The WCC device of claim 1, wherein the WCC device is configured to transmit a wireless signal using backscatter reflection when exposed to an emission field.

10. The WCC device of claim 1, wherein the predefined function is configured to operate with an AI bot service and processing logic that is shared across computer resources over the internet.

11. The WCC device of claim 1, further comprising a structure having an arrangement of one or more MAXEL pixels, wherein each MAXEL pixel is defined by one of a positive charged region or a negative charged region of a substrate.

12. The WCC device of claim 1, further comprising a sensor selected from one of an environmental, a biological, a fingerprint, an acoustic, a resistive, an optical, a light, a thermal, a capacitive, an impedance, a hall-effect, a coil, a magnetic, a radio frequency, a charged coupled device (CCD) or a flow.

13. The WCC device of claim 1, wherein data produced or received by or from the WCC device is further processed by machine learning functions or by AI bot service functions.

14. The WCC device of claim 1,

wherein the WCC device is configured for pairing to a hub that is configured to receive data from the WCC device and perform a function at the hub or forward the data to another device that is local to the hub or remote from the hub over the Internet;

wherein the pairing is associated with a security certificate, such that the WCC device is enabled access to the hub or access to a service coupled to the hub.

15. The WCC device of claim 1, wherein the WCC device further includes one or more of a rotary or linear potentiometer, a rocker switch, a dip switch, a switch or a sensor interfaced with the toggle switch for enabling variable input when pressed into the housing.

16. The WCC device of claim 1, wherein the WCC device is configured for communication with a portable device to enable device programming or configuration of the memory.

17. The WCC device of claim 1, wherein the WCC device is configured to receive power or programming or transmit a payload using Passive Wi-Fi.

18. A wireless coded communication (WCC) device, comprising,

a wireless chip;

a memory interfaced with the wireless chip;

a power storage cell;

a logic chip interfaced the wireless chip, the memory, and the power storage cell, the memory being programmed with functions that are executed by the logic chip, logic chip is configured to trigger execution of a function upon detecting a threshold amount of power in the power storage cell or upon reaching a predefined state; and

a power pump, the power pump configured to generate power in response a mechanical force applied to an element of the power pump, the power being transferred to the power storage cell;

wherein the element of the power pump is configured to transition between an initial state before receiving the mechanical force and a strained state upon receiving the mechanical force;

wherein a switch is interfaced with the element of the power pump, the switch is interfaced with a housing of the WCC device;

wherein a transition between the initial state and the strained state is associated with a power level in the power storage cell, the power level is correlated to the function, such that when the power level is detected by the logic chip the function is triggered.

19. The WCC device of claim 18, wherein the function performed by the WCC device is different from a previous function performed by the WCC device and based on a state of the WCC device.

20. The WCC device of claim 18, wherein the function of the WCC causes an output of audio from a speaker coupled to a mobile device, or wherein the function of the WCC device causes voice commands or output of a microphone coupled to a mobile device to be locally or remotely processed in a configuration or use of the WCC device.

21. The WCC device of claim 18, wherein the function triggered by the WCC device triggers another device to proxy authentication credentials.

22. The WCC device of claim 18, wherein the WCC device is further configured to synthesize wireless transmission packets based on backscattering a radio frequency emission field in proximity to the WCC device.

23. The WCC device of claim 18,

wherein the function is changed based on a determination that the WCC device was previously on-boarded or provisioned to a network;

wherein the determination includes logic for confirming if the WCC device is a newly provisioned device, or has a value in memory, or produces a result based on a computation, or processes information based on a payload, or execution of instructions based on a configuration process, or processes related to a security operation, or processes related to information associated with a detected field, or processes related information associated with a detected anomaly, or processes related to information associated with another device within the proximity to said WCC device, or processes related to information requested by another device, or processes related information to provision via a trusted liaison, or processes information related to sensor output, or processes global GPS, or processes indoor location or processes a challenge, or processes a response, or processes a control input.

24. A wireless coded communication (WCC) device, comprising,

a wireless chip;

a memory interfaced with the wireless chip;

a power storage cell;

a logic chip interfaced the wireless chip, the memory, and the power storage cell, the memory being programmed with functions that are executed by the logic chip, logic chip is configured to trigger execution of a function upon detecting a threshold amount of power in the power storage cell or upon reaching a predefined state; and

a power pump, the power pump configured to generate power in response a mechanical force applied to an element of the power pump, the power being transferred to the power storage cell;

an input selector in communication with the logic chip, the input selector configured to select the predefined function from among two or more predefined functions;

wherein the element of the power pump is configured to transition between a first state before receiving the mechanical force and a second state upon receiving the mechanical force;

wherein a button is interfaced with the element of the power pump and the button when activated causes the element to transition between the first state and the second state to reach a power level in the power storage cell;

wherein the logic chip is configured to trigger execution of the predefined function in response to reaching the power level in the power storage cell, the predefined function being selected based on a setting of said input selector.

25. The WCC device of claim 24,

wherein the WCC device is configured for pairing to a hub that is configured to receive data from the WCC device and perform a function at the hub or forward the data to another device that is local to the hub or remote from the hub over the Internet;

wherein the pairing is associated with a security certificate, such that the WCC device is enabled access to the hub or access to a service via the hub.

26. The WCC device of claim 24, wherein the predefined function selected based on the setting of the input selector is changed based on a determination that the WCC device was previously on-boarded or provisioned to a network.

27. The WCC device of claim 26, wherein the determination includes logic for confirming if the WCC device is a newly provisioned device, or has a value in memory, or produces a result based on a computation, or processes information based on a payload, or execution of instructions based on a configuration process, or processes related to a security operation, or processes related to information associated with a detected field, or processes related information associated with a detected anomaly, or processes related to information associated with another device within proximity to said WCC device, or processes related to information requested by another device, or processes related information to provision via a trusted liaison, or processes information related to sensor output, or processes global GPS, or processes indoor location or processes a challenge, or processes a response, or processes a control input.

28. The WCC device of claim 24, wherein the WCC device is further configured for pairing to a hub configured to facilitate both WiFi communications and RF field emission to facilitate passive WiFi.

29. The WCC device of claim 24 wherein the WCC device is configured to backscatter an RF field emission to synthesize a WiFi packet on a WiFi channel.

30. The WCC device of claim 24, wherein the input selector generates power that is further harvested when manipulated.