Wireless building sensor powered by ambient energy sources with integrated switching module

• US 10,578,483 B2
• Filed: 12/08/2017
• Issued: 03/03/2020
• Est. Priority Date: 12/08/2017
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Schneider Electric USA, Inc. (Schneider Electric SE)
• Original Assignee: Schneider Electric USA, Inc. (Schneider Electric SE)
• Inventors: Ahmed, Dewan Ishtiaque, Tasnuva, Tithi, Mackenzie, Michael
• Primary Examiner(s): Perez-Velez, Rocio Del Mar
• Assistant Examiner(s): Dirie, Hawa Z
• Application Number:
  US15/835,655
• Publication Number:
  US 20190178710A1
• Time in Patent Office: 816 Days
• CPC Class Codes: G01J 1/0219 Electrical interface; User interface
• CPC Class Codes: G01J 1/0228 Control of working procedures; Failure detection; Spectral bandwidth calculation
• CPC Class Codes: G01J 1/0247 using a charging unit
• CPC Class Codes: G01J 1/4204 with determination of ambient light solar light G01J2001/4266
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 13/024 in which a parameter or coefficient is automatically adjusted to optimise the performance
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 19/0428 Safety, monitoring G05B19/0423 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/3203 Power management, i.e. event-based initiation of a power-saving mode
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2209/82 where the sensing device takes the initiative of sending data
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/38 for collecting sensor information
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 52/0261 managing power supply demand, e.g. depending on battery level
• CPC Class Codes: Y02D 30/70 in wireless communication networks

Abstract

A battery-less sensor device includes a sensor to sense an environmental condition, a power supply system, a memory, a communication device, and a processor. The power supply system includes energy harvesting devices to harvest energy from ambient energy sources for powering one or more components of the sensor device, and an energy storage device to store harvested energy. The memory stores sensor data associated with the environmental condition sensed by the sensor. The communication device transmits the sensor data to a BMS or remote device. The processor is configured to dynamically select one or more energy sources from the ambient energy sources to power one or more components of the sensor device according to an availability of energy from the ambient energy sources and/or an energy consumption requirement of the one or more components of the sensor device, and to control supply of power to the one or more components.

Claims

1. A sensor device, comprising:

one or more sensors to sense one or more environmental conditions;

a power supply system including a plurality of energy harvesting devices to harvest energy from a plurality of ambient energy sources for powering one or more components of the sensor device;

a memory to store sensor data associated with the one or more environmental conditions sensed by the one or more sensors;

a communication device for transmitting the sensor data to a remote device; and

one or more processors configured;

to dynamically select one or more energy sources from the ambient energy sources to power one or more components of the sensor device according to an availability of energy from the ambient energy sources and/or an energy consumption requirement of the one or more components;

to control supply of power to the one or more components of the sensor device; and

to control a supply of available power from the power supply system selectively to the one or more sensors, the memory, the communication device, and the one or more processors according to an energy consumption priority level of an operation to be performed, and an availability of energy from the selected energy source,

wherein the one or more processors include a first processor of a controller configured to implement a sensing operation by the one or more sensors, and a second processor of a separate smart module configured to dynamically select one or more energy sources from the ambient energy sources, the available power being supplied to components of the sensor device in the following order from a higher energy consumption priority level to a lower energy consumption priority level;

(1) the first processor, the one or more sensors and the memory to perform a sensing operation, (2) the first processor and the communication device to perform a communication operation, and (3) the second processor to perform a dynamic selection operation.

2. The sensor device of claim 1, wherein, to dynamically select, the one or more processors are configured:

to determine the energy consumption requirement for powering the one or more components;

to determine the available energy from each of the ambient energy sources; and

to select the one or more energy sources from the ambient energy sources based on the determined energy consumption requirement and the determined available energy.

3. The sensor device of claim 1, wherein the one or more processors are further configured:

to cause the sensor data to be stored in the memory when energy available from the ambient energy sources is insufficient to power the communication device.

4. The sensor device of claim 1, wherein the one or more processors are further configured:

to cause the sensor data to be transmitted via the communication device to the remote device when energy available from the ambient energy sources is sufficient to power the communication device.

5. The sensor device of claim 1, wherein the power supply system further comprises a battery, the one or more processors being further configured to cause power to be supplied from the battery to one or more components selected from the one or more sensors, the processors, the memory, the communication device, and the one or more processors when energy from the ambient energy sources is insufficient to power the one or more components.

6. The sensor device of claim 1, wherein at least one of the energy harvesting devices comprises a sensor from the one or more sensors.

7. The sensor device of claim 1, wherein the ambient energy sources include at least solar energy, vibrational energy, thermal energy, or radio frequency energy.

8. The sensor device of claim 1, wherein the energy harvesting devices comprises at least a solar energy transducer to harvest solar energy, an electromagnetic energy transducer to harvest electromagnetic energy, a thermal energy transducer to harvest thermal energy, and a piezoelectric transducer to harvest vibrational energy.

9. The sensor device of claim 1, further comprising:

a pyramid-shaped housing for housing the one or more sensors, the power supply system, the memory and the one or more processors.

10. The sensor device of claim 9, wherein one or more of the energy harvesting devices are formed as a film that is connected on or over a surface of the pyramid-shaped housing, the pyramid-shaped housing including one or more cavities therein to support at least a portion of the power supply system, the communication device, the memory and the one or more processors.

11. The sensor device of claim 1, wherein the power supply system further includes an energy storage device to store energy harvested from the energy harvesting devices.

12. A method of powering a sensor device using a plurality of ambient energy sources, the sensor device having one or more components including at least one sensor configured to sense an environmental condition, the method comprising:

dynamically selecting one or more energy sources from the ambient energy sources to power the one or more components of the sensor device according to an availability of energy from the ambient energy sources and/or an energy consumption requirement of the one or more components;

harvesting energy from the selected one or more energy sources;

supplying power, which is generated from the harvested energy, to the one or more components of the sensor device; and

controlling the supplied power selectively to the at least one sensor, a memory of the sensor device, a communication device of the sensor device, and a plurality of processors, according to an energy consumption priority level of an operation to be performed, and an availability of energy from the one or more energy sources,

wherein the plurality of processors includes a first processor of a controller configured to implement a sensing operation by the one or more sensors, and a second processor of a separate smart module configured to dynamically select one or more energy sources from the ambient energy sources, the available power being supplied to components of the sensor device in the following order from a higher energy consumption priority level to a lower energy consumption priority level;

(1) the first processor, the at least one sensor and the memory to perform a sensing operation, (2) the first processor and the communication device to perform a communication operation, and (3) the second processor to perform a dynamic selection operation.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein the dynamically selecting comprises:

determining the energy consumption requirement for powering the one or more components;

determining the available energy from each of the ambient energy sources; and

selecting the one or more energy sources from the ambient energy sources based on the determined energy consumption requirement and the determined available energy.

14. The method of claim 12, wherein the sensor device has two or more components, the method further comprising:

selectively powering each of the two or more components of the sensor device according to the energy consumption priority level of an operation to be performed by the sensor device and an availability of energy from the selected one or more energy sources.

15. The method of claim 14, further comprising:

storing sensor data corresponding to the environmental condition sensed by the sensor,

wherein the sensor data is stored when energy available from the ambient energy sources is insufficient to power a communication device of the sensor device which is configured to transmit the sensing device to a remote device.

16. The method of claim 12, further comprising:

transmitting sensor data corresponding to the environmental condition sensed by the sensor to a remote device via a communication device of the sensor device,

wherein the sensor data is transmitted when energy available from the ambient energy sources is sufficient to power the communication device.

17. The method of claim 12, wherein the sensor device further includes a battery, the method further comprising:

supplying power from the battery to the one or more components of the sensor device when energy from the ambient energy sources is insufficient to power the one or more components of the sensor device.

18. The method of claim 12, wherein energy from one of the ambient energy sources is harvested using the sensor of the sensor device.

19. The method of claim 12, wherein the ambient energy sources include solar energy, vibrational energy, thermal energy, and radio frequency energy.

20. The method of claim 12, further comprising:

housing the one or more components of the sensor device in a pyramid-shape housing.

21. A sensor device, comprising:

one or more sensors to sense one or more environmental conditions;

a power supply system including a plurality of energy harvesting devices to harvest energy from a plurality of ambient energy sources for powering one or more components of the sensor device;

a memory to store sensor data associated with the one or more environmental conditions sensed by the one or more sensors;

a communication device for transmitting the sensor data to a remote device; and

one or more processors configured;

to dynamically select one or more energy sources from the ambient energy sources to power one or more components of the sensor device according to an availability of energy from the ambient energy sources and/or an energy consumption requirement of the one or more components; and

to control supply of power to the one or more components of the sensor device; and

a pyramid-shaped housing for housing the one or more sensors, the power supply system, the memory and the one or more processors,

wherein one or more of the energy harvesting devices are formed as a film that is connected on or over a surface of the pyramid-shaped housing, the pyramid-shaped housing including one or more cavities therein to support at least a portion of the power supply system, the communication device, the memory and the one or more processors.