ENERGY HARVESTING NODES IN A MESH NETWORK

• US 20180167224A1
• Filed: 12/11/2017
• Published: 06/14/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 12/12/2016
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Silicon Laboratories Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Sigma Designs Incorporated
• Inventors: Brandt, Anders T.
• Granted Patent: US 10,637,673 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 7/15 Active relay systems
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/10 Current supply arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/125 involving control of end-device applications over a network
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/56 Provisioning of proxy services store-and-forward switching systems in data switching networks H04L12/54
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2209/25 using a mesh network, e.g. a public urban network such as public lighting, bus stops or traffic lights
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2209/40 using a wireless architecture
• 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 2213/08 Power supply
• 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 48/10 using broadcasted information
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 52/0216 using a pre-established activity schedule, e.g. traffic indication frame
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 52/0229 where the received signal is a wanted signal
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/18 Self-organising networks, e.g. ad-hoc networks or sensor networks
• CPC Class Codes: Y02D 30/70 in wireless communication networks

Abstract

In embodiments of the present disclosure improved capabilities are described for an RF wireless energy-harvesting device comprising an energy-harvesting mechanism, a message generation facility, and a transmission facility, wherein the RF wireless energy-harvesting device generates electrical energy through the energy harvesting mechanism from a harvesting action, generates a message through the message generation facility, and transmits the message through the transmission facility to a second wireless device, wherein the second wireless device is a second RF wireless energy-harvesting device, a networked device, a mesh network node, or the like.

Claims

1. A system, comprising:

a radio frequency (RF) wireless energy-harvesting device comprising an energy-harvesting mechanism, a message generation facility, and a transmission facility; and

an RF wireless mesh network comprising a plurality of RF mesh network nodes, wherein at least a first of the plurality of RF mesh network nodes is at least intermittently communicatively coupled to the RF wireless energy-harvesting device,

wherein the RF wireless energy-harvesting device is configured to;

i. generate electrical energy from a harvesting action of the energy-harvesting mechanism,

ii. generate a broadcast message through the message generation facility, and

iii. transmit the broadcast message through the transmission facility,

wherein the first of the plurality of RF mesh network nodes is configured to receive the broadcast message and transmit the broadcast message as a network message to at least a second of the plurality of RF mesh network nodes.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the energy-harvesting device is further configured to:

set a device timer for a period of time;

transition to a low-power mode until the device timer reaches the end of the period of time; and

transition from the low-power mode to an operational mode and monitor for the reception of a reply message from one of the plurality of RF mesh network nodes.

3. The system of claim 2, wherein the energy-harvesting device is further configured to embed a time value into the broadcast message that corresponds to the period of time set in the device timer.

4. The system of claim 3, wherein the first of the plurality of RF mesh network nodes is configured to decode the broadcast message, determine the time value, and set a network timer in response to the period of time.

5. The system of claim 4, wherein the first of the plurality of RF mesh network nodes is further configured to receive a response network message from the at least second of the plurality of RF mesh network nodes and transmit the reply message to the RF wireless energy-harvesting device in response to the response network message and the network timer.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein the first of the plurality of RF mesh network nodes acts as a network node proxy for the RF wireless energy-harvesting device, and wherein the plurality of RF mesh network nodes communicate with the network node proxy as if it were the originator of the network message.

7. The system of claim 1, wherein the RF wireless energy-harvesting device operates solely from energy generated in the energy-harvesting mechanism.

8. The system of claim 1, wherein the energy-harvesting mechanism comprises at least one energy harvesting mechanism selected from the mechanisms consisting of:

a piezo-electric mechanism;

a thermal-electric mechanism;

a photo-electric mechanism;

an RF recovery mechanism;

an inductive mechanism; and

a chemical gradient mechanism.

10. The system of claim 8, wherein the message is a broadcast message and the at least one RF wireless device comprises a member of a mesh network.

11. The system of claim 8, wherein the at least one RF wireless device acts as a repeater and retransmits the message to a second RF wireless device comprising a member of a mesh network.

12. The system of claim 8, wherein the at least one RF wireless device comprises a second RF wireless energy-harvesting device.

13. The system of claim 12, wherein the RF wireless energy-harvesting device and the second RF wireless energy-harvesting device are activated by a single physical action.

14. The system of claim 13, wherein the energy-harvesting mechanism generates the electrical energy at least in part from the single physical action.

15. The system of claim 13, wherein the RF wireless energy-harvesting device and the second RF wireless energy-harvesting device both broadcast messages from the single physical action.

16. The system of claim 15, wherein at least one of the broadcast messages is received by a third RF wireless device comprising a member of a mesh network.

9. A system, comprising:

an RF wireless energy-harvesting device comprising an energy-harvesting mechanism, a message generation facility, and a transmission facility,

wherein the RF wireless energy-harvesting device;

i. generates electrical energy from a harvesting action of the energy-harvesting mechanism,

ii. generates messages through the message generation facility, and

iii. transmits messages through the transmission facility to at least one RF wireless device.

17. A method, comprising:

generating electrical energy on a first wireless device in response to a physical action;

generating a message on the first wireless device in response to the physical action and the generated electrical energy; and

transmitting the generated message to a second wireless device.

18. The method of claim 17, further comprising:

wherein the generating the message comprises embedding a time value in the message;

transitioning the first wireless device into a low-power mode after the transmitting; and

transitioning the first wireless device from the low-power mode to an operational mode after an expiration of the time value in the low-power mode.

19. The method of claim 18, further comprising transmitting the generated message from the second wireless device to a third wireless device, receiving a reply message from the third wireless device at the second wireless device, and transmitting the reply message from the second wireless device to the first wireless device after the expiration of the time value in the low-power mode.

20. The method of claim 17, further comprising transmitting the generated message from the second wireless device to a third wireless device, receiving a reply message from the third wireless device at the second wireless device, and transmitting the reply message from the second wireless device to the first wireless device.