SBIR Phase I: Ultrasound Data Communications for Wireless Sensors and Real Time Location Systems

该小型企业创新研究(SBIR)第一阶段项目调查无线传感器使用空中超声数据通信的可行性。传统的基于射频的无线通信用于传感器或移动设备等小尺寸设备，使用的载波频率从数百MHz到几GHz。相关的电子接收器和发射器必须设计成能够处理这些高速度。这会导致相当大的功率消耗，因此需要定期更换电池，这既困难又昂贵。超声波通信使用从几万赫兹到几兆赫的低频载波，这使得通信电子设备的功耗能够降低一个数量级。在之前的学术研究中，对定制设计的超声波接收集成电路(IC)进行了现场测试。与最先进的基于射频的接收器相比，该集成电路的功耗降低了十分之一。为了将这项技术推向商业领域，将开展更多的技术工作，以了解混响对实际传感器环境中系统性能的影响，将通信距离从目前的10m扩大，并设计为数据通信定制的超声波换能器。预计的最终结果是一种低成本、超低功率的超声波通信模块，它的功耗比任何商业上可用的无线通信系统低得多。该项目更广泛的影响/商业潜力源于这样一个事实，即通过使用超声波实现的低成本和超低功率无线传感器在工业、结构和环境监测中有广泛的应用。一些潜在的应用具有重大的社会影响；例如，边界监测、空气污染监测、森林火灾探测、温室监测、机器健康监测和废水监测。此外，无干扰超声波的使用将扩大无线传感器网络在医院等射频控制环境中的应用。这将是无线传感器网络在安全性和环境可持续性方面的一次飞跃。

This Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) Phase I project investigates the feasibility of using through-air ultrasound data communications for wireless sensors. Traditional RF-based wireless communications for small-form-factor devices like sensors or mobiles use carrier frequencies of hundreds of MHz to several GHz. The associated electronic receivers and transmitters must be designed to handle these high speeds. This results in substantial power dissipation so that regular battery replacements are required, which are both difficult and costly. Ultrasonic communications use low frequency carriers, from a few tens of kilohertz to a few MHz, which enables an order-of-magnitude reduction in the power consumption of the communication electronics. In preceding academic research, a custom-designed ultrasonic receiver integrated circuit (IC) was field tested. The IC achieves a ten-fold reduction in power consumption over the state-of-the-art RF-based receivers. To prepare this technology for the commercial arena more technical work will be conducted in understanding the effect of reverberations on system performance in real sensor environments, in increasing the communication-distance range from the present value of 10m, and in designing ultrasonic transducers customized for data communications. The anticipated end-result is a low-cost, ultralow- power ultrasonic-communication module that consumes significantly lower power than any commercially available wireless communication system. The broader impact/commercial potential of this project derives from the fact that low cost and ultra-low power wireless sensors enabled by using ultrasound have a vast array of applications in industrial, structural and environmental monitoring. Several of the potential applications have a significant societal impact; examples include border surveillance, air-pollution monitoring, forest-fire detection, greenhouse monitoring, machine-health monitoring, and wastewater monitoring. Further, the use of interference-free ultrasound will expand the applications of wireless sensor networks in RF regulated environments like hospitals. This will be a leap forward in the safety and environmental sustainability of wireless sensor networks.