Classifications

• • H—ELECTRICITY
  • H04—ELECTRIC COMMUNICATION TECHNIQUE
  • H04W—WIRELESS COMMUNICATION NETWORKS
  • H04W52/00—Power management, e.g. TPC [Transmission Power Control], power saving or power classes
  • H04W52/02—Power saving arrangements
  • H04W52/0209—Power saving arrangements in terminal devices
  • H04W52/0261—Power saving arrangements in terminal devices managing power supply demand, e.g. depending on battery level
  • H04W52/0274—Power saving arrangements in terminal devices managing power supply demand, e.g. depending on battery level by switching on or off the equipment or parts thereof
  • H04W52/0277—Power saving arrangements in terminal devices managing power supply demand, e.g. depending on battery level by switching on or off the equipment or parts thereof according to available power supply, e.g. switching off when a low battery condition is detected
• • H—ELECTRICITY
  • H04—ELECTRIC COMMUNICATION TECHNIQUE
  • H04W—WIRELESS COMMUNICATION NETWORKS
  • H04W52/00—Power management, e.g. TPC [Transmission Power Control], power saving or power classes
  • H04W52/02—Power saving arrangements
  • H04W52/0209—Power saving arrangements in terminal devices
  • H04W52/0261—Power saving arrangements in terminal devices managing power supply demand, e.g. depending on battery level
• • H—ELECTRICITY
  • H02—GENERATION; CONVERSION OR DISTRIBUTION OF ELECTRIC POWER
  • H02J—CIRCUIT ARRANGEMENTS OR SYSTEMS FOR SUPPLYING OR DISTRIBUTING ELECTRIC POWER; SYSTEMS FOR STORING ELECTRIC ENERGY
  • H02J50/00—Circuit arrangements or systems for wireless supply or distribution of electric power
  • H02J50/20—Circuit arrangements or systems for wireless supply or distribution of electric power using microwaves or radio frequency waves
• • H—ELECTRICITY
  • H02—GENERATION; CONVERSION OR DISTRIBUTION OF ELECTRIC POWER
  • H02J—CIRCUIT ARRANGEMENTS OR SYSTEMS FOR SUPPLYING OR DISTRIBUTING ELECTRIC POWER; SYSTEMS FOR STORING ELECTRIC ENERGY
  • H02J50/00—Circuit arrangements or systems for wireless supply or distribution of electric power
  • H02J50/80—Circuit arrangements or systems for wireless supply or distribution of electric power involving the exchange of data, concerning supply or distribution of electric power, between transmitting devices and receiving devices
• • H—ELECTRICITY
  • H04—ELECTRIC COMMUNICATION TECHNIQUE
  • H04L—TRANSMISSION OF DIGITAL INFORMATION, e.g. TELEGRAPHIC COMMUNICATION
  • H04L12/00—Data switching networks
  • H04L12/28—Data switching networks characterised by path configuration, e.g. LAN [Local Area Networks] or WAN [Wide Area Networks]
  • H04L12/2803—Home automation networks
  • H04L12/2807—Exchanging configuration information on appliance services in a home automation network
• • Y—GENERAL TAGGING OF NEW TECHNOLOGICAL DEVELOPMENTS; GENERAL TAGGING OF CROSS-SECTIONAL TECHNOLOGIES SPANNING OVER SEVERAL SECTIONS OF THE IPC; TECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER USPC CROSS-REFERENCE ART COLLECTIONS [XRACs] AND DIGESTS
  • Y02—TECHNOLOGIES OR APPLICATIONS FOR MITIGATION OR ADAPTATION AGAINST CLIMATE CHANGE
  • Y02D—CLIMATE CHANGE MITIGATION TECHNOLOGIES IN INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGIES [ICT], I.E. INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGIES AIMING AT THE REDUCTION OF THEIR OWN ENERGY USE
  • Y02D30/00—Reducing energy consumption in communication networks
  • Y02D30/70—Reducing energy consumption in communication networks in wireless communication networks

Definitions

• the invention relates to a method of operating an electronic device communicating wirelessly.
• the invention also relates to a wireless electronic communicating device implementing this method.
• the invention is applicable to the field of home automation systems, and more generally, to the field of wireless communicating objects powered electrically by an on-board energy reserve, such as an electric battery.
• Known communicating objects are electronic devices provided with an on-board radiofrequency transmitter adapted to exchange data with other remote devices, for example within an "Internet of Things" type network. To communicate with a remote device, these objects emit a radio frequency message by means of their radiofrequency transmitter, which is powered by the energy reserve.
• These devices are typically autonomous in electrical energy, that is to say that they are not connected to an electrical network and depend solely on their internal energy reserve to operate. This reserve can be recharged by an energy recovery device integrated or not to the device.
• a disadvantage is that it is not possible to guarantee that the energy reserve will contain, at a given moment, a sufficient amount of energy to allow the apparatus to perform certain functions.
• the energy reserve does not contain enough electrical energy for the message to be successfully transmitted, i.e. it can be issued in its entirety.
• the operation of the electronic device is not guaranteed in all circumstances, which is not satisfactory.
• the invention more particularly intends to remedy, by proposing a wireless electronic communicating device in which the energy consumption is optimized when sending a radio message.
• the invention relates to a method of operating an electronic device communicating wirelessly, the electronic apparatus comprising:
• an electronic control circuit comprising a memory and a radiofrequency transmitter configured to transmit a radiofrequency message
• an electrical energy reserve comprising at least one non-rechargeable electric battery and configured to electrically power the electronic apparatus
• the method comprising steps: a) acquisition, by the electronic control circuit of the electronic device, of a radiofrequency frame representative of at least one piece of information intended to be transmitted according to a communication protocol by the radiofrequency transmitter in a radiofrequency message;
• the operating parameters of the radiofrequency transmitter are automatically adapted according to the energy available in the energy reserve.
• such a method may incorporate one or more of the following characteristics, taken alone or in any technically permissible combination:
• a step of periodically updating the value of the determined quantity of available energy stored in the memory is
• a step of testing the quality of the energy reserve the test being carried out by measuring the voltage across the energy reserve.
• Step d) includes selecting a particular operating point from a set of predefined transmitter operating points stored in a computer memory of the control circuit, the set of predefined operating points defining rules. correspondence between the predefined operating points with values or intervals of message length values and with values or the energy reserve, and wherein the particular operating point is selected by identifying, within the set, the predefined operating point corresponding to the determined values of message length and amount of available energy.
• Step d) furthermore comprises the determination of a class of operation of the radiofrequency transmitter.
• Step d) further comprises determining the energy required for the radio frequency transmitter to transmit a radio frequency message having the determined length with a predetermined radiated energy.
• the transmission parameters comprise the operating class and the operating point of the transmitter and wherein step d) comprises a substep of optimizing the operating classes and the operating point of the transmitter.
• the invention also relates to a wireless electronic communicating device comprising an electronic control circuit comprising a radiofrequency transmitter configured to transmit a radio frequency message according to a communication protocol and an electrical energy reserve comprising at least one electric battery. non-rechargeable and configured to electrically power the electronic device.
• the control circuit is programmed to implement the operating method as described above.
• such an apparatus may also incorporate one or more of the following features, taken alone or in any technically permissible combination:
• the control circuit is programmed for, in step b), estimate the amount of available energy by measuring at least one electrical quantity relative to the energy reserve, including an electrical voltage across the reserve of energy, then calculating the amount of energy remaining by means of a predefined relationship stored in a memory of the control circuit, this predefined relationship depending on characteristics of the electric battery, such as battery technology, the type of material used in the battery, the number of batteries in the energy reserve and, where applicable, the series or parallel connection of these batteries;
• control circuit is further programmed to automatically select, according to detected characteristics of the energy reserve, the corresponding relationship, among the relationships stored in the memory;
• the electronic apparatus further comprises a temperature measuring device for measuring the temperature inside the apparatus, and the control circuit is programmed to, in step b), correct, according to the the measured temperature, the amount of available energy determined.
• FIG. 1 is a schematic representation of a wireless communicating electronic device according to the invention.
• FIG. 2 is a block diagram of an electronic control circuit of the electronic apparatus of FIG. 1;
• FIG. 3 is a flow diagram of a method for managing the transmission power of a message according to the invention and intended to be implemented by the apparatus of FIG. 1;
• FIG. 4 is a schematic representation of a table of values allowing the choice of transmission power values during certain modes of implementation of the method of FIG. 3;
• FIG. 5 is a schematic representation of a message to be sent by the electronic apparatus of FIG. 1 according to certain embodiments of the invention.
• FIGS. 6 and 7 are flowcharts each detailing a step of the method of FIG. 3 according to one of the embodiments of the invention.
• FIG. 1 represents a wireless communicating electronic device 2 adapted to exchange data via a radio frequency link with a remote receiver according to a communication protocol.
• the device 2 is, for example, intended to be part of a network of communicating objects of "Internet of Things" type.
• the apparatus 2 can be used within a home automation system, such as a building management system or an alarm system, and can thus communicate via a link radio frequency with other electronic devices on the network, or even with a central server.
• the apparatus 2 comprises a non-rechargeable electrical energy reserve 4, an electronic control circuit 8 and a radiofrequency transmitter 10.
• the reference “12" denotes a subset of the apparatus 2 making it possible to implement a main function of the apparatus 2.
• the subassembly 12 is connected to the control circuit 8.
• the apparatus 2 comprises a protective housing, inside which are housed the control circuit 8, the energy reserve 4, and at least a part of the subassembly 12.
• the apparatus 2 is an apparatus for measuring one or more physical quantities, for example an environmental physical quantity such as a temperature, a humidity level, a luminosity, a sunshine, atmospheric pressure, and / or a concentration of at least one chemical element.
• the apparatus 2 may, alternatively, be a human presence detector, or a fire detector.
• the subassembly 12 comprises a sensor adapted to deliver a signal representative of the or the corresponding physical quantities.
• the electronic device 2 is a control point, intended to receive instructions from a user and then retransmit these instructions to another device of the network, for example to a control unit.
• the control point retransmits the instructions of the user towards an actuator such as a shading device, a lighting device or any other home automation device.
• the subassembly 12 comprises an interface for acquiring at least one command, or human-machine interface, comprising one or more selection elements such as a button and / or a wheel, or a touch screen. , or any other actuatable actuator.
• the energy reserve 4 also called “energy reservoir” has the function of storing the electrical energy necessary for the operation of the apparatus 2.
• the electrical energy reserve 4 is also configured to electrically power the apparatus 2 and in particular the electrical control circuit 8.
• the device 2 is autonomous, that is to say, it operates without necessarily being connected to an electrical distribution network.
• the reserve 4 comprises one or more batteries, here non-rechargeable, such as lithium batteries or alkaline batteries. When the reserve 4 contains several batteries, these can be connected in series or in parallel.
• the energy reserve 4 is a physico-chemical storage element.
• the reserve 4 is here embarked on the aircraft 2.
• the reserve 4 has a storage capacity less than or equal to 10 Watt.hour.
• the reserve 4 is advantageously replaceable by a user, for example to replace the battery or batteries when empty.
• the energy reserve 4 is here embarked on board the apparatus 2.
• the energy reserve 4 has a storage capacity less than or equal to 10 Watt.hour.
• the energy reserve 4 is electrically connected to the control circuit 8 to supply the latter with electrical energy. According to embodiments, when necessary, the energy reserve 4 is also connected to the subset 12, for example, so as to supply electrical energy.
• FIG. 2 represents an exemplary embodiment of the control circuit 8.
• the double-line arrows symbolize power links and the single-line arrows symbolize data exchange links.
• the control circuit 8 here comprises the radiofrequency transmitter 10, a programmable electronic computing unit 20, a computer memory 22, a power supply circuit 24 and a device 26 configured to determine the amount of energy available in the power supply. 4.
• the electronic circuit 8 may also include a device 28 for measuring the temperature inside the apparatus 2.
• the measuring device 26 is adapted to deliver a signal representative of at least one electrical quantity relative to the energy reserve 4, and more particularly an electrical quantity representative of the electric power delivered by the energy reserve 4.
• the electrical quantity is the voltage at the terminals of the energy reserve 4.
• the measuring device 26 then comprises at least one voltage sensor configured to deliver a signal representative of the voltage across the reserve 4 and / or a sensor configured to deliver a signal representative of the current flowing between the energy reserve 4 and a load electrically connected to at least one terminal of the energy reserve 4.
• the operation of the measuring device 26 is described below.
• the device 28 for measuring the temperature comprises at least one temperature probe, such as a thermocouple or a negative or positive temperature coefficient probe, for example placed inside the apparatus 2, preferably in the vicinity or As a variant, the device 28 for measuring the temperature may be omitted.
• the control circuit 8 here comprises an acquisition interface 30, adapted to collect measuring signals delivered by the measurement devices 26, 28 and to relay the corresponding information to the calculation unit 20.
• the acquisition interface 30 includes an analog-to-digital converter.
• control circuit 8 is a system-on-a-chip integrated circuit, also called “System on Chip” in the English language.
• the circuit 8 is an electronic card provided with printed circuits on a dielectric support and on which the constituents of the control circuit 8 are mounted.
• the function of the computing unit 20 is to automatically control the operation of the control circuit 8.
• the computing unit 20 is a programmable microcontroller, or a microprocessor, preferably with low power consumption.
• the acquisition interface 30 is integrated with the calculation unit 20.
• the calculation unit 20 is notably programmed to control the sending of a radiofrequency message to a remote receiver belonging to the communication network.
• the unit 20 is programmed to acquire a radio frequency frame representative of at least one piece of information intended to be transmitted according to a communication protocol by the radiofrequency transmitter 10 of the electronic apparatus 2.
• the radio frequency frame is generated by the subset 12, and is representative of a received command and / or at least one environmental physical quantity.
• the radio frequency frame may also be representative of an alarm message and / or a diagnosis relating to the internal state of the electronic device 2.
• the calculation unit 20 is also programmed to generate a radiofrequency message comprising at least the acquired radio frequency frame.
• the radiofrequency message may comprise a repetition of the radiofrequency frame acquired for the purpose of redundancy.
• the repetition of the radio frequency frame makes it possible to increase the probability that at least one frame is received by the recipient receiver.
• the message comprises a repetition of identical frames
• the successive frames are spaced from each other by a pause of a predetermined length.
• the length of a radio frequency frame, a radiofrequency message or a pause is considered to be equivalent to the transmission duration of the radio frequency frame, the radio frequency message or the pause, respectively, to for simplification purposes.
• the radiofrequency message generated can be transmitted by the radiofrequency transmitter 10 on the initiative of the computing unit 20, or in response to a request received from another device on the network.
• the computing unit 20 performs operations of encoding and / or modulating the information content of the radio frequency frame, according to a predefined communication protocol.
• the calculation unit 20 is also programmed to control the operation of the radiofrequency transmitter 10 and the supply circuit 24 to ensure the transmission of the message by radio, that is to say by means of radio frequency waves.
• the unit 20 is connected to the transmitter 10 via a data link 32 and to a control interface of the supply circuit 24 via a data link 34.
• the memory 22 is here a nonvolatile memory, comprising for example one or more memory modules of Flash technology, or EEPROM technology, or a magnetic memory, or a phase-change memory, or any other appropriate technology for storing information.
• the memory 22 forms a non-transitory information storage medium readable by the calculation unit 20.
• the memory 22 contains on-board software and / or executable instructions 40 intended to be executed by the unit 20 to ensure the operation of the electronic control circuit 8, and in particular to control the sending of a radiofrequency message and to implement implement a method of operation of an electronic device 2 wirelessly communicating, including that described with reference to Figure 3.
• the memory 22 also contains data 42 and a numerical value 44 whose role is described in more detail in the following.
• the supply circuit 24 is particularly adapted to electrically power the radiofrequency transmitter 10 according to a particular operating point.
• the supply circuit 24 is itself powered by the energy reserve 4.
• the supply circuit 24 comprises a power converter, in particular of the DC-DC type, and advantageously comprises a voltage regulator, such as that a regulator linear, electrically connected at the output of the power converter.
• the radiofrequency transmitter 10 may be powered with an input power supply voltage of between 0.9 volts and 3.7 volts.
• the power converter of the power supply circuit 24 is selectively switchable between several modes of operation.
• the power converter can operate either as a voltage buck converter ("buck" or “step-down” converter in English) or as a voltage booster ("boost" or “step-up” converter). In the English language).
• the converter can also operate, in each of these operating modes, with an adjustable voltage difference.
• the voltage difference here refers to the amplitude with which the output voltage is high or, conversely, lowered with respect to the input voltage of the converter.
• the commutation and the voltage difference are here controlled by the calculation unit 20.
• the transmitter 10 is, for example, a radio frequency interface that can fulfill the function of radio frequency transmitter, or transceiver, although here, only the transmission function is described in detail.
• the transmitter 10 comprises here in particular a radiofrequency transmission module, a radiofrequency antenna and a power amplifier, not shown.
• the amplifier is biased by the power supply circuit 24 according to a particular operating point.
• the input of the power amplifier is electrically connected to the output of the transmitting module and the output of the power amplifier is electrically connected to the antenna.
• the amplifier is configured to amplify the output signal of the transmitter module and power the radio frequency antenna.
• the transmitter 10 is adapted to operate according to a radio frequency communication protocol LoRa® type or Sigfox® type, or Zigbee® type, or type WiFi, or type LTE or Bluetooth® Low type Energy, or any other appropriate radio frequency communication protocol.
• a radio frequency communication protocol LoRa® type or Sigfox® type, or Zigbee® type, or type WiFi, or type LTE or Bluetooth® Low type Energy, or any other appropriate radio frequency communication protocol.
• the control circuit 8, and more particularly the calculation unit 20, is programmed to optimize the power consumption of the electronic device 2 during the transmission of a radio frequency message by the transmitter 10 as a function of the quantity of energy available in the energy reserve 4.
• the control circuit 8 is, for example, programmed to implement the operating method described with reference to FIG. 3, in order to prevent the transmission of the message be truncated or interrupted by lack of sufficient energy in the reserve 4.
• Ps denotes the electrical power supplied by the reserve 4 to the supply circuit 24
• Pr is the radiated power (also called transmission power) by the antenna of the transmitter 10
• R ⁇ nv. > is the energy efficiency of the supply circuit
• R RF is the energy efficiency of the amplifier of the transmitter 10.
• the efficiency R RF is defined as being the ratio of the power Pe delivered by the circuit supply 24 to the amplifier by the power P r radiated by the antenna.
• the output R ⁇ nv is defined as the ratio of the power supplied to the circuit 24 by the reserve 4 by the power Pe output by the circuit 24.
• the power Pe output by the supply circuit 24 corresponds to the power consumed by the transmitter 8 and in particular by the power amplifier.
• the length of the message thus determined corresponds to the duration during which the transmitter 10 transmits the radio frequency signal corresponding to the message and therefore the duration during which the transmitter 10 consumes electrical energy.
• the energy consumed can be modified by varying the operating parameters of the various elements of the circuit 8 involved in the sending of the message, and more particularly on the operating parameters of the power supply circuit 24 and the power supply. These parameters are collectively referred to as "transmission parameters" in what follows.
• the emission parameters comprise in particular the voltages and currents necessary for biasing the power amplifier. These parameters condition in particular the transmission power Pr of the transmitter 10 during the transmission of the radiofrequency message.
• the transmission power Pr depends in particular on the electric supply current and on the supply voltage supplied by the supply circuit 24 from the energy reserve 4.
• the class of operation of the amplifier has a direct influence on its energy efficiency R ref .
• the operation of a power amplifier within a transmitter radio frequency can be characterized by a so-called conduction angle value.
• the amplifiers can thus be arranged in several classes according to the value of this conduction angle, such as class A, class AB, class B, class C, class D or class E. Each class corresponds to one class. value or range of conduction angle values. These classes are ordered together so that the corresponding conduction angle value decreases from class A to class E.
• the energy efficiency of the power amplifier depends on its class of operation; the energy efficiency R RF increases from class A to class E.
• the energy efficiency R con v of the power supply circuit 24 depends on the operating modes of the DC-DC power converter, especially depending on whether the converter operates as a voltage step-down or as a voltage booster.
• the energy efficiency R con v of the power supply circuit 24 also depends on the value of the voltage difference between the output voltage and the input voltage of the converter. For example, the energy efficiency decreases if the voltage difference increases and vice versa.
• the yield R nv is here within a range of 60% to 95%.
• the number N of transmitted frames depends on the structure of the radiofrequency message. It is common that a message comprises identical frames repeated one after the other to be issued in succession. This redundancy is used to increase the probability that the information content of the message is received by the recipient in case of loss of part of the message sent. In this example, to simplify the explanation, it is considered here that the message has only one frame of length L.
• the emission parameters that can be modified during the optimization include all the parameters stated above, although in practice only some of these transmission parameters can be considered. .
• the optimization of the value of the energy Ec here consists in selecting transmission parameters of the transmitter, and more precisely in selecting a set of specific values of each of the transmission parameters, for which the value of energy consumed Ec is lowered below a certain value.
• the optimization may also consist of minimizing a function representative of the energy consumed Ec. It can be a function dependent on the energy Ec given by the theoretical formula above and also depending on the temperature of the electronic device 2. For example, in the following, we distinguish, for the transmission parameters, on the one hand the class of emission of the amplifier and on the other hand the "operating point" of the transmitter 10,. the operating point corresponding to the voltages and currents required to polarize the power amplifier.
• this method allows the dynamic management of the transmission power of a radiofrequency message by an electronic device communicating wirelessly.
• a radio frequency frame representative of at least one piece of information intended to be transmitted by the radiofrequency transmitter 10 according to a communication protocol is acquired by the calculation unit 20.
• a message to be sent is acquired by the unit 20.
• the unit 20 generates a message or acquires an already generated message.
• the amount of electrical energy available in the energy reserve 4 is automatically determined, here by the calculation unit 20, with the aid of the measuring device 26.
• step 102 comprises the measurement of at least one electrical quantity relative to the energy reserve 4, for example an electrical voltage across the reserve 4 or an internal electrical resistance of the reserve 4.
• the amount of energy is automatically calculated from this value by means of a predefined relationship. Indeed, when the reserve 4 is formed of one or more cells, it is possible to deduce the amount of corresponding remaining energy from a measurement, including voltage.
• this relation is stored in the memory 22 as a calculation formula and / or in the form of a pre-calculated correspondence table, for example corresponding to the data 44.
• This relationship is for example defined by the manufacturer of the device 2 and is stored in the memory 22 at the factory.
• the predefined relationship depends on the characteristics of the battery, such as, in particular, the battery technology, the type of material in the battery, the internal resistance of the battery, the number of batteries in the reserve 4, and, the if necessary, the configuration of these batteries (serial or parallel connection).
• the memory 22 stores these relationships, in the form of a mathematical formula or a table of precalculated values, for each type of battery that the device 2 is likely to accommodate. These Relationships are for example defined by the manufacturer of the apparatus 2 and are stored in the memory 22 at the factory during its manufacture.
• the circuit 8 is programmed to automatically select and use, according to detected characteristics of the reserve 4, the corresponding relation, among the relations recorded by default in the memory. This selection is for example implemented automatically by the control unit 8 and in particular by the calculation unit 20, independently of the step 102, for example when a stack is replaced by a user.
• the electronic apparatus can receive only one type of energy reserve 4.
• the characteristics of the energy reserve 4 used are stored in the memory 22 as well as the relationship between the voltage of the energy reserve and the amount of energy available in the energy reserve 4.
• the relation can be stored in the form of a mathematical formula or in the form of a table of precalculated values.
• the computing unit 20 when measuring at least one electrical quantity relative to the energy reserve 4, the computing unit 20 interrogates the acquisition device 30.
• the device of acquisition 30 converts the analog signal representative of the voltage across the energy reserve provided by the measuring device 26 into a digital signal and transmits the digital signal to the computing unit.
• the computing unit loads the table containing the relationship between the voltage across the energy reserve and the amount of available energy.
• the calculation unit then goes through the list of voltage values in order to find the value of the voltage across the energy reserve 4. Once found, the calculation unit reads the value of the quantity of energy available. corresponding.
• the calculation unit loads a mathematical formula stored in the memory 22 and calculates the amount of available energy.
• Some non-rechargeable energy reserves present a curve representative of the voltage decay as a function of the particular time.
• the voltage at the terminals of the battery is substantially constant for a certain duration and then drops sharply.
• the amount of energy available in the energy reserve 4 is relatively constant over time and then decreases abruptly. This particularity is found in particular with lithium batteries and button-type batteries.
• control unit 8 comprises an energy meter for example electrically connected to the transmitter 10.
• a variable for example stored in the memory 22 or a memory of the energy meter, is also initialized to a predetermined value.
• the predetermined value depends in particular on the type of battery and its voltage.
• the predetermined value is stored in the memory 22 and is called, for example, by the computing unit, when the electronic device 2 is first used or when a battery is changed. .
• This predetermined value considers an average voltage of the stack.
• a measurement of the voltage across the energy reserve is made, for example, at the The predetermined value is determined as a function of the value of the measured voltage and is stored in the memory 22.
• the value of the amount of available energy is also determined by means of the characteristics of the measured voltage.
• energy reserve 4 used and the determined value is stored in the memory 22.
• this implementation method allows to take into account the quality of the energy reserve installed in the electronic device 2. Indeed , for the same type of energy reserve 4, depending on the quality of the energy reserve used, the voltage at its terminals is not the same.
• the energy meter is configured to count the variable by a quantity depending on the length of the radiofrequency message transmitted and the transmission power with which the message was sent.
• the calculation unit is ensured that the quantity of available energy is substantially equal to the value determined and stored in the memory 22.
• the predetermined threshold value can for example, be 0.
• the computing unit controls the transmission of an alert signal to the user.
• the warning signal is any signal in the as it is perceived by the user and indicates to the user that the amount of energy available in the energy reserve will soon drop sharply.
• the signal may, for example, be a signal emitted by an element internal to the electronic device 2.
• the warning signal may be a light signal, for example, the flashing or lighting for a predetermined time of a source light, such as a light-emitting diode or indicator light, located on the electrical apparatus. It can also be a sound signal emitted by a low consumption sound device such as a piezoelectric sound device.
• the calculation unit 20 has a value representative of the quantity of energy available in the energy reserve 4. This quantity is denoted "Er" in the following .
• the quantity of energy Er determined is automatically corrected as a function of the temperature value measured by the measuring device 28.
• the performance of the reserve 4 may depend on the temperature.
• the correction is made by applying a correction coefficient to the determined amount of energy Er.
• the correction is performed from a predefined correction law and / or a precalculated value table which is stored in the memory 22.
• no temperature correction is performed and the measuring device 28 can be omitted.
• control circuit 8 automatically determines the length of the radiofrequency message to be transmitted, that is to say that it chooses to build, from the radio frequency frame acquired, a message radiofrequency more or less long depending on the circumstances.
• the radiofrequency message comprises at least the radio frequency frame acquired during step 100.
• the radiofrequency message comprises only the radio frequency frame acquired.
• the message is composed of a repetition of the frame acquired for the purpose of redundancy.
• the successive frames can be separated by a pause of predetermined length.
• FIG. 6 represents an example of a radiofrequency message 60 formed of three identical radio frequency frames 62 each having the same length L, the three successive frames 62 being spaced from each other by a pause 64 of length L P predetermined.
• the step 104 for determining the length of the radiofrequency message to be transmitted may comprise several sub-steps referenced 1040 to 1044.
• control circuit 8 and in particular the calculation unit 20 begins by determining the length L of the radio frequency frame acquired during step 100.
• Step 104 comprises a substep 1042 during which the calculation unit 20 composes the radiofrequency message intended to be transmitted by the transmitter 10.
• the composition of the radiofrequency message namely the number of repetitions of the radio frequency frame 60 acquired in the message may depend on a predetermined criterion relating to the use of the electronic device 2, in particular relating to the theoretical range of the radiofrequency message 60 .
• the electronic apparatus 2 when the electronic apparatus 2 is intended to send a message 60 with a short range, it is preferable to favor the number of frames relative to the radiated power.
• the message therefore comprises a high number of frames 62.
• This has the consequence, for a given amount of available energy, of reducing the transmission power (also called radiated power) of the transmitter compared to the case where the message 60 comprises only one frame 62.
• short range means a range of less than about 5m. In the case of an application in the field of home automation, this could correspond to a scope of the order of a room of a building. This case may, for example, correspond to a control point configured to transmit instructions to an actuator, such as an obscuration device or a lighting device located near the control point, in the same room.
• the causes of non-reception of the messages 60 by their recipient are mainly due to occasional interferences. It is therefore preferable to repeat the frames 62 so that, in the event of occurrence of such point interference, at least one complete frame 62 still has a good chance of being received by the recipient. Lowering the value of the transmit power is, in this case, less detrimental, since the receiver is not too far away.
• Long range means a range greater than 5m, typically a range up to about 20m or 30m. As part of an application in the field of home automation, this would represent a scope to encompass all parts of a house or a reach extending to the gate or to the outer fence of the house.
• the causes of non-reception of the radio frequency message 60 by the destination receiver are mainly due to a lack of radiated power. It is therefore preferable to favor the transmission power at the expense of the number of repeated frames.
• the computing unit 20 therefore prefers to focus the maximum power on a reduced number of frames rather than sending a high number of frames 62 with insufficient power. This would result in discharging the energy reserve 4 more quickly without guaranteeing that the recipient will correctly receive the message 60.
• the computing unit 20 composes a message 60 comprising only one frame 62.
• the message may comprise two frames 62.
• the electronic device 2 is configured, during its manufacture, to emit in a short range or a long range.
• the computing unit 20 is therefore programmed to give priority to the number of frames on the power or vice versa depending on the case.
• the appropriate program, executable by the calculation unit 20 is stored in the memory 22 according to the case.
• the electronic device can be " generic " and can be emitted at short range or long range.
• the apparatus may comprise a programmed switch to configure the type of transmission of the control unit 8 and in particular of the transmitter 10, either in a short range or in a long range.
• the electronic device 2 may include a particular ergonomics to switch the transmission on a short range or a long reach.
• the particular ergonomics may correspond, for example, to a particular action on one or more selection elements.
• Step 104 comprises a sub-step 1044 during which the calculation unit 20 determines the length of the radiofrequency message 60.
• the length Lt of the message intended to be transmitted can be deduced by multiplying the length of the frame acquired by the number repetition of the frame.
• the unit 20 selects the transmission parameters of the radiofrequency transmitter 10.
• the transmission parameters essentially comprise the operating point of the transmitter 10 and the operating class of the transmitter 10. amplifier power.
• the emission parameters are determined so that the theoretical quantity of energy Ec that will be consumed by the control circuit 8 during transmission of the message is less than the determined quantity of energy Er available in the reserve 4.
• the unit 20 determines transmission parameters in order to minimize the amount of energy that will be consumed during the transmission of the message.
• the computing unit 20 determines the class of operation of the amplifier according to its architecture and the desired radiated power.
• the class of operation is determined in order to avoid the problems of distortion of radio frequency signals.
• the computing unit 20 can not systematically use the classes D to B, although having good yields, because in this case the distortion of the signals causes a normative non-conformity radiofrequency because of harmonics too high.
• the computing unit 20 chooses the most appropriate operating class so that the harmonics remain below the threshold imposed by the radiofrequency standards. For example, at high power, the computing unit 20 will approach the class A or AB, while at low power, the generated harmonics being lower, a class of operation B, C, D or E may be suitable.
• the determination of the operating class of the transmitter can be made as a function of the power radiated using a correspondence table between the radiated power and the operating class to be used. as described in more detail below.
• the operating point of the transmitter is then determined according to the determined operating class.
• the operating point of the transmitter 10 is not determined so as to optimize the operation of the amplifier but in such a way as to optimize the use of the energy available to emit a radio frequency message according to the desired conditions.
• the operating point is selected by the unit from among a set of predefined operating points, here stored in the memory 22.
• the data 42 stored in the memory comprise such a set predefined operating points, from which the unit 20 can select a particular operating point, depending on the values of the available energy amount Er and the length L of the message to be transmitted determined in the previous steps.
• the set 42 defines matching rules that relate the predefined operating points with, on the one hand, values or intervals of message length values and, on the other hand, with values or intervals of values of the amount of energy available in the energy reserve 4.
• the unit 20 identifies, in the set 42, the predefined operating point which corresponds to the value of the quantity Er of available energy determined during step 102 and also corresponding to the length L of the message determined at the end of step 104.
• This set 42 of predefined operating points is, for example, previously calculated by the manufacturer of the electronic device 2 and then recorded in the factory in the memory 22 during its manufacture. These predefined operating points are preferably calculated as a function of the characteristics of the various constituents of the circuit 8, such as the technology used for the energy recovery device 6, the storage technology used for the reserve 4, or even the properties of the device. supply circuit 24 and the transmitter 10.
• the calculation unit 20 does not need to implement calculations for optimizing or minimizing the theoretical amount of energy consumed Ec, which is advantageous because such calculations require large computer resources and may require a relatively long computing time.
• the selection of a particular operating point from the set of 42 predefined operating points requires less computational resources and less computation time than a complete optimization computation performed "on the fly" and in real time.
• FIG. 5 represents an illustrative example of such a set 42 of predefined operating points.
• This set 42 is here a table 50 or two-dimensional matrix.
• other data structures may be used, such as a database.
• the table 50 comprises lines 52 and columns 54.
• the references E1, E2, E3, and E4 index the columns 54 and correspond to intervals of values that can take the value of available energy Er estimated at step 102
• the references P1, P2, P3, P4, P5 and P6 designate predefined operating points associated with intersections of rows and columns. So, a point of Here, operation is associated with each pair of ranges of available energy values and message length intervals.
• each operating point P1, P2, P3, P4, P5 and P6 stored in the table 50 is a list of values of the various operating parameters considered.
• each operating point P1, P2, P3, P4, P5 and P6 contained in the table 50 is a pointer that designates an area of the memory 22 in which the values of the various operating parameters considered, in the form of a list or other appropriate digital data structure.
• Lines 52 and columns 54 are here indexed by value ranges but, alternatively, they may be indexed by discrete values, or by any appropriate combination of discrete values and intervals.
• the computing unit 20 automatically searches for the interval E1, E2, E3 or E4 corresponding to the value Er of estimated available energy, and searches for the interval L1, L2 , L3 and L4 corresponding to the estimated message length.
• the particular operating point selected is the one that is associated with the two intervals thus identified. For example, if the available energy value Er belongs to the interval E2 and the value of the length L belongs to the interval L3, then the corresponding particular operating point is the point P3.
• the particular operating point corresponds in particular to the voltages and currents to be applied to the radiofrequency transmitter 10, and in particular to the power amplifier, to enable the emission, with the maximum power, of a radiofrequency message having the estimated length given the estimated amount of energy available.
• the step 106 of determining the transmission parameters may comprise a sub-step of optimizing the choice of the operating class and the operating point of the transmitter.
• the optimization can be performed by the computing unit using a suitable executable program stored in the memory 22.
• the particular operating point is determined by the calculation unit 20 by performing a minimization calculation of the theoretical quantity of energy consumed Ec previously defined, without having recourse to the set 42 The assembly 42 can then be omitted.
• the unit 20 is programmed to implement minimization calculation operations of a function with one or more variables, for example using a numerical model of resolution or optimization stored in the memory 22. For determining suitable transmission parameters, in particular for selecting an appropriate operating point, the values of the emission parameters are optimized until a combination is found for which the theoretical value of energy consumed Ec is lower than the energy value available Er, or even the combination for which the value Ec is the smallest possible. In other words, the unit 20 calculates the set of emission parameters that make it possible to obtain a quantity of energy consumed that is less than the quantity of available energy Er that is estimated.
• the optimization calculation is implemented using constraints defined according to the energy storage technology used for the energy reserve 4. These constraints make it possible to restrict the values that some of the parameters can take. emission, which simplifies the optimization calculation. These constraints are, for example, predefined by the manufacturer of the electronic device 2 and are advantageously recorded in the memory 22.
• the reserve 4 comprises capacitors or supercapacitors.
• the table indicates, for each energy recovery technology used to recharge the reserve 4 (first column from the left), the values to be taken by the parameters relating to the operating mode of the power converter (third column), the values that can be taken by the parameters relating to the amplifier of the transmitter 10 and in particular its operating class (last column) and the parameter current or supply voltage which can vary to optimize the power value Pe consumed by the transmitter 10 (second column), it being understood that the other parameter voltage or current has a value which is imposed by the technology used the reserve 4.
• the parameters " low voltage deviation " , " voltage difference " and “ mean voltage difference " respectively refer to a voltage difference of less than about 1 V, a voltage difference of greater than about 3V and a voltage difference between these two values.
• the optimization is performed taking into account the value of the temperature measured by the measuring device 28. However, this is not essential and can be omitted when the measuring device 28 is itself omitted.
• the calculation unit 20 has values of the transmission parameters of the radiofrequency transmitter guarantee a transmission of the entire radiofrequency message with the energy available in the energy reserve. 4.
• the message is sent by the transmitter 10 using the values of the transmission parameters of the radiofrequency transmitter determined previously.
• the unit 20 transmits to the transmitter 10, via the link 32, the message ready to be transmitted.
• the computing unit 20 and in particular its microcontroller controls the supply circuit 24, here by the link 34, so that it supplies the transmitter 10, and in particular the power amplifier, with the voltages and currents required for the bias of the amplifier around the determined operating point.
• the transmitter consumes a power Pe whose value is defined by the determined operating point.
• the unit 20 can also drive the supply circuit 24 so that the power converter and / or the voltage regulator operates in the operating mode and with the voltage difference defined by the determined operating point.
• the unit 20 also drives the transmitter 10 so that the amplifier operates with the conduction angle, and therefore with the determined operating class.
• the transmission parameters of the radiofrequency transmitter are automatically adapted according to the energy available in the energy reserve at the time of transmitting the message.
• each message is transmitted with different transmission parameters.
• the invention is relatively simple to implement, particularly in terms of robustness, ease of manufacture on an industrial scale and cost. Indeed, given the constraints of compactness and miniaturization, low power consumption, and unit cost that weigh on the device 2, it is not it is always possible to equip the reserve 4 with a "battery management system" type of regulation and monitoring device as found on the battery packs of certain technologies, because such monitoring devices are too complex and too complex. expensive in view of the application that will be made of the device 2.
• a first advantageous example of implementation of the steps of determining the length of the radio frequency message and the determination of the transmission parameters is described in the case of a long-range transmission.
• the calculating unit determines during a sub-step 1040 the length of the radio frequency frame 60 acquired then, during a sub-step 1042, composes a radio frequency message 60 comprising only a single radiofrequency frame 62. in this case, the length L T of the message is equal to the length L of the radiofrequency frame 62.
• control unit 8 and in particular the interval unit 20 determines the transmission parameters of the radiofrequency transmitter 10.
• the emission being of long range, the power is privileged compared to the number of frame.
• the calculation unit 20 thus chooses an operating class from among the classes A or AB as a function, for example, of the type of cell used in the reserve 4.
• the computing unit looks in the memory 22 for the table 50 comprising the set 42 of predefined operating points. Depending on the amount of available energy and the length L T of the message 60 to be transmitted, the calculation unit selects the operating point to be applied as described above.
• the computing unit can not select an operating point and therefore can not configure the power circuit. As a result, no radio frequency message 60 is transmitted.
• the computing unit controls the transmission of an alert signal to the user.
• the warning signal is any signal, to the extent that it is perceived by the user and allows the user to understand that no radio frequency message 60 can be issued because of insufficient available electrical energy in the reserve 4.
• the signal may, for example, be a signal emitted by an element internal to the electronic device 2.
• the warning signal may be a light signal, for example, flashing or lighting for a period of time. predetermined of a light source, such as a diode electroluminescent or a light, located on the electrical device. It can also be a sound signal emitted by a low consumption sound device such as a piezoelectric sound device.
• the computing unit determines during a substep 1040 the length of the radio frequency frame 60 acquired.
• the radiofrequency message 60 will have several successive frames 62.
• the radiofrequency message in the case of a long-range transmission, the radiofrequency message comprises a predetermined number N max of radio frequency frames.
• N max is equal to 3 or 5.
• the calculation unit therefore composes a message 60 comprising N max successive frames 62, and possibly N max -1 pauses 64 each separating two consecutive frames, and then determines the length of the message 60.
• step 106 the calculation unit 20 determines the transmission parameters of the radiofrequency transmitter 10.
• the emission being of short range, the number of frames is privileged compared to the power of emission. As the power is low, the calculation unit 20 thus chooses an operating class from the classes having a high efficiency, such as classes C to D.
• the computing unit calls the table 50 comprising the set 42 of predefined operating points stored in the memory 22.
• the computing unit 20 then traverses said table 50 in order to find out whether an operating point corresponding to the energy available in the energy reserve and the length of the radiofrequency message 60 to be sent exists. If the computing unit finds such an operating point, it selects and configures the power circuit to bias the amplifier according to this operating point. If the computing unit finds no point corresponding to the available energy and the determined message length, it decrements by one the number of N max frames contained in the message 60. If the value of N max is greater than or equal to 1, the computing unit 20 searches the table 50 again if an operating point corresponding to the available energy and the determined message length exists. The calculation unit 20 repeats this operation until it finds an operating point satisfying the two criteria of available energy and message length.
• the calculation unit 20 selects it and configures the supply circuit to bias the amplifier according to this point. Operating. Otherwise no message is emitted.
• the calculation unit 20 controls the transmission of a signal alert to the user.
• the computing unit 20 acquires a radio frequency frame representative of at least one piece of information intended to be transmitted by the radiofrequency transmitter 10 according to a communication protocol.
• the radio frequency frame can be transmitted by the subset of the device 2 through a data exchange link.
• control circuit 8 and in particular the calculation unit 20, automatically determines the length of the radiofrequency message to be transmitted.
• the step 104 for determining the length of the radiofrequency message may comprise sub-steps 1040 to 1044 similar to those previously described.
• the computing unit determines the length L of the acquired frame.
• the calculation unit 20 composes the radiofrequency message intended to be transmitted by the transmitter 10.
• the composition of the message depends on the range desired emission.
• the radiofrequency message comprises only the acquired radio frequency frame.
• the radiofrequency message comprises a predetermined number N max of times the radio frequency frame acquired, Nmax being a non-zero integer.
• Nmax may be equal to 3.
• the calculation unit 20 determines the length Lt of the radio frequency message 60.
• the length Lt of the message intended to be transmitted can be deduced by multiplication of the length L of the acquired frame.
• the computing unit determines the amount of energy available in the energy reserve.
• the determination 102 of the quantity of available energy can be performed as previously described
• the determination 102 of the quantity of energy can be performed using a program executable by the calculation unit stored in the memory 22.
• the program can for example implement the following mathematical formula:
• Er represents the amount of available energy
• V 0 represents the no-load voltage of the energy reserve
• ESR represents the equivalent series resistance of the energy reserve; the represents the measurement current;
• Vmin represents the minimum operating voltage of the transmitter in transmission, that is to say the minimum voltage to operate the transmitter
• Lt represents the length of the radiofrequency message transmitted
• the value of the equivalent series resistance, also called internal resistance, of the energy reserve 4 can be stored in the memory 22 and called by the calculation unit. In order to take into account the aging of the energy reserve 4 and thus the evolution of the value of the equivalent series resistance, the value of the equivalent series resistance can be recalculated periodically in order to update the value stored in the memory 22.
• the electronic apparatus 2 may comprise a switching circuit electrically connected to the output of the energy reserve 4 and configured to switch the output of the energy reserve either on the control unit or on a circuit measurement.
• the switching circuit can be connected to the microcontroller of the computing unit in order to control the switching and realize the acquisition of the equivalent series resistance of the energy reserve periodically. The period of updating the equivalent series resistance is for example 1 month or 2 months.
• the switching circuit can also be configured to switch the output of the energy reserve 4 to a current sensor.
• the current sensor may be a measurement resistor (or "shunt" in English) connected to ground.
• a measuring device is connected in parallel across the measuring resistor and is configured to supply a voltage proportional to the value of the current flowing through the measuring resistor.
• This determination method based on the knowledge of the equivalent series resistance can be used generally during step 102, independently of the particular mode of implementation of the operating method described here.
• the unit 20 determines the transmission parameters of the radiofrequency transmitter 10.
• the determination step 106 of the transmission parameters of the radiofrequency transmitter 10 may comprise sub-steps 1060 to 1064, as shown in Figure 8.
• the computing unit determines the energy required for the radio frequency transmitter to transmit a radio frequency message having the determined length Lt with a predetermined radiated energy.
• the calculation unit considers a predetermined value of energy Emax radiated, for example, by reading the corresponding value Emax in the memory 22. From the value of the radiated energy, computing unit 20 determines the energy required by the transmitter 10 to radiate such energy. For this, the calculation unit can use an executable program stored in the memory 22.
• the program can for example implement the theoretical mathematical formula (1) defined above.
• the computing unit 20 compares the necessary energy determined with the amount of energy available. If the amount of available energy is strictly greater than the energy required, the computing unit selects the value of radiated energy.
• the calculation unit may, for example, record the selected value in the memory 22. If the amount of available energy is less than the energy required, the computing unit decrements the value of the radiated power by a predetermined amount Qe then reiterate the calculations until finding a value of radiated power strictly less than the quantity of available energy.
• the calculation unit 20 can fill an array of values.
• a first column of this table of values corresponds the values taken by the energy radiated between two extreme values, for example from a maximum value Emax to a minimum value Emin with a decrement equal to a predetermined quantity Qe.
• the extreme energy values Emax and Emin, as well as possibly the value of the increment, can be stored in the memory 22.
• a second column of this table of values corresponds to the values taken by the energy required. For each line, the calculation unit determines the energy required by the radiofrequency transmitter 10 to emit a radio frequency message having the length Lt determined with the radiated energy value of the same line.
• the computing unit then travels through the second column to find the maximum required energy value strictly less than the amount of energy available in the energy reserve. Once the necessary energy value is found, the calculation unit selects the corresponding radiated energy value.
• the calculation unit can, for example, record the value selected in the memory 22.
• the maximum energy values Emax and minimum Emin can be respectively 25 mW and 1 mW.
• the predetermined quantity Qe may for example be 1 mW.
• Emax 15dBm
• Emin 0dBm
• Qe 1 dB.
• the calculation unit determines the operating class of the radiofrequency transmitter 10 and in particular of the power amplifier during a sub-step 1062.
• an array of values is stored in the memory 22.
• the table comprises, in a first column, precalculated ranges of radiated power values and a second column comprising an operating class list, for example from class A to class E.
• Each range of radiated power values corresponds to a class of operation.
• the table of values thus relates a radiated power and an operating class of the transmitter 10.
• the computing unit calls the value table relating the values of radiated power and the class of operation.
• the computing unit 20 then traverses the value ranges of the column corresponding to the radiated power in order to find in which range of values the selected radiated power value is located.
• the calculation unit determines the operating class of the transmitter by reading the operating class corresponding to the interval found.
• the computing unit determines the operating point of the transmitter 10 as previously stated.
• the determination 1064 of the operating point is made from a table 50 comprising a set 42 of predefined operating points, for example, stored in the memory 22.
• the operating method then comprises a step 108 for transmitting the radio frequency message 60 with the transmission parameters of the radio frequency transmitter 10 determined.
• the invention has been described in connection with an electronic device 2 powered by a non-rechargeable energy reserve, other embodiments and other embodiments can be envisaged with an electronic device powered by a reserve.
• rechargeable energy as one or more rechargeable elements.
• the electronic apparatus 2 may comprise an energy meter.

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• 2018
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• 2019
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