WO2024095226A1

WO2024095226A1 - Localized group access for ambient internet of things (iot) devices

Info

Publication number: WO2024095226A1
Application number: PCT/IB2023/061117
Authority: WO
Inventors: Amichai Sanderovich; David Lipshitz; Alon Yehezkely
Original assignee: Wiliot, LTD.
Priority date: 2022-11-03
Filing date: 2023-11-03
Publication date: 2024-05-10

Abstract

A system and method for a localized group access for ambient internet of things (IoT) tags is provided. The method includes causing transmission of a wakeup signal to a subset of IoT tags in a localized region determined based on an operator policy, wherein the wakeup signal activates the subset of IoT tags from a deep-sleeping state, and wherein the subset of IoT tags include a plurality of IoT tags; causing sending of a polling request to the subset of IoT tags; and receiving data packets from at least one of the subset of IoT tags that includes signals of IoT tags and metadata.

Description

LOCALIZED GROUP ACCESS FOR AMBIENT INTERNET OF THINGS (IOT) DEVICES

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

[001] This application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Application No. 63/382,208 filed on November 3, 2022, the contents of which are hereby incorporated by reference.

TECHNICAL FIELD

[002] The present disclosure generally relates to wireless tags, and more particularly, to localized communication to access a group of wireless tags.

BACKGROUND

[003] The Internet of things (loT) is the inter-networking of physical devices, vehicles, buildings, and other items embedded with electronics, software, sensors, actuators, and network connectivity that enable these objects to collect and exchange data. loT is expected to offer advanced connectivity of devices, systems, and services that goes beyond machine-to-machine (M2M) communications and covers a variety of protocols, domains, and applications.

[004] loT can be encapsulated in a wide variety of devices, such as heart monitoring implants; biochip transponders on farm animals; automobiles with built-in sensors; automation of lighting, heating, ventilation, air conditioning (HVAC) systems; and appliances such as washer/dryers, robotic vacuums, air purifiers, ovens or refrigerators/freezers that use wireless communication protocol that supports loT devices for remote monitoring. Typically, loT devices encapsulate wireless sensors or a network of such sensors.

[005] Most loT devices are wireless devices that collect data and transmit such data to a central controller. There are a few requirements to be met to allow widespread deployment of loT devices. Such requirements include reliable communication links, low energy consumption, low costs, and small sizes. [006] To this aim, loT devices and wireless sensors are designed to support low power communication protocols, such as Bluetooth low energy (BLE), LoRa, and the like. However, loT devices utilizing such protocols require a battery, e.g., a coin battery. The reliance on a power source (e.g., a battery) is a limiting factor for electronic devices, due to, for example, cost, size, lack of durability to environmental effects, and frequent replacements. An alternative to using batteries, a self-sufficient or self- sustainable power supply that may harvest energy from sources such as light, heat, activity, piezoelectric, and electromagnetic energy can be incorporated. Electromagnetic energy that includes radio frequency (RF) is promising in its relatively unrestricted spatial freedom and abundance.

[007] Mobile network is a well-established communication network that covers large areas by utilizing base stations serving each of the localized areas. These base stations can simultaneously serve many devices for rapid and effective communication. To this end, utilizing the mobile communications protocols for loT devices may have potential advantages. However, room for improvement still exists, particularly in conserving resources such as, without limitation, reducing communication rounds. It should be noted that such conserving of resources not only benefits battery-less loT devices noted above, but also advantageous and desired for base stations, computing servers, and the communication network as a whole.

[008] In order to reduce energy consumption and increase battery life in wireless devices, methods of duty cycling with active and sleep states have been explored. For RF devices, the majority of the device’s energy is consumed by the transceiver at the active state, when the system actively communicates and processes such communication signals. It has been identified that the device in its active state consumes up to 3 to 4 orders of magnitude of energy compared to its sleep state. In this regard, duty cycle methods to effectively utilize sleep states of the system are desired.

[009] However, random, and frequent activation may have an adverse effect on the system, draining the stored energy of the wireless device. In particular, the 2.4 GHz ISM radio frequency band is densely populated with signals that may falsely activate (wake-up) the system. Identifying target signals and selectively activating the system within the abundance of signals in similar range still remains a challenge.

[0010] It would therefore be advantageous to provide a solution that would overcome the challenges noted above.

SUMMARY

[0011] A summary of several example embodiments of the disclosure follows. This summary is provided for the convenience of the reader to provide a basic understanding of such embodiments and does not wholly define the breadth of the disclosure. This summary is not an extensive overview of all contemplated embodiments, and is intended to neither identify key or critical elements of all embodiments nor to delineate the scope of any or all aspects. Its sole purpose is to present some concepts of one or more embodiments in a simplified form as a prelude to the more detailed description that is presented later. For convenience, the term “some embodiments” or “certain embodiments” may be used herein to refer to a single embodiment or multiple embodiments of the disclosure.

[0012] Certain embodiments disclosed herein include a method for a localized group access for ambient internet of things (loT) tags. The method comprises: causing transmission of a wakeup signal to a subset of loT tags in a localized region determined based on an operator policy, wherein the wakeup signal activates the subset of loT tags from a deep-sleeping state, and wherein the subset of loT tags include a plurality of loT tags; causing sending of a polling request to the subset of loT tags; and receiving data packets from at least one of the subset of loT tags that includes signals of loT tags and metadata.

[0013] Certain embodiments disclosed herein also include a non-transitory computer readable medium having stored thereon causing a processing circuitry to execute a process, the process comprising: causing transmission of a wakeup signal to a subset of loT tags in a localized region determined based on an operator policy, wherein the wakeup signal activates the subset of loT tags from a deep-sleeping state, and wherein the subset of loT tags include a plurality of loT tags; causing sending of a polling request to the subset of loT tags; and receiving data packets from at least one of the subset of loT tags that includes signals of loT tags and metadata.

[0014] Certain embodiments disclosed herein also include a system for a localized group access for ambient internet of things (loT) tags. The system comprises: a processing circuitry; and a memory, the memory containing instructions that, when executed by the processing circuitry, configure the system to: [to be completed based on final claims], cause transmission of a wakeup signal to a subset of loT tags in a localized region determined based on an operator policy, wherein the wakeup signal activates the subset of loT tags from a deep-sleeping state, and wherein the subset of loT tags include a plurality of loT tags; cause sending of a polling request to the subset of loT tags; and receive data packets from at least one of the subset of loT tags that includes signals of loT tags and metadata.

[0015] Certain embodiments disclosed herein include the method, non-transitory computer readable medium, or system noted above, further including or being configured to perform the following steps: determining surrounding data for the subset of loT tags based on the received data packets.

[0016] Certain embodiments disclosed herein include the method, non-transitory computer readable medium, or system noted above, further including or being configured to perform the following steps: sending the polling request to a base station based on the operator policy, wherein the base station communicates with the subset of loT tags in the localized region.

[0017] Certain embodiments disclosed herein include the method, non-transitory computer readable medium, or system noted above, wherein the operator policy includes a plurality of rules that define at least one of: a group of loT tags, a base station, a polling periodicity, and a time period.

[0018] Certain embodiments disclosed herein include the method, non-transitory computer readable medium, or system noted above, wherein the surrounding data includes at least one of: temperature, humidity, ethylene level, and location, of a vicinity of the subset of loT tags. [0019] Certain embodiments disclosed herein include the method, non-transitory computer readable medium, or system noted above, wherein the subset of loT tags is calibrated using a reference clock provided by the wakeup signal.

[0020] Certain embodiments disclosed herein include the method, non-transitory computer readable medium, or system noted above, wherein the subset of loT tags is at least a portion of a bulk group of loT tags.

[0021] Certain embodiments disclosed herein include the method, non-transitory computer readable medium, or system noted above, wherein an loT tag of the loT tags are a battery-less loT tag that is adapted to attach to a surface.

[0022] Certain embodiments disclosed herein include the method, non-transitory computer readable medium, or system noted above, wherein an loT tag of the loT tags harvest energy from ambient radio frequency (RF).

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0023] The subject matter disclosed herein is particularly pointed out and distinctly claimed in the claims at the conclusion of the specification. The foregoing and other objects, features, and advantages of the disclosed embodiments will be apparent from the following detailed description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.

[0024] Figure 1 is a block diagram of a wakeup circuit according to an embodiment.

[0025] Figure 2 is a flowchart illustrating a method for accessing localized groups via loT tags according to an embodiment.

[0026] Figure 3 is a schematic diagram of a wireless loT tag utilized according to the disclosed embodiments.

[0027] Figure 4 is schematic diagram of a server according to an embodiment.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0028] It is important to note that the embodiments disclosed herein are only examples of the many advantageous uses of the innovative teachings herein. In general, statements made in the specification of the present application do not necessarily limit any of the various claimed embodiments. Moreover, some statements may apply to some inventive features but not to others. In general, unless otherwise indicated, singular elements may be in plural and vice versa with no loss of generality. In the drawings, like numerals refer to like parts through several views.

[0029] The various disclosed embodiments include a system and method for localized group access of wireless loT tags for effective monitoring and controlling of supply chains. Low-power wireless loT devices are deployed on products such as, without limitation, produce, food products, boxes, and the like, in order to monitor surrounding environments and current states of the deployed products. In an embodiment, the loT tags are configured to detect, for example, but not limited to, location, temperature, humidity, ethylene level, and the like, of its surroundings. More particularly, the disclosed embodiments provide a method for controlling a group of wireless loT tags with a single command to preserve resources for various components of the communication network. It should be appreciated that close monitoring and tracking of products, particularly of fresh foods, such as vegetables or meat, are advantageous for both the safety and prediction of shelf-life expectancy throughout the supply chain.

[0030] In an embodiment, the loT tags are lightweight, low cost, and low power devices that operate with RF harvesting or with a very small battery. The loT tags store small amounts of energy that should last for several years, and thus, such devices cannot afford to maintain continued connection to the network for prolonged operation. The loT tags described herein are configured to be in deep sleep until polling request is received and accepted. Moreover, it has been identified that the number of loT tags in supply chain settings may be in the range of trillions, and thus, device-by-device polling is not only time-consuming, but also wasteful. To this end, wakeup of deep sleeping loT tags is performed as a bulk-poll to wakeup, access, read from the group of loT tags simultaneously upon sending a single request.

[0031] Moreover, the disclosed embodiments allow localized polling of loT tags in specific regions of interest. In an embodiment, localized polling is performed by requesting via selected base stations that connect to and communicate with devices within the localized region. It should be noted that such selection of specific localized regions, rather than the entire network, significantly improves efficiency and reduces the burden on computing and network resources. Particularly, localized polling is advantageous for applications such as supply chains where, most often, monitoring of distinct regions (e.g., packaging facility, distribution center, store, recycling center, and the like) are of interest.

[0032] The disclosed embodiments provide a method to utilize a small, a lower energy loT device for accurate signal transmittance. In an embodiment, the loT device is an ambient loT device which communicates using a 3rd Generation Partnership Project (3GPP) loT device which is much smaller and cheaper compared to previous generations of loT, like the Narrowband Internet of things/Long-Term Evolution Machine Type Communication/Research Electronic Data Capture (NB-loT/LTE- M/REDCap). The ultimate ambient loT energy source is that from radio waves. The 3rd Generation Partnership Project (3GPP) is an umbrella term for a number of standards organizations which develop protocols for mobile telecommunications. Such low energy loT devices have very small energy available and thus, may be at several power states for operation. Particularly, the lowest power state is so small and cannot hold any clock synchronization. In addition, the simple loT device cannot include a crystal oscillator to provide sufficiently accurate and stable time and/or frequency reference. To this end, the disclosed embodiments utilize the over-the-air signal sent over the network to wakeup and calibrate the loT devices.

[0033] Moreover, the loT devices are enabled to hold the synchronized clocks to receive and transmit through the communication protocol (e.g., cellular communication standards) using a higher power state. The clock synchronization occurs prior to communications with the network and is maintained to overcome clock inaccuracies. It should be noted that the current technology typically requires a crystal to generate a reference clock to calibrate the wireless devices. However, the disclosed embodiments circumvent such configuration to require a crystal thereby reducing cost and size of the small form loT tag.

[0034] Fig. 1 is an example schematic diagram of a low-energy communication system 100 utilized to describe the various embodiments. The system 100 includes a plurality of wireless Internet of Things (loT) tags 110-1 through 110-n (hereafter individually referred to as an loT tag 110 or collectively as loT tags 110, where n is an integer greater than 1), a plurality of base stations 120-1 through 120-k (hereinafter individually referred to as a base station 120 or collectively as base stations 120, where k is an integer greater than 1), a cloud computing platform 130, and a supplier 170 connected to a network 125. The network 125 is a cellular network operable according to communication standards, such as Long-Term Evolution (LTE), second- generation cellular network (2G), 3G, 4G, 5G, and the like. As with any cellular network, a data connectivity is provided over the network 125.

[0035] The system 100 also includes at least one server 140 that may be deployed in the cloud computing platform 130. The server 140 may be realized as a physical machine, a virtual machine, or a combination thereof. An example block diagram of the server 140 is provided in Fig. 4.

[0036] The cloud computing platform 130 may be a public cloud, a private cloud, a hybrid cloud, or a combination thereof. A public cloud is owned and operated by a third-party service provider that delivers computing resources, whereas a private cloud is operated and used by a single organization. A hybrid cloud is a combination of a public cloud and a private cloud that allows data and application sharing between both two or more computing environments. Some examples of the cloud computing platform 130 may include, for example, but not limited to, Amazon Web Service (AWS), Microsoft® Azure, Google Cloud Platform (GCP), and the like, which may be also referred to as cloud providers.

[0037] A database 145 may be deployed in the cloud computing platform 130 and may be connected to the server 140. The database 145 may store polling requests generated by the server 140, identifiers (IDs) of loT tags 110, and other signals. Moreover, datasets generated for the loT tags may be stored in the database 145.

[0038] In an embodiment, the loT tag 110 is a battery-free ambient loT device as discussed in Fig. 3. The loT tags 110 are configured to operate at ambient conditions. The communication among each of the loT tags 110 and the base station 120, as well between base stations 120 may be performed using a low-energy communication protocol. The low-energy communication protocol includes 3rd Generation Partnership Project (3GPP) protocols such as, but not limited to, 2G, 3G, LTE, 4G, 5G mmWave, and the like. An loT tag 110 may include a printed battery. The loT tag 110 is an ambient loT device, which communicates using a 3GPP loT device which is much smaller and cheaper compared to previous generations of loT devices, such as, but not limited to, the NB-loT/LTE-M/RedCap. An ambient loT energy source is that from radio waves (radio frequency (RF) signals). It should be noted that the 3GPP is an umbrella term for a number of standards organizations which develop protocols for mobile telecommunications and does not limit the disclosed embodiments described herein.

[0039] In an embodiment, an loT tag 110 senses a particular radio frequency (RF) activity caused by an interference to the ambient RF field, which results in a change in a calibration frequency of the loT tag 110, and such a change is translated into a sensing signal. The sensing signal may include a frequency word, a received signal strength indicator (RSSI), a digitally controlled oscillator (DCO) signal, and the like, or any combination thereof.

[0040] In the example embodiment, the loT tags 110 are placed on a surface, which may include a cart, a shelf, a box, a container, and the like, which may or may not include an item. In another example embodiment, the loT tag 110 may be glued, attached, or fastened to an item. For example, the form factor of an loT tag 110 may be a sticker that can be applied to an item. The number of loT tags 110 on the item depends on, for example, but not limited to, a size, type, shape, and the like, and any combination thereof, of the item. The items may be any type of product or object ranging from groceries to fashion items. For example, the loT tag 110 is attached to shoe boxes in a warehouse. In another example, the loT tag 110 is attached to a box of tomatoes being delivered and displayed at a storefront. In yet another example, the loT tag 110 is attached to a rigid pallet container (RPC).

[0041] The supplier 170 is a device, component, system, or the like, configured to provide instructions for polling requests through, for example, an operator policy, distinct requests, and the like. In an embodiment, the operator policy may define the loT tags, group of loT tags, localized region, request periodicity, and the like, to collect data from loT tags. It should be noted that the operator policy provides instructions for the server 140 to request signals of positions of related loT tags. The supplier 170 is associated with the product supplier that monitors the certain loT tags 110 affixed to their product. In an embodiment, the supplier 170 may include, for example, a personal computer (PC), a smartphone, a laptop, a user terminal, and the like.

[0042] A notification such as, but not limited to, alerts, reports, and so on may be presented to a user of the supplier 170. For example, an indication of the location of each loT tag 110 of group of loT tags 110 may be displayed. The supplier 170 is further configured to analyze loT tag datasets that are generated at the server 140. As an example, the group of loT tags 110 may include a few hundred loT tags assigned with the same group identification (group_ID).

[0043] In an embodiment, the server 140 is configured to analyze sensing signals as transmitted by the loT tags 110 via the base station. To this end, each base station 120 is configured to receive sensing signals from the loT tags 110 and relay the received signals to cloud computing platform 130 to be processed by the server 140. In an embodiment, the server 140 receives signals along with identifications (IDs) of each loT tag. In a further embodiment, the server 140 receives additional metadata such as, but not limited to, base station that received reply to polling, signal power, direction of arrival, and the like, and any combination thereof. The additional metadata may be provided by the base station 120 that relay loT tag data packets. In some embodiments, the supplier 170 and the server 140 are configured together in a single component, device, server, and the like. The server 140 and/or the supplier 170 may be deployed on-premises.

[0044] The base station 120 is a wireless communication station that is configured to relay information from the loT tags 110 to the cloud computing platform 130. The base station 120 communicates with the loT tags 110 that are proximally located to each base station 120-1 through 120-k, for example, within a communication boundary (or localized region) 121-1 through 121-k, respectively. The area within the communication boundary 121 defines a localized communication region with respect to each base station. For example, base station 120-1 communicates with loT tags 110-1 , 110-2, and 110-4 that are within the communication boundary of the base station 121-1. The signals sent by the loT tag 110 are received at a base station 120, which, in turn, is configured to send the data packets to the server 140. In an embodiment, the signals are sent upon receiving a polling request from the server 140. The polling request may be a request for any type of information from the loT tag. The type and number of information to request and collect may be predetermined by, for example, the supplier, third parties, an operator associated with the server 140, and the like, and any combination thereof.

[0045] The base station 120 is a transceiver of cellular communication between loT tags 110, the supplier 170, and the cloud computing platform 130 and operates under low- energy communication protocol standards (e.g., 2G, 3G, LTE, 4G, 5G, 5G mmWave, and the like). It should be noted that each base station 120 creates a localized network with the devices (e.g., loT tags 110) in its communication region 121 which is utilized to selectively access devices in selected regions.

[0046] The server 140 is configured to process signals and metadata received by one or more base stations 120 to determine surrounding data of the loT tags 110. The data packet transmitted by the base station 120 to the server 140 includes, without limitation, a sensing signal, an identifier (ID) of an loT tag 110, a bulk group identifier (group_ID) of group of loT tags 110, an identifier (ID) of the base station 120, and the like, and any combination thereof. The sensor signals include one or more signals collected by the ambient loT tag from its surrounding. In an embodiment, the ID of the loT tag 110 is a unique identifier (ID) that is set during the production of the loT tag 110. In a further embodiment, the group_ID is predefined for a plurality of loT tags 110 during production of the loT tags 110. The group_ID for the plurality of loT tags 110 is used to bulk-poll the entire group of loT tags 110 (based on the group_ID)_concurrently. In an embodiment, the authorization of users and/or third parties to initiate authentication and/or authorization, to bulk poll, and to initiate deauthentication and/or deauthorization, a group of loT tags 110 may be defined by an operator policy.

[0047] In an embodiment, the surrounding data, as determined by the server 140, provide information about the product (or item) on which the loT tag 110 is attached to and includes, for example, but not limited to, temperature, location, ethylene level, humidity, and the like, in the vicinity of the loT tag 110. In an embodiment, a dataset is generated for each loT tag 110 with respect to the loT tag ID to include, but not limited to, the determined surrounding data, associated metadata, and the like, based on received data packet (including signals from the loT tags). The generated dataset for each of the loT tags may be stored at a database 145 in the cloud computing platform 130. In some implementations, data packets received for a localized group of loT tags may be aggregated and processed to determine the surrounding data for the group of loT tags.

[0048] The server 140 is further configured to generate a notification. The notification includes, for example, but not limited to, an alert, a report, and the like, of one or more loT tags and may be provided for display at the supplier 170. The report provides at least the surrounding data of at least one loT tag that are requested for polling based on, for example, the operator policy. The operator policy includes a plurality of rules that determine, for example, but not limited to, a group of loT tags, a location, a base station, a time period, polling periodicity, and the like, and any combination thereof, for polling via the base station 120.

[0049] As an example, an operator policy defines periodic polling of group A loT tags at location B every 15 minutes and the same group of loT tags at all locations every 12 hours. The server 140 operating under the operator policy requests polling of group A loT tags at location B every 15 minutes through a base station covering location B. In the same example, server requests polling of group A loT tags every 12 hours through all base stations within the network. The respective group A loT tags transmit a signal upon receiving a polling request to the local base station, which are in return relayed to the server 140 for further processing. As noted above, the polling request is a request for information from the loT tag. It should be noted that the exact location of each loT tag is unknown since communication between the loT tags and the base station and/or server is not maintained continuously. Thus, a wakeup process occurs prior to communication.

[0050] In an embodiment, the loT tags 110 transmit signals intermittently upon wakeup (or activation) from deep-sleeping states (i.e., low power states). The loT tags 110 are, in general, at deep-sleeping states and may not be communicatively connected to the network to conserve energy at the loT tags 110, which may be, but is not limited to, battery-less ambient loT tags 110. A wakeup signal is sent to the loT tags 110 through the base stations 120. In an embodiment, the wakeup signal is generated and transmitted as a result of a polling request caused by the server 140 based on, for example, an operator policy. The wakeup signal and the polling request are sent over the cellular network based on a set of instructions. In an example embodiment, polling requests are periodically transmitted in predetermined time intervals. In another example embodiment, the polling request is sent upon specific requests from the supplier 170. In an embodiment, activated loT tag (or an loT tag in higher power state) may return to the deep-sleeping stage after a predetermined time period.

[0051] In an embodiment, the over-the-air wakeup signals are used as a reference clock for the loT tags 110. The loT tag 110 does not include a crystal or any physical source providing a reference clock that may increase cost, size, and power consumption in a wireless loT device. The loT tags 110 are calibrated following the wakeup process to switch its power state from low to higher power state to accurately communicate with the base stations 120. In some embodiments, the loT tags 110 are configured to respond to the wakeup signal indicating its loT tag ID and location. Here, such locational information of each of the loT tags is utilized to select loT tags in specific regions to request polling. An example technique for calibration and the loT tag 110 from over-the-air signals is described in more detail in U.S. Patent No. 10,886,929 to Yehezkely et al, assigned to the common assignee, the contents of which are hereby incorporated by reference. As noted, the wakeup signal is detected from existing wireless signals such as, but is not limited to, cellular standards (e.g., 2G, 3G, LTE, 4G, 5G, 5G mmWave, and the like).

[0052] Fig. 2 is an example flowchart 200 illustrating a method for accessing a localized group of loT tags according to an embodiment. In an embodiment, the loT tags (e.g., the loT tags 110, Fig. 1) are attached to, for example, an item, an RPC, and the like. The method described herein may be performed by a server, such as the server 140 in Fig. 1. The method may be simultaneously performed for one or more different localized groups.

[0053] The loT tags may be bulk registered at a server and/or a supplier (e.g., the server 140, supplier 170, Fig. 1 ), for example, in a bulk group of a few hundred loT tags. The bulk group of loT tag may be associated with, for example, but not limited to, a supplier, a customer, a product type, a warehouse, a shop, or the like, and any combination thereof. In an example embodiment, the loT tags may be registered by a supplier (e.g., the supplier 170, Fig. 1) which is associated with the product supplier and/or owner to collect information about supplier products affixed with loT tags. In addition, the RPC may again be registered at the supplier when the RPC is loaded with supplier products such as, without limitation, fresh produce. The server may receive information about the registered loT tags for accessing and monitoring the registered loT tags.

[0054] Moreover, the registration of loT tags may be performed in a bulk group of loT tags by, for example, the supplier or third parties that participate during the supply chain cycle. As an example, the loT tags may be registered when an item affixed with the loT tag is loaded. In another example, the loT tags may be registered at a farm when produce placed in RPCs with loT tags for transport. The information of registered loT tags may include for example, but not limited to, ID for a bulk group of loT tags (i.e. , group_ID). It should be noted that information of registered loT tags may include one or more bulk groups.

[0055] In an embodiment, the server and/or supplier initiates authentication and authorization (or registration) of the loT tags as a bulk group within the network before the first use. In a further embodiment, encryption and authentication of the bulk group of loT tags are used to poll requests and replies. In a further embodiment, users (e.g., of supplier 170, Fig. 1) and/or third parties may be authorized to initiate authentication and authorization, bulk poll, and initiate de-authentication and de-authorization of the group of loT tags based on an operator policy within the disclosed communication system. It should be noted that the localized group of loT tags is a subset of the bulk group of loT tags that are bulk registered and are located in proximity to each other. The localized group (i.e., the subset) may include one, all, or any number of loT tags in between. Moreover, the localized group may include loT tags in a communication region of one or more base stations, in some example cases, in a large geographical region, such as, but not limited to, an entire country.

[0056] At S210, a polling request is intermittently sent. In an embodiment, the polling request may be periodically sent to the base station (e.g., the base station 120, Fig. 1), for example, every 15 minutes. The intermittent polling request is sent based on, for example, but not limited to, an operator policy of the supplier, a demand submitted via a user device of the supplier, authorized third parties involved in the supply chain, and the like. The operator policy includes a plurality of rules that determine a bulk group of loT tags, a base station, a time period, and the like, and any combination thereof for sending a polling request. In a further embodiment, the request may include one or more bulk group_IDs. Each bulk group_ID is associated with a unique group of loT tags that are predetermined. In an embodiment, the bulk group_IDs may be predetermined during manufacturing. To this end, a single polling request may be utilized to activate and communicate with a plurality of loT tags in the one or more bulk group that are requested, as further discussed herein.

[0057] At S220, transmission of a wakeup signal to the loT tags is caused. The wakeup signals are transmitted to the loT tags over a network based on a set of instructions. In an embodiment, the wakeup signal allows calibration of the loT tags to transmit and receive RF signals over the network at a higher power state. The wakeup signal activates the loT tag that is at a deep-sleeping state, to conserve energy, and provides a reference clock for synchronization. It should be noted that the loT tags are at a deep-sleeping state (low energy state) without receiving the wakeup signal in order to conserve energy by maintaining the loT tag at the low-power state. Such duty cycling is particularly advantageous in reducing energy consumption at small battery-less ambient loT tags.

[0058] In an embodiment, the transmission of the wakeup signal is directed to a subset of loT tags based on the operation policy, specific demand, and the like. As an example, using the references of Fig. 1 for illustration, when a polling request is sent for loT tags in a first bulk group near the base station 120-1 , wakeup signal is caused to be transmitted to loT tags 110-1 , 110-2, and 110-4 that are within the communication range 121-1. In the same example, the wakeup signal is not sent to other loT tags 110-3 and 110-5 that are outside the communication boundary 121-1 in order to keep the other loT tags 101-3 and 101-5 in the deep-sleeping state. For this example illustration, all the loT tags are assumed to be part of the same first bulk group. However, if the loT tag 110-2 is part of a different second bulk group, the wakeup signal is not sent to the loT tag 110-2 even though the loT tag 110-2 is within the communication range 121-1.

[0059] In some embodiments, each loT tag transmits its ID and signal of location information as a response to the wakeup signal. The set of instructions are predetermined. In an embodiment, the set of instructions may be defined by the operator policy. In an embodiment, the wakeup signals are sent to the loT tags over the network, and specifically via the base station (e.g., the base station 120, Fig. 1). In some implementations, the communication between the server, base stations, and loT tags is over a cellular network.

[0060] At S230, the polling request to a plurality of loT tags is caused to be sent. The polling request is sent shortly after the wakeup signal is sent (S220). In an embodiment, the polling request is broadcast across the network via the plurality of base stations (e.g., the base stations 120, Fig. 1) based on the set of instructions. In a further embodiment, the polling request is broadcast to one or more specific locations, based on an operator policy, by broadcasting via selected base stations covering the specific area of locations (e.g., a warehouse, a portion of a town, a city, a country, etc.). In such a case, the polling request is sent for a subset of loT tags that are within the communication region of the particular base stations and not to other loT tags that are outside of that communication region. The request is sent to the plurality of loT tags in the subset of loT tags simultaneously by utilizing a bulk group_ID of the loT tags. As noted above, the bulk group of loT tags that is assigned with the same group_ID is predetermined. The subset of loT tags that are closely located within one or more communication region may be referred to as a localized group of loT tags. The subset of loT tags may include loT tags that are associated with, for example, but not limited to, a specific customer, a set of specific customers, a private customer, a specific product, a specific product type, a shop owner, a warehouse, and the like, and any combination thereof.

[0061] Such single command for polling group of loT tags enables conserving of resources at various components within the communication network (e.g., supplier server or device, server, base station, etc.). In an embodiment, encryption and authentication of the plurality of loT tags with the same bulk group_ID is used. As an example, when the operator policy instructs polling of C group of loT tags at store number 20 (#20), the polling request will be sent to a base station covering store #20 to communicate and receive signals from a subset of the C group loT tags at store #20. To this end, other C group loT tags that are located outside the area covered by the base station are not polled. In addition, D group loT tags at store #20 will not respond to the polling request. It should be noted that the disclosed embodiments enable effective polling of data from loT tags that are related (e.g., by group_ID) and localized in a particular region thereby providing bulk polling of localized groups of loT tags,

[0062] At S240, signals are received from the subset of loT tags. The signals from the loT tags are relayed through the local base station, in the vicinity of the loT tags, to the server over the network. The signals are transmitted together with the ID (of an individual and/or group) of the loT tag. In an embodiment, data packets that include signals and metadata (e.g., an identification of the base station that received reply to polling, a signal power, a direction of arrival, and the like, and any combination thereof) of the loT tags are received. The received signal provides information about the loT tag and the surrounding through further analysis. Each loT tag may include a frequency word detected or measured by the loT tag in use. It should be noted that loT tag signals are relayed back to the server as long as it is within the range of the communication protocol (e.g., 5G network). It should be further noted that data packets are received from loT tags that are activated by the wakeup signal and thus, in the higher power stage.

[0063] At S250, surrounding data is determined and a dataset is generated for at least one loT tag from which signals are received from. The sensing signals are utilized to determine the surrounding data, for example, but not limited to, temperature, humidity, ethylene level, location, and the like, and any combination thereof. The signals from the loT tag are information that the loT tag collects, for example, at current location. The surrounding data may be determined for each of the at least one loT tag in the subset based on the received data packet. In some embodiments, a collective analysis may be performed on signals received from multiple loT tags in close proximity to each other to increase accuracy of the surrounding data. [0064] The generated dataset includes data collected for each loT tag including received signals and metadata such as, but not limited to, a sensing signal, an ID of loT tag, a group_ID, an ID of the base station from which the signal was received, a signal power, a direction of arrival, and the like, and any combination thereof. In addition, the generated dataset may include the surrounding data determined for the loT tags and stored with respect to, for example, each loT tag, a subset of loT tags, and the like. In an embodiment, the dataset may be stored in a database of the cloud computing platform (e.g., the database 145 of the cloud computing platform 130, Fig. 1).

[0065] In an embodiment, the dataset may be accessed by a supplier (e.g., the supplier 170, Fig. 1) to perform a third-party analysis to optimize and control the supply chain based on the data collected from the loT tags deployed and utilized through their supply chain. The loT tags are recycled upon completing a cycle in the supply chain. For example, if the product (or RPC) finishes its task from being loaded with supplier product to sales (or consumption), the loT tags attached to the product are collected and recycled. In an embodiment, such recyclable loT tags are logged and then bulk deregistered (or deleted) from the supplier and the server of the cloud computing platform. The supplier initiates de-authentication and de-authorization of the loT tags from the network and deletes them from the server and/or supplier.

[0066] In a further embodiment, the generated dataset is utilized to determine an abnormal activity or status of the product attached with an loT tag. As an example, abnormal status is determined when the temperature data from the loT tag indicates that a produce is left at elevated temperature that can cause the produce to perish. In another example, a mix-up of RPC may be detected based on the location information from the generated dataset. It may be determined that an RPC with loT tag #1234 was shipped to New York City instead of the original destination of Philadelphia based on one or more datasets such as the loT tag ID, the ID of the base station, the direction of arrival, and the like. In an embodiment, a notification such as, an alert, a report, and the like, may be generated and caused to be displayed via a user device associated with the supplier.

[0067] Fig. 3 shows an example schematic diagram of an loT tag 110, designed according to the disclosed embodiments. The form factor of the loT tag 110 is an on-die package- less tag. In an example embodiment, the form factor of an loT tag 110 may be a sticker that is adapted to be applied to an item.

[0068] According to the disclosed embodiments, the ambient loT tag 110 is adapted to collect various information about its surroundings and transmit such information as data packets to a server (e.g., the server 140, Fig. 1) via one or more base stations (e.g., the base stations 120, Fig. 1). Such information is collected by one or more sensors such as, but not limited to, temperature, humidity, ethylene, location, and the like, and more, which may be, for example and without limitation, on, wire connected, wirelessly connected, and the like, to the loT device.

[0069] The ambient loT tag 110 may be a battery-less loT tag that harvests energy from ambient RF signals and thus, is maintained at a deep-sleeping state (low power state). Upon receiving a wakeup signal, the loT tag is activated to a higher power state in order to receive request signals and to transmit data packets. The loT tag, at its activated state, receives a polling request and sends data packets to the base station, which are relayed to the server over the network. In an embodiment, the loT tag receives the wakeup signal and the request signal via a base station that is within communication range to the loT tag. That is, the loT tag is within the communication boundary of the specific base station. It should be noted that the base station may add metadata (e.g., an identification of the base station that received reply to polling, a signal power, a direction of arrival, and the like, and any combination thereof) to the data packet for additional information for the server. The server is configured to process the received data packet to determine surrounding data for the loT tag. In an embodiment, the loT tag may return to the deep-sleeping state after a predetermined time period, for example, after transmission of the data packet.

[0070] As noted above, the loT tags may be assigned with a unique tag ID (for individual loT tag) and/or a unique group_ID (for a bulk group of loT tags). It should be noted that a duty cycle of the loT tag between the deep-sleeping state and the activated state allows conversation of energy at these loT tags, which are advantageous for ambient loT tags and may extend the lifetime of the loT tags, for example, up to 3-4 times than an ambient loT tag without such duty cycle. It should be further noted that the localized wakeup and communication of loT tags prevent unnecessary activation of loT tags that may be irrelevant, for example, an loT tag that is located in a different city, an loT tag that is not yet affixed, or the like, thereby further conserving energy of the loT tags.

[0071] The loT tag 110, as schematically demonstrated in Fig, 3, includes an energy harvester (harvester) 301 , coupled to an on-die capacitor 302 and an external passive capacitor 302’, a power management unit (PMU) 303, a microcontroller 304, a system on chip (SoC) 305, and a retention memory 306. The loT tag 110 further may include at least one antenna 310 that is, for example, glued to a substrate 320. In another embodiment, the antenna 310 may be printed or etched onto the substrate 320. In a further embodiment, an external passive capacitor 302’ may take the place of the antenna 310. In an embodiment, substrate 320 is made of a low-cost material, such as, but not limited to, polyethylene (PET), polyimide (PI), and polystyrene (PS). In another embodiment, the substrate’s 320 patterns (layout) may be any of aluminum, copper, or silver. The glue utilized to glue the die and/or antenna 310 may include materials such as an anisotropic conductive film (ACP), any type of conductive glue, solder paste, and the like.

[0072] In the embodiment shown in Fig. 3, the antenna 310 is coupled to the harvester 301 and may be utilized for energy harvesting as well as wireless communication. In some embodiments, multiple antennas may be utilized to harvest energy at multiple frequency bands. Other embodiments may include one or more antennas for energy harvesting and an antenna to receive/transmit wireless signals at the cellular frequency band. In some embodiments, the loT tag includes a printed battery.

[0073] The SoC 305 includes a number of execution functions realized as analog circuits, digital circuits, or both. Examples of such execution functions are provided below. The SoC 305 is also configured to carry out processes independently or under the control of the microcontroller 304. Each process carried out by the SoC 305 also has a state, and processes may communicate with other processes through an inter process communication (I PC) protocol. In the configuration illustrated in Fig. 3, the SoC 305 and/or the microcontroller 304 load the context of processes and reads data from the retention memory 306. [0074] The SoC 305 is partitioned into multiple power domains. Each power domain is a collection of gates powered by the same power and ground supply. To reduce the power consumption, only one power domain is turned on during execution. The SoC 305 performs functions, such as reading from and writing to memory, e.g., of peripherals, and executes simple logic operations; tracking power level of the SoC 305; generating and preparing data packets for transmission; cyclic redundancy check (CRC) code generation; packet whitening; encrypting/decrypting and authentication of packets; converting data from parallel to serial; and staging the packet bits to the analog transmitter path for transmission.

[0075] In a further embodiment, the SoC 305 includes an oscillator calibration circuit (OCC) 305-A. The OCC 305-A includes at least one frequency locking circuit (FLC), each of which is coupled to an oscillator (both are not shown). The FLC calibrates the frequency of an oscillator using an over-the-air reference signal. In an embodiment, the calibration of the respective oscillator is performed immediately prior to a data transmission session and remains free running during the data transmission session. The FLC may be realized using frequency locked loop (FLL), a phased locked loop (PLL), and a delay locked loop (DLL). An example implementation of an oscillator calibration circuit 305-A is discussed in U.S. Patent 10,886,929, assigned to the common assignee Yehezkely, and incorporated herein by reference.

[0076] According to the disclosed embodiments, the energy harvester 301 , the capacitor 302, PMU 303, microcontroller 304, SoC 305, and retention memory 306 are integrated in a die 330. The die 330 is, for example, but not limited to, glued to the substrate 320. The loT tag 110 does not include any external DC power source, such as a battery.

[0077] In an embodiment, the microcontroller 304 implements electronic circuits (such as, memory, logic, RF, etc.) performing various functions allowing communication using a low energy (or power) communication protocol. Examples for such protocols include 3GPP communications protocols such as, but are not limited to, 2G, 3G, LTE, 5G, 5G mmWave, and the like. Other low energy communication protocol includes, but are not limited to, Bluetooth®, LoRa, Wi-Gi®, nRF, DECT®, Zigbee®, Z-Wave, EnOcean, and the like. [0078] In some embodiments, the microcontroller 304 is integrated with wireless sensors (not shown) to complete an loT device’s functionality.

[0079] The harvester 301 is configured to provide multiple voltage levels to the microcontroller 304, while maintaining a low loading DC dissipation value. In an example implementation, the energy harvester 301 may include a voltage multiplier coupled to the antenna 310. The voltage multiplier may be a Dickson multiplier, while the antenna 310 is a receive/transmit antenna of the microcontroller 304. That is, in such a configuration, the antenna is primarily designed to receive and/or transmit wireless signals according to the respective communication protocol of the low-energy loT tag 110.

[0080] It should be noted that the antenna 310 may also be designed for energy harvesting and may operate on a different frequency band, direction, or both, than those defined in the standard of the respective communication protocol. Regardless of the configuration, energy can be harvested from any wireless signals received over the air. Alternatively, energy can be harvested from any other sources, such as solar, piezoelectric signals, and the like.

[0081] The harvested energy is stored in the on-die capacitor 302 and/or the external capacitor 302’. The PMU 303 is coupled to the capacitor 302 and is configured to regulate the power to the microcontroller 304 and SoC 305. Specifically, as the capacitance of the capacitor 302 is very limited, the power consumption should be carefully maintained. This maintenance is performed to avoid draining of the capacitor 302, thus resetting the microcontroller 304. The PMU 303 can be realized using a Schmitt trigger that operates on a predefined threshold (Vref), e.g., Vref = 0.85V.

[0082] In another embodiment, the PMU 303 may be further configured to provide multilevel voltage level indications to the microcontroller 304. Such indications allow the microcontroller 304 to determine the state of a voltage supply at any given moment when the capacitor 302 charges or discharges. According to this embodiment, the PMU 303 may include detection circuitry controlled by a controller. The detection circuity includes different voltage reference threshold detectors, where only a subset of such detectors is active at a given time to perform the detection. [0083] The loT tag 110 does not include any crystal oscillator providing a reference clock signal. According to an embodiment, the reference clock signal is generated using over-the-air signals (e.g., wakeup signal) received from the antenna 310. As noted above, in a typical deployment, a free-running oscillator is locked via a Phase-Locked Loop (PLL) to a clock, originating from a crystal oscillator. According to the disclosed embodiments, the OCC 305-A calibrates the frequency of an oscillator using an over- the-air reference signal. The oscillator(s) implemented in the tag 110 are on-die oscillators and may be realized as a digitally controlled oscillator (DCO).

[0084] The retention memory 306 is a centralized area that is constantly powered. Data to be retained during low power states is located in the retention memory 306. In an embodiment, the retention area is optimized to subthreshold or near threshold voltage, e.g., 0.3V - 0.4V. This allows for the reduction of the leakage of the retention cells.

[0085] Fig. 4 is an example schematic diagram of a server 140 according to an embodiment. The server 140 includes a processing circuitry 410 coupled to a memory 420, a storage 430, and a network interface 440. In an embodiment, the components of the server 140 may be communicatively connected via a bus 450. In an embodiment, the server 140 and the supplier 170 may be configured together in a single component, device, server, and the like. Further, the supplier 170 may be structured to include the elements as shown in Fig. 4.

[0086] The processing circuitry 410 may be realized as one or more hardware logic components and circuits, examples of which are provided above.

[0087]The memory 420 may be volatile (e.g., RAM, etc.), non-volatile (e.g., ROM, flash memory, etc.), or a combination thereof. In one configuration, computer readable instructions to implement one or more embodiments disclosed herein may be stored in the storage 430.

[0088] In another embodiment, the memory 420 is configured to store software. Software shall be construed broadly to mean any type of instructions, whether referred to as software, firmware, middleware, microcode, hardware description language, or otherwise. Instructions may include code (e.g., in source code format, binary code format, executable code format, or any other suitable format of code). The instructions, when executed by the processing circuitry 410, cause the processing circuitry 410 to perform the various processes described herein.

[0089] The storage 430 may be magnetic storage, optical storage, and the like, and may be realized, for example, as flash memory or other memory technology, CD-ROM, Digital Versatile Disks (DVDs), or any other medium which can be used to store the desired information.

[0090] The network interface 440 allows the server 140 to communicate with the base stations (e.g., base stations 120, Fig. 1) and with a user device (not shown) of a supplier (e.g., supplier 170, Fig. 1) for the purpose of, for example, receiving data, sending data, and the like. Further, the network interface 440 allows the server 140 to communicate with the loT tag via the base station for the purpose of collecting frequency words.

[0091] It should be understood that the embodiments described herein are not limited to the specific architecture illustrated in Fig. 4, and other architectures may be equally used without departing from the scope of the disclosed embodiments.

[0092] It should be noted that the computer-readable instructions may be construed broadly to mean any type of instructions, whether referred to as software, firmware, middleware, microcode, hardware description language, or otherwise. Instructions may include code, such as in source code format, binary code format, executable code format, or any other suitable format of code. The instructions, when executed by the circuitry, cause the circuitry to perform the various processes described herein.

[0093] The various embodiments disclosed herein can be implemented as hardware, firmware, software, or any combination thereof. Moreover, the software may be implemented as an application program tangibly embodied on a program storage unit or computer readable medium consisting of parts, or of certain devices and/or a combination of devices. The application program may be uploaded to, and executed by, a machine comprising any suitable architecture. Preferably, the machine is implemented on a computer platform having hardware such as one or more central processing units (“CPUs”), a memory, and input/output interfaces. The computer platform may also include an operating system and microinstruction code. The various processes and functions described herein may be either part of the microinstruction code or part of the application program, or any combination thereof, which may be executed by a CPU, whether or not such a computer or processor is explicitly shown. In addition, various other peripheral units may be connected to the computer platform such as an additional data storage unit and a printing unit. Furthermore, a non- transitory computer readable medium is any computer readable medium except for a transitory propagating signal.

[0094] All examples and conditional language recited herein are intended for pedagogical purposes to aid the reader in understanding the principles of the disclosed embodiment and the concepts contributed by the inventor to furthering the art, and are to be construed as being without limitation to such specifically recited examples and conditions. Moreover, all statements herein reciting principles, aspects, and embodiments of the disclosed embodiments, as well as specific examples thereof, are intended to encompass both structural and functional equivalents thereof. Additionally, it is intended that such equivalents include both currently known equivalents as well as equivalents developed in the future, i.e., any elements developed that perform the same function, regardless of structure.

[0095] It should be understood that any reference to an element herein using a designation such as “first,” “second,” and so forth does not generally limit the quantity or order of those elements. Rather, these designations are generally used herein as a convenient method of distinguishing between two or more elements or instances of an element. Thus, a reference to first and second elements does not mean that only two elements may be employed there or that the first element must precede the second element in some manner. Also, unless stated otherwise, a set of elements comprises one or more elements.

[0096] As used herein, the phrase “at least one of” followed by a listing of items means that any of the listed items can be utilized individually, or any combination of two or more of the listed items can be utilized. For example, if a system is described as including “at least one of A, B, and C,” the system can include A alone; B alone; C alone; 2A; 2B; 2C; 3A; A and B in combination; B and C in combination; A and C in combination; A, B, and C in combination; 2A and C in combination; A, 3B, and 2C in combination; and the like.

Claims

CLAIMS What is claimed is:

1. A method for a localized group access for ambient internet of things (loT) tags, comprising: causing transmission of a wakeup signal to a subset of loT tags in a localized region determined based on an operator policy, wherein the wakeup signal activates the subset of loT tags from a deep-sleeping state, and wherein the subset of loT tags include a plurality of loT tags; causing sending of a polling request to the subset of loT tags; and receiving data packets from at least one of the subset of loT tags that includes signals of loT tags and metadata.

2. The method of claim 1 , further comprising: determining surrounding data for the subset of loT tags based on the received data packets.

3. The method of claim 1 , further comprising: sending the polling request to a base station based on the operator policy, wherein the base station communicates with the subset of loT tags in the localized region.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein the operator policy includes a plurality of rules that define at least one of: a group of loT tags, a base station, a polling periodicity, and a time period.

5. The method of claim 2, wherein the surrounding data includes at least one of: temperature, humidity, ethylene level, and location, of a vicinity of the subset of loT tags.

6. The method of claim 1 , wherein the subset of loT tags is calibrated using a reference clock provided by the wakeup signal.

7. The method of claim 1 , wherein the subset of loT tags is at least a portion of a bulk group of loT tags.

8. The method of claim 1 , wherein an loT tag of the loT tags is a battery-less loT tag that is adapted to attach to a surface.

9. The method of claim 1 , wherein an loT of the loT tags is an ambient loT tag harvesting energy from ambient radio frequency (RF).

10. A non-transitory computer readable medium having stored thereon instructions for causing a processing circuitry to execute a process, the process comprising: causing transmission of a wakeup signal to a subset of loT tags in a localized region determined based on an operator policy, wherein the wakeup signal activates the subset of loT tags from a deep-sleeping state, and wherein the subset of loT tags include a plurality of loT tags; causing sending of a polling request to the subset of loT tags; and receiving data packets from at least one of the subset of loT tags that includes signals of loT tags and metadata.

11. A system for a localized group access for ambient internet of things (loT) tags, comprising: a processing circuitry; and a memory, the memory containing instructions that, when executed by the processing circuitry, configure the system to: cause transmission of a wakeup signal to a subset of loT tags in a localized region determined based on an operator policy, wherein the wakeup signal activates the subset of loT tags from a deep-sleeping state, and wherein the subset of loT tags include a plurality of loT tags; cause sending of a polling request to the subset of loT tags; and receive data packets from at least one of the subset of loT tags that includes signals of loT tags and metadata.

12. The system of claim 11 , wherein the system is further configured to: determine surrounding data for the subset of loT tags based on the received data packets.

13. The system of claim 11 , wherein the system is further configured to: send the polling request to a base station based on the operator policy, wherein the base station communicates with the subset of loT tags in the localized region.

14. The system of claim 11 , wherein the operator policy includes a plurality of rules that define at least one of: a group of loT tags, a base station, a polling periodicity, and a time period.

15. The system of claim 12, wherein the surrounding data includes at least one of: temperature, humidity, ethylene level, and location, of a vicinity of the subset of loT tags.

16. The system of claim 11 , wherein the subset of loT tags is calibrated using a reference clock provided by the wakeup signal.

17. The system of claim 11 , wherein the subset of loT tags is at least a portion of a bulk group of loT tags.

18. The system of claim 11 , wherein an loT tag of the loT tags is a battery-less loT tag that is adapted to attach to a surface.

19. The system of claim 11 , wherein an loT tag of the loT tags is an ambient harvesting energy from ambient radio frequency (RF).