Wireless communications and transducer based event detection platform
A low-cost, multi-function adhesive wireless communications and transducer platform with a form factor that unobtrusively integrates one or more transducers and one or more wireless communication devices in an adhesive product system. In an aspect, the adhesive product system integrates transducer and wireless communication components within a flexible adhesive structure in a way that not only provides a cost-effective platform for interconnecting, optimizing, and protecting the constituent components but also maintains the flexibility needed to function as an adhesive product that can be deployed seamlessly and unobtrusively into various applications and workflows, including sensing, notification, security, and object tracking applications, and asset management workflows such as manufacturing, storage, shipping, delivery, and other logistics associated with moving products and other physical objects.
1. A wireless communications and transducer platform, comprising:
a plurality of segments of a laminated structure comprising a cover and a substrate;
wherein, in a device layer between the cover and the substrate, each of the plurality of segments includes components comprising
an antenna;
a wireless communications system coupled to the antenna;
a transducer operable to generate ambient data characterizing an environmental state of the segment in response to exposure to external stimulus;
a processor coupled to the wireless communications system and the transducer;
an energy storage component coupled to the processor, the transducer, and the wireless communications system;
a non-transitory processor-readable medium comprising processor-readable instructions which, when executed by the processor, configures the processor to perform operations comprising evaluating the ambient data, ascertaining whether the evaluated ambient data is detected as an event, and responding to a detected event; and
in each of one or more of the plurality of segments, a respective opening in the laminated structure aligned with the respective transducer.
2. The wireless communications and transducer platform of claim 1 , wherein the transducer is s light sensor and the opening in the laminated structure comprises a window that is optically transparent to light within a wavelength range detectable by the light sensor.
3. The wireless communications and transducer platform of claim 1 , wherein the transducer comprises an image sensor and the opening comprises a lens that is optically transparent to light within a wavelength range detectable by the image sensor.
4. The wireless communications and transducer platform of claim 1 , wherein the transducer is a light emitter and the opening in the laminated structure comprises a window that is optically transparent to light within a wavelength range transmittable by the light emitter.
5. The wireless communications and transducer platform of claim 1 , wherein the transducer is a radio frequency energy harvesting coil electrically coupled to the energy storage component.
6. The wireless communications and transducer platform of claim 5 , wherein the opening in the laminated structure comprises an interface that is impedance-matched with the radio frequency energy harvesting coil.
7. The wireless communications and transducer platform of claim 1 , wherein the transducer is a microphone and the opening in the laminated structure comprises a diaphragm of the microphone.
8. The wireless communications and transducer platform of claim 1 , wherein the transducer is a loudspeaker and the opening in the laminated structure comprises a diaphragm of the loudspeaker.
9. The wireless communications and transducer platform of claim 1 , wherein the evaluated ambient data is detected as an event based on a detected change in level of a parameter characterizing the state of the segment above a threshold level.
10. The wireless communications and transducer platform of claim 9 , wherein the evaluated ambient data is detected as an event based on a detected acceleration of a segment of the platform above a threshold acceleration level.
11. The wireless communications and transducer platform of claim 1 , wherein the evaluated ambient data is detected as an event based on a detected temperature of a segment of the platform above a threshold temperature level.
12. The wireless communications and transducer platform of claim 1 , wherein the evaluated ambient data is detected as an event based on a detected torsion of a segment of the platform above a threshold torsion level.
13. The wireless communications and transducer platform of claim 1 , wherein the evaluated ambient data is detected as an event based on a detected strain of a segment of the platform above a threshold strain level.
14. The wireless communications and transducer platform of claim 1 , wherein the instructions configure the processor to perform operations comprising detecting an occurrence of the event based on execution of machine learning classification application program on the ambient data characterizing the environmental state of the segment.
15. The wireless communications and transducer platform of claim 1 , wherein the instructions configure the processor to perform operations comprising detecting an occurrence of the event based on execution of deterministic application program on the ambient data characterizing the environmental state of the segment.
16. The wireless communications and transducer platform of claim 1 , wherein responsive to the detected event, the processor is operable to control the wireless communications system to transmit a wireless message comprising a notification of the detected event.
17. The wireless communications and transducer platform of claim 16 , wherein responsive to the detected event, the processor is operable to control the wireless communications system to transmit a predefined response associated with the detected event.
18. The wireless communications and transducer platform of claim 1 , wherein responsive to a detected event, the processor is operable to control the wireless communications system to call emergency services.
19. The wireless communications and transducer platform of claim 1 , wherein the cover and the substrate are flexible and are laminated to a pressure sensitive adhesive layer.