Power-Aware Computing & Power Harvesting ❯ Overview of Three Projects

A Pervasive Approach to Power-Aware Computing

We introduce a novel approach to conserve power in networked mobile devices by exploiting communication within a pervasive smart space as an opportunity to save power as opposed to the classical view of communication as a drain on resources. We outsource intensive computations to the network whenever a pervasive connection to the internet exists and when it pays off to do so. At compile-time our approach generates two versions of the program being compiled, a client version and a server version, each containing the necessary code to handle the run-time decision of executing code locally on the mobile device or remotely to the server based on power efficiency.

An API for Active Mode Power Saving

Most power saving modes, algorithms and techniques are passive, concentrating primarily on saving power in periods of inactivities. We examine the possibility of Active Mode Power Management (AM/PM) at the application layer attempting to exploit the maximal amount of power savings even when the user is actively using the mobile device. We developed a simple and intuitive API for application programmers.

Self Powered Wireless Sensors: Remotely Powered Wireless Sensors using Wireless Power Transfer

Self powered wireless sensors harvest clean ambient energy (Solar, Motion, Thermal, Radio, etc.) from the surrounding environment the sensor is located in, and transforms this energy into usable "DC"-energy. When enough energy is harvested, and stored, the sensor is able to broadcast a sensor reading via low power transmitter to a remote server in the vicinity. In the case of wireless nodes, backup power would have to be delivered without using any wires by means of radio energy propagation, which is referred to as wireless power transfer (WPT). The concept of WPT is as simple as generating a high power radio signal and beaming it towards a wireless sensor. The wireless sensor has the ability to detect this radio signal and turn it into usable DC-energy to store it locally as backup energy or use it to recharge a local battery.

When enough energy is harvested by the sensor, it is able to read a local temperature sensor (or any low power sensor) and broadcast the sensor reading via low power transmitter to a remote server in the vicinity. The remote server captures this data and emulates the remote sensor as physically attached sensor to an ATLAS node. This concept achieves physical connection transparency of sensors and maintenance free wireless sensors. Click here for explainatory images.

People

Dr. Sumi Helal
Ahmed Abukmail
Ed Kouch
Rick Loy

Publications

• A. Abukmail and A. Helal, "Energy Management for Mobile Devices through Computation Outsourcing within Pervasive Smart Spaces," Submitted to the IEEE Transactions on Mobile Computing. Submitted January 2007. (pdf)

• A. Abukmail and A. Helal, "A Pervasive Internet Approach to Fine-Grain Power-Aware Computing," Proceedings of the IEEE/IPSJ International Symposium on Applications and the Internet (SAINT), Phoenix, Arizona, January 2006. ( pdf)

• R. Loy and A. Helal, "Active Mode Power Management in Mobile Devices," Proceedings of the 5th World Multi-Conferences on Systematics, Cybernetics, and Informatics, July 2001, Orlando, Florida (pdf)