BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Field of the Invention

The present invention relates to an operating method for a wirelessly communicating electronic device. The invention also relates to a wirelessly communicating electronic device implementing this method.

The invention is applicable to the field of home automation systems, and more generally to the field of wirelessly communicating objects electrically powered by an embedded power storage means, such as an electric battery.

DESCRIPTION OF THE RELATED ART

The known communicating objects are electronic devices provided with an embedded radiofrequency transmitter suitable for exchanging data with other remote devices, for example within a network of the “Internet of things” type. In order to communicate with a remote device, these objects send a radiofrequency message using their radiofrequency transmitter, which is powered by the power storage means.

These devices are typically autonomous in terms of electrical energy, that is to say, they are not connected to a power grid and depend solely on their internal power storage means to operate. This power storage means can be recharged by an energy harvesting apparatus, which may or may not be integrated into the device.

One drawback is that it is not possible to guarantee that the power storage means will, at a given moment, contain a sufficient quantity of energy to allow the device to perform certain functions. In particular, there is a risk that, when the device must transmit a radiofrequency message, the power storage means will not contain enough electrical energy for the message to be able to be transmitted successfully, that is to say, for it to be able to be transmitted in its entirety. The operation of the electronic device is therefore not guaranteed under all circumstances, which is not satisfactory.

BRIED SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The invention more specifically aims to address these drawbacks, by proposing a wirelessly communicating electronic device in which the energy consumption is optimized during the sending of a radio message.

To that end, the invention relates to an operating method for a wirelessly communicating electronic device, the electronic device comprising:an electronic control circuit comprising a memory and a radiofrequency transmitter configured to transmit a radiofrequency message anda rechargeable electrical power storage means comprising at least one non-rechargeable electrical battery and configured to supply electricity to the electronic device, the method comprising the following steps:a) acquisition, by the electronic control circuit of the electronic device, of a radiofrequency frame representative of at least one data item intended to be transmitted according to a communication protocol by the radiofrequency transmitter in a radiofrequency message;b) determination, by the control circuit, of the amount of power available in the power storage means;c) determination, by the control circuit, of the length of the radiofrequency message to be transmitted, the radiofrequency message comprising at least the acquired radiofrequency frame;d) determination of transmission parameters of the radiofrequency transmitter, the determination being carried out by the control circuit according to the values determined for the length of the message and the amount of power available in the power storage means;e) transmission of the radiofrequency message by the radiofrequency transmitter according to the communication protocol, using the determined transmission parameters.

Owing to the invention, before the sending of each message, the operating parameters of the radiofrequency transmitter are adapted automatically as a function of the energy available in the power storage means.

According to advantageous but optional aspects of the invention, such a process may incorporate one or more of the following features, considered alone or according to any technically allowable combination:A step for prior determination of the amount of energy available in the power storage means from the measurement of at least one electrical property relative to the power storage means, the determined amount of available energy being recorded in the memory, step b) comprising reading the amount of available energy recorded in the memory.A step for periodically updating the determined amount of available energy recorded in the memory.A step for testing the quality of the power storage means, the test being done by measuring the voltage across the terminals of the power storage means.Measuring the temperature within the device, using a temperature measurement apparatus, and wherein the determined amount of available energy is corrected based on the measured temperature.Step d) comprises selecting a specific operating point among a set of predefined operating points of the transmitter stored in a computer memory of the control circuit, the set of predefined operating points defining correspondence rules creating a relationship between the predefined operating points and, on the one hand, values or ranges of values of the message lengths, and on the other hand, values or ranges of values of the amount of energy available in the power storage means, and wherein the specific operating point is selected by identifying, within the set, the predefined operating point corresponding to the determined values of the message length and the available amount of energy.Step d) further comprises determining an operating class of the radiofrequency transmitter.Step d) further comprises determining the energy necessary for the radiofrequency transmitter in order to transmit a radiofrequency 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 sub-step for optimizing the operating classes and the operating point of the transmitter.

According to another aspect, the invention also relates to a wirelessly communicating electronic device comprising an electronic control circuit comprising a radiofrequency transmitter configured to transmit a radiofrequency message according to a communication protocol and an electrical power storage means comprising at least one non-rechargeable electric battery and configured to power the electronic device electrically. The control circuit is programmed to carry out the operating method as previously described.

According to advantageous but optional aspects of the invention, such an electronic device may also incorporate one or more of the following features, considered alone or according to any technically allowable combination:The control circuit is programmed in order, during step b), to estimate the amount of available energy by measuring at least one electrical property relative to the power storage means, in particular a voltage across the terminals of the power storage means, then by computing the remaining amount of energy using a predefined relationship stored in a memory of the control circuit, this predefined relationship depending on characteristics of the electric battery, such as the battery technology, the type of material used in the battery, the number of batteries in the power storage means, and, if applicable, the connection in series or in parallel of these electric batteries;The control circuit is further programmed to automatically select, based on detected characteristics of the power storage means, the corresponding relationship, among the relationships recorded in the memory;The electronic device further comprises a temperature measuring apparatus intended to measure the temperature inside the device, and the control circuit is programmed in order, during step b), to correct the value of the determined amount of available energy based on the measured temperature.

