ABSTRACT

If we just date back to January 9,2007, it’s the date when the
world first witnessed a smart phone, and in fact, the first ‘Touch screen
phone’. Mr.Jobs, the owner of Apple Inclusive launched the “I-phone”
aiming to turn everyone’s life uncomplicated and then, it has been twelve
years since the launch of the smart phone, and in these 12 years, the world
has observed a revolutionary change in the era of smart phones. One of
the most drastic changes was witnessed in the batteries of these smart
phones, ranging from 1000mAh to 5000mAh on an average. In the past
couple of years, intense usage of smart phones for various purposes has
resulted in battery draining at a rapid rate. Many types of research have
been done in order to find the exact reason for the battery drain at a rapid
rate and its solutions, although none of them were able to accomplish
anything special, and hence, rather than to find a solution to battery’s long
life, a different solution was established, and it was to construct phones,
which can be operated without batteries. This report focuses on the
implementations of “Battery Less Phones”, and on its pros and cons. It
will also state some of the economic and possible changes that can be
made. The battery less phone prototype is built using commercial-off-the-
shelf components on a printed circuit board. It can operate on power that
is harvested from RF signals transmitted by a base station 31 feet (9.4 m)
away. Further, using power harvested from ambient light with tiny
photodiodes, we show that our device can communicate with a base
station that is 50 feet (15.2 m) away. This is a major leap in the capability
of battery less phones and a step towards a fully functional battery less
phones.

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 INTRODUCTION

This report asks the following question: Can we design a battery less phone
that operates while consuming only a few micro-watts of power? Given that
batteries add weight, bulk, cost, require recharging and replacement, a
positive answer would enable phones that have two-way communication
capabilities without the need for batteries. Further, a microwatt-power phone
can use cheap and lightweight harvesting sources including radio signals and
photodiodes instead of bulky and expensive solar cells. Finally, such a design
would represent a fundamental leap in the capability of battery less phone.
The key challenge in achieving this is that a phone is required to perform
multiple basic operations: sensing speech at the device, transmitting it to the
base station, receiving speech information from the base station and finally
actuating the speaker/earphones. Designing a battery less phone system
requires us to perform all these functions, in real time, using only a few
micro-watts of power [1]. To appreciate this challenge, it is instructive to
look at existing low-power battery less sensor prototypes. RF-powered
sensors such as accelerometers, humidity and temperature sensors are
heavily duty cycled to send sensor data once every few seconds or minutes.
The phone developed, features a dial pad, a small LED light and will also
include an E-ink display.

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 CHAPTER –1

ARCHITECTURE OF BATTERY LESS PHONE

1.1 Architecture of Battery Less Phone

Figure 1.1: Architecture of Battery Free Phone

The phone uses harvester to convert RF or ambient light into DC power.

It uses analog backscatter to directly transmit analog speech from a
passive microphone and amplitude modulation to receive analog speech
from the base station.

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 The phone has an MSP430 micro-controller which implements a digital
state machine and controls different modulus of the phone. It also has
capacitive touch buttons and LEDs to interact with the user and uses
digital backscatter to occasionally communicate state information with
the base station.

It disconnects the microphone and AM receiver from the antenna to

switch between different modes consumes 0.22 micro watts. Finally, the
MSP430 micro-controller which implements control and state machine
operates in low power mode (LPM3) and has a quiescent power
consumption of 0.86 micro watts. Thus, by using a combination of analog
and digital approaches we operate the battery less phone on a budget of a
few microwatts (3.48 micro watts).

1.2 Components

1. RF Antenna

2. Photodiode Harvester

3. Digital Rx

4. Digital Tx

5. MSP430 Micro-controller

6. LED’s

7. Speaker

8. Microphone

9. Capacitive Touch Inputs

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 CHAPTER – 2

FRAMEWORK FOR BATTERY LESS PHONE

2.1 Procedure for Fetching Energy from Ambient Sources

2.1.1 Harnessing Energy

In order to harness energy from the ambient sources, a base station is

required and the base station is required and the base station is placed as
per the range specified (31 feet-50 feet), RF energy can be transmitted in
unlicensed bands or grids ranging from 868MHz to 5.4GHz from their
respective base stations. It is then, that this RF energy is transfigured into
DC power through some energy harnessing devices such as “Powercast’s
Powerharvester Receivers”, these receivers also contain criterion or
conventional antennas having an average resistance of 40-50 ohms.

Figure 2.1.1 Harnessing Energy

The main feature of these harvesters is to maintain the effectiveness while

maintaining the disparities of RF to DC transfiguration in order to make
the output stable, although heading with the new technology of battery
free phones, the procedure was very different as compared to the
described one.

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In the phone, a “photo diode” was used to convert the ambient light into
current or DC power. These photo diodes can also produce energy in
absence of light as they contain optical fibres and in-built lenses to
perform better in dark conditions.

2.1.2 Conversion of Ambient Signals to Power with the Photo Diode

The researchers at the University easily found the fact that using a photo
diode for converting ambient signals and light into current is much
efficient and economical than installing a power harvester since the
amount of power required for the functioning of the prototype was very
less. A photo diode is a semiconductor, with p-n junction diode and an
intrinsic layer between two junctions. The photocurrent is provoked by
the electron hole pair because of the assimilation of light between
depletion region. When photons of energy greater than 1.1electron volt
(eV) strike the diode, electron-hole pair are originated. If the absorption
occurs in the depletion region of the p-n junction, these hole pairs are
wiped from the junction – due to the inbuilt electric field of the depletion
region. Hence, the holes proceed toward the anode and the electrons move
toward the cathode, thereby generating photocurrent. The sum of
photocurrents and dark currents, which flow with or without light, is the
amount of current progressing through the photodiode, and this is how a
small amount of power is generated in the battery less phone with the
assistance of a tiny photo diode.

Figure 2.1.2 Photo Diode

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 CHAPTER-3

PROTOTYPE AND WORKING OF BATTERY LESS

PHONE

3.1 Introduction to Prototype and working of Battery Less Phone

In the given model, the user undertakes a button to twig in between the
two transmitting and listening notes. The team of researchers utilized the
shell components on a printed circuit board and the team corroborated and
ensured that the battery free prototype can perform basic functions like
calling someone up and then hanging up the call without any inadequate
call drops. A custom base station collects the data in form of digital
packages with the help of a “Backscatter” and connects our call through
“Skype” and the person at the other end answers the call and responds.
The device inherits the signals with a technology referred as “Zero Power
Amplitude Modulation” and plants the audio onto the earphones. For
making a call, the user has to dial the number on the dial pad and has to
speak into the microphone.

3.1.1 Shell Component and its Working

The Shell, which is used with the kernel (part of operating system), is a
part of the operating system of the battery free device that is utilized for
recasting the human made programming into the machine language.

Figure 3.1.1 Shell Component and its Working

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When the user enters the command for executing any sort of operation,
the request proceeds to the shell parts, also known as interpreter which
then translates the code and transfers it to the Kernel [3], the Kernel then
receives and accepts the request and exhibits it on to the display area or
screen. The Kerner also provides memory for the running processes on
the prototype.

3.1.2 How is Power Saved?

If we head back again towards the mobiles and devices of today’s
generation, the phenomenon behind the battery’s hunger for power is the
process of converting analog signals into digital data packages that a
phone can internet. This process consumed the highest amount of power
in smart phones that we are operating at present, however that’s not the
case with battery free phones as the battery free prototype takes the
dominance of minute vibrations that occur in the phone’s microphone and
speaker when the user speaks into the microphone or listens to an
incoming call. An antenna connected to the shell and speaker components
receives the analog radio signals, which are emitted by the cellular base
station and these signals are transmitted back to the cellular base station
by the use of a “backscatter” in order to maintain a cycle of transferring
digital packages that furthermore helps in retaining signal strength so that
the call doesn’t hang up in an insufficient manner.

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 CHAPTER-4

BACKSCATTER-WORKING AND PERFORMANCE

4.1 Introduction to Backscatter-working and performance

A backscatter is a device that reflects or deviates any particle through an

angle measure of approximately 180 degrees. RFID (Radio Frequency
Identification) backscattering is a technology which uses the RF power
transmitter in accordance to the tag reader to vitalize the tag (objects that
are to be identified). Necessarily, they “deviate” part of the power
conveyed by the reader, although it affects some of the properties, and in
this manner, it sends backs information to the reader. With the help of
RFID backscatter, some tags obtain their data transmission by converting
the properties of the tags themselves, where as the rest twig between a
load resistor in and out of the antenna circuit [3]. RFID backscatter
conversion controls outside the field region, and the radio signal
proliferates away from the RFID reader. When the signal approaches the
RFID tag, this inter communicates with the ongoing signal and some
energy is deviated towards the RFID reader [2].

Figure 4.1 Backscatter-working and performance

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 CHAPTER-5

SOLAR CELL PERFORMANCE

5.1 Solar cell work and how it increases range by saving energy

Solar cell constitutes of P-N junction diode, which is assembled from Silicon and
Germanium. With the help of vapor deposition, P type layer is diffused over N type
semiconductor with p type having some electrodes. This process constructs open
space for light to fall on P layer and hence underlying the P-N junction [1]. The
bottom of N layer comprises of current assembling electrode. When a light photon
arrives at the junction, they exhilarate electrons from valence band to conduction
band, discarding behind an equal number of holes in the valence band.

Figure 5.1 Solar Cell

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The electron hole generated in the depletion region accelerates in opposite
direction because of the barrier field. Photo generated electrons accelerate
in the direction of n type and electrons directed towards p side. The hoard
of these charges carriers formulates p side, a positive electrode, and N
side, a negative electrode. Hence photo voltage is set up across the
junction. When load resistance is connected in the circuit, the current
flows through the solar cell [3]. This current from the solar cell is greater
than that produced by the RF signals and hence a reason, the capacity of
backscatter increases in order to send digital packages back to the base
station, and finally the range increases.

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 CHAPTER-6

ADVANTAGES

6.1 Advantages of Battery Less Phones

The advantages of this battery less phone is exceptional, though the
implementation of this phone completely, is still a mystery. From saving
energy to utilizing new technology, this outstanding prototype stands
rigidly in every part of the platform, where it comes to energy saving.

6.1.1 Conserves Electricity

Since the phone doesn’t consist of a battery, it saves electricity to a great
amount. As per a survey, it approximately costs a person around 5$ a year
to charge a phone. The amount may not seem that big, but it increases to
500$ for 10 years and around 5000$ in a century. So now it can be easily
figured that battery less phone can save electricity and money by large
amounts.

6.1.2 Saves Time

From some of the latest facts and figures, it was estimated that a person
usually spends approximately 2.5 hours in a day while waiting for the
phone to charge. The amount of time increases to around 1000 hours in a
year.

6.1.3 Low Power Consumption

As explained earlier, the battery less phone consumes only 3.5 microwatts
of power, which is captured from ambient power sources. On an average,
it was found that charging our phone consumes 1kWh of power in a year.
The power is quite low as compared to the time period of one year,
although if we imagine that if a normal mobile with battery consumes this
much power, then how many years would it take for a battery less phone
to use 1kWh of power? The answer goes even beyond by a huge amount.

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 Table 6.1.3 Power Consumption of the Battery Less Phones

6.1.4 No Charging Issues

The fact is not hidden charging that charging a phone, again and again,
annoys a person, the most. Charging a phone completely and plugging it
once more after using it for some hours, displeases the user in emergency
and crucial situations. With the battery less phone, anyone can operate the
phone anytime and anywhere without worrying about the sudden drain of
the battery.

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 CHAPTER-7

7.1 Result

Figure 7.1 Prototype of the proposed Battery Less Phone

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 CONCLUSION

It was extremely astonishing to witness that a group of researchers have

finally developed a phone that uses no power, which means the phone has
no battery and harnesses energy from ambient signals and light sources.
Even Mr. Jobs, who designed the first ever smart phone, might have never
thought that smart phones would be able to use it without a rechargeable
option, that is without a battery. The phone just consumes 3.5 microwatts
of power and harvest energy from ambient radio and light sources with
the help of minute diodes that convert light and signal strength into a
current which is furthermore converted into few microwatts of power.
With the phone, we can dial a number and call to another person. The
phone possesses a backscatter that sends the digital packages back to the
cellular base station. The base station then receives the signals and
connects the call through skype. The battery less phone obtains signals
with the help of zero power amplitude modulation and transfers audio
onto our earphones. To respond, the user has to press a button and speak
into the microphone. Even after combining these amazing technologies,
the phone has multiple disadvantages, Range being the biggest one. As
per the rate of technology, these limitations will be fixed soon with all the
wifi routers having RF emission sources, and we would soon witness an
‘Advanced Battery Less Phone’ with multiple features.

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 REFERENCES

[1] Shin, Choonsung, Jin-Hyuk Hong, Anind K. Dey, “Understanding and

prediction of mobile application usage for smart phones”, In proceedings
of the 2012 ACM conference on ubiquitous computing, pp. 173-
182.ACM, 2012.
[2] Goodenough, John B., Kyu-Sung Park, “The Li-ion rechargeable
battery: A perspective.” Journal of the American Chemical Society 135,
No.4, pp. 1167-1176, 2013.
[3] Cuervo, Eduardo, Aruna Balasubramanian, Dae-ki Cho, Alec
Wolman, Stefan Saroju, Ranveer Chandra, Paramvir Bahl. “MAUI:
Making Smartphones last longer with code offload. “In proceedings of the
8th international conference on Mobile systems, applications and services,
pp. 49-62. ACM, 2010.

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