OQ Technology, a 5G IoT satellite operator, has been granted a patent for its IoT (internet of things) ‘wake-up’ technology by the US Patent and Trademark Office. It is the first out of the company’s six patent applications in the US and the EU.
‘Wake-up’ is a smart power-saving technology within OQ’s terminal IoT devices that allows them to efficiently wake up and communicate with the base station (satellite) only when needed. The function can be adjusted in line with the growth of the number of satellites, with each satellite being able to connect with thousands of sensors. Through ‘wake-up’ OQ aims to achieve the 10-year battery-life goal set by 3GPP standards for narrowband IoT (NB-IoT) wireless communications, the company said in a release.
OQ’s other patent applications include frequency synchronisation, timing synchronisation, IoT device localisation, inter-satellite link technology, and a satellite system design and network architecture for cellular IoT communication between satellites and ground stations.
The ‘wake-up’ technology and the technologies still pending patents are all to be implemented onboard OQ’s satellite constellation in low Earth orbit (LEO).
The company has also developed a technology that allows it to use the cheaper standard mobile chips ($5) for its satellite connectivity, instead of the expensive satellite chip ($100) that would have to be installed and used when leaving terrestrial networks.
