Power Wi-Fi may be reduced to 10 thousand times

We know that Wi-Fi-antenna - one of those components that are most "drain" the energy stored in the battery of the smartphone. In particular, this occurs in those cases where large volumes of continuously transmitted data, such as video. It would be nice to reduce the power consumption of Wi-Fi. Researchers from the University of Washington have demonstrated technology Passive Wi-Fi, which allows to reduce the power consumption of the transmission of Wi-Fi-module device in ten thousand times. In the coming years it may become a key Wi-Fi-technology. It should be noted that Wi-Fi capable - at least technically - not only consume energy, but also to charge the phone.

More details about the new technology has been described in the article Triggs Rob (Rob Triggs) «US engineers unveil Passive Wi-Fi, which consumes 10,000 times less power», published a resource Android Authority. The story is accompanied by a video clip posted on YouTube, which allows to make the new technology in anticipation of some idea of ​​how we will know about it more.

Passive Wi-Fi works disengaging present in the broadcast of digital and analog operation. Since the analog radio components require more energy, the researchers moved them into a special device that sends a signal to the room or space. This signal, in order to send the usual Wi-Fi-packs, is absorbed and reflected by using the switch to digital more energy efficient digital components.

Associate Professor of Computer Science and Engineering, University of Washington Gollakota Shyam (Shyam Gollakota) notes that in the framework of the new technology is the most energy-intensive components are assembled in one plug-in device. Built-in Passive Wi-Fi device reflector is only intended to generate a Wi-Fi-packets. Thus, we achieve a reduction of energy consumption Wi-Fi-component of the mobile device in 10 thousand times.

New technology makes it possible to transmit Wi-Fi-signals at up to 11 megabits per second, and can be decoded by any of a billion devices supporting Wi-Fi. The campus of the University of Washington signal is received at a distance of 30 meters, which substantially exceeds the capabilities of many indoor routers.

It should further be noted that Passive Wi-Fi is 1000 times more energy efficient technology than those consuming relatively little power as Bluetooth and Zigbee. The new technology can not only be very useful, but also to create new markets previously unavailable devices.

For more details about it will be discussed March 13, 2016 at the Symposium USENIX Symposium, which will be held in California as part of Networked Systems Design and Implementation.

It should be noted that previously reported Wi-Fi-chip for the phone consumes 100 times less power than the usual Wi-Fi-chip. As part of the 2016 MWC Oppo company told about the technology, allowing to fully charge the phone for a quarter of an hour.

It is known that the battery has been and remains the weak point of the modern device. Power consumption of a large screen and its other powerful components is too large for such a small battery. Therefore, the industry is looking for different ways to make use of the devices more comfortable for the user, so that the phone did not spend too much time being charged.