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“The Internet of Things (IoT) will be as transformative as the Internet itself.” – Scott Amyx.
The Internet of Things (IoT) and related technologies have emerged as game changers in today’s fast-paced world, where our reliance on connectivity and energy-efficient solutions is paramount than ever. IoT creates an ecosystem for different physical devices, such as smartphones, sensors, appliances, vehicles, and other objects, connected to the internet and can communicate without human-to-computer or human-to-human interactions.
In the realm of IoT, LoRaWAN is a promising long-range network protocol that has generated a lot of buzz. LoRaWAN’s long-range capabilities ensure a single gateway can cover a large area. The technology use cases involve smart cities, agriculture, industrial monitoring, and similar spaces, where the data is sent over long distances in the most energy-efficient way.
In simple terms, LoRaWAN creates a dedicated highway-like path for data transfer among various connected devices, allowing them to communicate without draining their batteries quickly.
If you are a tech aficionado, then you’ll find all the information you need in this post. This post will discuss what LoRaWAN is, its advantages, use cases & applications, LoRaWAN architecture, key players, and patents related to this technology you need to know.
So, keep reading on!
It is a combination of two words: LoRa and WAN. LoRa stands for Long-Range, and WAN stands for Wide-Area Network. It is a long-range wide-area network protocol with low-power consumption designed to connect battery-operated IoT devices (things) wirelessly.
LoRa is a wireless modulation technique used to manipulate radio waves to encode information using chirp pulses (chirp spread spectrum technology). LoRa modulated transmission is robust against disturbances/noise, enabling communication over long distances while consuming minimal power. LoRa transmits small chunks of data with low bit rates and is ideal for applications requiring periodic data transmission. LoRaWAN has a longer transmission range than technologies like WiFi, Bluetooth, or ZigBee.
LoRaWAN supports a star-of-stars topology. In this topology, gateways transmit messages between end devices/sensors and a central network server. Gateways act as converters, simply converting RF packets into IP packets and vice versa.
It is a combination of two words: LoRa and WAN. LoRa stands for Long-Range, and WAN stands for Wide-Area Network. It is a long-range wide-area network protocol with low-power consumption designed to wirelessly connect battery-operated IoT devices (things).
LoRaWAN has all the features to revolutionize today’s technology landscape and can easily overcome IoT application challenges. Here are the top five advantages of the LoRaWAN network protocol:
A typical LoRaWAN network utilizes mech network architecture and consists of the following main elements:
End Devices/Sensors in the LoRaWAN network send or receive wireless messages to or from the LoRaWAN gateway.
LoRa Gateways receives data from multiple end devices and forwards the received data to the network server via cellular, Ethernet, satellite, or WiFi.
Network Server is responsible for securely transferring information gateway to the application services and managing the entire network.
Application Server is software running on the server responsible for filtering out redundant data and securely processing application data.
Most Common Use Cases and Application of LoRaWAN Technology
LoRaWAN’s long-range and low power consumption capabilities are why it is widely used in the agriculture sector. IoT devices or sensors in agriculture monitor soil fertility, overall temperature, rainfall, moisture, and other parameters. Farmers can leverage the information and make informed decisions to maximize yield, optimize crop health, and reduce expenses & environmental impact.
In environmental monitoring, LoRaWAN technology helps track physical parameters such as temperature, rainfall, humidity, CO2 level monitoring, and air quality in real time. The LoREM system can raise an alert to safeguard the population from environmental threats like radiation leaks and low air quality.
Supply chain companies leverage LoRaWAN-powered systems to efficiently track high-value cargo, fleet, or assets during transit. Low power consumption and long range capabilities make it an affordable end-to-end tracking option for the supply chain in real time.
Long-range wireless technology is the best option for smart cities to connect various IoT devices/sensors for automating tasks, equipment monitoring, and performing predictive maintenance. In smart cities and infrastructure, LoRa-based IoT solutions efficiently utilize light, parking space, waste management, room occupancy, smart water metering, fire, flood, and CO/CO2 level monitoring.
LoRaWAN technology is a perfect solution for creating an interconnected ecosystem among various smart home devices, sensors, and gadgets at home. LoRaWAN-powered systems can perform different operations such as opening/closing garages, opening/closing doors, monitoring outdoor lighting, detecting danger, detecting leaks, power monitoring, and monitoring room temperature.
The technologies assist in creating smart utility solutions that can connect various devices, such as smart cities, to create an interconnected ecosystem. From remotely monitoring water systems to gas detection and electricity management, the technology helps in efficient utility management and reduces waste.
The long range wide area network (LoRaWAN) ensures seamless communication among various IoT devices, sensors, and machines within an industrial unit. LoRaWAN uses advanced algorithms to determine data authenticity and ensure smooth Machine-to-Machine (M2M) communications.
| S No | Assignees | Number of Patent Families |
| 1 | Intel | 379 |
| 2 | SGCC – State Grid Corporation of China | 341 |
| 3 | CISCO Technology | 262 |
| 4 | NVIDIA | 243 |
| 5 | Robert Bosch | 145 |
Patent Title: LoRaWAN-based Remote Inspection System
The invention comprises three main components;
Remote Collectors are arranged within each meter box and receive and transmit inspection data, which is the value on a meter, every cycle or upon request.
A LoRaWAN repeater facilitates the transmission of inspection data from remote collectors unable to directly connect to a LoRaWAN network, using a non-standard protocol. This data is then forwarded to a LoRaWAN gateway where it is encapsulated using a standard LoRaWAN protocol.
Application Server receives, stores, and manages the inspection data transmitted to the LoRaWAN network server.
Patent Title: LoRaWAN Internet of Things Signal Relay Method
The invention introduces a method for relaying LoRaWAN Internet of Things signals, involving the addition of LoRaWAN relay equipment and a relay server. This setup facilitates signal relay and forwarding, with the relay equipment handling the copying and forwarding of LoRa signals, and the relay server managing functions such as management, frame analysis, and forwarding of the relay equipment. The data forwarding path involves sequential communication between the mobile terminal, LoRaWAN relay equipment, LoRa gateway, network server, relay server, network server, and application server. This method addresses the issue of LoRaWAN blind area coverage and enables signal relay at the MAC layer.
Patent Title: Time division multiple access-based LoRaWAN channel conflict avoidance method
The invention presents a time division multiple access-based LoRaWAN channel conflict avoidance method. It involves LoRa nodes sending network access request data packets with their respective sending periods, LoRa TDMA servers sending network access receiving data packets with multicast addresses and serial numbers, setting corresponding bits in delivered multicast data loads upon the arrival of a node’s sending period, and judging whether uplink data should be sent after the node receives multicast data. This method enhances channel utilization rates in certain application scenarios by leveraging the LoRaWAN time division multiple access mechanism implemented through multicast.
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Authored By: Amit Pundir
