Glaze: Overlaying Occupied Spectrum with Downlink IoT Transmissions

Existing Internet of Things (IoT) solutions require expensive infrastructure for sending and receiving data. Emerging technologies such as ambient backscatter help fill this gap by enabling uplink communication for IoT devices. However, there is still no efficient solution to enable low-cost and low-power downlink communication for ambient backscatter systems. In this paper we present Glaze, a system that overlays data on existing wireless signals to create a new channel of downlink communication for IoT backscatter devices. In particular, Glaze uses a new technique that introduces small perturbations to existing signals to convey data. We evaluate the performance of Glaze and show how it can be used across wireless standards such as FM, TV, or Wi-Fi to communicate with devices with minimal impact on existing data transmissions.