Multi-sensor data collection and/or processing

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11659996-B2
Application number	US-201916534129-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Aug 7, 2019
Priority date	Mar 23, 2007
Publication date	May 30, 2023
Grant date	May 30, 2023

Abstract

The subject matter disclosed herein relates to the control and utilization of multiple sensors within a device. For an example, motion of a device may be detected in response to receipt of a signal from a first sensor disposed in the device, and a power state of a second sensor also disposed in the device may be changed in response to detected motion.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A multi-sensor measurement processing unit, comprising:
a processor;
one or more sensors coupled to the processor; and
a wireless interface unit coupled to the processor, wherein the wireless interface unit is adapted to receive, via an antenna, measurement information comprising satellite positioning system (SPS) measurements from an external sensor of a mobile station via a wireless interconnect and wherein the processor is further adapted to estimate one or more navigational states of the multi-sensor measurement processing unit based on the measurement information and data from an accelerometer and a gyroscope disposed within a device incorporating the multi-sensor processing unit, wherein the accelerometer data comprise x-axis, y-axis, and z-axis data, wherein the gyroscope data comprise roll, pitch, and yaw data, wherein the gyroscope data is used to determine how much the multi-sensor measurement processor unit has rotated relative to a previous orientation to determine rotated measurements, wherein the rotated measurements are combined to determine a net displacement, wherein the navigational states comprise at least one of a geographic location, altitude, speed, heading, or orientation; wherein the wireless interface unit is further adapted to change a power state of the accelerometer or gyroscope on the basis of a trigger event, wherein the trigger event is a change in navigational state.

2. The multi-sensor measurement processing unit of claim 1 , wherein the wireless interface unit is adapted to receive measurement information from an external biomedical sensor.

3. The multi-sensor measurement processing unit of claim 2 , wherein the biomedical sensor comprises a heart rate monitor.

4. The multi-sensor measurement processing unit of claim 2 , wherein the biomedical sensor comprises a blood pressure monitor.

5. The multi-sensor measurement processing unit of claim 1 , wherein the wireless interconnect comprises an interconnect implemented substantially according to a wireless standard.

6. The multi-sensor measurement processing unit of claim 1 , wherein the wireless interconnect comprises an interconnect implemented substantially according to a near field communication standard.

7. The multi-sensor measurement processing unit of claim 1 , wherein the wireless interface unit is adapted to receive measurement information from an external processor.

8. A method comprising:
receiving, by a wireless interface unit of a multi-sensor measurement processing unit comprising one or more sensors, via an antenna, measurement information comprising satellite positioning system (SPS) measurements from an external sensor of a mobile station via a wireless interconnect;
estimating one or more navigational states of the multi-sensor measurement processing unit based on the measurement information and data from an accelerometer and a gyroscope disposed within a device incorporating the multi-sensor processing unit, wherein the accelerometer data comprise x-axis, y-axis, and z-axis data, wherein the gyroscope data comprise roll, pitch, and yaw data, wherein the gyroscope data is used to determine how much the multi-sensor measurement processor unit has rotated relative to a previous orientation to determine rotated measurements, wherein the rotated measurements are combined to determine a net displacement, and wherein the navigational states comprise at least one of a geographic location, altitude, speed, heading, or orientation;
and changing a power state of the accelerometer or gyroscope on the basis of a trigger event, wherein the trigger event is a change in navigational state.

9. The method of claim 8 , wherein receiving the measurement information from the external sensor comprises:
receiving measurement information from an external biomedical sensor.

10. The method of claim 9 , wherein the biomedical sensor comprises a heart rate monitor.

11. The method of claim 9 , wherein the biomedical sensor comprises a blood pressure monitor.

12. The method of claim 8 , wherein the wireless interconnect comprises an interconnect implemented substantially according to a wireless standard.

13. The method of claim 8 , wherein the wireless interconnect comprises an interconnect implemented substantially according to a near field communication standard.

14. The method of claim 8 , further comprising:
receiving, by the wireless interface unit, measurement information from an external processor.

15. A multi-sensor measurement processing unit, comprising:
means for receiving, via an antenna, measurement information comprising satellite positioning system (SPS) measurements from an external sensor of a mobile station via a wireless interconnect;
means for estimating one or more navigational of the multi-sensor measurement processing unit based on the measurement information and data from an accelerometer and a gyroscope disposed within a device incorporating the multi-sensor processing unit, wherein the accelerometer data comprise x-axis, y-axis, and z-axis data, wherein the gyroscope data comprise roll, pitch, and yaw data, wherein the gyroscope data is used to determine how much the multi-sensor measurement processor unit has rotated relative to a previous orientation to determine rotated measurements, wherein the rotated measurements are combined to determine a net displacement, wherein the navigational states comprise at least one of a geographic location, altitude, speed, heading, or orientation;
and means for changing a power state of the accelerometer or gyroscope on the basis of a trigger event, wherein the trigger event is a change in navigational state.

16. The multi-sensor measurement processing unit of claim 15 , wherein the means for receiving the measurement information from the external sensor comprises:
means for receiving measurement information from an external biomedical sensor.

17. The multi-sensor measurement processing unit of claim 16 , wherein the biomedical sensor comprises a heart rate monitor.

18. The multi-sensor measurement processing unit of claim 16 , wherein the biomedical sensor comprises a blood pressure monitor.

19. The multi-sensor measurement processing unit of claim 15 , wherein the wireless interconnect comprises an interconnect implemented substantially according to a wireless standard.

20. The multi-sensor measurement processing unit of claim 15 , wherein the wireless interconnect comprises an interconnect implemented substantially according to a near field communication standard.

21. The multi-sensor measurement processing unit of claim 15 , further comprising:
means for receiving measurement information from an external processor.

22. A non-transitory computer readable storage medium comprising computer instructions that, when executed on one or more processors, cause operations comprising:
receiving, via an antenna, by a wireless interface unit of a multi-sensor measurement processing unit comprising one or more sensors, measurement information comprising satellite positioning system (SPS) measurements from an external sensor of a mobile station via a wireless interconnect;
estimating one or more navigational states of the multi-sensor measurement processing unit based on the measurement information and from an accelerometer and a gyroscope disposed within a device incorporating the multi-sensor processing unit, wherein the accelerometer data comprise x-axis, y-axis, and z-axis data, wherein the gyroscope data comprise

Assignees

• Qualcomm Inc

Inventors

• Sheynblat Leonid
• Wolf Thomas
• Hodisan Alexander

Classifications

• Y02D10/00

  Energy efficient computing, e.g. low power processors, power management or thermal management · CPC title

• G01C19/02

  Rotary gyroscopes · CPC title

• G06F2200/1637

  Sensing arrangement for detection of housing movement or orientation, e.g. for controlling scrolling or cursor movement on the display of an handheld computer · CPC title

• A61B2560/0209

  adapted for power saving · CPC title

• G06F1/1694

  the I/O peripheral being a single or a set of motion sensors for pointer control or gesture input obtained by sensing movements of the portable computer · CPC title