Techniques for Determining Movements Based on Sensor Measurements from a Plurality of Mobile Devices Co-Located with a Person

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2016007158-A1
Application number	US-201414323984-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Jul 3, 2014
Priority date	Jul 3, 2014
Publication date	Jan 7, 2016
Grant date	—

Abstract

Example techniques are provided that may be implemented, at least in part, at a mobile device to determine certain parameters corresponding to movement of an object that is co-located with the mobile device and at least one other mobile device. In an example implementation, a mobile device may obtain measurements corresponding to sensors of a plurality of mobile devices co-located on an object, and determine at least one of an estimated speed of the object, an estimated heading of the object, or an estimated heading rate of the object based, at least in part, on all or a selected subset of the sensor measurements which are accepted for use.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . A method comprising, at mobile device:
obtaining one or more electrical signals representing first measurements corresponding to at least a first sensor, wherein the first sensor is located in said mobile device, and wherein said first sensor comprises a first accelerometer or a first gyroscope, said mobile device being identified as initially co-located with a first point of an object comprising a person; transmitting a request to a wearable electronic device for second measurements; receiving one or more wireless signals from the wearable electronic device representing said second measurements corresponding to at least a second sensor, wherein the second sensor is located in said wearable electronic device, and wherein said second sensor comprises a second accelerometer or a second gyroscope, said wearable electronic device being identified as initially co-located with a second point of said object and being physically separated from said mobile device; and determining at least one of an estimated speed of said object, an estimated heading of said object, or an estimated heading rate of said object based, at least in part, on an inference of a pedestrian movement of said person based, at least in part, on: (i) a first periodicity of sensed movement or a first phase of sensed movement from said first measurements; (ii) a second periodicity of sensed movement or second phase of sensed movement from said second measurements; or a combination of (i) and (ii).

2 . The method as recited in claim 1 , and further comprising, with said mobile device:
determining whether at least one of said first measurements or said second measurements is accepted for use based, at least in part, on a threshold value.

3 . The method as recited in claim 2 , and further comprising, with said mobile device:
comparing at said first measurements or said second measurements or said first measurements and said second measurements to said threshold value, or applying a comparison of said first measurements and said second measurements to said threshold value.

4 . The method as recited in claim 2 , wherein said threshold value is based, at least in part, on an expected motion profile for said pedestrian movement of said person.

5 . The method of claim 4 , wherein said expected motion profile is defined, at least in part, by said first measurements and said second measurements.

6 . The method of claim 4 , wherein said expected motion profile is defined, at least in part, by a speed of arm movement in comparison to a speed of leg movement.

7 . The method as recited in claim 2 , wherein said threshold value is based, at least in part, on at least one of a first transient motion profile for said first point of said object, or a second transient motion profile for said second point of said object.

8 . The method as recited in claim 1 , and further comprising:
selecting said second measurements to measure a particular characteristic; and powering off said first sensor in response to said selecting said second measurements to measure said particular characteristic.

9 . The method as recited in claim 1 , and further comprising:
obtaining a comparison of said first measurements or said second measurements or both said first measurements and said second measurements to a range of motion profile; and determining whether said comparison is consistent with the range of motion profile.

10 . The method of claim 1 , and further comprising:
inferring that said object is performing an activity comprising movement in place based, at least in part, on at least one of said first measurements and said second measurements; and determining said estimated speed, said estimated heading or said estimated heading rate based on information other than said first measurements and said second measurements in response to said inference that said object is performing said activity comprising movement in place.

11 . The method as recited in claim 1 , and further comprising, with said mobile device:
determining whether at least one of said first measurements or said second measurements is accepted for use based, at least in part, on a comparison of at least said first measurements and said second measurements.

12 . The method as recited in claim 1 , and further comprising, with said mobile device:
in response to a determination that said first measurements and said second measurements are accepted for use, determining at least one of said estimated speed of said object, said estimated heading of said object, or said estimated heading rate of said object based, at least in part, on said first measurements and said second measurements.

13 . The method as recited in claim 1 , and further comprising, with said mobile device:
in response to a determination that one but not both of said first measurements or said second measurements is accepted for use, determining at least one of said estimated speed of said object, said estimated heading of said object, or said estimated heading rate of said object based, at least in part, on said one of said first measurements or said second measurements that is accepted for use.

14 . The method as recited in claim 1 , and further comprising, with said mobile device:
determining at least one of a first gravity vector from said first measurements, or a second gravity vector from said second measurements; and at least one of: determining whether at least one of said first measurements or said second measurements is accepted for use based, at least in part, on at least one of said first gravity vector, or said second gravity vector; or determining at least one of said estimated speed of said object, said estimated heading of said object, or said estimated heading rate of said object based, at least in part, on at least one of said first gravity vector or said second gravity vector.

15 . The method as recited in claim 1 , and further comprising, with said mobile device:
determining at least one of a mobile device orientation from said first measurements, or a wearable electronic device orientation from said second measurements; and, at least one of:
determining whether at least one of said first measurements or said second measurements is accepted for use based, at least in part, on at least one of said mobile device orientation, or said wearable electronic device orientation; or
determining at least one of said estimated speed of said object, said estimated heading of said object, or said estimated heading rate of said object based, at least in part, on at least one of said mobile device orientation, or said wearable electronic device orientation.

16 . The method as recited in claim 1 , and further comprising, with said mobile device:
determining a navigation trajectory for said object based, at least in part, on at least one of said estimated speed of said object, said estimated heading rate of said object, or said estimated heading rate of said object.

17 . An apparatus for use in a mobile device, the apparatus comprising:
means for obtaining one or more electrical signals representing first measurements corresponding to at least a first sensor, wherein the first sensor is located in said mobile device, said first sensor comprising a first accelerometer or a first gyroscope, said mobile device being identified as initially co-located with a first point of an object comprising a person; means for transmitting a request to a wearable electronic device for second measurements; means for receiving one or more wireless signals fro

Assignees

• Qualcomm Inc

Inventors

• Venkatraman Sai Pradeep
• Gao Weihua
• Werner Benjamin A

Classifications

• G01C21/16 Primary

  by integrating acceleration or speed, i.e. inertial navigation · CPC title

• H04W4/027

  using movement velocity, acceleration information · CPC title

• H04M1/72569

  Electricity · mapped topic

• H04M1/72572

  Electricity · mapped topic

• H04W4/023 Primary

  using mutual or relative location information between multiple location based services [LBS] targets or of distance thresholds · CPC title