Weather condition information based on magnetometers

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2017075036-A1
Application number	US-201515310563-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	May 13, 2015
Priority date	May 14, 2014
Publication date	Mar 16, 2017
Grant date	—

Abstract

Weather related data is collected using a magnetic sensor of a mobile device. The mobile device may be within a moving motor vehicle. The magnetic sensor may detect a magnetic field that is generated or otherwise affected by the operation of motor driving one or more windshield wipers. The mobile device, or a server in communication with the mobile device, may perform analysis of the windshield wiper data and generate weather message based on the analysis.

First claim

1 - 20 . (canceled)

21 . A method comprising:
receiving windshield wiper data collected by at least one magnetic sensor of at least one mobile device; performing, at a processor, an analysis of the windshield wiper data; and generating a weather message based on the analysis.

22 . The method of claim 21 , wherein the windshield wiper data describes a magnetic field caused by one or more windshield wipers.

23 . The method of claim 21 , wherein the magnetic field is caused by a motor for one or more windshield wipers.

24 . The method of claim 21 , wherein the windshield wiper data is based on output from a magnetometer.

25 . The method of claim 21 , wherein the analysis includes a comparison to a threshold magnetic field value.

26 . The method of claim 21 , wherein the at least one mobile device includes a plurality of mobile devices.

27 . The method of claim 21 , further comprising:
receiving location data from the at least one mobile device, wherein the weather message includes a map based on the location data and the windshield wiper data.

28 . The method of claim 27 , further comprising:
sending the weather message to a requesting device, wherein the requesting device is different from the at least one mobile device.

29 . An apparatus comprising:
at least one processor; and at least one memory including computer program code for one or more programs; the at least one memory and the computer program code configured to, with the at least one processor, cause the apparatus to at least perform: detecting placement of the apparatus in a vehicle; collecting magnetic field data; and performing an analysis of the magnetic field data to determine a windshield wiper status.

30 . The apparatus of claim 29 , the at least one memory and the computer program code configured to, with the at least one processor, cause the apparatus to at least perform:
identify a weather condition based on the windshield wiper status.

31 . The apparatus of claim 30 , wherein the windshield wiper status describes a speed of the windshield wiper, and the weather condition is a function of the speed of the windshield wiper.

32 . The apparatus of claim 29 , wherein the placement of the apparatus in the vehicle is based on inertial sensor data or speed data.

33 . The apparatus of claim 29 , wherein the analysis of the magnetic field data is based on a type of the vehicle or type of the apparatus in the vehicle.

34 . The apparatus of claim 29 , wherein the analysis of the magnetic field data is based on a baseline defined by previous magnetic field data.

35 . A method comprising:
receiving windshield wiper data collected at multiple vehicles by a plurality of mobile devices; performing, by a processor, an analysis of the windshield wiper data from multiple vehicles; and generating a weather message based on the analysis.

36 . The method of claim 35 , wherein the windshield wiper data describes a magnetic field caused by one or more windshield wiper motors.

37 . The method of claim 36 , further comprising:
modifying portions of the windshield wiper data based on a type of vehicle that impacted the magnetic field, a type of windshield wiper motor that impacted the magnetic field, or a type of mobile device that collected the windshield wiper data.

38 . The method of claim 37 , wherein the analysis includes a comparison of the modified portions of the windshield wiper data to a threshold value.

39 . The method of claim 35 , wherein the weather message includes a map based on locations of the plurality of mobile devices.

40 . The method of claim 39 , wherein the map indicates individual path segments experiencing rain based on the windshield wiper data.

Assignees

• Nokia Technologies Oy

Inventors

• Pikhletsky Mikhail
• Gartseev Ilya
• Safonov Ilia

Classifications

• G01R33/091

  Constructional adaptation of the sensor to specific applications · CPC title

• G01R33/02

  Measuring direction or magnitude of magnetic fields or magnetic flux (G01R33/20 takes precedence) · CPC title

• G01W2001/006

  Main server receiving weather information from several sub-stations · CPC title

• G01W1/14 Primary

  Rainfall or precipitation gauges (measuring volume in general G01F) · CPC title

• G01R33/072

  Constructional adaptation of the sensor to specific applications · CPC title