Dynamic force sensing to determine mass using a smartphone

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9322701-B2
Application number	US-201313958287-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Aug 2, 2013
Priority date	Aug 2, 2013
Publication date	Apr 26, 2016
Grant date	Apr 26, 2016

Abstract

Systems, apparatus and methods for estimating a mass of an object by a mobile device are presented. The mobile device, which may be a smartphone, vibrates the mobile device both unloaded (without an object) and loaded (with an object) while measuring the unloaded and loaded vibrations. Next, the mobile device compares the unloaded and loaded vibrations and determines the mass of the object from the comparison.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A method in a mobile device for estimating a mass, the method comprising:
vibrating the mobile device loaded with an object;
measuring a loaded vibration of the mobile device and the object comprising determining linear acceleration from an accelerometer, wherein the mobile device comprises the accelerometer;
comparing a tare vibration to the loaded vibration to result in a comparison, wherein the tare vibration comprises a measurement of a vibration of the mobile device unloaded with the object; and
determining the mass of the object from the comparison.

2. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
vibrating the mobile device without the object; and
measuring the tare vibration without the object.

3. The method of claim 1 , further comprising placing the object on a display of the mobile device.

4. The method of claim 1 , further comprising placing an interposer between the object and the mobile device.

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein comparing the tare vibration to the loaded vibration compares resonance frequencies.

6. The method of claim 1 , wherein determining the mass from the comparison further comprises determining factoring in a temperature of the mobile device measured from a thermometer, wherein the mobile device comprises the thermometer.

7. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
receiving a state of the object;
wherein determining the mass from the comparison is further based on the state of the object.

8. The method of claim 7 , wherein the state of the object is one of a solid, a liquid and a powder.

9. The method of claim 1 , wherein vibrating the mobile device loaded with the object comprises sweeping an excitation frequency.

10. The method of claim 9 , further comprising determining a loaded resonance frequency of the mobile device loaded with the object.

11. The method of claim 10 , wherein comparing the tare vibration to the loaded vibration to result in the comparison comprises comparing a tare resonance frequency of the mobile device without the object to the loaded resonance frequency of the mobile device loaded with the object.

12. A mobile device for estimating a mass, the mobile device comprising:
a vibration unit configured to vibrate the mobile device loaded with an object;
a vibration sensor comprising an accelerometer and configured to measure a loaded vibration of the mobile device and the object from the accelerometer;
a comparator coupled to the vibration sensor and configured to compare a tare vibration to the loaded vibration to result in a comparison, wherein the tare vibration comprises a measurement of a vibration of the mobile device unloaded with the object; and
a determination unit configured to determine the mass from the comparison.

13. The mobile device of claim 12 , wherein the determination unit is configured to determine the mass from the comparison and a state of the object.

14. The mobile device of claim 12 , wherein the vibration unit comprises a variable frequency generator.

15. The mobile device of claim 12 , wherein the vibration unit comprises a variable voltage generator.

16. The mobile device of claim 12 , wherein the vibration sensor further comprises a gyroscope.

17. The mobile device of claim 12 , further comprising:
a thermometer to provide a temperature and coupled to the determination unit;
wherein the determination unit is configured to determine the mass from the comparison and the temperature.

18. The mobile device of claim 12 , further comprising a display coupled to the determination unit and configured to display the mass as a weight.

19. The mobile device of claim 18 , wherein the display is further configured to display a target area for placing the object on the mobile device.

20. A mobile device for estimating a mass, the mobile device comprising:
means for vibrating the mobile device loaded with an object;
means for measuring a loaded vibration of the mobile device and the object comprising determining linear acceleration from an accelerometer, wherein the mobile device comprises the accelerometer;
means for comparing a tare vibration to the loaded vibration to result in a comparison, wherein the tare vibration comprises a measurement of a vibration of the mobile device unloaded with the object; and
means for determining the mass of the object from the comparison.

21. The mobile device of claim 20 , further comprising:
means for vibrating the mobile device without the object; and
means for measuring the tare vibration without the object.

22. The mobile device of claim 20 , further comprising means for displaying a target area for placing the object on the mobile device.

23. The mobile device of claim 20 , further comprising:
means for receiving a state of the object;
wherein the means for determining the mass from the comparison is further based on the state of the object.

24. The mobile device of claim 20 , wherein the means for vibrating the mobile device loaded with the object comprises means for supplying a sweeping frequency.

25. The mobile device of claim 24 , further comprising determining a loaded resonance frequency of the mobile device loaded with the object.

26. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium including program code stored thereon for a mobile device to estimate a mass, comprising program code to:
vibrate the mobile device loaded with an object;
measure a loaded vibration of the mobile device and the object comprising program code to determine linear acceleration from an accelerometer, wherein the mobile device comprises the accelerometer;
compare a tare vibration to the loaded vibration to result in a comparison, wherein the tare vibration comprises a measurement of a vibration of the mobile device unloaded with the object; and
determine the mass from the comparison.

27. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 26 , further comprising program code to:
vibrating the mobile device without the object; and
measuring the tare vibration without the object.

28. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 26 , further comprising program code to display a target area for placing the object on the mobile device.

29. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 26 , further comprising program code to:
receive a state of the object;
wherein the program code to determine the mass from the comparison is further based on the state of the object.

30. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 26 , wherein the program code to vibrate the mobile device loaded with the object comprises program code to sweep an excitation frequency.

Assignees

• Qualcomm Inc

Inventors

• Tchertkov Igor
• Parlak Polatkan Siddika

Classifications

• G01G9/00

  Methods of, or apparatus for, the determination of weight, not provided for in groups G01G1/00 - G01G7/00 · CPC title

• H04M1/72522

  Electricity · mapped topic

• G01G3/16 Primary

  measuring variations of frequency of oscillations of the body · CPC title

• G01G23/166 Primary

  involving comparison with a reference value · CPC title

• H04M2250/12

  including a sensor for measuring a physical value, e.g. temperature or motion · CPC title