Communicating sensor data between electronic devices

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9501100-B2
Application number	US-96791710-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Dec 14, 2010
Priority date	Sep 30, 2010
Publication date	Nov 22, 2016
Grant date	Nov 22, 2016

Abstract

Sensor data is communicated between two electronic devices under control of the receiving device. For example, one device is equipped with one or more sensors that can produce a stream of real-time readings. The other device can request the sensor data from the first device and can also specify to the first device one or more throttling criteria to control or limit the amount of sensor data that is sent. Each throttling criterion can specify both a category of criterion (e.g., time-based, value-based, etc.) and a throttling parameter specific to the category. The first device can monitor the sensor data to determine when a throttling criterion specified by the second device is satisfied; when the throttling criterion is satisfied, the first device can send the current sensor reading as sensor data to the second device.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A method for use in a first electronic device having a sensor, the method comprising:
establishing, by the first electronic device, a communication link with a second electronic device;
receiving via the communication link, by the first electronic device, a request from the second electronic device for sensor data from a stream of sensor data values produced from the sensor of the first electronic device and a throttling criterion associated with the request, wherein the throttling criterion identifies a selected throttling category from a plurality of throttling categories and a throttling parameter specific to the selected throttling category;
obtaining, by the first electronic device, a sequence of updated sensor data values from the stream of sensor data values produced from the sensor; and
for each updated sensor data value:
determining, by the first electronic device, whether the updated sensor data value satisfies the throttling criterion; and
in response to determining that the updated sensor data value satisfies the throttling criterion, sending, by the first electronic device, the updated sensor data value to the second electronic device via the communication link, wherein the first electronic device controls an amount of sensor data that is sent to the second electronic device based on the throttling criterion.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein the plurality of throttling categories includes two or more of a time interval category, a magnitude of change category, a threshold crossing category, and a rate of change category.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein the first electronic device is a computing device and the second electronic device is an accessory.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein the second electronic device is a computing device and the first electronic device is an accessory.

5. A computer program product comprising a computer readable storage medium encoded with program instructions that, when executed by a processor in a computing device communicably coupled with an accessory, cause the processor to execute a method comprising:
receiving, by the computing device, a request from the accessory for sensor data from a stream of sensor data values produced from a sensor of the mobile computing device;
receiving, by the computing device, a throttling criterion associated with the request, wherein the throttling criterion specifies one of a plurality of throttling categories and a throttling parameter specific to the throttling category;
subsequently to receiving the throttling criterion, obtaining an updated sensor data value from the stream of sensor data values produced from the sensor and determining whether the updated sensor data value satisfies the throttling criterion; and
sending the updated sensor data value to the accessory in response to determining that the updated sensor data value satisfies the throttling criterion, wherein the computing device controls an amount of sensor data that is sent to the acessory based on the throttling criterion.

6. The computer program product of claim 5 wherein the plurality of throttling categories includes two or more of a time interval category, a magnitude of change category, a threshold crossing category, and a rate of change category.

7. The computer program product of claim 6 wherein, in the event that the throttling criterion specifies the time interval category, the throttling parameter specifies a time interval such that the updated sensor data value is sent in the event that the time interval has elapsed since a previous sending of sensor data.

8. The computer program product of claim 6 wherein, in the event that the throttling criterion specifies the magnitude of change category, the throttling parameter specifies a minimum magnitude of change between a previous sensor data value and the updated sensor data value, wherein the updated sensor data value is sent in the event that an actual magnitude of change is at least equal to the minimum magnitude of change.

9. The computer program product of claim 6 wherein, in the event that the throttling criterion specifies the threshold crossing category, the throttling parameter specifies a threshold value, wherein the updated sensor data value is sent in the event that a previous sensor data value and the updated sensor data value are on different sides of the threshold.

10. The computer program product of claim 6 wherein, in the event that the throttling criterion specifies the rate of change category, the throttling parameter specifies a minimum magnitude of change between a previous sensor data value and the updated sensor data value and a time interval over which a change in the sensor data value is to be measured, wherein the updated sensor data value is sent in the event that a measured magnitude of change during the time interval exceeds the minimum magnitude of change.

11. A computing device comprising:
a plurality of sensors that each provide a stream of sensor data values;
an accessory interface; and
a processor coupled to the plurality of sensors and the accessory interface, the processor being configured to:
communicate to an accessory, via the accessory interface, information about the plurality of sensors;
receive from the accessory, via the accessory interface, a first request for sensor data from a first stream of sensor data values provided from a first one of the plurality of sensors and a first throttling criterion associated with the first request, wherein the first throttling criterion identifies a selected first throttling category from a plurality of throttling categories and a first throttling parameter specific to the first throttling category;
receive an updated sensor data value from the first one of the plurality of sensors;
determine whether the updated sensor data value satisfies the first throttling criterion; and
send the updated sensor data to the accessory via the accessory interface in response to determining that the updated sensor data value satisfies the first throttling criterion, wherein the computing device controls the amount of sensor data from the first sensor that is sent to the accessory based on the throttling criterion.

12. The computing device of claim 11 wherein the plurality of sensors includes at least one of:
an ambient light sensor;
a proximity sensor;
an accelerometer; or
a magnetometer.

13. The computing device of claim 11 wherein the accessory interface includes a connector having a plurality of signal pins.

14. The computing device of claim 11 wherein the accessory interface includes a wireless interface.

15. The computing device of claim 11 wherein the computing device is a mobile computing device.

16. The computing device of claim 11 wherein the processor is further configured to:
receive from the accessory, via the accessory interface, a second request for sensor data from a second stream of sensor data values provided from a second one of the plurality of sensors and a second throttling criterion associated with the second request, wherein the second throttling criterion identifies a selected second throttling category from the plurality of throttling categories and a second throttling parameter specific to the second throttling category;
receive an updated sensor data value from the second one of the plurality of sensors;
determine whether the updated sensor data value from the second one of the plurality of sensors satisfies the second throttling criterion; and
send the updated sensor data value from the second one of the plurality of sensors to the accessory via

Assignees

• Louboutin Sylvain R Y
• Walsh Robert J
• Toprani Shyam S
• Apple Inc

Inventors

• Louboutin Sylvain R Y
• Walsh Robert J
• Toprani Shyam S

Classifications

• G06F3/002

  Specific input/output arrangements not covered by G06F3/01 - G06F3/16 (other optical apparatus G02B27/00) · CPC title

• G06F13/385

  for adaptation of a particular data processing system to different peripheral devices · CPC title

• G06F3/0601

  Interfaces specially adapted for storage systems · CPC title

• G06F13/122

  where hardware performs an I/O function other than control of data transfer · CPC title

• G06F1/1632 Primary

  External expansion units, e.g. docking stations · CPC title