Networked sensor array

• US 10,187,765 B2
• Filed: 09/23/2016
• Issued: 01/22/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 09/23/2016
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Original Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Inventors: Manolescu, Dragos, Bonjour, Jean-Paul
• Primary Examiner(s): Cho, Hong S
• Application Number:
  US15/275,267
• Publication Number:
  US 20180091928A1
• Time in Patent Office: 851 Days
• Field of Search: None
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/023 using mutual or relative location information between multiple location based services [LBS] targets or of distance thresholds
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/38 for collecting sensor information

Abstract

An electronic device is disclosed. In some examples, the electronic device comprises a first sensor configured to measure a first type of sensor data at a first sampling rate. In some examples, the electronic device comprises a communication interface configured to: detect a proximity of one or more network capable devices, different from the electronic device, form a sensor network with at least one of the one or more network capable devices, exchange operational parameters with the at least one of the one or more network capable devices, and coordinate data measurement by the first sensor based on the exchanged operational parameters. In some examples, coordinating measuring of data by the first sensor further comprises selecting the reduced sampling rate of the first sensor based on a total number of devices participating in the sensor network having sensors capable of measuring the first type of sensor data.

Claims

1. An electronic device comprising:

a first sensor configured to measure a first type of sensor data at a first sampling rate; and

a communication interface configured to;

detect a proximity of one or more network capable devices, different from the electronic device;

form a sensor network with at least one of the one or more network capable devices;

exchange operational parameters with the at least one of the one or more network capable devices; and

coordinate data measurement by the first sensor based on the exchanged operational parameters, wherein coordinating measuring of data by the first sensor based on the received sensor scan rate comprises operating the first sensor in a reduced power mode and reducing the sample rate of the first sensor below the first sampling rate, wherein an aggregate data rate of the sensor network including the first sensor is equal to or exceeds the first sampling rate for the first sensor.

2. The electronic device of claim 1, wherein coordinating measuring of data by the first sensor further comprises selecting the reduced sampling rate of the first sensor based on a total number of devices participating in the sensor network having sensors capable of measuring the first type of sensor data.

3. The electronic device of claim 1, further comprising a processor configured to:

determine whether data values measured by the first sensor are missing; and

in accordance with a determination that one or more data values measured by the first sensor are missing, receive replacement data for the missing data from the at least one of the one or more network capable devices.

4. The electronic device of claim 1, further comprising a processor configured to:

determine whether data values measured by the first sensor are outside of an expected measurement range; and

in accordance with a determination that one or more data values measured by the first sensor are outside of the expected measurement range, receive replacement data for the data outside of the expected measurement range from the at least one of the one or more network capable devices.

5. The electronic device of claim 1, wherein the communication interface is further configured to:

receive data from the second sensor belonging to at least one of the one or more network capable devices; and

based on data from the first sensor and data from the second sensor, calculate a combined measurement value to remove effects of extraneous variables in measurement data from the first sensor.

6. The electronic device of claim 1, wherein exchanging operational parameters with the at least one of the one or more network capable devices comprises transmitting an identification of the first type of sensor data that the first sensor is configured to measure.

7. The electronic device of claim 1, wherein exchanging operational parameters with the at least one of the one or more network capable devices comprises transmitting a battery power level of the electronic device and receiving a battery power level from at least one of the one or more network capable devices.

8. A method comprising:

measuring a first type of sensor data at a first sensor sampling rate;

detecting a proximity of one or more network capable devices;

forming a sensor network with at least one of the one or more network capable devices;

exchanging operational parameters with the at least one of the one or more network capable devices; and

coordinating data measurement by the first sensor based on the received sensor scan rate and offset data for the second sensor.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein coordinating measuring of data by the first sensor based on the exchanged data comprises reducing the sample rate of the first sensor below the first sampling rate.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein coordinating measuring of data by the first sensor further comprises selecting the reduced sampling rate of the first sensor based on a total number of devices participating in the sensor network having sensors capable of measuring the first type of sensor data.

11. The method of claim 8, further comprising:

determining whether data values measured by the first sensor are missing; and

in accordance with a determination that one or more data values measured by the first sensor are missing, receiving replacement data for the missing data from the at least one of the one or more network capable devices.

12. The method of claim 8, further comprising;

determining whether data values measured by the first sensor are outside of the expected measurement range; and

in accordance with a determination that one or more data values measured by the first sensor are outside of the expected measurement range, receiving replacement data for the data outside of the expected Measurement range from the at least one of the one or more network capable devices.

13. The method of claim 8, wherein coordinating measuring of data by the first sensor based on the received sensor scan rate comprises reducing the sample rate of the first sensor below the first sampling rate, wherein an aggregate data rate equal to or exceeds the first sampling rate for the first sensor.

14. The method of claim 8, further comprising:

receiving data from the second sensor belonging to at least one of the one or more network capable devices; and

based on data from the first sensor and data from the second sensor, calculating a combined measurement value to remove effects of extraneous variables in measurement data from the first sensor.

15. An electronic device comprising:

a first sensor configured to measure a first type of sensor data at a first sampling rate; and

a communication interface configured to;

detect a proximity of one or more network capable devices, different from the electronic device;

form a sensor network with at least one of the one or more network capable devices;

exchange operational parameters with the at least one of the one or more network capable devices;

coordinate data measurement by the first sensor based on the exchanged operational parameters; and

a processor configured to;

determine whether data values measured by the first sensor are missing or erroneous; and

in accordance with a determination that one or more data values measured by the first sensor are missing or erroneous, receive replacement data for the one or more missing or erroneous data values from the at least one of the one or more network capable devices.

16. The electronic device of claim 15, wherein exchanging operational parameters with the at least one of the one or more network capable devices comprises transmitting an identification of the first type of sensor data that the first sensor is configured to measure.

17. The electronic device of claim 15, wherein exchanging operational parameters with the at least one of the one or more network capable devices comprises transmitting a battery power level of the electronic device and receiving a battery power level from at least one of the one or more network capable devices.

18. An electronic device comprising:

a first sensor configured to measure a first type of sensor data at a first sampling rate; and

a communication interface configured to;

detect a proximity of one or more network capable devices, different from the electronic device;

form a sensor network with at least one of the one or more network capable devices;

exchange operational parameters with the at least one of the one or more network capable devices;

coordinate data measurement by the first sensor based on the exchanged operational parameters; and

receive data from the second sensor belonging to at least one of the one or more network capable devices; and

based on measured data from the first sensor and received data from the second sensor, calculate a combined measurement value to remove effects of extraneous variables in measurement data from the first sensor.

19. The electronic device of claim 18, wherein exchanging operational parameters with the at least one of the one or more network capable devices comprises transmitting an identification of the first type of sensor data that the first sensor is configured to measure.

20. The electronic device of claim 18, wherein exchanging operational parameters with the at least one of the one or more network capable devices comprises transmitting a battery power level of the electronic device and receiving a battery power level from at least one of the one or more network capable devices.