SENSORS IN COMMUNICATION DEVICES

• US 20100315242A1
• Filed: 09/08/2009
• Published: 12/16/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 06/15/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Qualcomm, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Qualcomm, Inc.
• Inventors: Brake, Desiree D., Bullard, Gregory T., Pruetting, Christopher J., Thomas, Jason C., Winchell, Diane M., Stits, Raymond S., Ryberg, Jason T.
• Granted Patent: US 8,432,288 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 340/584
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/065 related to network devices
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/16 Threshold monitoring
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/12 specially adapted for proprietary or special-purpose networking environments, e.g. medical networks, sensor networks, networks in vehicles or remote metering networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/38 for collecting sensor information

Abstract

Disclosed are methods and apparatuses for communication. In certain aspects, an apparatus for communication includes one or more sensors configured to measure a condition external to the apparatus, a circuit configured to determine when to transmit data based on the measurement to another apparatus, wherein the determination is based on at least one parameter configurable by the another apparatus, and a transmitter configured to transmit the data.

Claims

1. An apparatus for communication, comprising:

one or more sensors configured to measure a condition external to the apparatus;

a circuit configured to determine when to transmit data based on the measurement to another apparatus, wherein the determination is based on at least one parameter configurable by the another apparatus; and

a transmitter configured to transmit the data.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the at least one parameter comprises a type of sensor, and the circuit is configured to compare the type of sensor with a type of sensor of the one or more sensors and to determine when to transmit the data based at least on the comparison.

3. The apparatus of claim 2, wherein the circuit is configured not to transmit the data if the type of sensor matches the type of sensor of the one or more sensors.

4. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the at least one parameter comprises a priority number, and the circuit is configured to compare the priority number with a number allocated to the apparatus and to determine when to transmit the data based at least on the comparison.

5. The apparatus of claim 4, wherein the circuit is configured not to transmit the data if the priority number does not match the number allocated to the apparatus.

6. The apparatus of claim 4, wherein the apparatus supports different classes of services and the circuit is configured to stop one or more of the different classes of services based at least on the comparison.

7. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the at least one parameter comprises a reporting interval.

8. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the at least one parameter comprises a reporting mode, the reporting mode specifying an amount of data to be included in the data.

9. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the at least one parameter comprises a sensor threshold, and the circuit is configured to compare the measurement to the sensor threshold and to determine when to transmit the data based at least on the comparison.

10. The apparatus of claim 9, wherein the circuit is configured to transmit the data if the measurement is equal to or above the sensor threshold.

11. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising a second sensor, wherein the circuit is configured to adjust the at least one parameter based at least on a measurement from the second sensor.

12. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein the at least one parameter comprises a sensor threshold.

13. The apparatus of claim 12, wherein the second sensor comprises a humidity sensor or a temperature sensor.

14. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising a positioning device configured to determine a location of the apparatus, and wherein the circuit is configured to determine when to transmit the data based at least in part on the location of the apparatus.

15. The apparatus of claim 14, wherein the at least one parameter comprises a geographical area, and the circuit is configured to determine when to transmit the data based at least on whether the location of the apparatus is within the geographical area.

16. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the circuit is configured to measure a load of a communication network and to determine when to transmit the data based at least on the measurement of the load.

17. The apparatus of the claims 16, wherein the circuit is configured to measure the load based on network latency or paging channel of the communication network.

18. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the at least one parameter is a range from a base station, and the circuit is configured to determine a distance of the apparatus from the base station and to determine when to transmit the data based at least on whether the distance of the apparatus from the base station is within the range from the base station.

19. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the at least one parameter is a cell ID, and the circuit is configured to determine when to transmit the data based at least on whether the apparatus is being served by a cell corresponding to the cell ID.

20. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the circuit is configured to configure the at least one parameter based at least on a geographical area in which the apparatus is located.

21. A method for communication, comprising:

measuring a condition external to an apparatus using one or more sensors;

determining when to transmit data based on the measurement to another apparatus based on at least one parameter configurable by the another apparatus; and

transmitting the data to the another apparatus.

22. The method of claim 21, wherein the at least one parameter comprises a type of sensor, the method further comprising:

comparing the type of sensor with a type of sensor of the one or more sensors; and

determining when to transmit the data based at least on the comparison.

24. The method of claim 21, wherein the at least one parameter comprises a priority number, the method further comprising:

comparing the priority number with a number allocated to the apparatus; and

determining when to transmit the data based at least on the comparison.

25. The method of claim 24, wherein the determining when to transmit the data based at least on the comparison comprises determining not to transmit the data if the priority number does not match the number allocated to the apparatus.

26. The method of claim 24, further comprising stopping one or more classes of services based at least on the comparison.

27. The method of claim 21, wherein the at least one parameter comprises a reporting interval.

28. The method of claim 21, wherein the at least one parameter comprises a reporting mode, the reporting mode specifying an amount of data to be included in the data.

29. The method of claim 21, wherein the at least one parameter comprises a sensor threshold, the method further comprising:

comparing the measurement to the sensor threshold; and

determining when to transmit the data based at least on the comparison.

30. The method of claim 29, wherein the determining when to transmit the data based on at least on the comparison comprises determining to transmit the data if the measurement is equal to or above the sensor threshold.

31. The method of claim 21, further comprising adjusting the at least one parameter based at least on a measurement from a second sensor.

32. The method of claim 31, wherein the at least one parameter comprises a sensor threshold.

33. The method of claim 32, wherein the second sensor comprises a humidity sensor or temperature sensor.

34. The method of claim 21, further comprising:

determining a location of the apparatus; and

determining when to transmit the data based at least in part on the location of the apparatus.

35. The method of claim 34, wherein the at least one parameter comprises a geographical area, the method further comprising:

determining whether the location of the apparatus is within the geographical area; and

determining when to transmit the data based at least on whether the location of the apparatus is within the geographical area.

36. The method of claim 21, further comprising:

measuring a load of a communication network; and

determining when to transmit the data base at least on the measurement of the load.

37. The method of claim 36, wherein measuring the load of the communication network is based on network latency or paging channel of the communication network.

38. The method of claim 21, wherein the at least one parameter is a range from a base station, the method further comprising:

determining a distance of the apparatus from the base station; and

determining when to transmit the data based at least on whether the distance of the apparatus from the base station is within the range from the base station.

39. The method of claim 21, wherein the at least one parameter is a cell ID, the method further comprising determining when to transmit the data based at least on whether the apparatus is being served by a cell corresponding to the cell ID.

40. The method of claim 21, further comprising configuring the at least one parameter based at least on a geographical area in which the apparatus is located.

23. The method of 22, wherein the determining when to transmit the data based at least on the comparison comprises determining not to transmit the data if the type of sensor matches the type of sensor of the one or more sensors.

41. A apparatus for communication, comprising:

means for measuring a condition external to an apparatus using one or more sensors;

means for determining when to transmit data based on the measurement to another apparatus based on at least one parameter configurable by the another apparatus; and

means for transmitting the data to the another apparatus.

42. The apparatus of claim 41, wherein the at least one parameter comprises a type of sensor, further comprising:

means for comparing the type of sensor with a type of sensor of the one or more sensors; and

means for determining when to transmit the data based at least on the comparison.

43. The apparatus of claim 42, wherein the means for determining when to transmit the data based at least on the comparison comprises means for determining not to transmit the data if the type of sensor matches the type of sensor of the one or more sensors.

44. The apparatus of claim 41, wherein the at least one parameter comprises a priority number, further comprising:

means for comparing the priority number with a number allocated to the apparatus; and

means for determining when to transmit the data based at least on the comparison.

45. The apparatus of claim 44, wherein the means for determining when to transmit the data based at least on the comparison comprises means for determining not to transmit the data if the priority number does not match the number allocated to the apparatus.

46. The apparatus of claim 44, further comprising means for stopping one or more classes of services based at least on the comparison.

47. The apparatus of claim 41, wherein the at least one parameter comprises a reporting interval.

48. The apparatus of claim 41, wherein the at least one parameter comprises a reporting mode, the reporting mode specifying an amount of data to be included in the data.

49. The apparatus of claim 41, wherein the at least one parameter comprises a sensor threshold, further comprising:

means for comparing the measurement to the sensor threshold; and

means for determining when to transmit the data based at least on the comparison.

50. The apparatus of claim 49, wherein the means for determining when to transmit the data based on at least on the comparison comprises means for determining to transmit the data if the measurement is equal to or above the sensor threshold.

51. The apparatus of claim 41, further comprising means for adjusting the at least one parameter based at least on a measurement from a second sensor.

52. The apparatus of claim 51, wherein the at least one parameter comprises a sensor threshold.

53. The apparatus of claim 52, wherein the second sensor comprises a humidity sensor or temperature sensor.

54. The apparatus of claim 41, further comprising:

means for determining a location of the apparatus; and

means for determining when to transmit the data based at least in part on the location of the apparatus.

55. The apparatus of claim 54, wherein the at least one parameter comprises a geographical area, further comprising:

means for determining whether the location of the apparatus is within the geographical area; and

means for determining when to transmit the data based at least on whether the location of the apparatus is within the geographical area.

56. The apparatus of claim 41, further comprising:

means for measuring a load of a communication network; and

means for determining when to transmit the data base at least on the measurement of the load.

57. The apparatus of claim 56, wherein the means for measuring the load of the communication network measures the load based on network latency or paging channel of the communication network.

58. The apparatus of claim 41, wherein the at least one parameter is a range from a base station, further comprising:

means for determining a distance of the apparatus from the base station; and

means for determining when to transmit the data based at least on whether the distance of the apparatus from the base station is within the range from the base station.

59. The apparatus of claim 41, wherein the at least one parameter is a cell ID, further comprising means for determining when to transmit the data based at least on whether the apparatus is being served by a cell corresponding to the cell ID.

60. The apparatus of claim 41, further comprising means for configuring the at least one parameter based at least on a geographical area in which the apparatus is located.

61. A machine-readable medium for storing instructions, wherein the instructions, upon execution by an apparatus, cause the apparatus to:

measure a condition external to an apparatus using one or more sensors;

determine when to transmit data based on the measurement to another apparatus based on at least one parameter configurable by the another apparatus; and

transmit the data to the another apparatus.

62. An access terminal, comprising:

one or more sensors configured to measure a condition external to the apparatus;

a circuit configured to determine when to transmit data based on the measurement to another apparatus, wherein the determination is based on at least one parameter configurable by the another apparatus;

an antenna; and

a transmitter configured to transmit the data via the antenna.