DATA COLLECTION USING A HEADSET JACK OF AN ELECTRONIC DEVICE

• US 20120038488A1
• Filed: 02/04/2011
• Published: 02/16/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 08/16/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Nexleaf Analytics
• Original Assignee: Nexleaf Analytics
• Inventors: Ramanathan, Nithya, Lukac, Martin Ladislav
• Granted Patent: US 8,928,491 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 340/870.07
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2209/75 by polling or interrogating the sub-stations
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 9/00 Arrangements in telecontrol or telemetry systems for selectively calling a substation from a main station, in which substation desired apparatus is selected for applying a control signal thereto or for obtaining measured values therefrom

Abstract

To collect data, an electronic device transmits a signal on an output channel of the headset jack to provide an excitation signal to a sensor for measuring a physical quantity. A signal from the sensor is received via an input channel of the headset jack of the electronic device. Data based on the received signal may be sent from the electronic device to a remote location for further processing. The data may be used to detect a physical condition, e.g., a temperature, humidity, soil moisture, sound, vibration, pressure, motion, and/or pollutants.

Claims

1. A computer-enabled method of collecting data, the method comprising:

providing an excitation signal to a sensor by transmitting a first signal through a headset jack;

receiving a second signal from the sensor through the headset jack; and

detecting a physical condition based on the second signal.

2. The computer-enabled method of claim 1, wherein transmitting the first signal through the headset jack comprises playing a first audio signal through the headset jack.

3. The computer-enabled method of claim 1, wherein receiving the second signal from the sensor through the headset jack comprises recording a second audio signal through the headset jack.

4. The computer-enabled method of claim 1, wherein detecting the physical condition comprises detecting the physical condition based on the amplitude of the second signal.

5. The computer-enabled method of claim 1, further comprising sending data to a remote location, wherein the data is based on the second signal.

6. The computer-enabled method of claim 1, wherein the second signal comprises a signal having the same frequency as the first signal and having a different amplitude as the first signal.

7. The computer-enabled method of claim 1, wherein the sensor is a temperature sensor.

8. The computer-enabled method of claim 7, further comprising detecting a temperature above a predetermined value based on the amplitude of the second signal.

9. The computer-enabled method of claim 8, further comprising determining a time period during which a cooker is turned on based on the detected temperature, wherein the cooker is coupled to the sensor.

10. The computer-enabled method of claim 1, wherein transmitting the first signal and receiving the second signal comprise transmitting the first signal and receiving the second signal via a connector plugged into the headset jack.

11. The computer-enabled method of claim 10, wherein the connector is selected from the group consisting of a TRS (tip, ring, sleeve) connector and a TRRS (tip, ring, ring, sleeve) connector.

12. The computer-enabled method of claim 1, wherein the first signal is a tone.

13. The computer-enabled method of claim 1, wherein the headset jack is located on a wireless handheld device.

14. A computer system for collecting data, the system comprising:

a sensor, the sensor coupled to the computer system via a headset jack;

memory configured to store data; and

one or more processors configured to;

provide an excitation signal to the sensor by transmitting a first signal through the headset jack;

receive a second signal from the sensor through the headset jack, wherein the data is based on the second signal; and

detect a physical condition based on the second signal.

15. The computer system of claim 14, the one or more processors further configured to detect the physical condition based on the amplitude of the second signal.

16. The computer system of claim 14, the one or more processors further configured to send the data to a remote location.

17. A computer-readable storage medium comprising computer-executable instructions for collecting data, the computer-executable instructions comprising instructions for:

providing an excitation signal to a sensor by transmitting a first signal through a headset jack;

receiving a second signal from the sensor through the headset jack; and

detecting a physical condition based on the second signal.

18. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 17, the computer-executable instructions for detecting the physical condition comprises instructions for detecting the physical condition based on the amplitude of the second signal.

19. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 17, the computer-executable instructions further comprising instructions for sending data to a remote location, wherein the data is based on the second signal.

20. An apparatus for collecting data, the apparatus comprising:

a sensor;

a connector to a headset jack; and

wherein an output from the headset jack is coupled to the sensor as an excitation signal for the sensor, and wherein a signal from the sensor is coupled to the headset jack as an input.

21. The apparatus of claim 20, wherein the connector is selected from the group consisting of a TRS (tip, ring, sleeve) connector and a TRRS (tip, ring, ring, sleeve) connector.