METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR PROVIDING CONTEXT-AWARE CONTROL OF SENSORS AND SENSOR DATA

• US 20120203491A1
• Filed: 02/03/2011
• Published: 08/09/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 02/03/2011
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: RPX Corporation
• Original Assignee: Nokia Corporation
• Inventors: Kuo, Cynthia, Bose, Raja, Sun, Feng-Tso
• Application Number:
  US13/020,631
• Publication Number:
  US 20120203491A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 702/108
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2560/0209 adapted for power saving
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2562/0219 Inertial sensors, e.g. accelerometers, gyroscopes, tilt switches
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/0006 ECG or EEG signals
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/0024 for multiple sensor units attached to the patient, e.g. using a body or personal area network
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/02405 Determining heart rate variability
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/1118 Determining activity level
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 40/63 for local operation
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 40/67 for remote operation
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 52/0216 using a pre-established activity schedule, e.g. traffic indication frame
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 52/0219 where the power saving management affects multiple terminals
• CPC Class Codes: Y02D 30/70 in wireless communication networks

Abstract

An approach is provided for context-aware control of sensors and sensor data. A sensor manager determines context information based, at least in part, on one or more sensors. The sensor manager also determines resource consumption information associated with a one or more other sensors, one or more functions of the one or more other sensors, or a combination thereof. The sensor manager then processes and/or facilitates a processing of the context information and the resource consumption information to determine at least one operational state associated with the one or more other sensors, the one or more functions of the one or more other sensors, or a combination thereof.

Claims

1. A method comprising facilitating a processing of and/or processing (1) data and/or (2) information and/or (3) at least one signal, the (1) data and/or (2) information and/or (3) at least one signal based, at least in part, on the following:

context information based, at least in part, on one or more sensors;

resource consumption information associated with one or more other sensors one or more functions of the one or more other sensors, or a combination thereof; and

a processing of the context information and the resource consumption information to determine at least one operational state associated with the one or more other sensors, the one or more functions of the one or more other sensors, or a combination thereof.

2. A method of claim 1, wherein the one or more functions relate to one or more interactions of the one or more other sensors with one or more devices, one or more services, or a combination thereof.

3. A method of claim 2, wherein the (1) data and/or (2) information and/or (3) at least one signal are further based, at least in part, on the following:

a processing of the context information and the resource consumption information to determine whether to cause, at least in part, performing of at least one of the one or more functions at the one or more other sensors, the one or more devices, the one or more services, or a combination thereof.

4. A method of claim 1, wherein the (1) data and/or (2) information and/or (3) at least one signal are further based, at least in part, on the following:

a processing of the context information and the resource consumption information to determine a schedule for performing at least one of the one or more functions of the one or more other sensors.

5. A method of claim 1, wherein the (1) data and/or (2) information and/or (3) at least one signal are further based, at least in part, on the following:

a monitoring of the context information, the resource consumption information, or a combination thereof periodically, according to a predetermined schedule, on demand, or a combination thereof; and

a processing of the monitoring to initiate the determination of the at least one operational state.

6. A method of claim 1, wherein the context information is further based, at least in part, on at least a third sensor.

7. A method of claim 1, wherein the resource consumption information relate, at least in part, to energy resources, bandwidth resources, computational resources, memory resources, or a combination thereof.

8. A method of claim 1, wherein the one or more functions include, at least in part, data collection, data processing, data transmission, or a combination thereof.

9. A method of claim 1, wherein the one or more other sensors include wearable health or wellness sensors.

10. A method of claim 1, wherein the one or more other sensors are affected by movement, and the one or more sensors detects at least one movement or one or more characteristics of the at least one movement of the one or more other sensors.

11. An apparatus comprising:

at least one processor; and

at least one memory including computer program code,

the at least one memory and the computer program code configured to, with the at least one processor, cause the apparatus to perform at least the following,

determine context information based, at least in part, on one or more sensors;

determine resource consumption information associated with a one or more other sensors, one or more functions of the one or more other sensors, or a combination thereof; and

process and/or facilitate a processing of the context information and the resource consumption information to determine at least one operational state associated with the one or more other sensors, the one or more functions of the one or more other sensors, or a combination thereof.

12. An apparatus of claim 11, wherein the one or more functions relate to one or more interactions of the one or more other sensors with one or more devices, one or more services, or a combination thereof.

13. An apparatus of claim 12, wherein the apparatus is further caused to:

process and/or facilitate a processing of the context information and the resource consumption information to determine whether to cause, at least in part, performing of at least one of the one or more functions at the one or more other sensors, the one or more devices, the one or more services, or a combination thereof.

14. An apparatus of claim 11, wherein the apparatus is further caused to:

process and/or facilitate a processing of the context information and the resource consumption information to determine a schedule for performing at least one of the one or more functions of the one or more other sensors.

15. An apparatus of claim 11, wherein the apparatus is further caused to:

cause, at least in part, a monitoring of the context information, the resource consumption information, or a combination thereof periodically, according to a predetermined schedule, on demand, or a combination thereof; and

process and/or facilitate a processing of the monitoring to initiate the determination of the at least one operational state.

16. An apparatus of claim 11, wherein the context information is further based, at least in part, on at least a third sensor.

17. An apparatus of claim 11, wherein the resource consumption information relate, at least in part, to energy resources, bandwidth resources, computational resources, memory resources, or a combination thereof.

18. An apparatus of claim 11, wherein the one or more other sensors include wearable health or wellness sensors.

19. A computer-readable storage medium carrying one or more sequences of one or more instructions which, when executed by one or more processors, cause an apparatus to perform at least:

determining context information based, at least in part, on one or more sensors;

determining resource consumption information associated with a one or more other sensors, one or more functions of the one or more other sensors, or a combination thereof; and

processing and/or facilitating a processing of the context information and the resource consumption information to determine at least one operational state associated with the one or more other sensors, the one or more functions of the one or more other sensors, or a combination thereof.

20. A computer-readable storage medium of claim 19, wherein the one or more functions relate to one or more interactions of the one or more other sensors with one or more devices, one or more services, or a combination thereof, and wherein the apparatus is caused to further perform:

processing and/or facilitating a processing of the context information and the resource consumption information to determine whether to cause, at least in part, performing of at least one of the one or more functions at the one or more other sensors, the one or more devices, the one or more services, or a combination thereof.

21-48. -48. (canceled)