System and Method for Calibrating Sensors Across Loosely Coupled Consumer Electronic Devices

• US 20130116958A1
• Filed: 07/13/2012
• Published: 05/09/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 11/03/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Sony Mobile Communications AB (Sony Group Corp.)
• Inventors: Kristensson, Andreas, Abrahamsson, Magnus, Klinghult, Gunnar
• Granted Patent: US 10,948,289 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 702/85
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 17/38 Testing, calibrating, or compensating of compasses
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 25/00 Manufacturing, calibrating, cleaning, or repairing instruments or devices referred to in the other groups of this subclass testing, calibrating or compensating compasses G01C17/38
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 5/06 by using barometric means
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 5/24 Inductive coupling
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 5/73 for taking measurements, e.g. using sensing coils
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/04 Supports for telephone transmitters or receivers
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72412 using two-way short-range wireless interfaces
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2250/12 including a sensor for measuring a physical value, e.g. temperature or motion telephones including GPS signal receivers H04M2250/10

Abstract

A base unit includes a sensor calibration function. When a user communicatively couples a consumer electronic device having a sensor to the base unit, a controller at the base unit retrieves a calibration reference value for the sensor and/or a sensor algorithm that utilizes data output by the sensor. The base unit then sends the calibration reference value to the consumer electronic device to set a sensor calibration parameter associated with the sensor and/or the sensor algorithm.

Claims

1. A method of setting a sensor calibration parameter for a sensor in a consumer electronic device, the method comprising:

communicatively coupling a base unit to a first consumer electronic device having a sensor; and

setting a sensor calibration parameter of the sensor while communicatively coupled to the first consumer electronic device.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein setting a sensor calibration parameter comprises sending a calibration reference value for the sensor calibration parameter to the first consumer electronic device.

3. The method of claim 2 wherein the base unit comprises a battery charger configured to send the calibration reference value to the first consumer electronic device via an electrical connection electrically connecting the battery charger to the first consumer electronic device.

4. The method of claim 2 wherein the base unit comprises a wireless charging platform configured to wirelessly transmit the calibration reference value to the first consumer electronic device via a wireless communications link.

5. The method of claim 2 wherein the base unit comprises a dock configured to send the calibration reference value to the first electronic device via an electrical connection coupling the battery charger to the first consumer electronic device.

6. The method of claim 2 further comprising receiving the calibration reference value as user input.

7. The method of claim 2 further comprising:

receiving data transmitted by the first consumer electronic device while the first consumer electronic device is communicatively coupled to the base unit; and

obtaining the calibration reference value based on the received data.

8. The method of claim 7 wherein obtaining the calibration reference value based on the received data comprises retrieving the calibration reference value from a memory at the base unit.

9. The method of claim 7 wherein obtaining the calibration reference value comprises retrieving the calibration reference value from a network server via a communications interface at the base unit.

10. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

communicatively coupling the sensor calibration function to a second consumer electronic device having a sensor;

reading a calibration reference value from the second consumer electronic device; and

setting the sensor calibration parameter of the sensor in the first consumer electronic device based on the calibration reference value read from the second consumer electronic device while communicatively coupled to the second consumer electronic device.

11. The method of claim 1 wherein setting a sensor calibration parameter comprises sending a calibration reference value to set the sensor calibration parameter of a sensor algorithm that operates on data output by the sensor to the first consumer electronic device.

12. A base unit having a sensor calibration function, the base unit comprising:

a base configured to communicatively couple to a first consumer electronic device having a sensor; and

a controller configured to set a sensor calibration parameter of the sensor while communicatively coupled to the first consumer electronic device.

13. The base unit of claim 12 wherein the controller is configured to set the sensor calibration parameter by sending a calibration reference value to the first consumer electronic device.

14. The base unit of claim 13 wherein the base unit comprises a battery charger configured to send the calibration reference value to the first consumer electronic device via an electrical connection electrically connecting the battery charger to the first consumer electronic device.

15. The base unit of claim 13 wherein the base unit comprises a wireless charging platform having a wireless transceiver, and wherein the controller is further configured to transmit the calibration reference value to the first consumer electronic device via the transceiver.

16. The base unit of claim 13 wherein the base unit comprises a dock, and wherein the controller is further configured to send the calibration reference value to the first consumer electronic device via an electrical connection connecting the dock to the first consumer electronic device.

17. The base unit of claim 13 further comprising a user interface configured to receive the calibration reference value as user input.

18. The base unit of claim 13 wherein the controller is further configured to:

receive data transmitted by the first consumer electronic device; and

obtain the calibration reference value based on the received data.

19. The base unit of claim 18 further comprising a communications interface connecting the base unit to a network server, and wherein the controller is further configured to retrieve the calibration reference value from the network server.

20. The base unit of claim 12 wherein the base unit is further configured to communicatively couple to a second consumer electronic device having a sensor, and wherein the controller is further configured to:

read a calibration reference value from the second consumer electronic device; and

set the sensor calibration parameter at the first consumer electronic device based on the calibration reference value.