System and Method for the Assisted Calibration of Sensors Distributed Across Different Devices

• US 20140343885A1
• Filed: 10/26/2012
• Published: 11/20/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 11/11/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Sony Group Corp.
• Original Assignee: Sony Mobile Communications AB (Sony Group Corp.)
• Inventors: Abrahamsson, Magnus, Klinghult, Gunnar, Kristensson, Andreas
• Granted Patent: US 11,181,402 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 702/96
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 22/006 Pedometers
• 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: G01D 18/00 Testing or calibrating apparatus or arrangements provided for in groups G01D1/00 - G01D15/00
• CPC Class Codes: G01P 21/00 Testing or calibrating of apparatus or devices covered by the preceding groups

Abstract

Sensors in one or more remote devices provide sensor output to a device having a controller. The controller analyzes the sensor data to determine the accuracy of the sensors outputting the sensor data. Based on the analysis, the controller calculates a calibration value to utilize in calibrating one or more of the sensors in the remote devices, or in one or more other devices.

Claims

1. A method for calibrating a sensor, the method comprising:

receiving sensor data output by one or more sensors in one or more remote devices;

determining a sensor calibration value based on the received sensor data; and

calibrating a selected one of the sensors using the sensor calibration value.

2. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

determining an accuracy of the selected sensor by analyzing sensor data received from the selected sensor; and

calculating the sensor calibration value based on the determined accuracy of the selected sensor.

3. The method of claim 2 wherein analyzing the sensor data comprises comparing the sensor data received from the selected sensor to predetermined sensor data, and further comprising calculating the predetermined sensor data based on the sensor data output by the one or more sensors in the one or more remote devices.

4. The method of claim 2 wherein analyzing the sensor data comprises:

determining movement for a device that includes the selected sensor; and

comparing the sensor data received from the selected sensor to the determined movement.

5. The method of claim 2 wherein analyzing the sensor data comprises:

retrieving, from a memory, a user activity profile for a user of the device associated with the selected sensor based on the sensor data output by the selected sensor; and

comparing the sensor data output by the selected sensor to information associated with the user activity profile to determine the accuracy of the selected sensor.

6. The method of claim 2 wherein receiving the sensor data output by the one or more sensors comprises receiving the sensor data at a network server, and further comprising:

calculating the sensor calibration value based on the received sensor data; and

sending the sensor calibration value to one or more of the sensors in the one or more remote devices.

7. The method of claim 1 wherein the sensor calibration value comprises an initialization command generated for the selected sensor, and wherein calibrating the selected sensor comprises sending the initialization command to the selected sensor to initialize the selected sensor.

8. The method of claim 1 wherein calibrating the selected sensor comprises updating a sensor calibration parameter associated with the selected sensor based on the determined sensor calibration value.

9. The method of claim 1 further comprising compensating the sensor data output by the selected sensor using the sensor calibration value.

10. The method of claim 1 wherein calibrating the selected sensor comprises calibrating, based on the determined sensor calibration value, one or more functions that interpret data output by the selected sensor.

11. A communications device for calibrating a sensor, the communications device comprising:

a communications interface configured to receive sensor data output by one or more sensors in one or more remote devices; and

a controller configured to calibrate a selected one of the sensors based on the received sensor data.

12. The device of claim 11 wherein the controller is further configured to:

determine an accuracy of the selected sensor by analyzing the sensor data output by the selected sensor; and

calculate a sensor calibration value based on the determined accuracy of the selected sensor.

13. The device of claim 12 wherein the controller is further configured to:

calculate predetermined sensor data based on the received sensor data; and

compare the sensor data output by the selected sensor to the predetermined sensor data to determine the accuracy of the selected sensor.

14. The device of claim 12 wherein the controller is further configured to:

determine movement for the remote device having the selected sensor; and

compare the sensor data output by the selected sensor to the determined movement.

15. The device of claim 12 further comprising a memory configured to store user activity profiles, and wherein the controller is further configured to:

retrieve a user activity profile from the memory based on the sensor data output by the selected sensor; and

compare the sensor data output by the selected sensor to information in the user activity profile to determine the accuracy of the selected sensor.

16. The device of claim 11 wherein the controller is further configured to calibrate the selected sensor by sending an initialization command to initialize the selected sensor.

17. The device of claim 11 wherein the controller is further configured to calibrate the selected sensor by updating a sensor calibration parameter associated with the second sensor.

18. The device of claim 11 wherein the controller is further configured to compensate the sensor data output by the selected sensor based on the received sensor data.

19. The device of claim 11 wherein the selected sensor comprises a sensor integrated in the communications device, and wherein the controller is further configured to calibrate the integrated sensor based on the received sensor data.

20. The device of claim 11 wherein the controller is further configured to calibrate the selected sensor by calibrating, based on the determined sensor calibration value, one or more functions that interpret data output by the selected sensor.