EXTERNAL GNSS RECEIVER MODULE WITH MOTION SENSOR SUITE FOR CONTEXTUAL INFERENCE OF USER ACTIVITY

• US 20150009067A1
• Filed: 09/26/2014
• Published: 01/08/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 12/28/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Trimble Inc.
• Original Assignee: Trimble Navigation Limited (Trimble Inc.)
• Inventors: Rudow, Richard, Weisenburger, Shawn D., Janky, James M.
• Granted Patent: US 9,821,999 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 342/357.51
• CPC Class Codes: B81B 2201/0235 Accelerometers
• CPC Class Codes: B81B 2201/0242 Gyroscopes
• CPC Class Codes: B81B 7/02 containing distinct electrical or optical devices of particular relevance for their function, e.g. microelectro-mechanical systems [MEMS] B81B7/04 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G01P 13/00 Indicating or recording presence, absence, or direction, of movement electric switches H01H; counting moving objects G06M7/00
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 19/41 Differential correction, e.g. DGPS [differential GPS]
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 19/43 using carrier phase measurements, e.g. kinematic positioning; using long or short baseline interferometry

Abstract

A method for contextual inference of user activity is disclosed. In one embodiment, an indication of the motion of a pole mounted sensing device comprising at least one motion sensor and a Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS) receiver configured to at least generate raw GNSS observables is received from the at least one motion sensor. The indication of the motion of the pole mounted sensing device is correlated with an operation defined in a gesture library regarding GNSS data collect by the GNSS receiver at a time when the indication of the motion is detected. The indication and the GNSS data are stored.

Claims

1. A method for contextual inference of user activity, said method comprising:

receiving from at least one motion sensor an indication of the motion of a pole mounted sensing device comprising said at least one motion sensor and a Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS) receiver configured to at least generate raw GNSS observables;

correlating said indication of the motion of said pole mounted sensing device with an operation defined in a gesture library regarding GNSS data collected by said GNSS receiver at a time when said indication of the motion is detected; and

storing said indication and said GNSS data.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein said indication is stored in a context file and said GNSS data is stored in a raw GNSS observables file, said method further comprising:

storing said context file and said raw GNSS observables file in a non-transitory data storage device of said pole mounted sensing device.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein said pole mounted sensing device further comprises a wireless communication component, said method further comprising:

sending said indication of the motion of said pole mounted sensing device and the GNSS data from said pole mounted sensing device to a handheld wireless device proximate to said pole mounted sensing device via said wireless communication component.

4. The method of claim 3 wherein said handheld wireless device comprises a cellular telephone.

5. The method of claim 3 wherein said gesture library is stored in said handheld wireless device and wherein said correlating of said indication of the motion of said pole mounted sensing device with said operation is performed by said handheld wireless device.

6. The method of claim 1 wherein said pole mounted sensing device further comprises a wireless communication device, said method further comprising:

recognizing said indication as an intentional gesture by said pole mounted sensing device; and

sending the GNSS data to a handheld wireless device via a wireless communication component;

sending a signal to said handheld wireless device denoting said gesture via said wireless communication component; and

correlating said indication of the motion of said pole mounted sensing device with said operation in said gesture library which is stored in said handheld wireless device.

7. The method of claim 6 further comprising:

generating by said handheld wireless device a signal indicating an operating parameter related to the collection of said GNSS data.

8. The method of claim 1 wherein said GNSS receiver is further configured to output a position fix and to receive Satellite-based Augmentation System (SBAS) signals, said method further comprising:

using said SBAS signals to improve a precision of determining a location of a GNSS antenna of said pole mounted sensing device at a time said indication is received.

9. The method of claim 1 wherein said at least one motion sensor provides data describing alignment of said pole mounted sensing device with respect to gravitational pull of the Earth.

10. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

detecting an absence of an indication of motion for a period which exceeds a pre-defined time threshold; and

correlating said absence of an indication of motion with an operation to initiate contacting emergency responder.

11. A method for contextual inference of user activity, said method comprising:

receiving at a handheld wireless device via a wireless communication component an indication of motion of a sensing device located apart from said handheld wireless device;

receiving at said handheld wireless device, via said wireless communication component, Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS) data recorded at a time said indication of the motion of said sensing device was detected by a GNSS receiver configured to at least generate raw GNSS observables; and

correlating said indication of the motion of said sensing device with an operation defined in a gesture library regarding GNSS data received from said GNSS receiver at a time when said indication of the motion is detected.

12. The method of claim 11 wherein said sensing device further comprises a non-transitory data storage device further comprising:

storing a context file comprising said indication of the motion of said sensing device in said non-transitory data storage device; and

storing said GNSS data in a raw GNSS observables file in said non-transitory data storage device.

13. The method of claim 11 wherein said handheld wireless device comprises a cellular telephone.

14. The method of claim 11 further comprising:

recognizing said indication as a gesture by said sensing device; and

sending said GNSS data to said handheld wireless device via said wireless communication component;

sending a signal to said handheld wireless device denoting said gesture via said wireless communication component; and

correlating said indication of the motion of said sensing device with said operation in said gesture library which is stored in said handheld wireless device.

15. The method of claim 11 further comprising:

generating by said handheld wireless device a signal indicating an operating parameter related to collection of said GNSS data.

16. The method of claim 11 wherein said GNSS receiver is further configured to output a position fix and to receive Satellite-based Augmentation System (SBAS) signals, said method further comprising:

using said SBAS signals to improve a precision of determining the location of a GNSS antenna of said sensing device at the time said indication is received.

17. A method for contextual inference of user activity, said method comprising:

storing in a non-transitory data storage device a gesture library wherein an indication of the motion of a motion sensor is correlated with a defined operation in a collection of Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS) data by a GNSS receiver configured to at least generate raw GNSS observables;

receiving at a processor said indication of motion of at least one motion sensor;

accessing said gesture library by said processor;

determining by said processor that said indication of the motion is defined in said gesture library; and

performing by said processor said defined operation in said collection of said GNSS data in response to said determining by said processor that said indication of the motion is defined in said gesture library.

18. The method of claim 17 wherein said motion sensor and said GNSS receiver comprise components of a motion sensing device located apart from a handheld wireless device upon which said gesture library is stored, said method further comprising:

receiving via a wireless communication component of said handheld wireless device said indication of the motion of said at least one motion sensor;

determining by said processor of said handheld wireless device that said motion is defined in said gesture library; and

performing said defined operation upon GNSS data received via said wireless communication component which was received by said GNSS receiver when said indication of the motion of said at least one motion sensor was detected.

19. The method of claim 18 wherein said sensing device further comprises a non-transitory data storage device further comprising:

storing a context file comprising said indication of the motion of said sensing device in said non-transitory data storage device; and

storing said GNSS data in a raw GNSS observables file in said non-transitory data storage device.

20. The method of claim 18 wherein said handheld wireless device comprises a cellular telephone.

21. The method of claim 17 further comprising:

recognizing said indication as a gesture by said sensing device; and

sending said GNSS data to a handheld wireless device via a wireless communication component;

sending a signal to said handheld wireless device denoting said gesture via said wireless communication component; and

correlating by said processor said indication of the motion of said sensing device with said operation in said gesture library which is stored in said handheld wireless device.

22. The method of claim 17 further comprising:

generating by a handheld wireless device a signal indicating an operating parameter related to said collection of said GNSS data.

23. The method of claim 17 wherein said GNSS receiver is further configured to output a position fix and to receive Satellite-based Augmentation System (SBAS) signals, said method further comprising:

using said SBAS signals to improve a precision of determining a location of a GNSS antenna of said sensing device at a time said indication is received.

24. The method of claim 17 wherein a plurality of discreet motions of a motion sensor detected within a defined time interval is correlated with a defined operation in said collection of said GNSS data by a GNSS receiver in said gesture library.