Sensors in communication devices

• US 8,432,288 B2
• Filed: 09/08/2009
• Issued: 04/30/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 06/15/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Qualcomm, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Qualcomm, Inc.
• Inventors: Bullard, Gregory T., Brake, Desiree D., Pruetting, Christopher J., Stits, Raymond S., Ryberg, Jason Tory, Thomas, Jason C., Winchell, Diane M.
• Primary Examiner(s): MCNALLY, KERRI L
• Application Number:
  US12/555,205
• Publication Number:
  US 20100315242A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,330 Days
• Field of Search: 340/584
• US Class Current: 340/584
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/065 related to network devices
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/16 Threshold monitoring
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/12 specially adapted for proprietary or special-purpose networking environments, e.g. medical networks, sensor networks, networks in vehicles or remote metering networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/38 for collecting sensor information

Abstract

Disclosed are methods and apparatuses for communication. In certain aspects, an apparatus for communication includes one or more sensors configured to measure a condition external to the apparatus, a circuit configured to determine when to transmit data based on the measurement to another apparatus, wherein the determination is based on at least one parameter configurable by the another apparatus, and a transmitter configured to transmit the data.

Claims

1. An apparatus for communication, comprising:

a circuit configured to determine when to transmit data to another apparatus, wherein the determination is based on at least one parameter configurable by the another apparatus and comprising a type of sensor, the circuit is further configured to compare the type of sensor with a type of sensor of one or more sensors at the apparatus and the determination when to transmit the data is based at least on the comparison; and

a transmitter configured to transmit the data.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the circuit is configured not to transmit the data if the type of sensor matches the type of sensor of the one or more sensors.

3. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the at least one parameter comprises a reporting interval.

4. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the at least one parameter comprises a reporting mode, the reporting mode specifying an amount of data to be included in the data.

5. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the at least one parameter comprises a sensor threshold, the circuit is configured to compare the measurement to the sensor threshold, and the determination when to transmit the data is based at least on the comparison of the measurement to the threshold.

6. The apparatus of claim 5, wherein the circuit is configured to transmit the data if the measurement is equal to or above the sensor threshold.

7. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising a second sensor, wherein the circuit is configured to adjust the at least one parameter based at least on a measurement from the second sensor.

8. The apparatus of claim 7, wherein the at least one parameter comprises a sensor threshold.

9. The apparatus of claim 8, wherein the second sensor comprises a humidity sensor or a temperature sensor.

10. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising a positioning device configured to determine a location of the apparatus, and wherein the determination when to transmit the data is based at least in part on the location of the apparatus.

11. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the circuit is configured to measure a load of a communication network and the determination when to transmit the data is based at least on the measurement of the load.

12. An apparatus for communication, comprising:

one or more sensors configured to measure a condition external to the apparatus;

a circuit configured to determine when to transmit data to another apparatus, wherein the determination is based on at least one parameter configurable by the another apparatus and comprising a type of sensor and a priority number, the circuit is further configured to compare the priority number with a number allocated to the apparatus, and the determination when to transmit the data is based at least on the comparison of the priority number with the number allocated to the apparatus.

13. The apparatus of claim 12, wherein the circuit is configured not to transmit the data if the priority number does not match the number allocated to the apparatus.

14. The apparatus of claim 12, wherein the apparatus supports different classes of services and the circuit is configured to stop one or more of the different classes of services based at least on the comparison of the priority number with the number allocated to the apparatus.

15. An apparatus for communication, comprising:

one or more sensors configured to measure a condition external to the apparatus;

a positioning device configured to determine a location of the apparatus;

a circuit configured to determine when to transmit data based on the measurement to another apparatus, wherein the determination is based on at least one parameter configurable by the another apparatus and comprising a geographical area, and the determination is based at least on whether the location of the apparatus is within the geographical area; and

a transmitter configured to transmit the data.

16. An apparatus for communication, comprising:

one or more sensors configured to measure a condition external to the apparatus;

a circuit configured to determine when to transmit data based on the measurement to another apparatus, wherein the determination is based on at least one parameter configurable by the another apparatus, the circuit is further configured to measure a load based on network latency or paging channel of a communication network, and the determination is based at least on the measurement of the load; and

a transmitter configured to transmit the data.

17. An apparatus for communication, comprising:

one or more sensors configured to measure a condition external to the apparatus;

a circuit configured to determine when to transmit data based on the measurement to another apparatus, wherein the determination is based on at least one parameter configurable by the another apparatus and comprising a range from a base station, the circuit is further configured to determine a distance of the apparatus from the base station, and the determination is based at least on whether the distance of the apparatus from the base station is within the range from the base station; and

a transmitter configured to transmit the data.

18. An apparatus for communication, comprising:

one or more sensors configured to measure a condition external to the apparatus;

a circuit configured to determine when to transmit data based on the measurement to another apparatus, wherein the determination is based on at least one parameter configurable by the another apparatus and comprising a cell ID, and the determination is based at least on whether the apparatus is being served by a cell corresponding to the cell ID; and

a transmitter configured to transmit the data.

19. An apparatus for communication, comprising:

one or more sensors configured to measure a condition external to the apparatus;

a circuit configured to determine when to transmit data based on the measurement to another apparatus, wherein the determination is based on at least one parameter configurable by the another apparatus, and the circuit is configured to configured the at least one parameter based at least on a geographical area in which the apparatus is located; and

a transmitter configured to transmit the data.

20. A method for communication, comprising:

determining, at an apparatus, when to transmit data to another apparatus based on at least one parameter configurable by the another apparatus and comprising a type of sensor;

comparing the type of sensor with a type of sensor of one or more sensors at the apparatus wherein the determination when to transmit the data based at least on the comparison; and

transmitting the data to the another apparatus.

21. The method of claim 20, wherein determining when to transmit the data based at least on the comparison comprises determining not to transmit the data if the type of sensor matches the type of sensor of the one or more sensors.

22. The method of claim 20, wherein the at least one parameter comprises a reporting interval.

23. The method of claim 20, wherein the at least one parameter comprises a reporting mode, the reporting mode specifying an amount of data to be included in the data.

24. The method of claim 20, wherein the at least one parameter comprises a sensor threshold, the method further comprises comparing the measurement to the sensor threshold, and determining when to transmit the data is based at least on the comparison of the measurement to the sensor threshold.

25. The method of claim 24, wherein determining when to transmit the data comprises determining to transmit the data if the measurement is equal to or above the sensor threshold.

26. The method of claim 20, further comprising adjusting the at least one parameter based at least on a measurement from a second sensor.

27. The method of claim 26, wherein the at least one parameter comprises a sensor threshold.

28. The method of claim 27, wherein the second sensor comprises a humidity sensor or temperature sensor.

29. The method of claim 20, further comprising determining a location of the apparatus, wherein determining when to transmit the data is based at least in part on the location of the apparatus.

30. The method of claim 20, further comprising measuring a load of a communication network, wherein determining when to transmit the data is based at least on the measurement of the toad.

31. A method for communication, comprising:

measuring a condition external to an apparatus using one or more sensors;

determining when to transmit data to another apparatus based on at least one parameter configurable by the another apparatus and comprising a type of sensor and a priority number; and

comparing the priority number with a number allocated to the apparatus, wherein determining when to transmit the data is based at least on the comparison of the priority number with the number allocated to the apparatus.

32. The method of claim 31, wherein the determining when to transmit the data comprises determining not to transmit the data if the priority number does not match the number allocated to the apparatus.

33. The method of claim 31, further comprising stopping one or more classes of services based at least on the comparison of the priority number with the number allocated to the apparatus.

34. A method for communication, comprising:

measuring a condition external to an apparatus using one or more sensors;

determining when to transmit data based on the measurement to another apparatus based on at least one parameter configurable by the another apparatus and comprising a geographical area;

determining a location of the apparatus;

determining whether the location of the apparatus is within the geographical area, wherein determining when to transmit the data, is based at least on whether the location of the apparatus is within the geographical area; and

transmitting the data to the another apparatus.

35. A method for communication, comprising:

measuring a condition external to an apparatus using one or more sensors;

determining when to transmit data based on the measurement to another apparatus based on at least one parameter configurable by the another apparatus;

measuring a load of the communication network based on network latency or paging channel of a communication network, wherein determining when to transmit the data is based at least on the measurement of the load; and

transmitting the data to the another apparatus.

36. A method for communication, comprising:

measuring a condition external to an apparatus using one or more sensors;

determining when to transmit data based on the measurement to another apparatus based on at least one parameter configurable by the another apparatus and comprising a range from a base station;

determining a distance of the apparatus from the base station, wherein determining when to transmit the data is based at least on whether the distance of the apparatus from the base station is within the range from the base station; and

transmitting the data to the another apparatus.

37. A method for communication, comprising:

measuring a condition external to an apparatus using one or more sensors;

determining when to transmit data based on the measurement to another apparatus based on at least one parameter configurable by the another apparatus and comprising a cell ID, wherein determining when to transmit the data is based at least on whether the apparatus is being served by a cell corresponding to the cell ID; and

transmitting the data to the another apparatus.

38. A method for communication, comprising:

measuring a condition external to an apparatus using one or more sensors;

determining when to transmit data based on the measurement to another apparatus based on at least one parameter configurable by the another apparatus;

configuring the at least one parameter based at least on a geographical area in which the apparatus is located; and

transmitting the data to the another apparatus.

39. A non-transitory machine-readable medium for storing instructions, wherein the instructions, upon execution by an apparatus, cause the apparatus to:

determine when to transmit data to another apparatus based on at least one parameter configurable by the another apparatus and comprising a type of sensor;

compare the type of sensor with a type of sensor of one or more sensors at the apparatus, wherein the determination when to transmit the data is based at least on the comparison; and

transmit the data to the another apparatus.

40. An access terminal, comprising:

a circuit configured to determine when to transmit data to another apparatus, wherein the determination is based on at least one parameter configurable by the another apparatus and comprising a type of sensor, the circuit is further configured to compare the type of sensor with a type of sensor of one or more sensors at the access terminal, and the determination when to transmit the data is based at least on the comparison;

an antenna; and

a transmitter configured to transmit the data via the antenna.