Method of sensor cluster processing for a communication device

• US 8,823,518 B2
• Filed: 12/08/2008
• Issued: 09/02/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 12/08/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Motorola Solutions, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Motorola Solutions, Inc.
• Inventors: Swope, Charles B.
• Primary Examiner(s): Bugg, George
• Assistant Examiner(s): Dorsey, Renee
• Application Number:
  US12/330,288
• Publication Number:
  US 20100141399A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,094 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 340/539.22
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72454 according to context-related or environment-related conditions
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2250/10 including a GPS signal receiver
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 52/029 reducing the clock frequency of the controller
• CPC Class Codes: Y02D 30/70 in wireless communication networks

Abstract

A sensor enhanced communication device (200) is provided with a wake mode, a standby mode and sleep mode. The sleep mode is a periodic occurrence within the standby mode which places a cluster of sensors and transducers (202) into a state of arousal in which the sensitivity of the transducers and sensors is increased while the sampling rate is decreased. Incremental learning can occur during the sleep mode as well as basic memory transfers. Since the cluster does not have to re-acquire information upon entering wake mode, the overall power efficiency is improved.

Claims

1. A method of managing a battery powered portable communication device having a cluster of sensors and transducers, comprising:

providing a wake mode, a standby mode and a sleep mode;

in wake mode;

receiving sensor process variables from a server;

providing full operation of the communication device in which sensor and transducer sensitivity is set for current environmental conditions without re-acquiring sensor metric information;

transferring contents from procedural memory to declarative memory;

in standby mode;

sending acquired sensor data to external server;

moving contents from declarative memory to procedural memory; and

enabling sleep mode;

in sleep mode;

increasing sensor and transducer sensitivity to acquire sensor data;

reducing sensor and transducer sampling rates, the increased sensitivity and reduced sampling rates enabling a state of arousal of the cluster of sensors and providing low power processing;

transferring bi-directional data between declarative and procedural memory; and

updating sensor process variables with sensor metric information based on the acquired sensor data.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein the step of enabling sleep mode as part of standby mode comprises one of:

receiving an Application Programming Interface (API) code; and

determining that declarative and procedural memory has exceeded a predetermined threshold.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein in the sleep mode the step of updating sensor process variables with sensor metric information based on the acquired sensor data provides incremental learning to the sensors during sleep mode.

19. The method of claim 1 wherein in wake mode:

the sensor process variables received from the server are not sensing output of the sensors.

20. The method of claim 19, wherein in wake mode:

the server operates as a sensor database containing a transducer electronic data sheet (TEDS) for each sensor, radio information, and user interface constraints.

4. A sensor enhanced portable two-way radio, comprising:

a cluster of sensors and transducers; and

a microcontroller providing a wake mode and a standby mode, the standby mode providing a periodic sleep mode to the cluster, the microcontroller placing the cluster into a temporary state of arousal during the sleep mode, wherein the microcontroller induces the sleep mode by increasing sensor and transducer gains and reducing sensor and transducer sampling rates.

5. The sensor enhanced portable two-way radio of claim 4, wherein the microcontroller transfers data to and from memory and provides updated sensor process variables to the sensors and transducers for incremental learning during sleep mode.

6. The sensor enhanced portable two-way radio of claim 5, wherein during the standby mode the microcontroller reduces the gain of the sensors and transducers and increases the sampling rate of the sensors and transducers.

7. The sensor enhanced portable two-way radio of claim 6, wherein the sensors and transducers acquire sensor metric information during sleep mode and without re-acquiring the sensor metric information during wake mode.

21. The sensor enhanced portable two-way radio of claim 5, wherein the updated sensor process variables provided to the sensors and transducers comprise information pertaining to a transducer electronic data sheet (TEDS) for each sensor, radio information, and user interface constraints.

8. A sensor enhanced communication device, comprising:

a radio host microcontroller;

memory coupled to the radio host microcontroller;

a cluster of sensors;

a sensor controller responsive to the radio host processor for controlling the cluster of sensors, the sensor controller putting the cluster of sensors into a sleep mode from a standby mode upon standby command from the radio host processor wherein the cluster of sensors, in the sleep mode, enter a state of arousal in which sensor sensitivity is enhanced and sampling rate is reduced, the sensor controller providing low power processing and transfer of memory between RAM and FLASH memory residing in the sensor controller during sleep mode; and

the cluster of sensors remaining in sleep mode until the sensor controller indicates a wake mode of operation wherein processing and transfer of data between the cluster of sensors and memory occurs, wherein the sensor controller performs sensor process variable changes in the form of incremental learning to the cluster of sensors during sleep mode.

9. The sensor enhanced communication device of claim 8, wherein the sensitivity is enhanced by maximizing sensor gain.

10. The sensor enhanced communication device of claim 8, wherein the sampling rate is reduced by restricting data transfer from memory to and from the sensors during sleep mode.

11. The sensor enhanced communication device of claim 8, wherein the restriction of data transfer comprises limiting data transfer to procedural memory changes from controller RAM to FLASH memory during sleep mode.

12. The sensor enhanced communication device of claim 8, wherein the memory comprises RAM and Flash memory.

13. The sensor enhanced communication device of claim 8, wherein the communication device comprises a portable two-way radio.

22. The sensor enhanced communication device of claim 8, wherein the sensor process variable changes to the cluster of sensors are based on transducer electronic data sheet (TEDS) for each sensor, radio information, and user interface constraints.

14. A sensor enhanced communication device, comprising:

a radio controller;

memory coupled within the radio controller;

a cluster of sensors coupled to the radio controller; and

the radio controller controlling the cluster of sensors by putting the cluster of sensors into a sleep mode from a standby mode in response to a standby command, wherein the sleep mode places the cluster of sensors into a state of arousal in which sensor sensitivity is enhanced and sampling rate is reduced, the radio controller providing low power processing and transfer of sensor data to and from memory, the cluster of sensors remaining in sleep mode until the radio controller indicates a wake mode of operation wherein processing and transfer of data between the cluster of sensors and memory occurs.

24. The sensor enhanced communication device of claim 14, wherein the radio controller performs sensor process variable changes in the form of incremental learning to the cluster of sensors during sleep mode.

25. The sensor enhanced communication device of claim 24, wherein the sensor process variable changes to the cluster of sensors are based on transducer electronic data sheet (TEDS) for each sensor, radio information, and user interface constraints.

15. A method of operating a sensor enhanced radio, comprising:

enabling a standby mode of operation in response to a lack of environmental input to a cluster of sensors;

placing the cluster of sensors into a sleep mode from the standby mode in response to the standby command, the sleep mode inducing the cluster of sensors into a state of arousal in which sensor sensitivity is enhanced and sensor sampling rate is reduced;

enabling a wake mode of operation in response to at least one sensor receiving an environmental input; and

processing and transferring data between the cluster of sensors and memory in response to receiving the wake mode.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein the step of receiving a standby command further comprises comparing the contents of procedural and declarative memory to a predetermined threshold and generating the standby command when the memory exceeds the predetermined threshold.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein the step of placing the cluster of sensors into a sleep mode further comprises processing and transferring data between RAM and Flash memories in a low power mode.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein the sleep mode further comprises:

placing sensors into a state of arousal by maximizing sensor gain;

performing sensor memory transfers between controller and memory; and

performing sensor process variable changes thereby providing incremental learning to the sensors.

23. The method of claim 18, wherein the sensor process variable changes are based on transducer electronic data sheet (TEDS) for each sensor, radio information, and user interface constraints.