Software framework and development platform for multi-sensor systems

• US 8,869,095 B2
• Filed: 05/17/2011
• Issued: 10/21/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 12/10/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Atmel Corporation (Microchip Technology Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: Atmel Corporation (Microchip Technology Incorporated)
• Inventors: Long, Kent D., Iannacito, Paul A., Logan, John, Woolley, Adrian
• Primary Examiner(s): Wong, Don
• Assistant Examiner(s): Rivera, Anibal
• Application Number:
  US13/109,952
• Publication Number:
  US 20120151432A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,253 Days
• US Class Current: 717/100
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 8/30 Creation or generation of source code

Abstract

The disclosed software framework and development platform facilitates software development for multi-sensor systems. In some implementations, developers can select a sensor board that includes a desired combination of sensor devices. The sensor board can be coupled to a development board that includes a target processor and other circuitry to facilitate development and testing of a system that includes the target processor and the sensors. Various software support tools are provided including an Application Programming Interface (API) that provides API abstractions for software drivers for the sensors on the sensor board. By using the abstractions of the API, a software developer does not have to write code (“glue”) to interact with the various software drivers. Additionally, the API provides access to a variety of software library functions for performing data scaling, unit conversion and mathematical functions and algorithms.

Claims

1. A software development system, comprising:

a development board including an interface and a target processor;

a sensor board coupled to the development board through the interface, the sensor board including multiple sensors;

memory storing application program code and a software library, which, when executed by the target processor, causes the target processor to perform the operations comprising;

receiving a request from the application program for sensor data;

identifying a sensor of the multiple sensors for providing the requested sensor data;

identifying a dedicated driver in a driver layer for the identified sensor;

determining whether the application program is requesting raw or processed sensor data;

if the application program is requesting processed sensor data;

requesting raw sensor data from the identified driver;

receiving the requested raw sensor data from the identified driver;

sending the raw sensor data to a function of the software library;

processing, by the function of the software library, the raw sensor data to generate the requested processed sensor data; and

providing the processed sensor data to the application program; and

if the application program is requesting raw sensor data;

requesting raw sensor data from the identified driver; and

providing the raw sensor data to the application program.

2. The system of claim 1, where the sensor is from a group of sensors including accelerometers, gyro sensors, magnetometers, temperature sensors, pressure sensors, light sensors, proximity sensors, and touch sensors.

3. The system of claim 1, where the software library function is associated with definitions or declarations for defining data structures for returning the raw sensor data.

4. The system of claim 1, where the software library function includes a parameter list that provides variables or pointers for sending and receiving data and pointers to and from code of the software library function for generating the processed sensor data.

5. The system of claim 1, where the software library function utilizes an application programming interfaces (API) provided by the sensor driver in the driver layer to access the raw sensor data stored in one or more registers in the sensor.

6. The system of claim 1, where the software library function includes code for performing at least one of scaling, unit conversion and mathematical calculations on the raw sensor data.

7. The system of claim 1, where the driver layer includes a software framework, where the software framework is an abstraction that includes common code for providing generic functionality, which can be selectively overridden or specialized by user code to provide specific functionality.

8. A method performed by a software development system including a development board including an interface, a target processor and a sensor board coupled to the development board through the interface, the sensor board including multiple sensors, the method comprising:

receiving a request from the application program for sensor data;

identifying a sensor of the multiple sensors for providing the requested sensor data;

identifying a dedicated driver in a driver layer for the identified sensor;

determining whether the application program is requesting raw or processed sensor data;

if the application program is requesting processed sensor data;

requesting raw sensor data from the identified driver;

receiving the requested raw sensor data from the identified driver;

sending the raw sensor data to a function of the software library;

processing, by the function of the software library, the raw sensor data to generate the requested processed sensor data; and

providing the processed sensor data to the application program; and

if the application program is requesting raw sensor data;

requesting raw sensor data from the identified driver; and

providing the raw sensor data to the application program.

9. The method of claim 8, where the sensor is from a group of sensors including accelerometers, gyro sensors, magnetometers, temperature sensors, pressure sensors, light sensors, proximity sensors, and touch sensors.

10. The method of claim 8, where the software library function is associated with definitions or declarations for defining data structures for returning the raw sensor data.

11. The method of claim 8, where the software library function includes a parameter list that provides variables or pointers for sending and receiving data and pointers to and from code of the software library function for generating the processed sensor data.

12. The method of claim 8, where the software library function utilizes an application programming interfaces (API) provided by the sensor driver in the driver layer to access the raw sensor data stored in one or more registers in the sensor.

13. The method of claim 8, where the software library function includes code for performing at least one of scaling, unit conversion and mathematical calculations on the raw sensor data.

14. The method of claim 8, where the driver layer includes a software framework, where the software framework is an abstraction that includes common code for providing generic functionality, which can be selectively overridden or specialized by user code to provide specific functionality.