System and method for calibrating sensors across loosely coupled consumer electronic devices

• US 10,948,289 B2
• Filed: 07/13/2012
• Issued: 03/16/2021
• Est. Priority Date: 11/03/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Inventors: Kristensson, Andreas, Abrahamsson, Magnus, Klinghult, Gunnar
• Primary Examiner(s): Satanovsky, Alexander
• Assistant Examiner(s): Crohn, Mark I
• Application Number:
  US13/549,293
• Publication Number:
  US 20130116958A1
• Time in Patent Office: 3,168 Days
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 17/38 Testing, calibrating, or compensating of compasses
• 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: G01C 5/06 by using barometric means
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 5/24 Inductive coupling
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 5/73 for taking measurements, e.g. using sensing coils
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/04 Supports for telephone transmitters or receivers
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72412 using two-way short-range wireless interfaces
• 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

Abstract

A base unit includes a sensor calibration function. When a user communicatively couples a consumer electronic device having a sensor to the base unit, a controller at the base unit retrieves a calibration reference value for the sensor and/or a sensor algorithm that utilizes data output by the sensor. The base unit then sends the calibration reference value to the consumer electronic device to set a sensor calibration parameter associated with the sensor and/or the sensor algorithm.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

detecting, by a wireless charging platform, each of a first electronic device and a second electronic device while both are positioned on a charging surface of the wireless charging platform, the first and the second electronic devices each comprising a battery and a sensor;

communicatively coupling each of the first and the second electronic devices via respective wireless communications to the wireless charging platform;

receiving, by the wireless charging platform, identification data comprising information identifying the first and the second electronic devices and the respective sensors of each of the first and second electronic devices;

reading, by the wireless charging platform, a current reference calibration value associated with the sensor of the second electronic device;

storing the current sensor reference calibration value in the wireless charging platform; and

determining, by the wireless charging platform, the current sensor reference calibration value is applicable to the sensor of the first electronic device and setting a sensor calibration parameter of the sensor in the first electronic device based on the stored current reference calibration value while wirelessly charging the battery of the first electronic device.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein setting the sensor calibration parameter of the sensor in the first electronic device comprises sending the stored current reference calibration value to the first electronic device.

3. The method of claim 2 further comprising the wireless charging platform wirelessly transmitting the stored current reference calibration value to the first electronic device via a wireless communications link.

4. The method of claim 2 further comprising the wireless charging platform receiving the current reference value as user input.

5. The method of claim 2 further comprising the wireless charging platform:

receiving data transmitted by the first electronic device while the first electronic device is communicatively coupled to the wireless charging platform; and

obtaining the current reference calibration value based on the received data.

6. The method of claim 5 wherein obtaining the current reference calibration value based on the received data comprises the wireless charging platform retrieving the current reference calibration value from a memory at the wireless charging platform.

7. The method of claim 5 wherein obtaining the current reference calibration value further comprises the wireless charging platform retrieving the current reference calibration value from a network server via a communications interface at the wireless charging platform.

8. The method of claim 1 wherein the setting the sensor calibration parameter of the sensor in the first electronic device comprises sending the stored current reference calibration value to the first electronic device.

9. The method of claim 1 wherein the identification data comprises at least one of a mobile equipment identifier (MEI), a telephone number, and an identifier associated with the sensor.

10. A wireless charging platform comprising:

a base, comprising a charging surface, configured to;

receive first and second electronic devices on the charging surface, the first and the second electronic devices each comprising a battery and a sensor;

detect both the first and the second electronic devices while both are positioned on the charging surface;

communicatively couple to each of the first and the second electronic devices via respective wireless communications to the charging platform;

receive identification data comprising information identifying the first and the second electronic devices and the respective sensors of each of the first and second electronic devices; and

charge the batteries of the first and second electronic devices while the first and the second electronic devices are positioned on the charging surface; and

a processor circuit and a memory configured to;

read a current reference calibration value associated with the sensor in the second electronic device from the second electronic device;

store the current reference calibration value in the memory;

determine the current reference calibration value is applicable to the sensor of the first electronic device and set a sensor calibration parameter of the sensor in the first electronic device based on the stored current reference calibration value while the base is wirelessly charging the battery of the first electronic device.

11. The wireless charging platform of claim 10 wherein the processor circuit is configured to set the sensor calibration parameter of the sensor in the first electronic device by sending the stored current reference calibration value from the memory to the first consumer electronic device.

12. The wireless charging platform of claim 11 further comprising a wireless transceiver, and wherein the processor circuit is further configured to transmit the stored current reference calibration value to the first electronic device via the wireless transceiver.

13. The wireless charging platform of claim 11 further comprising a user interface configured to receive the current reference calibration value as user input.

14. The wireless charging platform of claim 11 wherein the processor circuit is further configured to:

receive data transmitted by the first electronic device; and

obtain the current reference calibration value based on the received data.

15. The wireless charging platform of claim 14 further comprising a communications interface connecting the charging base to a network server, and wherein the processor circuit is further configured to retrieve the current reference calibration from the network server.

16. The wireless charging platform of claim 10 wherein the identification data comprises at least one of a mobile equipment identifier (MEI), a telephone number, and an identifier associated with the sensor.