METHOD AND SYSTEM FOR DETERMINING WHETHER TO RESET A HEIGHT IN A HEIGHT DETERMINING DEVICE BASED ON THE OCCURRENCE OF STEPS

• US 20140122012A1
• Filed: 10/31/2013
• Published: 05/01/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 11/01/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Verizon Patent and Licensing Incorporated (Verizon Communications Inc.)
• Original Assignee: HTI IP LLC (Verizon Communications Inc.)
• Inventors: Barfield, James R.
• Granted Patent: US 9,797,743 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 702/138
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 22/006 Pedometers
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 5/06 by using barometric means

Abstract

A filter processes acceleration magnitude signals from an accelerometer device to output spectral content related to walking and running. A device containing the accelerometer determines steps by qualitatively analyzing the processed acceleration signals to determine whether increased acceleration magnitude results from a step impact from running or walking activity. The device may analyze the acceleration signals to determine crossings of an axis at zero magnitude, which crossings typically correspond to a person'"'"'s foot impacting the ground, and may analyze the period, between the zero crossings. The step count can indicate whether the device, in a height determination mode, is moving in a vehicle; if analysis of accelerometer signals indicates no stepping or running, but another circuit of the device indicates rapid movement, the device assumes it is moving in a vehicle, and resets a height above ground value to zero upon determining resumption of walking or running activity.

Claims

1. A height determination device, comprising a pressure measuring sensor, a motion sensor, and a processor configured for running a method to reset a height above ground level value, the method comprising the steps:

monitoring barometric pressure sensor data from the pressure measuring sensor to determine a change in height of the device;

monitoring the motion sensor to determine whether speed of the device is less than a predetermine speed value;

determining whether the height determining device is in a vehicle based on at least one of the monitoring barometric sensor data and the monitoring the motion sensor; and

resetting the height above ground level value to zero.

2. The device of claim 1 wherein the pressure measuring device is a digital barometric pressure sensor, the motion sensor comprises GPS circuitry, and the step sensor comprises an accelerometer sensor.

3. The device of claim 1 further comprising a step sensor wherein the determining of whether the height determining device is in a vehicle includes determining whether the step sensor has indicated, more than a predetermined number of steps following a determination that the speed of the device is less than the predetermined speed value.

4. The device of claim 3 wherein the step sensor comprises an accelerometer.

5. The device of claim 1 wherein the determining of whether the height determining device is in a vehicle includes determining that the device is paired via short range wireless link to a mobile device associated with the vehicle.

6. The device of claim 5 wherein the mobile device associated with the vehicle is a telematics device.

7. The device of claim 6 wherein telematics device is a dongle that plugs into an OBD-II port of the vehicle.

8. The device of claim 5 wherein the mobile device associated with the vehicle is a near field communication device.

9. The device of claim 8 wherein the near field device is a radio frequency identification device.

10. A method running in a height determination device, the device comprising a pressure measuring sensor, a motion sensor, and a processor configured for running a method to reset a height above ground level value, the method comprising the steps:

monitoring barometric pressure sensor data from the pressure measuring sensor to determine a change in height of the device;

monitoring the motion sensor to determine whether speed of the device is less than a predetermine speed value;

in determining whether the height determining device is in a vehicle based on at least one of the monitoring barometric sensor data and the monitoring the motion sensor; and

resetting the height above ground level value to zero.

11. The method of claim 10 wherein the pressure measuring device is a digital barometric pressure sensor, the motion sensor comprises GPS circuitry, and the step sensor comprises an accelerometer sensor.

12. The method of claim 10 further comprising a step sensor wherein the determining of whether the height determining device is in a vehicle includes determining whether the step sensor has indicated more than a predetermined number of steps following a determination that the speed of the device is less than the predetermined speed value.

13. The method of claim 12 wherein the step sensor comprises an accelerometer.

14. The method of claim 10 wherein the determining of whether the height determining device is in a vehicle includes determining that the device is paired via short range wireless link to a mobile device associated with the vehicle.

15. A height determination device, comprising a pressure measuring sensor and a processor configured for running a method to reset a height above ground level value, the method comprising the steps:

monitoring barometric pressure sensor data from the pressure measuring sensor to determine change in height of the device;

determining whether the height determining device is in a vehicle based on the monitoring barometric pressure sensor data; and

resetting the height above ground level value to zero.

16. The height determination device of claim 15 wherein the step of determining whether the height determining device is in a vehicle includes the height determining device performing a pairing operation over a short range wireless link with a mobile device associated with the vehicle.

17. The device of claim 16 wherein the mobile device associated with the vehicle is a telematics device.

18. The device of claim 17 wherein telematics device is a dongle that plugs into an OBD-II port of the vehicle.

19. The device of claim 15 further comprising a step sensor wherein the determining of whether the height determining device is in a vehicle includes determining whether the step sensor has indicated more than a predetermined number of steps following a determination that the device is contained in the vehicle.

20. The device of claim 15 wherein the mobile device is further configured to:

disable monitoring barometric pressure sensor data from the pressure measuring sensor to determine a change in height of the device;

determine when the short range wireless link is no longer connected; and

set the height above ground level value to zero.