Patent Grant
10473684
With the advancement in technology, mobile devices are capable of collecting real-time motion status for one or more users. However, privacy concerns and battery consumption restricts the willingness of one or more users to access mobile device applications (e.g. GPS) and share information on their motion status. Since, knowledge about a user's motion status is important, service providers and device manufacturers (e.g., wireless, cellular, etc.) are continually challenged to deliver value and convenience to consumers by, for example, providing a method that detects motion status of one or more users in a private, power efficient, and GPS independent manner.
Therefore, there is a need for an approach for determining movement information for at least one user device based, at least in part, on air pressure sensor data.
According to one embodiment, a method comprises determining reference air pressure data associated with a reference set of devices. The method also comprises processing and/or facilitating a processing of the reference air pressure data to cause, at least in part, a classification of the reference air pressure data into one or more candidate movement status categories. The method further comprises determining air pressure sensor data associated with at least one user device. The method also comprises determining at least one movement status category for the at least one user device from among the one or more candidate movement status categories based, at least in part, on the classification.
According to another embodiment, an apparatus comprises at least one processor, and at least one memory including computer program code for one or more computer programs, the at least one memory and the computer program code configured to, with the at least one processor, cause, at least in part, the apparatus to determine reference air pressure data associated with a reference set of devices. The apparatus is also caused to process and/or facilitate a processing of the reference air pressure data to cause, at least in part, a classification of the reference air pressure data into one or more candidate movement status categories. The apparatus is further caused to determine air pressure sensor data associated with at least one user device. The apparatus is also caused to determine at least one movement status category for the at least one user device from among the one or more candidate movement status categories based, at least in part, on the classification.
According to another embodiment, a computer-readable storage medium carries one or more sequences of one or more instructions which, when executed by one or more processors, cause, at least in part, an apparatus to determine reference air pressure data associated with a reference set of devices. The apparatus is also caused to process and/or facilitate a processing of the reference air pressure data to cause, at least in part, a classification of the reference air pressure data into one or more candidate movement status categories. The apparatus is further caused to determine air pressure sensor data associated with at least one user device. The apparatus is also caused to determine at least one movement status category for the at least one user device from among the one or more candidate movement status categories based, at least in part, on the classification.
According to another embodiment, an apparatus comprises means for determining reference air pressure data associated with a reference set of devices. The apparatus also comprises means for processing and/or facilitating a processing of the reference air pressure data to cause, at least in part, a classification of the reference air pressure data into one or more candidate movement status categories. The apparatus further comprises means for determining air pressure sensor data associated with at least one user device. The apparatus also comprises means for determining at least one movement status category for the at least one user device from among the one or more candidate movement status categories based, at least in part, on the classification.
In addition, for various example embodiments of the invention, the following is applicable: a method comprising facilitating a processing of and/or processing (1) data and/or (2) information and/or (3) at least one signal, the (1) data and/or (2) information and/or (3) at least one signal based, at least in part, on (or derived at least in part from) any one or any combination of methods (or processes) disclosed in this application as relevant to any embodiment of the invention.
For various example embodiments of the invention, the following is also applicable: a method comprising facilitating access to at least one interface configured to allow access to at least one service, the at least one service configured to perform any one or any combination of network or service provider methods (or processes) disclosed in this application.
For various example embodiments of the invention, the following is also applicable: a method comprising facilitating creating and/or facilitating modifying (1) at least one device user interface element and/or (2) at least one device user interface functionality, the (1) at least one device user interface element and/or (2) at least one device user interface functionality based, at least in part, on data and/or information resulting from one or any combination of methods or processes disclosed in this application as relevant to any embodiment of the invention, and/or at least one signal resulting from one or any combination of methods (or processes) disclosed in this application as relevant to any embodiment of the invention.
For various example embodiments of the invention, the following is also applicable: a method comprising creating and/or modifying (1) at least one device user interface element and/or (2) at least one device user interface functionality, the (1) at least one device user interface element and/or (2) at least one device user interface functionality based at least in part on data and/or information resulting from one or any combination of methods (or processes) disclosed in this application as relevant to any embodiment of the invention, and/or at least one signal resulting from one or any combination of methods (or processes) disclosed in this application as relevant to any embodiment of the invention.
In various example embodiments, the methods (or processes) can be accomplished on the service provider side or on the mobile device side or in any shared way between service provider and mobile device with actions being performed on both sides.
For various example embodiments, the following is applicable: An apparatus comprising means for performing the method of any of originally filed claims 1-10, 21-30, and 46-48.
Still other aspects, features, and advantages of the invention are readily apparent from the following detailed description, simply by illustrating a number of particular embodiments and implementations, including the best mode contemplated for carrying out the invention. The invention is also capable of other and different embodiments, and its several details can be modified in various obvious respects, all without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention. Accordingly, the drawings and description are to be regarded as illustrative in nature, and not as restrictive.
The embodiments of the invention are illustrated by way of example, and not by way of limitation, in the figures of the accompanying drawings:
Examples of a method, apparatus, and computer program for determining movement information for at least one user device based, at least in part, on air pressure sensor data are disclosed. In the following description, for the purposes of explanation, numerous specific details are set forth in order to provide a thorough understanding of the embodiments of the invention. It is apparent, however, to one skilled in the art that the embodiments of the invention may be practiced without these specific details or with an equivalent arrangement. In other instances, well-known structures and devices are shown in block diagram form in order to avoid unnecessarily obscuring the embodiments of the invention.
In one embodiment, the system 100 may implement a population-based model that is less subject to influences from individual habits. Such population-based model applies universally to new users adopting the mobile devices. The system 100 collects one or more reference air pressure data, and classifies the one or more reference air pressure data into candidate movement status category. The system 100 consults the candidate movement status categories to determine the movement status category for at least one user device.
In one embodiment, the system 100 may collect historical travel information for at least one user. Then, the system 100 may determine the duration for one or more future trips based, at least in part, on the historical travel information. In one scenario, the system 100 may consider a user's ephemeral history, so when a user comes to a brief stop, for example, traffic stop during a trip, the in-vehicle context does not change. In another embodiment, the system 100 may cross-reference one or more detected results with models based on radio sensors, and tune model parameters for an individual over time. In one example embodiment, there are mobile device applications that assist a user in recording parking location and retrieve it later, however, this requires the user to remember to record the parking location. The system 100 may detect when the in-vehicle status ceased and automatically record the parking location without user input.
In one embodiment, the system 100 may determine the position for at least one user in a known path by using barometer sensors. The system 100 may process barometer sensor data to determine a location for a device associated with at least one user on a known path. In one scenario, air pressure at a specific location is known to be affected by various factors, including but not limited to, weather conditions and elevation. In one example embodiment, a user travelling in a motor vehicle may experience air pressure changes, since the weather condition do not change over a short period of time, the air pressure changes the user observes during the travel period is by and large determined by the elevation change on the path. As such, elevation change is a critical factor in determining the air pressure change. In one scenario, the system 100 may know the travel path for at least one user (a user driving from work to home is often predictable/known). The system 100 may process the air pressure data to determine the position of the user on the known travel path.
In one embodiment, the system 100 may determine a route the at least one user is on. More specifically, the system 100 may determine a user's route among multiple possible routes. The system 100 may use barometer sensor data to determine the route at least one user is on. As discussed, weather condition during a travel do not change over a short period of time, hence the air pressure changes observed during the travel may be due to the change in elevation. The system 100 may process the change in the air pressure data to determine the route taken by at least one user.
The system 100 comprises of a UE 101a-101n (hereinafter UE 101). By way of example, the UE 101 is any type of mobile terminal, fixed terminal, or portable terminal including a mobile handset, station, unit, device, multimedia computer, multimedia tablet, Internet node, communicator, desktop computer, laptop computer, notebook computer, netbook computer, tablet computer, personal communication system (PCS) device, personal navigation device, personal digital assistants (PDAs), smart watches, audio/video player, digital camera/camcorder, positioning device, fitness device, television receiver, radio broadcast receiver, electronic book device, game device, or any combination thereof, including the accessories and peripherals of these devices, or any combination thereof. It is also contemplated that the UE 101 can support any type of interface to the user (such as “wearable” circuitry, etc.). In one embodiment, the one or more vehicles may have cellular or Wi-Fi connection either through the inbuilt communication equipment or from the UE 101 associated with the vehicles. The applications 103 may assist in conveying sensor information via the communication network 107.
The system 100 comprises of applications 103a-103n (hereinafter applications 103). By way of example, the applications 103 may be any type of application that is executable at the UE 101, such as air-pressure based service applications, sensor monitoring applications, calendar applications, content provisioning services, navigation applications, GIS applications, and the like. In one embodiment, one of the applications 103 at the UE 101 may act as a client for the coordination platform 109 and may perform one or more functions associated with the functions of the coordination platform 109 by interacting with the coordination platform 109 over the communication network 107.
The system 100 comprises of sensors 105a-105n (hereinafter sensors 105). By way of example, the sensors 105 may be any type of sensor. In one embodiment, the sensors 105 may include, for example, a barometer for gathering air pressure data. In certain embodiments, sensors 105 may include an accelerometer, a network detection sensor for detecting wireless signals or receivers for different short-range communications (e.g., Bluetooth, Wi-Fi, Li-Fi, near field communication, etc.), temporal information sensor, temperature sensors, etc. The one or more sensors may work individually or together to collect the sensor data. In one scenario, accelerometer may detect movements of a user associated with a user device, for example, a user moving from sitting position to standing position while the barometer may record any changes in air pressure during the movement. In one scenario, sensors 105 may perform the function of activity monitor, step counter, place monitor and route tracker. The sensors 105 may be used to track user's movements and physical activities, and may run constantly in the background to collect and preserve data. Even though sensors 105 are constantly active they run in a low power mode consuming negligible amount of battery. Further, since the sensors 105 provide access to user's private data, user has the option of disabling the functioning of the sensors and clearing any collected data. In one scenario, activity monitor provides information about changes in user's physical activity, for example, when user starts or stops walking, remains stationary or drives a vehicle. In order to filter out the noise, changes are not reported more often than every ten seconds.
By way of example, the communication network 107 of system 100 includes one or more networks such as a data network, a wireless network, a telephony network, or any combination thereof. It is contemplated that the data network may be any local area network (LAN), metropolitan area network (MAN), wide area network (WAN), a public data network (e.g., the Internet), short range wireless network, or any other suitable packet-switched network, such as a commercially owned, proprietary packet-switched network, e.g., a proprietary cable or fiber-optic network, and the like, or any combination thereof. In addition, the wireless network may be, for example, a cellular network and may employ various technologies including enhanced data rates for global evolution (EDGE), general packet radio service (GPRS), global system for mobile communications (GSM), Internet protocol multimedia subsystem (IMS), universal mobile telecommunications system (UMTS), etc., as well as any other suitable wireless medium, e.g., worldwide interoperability for microwave access (WiMAX), Long Term Evolution (LTE) networks, code division multiple access (CDMA), wideband code division multiple access (WCDMA), wireless fidelity (Wi-Fi), wireless LAN (WLAN), Bluetooth®, Internet Protocol (IP) data casting, satellite, mobile ad-hoc network (MANET), and the like, or any combination thereof.
The system 100 comprises of the coordination platform 109. In one embodiment, the coordination platform 109 may be a platform with multiple interconnected components. The coordination platform 109 may include multiple servers, intelligent networking devices, computing devices, components and corresponding software for determining movement information for at least one user device based, at least in part, on air pressure sensor data.
In one embodiment, the coordination platform 109 may determine reference air pressure data associated with a reference set of devices. In one scenario, air pressure data is an efficient way of determining moving status of one or more users in various moving vehicles in a power saving and GPS independent manner. The coordination platform 109 may collect and measure the air pressure data for one or more reference set of devices. Then, the coordination platform 109 may associate the air pressure data with one or more user context (e.g., moving, idle, in a vehicle etc.) via labelling.
In one embodiment, the coordination platform 109 may process and/or facilitate a processing of the reference air pressure data to cause, at least in part, a classification of the reference air pressure data into one or more candidate movement status categories. The coordination platform 109 may use barometer to collect various air pressure data with a user's labelled context for determining the motion status (moving or non-moving) of the user. In one scenario, the coordination platform 109 may classify the activities of one or more users into a hierarchy of activity classes:
In one embodiment, the coordination platform 109 may determine air pressure sensor data associated with at least one user device. Then, the coordination platform 109 may determine at least one movement status category for the at least one user device from among the one or more candidate movement status categories based, at least in part, on the classification.
In one embodiment, the coordination platform 109 may include or have access to geographic database 111 to access or store any kind of data, such as air pressure sensor data, traffic conditions, routing information, location information, temporal information, contextual information, etc. Data stored in the geographic database 111 may, for instance, be provided by the UE 101, the sensors 105, the services platform 113, one or more services 115a-115n (or services 115), or one or more content providers 117a-117n (or content providers 117).
The services platform 113 may include any type of service. By way of example, the services platform 113 may include air pressure data determination services, content (e.g., audio, video, images, etc.) provisioning services, application services, storage services, contextual information determination services, location based services, information (e.g., weather, news, etc.) based services, etc. In one embodiment, the services platform 113 may interact with the UE 101, the coordination platform 109 and the content providers 117 to supplement or aid in the processing of the content information (e.g., air pressure data).
In one embodiment, the services 115 may be an online service that reflects interests and/or activities of users. In one scenario, the services 115 provide representations of each user (e.g., a profile), his/her social links, and a variety of additional information. The services 115 allow users to share location information, navigation related information, activities information, contextual information, historical user information and interests within their individual networks, and provides for data portability.
The content providers 117 may provide content to the UE 101, the coordination platform 109, and the services 115 of the services platform 113. The content provided may be any type of content, such as, air pressure data etc. In one embodiment, the content providers 117 may provide content that may supplement content of the applications 103, sensors 105, or a combination thereof. By way of example, the content providers 117 may provide content that may aid in determining movement information for at least one user device. In another embodiment, the content providers 117 may also store content associated with the UE 101, the coordination platform 109, and the services 115 of the services platform 113. In a further embodiment, the content providers 117 may manage access to a central repository of data, and offer a consistent, standard interface to data.
By way of example, the UE 101, the coordination platform 109, the services platform 113, and the content providers 117 communicate with each other and other components of the communication network 107 using well known, new or still developing protocols. In this context, a protocol includes a set of rules defining how the network nodes within the communication network 107 interact with each other based on information sent over the communication links. The protocols are effective at different layers of operation within each node, from generating and receiving physical signals of various types, to selecting a link for transferring those signals, to the format of information indicated by those signals, to identifying which software application executing on a computer system sends or receives the information. The conceptually different layers of protocols for exchanging information over a network are described in the Open Systems Interconnection (OSI) Reference Model.
Communications between the network nodes are typically effected by exchanging discrete packets of data. Each packet typically comprises (1) header information associated with a particular protocol, and (2) payload information that follows the header information and contains information that may be processed independently of that particular protocol. In some protocols, the packet includes (3) trailer information following the payload and indicating the end of the payload information. The header includes information such as the source of the packet, its destination, the length of the payload, and other properties used by the protocol. Often, the data in the payload for the particular protocol includes a header and payload for a different protocol associated with a different, higher layer of the OSI Reference Model. The header for a particular protocol typically indicates a type for the next protocol contained in its payload. The higher layer protocol is said to be encapsulated in the lower layer protocol. The headers included in a packet traversing multiple heterogeneous networks, such as the Internet, typically include a physical (layer 1) header, a data-link (layer 2) header, an internetwork (layer 3) header and a transport (layer 4) header, and various application (layer 5, layer 6 and layer 7) headers as defined by the OSI Reference Model.
In one embodiment, the collection module 201 may collect reference air pressure data associated with reference set of devices. In another embodiment, the collection module 201 may collect air pressure data associated with at least one vehicle, at least one user device, or a combination thereof. Then, the collection module 201 may provide the processing module 203 with the collected reference air pressure data, air pressure data, or a combination thereof. In a further embodiment, the collection module 201 may collect historical travel information for at least one user device. The collection module may determine duration for one or more future trips based, at least in part, on the historical travel information. In one scenario, a temporary travel stopover for at least one vehicle, at least one user device, or a combination thereof may be determined based, at least in part, on historical travel information.
In one embodiment, the processing module 203 may process reference air pressure data to cause, at least in part, a classification of the reference air pressure data into one or more candidate movement status categories. In another embodiment, the processing module 203 may process the air pressure data associated with at least one vehicle, at least one user device, or a combination thereof to determine the movement status category. In one scenario, the processing module may cause an assessment of the air pressure data associated with at least one vehicle, at least one user device, or a combination thereof to select movement status category from the candidate movement status category. In another scenario, the processing module 203 may cause a comparison between the reference air pressure data and the air pressure data to measure the accuracy of the one or more results from a classifier.
In one embodiment, the labelling module 205 may cause labeling of the reference air pressure data based, at least in part, on one or more contexts associated with the reference set of devices. The one or more labelling may be based on the user input, sensor data, or a combination thereof. In one scenario, the labelling module 205 may provide the collection module 201 with the labelled air pressure data, whereupon the labelled air pressure data may be stored in a cloud storage. In another scenario, the one or more labelled air pressure data may be extracted from the cloud storage to adjust one or more parameters based, at least in part, on air pressure data. Then, an optimized status for at least one vehicle, at least one user device, or a combination thereof may be generated.
In one embodiment, the classification module 207 may categorize one or more reference air pressure data. Such classification of one or more reference air pressure data supports in determining movement status category for at least one user device. In one scenario, the classification of one or more reference air pressure data may be based, at least in part, on contexts associated with one or more reference set of objects, one or more user devices or a combination thereof. In another scenario, the contexts may include user activity information, vehicular movement information, or a combination thereof. In a further scenario, the user activity information may include identifying whether a user is stationary, moving, riding a vehicle, or a combination thereof.
In one embodiment, the monitoring module 209 may monitor the air pressure data for reference set of devices, at least one vehicle, at least one user device, or a combination thereof. In another embodiment, the monitoring module 209 may perform real-time monitoring of one or more user activities, one or more vehicular movements, or a combination thereof. In one scenario, the monitoring module 209 may cause a notification of any changes in user activities, vehicular movements, or a combination thereof.
The above presented modules and components of the coordination platform 109 can be implemented in hardware, firmware, software, or a combination thereof. Though depicted as a separate entity in
In step 301, the coordination platform 109 may determine reference air pressure data associated with a reference set of devices. In one scenario, the coordination platform 109 may collect air pressure data from one or more barometer sensors associated with one or more reference set of devices to determine the mode of transportation for a user, user activities, location of the user, environmental condition surrounding a user device, travel paths etc.
In step 303, the coordination platform 109 may process and/or facilitate a processing of the reference air pressure data to cause, at least in part, a classification of the reference air pressure data into one or more candidate movement status categories. In one embodiment, the processing of the reference air pressure data, the air pressure data associated with the at least one device, or a combination thereof comprises at least one of:
In step 305, the coordination platform 109 may determine air pressure sensor data associated with at least one user device. In one scenario, the coordination platform 109 may determine air pressure data for at least one moving vehicle, at least one user device, or a combination thereof. Then, the coordination platform 109 may determine the status for at least one moving vehicle, at least one user device, or a combination thereof based on the candidate movement status categories.
In step 307, the coordination platform 109 may determine at least one movement status category for the at least one user device from among the one or more candidate movement status categories based, at least in part, on the classification. In one scenario, the coordination platform 109 may detect the mode of transportation to be a bus based on candidate movement status categories, whereupon the at least one user device may be adapted to perform following functions:
In step 401, the coordination platform 109 may cause, at least in part, a labeling of the reference air pressure data are labeled based, at least in part, on one or more contexts associated with the reference set of devices. In one embodiment, the one or more candidate movement status categories, the one or more contexts, or a combination thereof are associated with one or more modes of transport, one or more paths of travel, one or more user activities, or a combination thereof. In one embodiment, the labeling is based, at least in part, on user input, sensor data, or a combination thereof. In one scenario, the coordination platform 109 may adapt at least one user device based on the detected mode of transportation. In one example embodiment, the coordination platform 109 via sensors 105 may detect that a user is riding a bike, the user device may be adapted to perform the following functions:
In step 403, the coordination platform 109 may cause, at least in part, an enabling or a disabling of one or more applications, one or more functions, or a combination thereof of the at least one user device based, at least in part, on the at least one movement status category. In one scenario, the coordination platform 109 may adapt the behavior of at least one user device upon detecting that a user is driving a car. For example, the coordination platform 109 may
In step 501, the coordination platform 109 may determine an accuracy of the classification based, at least in part, on a comparison of at least one predicted movement category against at least one actual movement category. In one embodiment, the at least one actual movement category is received as input from a user. In one scenario, the coordination platform 109 may collect air pressure data around at least one user based on user input, wherein user input include user context information. Then, the coordination platform 109 may measure the accuracy of the one or more results from a classification by comparing predicted movement category with the actual movement category.
In step 503, the coordination platform 109 may cause, at least in part, an automated modification of one or more parameters of the classification based, at least in part, on the determined accuracy of the classification. In one scenario, the coordination platform 109 may cause an extraction of one or more labelled air pressure data from the cloud storage to adjust one or more parameters based on the accuracy. Then, the coordination platform 109 may generate an optimized status for at least one user device.
In step 505, the coordination platform 109 may cause, at least in part, a binning of the reference air pressure data based, at least in part, on a predetermined time interval. In one embodiment, the accuracy of the classification is determined based, at least in part, on the binning. In one scenario, the coordination platform 109 may cause a binning of prediction on time threshold, e.g., each minute.
In step 507, the coordination platform 109 may process and/or facilitate a processing of other movement sensor data available from the at least one device in combination with the air pressure data associated with the at least one device to determine the at least one movement status category associated with the at least one device. In one scenario, various sensors 105 may work individually or together to collect the sensor data. In one scenario, accelerometer may detect movements of a user associated with a user device, for example, a user moving from sitting position to standing position while the barometer may record any changes in air pressure during the movement.
In another scenario, the coordination platform 109 may determine that a user is travelling in a high-speed train. Then, the coordination platform 109 may cause the user device to prompt users to switch their respective user devices to silent mode, and/or automatically record the trip statistics.
The processes described herein for determining movement information for at least one user device based, at least in part, on air pressure sensor data may be advantageously implemented via software, hardware, firmware or a combination of software and/or firmware and/or hardware. For example, the processes described herein, may be advantageously implemented via processor(s), Digital Signal Processing (DSP) chip, an Application Specific Integrated Circuit (ASIC), Field Programmable Gate Arrays (FPGAs), etc. Such exemplary hardware for performing the described functions is detailed below.
A bus 1510 includes one or more parallel conductors of information so that information is transferred quickly among devices coupled to the bus 1510. One or more processors 1502 for processing information are coupled with the bus 1510.
A processor (or multiple processors) 1502 performs a set of operations on information as specified by computer program code related to determine movement information for at least one user device based, at least in part, on air pressure sensor data. The computer program code is a set of instructions or statements providing instructions for the operation of the processor and/or the computer system to perform specified functions. The code, for example, may be written in a computer programming language that is compiled into a native instruction set of the processor. The code may also be written directly using the native instruction set (e.g., machine language). The set of operations include bringing information in from the bus 1510 and placing information on the bus 1510. The set of operations also typically include comparing two or more units of information, shifting positions of units of information, and combining two or more units of information, such as by addition or multiplication or logical operations like OR, exclusive OR (XOR), and AND. Each operation of the set of operations that can be performed by the processor is represented to the processor by information called instructions, such as an operation code of one or more digits. A sequence of operations to be executed by the processor 1502, such as a sequence of operation codes, constitute processor instructions, also called computer system instructions or, simply, computer instructions. Processors may be implemented as mechanical, electrical, magnetic, optical, chemical, or quantum components, among others, alone or in combination.
Computer system 1500 also includes a memory 1504 coupled to bus 1510. The memory 1504, such as a random access memory (RAM) or any other dynamic storage device, stores information including processor instructions for determining movement information for at least one user device based, at least in part, on air pressure sensor data. Dynamic memory allows information stored therein to be changed by the computer system 1500. RAM allows a unit of information stored at a location called a memory address to be stored and retrieved independently of information at neighboring addresses. The memory 1504 is also used by the processor 1502 to store temporary values during execution of processor instructions. The computer system 1500 also includes a read only memory (ROM) 1506 or any other static storage device coupled to the bus 1510 for storing static information, including instructions, that is not changed by the computer system 1500. Some memory is composed of volatile storage that loses the information stored thereon when power is lost. Also coupled to bus 1510 is a non-volatile (persistent) storage device 1508, such as a magnetic disk, optical disk or flash card, for storing information, including instructions, that persists even when the computer system 1500 is turned off or otherwise loses power.
Information, including instructions for determining movement information for at least one user device based, at least in part, on air pressure sensor data, is provided to the bus 1510 for use by the processor from an external input device 1512, such as a keyboard containing alphanumeric keys operated by a human user, a microphone, an Infrared (IR) remote control, a joystick, a game pad, a stylus pen, a touch screen, or a sensor. A sensor detects conditions in its vicinity and transforms those detections into physical expression compatible with the measurable phenomenon used to represent information in computer system 1500. Other external devices coupled to bus 1510, used primarily for interacting with humans, include a display device 1514, such as a cathode ray tube (CRT), a liquid crystal display (LCD), a light emitting diode (LED) display, an organic LED (OLED) display, a plasma screen, or a printer for presenting text or images, and a pointing device 1516, such as a mouse, a trackball, cursor direction keys, or a motion sensor, for controlling a position of a small cursor image presented on the display 1514 and issuing commands associated with graphical elements presented on the display 1514, and one or more camera sensors 1594 for capturing, recording and causing to store one or more still and/or moving images (e.g., videos, movies, etc.) which also may comprise audio recordings. In some embodiments, for example, in embodiments in which the computer system 1500 performs all functions automatically without human input, one or more of external input device 1512, display device 1514 and pointing device 1516 may be omitted.
In the illustrated embodiment, special purpose hardware, such as an application specific integrated circuit (ASIC) 1520, is coupled to bus 1510. The special purpose hardware is configured to perform operations not performed by processor 1502 quickly enough for special purposes. Examples of ASICs include graphics accelerator cards for generating images for display 1514, cryptographic boards for encrypting and decrypting messages sent over a network, speech recognition, and interfaces to special external devices, such as robotic arms and medical scanning equipment that repeatedly perform some complex sequence of operations that are more efficiently implemented in hardware.
Computer system 1500 also includes one or more instances of a communications interface 1570 coupled to bus 1510. Communication interface 1570 provides a one-way or two-way communication coupling to a variety of external devices that operate with their own processors, such as printers, scanners and external disks. In general the coupling is with a network link 1578 that is connected to a local network 1580 to which a variety of external devices with their own processors are connected. For example, communication interface 1570 may be a parallel port or a serial port or a universal serial bus (USB) port on a personal computer. In some embodiments, communications interface 1570 is an integrated services digital network (ISDN) card or a digital subscriber line (DSL) card or a telephone modem that provides an information communication connection to a corresponding type of telephone line. In some embodiments, a communication interface 1570 is a cable modem that converts signals on bus 1510 into signals for a communication connection over a coaxial cable or into optical signals for a communication connection over a fiber optic cable. As another example, communications interface 1570 may be a local area network (LAN) card to provide a data communication connection to a compatible LAN, such as Ethernet. Wireless links may also be implemented. For wireless links, the communications interface 1570 sends or receives or both sends and receives electrical, acoustic or electromagnetic signals, including infrared and optical signals, that carry information streams, such as digital data. For example, in wireless handheld devices, such as mobile telephones like cell phones, the communications interface 1570 includes a radio band electromagnetic transmitter and receiver called a radio transceiver. In certain embodiments, the communications interface 1570 enables connection to the communication network 107 for determining movement information for at least one user device based, at least in part, on air pressure sensor data to the UE 101.
The term “computer-readable medium” as used herein refers to any medium that participates in providing information to processor 1502, including instructions for execution. Such a medium may take many forms, including, but not limited to computer-readable storage medium (e.g., non-volatile media, volatile media), and transmission media. Non-transitory media, such as non-volatile media, include, for example, optical or magnetic disks, such as storage device 1508. Volatile media include, for example, dynamic memory 1504. Transmission media include, for example, twisted pair cables, coaxial cables, copper wire, fiber optic cables, and carrier waves that travel through space without wires or cables, such as acoustic waves and electromagnetic waves, including radio, optical and infrared waves. Signals include man-made transient variations in amplitude, frequency, phase, polarization or other physical properties transmitted through the transmission media. Common forms of computer-readable media include, for example, a floppy disk, a flexible disk, hard disk, magnetic tape, any other magnetic medium, a CD-ROM, CDRW, DVD, any other optical medium, punch cards, paper tape, optical mark sheets, any other physical medium with patterns of holes or other optically recognizable indicia, a RAM, a PROM, an EPROM, a FLASH-EPROM, an EEPROM, a flash memory, any other memory chip or cartridge, a carrier wave, or any other medium from which a computer can read. The term computer-readable storage medium is used herein to refer to any computer-readable medium except transmission media.
Logic encoded in one or more tangible media includes one or both of processor instructions on a computer-readable storage media and special purpose hardware, such as ASIC 1520.
Network link 1578 typically provides information communication using transmission media through one or more networks to other devices that use or process the information. For example, network link 1578 may provide a connection through local network 1580 to a host computer 1582 or to equipment 1584 operated by an Internet Service Provider (ISP). ISP equipment 1584 in turn provides data communication services through the public, world-wide packet-switching communication network of networks now commonly referred to as the Internet 1590.
A computer called a server host 1592 connected to the Internet hosts a process that provides a service in response to information received over the Internet. For example, server host 1592 hosts a process that provides information representing video data for presentation at display 1514. It is contemplated that the components of system 1500 can be deployed in various configurations within other computer systems, e.g., host 1582 and server 1592.
At least some embodiments of the invention are related to the use of computer system 1500 for implementing some or all of the techniques described herein. According to one embodiment of the invention, those techniques are performed by computer system 1500 in response to processor 1502 executing one or more sequences of one or more processor instructions contained in memory 1504. Such instructions, also called computer instructions, software and program code, may be read into memory 1504 from another computer-readable medium such as storage device 1508 or network link 1578. Execution of the sequences of instructions contained in memory 1504 causes processor 1502 to perform one or more of the method steps described herein. In alternative embodiments, hardware, such as ASIC 1520, may be used in place of or in combination with software to implement the invention. Thus, embodiments of the invention are not limited to any specific combination of hardware and software, unless otherwise explicitly stated herein.
The signals transmitted over network link 1578 and other networks through communications interface 1570, carry information to and from computer system 1500. Computer system 1500 can send and receive information, including program code, through the networks 1580, 1590 among others, through network link 1578 and communications interface 1570. In an example using the Internet 1590, a server host 1592 transmits program code for a particular application, requested by a message sent from computer 1500, through Internet 1590, ISP equipment 1584, local network 1580 and communications interface 1570. The received code may be executed by processor 1502 as it is received, or may be stored in memory 1504 or in storage device 1508 or any other non-volatile storage for later execution, or both. In this manner, computer system 1500 may obtain application program code in the form of signals on a carrier wave.
Various forms of computer readable media may be involved in carrying one or more sequence of instructions or data or both to processor 1502 for execution. For example, instructions and data may initially be carried on a magnetic disk of a remote computer such as host 1582. The remote computer loads the instructions and data into its dynamic memory and sends the instructions and data over a telephone line using a modem. A modem local to the computer system 1500 receives the instructions and data on a telephone line and uses an infra-red transmitter to convert the instructions and data to a signal on an infra-red carrier wave serving as the network link 1578. An infrared detector serving as communications interface 1570 receives the instructions and data carried in the infrared signal and places information representing the instructions and data onto bus 1510. Bus 1510 carries the information to memory 1504 from which processor 1502 retrieves and executes the instructions using some of the data sent with the instructions. The instructions and data received in memory 1504 may optionally be stored on storage device 1508, either before or after execution by the processor 1502.
In one embodiment, the chip set or chip 1600 includes a communication mechanism such as a bus 1601 for passing information among the components of the chip set 1600. A processor 1603 has connectivity to the bus 1601 to execute instructions and process information stored in, for example, a memory 1605. The processor 1603 may include one or more processing cores with each core configured to perform independently. A multi-core processor enables multiprocessing within a single physical package. Examples of a multi-core processor include two, four, eight, or greater numbers of processing cores. Alternatively or in addition, the processor 1603 may include one or more microprocessors configured in tandem via the bus 1601 to enable independent execution of instructions, pipelining, and multithreading. The processor 1603 may also be accompanied with one or more specialized components to perform certain processing functions and tasks such as one or more digital signal processors (DSP) 1607, or one or more application-specific integrated circuits (ASIC) 1609. A DSP 1607 typically is configured to process real-world signals (e.g., sound) in real time independently of the processor 1603. Similarly, an ASIC 1609 can be configured to performed specialized functions not easily performed by a more general purpose processor. Other specialized components to aid in performing the inventive functions described herein may include one or more field programmable gate arrays (FPGA), one or more controllers, or one or more other special-purpose computer chips.
In one embodiment, the chip set or chip 1600 includes merely one or more processors and some software and/or firmware supporting and/or relating to and/or for the one or more processors.
The processor 1603 and accompanying components have connectivity to the memory 1605 via the bus 1601. The memory 1605 includes both dynamic memory (e.g., RAM, magnetic disk, writable optical disk, etc.) and static memory (e.g., ROM, CD-ROM, etc.) for storing executable instructions that when executed perform the inventive steps described herein to determine movement information for at least one user device based, at least in part, on air pressure sensor data. The memory 1605 also stores the data associated with or generated by the execution of the inventive steps.
Pertinent internal components of the telephone include a Main Control Unit (MCU) 1703, a Digital Signal Processor (DSP) 1705, and a receiver/transmitter unit including a microphone gain control unit and a speaker gain control unit. A main display unit 1707 provides a display to the user in support of various applications and mobile terminal functions that perform or support the steps of determining movement information for at least one user device based, at least in part, on air pressure sensor data. The display 1707 includes display circuitry configured to display at least a portion of a user interface of the mobile terminal (e.g., mobile telephone). Additionally, the display 1707 and display circuitry are configured to facilitate user control of at least some functions of the mobile terminal. An audio function circuitry 1709 includes a microphone 1711 and microphone amplifier that amplifies the speech signal output from the microphone 1711. The amplified speech signal output from the microphone 1711 is fed to a coder/decoder (CODEC) 1713.
A radio section 1715 amplifies power and converts frequency in order to communicate with a base station, which is included in a mobile communication system, via antenna 1717. The power amplifier (PA) 1719 and the transmitter/modulation circuitry are operationally responsive to the MCU 1703, with an output from the PA 1719 coupled to the duplexer 1721 or circulator or antenna switch, as known in the art. The PA 1719 also couples to a battery interface and power control unit 1720.
In use, a user of mobile terminal 1701 speaks into the microphone 1711 and his or her voice along with any detected background noise is converted into an analog voltage. The analog voltage is then converted into a digital signal through the Analog to Digital Converter (ADC) 1723. The control unit 1703 routes the digital signal into the DSP 1705 for processing therein, such as speech encoding, channel encoding, encrypting, and interleaving. In one embodiment, the processed voice signals are encoded, by units not separately shown, using a cellular transmission protocol such as enhanced data rates for global evolution (EDGE), general packet radio service (GPRS), global system for mobile communications (GSM), Internet protocol multimedia subsystem (IMS), universal mobile telecommunications system (UMTS), etc., as well as any other suitable wireless medium, e.g., microwave access (WiMAX), Long Term Evolution (LTE) networks, code division multiple access (CDMA), wideband code division multiple access (WCDMA), wireless fidelity (WiFi), satellite, and the like, or any combination thereof.
The encoded signals are then routed to an equalizer 1725 for compensation of any frequency-dependent impairments that occur during transmission though the air such as phase and amplitude distortion. After equalizing the bit stream, the modulator 1727 combines the signal with a RF signal generated in the RF interface 1729. The modulator 1727 generates a sine wave by way of frequency or phase modulation. In order to prepare the signal for transmission, an up-converter 1731 combines the sine wave output from the modulator 1727 with another sine wave generated by a synthesizer 1733 to achieve the desired frequency of transmission. The signal is then sent through a PA 1719 to increase the signal to an appropriate power level. In practical systems, the PA 1719 acts as a variable gain amplifier whose gain is controlled by the DSP 1705 from information received from a network base station. The signal is then filtered within the duplexer 1721 and optionally sent to an antenna coupler 1735 to match impedances to provide maximum power transfer. Finally, the signal is transmitted via antenna 1717 to a local base station. An automatic gain control (AGC) can be supplied to control the gain of the final stages of the receiver. The signals may be forwarded from there to a remote telephone which may be another cellular telephone, any other mobile phone or a land-line connected to a Public Switched Telephone Network (PSTN), or other telephony networks.
Voice signals transmitted to the mobile terminal 1701 are received via antenna 1717 and immediately amplified by a low noise amplifier (LNA) 1737. A down-converter 1739 lowers the carrier frequency while the demodulator 1741 strips away the RF leaving only a digital bit stream. The signal then goes through the equalizer 1725 and is processed by the DSP 1705. A Digital to Analog Converter (DAC) 1743 converts the signal and the resulting output is transmitted to the user through the speaker 1745, all under control of a Main Control Unit (MCU) 1703 which can be implemented as a Central Processing Unit (CPU).
The MCU 1703 receives various signals including input signals from the keyboard 1747. The keyboard 1747 and/or the MCU 1703 in combination with other user input components (e.g., the microphone 1711) comprise a user interface circuitry for managing user input. The MCU 1703 runs a user interface software to facilitate user control of at least some functions of the mobile terminal 1701 to determine movement information for at least one user device based, at least in part, on air pressure sensor data. The MCU 1703 also delivers a display command and a switch command to the display 1707 and to the speech output switching controller, respectively. Further, the MCU 1703 exchanges information with the DSP 1705 and can access an optionally incorporated SIM card 1749 and a memory 1751. In addition, the MCU 1703 executes various control functions required of the terminal. The DSP 1705 may, depending upon the implementation, perform any of a variety of conventional digital processing functions on the voice signals. Additionally, DSP 1705 determines the background noise level of the local environment from the signals detected by microphone 1711 and sets the gain of microphone 1711 to a level selected to compensate for the natural tendency of the user of the mobile terminal 1701.
The CODEC 1713 includes the ADC 1723 and DAC 1743. The memory 1751 stores various data including call incoming tone data and is capable of storing other data including music data received via, e.g., the global Internet. The software module could reside in RAM memory, flash memory, registers, or any other form of writable storage medium known in the art. The memory device 1751 may be, but not limited to, a single memory, CD, DVD, ROM, RAM, EEPROM, optical storage, magnetic disk storage, flash memory storage, or any other non-volatile storage medium capable of storing digital data.
An optionally incorporated SIM card 1749 carries, for instance, important information, such as the cellular phone number, the carrier supplying service, subscription details, and security information. The SIM card 1749 serves primarily to identify the mobile terminal 1701 on a radio network. The card 1749 also contains a memory for storing a personal telephone number registry, text messages, and user specific mobile terminal settings.
Further, one or more camera sensors 1753 may be incorporated onto the mobile station 1701 wherein the one or more camera sensors may be placed at one or more locations on the mobile station. Generally, the camera sensors may be utilized to capture, record, and cause to store one or more still and/or moving images (e.g., videos, movies, etc.) which also may comprise audio recordings.
While the invention has been described in connection with a number of embodiments and implementations, the invention is not so limited but covers various obvious modifications and equivalent arrangements, which fall within the purview of the appended claims. Although features of the invention are expressed in certain combinations among the claims, it is contemplated that these features can be arranged in any combination and order.
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