Method and apparatus for dynamic sensor configuration
View Patent ↗A method, apparatus and computer program product are therefore provided to interpret sensor input. In this regard, the method, apparatus and computer program may receive input from a plurality of sensors (e.g., different user input devices), and configure a sensor interpreter based on sensor criteria received from the plurality of sensors. The input received from the sensors may include a distance between a user location and one or more sensors, and a sensor interpreter may be configured based on the distance of the location from of the sensors. The sensor interpreter may be configured so that input operations are transparent to the user, without requiring the user to consciously change the way they interact with the sensors as the sensor interpreter is configured.
1. A method comprising:
receiving, from a first sensor of a plurality of sensors, first configuration data associated with the first sensor including a first indicator indicating a first effective range, wherein the first effective range is a first range of distance from the first sensor, and wherein the first configuration data defines how information from the first sensor is to be interpreted;
receiving, from a second sensor of the plurality of sensors, second configuration data associated with the second sensor including a second indicator indicating a second effective range, wherein the second effective range is a second range of distance from the second sensor, the second range of distance is different from the first range of distance, and wherein the second configuration data defines how information from the second sensor is to be interpreted;
receiving input from at least one of the plurality of sensors, wherein the at least one of the plurality of sensors is a gesture tracking device or a projected capacitive proximity sensor;
receiving at least one sensor criteria from one or more of the first sensor and second sensor, wherein the at least one sensor criteria comprises a distance or a range of distances at which input to the respective sensor should be blended;
determining, using a processor, a configuration of a sensor interpreter based on the received sensor criteria, the first configuration data of the first sensor, and the second configuration data of the second sensor;
interpreting the received input based on the configuration of the sensor interpreter by blending input from the first sensor and the second sensor by at least:
determining a distance between a user detected by the at least one of the first and second sensors and the other of the first or second sensor;
enabling the first sensor in response to the distance being greater than a first threshold distance, the first threshold distance derived at least in part based on the first indicator;
enabling the second sensor in response to the distance being less than a second threshold distance, the second threshold distance derived at least in part based on the second indicator; and
enabling both the first sensor and the second sensor in response to the distance being greater than the second threshold distance and less than the first threshold distance; and
processing the interpreted received input to instruct an application.
2. The method of claim 1 , wherein interpreting the received input comprises disregarding input from at least one of the plurality of sensors.
3. The method of claim 1 , wherein blending input comprises weighting the input based on the signal to noise ratio of the sensor from which the input was received.
4. The method of claim 1 , wherein blending input comprises weighting the input based on the distance between a user detected by the sensor from which the input was received as compared to the effective range of the sensor from which the input was received.
5. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
receiving a set of sensor parameters defining the capabilities of at least one of the plurality of sensors; and
generating at least one rule for configuring the sensor interpreter based on the defined capabilities of the at least one of the plurality of sensors, wherein the at least one rule defines at least one configuration change of the sensor interpreter based on the received sensor criteria.
6. The method of claim 5 , wherein the set of sensor parameters comprises at least one of a maximum effective range of the at least one of the plurality of sensors, a minimum range of the at least one of the plurality of sensors, and a signal to noise ratio at a particular distance of the at least one of the plurality of sensors.
7. The method of claim 1 , wherein the sensor criteria further comprises at least one of the user's location, an ambient light level, an indicator of the user's status, a background noise level, apparel worn by the user, or the presence of a tracking marker.
8. The method of claim 1 , wherein the sensor interpreter is configured based on the distance between the user and the sensor.
9. The method of claim 8 , wherein a first sensor interpreter is associated with a first range of distances between the user and the sensor, and a second sensor interpreter is associated with a second range of distances between the user and the sensor.
10. The method of claim 9 , wherein the first range of distances and the second range of distances overlap, providing hysteresis for a switch between the first sensor interpreter and the second sensor interpreter.
11. The method of claim 1 , wherein the sensor criteria is derived from the received input.
12. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
determining which of the plurality of sensors is valid in response to a factor that indicates variability in the effectiveness of one or more of the plurality of sensors.
13. The method of claim 12 , wherein the factor that indicates variability in the effectiveness of one or more of the plurality of sensors includes one or more of an environmental condition or a user status.
14. An apparatus comprising processing circuitry configured to:
receive, from a first sensor of a plurality of sensors, first configuration data associated with the first sensor including a first indicator indicating a first effective range, wherein the first effective range is a first range of distance from the first sensor, and wherein the first configuration data defines how information from the first sensor is to be interpreted;
receive, from a second sensor of the plurality of sensors, second configuration data associated with the second sensor including a second indicator indicating a second effective range, wherein the second effective range is a second range of distance from the second sensor, the second range of distance is different from the first range of distance, and wherein the second configuration data defines how information from the second sensor is to be interpreted;
receive input from the at least one of the plurality of sensors, wherein the at least one of the plurality of sensors is a gesture tracking device or a projected capacitive proximity sensor;
receive at least one sensor criteria from one or more of the first sensor and second sensor, wherein the at least one sensor criteria comprises a distance or a range of distances at which input to the respective sensor should be blended;
determine a configuration of a sensor interpreter based on the received sensor criteria, the first configuration data of the first sensor, and the second configuration data of the second sensor;
interpret the received input based on the configuration of the sensor interpreter by blending input from the first sensor and the second sensor by at least:
determining a distance between a user detected by the at least one of the first and second sensors and the other of the first or second sensor;
enabling the first sensor in response to the distance being greater than a first threshold distance, the first threshold distance derived at least in part based on the first indicator;
enabling the second sensor in response to the distance being less than a second threshold distance, the second threshold distance derived at least in part based on the second indicator; and
enabling both the first sensor and the second sensor in response to the distance being greater than the second threshold distance and less than the first threshold distance; and
process the interpreted received input to instruct an application.
15. The apparatus of claim 14 , wherein interpreting the received input comprises disregarding input from at least one of the plurality of sensors.
16. The apparatus of claim 14 , wherein blending input comprises weighting the input based on the signal to noise ratio of the sensor from which the input was received.
17. The apparatus of claim 14 , wherein blending input comprises weighting the input based on the distance of the user compared to the effective range of the sensor from which the input was received.
18. The apparatus of claim 14 , wherein the processing circuitry is further configured to:
receive a set of sensor parameters defining the capabilities of at least one of the plurality of sensors; and
generate at least one rule for configuring the sensor interpreter based on the defined capabilities of the at least one of the plurality of sensors, wherein the at least one rule defines at least one configuration change of the sensor interpreter based on the sensor criteria.
19. The apparatus of claim 18 , wherein the set of sensor parameters comprises at least one of a maximum effective range of the at least one of the plurality of sensors, a minimum range of the at least one of the plurality of sensors, and a signal to noise ratio at a particular distance of the at least one of the plurality of sensors.
20. A computer program product comprising at least one non-transitory computer-readable storage medium bearing computer program instructions embodied therein for use with a computer, the computer program instructions comprising program instructions configured to:
receive, from a first sensor of a plurality of sensors, first configuration data associated with the first sensor including a first indicator indicating a first effective range, wherein the first effective range is a first range of distance from the first sensor, and wherein the first configuration data defines how information from the first sensor is to be interpreted;
receive, from a second sensor of the plurality of sensors, second configuration data associated with the second sensor including a second indicator indicating a second effective range, wherein the second effective range is a second range of distance from the second sensor, the second range of distance is different from the first range of distance, and wherein the second configuration data defines how information from the second sensor is to be interpreted;
receive input from at least one of the plurality of sensors, wherein at least one of the plurality of sensors is a gesture tracking device or a projected capacitive proximity sensor;
receive at least one sensor criteria from one or more of the first sensor and second sensor, wherein the at least one sensor criteria comprises a distance or a range of distances at which input to the respective sensor should be blended;
determine a configuration of a sensor interpreter based on the received sensor criteria, the first configuration data of the first sensor, and the second configuration data of the second sensor;
interpret the received input based on the configuration of the sensor interpreter by blending input from the first sensor and the second sensor by at least:
determining a distance between a user detected by the at least one of the first and second sensors and the other of the first or second sensor;
enabling the first sensor in response to the distance being greater than a first threshold distance, the first threshold distance derived at least in part based on the first indicator;
enabling the second sensor in response to the distance being less than a second threshold distance, the second threshold distance derived at least in part based on the second indicator; and
enabling both the first sensor and the second sensor in response to the distance being greater than the second threshold distance and less than the first threshold distance; and
process the interpreted received input to instruct an application.