Selectively disabling sensors and associated functions

1. A method, comprising:

receiving, at a sub-system of an information handling device, input of a sensor, wherein the sub-system is active independently from at least an operating system of the information handling device;

mapping, using a processor, the sensor input to a damage risk condition, wherein the damage risk condition identifies potential damage to at least one component of the information handling device based upon an identified device usage environment;

selecting, using a processor, a sensor based on the damage risk condition; and

disabling, using a processor, the sensor according to the damage risk condition.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein said mapping further comprises mapping the sensor input to a sensor disabling condition.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein:

the sensor risk condition comprises a predetermined electromagnetic field environment;

the sensor providing input a short range wireless antenna; and

the sensor known to be a risk according to the sensor disabling condition includes a wireless subsystem component.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein:

receiving comprises receiving a plurality of sensor inputs; and

said mapping comprises mapping two or more sensor inputs to a sensor damage risk condition.

5. The method of claim 4 , wherein the plurality of sensor inputs are produced from two or more sensors selected from the group of sensors consisting of an ambient light sensor, a camera, a microphone, an accelerometer, a lid positional sensor, a fingerprint reader, a device orientation sensor, a near field communication sensor, a wireless antenna, a temperature sensor, and a humidity sensor.

6. The method of claim 2 , wherein the sensor disabling condition comprises a condition selected from the group of conditions consisting of a sensor non-use condition and a sensor risk condition.

7. The method of claim 6 , wherein said mapping comprises mapping a predetermined set of sensor input characteristics to a sensor non-use condition;

said disabling comprising disabling a sensor known to not be in use according to the sensor non-use condition.

8. The method of claim 6 , wherein:

the sensor non-use condition comprises a lid closed condition of the information handling device;

the sensor providing input is a lid positional sensor; and

the sensor known to not be in use includes a camera integrated in a lid of the information handling device.

9. An information handling device, comprising:

a sensor;

a processor; and

a memory that stores instructions that are executed by the processor to:

receive input of a sensor at a sub-system of the information handling device, wherein the sub-system is active independently from at least an operating system of the information handling device;

map the sensor input to a damage risk condition, wherein the damage risk condition identifies potential damage to at least one component of the information handling device based upon an identified device usage environment;

select a sensor based on the damage risk condition; and

disable the sensor according to the damage risk condition.

10. The information handling device of claim 9 , wherein:

to map comprises mapping a predetermined set of sensor input characteristics to a sensor risk condition; and

to disable comprises disabling a sensor known to be at risk according to the sensor risk condition.

11. The information handling device of claim 9 , wherein:

the sensor risk condition comprises a predetermined electromagnetic field environment;

the sensor providing input is a short range wireless antenna; and

the sensor known to be a risk according to the sensor disabling condition includes a wireless subsystem component.

12. The information handling device of claim 9 , wherein:

to receive comprises receiving a plurality of sensor inputs; and

said mapping comprises mapping two or more sensor inputs to a damage risk condition.

13. The information handling device of claim 12 , wherein the plurality of sensor inputs are produced from two or more sensors selected from the group of sensors consisting of an ambient light sensor, a camera, a microphone, an accelerometer, a lid positional sensor, a fingerprint reader, a device orientation sensor, a near field communication sensor, a wireless antenna, a temperature sensor, and a humidity sensor.

14. The information handling device of claim 10 , wherein the sensor disabling condition comprises a condition selected from the group of conditions consisting of a sensor non-use condition and a sensor risk condition.

15. The information handling device of claim 14 , wherein:

to map comprises mapping a predetermined set of sensor input characteristics to a sensor non-use condition; and

to disable comprises disabling a sensor known to not be in use according to the sensor non-use condition.

16. The information handling device of claim 14 , wherein:

the sensor non-use condition comprises a lid closed condition of the information handling device;

the sensor providing input is a lid positional sensor; and

the sensor known to not be in use includes a camera integrated in a lid of the information handling device.

17. A product, comprising:

a storage device having device readable code stored therewith, the device readable code being executable by a processor and comprising:

code that receives, at a sub-system of an information handling device, input of a sensor, wherein the sub-system is active independently from at least an operating system of the information handling device;

code that maps, using a processor, the sensor input to a damage risk condition, wherein the damage risk condition identifies potential damage to at least one component of the information handling device based upon an identified device usage environment;

code that selects, using a processor, a sensor based on the damage risk condition; and

code that disables, using a processor, the sensor according to the damage risk condition.

18. The method of claim 1 , wherein:

the input of the sensor that is received comprises a plurality of inputs from a plurality of sensors;

the method further comprising:

mapping, using a processor, the plurality of sensor inputs to a device orientation;

determining, using a processor, that a fusion function is unavailable based on the device orientation;

selecting, using a processor, a fusion input based on the mapping; and

disabling, using a processor, the fusion input.

19. The method of claim 1 , wherein the damage risk condition is identified based upon input from a sensor other than the sensor selected for disabling.

20. The method of claim 1 , wherein the receiving input comprises receiving input at the sub-system while the operating system is not active.