DETERMINING MOBILE THING (MT) IDENTIFICATION AND/OR ACTIVITY USING SENSOR DATA OF WIRELESS COMMUNICATION DEVICE (WCD)

1 . A method for use in connection with a wireless communication device (WCD) transported by a mobile thing (MT), comprising:

providing sensor data with one or more sensors associated with the WCD, the sensor data indicative of physical movement of the WCD in three dimensional space and including data sets comprising at least three movement values and a corresponding time value, each of the at least three movement values indicative of physical movement of the WCD relative to a respective axis in a three dimensional (3D) coordinate system at the time value; and

enabling detection of a plurality of different motion activities associated with the MT that is transporting the WCD based at least in part upon the sensor data.

2 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the enabling step comprises:

comparing the sensor data or derivative thereof with one or more motion activity reference signatures in a database;

determining a confidence value indicative of an extent of correspondence of the sensor data or derivative thereof to a motion activity reference signature; and

detecting one of the motion activities based at least in part upon the confidence value and a predefined threshold.

3 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising:

storing motion activity reference signatures that identify the motion activities;

producing a current data signature with the sensor data;

comparing the current data signature with the stored motion activity reference signatures; and

determining that the MT is no longer involved in one of the motion activities based at least in part upon the comparing.

4 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the sensor data includes data from an accelerometer and wherein the at least three movement values are indicative of linear movement relative to the three axes in the 3D coordinate system.

5 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the sensor data includes data from a gyroscope and wherein the at least three movement values are indicative of angular movement about the three axes in the 3D coordinate system.

6 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising:

determining a mathematical relationship between different data sets to enable analysis of the different data sets in the 3D coordinate system; and

detecting one of the motion activities based at least in part upon the analysis of the different data sets in the 3D coordinate system.

7 . The method of claim 6 , further comprising analyzing one or more statistical characteristics of the sensor data in the time domain, frequency domain, or both, in order to detect the one of the motion activities.

8 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising enabling detection of when the MT is stationary in addition to enabling detection of the plurality of different motion activities.

9 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the MT is a human being user, and further comprising:

detecting one or more of the motion activities; and

based at least in part upon the detecting, determining whether or not the user is authorized to use a financial account sought to be used in connection with a financial transaction at a point of sale (POS) device involving a purchase a good and/or service.

10 . The method of claim 9 , further comprising:

determining an identification of the MT based at least in part upon the sensor data; and

determining whether or not the user is authorized to use the financial account sought to be used in connection with the financial transaction at the point of sale (POS) device involving a purchase a good and/or service based at least in part upon the identification in addition to the detecting of the one or more motion activities.

11 . The method of claim 9 , further comprising:

causing the financial transaction to be permitted when the user is authorized; and

causing the financial transaction at the POS device to be prevented when the user is not authorized.

12 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising:

communicating the sensor data or derivative thereof to a remote computer system; and

enabling detection of the plurality of different motion activities at the remote computer system.

13 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising:

storing a media file; and

associating metadata with the media file that is indicative of a detected motion activity.

14 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising determining that the MT has transitioned from one motion activity to another motion activity.

15 . A wireless communication device (WCD) transported by a mobile thing (MT), comprising:

one or more sensors associated with the WCD designed to produce sensor data, the sensor data indicative of physical movement of the WCD in three dimensional space and including data sets comprising at least three movement values and a corresponding time value, each of the at least three movement values indicative of physical movement of the WCD relative to a respective axis in a three dimensional (3D) coordinate system at the time value;

one or more memories for storing computer program code; and

one or more processors for executing the computer program code, the computer program code comprising code designed to enable detection of a plurality of activities associated with the MT that is transporting the WCD based at least in part upon the sensor data, the MT activities including stationary and at least two motion activities.

16 . The WCD of claim 15 , wherein the computer program code is further designed to communicate the sensor data or derivative thereof to a remote computer system and to receive an identification of one of the activities from the remote computer system.

17 . The WCD of claim 15 , wherein the computer program code is further designed to determine that the MT has transitioned from one activity to another activity.

18 . A computer system that can communicate with a wireless communication device (WCD) transported by a mobile thing (MT), comprising:

one or more memories for storing computer program code; and

one or more processors for executing the computer program code, the computer program code comprising code designed to:

receive MT data from the WCD, the MT data derived from sensor data produced by one or more sensors associated with the WCD, the sensor data indicative of physical movement of the WCD in three dimensional space and including data sets comprising at least three movement values and a corresponding time value, each of the at least three movement values indicative of physical movement of the WCD relative to a respective axis in a three dimensional (3D) coordinate system at the time value;

enable detection of a plurality of different motion activities associated with the MT that is transporting the WCD based at least in part upon the MT data.

19 . The system of claim 18 , wherein the MT data includes the sensor data.

20 . The system of claim 18 , wherein the code designed to determine further comprises:

code designed to compare the MT data with one or more motion activity reference signatures in a database; and

code designed to detect one of the motion activities based at least in part upon the comparing.

21 . The system of claim 18 , wherein the code designed to determine further comprises code designed to determine that a transition has occurred from one motion activity to another motion activity.

22 . The system of claim 18 , wherein the MT is a human being user, and wherein the computer code further comprises:

code that detects one or more of the motion activities;

code that, based at least in part upon the detection of the one or more motion activities, determines whether or not the user is authorized to use a financial account sought to be used in connection with a financial transaction at a point of sale (POS) device involving a purchase a good and/or service;

code that causes the financial transaction to be permitted when the user is authorized; and

code that causes the financial transaction at the POS device to be prevented when the user is not authorized.

23 . The system of claim 22 , wherein the computer program code further comprises:

code that determines an identification of the MT based at least in part upon the MT data; and

code that determines whether or not the user is authorized to use the financial account sought to be used in connection with the financial transaction at the point of sale (POS) device involving the purchase the good and/or service based at least in part upon the identification in addition to the detection of the one or more motion activities.

24 . The system of claim 18 , wherein the computer program code further comprises:

code that receives a media file from the WCD; and

code that stores metadata with the media file that is indicative of the motion activities.

25 . A system for use in connection with a wireless communication device (WCD) transported by a mobile thing (MT), comprising:

circuitry operable to:

store parameters that define a set of activities that can be performed by the MT that transports the WCD, the activities including stationary and at least two activities involving motion;

receive data from the one or more sensors, the one or more sensors designed to produce data indicative of movement of the WCD, the sensor data indicative of physical movement of the WCD in at least two or three dimensional space and including data sets comprising movement values and corresponding time values;

determine respective likelihoods for the activities of the set based at least in part upon the data and the stored parameters in order to assist with detection of one in the set;

select an activity, as detected, in the set of activities based at least in part upon the respective likelihoods; and

cause initiation of an action based at least in part upon the selected activity.