System, method and apparatus for sensor virtualization in mobile devices

1. A method for virtualizing mobile device sensors comprising:

requesting from a first mobile device a virtual connection with a second mobile device having a specific type of sensor, the first mobile device having an application program requiring the operation of the specific type of sensor not available on the first mobile device, the first mobile device having a coupling between an operating system of the first mobile device and the application program requiring the operation of the specific type of sensor being configured to accept the data from the specific type of sensor by proxy from the a second mobile device;

receiving at the first mobile device a response from a second mobile device having the specific type of sensor;

establishing a trusted temporary communication connection between the first and second mobile devices;

sending a control signal from the first mobile device to the second mobile device for operating the specific type of sensor on the second mobile device;

receiving at the first mobile device sensor data from the specific type of sensor on the second mobile device generated in response to the control signal for operating of the specific type of sensor; and

providing the sensor data received from the specific type of sensor on the second mobile device by proxy to the application program requiring the operation of the specific type of sensor.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the control signal is generated by the application program on the first mobile device.

3. The method of claim 2 , wherein the control signal is generated by the application program on the first mobile device requiring operation of a type of sensor not on the first mobile device.

4. The method of claim 2 , wherein the control signal is generated due to the specific type of sensor not operating on the first mobile device.

5. The method of claim 2 , further including coupling an operating system of the first mobile device with the application program requiring the operation of the specific type of sensor such that the data from the specific type of sensor is not required to be from a sensor on the first mobile device.

6. The method of claim 5 , wherein the coupling is provided by a virtual machine monitor running on the first mobile device such that the first mobile device is a host machine and the second mobile device is a guest machine.

7. The method of claim 1 , further including the first mobile device automatically recognizing one or more second mobile devices has being a trusted device and having the specific type of sensor.

8. A system comprising:

at least one data processor connected to at least one memory that stores software instructions, where execution of the software instructions by the at least one data processor causes the system to virtualize mobile device sensors by:

requesting from a first mobile device a virtual connection with a second mobile device having a specific type of sensor, the first mobile device having an application program requiring the operation of the specific type of sensor not available on the first mobile device, the first mobile device having a coupling between an operating system of the first mobile device and the application program requiring the operation of the specific type of sensor being configured to accept the data from the specific type of sensor by proxy from the a second mobile device;

receiving at the first mobile device a response from a second mobile device having the specific type of sensor;

establishing a trusted temporary communication connection between the first and second mobile devices;

sending a control signal from the first mobile device to the second mobile device for operating the specific type of sensor on the second mobile device;

receiving at the first mobile device sensor data from the specific type of sensor on the second mobile device generated in response to the control signal for operating of the specific type of sensor; and

providing the sensor data received from the specific type of sensor on the second mobile device by proxy to the application program requiring the operation of the specific type of sensor.

9. The system of claim 8 , wherein the control signal is generated by an application program on the first mobile device.

10. The system of claim 8 , wherein an operating system of the first mobile device is coupled with the application program requiring the operation of the specific type of sensor such that the data from the specific type of sensor is not required to be from a sensor on the first mobile device.

11. The system of claim 10 , wherein the first mobile device includes a virtual machine monitor such that the first mobile device is a host machine and the second mobile device is a guest machine.

12. The system of claim 8 , further including the first mobile device automatically recognizing one or more second mobile devices has being a trusted device and having the specific type of sensor.

13. The system of claim 9 , wherein the control signal is generated by one of the application program on the first mobile device requiring operation of a type of sensor not on the first mobile device and the specific type of sensor not operating on the first mobile device.

14. A computer program product comprising:

software instructions on a non-transitory computer-readable medium, where execution of the software instructions by a processor of a computer causes the computer to virtualize mobile device sensors by:

requesting from a first mobile device a virtual connection with a second mobile device having a specific type of sensor;

receiving at the first mobile device a response from a second mobile device having the specific type of sensor, the first mobile device having an application program requiring the operation of the specific type of sensor not available on the first mobile device, the first mobile device having a coupling between an operating system of the first mobile device and the application program requiring the operation of the specific type of sensor being configured to accept the data from the specific type of sensor by proxy from the a second mobile device;

establishing a trusted temporary communication connection between the first and second mobile devices;

sending a control signal from the first mobile device to the second mobile device for operating the specific type of sensor on the second mobile device;

receiving at the first mobile device sensor data from the specific type of sensor on the second mobile device generated in response to the control signal for operating of the specific type of sensor; and

providing the sensor data received from the specific type of sensor on the second mobile device by proxy to the application program requiring the operation of the specific type of sensor.

15. The computer program product of claim 14 , wherein the control signal is generated by an application program on the first mobile device.

16. The computer program product of claim 15 , wherein the control signal is generated by an application program on the first mobile device requiring operation of a type of sensor not on the first mobile device.

17. The computer program product of claim 15 , wherein the control signal is generated due to the specific type of sensor not operating on the first mobile device.

18. The computer program product of claim 15 , further including coupling an operating system of the first mobile device with the application program requiring the operation of the specific type of sensor such that the data from the specific type of sensor is not required to be from a sensor on the first mobile device.

19. The computer program product of claim 18 , wherein the coupling is provided by a virtual machine monitor running on the first mobile device such that the first mobile device is a host machine and the second mobile device is a guest machine.

20. The computer program product of claim 14 , further including the first mobile device automatically recognizing one or more second mobile devices has being a trusted device and having the specific type of sensor.