IP Library Granted Patent US 8,718,938
Granted Patent B2
US 8,718,938 · App. 12/054,303 · Granted May 6, 2014

Multi-sensor data collection and/or processing

Inventors: Thomas G. Wolf (Mountain View, CA); Leonid Sheynblat (Hillsborough, CA); Alexander Hodisan (Haifa, IL)
Assignee: QUALCOMM Incorporated
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 8,718,938
App. No.
12/054,303
Granted
May 6, 2014
Kind
B2
Abstract

The subject matter disclosed herein relates to the control and utilization of multiple sensors within a device. For an example, motion of a device may be detected in response to receipt of a signal from a first sensor disposed in the device, and a power state of a second sensor also disposed in the device may be changed in response to detected motion.

Claims (36)

1. A mobile station, comprising:

an accelerometer associated with a multi-sensor measurement processor unit;

a gyroscope coupled to the multi-sensor measurement processing unit; and

a geomagnetic sensor positioned externally to the multi-sensor measurement processor unit and coupled to the multi-sensor measurement processor unit, wherein the multi-sensor processor unit is adapted to:

detect motion based at least on sensor data from the accelerometer and the geomagnetic sensor;

compensate the geomagnetic sensor for tilt based at least on roll and pitch sensor data from the accelerometer; and

calibrate the gyroscope using measurement data from the tilt-compensated geomagnetic sensor by computing a measurement of a change in angular information measured by the tilt compensated geomagnetic sensor and another measurement of the change in angular information measured by the gyroscope to be calibrated.

2. The mobile station of claim 1 , wherein the accelerometer is disposed internally to the multi-sensor measurement processor unit.

3. A method to calibrate a multi-sensor measurement processing unit comprising:

detecting motion based at least on sensor data from an accelerometer and sensor data from a geomagnetic sensor;

tilt-compensating the geomagnetic sensor based at least on the sensor data from the accelerometer, wherein the sensor data from the accelerometer comprises roll and pitch measurement data;

computing an amount of rotation of the processing unit from a first orientation to a second orientation;

using the amount of rotation to convert first accelerometer information from the accelerometer while at the second orientation to second accelerometer information corresponding to the first orientation of the processing unit; and

calibrating a gyroscope using the measurement data from the tilt-compensated geomagnetic sensor by computing a measurement of a change in angular information measured by the tilt compensated geomagnetic sensor and another measurement of the change in angular information measured by the gyroscope to be calibrated.

4. A multi-sensor measurement processing unit comprising:

means for detecting motion based at least on sensor data from an accelerometer and sensor data from a geomagnetic sensor;

means for tilt-compensating the geomagnetic sensor based at least on the sensor data from the accelerometer, wherein the sensor data from the accelerometer comprises roll and pitch measurement data;

means for computing an amount of rotation of the processing unit from a first orientation to a second orientation;

means for using the amount of rotation to convert first accelerometer information from the accelerometer while at the second orientation to second accelerometer information corresponding to the first orientation of the processing unit; and

means for calibrating a gyroscope using measurement data from the tilt-compensated geomagnetic sensor by computing a measurement of a change in angular information measured by the tilt compensated geomagnetic sensor and another measurement of the change in angular information measured by the gyroscope to be calibrated.

5. A computer-readable storage medium comprising program code, to calibrate a multi-sensor measurement processing unit, stored thereon:

code for detecting motion based at least on sensor data from an accelerometer and sensor data from a geomagnetic sensor;

code for tilt-compensating the geomagnetic sensor based at least on the sensor data from the accelerometer, wherein the sensor data from the accelerometer comprises roll and pitch measurement data;

code for computing an amount of rotation of the processing unit from a first orientation to a second orientation;

code for using the amount of rotation to convert first accelerometer information from the accelerometer while at the second orientation to second accelerometer information corresponding to the first orientation of the processing unit; and

code for calibrating a gyroscope based, at least in part, on the measurement data from the tilt-compensated geomagnetic sensor by computing a measurement of a change in angular information measured by the tilt compensated geomagnetic sensor and another measurement of the change in angular information measured by the gyroscope to be calibrated.

6. The method of claim 3 wherein the computing uses information from a gyroscope to compute the amount of rotation.

7. The method of claim 3 further comprising determining a net displacement by adding the second acceleration information to previously measured acceleration information from the accelerometer.

8. The multi-sensor measurement processing unit of claim 4 wherein the means for computing uses information from a gyroscope to compute the amount of rotation.

9. The multi-sensor measurement processing unit of claim 4 further comprising means for determining a net displacement by adding the second acceleration information to previously measured acceleration information from the accelerometer.

10. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 5 wherein the code for computing uses information from a gyroscope to compute the amount of rotation.

11. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 5 further comprising code for determining a net displacement by adding the second acceleration information to previously measured acceleration information from the accelerometer.

12. The mobile station of claim 1 , wherein the mobile station is a portable communication device.

13. The mobile station of claim 12 wherein the portable communication device is a personal communication system.

14. The mobile station of claim 1 , wherein the multi-sensor processor unit is further adapted to:

correct the measurement of the change in angular information measured by the tilt compensated geomagnetic sensor based on temperature measured by a temperature sensor.

Assignments (1)
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Jun 10, 2008
From: SHEYNBLAT, LEONID; WOLF, THOMAS G.; HODISAN, ALEXANDER
To: QUALCOMM INCORPORATED
Reel/Frame 021071/0604 →
Continuity (4)
Provisional Application 60896795 · Mar 23, 2007
Provisional Application 60909380 · Mar 30, 2007
Provisional Application 60914716 · Apr 27, 2007
Related Publication 20080234935A1 · Sep 25, 2008