Patent: System and Method for Calibration and Accuracy of Device Sensors and Related Experiences

Abstract

The system of the present disclosure has an algorithm that can correct sensor data for one or more devices, such as mobile devices. The system comprises one or more of the devices, a cloud or server, and algorithms. The algorithm can be resident on the devices, the cloud, or both. The algorithm receives data from one or more sensors on each device, and supplies a data set back to the device, along with corrected data that adjusts any error in the sensors on the device. In this way, the system and algorithm of the present disclosure can account for and correct erroneous sensor data on a user’s device, thus enhancing the user’s experience with the device. The algorithm may also supply an overlay or data set to the device, and can allow the user to manipulate it.

BACKGROUND OF THE DISCLOSURE

1. Field of the Disclosure

The present disclosure relates generally to methods for improving the accuracy of sensor data in electronic devices through various embedded, application and cloud-based solutions and algorithms. In particular, the present disclosure related to solutions and algorithms that enable better and more reliable representation of perspective, location, direction, overlaying of content and spatial relationships in three dimensions.

2. Description of the Related Art

The accuracy of individual sensors and associated data in a device is prone to inaccuracies. So much so, in fact, that enabling valuable experiences (e.g., image or data overlays on the device) based on this sensor data can frequently be difficult if not impossible. For example, the compass or magnetometer in many devices is very susceptible to drift and/or magnetic interference, as illustrated in FIG. 1.

FIG. 1 provides an illustration based on a real-world example, where multiple identical devices with the same hardware sensors are all reporting a different heading when pointed in exactly the same direction and from the same location. While this example only illustrates the output of a single sensor, in this case the compass or magnetometer, the same phenomena (erroneous sensor readings) applies to the output of other hardware sensors as well. Additional sensors exhibiting this error would include, but are not limited to GPS, EXIF or image data, accelerometers, other hardware sensors, or related data.

As a result, for location based applications that rely on directional accuracy, navigation or other heading-dependent solutions are prone to extreme inaccuracy. This may, for example, take the user off course in a map application, or providing incorrect information about their surroundings (e.g., the location of a landmark). While it is possible for some of the sensors in mobile devices to be calibrated, every sensor is somewhat different and therefore, it becomes the responsibility of the user, the application, or the developer to implement workarounds that account for and resolve these inaccuracies for any particular device in order to enable an accurate output or augmented output through an offset calculation.

The present disclosure resolves these inefficiencies.

SUMMARY OF THE DISCLOSURE

The present disclosure provides a system and algorithm that can correct sensor data for one or more devices, such as mobile devices. The system comprises one or more of the devices, a cloud or server, and algorithms. The algorithm can be resident on the devices, the cloud, or both. The algorithm receives data from one or more sensors on each device, and supplies a data set back to the device, along with corrected data that adjusts any error in the sensors on the device. In this way, the system and algorithm of the present disclosure can account for and correct erroneous sensor data on a user’s device, thus enhancing the user’s experience with the device.
[0009]
Thus, in one embodiment, the present disclosure provides a system for correcting sensor data of a device, comprising a device comprising a sensor, a computing cloud, wherein the device is in communication with the computing cloud, and an algorithm resident on the device, the computing cloud, or both of the device and the computing cloud. The algorithm acquires sensor data from the sensor, transmits a data set back to the device, calculates an offset error in the sensor data based on the data set, and transmits corrected offset data back to the device.

CLAIMS

What is claimed is:

A system for correcting sensor data of a user device, comprising:
- a device comprising a sensor;
- a computing cloud, wherein said user device is in communication with said computing cloud; and
- an algorithm resident on said user device, said computing cloud, or both of said user device and said computing cloud,
- wherein said algorithm acquires sensor data from said sensor, transmits a data set back to said user device, calculates an offset error in said sensor data based on said data set, and transmits corrected offset data back to said user device.
The system of claim 1, wherein said sensor data is implicit, explicit, or a combination of the two.
The system of claim 2, wherein said algorithm calculates said offset error based on said implicit data, said explicit data, or a combination of the two.
The system of claim 1, wherein a first portion of said algorithm is resident on said device, and a second portion of said algorithm is resident on said computing cloud.
The system of claim 1, wherein said device is a plurality of devices, each of which is in communication with said computing cloud.
The system of claim 4, wherein said algorithm transmits said corrected data back to at least one of said plurality of devices.
The system of claim 1, wherein said sensor data comprises a parameter selected from the group consisting of the location of said device, a heading of said device, a track of said device, the type of said device, the operating system of said device, the perspective of said device perspective, an image acquired by said device, information relating to a user of said device, an operating system of said device, category, user preferences relating to said device, and any combinations thereof.
The system of claim 1, wherein said algorithm allows a user to manually manipulate said data set, and calculates said corrected offset data based on said manual manipulation.
The system of claim 7, wherein said algorithm allows the user to adjust a size of said data set via said manual manipulation.
The system of claim 7, wherein said algorithm allows the user to adjust a location of said data set via said manual manipulation.
The system of claim 1, wherein said sensor of said device is a compass, and said algorithm allows a user to manually manipulate a heading of said compass.
The system of claim 1, wherein said sensor is a camera, and said data set is an overlay image, so that said algorithm applies said overlay image onto an image acquired by said camera.
The system of claim 1, wherein said algorithm allows a user to manually apply corrections to outputs of said sensor.
The system of claim 1, wherein said algorithm can triangulate the location of a source of interference based on said sensor data.
The system of claim 1, further comprising a software agent that acts on behalf of a user or other device to generate the most contextually aware query to retrieve a result or experience.