Portable Device Motion and User Interaction Detection
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Solution Overview
Problem
There is a need to determine whether a portable device is in a moving vehicle and to characterize its association with a user, particularly to differentiate between the user operating the vehicle and a passenger, as current technologies lack effective methods to ensure safe usage and compliance with safety regulations.
Innovation Solution
The method involves obtaining and processing sensor data from the portable device, including inertial sensors and image sensors, to determine if the device is in a moving vehicle, connected to a user, and whether it is being held in the user's hand, using machine learning and signal analysis techniques to classify the device's motion and user interaction.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If sensor data processing is used to determine device location and user interaction, then detection accuracy is improved, but computational complexity and energy consumption increase
Solution Approach 1:
The detection process is divided into multiple independent stages: motion pattern recognition, user interaction detection, and context classification. Each stage processes sensor data independently and passes results to the next stage, reducing the computational burden of any single processing step while maintaining overall detection accuracy.
Solution Approach 2:
The system performs partial processing by focusing only on the most relevant sensor data for each detection task. For example, accelerometer data is primarily used for motion pattern recognition rather than full analysis, and image sensor data is processed only when motion patterns suggest potential user interaction, reducing unnecessary computational effort.
2Measurement precision
If multiple sensors are used to detect device location and user interaction, then measurement precision is improved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
Multiple sensor types (accelerometer, gyroscope, image sensor, barometer, magnetometer) are merged into a unified detection system that processes data from all sensors simultaneously. The sensor fusion algorithm combines information from each sensor to achieve more accurate detection than any single sensor could provide alone, while managing complexity through integrated processing.
Solution Approach 2:
The sensor system is designed to serve multiple detection functions simultaneously. The same set of sensors is used for both motion pattern recognition and user interaction detection, eliminating the need for separate sensor systems for each function and reducing overall system complexity.
3Reliability
If continuous sensor data processing is performed to monitor device usage, then safety detection reliability is improved, but energy consumption increases
Solution Approach 1:
Instead of continuous processing, the system performs sensor data analysis at periodic intervals. Motion patterns are detected over time windows, and user interaction is assessed at regular checkpoints during device usage. This periodic approach maintains safety detection reliability by catching unsafe conditions while significantly reducing average energy consumption compared to continuous monitoring.
Solution Approach 2:
The system skips detailed sensor data processing during periods when unsafe conditions are not detected. Full analysis is performed only when motion patterns or sensor readings indicate potential safety concerns, allowing the system to maintain high reliability for detecting dangerous situations while minimizing energy consumption during normal, safe usage periods.
Data Source
AI summary
An apparatus and method are disclosed for user and moving vehicle detection in which sensor data for a portable device is processed to determine whether the portable device is in a moving vehicle. Following a determination the portable device is in a moving vehicle, the sensor data is to characterize an association between the user and the portable device to determine whether the portable device is connected to the user. If the user is connected to the portable device, it is then determined if the portable device is being held in hand. If the portable device is held in hand, it is then determined if the user is operating the moving vehicle. Output from an image sensor of the portable device may be used in determining if the user is the operator.