Offline Sensor Calibration for Mobile Platforms

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Solution Overview

Problem

Conventional sensor calibration methods in mobile devices, whether factory-based or online, often result in measurement inaccuracies due to structural variability and are susceptible to temperature variations, with online calibration requiring unusual usage scenarios and taking time to converge on accurate readings.

Innovation Solution

An offline calibration system that utilizes a status monitor and calibration manager to detect trigger conditions such as temperature, motion, and system events to activate sensor calibration, updating operational profiles for real-time compensation, thereby ensuring accurate sensor data without relying on user activation or unusual device orientations.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Productivity

If factory calibration is conducted on a per model basis, then calibration process is simple and efficient, but measurement precision deteriorates due to structural variability between devices

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvecalibration efficiencyVSAvoidsensor measurement accuracy

Core Design Contradiction:

ProductivityVSMeasurement precision

Solution Approach 1:

The system performs preliminary calibration actions by collecting sensor data during normal device operation and processing it offline to generate compensation values. This preliminary data collection and processing occurs in the background without requiring dedicated calibration time or user intervention, thereby maintaining high productivity while improving measurement precision through device-specific calibration data.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #10Preliminary action

2Measurement precision

If online calibration is conducted at runtime, then sensor accuracy is improved through continuous calibration, but device power consumption increases and unusual usage scenarios are required

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvesensor accuracyVSAvoiddevice power consumption

Core Design Contradiction:

Measurement precisionVSUse of energy by moving object

Solution Approach 1:

The system implements periodic calibration by collecting sensor data at intervals during normal operation and processing it offline at predetermined times. This periodic approach maintains sensor accuracy through continuous improvement of compensation values while consuming minimal power, as the intensive processing occurs periodically rather than continuously.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #19Periodic action

Solution Approach 2:

The calibration system operates autonomously by automatically collecting sensor data during normal device usage and processing it without requiring user intervention or unusual device orientations. The system serves itself by utilizing existing operational data to generate calibration compensation, eliminating the need for dedicated calibration sessions that would increase power consumption.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #25Self-service

3Measurement precision

If online calibration is conducted at runtime, then sensor calibration is performed continuously, but initial accuracy is low until convergence occurs

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvesensor calibration accuracyVSAvoidtime to converge on accurate readings

Core Design Contradiction:

Measurement precisionVSLoss of time

Solution Approach 1:

The system performs preliminary data collection and offline processing to generate initial compensation values before they are applied to sensor readings. This preliminary offline processing allows the system to establish accurate baseline compensation values quickly, avoiding the prolonged convergence period required by traditional online calibration methods that adjust values iteratively in real-time.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #10Preliminary action

Solution Approach 2:

The system introduces an intermediary offline processing step between data collection and calibration application. Raw sensor data is collected during normal operation, then processed offline to generate compensation values, which are subsequently applied to improve sensor accuracy. This intermediary processing step enables accurate calibration without requiring extended real-time convergence periods.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

4Productivity

If conventional factory calibration is conducted, then calibration is completed quickly, but the sensor remains susceptible to temperature variations

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvecalibration speedVSAvoidtemperature susceptibility

Core Design Contradiction:

ProductivityVSObject-affected harmful factors

Solution Approach 1:

The system implements feedback by continuously collecting sensor data during normal operation across varying temperature conditions and using this data to generate updated compensation values. This feedback loop allows the system to adapt to temperature variations and other environmental factors, maintaining calibration accuracy without sacrificing the speed benefits of efficient offline processing.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #23Feedback

Data Source

PatentUS11112283B2Offline sensor calibration

Publication Date: 2021.09.07 INTEL CORP

AI summary

Systems, apparatuses and methods may provide for detecting one or more trigger condition on a mobile platform and activating an offline calibration of one or more sensors on the mobile platform in response to the one or more trigger conditions. Additionally, an operational profile of the one or more sensors may be updated based on the offline condition. In one example, the trigger conditions include one or more of a time condition, a temperature condition, a motion condition or a system event condition.