Ambient Sensor Accuracy Compensation in Portable Devices
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Solution Overview
Problem
Portable electronic devices, such as mobile phones, face challenges in ensuring accurate ambient condition sensor measurements like temperature due to internal heat sources and environmental factors, which cannot be optimized like purpose-specific devices.
Innovation Solution
Integration of ambient condition sensors with CMOS-type silicon substrates and signal processing circuitry, along with a system that generates an accuracy measure based on internal and external device states, using signals from temperature and humidity sensors, and a compensator to correct for measurement inaccuracies.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If ambient condition sensors are integrated into portable electronic devices, then the device can provide environmental information, but the measurement accuracy deteriorates due to internal heat sources and environmental factors
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces a compensator as an intermediary component that mediates between the temperature sensor and the internal heat sources. The compensator receives temperature measurements and correction parameters, calculates compensated temperature values, and outputs corrected readings. This intermediary system isolates the sensor from the harmful thermal influence of internal components while preserving the environmental sensing capability.
Solution Approach 2:
The system implements feedback by continuously monitoring temperature measurements and using correction parameters to adjust the readings. The compensator receives feedback about the raw temperature measurements and the thermal state of internal components, then applies corrective adjustments to produce accurate environmental temperature readings. This closed-loop approach maintains measurement precision despite the presence of internal heat sources.
2Measurement precision
If multiple sensors and processing systems are integrated, then sensor accuracy can be improved through compensation, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges the compensator functionality with the existing processor and sensor system. The compensator is integrated into the device's processing architecture, sharing resources with other system components. By combining the compensation function with existing processing capabilities, the system achieves improved measurement precision without proportionally increasing overall device complexity.
Solution Approach 2:
The compensator is designed as a multi-functional component that handles multiple sensing tasks and integrates with various device functions. It processes temperature data from multiple sensors, applies different correction algorithms, and provides output to multiple system functions. This universal approach allows a single compensation system to serve multiple purposes, reducing the need for separate dedicated components.
Data Source
AI summary
There is provided a portable electronic device (10) with one or more integrated ambient sensors (12,13), such as temperature (12) or humidity (13) sensors, for measuring an ambient parameter, a display (101) for displaying the parameter or related information and shared by other elements of the device (10), and a system receiving input relating to internal or external states of the device (10) and generating in response to the input an accuracy measure of the ambient parameter measurement.