Sensor Context Analysis for Battery Conservation

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Solution Overview

Problem

Smartphones and other mobile devices, used for continuous audio sensing, face battery life issues due to prolonged usage, as they are not designed for continuous sensing, leading to reduced battery life.

Innovation Solution

A method that analyzes sensor data streams from multiple devices to determine shared contexts, deactivating all but one device to conserve battery power, thereby reducing redundancy and power consumption.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Reliability

If multiple sensors continue recording simultaneously, then data coverage and reliability are improved, but battery power is depleted faster

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvedata coverageVSAvoidbattery power

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSUse of energy by moving object

Solution Approach 1:

The patent merges the recording function into a single sensor when multiple sensors detect the same context, consolidating energy consumption while maintaining data coverage through coordinated sensing among available devices

Inventive Principle:

Principle #5Merging (Combining)

Solution Approach 2:

The system dynamically adjusts sensor activation status based on real-time context analysis, transitioning sensors between active and inactive states according to whether they are recording redundant data, thereby optimizing power consumption while preserving data reliability

Inventive Principle:

Principle #15Dynamics

2Productivity

If all sensors remain active, then continuous data capture is ensured, but power consumption increases

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvedata capture continuityVSAvoidpower consumption

Core Design Contradiction:

ProductivityVSLoss of energy

Solution Approach 1:

The system implements periodic context analysis to determine which sensors should be active, using intermittent evaluation rather than continuous monitoring to manage power consumption while ensuring data capture continuity when needed

Inventive Principle:

Principle #19Periodic action

Solution Approach 2:

The system autonomously manages sensor activation by analyzing context data and automatically deactivating redundant sensors without user intervention, maintaining continuous data capture capability while minimizing energy loss through intelligent self-regulation

Inventive Principle:

Principle #25Self-service

3Duration of action of moving object

If redundant sensors are deactivated, then battery life is extended, but data redundancy is reduced

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvebattery lifeVSAvoiddata redundancy

Core Design Contradiction:

Duration of action of moving objectVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The system extracts and removes redundant sensing functions from the active sensor set by identifying and deactivating sensors whose data streams are duplicate or highly correlated with other active sensors, thereby extending battery life while preserving essential data redundancy through selective removal rather than complete elimination

Inventive Principle:

Principle #2Taking out (Extraction)

Data Source

PatentUS10250976B1Energy-efficient audio life logging

Publication Date: 2019.04.02 INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS MACHINE CORPORATION

AI summary

Methods and systems for controlling sensors include analyzing streams of sensor data from respective sensors to determine if multiple streams from the plurality of streams share a context. All but one sensor is deactivated associated with the multiple streams to conserve battery power across the sensors.