Wearable Sensor Context for Dynamic Camera Configuration

Resolve Bottlenecks,
Find Innovative Solutions
Generate Solutions

Solution Overview

Problem

High-cost sensors, such as cameras, require significant power, communication bandwidth, and processing resources, making them inefficient in applications where resource consumption needs to be minimized.

Innovation Solution

The use of low-cost wearable sensors to dynamically configure high-cost sensors by providing context information, allowing for real-time reconfiguration of camera parameters such as field of view, zoom, and resolution.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Reliability

If high-cost sensors (e.g., cameras) operate continuously to capture data, then data capture effectiveness is improved, but resource consumption (power, bandwidth, processing) increases significantly

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvedata capture effectivenessVSAvoidsensor power consumption
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSUse of energy by moving object

Solution Approach 1:

A wearable sensor acts as an intermediary device that continuously monitors user context (location, activity, biometric data) and triggers the high-cost camera sensor only when relevant events are detected. This mediator approach allows the camera to remain inactive during irrelevant periods, dramatically reducing power consumption while ensuring it activates reliably when data capture is actually needed based on user context.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

2Reliability

If high-cost sensors operate continuously, then complete scene monitoring is improved, but network bandwidth consumption increases

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvescene monitoring completenessVSAvoidnetwork bandwidth usage
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSLoss of energy

Solution Approach 1:

Instead of continuous transmission, the system implements periodic action by transmitting data only at specific intervals triggered by wearable sensor events. The camera and data transmission occur periodically based on detected user contexts (e.g., when the user stops, when specific activities are detected), rather than continuously. This maintains monitoring completeness for relevant events while dramatically reducing network bandwidth consumption during idle periods.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #19Periodic action

3Measurement precision

If high-cost sensors operate at full capacity, then data quality is improved, but processing resource consumption increases

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvedata qualityVSAvoidprocessing resources
Core Design Contradiction:
Measurement precisionVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The system applies partial action by activating the high-cost camera sensor only partially (intermittently) based on wearable sensor triggers rather than continuously at full capacity. When triggered by relevant user contexts, the camera operates at full quality; otherwise, it remains inactive. This selective partial operation maintains high data quality for relevant events while reducing overall processing resource consumption compared to continuous full-capacity operation.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #16Partial or excessive action

Data Source

PatentEP3700188B1Sensor configuration based on other sensor context determination
Publication Date: 2025.02.19 NOKIA TECHNOLOGIES OY
  • EP3700188B1 patent drawingFigure 1
  • EP3700188B1 patent drawingFigure 2
  • EP3700188B1 patent drawingFigure 3

AI summary

An apparatus comprising means for: obtaining sensor data from at least one first, wearable, sensor, the sensor data comprising at least one sensor signal; comparing the sensor data to a context parameter; and causing at least one second sensor to be dynamically configured based on the comparison.