Context-Based Wearable Management via Sensor Fusion

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Solution Overview

Problem

Current wearable computing devices lack efficient context-based management systems that effectively fuse sensor data from both mobile and wearable devices to optimize functionality and power state, leading to suboptimal performance and increased power consumption.

Innovation Solution

A system where mobile computing devices wirelessly communicate with wearable devices to fuse sensor data, determining context and adjusting functionality or power state based on a context policy database, thereby optimizing performance and conserving power.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Measurement precision

If sensor data from wearable devices is processed locally without fusion with mobile device sensors, then device complexity is reduced, but measurement precision and context awareness deteriorate

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvecontext determination accuracyVSAvoidsensor data processing complexity

Core Design Contradiction:

Measurement precisionVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The mobile computing device serves as an intermediary that receives sensor data from the wearable device, fuses it with sensor data from the mobile device itself, and determines context based on this combined information. This allows the wearable device to maintain low complexity while achieving high measurement precision through the mobile device's processing capabilities.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

Solution Approach 2:

The system merges sensor data from multiple sources - both the wearable device and the mobile computing device - to create a more comprehensive and accurate context determination. By combining data from accelerometers, gyroscopes, GPS, and other sensors across both devices, the system achieves superior measurement precision without placing the entire processing burden on one device.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #5Merging (Combining)

2Loss of information

If wearable computing devices continuously monitor and process sensor data, then context awareness is improved, but power consumption increases

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvecontext information completenessVSAvoidwearable device power consumption

Core Design Contradiction:

Loss of informationVSUse of energy by moving object

Solution Approach 1:

The system segments the processing tasks between the wearable device and the mobile computing device. The wearable device collects and transmits sensor data, while the mobile device performs the computationally intensive context determination and policy matching. This segmentation allows continuous monitoring with complete context information while keeping the wearable device's power consumption low.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

The mobile computing device acts as an intermediary that performs the energy-intensive operations of fusing sensor data, determining context, and matching policies. The wearable device only needs to transmit raw sensor data, significantly reducing its power consumption while maintaining complete context awareness through the mobile device's processing.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

3Productivity

If context-based management adjusts wearable device functionality, then performance is optimized, but device complexity increases

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvewearable device performance optimizationVSAvoidfunctionality management complexity

Core Design Contradiction:

ProductivityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The mobile computing device serves as an intermediary that manages the complexity of context-based functionality adjustment. It determines context from fused sensor data, matches appropriate policies, and generates control messages to adjust wearable device functionality. This allows performance optimization through dynamic functionality adjustment without burdening the wearable device with complex management logic.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

Solution Approach 2:

The system implements feedback through context determination and policy matching, where the mobile device continuously monitors sensor data, determines current context, and adjusts wearable device functionality accordingly. This feedback loop optimizes performance by enabling features only when contextually appropriate while keeping the wearable device itself relatively simple.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #23Feedback

Data Source

PatentUS11871301B2Context-based management of wearable computing devices

Publication Date: 2024.01.09 INTEL CORP

AI summary

Technologies for context-based management of wearable computing devices include a mobile computing device and a wearable computing device. The wearable computing device generates sensor data indicative of a location context of the wearable computing device and transmits the sensor data to the mobile computing device. The mobile computing device generates local sensor data indicative of a location context of the wearable computing device and fuses the local sensor data with the sensor data received from the wearable computing device. The mobile computing device determines a context of the wearable computing device based on the fused sensor data. The mobile computing device determines whether an adjustment to the functionality of the wearable computing device is required based on the determined context. The mobile computing device manages the functionality of the wearable computing device in response to determining that an adjustment to the functionality is required.