Abstract: This document describes techniques and apparatuses for estimating battery cell parameters. In some embodiments, these techniques and apparatuses enable the isolation of a battery cell from other battery cells. Voltage levels of the isolated battery cell are measured while varying amounts of current are drawn from the cell. Parameters of the isolated battery cell can then be estimated based on the measured voltage levels and various amounts of current that are drawn from the cell.

Abstract: Embodiments that relate to energy efficient gesture input on a surface are disclosed. One disclosed embodiment provides a hand-worn device that may include a microphone configured to capture an audio input and generate an audio signal, an accelerometer configured to capture a motion input and generate an accelerometer signal, and a controller comprising a processor and memory. The controller may be configured to detect a wake-up motion input based on the accelerometer signal. The controller may wake from a low-power sleep mode in which the accelerometer is turned on and the microphone is turned off and enter a user interaction interpretation mode in which the microphone is turned on. Then, the controller may contemporaneously receive the audio signal and the accelerometer signal and decode strokes. Finally, the controller may detect a period of inactivity based on the audio signal and return to the low-power sleep mode.

Abstract: Embodiments that relate to energy efficient gesture input on a surface are disclosed. One disclosed embodiment provides a hand-worn device that may include a microphone configured to capture an audio input and generate an audio signal, an accelerometer configured to capture a motion input and generate an accelerometer signal, and a controller comprising a processor and memory. The controller may be configured to detect a wake-up motion input based on the accelerometer signal. The controller may wake from a low-power sleep mode in which the accelerometer is turned on and the microphone is turned off and enter a user interaction interpretation mode in which the microphone is turned on. Then, the controller may contemporaneously receive the audio signal and the accelerometer signal and decode strokes. Finally, the controller may detect a period of inactivity based on the audio signal and return to the low-power sleep mode.

Abstract: A commercial frequency-modulated (FM) radio signal indoor localization system and method for finding a location of a mobile embedded device (such as a smartphone) within a building. Indoor localization is performed by receiving commercial FM radio signals on the device, analyzing the signals using signal quality metrics, and generating signal quality vectors for each signal and signal quality metric used for the signal. The signal quality metric can be any physical signal quality indicator. The signal quality vectors are added to obtain a current location fingerprint. The current location fingerprint is compared to fingerprints stored in a fingerprint database. The location associated with the stored fingerprint that is the closest match to the current fingerprint location is designated as the current location in the building of the mobile embedded device. Locally generated radio signals can be used in conjunction with the commercial FM radio signals to improve localization accuracy.

Abstract: Embodiments that relate to energy efficient gesture input on a surface are disclosed. One disclosed embodiment provides a hand-worn device that may include a microphone configured to capture an audio input and generate an audio signal, an accelerometer configured to capture a motion input and generate an accelerometer signal, and a controller comprising a processor and memory. The controller may be configured to detect a wake-up motion input based on the accelerometer signal. The controller may wake from a low-power sleep mode in which the accelerometer is turned on and the microphone is turned off and enter a user interaction interpretation mode in which the microphone is turned on. Then, the controller may contemporaneously receive the audio signal and the accelerometer signal and decode strokes. Finally, the controller may detect a period of inactivity based on the audio signal and return to the low-power sleep mode.

Abstract: A method includes receiving one or more search terms at a mobile computing device while the mobile computing device is located at a particular location. A search query that includes the one or more search terms and a location history of the mobile computing device is transmitted to a server. The method also includes receiving one or more search results in response to the search query, where the one or more search results include content identified based on a predicted destination of the mobile computing device. An interface identifying the one or more search results is displayed at the mobile computing device.

Abstract: The description relates to smart rings. One example can include a finger band configured to accommodate a user's finger. This example can also include a set of pressure sensors positioned on an inner surface of the finger band and configured to sense changes to tendons of the user's finger as pressure differentials and to output associated signals. The example can further include a gesture component configured to interpret the signals from the set of pressure sensors to identify individual actions performed by the user's finger.

Abstract: Embodiments that relate to energy efficient gesture input on a surface are disclosed. One disclosed embodiment provides a hand-worn device that may include a microphone configured to capture an audio input and generate an audio signal, an accelerometer configured to capture a motion input and generate an accelerometer signal, and a controller comprising a processor and memory. The controller may be configured to detect a wake-up motion input based on the accelerometer signal. The controller may wake from a low-power sleep mode in which the accelerometer is turned on and the microphone is turned off and enter a user interaction interpretation mode in which the microphone is turned on. Then, the controller may contemporaneously receive the audio signal and the accelerometer signal and decode strokes. Finally, the controller may detect a period of inactivity based on the audio signal and return to the low-power sleep mode.

Abstract: A method includes receiving one or more search terms at a mobile computing device while the mobile computing device is located at a particular location. A search query that includes the one or more search terms and a location history of the mobile computing device is transmitted to a server. The method also includes receiving one or more search results in response to the search query, where the one or more search results include content identified based on a predicted destination of the mobile computing device. An interface identifying the one or more search results is displayed at the mobile computing device.

Abstract: Biometric authentication and touch differentiation embodiments are described which use a handheld mobile computing device having a signal injection site that injects a signal into a user's hand for a prescribed period of time, and at least one signal sensing site each of which captures a signal emanating from a finger of either of the user's hands that is touching the signal sensing site during at least the period of time the signal is injected. The captured signal or signals are analyzed to determine whether they match, to a prescribed degree, a pre-established signal model that is indicative of a signal or signals expected to be captured. The signal matching determination can be employed to authenticate a user, or identify which finger of a user's hand is touching the computing device.

Abstract: Magnetic stripe-based transaction enabled mobile communication device embodiments are presented which generally involve a mobile communication device which has been configured to perform transactions that heretofore were completed using a magnetic stripe found on magnetic-stripe cards. In one general embodiment, a mobile communication device generates magnetic stripe data which is used to perform a magnetic stripe-based transaction. To this end, the mobile communication device includes a magnetic stripe device and a computing device. The computing device stores the magnetic stripe data, and the magnetic stripe device is employed to transfer the stored magnetic stripe information so that it can be used to conduct transactions as if a traditional magnetic stripe card were being used.

Abstract: Aspects of the subject disclosure are directed towards saving resources such as energy, computing, and communication by capturing evaluation (e.g., low-resolution) images periodically or otherwise, such as in a continuous mobile vision system, and processing each evaluation to determine whether a likely event is present that warrants capturing another (e.g., higher-resolution) image for further image processing. In one aspect, only the region or regions of interest of the high-resolution image is provided to an image processing algorithm for further image processing. Also described is the use of infrared sensing, such as to determine whether an image/event location/region of interest includes thermal data indicative of human features.

Abstract: Biometric authentication and touch differentiation embodiments are described which use a handheld mobile computing device having a signal injection site that injects a signal into a user's hand for a prescribed period of time, and at least one signal sensing site each of which captures a signal emanating from a finger of either of the user's hands that is touching the signal sensing site during at least the period of time the signal is injected. The captured signal or signals are analyzed to determine whether they match, to a prescribed degree, a pre-established signal model that is indicative of a signal or signals expected to be captured. The signal matching determination can be employed to authenticate a user, or identify which finger of a user's hand is touching the computing device.

Abstract: In general, the short range wireless powered ring described herein pertains to a finger-worn ring. In one embodiment the ring has a small interaction area towards the palm of the hand that employs sensors to sense user input and can interpret this input and other data. For example, the ring can interpret user input as scroll and select input actions. The ring communicates user interactions and other data wirelessly using a low-power wireless solution. The ring contains a coil and other circuitry for energy harvesting from short range wireless enabled devices such as, for example, NFC enabled phones, while users interact with their devices. A built in rechargeable battery is used to store the scavenged energy. The ring may also contain physiological and inertial sensors. The ring can provide a readily available input device of small form factor that has an easily accessible energy source for ease of use.

Abstract: Wearable audio accessories for computing devices are described. In one embodiment the wearable audio accessory provides a speech based interface between the user and a nearby computing device for the performance of user-initiated or computing device initiated microtasks. Information is provided to the user via a loudspeaker and the user can provide input via a microphone. An audio sensing channel within the accessory continuously monitors the audio signal as detected by the microphone and in various embodiments will trigger more complex audio processing based on this monitoring. A wireless communication link is provided between the accessory and the nearby computing device. To mitigate any delay caused by the switching between audio processing techniques, the audio accessory may include a rolling buffer which continuously stores the audio signal and outputs a delayed audio signal to the audio processing engines.

Abstract: The subject disclosure is directed towards energy saving mechanisms of image sensor circuitry (e.g., in a camera). Image quality data, such as provided by an application, is processed to make energy consumption of image sensor circuitry more proportional to output image quality by controlling the operation of one or more controllable power saving mechanisms of the image sensor circuitry. Power saving mechanisms may include a frequency controlled clock, the ability to turn off unneeded components, an inter-frame standby mode that puts the image sensor circuitry into a standby mode between capturing sequential frames, selectable parallel analog chains having different energy usage properties and column circuitry that allows turning off circuitry corresponding to unneeded columns of the sensor array.

Abstract: The subject disclosure is directed towards mobile network management by reducing energy consumption and increasing a lifetime of one or more nodes. By determining a beacon listening duration and a beacon listening period in response to an energy budget, each node may minimize or reduce latencies associated with node discovery and/or node group maintenance. The beacon listening duration and the beacon listening period is used to compute a beacon broadcasting duration and a beacon broadcasting period such that advertising beacon transmissions and advertising beacon receptions occur at substantially concurrent time slots between low power states. These advertising beacons are used to propagate and maintain group membership information amongst the one or more nodes.

Abstract: Functionality is described herein for recognizing speakers in an energy-efficient manner. The functionality employs a heterogeneous architecture that comprises at least a first processing unit and a second processing unit. The first processing unit handles a first set of audio processing tasks (associated with the detection of speech) while the second processing unit handles a second set of audio processing tasks (associated with the identification of speakers), where the first set of tasks consumes less power than the second set of tasks. The functionality also provides unobtrusive techniques for collecting audio segments for training purposes. The functionality also encompasses new applications which may be invoked in response to the recognition of speakers.

Abstract: A “Communication Device with Energy Efficient Sensing” provides various techniques for enabling a variety of sensor-based applications and processes while conserving energy on mobile communications devices. More specifically, the Communication Device with Energy Efficient Sensing provides a novel sensing architecture for mobile communications devices where sampling and, in various embodiments, processing, of sensor data received from one or more sensors is offloaded to a dedicated low-power processor having the capability to interact with a primary processor of the communications device. Such sensors include, but are not limited to accelerometers, ambient light sensors, compasses, microphones, pressure sensors, touch sensors, low-power radio devices, etc. This approach enables the communications device to perform continuous sensing with a low power overhead.

Abstract: The subject disclosure is directed towards mobile network management by reducing energy consumption and increasing a lifetime of one or more nodes. By determining a beacon listening duration and a beacon listening period in response to an energy budget, each node may minimize or reduce latencies associated with node discovery and/or node group maintenance. The beacon listening duration and the beacon listening period is used to compute a beacon broadcasting duration and a beacon broadcasting period such that advertising beacon transmissions and advertising beacon receptions occur at substantially concurrent time slots between low power states. These advertising beacons are used to propagate and maintain group membership information amongst the one or more nodes.