为Android设备而生的Sensor Hubs终于来了

( 发表日期：2013-11-04 )

许多有关sensor hub的应用已广泛出现在Windows 8市场中。三星的智能手机和平板都使用了sensor hub，如今苹果也为其iOS加进自有的M7 sensor hub微控制器。我们看到Android开发人员对于加紧赶上sensor hub的开发产生非常浓厚的兴趣……

作者：R. Colin Johnson

Hillcrest Laboratories近日于美国马里兰州举行的ARM TechCon Expo上展示首款专为 Android 设计可执行于ARM的传感器中枢(sensor hub)。Hillcrest的首款sensor hub名为SH-1兼容于 Android 4.3” Jelly Bean操作系统，可作为纯软件使用或预整合于Atmel低功耗微控制器(MCU)中。

Hillcrest Labs资深行销副总裁Chad Lucien指出：“许多有关sensor hub的应用已广泛出现在Windows 8市场中。三星的智能手机和平板都使用了sensor hub，如今苹果也为其 iOS 加进自有的 M7 sensor hub微控制器。因此，我们看到 Android 开发人员对于加紧赶上 sensor hub 的开发产生非常浓厚的兴趣。Hillcrest的SR-1让Android开发人员能快速建置超越9轴传感器融合而实现独特功能的sensor hub ，从而使OEM能够善用手势辨识与全时激活的情境感知等功能，从而实现产品差异化。”

sensor hub可卸载应用处理器对于智能手机、平板电脑、笔记本电脑、可穿戴式设备或物联网(IoT )设备中所有传感器的管理任务。例如，微软(Microsoft)为其Window 8 增加惯性传感器支持。sensor hub透过执行9轴传感器(三个3轴MEMS惯性传感器：加速度计、陀螺仪与磁力计)融合协助进行管理，从而释放应用处理器负载，为用户带来更佳体验。

除了执行传感器融合功能以外， SH -1 还可藉由其Freespace Motion Elements常用手势库执行手势办识。例如，OEM可让用户以主题浏览大量影像或音乐数据库。SH-1还提供全时激活的动作侦测与情境感知功能──例如，感知用户将装置放在口袋中，应用处理器随即自动关闭以节省电池电量。

Hillcrest 直接授权SR -1软件给OEM，使其可建置于各自的ARM微控制器中，或者也可取得预先配置的低功耗Atmel微控制器。

Hillcrest 的SR -1并为所有常见的MEMS惯性传感器、磁性与环境传感器配备最佳化驱动器。目前已经取得Hillcrest动作处理技术授权的公司包括Eastman Kodak、英特尔(Intel), LG Electronics、Logitech、Roku、SMK Electronics、Sony、TCL Multimedia与Universal Electronics (UEI)等。

Hillcrest的首款Sensor Hub (SH-1)搭配其Freespace传感器融合、手势辨识与情境感知算法，预先整合于Atmel基于ARM Cortex M0+的SAM D20微控制器中。

Source：Hillcrest

编译：Susan Hong

参考英文原文：Sensor Hubs Arrive for Android，by R. Colin Johnson

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Sensor Hubs Arrive for Android

R. Colin Johnson

PORTLAND, Ore. — The first sensor hub specifically designed for Android running on ARM was demonstrated today by Hillcrest Laboratories Inc., of Rockville, Md., at the ARM TechCon Expo (Oct. 30-31, Santa Clara, Calif.). Hillcrest's first sensor hub -- dubbed SH-1 -- is compatible with the Android 4.3 "Jelly Bean" operating system and is available either as software-only or pre-integrated with an Amtel low-power microcontroller.

Chad Lucien, senior vice president of sales and marketing for Hillcrest Labs, told EETimes:

There is a lot of activity with sensor hubs in the Windows 8 market. Also Samsung's smartphones and tablets all use sensor hubs, and now Apple has its own M7 sensor-hub microcontroller for iOS. Consequently we are seeing very strong interest among Android developers to catch up in sensor hubs. Our SR-1 lets Android developers quickly implement a sensor hub that does unique things, which go beyond just nine-axis sensor fusion, allowing our OEMs to differentiate themselves with gesture recognition and always-on context awareness functions.

Hillcrest's first Sensor Hub (SH-1) featuring its Freespace sensor fusion, gesture recognition, and context-aware algorithms comes pre-integrated with Atmel's SAM D20 ARM Cortex M0+ based microcontroller. (Source: Hillcrest)

(Source: Hillcrest)

A sensor hub off-loads the application processor from managing all the sensors studding a modern smartphone, tablet, laptop, wearable device, or Internet of Things (IoT) device. Microsoft, for instance (following Apple's lead as does Samsung and most other smartphone and tablet makers) mandated that Window 8 developers include a full complement of inertial sensors. A sensor hub helps manage them by performing the nine-axis sensor fusion across three triple-axis micro-electromechanical system (MEMS) inertial sensors -- accelerometer, gyroscope, and magnetometer -- thereby freeing up the application processor to be more responsive to the user.

In addition to the sensor fusion performed by all sensor hubs, the SH-1 also performs gesture recognition from its Freespace MotionElements library of commonly used gestures. For instance, OEMs can allow their users to browse large libraries of images or music albums by tilting the device so the "covers" smoothly flow by at a speed determined by the inclination. The SH-1 also provides activity tracking and "context awareness" for always-on functions -- such as ascertaining when users have the device in their pocket -- so the application processor can be turned off to conserve battery life while waiting for the context to change.

Hillcrest licenses the SR-1 software directly to OEMs, who can then implement it on their own ARM microcontrollers, or they can get it already preconfigured for a low-power Atmel microcontroller. In the Atmel booth at the ARM TechCon Expo, Hillcrest demonstrated its algorithms running on Atmel's latest SAM D20 ARM Cortex M0+ based microcontroller.

Hillcrest's SR-1 also comes with optimized drivers for all the popular brands of MEMS inertial, magnetic, and environmental sensors. Companies that have already licensed Hillcrest's motion-processing technologies include Eastman Kodak, Intel, LG Electronics, Logitech, Roku, SMK Electronics, Sony, TCL Multimedia, and Universal Electronics (UEI).

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