Techniques for determination of a motion state of a mobile device

A mobile device for detecting motion states of a mobile device in connection with vehicular travel comprising:

• one or more motion detectors of the mobile device configured to generate motion data;
• a state machine module comprising one or more pedestrian motion states and a plurality of vehicular motion states, the one or more pedestrian motion states comprising a walk state and the plurality of vehicular motion states comprising a vehicular stop state and a vehicular move state;
• wherein the walk state indicates that the mobile device is in motion indicative of a user walking with the mobile device, the vehicular stop state indicates that the mobile device is in motion indicative of the mobile device being in a stationary vehicle, and the vehicular move state indicates that the mobile device is in a moving vehicle;
• a filtering module communicatively coupled to the state machine module and configured to filter, at the mobile device, the motion data to determine motion states,
• wherein the motion states are obtained for respective time intervals during which the motion data is obtained from the one or more motion detectors devices;
• wherein, within the state machine module, transitions from the one or more pedestrian motion states to the plurality of vehicular motion states are restricted to transitions from the walk state to the vehicular stop state and transitions from the plurality of vehicular motion states to the one or more pedestrian motion states are restricted to transitions from the vehicular stop state to the walk state;
• wherein the state machine module is further configured to determine, based on filtering by the filtering module, that a present motion state of the mobile device is the vehicular move state;
• and
• a processor configured to execute instructions that implement the filtering module and the state machine module, wherein the instructions, when executed, cause the processor to control an operation of a device or software application in response to determining that the present motion state is the vehicular move state, wherein the device or software application is an application executing on the mobile device or a remote device communicatively coupled to the mobile device through a network.

A mobile device for detecting motion states of a mobile device in connection with vehicular travel comprising:

• means for obtaining motion data from one or more means for detecting motion of the mobile device;
• and
• means for filtering, at the mobile device, the motion data to determine motion states, the motion states comprising one or more pedestrian motion states and a plurality of vehicular motion states, the one or more pedestrian motion states comprising a walk state, and the plurality of vehicular motion states comprising a vehicular stop state and a vehicular move state;
• wherein the walk state indicates that the mobile device is in motion indicative of a user walking with the mobile device, the vehicular stop state indicates that the mobile device is in motion indicative of the mobile device being in a stationary vehicle, and the vehicular move state indicates that the mobile device is in a moving vehicle;
• wherein the motion states are obtained for respective time intervals during which the motion data is obtained from the one or more means for detecting motion;
• wherein, within the means for filtering, transitions from the one or more pedestrian motion states to the plurality of vehicular motion states are restricted to transitions from the walk state to the vehicular stop state and transitions from the plurality of vehicular motion states to the one or more pedestrian motion states are restricted to transitions from the vehicular stop state to the walk state;
• means for determining, based on filtering by the means for filtering, that a present motion state of the mobile device is the vehicular move state;
• and
• means for controlling an operation of a device or software application in response to a determination that the present motion state is the vehicular move state, wherein the device or software application is an application executing on the mobile device or a remote device communicatively coupled to the mobile device through a network.

A non-transitory processor-readable medium for detecting motion states of a mobile device in connection with vehicular travel comprising processor-readable instructions configured to cause a processor to:

• obtain motion data from one or more motion-detecting devices of the mobile device;
• and
• at the mobile device, filter the motion data to determine motion states, the motion states comprising one or more pedestrian motion states and a plurality of vehicular motion states, the one or more pedestrian motion states comprising a walk state, and the plurality of vehicular motion states comprising a vehicular stop state and a vehicular move state;
• wherein the walk state indicates that the mobile device is in motion indicative of a user walking with the mobile device, the vehicular stop state indicates that the mobile device is in motion indicative of the mobile device being in a stationary vehicle, and the vehicular move state indicates that the mobile device is in a moving vehicle;
• wherein the motion states are obtained for respective time intervals during which the motion data is obtained from the one or more motion-detecting devices;
• wherein, during the filtering, transitions from the one or more pedestrian motion states to the plurality of vehicular motion states are restricted to transitions from the walk state to the vehicular stop state and transitions from the plurality of vehicular motion states to the one or more pedestrian motion states are restricted to transitions from the vehicular stop state to the walk state;
• determining, based on the filtering, that a present motion state of the mobile device is the vehicular move state;
• and
• controlling an operation of a device or software application in response to the determining that the present motion state is the vehicular move state, wherein the device or software application is an application executing on the mobile device or a remote device communicatively coupled to the mobile device through a network.