Virtual sensors

A system comprising one or more computers and one or more storage devices on which are stored instructions that are operable, when executed by the one or more computers, to cause the one or more computers to perform operations comprising:

• maintaining:
• first data that that defines one or more first analysis criteria that indicate how a physical sensor of a first sensor type analyzes sensor data captured by the physical sensor given the first sensor type that generates an output from a first set of outputs, and
• emulation data that defines i) one or more emulation analysis criteria that indicate how to analyze sensor data captured by the physical sensor to emulate a virtual sensor that has a second different type than the first sensor type of the physical sensor, ii) a second set of predefined outputs for the virtual sensor that has the second different type and that are different than the types of outputs from the first set of outputs for the physical sensor, and iii) an emulation action threshold that indicates a requirement for performance of one or more actions;
• determining whether captured sensor data satisfies the emulation action threshold using the one or more emulation analysis criteria defined by the emulation data and the captured sensor data captured by the physical sensor, the determining comprising:
• emulating, using the captured sensor data, the virtual sensor using the one or more emulation analysis criteria that indicate how to analyze sensor data captured by the physical sensor to emulate the virtual sensor, and
• receiving output that was selected, during emulating of the virtual sensor and from the second set of predefined outputs, an output using the captured sensor data;
• and
• selectively causing, using the output selected from the second set of predefined outputs, performance of the one or more actions or determining to skip causing performance of the one or more actions using a result of whether the captured sensor data satisfies the emulation action threshold.

A non-transitory computer storage medium encoded with instructions that, when executed by one or more computers, cause the one or more computers to perform operations comprising:

• maintaining, by a system;
• first data that that defines one or more first analysis criteria that indicate how a physical sensor of a first sensor type analyzes sensor data captured by the physical sensor given the first sensor type that generates an output from a first set of outputs, and
• emulation data that defines i) one or more emulation analysis criteria that indicate how to analyze sensor data captured by the physical sensor to emulate a virtual sensor that has a second different type than the first sensor type of the physical sensor, ii) a second set of predefined outputs for the virtual sensor that has the second different type and that are different than the types of outputs from the first set of outputs for the physical sensor, and iii) an emulation action threshold that indicates a requirement for performance of one or more actions;
• determining whether captured sensor data satisfies the emulation action threshold using the one or more emulation analysis criteria defined by the emulation data and the captured sensor data captured by the physical sensor, the determining comprising:
• emulating, using the captured sensor data, the virtual sensor using the one or more emulation analysis criteria that indicate how to analyze sensor data captured by the physical sensor to emulate the virtual sensor, and
• receiving output that was selected, during emulating of the virtual sensor and from the second set of predefined outputs, an output using the captured sensor data;
• and
• selectively causing, using the output selected from the second set of predefined outputs, performance of the one or more actions or determining to skip causing performance of the one or more actions using a result of whether the captured sensor data satisfies the emulation action threshold.