Virtual Sensor Development

A method comprising:

• receiving, by one or more processors of a computing system, a plurality of values of information, with respect to an inference model, associated with additional sensor data corresponding to a plurality of mobile devices;
• determining, by the one or more processors, based on relationship patterns between the plurality of mobile devices and based on the plurality of values of information, one or more combinations of mobile devices and sensing temporal frequencies that meet a plurality of constraints associated with receiving sensor data from the plurality of mobile devices;
• and
• requesting, by the one or more processors, sensor data from individual ones of the plurality of mobile devices at time intervals according to a selected one of the one or more combinations.

A system, comprising:

• memory;
• one or more processors;
• a virtual sensor stored on the memory and executable by the one or more processors to implement inference models that accept physical sensor data from a plurality of mobile devices and to output inferences regarding phenomena to an application, the inferences based on the physical sensor data;
• and
• a decision engine configured to select a subset of the plurality of mobile devices and to upload time intervals to provide the physical sensor data based on a value of information of obtaining additional physical sensor data and temporal and location-based constraints placed on the upload of physical sensor data.