Value acquiring method, sensor control apparatus, sensor control method, sensor control medium, and acquisition interval control medium

A sensor control apparatus

• that controls a plurality of mobile terminals to acquire a plurality of sensor values of a plurality of sensors included in the plurality of mobile terminals, the sensor control apparatus comprising:
• a receiver configured to receive the plurality of sensor values obtained by the plurality of sensors included in the plurality of mobile terminals from the plurality of mobile terminals through a communication network;
• a storage device configured to store each of the sensor values received by the receiver along with an identifier to identify a mobile terminal with which each of the received sensor values was obtained;
• and
• a processor configured to:
• compare the stored sensor values corresponding to different identifiers;
• extract mobile terminals, as mobile terminals in a same condition, with which a difference of compared sensor values is equal to or smaller than a threshold value;
• determine, from the extracted mobile terminals, at least a first mobile terminal and at least a second mobile terminal, the at least first mobile terminal being controlled to transmit first sensor value with first time interval, the at least second mobile terminal being to be controlled to transmit second sensor value with second time interval which is longer than the first time interval;
• and
• transmit, to the at least second mobile terminal, an instruction to change the time interval of transmitting the second sensor value to the second time interval.

A sensor control method employed in a system including a plurality of mobile terminals having sensors and a server which is coupled to the terminals through a wireless communication link and which controls the plurality of mobile terminals to acquire a plurality of sensor values of the sensors included in the plurality of mobile terminals, the method comprising:

• receiving, by the server, the plurality of sensor values from the plurality of mobile terminals;
• storing, by the server, each of the received sensor values along with an identifier to identify a mobile terminal with which each of the received sensor values was obtained;
• comparing, by the server, the stored sensor values corresponding to different identifiers;
• extracting, by the server, mobile terminals, as mobile terminals in a same condition, with which a difference of compared sensor values is equal to or smaller than a threshold value;
• determining, by the server, from the extracted mobile terminals, at least a first mobile terminal and at least a second mobile terminal, the at least first mobile terminal being controlled to transmit first sensor value with first time interval, the at least second mobile terminal being to be controlled to transmit second sensor value with second time interval which is longer than the first time interval;
• and
• transmitting, by the server, to the at least second mobile terminal an instruction to change the time interval of
• transmitting the second sensor value to the second time interval.

A sensor value acquiring method executed by a computer that controls a plurality of mobile terminals to acquire sensor values of sensors included in the plurality of mobile terminals through a wireless communication link, the method comprising:

• acquiring, by the computer, a plurality of sensor values from the plurality of mobile terminals with which the wireless communication link is established, the plurality of sensor values being obtained by the sensors included in the plurality of mobile terminals;
• storing, by the computer, each of the acquired sensor values along with an identifier to identify a mobile terminal with which each of the acquired sensor values was acquired;
• acquiring, by the computer, electric wave intensities of the wireless communication link when the plurality of sensor values are obtained from the plurality of mobile terminals;
• specifying mobile terminals located in a certain area based on the acquired electric wave intensities;
• comparing, by the computer, stored sensor values corresponding to different identifiers of the specified mobile terminals;
• extracting, by the computer, from the specified mobile terminals, mobile terminals with which a difference of compared sensor values is equal to or smaller than a threshold value;
• determining, by the computer, from the extracted mobile terminals, at least a first mobile terminal and at least a second mobile terminal, the at least first mobile terminal being controlled to transmit first sensor value with first time interval, the at least second mobile terminal being to be controlled to transmit second sensor value with second time interval which is longer than the first time interval;
• and
• transmitting, by the computer, to the at least second mobile terminal an instruction to change the time interval of transmitting the second sensor value to the second time interval.