Search icon CANCEL
Subscription
0
Cart icon
Your Cart (0 item)
Close icon
You have no products in your basket yet
Save more on your purchases! discount-offer-chevron-icon
Savings automatically calculated. No voucher code required.
Arrow left icon
Explore Products
Best Sellers
New Releases
Books
Videos
Audiobooks
Learning Hub
Newsletter Hub
Free Learning
Arrow right icon
timer SALE ENDS IN
0 Days
:
00 Hours
:
00 Minutes
:
00 Seconds
Android Sensor Programming By Example
Android Sensor Programming By Example

Android Sensor Programming By Example: Take your Android applications to the next level of interactivity by exploring the wide variety of Android sensors

eBook
$9.99 $35.99
Paperback
$43.99
Subscription
Free Trial
Renews at $19.99p/m

What do you get with Print?

Product feature icon Instant access to your digital eBook copy whilst your Print order is Shipped
Product feature icon Paperback book shipped to your preferred address
Product feature icon Download this book in EPUB and PDF formats
Product feature icon Access this title in our online reader with advanced features
Product feature icon DRM FREE - Read whenever, wherever and however you want
OR
Modal Close icon
Payment Processing...
tick Completed

Shipping Address

Billing Address

Shipping Methods
Table of content icon View table of contents Preview book icon Preview Book

Android Sensor Programming By Example

Chapter 2. Playing with Sensors

In this chapter, we will learn how to write our first sensor program. We will also understand the various callbacks, and how to use these callbacks in the foreground activity and background service. This chapter will also walk you through a basic algorithm developed using sensor values.

We will cover the following topics in this chapter:

  • Understanding various sensor framework callbacks
  • Using sensors in the foreground activity
  • Listing the available sensors on a device
  • Knowing individual sensors' capabilities
  • Getting the sensor values and updating the user interface
  • Monitoring sensor values in the background service

Understanding the sensor framework callbacks

The two most important callbacks of the sensor framework are the onSensorChanged() and onAccuracyChanged() methods. In order to write efficient sensor code, it's important to understand when these methods are called, and what processing we can do in them. These callbacks are methods of the SensorEventListnener interface, which needs to be implemented in the class where the callbacks are to be received:

onSensorChanged() is the first callback and has the following syntax:

@Override 
  public void onSensorChanged(SensorEvent event) { 
   } 

Depending on the type of reporting mode of the sensor, this method will be called, either at regular frequency (Continuous mode) or whenever there is a change in the value of the sensors from the previously reported value (On the change mode). The onSensorChanged() method provides the sensor values inside the float value[] array of the SensorEvent object. These sensor values are different...

Time for action - using sensors in the foreground activity

In this section, we will explore how to use sensors in the activity. This is the most basic and straightforward way of using sensors. Also, it's the most efficient way if your sensor functionality only ties to that activity:

  1. The first step is to implement our activity with the SensorEventListener interface so that our activity can receive SensorEvent through the onSensorChanged() method. The following code snippet shows the necessary import statements and the class declaration:
           import android.app.Activity; 
           import android.content.Context; 
           import android.hardware.Sensor; 
           import android.hardware.SensorEvent; 
           import android.hardware.SensorEventListener; 
           import android.hardware.SensorManager; 
           import android.os.Bundle; 
     
           public class SensorActivity extends Activity implements 
           SensorEventListener{ 
    
  2. Now, we will create the instance of SensorManager...

Time for action – listing the available sensors on a device

There are multiple sensors available on a device. In this section, we will learn how to get a list of all the available sensors. We will be populating the names of the available sensors in a list and will be displaying it on the screen using ListView.

  1. The following code block shows the declarations required by the activity. We don't need the SensorEventListener interface, as we will not be dealing with the values of the sensor. We declare ListView.ListAdapter, and SensorManager, along with the list of Sensor Objects to populate the list:
           public class SensorListActivity extends Activity 
           implements OnItemClickListener{ 
     
             private SensorManager mSensorManager; 
             private ListView mSensorListView; 
             private ListAdapter mListAdapter; 
             private List<Sensor> mSensorsList; 
    
  2. In the onCreate() method, we instantiate our SensorManager, ListView...

Time for action – knowing individual sensors' capabilities

Android phones are manufactured by different OEMs, which use different vendors to get their sensors. It is very much possible that two different Android phones have different gyroscope sensors, which will have different ranges and other properties. Before developing a universal logic based on sensors, it's important to keep in mind sensor's individual properties and capabilities, which may vary from device to device. In this section, we will explore the common methods for finding out the properties and capabilities of a sensor:

  1. We will show the sensor properties in the individual TextView on the screen. In the following code snippet, the TextViewSensor, and SensorManager variables are declared:
          public class SensorCapabilityActivity extends Activity { 
     
            private SensorManager mSensorManager; 
            private int mSensorType; 
            private Sensor mSensor; 
    ...

Understanding the sensor framework callbacks


The two most important callbacks of the sensor framework are the onSensorChanged() and onAccuracyChanged() methods. In order to write efficient sensor code, it's important to understand when these methods are called, and what processing we can do in them. These callbacks are methods of the SensorEventListnener interface, which needs to be implemented in the class where the callbacks are to be received:

onSensorChanged() is the first callback and has the following syntax:

@Override 
  public void onSensorChanged(SensorEvent event) { 
   } 

Depending on the type of reporting mode of the sensor, this method will be called, either at regular frequency (Continuous mode) or whenever there is a change in the value of the sensors from the previously reported value (On the change mode). The onSensorChanged() method provides the sensor values inside the float value[] array of the SensorEvent object. These sensor values are different from the...

Time for action - using sensors in the foreground activity


In this section, we will explore how to use sensors in the activity. This is the most basic and straightforward way of using sensors. Also, it's the most efficient way if your sensor functionality only ties to that activity:

  1. The first step is to implement our activity with the SensorEventListener interface so that our activity can receive SensorEvent through the onSensorChanged() method. The following code snippet shows the necessary import statements and the class declaration:

           import android.app.Activity; 
           import android.content.Context; 
           import android.hardware.Sensor; 
           import android.hardware.SensorEvent; 
           import android.hardware.SensorEventListener; 
           import android.hardware.SensorManager; 
           import android.os.Bundle; 
     
           public class SensorActivity extends Activity implements 
           SensorEventListener{ 
    
  2. Now, we will create the...

Time for action – listing the available sensors on a device


There are multiple sensors available on a device. In this section, we will learn how to get a list of all the available sensors. We will be populating the names of the available sensors in a list and will be displaying it on the screen using ListView.

  1. The following code block shows the declarations required by the activity. We don't need the SensorEventListener interface, as we will not be dealing with the values of the sensor. We declare ListView.ListAdapter, and SensorManager, along with the list of Sensor Objects to populate the list:

           public class SensorListActivity extends Activity 
           implements OnItemClickListener{ 
     
             private SensorManager mSensorManager; 
             private ListView mSensorListView; 
             private ListAdapter mListAdapter; 
             private List<Sensor> mSensorsList; 
    
  2. In the onCreate() method, we instantiate our SensorManager, ListView, and ListAdaptor...

Time for action – knowing individual sensors' capabilities


Android phones are manufactured by different OEMs, which use different vendors to get their sensors. It is very much possible that two different Android phones have different gyroscope sensors, which will have different ranges and other properties. Before developing a universal logic based on sensors, it's important to keep in mind sensor's individual properties and capabilities, which may vary from device to device. In this section, we will explore the common methods for finding out the properties and capabilities of a sensor:

  1. We will show the sensor properties in the individual TextView on the screen. In the following code snippet, the TextViewSensor, and SensorManager variables are declared:

          public class SensorCapabilityActivity extends Activity { 
     
            private SensorManager mSensorManager; 
            private int mSensorType; 
            private Sensor mSensor; 
            private TextView mSensorNameTextView...
Left arrow icon Right arrow icon
Download code icon Download Code

Key benefits

  • • Get a thorough understanding of the fundamentals and framework of Android sensors.
  • • Acquire knowledge of advance sensor programming, and learn how to connect and use sensors in external devices such as the Android Watch, Polar heart rate monitors, Adidas speed cells, and so on.
  • • Learn from real-world sensor-based applications such as the Pedometer app to detect daily steps, the Driving app to detect driving events, and the Professional Fitness tracker app to track heart rate, weight, daily steps, calories burned, and so on.

Description

Android phones available in today’s market have a wide variety of powerful and highly precise sensors. Interesting applications can be built with them such as a local weather app using weather sensors, analyzing risky driving behavior using motion sensors, a fitness tracker using step-counter sensors, and so on. Sensors in external devices such as Android Watch, Body Analyzer & Weight Machine, Running Speed Cell, and so on can also be connected and used from your Android app running on your phone. Moving further, this book will provide the skills required to use sensors in your Android applications. It will walk you through all the fundamentals of sensors and will provide a thorough understanding of the Android Sensor Framework. You will also get to learn how to write code for the supportive infrastructure such as background services, scheduled and long running background threads, and databases for saving sensor data. Additionally, you will learn how to connect and use sensors in external devices from your Android app using the Google Fit platform. By the end of the book, you will be well versed in the use of Android sensors and programming to build interactive applications.

Who is this book for?

This book is targeted at Android developers who want to get a good understanding of sensors and write sensor-based applications, or who want to enhance their existing applications with additional sensor functionality. A basic knowledge of Android development is required

What you will learn

  • • Learn about sensor fundamentals, different types of sensors, and the sensor co-ordinate system
  • • Understand the various classes, callbacks, and APIs of the Android Sensor framework
  • • Check all the available sensors on an Android device and know their individual capabilities—for example, their range of values, power consumption, and so on.
  • • Implement sensor fusion using two or more sensors together and learn to compensate for the weakness of one sensor by using the strength of another
  • • Build a variety of sensor based, real-world applications such as Weather, Pedometer, Compass, Driving Events Detection, Fitness Tracker, and so on.
  • • Get to know about wake up and non-wake up sensors, wake locks, and how to use sensor batch processing along with the sensor hardware FIFO queue
  • • Develop efficient battery and processor algorithms using raw sensor data to solve real-world problems
  • • Connect to a variety of remote sensors such as body weight measurement and body fat percentage measurement using the Google Fit platform from your Android app
Estimated delivery fee Deliver to Colombia

Standard delivery 10 - 13 business days

$19.95

Premium delivery 3 - 6 business days

$40.95
(Includes tracking information)

Product Details

Country selected
Publication date, Length, Edition, Language, ISBN-13
Publication date : Apr 29, 2016
Length: 194 pages
Edition : 1st
Language : English
ISBN-13 : 9781785285509
Category :
Languages :
Tools :

What do you get with Print?

Product feature icon Instant access to your digital eBook copy whilst your Print order is Shipped
Product feature icon Paperback book shipped to your preferred address
Product feature icon Download this book in EPUB and PDF formats
Product feature icon Access this title in our online reader with advanced features
Product feature icon DRM FREE - Read whenever, wherever and however you want
OR
Modal Close icon
Payment Processing...
tick Completed

Shipping Address

Billing Address

Shipping Methods
Estimated delivery fee Deliver to Colombia

Standard delivery 10 - 13 business days

$19.95

Premium delivery 3 - 6 business days

$40.95
(Includes tracking information)

Product Details

Publication date : Apr 29, 2016
Length: 194 pages
Edition : 1st
Language : English
ISBN-13 : 9781785285509
Category :
Languages :
Tools :

Packt Subscriptions

See our plans and pricing
Modal Close icon
$19.99 billed monthly
Feature tick icon Unlimited access to Packt's library of 7,000+ practical books and videos
Feature tick icon Constantly refreshed with 50+ new titles a month
Feature tick icon Exclusive Early access to books as they're written
Feature tick icon Solve problems while you work with advanced search and reference features
Feature tick icon Offline reading on the mobile app
Feature tick icon Simple pricing, no contract
$199.99 billed annually
Feature tick icon Unlimited access to Packt's library of 7,000+ practical books and videos
Feature tick icon Constantly refreshed with 50+ new titles a month
Feature tick icon Exclusive Early access to books as they're written
Feature tick icon Solve problems while you work with advanced search and reference features
Feature tick icon Offline reading on the mobile app
Feature tick icon Choose a DRM-free eBook or Video every month to keep
Feature tick icon PLUS own as many other DRM-free eBooks or Videos as you like for just $5 each
Feature tick icon Exclusive print discounts
$279.99 billed in 18 months
Feature tick icon Unlimited access to Packt's library of 7,000+ practical books and videos
Feature tick icon Constantly refreshed with 50+ new titles a month
Feature tick icon Exclusive Early access to books as they're written
Feature tick icon Solve problems while you work with advanced search and reference features
Feature tick icon Offline reading on the mobile app
Feature tick icon Choose a DRM-free eBook or Video every month to keep
Feature tick icon PLUS own as many other DRM-free eBooks or Videos as you like for just $5 each
Feature tick icon Exclusive print discounts

Frequently bought together


Stars icon
Total $ 125.97
Android Application Development Cookbook
$48.99
Android 6 Essentials
$32.99
Android Sensor Programming By Example
$43.99
Total $ 125.97 Stars icon
Banner background image

Table of Contents

7 Chapters
1. Sensor Fundamentals Chevron down icon Chevron up icon
2. Playing with Sensors Chevron down icon Chevron up icon
3. The Environmental Sensors – The Weather Utility App Chevron down icon Chevron up icon
4. The Light and Proximity Sensors Chevron down icon Chevron up icon
5. The Motion, Position, and Fingerprint Sensors Chevron down icon Chevron up icon
6. The Step Counter and Detector Sensors – The Pedometer App Chevron down icon Chevron up icon
7. The Google Fit Platform and APIs – The Fitness Tracker App Chevron down icon Chevron up icon

Customer reviews

Rating distribution
Full star icon Full star icon Full star icon Full star icon Half star icon 4.8
(4 Ratings)
5 star 75%
4 star 25%
3 star 0%
2 star 0%
1 star 0%
Sagar Ahuja May 05, 2016
Full star icon Full star icon Full star icon Full star icon Full star icon 5
Quite useful book with handful examples..
Amazon Verified review Amazon
Ankita Ahuja May 06, 2016
Full star icon Full star icon Full star icon Full star icon Full star icon 5
Reached on the third chapter, so far it is pretty nice and systematic. I like the examples and full explanation of the source code, as it help beginners like me to understand and connect the pieces together.
Amazon Verified review Amazon
Akhilesh Mani May 05, 2016
Full star icon Full star icon Full star icon Full star icon Full star icon 5
This book offers a really complete coverage of the Android Sensors. I am still reading through it, and the learning curve for me is rather steep, even though I'm an experienced programmer.
Amazon Verified review Amazon
Paul in Idaho Feb 02, 2019
Full star icon Full star icon Full star icon Full star icon Empty star icon 4
This is a good book for someone who's familiar with Android programming but is just starting out with sensors. The author leaves out a few details that a beginner would have to search out. The example applications could be a little more focused.
Amazon Verified review Amazon
Get free access to Packt library with over 7500+ books and video courses for 7 days!
Start Free Trial

FAQs

What is the delivery time and cost of print book? Chevron down icon Chevron up icon

Shipping Details

USA:

'

Economy: Delivery to most addresses in the US within 10-15 business days

Premium: Trackable Delivery to most addresses in the US within 3-8 business days

UK:

Economy: Delivery to most addresses in the U.K. within 7-9 business days.
Shipments are not trackable

Premium: Trackable delivery to most addresses in the U.K. within 3-4 business days!
Add one extra business day for deliveries to Northern Ireland and Scottish Highlands and islands

EU:

Premium: Trackable delivery to most EU destinations within 4-9 business days.

Australia:

Economy: Can deliver to P. O. Boxes and private residences.
Trackable service with delivery to addresses in Australia only.
Delivery time ranges from 7-9 business days for VIC and 8-10 business days for Interstate metro
Delivery time is up to 15 business days for remote areas of WA, NT & QLD.

Premium: Delivery to addresses in Australia only
Trackable delivery to most P. O. Boxes and private residences in Australia within 4-5 days based on the distance to a destination following dispatch.

India:

Premium: Delivery to most Indian addresses within 5-6 business days

Rest of the World:

Premium: Countries in the American continent: Trackable delivery to most countries within 4-7 business days

Asia:

Premium: Delivery to most Asian addresses within 5-9 business days

Disclaimer:
All orders received before 5 PM U.K time would start printing from the next business day. So the estimated delivery times start from the next day as well. Orders received after 5 PM U.K time (in our internal systems) on a business day or anytime on the weekend will begin printing the second to next business day. For example, an order placed at 11 AM today will begin printing tomorrow, whereas an order placed at 9 PM tonight will begin printing the day after tomorrow.


Unfortunately, due to several restrictions, we are unable to ship to the following countries:

  1. Afghanistan
  2. American Samoa
  3. Belarus
  4. Brunei Darussalam
  5. Central African Republic
  6. The Democratic Republic of Congo
  7. Eritrea
  8. Guinea-bissau
  9. Iran
  10. Lebanon
  11. Libiya Arab Jamahriya
  12. Somalia
  13. Sudan
  14. Russian Federation
  15. Syrian Arab Republic
  16. Ukraine
  17. Venezuela
What is custom duty/charge? Chevron down icon Chevron up icon

Customs duty are charges levied on goods when they cross international borders. It is a tax that is imposed on imported goods. These duties are charged by special authorities and bodies created by local governments and are meant to protect local industries, economies, and businesses.

Do I have to pay customs charges for the print book order? Chevron down icon Chevron up icon

The orders shipped to the countries that are listed under EU27 will not bear custom charges. They are paid by Packt as part of the order.

List of EU27 countries: www.gov.uk/eu-eea:

A custom duty or localized taxes may be applicable on the shipment and would be charged by the recipient country outside of the EU27 which should be paid by the customer and these duties are not included in the shipping charges been charged on the order.

How do I know my custom duty charges? Chevron down icon Chevron up icon

The amount of duty payable varies greatly depending on the imported goods, the country of origin and several other factors like the total invoice amount or dimensions like weight, and other such criteria applicable in your country.

For example:

  • If you live in Mexico, and the declared value of your ordered items is over $ 50, for you to receive a package, you will have to pay additional import tax of 19% which will be $ 9.50 to the courier service.
  • Whereas if you live in Turkey, and the declared value of your ordered items is over € 22, for you to receive a package, you will have to pay additional import tax of 18% which will be € 3.96 to the courier service.
How can I cancel my order? Chevron down icon Chevron up icon

Cancellation Policy for Published Printed Books:

You can cancel any order within 1 hour of placing the order. Simply contact customercare@packt.com with your order details or payment transaction id. If your order has already started the shipment process, we will do our best to stop it. However, if it is already on the way to you then when you receive it, you can contact us at customercare@packt.com using the returns and refund process.

Please understand that Packt Publishing cannot provide refunds or cancel any order except for the cases described in our Return Policy (i.e. Packt Publishing agrees to replace your printed book because it arrives damaged or material defect in book), Packt Publishing will not accept returns.

What is your returns and refunds policy? Chevron down icon Chevron up icon

Return Policy:

We want you to be happy with your purchase from Packtpub.com. We will not hassle you with returning print books to us. If the print book you receive from us is incorrect, damaged, doesn't work or is unacceptably late, please contact Customer Relations Team on customercare@packt.com with the order number and issue details as explained below:

  1. If you ordered (eBook, Video or Print Book) incorrectly or accidentally, please contact Customer Relations Team on customercare@packt.com within one hour of placing the order and we will replace/refund you the item cost.
  2. Sadly, if your eBook or Video file is faulty or a fault occurs during the eBook or Video being made available to you, i.e. during download then you should contact Customer Relations Team within 14 days of purchase on customercare@packt.com who will be able to resolve this issue for you.
  3. You will have a choice of replacement or refund of the problem items.(damaged, defective or incorrect)
  4. Once Customer Care Team confirms that you will be refunded, you should receive the refund within 10 to 12 working days.
  5. If you are only requesting a refund of one book from a multiple order, then we will refund you the appropriate single item.
  6. Where the items were shipped under a free shipping offer, there will be no shipping costs to refund.

On the off chance your printed book arrives damaged, with book material defect, contact our Customer Relation Team on customercare@packt.com within 14 days of receipt of the book with appropriate evidence of damage and we will work with you to secure a replacement copy, if necessary. Please note that each printed book you order from us is individually made by Packt's professional book-printing partner which is on a print-on-demand basis.

What tax is charged? Chevron down icon Chevron up icon

Currently, no tax is charged on the purchase of any print book (subject to change based on the laws and regulations). A localized VAT fee is charged only to our European and UK customers on eBooks, Video and subscriptions that they buy. GST is charged to Indian customers for eBooks and video purchases.

What payment methods can I use? Chevron down icon Chevron up icon

You can pay with the following card types:

  1. Visa Debit
  2. Visa Credit
  3. MasterCard
  4. PayPal
What is the delivery time and cost of print books? Chevron down icon Chevron up icon

Shipping Details

USA:

'

Economy: Delivery to most addresses in the US within 10-15 business days

Premium: Trackable Delivery to most addresses in the US within 3-8 business days

UK:

Economy: Delivery to most addresses in the U.K. within 7-9 business days.
Shipments are not trackable

Premium: Trackable delivery to most addresses in the U.K. within 3-4 business days!
Add one extra business day for deliveries to Northern Ireland and Scottish Highlands and islands

EU:

Premium: Trackable delivery to most EU destinations within 4-9 business days.

Australia:

Economy: Can deliver to P. O. Boxes and private residences.
Trackable service with delivery to addresses in Australia only.
Delivery time ranges from 7-9 business days for VIC and 8-10 business days for Interstate metro
Delivery time is up to 15 business days for remote areas of WA, NT & QLD.

Premium: Delivery to addresses in Australia only
Trackable delivery to most P. O. Boxes and private residences in Australia within 4-5 days based on the distance to a destination following dispatch.

India:

Premium: Delivery to most Indian addresses within 5-6 business days

Rest of the World:

Premium: Countries in the American continent: Trackable delivery to most countries within 4-7 business days

Asia:

Premium: Delivery to most Asian addresses within 5-9 business days

Disclaimer:
All orders received before 5 PM U.K time would start printing from the next business day. So the estimated delivery times start from the next day as well. Orders received after 5 PM U.K time (in our internal systems) on a business day or anytime on the weekend will begin printing the second to next business day. For example, an order placed at 11 AM today will begin printing tomorrow, whereas an order placed at 9 PM tonight will begin printing the day after tomorrow.


Unfortunately, due to several restrictions, we are unable to ship to the following countries:

  1. Afghanistan
  2. American Samoa
  3. Belarus
  4. Brunei Darussalam
  5. Central African Republic
  6. The Democratic Republic of Congo
  7. Eritrea
  8. Guinea-bissau
  9. Iran
  10. Lebanon
  11. Libiya Arab Jamahriya
  12. Somalia
  13. Sudan
  14. Russian Federation
  15. Syrian Arab Republic
  16. Ukraine
  17. Venezuela