The Race to the "Next Big Thing" in Mobile Phones

Ricky Yuen
Senior Staff Engineer, Qualcomm

The Race to the "Next Big Thing" in Mobile Phones
Emerging Communications
15 minutes, 6.9mb, recorded 2009-03-05

Ecomm-RickyYuen-2009.03.05

With advancements in MEMS, the price of many types of sensors are falling below $1, the cost-point at which handset manufacturers will include them in new handset models, offering many opportunities. For instance, both the iPhone and the Wii have employed the accelerometer in the user interface to the delight of users.

Yuen discusses how sensor data can be combined to help with vertical location, provide directional and location assistance in tunnels, provide assistance upon detecting falling, or enhance cell phone users' experience with information.

Handset applications can provide better location and directional services, better product, and a more intuitive UI for cellphone users. He uses Wiki-2 as an example of what combining data from various sensors can do to provide on-the-fly travel and tourist information. Sensors detecting pressure changes, falls, or gyroscoping positioning can increase the detection of emergency situations or aid in locating victims in an E911 situation.

Customization of OEM sensors - accelerometers, gyroscopes, 6-axis IMUs, pressure sensors, proximity sensors, ambient light sensors, compass devices, and more - for different purposes, and in different combinations - will offer myriad functionality and application opportunities for handheld devices.


Ricky Yuen is Senior Staff Engineer/Manager at Qualcomm and is responsible for Sensor related technology development, integration, and commercialization. His current responsibilities include the development of various sensor-based technologies for GPS navigation, lifestyle applications, gaming, and user interface enhancement, and the integration of these technologies into customer handset devices and consumer electronics products. Ricky Yuen has more than 14 years of experience in the telecommunications industry working on pioneering many different technologies including CDMA, GPS, Bluetooth, and Sensors. He has held a broad range of responsibilities, and his experience and expertise include systems architecture design, software engineering, project management, and product launch.

Ricky Yuen earned his MS and BS Degree in Computer Science and Engineering from the University of Michigan at Ann Arbor. He also holds an Executive MBA degree from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.