515841 - Investigate new Win7 sensor APIs

Status: RESOLVED WORKSFORME

(Core :: Hardware Abstraction Layer (HAL), defect)

Description

[Jim Mathies [:jimm]]

The location apis could be very useful when exposed to content apps like Google Maps. 

http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/dd464636(VS.85).aspx

The sensor apis may be useful in other cases, such as detecting screen orientation and light levels for platform apps.

http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/dd318953(VS.85).aspx

Comment 1

[James Ross]

This looks very similar to bug 512407.

Comment 2

[Jim Mathies [:jimm]]

(In reply to comment #1)
> This looks very similar to bug 512407.

Yep, lets make this one specific to the sensor apis.

Comment 3

[Mike Hoye [:mhoye]]

jimm: is there still interested in pursuing this bug?

Comment 4

[Jim Mathies [:jimm]]

(In reply to Mike Hoye [:mhoye] from comment #3)
> jimm: is there still interested in pursuing this bug?

Well, we bailed on the tablet win os, but I suppose desktop might want to support some of these devices, or we might bring back the tablet browser. I'd say interest in this currently is low.

Comment 5

[Mike Hoye [:mhoye]]

OK, thanks!

Comment 6

[keith visvardis]

Hi, i'd like to investigate this bug.

Comment 7

[Mike Hoye [:mhoye]]

Hi, Keith - Thanks for your interest; I don't know if this bug is still of interest, but let's find out.

Jim, what would a successful outcome here look like?

Comment 8

[Jim Mathies [:jimm]]

This is an advanced bug, FYI. We have a HAL layer that we use mostly for mobile devices - 

http://mxr.mozilla.org/mozilla-central/source/hal/

In which we have support for reading various device sensors - 

http://mxr.mozilla.org/mozilla-central/source/hal/HalSensor.h#19

None of this is implemented for Windows afaict, but we might find this useful now that Windows is moving toward mobile.

What I'd suggest is that we pick out Windows api for senors that generally match up with what we currently support in HAL, and file individual bugs on hooking these sensors up on Windows. So initially some investigation is needed, then we need to file some bugs, and then people can pick from those which they would like to implement.

Comment 9

[Gian-Carlo Pascutto [:gcp]]

I think we use the Location API now (https://bugzilla.mozilla.org/show_bug.cgi?id=1704500) for others specific bugs can be filed.