So you want to continue to get sensor events in your Android service, even after the screen turns off? Well that’s too damn bad, kid, cause you can’t. No, I’m just kidding.
But you’ll probably need a work-around for Android Issue 3708. In this document I describe what I had to do to get it working on my platform. My assumption is you’ve already been Googling around, and so have a little background on this, but are still scratching your head as to why it’s not working. Hopefully, you won’t be in that position after reading this!
Some relic platforms of the past might have skated by
holding just a
PARTIAL_WAKE_LOCK. For me this was necessary,
but not sufficient. Even while holding the lock, my
service ceased to receive notifications via
onSensorChanged() nor
onAccuracyChanged().
Some then propose to take action when the screen turns off. In this post on StackOverflow, for example, the author proposes un-registering and re-registering to receive sensor events at that time.
The above two techniques are ultimately what I’ve used to
solve the problem, except I had to make one additional
modification. When the BroadcastReceiver
receives an ACTION_SCREEN_OFF Intent, I
queue a thread to run 500ms in the future, instead of
running immediately. This ensures that most other
activities surrounding the screen off will have
completed. So at that time, 500ms later, we un-register
and re-register our service as a sensor event listener.
This is how I’ve implemented the
BroadcastReceiver:
public BroadcastReceiver mReceiver = new BroadcastReceiver() {
@Override
public void onReceive(Context context, Intent intent) {
Log.i(TAG, "onReceive("+intent+")");
if (!intent.getAction().equals(Intent.ACTION_SCREEN_OFF)) {
return;
}
Runnable runnable = new Runnable() {
public void run() {
Log.i(TAG, "Runnable executing.");
unregisterListener();
registerListener();
}
};
new Handler().postDelayed(runnable, SCREEN_OFF_RECEIVER_DELAY);
}
};
You may have to play with the value of
SCREEN_OFF_RECEIVER_DELAY — for me, 500
(milliseconds) was the minimal value that would get it
working.
I’ve posted an example app which includes the above code.
It shows a foreground service holding a
PARTIAL_WAKE_LOCK, doing the re-registration
business mentioned above. The result is a service which
continues to receive sensor events even after the screen
goes off (for whatever reason.)
https://github.com/jamesonwilliams/AndroidPersistentSensors
Well, it worked for me at least. Does it work for you? (Please comment below.)
© 2013 nosemaj.org.
Thanks your sharing, it works for me.
On my HTC G14 phone, it only works after using the “Delayed Thread”.
I search the web for whole day, and even want to give up, now seems it works again.
Thanks very much again.
It doesn’t works for me.
my phone is meizu MX,android 2.3.5
05-02 20:26:31.003: DEBUG/com.whh.test.sensor.TheService(22091): ———–onSensorChanged————-
05-02 20:26:31.003: DEBUG/com.whh.test.sensor.TheService|ACCELEROMETER(22091): -5.161899
05-02 20:26:31.028: DEBUG/PhoneInterfaceManager(226): [PhoneIntfMgr] processKeyEvent…
05-02 20:26:31.028: DEBUG/PhoneInterfaceManager(226): [PhoneIntfMgr] makeProcessKeyEventResult: handled = false, hungup = false
05-02 20:26:31.193: DEBUG/com.whh.test.sensor.TheService(22091): ———–onSensorChanged————-
05-02 20:26:31.193: DEBUG/dalvikvm(143): GC_EXPLICIT freed 33K, 49% free 6775K/13255K, external 6729K/9009K, paused 155ms
05-02 20:26:31.203: DEBUG/com.whh.test.sensor.TheService(22091): ———–onSensorChanged————-
05-02 20:26:31.203: DEBUG/com.whh.test.sensor.TheService|ACCELEROMETER(22091): -5.2959743
05-02 20:26:31.393: DEBUG/com.whh.test.sensor.TheService(22091): ———–onSensorChanged————-
05-02 20:26:31.403: DEBUG/com.whh.test.sensor.TheService(22091): ———–onSensorChanged————-
05-02 20:26:31.403: DEBUG/com.whh.test.sensor.TheService|ACCELEROMETER(22091): -5.2385135
05-02 20:26:31.488: DEBUG/dalvikvm(143): GC_EXPLICIT freed 2K, 49% free 6772K/13255K, external 9009K/9009K, paused 60ms
05-02 20:26:31.553: DEBUG/dalvikvm(143): GC_EXPLICIT freed activate(handle: 3, enabled: 0)
05-02 20:26:31.833: DEBUG/Sensors(143): gp2ap:enable():handle is 3, what is 0, en is 0.
05-02 20:26:31.843: DEBUG/Sensors(143): enable():close device.
05-02 20:26:31.848: DEBUG/SurfaceFlinger(143): About to give-up screen, flinger = 0x2c27a0
05-02 20:26:31.868: DEBUG/TestForLock(143): onScreenTurnedOff(2)—PowerManagerService1335961591871
05-02 20:26:31.868: DEBUG/TestForLock(143): doKeyguard: showing the lock screen—PowerManagerService1335961591871
05-02 20:26:31.868: DEBUG/Pms-Moses(143): Am going to Sleep, reson:2—PowerManagerService1335961591870
05-02 20:26:31.873: DEBUG/TestForLock(143): handleShow: systemReady = true, mBootComplete = true
05-02 20:26:31.873: DEBUG/TestForLock(143): show begin
05-02 20:26:31.873: DEBUG/TestForLock(143): keyguard view is null, creating it…
05-02 20:26:32.003: DEBUG/dalvikvm(143): GC_EXTERNAL_ALLOC freed 32K, 49% free 6784K/13255K, external 9009K/9009K, paused 88ms
05-02 20:26:32.018: INFO/LedTest(143): buttonlight breakFlashLight
05-02 20:26:32.033: INFO/com.whh.test.sensor.TheService(22091): *****onReceive(Intent { act=android.intent.action.SCREEN_OFF flg=0×40000000 })——
05-02 20:26:32.163: VERBOSE/LockViewBase(143): ***** LOCK ATTACHED TO WINDOW
05-02 20:26:32.163: VERBOSE/LockViewBase(143): Cur orient=1, new config={ scale=1.0 themeChanged=0 themeChangedFlags=0 imsi=460/1 loc=zh_CN touch=3 keys=1/1/2 nav=1/1 orien=1 layout=18 uiMode=17 seq=48}
05-02 20:26:32.163: DEBUG/Sliding(143): onAttachedToWindow:25
05-02 20:26:32.163: DEBUG/ChargingEdotView(143): resetViewStatus, mPluggedIn = true
05-02 20:26:32.198: DEBUG/TestForLock(143): show end
05-02 20:26:32.213: DEBUG/WindowManager(143): Input focus has changed to Window{406d3950 Keyguard paused=false}
05-02 20:26:32.218: DEBUG/ContactsApp(223): updateScreenShotBuffer()…
05-02 20:26:32.228: DEBUG/LedLightsService(143): Intent.ACTION_KEYGUARD_LOCK0
05-02 20:26:32.533: INFO/com.whh.test.sensor.TheService(22091): Runnable executing.
05-02 20:26:32.533: DEBUG/Sensors(143): sensors_poll_context_t->activate(handle: 2, enabled: 0)
05-02 20:26:32.533: DEBUG/Sensors(143): akm:enable() handle 2, en 0.
05-02 20:26:32.533: DEBUG/AKMD2(143): akm_enable_sensor():enable sensor type 2.
05-02 20:26:32.563: INFO/AKMD2(143): AK8975/B for Android end.
05-02 20:26:32.563: DEBUG/AKMD2(143): akmd2 : Compass Closed.
05-02 20:26:32.563: DEBUG/AKMD2(143): akm_set_delay():200000000 ns.
05-02 20:26:32.563: DEBUG/Sensors(143): sensors_poll_context_t->activate(handle: 0, enabled: 0)
05-02 20:26:32.563: DEBUG/Sensors(143): akm:enable() handle 0, en 0.
05-02 20:26:32.563: DEBUG/AKMD2(143): akm_enable_sensor():enable sensor type 1.
05-02 20:26:32.633: DEBUG/AKMD2(143): acc thread end…
05-02 20:26:32.633: DEBUG/AKMD2(143): acc Closed.
05-02 20:26:32.638: INFO/com.whh.test.sensor.TheService(22091): *****************registerListener()**************
05-02 20:26:32.638: DEBUG/Sensors(143): sensors_poll_context_t->activate(handle: 0, enabled: 1)
05-02 20:26:32.638: DEBUG/Sensors(143): akm:enable() handle 0, en 1.
05-02 20:26:32.638: DEBUG/AKMD2(143): akm_enable_sensor():enable sensor type 1.
05-02 20:26:32.638: DEBUG/AKMD2(143): acc_enable(): acc phread create success!
05-02 20:26:32.638: DEBUG/AKMD2(143): akm_set_delay():200000000 ns.
05-02 20:26:32.638: DEBUG/Sensors(143): akm:setDelay():handle 0, delay 200000000 ns.
05-02 20:26:32.638: DEBUG/AKMD2(143): akm_set_delay():200000000 ns.
05-02 20:26:32.638: DEBUG/Sensors(143): akm:setDelay():handle 0, delay 200000000 ns.
05-02 20:26:32.638: DEBUG/AKMD2(143): akm_set_delay():200000000 ns.
05-02 20:26:32.638: DEBUG/Sensors(143): sensors_poll_context_t->activate(handle: 2, enabled: 1)
05-02 20:26:32.638: DEBUG/Sensors(143): akm:enable() handle 2, en 1.
05-02 20:26:32.638: DEBUG/AKMD2(143): akm_enable_sensor():enable sensor type 2.
05-02 20:26:32.638: DEBUG/AKMD2(143): akm_enable(): phread create success!
05-02 20:26:32.638: DEBUG/AKMD2(143): akm_set_delay():200000000 ns.
05-02 20:26:32.638: DEBUG/Sensors(143): akm:setDelay():handle 2, delay 200000000 ns.
05-02 20:26:32.638: DEBUG/AKMD2(143): akm_set_delay():200000000 ns.
05-02 20:26:32.638: DEBUG/Sensors(143): akm:setDelay():handle 2, delay 200000000 ns.
05-02 20:26:32.638: DEBUG/AKMD2(143): akm_set_delay():200000000 ns.
05-02 20:26:32.648: DEBUG/AKMD2(143): acc_thread_main: ***acc*** thread start with delay = 200000000
05-02 20:26:32.663: DEBUG/AKMD2(143): akm_thread_main: ***akm*** thread start with delay = 200000000
05-02 20:26:32.663: INFO/AKMD2(143): AK8975/B for Android v 2.0.0.—- (Library: v1.2.3.114) started.
05-02 20:27:05.128: DEBUG/dalvikvm(308): GC_EXPLICIT freed 90K, 46% free 4378K/8007K, external 14900K/16847K, paused 91ms
Does not work on (most) HTCs. The darn thing seems to be handled on the driver level and hotwired to the screen.
I recently solved a similar issue using a similar path used by you. The problem is that it drains the battery.
Worked without issues on 4.0.4 Karbonn device!
Thanks!