A smart sensor for sensing dynamic scene-based occurrences, the smart sensor comprising: a sensor array comprising more than one sensor pixel; dedicated computer vision, CV, computation hardware configured to receive sensor data from the sensor array and capable of computing one or more CV features using readings from neighboring sensor pixels of the sensor array; a first processing unit communicatively coupled with the dedicated CV computation hardware and configured to process signals resulting from operations based on the one or more computed CV features to determine if a reference occurrence has happened, the first processor further configured to communicatively couple with a general-purpose microprocessor of a mobile device; wherein the smart sensor is configured to generate an event in response to the first processing unit determining that a reference occurrence has happened, and send the event to a general-purpose microprocessor of a mobile device communicatively coupled with the first processing unit, wherein the event indicates the reference occurrence to the general-purpose microprocessor and is configured to bring the coupled general-purpose microprocessor of the mobile device out of a low-power mode and into a normal operating mode; the event further comprising a multi-field message wherein each field of the multi-field message is mapped to a specific piece of data associated with the reference occurrence, and wherein a first field indicates whether an object has been detected, a second field indicates whether the object is moving or stationary, a third field relates the location of the object or location-related information, and a fourth field relates how many objects are detected. a sensor array comprising more than one sensor pixel; dedicated computer vision, CV, computation hardware configured to receive sensor data from the sensor array and capable of computing one or more CV features using readings from neighboring sensor pixels of the sensor array; a first processing unit communicatively coupled with the dedicated CV computation hardware and configured to process signals resulting from operations based on the one or more computed CV features to determine if a reference occurrence has happened, the first processor further configured to communicatively couple with a general-purpose microprocessor of a mobile device; wherein the smart sensor is configured to generate an event in response to the first processing unit determining that a reference occurrence has happened, and send the event to a general-purpose microprocessor of a mobile device communicatively coupled with the first processing unit, wherein the event indicates the reference occurrence to the general-purpose microprocessor and is configured to bring the coupled general-purpose microprocessor of the mobile device out of a low-power mode and into a normal operating mode; the event further comprising a multi-field message wherein each field of the multi-field message is mapped to a specific piece of data associated with the reference occurrence, and wherein a first field indicates whether an object has been detected, a second field indicates whether the object is moving or stationary, a third field relates the location of the object or location-related information, and a fourth field relates how many objects are detected.