Power management by powering off unnecessary radios automatically

• US 10,257,782 B2
• Filed: 07/30/2015
• Issued: 04/09/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 07/30/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Google LLC (Alphabet Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Google LLC (Alphabet Inc.)
• Inventors: Brunsman, Lawrence Jonathan, Sonntag, Christian, Moonka, Rajas
• Primary Examiner(s): Kasraian, Allahyar
• Application Number:
  US14/814,178
• Publication Number:
  US 20170034778A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,349 Days
• Field of Search: 455450-457
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 24/02 Arrangements for optimising operational condition
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/02 Services making use of location information
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 52/0212 managed by the network, e.g. network or access point is master and terminal is slave
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 52/0235 where the received signal is a power saving command
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 52/228 using past power values or information
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 52/283 Power depending on the position of the mobile
• CPC Class Codes: Y02D 30/70 in wireless communication networks

Abstract

A system and method are provided for automatically shutting off or reducing power to certain radios in a client device based on collected wireless network quality parameters. The wireless network quality parameters are collected from wireless networks by various client devices in communication with the wireless networks. The client devices report the wireless network quality parameters to a server. The server collects wireless network quality parameters from a plurality of client devices and analyzes the wireless network quality parameters from the plurality of client devices to determine a network quality for the particular wireless networks. The network quality is stored in a network quality database maintained by the server. When it is determined that a device is in an area of weak signal coverage, power to its radio is automatically reduced or shut off until the device leaves the area.

Claims

1. A method of managing power consumption in one or more radios in a wireless client device, the method comprising:

determining a physical location of the wireless client device using a radio for determining physical locations of the wireless client device;

transmitting, from the wireless client device to a signal quality server, the physical location of the wireless client device;

receiving, by the wireless client device from the signal quality server, indicia of network quality for at least one location within a first geographic area, the first geographic area including the physical location of the wireless client device;

calculating, by the wireless client device, a physical boundary region for a second geographic area based on the received indicia of network quality, the second geographic area located within the first geographic area and including the physical location of the wireless client device, wherein the received indicia of network quality for locations within the second geographic area indicate that network quality is lower than a set threshold value; and

reducing, by the wireless client device, power to a radio for communicating over a data network in the wireless client device when the wireless client device is within the second geographic area for a determined period of time while power to the radio for determining the physical locations of the wireless client device is unchanged, the radio for communicating over the data network being associated with the received indicia of network quality.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

determining a second physical location of the wireless client device using the radio for determining the physical locations of the wireless client device;

determining, by the wireless client device, that the second physical location is outside of the second geographic area; and

increasing, by the wireless client device, power to the radio for communicating over the data network.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein reducing power to the radio for communicating over the data network comprises shutting off the radio for communicating over the data network, and wherein increasing power to the radio for communicating over the data network comprises restoring power to the radio for communicating over the data network.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the indicia of network quality are for cellular communications radio signals or WiFi radio signals.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the set threshold value is adjustable by a user.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

transmitting, from the wireless client device to the signal quality server, network information and network quality information for updating a database of network statistics.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising determining the period of time that the wireless client device will remain within the second geographic area.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein determining the period of time is based on a size of the second geographic area and a moving speed of the wireless client device.

9. A system, comprising:

a wireless client device;

a radio in the wireless client device for determining physical locations of the wireless client device;

a radio in the wireless client device for communicating over a data network;

a signal quality server comprising a database of network quality information for physical geographic locations; and

a first application residing in nontransitory storage on the wireless client device for managing power consumption by the radio for communicating over the data network, the first application having computer executable instructions for performing the steps of;

determining, through the radio for determining the physical locations of the wireless client device, a physical location of the wireless client device;

transmitting, to the signal quality server, the physical location of the wireless client device;

receiving, from the signal quality server, indicia of network quality for a plurality of locations within a first geographic area, the first geographic area including the physical location of the wireless client device;

calculating a physical boundary region for a second geographic area based on the received indicia of network quality, the second geographic area located within the first geographic area and including the physical location of the wireless client device, wherein the received indicia of network quality for locations within the second geographic area indicate that network quality is lower than a set threshold value; and

reducing power to the radio for communicating over the data network when the wireless client device is within the second geographic area for a determined period of time while power to the radio for determining the physical locations of the wireless client device is unchanged, the radio for communicating over the data network being associated with the received indicia of network quality.

10. The system of claim 9, wherein the first application further has computer executable instructions for performing the steps of:

determining, through the radio for determining the physical locations of the wireless client device, a second physical location of the wireless client device;

determining that the second physical location is outside of the second geographic area; and

increasing power to the radio for communicating over the data network.

11. The system of claim 10, wherein reducing power to the radio for communicating over the data network comprises shutting off the radio for communicating over the data network, and wherein increasing power to the radio for communicating over the data network comprises restoring power to the radio for communicating over the data network.

12. The system of claim 9, wherein the indicia of network quality are for cellular communications radio signals or WiFi radio signals.

13. The system of claim 9, wherein the set threshold value is adjustable by a user.

14. The system of claim 9, further comprising:

a second application residing in nontransitory storage on the wireless client device for determining an intended travel route;

wherein the second geographic area includes at least a portion of the intended travel route; and

wherein the first application further has computer executable instructions for performing the step of reducing power to the radio for communicating over the data network upon determining that the wireless client device has entered the second geographic area along the intended travel route.

15. The system of claim 9, wherein the first application further has computer executable instructions for performing the step of transmitting, to the signal quality server, network information and network quality information for the radio for communicating over the data network for updating a database of network statistics.

16. The system of claim 9, wherein the indicia of network quality are received signal strength indication measurements for cellular communications radio signals.

17. The system of claim 9, wherein the first application further has computer executable instructions for performing the step of determining the period of time that the wireless client device will remain within the second geographic area.

18. The system of claim 17, wherein determining the period of time is based on a size of the second geographic area and a moving speed of the wireless client device.