Portable electronic devices, methods and computer program products using activity-triggered GPS updates

• US 20060238417A1
• Filed: 04/26/2005
• Published: 10/26/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 04/26/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Sony Ericsson Mobile Communications AB (Sony Group Corp.)
• Inventors: Jendbro, Magnus, Hansson, Bjorn
• Granted Patent: US 7,176,833 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 342/357.640
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 19/25 involving aiding data received from a cooperating element, e.g. assisted GPS
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 19/34 Power consumption

Abstract

A portable electronic device, e.g., a mobile communications terminal, PDA or other handheld device, includes a GPS receiver and is configured to conduct non-GPS activities. The GPS receiver is transitioned out of a sleep state to attempt to acquire at least one GPS satellite signal responsive to a selected non-GPS activity of the device. For example, the GPS receiver may be transitioned out of the sleep state to attempt to acquire at least one GPS satellite signal responsive to a first non-GPS activity, and may be left in the sleep state notwithstanding occurrence of a second non-GPS activity. The first non-GPS activity may, for example, be associated with positioning of the device in a more conducive to reception of GPS satellite signals than the second non-GPS activity. For example, the first non-GPS activity may comprise an internet browsing activity, a video presentation activity, a gaming activity and/or a non-hands-free telephony activity.

Claims

1. A method of operating a portable electronic device that includes a GPS receiver and is configured to conduct non-GPS activities, the method comprising:

transitioning the GPS receiver out of a sleep state to attempt to acquire at least one GPS satellite signal responsive to a selected non-GPS activity of the device.

2. A method according to claim 1, wherein the portable electronic device comprises a processor, and wherein the selected non-GPS activity comprises an operation of a non-GPS application executing on the processor.

3. A method according to claim 1, wherein transitioning the GPS receiver out of the sleep state to attempt to acquire at least one GPS satellite signal responsive to a selected non-GPS activity of the device comprises transitioning the GPS receiver out of the sleep state to attempt to acquire at least one GPS satellite signal responsive to a first non-GPS activity, and wherein the method further comprises leaving the GPS receiver in the sleep state notwithstanding occurrence of a second non-GPS activity.

4. A method according to claim 3, wherein the first non-GPS activity tends to be more conducive to reception of GPS satellite signals than the second non-GPS activity.

5. A method according to claim 3, wherein the first non-GPS activity comprises an internet browsing activity, a video and/or still image presentation activity, a gaming activity and/or a non-hands-free telephony activity.

6. A method according to claim 1:

wherein transitioning the GPS receiver out of the sleep state to attempt to acquire at least one GPS satellite signal responsive to a selected GPS activity of the device is preceded by;

detecting a non-GPS activity; and

responsive to detection of the non-GPS activity, determining a status of previously acquired GPS navigational data; and

wherein transitioning the GPS receiver out of the sleep state to attempt to acquire at least one GPS satellite signal responsive to a selected non-GPS activity comprises transitioning the GPS receiver out of the sleep state to attempt to acquire at least one GPS satellite signal responsive to the determined status meeting a predetermined criterion.

7. A method according to claim 6, wherein the status comprises an age of the previously acquired GPS navigational data.

8. A method according to claim 1, wherein transitioning the GPS receiver out of the sleep state to attempt to acquire at least one GPS satellite signal responsive to a selected non-GPS activity of the device is followed by performing one of the following, based on a result of the attempt to acquire at least one GPS satellite signal:

responsive to failure of the attempt to acquire at least on GPS satellite signal, transitioning the GPS receiver to the sleep state;

or

responsive to acquisition of at least one GPS satellite signal, recovering GPS navigational data from the acquired GPS satellite signal.

9. A method according to claim 1, wherein transitioning the GPS receiver out of the sleep state to attempt to acquire at least one GPS satellite signal responsive to a selected non-GPS activity of the device occurs while the portable electronic device is in a first device operation mode, and wherein the method further comprises transitioning the portable electronic device to a second operation mode wherein the portable electronic device acquires GPS navigational data from a terrestrial GPS assistance source irrespective of non-GPS activity of the device.

10. A method according to claim 1, wherein transitioning the GPS receiver out of the sleep state to attempt to acquire at least one GPS satellite signal responsive to a selected non-GPS activity of the device occurs while the portable electronic device is in a first device operation mode, and wherein the method further comprises transitioning the portable electronic device to a second operation mode wherein the GPS receiver is disabled.

11. A method according to claim 1, further comprising accepting user identification of the selected non-GPS activity.

12. A portable electronic device, comprising:

a GPS receiver;

electronic circuitry configured to conduct a plurality of non-GPS activities; and

an activity-driven GPS update controller configured to transition the GPS receiver out of a sleep state to attempt to acquire at least one GPS satellite signal responsive to a selected non-GPS activity of the plurality of non-GPS activities.

13. A device according to claim 12, wherein the electronic circuitry comprises a processor, and wherein the selected non-GPS activity comprises an operation of a non-GPS activity executing on the processor.

14. A device according to claim 12, wherein the activity-driven GPS update controller is configured to transition the GPS receiver out of the sleep state to attempt to acquire at least one GPS satellite signal responsive to a first non-GPS activity, and to leave the GPS receiver in the sleep state notwithstanding occurrence of a second non-GPS activity.

15. A device according to claim 14, wherein the first non-GPS activity tends to be more conducive to reception of GPS satellite signals than the second non-GPS activity.

16. A device according to claim 14, wherein the first non-GPS activity comprises an internet browsing activity, a video and/or still image presentation activity, a gaming activity and/or a non-hands-free telephony activity.

17. A device according to claim 12, wherein the activity-driven GPS update controller is configured to detect a non-GPS activity, to determine a status of previously acquired GPS navigational data responsive to detection of the non-GPS activity and to transition the GPS receiver out of the sleep state to attempt to acquire at least one GPS satellite signal responsive to the determined status meeting a predetermined criterion.

18. A device according to claim 12, wherein the activity-driven GPS update controller is configured to perform one of the following actions, based on a result of the attempt to acquire at least one GPS satellite signal:

responsive to failure of the attempt to acquire at least on GPS satellite signal, transitioning the GPS receiver to the sleep state;

or

responsive to acquisition of at least one GPS satellite signal, recovering GPS navigational data from the acquired GPS satellite signal.

19. A device according to claim 12, further comprising means for transitioning the GPS receiver out of the sleep state to attempt to acquire at least one GPS satellite signal responsive to a selected non-GPS activity of the device occurs while the device is in a first device operation mode, and means for transitioning the portable electronic device to a second operation mode wherein the device acquires GPS navigational data from a terrestrial GPS assistance source.

20. A computer program product for operating a portable electronic device that includes a GPS receiver and is configured to conduct non-GPS activities, the computer program product comprising computer program code embodied in a computer readable medium, the computer program code comprising:

program code configured to transition the GPS receiver out of the sleep state to attempt to acquire at least one GPS satellite signal responsive to a selected non-GPS activity of the device.

21. A computer program product according to claim 20, wherein the portable electronic device comprises a processor and wherein the selected non-GPS activity comprises an operation of a non-GPS application executing on the processor.

22. A computer program product according to claim 20, wherein the program code configured to transition the GPS receiver out of the sleep state to attempt to acquire at least one GPS satellite signal responsive to a selected GPS activity of the device comprises:

program code configured to detect a non-GPS activity;

program code configured to determine a status of previously acquired GPS navigational data responsive to detection of the non-GPS activity; and

program code configured to transition the GPS receiver out of the sleep state to attempt to acquire at least one GPS satellite signal responsive to the determined status meeting a predetermined criterion.