Mobile device

• US 20060259241A1
• Filed: 04/05/2006
• Published: 11/16/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 04/07/2005
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Intel Corporation
• Original Assignee: Intel Corporation
• Inventors: Nylen, Tomas
• Application Number:
  US11/398,232
• Publication Number:
  US 20060259241A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 701/216
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/165 combined with non-inertial navigation instruments
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 19/34 Power consumption
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 19/42 Determining position
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 19/48 by combining or switching between position solutions derived from the satellite radio beacon positioning system and position solutions derived from a further system
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 5/017 Detecting state or type of motion

Abstract

The invention relates to a mobile device that includes a positioning unit that is adapted to determine the position of the device, and a movement sensor that is adapted to detect a movement of the device. When the positioning unit is requested to determine the position, the device is adapted to use the last position as new position if no movement of the device has been detected by the sensor since the last position was determined. A new position is ascertained if a movement of the device has been detected by the sensor since the last position was determined.

Claims

1. A mobile device, comprising:

a positioning unit adapted to determine a position of the device; and

a movement sensor adapted to detect a movement of the device,

wherein the positioning unit is further adapted to use a last determined position of the device as a new position thereof if no substantial movement of the device has been detected by the sensor since the last position was determined, and wherein the positioning unit is still further adapted to determine a new position of the device if a movement of the device has been detected by the sensor since the last position was determined.

2. The mobile device of claim 1, wherein the sensor comprises a mechanical movement sensor.

3. The mobile device of claim 1, wherein the sensor comprises a high sensitivity movement sensor.

4. The mobile device of claim 3, the device further comprising a calculating unit adapted to calculate the distance of a movement from the last determined position by means of information from the movement sensor, wherein the sensor is adapted to present a new position as being the same position as the last determined position if the calculating unit indicates that the device has been moved within a predefined radius around the last determined position, and wherein the sensor is adapted to determine a new position if the calculating unit indicates that the device has been moved outside of the predefined radius.

5. The mobile device of claim 1, wherein the positioning unit comprises a receiver adapted to receive signals from one or more available global navigation satellite systems or from one or more available ground based systems, or both.

6. The mobile device of claim 1, wherein the device comprises one or more of a mobile phone, a personal digital assistant, or a lap top computer.

7. The mobile device of claim 1, wherein the device comprises a car or a boat.

8. A method of determining a position of a mobile device comprising:

requesting a positioning unit to determine a position of the mobile device;

determining whether the mobile device has moved substantially from a last position where a last position determination was made using a movement sensor;

using the last position determination as a new position determination if the mobile device has not moved substantially; and

determining the new position of the mobile device using the positioning unit if the mobile device has moved substantially.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein the mobile device has not moved substantially if the positioning unit determines the new position as being within a predefined radius from the last position determination.

10. The method of claim 8, wherein the mobile device has moved substantially if the positioning unit determines the new position as not being within a predefined radius from the last position determination.

11. The method of claim 8, wherein the positioning unit uses signals from one or more available global navigation satellite systems or from one or more available ground based systems, or both, in order to determine the position of the mobile device when the mobile device has moved substantially.

12. A mobile device, comprising:

a positioning unit configured to determine a position of the mobile device; and

a movement sensor configured to provide data to the positioning unit reflecting a movement of the mobile device,

wherein the positioning unit is further configured to determine a most recent previous position of the mobile device as a present position of the mobile device if the movement sensor data reflects no substantial movement of the mobile device since the most recent previous position was determined.

13. The mobile device of claim 12, wherein the positioning unit is further configured to determine no substantial movement of the mobile device if the movement sensor data indicates an amount of movement of the mobile device within a predetermined radius of the most recent previous position.

14. The mobile device of claim 12, further comprising a receiver configured to receive signals from one or more available global navigation satellite systems, or one or more available ground based systems, or both, and wherein the positioning unit is configured to use the received signals to determine the present position when the movement sensor data reflects a substantial movement of the mobile device since the most recent previous position was determined.

15. The mobile device of claim 14, wherein the positioning unit activates the receiver to receive signals only when the movement sensor data reflects a substantial movement of the mobile device since the most recent previous position was determined.

16. The mobile device of claim 14, wherein the positioning unit is further configured to determine substantial movement of the mobile device if the movement sensor data indicates an amount of movement of the mobile device beyond a predetermined radius of the most recent previous position.

17. The mobile device of claim 13, further comprising a calculating unit operably coupled to the movement sensor, and configured to calculate a distance between the most recent previous position and the present position of the mobile device based on the movement sensor data, and provide the calculated distance to the positioning unit.