Apparatus for saving power by using location information and method thereof

• US 20080132298A1
• Filed: 06/04/2007
• Published: 06/05/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 11/30/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd. (Samsung Group)
• Original Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd. (Samsung Group)
• Inventors: Roh, Yong Sung, Kim, Jae Hoon
• Granted Patent: US 7,848,784 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/574
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 1/04 Circuits
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 1/1615 Switching on; Switching off, e.g. remotely battery saving circuits associated with selective call operation H04W52/00; details of power consumption reduction in a PLL, H03L7/0802, H03L7/14, H03L2207/08, H03L2207/18; muting amplifiers by gain control see H03G3/34
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 52/0241 where no transmission is received, e.g. out of range of the transmitter
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 52/0251 using monitoring of local events, e.g. events related to user activity
• CPC Class Codes: Y02D 30/70 in wireless communication networks

Abstract

An apparatus and method of saving power using location information, which can control power consumption of a mobile terminal in a sparse cell environment is provided. The power saving apparatus using location information comprises a transceiver for receiving a location information set from a base station having the stored location information set, a controller for receiving the location information set from the transceiver, and activating any one of a plurality of modes by using the location information set, where each of the plurality of modes utilizes a different power consumption level.

Claims

1. A power saving apparatus using location information, comprising:

a transceiver for receiving a location information set from a base station, the base station storing the location information set; and

a controller for receiving the location information set from the transceiver, and activating any one of a plurality of modes by using the location information set, each of the plurality of modes utilizing a different power consumption level.

2. The power saving apparatus of claim 1, wherein the plurality of modes comprises a sleep mode and an active mode.

3. The power saving apparatus of claim 2, wherein the controller comprises:

a location measurement unit for determining a location of the power saving apparatus and generating self-location information by using the determined location; and

a mode adjustment unit for receiving the self-location information from the location measurement unit and activating any one of the sleep mode and the active mode by using the self-location information and base station coverage information of the location information set.

4. The power saving apparatus of claim 3, wherein the location measurement unit determines the location of the power saving apparatus using a Global Positioning System (GPS) function.

5. The power saving apparatus of claim 3, wherein the location measurement unit acquires triangulation determination data by using at least two base stations, and determines the location of the power saving apparatus according to the acquired triangulation determination data.

6. The power saving apparatus of claim 3, wherein the mode adjustment unit activates the active mode when a coverage radius according to the base station coverage information is greater than a distance from the power saving apparatus to a base station corresponding to the base station coverage information.

7. The power saving apparatus of claim 3, wherein the mode adjustment unit activates the sleep mode when a coverage radius according to the base station coverage information is less than or equal to a distance from the power saving apparatus to a base station corresponding to the base station coverage information.

8. The power saving apparatus of claim 1, wherein the location information set comprises base station location information about a location of each of at least one base station, and the base station coverage information about a coverage of each of the at least one base station.

9. The power saving apparatus of claim 3, wherein the mode adjustment unit identifies a second base station nearest to the power saving apparatus by using the self-location information and the base station location information of the location information set.

10. The power saving apparatus of claim 9, wherein the mode adjustment unit activates the active mode when a distance between the power saving apparatus and the second base station is less than a coverage radius according to base station coverage information of the second base station.

11. The power saving apparatus of claim 9, wherein the mode adjustment unit activates the sleep mode when a distance between the power saving apparatus and the second base station is greater than or equal to a coverage radius according to base station coverage information of the second base station.

12. The power saving apparatus of claim 1, further comprising:

a storage unit for storing a previous location information set,

wherein the controller receives the previous location information set from the storage unit, and activates any one of a plurality of modes by using the previous location information set, each of the plurality of modes utilizing a different power consumption level.

13. The power saving apparatus of claim 1, further comprising:

a storage unit for storing a previous location information set,

wherein the controller further comprises;

a version management unit for comparing version information of the location information set with version information of the previous location information set stored in the storage unit, and updating the previous location information set to the location information set when a version of the previous location information set corresponds to an old version as a result of the comparison.

14. A method of saving power in a power saving apparatus using location information, the method comprising:

receiving a location information set from a base station; and

activating any one of a plurality of modes by using the location information set, each of the plurality of modes utilizing a different power consumption level.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein the plurality of modes comprises a sleep mode and an active mode.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein the activating comprises:

determining a location of the power saving apparatus and generating self-location information by using the determined location; and

activating any one of the sleep mode and the active mode by using the self-location information and base station coverage information of the location information set.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein the determining comprises:

determining the location of the power saving apparatus by using a GPS function.

18. The method of claim 16, wherein the determining comprises:

acquiring triangulation determination data by using at least two base stations; and

determining the location of the power saving apparatus according to the acquired triangulation determination data.

19. The method of claim 16, wherein the activating comprises:

activating the active mode when a coverage radius according to the base station coverage information is greater than a distance from the power saving apparatus to a base station corresponding to the base station coverage information.

20. The method of claim 16, wherein the activating comprises:

activating the sleep mode when a coverage radius according to the base station coverage information is less than or equal to a distance from the power saving apparatus to a base station corresponding to the base station coverage information.

21. The method of claim 14, wherein the location information set comprises base station location information about a location of each of at least one base station, and the base station coverage information about a coverage of each of the at least one base station.

22. The method of claim 16, wherein the activating comprises:

identifying a second base station nearest to the power saving apparatus by using the self-location information and the base station location information of the location information set.

23. The method of claim 22, wherein the activating comprises:

activating the active mode when a distance between the power saving apparatus and the second base station is less than a coverage radius according to base station coverage information of the second base station.

24. The method of claim 22, wherein the activating comprises:

activating the sleep mode when a distance between the power saving apparatus and the second base station is greater than or equal to a coverage radius according to base station coverage information of the second base station.

25. The method of claim 14, wherein the activating comprises:

storing a previous location information set; and

activating any one of a plurality of modes by using the previous location information set, each of the plurality of modes utilizing a different power consumption level.

26. The method of claim 14, wherein the activating further comprises:

storing a previous location information set;

comparing version information of the location information set with version information of the previous location information set stored in the storage unit; and

updating the previous location information set to the location information set when a version of the previous location information set corresponds to an old version as a result of the comparison.

27. A method of saving power of a mobile terminal in a base station, the method comprising:

storing a first location information set which comprises base station location information about a location of each of at least one base station, and base station coverage information about a coverage of each of the at least one base station; and

transmitting the first location information set to the mobile terminal.

28. The method of claim 27, wherein the first location information set further comprises first version information about the first location information set.

29. The method of claim 28, wherein the transmitting comprises:

receiving second version information of a second location information set, which is stored in the mobile terminal, from the mobile terminal; and

comparing the first version information with the second version information, and transmitting the first location information set to the mobile terminal when the first location information set corresponds to a new version in comparison to the second location information set.

30. The method of claim 27, further comprising:

transmitting a changed first location information set to another base station when the stored first location information set is changed.

31. The method of claim 27, further comprising:

joining a predetermined multicast address;

receiving a packet which has the multicast address as a destination address and comprises a third location information set; and

updating the stored first location information set to the third location information set.

32. The method of claim 27, further comprising:

receiving a packet from another base station, the packet comprising a third location information set; and

comparing first version information of the stored first location information set with third version information of the third location information set and updating the stored first location information set to the third location information set when the third location information set corresponds to a new version in comparison to the first location information set.

33. A computer-readable recording medium having stored thereon instructions for implementing a method of saving power, the instructions comprising:

a first set of instructions for storing a first location information set which comprises base station location information about a location of each of at least one base station, and base station coverage information about a coverage of each of the at least one base station; and

a second, set of instructions for transmitting the first location information set to the mobile terminal.

34. The computer-readable recording medium of claim 33, wherein the first location information set further comprises first version information about the first location information set.

35. The computer-readable recording medium of claim 33, wherein the second instruction set comprises:

a third set of instructions for receiving second version information of a second location information set from the mobile terminal where the second version information of a second location information set is stored; and

a fourth set of instructions for comparing the first version information with the second version information, and transmitting the first location information set to the mobile terminal when the first location information set corresponds to a new version in comparison to the second location information set.

36. The computer-readable recording medium of claim 33, further comprising:

a fifth set of instructions for transmitting a changed first location information set to another base station when the stored first location information set is changed.

37. The computer-readable recording medium of claim 33, further comprising:

a sixth set of instructions for joining a predetermined multicast address;

a seventh set of instructions for receiving a packet which has the multicast address as a destination address and comprises a third location information set; and

an eighth set of instructions for updating the stored first location information set to the third location information set.

38. The computer-readable recording medium of claim 33, further comprising:

a ninth set of instructions for receiving a packet from another base station, the packet comprising a third location information set; and

a tenth set of instructions for comparing first version information of the stored first location information with third version information of the third location information set and updating the stored first location information set to the third location information set when the third location information set corresponds to a newer version in comparison to the first location information set.