TECHNIQUES TO MANAGE POWER BASED ON MOTION DETECTION

• US 20090164813A1
• Filed: 12/21/2007
• Published: 06/25/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 12/21/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Qualcomm, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Palm, Inc. (TCL Technology Group Corp.)
• Inventors: Curry, Foster, Tu, Jerome C.
• Granted Patent: US 8,254,858 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 713/320
• 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 52/0254 detecting a user operation or a tactile contact or a motion of the device
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 52/0274 by switching on or off the equipment or parts thereof
• CPC Class Codes: Y02D 30/70 in wireless communication networks

Abstract

Techniques to manage power based on motion detection are described. For example, a mobile computing device may include a radio module having a communications failure event detector operative to detect a communications failure event, a motion detector operative to detect motion, and a processor coupled to the radio module and the motion detector. The processor operative to execute a scan control module to determine the mobile computing device is moving or stationary, and control scanning operations by the radio module in accordance with the determination. Other embodiments are described and claimed.

Claims

1. A mobile computing device, comprising:

a radio module having a communications failure event detector operative to detect a communications failure event;

a motion detector operative to detect motion; and

a processor coupled to the radio module and the motion detector, the processor operative to execute a scan control module to determine the mobile computing device is moving or stationary, and control scanning operations by the radio module in accordance with the determination.

2. The mobile computing device of claim 1, the communications failure event comprising a received signal strength indication failure event, a timeout event, an acquisition failure event, or a decoding error event.

3. The mobile computing device of claim 1, the scan control module to determine the mobile computing device is stationary for a first time period, and reduce a scan rate used by the radio module for the scanning operations.

4. The mobile computing device of claim 1, the scan control module to determine the mobile computing device is stationary for a first time period, and reduce a scan rate used by the radio module for the scanning operations to reduce power consumption from a power supply for the mobile computing device.

5. The mobile computing device of claim 1, the scan control module to determine the mobile computing device is stationary for a second time period, and suspend scanning operations by the radio module.

6. The mobile computing device of claim 1, the scan control module to determine the mobile computing device is stationary for a second time period, and suspend scanning operations by the radio module while the mobile computing device remains stationary.

7. The mobile computing device of claim 1, the scan control module to determine the mobile computing device is stationary for a second time period, and suspend scanning operations by the radio module to reduce power consumption from a power supply for the mobile computing device.

8. The mobile computing device of claim 1, the scan control module to send a control directive to the radio module to resume scanning for radio signals when the mobile computing device is moving.

9. The mobile computing device of claim 1, the scan control module to send a control directive to the radio module to resume scanning for radio signals when the mobile computing device is moving at a measured speed above a threshold value speed.

10. The mobile computing device of claim 1, the motion detector comprising an accelerometer, a gyroscope, a global positioning system, a network enhanced global positioning system, a base station proximity system, a triangulation system, a time difference system, a camera or a proximity sensor.

11. A method, comprising:

detecting a communications failure event;

determining a mobile computing device is moving or stationary; and

controlling scanning operations for radio signals by a radio module in accordance with the determination.

12. The method of claim 11, comprising:

determining the mobile computing device is stationary for a first time period; and

reducing a scan rate used by the radio module for the scanning operations.

13. The method of claim 11, comprising:

determining the mobile computing device is stationary for a second time period; and

suspending scanning operations by the radio module while the mobile computing device remains stationary.

14. The method of claim 11, comprising scanning for radio signals when the mobile computing device is moving.

15. The method of claim 11, comprising scanning for radio signals when the mobile computing device is moving at a measured speed above a threshold value speed.

16. An article comprising a computer-readable storage medium containing instructions that if executed enable a system to:

detect a communications failure event;

determine a mobile computing device is moving or stationary; and

control scanning operations for radio signals by a radio module in accordance with the determination.

17. The article of claim 16, further comprising instructions to:

determine the mobile computing device is stationary for a first time period; and

reduce a scan rate used by the radio module for the scanning operations.

18. The article of claim 16, further comprising instructions to:

determine the mobile computing device is stationary for a second time period; and

suspend scanning operations by the radio module while the mobile computing device remains stationary.

19. The article of claim 16, further comprising instructions to scan for radio signals when the mobile computing device is moving.

20. The article of claim 16, further comprising instructions to scan for radio signals when the mobile computing device is moving at a measured velocity above a threshold value velocity.