METHOD OF POWER MANAGEMENT FOR A HANDHELD MOBILE COMPUTING AND COMMUNIATION DEVICE
First Claim
1. A method for managing power supply of a handheld mobile computing and communication device powered by a battery system, wherein the device comprising a first and a second communication unit, a processor, an input/output unit and a sensory unit, the method comprising:
- supplying the power from the battery system to enable operations of the first communication unit when the said mobile device is switched on;
measuring the remaining power of the battery system at a predetermined frequency;
switching off the power from the battery system for said operations of enabling the first communication unit if said remaining power is below a predetermined threshold; and
supplying the power from the battery system to enable operations of the second communication unit, wherein said operations including receiving an authorized signal from an external device by the second communication unit.
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Accused Products
Abstract
A power management method for a handheld mobile computing and communication device for a normal and an emergency occasion is disclosed. The device, for example, is useful for a trapped person under a mound of debris created by a fallen building during an earthquake or a terrorist attack. The invention is based upon a conventional mobile communication device with a second communication unit and a sensory unit. The second communication unit is based upon a short-range and ad hoc communication network. The invention is characterized by that a power management unit is used to monitor the remaining power of a battery system for the mobile device. If the power is below a preset threshold, the main function of the mobile device as a mobile phone is switched off and the reserved power is used to supply power for the second communication unit, which consumes much less power, in particularly, in a mode as a receiver only. An authorized signal, delivered by a nearby mobile rescue station and received by the second communication unit, will trigger the power management unit to provide additional power to activate the sensory unit. The sensory unit such as an accelerometer and/or a gyroscope may detect a signal if the person touches and/or moves the device after receiving a triggering signal. Yet additional power is further supplied to send collected data through the second communication unit to the rescue station.
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Citations
20 Claims
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1. A method for managing power supply of a handheld mobile computing and communication device powered by a battery system, wherein the device comprising a first and a second communication unit, a processor, an input/output unit and a sensory unit, the method comprising:
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supplying the power from the battery system to enable operations of the first communication unit when the said mobile device is switched on; measuring the remaining power of the battery system at a predetermined frequency; switching off the power from the battery system for said operations of enabling the first communication unit if said remaining power is below a predetermined threshold; and supplying the power from the battery system to enable operations of the second communication unit, wherein said operations including receiving an authorized signal from an external device by the second communication unit. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7)
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8. A method for managing power supply of a handheld mobile computing and communication device powered by a main battery and an auxiliary battery, wherein the device comprising a first and a second communication unit, a processor, an input/output unit and a sensory unit, the method comprising:
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supplying the power from the main battery to enable operations of the first communication unit when the said mobile device is switched on; supplying the power from the auxiliary battery to enable operations of the second communication unit after the main battery runs out of the power, wherein said operations including receiving an authorized signal from an external device by the second communication unit. - View Dependent Claims (9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14)
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15. A process of managing power supply of a handheld mobile computing and communication device powered by a battery system, wherein the device comprising a mobile phone including a first communication unit, and an emergency operation unit comprising a second communication unit and a sensory unit for detecting survivability of a trapped person, the process comprising steps in the following sequence:
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supplying the power from the battery system to enable operations of the mobile phone; measuring the remaining power of the battery system at a predetermined frequency; switching off the mobile phone if said power is below a predetermined threshold; supplying the power from the battery system to enable operations of the emergency operation unit at a low power mode, wherein the second communication unit is operated as a receiver only and said sensory unit is powered off; receiving an authorized signal from an external mobile rescue station; supplying required power to the output unit for providing alert signals, including an event of notable vibration of the device or ring tone signals, to a trapped person associated with said mobile device; supplying required power to the sensory unit for sensing survivability of the person by detecting an interaction or interactions of the person with the device; supplying required power to the processor for processing data collected from the sensory unit; and supplying required power to the second communication unit for transmitting a data file including said data collected from the sensory unit to the rescue station. - View Dependent Claims (16, 17, 18, 19, 20)
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Specification