METHOD OF POWER MANAGEMENT FOR A HANDHELD MOBILE COMPUTING AND COMMUNIATION DEVICE

• US 20100167686A1
• Filed: 07/24/2009
• Published: 07/01/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 12/28/2008
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Yang Pan
• Original Assignee: Yang Pan
• Inventors: Pan, Yang
• Application Number:
  US12/508,611
• Publication Number:
  US 20100167686A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/404.100
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 21/02 Alarms for ensuring the safety of persons
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 29/181 due to failing power supply
• 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: H04M 1/72418 for supporting emergency services
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 11/04 with alarm systems, e.g. fire, police or burglar alarm systems
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2250/12 including a sensor for measuring a physical value, e.g. temperature or motion telephones including GPS signal receivers H04M2250/10
• 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

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.

Claims

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.

2. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein the method further comprising following steps for an emergency operation after receiving an authorized signal from an external 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.

3. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein said the authorized signal may contain a software key authorized by a government agency.

4. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein said first communication unit comprising a transceiver for communicating with a public telephone system.

5. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein said second communication unit comprising a short range communication device conforming to a standard or a combination of standards from the following group:

ZigBee (IEEE 802.15.4 and its amendments);

Bluetooth (IEEE 802.11b and its amendments);

WiFi (IEEE 802.11n and its amendments); and

RFID (Radio Frequency Identification).

6. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein said sensory unit including a device or a combination of devices selected from the following group:

an accelerometer;

a gyroscope; and

an infrared sensor.

7. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein said mobile computing and communication device further including:

a GPS (Global Positioning System) for determining the location of said device.

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:

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.

9. The method as recited in claim 8, wherein the method further comprising following steps for an emergency operation after receiving an authorized signal from an external rescue station:

supplying required power from the auxiliary battery 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 from the auxiliary battery 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 from the auxiliary battery to the processor for processing data collected from the sensory unit; and

supplying required power from the auxiliary battery to the second communication unit for transmitting a data file including said data collected from the sensory unit to the rescue station.

10. The method as recited in claim 8, wherein said the authorized signal may contain a software key authorized by a government agency.

11. The method as recited in claim 8, wherein said first communication unit comprising a transceiver for communicating with a public telephone system.

12. The method as recited in claim 8, wherein said second communication unit comprising a short range communication device conforming to a standard or a combination of standards from the following group:

ZigBee (IEEE 802.15.4 and its amendments);

Bluetooth (IEEE 802.11b and its amendments);

WiFi (IEEE 802.11n and its amendments); and

RFID (Radio Frequency Identification).

13. The method as recited in claim 8, wherein said sensory unit including a device or a combination of devices selected from the following group:

an accelerometer;

a gyroscope; and

an infrared sensor.

14. The method as recited in claim 8, wherein said mobile computing and communication device further including:

a GPS (Global Positioning System) for determining the location of said device.

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:

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.

16. The process as recited in claim 15, wherein said the authorized signal may contain a software key authorized by a government agency.

17. The process as recited in claim 15, wherein said handheld mobile computing and communication device is contained in a single case.

18. The process as recited in claim 15, wherein said second communication unit comprising a short range communication device conforming to a standard or a combination of standards from the following group:

ZigBee (IEEE 802.15.4 and its amendments);

Bluetooth (IEEE 802.11b and its amendments);

WiFi (IEEE 802.11n and its amendments); and

RFID (Radio Frequency Identification).

19. The process as recited in claim 15, wherein said sensory unit including a device or a combination of devices selected from the following group:

an accelerometer;

a gyroscope; and

an infrared sensor.

20. The process as recited in claim 15, wherein said mobile computing and communication device further including:

a GPS (Global Positioning System) for determining the location of said device.