PORTABLE TERMINAL AND ITS GLOBAL-POSITIONING RESULT ACQUISITION INTERVAL SETTING METHOD

• US 20100323754A1
• Filed: 02/06/2008
• Published: 12/23/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 02/07/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Lenovo Innovations Ltd Hong Kong (Lenovo Group Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: Lenovo Innovations Ltd Hong Kong (Lenovo Group Ltd.)
• Inventors: Nakagawa, Takao
• Granted Patent: US 8,791,858 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/556.1
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 19/34 Power consumption
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 19/35 Constructional details or hardware or software details of the signal processing chain
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 19/52 Determining velocity
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 5/017 Detecting state or type of motion
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 5/019 Energy consumption
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 52/0258 controlling an operation mode according to history or models of usage information, e.g. activity schedule or time of day
• CPC Class Codes: Y02D 30/70 in wireless communication networks

Abstract

Power consumption can be reduced in a portable terminal device that is equipped with a location means to locate the current position. A portable terminal device carried by a user includes: A location means that locates the current position of the portable terminal device; and a microprocessor that intermittently acquires the result of location from the location means, in which the microprocessor calculates the traveling speed of the portable terminal device based on the result of location done by the location means, and switches the time intervals at which the microprocessor acquires the result of location from the location means in accordance with the traveling speed so that when the result of calculation indicates a small speed, the time intervals become longer than when the result of calculation indicates a large speed.

Claims

1. A portable terminal device carried by a user, comprising:

location unit for locating the current position of the portable terminal device; and

a microprocessor that intermittently acquires the result of location from the location unit, wherein

the microprocessor calculates the traveling speed of the portable terminal device based on the result of location done by the location unit, and switches the time intervals at which the microprocessor acquires the result of location from the location unit in accordance with the traveling speed so that when the result of calculation indicates a small speed, the time intervals become longer than when the result of calculation indicates a large speed.

2. The portable terminal device according to claim 1, further comprising

storage unit in which the traveling speed of the portable terminal device and the time intervals at which the microprocessor acquires the result of location from the location unit are stored so that the traveling speed and the time intervals are associated with one another, wherein

the microprocessor refers to the storage unit to set the time intervals corresponding to the traveling speed.

3. The portable terminal device according to claim 1, wherein

the microprocessor calculates the traveling speed of the portable terminal device every time the microprocessor acquires the result of location from the location unit.

8. The portable terminal device according to claim 1, wherein

when the current position represented by the location result newly acquired from the location unit is away from the current position represented by the previously acquired location result, the microprocessor acquires map information corresponding to the current position represented by the newly acquired location result via a communication network.

9. The portable terminal device according to claim 1, wherein

the location unit constantly locates the current position of the portable terminal device at constant time intervals, and, when accepting an acquisition request of the location result from the microprocessor, outputs the latest location result to the microprocessor.

10. The portable terminal device according to claim 1, wherein

when accepting an acquisition request of the location result from the microprocessor, the location unit locates the current position of the portable terminal device and outputs the location result to the microprocessor.

11. The portable terminal device according to claim 1, wherein

the location unit locates the current position of the portable terminal device in a GPS method.

12. The portable terminal device according to claim 1, wherein

the portable terminal device is a portable phone.

4. A portable terminal device carried by a user, comprising:

location unit for locating the current position of the portable terminal device;

a microprocessor that intermittently acquires the result of location from the location unit;

a battery that serves as a power supply of the portable terminal device; and

remaining battery charge detection unit that detects the amount of remaining battery charge of the battery, wherein

the microprocessor switches the time intervals at which the microprocessor acquires the result of location from the location unit in accordance with the amount of remaining battery charge so that when the result of detection done by the remaining battery charge detection unit indicates a small amount, the time intervals become longer than when the result of detection indicates a large amount.

5. The portable terminal device according to claim 4, further comprising

storage unit in which the amount of remaining battery charge of the battery and the time intervals at which the microprocessor acquires the result of location from the location unit are stored so that the amount of remaining battery charge and the time intervals are associated with one another, wherein

the microprocessor refers to the storage unit to set the time intervals corresponding to the amount of remaining battery charge.

6. A portable terminal device carried by a user, comprising:

location unit for locating the current position of the portable terminal device; and

a microprocessor that intermittently acquires the result of location from the location unit, wherein

the microprocessor switches the time intervals at which the microprocessor acquires the result of location from the location unit in accordance with the attribute of the current position located by the location unit.

7. The portable terminal device according to claim 6, wherein

the microprocessor has the longer time intervals when the current position located by the location unit is around the user'"'"'s house or office, while the microprocessor has the shorter time intervals when the current position is around a railway station or a bus stop.

13. A location result acquisition interval setting method of a portable terminal device that is carried by a user and that includes location unit that locates the current position and a microprocessor that intermittently acquires the result of location from the location unit for setting the time intervals at which the microprocessor acquires the result of location from the location unit, the method comprising:

a first step of calculating the traveling speed of the portable terminal device based on the result of location done by the location unit; and

a second step of setting the time intervals at which the microprocessor acquires the result of location from the location unit in accordance with the traveling speed so that when the result of calculation done by the first step indicates a small speed, the time intervals become longer than when the result of calculation indicates a large speed.

14. A location result acquisition interval setting method of a portable terminal device that is carried by a user and that includes location unit that locates the current position and a microprocessor that intermittently acquires the result of location from the location unit for setting the time intervals at which the microprocessor acquires the result of location from the location unit, the method comprising:

a first step of detecting the amount of remaining battery charge of a battery that the portable terminal device has as a power supply; and

a second step of setting the time intervals at which the microprocessor acquires the result of location from the location unit in accordance with the amount of remaining battery charge so that when the result of detection done by the first step indicates a small amount, the time intervals become longer than when the result of detection indicates a large amount.

15. A location result acquisition interval setting method of a portable terminal device that is carried by a user and that includes location unit that locates the current position and a microprocessor that intermittently acquires the result of location from the location unit for setting the time intervals at which the microprocessor acquires the result of location from the location unit, the method comprising:

a first step of determining the attribute of the current position of the portable terminal device based on the result of location done by the location unit; and

a second step of setting the time intervals at which the microprocessor acquires the result of location from the location unit in accordance with the attribute determined by the first step.