Method, Device And System For Detecting The Mobility Of A Mobile Device

• US 20110117856A1
• Filed: 02/01/2010
• Published: 05/19/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 11/19/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Malikie Innovations Limited (Key Patent Innovations Limited)
• Original Assignee: Research In Motion Limited (Blackberry Limited)
• Inventors: Veluppillai, Mahinthan, Jarmuszewski, Perry, Simmons, Sean Bartholomew, Sangary, Nagula Tharma
• Granted Patent: US 8,442,447 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/67.11
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 36/324 by mobility data, e.g. speed data
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/027 using movement velocity, acceleration information
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/50 Service provisioning or reconfiguring
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 64/006 with additional information processing, e.g. for direction or speed determination
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 8/18 Processing of user or subscriber data, e.g. subscribed services, user preferences or user profiles; Transfer of user or subscriber data

Abstract

The disclosure is directed to a method, computer program product, or a mobile device configured for obtaining a mobility parameter indicative of a mobility of the mobile device. The mobility parameter may be further utilized to configure the operating state of the mobile device. The mobility parameter is obtained using a multi-sense approach, which utilizes both Received Signal Strength Indicator (RSSI) and Frequency Offset (FO) measurements. The mobility parameter is based on statistical parameters relating to the distributions of the RSSI and FO measurements. Various configurations of computer program products, mobile devices and systems are also described.

Claims

1. A method of detecting a mobility of a mobile device, said method comprising:

obtaining one or more measurements of Relative Signal Strength Indications (RSSI);

obtaining one or more measurements of Frequency Offset (FO); and

obtaining a mobility parameter indicative of the mobility of said mobile device, the mobility parameter based at least partly on said measurements of RSSI and FO.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein said obtaining of the mobility parameter utilizes a plurality of parameters indicative of statistical distributions of said measurements of RSSI and FO.

3. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

utilizing said mobility parameter to allow a reconfiguration of the mobile device from a first operating state to a second operating state.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein said mobility parameter is an estimated speed of mobility of the mobile device or a digital parameter obtained by processing said estimated speed of mobility of the mobile device.

5. The method of claim 4 wherein said processing comprises comparing said estimated speed of mobility of the mobile device to one or more threshold speeds.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein said mobility parameter is user perceptible using one or more numerical or graphical mobility indicators (998a, 998b).

7. The method of claim 3, wherein the first operating state and the second operating state differ in at least one of the following:

one or more device parameter values and enablement settings of one or more device features, defining each of said operating states.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein a device feature is enabled in the first operating state and disabled in the second operating state.

9. The method of claim 3, wherein said reconfiguration from the first operating state to the second operating state occurs automatically if said mobility parameter is outside of a mobility criterion range.

10. The method of claim 3, wherein said mobile device remains configured in said first operating state if said mobility parameter is outside of a mobility criterion range and if a user override input is received.

11. The method of claim 3, wherein said reconfiguration is performed based on a user input.

12. The method of claim 9, wherein said mobility criterion range is user-selectable or is pre-determined.

13. The method of claim 1, further comprising sending data to or receiving data from one or more peer mobile devices or servers, communicatively linked with said mobile device.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein said data is indicative of said mobility parameter.

15. A computer program product configured for detecting a mobility of a mobile device, the computer program product comprising code which, when loaded into a memory and executed on an associated processor, is adapted to perform:

obtaining one or more measurements of Relative Signal Strength Indications (RSSI);

obtaining one or more measurements of Frequency Offset (FO); and

obtaining a mobility parameter indicative of the mobility of said mobile device, the mobility parameter based at least partly on said measurements of RSSI and FO.

16. The computer program product of claim 15 further adapted to perform:

utilizing said mobility parameter to allow a reconfiguration of the mobile device from a first operating state to a second operating state.

17. A mobile device configured to detect its mobility, said mobile device comprising:

a Relative Signal Strength Indications (RSSI) measurement module configured to obtain one or more measurements of RSSI;

a Frequency Offset (FO) measurement module configured to obtain one or more measurements of FO; and

a processing module operatively associated with the RSSI measurement module and the FO measurement module to receive said measurements of RSSI and FO therefrom, and configured to obtain a mobility parameter indicative of the mobility of said mobile device, the mobility parameter based at least partly on said measurements of RSSI and FO.

18. The mobile device of claim 17, wherein said processing module is further configured to determine an operating state of the mobile device.

19. The mobile device of claim 17, further comprising a user interface configured for user perceptibility of at least part of said mobility parameter.

20. The mobile device of claim 19, wherein said user interface is further configured to receive a user input relating to the reconfiguration of the operating state of the mobile device.

21. The mobile device of claim 17, further comprising a user interface configured to signal for user perceptibility if said mobility parameter is at least partially outside a mobility criterion range.