POWER MANAGEMENT SCHEME FOR PORTABLE DATA COLLECTION DEVICES UTILIZING LOCATION AND POSITION SENSORS

• US 20110177846A1
• Filed: 01/19/2010
• Published: 07/21/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 01/19/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Hand Held Products Incorporated (Honeywell International Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Hand Held Products Incorporated (Honeywell International Inc.)
• Inventors: Hinson, Douglas M., Sauerwein, James T. JR.
• Granted Patent: US 8,588,869 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/569.1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/3203 Power management, i.e. event-based initiation of a power-saving mode
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72454 according to context-related or environment-related conditions
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/023 using mutual or relative location information between multiple location based services [LBS] targets or of distance thresholds
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/026 using orientation information, e.g. compass
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 52/0254 detecting a user operation or a tactile contact or a motion of the device
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 52/027 by controlling a display operation or backlight unit
• 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 data collection device (DCD) is placed in a first low power mode after the DCD has been in a first predetermined position, and placed in a second low power mode after a first predetermined period of time. In another embodiment the DCD includes a wireless telephone, and a proximity sensor which detects when the DCD is close to a user'"'"'s face, wherein the telephone is automatically put in a handset mode when the DCD is close to a user'"'"'s face, and automatically put in a speakerphone mode when the DCD is not close to a user'"'"'s face.

Claims

1. A method for managing power in a data collection device (DCD) comprising the steps of:

a) placing the DCD in a first low power mode after the DCD has been in a first predetermined position; and

b) placing the DCD in a second low power mode after a first predetermined period of time.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein step b) follows step a) before the DCD returns to normal power.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein step b) follows step a) only if the DCD is not moved before step b).

4. The method of claim 1 wherein step b) follows step a) only if a telephone in the DCD is not used before step b).

5. The method of claim 1 wherein step b) follows step a) only if no key in a keypad on the DCD is pressed before step b).

6. The method of claim 1 wherein the DCD is placed in the first low power mode after it has been in the first position after a second predetermined time period.

7. The method of claim 1 wherein step b) further includes placing the DCD in the second low power mode only if the DCD is in a second predetermined position.

9. The method of claim 1 wherein the DCD enters the first low power mode substantially immediately after the DCD is place in the first predetermined position.

8. The method of claim 8 wherein the first predetermined time period is longer than the second predetermined time period.

10. A method for managing power in a data collection device (DCD) comprising the steps of:

placing the DCD in a first low power mode after the DCD has been placed front down after a first predetermined period of time;

placing the DCD in a second low power mode after the DCD has been placed back down after a second predetermined period of time longer than the first predetermined period of time; and

placing the DCD in a third low power mode after the DCD has been placed in a position that is neither front down nor back down after a third predetermined period of time longer than the second predetermined period of time.

11. The method of claim 10 including an additional step of placing the DCD in a fourth low power mode substantially after the DCD has been placed front down.

12. The method of claim 11 wherein DCD uses less power in the fourth low power mode than in the first, second, or third power modes.

13. A method for using a telephone which is part of a data collection device (DCD) comprising the steps of:

detecting if the DCD is close to a user'"'"'s face;

if the DCD is close to the user'"'"'s face putting the DCD in a handset mode if the DCD was in a speakerphone mode; and

if the DCD is not close to the user'"'"'s face putting the DCD in a speakerphone mode if the DCD was in a handset mode.

14. The method of claim 13 including the additional step of putting the DCD in a low power mode when the DCD is close to the user'"'"'s face.

15. A data collection device (DCD) comprising:

a display; and

a proximity sensor which detects when the DCD is close to a user'"'"'s face, wherein the display is not powered when the DCD is close to a user'"'"'s face.

16. The DCD of claim 15 further including a touch sensitive panel which is disabled when the DCD is close to a user'"'"'s face.

17. The DCD of claim 15 further including a keypad light which is not powered when the DCD is close to a user'"'"'s face.

18. The DCD of claim 15 further comprising a wireless telephone wherein the telephone is automatically put in a handset mode when the DCD is close to a user'"'"'s face, and automatically put in a speakerphone mode when the DCD is not close to a user'"'"'s face.

19. The DCD of claim 18 further including a touch sensitive panel which is disabled when the DCD is close to a user'"'"'s face.

20. A data collection device (DCD) comprising:

a wireless telephone; and

a proximity sensor which detects when the DCD is close to a user'"'"'s face, wherein the telephone is automatically put in a handset mode when the DCD is close to a user'"'"'s face, and automatically put in a speakerphone mode when the DCD is not close to a user'"'"'s face.