WIRELESS MOBILE COMMUNICATION DEVICE WITH AUTONOMOUS WI-FI CONTROL BASED ON LOCATION OF DEVICE

• US 20120033654A1
• Filed: 08/04/2010
• Published: 02/09/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 08/04/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Cellco Partnership, Inc. (Verizon Communications Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Cellco Partnership, Inc. (Verizon Communications Inc.)
• Inventors: Kalbag, Rohit Satish
• Granted Patent: US 8,953,569 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 370/338
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72457 according to geographic location
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2250/06 including a wireless LAN interface
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2250/10 including a GPS signal receiver
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 52/0277 according to available power supply, e.g. switching off when a low battery condition is detected
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/12 WLAN [Wireless Local Area Networks]
• CPC Class Codes: Y02D 30/70 in wireless communication networks

Abstract

A wireless mobile communication device may include a Wi-Fi data communication system, an operational condition detection system, and a Wi-Fi activation system. The operational condition detection system may include a location sensor. The operational condition detection system may be configured to detect an operational condition of the wireless mobile communication device, other than actuation of a user-operated control, including when the location sensor determines that the wireless mobile communication device is near a Wi-Fi access point. The Wi-Fi activation system may be configured to autonomously turn power on to the Wi-Fi data communication system upon detection of an operational condition of the wireless mobile communication device by the operational condition detection system, other than actuation of a user-operated control, including when the location sensor senses that the wireless mobile communication device is near a Wi-Fi access point.

Claims

1. A wireless mobile communication device comprising:

a Wi-Fi data communication system configured to wirelessly connect to a Wi-Fi access point and to wirelessly communicate data between the wireless mobile communication device and the Wi-Fi access point;

an operational condition detection system, including a location sensor, configured to detect a turn-on operational condition of the wireless mobile communication device, other than actuation of a user-operated control, including when the location sensor determines that the wireless mobile communication device is near a Wi-Fi access point; and

a Wi-Fi activation system configured to autonomously turn power on to the Wi-Fi data communication system upon detection of the turn-on operational condition of the wireless mobile communication device by the operational condition detection system, other than actuation of a user-operated control, including when the location sensor senses that the wireless mobile communication device is near a Wi-Fi access point.

2. The wireless mobile communication device of claim 1:

further comprising a data storage system configured to store locations of Wi-Fi access points and information indicative of the usage of each Wi-Fi access point by the wireless mobile communication device for data communication; and

wherein the Wi-Fi activation system is configured to autonomously turn power on to the Wi-Fi data communication system only when the location sensor senses that the wireless mobile communication device is near a Wi-Fi access point that has been classified as high usage.

3. The wireless mobile communication device of claim 1 wherein:

the detection system includes a battery power level detector configured to detect information indicative of the charge level of a battery that powers the wireless mobile communication device; and

the Wi-Fi activation system is configured not to autonomously turn power on to the Wi-Fi data communication system, notwithstanding detection of the turn-on operational condition of the wireless mobile communication device by the operational condition detection system, when the battery power level detector detects that the charge level of the battery is below a pre-determined threshold.

4. The wireless mobile communication device of claim 1 wherein the Wi-Fi activation system is configured to autonomously turn power off to the Wi-Fi data communication system, after autonomously turning power on to the Wi-Fi data communication system, upon detection of a turn-off operational condition of the wireless mobile communication device by the operational condition detection system, other than actuation of a user-operated control.

5. The wireless mobile communication device of claim 4 wherein:

the detection system includes a battery power level detector configured to detect information indicative of the charge level of a battery that powers the wireless mobile communication device; and

the Wi-Fi activation system is configured to autonomously turn power off to the Wi-Fi data communication system, notwithstanding detection of the turn-on operational condition of the wireless mobile communication device by the operational condition detection system, when the battery power level detector detects that the charge level of the battery has reached a pre-determined threshold.

6. The wireless mobile communication device of claim 4 wherein:

the operational condition detection system includes a Wi-Fi connection detector configured to detect when a connection to a Wi-Fi access point has been established; and

the turn-off operational condition is when the Wi-Fi connection detector detects that a Wi-Fi connection to a Wi-Fi access point cannot be established.

7. The wireless mobile communication device of claim 6 wherein the Wi-Fi activation system includes a power-off delay timer configured to prevent the Wi-Fi activation system from concluding that connection to a Wi-Fi access point cannot be established until after pre-determined time period after the Wi-Fi data communication system has been turned on.

8. The wireless mobile communication device of claim 7 wherein the pre-determined period is in excess of 15 minutes.

9. The wireless mobile communication device of claim 4 wherein:

the operational condition detection system includes a Wi-Fi connection detector configured to detect when a connection to a Wi-Fi access point has been broken; and

the turn-off operational condition is when the Wi-Fi connection detector detects that a Wi-Fi connection to a Wi-Fi access point has been broken.

10. The wireless mobile communication device of claim 1 wherein the Wi-Fi data communication system is configured to implement one or more user-provided policies governing connection of the Wi-Fi data communication system to Wi-Fi access points.

11. The wireless mobile communication device of claim 1 wherein:

the operational condition detection system includes a motion sensor and a battery use detector; and

the turn-on operational condition includes when;

the motion sensor senses that the wireless mobile communication device has been substantially motionless; and

the battery use detector detects that the wireless mobile communication device is not operating on battery power.

12. Non-transitory, tangible, computer-readable storage media containing computer programming instructions which, when executed by a computer processing system within a wireless mobile communication device having:

a Wi-Fi data communication system configured to wirelessly connect to a Wi-Fi access point and to wirelessly communicate data between the wireless mobile communication device and the Wi-Fi access point; and

an operational condition detection system, including a location sensor, configured to detect a turn-on operational condition of the wireless mobile communication device, other than actuation of a user-operated control, including when the location sensor determines that the wireless mobile communication device is near a Wi-Fi access point;

cause the computer processing system to function as a Wi-Fi activation system which autonomously turns power on to the Wi-Fi data communication system upon detection of the turn-on operational condition of the wireless mobile communication device by the operational condition detection system, other than actuation of a user-operated control, including when the location sensor senses that the wireless mobile communication device is near a Wi-Fi access point.

13. The non-transitory, tangible, computer-readable storage media of claim 12 wherein:

the wireless mobile communication device includes a data storage system configured to store locations of Wi-Fi access points and information indicative of how frequently each Wi-Fi access point has been used by the wireless mobile communication device for data communication; and

the computer programming instructions, when executed by the computer processing system, cause the Wi-Fi activation system not to autonomously turn power on to the Wi-Fi data communication system, notwithstanding that the location sensor senses that the wireless mobile communication device is near a Wi-Fi access point, when that access point has not been used more than a pre-determined number of times by the wireless mobile communication device for data communication.

14. The non-transitory, tangible, computer-readable storage media of claim 12 wherein:

the wireless mobile communication device includes a battery power level detector configured to detect information indicative of the charge level of a battery that powers the wireless mobile communication device; and

the computer programming instructions, when executed by the computer processing system, cause the Wi-Fi activation system not to autonomously turn power on to the Wi-Fi data communication system, notwithstanding detection of the turn-on operational condition of the wireless mobile communication device by the operational condition detection system, when the battery power level detector detects that the charge level of the battery is below a pre-determined threshold.

15. The non-transitory, tangible, computer-readable storage media of claim 12 wherein the computer programming instructions, when executed by the computer processing system, cause the Wi-Fi activation system to autonomously turn power off to the Wi-Fi data communication system, after autonomously turning power on to the Wi-Fi data communication system, upon detection of a turn-off operational condition of the wireless mobile communication device by the operational condition detection system, other than actuation of a user-operated control.

16. The non-transitory, tangible, computer-readable storage media of claim 15 wherein:

the operational condition detection system includes a Wi-Fi connection detector configured to detect when a connection to a Wi-Fi access point has been established; and

the turn-off operational condition is when the Wi-Fi connection detector detects that a Wi-Fi connection to a Wi-Fi access point cannot be established.

17. The non-transitory, tangible, computer-readable storage media of claim 16 wherein the computer programming instructions, when executed by the computer processing system, cause the Wi-Fi activation system to include a power-off delay timer configured to prevent the Wi-Fi activation system from concluding that connection to a Wi-Fi access point cannot be established until after pre-determined time period after the Wi-Fi data communication system has been turned on.

18. The non-transitory, tangible, computer-readable storage media of claim 17 wherein the pre-determined period is in excess of 15 minutes.

19. The non-transitory, tangible, computer-readable storage media of claim 15 wherein:

the operational condition detection system includes a Wi-Fi connection detector configured to detect when a connection to a Wi-Fi access point has been broken; and

the turn-off operational condition is when the Wi-Fi connection detector detects that a Wi-Fi connection to a Wi-Fi access point has been broken.

20. The non-transitory, tangible, computer-readable storage media of claim 12 wherein the computer programming instructions, when executed by the computer processing system, cause the Wi-Fi data communication system to implement one or more user-provided policies governing connection of the Wi-Fi data communication system to Wi-Fi access points.

21. The non-transitory, tangible, computer-readable storage media of claim 12 wherein:

the operational condition detection system includes a motion sensor and a battery use detector; and

the turn-on operational condition includes when;

the motion sensor senses that the wireless mobile communication device has been substantially motionless; and

the battery use detector detects that the wireless mobile communication device is not operating on battery power.