SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR EXTENDING THE BATTERY LIFE OF A MOBILE DEVICE

• US 20130273980A1
• Filed: 04/25/2013
• Published: 10/17/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 12/08/2008
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Aegex Technologies LLC
• Original Assignee: Brian Troxell
• Inventors: VENTULETT, Thomas P., GORMAN, Mary Elizabeth, KENNARD, Peter, PETCHEY, David, TROXELL, Brian, VENTULETT, Jonathan A.
• Application Number:
  US13/870,883
• Publication Number:
  US 20130273980A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/574
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 19/34 Power consumption
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/3203 Power management, i.e. event-based initiation of a power-saving mode
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 52/0209 in terminal devices terminal devices per se H04W88/02
• 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: H04W 52/028 switching on or off only a part of the equipment circuit blocks
• CPC Class Codes: Y02D 30/70 in wireless communication networks

Abstract

The present invention provides a system and method for extending the battery life of a mobile device. The method of extending the battery life of a mobile device can be broadly summarized by the following steps of determining if at least one component on the mobile device can be placed in a hibernation state for a predetermined time, setting a remote clock to a current time and powering off the at least one component on the mobile device that can be placed in the hibernation state. The method further includes waiting a predetermined interval selected by a user, wherein the time interval can be selected from a factory preset or an environmental setting, re-activating the at least one component on the mobile device that was placed in the hibernation state and synchronizing a system clock with the remote clock.

Claims

1. A method for extending the battery life of a mobile device, comprising the steps of:

determining if at least one component on the mobile device can be placed in a hibernation state for a predetermined time;

setting a remote clock to a current time;

powering off the at least one component on the mobile device that can be placed in the hibernation state;

waiting a predetermined interval selected by a user, wherein the time interval can be selected from a factory preset or an environmental setting;

re-activating the at least one component on the mobile device that was placed in the hibernation state; and

synchronizing a system clock with the remote clock.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the mobile device is a GPS tracking device.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the step of powering off of the at least one component is performed after determining that the GPS tracking device is unable to obtain a GPS position for the GPS tracking device.

4. The method of claim 2, wherein the step of powering off of the at least one component is performed after determining that the GPS tracking device is unable to establish a communication link to transmit GPS position data.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the mobile device is a smart phone.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein the communication device is a wireless telephone.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the mobile device is a mobile computing device.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the mobile device detects entering an intrinsically safe controlled environment, and then sets the predetermined interval to zero.

9. A system that provides for extending the battery life of a mobile device, comprising:

a priority determination module that determines if at least one component on the mobile device can be placed in a hibernation state for a predetermined time selected by a user, wherein the time interval can be selected from a factory preset or an environmental setting;

a remote clock that is set to a current time of a system clock;

a deactivate module that powers off the at least one component on the mobile device that can be placed in the hibernation state; and

an interrupt routine that reactivates the at least one component on the mobile device that was placed in the hibernation state after waiting a predetermined interval and synchronizes the system clock with the remote clock.

10. The system of claim 9, wherein the mobile device is a GPS tracking device.

11. The system of claim 10, wherein the priority determination module further determines if the GPS tracking device is unable to obtain a GPS position for the GPS tracking device.

12. The system of claim 10, wherein the priority determination module further determines if the GPS tracking device is unable to establish a communication link to transmit GPS position data.

13. The system of claim 9, wherein the mobile device is a smart phone.

14. The system of claim 13, wherein the communication device is a wireless telephone.

15. The system of claim 9, wherein the mobile device is a mobile computing device.

16. The system of claim 9, wherein the mobile device further includes;

an environment detection module that detects entering an intrinsically safe controlled environment, and then sets the predetermined interval to zero.

17. A computer program product for extending the battery life of a mobile device, the computer program product comprising:

a tangible storage medium readable by the mobile device and storing instructions for execution by the mobile device for performing a method comprising;

determining if at least one component on the mobile device can be placed in a hibernation state for a predetermined time;

setting a remote clock to a current time;

powering off the at least one component on the mobile device that can be placed in the hibernation state;

waiting a predetermined interval selected by a user, wherein the predetermined time can be selected from a factory preset or an environmental setting;

re-activating the at least one component on the mobile device that was placed in the hibernation state; and

synchronizing a system clock with the remote clock.

18. The computer program product of claim 17, wherein the mobile device is a GPS tracking device, and wherein the powering off of the at least one component is performed after determining that the GPS tracking device is unable to obtain a GPS position for the GPS tracking device.

19. The computer program product of claim 17, wherein the mobile device is a GPS tracking device, and wherein the step of powering off of the at least one component is performed after determining that the GPS tracking device is unable to establish a communication link to transmit GPS position data.

20. The computer program product of claim 17, wherein the mobile device is a smart phone.

21. The computer program product of claim 17, wherein the mobile device is a mobile computing device.

22. The computer program product of claim 17, wherein the mobile device detects entering an intrinsically safe controlled environment, and then sets the predetermined interval to zero.