CONTEXT-BASED MOBILITY ANALYSIS AND RECOGNITION

• US 20150156725A1
• Filed: 12/01/2014
• Published: 06/04/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 11/29/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Appy Risk Technologies Limited (Trak Global Group Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: IMS Solution, Inc.
• Inventors: Basir, Otman A, Miners, William Ben, El-Ghazal, Akrem Saad
• Granted Patent: US 10,349,355 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G01P 15/02 by making use of inertia forces using solid seismic massesG01P15/14 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/73 Battery saving arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 52/0254 detecting a user operation or a tactile contact or a motion of the device
• CPC Class Codes: Y02D 30/70 in wireless communication networks

Abstract

A mobile device includes an inertial sensor generating inertia signals based upon motion of the mobile device. The mobile device further includes a high power module that consumes more power than the inertial sensor. A processor is programmed to determine whether the mobile device is being carried by a user who is walking based upon the inertia signals. The processor deactivates the high power module or maintains the high power module in a low power mode based upon a determination that the mobile device is being carried by a user who is walking

Claims

1. A mobile device comprising:

an inertial sensor generating inertia signals;

a high power module, wherein the high power module consumes more power than the inertial sensor;

a processor programmed to determine whether the mobile device is being carried by a user who is walking based upon the inertia signals, wherein the processor is programmed to deactivate the high power module or maintains the high power module in a low power mode based upon a determination that the mobile device is being carried by a user who is walking.

2. The mobile device of claim 1 wherein the processor deactivates the high power module based upon the determination that the user is walking.

3. The mobile device of claim 2 wherein the processor maintains the high power module in the low power mode based upon the determination that the user is walking.

4. The mobile device of claim 3 wherein the processor operates a state machine including a walking state, wherein the high power module is in the low power mode in the walking state.

5. The mobile device of claim 4 wherein the state machine includes a stopped state and a transition from the walking state to the stopped state based upon a determination that the user has stopped walking based upon the inertia signals.

6. The mobile device of claim 5 wherein the high power module is a gps receiver.

7. The mobile device of claim 6 wherein processor activates the gps receiver periodically when in the stopped state and determines a current speed, wherein the state machine remains in the stopped state based upon a determination that the current speed is less than a speed threshold.

8. The mobile device of claim 7 wherein the state machine includes a transition from the stopped state to a driving state based upon a determination that the current speed is greater than the speed threshold

9. The mobile device of claim 8 wherein the gps receiver is activated when the statement machine is in the driving state.

10. The mobile device of claim 9 wherein the state machine includes a transition from the driving state to a halted state based upon a determination that the current speed has dropped below a driving speed threshold.

11. The mobile device of claim 1 wherein the processor is programmed to analyze frequencies of the inertia signals to determine whether the user is walking

12. The mobile device of claim 11 wherein the processor is programmed to analyze the inertia signals between approximately 4 Hz and approximately 10 Hz to determine whether the user is walking.

13. A method for operating a mobile device including the steps of:

a) determining whether the mobile device is being carried by a user who is walking; and

b) operating the mobile device in a low power mode based upon the determination that the user is walking.

14. The method of claim 13 wherein the mobile device includes a gps receiver, wherein said step b) includes the step of maintaining the gps receiver in a low power mode.

15. The method of claim 13 wherein said step a) is performed based upon motion of the mobile device.

16. The method of claim 13 wherein said step a) is performed based upon inertial signals reflecting motion of the mobile device, wherein the motion signals are generated by an inertial sensor.

17. The method of claim 16 wherein the inertial sensor is an accelerometer.