METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR PROVIDING HIBERNATION OF MULTI-MODE MOBILE TERMINAL

• US 20150264648A1
• Filed: 06/01/2015
• Published: 09/17/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 04/21/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Inventors: Nam, Seung Hoon
• Granted Patent: US 9,788,276 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/02 Services making use of location information
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/029 Location-based management or tracking services
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 52/0225 using monitoring of external events, e.g. the presence of a signal
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 52/0251 using monitoring of local events, e.g. events related to user activity
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/12 WLAN [Wireless Local Area Networks]
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/06 adapted for operation in multiple networks or having at least two operational modes, e.g. multi-mode terminals
• CPC Class Codes: Y02D 30/70 in wireless communication networks

Abstract

A method and apparatus minimize current consumption related to accessing a local network in a multi-mode mobile terminal. Current location information of the multi-mode mobile terminal is checked through a first communication module. A second communication module for a local network is turned-on when the current location information of the multi-mode mobile terminal corresponds to stored location information. The second communication module is turned-off when a connection to the local network is interrupted and the current location information of the multi-mode mobile terminal does not correspond to the stored location information.

Claims

1. A mobile terminal comprising:

a first communication module configured to communicate with a mobile communication network and receive current location information of the mobile terminal;

a second communication module configured to communicate with a local network;

a storage unit configured to store a location information list in which at least one stored location information is mapped to access point (AP) information of at least one AP of a corresponding local network; and

a controller configured to check current location information of the mobile terminal while the first communication module is turned-on and the second communication module is turned-off, turn-on the second communication module when the current location information corresponds to at least one stored location information in the location information list, and turn-off the second communication module when the current location information does not correspond to at least one stored location information in the location information list.

2. The mobile terminal of claim 1, wherein the controller is further configured to check whether the local network connection is interrupted while the second communication module is turned-on.

3. The mobile terminal of claim 2, wherein the controller is further configured to maintain a turned-off state of the second communication module when no stored location information in the location information list corresponds to the current location information.

4. The mobile terminal of claim 2, wherein the controller is further configured to control a rescan for a local network using the second communication module when the local network connection is interrupted and the current location information corresponds to a stored location information in the location information list.

5. The mobile terminal of claim 2, wherein the controller is further configured to add the current location information to the location information list when the local network connection is maintained and no stored location information in the location information list corresponds to the current location information.

6. The mobile terminal of claim 5, wherein the controller is further configured to map the added location information to AP information of an AP that corresponds to the maintained local network connection in a corresponding location and store the mapped result.

7. The mobile terminal of claim 1, wherein the controller is further configured to control a scan for at least one AP that is mapped to the at least one stored location information that corresponds to the current location information when the second communication module is turned-on.

8. The mobile terminal of claim 1, the controller is further configured to:

in response to the turning-on of the second communication module, perform connection with an AP through the second communication module, and

associate information of the connected AP with the current location information of the munti-mode mobile terminal, and store the associated result in a memory of the mobile terminal.

9. The mobile terminal of claim 1, wherein the turned-on state of the second communication module is maintained when the current location information is changed while the connection with the AP is maintained.

10. The mobile terminal of claim 1, the controller is further configured to:

turn-off the second communication module when the current location information is changed and the connection with the AP is canceled.

11. The mobile terminal of claim 1, the controller is further configured to:

in response to the turning-on of the second communication module, scan at least one AP that is registered in the current location information of the mobile terminal.

12. The mobile terminal of claim 1, the controller is further configured to:

in response to the turning-on of the second communication module, scan APs through the second communication module; and

perform connection with one of the scanned APs through the second communication module, wherein information of the connected AP is pre-stored in a memory of the mobile terminal.

13. A method for improving power consumption in a mobile terminal, the method comprising:

checking current location information of the mobile terminal while a first communication module is turned-on and a second communication module is turned-off;

turning-on the second communication module for a local network when the current location information of the mobile terminal corresponds to at least one stored location information; and

turning-off the second communication module when the current location information of the mobile terminal does not correspond to at least one stored location information.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein checking location information comprises:

receiving the current location information from a mobile communication network through the first communication module;

comparing the current location information with at least one stored location information in a previously defined location information list; and

checking whether the at least one stored location information in the location information list corresponds to the current location information.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein turning-on the second communication module comprises:

turning-on the second communication module when the at least one stored location information in the location information list corresponds to the current location information.

16. The method of claim 15, further comprising maintaining a turned-off state of the second communication module when no stored location information in the location information list corresponds to the current location information.

17. The method of claim 15, further comprising performing a rescan of the local network using the second communication module when an access to the local network is interrupted and the current location information is not changed while the second communication module is turned-on.

18. The method of claim 15, further comprising adding the current location information to the location information list when the mobile terminal is already connected to the local network and no stored location information in the location information list corresponds to the current location information.

19. The method of claim 18, wherein adding the current location information comprises:

mapping the current location information to an access point (AP) information of an AP of the local network, in a corresponding location; and

storing the mapping result in the location information list.

20. The method of claim 13, further comprising scanning for at least one AP that is mapped to the at least one stored location information that corresponds to the current location information when the second communication module is turned-on.