Mobile telephone power savings method and apparatus responsive to mobile telephone location

• US 6,078,826 A
• Filed: 05/29/1998
• Issued: 06/20/2000
• Est. Priority Date: 05/29/1998
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Ericsson, Inc. (Telefonaktiebolaget LM Ericsson)
• Original Assignee: Ericsson, Inc. (Telefonaktiebolaget LM Ericsson)
• Inventors: Dent, Paul, Croft, Thomas M.
• Primary Examiner(s): Trost, William G.
• Assistant Examiner(s): GELIN, JEAN ALLAND
• Application Number:
  US09/086,873
• Time in Patent Office: 753 Days
• Field of Search: 455/421, 455/522, 455/574, 455/55.3, 455/38.3, 455/343, 455/456, 455/457, 455/422, 455/420, 455/426, 455/552, 455/509, 455/520
• US Class Current: 455/574
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 9/005 using a power saving mode for copiers G03G15/5004
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 1/1615 Switching on; Switching off, e.g. remotely battery saving circuits associated with selective call operation H04W52/00; details of power consumption reduction in a PLL, H03L7/0802, H03L7/14, H03L2207/08, H03L2207/18; muting amplifiers by gain control see H03G3/34
• 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 52/0254 detecting a user operation or a tactile contact or a motion of the device
• CPC Class Codes: Y02B 70/30 Systems integrating technologies related to power network operation and communication or information technologies for improving the carbon footprint of the management of residential or tertiary loads, i.e. smart grids as climate change mitigation technology in the buildings sector, including also the last stages of power distribution and the control, monitoring or operating management systems at local level
• CPC Class Codes: Y02D 30/70 in wireless communication networks
• CPC Class Codes: Y04S 20/20 End-user application control systems

Abstract

A mobile telephone able to save power in response to the position of the mobile telephone is disclosed. Location circuitry within the mobile telephone enables the establishment of one or more deep-sleep locations associated with a mobile telephone. When the location circuitry determines that the current location of the mobile telephone is within a selected distance of one of the deep-sleep locations, the mobile telephone operates according to a low power mode of operation wherein only a timer enabling periodic updates of the mobile telephone'"'"'s position is active. If the location circuitry determines that the mobile telephone is not within a selected distance of one of the predetermined locations, the mobile telephone operates in a standby mode which utilizes more power than the deep-sleep mode but still conserves battery power and enables the mobile telephone to receive calls.

Claims

1. A method for saving power within a mobile telephone, comprising the steps of:

determining coordinates of a present position of the mobile telephone; and

storing the coordinates in a memory associated with the mobile telephone as at least one predetermined location;

determining whether the current location of the mobile telephone is within a selected distance of the at least one predetermined location; and

operating the mobile telephone according to a first mode of operation when the mobile telephone is within the selected distance of the at least one predetermined location and according to a second mode of operation when the mobile telephone is not within the selected distance of the at least one predetermined location, wherein the first mode of operation uses less power than the second mode of operation.

2. The method of claim 1 further including the step of periodically repeating the steps of determining the location of the mobile telephone and operating the mobile telephone.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the step of establishing further comprises the steps of:

determining coordinates of a present position of the mobile telephone; and

storing the coordinates in a memory associated with the mobile telephone as the at least one predetermined location.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the step of determining further comprises the steps of:

determining coordinates of a present position of the mobile telephone; and

comparing the determined coordinates with the stored coordinates to determine if the mobile telephone is within a selected distance of the stored coordinates.

5. The method of claim 1 further including the step of switching the first mode of operation from an operating to a non-operating state.

6. The method of claim 1 further including the steps of:

storing at least one base station identifier for a base station serving the at least one predetermined location;

determining whether the base station identifier of the base station currently serving the mobile telephone matches the at least one base station identifier serving the at least one predetermined location; and

operating the mobile telephone according to the second mode of operation if the base station identifier for the base station currently serving the mobile telephone matches none of the at least one base station identifier serving the at least one predetermined location.

7. The method of claim 1 further including the step of:

setting up call forwarding to a selected number upon entry into the first mode of operation.

8. The method of claim 7 further including the steps of:

monitoring for entry into the second mode of operation; and

canceling the call forwarding upon entry into the second mode of operation.

9. A mobile telephone, comprising:

a memory for storing at least one user selected location;

first circuitry for determining a present location of the mobile telephone and storing the present position as the at least one user selected location;

second circuitry for determining a location of the mobile telephone and for comparing the location of the mobile telephone to the at least one user selected location to determine if the mobile telephone is within a selected distance of the at least one user selected location;

third circuitry for operating the mobile telephone according to a first mode of operation if the location of the mobile telephone is within a selected distance of the at least one user selected location and according to a second mode of operation when the location of the mobile telephone is not within a selected distance of the at least one user selected location, wherein the first mode of operation uses less power than the second mode of operation.

10. The mobile telephone of claim 9 further including a timer for initiating periodic determinations of the location of the mobile telephone by the first circuitry.

11. The mobile telephone of claim 9 further including means for activating and deactivating the first mode of operation.

12. The mobile telephone of claim 9, wherein the second circuitry further enables entry of the location of the mobile telephone into the memory at the at least one selected location.

13. The mobile telephone of claim 9, wherein the memory further stores base station identifiers associated with the at least one user selected location.

14. The mobile telephone of claim 13, wherein the third circuitry further operates the mobile telephone according to the second mode of operation when an identifier of a base station currently serving the mobile telephone does not match an identifier stored in the memory.

15. The mobile telephone of claim 9 further including means for initiating call forwarding to a selected number when the mobile telephone enters the first mode of operation.

16. A method for saving battery power within a mobile telephone, comprising the steps of:

storing at least one predetermined location within a memory;

storing at least one base station identifier serving the at least one predetermined location within the memory;

determining whether a base station identifier of a base station currently serving the mobile telephone matches the at least one base station identifier serving the at least one predetermined location;

operating the mobile telephone according to a second mode of operation if the identifier of the base station currently serving the mobile telephone matches none of the at least one base station identifier serving the at least one predetermined location;

determining a current location of the mobile telephone if the identifier of the base station currently serving the mobile telephone matches the at least one base station identifier serving the at least one predetermined location;

comparing the current location with the predetermined location to determine if the mobile telephone is within a selected distance of the predetermined location; and

operating the mobile telephone according to a first mode of operation when the mobile telephone is within the selected distance of the at least one predetermined location and according to the second mode of operation when the mobile telephone is not within the selected distance of the at least one predetermined location, wherein the first mode of operation uses less power than the second mode of operation.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein the step of storing at least one predetermined location further comprises the steps of:

determining coordinates of a present position of the mobile telephone; and

storing the coordinates in the memory at the at least one predetermined location.

18. The method of claim 16 further including the step of switching the first mode of operation from an operating to a non-operating state.

19. The method of claim 16 further including the step of:

setting up call forwarding to a selected number upon entry into the first mode of operation.

20. The method of claim 19 further including the steps of:

monitoring for entry into the second mode of operation from the first mode of operation; and

canceling the call forwarding upon entry into the second mode of operation.