Mobile location devices and methods

• US 7,266,378 B2
• Filed: 12/12/2002
• Issued: 09/04/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 12/14/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Nokia Technologies Oy (Nokia Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Nokia Corporation
• Inventors: Ashall, Peter, Lammintaus, Arto, Oksanen, Olli, Norta, Heikki
• Primary Examiner(s): GELIN, JEAN ALLAND
• Application Number:
  US10/316,876
• Publication Number:
  US 20030134657A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,727 Days
• Field of Search: 455/420, 455/421, 455/422.1, 455/456.1, 455/456.2, 455/456.6, 455/127.1, 455/90.3, 455/575, 455/574, 455/66.1, 455/550.1, 701/1, 701/2, 701/36, 701/209, 701/211, 707/100, 707/101, 707/201, 707/204, 342/357.1, 340/990, 340/395
• US Class Current: 455/456.1
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 19/09 providing processing capability normally carried out by the receiver
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 19/34 Power consumption
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 5/017 Detecting state or type of motion
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 5/019 Energy consumption
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 5/0205 Details
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/52 specially adapted for the location of the user terminal

Abstract

A mobile location device comprising geographical location circuitry to provide device geographical location information and motion detection circuitry to detect motion of the device, wherein the geographical location circuitry is arranged to provide device geographical location information according to whether motion of the mobile location device is detected by the motion detecting circuitry.

Claims

1. A user portable, mobile location device comprising geographical location circuitry to provide device geographical location information, power supply circuitry to supply power to the geographical location circuitry, motion detection circuitry to detect motion of the user portable device and control circuitry to control activation/deactivation of the geographical location circuitry, wherein the activation of the geographical location circuitry increases the power supplied by the power supply circuitry to the geographical location circuitry, wherein the control circuitry is arranged to control the activation/deactivation of the geographical location circuitry to provide device geographical location information according to whether motion of the mobile location device is detected by the motion detection circuitry, and wherein the control circuitry is arranged to monitor device motion detected by the motion detection circuitry over successive time periods and control the operation of the geographical location circuitry in response to whether device motion has been detected over one, or a combination of more than one successive, time period.

2. A mobile location device according to claim 1, wherein the motion detection circuitry comprises one or more motion sensors configured to detect changes in tilt/yaw/horizontal/vertical/rotational position individually, in multiples, or in combination.

3. A mobile location device according to claim 1, wherein the motion detection circuitry comprises circuitry to detect changes in device geographical location.

4. A mobile location device according to claim 3, wherein the circuitry is a comparison circuitry arranged to compare a previous geographical location with the current geographical location to determine whether changes in geographical location have occurred.

5. A mobile location device according to claim 4, wherein the changes of geographical location detected are horizontal, vertical or a combination thereof.

6. A mobile location device according to claim 1, wherein the motion detection circuitry is configured to detect changes in motion above a threshold level.

7. A mobile location device according to claim 1, wherein the control circuitry is arranged to control operation of the geographical location circuitry to provide device geographical location information at the end of one or more of the time periods.

8. A mobile location device according to claim 1, wherein the control circuitry is configured to use a first time period when device motion has been detected and a second time period when device motion is not detected.

9. A mobile location device according to claim 8, wherein the device is arranged to provide device location information immediately upon detection of device motion and then again at one regular time interval during the detection of continued motion, and at a reduced time interval upon subsequent detection of no motion.

10. A mobile location device according to claim 1, wherein the control circuitry is configured to operate the geographical location circuitry at regular intervals regardless of whether device motion has been detected.

11. A mobile location device according to claim 1, wherein the control circuitry is configured to operate the geographical location circuitry at regular intervals upon detection of no motion by the motion detection circuitry over a particular time period.

12. A mobile location device according to claim 11, wherein the control circuitry is configured to provide information on the operative state of the device.

13. A mobile location device according to claim 12, wherein the operative state information is transmitted at regular intervals, regardless of whether device motion has been detected.

14. A mobile location device according to claim 1, wherein the mobile location device is arranged such that the control circuitry has an activated state and a deactivated state.

15. A mobile location device according to claim 1, wherein the control circuitry is arranged to control the operation of the geographical location circuitry to obtain current device geographical information upon detection of device motion by the motion detection circuitry.

16. A mobile location device according to claim 1, wherein the control circuitry is configured to control the operation of the geographical location circuitry to obtain current geographical location information at a reduced frequency when device motion is not detected by the motion detection circuitry.

17. A mobile location device according to claim 1, wherein the geographical location circuitry comprises wireless transmission circuitry and wherein the device is arranged such that the operation of the wireless transmission circuitry to obtain the current geographical location information is based on detection of motion by the motion detection circuitry.

18. A mobile location device according to claim 1, wherein the device is configured to receive location dependent information content from a third party terminal to which device geographical location information has been provided by the geographical location circuitry.

19. A mobile location device according to claim 1, wherein the geographical location circuitry is arranged to obtain geographical location information by accessing location technology incorporated in a neighboring terminal or device.

20. A method of operating a user portable, mobile location device comprising detecting device motion by using device motion detection circuitry, and activating/deactivating device geographical location circuitry to provide device geographical location information in response to detection of motion of the mobile location device by the motion detection circuitry, monitoring device motion detected by the device motion detection circuitry over successive time periods, and controlling the operation of the geographical location circuitry in response to whether device motion has been detected over one, or a combination of more than one successive, time period.

21. The method of claim 20, further comprising using a first time period when device motion has been detected and a second time period when device motion is not detected.