Power saving method for mobile communication terminal

• US 7,912,517 B2
• Filed: 01/03/2007
• Issued: 03/22/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 05/25/2001
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Rovi Guides, Inc. (Adeia Inc.)
• Original Assignee: LG Electronics, Inc. (LG Corporation)
• Inventors: Park, Won Hyung
• Primary Examiner(s): Tran; Pablo N
• Application Number:
  US11/648,671
• Publication Number:
  US 20070111764A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,539 Days
• Field of Search: 379/433.06, 379/433.07, 379/368, 345/102, 345211-214, 455/574, 455/127.5, 455/393.1, 455/575.3, 455/13.4, 455/423, 455/550.1, 455/572, 455/575.1, 455/90.3, 4553431-3436, 455/556.1, 455/127.1, 455/211, 455/566, 455/414.1, 455/561, 455/524
• US Class Current: 455/574
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 52/027 by controlling a display operation or backlight unit
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 52/0277 according to available power supply, e.g. switching off when a low battery condition is detected
• CPC Class Codes: Y02D 30/70 in wireless communication networks

Abstract

A power saving method for a mobile telephone is disclosed that can increase the useful life of a battery charge by temporarily turning off non-essential telephone functions not required for call transmission or reception. The method determines whether the remaining capacity of the telephone battery is smaller than a predetermined reference value. The power saving method includes the steps of setting an activation condition for non-essential telephone functions, detecting a state that satisfies the activation condition, measuring the remaining capacity of the telephone'"'"'s battery if the activation condition is satisfied, and controlling an activation operation of the non-essential telephone functions by comparing the measured remaining charged capacity with a reference value. The power saving method may include saving to and recalling from memory user preference settings when a user function is de-activated and re-activated, respectively.

Claims

1. A method for saving power in a mobile terminal, comprising:

detecting occurrence of an activation condition, the activation condition corresponding to at least one non-essential telephone function;

measuring a remaining power capacity of a battery in response to detection of the activation condition;

determining whether the remaining power capacity of the battery is smaller than a prescribed reference value; and

automatically de-activating the at least one non-essential telephone function when the remaining power capacity is smaller than the prescribed reference value, wherein deactivation of the at least one non-essential telephone function is not determined by a user and wherein when a power capacity of the battery is determined to be larger than the prescribed reference value, the mobile terminal is automatically configured to allow operation of the at least one non-essential telephone function.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

setting the activation condition for the at least one non-essential telephone function.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the activation condition is set based on information received from a user.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein said information is received through a user menu provided by the mobile terminal.

5. The method of claim 2, wherein said deactivation includes not performing the at least one non-essential telephone function when the activation condition occurs.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

storing a setting identifying the at least one non-essential telephone function in a memory, the setting stored in response to said determination that the remaining power capacity of the battery is smaller than the prescribed reference value, and wherein the at least one non-essential telephone function is automatically de-activated after and only after the setting identifying the at least one non-essential telephone function is stored in said memory.

7. The method of claim 6, further comprising:

retrieving the setting identifying the at least one non-essential telephone function from said memory when the power capacity of the battery is determined to be larger than the prescribed reference value, and

automatically restoring the setting in the mobile terminal to allow operation of the at least one non-essential telephone function in response to the activation condition, the setting automatically restored in the mobile terminal in response to the setting being retrieved from said memory.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the power capacity of the battery becomes larger than the prescribed reference after a battery charging operation is performed.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the non-essential telephone function is one of a back-light, a vibration motor, an audio alert, or a display.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the activation condition is receiving a phone call and the at least one non-essential telephone function corresponds to a reduction in a rate of vibration of a vibrator.

11. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

setting the activation condition corresponding to the at least one non-essential telephone function, wherein said measuring includes;

measuring the remaining power capacity of the battery without reserving activation of the at least one non-essential telephone function if the activation condition is satisfied, and wherein said de-activating includes;

de-activating the at least one non-essential telephone function irrespective of the activation condition setting when the remaining power capacity of the battery is smaller than the prescribed reference value.

12. The method of claim 11, further comprising:

automatically activating the at least one non-essential telephone function when the remaining power capacity of the battery is larger than the prescribed reference value.

13. A mobile terminal, comprising:

a battery;

a detector to detect occurrence of an activation condition, the activation condition corresponding to at least one non-essential telephone function; and

a controller to automatically de-activate the at least one non-essential telephone function when a remaining power capacity of the battery is smaller than a prescribed reference value, the remaining power capacity of the battery determined in response to detection of the activation condition, wherein deactivation of the at least one non-essential telephone function is not determined by a user and wherein the controller is automatically configured to allow operation of the at least one non-essential telephone function when a power capacity of the battery is determined to be larger than the prescribed reference value.

14. The mobile terminal of claim 13, wherein the controller sets the activation condition for the at least one non-essential telephone function.

15. The mobile terminal of claim 14, wherein the controller sets the activation condition based on information received from a user.

16. The mobile terminal of claim 15, wherein said information is received through a user menu provided by the mobile terminal.

17. The mobile terminal of claim 14, wherein said deactivation includes not performing the at least one non-essential telephone function when the activation condition occurs.

18. The mobile terminal of claim 13, further comprising:

a memory for storing a setting identifying the at least one non-essential telephone function in a memory, the setting stored in response to said detection that the remaining power capacity of the battery is smaller than the prescribed reference value, wherein the controller automatically de-activates the at least one non-essential telephone function after and only after the setting identifying the at least one non-essential telephone function is stored in said memory.

19. The mobile terminal of claim 18, wherein the controller retrieves the setting identifying the at least one non-essential telephone function from said memory when the power capacity of the battery is detected to be larger than the prescribed reference value, and wherein the controller automatically restores the setting in the mobile terminal to allow operation of the at least one non-essential telephone function in response to the activation condition, the setting automatically restored in response to the setting being retrieved from said memory.

20. The mobile terminal of claim 13, wherein the power capacity of the battery becomes larger than the prescribed reference after a battery charging operation is performed.

21. The mobile terminal of claim 13, wherein the non-essential telephone function is one of a back-light, a vibration motor, an audio alert, or a display.