System and method for automatically scheduling radios on a mobile device

• US 8,190,200 B2
• Filed: 04/03/2009
• Issued: 05/29/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 04/03/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Malikie Innovations Limited (Key Patent Innovations Limited)
• Original Assignee: Researc In Motion Limited
• Inventors: Conway, Dennis, Thompson, Jeremy
• Primary Examiner(s): NGUYEN, LINH V
• Application Number:
  US12/417,834
• Publication Number:
  US 20100255891A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,152 Days
• Field of Search: 455/551, 455/552.1, 455/83, 455/88, 455/12.1, 455/13.2, 455/277.1, 455/456.1, 455/404.1, 455/574, 455/438, 455/435.2, 455/455, 455/418
• US Class Current: 455/553.1
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 52/0216 using a pre-established activity schedule, e.g. traffic indication frame
• CPC Class Codes: Y02D 30/70 in wireless communication networks

Abstract

Systems and methods are disclosed for automatically powering on and off one or more radios in a mobile device according to a schedule generated automatically for each of the one or more radios. To generate the schedules, each of the one or more radios are powered on for a designated period of time. During the designated period of time, information is recorded specifying the availability of network coverage for each of the radios. A schedule for each of the radios is then generated according to this information. Each radio is subsequently automatically powered on and off according its schedule.

Claims

1. A method of automatically powering on and off one or more radios in a mobile device comprising the steps of:

(a) powering on said one or more radios for a designated period of time;

(b) during said designated period of time, recording in memory information specifying availability of network coverage for each of said one or more radios;

(c) generating a schedule for each of said one or more radios using said information; and

(d) subsequently powering on and off each of said one or more radios according to said schedule.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein step (b) comprises recording in memory time periods during which network coverage is available for each of said one or more radios or recording in memory time periods during which network coverage is not available for each of said one or more radios.

3. The method of claim 2 wherein step (c) comprises specifying that each of said one or more radios be powered off for a subset of time in which network coverage is not available according to said information.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein step (d) is periodically disabled and all of said one or more radios is powered on.

5. The method of claim 4 wherein said periodically disabling occurs according to preferences programmed in said mobile device.

6. The method of claim 1 further comprising a step of prompting initiation of said method prior to step (a).

7. The method of claim 1 wherein said one or more radios is selected from the set of radios consisting of:

a Wi-Fi radio, a Bluetooth radio, and a Wi-Max radio.

8. The method of claim 1 wherein said designated period of time comprises at least two days.

9. The method of claim 8 wherein during said designated period of time, a display on said mobile device indicates that said mobile device is collecting information specifying availability of network coverage for each of said one or more radios.

10. A non-transitory computer readable medium having stored thereon computer readable instructions for automatically powering on and off one or more radios in a mobile device, said computer readable instructions comprising instructions for:

(a) powering on said one or more radios for a designated period of time;

(b) during said designated period of time, recording in memory information specifying availability of network coverage for each of said one or more radios;

(c) generating a schedule for each of said one or more radios using said information; and

(d) subsequently powering on and off each of said one or more radios according to said schedule.

11. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 10 wherein instructions for step (b) further comprise recording in memory time periods during which network coverage is available for each of said one or more radios or recording in memory time periods during which network coverage is not available for each of said one or more radios.

12. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 11 wherein instructions for step (c) further comprise specifying that each of said one or more radios be powered off for a subset of time in which network coverage is not available according to said information.

13. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 10 further comprising instructions for periodically disabling step (d) and powering on all of said one or more radios.

14. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 10 wherein said one or more radios is selected from the set of radios consisting of:

a Wi-Fi radio, a Bluetooth radio, and a Wi-Max radio.

15. The computer non-transitory readable medium of claim 10 wherein said designated period of time comprises at least two days.

16. A mobile device comprising a radio scheduling software application for automatically powering on and off one or more radios in said mobile device, said mobile device further comprising memory, and said radio scheduling software application configured for:

(a) powering on said one or more radios for a designated period of time;

(b) during said designated period of time, recording in said memory information specifying availability of network coverage for each of said one or more radios;

(c) generating a schedule for each of said one or more radios using said information and storing said schedule in said memory; and

(d) subsequently powering on and off each of said one or more radios according to said schedule.

17. The mobile device of claim 16 wherein during step (b) said radio scheduling software application is configured for recording in said memory time periods during which network coverage is available for each of said one or more radios or recording in said memory time periods during which network coverage is not available for each of said one or more radios.

18. The mobile device of claim 17 wherein during step (c) said radio scheduling software application is configured for specifying that each of said one or more radios be powered off for a subset of time in which network coverage is not available according to said information.

19. The mobile device of claim 16 further comprising a database having stored thereon a schedule specifying times when step (d) is to be periodically disabled and all of said one or more radios are to be powered on.

20. The mobile device of claim 16 wherein said one or more radios is selected from the set of radios consisting of:

a Wi-Fi radio, a Bluetooth radio, and a Wi-Max radio.