Determining whether a wireless communication node is stationary by evaluating changes in information about peer wireless communications nodes

• US 8,355,758 B2
• Filed: 10/12/2007
• Issued: 01/15/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 10/12/2007
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Nokia Technologies Oy (Nokia Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Nokia Corporation
• Inventors: Wirola, Lauri, Hermersdorf, Marion
• Primary Examiner(s): WEST, LEWIS G
• Application Number:
  US12/734,041
• Publication Number:
  US 20100255781A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,922 Days
• Field of Search: 455/574, 455/436, 455/456.1, 455/41.2, 455/41.3, 455/423, 370/328, 370/331
• US Class Current: 455/574
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 19/34 Power consumption
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 52/0251 using monitoring of local events, e.g. events related to user activity
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 64/006 with additional information processing, e.g. for direction or speed determination
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 8/005 Discovery of network devices, e.g. terminals
• CPC Class Codes: Y02D 30/70 in wireless communication networks

Abstract

For supporting a switch between different service modes of some service, it is determined whether a wireless communication node is stationary by evaluating changes in information about peer wireless communication nodes detected by the wireless communication node. The result of the determination is then used as a decision criterion whether to switch the service to one of at least two modes.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

determining whether a wireless communication node is stationary by scanning for peer wireless communication nodes by the wireless communication node to determine the number and identifications of detected peer wireless communication nodes, determining the number of identical peer wireless communication nodes detected by the wireless communication node that were also detected by the wireless communication node during a previous scanning and the total number of peer wireless communication nodes detected by the wireless communication node, and evaluating a numerical proportion between the number of identical peer wireless communication nodes detected by the wireless communication node that were also detected by the wireless communication node during a previous scanning and the total number of peer wireless communication nodes detected by the wireless communication node to determine whether the wireless communication node is stationary; and

using a result of the determination as a decision criterion whether to switch a service to one of at least two modes.

2. The method according to claim 1 wherein the at least two modes of the service comprise a mode with higher power consumption and a mode with lower power consumption.

3. The method according to claim 1, wherein the service is a service provided by a receiver for a positioning system which is linked to the wireless communication node, and wherein the service is switched to a mode with reduced power consumption in case it has been determined that the wireless communication node is stationary.

4. The method according to claim 1, wherein determining whether the wireless communication node is stationary comprises evaluating in addition a further value determined as a function of the total number of peer wireless communication nodes detected by the wireless communication node.

5. The method according to claim 1, wherein determining whether the wireless communication node is stationary results in a determination that either a location change of the wireless communication node occurred, or no location change of the wireless communication node occurred, or it is unsure whether a location change of the wireless communication node occurred.

6. The method according to claim 1, wherein the service is a service provided by a global navigation satellite system receiver.

7. The method according to claim 1, wherein the wireless communication node is one of:

a Bluetooth®

wireless communication node;

a node of a personal area network;

a Wibree™

wireless communication node; and

a station of a wireless local area network

8. An apparatus comprising at least one processor and at least one memory including computer program code, the at least one memory and the computer program code configured to, with the at least one processor, cause the apparatus at least to perform:

determine whether a wireless communication node associated to the apparatus is stationary by causing a scanning for peer wireless communication nodes by the wireless communication node to determine the number and identifications of detected peer wireless communication nodes, determining the number of identical peer wireless communication nodes detected by the wireless communication node that were also detected by the wireless communication node during a previous scanning and the total number of peer wireless communication nodes detected by the wireless communication node, and evaluating a numerical proportion between the number of identical peer wireless communication nodes detected by the wireless communication node that were also detected by the wireless communication node during a previous scanning and the total number of peer wireless communication nodes detected by the wireless communication node to determine whether the wireless communication node is stationary; and

use a result of the determination as a decision criterion whether to switch a service to one of at least two modes.

9. The apparatus according to claim 8, wherein the at least two modes of the service comprise a mode with higher power consumption and a mode with lower power consumption.

10. The apparatus according to claim 8, wherein the service is a service provided by a receiver for a positioning system which is linked to the wireless communication node, and wherein the at least one memory and the computer program code are configured to, with the at least one processor, cause the apparatus to switch the service to a mode with reduced power consumption in case it has been determined that the wireless communication node is stationary.

11. The apparatus according to claim 8, wherein the information about the peer wireless communication nodes comprises an identification of each detected peer wireless communication node.

12. The apparatus according to claim 8, wherein the at least one memory and the computer program code are configured to, with the at least one processor, cause the apparatus to determine whether the wireless communication node is stationary by evaluating in addition a further value determined as a function of the total number of peer wireless communication nodes detected by the wireless communication node.

13. The apparatus according to claim 8, wherein the at least one memory and the computer program code are configured to, with the at least one processor, cause the apparatus to determine whether the wireless communication node is stationary comprising determining that either a location change of the wireless communication node occurred, or no location change of the wireless communication node occurred, or it is unsure whether a location change of the wireless communication node occurred.

14. The apparatus according to claim 8, wherein the positioning system is a global navigation satellite system.

15. The apparatus according to claim 8, wherein the wireless communication node is one of:

a Bluetooth®

wireless communication node;

a node of a personal area network;

a Wibree™

wireless communication node; and

a station of a wireless local area network.

16. The apparatus according to claim 8 further comprising at least one:

a user interface;

a receiver for a positioning system;

a global navigation satellite system receiver; and

a wireless communication node.

17. The apparatus according to claim 8, wherein the apparatus is a mobile terminal.

18. A computer readable medium in which a program code is stored, the program code causing an apparatus to perform the following when executed by a processor:

determine whether a wireless communication node is stationary by causing a scanning for peer wireless communication nodes by the wireless communication node to determine the number and identifications of detected peer wireless communication nodes, determining the number of identical peer wireless communication nodes detected by the wireless communication node that were also detected by the wireless communication node during a previous scanning and the total number of peer wireless communication nodes detected by the wireless communication node, and evaluating a numerical proportion between the number of identical peer wireless communication nodes detected by the wireless communication node that were also detected by the wireless communication node during a previous scanning and the total number of peer wireless communication nodes detected by the wireless communication node to determine whether the wireless communication node is stationary; and

use a result of the determination as a decision criterion whether to switch a service to one of at least two modes.