Task management based on travel distance

• US 8,369,837 B2
• Filed: 04/07/2010
• Issued: 02/05/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 04/07/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Original Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Inventors: Huang, Ronald K., Grainger, Morgan
• Primary Examiner(s): Patel, Nimesh
• Application Number:
  US12/755,719
• Publication Number:
  US 20110250871A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,035 Days
• Field of Search: 455/412.2, 455/456.1, 455/456.3, 455/466.6, 455/502, 455/503, 455/525, 455/171.1, 455/181.1, 455/231, 368/14, 368/21, 368/10, 368/47, 370/328, 370/338
• US Class Current: 455/412.2
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/06 Resources, workflows, human or project management; Enterprise or organisation planning; Enterprise or organisation modelling
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/52 specially adapted for the location of the user terminal
• 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 64/00 Locating users or terminals or network equipment for network management purposes, e.g. mobility management

Abstract

Methods, program products, and systems for task management based on travel distance are disclosed. In general, in one aspect, a method executed on a mobile device can include receiving a request to perform a task in a first subsystem (e.g., an application subsystem) of the mobile device. The request can indicate that the task is to be performed when the mobile device travels at least a threshold distance. The mobile device can determine a duration of silence. The mobile device can configure a second subsystem (e.g., a baseband operating system) of the mobile device to send a notification to the first subsystem notifying that the mobile device has traveled after at least the duration of silence. The first subsystem can receive the notification and determine that the threshold distance has been satisfied based on the received notification. The first subsystem can perform the task upon the determining.

Claims

1. A method, comprising:

receiving a request to perform a task by a first subsystem of a mobile device when the mobile device travels at least a threshold distance;

determining a duration of silence of a second subsystem of the mobile device, the second subsystem being operable to monitor a location change of the mobile device using identifiers transmitted in a cellular network as location identifiers, wherein the second subsystem determines that the location change has occurred upon determining a change of location identifiers;

configuring the second subsystem of the mobile device to send a notification to the first subsystem notifying the first subsystem that the mobile device has traveled, the notification to be sent by a notification function after at least the duration of silence and after the second subsystem determines the change of location identifiers; and

in the first subsystem;

receiving the notification;

determining that the threshold distance has been satisfied based on the received notification; and

performing the task upon the determining, wherein performing the task includes at least one of invoking an application program in the first subsystem, or notifying an application program in the first subsystem,

wherein the method is performed by one or more data processing devices.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein:

the first subsystem includes an application subsystem; and

the second subsystem includes a baseband subsystem.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein configuring the second subsystem of the mobile device includes:

suspending the notification functions of the second subsystem; and

activating the notification functions of the second subsystem after the duration of silence.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein determining the duration of silence includes determining the duration of silence based on the threshold distance.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

upon configuring the second subsystem, changing an operating mode of the first subsystem from a first operating mode to a second operating mode.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein:

the first operating mode includes an active operating mode; and

the second operating mode includes a power-saving operating mode.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the notification includes a current location identifier.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein the current location identifier includes at least one of:

a mobile country code (MCC) of a cellular communication network;

a mobile network code (MNC) of a cellular communication network;

a location area code (LAC) of a cellular communication network;

a cell identifier (cell ID) of a cellular communication network; and

a media access control (MAC) address of an access point of a wireless communication network.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein determining that the threshold distance has been satisfied based on the received notification includes:

determining a current location of the mobile device based on the notification;

calculating a travel distance between the current location and an initial location; and

determining that the travel distance satisfies the threshold distance.

10. A method, comprising:

in a first subsystem of a mobile device, receiving a first notification generated by a notification function of a second subsystem of the mobile device, the second subsystem being operable to monitor a location change of the mobile device using identifiers transmitted in a cellular network as location identifiers, wherein the second subsystem determines that the location change has occurred upon determining a change of location identifiers;

in the first subsystem, determining an initial geographic location of the mobile device using the first notification;

in the first subsystem, receiving a second notification generated by the notification function of the second subsystem of the mobile device;

determining a current geographic location of the mobile device using the second notification;

determining that a travel distance of the mobile device between the initial geographic location of the mobile device and the current geographic location of the mobile device satisfies a threshold distance; and

performing a task by the first subsystem upon the determining, including invoking an application program in the first subsystem or notifying an application program in the first subsystem,

wherein the method is performed by one or more data processing devices.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein:

the first subsystem includes an application subsystem; and

the second subsystem includes a baseband subsystem.

12. The method of claim 10, further comprising configuring the first subsystem to a power-saving mode when the travel distance does not satisfy the threshold, the power saving mode to last a duration of silence, the duration of silence determined based on the threshold distance.

13. The method of claim 12, further comprising suspending the notification function for the duration of silence.

14. The method of claim 10, further comprising designating the current location as a new initial location when the travel distance satisfies the threshold distance.

15. A system, comprising:

a mobile device; and

a non-transitory storage device storing instructions operable to cause the mobile device to perform operations comprising;

receiving a request to perform a task by a first subsystem of the mobile device when the mobile device travels at least a threshold distance;

determining a duration of silence of a second subsystem of the mobile device, the second subsystem being operable to monitor a location change of the mobile device using identifiers transmitted in a cellular network as location identifiers, wherein the second subsystem determines that the location change has occurred upon determining a change of location identifiers;

configuring the second subsystem of the mobile device to send a notification to the first subsystem notifying the first subsystem that the mobile device has traveled, the notification to be sent by a notification function after at least the duration of silence and after the second subsystem determines the change of location identifiers; and

in the first subsystem;

receiving the notification;

determining that the threshold distance has been satisfied based on the received notification; and

performing the task upon the determining, wherein performing the task includes at least one of invoking an application program in the first subsystem, or notifying an application program in the first subsystem.

16. The system of claim 15, wherein:

the first subsystem includes an application subsystem; and

the second subsystem includes a baseband subsystem.

17. The system of claim 15, wherein performing the task includes at least one of:

invoking an application program in the first subsystem; and

notifying an application program in the first subsystem.

18. The system of claim 15, wherein configuring the second subsystem of the mobile device includes:

suspending the notification functions of the second subsystem;

configuring a timer to activate the first subsystem after the duration of silence; and

activating the notification functions of the second subsystem after the duration of silence using the first subsystem.

19. The system of claim 15, wherein determining the duration of silence includes determining the duration of silence based on the threshold distance.

20. The system of claim 15, further comprising:

upon configuring the second subsystem, changing an operating mode of the first subsystem from a first operating mode to a second operating mode.

21. The system of claim 20, wherein:

the first operating mode includes an active operating mode; and

the second operating mode includes a power-saving operating mode.

22. A non-transitory storage device storing instructions operable to cause a data processing device to perform operations comprising:

receiving a request to perform a task by a first subsystem of a mobile device when the mobile device travels at least a threshold distance;

determining a duration of silence of a second subsystem of the mobile device, the second subsystem being operable to monitor a location change of the mobile device using identifiers transmitted in a cellular network as location identifiers, wherein the second subsystem determines that the location change has occurred upon determining a change of location identifiers;

configuring the second subsystem of the mobile device to send a notification to the first subsystem notifying the first subsystem that the mobile device has traveled, the notification to be sent by a notification function after at least the duration of silence and after the second subsystem determines the change of location identifiers; and

in the first subsystem;

receiving the notification;

determining that the threshold distance has been satisfied based on the received notification; and

performing the task upon the determining, wherein performing the task upon the determining performing the task includes at least one of invoking an application program in the first subsystem, or notifying an application program in the first subsystem.

23. The non-transitory storage device of claim 22, wherein:

the first subsystem includes an application subsystem; and

the second subsystem includes a baseband subsystem.

24. The non-transitory storage device of claim 22, wherein performing the task includes at least one of:

invoking an application program in the first subsystem; and

notifying an application program in the first subsystem.