Saving battery on wireless connections on mobile devices using internal motion detection

• US 8,433,934 B1
• Filed: 06/28/2012
• Issued: 04/30/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 06/28/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Google LLC (Alphabet Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Google Inc. (Alphabet Inc.)
• Inventors: On, Robert
• Primary Examiner(s): Elamin, M
• Application Number:
  US13/535,706
• Time in Patent Office: 306 Days
• Field of Search: 713/300, 713/310, 713320-324, 713/330, 713/340, 370/311
• US Class Current: 713/300
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/3209 Monitoring remote activity, e.g. over telephone lines or network connections
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/3231 Monitoring the presence, absence or movement of users
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 52/0245 according to signal strength
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 52/0254 detecting a user operation or a tactile contact or a motion of the device
• CPC Class Codes: Y02D 10/00 Energy efficient computing, e.g. low power processors, power management or thermal management
• CPC Class Codes: Y02D 30/70 in wireless communication networks

Abstract

Implementations relate to a computer-implemented method, device, and computer readable storage medium for optimizing battery life in a mobile computing device. The method includes determining that a wireless signal associated with a wireless network connection utilized by the mobile computing device is at or below a reception strength threshold; disabling the wireless network connection in response to the wireless signal being at or below the reception strength threshold; acquiring, from one or more motion sensors of the mobile computing device, an amount of motion of the mobile computing device during a predetermined time period; determining whether the amount of motion of the mobile device exceeds a predetermined motion threshold; and enabling the wireless network connection in response to the amount of motion exceeding the predetermined motion threshold.

Claims

1. A method for optimizing battery life in a mobile computing device, the method comprising:

determining that a wireless signal associated with a wireless network connection utilized by the mobile computing device is at or below a reception strength threshold;

in response to determining that a wireless signal associated with a wireless network connection utilized by the mobile computing device is at or below a reception strength threshold, disabling the wireless network connection in response to the wireless signal being at or below the reception strength threshold;

while the wireless network connection is disabled;

determining, from one or more motion sensors of the mobile computing device, an amount of motion of the mobile computing device during a predetermined time period;

determining that the amount of motion of the mobile device exceeds a predetermined motion threshold; and

in response to determining that the amount of motion of the mobile device exceeds a predetermined motion threshold, enabling the previously-disabled wireless network connection.

2. The method of claim 1, the method further comprising:

determining a new time period in response to the amount of motion not exceeding the predetermined motion threshold;

acquiring, from the one or more motion sensors of the mobile computing device, a new amount of motion of the mobile computing device during a new time period;

determining whether the new amount of motion of the mobile device exceeds a predetermined motion threshold; and

enabling the wireless network connection in response to the new amount of motion exceeding the predetermined motion threshold.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the new time period is determined based on an exponential back-off algorithm.

4. The method according to claim 1, wherein the one or more motion sensors comprises an internal motion sensor selected from the group consisting of:

a gyroscope and an accelerometer.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein determining, by the gyroscope, whether the amount of motion of the mobile device exceeds a predetermined motion threshold comprises:

measuring a rotational velocity of the mobile device along three primary axes during the predetermined time period;

computing a vector sum of the rotational velocity; and

determining displacement based on the vector sum of the rotational velocity and the predetermined time period.

6. The method of claim 4, wherein determining, by the accelerometer, whether the amount of motion of the mobile device exceeds a predetermined motion threshold comprises:

measuring an applied force experienced by the mobile device while in motion along three primary axes during the predetermined time period;

computing an acceleration value as a three-dimensional vector acceleration having components in three principle axes; and

determining displacement based on the three-dimensional vector acceleration and the predetermined time period.

7. The method according to claim 1, further comprising:

determining, prior to disabling the wireless network connection, a battery level of the mobile computing device; and

disabling the wireless network connection if the battery level is at or below a minimum battery level.

8. A device comprising:

one or more processors; and

a computer readable medium comprising instructions that when executed by the one or more processors, cause the device to perform a method comprising;

determining that a wireless signal associated with a wireless network connection utilized by the mobile computing device is at or below a reception strength threshold;

in response to determining that a wireless signal associated with a wireless network connection utilized by the mobile computing device is at or below a reception strength threshold, disabling the wireless network connection in response to the wireless signal being at or below the reception strength threshold;

while the wireless network connection is disabled;

determining, from one or more motion sensors of the mobile computing device, an amount of motion of the mobile computing device during a predetermined time period;

determining that the amount of motion of the mobile device exceeds a predetermined motion threshold; and

in response to determining that the amount of motion of the mobile device exceeds a predetermined motion threshold, enabling the previously-disabled wireless network connection.

9. The device of claim 8, the device further comprising:

determining a new time period in response to the amount of motion not exceeding the predetermined motion threshold;

acquiring, from the one or more motion sensors of the mobile computing device, a new amount of motion of the mobile computing device during a new time period;

determining whether the new amount of motion of the mobile device exceeds a predetermined motion threshold; and

enabling the wireless network connection in response to the new amount of motion exceeding the predetermined motion threshold.

10. The device of claim 9, wherein the new time period is determined based on an exponential back-off algorithm.

11. The device according to claim 8, wherein the one or more motion sensors comprises an internal motion sensor selected from the group consisting of:

a gyroscope and an accelerometer.

12. The device of claim 11, wherein determining, by the gyroscope, whether the amount of motion of the mobile device exceeds a predetermined motion threshold comprises:

measuring a rotational velocity of the mobile device along three primary axes during the predetermined time period;

computing a vector sum of the rotational velocity; and

determining displacement based on the vector sum of the rotational velocity and the predetermined time period.

13. The device of claim 11, wherein determining, by the accelerometer, whether the amount of motion of the mobile device exceeds a predetermined motion threshold comprises:

measuring an applied force experienced by the mobile device while in motion along three primary axes during the predetermined time period;

computing an acceleration value as a three-dimensional vector acceleration having components in three principle axes; and

determining displacement based on the three-dimensional vector acceleration and the predetermined time period.

14. The device according to claim 8, further comprising:

determining, prior to disabling the wireless network connection, a battery level of the mobile computing device; and

disabling the wireless network connection if the battery level is at or below a minimum battery level.

15. A non-transitory computer readable medium comprising instructions that when executed by the one or more processors, cause the device to perform a method comprising:

determining that a wireless signal associated with a wireless network connection utilized by the mobile computing device is at or below a reception strength threshold;

in response to determining that a wireless signal associated with a wireless network connection utilized by the mobile computing device is at or below a reception strength threshold, disabling the wireless network connection in response to the wireless signal being at or below the reception strength threshold;

while the wireless network connection is disabled;

determining, from one or more motion sensors of the mobile computing device, an amount of motion of the mobile computing device during a predetermined time period;

determining that the amount of motion of the mobile device exceeds a predetermined motion threshold; and

in response to determining that the amount of motion of the mobile device exceeds a predetermined motion threshold, enabling the previously-disabled wireless network connection.

16. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 15, the device further comprising:

determining a new time period in response to the amount of motion not exceeding the predetermined motion threshold;

acquiring, from the one or more motion sensors of the mobile computing device, a new amount of motion of the mobile computing device during a new time period;

determining whether the new amount of motion of the mobile device exceeds a predetermined motion threshold; and

enabling the wireless network connection in response to the new amount of motion exceeding the predetermined motion threshold.

17. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 16, wherein the new time period is determined based on an exponential back-off algorithm.

18. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium according to claim 15, wherein the one or more motion sensors comprises an internal motion sensor selected from the group consisting of:

a gyroscope and an accelerometer.

19. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 18, wherein determining, by the gyroscope, whether the amount of motion of the mobile device exceeds a predetermined motion threshold comprises:

measuring a rotational velocity of the mobile device along three primary axes during the predetermined time period;

computing a vector sum of the rotational velocity; and

determining displacement based on the vector sum of the rotational velocity and the predetermined time period.

20. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 18, wherein determining, by the accelerometer, whether the amount of motion of the mobile device exceeds a predetermined motion threshold comprises:

measuring an applied force experienced by the mobile device while in motion along three primary axes during the predetermined time period;

computing an acceleration value as a three-dimensional vector acceleration having components in three principle axes; and

determining displacement based on the three-dimensional vector acceleration and the predetermined time period.