Wireless mobile communication device with autonomous Wi-Fi control based on motion of device

• US 8,964,709 B2
• Filed: 08/04/2010
• Issued: 02/24/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 08/04/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Cellco Partnership, Inc. (Verizon Communications Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Cellco Partnership, Inc. (Verizon Communications Inc.)
• Inventors: Kalbag, Rohit Satish
• Primary Examiner(s): Thier, Michael
• Assistant Examiner(s): HAILE, FEBEN
• Application Number:
  US12/850,373
• Publication Number:
  US 20120033653A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,665 Days
• Field of Search: 370/311, 370/328, 370/329, 370/252, 370/338
• US Class Current: 370/338
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/20 Services signaling; Auxiliary data signalling, i.e. transmitting data via a non-traffic channel
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 72/542 using measured or perceived quality
• CPC Class Codes: Y02D 30/70 in wireless communication networks

Abstract

A wireless mobile communication device may include a Wi-Fi data communication system, an operational condition detection system, and a Wi-Fi activation system. The operational condition detection system may be configured to detect an operational condition of the wireless mobile communication device, other than actuation of a user-operated control. The operational condition may be when a motion sensor senses that the wireless mobile communication device has been substantially motionless. The Wi-Fi activation system may be configured to autonomously turn power on to the Wi-Fi data communication system upon detection of an operational condition of the wireless mobile communication device by the operational condition detection system, other than actuation of a user-operated control.

Claims

1. A wireless mobile communication device comprising:

a data storage system configured to store a list indicative of a plurality of Wi-Fi access points that have been previously used by the wireless mobile communication device, wherein a number of the Wi-Fi access points in the list are classified as high usage access points, wherein the classification of the number of Wi-Fi access points as high usage access points is based on one or more of;

a number of times that a particular Wi-Fi access point has been used, a number of times the wireless mobile communication device was being charged while a particular Wi-Fi access point was being used, a cumulative duration that the wireless mobile communication device was in a communication with a particular Wi-Fi access point, a cumulative volume of data that was transferred by the wireless mobile communication device while it was in communication with a particular Wi-Fi access point, and/or a cumulative timestamp of a start or end of communication with a particular Wi-Fi access point;

an operational condition detection system includes;

at least a motion sensor configured to sense motion of the wireless communication device, independent of a location of the wireless communication device, and

configured to detect a turn-on operational condition of the wireless mobile communication device, based at least on the sensed motion, other than actuation of a user-operated control; and

a Wi-Fi activation system configured to autonomously turn power on to a Wi-Fi data communication system upon detection of the turn-on operational condition of the wireless mobile communication device by the operational condition detection system, other than actuation of a user-operated control, the turn-on condition including determination that the wireless mobile communication device;

is not substantially motionless, and

is near to at least one of the high usage Wi-Fi access points in the list,

wherein the Wi-Fi data communication system is configured to wirelessly connect to the at least one of the high usage Wi-Fi access points determined in the turn-on condition and to wirelessly communicate data from the wireless mobile communication device to the at least one high usage Wi-Fi access point.

2. The wireless mobile communication device of claim 1 wherein:

the motion sensor includes an accelerometer or a gyroscope; and

another turn on operational condition, based on the sensed motion of the accelerometer or the gyroscope, is when the wireless mobile communication device has been substantially motionless.

3. The wireless mobile communication device of claim 2 wherein substantially motionless is when the wireless mobile communication device has not moved at an average velocity in excess of a threshold during a pre-determined period.

4. The wireless mobile communication device of claim 1 wherein the Wi-Fi activation system is configured to autonomously turn power off to the Wi-Fi data communication system, after autonomously turning power on to the Wi-Fi data communication system, upon detection of a turn-off operational condition of the wireless mobile communication device by the operational condition detection system, other than actuation of a user-operated control.

5. The wireless mobile communication device of claim 4 wherein:

the operational condition detection system includes a Wi-Fi connection detector configured to detect when a connection to a Wi-Fi access point has been established; and

the turn-off operational condition is when a Wi-Fi connection to a Wi-Fi access point cannot be established.

6. The wireless mobile communication device of claim 4 wherein:

the operational condition detection system includes a Wi-Fi connection detector configured to detect when a connection to a Wi-Fi access point has been broken; and

the turn-off operational condition is when the Wi-Fi connection detector detects that a Wi-Fi connection to a Wi-Fi access point has been broken.

7. The wireless mobile communication device of claim 4 wherein the Wi-Fi activation system includes a power-on delay timer configured to prevent the Wi-Fi activation system from autonomously turning power on to the Wi-Fi data communication system, notwithstanding detection of the turn-on operational condition by the operational condition detection system, for a pre-determined waiting period after the Wi-Fi activation system has autonomously turned power off to the Wi-Fi data communication system.

8. The wireless mobile communication device of claim 7 wherein:

the operational condition detection system includes a motion sensor configured to sense motion of the wireless mobile communication device; and

the power-on delay timer is configured to prematurely terminate the pre-determined waiting period when the motion sensor senses that the wireless mobile communication device has moved substantially after initiation of the pre-determined waiting period.

9. The wireless mobile communication device of claim 1 wherein:

the data storage system is configured to store a user-setting in the wireless mobile communication device indicating that the wireless mobile communication device should not transmit, and

the Wi-Fi activation system is configured not to autonomously turn power on to the Wi-Fi data communication system, notwithstanding detection of the turn-on operational condition by the operational condition detection system, if the data storage system is storing a user-setting indicating that the wireless mobile communication device should not transmit.

10. The wireless mobile communication device of claim 1 wherein the Wi-Fi data communication system is configured to implement one or more user-provided policies governing automatic connection of the Wi-Fi data communication system to specific Wi-Fi access points.

11. Non-transitory, tangible, computer-readable storage medium containing computer programming instructions which,

when executed by a computer processing system within a wireless mobile communication device having:

a data storage system configured to store a list indicative of a plurality of Wi-Fi access points that have been previously used by the wireless mobile communication device, wherein a number of the Wi-Fi access points in the list are classified as high usage access points, wherein the classification of the number of Wi-Fi access points as high usage access points is based on one or more of;

a number of times that a particular Wi-Fi access point has been used, a number of times the wireless mobile communication device was being charged while a particular Wi-Fi access point was being used, a cumulative duration that the wireless mobile communication device was in communication with a particular Wi-Fi access point, a cumulative volume of data that was transferred by the wireless mobile communication device while it was in communication with a particular Wi-Fi access point, and/or a cumulative timestamp of a start or end of communication with a particular Wi-Fi access point; and

an operational condition detection system including;

at least a motion sensor configured to sense motion of the wireless communication device, independent of a location of the wireless communication device, and

configured to detect a turn-on operation condition of the wireless mobile communication device, based at least on the sense motion, other than actuation of a user-operated control;

causes the computer processing system to function as a Wi-Fi activation system which autonomously turns power on to a Wi-Fi data communication system upon detection of the turn-on operational condition of the wireless mobile communication device by the operational condition detection system, other than actuation of a user-operated control, the turn-on condition including the wireless mobile communication device not being substantially motionless, and upon a determination of being near to at least one of the high usage Wi-Fi access points in the list,

wherein the Wi-Fi data communication system is configured to wirelessly connect to the at least one of the high usage Wi-Fi access points and to wirelessly communicate data from the wireless mobile communication device to the at least one high usage Wi-Fi access point.

12. The non-transitory, tangible, computer-readable storage media of claim 11 wherein:

the motion sensor includes an accelerometer or a gyroscope; and

another turn-on operational condition, based on the sensed motion of the accelerometer or the gyroscope, is when the motion sensor senses that he wireless mobile communication device has been substantially motionless.

13. The non-transitory, tangible, computer-readable storage media of claim 12 wherein substantially motionless is when the wireless mobile communication device has not moved at an average velocity in excess of a threshold during a pre-determined period.

14. The non-transitory, tangible, computer-readable storage media of claim 11 wherein the computer programming instructions, when executed by the computer processing system, cause the Wi-Fi activation system to autonomously turn power off to the Wi-Fi data communication system, after autonomously turning power on to the Wi-Fi data communication system, upon detection of a turn-off operational condition of the wireless mobile communication device by the operational condition detection system, other than actuation of a user-operated control.

15. The non-transitory, tangible, computer-readable storage media of claim 14 wherein:

the operational condition detection system includes a Wi-Fi connection detector configured to detect when a connection to a Wi-Fi access point has been established; and

the turn-off operational condition is when the Wi-Fi connection detector detects that a Wi-Fi connection to a Wi-Fi access point cannot be established.

16. The non-transitory, tangible, computer-readable storage media of claim 14 wherein:

the operational condition detection system includes a Wi-Fi connection detector configured to detect when a connection to a Wi-Fi access point has been broken; and

the turn-off operational condition is when the Wi-Fi connection detector detects that a Wi-Fi connection to a Wi-Fi access point has been broken.

17. The non-transitory, tangible, computer-readable storage media of claim 14 wherein the computer programming instructions which, when executed by a computer processing system, cause the Wi-Fi activation system to include a power-on delay timer which prevents the Wi-Fi activation system from autonomously turning power on to the Wi-Fi data communication system, notwithstanding detection of the turn-on operational condition by the operational condition detection system, for a pre-determined waiting period after the Wi-Fi activation system has autonomously turned power off to the Wi-Fi data communication system.

18. The non-transitory, tangible, computer-readable storage media of claim 17 wherein:

the operational condition detection system includes a motion sensor configured to sense motion of the wireless mobile communication device; and

the computer programming instructions which, when executed by a computer processing system, cause the power-on delay timer to prematurely terminate the pre-determined waiting period when the motion sensor senses that the wireless mobile communication device has moved substantially after initiation of the pre-determined waiting period.

19. The non-transitory, computer-readable storage media of claim 11 wherein the computer programming instructions, when executed by the computer processing system, cause the Wi-Fi activation system not to autonomously turn power on to the Wi-Fi data communication system, notwithstanding detection of the turn-on operational condition by the operational condition detection system, if a user-setting in the wireless mobile communication device indicates that the wireless mobile communication device should not transmit.

20. The non-transitory, tangible, computer-readable storage media of claim 11 wherein the computer programming instructions, when executed by the computer processing system, cause the Wi-Fi data communication system to implement one or more user-provided policies governing automatic connection of the Wi-Fi data communication system to specific Wi-Fi access points.