Method and apparatus for intelligent acquisition of position information

• US 9,074,903 B1
• Filed: 03/17/2009
• Issued: 07/07/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 04/24/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: IpVenture, Inc.
• Original Assignee: IpVenture, Inc.
• Inventors: Lau, Chung, Thomas, C. Douglass
• Primary Examiner(s): To, Tuan C.
• Application Number:
  US12/381,776
• Time in Patent Office: 2,303 Days
• Field of Search: 701/213, 701/412, 701/468, 701/541, 455/574, 455/91, 123/179.3
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/3415 Dynamic re-routing, e.g. recalculating the route when the user deviates from calculated route or after detecting real-time traffic data or accidents
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 19/34 Power consumption
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 19/42 Determining position
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/00 Administration; Management
• CPC Class Codes: H02M 1/0032 Control circuits allowing low power mode operation, e.g. in standby mode
• CPC Class Codes: Y02B 70/10 Technologies improving the efficiency by using switched-mode power supplies [SMPS], i.e. efficient power electronics conversion e.g. power factor correction or reduction of losses in power supplies or efficient standby modes

Abstract

Improved methods and systems for position acquisition and/or monitoring are disclosed. The position acquisition and/or monitoring can be performed with improved intelligence so that data acquisition, transmission and/or processing is reduced. As a result, the position acquisition and/or monitoring is able to be performed in a power efficient manner.

Claims

1. A portable position acquisition apparatus, comprising:

a position detection unit that acquires position information pertaining to said position acquisition apparatus, said position detection unit including at least a GPS receiver, and the position information acquired being based at least in part on information received by the GPS receiver;

a memory that stores the position information;

a battery for providing power to said position acquisition apparatus;

a controller operatively connected to said position detection unit, said memory and said battery, and said controller determines a position change amount based on the position information and previously-transmitted position information, compares the position change amount to a threshold amount, and determines when said position detection unit should reacquire the position information based on at least the position change amount; and

a communication interface that enables said position acquisition apparatus to transmit data to a remote device via a wireless channel,

wherein the data being transmitted includes at least the position information,

wherein said communication interface is controlled to transmit the position information to the remote device if the controller has determined that the position change amount exceeds the threshold amount,

wherein at least one user setting is set from a remote location via a web interface, and

wherein said controller causes said position detection unit to reacquire the position information dependent on the at least one user setting.

2. A portable position acquisition apparatus as recited in claim 1, wherein the data being transmitted is transmitted in a SMS message.

3. A portable position acquisition apparatus as recited in claim 1, wherein the threshold amount is dependent on at the least one user setting.

4. A portable position acquisition apparatus, comprising:

a position detection unit that acquires position information pertaining to said position acquisition apparatus, said position detection unit including at least a GPS receiver, and the position information acquired being based at least in part on information received by the GPS receiver;

a memory that stores the position information;

a battery for providing power to said position acquisition apparatus;

a communication interface that enables said position acquisition apparatus to transmit data to a remote device via a wireless channel, the data being transmitted includes at least the position information; and

a controller operatively connected to said position detection unit, said memory, said communication interface and said battery, said controller causes said communication interface to transmit the data to the remote device, and said controller determines whether said portable position acquisition apparatus is in motion using the position information detected by said position detection unit,

wherein if said portable position acquisition apparatus is determined to be in motion, then said communication interface transmits the data to the remote device on a periodic basis, and if said portable position acquisition apparatus is determined not to be in motion, then said communication interface does not transmit the data to the remote device on the periodic basis,

wherein at least one user setting is capable of being set from a remote location via a web interface, the at least one user setting affects the frequency of the periodic basis by which said communication device transmits the data to the remote device.

5. A portable position acquisition apparatus as recited in claim 4, wherein the data being transmitted is transmitted in a SMS message.

6. A portable position acquisition apparatus as recited in claim 4,

wherein said communication interface has at least a normal power state and a low-power state,

wherein, when the position information differs from prior position information by at least a transmission threshold amount, said communication interface transitions to the normal power state and then transmits the position information to the remote device,

wherein after said communication interface transmits the position information to the remote device, said communication interface transitions to the low-power state, and

wherein said position detection unit is disabled or placed in a sleep mode when in the low-power state.

7. A portable position acquisition apparatus as recited in claim 6, wherein the transmission threshold amount is configurable or dynamic based on one or a combination of position, server configuration, time, resolution, service level, interested party configuration, and network availability.

8. A portable position acquisition apparatus as recited in claim 4, wherein said controller determines whether said position acquisition apparatus is in motion based on at least one criteria select from the group consisting of acceleration, vibration, force, speed, and direction.

9. A portable position acquisition apparatus as recited in claim 4, wherein said position acquisition apparatus comprises an accelerometer.

11. A portable position acquisition apparatus as recited in claim 4, wherein said controller adapts a determined frequency by which said position detection unit should reacquire position information, such that said position detection unit is controllable to reacquire position information at different rates.

12. A portable position acquisition apparatus as recited in claim 4, wherein said controller adapts a determined frequency by which said position detection unit should reacquire position information based on at least a battery level characteristic of said battery, such that said position detection unit reacquires position information less frequently if the battery level characteristic indicates a reduced power level of said battery.

10. A portable position acquisition apparatus, comprising:

a position detection unit that acquires position information pertaining to said position acquisition apparatus, said position detection unit including at least a GPS receiver, and the position information acquired being based at least in part on information received by the GPS receiver;

a memory that stores the position information;

a battery for providing power to said position acquisition apparatus;

a communication interface that enables said position acquisition apparatus to transmit data to a remote device via a wireless channel, the data being transmitted includes at least the position information; and

a controller operatively connected to said position detection unit, said memory, said communication interface and said battery, said controller causes said communication interface to transmit the data to the remote device, and said controller determines whether said portable position acquisition apparatus is in motion using the position information detected by said position detection unit,

wherein at least one setting is configured to be set via a web interface, the at least one user setting causing reacquisition of position information by said position detection unit to occur more often or less often.

13. A portable position acquisition apparatus as recited in claim 10, wherein said position detection unit reacquires position information less frequently than a determined frequency or not at all if said position acquisition apparatus is deemed not to be in motion.

14. A portable position acquisition apparatus as recited in claim 13, wherein said position detection unit stops reacquiring position information if the said portable position acquisition apparatus is deemed not to be in motion.

15. A portable position acquisition apparatus as recited in claim 10, wherein said position detection unit has at least a low-power state and a normal power state, and wherein said position detection unit remains in the low-power state while position information is not being acquired, whereby power of said battery is conserved when said position detection unit is in the low-power state.

16. A portable position acquisition apparatus as recited in claim 10, wherein the data being transmitted is transmitted in a SMS message.

17. A portable position acquisition apparatus as recited in claim 10, wherein if said position acquisition apparatus is determined to be in motion, then said communication interface transmits the data to the remote device on a periodic basis, and if said position acquisition apparatus is determined not to be in motion, then said communication interface does not transmit the data to the remote device on the periodic basis.

18. A portable position acquisition apparatus as recited in claim 10, wherein said controller causes said position detection unit to reacquire position information based at least in part on a battery level characteristic of said battery.

19. A portable position acquisition apparatus as recited in claim 18, wherein said controller determines a periodic basis at which said position detection unit is to reacquire the position information pertaining to said position acquisition apparatus, the periodic basis at which said position detection unit reacquires the position information varies depending on at least the battery level characteristic of said battery.

20. A portable position acquisition apparatus as recited in claim 10, wherein said controller controls said position detection unit to reacquire position information in a manner dependent on whether said position acquisition apparatus is in motion.

21. A portable position acquisition apparatus as recited in claim 20, wherein said controller controls said communication interface to transmit the data to the remote device in a manner dependent on whether said position acquisition apparatus is in motion.

22. A portable position acquisition apparatus as recited in claim 20,

wherein said controller controls said position detection unit such that said position detection unit does not reacquire position information on a periodic basis when said position acquisition apparatus is deemed not in motion, and

wherein said controller controls said position detection unit such that said position detection unit does reacquire the position information in accordance with a periodic basis when said position acquisition apparatus is deemed in motion.

23. A portable position acquisition apparatus as recited in claim 22, wherein when said position acquisition apparatus is deemed to be in motion, then said communication interface transmits the data to the remote device, and when said position acquisition apparatus is deemed not to be in motion, then said communication interface does not transmit the data to the remote device.

24. A portable position acquisition apparatus as recited in claim 18, wherein when said controller determines that said position acquisition apparatus is deemed to be in motion, then said controller controls said position detection unit to reacquire the position information periodically but less frequently if the battery level characteristic indicates a reduced power level of said battery.

25. A portable position acquisition apparatus as recited in claim 10, wherein said position acquisition apparatus is wearable.

26. A portable position acquisition apparatus as recited in claim 10, wherein said position detection unit has at least a low-power state and a normal power state, and wherein said position detection unit remains in the low-power state while position information is not being acquired, whereby power of said battery is conserved when said position detection unit is in the low-power state.

27. A portable position acquisition apparatus as recited in claim 10, wherein said communication interface avoids transmission of the position information to the remote device if the position information differs from prior position information by less than a transmission threshold amount.

28. A portable position acquisition apparatus as recited in claim 27, wherein the transmission threshold amount is configurable or dynamic based on a condition of said position acquisition apparatus.

29. A portable position acquisition apparatus as recited in claim 10, wherein said position acquisition apparatus is pager sized or smaller.

30. A portable position acquisition apparatus as recited in claim 18, wherein the battery level characteristic pertains to one or more of charge, current, voltage or power of said battery.

31. A portable position acquisition apparatus as recited in claim 10, wherein said controller determines a degree of motion, and wherein when a degree of motion of said position acquisition apparatus is less than a threshold amount then said position detection unit ceases to reacquire the position information or reduces a period at which the position information is reacquired.

32. A portable position acquisition apparatus as recited in claim 31, wherein a frequency at which said communication interface transmits the data to the remote device is dependent on the degree of motion of said position acquisition apparatus, whereby when the degree of motion of said position acquisition apparatus is less than a threshold amount then said communication interface ceases to transmit the data or reduces the frequency at which the data is transmitted.

33. A portable position acquisition apparatus as recited in claim 10, wherein said controller determines a degree of motion, and wherein a frequency at which said communication interface transmits at least the position information to the remote device is dependent on the degree of motion of said position acquisition apparatus, whereby when the degree of motion of said position acquisition apparatus is less than a threshold amount then said communication interface ceases to transmit the position information or reduces the frequency at which the position information is transmitted.