Method and apparatus for intelligent acquisition of position information

• US 9,182,238 B2
• Filed: 03/13/2013
• Issued: 11/10/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 04/24/2002
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: IpVenture, Inc.
• Original Assignee: IpVenture, Inc.
• Inventors: Lau, Chung, Thomas, C. Douglass
• Primary Examiner(s): Black, Thomas G
• Assistant Examiner(s): PAIGE, TYLER D
• Application Number:
  US13/802,574
• Publication Number:
  US 20140278084A1
• Time in Patent Office: 972 Days
• Field of Search: 701/526, 455/456.1
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/20 Instruments for performing navigational calculations G01C21/24, G01C21/26 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 19/34 Power consumption
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 19/42 Determining position
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/3212 Monitoring battery levels, e.g. power saving mode being initiated when battery voltage goes below a certain level
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/329 by task scheduling
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 64/00 Locating users or terminals or network equipment for network management purposes, e.g. mobility management
• CPC Class Codes: Y02D 30/70 in wireless communication networks

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;

a memory that stores the position information that has been acquired by said position detection unit;

a battery for providing power to said position acquisition apparatus; and

a controller operatively connected to said position detection unit, said memory and said battery, said controller determines motion of said portable position acquisition apparatus, and said controller determines whether said position detection unit should reacquire position information pertaining to said position acquisition apparatus based on at least (i) the determined motion of said portable position acquisition apparatus, and (ii) a battery level characteristic of said battery,

wherein, if said controller has determined that said position detection unit is to reacquire position information pertaining to said position acquisition apparatus, said controller interacts with said position detection unit to reacquire position information pertaining to said position acquisition apparatus.

2. A portable position acquisition apparatus as recited in claim 1, wherein said controller determines a frequency by which said position detecting unit acquires the position information for said portable position acquisition apparatus, the frequency being dependent on at least the battery level characteristic of said battery.

3. A portable position acquisition apparatus as recited in claim 2, wherein the frequency is reduced but not to zero when the battery level characteristic indicates that charge of said battery is deemed low.

4. A portable position acquisition apparatus as recited in claim 1, wherein said portable position acquisition apparatus comprises:

a motion monitoring unit that monitors motion of said portable position acquisition apparatus.

5. A portable position acquisition apparatus as recited in claim 4, wherein said motion monitoring unit monitors motion of said position acquisition apparatus based on at least one criteria selected from the group consisting of acceleration, vibration, force, speed, and direction.

6. A portable position acquisition apparatus as recited in claim 4, wherein said motion monitoring unit comprises at least one sensor.

7. A portable position acquisition apparatus as recited in claim 4, wherein said motion monitoring unit comprises an accelerometer.

8. A portable position acquisition apparatus as recited in claim 4, wherein the determination by said controller of whether to reacquire the position information is dependent on at least one user setting associated with said position acquisition apparatus.

9. A portable position acquisition apparatus as recited in claim 8, wherein said controller determines motion with reference to a threshold amount of movement, and wherein the threshold amount is dependent on at least one setting or condition associated with said position acquisition apparatus.

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

wherein said controller determines speed of movement of said portable position acquisition apparatus, and

wherein said controller determines whether said position detection unit should reacquire position information pertaining to said position acquisition apparatus based at least in part on the determined speed.

11. A portable position acquisition apparatus as recited in claim 1,

wherein said controller determines speed of movement of said portable position acquisition apparatus, and

wherein said controller determines whether said position detection unit should reacquire position information pertaining to said position acquisition apparatus based at least in part on the determined speed.

12. A portable position acquisition apparatus as recited in claim 1, wherein said controller adapts a frequency by which said position detecting unit acquires the position information for said portable position acquisition apparatus, the frequency being dependent on at least the battery level characteristic of said battery.

13. A portable position acquisition apparatus as recited in claim 1, wherein said controller adapts a frequency by which said position detecting unit acquires the position information for said portable position acquisition apparatus, the frequency being dependent on at least the battery level characteristic of said battery and the determined motion.

14. A portable position acquisition apparatus as recited in claim 1, wherein the determination by said controller of whether to reacquire the position information is dependent on at least one user setting associated with said position acquisition apparatus.

15. A portable position acquisition apparatus as recited in claim 14, wherein said controller determines motion with reference to a threshold amount of movement, and wherein the threshold amount is dependent on the at least one user setting associated with said position acquisition apparatus.

16. A portable position acquisition apparatus as recited in claim 14, wherein said controller determines motion with reference to a threshold amount, and wherein the threshold amount is dependent on a condition of said position acquisition apparatus other than the determined motion or the battery level characteristic.

17. A portable position acquisition apparatus as recited in claim 1, wherein said controller adapts a frequency by which said position detection unit should reacquire the position information based on at least the determined motion of said portable position acquisition apparatus, such that (i) said position detection unit reacquires the position information more frequently if the said portable position acquisition apparatus is deemed in motion, and (ii) said position detection unit reacquires the position information less frequently if the said portable position acquisition apparatus is deemed not to be in motion.

18. A portable position acquisition apparatus as recited in claim 17, wherein said controller determines motion with reference to a threshold amount of movement, and wherein the threshold amount is dependent on at least one setting or condition associated with said position acquisition apparatus.

19. A portable position acquisition apparatus as recited in claim 18, wherein said position detection unit comprises a GPS receiver.

20. A portable position acquisition apparatus as recited in claim 18,

wherein said position detection unit comprises a GPS receiver,

wherein said position acquisition apparatus comprises an accelerometer,

wherein said controller determines motion of said position acquisition apparatus based on data received from at least one of the GPS receiver and the accelerometer.

21. A portable position acquisition apparatus as recited in claim 1, wherein said position detection unit comprises a GPS receiver.

22. A portable position acquisition apparatus as recited in claim 1, wherein said position detection unit comprises a receiver configured to receive wireless signals from a plurality of remote satellites.

23. A portable position acquisition apparatus as recited in claim 1, wherein said portable position acquisition apparatus comprises:

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.

24. A portable position acquisition apparatus as recited in claim 23,

wherein said controller causes said communication interface to transmit the data to the remote device, and

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.

25. A portable position acquisition apparatus as recited in claim 23,

wherein said controller causes said communication interface to transmit the data to the remote device, and

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 scheduled 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 scheduled basis.

26. A portable position acquisition apparatus as recited in claim 23, wherein the data being transmitted is transmitted in a SMS message.

27. A portable position acquisition apparatus as recited in claim 23, wherein said position detection unit comprises a GPS receiver.

28. A portable position acquisition apparatus as recited in claim 23, wherein at least one user setting is set from a remote location via a web interface, the at least one user setting causing reacquisition of the position information to be more or less likely.

29. A portable position acquisition apparatus as recited in claim 1, wherein said controller determines whether said portable position acquisition apparatus is in motion based on at least changes in the position information detected by said position detection unit.

30. A portable position acquisition apparatus as recited in claim 29, wherein if said portable position acquisition apparatus is determined to be in motion, then said position detection unit acquires the position information for said position acquisition apparatus on a periodic basis, and if said portable position acquisition apparatus is determined not to be in motion, then said position detection unit does not acquire the position information for said position acquisition apparatus on the periodic basis.

31. A portable position acquisition apparatus as recited in claim 29, wherein said controller adapts a frequency by which said position detection unit reacquires the position information based on at least the battery level characteristic of said battery, such that, while said position acquisition apparatus is determined to be in motion, said position detection unit reacquires the position information less frequently if the battery level characteristic indicates a reduced power level of said battery.

32. A portable position acquisition apparatus as recited in claim 29, wherein said position detection unit reacquires the position information less frequently if the said portable position acquisition apparatus is deemed not to be in motion.

33. A portable position acquisition apparatus as recited in claim 29, wherein said position detection unit reacquires the position information more frequently if the said portable position acquisition apparatus is deemed in motion.

34. A portable position acquisition apparatus as recited in claim 1, 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.

35. A portable position acquisition apparatus as recited in claim 1, wherein said position acquisition apparatus further comprises:

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

36. A portable position acquisition apparatus as recited in claim 35,

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

wherein said communication interface transmits the position information to the remote device only when the position information differs from a previously- transmitted position information by at least a threshold amount.

37. A portable position acquisition apparatus as recited in claim 36, wherein said position detection unit comprises a GPS receiver.

38. A portable position acquisition apparatus as recited in claim 36, wherein the determination by said controller of whether to reacquire the position information is dependent on at least one user setting associated with said position acquisition apparatus.