Automatic activation of speed measurement in mobile device based on available motion indicia

• US 9,185,525 B2
• Filed: 01/14/2013
• Issued: 11/10/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 02/18/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Malikie Innovations Limited (Key Patent Innovations Limited)
• Original Assignee: Blackberry Limited
• Inventors: Dietz, David Blaine, Sangary, Nagula Tharma, Simmons, Sean Bartholomew, Lazaridis, Mihal, Doll, Jonathan Cyril Skilton, Jarmuszewski, Perry
• Primary Examiner(s): Richardson, Jany
• Application Number:
  US13/740,844
• Publication Number:
  US 20130130742A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,030 Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72463 to restrict the functionality of the device
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2250/10 including a GPS signal receiver
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2250/12 including a sensor for measuring a physical value, e.g. temperature or motion telephones including GPS signal receivers H04M2250/10
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/027 using movement velocity, acceleration information
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 52/0254 detecting a user operation or a tactile contact or a motion of the device
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 52/028 switching on or off only a part of the equipment circuit blocks
• CPC Class Codes: Y02D 30/70 in wireless communication networks

Abstract

A system and method for speed measurement of a mobile device using a speed which does not need to be continually activated. In one embodiment, there is provided a method for determining a speed of a mobile electronic device, the mobile electronic device including a speed sensor and an input device, comprising: determining whether the mobile electronic device is travelling at a speed in excess of a first threshold based on input from the input device other than speed determined by a speed sensor; activating the speed sensor to determine the speed of the mobile electronic device responsive to determining that the mobile electronic device is travelling at a speed in excess of the first threshold based on input from the input device; determining whether a speed of the mobile electronic device sensed by the speed sensor exceeds the first threshold in responsive to the activating; and performing an action responsive to the speed of the wireless communication device sensed by the speed sensor exceeding the first threshold.

Claims

1. A method for determining a speed of a wireless communication device, comprising:

determining whether a number and/or identity of base stations in a wireless wide area network which are visible to the wireless communication device exceeds a first threshold;

activating a speed sensor responsive to a change in a number and/or identity of the base stations in the wireless wide area network which are visible to the wireless communication device exceeding the first threshold;

determining whether a speed of the wireless communication device sensed by the speed sensor exceeds the first threshold in responsive to the activating; and

performing an action responsive to the speed of the wireless communication device sensed by the speed sensor exceeding the first threshold.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

deactivating the speed sensor when the change in the number and/or identity of the base stations in the wireless wide area network which are visible to the wireless communication device is less than a second threshold.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

characterizing a radio channel used by the wireless communication device if the speed of the wireless communication device exceeds the first threshold.

4. The method of claim 3, further comprising:

stopping the characterizing of the radio channel used by the wireless communication device if the speed of the wireless communication device is less than a second threshold.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the action comprises disabling a function of the wireless communication device when the speed of the wireless communication device exceeds the first threshold.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein the action further comprises enabling the function of the wireless communication device which was disabled when the speed of the wireless communication device is less than a second threshold.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the action comprises enabling a function of the wireless communication device when the speed of the wireless communication device exceeds the first threshold.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein the action further comprises disabling the function of the wireless communication device which was enabled when the speed of the wireless communication device is less than a second threshold.

9. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

monitoring the number and/or identity of the base stations in the wireless wide area network which are visible to the wireless communication device; and

maintaining by the wireless communication device a history of the base stations in the wireless wide area network which are visible to the wireless communication device.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the sensor comprises a Global Positioning System (GPS) satellite receiver.

11. A wireless communication device, comprising:

a processor;

a wireless communication subsystem coupled to the processor which communicates with a wireless wide area network having a plurality of base stations, each having area coverage cell;

a sensor coupled to the processor which determines a speed of the wireless communication device;

wherein the processor is configured for;

determining whether a number and/or identity of base stations in a wireless wide area network which are visible to the wireless communication device exceeds a first threshold;

activating a speed sensor responsive to a change in a number and/or identity of the base stations in the wireless wide area network which are visible to the wireless communication device exceeding the first threshold;

determining whether a speed of the wireless communication device sensed by the speed sensor exceeds the first threshold in responsive to the activating; and

performing an action responsive to the speed of the wireless communication device sensed by the speed sensor.

12. The wireless communication device of claim 11, wherein the processor is further configured for:

deactivating the speed sensor when the change in the number and/or identity of the base stations in the wireless wide area network which are visible to the wireless communication device is less than a second threshold.

13. The wireless communication device of claim 11, wherein the processor is further configured for:

characterizing a radio channel used by the wireless communication device if the speed of the wireless communication device exceeds the first threshold.

14. The wireless communication device of claim 13, wherein the processor is further configured for:

stopping the characterizing of the radio channel used by the wireless communication device if the speed of the wireless communication device is less than a second threshold.

15. The wireless communication device of claim 11, wherein the action comprises disabling a function of the wireless communication device when the speed of the wireless communication device exceeds the first threshold.

16. The wireless communication device of claim 15, wherein the action further comprises enabling the function of the wireless communication device which was disabled when the speed of the wireless communication device is less than a second threshold.

17. The wireless communication device of claim 11, wherein the action comprises enabling a function of the wireless communication device when the speed of the wireless communication device exceeds the first threshold.

18. The wireless communication device of claim 17, wherein the action further comprises disabling the function of the wireless communication device which was enabled when the speed of the wireless communication device is less than a second threshold.

19. The wireless communication device of claim 11, wherein the processor is further configured for:

monitoring the number and/or identity of the base stations in the wireless wide area network which are visible to the wireless communication device; and

maintaining by the wireless communication device a history of the base stations in the wireless wide area network which are visible to the wireless communication device.

20. The wireless communication device of claim 11, wherein the sensor comprises a Global Positioning System (GPS) satellite receiver.

21. A non-transitory machine readable medium having tangibly stored thereon executable instructions that, when executed by a processor, cause the processor to perform a method for determining a speed of a wireless communication device, the method comprising:

determining whether a number and/or identity of base stations in a wireless wide area network which are visible to the wireless communication device exceeds a first threshold;

activating a speed sensor responsive to a change in a number and/or identity of the base stations in the wireless wide area network which are visible to the wireless communication device exceeding the first threshold;

determining whether a speed of the wireless communication device sensed by the speed sensor exceeds the first threshold in responsive to the activating; and

performing an action responsive to the speed of the wireless communication device sensed by the speed sensor exceeding the first threshold.

22. The non-transitory machine readable medium of claim 21, the method further comprising:

deactivating the speed sensor when the change in the number and/or identity of the base stations in the wireless wide area network which are visible to the wireless communication device is less than a second threshold.

23. The non-transitory machine readable medium of claim 21, the method further comprising:

characterizing a radio channel used by the wireless communication device if the speed of the wireless communication device exceeds the first threshold.

24. The non-transitory machine readable medium of claim 23, the method further comprising:

stopping the characterizing of the radio channel used by the wireless communication device if the speed of the wireless communication device is less than a second threshold.

25. The non-transitory machine readable medium of claim 21, wherein the action comprises disabling a function of the wireless communication device when the speed of the wireless communication device exceeds the first threshold.

26. The non-transitory machine readable medium of claim 25, wherein the action further comprises enabling the function of the wireless communication device which was disabled when the speed of the wireless communication device is less than a second threshold.

27. The non-transitory machine readable medium of claim 21, wherein the action comprises enabling a function of the wireless communication device when the speed of the wireless communication device exceeds the first threshold.

28. The non-transitory machine readable medium of claim 27, wherein the action further comprises disabling the function of the wireless communication device which was enabled when the speed of the wireless communication device is less than a second threshold.

29. The non-transitory machine readable medium of claim 21, the method further comprising:

monitoring the number and/or identity of the base stations in the wireless wide area network which are visible to the wireless communication device; and

maintaining by the wireless communication device a history of the base stations in the wireless wide area network which are visible to the wireless communication device.

30. The non-transitory machine readable medium of claim 21, wherein the sensor comprises a Global Positioning System (GPS) satellite receiver.

31. A method for determining a speed of a mobile electronic device, the mobile electronic device including a speed sensor and an input device, comprising:

determining whether the mobile electronic device is travelling at a speed in excess of a first threshold based on input from the input device other than speed determined by a speed sensor;

activating the speed sensor to determine the speed of the mobile electronic device responsive to determining that the mobile electronic device is travelling at a speed in excess of the first threshold based on input from the input device;

determining whether a speed of the mobile electronic device sensed by the speed sensor exceeds the first threshold in responsive to the activating; and

performing an action responsive to the speed of the wireless communication device sensed by the speed sensor exceeding the first threshold.

32. The method of claim 31, wherein the sensor comprises a Global Positioning System (GPS) satellite receiver.

33. A mobile electronic device, comprising:

a processor;

an input device coupled to the processor;

a speed sensor coupled to the processor which determines a speed of the mobile electronic device;

wherein the processor is configured for;

determining whether the mobile electronic device is travelling at a speed in excess of a first threshold based on input from the input device other than speed determined by a speed sensor;

activating the speed sensor to determine the speed of the mobile electronic device responsive to determining that the mobile electronic device is travelling at a speed in excess of the first threshold based on input from the input device;

determining whether a speed of the mobile electronic device sensed by the speed sensor exceeds the first threshold in responsive to the activating; and

performing an action responsive to the speed of the wireless communication device sensed by the speed sensor exceeding the first threshold.

34. The mobile electronic device of claim 33, wherein the sensor comprises a Global Positioning System (GPS) satellite receiver.

35. A non-transitory machine readable medium having tangibly stored thereon executable instructions that, when executed by a processor, cause the processor to perform a method for determining a speed of a wireless communication device, the mobile electronic device including a speed sensor and an input device, the method comprising:

determining whether the mobile electronic device is travelling at a speed in excess of a first threshold based on input from the input device other than speed determined by a speed sensor;

activating the speed sensor to determine the speed of the mobile electronic device responsive to determining that the mobile electronic device is travelling at a speed in excess of the first threshold based on input from the input device;

determining whether a speed of the mobile electronic device sensed by the speed sensor exceeds the first threshold in responsive to the activating; and

performing an action responsive to the speed of the wireless communication device sensed by the speed sensor exceeding the first threshold.