Power management for emergency communications device

• US 9,247,410 B1
• Filed: 12/08/2014
• Issued: 01/26/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 12/08/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Best Buy Health Incorporated (Best Buy Co., Inc.)
• Original Assignee: GreatCall Incorporated (Best Buy Co., Inc.)
• Inventors: Matsuo, Kotaro, Stair, Joel
• Primary Examiner(s): Magloire, Vladimir
• Assistant Examiner(s): Donado, Frank
• Application Number:
  US14/563,918
• Time in Patent Office: 414 Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72424 with manual activation of emergency-service functions
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/02 Services making use of location information
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/029 Location-based management or tracking services
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/90 Services for handling of emergency or hazardous situations, e.g. earthquake and tsunami warning systems [ETWS]
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 52/0212 managed by the network, e.g. network or access point is master and terminal is slave
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 52/0251 using monitoring of local events, e.g. events related to user activity
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 52/0254 detecting a user operation or a tactile contact or a motion of the device
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 52/0264 by selectively disabling software applications
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 52/027 by controlling a display operation or backlight unit
• CPC Class Codes: Y02D 30/70 in wireless communication networks

Abstract

Systems and methods of conserving power in a mobile emergency communication device. After placing a telephone call, the calling device communicates information to the call recipient, for example a response center, usable to estimate the remaining talk time of the calling device. The call recipient sends instructions to the calling device to turn off, disable, or suspend certain device capabilities to conserve battery power in the calling device. For example, if it is determined that the device is not moving, a geographical location capability of the device may be turned off to conserve power. Other capabilities may also be turned off, for example a secondary radio transceiver, a display screen or other visual indicator, certain software applications executing on the device, or other capabilities.

Claims

1. A method performed by a mobile communications device, the method comprising:

receiving from a user of the mobile communications device an indication that the mobile communications device is to place a telephone call to a particular recipient via a mobile telephone network;

placing the telephone call to the particular recipient via the mobile telephone network;

automatically evaluating a battery charge level of the mobile communications device;

transmitting an indication of the battery charge level to the recipient of the telephone call via the mobile telephone network;

automatically evaluating a transmit power being used by the mobile communications device to communicate via the mobile telephone network; and

transmitting an indication of the transmit power to the recipient of the telephone call via the mobile telephone network;

automatically ascertaining a geographic location of the mobile communications device;

transmitting an indication of the geographic location of the mobile communications device to the recipient of the telephone call via the mobile telephone network;

receiving, from the recipient of the telephone call via the mobile telephone network, an instruction to turn off one or more specified capabilities of the mobile communications device, wherein the instruction is sent by the recipient of the telephone call based at least in part on a comparison of an estimated required duration of the telephone call and an estimate of an amount of time the mobile communications device can sustain the telephone call without running out of power, the amount of time the mobile communications device can sustain the telephone call without running out of power being estimated from the battery charge level indication, the transmit power indication, and an anticipated level of need for additional geographic location fixes from the mobile communications device; and

in response to the received instruction, turning off the one or more specified capabilities, wherein turning off the one or more specified capabilities increases the amount of time the mobile communications device can sustain the telephone call.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the indication that the mobile communications device is to place a telephone call to a particular recipient is the press of a single button on the mobile communications device.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein turning off the one or more specified capabilities comprises turning off a geographical location capability of the mobile communications device.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein turning off the one or more specified capabilities comprises turning off a visual display of the mobile communications device.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein turning off the one or more specified capabilities comprises turning off a radio transceiver other than a mobile telephone transceiver being used to communicate via the mobile telephone network.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein turning off the one or more specified capabilities comprises terminating or suspending at least one application executing on a processor of the mobile communications device.

7. The method of claim 6, further comprising transmitting to the recipient of the telephone call a list of one or more application programs being executed by the processor of the mobile communications device.

8. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

automatically recognizing, using a satellite-based geographical location capability within the mobile communications device, that the mobile communications device is not moving; and

in response to the recognition that the mobile communications device is not moving, automatically turning off the satellite-based geographical location capability of the mobile communications device.

9. The method of claim 8, further comprising:

reactivating the satellite-based geographical location capability of the mobile communications device;

re-evaluating whether the mobile communications device is in motion; and

when the mobile communications device is in motion, ascertaining an updated geographical location of the mobile communications device and transmitting to the recipient of the telephone call an indication of the updated geographical location of the mobile communications device.

10. A method of operating a call center, the method comprising:

receiving a telephone call from a mobile communications device via a mobile telephone network;

receiving from the mobile communications device an indication of a battery charge level of the mobile communications device;

receiving from the mobile communications device an indication of a transmit power being used by the mobile communications device to communicate via the mobile telephone network;

receiving from the mobile communications device over the mobile telephone network an indication of the geographic location of the mobile communications device;

estimating, from the battery charge level indication, the transmit power indication, and an anticipated level of need for additional geographic location fixes from the mobile communications device, the amount of time the mobile communications device can sustain the telephone call without running out of power;

estimating a required duration of the telephone call and comparing the estimated required duration with the estimated amount of time the mobile communications device can sustain the telephone call; and

transmitting by the device at the call center, in reaction to the comparison, an instruction to the mobile communications device via the mobile telephone network to turn off one or more capabilities of the mobile communications device, wherein turning off one or more capabilities of the mobile communications device increases the amount of time the mobile communications device can sustain the telephone call.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein the instruction to turn off one or more capabilities of the mobile communications device is transmitted when the estimated required duration exceeds the estimated amount of time the mobile communications device can sustain the telephone call.

12. The method of claim 10, further comprising:

receiving from the mobile communications device, via the mobile telephone network, information usable to ascertain whether the mobile communications device is in motion;

wherein transmitting an instruction to the mobile communications device via the mobile telephone network to turn off one or more capabilities of the mobile communications device comprises transmitting an instruction to the mobile communications device to turn off a geographical location capability of the mobile communications device.

13. The method of claim 10, wherein transmitting an instruction to the mobile communications device via the mobile telephone network to turn off one or more capabilities of the mobile communications device comprises transmitting an instruction to the mobile communications device to turn off a visual display of the mobile communications device.

14. The method of claim 10, wherein transmitting an instruction to the mobile communications device via the mobile telephone network to turn off one or more capabilities of the mobile communications device comprises transmitting an instruction to the mobile communications device to turn off a radio transceiver other than a mobile telephone transceiver being used to communicate via that mobile telephone network.

15. The method of claim 10, wherein transmitting an instruction to the mobile communications device via the mobile telephone network to turn off one or more capabilities of the mobile communications device comprises transmitting an instruction to the mobile communications device to terminate or suspend at least one application executing on a processor of the mobile communications device.

16. The method of claim 15, further comprising receiving from the mobile communications device via the mobile telephone network a list of one or more application programs being executed by the processor of the mobile communications device.

17. A method performed by a mobile communications device, the method comprising:

receiving from a user of the mobile communications device an indication that the mobile communications device is to place a telephone call to a particular recipient via a mobile telephone network;

placing the telephone call to the particular recipient via the mobile telephone network;

automatically estimating an amount of time the mobile communications device can sustain the telephone call without running out of power;

transmitting an indication of the estimated amount of time to the recipient of the telephone call via the mobile telephone network;

automatically ascertaining a geographic location of the mobile communications device;

transmitting an indication of the geographic location of the mobile communications device to the recipient of the telephone call via the mobile telephone network;

receiving, from the recipient of the telephone call via the mobile telephone network, an instruction to turn off one or more specified capabilities of the mobile communications device, wherein the instruction is sent by the recipient of the telephone call based at least in part on a comparison of an estimated required duration of the telephone call and the estimate of the amount of time the mobile communications device can sustain the telephone call without running out of power, the amount of time the mobile communications device can sustain the telephone call without running out of power being estimated from the battery charge level indication, the transmit power indication, and an anticipated level of need for additional geographic location fixes from the mobile communications device; and

in response to the received instruction, turning off the one or more specified capabilities, wherein turning off one or more specified capabilities increases the amount of time the mobile communications device can sustain the telephone call.

18. The method of claim 17, further comprising:

automatically evaluating a battery charge level of the mobile communications device; and

automatically evaluating a transmit power being used by the mobile communications device to communicate via the mobile telephone network;

wherein the amount of time is estimated from the battery charge level and transmit power.