Method, device and system for setting operation modes of communication devices in a communication network

• US 9,838,969 B2
• Filed: 12/16/2014
• Issued: 12/05/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 12/16/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Sony Mobile Communications Incorporated (Sony Group Corp.)
• Inventors: Vance, Scott, Lundell, Patrik, Hakansson, Par
• Primary Examiner(s): Afshar, Kamran
• Assistant Examiner(s): Madani, Farideh
• Application Number:
  US14/571,722
• Publication Number:
  US 20160174158A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,085 Days
• Field of Search: 455418-420, 455518, 455 412, 370338
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 1/385 Transceivers carried on the body, e.g. in helmets
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 2001/3855 carried in a belt or harness
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 2001/3861 carried in a hand or on fingers
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/08 User group management
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 52/0219 where the power saving management affects multiple terminals
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 52/0251 using monitoring of local events, e.g. events related to user activity
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 8/22 Processing or transfer of terminal data, e.g. status or physical capabilities
• CPC Class Codes: Y02D 30/70 in wireless communication networks

Abstract

A method for setting operation modes of a group of communication devices in a communication network, wherein the group of communication devices comprises a first communication device and at least a second communication device, the method comprises receiving information from at least one device of said group of communication devices, determining an operation mode based on the received information and setting an operation mode on at least one of the other communication devices of the group of communication devices to the determined operation mode, wherein information is communicated between the two devices including state information and/or instructions to set the operation mode of at least one of the other communication device of the group of communication devices to the determined operation mode.

Claims

1. A method, performed in a wearable first communication device, for setting operation modes of at least a second communication device of a group of connected communication devices in a communication network, wherein the group of communication devices comprises at least said wearable first communication device and said second communication device, wherein method comprises:

the wearable first communication device receiving environmental data, wherein the received environmental data comprises movement data representing movement of the wearable first communication device;

the wearable first communication device determining an operation mode based on said received movement data and creating instructions to set the operation mode to said determined operation mode such that;

when the received movement data indicates that a user is sleeping, the wearable first communication device creates instructions to set the operation mode to a low power mode; and

when the received movement data later indicates that the user is no longer sleeping, the wearable first communication device creates instructions to set the operation mode to an active mode;

transmitting the created instructions to the second communication device; and

setting the operation mode of said second communication device to said determined operation mode.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein the created instructions comprises a duration in time of the determined operation mode.

3. The method according to claim 1, wherein determining the operation mode comprises determining the operation mode specified for at least one of the communication devices of the group of communication devices.

4. The method according to claim 1, wherein the determined operation mode comprises a priority for an action which can be accomplished by more than one of the communication devices of said group of communication devices.

5. The method according to claim 1, wherein the received environmental data comprises information of one or more of position, orientation, temperature, atmospheric pressure, or availability of wireless network of the at least one communication device of said group of communication devices.

6. The method according to claim 1, wherein the received information comprises an element associated with any of time of day, day of week or date.

7. A method, performed in a second communication device, for setting operation modes of at least said second communication device of a group of connected communication devices in a communication network, wherein the group of communication devices comprises a wearable first communication device and said second communication device, wherein the method comprises:

the second communication device receiving environmental data from said wearable first communication device, wherein the received environmental data comprises movement data representing movement of the wearable first communication device;

the second communication device determining an operation mode based on said received environmental data; and

setting said operation mode of said second communication device to the determined operation mode, wherein;

when the received movement data indicates that a user is sleeping, the operation mode of said second communication device is set to a low power mode; and

when the received movement data later indicates that the user is no longer sleeping, the operation mode of said second communication device is set to an active mode.

8. The method according to claim 7, wherein said received environmental data additionally comprises information of a status of said wearable first communication device.

9. The method according to claim 7, wherein said received data comprises instructions to set operation mode of said second communication device to a predetermined operation mode.

10. The method according to claim 7, wherein said received environmental data additionally includes one or more of position, state of orientation, audio data collected from the environment, temperature, atmospheric pressure, or availability of wireless networks.

11. The method according to claim 7, wherein the method comprises communicating an intended operation mode of said second communication device to said wearable first communication device prior to setting said determined operation mode.

12. A wearable first communication device configured for setting an operation mode of at least a second communication device of a group of connected communication devices in a communication network, wherein said group of communication devices comprises at least said wearable first communication device, and said second communication device, wherein the wearable first communication device comprises:

a processing circuitry configured to;

receive environmental data, wherein the received environmental data comprises movement data representing movement of the wearable first communication device;

determine an operation mode based on the received movement data and create instructions to set the operation mode to the determined operation mode such that;

when the received movement data indicates that a user is sleeping, creating instructions to set the operation mode to a low power mode; and

when the received movement data later indicates that the user is no longer sleeping, creating instructions to set the operation mode to an active mode;

transmit said instructions to said second communication device; and

set the operation mode of the second communication device to the determined operation mode.

13. The wearable first communication device according to claim 12, wherein the instructions comprises a duration in time of the determined operation mode.

14. The wearable first communication device according to claim 12, wherein the processing circuitry is configured to determine the operation mode specified for at least one of the communication devices of the group of the communication devices.

15. The wearable first communication device according to claim 12, wherein the determined operation mode comprises a priority for an action which can be accomplished by more than one of the communication devices of said group of communication devices.

16. The wearable first communication device according to claim 12, wherein the received environmental data comprises information of one or more of position, orientation, temperature, atmospheric pressure, or availability of wireless network of the at least one communication device of said group of communication devices.

17. The wearable first communication device according to claim 12, wherein the received information comprises an element associated with any of time of day, day of week or date.

18. A system for setting an operation mode of at least one communication device of a group of connected communication devices in a communication network, wherein said group of communication devices comprises a wearable first communication device and a second communication device, wherein

said wearable first communication device comprises:

a processing circuitry configured to;

receive environmental data, wherein the received environmental data comprises movement data representing movement of the wearable first communication device;

determine an operation mode based on said received movement data and create instructions to set the operation mode to said determined operation mode such that;

a when the received movement data indicates that a user is sleeping, creating instructions to set the operation mode to a low power mode; and

when the received movement data later indicates that the user is no longer sleeping, creating instructions to set the operation mode to an active mode; and

transmit the created instructions to the second communication device;

said second communication device comprises;

a processing circuitry configured to;

receive instructions from said wearable first communication device;

set an operation mode of said second communication device to said determined operation mode according to the received instructions.