Energy efficient location tracking on smart phones

• US 9,913,220 B2
• Filed: 10/28/2013
• Issued: 03/06/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 11/30/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Dai, Jing, Li, Ming, Naphade, Milind R., Sahu, Sambit
• Primary Examiner(s): NGUYEN, DINH
• Application Number:
  US14/064,913
• Publication Number:
  US 20140045535A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,590 Days
• Field of Search: 370311, 370338, 4554561, 4554563, 455457, 4554141, 455418, 4554566
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 19/34 Power consumption
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 19/47 the supplementary measurement being an inertial measurement, e.g. tightly coupled inertial
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 19/48 by combining or switching between position solutions derived from the satellite radio beacon positioning system and position solutions derived from a further system
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 5/012 Identifying whether indoors or outdoors
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 5/015 between indoor and outdoor environments
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 5/017 Detecting state or type of motion
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/24 Arrangements for testing
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72457 according to geographic location
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2250/10 including a GPS signal receiver
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/02 Services making use of location information
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/027 using movement velocity, acceleration information
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/30 Services specially adapted for particular environments, situations or purposes
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 48/16 Discovering, processing access restriction or access information
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 52/0251 using monitoring of local events, e.g. events related to user activity
• CPC Class Codes: Y02D 30/70 in wireless communication networks

Abstract

A GPS-enabled cellular electronic device is operated in an indoor mode. An increase in strength of a cellular signal is detected at the GPS-enabled cellular electronic device. Responsive at least to the increase in cellular signal strength, the GPS-enabled cellular electronic device is transitioned to an outdoor testing mode. Detecting is carried out to determine whether movement of the GPS-enabled cellular electronic device occurs during the outdoor testing mode. If so, the GPS-enabled cellular electronic device is transitioned to an outdoor mode.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

operating a GPS-enabled cellular electronic device in an indoor mode;

detecting, at said GPS-enabled cellular electronic device, an increase in strength of a cellular signal;

responsive at least to said increase in cellular signal strength, transitioning said GPS-enabled cellular electronic device to an outdoor testing mode;

detecting whether movement of said GPS-enabled cellular electronic device occurs during said outdoor testing mode; and

transitioning said GPS-enabled cellular electronic device to an outdoor mode, if said movement occurs;

wherein in the indoor mode a GPS module of the GPS-enabled cellular electronic device is less frequently powered than when in the outdoor mode.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising returning said GPS-enabled cellular electronic device to said indoor mode if said movement does not exceed a threshold within a predetermined time period according to a motion sensor of the GPS-enabled cellular electronic device.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising detecting, at said GPS-enabled cellular electronic device, a decrease in strength of a Wi-Fi signal, wherein said transitioning of said GPS-enabled cellular electronic device to said outdoor testing mode is further responsive to said decrease in said Wi-Fi signal strength.

4. The method of claim 3, further comprising:

detecting, at said GPS-enabled cellular electronic device, a loss of a GPS signal while said GPS-enabled cellular electronic device is in said outdoor mode; and

responsive to said loss of said GPS signal, transitioning said GPS-enabled cellular electronic device back to said indoor mode.

5. The method of claim 4, further comprising taking at least a first action in response to said transition to said outdoor mode and at least a second action in response to said transition back to said indoor mode.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein:

said first action comprises switching a GPS module of said GPS-enabled cellular electronic device into a first mode where it is powered on at a first frequency rate;

said second action comprises switching said GPS module of said GPS-enabled cellular electronic device into a second mode where it is powered on at a second frequency rate; and

said second frequency rate is less than said first frequency rate to conserve power in said indoor mode.

7. The method of claim 5, wherein:

said first action comprises changing a ring characteristic of said GPS-enabled cellular electronic device to an outdoor ring characteristic; and

said second action comprises changing said ring characteristic of said GPS-enabled cellular electronic device to an indoor ring characteristic.

8. The method of claim 4, further comprising activating at least one location-based service in response to said transition back to said indoor mode.

9. The method of claim 2, further comprising:

during said indoor mode, detecting and recording at least one basic service set identification of at least one Wi-Fi wireless access point; and

following said transitioning to said outdoor mode, immediately switching back to said indoor mode if said recorded basic service set identification of said at least one Wi-Fi wireless access point is again detected.

10. The method of claim 9, further comprising, following said immediate switching back to said indoor mode, returning to said outdoor mode upon said recorded basic service set identification of said at least one Wi-Fi wireless access point not being detected for a predetermined time period, without entering said outdoor testing mode.

11. A method comprising:

operating a GPS-enabled cellular electronic device in an indoor mode, including periodically powering on a GPS module of said GPS-enabled cellular electronic device;

detecting, at said GPS-enabled cellular electronic device, an increase in strength of a cellular signal and a decrease in strength of a Wi-Fi signal; and

responsive to said increase in cellular signal strength and said decrease in Wi-Fi signal strength, transitioning said GPS-enabled cellular electronic device to an outdoor testing mode, wherein said outdoor testing mode includes using a motion sensor of the GPS-enabled cellular electronic device to detect movement of the GPS-enabled cellular electronic device;

responsive to determining said movement of the GPS-enabled cellular electronic device, transitioning said GPS-enabled cellular electronic device to an outdoor mode, including periodically powering on said GPS module of said GPS-enabled cellular electronic device;

wherein in said indoor mode said GPS module of the GPS-enabled cellular electronic device is less frequently powered on than when in said outdoor mode and when in said outdoor testing mode.

12. The method of claim 11, further comprising:

detecting, at said GPS-enabled cellular electronic device, a loss of a GPS signal while said GPS-enabled cellular electronic device is in said outdoor mode; and

responsive to said loss of said GPS signal, transitioning said GPS-enabled cellular electronic device back to said indoor mode.

13. A GPS-enabled cellular electronic device comprising:

a memory;

a cellular transceiver module;

a GPS receiver module;

an accelerometer; and

at least one processor, coupled to said memory, said cellular transceiver module, said accelerometer, and said GPS receiver module, and operative to;

operate said GPS-enabled cellular electronic device in an indoor mode;

detect, in conjunction with said cellular transceiver module, an increase in strength of a cellular signal;

responsive at least to said increase in cellular signal strength, transition said GPS-enabled cellular electronic device to an outdoor testing mode, wherein said transition to said outdoor testing mode comprises powering on said accelerometer for a predetermined time period;

detect, in conjunction with said accelerometer and during said predetermine time period, whether movement of said GPS-enabled cellular electronic device occurs during said outdoor testing mode; and

transition said GPS-enabled cellular electronic device to an outdoor mode, if said movement occurs within said predetermined time period and to said indoor mode otherwise;

wherein in said indoor mode said GPS receiver module of said GPS-enabled cellular electronic device is less frequently powered than when in said outdoor mode.

14. The GPS-enabled cellular electronic device of claim 13, wherein said at least one processor is further operative to return said GPS-enabled cellular electronic device to said indoor mode if said movement, detected by said accelerometer, does not exceed a threshold within a predetermined time period.

15. The GPS-enabled cellular electronic device of claim 14, further comprising a Wi-Fi transceiver module coupled to said at least one processor, wherein said at least one processor is further operative to detect, in conjunction with said Wi-Fi transceiver module, a decrease in strength of a Wi-Fi signal, wherein said at least one processor is operative to transition said GPS-enabled cellular electronic device to said outdoor testing mode also in response to said decrease in said Wi-Fi signal strength.

16. The GPS-enabled cellular electronic device of claim 15, wherein said at least one processor is further operative to:

detect, in conjunction with said GPS receiver module, a loss of a GPS signal while said GPS-enabled cellular electronic device is in said outdoor mode; and

responsive to said loss of said GPS signal, transition said GPS-enabled cellular electronic device back to said indoor mode.

17. The GPS-enabled cellular electronic device of claim 16, wherein said at least one processor is further operative to take at least a first action in response to said transition to said outdoor mode and at least a second action in response to said transition back to said indoor mode.

18. The GPS-enabled cellular electronic device of claim 17, wherein:

said first action comprises switching said GPS module of said GPS-enabled cellular electronic device into a first mode where it is powered on at a first frequency rate;

said second action comprises switching said GPS module of said GPS-enabled cellular electronic device into a second mode where it is powered on at a second frequency rate; and

said second frequency rate is less than said first frequency rate to conserve power in said indoor mode.

19. The GPS-enabled cellular electronic device of claim 17, wherein:

said first action comprises changing a ring characteristic of said GPS-enabled cellular electronic device to an outdoor ring characteristic; and

said second action comprises changing said ring characteristic of said GPS-enabled cellular electronic device to an indoor ring characteristic.

20. The GPS-enabled cellular electronic device of claim 16, wherein said at least one processor is further operative to activate at least one location-based service in response to said transition back to said indoor mode.

21. A GPS-enabled cellular electronic device comprising:

a memory;

a cellular transceiver module;

a Wi-Fi transceiver module;

a GPS receiver module; and

at least one processor, coupled to said memory, said cellular transceiver module, said Wi-Fi transceiver module, and said GPS receiver module, and operative to;

operate said GPS-enabled cellular electronic device in an indoor mode, including periodically powering on said GPS receiver module;

detect, in conjunction with said cellular transceiver module and said Wi-Fi transceiver module, an increase in strength of a cellular signal and a decrease in strength of a Wi-Fi signal; and

responsive to said increase in cellular signal strength and said decrease in Wi-Fi signal strength, transition said GPS-enabled cellular electronic device to an outdoor testing mode, wherein said outdoor testing mode includes using a motion sensor of the GPS-enabled cellular electronic device to detect movement of the GPS-enabled cellular electronic device;

responsive to determining said movement of the GPS-enabled cellular electronic device, transition said GPS-enabled cellular electronic device to an outdoor mode, including periodically powering on said GPS receiver module;

wherein in said indoor mode said GPS receiver module of said GPS-enabled cellular electronic device is less frequently powered on than when in said outdoor mode.

22. The GPS-enabled cellular electronic device of claim 21, wherein said at least one processor is further operative to:

in conjunction with said GPS receiver module, detect a loss of a GPS signal while said GPS-enabled cellular electronic device is in said outdoor mode; and

responsive to said loss of said GPS signal, transition said GPS-enabled cellular electronic device back to said indoor mode.

23. A GPS-enabled cellular electronic device comprising:

means for operating said GPS-enabled cellular electronic device in an indoor mode;

means for detecting an increase in strength of a cellular signal;

means, responsive at least to said increase in cellular signal strength, for transitioning said GPS-enabled cellular electronic device to an outdoor testing mode;

means for detecting whether movement of said GPS-enabled cellular electronic device occurs during said outdoor testing mode; and

means for transitioning said GPS-enabled cellular electronic device to an outdoor mode, if said movement occurs;

wherein in the indoor mode a GPS module of the GPS-enabled cellular electronic device is less frequently powered than when in the outdoor mode.