Method, apparatus and computer program product for intuitive energy management of a short-range communication transceiver associated with a mobile terminal

• US 7,145,454 B2
• Filed: 01/26/2004
• Issued: 12/05/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 01/26/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Nokia Technologies Oy (Nokia Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Nokia Corporation
• Inventors: Jalkanen, Janne, Linjama, Jukka
• Primary Examiner(s): Hofsass, Jeffery
• Assistant Examiner(s): Walk, Samuel J
• Application Number:
  US10/765,337
• Publication Number:
  US 20050164633A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,044 Days
• Field of Search: 340/545.5, 340/572.1, 340/568.1, 340/571, 200/61.45 R, 200/61.46, 200/61.52, 736/52, 335/205, 335/206, 335/207, 455/41.2, 455/41.3, 455/343.1, 455/574, 455/127.1, 455/127.5
• US Class Current: 340/540
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 1/1615 Switching on; Switching off, e.g. remotely battery saving circuits associated with selective call operation H04W52/00; details of power consumption reduction in a PLL, H03L7/0802, H03L7/14, H03L2207/08, H03L2207/18; muting amplifiers by gain control see H03G3/34
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 1/38 Transceivers, i.e. devices in which transmitter and receiver form a structural unit and in which at least one part is used for functions of transmitting and receiving
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2250/04 including near field communication means, e.g. RFID
• 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 52/0254 detecting a user operation or a tactile contact or a motion of the device
• CPC Class Codes: Y02D 30/70 in wireless communication networks

Abstract

The method, terminal and computer program product determine the acceleration of a mobile terminal associated with the short-range communication transceiver and adjusts the power consumption of the short-range communication transceiver based upon whether a predefined acceleration threshold has been exceeded. To adjust the power consumption, the frequency at which the transceiver is activated may be altered. Thus, the power consumption of the transceiver may be reduced when the acceleration threshold is exceeded and/or may be increased when the acceleration threshold is not exceeded. Due to the adjustment of power consumption by transceivers, power is conserved in the mobile terminals associated with transceivers, which permits the mobile terminals and the transceivers to operate longer without requiring charging or replacement of the power supply.

Claims

1. A mobile terminal apparatus, the apparatus comprising:

a short-range communication transceiver;

an acceleration sensor in communication with the transceiver that detects acceleration of the mobile terminal; and

a processor in communication with the sensor and the transceiver that determines if the acceleration of the mobile terminal exceeds a predefined threshold and, upon determination of an acceleration exceeding the predefined threshold, adjusts the power consumption of the transceiver by altering the activation frequency of the transceiver.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the short-range communication transceiver is further defined as a Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) transceiver.

3. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the short-range communication transceiver is further defined as a Bluetooth transceiver.

4. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the short-range communication transceiver is further defined as an Infrared (IR) transceiver.

5. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising a switch in communication with the processor that adjusts the power consumption of the transceiver by changing an operational mode of the transceiver.

6. A method for activating a short-range communication transceiver associated with a mobile terminal, the method comprising the steps of:

detecting motion to a mobile terminal;

determining a rate of motion provided to the mobile terminal;

activating the transceiver associated with the mobile terminal if the rate of motion exceeds a predefined threshold; and

determining a frequency at which the transceiver is activated based upon the determined rate of motion.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein the step of detecting motion to a mobile terminal further comprises the step of detecting an intentional gesture to a mobile terminal to set the mobile terminal in motion in order to indicate a willingness to receive information through the transceiver.

8. The method of claim 6, wherein the step of providing an intentional gesture to a mobile terminal to set the mobile terminal in motion in order to indicate a willingness to receive information through the transceiver further comprises an intentional gesture chosen from the group consisting of tapping the terminal, shaking the terminal and knocking the terminal.

9. The method of claim 6, wherein the step of determining a rate of motion provided to the mobile terminal further comprises providing for an acceleration sensor associated with the mobile terminal that determines the rate of motion of the mobile terminal.

10. The method of claim 6, further comprising the step of deactivating the transceiver after a predefined time period.

11. The method of claim 6, further comprising the step of providing the mobile device sensory-perceptible feedback that the transceiver has been activated.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein the providing mobile device sensory-perceptible feedback that the transceiver has been activated, further comprises sensory-perceptible feedback chosen from the group consisting of tactile vibrational feedback, tactile force feedback, audio feedback and visual feedback.

13. A method for energy management in a mobile terminal, the method comprising the step of:

detecting motion of a mobile terminal;

determining a rate of motion provided to the mobile terminal;

altering the power state of a motion sensing device if the rate of motion exceeds a first predefined threshold; and

altering the power state of a short-range communication transceiver if the rate of motion exceeds a second predefined threshold.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein altering the power state of a short range communication transceiver if the rate of motion exceeds a second predefined threshold further comprises altering the frequency at which the transceiver is activated.

15. The method of claim 13, wherein the step of detecting motion of a mobile terminal further comprises the step of detecting an intentional gesture to a mobile terminal to set the mobile terminal in motion.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein the step of detecting an intentional gesture to a mobile terminal to set the mobile terminal in motion further comprises an intentional gesture chosen from the group consisting of tapping the terminal, shaking the terminal and knocking the terminal.

17. The method of claim 13, further comprising the step of providing the mobile device sensory-perceptible feedback that the power state of the transceiver has been altered.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein the step of providing the mobile device sensory-perceptible feedback that the power state of the transceiver has been altered, further comprises sensory-perceptible feedback chosen from the group consisting of tactile vibrational feedback, tactile force feedback, audio feedback and visual feedback.

19. A method for adjusting power consumption of a short-range communication transceiver associated with a mobile terminal, the method comprising the steps of:

determining an acceleration rate of the mobile terminal; and

adjusting the power consumption of the transceiver based upon the acceleration rate of the mobile terminal exceeding a predefined threshold, wherein adjusting the power consumption of the transceiver comprises altering the frequency at which the transceiver is activated.

20. The method of claim 19, wherein the step of adjusting the power consumption further comprises the step of reducing the power consumption of the transceiver when the predefined threshold is not exceeded.

21. The method of claim 20, wherein the step of reducing the power consumption of the transceiver further comprises reducing the frequency at which the area proximate the mobile terminal is interrogated by the transceiver when the acceleration rate of the mobile terminal does not exceed the predefined threshold.

22. The method of claim 19, wherein the step of adjusting the power consumption further comprises the step of increasing the power consumption of the transceiver when the predefined threshold is exceeded.

23. The method of claim 22, wherein the step of increasing the power consumption of the transceiver further comprises increasing the frequency at which the area proximate the mobile terminal is interrogated by the transceiver when the acceleration rate of the mobile terminal exceeds the predefined threshold.

24. The method of claim 22, wherein adjusting the power consumption of the transceiver comprises changing an operational mode of the transceiver.

25. A computer program product for activating a short-range communication transceiver associated with a mobile terminal, the computer program product comprising a computer-readable storage medium having computer-readable program code portions stored therein, the computer-readable program code portions comprising:

a first executable portion capable of determining a rate of motion provided to the mobile terminal;

a second executable portion capable of altering the power state of the transceiver associated with the mobile terminal if the rate of motion exceeds a first predefined threshold; and

a third executable portion capable of determining a frequency at which the transceiver is activated based upon the determined rate of motion.

26. The computer program product of claim 25, further comprising a fourth executable portion capable of deactivating the transceiver after a predefined time period.

27. The computer program product of claim 25, further comprising a fourth executable portion for providing sensory-perceptible feedback via the mobile terminal when the power state of the transceiver has been altered.

28. A computer program product for activating a short-range communication transceiver associated with a mobile terminal, the computer program product comprising a computer-readable storage medium having computer-readable program code portions stored therein, the computer-readable program code portions comprising:

a first executable portion capable of determining a rate of motion provided to the mobile terminal;

a second executable portion capable of altering the power state of the transceiver associated with the mobile terminal if the rate of motion exceeds a first predefined threshold; and

a third executable portion capable of altering the power state of a motion sensor associated with the mobile terminal if the rate of motion exceeds a first predefined threshold.

29. A computer program product for adjusting power consumption of a short-range communication transceiver associated with a mobile terminal, the computer program product comprising a computer-readable storage medium having computer-readable program code portions stored therein, the computer-readable program code portions comprising:

a first executable portion capable of determining an acceleration of the mobile terminal; and

a second executable portion capable of adjusting the power consumption of the transceiver based upon the determined acceleration of the mobile terminal exceeding a predefined acceleration threshold level, wherein adjusting the power consumption of the transceiver comprises altering the frequency at which a reader of the transceiver is activated.

30. The computer program product of claim 29, wherein said second executable portion is also capable of reducing the power consumption of the transceiver when the predefined acceleration threshold level is not exceeded.

31. The computer program product of claim 30, wherein said second executable portion is capable of reducing the power consumption of the transceiver by reducing the frequency at which the area proximate the mobile terminal is interrogated by the transceiver when the predefined acceleration threshold level is not exceeded.

32. The computer program product of claim 29, wherein said second executable portion is also capable of increasing the power consumption of the transceiver when the predefined acceleration threshold is exceeded.

33. The computer program product of claim 32, wherein said second executable portion is capable of increasing the power consumption of the transceiver by increasing the frequency at which the area proximate the mobile terminal is interrogated by the transceiver when the predefined acceleration threshold is exceeded.

34. The computer program product of claim 29, wherein said second executable portion is also capable of adjusting the power consumption of the transceiver by changing an operational mode of the transceiver.

35. A system for providing a mobile terminal short-range wireless communication;

the system comprising;

a secondary mobile terminal including,

a Radio Frequency Identification (REID) reader,

an acceleration sensor in communication with the reader that detects acceleration of the mobile terminal,

a processor in communication with the sensor and the reader that determines if the acceleration of the secondary mobile terminal exceeds a predefined threshold and provides activation to the reader upon determination of an acceleration exceeding the predefined threshold, and

a short-range wireless communication module that provides for communication of information read by the RFID reader; and

a primary mobile terminal including a short-range communication module that is associated with the short-range communication module of the secondary mobile terminal, such that information read by the RFID reader of the secondary mobile terminal is communicated to the primary mobile terminal.

36. The system of claim 35, wherein the secondary mobile terminal is further defined as a key-ring appendage.

37. The system of claim 35, wherein the secondary mobile terminal is further defined as a fob.

38. The system of claim 35, wherein the primary mobile terminal is further defined as a mobile terminal chosen from the group consisting of a cellular telephone terminal, a Personal Digital Assistant (PDA) terminal, a portable computer terminal and a digital imaging terminal.