Location enabled device with power saving control and method thereof

• US 7,633,389 B2
• Filed: 04/14/2006
• Issued: 12/15/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 04/14/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Google Technology Holdings LLC (Alphabet Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Motorola, Inc. (Motorola Solutions, Inc.)
• Inventors: Mantovani, Jose Ricardo B., Bernhardt, Bruce A.
• Primary Examiner(s): TRIEU, VAN THANH
• Application Number:
  US11/404,275
• Publication Number:
  US 20070241888A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,341 Days
• Field of Search: 340/539.3, 340/539.11, 340/539.21, 340/539.23, 340/540, 340/693.3, 340/539.13, 701/213, 342/357.1, 342/357.14, 342/464, 709/236, 455/517, 455/574, 455/456
• US Class Current: 340/539.3
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 21/0202 Child monitoring systems using a transmitter-receiver system carried by the parent and the child

Abstract

An energy constrained device (100) includes a motion sensor (150) operative to detect motion of the device (100); a device position determinator (130); and a controller (110) operatively coupled at the motion sensor (150) and to the device position determinator (130) and operative to receive a device location request for the energy constrained device (100), to determine whether the energy constrained device (100) has moved based on the motion sensor (150), and to determine whether to request position information from the device position determinator (130) based on device movement. A method for saving power for a device position determinator (130) in a energy constrained device (100) includes determining whether position information has been requested from the device position determinator (130); and if not so, automatically switching the device position determinator (130) to a low power consumption mode.

Claims

1. A method for saving power for an energy constrained device comprising:

receiving a device location request for the energy constrained device;

determining a location of the energy constrained device using a device position determinator;

storing the determined location in a memory;

placing the device position determinator in a low power mode;

receiving a motion detect signal from a motion detector;

determining by the motion detector whether the energy constrained device has moved based on the motion detect signal;

determining whether to request position information from the device position determinator based on whether the energy constrained device has moved beyond a desired amount;

waking the device position determinator from the low power mode when the device has been determined to moved beyond a desired amount; and

receiving a location of the energy constrained device from the device position determinator based on the waking.

2. The method of claim 1 further comprising reporting a previous device position information returned by the device position determinator when the energy constrained device has been determined not to have moved since the previous position information was returned.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein determining whether to request position information comprises:

if motion has been detected, requesting position information from the device position determinator; and

if no motion has been detected, not requesting position information from the device position determinator.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein determining by a motion detector whether the energy constrained device has moved comprises determining the state of a motion detection flag.

5. The method of claim 1 wherein the device position determinator is one of a time difference of arrival algorithm, access point location databases over WLAN, and an intertial navigation system.

6. An energy constrained device comprising:

a motion sensor operative to detect motion of the device;

a device position determinator; and

a controller operatively coupled to the motion sensor and to the device position determinator and operative to receive a device location request for the energy constrained device, to determine whether the energy constrained device has moved based on the motion sensor, and to determine whether to request position information from the device position determinator based on device movement and wherein the controller is operative to place the device position determinator in a low power state and wherein the controller is operatively coupled to the motion sensor and operative to determine whether the energy constrained device has moved based on the motion sensor and wherein the controller is operative to report a previous position returned by the device position determinator if the device has not moved since the previous position information was returned.

7. The device of claim 6 wherein the controller is operative to report a previous device location if the device has not moved since the previous position information was returned.

8. The device of claim 6 further comprising a register operative to store a flag whenever the energy constrained device has moved.

9. The device of claim 6 wherein the device position determinator is operative to automatically switch to a low power consumption state if position information is not requested during a request time period.

10. The device of claim 6 further comprising a wireless transceiver operatively coupled to the controller.

11. The device of claim 6 wherein the device position determinator is one of a time difference of arrival algorithm, access point location databases over WLAN, and an inertial navigation system.

12. A method for saving power for a device position determinator in an energy constrained device comprising:

establishing a request time period;

receiving a request for position information;

determining whether position information has been requested from the device position determinator within the established request time period; and

if not, automatically switching the device position determinator to a low power consumption mode.

13. The method of claim 12 further comprising the steps of:

determining by a motion detector whether the energy constrained device has moved; and

if not, not requesting position information from the device position determinator.

14. The method of claim 12 further comprising the step of reporting a previous device position returned by the device position determinator when the energy constrained device has not moved since the previous position information was returned.

15. The method of claim 12 wherein the device position determinator is one of a time difference of arrival algorithm, access point location databases over WLAN, and an inertial navigation system.

16. An energy constrained device comprising:

a device position determinator operative to determine whether position has been requested from the device position determinator and, if not, to automatically go a low power consumption mode;

a controller operatively coupled to the device position determinator and operative to receive a device location request for the energy constrained device and to request position information from the device position determinator;

a motion sensor wherein the controller is operatively coupled to the motion sensor and operative to determine whether the energy constrained device has moved based on the motion sensor and wherein the controller is operative to report a previous position returned by the device position determinator if the device has not moved since the previous position information was returned.

17. The device of claim 16 further comprising a wireless transceiver operatively coupled to the controller.

18. A method for saving power for an energy constrained device comprising:

receiving a device location request for the energy constrained device;

determining a location of the energy constrained device using a device position determinator;

storing the determined location in a memory;

placing the device position determinator in a low power mode;

receiving a motion detect signal from a motion detector;

determining by the motion detector whether the energy constrained device has moved based on the motion detect signal;

determining whether to request position information from the device position determinator based on whether the energy constrained device has moved;

waking the device position determinator from the low power mode;

receiving a location of the energy constrained device from the device position determinator based on the waking;

determining, by the device position determinator, whether position information has been requested from the device position determinator during a request time period; and

if not, switching, the device position determinator to a low power consumption mode.