Method for saving power in a wireless terminal and a terminal

• US 7,660,578 B2
• Filed: 04/08/2004
• Issued: 02/09/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 05/02/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Nokia Technologies Oy (Nokia Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Nokia Corporation
• Inventors: Viitamaki, Marko, Vaananen, Juha, Rosberg, Kristian, Kainulainen, Marko, Lilja, Antti, Maarala, Mika, Nybacka, Kai, Nisula, Timo, Kesti, Heikki, Kallio, Janne J., Lilja, Harri, Vallstrom, Jari
• Primary Examiner(s): Nguyen; David Q
• Application Number:
  US10/821,106
• Publication Number:
  US 20040259542A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,133 Days
• Field of Search: 455/41.2, 455/426.1, 455/41.1, 455/556.2, 455/556.1, 455/552, 455/343.1, 455/23, 455/552.1, 455/573
• US Class Current: 455/426.2
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/12 Arrangements for remote connection or disconnection of substations or of equipment thereof
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/0214 Foldable telephones, i.e. with body parts pivoting to an open position around an axis parallel to the plane they define in closed position combined with translation movement H04M1/0235
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/0245 using open/close detection
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72412 using two-way short-range wireless interfaces
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2250/02 including a Bluetooth interface
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 52/0232 according to average transmission signal activity
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/12 WLAN [Wireless Local Area Networks]
• CPC Class Codes: Y02D 30/70 in wireless communication networks

Abstract

The object of the invention is a method for controlling the power saving properties in a terminal, which utilizes cellular phone technology and short range radio frequency wireless communication features in order to increase the operative life of the batteries, and a terminal utilizing the method. In the method of the invention the activity state of the short range wireless communication utilization in the terminal determines the level of the short range wireless communication power save mode.

Claims

1. An apparatus comprising:

an interface configured to communicate in a first radio network, where the first radio network comprises a short range radio network;

the interface configured to communicate, to another apparatus, a representation of a graphical user interface configured to enable interaction between the another apparatus and said apparatus over said first radio network; and

a control unit configured to control a power save mode of the first radio network in accordance with at least an activity state of the graphical user interface, where the control unit is configured to decrease a level of said power save mode in accordance with an increase in the activity state and increase a level of said power save mode in accordance with a decrease in the activity state.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the apparatus comprises a wireless local area network receiver and transmitter.

3. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein said activity state comprises at least one of a lock state of a lockable keypad, a lock state of a lockable touch sensitive display, a state of a screensaver, a lock state of a lockable screensaver, and a state of a lid or an opening mechanism of the apparatus.

4. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein said activity state of the graphical user interface is defined by a presence of an indication of an input on the another apparatus or lack of the indication for a chosen period of time.

5. The apparatus of claim 4, wherein said input is indicated by at least one of the following acts on the another apparatus:

a touch on a key, keypad or touch sensitive display, opening or closing of a lid or an opening mechanism of the second apparatus, or a specific sound input on the apparatus'"'"'s microphone.

6. The apparatus of claim 1 comprising a Bluetooth receiver and transmitter which are configured to communicate via the short range radio network.

7. The apparatus of claim 1 comprising an interface to a second radio network, where the second network comprises a cellular network and where the apparatus is configured to act as a gateway between the another apparatus and the cellular network.

8. The apparatus of claim 1, where the representation of the graphical user interface comprises a bitmap, and where the representation is re-communicated when there is a change to the bitmap.

9. A method comprising;

communicating, with a first device, in a first radio network, where the first radio network comprises a short range radio network;

communicating, to a second device, a representation of a graphical user interface configured to enable interaction between the second device and said first device over said first radio network; and

controlling a power save mode of the first radio network in accordance with at least an activity state of the graphical user interface, where controlling a power save mode comprises decreasing a level of said power save mode in accordance with an increase in the activity state and increasing a level of said power save mode in accordance with a decrease in the activity state.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein said activity state comprises at least one of a lock state of a lockable keypad, a lock state of a lockable touch sensitive display, a state of a screensaver, a lock state of a lockable screensaver, and a state of a lid or an opening mechanism of the second device.

11. The method of claim 9, wherein said activity state of the graphical user interface is defined by a presence of an indication of an input on the second device or lack of the indication for a chosen period of time.

12. The method of claim 9, comprising communicating by the first device with a cellular network, where the first device is configured to act as a gateway between the second device and the cellular network.

13. The method of claim 9, where the representation of the graphical user interface comprises a bitmap, and where the representation is re-communicated when there is a change to the bitmap.

14. A memory embodying instructions executable by a processor to perform actions comprising:

communicating by a first device, in a first radio network, where the first radio network comprises a short range radio network;

communicating, to a second device, a representation of a graphical user interface configured to enable interaction between the second device and said first device over said first radio network; and

controlling a power save mode of the first radio network in accordance with at least an activity state of the graphical user interface, where controlling a power save mode comprises decreasing a level of said power save mode in accordance with an increase in the activity state and increasing a level of said power save mode in accordance with a decrease in the activity state.

15. The memory embodying instructions executable by a processor of claim 14 comprising communicating by the first device with a cellular network, where the first device is configured to act as a gateway between the second device and the cellular network.