Method and apparatus for intelligent acquisition of position information

• US 8,285,484 B1
• Filed: 05/09/2005
• Issued: 10/09/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 04/24/2002
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: IpVenture, Inc.
• Original Assignee: IpVenture, Inc.
• Inventors: Thomas, C. Douglass, Lau, Chung
• Primary Examiner(s): To, Tuan C.
• Application Number:
  US11/124,475
• Time in Patent Office: 2,710 Days
• Field of Search: 701/213, 701/468, 455/517, 455/404.2, 455/456.1, 455/574, 340/539.13, 340/988, 340/438, 340/928, 340/539, 340/540, 342/126, 342/357, 342/357.22, 342/357.74, 342/357.06
• US Class Current: 701/468
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/3415 Dynamic re-routing, e.g. recalculating the route when the user deviates from calculated route or after detecting real-time traffic data or accidents
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 19/34 Power consumption
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 19/42 Determining position
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/00 Administration; Management
• CPC Class Codes: H02M 1/0032 Control circuits allowing low power mode operation, e.g. in standby mode
• CPC Class Codes: Y02B 70/10 Technologies improving the efficiency by using switched-mode power supplies [SMPS], i.e. efficient power electronics conversion e.g. power factor correction or reduction of losses in power supplies or efficient standby modes

Abstract

Improved methods and systems for position acquisition and/or monitoring are disclosed. The position acquisition and/or monitoring can be performed with improved intelligence so that data acquisition, transmission and/or processing is reduced. As a result, the position acquisition and/or monitoring is able to be performed in a power efficient manner.

Claims

1. A portable position acquisition apparatus, comprising:

a position detection unit that detects position information pertaining to said position acquisition apparatus;

a memory that stores the position information;

a battery for providing power to said position acquisition apparatus;

a motion monitoring unit that obtains motion information by monitoring motion of said position acquisition apparatus;

a communication interface that enables said position acquisition apparatus to transmit data to a remote device via a wireless channel, the data being transmitted includes at least the position information; and

a controller operatively connected to said position detection unit, said motion monitoring unit, said memory and said communication interface, said controller causing said position detection unit to reacquire the position information based on the motion information obtained by said motion monitoring unit and a battery level characteristic of said battery,

wherein said controller determines a periodic basis at which said position detection unit is to reacquire the position information pertaining to said position acquisition apparatus, the periodic basis at which said position detection unit reacquires the position information varies depending on at least the battery level characteristic of said battery,

wherein said position detection unit reacquires the position information in a manner dependent on whether said position acquisition apparatus is in motion,

wherein said position detection unit does not reacquire the position information on the periodic basis when said position acquisition apparatus is deemed not in motion,

wherein said position detection unit reacquires the position information in accordance with the periodic basis when said position acquisition apparatus is deemed in motion,

wherein when said position acquisition apparatus is deemed to be in motion, then said communication interface transmits the data to the remote device periodically, and when said position acquisition apparatus is deemed not to be in motion, then said communication interface does not transmit the data to the remote device periodically, and

wherein when said position acquisition apparatus is deemed to be in motion, then said position detection unit continues to reacquire the position information periodically but less frequently when the battery level characteristic indicates a reduced power level of said battery.

2. A portable position acquisition apparatus as recited in claim 1, wherein said communication interface transmits the data to the remote device via the wireless channel as a group of positions acquired by said position detection unit.

3. A portable position acquisition apparatus as recited in claim 1, wherein the data being transmitted includes at least the position information.

4. A portable position acquisition apparatus as recited in claim 1, wherein said position acquisition apparatus is one or more of wearable, pager sized or smaller, and pocket sized.

5. A portable position acquisition apparatus as recited in claim 1, wherein said position detection unit comprises a GPS receiver.

6. A portable position acquisition apparatus as recited in claim 1, wherein the data being transmitted is transmitted in a SMS message.

7. A portable position acquisition apparatus as recited in claim 1, wherein said controller determines whether to reacquire the position information based on a threshold level, and wherein the threshold level dynamically adjusts to a higher level when the battery level characteristic indicates a reduced power level of said battery.

8. A portable position acquisition apparatus as recited in claim 1,

wherein a frequency at which said communication interface transmits the data to the remote device is dependent on the battery level characteristic of said battery such that the frequency adapts to a lower frequency as the battery level characteristic declines.

9. A portable position acquisition apparatus as recited in claim 1, wherein said motion monitoring unit monitors motion of said position acquisition apparatus based on at least one criteria select from the group consisting of acceleration, vibration, force, speed, and direction.

10. A portable position acquisition apparatus, comprising:

a position detection unit that detects position information pertaining to said position acquisition apparatus;

a memory that stores the position information;

a motion monitoring unit that obtains motion information by monitoring motion of said position acquisition apparatus;

a battery for providing power to said position acquisition apparatus; and

a controller operatively connected to said position detection unit, said memory, said battery and said motion monitoring unit, said controller operates to at least;

receive the motion information from said motion monitoring unit;

deactivate said position detection unit from reacquiring position information if the motion information indicates that said position acquisition apparatus is not in motion;

determine if said position detection unit has not reacquired position information for a predetermined period of time; and

activate said position detection unit to reacquire position information independent of the motion information if it is determined that said position detection unit has not reacquired position information for a predetermined period of time,

wherein the motion information indicates motion of said position acquisition apparatus based on a threshold level, and wherein the threshold level varies depending on a battery level characteristic of said battery.

11. A portable position acquisition apparatus as recited in claim 10, wherein when a degree of motion of said position acquisition apparatus is less than a threshold amount then said position detection unit ceases to reacquire the position information or reduces a frequency at which the position information is reacquired.

12. A portable position acquisition apparatus as recited in claim 10, wherein said position acquisition apparatus further comprises:

a communication interface that enables said position acquisition apparatus to wirelessly transmit data to a remote device,

wherein said controller is operatively connected to said communication interface.

13. A portable position acquisition apparatus as recited in claim 12, wherein a frequency at which said communication interface transmits the data to the remote device is dependent on a degree of motion of said position acquisition apparatus, whereby when the degree of motion of said position acquisition apparatus is less than a threshold amount then said communication interface ceases to transmit the data or reduces the frequency at which the data is transmitted.

14. A portable position acquisition apparatus as recited in claim 10, wherein if the motion information indicates motion of said position acquisition apparatus, said position detection unit operates to periodically reacquire position information.

15. A portable position acquisition apparatus as recited in claim 10, wherein the predetermined period of time provides a minimum rate of reacquisition of position information.

16. A portable position acquisition apparatus as recited in claim 10, wherein said position acquisition apparatus is a position tracking device designed primarily for tracking position.

17. A portable position acquisition apparatus as recited in claim 10, wherein said position acquisition apparatus is wearable.

18. A portable position acquisition apparatus, comprising:

a position detection unit that detects position information pertaining to said position acquisition apparatus;

a memory that stores the position information;

a battery for providing power to said position acquisition apparatus;

a motion monitoring unit that obtains motion information by monitoring motion of said position acquisition apparatus;

a communication interface that enables said position acquisition apparatus to transmit data to a remote device via a wireless channel, the data being transmitted includes at least the position information; and

a controller operatively connected to said position detection unit, said motion monitoring unit, said memory and said communication interface, said controller causing said position detection unit to reacquire the position information based on the motion information obtained by said motion monitoring unit and a battery level characteristic of said battery,

wherein said controller determines a periodic basis at which said position detection unit is to reacquire the position information pertaining to said position acquisition apparatus, the periodic basis at which said position detection unit reacquires the position information varies depending on at least the battery level characteristic of said battery,

wherein said position detection unit reacquires the position information in a manner dependent on whether said position acquisition apparatus is in motion,

wherein said position detection unit does not reacquire the position information on the periodic basis when said position acquisition apparatus is deemed not in motion,

wherein said position detection unit reacquires the position information in accordance with the periodic basis when said position acquisition apparatus is deemed in motion, and

wherein when said position acquisition apparatus is deemed to be in motion, then said communication interface transmits the data to the remote device based on a period, and when said position acquisition apparatus is deemed not to be in motion, then said communication interface does not transmit the data to the remote device based on the period.

19. A portable position acquisition apparatus as recited in claim 18, wherein when said position acquisition apparatus is deemed to be in motion, then said position detection unit continues to reacquire the position information periodically but less frequently when the battery level characteristic indicates a reduced power level of said battery.

20. A portable position acquisition apparatus as recited in claim 18, wherein said position acquisition apparatus is a position tracking device designed primarily for tracking position.

21. A portable position acquisition apparatus as recited in claim 18, wherein said position acquisition apparatus is wearable.

22. A portable position acquisition apparatus as recited in claim 18, wherein said position detection unit has at least a low-power state and a normal power state, and wherein said position detection unit remains in the low-power state while position information is not being acquired, whereby power of said battery is conserved when said position detection unit is in the low-power state.

23. A portable position acquisition apparatus as recited in claim 18, wherein the data being transmitted is transmitted in a SMS message.

24. A portable position acquisition apparatus as recited in claim 18,

wherein the data being transmitted includes at least the position information, and

wherein said communication interface avoids transmission of the position information to the remote device when the position information differs from prior position information by less than a transmission threshold amount.

25. A portable position acquisition apparatus as recited in claim 24, wherein the transmission threshold amount is configurable or dynamic based on a condition of said position acquisition apparatus.

26. A portable position acquisition apparatus as recited in claim 18,

wherein the data being transmitted includes at least the position information,

wherein said communication interface has at least a normal power state and a low-power state,

wherein, when the position information differs from prior position information by at least a transmission threshold amount, said communication interface transitions to the normal power state and then transmits the position information to the remote device,

wherein after said communication interface transmits the position information to the remote device, said communication interface transitions to the low-power state, and

wherein said position detection unit is disabled or placed in a sleep mode when in the low-power state.

27. A portable position acquisition apparatus as recited in claim 26, wherein the transmission threshold amount is configurable or dynamic based on one or a combination of position, server configuration, time, resolution, service level, interested party configuration, and network availability.

28. A portable position acquisition apparatus as recited in claim 18, wherein said position detection unit comprises a GPS receiver.

29. A portable position acquisition apparatus as recited in claim 18, wherein said position acquisition apparatus is pager sized or smaller.

30. A portable position acquisition apparatus as recited in claim 18, wherein the battery level characteristic pertains to one or more of charge, current, voltage or power of said battery.

31. A portable position acquisition apparatus as recited in claim 18, wherein when a degree of motion of said position acquisition apparatus is less than a threshold amount then said position detection unit ceases to reacquire the position information or reduces a period at which the position information is reacquired.

32. A portable position acquisition apparatus as recited in claim 28, wherein a frequency at which said communication interface transmits the data to the remote device is dependent on a degree of motion of said position acquisition apparatus, whereby when the degree of motion of said position acquisition apparatus is less than a threshold amount then said communication interface ceases to transmit the data or reduces the frequency at which the data is transmitted.

33. A portable position acquisition apparatus as recited in claim 18,

wherein the data being transmitted includes at least the position information, and

wherein a frequency at which said communication interface transmits at least the position information to the remote device is dependent on a degree of motion of said position acquisition apparatus, whereby when the degree of motion of said position acquisition apparatus is less than a threshold amount then said communication interface ceases to transmit the position information or reduces the frequency at which the position information is transmitted.