Method and apparatus for reducing energy consumption of a user equipment

• US 8,812,232 B2
• Filed: 06/22/2009
• Issued: 08/19/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 06/22/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Nokia Technologies Oy (Nokia Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Nokia Corporation
• Inventors: Nurminen, Jukka Kalevi, Niska, Petri Otto Kalevi
• Primary Examiner(s): Nguyen, John Q
• Assistant Examiner(s): Fei, Jordan S
• Application Number:
  US12/489,389
• Publication Number:
  US 20100324819A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,884 Days
• Field of Search: 701/408, 701/412, 701/445, 701/468, 701/469, 701/472, 701/473, 701/476, 701/491, 701/494, 701/495, 701/502, 701/505, 701/490, 455/275, 455/276, 455/123, 455/121, 455/118, 475/275, 475/276, 475/123, 475/121, 475/118
• US Class Current: 701/490
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/20 Instruments for performing navigational calculations G01C21/24, G01C21/26 take precedence

Abstract

An approach is provided for energy-efficient location tracking. An energy saving module obtains measured location data of the user equipment, and determines a function to forecast locations of the user equipment based on the measured location data to output forecast location data. The energy saving module further receives movement data from a sensor of the user equipment, and converts the movement data to converted location data. The energy saving module then compares the forecast location data with the converted location data for a deviation, and then it either initiates reporting of the deviation when the deviation exceeds a predetermined range, or disables the reporting of the deviation when the deviation is within the predetermined range.

Claims

1. A method for conserving energy in a user equipment comprising:

obtaining measured location data of the user equipment;

determining a function to forecast locations of the user equipment based on the measured location data to output forecast location data;

receiving movement data from a sensor of the user equipment;

converting the movement data to converted location data;

comparing the forecast location data with the converted location data to determine a deviation there between;

initiating reporting of the deviation from the user equipment to a service platform over a radio network, when the deviation exceeds a predetermined range; and

disabling the reporting of the deviation to the service platform, when the deviation is within the predetermined range.

2. A method of claim 1, further comprising:

causing, at least in part, updating the forecast location data based upon the reported deviation while excluding the deviation within the predetermined range,

wherein the function is a spline or a historical route.

3. A method of claim 2, further comprising:

receiving subsequent movement data from the sensor of the user equipment;

converting the subsequent movement data to converted subsequent location data;

comparing the updated forecast location data with the converted subsequent location data for a subsequent deviation,

wherein the spline is interpolated by the user equipment or the service platform configured to communicate with the user equipment over the radio network.

4. A method of claim 3, further comprising:

initiating reporting of the subsequent deviation to the platform, when the subsequent deviation exceeds the predetermined range;

disabling the reporting of the subsequent deviation, when the subsequent deviation is within the predetermined range; and

causing, at least in part, updating the updated forecast location data based upon the reported subsequent deviation.

5. A method of claim 2, further comprising:

causing, at least in part, display of live sports progress of a user carrying the user equipment based upon the updated forecast location data,

wherein the user equipment is a mobile user device.

6. A method of claim 5, wherein the live sports progress is displayed at the service platform, one or more other user equipment, or a combination thereof.

7. A method of claim 1, wherein the measured location data are measured with a global positioning system (GPS) receiver, and the sensor is an acceleration sensor.

8. A method of claim 7, further comprising:

disabling reporting of the measured location data by disabling the GPS receiver after the forecast location data is outputted.

9. A method of claim 1, wherein altitude or road/path data is used to adjust the forecast location data, and an elevation sensor and a compass are used to determine altitude and direction changes.

10. An apparatus for conserving energy in a user equipment comprising:

at least one processor; and

at least one memory including computer program code,

wherein the at least one memory and the computer program code configured to, with the at least one processor, cause the apparatus to perform at least the following;

obtain measured location data of the user equipment,

determine a function to forecast locations of the user equipment based on the measured location data to output forecast location data,

receive movement data from a sensor of the user equipment,

convert the movement data to converted location data,

compare the forecast location data with the converted location data to determine a deviation there between;

initiate reporting of the deviation from the user equipment to a service platform over a radio network when the deviation exceeds a predetermined range, and

disable the reporting of the deviation to the service platform, when the deviation is within the predetermined range.

11. An apparatus of claim 10, wherein the function is a spline or a historical route.

12. An apparatus of claim 11, wherein the spline is interpolated by the user equipment or the service platform configured to communicate with the user equipment over the radio network.

13. An apparatus of claim 10, wherein the measured location data are measured with a global positioning system (GPS) receiver, and the sensor is an energy conserving acceleration sensor.

14. An apparatus of claim 13, wherein the apparatus is further caused to disable the GPS receiver.

15. An apparatus of claim 10, wherein altitude or road/path data is used to adjust the forecast location data, and

an elevation sensor and a compass are used to determine altitude and direction changes.

16. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium for conserving energy in a user equipment, carrying one or more sequences of one or more instructions which, when executed by one or more processors, cause an apparatus to perform at least the following:

obtaining measured location data of a the user equipment;

determining a function to forecast locations of the user equipment based on the measured location data to output forecast location data;

receiving movement data from a sensor of the user equipment;

converting the movement data to converted location data;

comparing the forecast location data with the converted location data to determine a deviation there between;

initiating reporting of the deviation from the user equipment to a service platform over a radio network when the deviation exceeds a predetermined range; and

disabling the reporting of the deviation to the platform, when the deviation is within the predetermined range.

17. A computer-readable storage medium of claim 16, wherein the function is a spline or a historical route.

18. A computer-readable storage medium of claim 17, wherein the spline is interpolated by the user equipment or the service platform configured to communicate with the user equipment over the radio network.

19. A computer-readable storage medium of claim 16, wherein the measured location data are measured with a global positioning system (GPS) receiver, and the sensor is an acceleration sensor.

20. A computer-readable storage medium of claim 19, wherein the apparatus is caused to further perform:

disable the GPS receiver.