Wireless mobile communication device with autonomous Wi-Fi control based on location of device

• US 8,953,569 B2
• Filed: 08/04/2010
• Issued: 02/10/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 08/04/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Cellco Partnership, Inc. (Verizon Communications Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Cellco Partnership, Inc. (Verizon Communications Inc.)
• Inventors: Kalbag, Rohit Satish
• Primary Examiner(s): Thier, Michael
• Assistant Examiner(s): HAILE, FEBEN
• Application Number:
  US12/850,393
• Publication Number:
  US 20120033654A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,651 Days
• Field of Search: 370/311, 370/328, 370/329, 370/252, 370/338, 370/464, 370/465
• US Class Current: 370/338
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72457 according to geographic location
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2250/06 including a wireless LAN interface
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2250/10 including a GPS signal receiver
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 52/0277 according to available power supply, e.g. switching off when a low battery condition is detected
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/12 WLAN [Wireless Local Area Networks]
• CPC Class Codes: Y02D 30/70 in wireless communication networks

Abstract

A wireless mobile communication device may include a Wi-Fi data communication system, an operational condition detection system, and a Wi-Fi activation system. The operational condition detection system may include a location sensor. The operational condition detection system may be configured to detect an operational condition of the wireless mobile communication device, other than actuation of a user-operated control, including when the location sensor determines that the wireless mobile communication device is near a Wi-Fi access point. The Wi-Fi activation system may be configured to autonomously turn power on to the Wi-Fi data communication system upon detection of an operational condition of the wireless mobile communication device by the operational condition detection system, other than actuation of a user-operated control, including when the location sensor senses that the wireless mobile communication device is near a Wi-Fi access point.

Claims

1. A wireless mobile communication device comprising:

a Wi-Fi data communication system configured to wirelessly connect to a Wi-Fi access point and to wirelessly communicate data between the wireless mobile communication device and the Wi-Fi access point;

an operation condition detection system, including;

a location sensor configured to detect a turn-on operational condition of the wireless mobile communication device, other than actuation of a user-operated control, including when the location sensor determines that the wireless mobile communication device is near a Wi-Fi access point; and

a battery power level detector configured to detect information indicative of the charge level of a battery that powers the wireless mobile communication device;

a data storage system configured to store locations of Wi-Fi access points and information indicative of a number of times each Wi-Fi access point has been used by the wireless mobile communication device for data communication; and

a Wi-Fi activation system configured to autonomously turn power on to the Wi-Fi data communication system upon detection of the turn-on operational condition of the wireless mobile communication device by the operational condition detection system, other than actuation of a user-operated control, including when the location sensor senses that the wireless mobile communication device is near a Wi-Fi access point that has been used more than a pre-determined number of times by the wireless mobile communication device for data communication,

wherein the Wi-Fi activation system is configured not to autonomously turn power on to the Wi-Fi data communication system, notwithstanding detection of the turn-on operational condition of the wireless mobile communication device by the operational condition detection system, when the battery power level detector detects that the charge level of the battery is below a pre-determined threshold.

2. The wireless mobile communication device of claim 1 wherein the Wi-Fi activation system is configured to autonomously turn power off to the Wi-Fi data communication system, after autonomously turning power on to the Wi-Fi data communication system, upon detection of a turn-off operational condition of the wireless mobile communication device by the operational condition detection system, other than actuation of a user-operated control.

3. The wireless mobile communication device of claim 2 wherein:

the Wi-Fi activation system is configured to autonomously turn power off to the Wi-Fi data communication system, notwithstanding detection of the turn-on operational condition of the wireless mobile communication device by the operational condition detection system, when the battery power level detector detects that the charge level of the battery has reached a pre-determined threshold.

4. The wireless mobile communication device of claim 2 wherein:

the operational condition detection system includes a Wi-Fi connection detector configured to detect when a connection to a Wi-Fi access point has been established; and

the turn-off operational condition is when the Wi-Fi connection detector detects that a Wi-Fi connection to a Wi-Fi access point cannot be established.

5. The wireless mobile communication device of claim 4 wherein the Wi-Fi activation system includes a power-off delay timer configured to prevent the Wi-Fi activation system from concluding that connection to a Wi-Fi access point cannot be established until after pre-determined time period after the Wi-Fi data communication system has been turned on.

6. The wireless mobile communication device of claim 2 wherein:

the operational condition detection system includes a Wi-Fi connection detector configured to detect when a connection to a Wi-Fi access point has been broken; and

the turn-off operational condition is when the Wi-Fi connection detector detects that a Wi-Fi connection to a Wi-Fi access point has been broken.

7. The wireless mobile communication device of claim 1 wherein the Wi-Fi data communication system is configured to implement one or more user-provided policies governing connection of the Wi-Fi data communication system to Wi-Fi access points.

8. The wireless mobile communication device of claim 1 wherein:

the operational condition detection system includes a motion sensor and a battery use detector; and

the turn-on operational condition includes when;

the motion sensor senses that the wireless mobile communication device has been substantially motionless; and

the battery use detector detects that the wireless mobile communication device is not operating on battery power.

9. The wireless mobile communication device of claim 2 further including a power-on delay timer, wherein, after autonomously powering off the Wi-Fi data communication system, the Wi-Fi activation system is configured to prevent activation of the Wi-Fi data communication system for a predetermined waiting period determined by the power-on delay timer.

10. The wireless mobile communication device of claim 9, further including a motion sensor, wherein, the Wi-Fi activation system is configured to prematurely terminate the predetermined waiting period when the motion sensor senses that the wireless mobile communication device has moved substantially after initiation of the predetermined waiting period.

11. The wireless mobile communications device of claim 1, wherein:

the detection of the turn on condition further includes the location sensor sensing that the wireless communication device is near the Wi-Fi activation point that has been used more than the predetermined number of times and turning on power to the Wi-Fi data communication system when the wireless communications device is beyond connection range of the Wi-Fi activation point.

12. The wireless mobile communication device of claim 11, wherein the Wi-Fi activation system is further configured not to autonomously turn power on to the Wi-Fi data communications system upon detection of the turn-on operational condition when the location sensor senses that the wireless mobile communications device is near a further Wi-Fi access point that has not been used more than the predetermined number of times by the wireless mobile communication device for data communication.

13. Non-transitory, tangible, computer-readable storage media containing computer programming instructions which, when executed by a computer processing system within a wireless mobile communication device having:

a Wi-Fi data communication system configured to wirelessly connect to a Wi-Fi access point and to wirelessly communicate data between the wireless mobile communication device and the Wi-Fi access point;

an operation condition detection system, including;

a location sensor, configured to detect a turn-on operational condition of the wireless mobile communication device, other than actuation of a user-operated

control, including when the location sensor determines that the wireless mobile communication device is near a Wi-Fi access point; and

a battery power level detector configured to detect information indicative of the charge level of a battery that powers the wireless mobile communication device; and

a data storage system configured to store locations of Wi-Fi access points and information indicative of how frequently each Wi-Fi access point has been used by the wireless mobile communication device for data communication;

cause the computer processing system to function as a Wi-Fi activation system which autonomously turns power on to the Wi-Fi data communication system upon detection of the turn-on operational condition of the wireless mobile communication device by the operational condition detection system, other than actuation of a user-operated control, including when the location sensor senses that the wireless mobile communication device is near a Wi-Fi access point that has been used more than a pre-determined number of times by the wireless mobile communication device for data communication; and

cause the Wi-Fi activation system not to autonomously turn power on to the Wi-Fi data communication system, notwithstanding detection of the turn-on operational condition of the wireless mobile communication device by the operational condition detection system, when the battery power level detector detects that the charge level of the battery is below a pre-determined threshold.

14. The non-transitory, tangible, computer-readable storage media of claim 13 wherein the computer programming instructions, when executed by the computer processing system, cause the Wi-Fi activation system to autonomously turn power off to the Wi-Fi data communication system, after autonomously turning power on to the Wi-Fi data communication system, upon detection of a turn-off operational condition of the wireless mobile communication device by the operational condition detection system, other than actuation of a user-operated control.

15. The non-transitory, tangible, computer-readable storage media of claim 14 wherein:

the operational condition detection system includes a Wi-Fi connection detector configured to detect when a connection to a Wi-Fi access point has been established; and

the turn-off operational condition is when the Wi-Fi connection detector detects that a Wi-Fi connection to a Wi-Fi access point cannot be established.

16. The non-transitory, tangible, computer-readable storage media of claim 15 wherein the computer programming instructions, when executed by the computer processing system, cause the Wi-Fi activation system to include a power-off delay timer configured to prevent the Wi-Fi activation system from concluding that connection to a Wi-Fi access point cannot be established until after pre-determined time period after the Wi-Fi communication system has been turned on.

17. The non-transitory, tangible, computer-readable storage media of claim 14 wherein:

the operational condition detection system includes a Wi-Fi connection detector configured to detect when a connection to a Wi-Fi access point has been broken; and

the turn-off operational condition is when the Wi-Fi connection detector detects that a Wi-Fi connection to a Wi-Fi access point has been broken.

18. The non-transitory, tangible, computer-readable storage media of claim 13 wherein the computer programming instructions, when executed by the computer processing system, cause the Wi-Fi data communication system to implement one or more user-provided policies governing connection of the Wi-Fi data communication system to Wi-Fi access points.

19. The non-transitory, tangible, computer-readable storage media of claim 13 wherein:

the operational condition detection system includes a motion sensor and a battery user detector; and

the turn-on operational condition includes when;

the motion sensor senses that the wireless mobile communication device has been substantially motionless; and

the battery use detector detects that the wireless mobile communication device is not operating on battery power.