Power conservation on user devices having location identification hardware

• US 9,706,513 B2
• Filed: 02/20/2014
• Issued: 07/11/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 02/20/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Cellco Partnership, Inc. (Verizon Communications Inc.), Verizon Patent and Licensing Incorporated (Verizon Communications Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Cellco Partnership, Inc. (Verizon Communications Inc.), Verizon Patent and Licensing Incorporated (Verizon Communications Inc.)
• Inventors: D'Argenio, Michael J., Gruskin, Edward, Hwang, James Y., Sheth, Abhishek S., Santaiti, Matthew, DeKlerk, Gareth, Frazier, Kristopher T., Katai, Lonnie
• Primary Examiner(s): TILLERY, RASHAWN N
• Application Number:
  US14/185,581
• Publication Number:
  US 20150237593A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,237 Days
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 52/0209 in terminal devices terminal devices per se H04W88/02
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 64/00 Locating users or terminals or network equipment for network management purposes, e.g. mobility management
• CPC Class Codes: Y02D 30/70 in wireless communication networks

Abstract

A user device may detect, using a first radio associated with the user device, a presence of a location reference device; and determine a location associated with the user device. When determining the location associated with the user device, the user device is to receive location information from the location reference device, via the first, and refrain, based on detecting the presence of the location reference device, from determining the location using a second radio associated with the user device while the user device is within a communication range of the location reference device.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

detecting, by a user device and using a first radio associated with the user device, a presence of a location reference device,

wherein the location reference device is a device that has determined its own location using at least one of;

a cellular triangulation technique, or

a Global Positioning System (GPS) technique;

determining, by the user device, a location associated with the user device, the determining including;

receiving, by the user device, location information from the location reference device, via the first radio,

the location information including the location that was determined using at least one of the cellular triangulation technique or the GPS technique, and

refraining, by the user device and based on detecting the presence of the location reference device, from determining the location of the user device using a second radio associated with the user device while the user device is within a communication range of the location reference device,

wherein refraining from determining the location using the second radio is further based on determining that a signal strength of the communication, between the user device and the location reference device, via the first radio, exceeds a particular threshold signal strength;

receiving, by the user device, a request for the location of the user device; and

providing, by the user device and in response to the request for the location of the user device, the location of the location reference device.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein determining the location of the user device, via the first radio, consumes less power than determining the location of the user device via the second radio.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

detecting that communication between the user device and the location reference device has ended; and

determining the location of the user device using the second radio based on detecting that the communication between the user device and the location reference device has ended.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

refraining from communicating via a third radio based on detecting the presence of the location reference device.

5. The method of claim 1,

wherein the first radio includes at least one of:

a radio frequency identification (RFID) radio,

a Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE) radio, or

a Near-Field Communications (NFC), and

wherein the second radio includes at least one of;

a Global Positioning System (GPS) radio,

a cellular radio, or

a “

Wi-Fi”

radio.

16. The method of claim 1, wherein the location reference device stores information regarding a geographic location of the location reference device, and

wherein receiving the location information, from the location reference device, includes receiving the information regarding the geographic location of the location reference device.

6. A system comprising:

a user device, comprising;

a non-transitory memory device storing a plurality of processor-executable instructions; and

a processor configured to execute the processor-executable instructions, wherein executing the processor-executable instructions causes the processor to;

detect, using a first radio associated with the user device, a presence of a location reference device,

wherein the location reference device is a device that has determined its own location using at least one of a cellular triangulation technique or a Global Positioning System (GPS) technique,

wherein the location reference device further stores location information that indicates a perimeter associated with the location reference device; and

determine a location associated with the user device, wherein executing the processor-executable instructions, to determine the location, causes the processor to;

receive location information from the location reference device, via the first radio, the location information including;

 

the location that was determined using at least one of the cellular triangulation technique or the GPS technique, and

 

the perimeter associated with the location reference device;

refrain, based on detecting the presence of the location reference device, from determining the location of the user device using a second radio associated with the user device while the user device is within a communication range of the location reference device,

 

wherein refraining from determining the location using the second radio is further based on determining that a signal strength of the communication, between the user device and the location reference device, via the first radio, exceeds a particular threshold signal strength;

receive a request for the location of the user device; and

provide, in response to the request for the location of the user device, the location of the location reference device.

7. The system of claim 6, wherein executing the processor-executable instructions, to refrain from determining the location using the second radio, causes the processor to:

power down the second radio,

switch the radio to an idle state, or

discontinue a process that determines the location using the second radio.

8. The system of claim 6, wherein executing the processor-executable instructions further causes the processor to:

detect that communication between the user device and the location reference device has ended; and

determine the location of the user device using the second radio based on detecting that the communication between the user device and the location reference device has ended.

9. The system of claim 6, wherein executing the processor-executable instructions further causes the processor to:

refrain from communicating via a third radio based on detecting the presence of the location reference device.

10. The system of claim 6,

wherein the first radio includes a Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE) radio, and

wherein the second radio includes at least one of:

a Global Positioning System (GPS) radio, or

a cellular radio.

17. The system of claim 6, wherein executing the processor-executable instructions, to refrain from determining the location using the second radio, causes the processor to refrain from determining the location using the second radio further based on a determination that the user device is located within the perimeter associated with the location reference device.

18. The system of claim 6, wherein the location reference device stores information regarding a geographic location of the location reference device, and

wherein receiving the location information, from the location reference device, includes receiving the information regarding the geographic location of the location reference device.

19. The system of claim 6, wherein the location reference device is a non-mobile device.

11. A method comprising:

determining, by a location reference device, a geographic location of the location reference device, the location of the reference device being determined using at least one of;

a cellular triangulation technique, or

a Global Positioning System (GPS) technique;

detecting, by the location reference device, a presence of a user device;

determining, by the location reference device, a signal strength of a communication between the user device and the location reference device;

estimating, by the location reference device and based on the signal strength of the communication between the user device and the location reference device, a distance of the user device from the location reference device;

determining, by the location reference device, a location of the user device based on;

the determined geographic location of the location reference device, and

the estimated distance of the user device from the location reference device; and

outputting, by the location reference device, information identifying the location of the user device, the information identifying the location indicating a perimeter that is defined by the geographic location of the location reference device and the estimated distance of the user device from the location reference device,

the outputting causing the user device to refrain from determining the location of the user device using a particular radio, using the cellular triangulation technique or the GPS technique, while the user device is within a communication range of the location reference device,

wherein refraining from determining the location using the particular radio is further based on determining that a signal strength of a communication, between the user device and the location reference device, via another radio, exceeds a particular threshold signal strength, and

the outputting further causing the user device to provide, in response to a request for a location of the user device, the geographic location of the location reference device.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein outputting the information identifying the location of the user device further causes the user device to:

power down the particular radio,

switch the particular radio to an idle state, or

discontinue a process that determines the location of the user device using the particular radio.

13. The method of claim 11, wherein the location reference device is a non-mobile device, wherein the location reference device stores information identifying the geographic location of the location reference device,

wherein determining the location of the user device is further based on the stored information identifying the geographic location reference device.

14. The method of claim 11, wherein the location reference device is a mobile device.

15. The method of claim 11, wherein the particular radio includes at least one of:

a Global Positioning System (GPS) radio,

a cellular radio, or

a “

Wi-Fi”

radio.

20. The method of claim 11, wherein the other radio includes at least one of:

a radio frequency identification (RFID) radio,

a Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE) radio, or

a Near-Field Communications (NFC).