Wireless radios managed based on proximity

• US 9,794,886 B2
• Filed: 09/08/2014
• Issued: 10/17/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 09/08/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Inventors: Baron, Andrew Thomas, Flannery, Eliot John, Anderson, Noel, Desai, Mitesh K., Nusca, Gianluigi
• Primary Examiner(s): Marcelo, Melvin
• Application Number:
  US14/479,954
• Publication Number:
  US 20160073352A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,135 Days
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 17/27 for locating or positioning the transmitter
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 17/318 Received signal strength
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/021 Services related to particular areas, e.g. point of interest [POI] services, venue services or geofences
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/023 using mutual or relative location information between multiple location based services [LBS] targets or of distance thresholds
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/80 Services using short range communication, e.g. near-field communication [NFC], radio-frequency identification [RFID] or low energy communication
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 52/0225 using monitoring of external events, e.g. the presence of a signal
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 52/0254 detecting a user operation or a tactile contact or a motion of the device
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 52/0274 by switching on or off the equipment or parts thereof
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 52/245 taking into account received signal strength
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 52/283 Power depending on the position of the mobile
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/10 adapted for operation in multiple networks, e.g. multi-mode access points
• CPC Class Codes: Y02D 30/70 in wireless communication networks

Abstract

In embodiments of wireless radios managed based on proximity, a mobile device, such as a mobile phone, tablet computer, or other portable device can be implemented for multiple, different wireless communications. A mobile device can include a first radio system for a first wireless communications technology, and a second radio system for a second wireless communications technology. A connection manager determines, based on the first wireless communications technology, whether the mobile device is in an area that is proximate an endpoint implemented for the second wireless communications technology. The connection manager can turn-on the second radio system to enable wireless communication with the endpoint when the mobile device is in the area proximate the endpoint. Alternatively, the connection manager can turn-off the second radio system and conserve power that would otherwise be utilized to scan for the endpoint when the mobile device is not in the area proximate the endpoint.

Claims

1. A method, comprising:

communicating via Wi-Fi with a first radio system of a mobile device, the first radio system configured for wireless communication with Wi-Fi access points;

generating a location signature of an area that is proximate a WiGig endpoint, the location signature based on the first radio system of the mobile device being within communication range of one or more of the Wi-Fi access points;

determining whether the mobile device is in the area proximate the WiGig endpoint based on the location signature;

turning-on a second radio system of the mobile device to enable wireless communication via WiGig with the WiGig endpoint if the mobile device is in the area proximate the WiGig endpoint, the second radio system operating at a lower power than the first radio system; and

turning-off the second radio system and conserving power that would otherwise be utilized by the second radio system to scan for the WiGig endpoint if the mobile device is not in the area proximate the endpoint.

2. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein said generating the location signature occurs at a time when the second radio system is communicatively-linked to the WiGig endpoint for wireless communication.

3. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein the location signature comprises a descriptor of the WiGig endpoint and identifiers of the one or more Wi-Fi access points.

4. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein said turning-on the second radio system initiates locating and communicatively-linking to the WiGig endpoint that is in the area proximate the mobile device.

5. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein said determining whether the mobile device is in the area proximate the WiGig endpoint is further based on a third radio system of the mobile device being in communication range with one or more Bluetooth™

endpoints that are in the area proximate the WiGig endpoint.

6. A mobile device, comprising:

a first radio system configured for a first wireless communications technology;

a second radio system configured for a second wireless communications technology, the first wireless communications technology having a larger communication range than the second wireless communications technology;

a processing system to implement a connection manager that is executable and configured to;

determine, based on the first wireless communications technology, whether the mobile device is in an area that is proximate an endpoint implemented for the second wireless communications technology;

turn-on the second radio system to enable wireless communication with the endpoint if the mobile device is in the area proximate the endpoint; and

turn-off the second radio system and conserve power that would otherwise be utilized by the second radio system to scan for the endpoint if the mobile device is not in the area proximate the endpoint.

7. The mobile device as recited in claim 6, wherein the connection manager is configured to:

generate a location signature of the area that is proximate the endpoint implemented for the second wireless communications technology, the location signature based on the first radio system being within communication range of one or more stations of the first wireless communications technology; and

said determine whether the mobile device is in the area proximate the endpoint based on the location signature.

8. The mobile device as recited in claim 7, wherein the connection manager is configured to generate the location signature at a time when the second radio system is communicatively-linked to the endpoint for the wireless communication.

9. The mobile device as recited in claim 7, wherein the location signature comprises a descriptor of the endpoint and identifiers of the one or more stations of the first wireless communications technology.

10. The mobile device as recited in claim 6, wherein the connection manager is configured to said turn-on the second radio system that locates and communicatively-links to the endpoint that is in the area proximate the mobile device.

11. The mobile device as recited in claim 6, wherein:

the first wireless communications technology is Wi-Fi;

the second wireless communications technology is WiGig; and

the endpoint is implemented as a WiGig endpoint.

12. The mobile device as recited in claim 11, wherein the connection manager is configured to:

generate a location signature of the area that is proximate the WiGig endpoint, the location signature based on the first radio system being within communication range of one or more Wi-Fi access points; and

said determine whether the mobile device is in the area proximate the WiGig endpoint based on the location signature.

13. The mobile device as recited in claim 6, wherein the connection manager is further configured to said determine whether the mobile device is in the area proximate the endpoint based on an additional wireless communications technology.

14. A method, comprising:

determining one or more stations of a first wireless communications technology that are within communication range of a first radio system;

establishing a communication link for wireless communication between a second radio system and an endpoint configured for a second wireless communications technology, the second radio system operating at a lower power than the first radio system;

generating a location signature of an area that is proximate or includes the endpoint, the location signature comprising a descriptor of the endpoint and identifiers of the one or more stations that are within communication range of the first radio system; and

turning-off the second radio system and conserving power that would otherwise be utilized by the second radio system to scan for the endpoint when the first radio system is not in the area proximate the endpoint;

or

turning-on the second radio system to enable the wireless communication with the endpoint when the first radio system is in the area proximate the endpoint.

15. The method as recited in claim 14, further comprising:

determining whether the second radio system is in the area that is proximate or includes the endpoint based on the location signature and whether the one or more stations of the first wireless communications technology are within the communication range of the first radio system; and

one of said turning-off or turning-on the second radio system.

16. The method as recited in claim 14, wherein:

the first wireless communications technology is Wi-Fi;

the second wireless communications technology is WiGig; and

the endpoint is implemented as a WiGig endpoint.

17. The method as recited in claim 16, wherein said generating the location signature of the area that is proximate or includes the endpoint is based on the first radio system being within the communication range of one or more Wi-Fi access points.

18. The method as recited in claim 14, wherein said generating the location signature of the area that is proximate or includes the endpoint is further based on an additional wireless communications technology.

19. The method as recited in claim 14, wherein the generating the location signature is performed during the second radio system being communicatively-linked to the endpoint for the wireless communication.

20. The method as recited in claim 14, wherein the location signature comprises a descriptor of a WiGig endpoint and identifiers of the one or more Wi-Fi access points.