Patent Application
20150063181
Embodiments of the invention relate generally to an apparatus and method of conserving the battery power of mobile devices within a location-based group.
Currently, smart mobile phones and other mobile devices are notorious for the speed with which batteries run down. One of the main causes of the rapid depletion of the battery charges of mobile devices is constant data transfer via wireless connections such as Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, 3G or 4G and GPS. Further, when using Wi-Fi, Bluetooth and GPS, the radios on the mobile device are constantly listening for signals and hence, using up the battery of the mobile devices.
Moreover, some of the applications running on the mobile device triangulate the mobile device's location on the Earth's surface. These applications access the mobile device's position to provide services including finding nearby restaurants, “checking-in” on social networks and for satellite navigation. In order to refine the location of the mobile devices, these applications continuously use the capabilities of the mobile device including some of additional sensors included in the mobile devices such as accelerometer and proximity sensor etc. The continuous sensing and refinement activity also keeps the radios continuously running in the background, which further depletes the battery of the mobile device.
The embodiments of the invention are illustrated by way of example and not by way of limitation in the figures of the accompanying drawings in which like references indicate similar elements. It should be noted that references to “an” or “one” embodiment of the invention in this disclosure are not necessarily to the same embodiment, and they mean at least one. In the drawings:
In the following description, numerous specific details are set forth. However, it is understood that embodiments of the invention may be practiced without these specific details. In other instances, well-known circuits, structures, and techniques have not been shown to avoid obscuring the understanding of this description.
In the description, certain terminology is used to describe features of the invention. For example, in certain situations, the terms “component,” “unit,” “module,” and “logic” are representative of hardware and/or software configured to perform one or more functions. For instance, examples of “hardware” include, but are not limited or restricted to an integrated circuit such as a processor (e.g., a digital signal processor, microprocessor, application specific integrated circuit, a micro-controller, etc.). Of course, the hardware may be alternatively implemented as a finite state machine or even combinatorial logic. An example of “software” includes executable code in the form of an application, an applet, a routine or even a series of instructions. The software may be stored in any type of machine-readable medium.
The tracking server 117 included in the system 100 links to each of the registered mobile devices over a network 116 (e.g., Internet) to collect and transfer location data. Specifically, the server 117 requests location data from each of the mobile devices. The mobile devices may fix their location and transmit their location data using their sensors and radios via the Global Positioning System (GPS) 115 or WiFi stations 1121-112n (n>1). The server 117 then obtains the location data from each of the mobile devices 1011-101m, 1021-102p, 1031-103q, over the network 116 (via at least one of WiFi, cell towers and satellite connections based on availability), and transmits this location data from each of the mobile devices to the mobile devices in their respective explicit groups. In one embodiment, the server 117 transmits the location data from the mobile device 1011 to the mobile devices 1012-101m.
In
Similar to
However, contrary to the server 117, the server 317 may identify mobile devices that are located at location 310 or within a radius 202 of location 310 (e.g., the mobile devices within region 105) to perform an optimization of the battery usage of these mobile devices. The server 317 according to one embodiment of the invention uses the proximity sensing capability of the mobile devices to form subgroups. The mobile devices within the subgroups may be explicit or implicit registered members. In order to avoid the situation where mobile devices within a same region 105 are each continuously using their radio to provide the same current location 310 to the server 317, the server 317 may form subgroups based on an identifiable location or neighborhood. Accordingly, the server 317 may selectively use the subgroup as a unit to reduce and optimize the battery use within each subgroup for location fixing and identification. For example, in
In some embodiments, the server 317 may determine whether the specific location 310 is included in the server 317′s database 230 to confirm that the specific location is associated with at least one mobile device in the subgroup of mobile devices 1011, 1012, 1021 and may update the database to associate the specific location 310 with each of the mobile devices 1011, 1012, 1021 in the subgroup of mobile devices. More specifically, the historic data regarding each of the mobile devices 1011, 1012, and 1021 in the subgroup frequenting the location 310 may be collected by the server 317 which stores the historic data in a database memory 305. This historic information may thus be checked to identify and confirm the location 310 as being associated with at least one of the mobile devices in subgroup 105. The location 310 may be a location where members of the explicit and implicit groups congregate such as, for instance, clubs, schools, colleges, places of worship, sport facilities etc. As shown in
In one embodiment, once the location 310 and the subgroup is identified and confirmed, the server 317 queries the mobile devices 1011, 1012, and 1021 of the subgroup for their characteristics and the power levels 211, 213 and 212 associated with each of the mobile devices 1011, 1012, and 1021. Based on the power levels 211, 212, 213 received, the server 317 determines which of the mobile devices 1011, 1012, and 1021 is to shut down its radio function and the length of time of the shut down. Further, the server 317 may transmit control signals to each of the mobile devices 1011, 1012, and 1021 in the subgroup to shut down radio functions based on the level of power. In this embodiment, the mobile devices shut down of the radio functions by disconnecting the radio of the mobile device from the server 317 such that the radio of mobile device is not continuously active to provide location data and proximity information to the server 317.
In one embodiment of the invention, the server 317 enables the radio of the mobile device 1011 which has the highest power level 211 to be used to track the location 310 of the members 1011, 1012, and 1021 of the subgroup while also keeping track of the subgroup 105 using the proximity sensors on mobile device 1011. The radio functions of the other two other mobile devices 1012 and 1021 in this embodiment are disconnected from location-based usage to conserve available battery charge. In this embodiment, the mobile device 1011 performs the location fixing and communicates with the server 317 for a predefined period of time to ensure that the location of the devices in the subgroup 105 during that period of time is known to the server 317. In another embodiment, the reporting of the location to the server 317 is divided based on charge availability of the mobile devices. For instance, with the mobile devices 1011, 1021 and 1012 having respective power levels 211, 213 and 212, the radios on the mobile devices 1011, 1021 and 1012 are activated for time periods proportionally with a ratio of 211:213:212. The mobile device that is active is enabled to provide location identification to the server 317 and proximity check of the other two devices for a predefined period of time. In another embodiment, to conserve charge of mobile device 1012 that has a very low power level 212, the radio of the mobile device 1012 with the low power level 212 is eliminated from use for location fixing and server 317 contact. In this embodiment, the mobile device 1012 is excluded from radio usage, while the other two mobile devices 1011 and 1021 are activate and used in a proportionate manner 211:213 for location fixing and contact with server 117 for a predefined period of time.
Further, for the mobile devices such as smart watches that indicate high charge level but have low power capability and require long life, the server 317 may assess the characteristics of the mobile devices received to avoid or sparingly use such mobile devices for location identification and contact to server 317. In this embodiment, the server 317 may query and receive characteristics associated with each of the mobile devices in the subgroup, identify mobile devices based on the characteristics received that have low power capability, and signal to the identified mobile devices to shut down their radio functions. This embodiment may be also used in addition to the methods described above.
Referring to
The communication interface 640 is be a network communication interface that may include a wired network interface such as an IEEE 802.3 Ethernet interface as well as a wireless interface such as an IEEE 802.11 WiFi interface. Data may also be received from any one of a variety of different wireless communications networks and in accordance with any one of several different protocols. These include: a cellular mobile phone network (e.g. a Global System for Mobile communications, GSM, network), including current 2G, 3G, 4G, and LTE networks; and an IEEE 802.11 network (WiFi or Wireless Local Area Network, WLAN). In one embodiment, the communication interface 640 may receive location data and proximity information from each of the mobile devices, respectively. The location data received from a mobile device 1011 may include the location 310 which is the current location of the mobile device 1011. The proximity information received from the mobile device 1011 may include an identification of mobile devices proximate in location to the mobile device 1011. For instance, the mobile device 1011 may provide the identification of mobile devices 1012 and 1021 that are within a predetermined radius 202 of the location 310 of the mobile device 1011. The communication interface 640 may also transmit queries based on signals received from the processor 610. For instance, the communication interface 640 may transmit a query to each of the mobile devices in a subgroup including 1011, 1012, and 1021 and receive a level of power associated with each of the mobile devices in the subgroup in response to the query. The communication interface may also transmit control signals to each of the mobile devices in the subgroup based on signals received from the processor 610.
The processor 610 that is coupled to the communication interface 640 may include a microprocessor, a microcontroller, a digital signal processor, or a central processing unit, and other needed integrated circuits such as glue logic. The term “processor” may refer to a device having two or more processing units or elements, e.g. a CPU with multiple processing cores. The processor 640 may be used to control the operations of the communication interface 640. For example, the processor 640 may be coupled to the communication interface 640 and executes software to control the wireless network communications functionality of the server 317 (e.g. communicating with a network 116 to transmit and receive data to other components of system 300 (e.g., mobile devices) via the communication interface 640). In some cases, a particular function may be implemented as two or more pieces of software that are being executed by different hardware units of a processor.
In one embodiment, the processor 610 is also coupled to the memory storage 620 that may include one or more different types of storage such as hard disk drive storage, nonvolatile memory, and volatile memory such as dynamic random access memory. The memory storage 620 may also include a database 630 that stores historical data including location data associated with a plurality of mobile devices. The database 630 may also store membership data in explicit or implicit groups, member or mobile device characteristics, location identification, other location related information, historical subgroup member data and location based subgroup data. The memory device 620 may also store instructions (e.g. software; firmware) which may be executed by the processor 610. In one embodiment, when the instructions stored in memory device 620 are executed by the processor 610, the processor 610 performs methods for conserving the battery power of mobile devices within a location-based group. In some embodiments, the processor 610 may receive the location data and the proximity information from the communication interface, identify a specific location based on the location data and the proximity information, and form the subgroup of mobile devices that include mobile devices within a predetermined radius of the specific location. The processor 610 may also control the functions of the communication interface 640 by signaling to the communication interface 640 to send the queries and to transmit the control signals to each of the mobile devices 1011, 1012, and 1021 in the subgroup to shut down radio functions based on the level of power. The processor 610 may also receive the level of power associated with each of the mobile devices 1011, 1012, and 1021 in the subgroup from the communication interface 640. The methods for conserving the battery power of the mobile devices within a location-based group are discussed in further detail below.
In addition, various other peripheral units (not shown) may be connected to the server 317 to form a computer platform, such as but not limited to keyboards, mouse, additional data storage units, printing units and/or display units. The processor 610, memory storage 620, and communication interface 640 communicate to input devices and output devices via one or more communication links such as a bus. The communication links may also be other wired or wireless communication links. Though in
The following embodiments of the invention may be described as a process, which is usually depicted as a flowchart, a flow diagram, a structure diagram, or a block diagram. Although a flowchart may describe the operations as a sequential process, many of the operations can be performed in parallel or concurrently. In addition, the order of the operations may be re-arranged. A process is terminated when its operations are completed. A process may correspond to a method, a procedure, etc.
In one embodiment, the server may signal to each of the mobile devices in subgroup to shut down radio functions inversely proportionally to the level of power associated with each of the mobile devices in the subgroup. Accordingly, the radio functions that are used to provide location data and proximity information to the server are being disabled at a rate that is inversely proportional to level of power associated with a mobile device. In that matter, the mobile device having the least amount of battery power deactivates its radio functions for the longest period of time. In another embodiment, the server may select, based on the level of power, one of the mobile devices in the subgroup as a first selected mobile device and signaling to the mobile devices in the subgroup other than the first selected mobile device to turn off radio functions. In this embodiment, the server may select the mobile device having the highest level of power left in its battery as the first selected mobile device which has to continue providing the location data and proximity information to the server 317 while the remaining mobile devices in the subgroup can shut their radio functions down. In this embodiment, the server 317 receives the location data and proximity information for all the mobile devices in the subgroup from the first selected mobile device.
In another embodiment, the server selects, based on the level of power, another of the mobile devices in the subgroup as a second selected mobile device, and signaling to the mobile devices in the subgroup other than the first and the second selected mobile devices to turn off radio functions. In this embodiment, the server may select the mobile device with the second highest level of power as the second selected mobile device. In this embodiment, the first and second selected mobile device may be used proportionally to their level of power to provide the location data and proximity information to the server. Thus, the server may signal to the first and the second selected mobile devices to shut down their radio functions inversely proportionally to the level of power associated with the first and second selected mobile devices, respectively.
An embodiment of the invention may be a machine-readable medium having stored thereon instructions which program a processor to perform some or all of the operations described above. A machine-readable medium may include any mechanism for storing or transmitting information in a form readable by a machine (e.g., a computer), such as Compact Disc Read-Only Memory (CD-ROMs), Read-Only Memory (ROMs), Random Access Memory (RAM), and Erasable Programmable Read-Only Memory (EPROM). In other embodiments, some of these operations might be performed by specific hardware components that contain hardwired logic. Those operations might alternatively be performed by any combination of programmable computer components and fixed hardware circuit components.
While the invention has been described in terms of several embodiments, those of ordinary skill in the art will recognize that the invention is not limited to the embodiments described, but can be practiced with modification and alteration within the spirit and scope of the appended claims. The description is thus to be regarded as illustrative instead of limiting. There are numerous other variations to different aspects of the invention described above, which in the interest of conciseness have not been provided in detail. Accordingly, other embodiments are within the scope of the claims.
