Motion-based management of a wireless processor-based device

A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium that stores instructions for execution by processing circuitry of a wireless device to configure the device to perform operations to:

• monitor movement of the wireless device using signals from a speed sensor including one or more accelerometers in the wireless device exclusive of signals from other sensors by polling the accelerometers to determine a speed of the wireless device;
• determine, using only the monitored movement, that the wireless device is in a car when the monitored movement indicates a speed in a range of speeds associated with driving or indicates that the wireless device is not moving and previously had a speed in the range of speeds associated with driving;
• disable a Wi-Fi interface and provide an indication that the wireless device is not connected to a network via the Wi-Fi interface responsive to the monitored movement indicating that the wireless device is in the car and has a speed in the range of speeds associated with driving;
• re-enable the Wi-Fi interface and provide an indication that the wireless device is connected to the network via the Wi-Fi interface responsive to the monitored movement indicating that the wireless device has a speed less than the range of speeds associated with driving, such that the monitored movement indicates that the wireless device is not stopped and has a speed compatible with maintaining Wi-Fi connectivity;
• and
• inhibit the Wi-Fi interface from being re-enabled, by any process operating on the wireless device while the monitored movement indicates that the wireless device is in the car.

An apparatus of a wireless device, the wireless device including a Wi-Fi interface and a cellular interface, the apparatus comprising:

• memory;
• and
• processing circuitry, configured to:
• receive input to enable a first movement profile indicating that the wireless device is in a car using only monitored movement signals that indicate a speed in a range of speeds associated with driving or that indicate that the wireless device is not moving and that the wireless device previously had a speed in the range of speeds associated with driving or to enable a second movement profile indicating that the wireless device is moving and has a speed within a range of speeds associated with walking, the range of speeds associated with walking being less than the range of speeds associated with driving;
• monitor activity of the wireless device by polling signals from one or more accelerometers, exclusive of of signals from any other sensor, to provide the monitored movement signals indicating a speed of the wireless device;
• and,
• according to the first and second profiles:
• determine, using only the monitored movement signals, that the wireless device is in the car, or that the wireless device has a speed in a range of speeds associated with walking;
• disable the Wi-Fi interface and provide an indication that the wireless device is not connected to a network via the Wi-Fi interface responsive to the monitored movement signals indicating that the wireless device is in the car;
• re-enable the Wi-Fi interface and provide an indication that the wireless device is connected to the network via the Wi-Fi interface when the monitored movement signals indicate that the wireless device has a speed in the range of speeds associated with walking;
• inhibit the Wi-Fi interface from being re-enabled, by any process operating on the wireless device, while the monitored movement signals indicate that the wireless device is in the car;
• refrain from disabling the Wi-Fi interface when the monitored movement signals indicate a speed in the range of speeds associated with walking;
• and
• configure the device to maintain cellular network connectivity with the cellular interface when the Wi-Fi interface is disabled.

An apparatus of a wireless device, the wireless device including a Wi-Fi interface and a cellular interface, the apparatus comprising:

• a speed sensor including one or more accelerometers;
• memory;
• and
• processing circuitry, configured to:
• monitor movement of the wireless device by polling signals from the one or more accelerometers exclusive of signals from any other sensor to determine a speed of the wireless device;
• select a movement profile from among a plurality of movement profiles based on the monitored movement;
• selectively disable the cellular interface and enable the Wi-Fi interface when the monitored movement indicates that the wireless device is moving and has a speed associated with walking or is stopped and previously had a speed associated with walking or selectively disable the Wi-Fi interface and enable the cellular interface when the monitored movement indicates that the wireless device is moving and has a speed associated with driving or is stopped and previously had a speed associated with driving;
• inhibit the Wi-Fi interface from being re-enabled, by any process operating on the wireless device, while the monitored movement signals indicate that the wireless device is moving and has a speed associated with driving or is stopped and previously had a speed associated with driving;
• and
• provide an indication that the wireless device is connected to a network via the Wi-Fi interface when the Wi-Fi interface is enabled and connected to a cellular network via the cellular interface when the cellular interface is enabled.