Reducing power consumption in a networked battery-operated device using sensors

#The present invention relates generally to mobile computing devices, and more particularly, to power consumption reduction in a mobile computing device using sensors.

#With the advent of extreme miniaturization in electronic components, many new types of devices and activities have become possible and even prevalent. For example, the use of many types of mobile devices that use radio frequency signals for connectivity has become routine. One such device is a cell phone, and another is a personal information device, i.e. a handheld computing device that is usable for tasks such as scheduling appointments as well as tasks such as communicating over a network with another user having a similar or other device.

#While mobile computing devices such as those mentioned above, as well as others, confer many benefits on their users, there are certain limitations imposed by such devices that are not experienced with non-mobile devices. For example, one dominant problem associated with mobile devices is the problem of operational lifetime between battery charges. As the user uses a device, the device power source, typically a battery, becomes depleted, eventually falling below a level required for operation of the device. At such time, the user must recharge or rejuvenate the power supply before continuing to use the device. This requirement for battery renewal can be problematic for several reasons. First, if the battery becomes depleted unexpectedly, the user may be greatly inconvenienced if he or she was relying on the device for some functionality, such as emergency calling etc. Additionally, even if the user is aware of the depletion and responds by beginning to charge the battery, the device will generally not be mobile and usable until after the charge cycle is complete, decreasing the overall general usefulness of the device.

#While the appended claims set forth the features of the present invention with particularity, the invention and its advantages may be best understood from the following detailed description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, of which:

#FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram of an exemplary computer network environment including a mobile computing device, within which embodiments of the invention may be implemented;

#FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram illustrating the architecture of an exemplary mobile computing device according to an embodiment of the invention;

#The invention relates to a method and system for reducing power consumption in a mobile device through the use of sensors. In particular, an array of sensors are provided on a device, and their combined outputs are used to affect the power consumption of the device. In this manner, much longer device operational lifetimes may be achieved without a decrease in device usability.

#Referring to FIG. 1, a basic network topology is shown within which a mobile device may be used according to an embodiment of the invention. Typically, a mobile device 101 is transiently connected to a closest access point 103 of a plurality of access points 103, 105, 107. The access points 103, 105, 107 serve to interface the mobile device 101 to an infrastructure 109 such as a network. The access points may be for example wireless network access points such as according to the IEEE 802.11 standard for mobile computers and other devices, or cell phone cell transceivers where the mobile device 101 is a cell phone. The reason for providing a number of access points is that the range of the wireless medium, typically a radio frequency communication channel, is spatially limited, while the user is spatially unconstrained and may move about, hence moving into or out of range with respect to a particular access point. The underlying infrastructure 109 is typically predominantly not mobile, and may be a telephone infrastructure such as is typically interfaced to a cell transceiver, or other network such as a corporate LAN or the Internet interfaced to a wireless access point.

#When a mobile device 101 communicates information to an access point 103, the purpose is generally to communicate with another device 111, mobile or otherwise, also interfaced to, or part of, the infrastructure 109. The other device 1 11 may be another similar device such as a computer, cell phone, or hand held information device used by another user, or may be a different type of device such as a server. The latter case includes but is not limited to the situation where a mobile device registers with a server within the infrastructure 109.