# US 2011/0246056 A1 · Method and apparatus for efficiently using a battery in a smartphone having a navigation system > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 2011/0246056 A1 - Document ID: US20110246056A1 - Status: Published application - Kind: A1 - Application number: 12/751,039 - Filed: 2010-03-31 - Published: 2011-10-06 - Earliest claimed: 2010-03-31 - Assignees: Alpine Electronics, Inc. - Inventors: Andrew S. de Silva; Linh Doan; Alex Panganiban - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US20110246056A1 ## CPC - G01C 21/3469: {Fuel consumption; Energy use; Emission aspects} - G01S 19/34: Power consumption - G01S 19/48: by combining or switching between position solutions derived from the satellite radio beacon positioning system and position solutions derived from a further system - H04L 67/52: specially adapted for the location of the user terminal - H04W 4/02: Services making use of location information - H04W 4/029: Location-based management or tracking services - H04W 52/0251: {using monitoring of local events, e.g. events related to user activity} - H04W 64/00: Locating users or terminals {or network equipment} for network management purposes, e.g. mobility management - Y02D 30/70: in wireless communication networks - G01C: MEASURING DISTANCES, LEVELS OR BEARINGS; SURVEYING; NAVIGATION; GYROSCOPIC INSTRUMENTS; PHOTOGRAMMETRY OR VIDEOGRAMMETRY (measuring liquid level G01F; radio navigation, determining distance or velocity by use of propagation effects, e.g. Doppler effects, propagation time, of radio waves, analogous arrangements using other waves G01S) - G01S: RADIO DIRECTION-FINDING; RADIO NAVIGATION; DETERMINING DISTANCE OR VELOCITY BY USE OF RADIO WAVES; LOCATING OR PRESENCE-DETECTING BY USE OF THE REFLECTION OR RERADIATION OF RADIO WAVES; ANALOGOUS ARRANGEMENTS USING OTHER WAVES - H04L: TRANSMISSION OF DIGITAL INFORMATION, e.g. TELEGRAPHIC COMMUNICATION (arrangements common to telegraphic and telephonic communication H04M) - H04W: WIRELESS COMMUNICATION NETWORKS (broadcast communication H04H; communication systems using wireless links for non-selective communication, e.g. wireless extensions H04M1/72) - Y02D: CLIMATE CHANGE MITIGATION TECHNOLOGIES IN INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGIES [ICT], I.E. INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGIES AIMING AT THE REDUCTION OF THEIR OWN ENERGY USE ## Abstract This invention relates to a method and apparatus to optimize energy consumption in a mobile phone having a navigation system. More specifically, this invention relates to a navigation-based method and apparatus to efficiently use a smartphone battery to deliver the highest possible location accuracy to the driver. In one embodiment, when the driver is travelling from a complex route segment to a less complex route segment, a current location sensor is switched to another location sensor with lower location accuracy which consumes less battery power. In another embodiment, when the driver is travelling from a less complex route segment to a complex route segment, the navigation system continues to use a location sensor with lower accuracy until the navigation system determines that switching to higher accuracy location sensor is necessary to conserve more battery power. The navigation system can determine a best timing to switch according to the driver's familiarity with the route segment or geographical area. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A method for efficiently using a battery in a smartphone while operating a navigation system therein, comprises the steps of: generating a route based on an address or a location entered by a driver; dividing the route into more than one route segment; determining route complexity in each route segment; determining geographical nature of the address or location entered by the driver; and automatically switching a current location sensor to another location sensor in the navigation system when the route complexity or geographical nature changes, to maximize the usage of the battery in the smartphone. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein when the driver is travelling from a complex route segment to a less complex route segment, a current location sensor is switched to another location sensor with lower location accuracy which consumes less battery power. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein when the driver is travelling from a less complex route segment to a complex route segment, the navigation system continues to use a location sensor with lower accuracy until the navigation system determines that switching to higher accuracy location sensor is necessary to conserve more battery power. ### Claim 4 (depends on 3) The method of claim 3, wherein the step of automatically switching one location sensor to another location sensor when the route complexity changes includes the step of determining a best timing to switch the location sensor with lower location accuracy to another location sensor with higher location accuracy. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, further comprising the step of determining the driver's familiarity of the route or the geographical nature of the address or location. ### Claim 6 (depends on 5) The method of claim 5, wherein the step determining the driver's familiarity of the route or the geographical nature includes the step of checking the driver's historical activities stored in a memory device. ### Claim 7 (depends on 4) The method of claim 4, wherein the step of determining a best timing to switch the location sensor with lower location accuracy to another location sensor with higher location accuracy includes the step of receiving information including prior completion time to the destination and any anticipatory delay; historical and predictive traffic conditions; distance between the current position and destination; and population density of the current vehicle position, destination and all areas in between. ### Claim 8 A method for efficiently using a battery in a smartphone while operating a navigation system therein comprising managing different location sensors in the navigation system comprising: means for generating a route based on an address or a location entered by a driver; means for dividing the route into more than one route segment; means for determining route complexity in each route segment; means for determining geographical nature of the address or location entered by the driver; and means for automatically switching a current location sensor to another location sensor in the navigation system when the route complexity or geographical nature changes, to maximize the usage of the battery in the smartphone. ### Claim 9 (depends on 8) The method of claim 8, wherein when the driver is travelling from a complex route segment to a less complex route segment, a current location sensor is switched to another location sensor with lower location accuracy which consumes less battery power. ### Claim 10 (depends on 8) The method of claim 8, wherein when the driver is travelling'from a less complex route segment to a complex route segment, the navigation system continues to use a location sensor with lower accuracy until the navigation system determines that switching to higher accuracy location sensor is necessary to conserve more battery power. ### Claim 11 (depends on 10) The method of claim 10, wherein the means for automatically switching one location sensor to another location sensor when the route complexity changes includes means for determining a best timing to switch the location sensor with lower location accuracy to another location sensor with higher location accuracy. ### Claim 12 (depends on 8) The method of claim 8, further comprising means for of determining the driver's familiarity of the route or the geographical nature of the address or location. ### Claim 13 (depends on 12) The method of claim 12, wherein the means for determining the driver's familiarity of the route or the geographical nature includes means for checking the driver's historical activities stored in a memory device. ### Claim 14 (depends on 11) The method of claim 11, wherein the means for determining a best timing to switch the location sensor with lower location accuracy to another location sensor with higher location accuracy includes means for of receiving information including prior completion time to the destination and any anticipatory delay; historical and predictive traffic conditions; distance between the current position and destination; and population density of the current vehicle position, destination and all areas in between. ### Claim 15 A smartphone comprising: a memory device; a control unit; and a navigation system comprising: location sensors with different location accuracies; a route generating unit to generate a route based on an address or a location entered by a driver; a route dividing unit to divide said route into different route segments; a route complexity determining unit to determine complexity of each route segment; wherein the control unit is configured to switch a current location sensor to another location sensor in the navigation system when the route complexity or geographical nature changes, to maximize the usage of the battery in the smartphone. ### Claim 16 (depends on 15) The smartphone of claim 15, wherein when the driver is travelling from a complex route segment to a less complex route segment, a current location sensor is switched to another location sensor with lower location accuracy which consumes less battery power. ### Claim 17 (depends on 15) The smartphone of claim 15, wherein when the driver is travelling from a less complex route segment to a complex route segment, the navigation system continues to use a location sensor with lower accuracy until the navigation system determines that switching to higher accuracy location sensor is necessary to conserve more battery power. ### Claim 18 (depends on 17) The smartphone of claim 17, wherein the control unit includes means for determining a best timing to switch the location sensor with lower location accuracy to another location sensor with higher location accuracy. ### Claim 19 (depends on 15) The smartphone of claim 15, wherein the control unit further comprises means for of determining the driver's familiarity of the route or the geographical nature of the address or location. ### Claim 20 (depends on 19) The method of claim 19, wherein the means for determining the driver's familiarity of the route or the geographical nature includes means for checking the driver's historical activities stored in said memory device.