Reducing WLAN Power Consumption on a Mobile Device Utilizing a Cellular Radio Interface

A method performed by a mobile device incorporating a cellular radio subsystem and a wireless local area network, WLAN, radio subsystem, the method comprising:

• obtaining from a cellular radio subsystem incorporated in the mobile device cellular signal strength measurements during a period of time, and comparing the cellular signal strength measurements to one another to determine whether, over the period of time, the cellular signal strength measurements have become weaker;
• obtaining from a wireless local area network (WLAN) radio subsystem incorporated in the mobile device WLAN signal strength measurements during the period of time, and comparing the WLAN signal strength measurements to one another to determine whether, over the period of time, the WLAN signal strength measurements have become stronger;
• and
• in the event that the cellular signal strength measurements have become weaker and the WLAN signal strength measurements have become stronger, identifying that an outdoor-to-indoor transition of the mobile device has occurred.

A mobile device, comprising:

• a Wireless Local Area Network (WLAN) subsystem;
• a cellular subsystem;
• a memory;
• a processor coupled to the WLAN radio subsystem, to the cellular radio subsystem, and to the memory, the processor operative:
• to obtain from the cellular radio subsystem cellular signal strength measurements during a period of time, and to compare the cellular signal strength measurements to one another to determine whether, over the period of time, the cellular signal strength measurements have become stronger;
• to obtain from the WLAN radio subsystem WLAN signal strength measurements during the period of time, and to compare the WLAN signal strength measurements to one another to determine whether, over the period of time, the WLAN signal strength measurements have become weaker;
• and
• in the event that the cellular signal strength measurements have become stronger and the WLAN signal strength measurements have become weaker, to identify that an indoor-to-outdoor transition of the mobile device has occurred.

A mobile device, comprising:

• a Wireless Local Area Network (WLAN) subsystem;
• a cellular subsystem;
• a memory;
• a processor coupled to the WLAN radio subsystem, to the cellular radio subsystem, and to the memory, the processor operative:
• to obtain from the cellular radio subsystem cellular signal strength measurements during a period of time, and to compare the cellular signal strength measurements to one another to determine whether, over the period of time, the cellular signal strength measurements have become weaker;
• to obtain from the WLAN radio subsystem WLAN signal strength measurements during the period of time, and to compare the WLAN signal strength measurements to one another to determine whether, over the period of time, the WLAN signal strength measurements have become stronger;
• and
• in the event that the cellular signal strength measurements have become weaker and the WLAN signal strength measurements have become stronger, to identify that an outdoor-to-indoor transition of the mobile device has occurred.