System, method, and apparatus for minimizing power consumption in a portable device capable of receiving satellite navigational system signals

A method for a portable device having a mapping client and a receiver of satellite navigational system signals, comprising:

• retrieving map data of a current location of the portable device;
• computing at least one of a time until next event (TNE) and a time between events (TBE) based on the retrieved map data;
• and
• selecting a power saving mode from a plurality of power saving modes based on at least one of TNE and TBE, where each of the plurality of power saving modes reduces power used by the portable device in at least one of receiving the satellite navigational system signals, processing the satellite navigational system signals, and computing the portable device's position using the satellite navigational system signals.

A portable device, comprising:

• a receiver configured to receive satellite navigational system signals;
• one or more processors;
• and
• at least one non-transitory computer-readable medium having program instructions recorded thereon, the program instructions configured to have the one or more processors perform the step of:
• selecting a power saving mode for a specific region of traversal by the portable device from a plurality of power saving modes based on one or more characteristics of the specific region of traversal, where each of the plurality of power saving modes reduces power used by the portable device in at least one of receiving the satellite navigational system signals, processing the satellite navigational system signals, and computing the portable device's position using received satellite navigational system signals.

A portable device, comprising:

• a receiver configured to receive at least satellite navigational system signals;
• one or more processors;
• and
• at least one non-transitory computer-readable medium having program instructions recorded thereon, the program instructions configured to have the one or more processors perform and/or otherwise control performance of the steps of:
• retrieving map data of a specific region which the portable device is presently in;
• reducing a rate at which positional updates/fixes are made using the satellite navigational system signals;
• and
• estimating a current position of the portable device in between the positional updates/fixes that use satellite navigational system signals by using the retrieved map data.