Controlling operational states of a location sensing system of a mobile device

A method of controlling a location sensing system of a mobile device, comprising:

• collecting location related information of the mobile device;
• and
• controllably setting the mobile device to operate in one of a high-power state, a low-power state, or a transitional state based on the collected location related information;
• wherein
• a satellite-based positioning system receiver of the mobile device generates location information in the transitional state and in the high-power state, and the satellite-based positioning system receiver does not generate location information in the low-power state, and the satellite-based positioning system receiver consumes less power in the low-power state than in the high-power state and the transitional state;
• and wherein
• when operating in the transitional state, the mobile device repeatedly checks the collected location related information and transitions to the low-power state or the high-power state based on the collected location related information, and if a transition is not made after a predetermined period of time, the controller automatically transitions the satellite-based positioning system receiver into either the high-power state or the low-power state;
• wherein
• the mobile device is operable to transition to the low-power state from the transitional state, and operable to transition to the low-power state from the high-power state, and operable to only transition to the transitional state from the low-power state, and wherein conditional requirements of the location related information or location information is harder to meet in order for the mobile device to transition from the high-power state to the low-power state, than conditional requirements of the location related information or the location information to transition from the transitional state to the low-power state.