Communication system providing context-based mobile wireless communications device power consumption management and related methods

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9072052-B2
Application number	US-85284610-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Aug 9, 2010
Priority date	Aug 9, 2010
Publication date	Jun 30, 2015
Grant date	Jun 30, 2015

Abstract

A communication system may include a plurality of near-field communication (NFC) sensors each associated with a respective location, and a mobile wireless communications device(s) switchable among a plurality of different power consumption modes. The mobile wireless communications device(s) may include a portable housing, an NFC circuit carried by the housing and configured to establish NFC communications with at least one of the NFC sensors when in proximity therewith, and a plurality of different wireless communications circuits carried by the housing. The mobile wireless communications device(s) may further include a controller carried by the housing and coupled to the NFC circuit and the different wireless communications circuits which may be configured to switch to a given power consumption mode based upon the at least one NFC sensor. In particular, some of the different power consumption modes may be associated with selectively powering respective ones of the wireless communications circuits.

First claim

That which is claimed is:

1. A communication system comprising:
a plurality of near-field communication (NFC) sensors each associated with a respective location and storing information regarding a wireless communication format available at the respective location; and
at least one mobile wireless communications device being switchable among a plurality of different power consumption modes, said at least one mobile wireless communications device comprising
a portable housing,
an NFC circuit carried by said portable housing and configured to establish NFC communications with at least one of said plurality of NFC sensors when in proximity therewith,
a plurality of different wireless communications circuits carried by said portable housing, and
a controller carried by said portable housing and coupled to said NFC circuit and said plurality of different wireless communications circuits, said controller configured to switch to a given power consumption mode based upon establishing NFC communication with the at least one NFC sensor and also based upon whether another mobile device has previously established NFC communication with the at least one NFC sensor, and determining the wireless communications format available at the respective location,
wherein at least some of the different power consumption modes are associated with selectively powering at least one of said plurality of wireless communications circuits and not powering at least one other of said plurality of wireless communications circuits.

2. The communication system of claim 1 wherein said plurality of different wireless communications circuits comprises at least two of a satellite positioning system circuit, a cellular communication circuit, a wireless local area network (WLAN) circuit, and a Bluetooth circuit.

3. The communication system of claim 1 wherein at least one of said plurality of different wireless communications circuits comprises a satellite positioning system circuit.

4. The communication system of claim 3 wherein the location for said at least one NFC sensor is adjacent a building entrance; and wherein said controller is configured to switch off powering of said satellite positioning system circuit.

5. The communication system of claim 1 wherein at least one of said plurality of wireless communications circuits comprises a cellular communication circuit.

6. The communication system of claim 5 wherein the location of said at least one NFC sensor is adjacent a building entrance; and wherein said controller is configured to switch off powering said cellular communication circuit.

7. The communication system of claim 1 wherein at least one of said plurality of wireless communications circuits comprises a wireless local area network (WLAN) circuit.

8. The communication system of claim 7 wherein the location of said at least one NEC sensor is in a vehicle; and wherein said controller is configured to switch off powering of said WLAN circuit.

9. The communication system of claim 1 wherein at least one of said plurality of wireless communications circuits comprises a Bluetooth circuit.

10. The communication system of claim 9 wherein the location of said at least one NFC sensor is in a vehicle; and wherein said controller is configured to switch on powering of said Bluetooth circuit.

11. The communication system of claim 1 wherein said at least one mobile wireless communications device further comprises a display carried by said portable housing and coupled to said controller and having different illumination settings; and wherein at least some of the different power consumption modes are associated with selectively changing the different illumination settings of said display.

12. A mobile wireless communications device for use with a plurality of near-field communication (NFC) sensors each associated with a respective location and storing information regarding a wireless communication format available at the respective location, the mobile wireless communications device being switchable among a plurality of different power consumption modes, the mobile wireless communications device comprising:
a portable housing;
an NFC circuit carried by said portable housing and configured to establish NFC communications with at least one of the plurality of NFC sensors when in proximity therewith;
a plurality of different wireless communications circuits carried by said portable housing; and
a controller carried by said portable housing and coupled to said NFC circuit and said plurality of different wireless communications circuits, said controller configured to switch to a given power consumption mode based upon establishing NFC communication with the at least one NEC sensor and also based upon whether another mobile device has previously established NFC communication with the at least one NFC sensor, and determining the wireless communications format available at the respective location;
wherein at least some of the different power consumption modes are associated with selectively powering at least one of said plurality of wireless communications circuits and not powering at least one other of said plurality of wireless communications circuits.

13. The mobile wireless communications device of claim 12 wherein said plurality of different wireless communications circuits comprises at least two of a satellite positioning system circuit, a cellular communication circuit, a wireless local area network (WLAN) circuit, and a Bluetooth circuit.

14. The mobile wireless communications device of claim 12 wherein at least one of said plurality of different wireless communications circuits comprises a satellite positioning system circuit; wherein the location for the at least one NFC sensor is adjacent a building entrance; and wherein said controller is configured to switch off powering of said satellite positioning system circuit.

15. The mobile wireless communications device of claim 12 wherein at least one of said plurality of wireless communications circuits comprises a cellular communication circuit; wherein the location of the at least one NFC sensor is adjacent a building entrance; and wherein said controller is configured to switch off powering said cellular communication circuit.

16. The mobile wireless communications device of claim 12 wherein at least one of said plurality of wireless communications circuits comprises a wireless local area network (WLAN) circuit; wherein the location of the at least one NFC sensor is in a vehicle; and wherein said controller is configured to switch off powering of said WLAN circuit.

17. The mobile wireless communications device of claim 12 wherein at least one of said plurality of wireless communications circuits comprises a Bluetooth circuit; wherein the location of the at least one NFC sensor is in a vehicle; and wherein said controller is configured to switch on powering of said Bluetooth circuit.

18. The mobile wireless communications device of claim 12 further comprising a display carried by said portable housing and coupled to said controller and having different illumination settings; and wherein at least some of the different power consumption modes are associated with selectively changing the different illumination settings of said display.

19. A method for switching power consumption modes of a mobile wireless communications device comprising a portable housing, a near-field communication (NFC) circuit carried by the portable housing and configured to establish NFC communications with at least one of a plurality of NFC sensors e

Assignees

• Griffin Jason Tyler
• Rose Scott Douglas
• Gillani Karim
• Blackberry Ltd

Inventors

• Griffin Jason Tyler
• Rose Scott Douglas
• Gillani Karim

Classifications

• H04M2250/06

  including a wireless LAN interface · CPC title

• H04M1/72569

  Electricity · mapped topic

• H04M2250/04

  including near field communication means, e.g. RFID · CPC title

• H04W52/0254 Primary

  detecting a user operation or a tactile contact or a motion of the device · CPC title

• H04M1/72454

  according to context-related or environment-related conditions · CPC title