Systems, methods, and computer-readable media for timer-based management of communication devices

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9432500-B2
Application number	US-201514794921-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jul 9, 2015
Priority date	May 4, 2012
Publication date	Aug 30, 2016
Grant date	Aug 30, 2016

Abstract

A method of management of a communication device in an aircraft may include transitioning the communication device from a normal mode to a disabled mode based on a calculated device sleep time based on data associated with transportation information of the device. One of these modes may be a state of the device in which a transceiver of the device is deactivated and the other mode may be a state of the device in which the transceiver is activated. Therefore, the device sleep time determines when the wireless device's transceiver may not be activated.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A method performed by one or more processors, the method comprising:
calculating a device sleep time based on received transportation information associated with the device;
adjusting the device sleep time by adding a time buffer to the device sleep time;
transitioning the device from a powered on mode to a disabled mode; and
automatically transitioning the device from the disabled mode to the powered on mode after expiration of the adjusted device sleep time.

2. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
calculating the time buffer based on a statistical schedule delay for an aircraft carrying the device.

3. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
determining, upon expiration of the adjusted device sleep time, whether an aircraft carrying the device is in flight;
calculating, responsive to determining the aircraft is in flight, a device re-sleep time;
transitioning the device from the powered on mode to the disabled mode; and
automatically transitioning the device from the disabled mode to the powered on mode after expiration of the device re-sleep time.

4. The method of claim 3 , wherein calculating the device re-sleep time includes:
calculating the device re-sleep time based on average flight times between an origin and a destination associated with the flight.

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein calculating the device sleep time includes:
calculating an initial start time and an initial end time.

6. The method of claim 5 , wherein adjusting the device sleep time by adding a time buffer includes:
calculating an adjusted start time, the adjusted start time corresponding to a specific point in time prior to the initial start time.

7. The method of claim 6 , wherein adjusting the device sleep time by adding a time buffer includes:
calculating an adjusted end time, the adjusted end time corresponding to a specific point in time after to the initial end time.

8. The method of claim 7 , wherein transitioning the device from the powered on mode to the disabled mode includes:
initiating, at the adjusted start time, transition of the device from the powered on mode to the disabled mode.

9. The method of claim 7 , automatically transitioning the device from the disabled mode to the powered on mode includes:
initiating, at the adjusted end time, transition of the device from the disabled mode to the powered on mode.

10. The method of claim 1 , further including automatically transitioning the device from the disabled mode to an airplane mode responsive to receiving data indicative of at least one of an aircraft takeoff and an aircraft reaching a cruise altitude, the airplane mode being a state of the device wherein the device is powered on but a transceiver of the device is powered off.

11. A system for management of a device, comprising:
a memory device that stores a set of instructions; and
at least one processor that executes the set of instructions to perform a method, including:
calculating a device sleep time based on received transportation information associated with the device;
adjusting the device sleep time by adding a time buffer to the device sleep time;
transitioning the device from a powered on mode to a disabled mode; and
automatically transitioning the device from the disabled mode to the powered on mode after expiration of the adjusted device sleep time.

12. The system of claim 11 , wherein the method further comprises:
calculating the time buffer based on a statistical schedule delay for an aircraft carrying the device.

13. The system of claim 11 , wherein the method further comprises:
determining, upon expiration of the adjusted device sleep time, whether an aircraft carrying the device is in flight;
calculating, responsive to determining the aircraft is in flight, a device re-sleep time;
transitioning the device from the powered on mode to the disabled mode; and
automatically transitioning the device from the disabled mode to the powered on mode after expiration of the device re-sleep time.

14. The system of claim 13 , wherein calculating the device re-sleep time includes:
calculating the device re-sleep time based on average flight times between an origin and a destination associated with the flight.

15. The system of claim 11 , wherein calculating the device sleep time includes:
calculating an initial start time and an initial end time.

16. The system of claim 15 , wherein adjusting the device sleep time by adding a time buffer includes:
calculating an adjusted start time, the adjusted start time corresponding to a specific point in time prior to the initial start time.

17. The system of claim 16 , wherein adjusting the device sleep time by adding a time buffer includes:
calculating an adjusted end time, the adjusted end time corresponding to a specific point in time after to the initial end time.

18. The system of claim 17 , wherein transitioning the device from the powered on mode to the disabled mode includes:
initiating, at the adjusted start time, transition of the device from the powered on mode to the disabled mode.

19. The system of claim 17 , automatically transitioning the device from the disabled mode to the powered on mode includes:
initiating, at the adjusted end time, transition of the device from the disabled mode to the powered on mode.

20. A non-transitory computer-readable medium comprising instructions that, when executed by at least one processor, cause the at least one processor to perform operations including:
calculating a device sleep time based on received transportation information associated with the device;
adjusting the device sleep time by adding a time buffer to the device sleep time;
transitioning the device from a powered on mode to a disabled mode; and
automatically transitioning the device from the disabled mode to the powered on mode after expiration of the adjusted device sleep time.

Assignees

• Fedex Corp Services Inc

Inventors

• Putman John David

Classifications

• H04W4/046

  Electricity · mapped topic

• H04W52/0254 Primary

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

• H04M1/72577 Primary

  Electricity · mapped topic

• H04W52/0274

  by switching on or off the equipment or parts thereof · CPC title

• H04M1/72463

  to restrict the functionality of the device · CPC title