Adaptive Beacon Scanning Rate Adjustment for Mobile Power Conservation
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Solution Overview
Problem
Scanning for beacon devices consumes significant power in mobile devices, leading to battery drain, but frequent scanning is necessary to avoid missing beacon information, creating a trade-off between power conservation and timely detection.
Innovation Solution
Adaptive scanning method that adjusts scan rates based on user activity levels, such as display status, physical activity, and battery charging, allowing increased scanning when activity is higher and reducing it when activity is lower to conserve power.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If frequent scanning is performed to detect beacon devices timely, then detection reliability is improved, but power consumption increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements dynamic scan rate adjustment by transitioning from a fixed scanning interval to a variable scanning interval that adapts based on device state. The system dynamically selects between first scan rates (when conditions are favorable) and second scan rates (when conditions are unfavorable), resolving the contradiction by making the scanning behavior flexible rather than static.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent changes the scanning parameter (scan rate) based on device state conditions. By monitoring whether the device is locked or unlocked, the system adjusts the scanning interval parameter accordingly - using a first scan rate when unlocked and a second scan rate when locked, thereby optimizing the balance between detection reliability and power consumption.
2Loss of time
If scan rate is increased to improve beacon detection speed, then detection timeliness is improved, but battery life deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The system dynamically adjusts the scanning frequency based on real-time device state. When the device is unlocked and active, scanning occurs at a higher rate (first scan rate) to ensure timely beacon detection. When the device is locked, scanning rate is reduced (second scan rate) to conserve battery life, thus dynamically balancing detection speed against power consumption.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent implements periodic scanning with variable intervals. Instead of continuous scanning, the system performs scanning at periodic intervals that are adjusted based on device state. This periodic action with adaptive timing allows the system to maintain detection capability while reducing overall power consumption compared to continuous high-rate scanning.
3Loss of information
If continuous scanning is performed to ensure no beacon information is missed, then information completeness is improved, but energy waste increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent changes the scanning parameter based on device state to prevent information loss while reducing energy waste. When the device is unlocked, a first scan rate ensures complete beacon information capture. When locked, the scan rate is reduced to a second rate, preventing unnecessary energy consumption while maintaining adequate detection capability for the device's current state.
Solution Approach 2:
The system automatically adjusts its own scanning behavior based on its operational state without requiring external control. The device monitors its own locked/unlocked state and self-adjusts the scanning rate accordingly, making the energy optimization decision autonomous based on actual information needs of the device state.
Data Source
AI summary
Systems and methods for adaptively scanning for one or more beacon devices based at least in part on user activity are provided. More particularly, a user device can scan for one or more beacon devices at a first scan rate. The user device can detect a trigger event based at least in part on data indicative of an activity level, such as data indicative of a status of a display, data determined from one or more motion sensors, a number of beacon devices detected by the mobile device during a time period, data indicative of prior interactions with beacon device information, or data indicative of a charging status of a battery associated with the mobile device. The trigger event can signify a change in an activity level associated with the user device. Responsive to the trigger event, the user device can adjust the scan rate from the first scan rate to a second scan rate.