Location Request Freshness Metrics for Battery-Efficient Positioning
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Solution Overview
Problem
Location estimation by electronic devices is resource-intensive, leading to reduced battery life and device performance due to continuous use of hardware components and processing power, particularly in background applications like wireless service provider data collection.
Innovation Solution
Implementing a request management module that uses location freshness metrics to determine whether cached location estimates are recent enough to meet the requirements of different requesters, allowing prior estimates to be used when appropriate to conserve device resources, and requesting new estimates only when necessary.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If location determinations are frequently requested to improve diagnostic capabilities and provide context-specific error reports, then the accuracy and usefulness of error reports is improved, but device performance deteriorates and battery life is reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies local quality by implementing requester-specific location freshness metrics. Different requesters (e.g., error reporting applications vs. navigation applications) have different requirements for location data freshness. The system tailors the location determination frequency and freshness requirements to each specific requester's needs, rather than applying a uniform approach to all location requests.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent changes the parameter of location data freshness by introducing configurable location freshness metrics. These metrics allow the system to adjust how recent the location data needs to be based on the specific requirements of each requester. By modifying this parameter dynamically, the system can balance between providing accurate location data and conserving device resources.
2Reliability
If location determinations are performed continuously to ensure up-to-date location data is available, then the reliability of location-dependent functionality is improved, but device performance and battery life are reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements dynamics by making the location determination frequency adaptive rather than static. The system dynamically adjusts when to perform location determinations based on the location freshness metrics and the specific needs of each requester. This allows the system to maintain reliable location data availability while avoiding unnecessary continuous determinations that would harm device performance.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent applies partial action by performing location determinations only when necessary to meet the location freshness metrics, rather than continuously. The system determines the minimum necessary action required to maintain reliable location data availability, avoiding excessive location determinations that would degrade device performance and battery life.
3Adaptability or versatility
If multiple location requesters operate simultaneously with different freshness requirements, then the versatility of the location service is improved, but the complexity of managing location requests increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies segmentation by dividing the location service management into requester-specific segments. Each requester has its own location freshness metrics and requirements, allowing the system to handle diverse location needs independently. This segmentation enables the system to manage multiple requesters with different freshness requirements without creating a monolithic complex management system.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent implements universality by creating a unified request management mechanism that handles multiple types of location requesters through a common framework. The location freshness metric system serves as a universal solution that can accommodate different requester types (error reporting, navigation, tracking, etc.) while maintaining requester-specific customization through configurable metrics.
Data Source
AI summary
The present technology relates to location request management using freshness metrics. A request manager is disclosed that manages location requests at a computing device. The request manager receives an updateable location freshness configuration specifying a location freshness metric for each of one or more location estimation requesters. Upon receiving a location estimation request from a requester, the request manager requests a prior location estimate from a location API. The location API returns the prior location estimate and the amount of time elapsed since it was determined to the request manager. The request manager determines if the elapsed time satisfies the freshness metric. If so, the request manager satisfies the location request with the prior location estimate. If not, the request manager retrieves a current location estimate from the API and satisfies the location request with the current location estimate.