Mobile Location Request Scheduling for Battery-Aware Positioning
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Solution Overview
Problem
Determining geographic location of a mobile device consumes power and frequent location updates requested by application programs drain battery life.
Innovation Solution
Scheduling location data requests based on device conditions, such as being outdoors or display on, to minimize power usage and optimize positioning system selection.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Loss of information
If frequent location updates are requested by application programs, then location data freshness is improved, but power consumption increases
Solution Approach 1:
The system implements periodic location updates by scheduling requests at optimized intervals rather than continuously. The location manager evaluates multiple pending requests and schedules them periodically based on device conditions such as whether the device is outdoors or indoors, display state, and battery level. This periodic scheduling maintains location data freshness while significantly reducing power consumption compared to continuous updates.
2Measurement precision
If location data accuracy is maintained through frequent updates, then measurement precision is improved, but power consumption increases
Solution Approach 1:
The system dynamically adjusts the location update strategy based on real-time device conditions. The location manager evaluates whether the device is outdoors or indoors, checks display state, and assesses battery level to determine the optimal update frequency. When outdoors with good GPS signal, updates may be less frequent while maintaining accuracy. When indoors or when high precision is critically needed, the system increases update frequency. This dynamic adaptation maintains measurement precision while optimizing power consumption.
3Productivity
If multiple application programs request location updates simultaneously, then location data availability is improved, but system complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The system merges multiple location requests from different application programs into a unified scheduling process. The location manager maintains a queue of pending location requests and evaluates them collectively based on device conditions. Instead of handling each request independently through separate positioning system activations, the system combines these requests and schedules them together, reducing the number of times the positioning system needs to be activated and simplified the overall management of location data availability.
Data Source
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AI summary
Systems, methods, and computer readable media that schedules requests for location data of a mobile device, where the methods include selecting a first positioning system based on a power requirement, a latency requirement, and an accuracy requirement, and determining whether a first condition is satisfied for querying the first positioning system. The method further comprises in response to a determination that the first condition is satisfied, querying the first positioning system for first position data. The method further comprises in response to a determination that the first condition is not satisfied, selecting a second positioning system based on the power requirement, the latency requirement, and the accuracy requirement, determining whether a second condition is satisfied for querying the second positioning system, and in response to a determination that the second condition is satisfied, querying the second positioning system for second position data.