Mobile Terminal Positioning Power Optimization via Environmental Switching
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional mobile terminal devices with GPS positioning functions consume excessive power due to repeated A-GPS positioning operations, which are power-intensive, and lack effective power-saving measures, leading to wasteful power consumption even when positioning operations are ineffective.
Innovation Solution
A mobile terminal device equipped with a positioning timing base unit, A-GPS positioning unit, autonomous GPS positioning unit, environment estimating unit, and regulating units to selectively perform A-GPS or autonomous GPS positioning based on environmental estimates and positioning data accuracy, reducing unnecessary power consumption by utilizing stored data when possible.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If A-GPS positioning operation is performed repeatedly to acquire location information, then positioning availability is improved, but power consumption increases significantly
Solution Approach 1:
The patent dynamically switches between A-GPS and autonomous GPS positioning methods based on real-time environmental estimation. The system adjusts the positioning method selection dynamically according to whether the device is in indoor or outdoor environments, thereby optimizing power consumption while maintaining positioning availability.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent changes the operational parameters of the positioning system by switching between different positioning methods (A-GPS vs. autonomous GPS) based on environmental conditions. This parameter change allows the system to adapt to different power consumption characteristics of each method in different environments.
2Measurement precision
If A-GPS positioning operation is performed to acquire location information, then positioning accuracy is improved, but communication costs increase
Solution Approach 1:
The system dynamically selects between A-GPS and autonomous GPS methods based on environmental estimation. In indoor environments where A-GPS is less effective, the system switches to autonomous GPS, reducing unnecessary network communications and associated costs while maintaining acceptable positioning accuracy.
Solution Approach 2:
The system uses its own environmental estimation capabilities to determine the most suitable positioning method, reducing dependency on network-assisted positioning and thereby reducing communication costs while maintaining positioning accuracy through autonomous methods when appropriate.
3Loss of energy
If autonomous GPS positioning operation is performed, then communication costs are reduced, but positioning time increases
Solution Approach 1:
The system dynamically selects the positioning method based on environmental conditions. In outdoor environments where autonomous GPS is more reliable and faster, the system uses this method to reduce positioning time, while resorting to A-GPS in indoor environments where network assistance can provide quicker initial positioning.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent changes the positioning method parameter based on environmental estimation, optimizing the balance between communication costs and positioning time by selecting the most appropriate method for each environmental context.
4Reliability
If positioning operation is performed in indoor environment, then positioning availability is improved, but power consumption increases
Solution Approach 1:
The system uses environmental estimation to detect when the device is in an indoor environment and dynamically switches to A-GPS positioning method, which is more suitable for indoor environments and generally more power-efficient than autonomous GPS in these conditions.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent changes the positioning method parameter based on environmental detection, selecting A-GPS for indoor environments to optimize the balance between positioning availability and power consumption in these specific conditions.
Data Source
AI summary
There are provided a mobile terminal device and a positioning method, in which power saving is enabled. When an environment estimating unit determines that the mobile terminal device is currently located in an indoor environment, an autonomous GPS positioning regulating unit thereof regulates implementation of an autonomous positioning operation by an autonomous GPS positioning unit to enable the suppression of wasteful power consumption caused by the implementation of the autonomous GPS positioning operation that has no possibility of being successful at a current time. In the meanwhile, an assist information acquiring processing unit of an A-GPS positioning unit is made to perform an assist information acquiring process that is a former process of the A-GPS positioning operation. When the location accuracy of outline location information acquired has a good result of a level 3 or higher, the outline location information is provided as a positioning result.