GB2382500A

GB2382500A - Power saving arrangement for a mobile communications device

Info

Publication number: GB2382500A
Application number: GB0128038A
Authority: GB
Inventors: James Foley
Original assignee: Ubinetics Ltd
Current assignee: Aeroflex Cambridge Ltd
Priority date: 2001-11-22
Filing date: 2001-11-22
Publication date: 2003-05-28
Also published as: GB0128038D0

Abstract

A mobile communications device comprises a transceiver 2 for wireless communication with a telecommunications network, a microprocessor 1 for controlling said communications device, and a power source 4. Means are provided for registering the handset with the network, and requesting transmission to the device of data stored in a service provider, and further means to implement these processes periodically. The communications device may have a stand-by state, wherein said device may receive signalling from said network and a polling state, in which state said device may register with said network. It is preferable that said standby state requires substantially more power than the polling state.

Description

Mobile Communications Device This invention relates to a mobile communications device such as a mobile phone, and in particular to a mobile communications device having an improved battery life.

A GSM mobile phone handset is powered by an internal rechargeable battery which has a variable life between recharges dependent upon the time the handset is actually in use and the time it is on standby. When making calls, such a handset can use up to 2 amps, whereas only 35 milliamps are used when the handset is on standby.

Although the current used when the handset is on standby is considerably less than that used when calls are being made, it still represents a small but significant drain on the battery. In the standby mode, a mobile phone handset is powered so that the handset can receive incoming calls, and the power required to maintain the call receiving circuitry leads to the 35 milliamp current usage for standby.

The aim of the invention is to increase the battery life of a mobile communications device.

The present invention provides a mobile communications device comprising a transceiver for wireless communication with a telecommunications network, a microprocessor for controlling the mobile communications device, and a power source, wherein means are provided for registering the device with the network, and for requesting the transmission to the device of data stored in a service provider associated with the network.

Advantageously, the registration means is such as to register the device with the network at predetermined times, and preferably the predetermined times are separated by equal time intervals.

In a preferred embodiment, the device has a standby state in which it is powered by the power source sufficiently to receive signalling from the network, and a polling state in which it is powered by the power source sufficiently to register with the network, and the arrangement is such that the power required for the standby state is substantially greater than the power required for the polling state.

The microprocessor may be programmed to register the device with the network and to request said data transmission.

Preferably, the device further comprises a display, and the microprocessor is programmed to show data transmitted to the device on the display.

The device may be a mobile phone handset, in which case the power source is a rechargeable battery, and the arrangement may be such that the power source supply to the handset is substantially 35 milliamps in the standby state, and substantially 500 microamps in the polling state.

The invention will now be described in greater detail, by way of example, with reference to the drawings, in which :- Figure 1 is a block circuit diagram of electronic circuitry for controlling a mobile phone handset; and Figure 2 is a flowchart of the control process.

Referring to the drawings, Figure 1 is a block diagram illustrating the electronic circuitry of a mobile phone handset (not shown). The circuitry includes a microprocessor 1 connected to a GSM engine 2 by means of a baseband processor 3. The handset is powered by a battery 4; and an antenna 5, associated with the GSM engine 2, is provided for the transmission and reception of signalling.

The microprocessor 1 is programmed with software which controls the handset to put it in to a"polling"mode, in which state it is programmed to register with a network on a regular basis. In the polling mode the handset uses only 500 microamps. In this state, the handset cannot accept calls, as the current usage in this state is insufficient to power the call receiving circuitry (the GSM engine 2).

As mentioned, the microprocessor 1 is programmed to register with a network at regular intervals, for example every five minutes. When registered with the network, the handsets current consumption goes up to 35 milliamps to power the GSM engine 2; and, in this state, the handset can pick up SMS text messages, e-mails, notification of voicemails, indications of missed calls, and any other waiting information.

Figure 2 is a flowchart illustrating the handset control process. Thus, in a first step (step 11), the user of the handset defines a regular time period for registering with the network. Typically, this time period could be set at any time between five minutes and two hours, though higher and lower time periods could also be set. In step 12, the handset is"woken up", that it is say its GSM engine 3 is powered up ready for registration with the network. This registration takes place in step 13. In step 14, the handset receives notification of any data awaiting transmission to the handset; and, in step 15, the handset dials the service provider holding the required data to initiate transmission of that data. Once the data has been transmitted to the handset, the handset is logged off the service provider (s) and the network, in step 16. The GSM engine 3 is then shut down, in step 17, and the process then returns to step 12 to await the next wake up event.

At any time, the user of the handset can power up the GSM engine 2, in which case any data transferred to the handset since the last time the handset was powered up will be visible on the display of the handset. Thus the handset display will show legends identifying the type of data (calls missed, SMS messages received, e-mails received etc), and the user can then call these up in the usual way.

It will be apparent that modifications could be made to the invention as described above. For example, where the data awaiting transmission to the handset is stored on more than one service provider, step 15 would be modified so that the handset dials each of the relevant service providers to initiate transmission of data held by each of the those service providers. It would also be possible to modify any form of mobile communications device to improve battery life in a similar way to that described above for a mobile phone handset. Thus, a personal digital assistant (PDA) provided with a wireless modem could be modified (by incorporation of the same programming software in its microprocessor) in the same way to obtain an increase in battery life.

The invention could also be modified so that the mobile communications device sends out SMS messages, e-mails or other information whenever the device is logged on to the network. This modification is particularly useful for a PDA which can prepare such messages when off-line, ready for sending when the PDA is mated with its wireless modem.

A mobile communications device incorporating the present invention has the advantage of extended battery life whilst maintaining regular SMS and email/information updates, without requiring regular user operation. Thus, such a mobile communications device can be in an ultra low power mode (the polling mode) for 90% or more of the time it would normally be in the standby mode, thereby having the potential for a large increase in battery life.

A mobile communications device incorporating the present invention will find use in many applications, such as data logging applications.

Claims

1. A mobile communications device comprising a transceiver for wireless communication with a telecommunications network, a microprocessor for controlling the mobile communications device, and a power source, wherein means are provided for registering the device with the network, and for requesting the transmission to the device of data stored in a service provider associated with the network.

2. A device as claimed in claim 1, wherein the registration means is such as to register the device with the network at predetermined times.

3. A device as claimed in claim 2, wherein the predetermined times are separated by equal time intervals.

4. A device as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the device has a standby state in which it is powered by the power source sufficiently to receive signalling from the network, and a polling state in which it is powered by the power source sufficiently to register with the network, and the arrangement is such that the power required for the standby state is substantially greater than the power required for the polling state.

5. A device as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the microprocessor is programmed to register the device with the network and to request said data transmission.

6. A device as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 5, further comprising a display, and wherein the microprocessor is programmed to show data transmitted to the device on the display.

7. A mobile communications device as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 6, wherein the device is a mobile phone handset.

8. A handset as claimed in claim 7, wherein the power source is a rechargeable battery.

9. A handset as claimed in claim 8, wherein the arrangement is such that the power source supply to the handset is substantially 35 milliamps in the standby state, and substantially 500 microamps in the polling state.