Mobile telephone power savings method and apparatus responsive to mobile telephone location

DETAILED DESCRIPTION The present invention overcomes the foregoing and other problems with a method and system for enabling a mobile telephone to save battery power based upon the location of the mobile telephone.
The mobile telephone includes an apparatus for determining the current position of the mobile telephone (such as GPS circuitry).
This apparatus reports the phone's current position, and additional software, circuitry, etc.
within the mobile telephone determines whether the location is within a selected distance of a predetermined location.
The location circuitry within the mobile telephone enables a user to enter a number of predetermined locations designating where the mobile telephone is to operate in a first deep-sleep mode of operation.
The location circuitry periodically determines whether the current location of the mobile telephone is within a selected distance of the predetermined locations.
When a mobile telephone is located within a predetermined distance of one of the selected locations, the mobile telephone operates in the first deep-sleep or low power mode of operation wherein only a timer is powered within the mobile telephone.
The timer periodically powers up the other mobile telephone circuitry to enable the mobile telephone to redetermine its present location.
When the location circuitry determines that the mobile telephone does not lie within a preselected distance of the selected locations, the mobile telephone will operate in a second standby mode of operation.
This mode of operation utilizes more power than the deep-sleep mode of operations, but enables the mobile telephone to receive incoming calls.
The location determination process may be further based upon a determination of whether the mobile telephone is currently being served by a base station that is associated with the preselected locations.
If so, the specific location determination of the mobile telephone is determined more precisely using GPS.
Otherwise, a location determination can be delayed until a base station is contacted that may put the user within the selected distance of one of the predetermined locations