Google's 'Connected Flight Mode' will improve flight travel experience
What's the story
Google is working on enhancing the airplane mode experience on Android smartphones, which will ultimately help end users as well as commercial flights.
The tech giant has filed for a patent, titled "Activating a Connected Flight Mode" through the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO).
The facility will use your device's sensors to detect when you're on the flight, and enable the related settings automatically.
Context
Why does this story matter?
Google claims that some processes, including photo backup, consume a lot of data bandwidth. They continue to execute even in scenarios when a user is on a flight.
The new technology will automatically kick in during a flight to restrict smartphones or other portable computing devices to "granular levels" of connectivity, thus, preventing the consumption of a sizable portion of the plane's limited resources.
Process
Here's how the new facility works
The new technology uses your smartphone's sensors to determine whether you are flying.
It monitors shifts in speed and acceleration, a drop in atmospheric pressure, and sounds in the immediate vicinity.
Once detected that you are traveling by air, the Connected Flight Mode will be enabled automatically.
While there's already an option to activate airplane mode, the upcoming facility will be handy to some.
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Radio signals are also taken into account
In addition to environmental factors, other things are also taken into consideration to determine whether you are flying.
They include cabin sounds such as the noise emanating from the engine and altitude ding, radio signals (Wi-Fi, GPS, and Cellular ID), and ultrasonic airplane beacon signals.
Some contextual factors like travel booking activity and check-in status are also noted.
Usefulness
What is the purpose of the feature?
Currently, triggering the airplane mode on your Android (or iOS) device disables Bluetooth and Wi-Fi as well as all other forms of connectivity. These settings are then required to be activated separately.
However, the new technology aims to turn off radio signals on your smartphone while still keeping Bluetooth and Wi-Fi connectivity enabled, for the user's convenience.
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It will intelligently adapt to the aerial environment
The upcoming facility will provide selective configurations of network connections based on user preferences.
In addition to eliminating the need for manual flight mode activation, the new technology will also optimize the settings in accordance with the quality of the available network and adjust Wi-Fi settings intelligently.
After a certain amount of time, the feature might automatically disconnect Wi-Fi to preserve battery life.