Apparatus and methods for providing power savings on mobile devices

1. A method operating on a wireless computing device, the method comprising:

detecting whether the device is in motion;

detecting whether a wireless signal has adequate strength at the system; and

when the device is not in motion,

executing a first signal search procedure comprising maintaining a connection to a current signal source and not searching for a stronger wireless signal from among neighboring signal sources when the wireless signal is adequate and searching for a stronger wireless signal from among neighboring signal sources at an increased search interval when the wireless signal is not adequate while avoiding searching the current signal source; and

when the device is in motion,

executing a second signal search procedure comprising maintaining a connection to a current signal source and searching for a stronger wireless signal from among neighboring signal sources when the wireless signal is adequate and searching for a stronger wireless signal from among neighboring signal sources at a search interval when the wireless signal is not adequate.

2. The method of claim 1 , the second signal search procedure comprising:

searching for a detectable wireless signal from among neighboring signal sources during a specified time period; and

when no detectable signal is found during the specified time period, suspending the search during a second specified time period.

3. The method of claim 1 , further comprising detecting whether a plurality of wireless signals have adequate strength at the device and selecting from the first and second signal search procedures on a per signal basis.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein a wireless signal comprises at least one of: a cellular radiotelephone signal, a wireless network system signal, a shorter range wireless network signal, or a global positioning system signal.

5. A non-transitory machine-readable storage medium comprising instructions that when executed enable a mobile computing system to:

detect whether the system is in motion;

detect whether a wireless signal has adequate strength; and

when the system is not in motion,

execute a first signal search procedure comprising maintaining a connection to a current signal source and not searching for a stronger wireless signal from among neighboring signal sources when the wireless signal is adequate and searching for a stronger wireless signal from among neighboring signal sources at an increased search interval when the wireless signal is not adequate while avoiding searching the current signal source; and

when the system is in motion,

execute a second signal search procedure comprising maintaining a connection to a current signal source and searching for a stronger wireless signal from among neighboring signal sources when the wireless signal is adequate and searching for a stronger wireless signal from among neighboring signal sources at a search interval when the wireless signal is not adequate.

6. The non-transitory storage medium of claim 5 , further comprising instructions that when executed enable the mobile computing system to:

search for a detectable wireless signal from among neighboring signal sources during a specified time period; and

when no detectable signal is found during the specified time period, suspend the search during a second specified time period.

7. The non-transitory storage medium of claim 5 , further comprising instructions that when executed enable the mobile computing system to detect whether a plurality of wireless signals have adequate strength at the device and selecting from the first and second signal search procedures on a per signal basis.

8. The non-transitory storage medium of claim 5 , the wireless signal comprising at least one of: a cellular radiotelephone signal, a wireless network system signal, a shorter range wireless network signal, or a global positioning system signal.

9. An apparatus comprising:

a motion sensor to detect when the apparatus is in motion; and

a radio processor coupled with the motion sensor, the radio processor to detect whether a wireless signal has adequate strength at the apparatus; and

when the apparatus is not in motion, the radio processor further to execute a first signal search procedure comprising maintaining a connection to a current signal source and not searching for a stronger wireless signal from among neighboring signal sources when the wireless signal is adequate and searching for a stronger wireless signal from among neighboring signal sources at an increased search interval when the wireless signal is not adequate while avoiding searching the current signal source; and

when the apparatus is in motion, the radio processor further to execute a second signal search procedure comprising maintaining a connection to a current signal source and searching for a stronger wireless signal from among neighboring signal sources when the wireless signal is adequate and searching for a stronger wireless signal from among neighboring signal sources at a search interval when the wireless signal is not adequate.

10. The apparatus of claim 9 , the second signal search procedure comprising:

searching for a detectable wireless signal from among neighboring signal sources during a specified time period; and

when no detectable signal is found during the specified time period, suspending the search during a second specified time period.

11. The apparatus of claim 9 , wherein a wireless signal comprises at least one of: a cellular radiotelephone signal, a wireless network system signal, a shorter range wireless network signal, or a global positioning system signal.

12. The apparatus of claim 11 , wherein the radio processor is to connect to a plurality of wireless signals, and wherein a signal search procedure for a wireless signal is determined on a per signal basis.

13. The apparatus of claim 9 , the motion sensor comprising an accelerometer.