Patent ID: 8106821

Claim:
An apparatus comprising: position locating circuitry operatively enabled to acquire wireless signals associated with a satellite positioning system (SPS) if operating in a first mode, and to maintain local clock information and to either not acquire said wireless signals or acquire said wireless signals less often than during the first mode if operating in a second mode; and a controller operatively coupled to said position locating circuitry and operatively enabled to selectively switch said position locating circuitry from said first mode to said second mode at least partially in response to at least one mode-switching test being satisfied, wherein said at least one mode-switching test is at least partially satisfied in response to detection of at least one non-timed test condition, said at least one non-timed test condition comprising at least a first test condition under which wireless signals greater than or equal to a first threshold signal strength have been acquired from a first set of space vehicles (SVs).