Patent ID: 8676149

Claim:
A mobile communication device for communicating with a base station and having first and second alternative communication modes, said first communication mode having higher quality of service and higher power consumption than said second communication mode, and said device comprising: a power supply; wherein said mobile device is responsive to a characteristic of said power supply indicative of a reduced reserve of energy in said power supply to select said second communication mode and transmit to said base station a state indication identifying existence of a low energy condition of said power supply, said state indication to cause said base station to respond by allocating more resources to reception of signals transmitted by said mobile device operating in said second communication mode than in said first communication mode wherein said mobile communication device is arranged to express in said second communication mode a characteristic selected from a group consisting of: a different modulation scheme in said second communication mode from said first communication mode for communication with said base station; a different transport protocol in said second communication mode from said first communication mode for communication with said base station; more base station receive diversity resources allocated by said base station to reception of said signals transmitted by said mobile communication device in said second communication mode from said first communication mode; and increased transmit power of base station signals to said mobile communication device in said second communication mode relative to said transmit power of base station signals to said mobile communication device in said first communication mode.