Edgar Cervantes / Android Authority
TL;DR
- A brand new patent from Google seems to element one thing known as “Related Flight Mode.”
- The function would have the ability to robotically change airplane mode on and off when it detects you’re on a aircraft.
- Bluetooth and Wi-Fi connections would nonetheless be supported on this mode.
Outdoors of apps particularly made for the aim, Airplane mode has at all times been a function you must allow and disable manually on Android. However Google might be engaged on a brand new function that can do it for you.
A brand new patent from Google has appeared on-line. In line with the doc, the patent is for a function known as “Join Flight Mode,” which might work for cellular computing units. That features your telephone, pill, and laptop computer.
It seems the function is able to detecting while you’re on a aircraft. If the function is triggered, it can robotically activate Airplane mode for you and switch it again to regular mode when it detects that you simply’re again on the bottom.
However this isn’t only a fancy approach to flip Airplane mode on or off. This enhanced function helps Wi-Fi and Bluetooth connections. So you’ll be able to proceed to be related, whereas regular Airplane mode shuts these down together with the mobile community. The patent mentions that the function will configure Wi-Fi settings to suit the precise kind of connection the airplane accepts. Nonetheless, it could additionally disconnect from a community if it detects that your battery is low or the standard of the community is unhealthy.
Moreover, the mode will let your gadget configure Wi-Fi settings to make sure a sustained expertise. Issues reminiscent of automated backups, background app refreshes, and updates are turned off when this mode is activated.
Should you’re questioning how this all works, evidently strain drops, ultrasonic alerts, the Wi-Fi sign of a aircraft, and your journey reserving exercise would all work as potential triggers. Because the doc states, the method occurs “in response to having decided that the sensor has detected info indicating that the cellular computing gadget is situated on the airplane.”
Since that is only a patent, there’s no assure this function will ever go public. Google and plenty of different corporations submit patents on a regular basis and solely a small share of these truly see the sunshine of day. But when Google launches Related Flight Mode, it might be a moderately handy function.