Fetch continuous location changes with less battery drainage

Question

I want to fetch the user location continuously and update the same in my database. I am using FusedLocationApi to get the continuous location changes. To get the location the user has to turn on GPS and Internet connection has to be there. Keeping the GPS turned for a long time and using INTERNET continuously are the main culprit for battery drainage. So I want to know what should be done to use the minimum battery power and fetch the continuous location changes.

This is how i am fetching the location,

public class LocationActivity extends Activity implements
    LocationListener,
    GoogleApiClient.ConnectionCallbacks,
    GoogleApiClient.OnConnectionFailedListener {

private static final String TAG = "LocationActivity";
private static final long INTERVAL = 1000 * 10;
private static final long FASTEST_INTERVAL = 1000 * 5;
Button btnFusedLocation;
TextView tvLocation;
LocationRequest mLocationRequest;
GoogleApiClient mGoogleApiClient;
Location mCurrentLocation;
String mLastUpdateTime;

protected void createLocationRequest() {
    mLocationRequest = new LocationRequest();
    mLocationRequest.setInterval(INTERVAL);
    mLocationRequest.setFastestInterval(FASTEST_INTERVAL);
    mLocationRequest.setPriority(LocationRequest.PRIORITY_HIGH_ACCURACY);
}

@Override
protected void onCreate(Bundle savedInstanceState) {
    super.onCreate(savedInstanceState);
    Log.d(TAG, "onCreate ...............................");
    //show error dialog if GoolglePlayServices not available
    if (!isGooglePlayServicesAvailable()) {
        finish();
    }
    createLocationRequest();
    mGoogleApiClient = new GoogleApiClient.Builder(this)
            .addApi(LocationServices.API)
            .addConnectionCallbacks(this)
            .addOnConnectionFailedListener(this)
            .build();
    mGoogleApiClient.connect();  
    setContentView(R.layout.activity_main);
    tvLocation = (TextView) findViewById(R.id.tvLocation);

    btnFusedLocation = (Button) findViewById(R.id.btnShowLocation);
    btnFusedLocation.setOnClickListener(new View.OnClickListener() {
        @Override
        public void onClick(View arg0) {
            updateUI();
        }
    });

}

@Override
public void onStart() {
    super.onStart();
    if (mGoogleApiClient.isConnected()) {
        startLocationUpdates();
        Log.d(TAG, "Location update resumed .....................");
    }
}

@Override
public void onStop() {
    super.onStop();
    Log.d(TAG, "onStop fired ..............");
    mGoogleApiClient.disconnect();
    Log.d(TAG, "isConnected ...............: " + mGoogleApiClient.isConnected());
}

private boolean isGooglePlayServicesAvailable() {
    int status = GooglePlayServicesUtil.isGooglePlayServicesAvailable(this);
    if (ConnectionResult.SUCCESS == status) {
        return true;
    } else {
        GooglePlayServicesUtil.getErrorDialog(status, this, 0).show();
        return false;
    }
}

@Override
public void onConnected(Bundle bundle) {
    Log.d(TAG, "onConnected - isConnected ...............: " + mGoogleApiClient.isConnected());
    startLocationUpdates();
}

protected void startLocationUpdates() {
    PendingResult<Status> pendingResult = LocationServices.FusedLocationApi.requestLocationUpdates(
            mGoogleApiClient, mLocationRequest, this);
    Log.d(TAG, "Location update started ..............: ");
}

@Override
public void onConnectionSuspended(int i) {

}

@Override
public void onConnectionFailed(ConnectionResult connectionResult) {
    Log.d(TAG, "Connection failed: " + connectionResult.toString());
}

@Override
public void onLocationChanged(Location location) {
    Log.d(TAG, "Firing onLocationChanged..............................................");
    mCurrentLocation = location;
    mLastUpdateTime = DateFormat.getTimeInstance().format(new Date());
    updateUI();
}

private void updateUI() {
    Log.d(TAG, "UI update initiated .............");
    if (null != mCurrentLocation) {
        String lat = String.valueOf(mCurrentLocation.getLatitude());
        String lng = String.valueOf(mCurrentLocation.getLongitude());
        tvLocation.setText("At Time: " + mLastUpdateTime + "\n" +
                "Latitude: " + lat + "\n" +
                "Longitude: " + lng + "\n" +
                "Accuracy: " + mCurrentLocation.getAccuracy() + "\n" +
                "Provider: " + mCurrentLocation.getProvider());
    } else {
        Log.d(TAG, "location is null ...............");
    }
}

@Override
protected void onPause() {
    super.onPause();
    stopLocationUpdates();
}

protected void stopLocationUpdates() {
    LocationServices.FusedLocationApi.removeLocationUpdates(
            mGoogleApiClient, this);
    Log.d(TAG, "Location update stopped .......................");
}

@Override
public void onResume() {
    super.onResume();
    if (mGoogleApiClient.isConnected()) {
        startLocationUpdates();
        Log.d(TAG, "Location update resumed .....................");
    }
}
}

I am pretty sure you can have the api run your method for onLocationChange or something but I am not sure. — TheChubbyPanda, May 17 '18 at 06:45
Everything is working fine. The only thing is I want less battery consumption. — hasan_shaikh, May 17 '18 at 06:57
Yeah, I think that should lower it, you might have to have a thing that gets an update if you haven't got one after a while though. — TheChubbyPanda, May 17 '18 at 07:02

score 1 · Answer 1 · answered May 17 '18 at 06:51

https://developer.android.com/guide/topics/location/strategies

Google advice creating a model that's will account for best performance. To paraphrase the linked page...

choose the right time to start listening for updates from desired location providers.
Maintain a "current best estimate" of location by filtering out new, but less accurate fixes.
Stop listening for location updates for sometime.
Take advantage of the last best location estimate.

Continuous location changes is a very generic approach to a problem and you need to define the problem and solution to your very specific usecase.

also read this https://blog.maddevs.io/reduce-gps-data-error-on-android-with-kalman-filter-and-accelerometer-43594faed19c — Nathanael Mkaya, May 17 '18 at 06:54

Fetch continuous location changes with less battery drainage

1 Answers1