Turn on / off screen in navigation

[0709wiwiwi]

Update 3/5/24.
Allow 100% display off/on to maximalise the power savings.
An interesting feature when a phone is not continuously charged.

FAQ and info by the WaveUp proximity app. WaveUp FAQ
Display OFF/ON is possible without device admin rights this since A9.

Power saving request NEW:

• Auto DISPLAY OFF between the turn_via instructions.
• Auto DISPLAY ON between the last turn_via instruction and turn_via passed.
• SET the expected DISPLAY off/on actions by proximity sensor triggering.

Tested a 100% display off/on action with Locus map without need to add a PIN after a wake up.
For this specific test Locus was operated with disabled internal Locus display on/off functionality.

TEST SET UP by the Proximity sensor WAVE UP APP. The extra energy necessary for this sensor is low.

• Display off (Switch to automatic display off_on operation) : - Cover the proximity sensor > +1,5 sec.
• Display on (Enforces a continuously display on operation) : - Single wave over the proximity sensor.

Set continous display on by a simple single wave over the proximity sensor.
Very useful to enter a complex road pattern (city) this to continuously see the map for as long as necessary.

Reference image 1.
An alternative for 100% display off is dim to minimum backlight. Slightly less efficient but it should prevent Androids agressive power management from killing background tasks such as track records.

[devemux86]

Thanks for the interesting suggestion!

It is already in my implementation list. 🙂

[devemux86]

Deleted in github ?

I read the description better, so my question was no longer needed. 🙂

Thanks for the extra details.
Indeed, Android is strict with wake / unlock permissions, they are usually allowed for "alarm" apps.

[JimmyS83]

This is nice idea! As owner of older (slower and no OLED display) I can confirm, that LCD is vast majority part of consumed energy when navigating.

Could it be, that power features has also option to (optionally, or insted of dimming) control turning screen on and off (off could be handled by Android screen timeout, but ON need to be triggered from app)?

My experience is, that
Dim backlight to minimum is only a little bit less power efficiënt than display off
is not 100% true in all cases. Its not valid for my phone(s), at night I am using 0% brightness, and still, have display turned off is MAJOR difference for battery, comapring to display ON.

Avoid annoying PIN unlock requests.
My navigation dedicated phone has no PIN enabled just to be quickly operable with gloves through buttons

+1,5 sec
My old phone takes like 2-5 sec. just to turn screen ON and show something, and then you would like to have actually have some time to orient in map before turn (in case of city multiways) I would vote for slider more than constant here :-D

To be not understood, I support 100% this dim idea, and for OLED it could work just fine with PIN enabled, but when we would talk about power saving, I think it worth think more complex, and give a shot also for older mobiles - especially, when older mobiles are more suitable for use on motorcycle handlebar than new expensive mobiles with optic stabilization :) (in case, that app actually could send wake screen signal of course.)

[0709wiwiwi]

The extra drainage is minimal. The sensor halts when the app closes.
See also the updated info at the idea proposal start.
It seems from A9 and on device admin rights are no longer necessary.

[JimmyS83]

Turns out i have proximity sensor :) I test wave up application (https://gitlab.com/juanitobananas/wave-up) and it works great, thanks for tip! If Cruiser would have option to send the same on off signals around turn direction, it would be superb :) And agree, as i dont know, how much drainage proximity monitoring takes, it comes to my mind. that wouldnt be the case of cruiser though..

[Ciutnik]

I did so add some older test pictures

Cool! Can you reveal how you did it? Some application or traditional: meter, cables and soldering iron? 🙂

[0709wiwiwi]

Old App: Battery Charging Current Monitor v 1.03 . = (Removed in current Google play)
New app: Battery Charging monitor. https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.tofabd.batteryanalyzer

[devemux86]

Can also search in websites like APKPure, APKMirror, etc.

[JimmyS83]

Hello, is there a chance to have some sort of On/Off/Dim screen, based on routing/navigating activies, or is that rule out due to android permissions? So far I sucessfully using waving around handlebars to save battery (great tip), but have it done automatic from the Cruiser idea is still just as tempting as it was when I first read it :)

[JimmyS83]

At each announcement the screen is automatically turn on. I use it on my bicycle tours (no charging available) and it works like a charm!

Thanks! Thats very nice! So the actual Voice announcement needs to be enabled, right? It doesnt turn on just base on "yellow dot" in map (dunno how to call it, direction point or something like that, I found thats the point where voice announcement is made)?

I would adapt my some of my "visual to handlebars" profiles and run for some tests in summer for sure.. Would be interesting to see, how it would comapare to my usual "wave up - lock/unlock" handlebar profile in terms of battery when using Amoled :)

[devemux86]

@JimmyS83

"yellow dot" in map (dunno how to call it, direction point or something like that, I found thats the point where voice announcement is made)?

The yellow dots are the turn instructions that are announced in navigation.

So the actual Voice announcement needs to be enabled, right?

There are voice announcements for turn instructions and nearby POI + favorites.
You can customize freely what voice announcements to hear and their distances.

[JimmyS83]

Yes, I have quite a customized announcement setup, for mix both of favourites and pois :) They worked really well, my question was rather to "what wakes up" the screen from screen saver mode (which I cant test right now in real navigation).. If there needs to be voice announcement ON, or would it trigger by "yellow dots" (that would be working for non-voice anouncement profiles as well). I know Wolfgang wrote about announcements, so I assume second option (which is also more versatile), but asked anyway :)

To be honest, I cant wait to test screensaver.. I was quite happy with one phone in pocket, safe from rain and serving just Voice instructions, and second, optional handlebar "visual navigation" without voice announcement, on/off controlled via proximity sensor in dense areas, where visual is "safer". Works fine with gloves, saving battery A LOT, but I need to have phone lock completelly disabled for handlebar phone, as proximity sensor app couldnt unlock non-rooted phone :(

[devemux86]

If there needs to be voice announcement ON, or would it trigger by "yellow dots"

The yellow dots are just the locations of turn instructions on the map.

Voice announcements are independent from the map appearance.
They can be turned on / off and you can customize their distances and at how many distances you hear them.

Screen saver activates the screen when something requires your attention.
It could be a turn instruction in 1.5 km or 300 m or a nearby POI / favorite.

So it depends on what you have enabled in voice guidance settings.

[JimmyS83]

I can also confirm it works very well, just tested on the car. Not enough to make any power comparation with screen turned off, but this is really handy thing which I really like! :)

[JimmyS83]

Ok, I understand it. I just wanted to know, if there is still hope for the future, nothing more :)

[0709wiwiwi]

For the LCD screen users.
Locus offers a function "Unlock the screen".
“Re-open app without need to unlock the screen.”

This works also very well with the Wave up app
Display on_off
Cruiser does not offer this unlock function.

Anyway be careful with such screen off/on apps.
Some apps do not offer any power savings at all.
They show a black screen without backlight dimming.
Check this by viewing the screen in total darkness.
With backlight on some light will seep through.

[JimmyS83]

This seems to be very similiar what I described in recent version of Waze.. In Waze case, phone is still locked, but when you trigger unlock (wave up or button), instead of unlocking screen waze app is showed.. (Android 13, not sure about compatibility with other-older versions). But insteresting option for sure.

[devemux86]

Next version will be able to display Cruiser on the lock screen without having to unlock the device,
when Cruiser runs and we press the power button to turn on the screen.

---

Also we will have a new setting "Turn on screen" that will work in navigation.

• Disable the "Keep screen on" option, so the screen can be switched off by the system screen timeout

• Enable the "Turn screen on" option, so the screen can be switched on automatically in navigation

• It uses the system screen timeout to turn off completely the screen
  (customized in Android display settings)

• Navigation can automatically turn on the screen in all navigation events

• Depending on the Android version and device you may need to use at most the Swipe lock option
  (not pattern, pin, password, etc.)

• It can also be tested in navigation simulation

[JimmyS83]

Thanks! Looking forward to it. I am thinking that my security PIN/print would prevent that, but it could help in some use cases when that kind of security is not needed (navi dedicated devices), or android version will be friendly. To be hones, screensaver function saves me totally, well my battery :)

[devemux86]

• Cruiser on lock screen and automatic turn on screen are available in Cruiser 5.6.0 Beta 7 #829 (comment)

Please read the instructions above and let me know how it works on your devices.

[0709wiwiwi]

To save maximum energy (cycling) I do not set screen wake up at turns.
Cruiser Keep screen on can so still be activated.

Successful tests on both A10 & A13.
A. By power button. (Button poorly accessible in the bike holder)
B. By the proximity Wave Up app with the next set up.

• Cover the sensor +1,5 s > sleep.
• Wave once over the sensor > wake up.
  App that triggers to sleep can usually trigger a wake up.
  Someone can test also with the latest Android versions ?

[devemux86]

Some phones can wake up with a double tap on their screen.

[DolomitesTom]

Cool functionality

[devemux86]

• Turn on / off screen in navigation is available in Cruiser 5.6.2 #834

Ssee above for instructions.