Method and Device for Activating and Deactivating Geopositioning Devices in Moving Vehicles

A mobile user terminal and method for activating/deactivating geopositioning devices of the mobile user terminal in moving vehicles, the mobile user terminal comprising accelerometers but no gyroscopes. The method detects whether a geopositioning device is located in a moving vehicle by using data of acceleration signals extracted only from the accelerometers and metrics calculated from an estimated variation of angle between successive acceleration signals. The method further comprises identifying at least one, short-time or long-time, probe pattern related to the situation of the moving vehicle, the probe pattern using signals and measures exclusively derived from the tri-axial accelerometers, comprising the data of acceleration signals and the calculated metrics. If the situation corresponds to the mobile user terminal moving in the moving vehicle, the geopositioning device is activated.