Electromagnetic interference signal detection

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10073578-B2
Application number	US-201615153362-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	May 12, 2016
Priority date	Aug 13, 2013
Publication date	Sep 11, 2018
Grant date	Sep 11, 2018

Abstract

In one embodiment, an apparatus includes an electrode that is coupled to a body of a user and is configured to receive a signal from the body. The received signal is based on an electromagnetic interference signal generated by an object that is external to the apparatus. The apparatus further includes one or more processors coupled to the electrode. The processors are configured to detect, based on the signal received by the electrode, one or more of: an interaction between the user and the object, an identity of the object, or a context surrounding the apparatus.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An apparatus comprising:
an electrode coupled to a body of a user and configured to receive a signal from the body, the signal based on an electromagnetic interference signal generated by an object that is external to the apparatus; and
one or more processors coupled to the electrode and configured to:
detect, based on the signal received by the electrode, a contact between the user and the object, wherein the object comprises an electronic device;
identify, based on the signal received by the electrode, a portion of the electronic device where the detected contact occurred, wherein
the portion of the electronic device where the contact occurred is not touch sensitive;

detect, in response to the user contacting a display of the electronic device, a signal from the body of the user based on an electromagnetic interference signal generated by at least the display of the electronic device; and
authenticate the user or the electronic device based on the detected signal.

2. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the signal received by the electrode travels through or on the body to the electrode that is coupled to the body.

3. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the processers are configured to:
detect a frequency of the signal received by the electrode; and
compare the detected frequency to one or more frequencies of an electromagnetic interference signal characteristic of the object.

4. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the apparatus comprises a wearable device.

5. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the one or more processors are further configured to detect, based on the signal received by the electrode, one or more of:
an interaction between the user and the object;
an identity of the object; or
a context surrounding the apparatus.

6. The apparatus of claim 5 , wherein the interaction comprises a proximity between the user and the object.

7. The apparatus of claim 5 , wherein the context comprises a location.

8. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the processors are further configured to determine, based on the signal received by the electrode, an operating mode of the device.

9. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein:
the signal received by the electrode comprises an encoded signal; and
the processors are further configured to decode the encoded signal.

10. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein:
the apparatus further comprises a transmitter; and
the processors are further configured to transmit from the transmitter an encoded signal to the object.

11. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the processors are further configured to determine an amount of contact between the electrode and the user.

12. The apparatus of claim 11 , wherein the processors are further configured to set, based on the amount of contact, the gain associated with the received signal.

13. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the processors are further configured to
determine an impedance of the user; and
set, based on the impedance, the gain associated with the received signal.

14. One or more non-transitory computer-readable storage media embodying logic that when executed by one or more processors cause the one or more processors to perform operations comprising:
detecting, based on a signal received by an electrode, a contact between a user and an object, wherein the object comprises an electronic device;
identifying, based on the signal received by the electrode, a portion of the electronic device where the detected contact occurred, wherein:
the user is coupled to the electrode and to the object;
the electrode is configured to receive a signal from a body of the user;
the signal is based on an electromagnetic interference signal generated by the electronic device;
and
the portion of the electronic device where the contact occurred is not touch sensitive and

detect, in response to the user contacting a display of the electronic device, a signal from the body of the user based on an electromagnetic interference signal generated by at least the display of the electronic device; and
authenticate the user or the electronic device based on the detected signal.

15. A method comprising:
receiving a signal detected at an electrode coupled to a body of a user and configured to receive a signal from the body, the received signal based on an electromagnetic interference signal generated by an object;
detecting, based on the signal received by the electrode, a contact between the user and the object, wherein the object comprises an electronic device;
identifying, based on the signal received by the electrode, a portion of the electronic device where the detected contact occurred, wherein
the portion of the electronic device where the contact occurred is not touch sensitive;

detecting, in response to the user contacting a display of the electronic device, a signal from the body of the user based on an electromagnetic interference signal generated by at least the display of the electronic device; and
authenticating the user or the electronic device based on the detected signal.

16. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein
authentication of the user or the electronic device is associated with a communication that is unidirectional or bidirectional.

17. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the electromagnetic interference signal generated by at least the display is generated by the display displaying a particular sequence of colors corresponding to an authentication event.

18. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the processors are further configured to:
establish a communication channel with the electronic device; and
generate, in response to a determination that the signal received from the body of the user matches an authentication signal, transmission of an authentication token from the apparatus to the electronic device over the communication channel.

19. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the authentication of the user or the electronic device unlocks the electronic device.

20. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the authentication of the user or the electronic device permits loading of settings or data onto the electronic device.

Assignees

• Samsung Electronics Co Ltd
• Samsung Electronics Co Ltd

Inventors

• Bau Olivier
• Rakova Bogdana
• Digman Mike
• Schoessler Philipp
• Salvador Martin
• Pacareu Sergi Consul

Classifications

• G06F3/046 Primary

  by electromagnetic means · CPC title

• G06F3/0418

  for error correction or compensation, e.g. based on parallax, calibration or alignment · CPC title

• G06F2203/04104

  Multi-touch detection in digitiser, i.e. details about the simultaneous detection of a plurality of touching locations, e.g. multiple fingers or pen and finger · CPC title

• H04W4/023

  using mutual or relative location information between multiple location based services [LBS] targets or of distance thresholds · CPC title

• G06F1/163

  Wearable computers, e.g. on a belt · CPC title