Electronic device and method thereof for grip recognition

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10447263-B2
Application number	US-201715679550-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Aug 17, 2017
Priority date	Aug 18, 2016
Publication date	Oct 15, 2019
Grant date	Oct 15, 2019

Abstract

An electronic device and a method of grip recognition of the electronic device are provided. The electronic device includes an antenna, a radio communication device having a coupler, a memory, and a processor which is electrically connected to the radio communication device and the memory, wherein the memory includes instructions, executable by the processor, wherein the processor is configured to detect a first signal being transmitted and a second signal being received through the antenna using the coupler, calculate a reflection coefficient of the antenna based on the first signal and the second signal, determine a signal magnitude and a phase corresponding to the reflection coefficient, and determine whether the electronic device is being gripped based on the signal magnitude and the phase.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An electronic device, comprising:
an antenna;
a radio communication device having a coupler;
a memory; and
a processor which is electrically connected to the radio communication device and the memory,
wherein the memory comprises instructions, executable by the processor, the processor is configured to:
detect a first signal being transmitted and a second signal being received through the antenna using the coupler,
calculate a reflection coefficient of the antenna based on the first signal and the second signal,
determine a signal magnitude and a phase corresponding to the reflection coefficient, and
determine whether the electronic device is being gripped based on the signal magnitude and the phase.

2. The electronic device of claim 1 , further comprising a transceiver which is configured to generate and transmit the first signal,
wherein the processor is configured to detect, if the first signal is being transmitted to the antenna via the coupler, the first signal by the coupler.

3. The electronic device of claim 2 , wherein the processor is configured to detect, if the second signal received by the antenna is being transmitted to the transceiver via the coupler, the second signal by the coupler.

4. The electronic device of claim 1 , wherein the coupler is a bi-directional coupler, and the processor is configured to detect the first signal and the second signal separately by the bi-directional coupler.

5. The electronic device of claim 1 , wherein the memory is configured to store a predetermined equation, and the processor is configured to calculate the reflection coefficient of the antenna by substituting values of the first signal and the second signal into the equation.

6. The electronic device of claim 1 , wherein the memory is configured to store a lookup table and a gamma chart for determining the signal magnitude and the phase corresponding to the reflection coefficient.

7. The electronic device of claim 1 , further comprising a diversity antenna, wherein the processor is configured to:
detect, if the radio communication device is switched from the antenna to the diversity antenna, the first and second signals being transmitted to and from the diversity antenna, and
calculate the reflection coefficient of the diversity antenna based on the first signal and the second signal.

8. The electronic device of claim 7 , wherein the processor is further configured to:
determine the signal magnitude and the phase corresponding to the reflection coefficient, and
determine whether an object is approaching the electronic device based on the signal magnitude and the phase.

9. The electronic device of claim 7 , wherein the processor is further configured to determine a state of the electronic device based on the reflection coefficients of the antenna and the diversity antenna.

10. The electronic device of claim 1 , wherein the processor is configured to enable, if the electronic device is being gripped, an electromagnetic function for reducing electromagnetic wave radiation.

11. A method of grip recognition of an electronic device, the method comprising:
detecting a first signal being transmitted and a second signal being received through an antenna using a coupler;
calculating a reflection coefficient of the antenna based on the first signal and the second signal;
determining a signal magnitude and a phase corresponding to the reflection coefficient; and
determining whether the electronic device is being gripped based on the signal magnitude and the phase.

12. The method of claim 11 , wherein detecting the first signal comprises:
generating, at a transceiver of the electronic device, the first signal; and
detecting, if the first signal is being transmitted to the antenna via the coupler, the first signal by the coupler.

13. The method of claim 11 , wherein detecting the second signal comprises:
receiving the second signal through the antenna; and
detecting, if the second signal is being transmitted to a transceiver of the electronic device via the coupler, the second signal by the coupler.

14. The method of claim 11 , wherein the coupler is a bi-directional coupler configured to detect the first signal and the second signal separately.

15. The method of claim 11 , wherein calculating the reflection coefficient comprises calculating the reflection coefficient based on the first signal and the second signal using an equation stored in a memory.

16. The method of claim 11 , wherein determining the signal magnitude and the phase corresponding to the reflection coefficient comprises retrieving the signal magnitude and the phase from a lookup table and a gamma chart stored in the memory for use in determining the signal magnitude and the phase.

17. The method of claim 11 , further comprising:
switching from the antenna to a diversity antenna;
detecting, if the coupler is switched from the antenna to the diversity antenna, the first signal being transmitted to the diversity antenna;
detecting the second signal being transmitted from the diversity antenna; and
calculating the reflection coefficient of the diversity antenna based on the first signal and the second signal.

18. The method of claim 17 , further comprising:
determining the signal magnitude and the phase corresponding to the reflection coefficient; and
determining whether an object is approaching the electronic device based on the signal magnitude and the phase.

19. The method of claim 17 , further comprising determining a state of the electronic device based on the reflection coefficients of the antenna and the diversity antenna.

20. The method of claim 11 , further comprising enabling, if the electronic device is being gripped, an electromagnetic function for reducing electromagnetic wave radiation.

Assignees

• Samsung Electronics Co Ltd

Inventors

• Yang Dongil
• Lim Wonsub
• Kim Daeyoung
• Park Sunah
• Oh Seunghyun

Classifications

• H03K2217/960775

  Emitter-receiver or "fringe" type detection, i.e. one or more field emitting electrodes and corresponding one or more receiving electrodes · CPC title

• H04B1/3838

  Arrangements for reducing RF exposure to the user, e.g. by changing the shape of the transceiver while in use · CPC title

• H04B1/385

  Transceivers carried on the body, e.g. in helmets · CPC title

• H04B1/0458

  Arrangements for matching and coupling between power amplifier and antenna or between amplifying stages (matching circuits in general H03H) · CPC title

• G06F1/1698

  the I/O peripheral being a sending/receiving arrangement to establish a cordless communication link, e.g. radio or infrared link, integrated cellular phone (details of antennas disposed inside a computer H01Q1/2266) · CPC title