Systems and methods for managing sensors of an electronic device, and associated electronic devices

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12099112-B2
Application number	US-202117145134-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jan 8, 2021
Priority date	Jan 8, 2021
Publication date	Sep 24, 2024
Grant date	Sep 24, 2024

Abstract

Embodiments are provided for managing the operation of sensors in an electronic device. According to certain aspects, the electronic device may detect a change in motion from a set of lower-sensitivity sensor data generated by a sensor(s) operating in a lower-sensitivity mode. When the change in motion is detected and during a timeout window, the sensor(s) may generate an additional set of lower-sensitivity sensor data and a set of higher-sensitivity sensor data. The electronic device may initially confirm the change in motion based on analyzing the set of higher-sensitivity sensor data. Further, the electronic device may determine that the additional set of lower-sensitivity does not indicate an additional change in motion, and may deem the confirmation of the change in motion as a false positive.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A computer-implemented method comprising:
obtaining, by a processor and from a radar sensor operating in a lower-sensitivity mode, a first set of lower-sensitivity sensor data, wherein the radar sensor is configured to generate the first set of lower-sensitivity sensor data by emitting first radio waves comprising a first range of frequencies;
analyzing the first set of lower-sensitivity sensor data using a first motion detection algorithm to detect a first change in motion of a target relative to an electronic device, wherein analyzing the first set of lower-sensitivity sensor data comprises identifying a timing shift between least one radio wave of the first radio waves and a radio wave in the first set of lower-sensitivity sensor data; and
in response to detecting the first change in motion of the target relative to the electronic device:
obtaining, by the processor and from the radar sensor operating in the lower-sensitivity mode, a second set of lower-sensitivity sensor data, wherein the radar sensor is configured to generate the second set of lower-sensitivity sensor data by emitting second radio waves comprising the first range of frequencies;
obtaining, by the processor and from the radar sensor operating in a higher-sensitivity mode, a set of higher-sensitivity sensor data, wherein the radar sensor is configured to generate the set of higher-sensitivity sensor data by emitting third radio waves comprising a second range of frequencies different from the first range of frequencies;
analyzing the set of higher-sensitivity sensor data using a second motion detection algorithm to confirm the first change in motion of the target relative to the electronic device, wherein analyzing the set of higher-sensitivity sensor data comprises identifying a timing shift between at least one radio wave of the third radio waves and a radio wave in the set of higher-sensitivity sensor data; and
analyzing the second set of lower-sensitivity sensor data using the first motion detection algorithm to detect a second change in motion of the target relative to the electronic device, wherein analyzing the second set of lower-sensitivity sensor data comprises identifying a timing shift between at least one radio wave of the second radio waves and a radio wave in the second set of lower-sensitivity sensor data.

2. The computer-implemented method of claim 1 , wherein confirming the first change in motion of the target relative to the electronic device comprises:
detecting a subsequent change in motion of the target relative to the electronic device, the subsequent change in motion being a continuation of the first change in motion.

3. The computer-implemented method of claim 1 ,
wherein resource consumption of the electronic device caused by executing the second motion detection algorithm is greater than resource consumption of the electronic device caused by executing the first motion detection algorithm.

4. The computer-implemented method of claim 1 , wherein the first change in motion of the target corresponds to the target entering an environment in which the electronic device is located, and wherein the second change in motion of the target corresponds to a gesture performed by the target within the environment.

5. The computer-implemented method of claim 1 , further comprising,
terminating the second motion detection algorithm in response to detecting the second change in motion of the target relative to the electronic device.

6. The computer-implemented method of claim 1 ,
wherein resource consumption of the electronic device caused by operating the radar sensor in the higher-sensitivity mode is greater than resource consumption of the electronic device caused by operating the radar sensor in the lower-sensitivity mode.

7. The computer-implemented method of claim 1 , wherein the set of higher-sensitivity sensor data is obtained in response to a request, by the processor, for the radar sensor to generate the set of higher-sensitivity sensor data.

8. An electronic device comprising:
a radar sensor; and
a processor interfaced with the radar sensor and configured to:
obtain, from the radar sensor operating in a lower-sensitivity mode, a first set of lower-sensitivity sensor data, wherein the radar sensor is configured to generate the first set of lower-sensitivity sensor data by emitting first radio waves comprising a first range of frequencies;
analyze the first set of lower-sensitivity sensor data using a first motion detection algorithm to detect a first change in motion of a target relative to the electronic device, wherein analyzing the first set of lower-sensitivity sensor data comprises identifying a timing shift between at least one radio wave of the first radio waves and a radio wave in the first set of lower-sensitivity sensor data, and
in response to detecting the first change in motion of the target relative to the electronic device:
obtain, by the processor and from the radar sensor operating in the lower-sensitivity mode, a second set of lower-sensitivity sensor data, wherein the radar sensor is configured to generate the second set of lower-sensitivity sensor data by emitting second radio waves comprising the first range of frequencies;
obtain, from the radar sensor operating in a higher-sensitivity mode, a set of higher-sensitivity sensor data, wherein the radar sensor is configured to generate the set of higher-sensitivity sensor data by emitting third radio waves comprising a second range of frequencies different from the first range of frequencies;
analyze the set of higher-sensitivity sensor data using a second motion detection algorithm to confirm the first change in motion of the target relative to the electronic device, wherein analyzing the set of higher-sensitivity sensor data comprises identifying a timing shift between at least one radio wave of the third radio waves and a radio wave in the set of higher-sensitivity sensor data; and
analyze the second set of lower-sensitivity sensor data using the first motion detection algorithm to detect a second change in motion of the target relative to the electronic device, wherein analyzing the second set of lower-sensitivity sensor data comprises identifying a timing shift between at least one radio wave of the second radio waves and a radio wave in the second set of lower-sensitivity sensor data.

9. The electronic device of claim 8 , wherein
resource consumption of the electronic device caused by executing the second motion detection algorithm is greater than resource consumption of the electronic device caused by executing the first motion detection algorithm.

10. The electronic device of claim 8 , wherein the first change in motion of the target corresponds to the target entering an environment in which the electronic device is located, and wherein the second change in motion of the target corresponds to a gesture performed by the target within the environment.

11. The electronic device of claim 8 , wherein the processor is further configured to:
terminate the second motion detection algorithm in response to detecting the second change in motion of the target relative to the electronic device.

12. The electronic device of claim 8 , wherein
resource consumption of the electronic device caused by operating the radar sensor in the higher-sensitivity mode is greater than resource consumption of the electronic device caused by operating the radar sensor in the lower-sensitivity mode.

13. The electronic device of claim 8 , wherein the set of higher-sensitivity sensor data is obtained in response to a request for the radar sensor to generate the set of higher-sen

Assignees

• Google Llc

Inventors

• Felch Andrew
• Findeisen Christopher
• Chen Jinjie
• Alexander Mark
• Shi Shang
• Wang Zhuo

Classifications

• G01S15/50

  Systems of measurement, based on relative movement of the target · CPC title

• G01S7/2813

  Means providing a modification of the radiation pattern for cancelling noise, clutter or interfering signals, e.g. side lobe suppression, side lobe blanking, null-steering arrays (specially adapted to secondary radar systems G01S13/762; aerials or aerials systems H01Q21/29, H01Q25/00) · CPC title

• G06F3/017

  Gesture based interaction, e.g. based on a set of recognized hand gestures (interaction based on gestures traced on a digitiser G06F3/04883) · CPC title

• G01S7/539

  using analysis of echo signal for target characterisation; Target signature; Target cross-section · CPC title

• G06F3/011

  Arrangements for interaction with the human body, e.g. for user immersion in virtual reality (blind teaching G09B21/00) · CPC title