Proximity sensor algorithms to control transmit power of a user device

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9253733-B1
Application number	US-201414219992-A
Country	US
Kind code	B1
Filing date	Mar 19, 2014
Priority date	Mar 19, 2014
Publication date	Feb 2, 2016
Grant date	Feb 2, 2016

Abstract

Methods and systems are described for determining whether any one of three or more proximity test conditions is met using measurements from a plurality of proximity electrodes located relative to an antenna of a user device and reducing a transmit power level to be used by the antenna when any one of the three or more proximity test conditions is met. A user device obtains measurements from the proximity electrodes, checks the three or more proximity test conditions, and instructs a transmit power manager to reduce a transmit power level to transmit data when any one of the three or more proximity test conditions is met.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A method, implemented by a user device programmed to perform the following, the method comprising:
transmitting first data at a specified transmit power level using an antenna of the user device;
receiving a first measurement from a first proximity sensor pad, wherein the first measurement is indicative of a first distance between the first proximity sensor pad and an object;
receiving a second measurement from a second proximity sensor pad, wherein the second measurement is indicative of a second distance between the second proximity sensor pad and the object;
receiving a third measurement from a third proximity sensor pad, wherein the third measurement is indicative of a third distance between the second proximity sensor pad and the object, wherein the first proximity sensor pad is located adjacent to a first end of the antenna, the second proximity sensor pad is located at an approximate center location of the antenna and adjacent to a longitudinal side of the antenna and the third proximity sensor pad is located adjacent to a second end of the antenna;
determining a triggered state for reducing the specified transmit power level to a reduced transmit power level used by the antenna when any one of four proximity test conditions is met using the first measurement, second measurement and third measurement, wherein the four proximity test conditions are—defined by different combinations of distance thresholds for the first measurement, second measurement and third measurement, wherein the different combination of distance thresholds define distances of the object relative to the antenna, wherein at least one of the four proximity test conditions is met when the first measurement exceeds a first threshold and a ratio of the second measurement and the first measurement is less than a third threshold; and
in response to the triggered state, transmitting second data at the reduced transmit power level.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the four proximity test conditions each indicates a condition in which a presence of the object that absorbs electromagnetic radiation is proximate to the user device.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein the reduced transmit power level is a predefined power level that is less than the specified transmit power level.

4. The method of claim 1 , further comprising setting seven distance thresholds for the different combinations of distance thresholds, and wherein the determining the triggered state comprises:
determining whether a first proximity test condition is met, wherein the first proximity test condition is met when a first measurement from the first proximity sensor pad exceeds a first threshold, a second measurement from the second proximity sensor pad exceeds a second threshold, and a ratio of the second measurement and the first measurement is less than a third threshold;
determining whether a second proximity test condition is met, wherein the second proximity test condition is met when the second measurement is greater than a fourth threshold, and the ratio is greater than the third threshold;
determining whether a third proximity test condition and a fourth proximity test condition are met for a first side, wherein the third proximity test condition and fourth proximity test condition are met when the second measurement is less than a fifth threshold and the first measurement is greater than a sixth threshold; and
determining whether the third proximity test condition and fourth proximity test condition are for a second side, wherein the third proximity test condition and fourth proximity test condition are met when the second measurement is less than the fifth threshold and a third measurement from the third proximity sensor pad is greater than a seventh threshold.

5. A non-transitory computer readable storage medium storing instruction that when executed by a processing device cause the processing device to perform operations comprising:
obtaining measurements from a plurality of proximity electrodes, wherein the measurements are indicative of distances between an object and the plurality of proximity electrodes;
determining whether any one of three or more proximity test conditions is met using the measurements, wherein the three or more proximity test conditions are defined by different combinations of distance thresholds; and
instructing a transmit power manager to reduce a transmit power level to be used by the antenna to transmit data when any one of the three or more proximity test conditions is met.

6. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 5 , wherein the three or more proximity test conditions each indicates a condition in which a presence of the object that absorbs electromagnetic radiation is proximate to the user device, wherein the object is at least one of a human body part or a phantom.

7. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 5 , wherein the operations further comprise calculating a reduced transmit power level based on the measurements, and wherein instructing the transmit power manager to reduce the transmit power level comprises instructing the transmit manger to reduce the transmit power level to the reduced transmit power level.

8. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 5 , wherein the three or more proximity test conditions comprise four proximity test conditions, wherein the operations further comprises setting seven distance thresholds for the different combinations of distance thresholds, and wherein the determining whether any one of three or more proximity test conditions is met comprises:
determining whether a first proximity test condition is met, wherein the first proximity test condition is met when a first measurement from the first one of the plurality of proximity electrodes exceeds a first threshold, a second measurement from the second one of the plurality of proximity electrodes exceeds a second threshold, and a ratio of the second measurement and the first measurement is less than a third threshold;
determining whether a second proximity test condition is met, wherein the second proximity test condition is met when the second measurement is greater than a fourth threshold, and the ratio is greater than the third threshold;
determining whether a third proximity test condition and a fourth proximity test condition are met for a first side, wherein the third proximity test condition and fourth proximity test condition are met when the second measurement is less than a fifth threshold and the first measurement is greater than a sixth threshold; and
determining whether the third proximity test condition and fourth proximity test condition are met for a second side, wherein the third proximity test condition and fourth proximity test condition are met when the second measurement is less than the fifth threshold and a third measurement from the third one of the plurality of proximity electrodes is greater than a seventh threshold.

9. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 8 , wherein the first condition is detected when the object is within a first distance from a first edge of a user device comprising the processing device; wherein the second condition is detected when the object is within a second distance from a non-display side of the user device, wherein the third condition is detected before the first end or second end of the antenna overlaps with the object when the first edge of the user device is perpendicular to a first side of the object and moved along a first axis parallel to the object with a first constant distance towards the object, wherein the first constant distance is the first distance, wherein the fourth condition is detected be

Assignees

• Amazon Tech Inc

Inventors

• Lee Cheng-Jung
• Lee Allen

Classifications

• H04W52/18 Primary

  TPC being performed according to specific parameters · CPC title

• Y02D30/70

  in wireless communication networks · CPC title

• H04W52/283 Primary

  Power depending on the position of the mobile · CPC title