Mobile device and method for determining a handling condition thereof

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9976841-B2
Application number	US-201314143957-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Dec 30, 2013
Priority date	Dec 30, 2013
Publication date	May 22, 2018
Grant date	May 22, 2018

Abstract

A mobile device for determining a handling condition of the mobile device and a method of use thereof. One embodiment of the mobile device includes: at least one left capacitive proximity sensor disposed on a left side of the mobile device and operable to detect a hold condition, at least one right capacitive proximity sensor disposed on a right side of the mobile device and operable to detect a hold condition, an accelerometer disposed in the mobile device and operable to detect an orientation of the mobile device, an ambient light proximity sensor disposed in the mobile device and operable to detect a proximity of a user's head, and a processor operable to execute an application configured to gain access to and employ the hold condition, the orientation, and the proximity of the user's head to determine a handling condition.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A mobile device, comprising:
a left capacitive proximity sensor disposed on a left side of the mobile device and operable to detect a hold condition;
a right capacitive proximity sensor disposed on a right side of the mobile device and operable to detect the hold condition;
an accelerometer disposed in the mobile device and operable to detect an orientation of the mobile device;
an ambient light proximity sensor disposed in the mobile device and operable to detect a proximity of a user's head;
a plurality of antennas; and
a processor coupled to the left capacitive proximity sensor, the right capacitive proximity sensor, the accelerometer, the ambient light proximity sensor, and the plurality of antennas, wherein the processor is operable to execute an application configured to:
determine a handling condition according to the hold condition, the orientation of the mobile device, and the proximity of the user's head, wherein the handling condition indicates that the mobile device is held by a right hand of a user beside a right side of the user's head or that the mobile device is held by a left hand of the user beside a left side of the user's head, and
select a first antenna of the plurality of antennas according to the handling condition, for wireless communication.

2. The mobile device of claim 1 , wherein the left capacitive proximity sensor includes a left plurality of capacitive proximity sensors, and the right capacitive proximity sensor includes a right plurality of capacitive proximity sensors.

3. The mobile device of claim 1 , wherein the application is a software module integrated into an operating system that is executable on the processor.

4. The mobile device of claim 1 , wherein the application is configured to employ the orientation to confirm the hold condition.

5. The mobile device of claim 1 , wherein the application is configured to employ the orientation to determine if the mobile device is held beside a right side of the user's head when the proximity of the user's head is indicative of the mobile device being held beside the user's head.

6. The mobile device of claim 1 , wherein the ambient light proximity sensor is disposed on a face of the mobile device, wherein the face of the mobile device is configured to be closest to the user's head while the mobile device is in use.

7. A method of determining a handling condition of a mobile device, comprising:
determining a hold condition according to left and right capacitive proximity sensors on the mobile device;
detecting that the mobile device is beside a user's head according to an ambient light proximity sensor, wherein the ambient light proximity sensor is on a face of a mobile device configured to be closest to the user's head while the mobile device is in use;
detecting an orientation of the mobile device by an accelerometer on the mobile device; and
determining the handling condition according to the hold condition, detecting that the mobile device is beside the user's head, and the orientation of the mobile device, wherein the handling condition indicates that the mobile device is held by a right hand of a user beside a right side of the user's head or that the mobile device is held by a left hand of the user beside a left side of the user's head.

8. The method of claim 7 , further comprising adjusting an antenna power level according to the handling condition.

9. The method of claim 7 , wherein the determining the hold condition includes gaining access to a plurality of left capacitive proximity sensors and a plurality of right capacitive proximity sensors.

10. The method of claim 7 , wherein the determining the hold condition includes measuring respective present capacitances at the left and right capacitive proximity sensors.

11. The method of claim 10 , wherein the determining the hold condition includes comparing the respective present capacitances to respective expected capacitances for a left-hand hold and for a right-hand hold.

12. The method of claim 7 , further comprising employing the orientation in confirming the hold condition.

13. A method of selecting an antenna on a mobile device, comprising:
determining a hold condition according to left and right capacitive proximity sensors on the mobile;
detecting a proximity to a user's head by an ambient light proximity sensor on the mobile device;
detecting an orientation of the mobile device by an accelerometer on the mobile device;
determining a handling condition according to the hold condition, the proximity to the user's head, and the orientation of the mobile device, wherein the handling condition indicates that the mobile device is held by a right hand of a user beside a right side of the user's head or that the mobile device is held by a left hand of the user beside a left side of the user's head; and
selecting one antenna from a plurality of antennas on the mobile device according to the handling condition for wireless communication.

14. The method of claim 13 , wherein capacitances sensed by the left and right capacitive proximity sensors are indicative of the hold condition selected from the group consisting of:
a left-hand hold,
a right-hand hold,
a two-hand hold, or
free space.

15. The method of claim 13 , further comprising adjusting a power level for the one antenna according to expected performance for the handling condition.

16. The method of claim 13 , wherein the determining the hold condition includes gaining access to a plurality of left capacitive proximity sensors and a plurality of right capacitive proximity sensors.

17. The method of claim 13 , wherein the determining the hold condition includes measuring respective present capacitances at the left and right capacitive proximity sensors.

18. The method of claim 17 , wherein the determining the hold condition includes comparing the respective present capacitances to respective expected capacitances for a left-hand hold and for a right-hand hold.

19. The method of claim 13 , further comprising employing the orientation in confirming the hold condition.

Assignees

• Futurewei Technologies Inc

Inventors

• Mccarthy Robert
• Shi Ping
• Nader Navid
• Vo Vinh
• Krishnamurthy Vijayakumar

Classifications

• H04M1/00

  Substation equipment, e.g. for use by subscribers (subscriber services or facilities provided at exchanges H04M3/00; prepayment telephone coin boxes H04M17/00; current supply arrangements H04M19/08) · CPC title

• H04M1/72569

  Electricity · mapped topic

• H03K2217/94106

  Passive activation of light sensor, e.g. by ambient light · CPC title

• H03K17/9622

  using a plurality of detectors, e.g. keyboard · CPC title

• G06F3/01

  Input arrangements or combined input and output arrangements for interaction between user and computer (G06F3/16 takes precedence) · CPC title