System, apparatus, and method for proximity detection

• US 10,021,241 B2
• Filed: 02/03/2016
• Issued: 07/10/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 02/03/2016
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Qualcomm, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Qualcomm, Inc.
• Inventors: Winebrand, Vadim, Leviant, Michael, Agassy, Meir, Bornstein, Gilad
• Primary Examiner(s): Eng, George
• Assistant Examiner(s): Gao, Jing
• Application Number:
  US15/014,954
• Publication Number:
  US 20170223170A1
• Time in Patent Office: 888 Days
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/6008 in the transmitter circuit
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/6016 in the receiver circuit
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72454 according to context-related or environment-related conditions

Abstract

A mobile communication device equipped for proximity detection may include a transmitter that emits a periodic ultrasound signal, a receiver that detects the periodic ultrasound signal, an intra-frame filter that filters the detected periodic ultrasound signal based on a frame length of the detected periodic ultrasound signal, and a detector that determines a power level of the filtered periodic ultrasound signal to detect if the receiver is located in an undesirable location.

Claims

1. A mobile communication device, comprising:

a transmitter configured to transmit a periodic ultrasound signal;

a receiver configured to receive the periodic ultrasound signal, the receiver located remote from the transmitter;

a first filter coupled to the receiver and configured to filter the periodic ultrasound signal based on a frame length of the periodic ultrasound signal; and

a detection logic circuit coupled to the first filter and configured to determine a power level of the periodic ultrasound signal, a signal to noise ratio of the periodic ultrasound signal, and whether the receiver is located in an enclosed environment based on the power level and the signal to noise ratio;

wherein the first filter is configured to filter the periodic ultrasound signal by using a matrix wherein each column of the matrix represents one of a first frame, a second frame, a third frame, a fourth frame, a fifth frame, a sixth frame, and a seventh frame and each row of the matrix represents one of a first 1024 samples, a second 1024 samples, a third 1024 samples, a fourth 1024 samples, a fifth 1024 samples, a sixth 1024 samples, and a seventh 1024 samples, respectively.

2. The mobile communication device of claim 1, wherein the first filter is configured to sample the periodic ultrasound signal at a sampling rate of 192 KHz and the frame length is 1024 samples of the periodic ultrasound signal.

3. The mobile communication device of claim 2, wherein the first filter is configured to filter the periodic ultrasound signal after reception of the first frame comprising the first 1024 samples of the periodic ultrasound signal, the second frame comprising the second 1024 samples of the periodic ultrasound signal, the third frame comprising the third 1024 samples of the periodic ultrasound signal, the fourth frame comprising the fourth 1024 samples of the periodic ultrasound signal, the fifth frame comprising the fifth 1024 samples of the periodic ultrasound signal, the sixth frame comprising the a sixth 1024 samples of the periodic ultrasound signal, and the seventh frame comprising the seventh 1024 samples of the periodic ultrasound signal.

4. The mobile communication device of claim 1, further comprising a second filter coupled between the first filter and the detection logic circuit and configured to filter the periodic ultrasound signal between a frequency range of 55 KHz to 65 KHz.

5. The mobile communication device of claim 1, wherein the periodic ultrasound signal has a central frequency between 60 KHz and 60.5 KHz.

6. The mobile communication device of claim 1, wherein the transmitter is a speaker.

7. The mobile communication device of claim 1, wherein the receiver is a microphone.

8. The mobile communication device of claim 1, wherein the transmitter is located on a same side of the mobile communication device as the receiver.

9. The mobile communication device of claim 1, wherein the detection logic circuit is further configured to stabilize the receiver prior to reception of the periodic ultrasound signal.

10. The mobile communication device of claim 1, wherein the detection logic circuit is further configured to compensate for a signal delay of the periodic ultrasound signal.

11. A computer program product residing on a processor-executable non-transitory storage medium, the computer program product comprising processor-executable instructions configured to cause:

a transmitter to transmit a periodic ultrasound signal;

a receiver to receive the periodic ultrasound signal, the receiver located remote from the transmitter;

a first filter, coupled to the receiver, to filter the periodic ultrasound signal based on a frame length of the periodic ultrasound signal; and

a detection logic circuit, coupled to the first filter, to determine a power level of the periodic ultrasound signal, a signal to noise ratio of the periodic ultrasound signal, and whether the receiver is located in an enclosed environment based on the power level and the signal to noise ratio;

wherein the first filter is configured to filter the periodic ultrasound signal by using a matrix wherein each column of the matrix represents one of a first frame, a second frame, a third frame, a fourth frame, a fifth frame, a sixth frame, and a seventh frame and each row of the matrix represents one of a first 1024 samples, a second 1024 samples, a third 1024 samples, a fourth 1024 samples, a fifth 1024 samples, a sixth 1024 samples, and a seventh 1024 samples, respectively.

12. The computer program product of claim 11, wherein the processor-executable instructions are further configured to cause the first filter to sample the periodic ultrasound signal at a sampling rate of 192 KHz with the frame length of 1024 samples of the periodic ultrasound signal.

13. The computer program product of claim 12, wherein the processor-executable instructions are further configured to cause the first filter to filter the periodic ultrasound signal after reception of the first frame comprising the first 1024 samples of the periodic ultrasound signal, the second frame comprising the second 1024 samples of the periodic ultrasound signal, the third frame comprising the third 1024 samples of the periodic ultrasound signal, the fourth frame comprising the fourth 1024 samples of the periodic ultrasound signal, the fifth frame comprising the fifth 1024 samples of the periodic ultrasound signal, the sixth frame comprising a sixth 1024 samples of the periodic ultrasound signal, and the seventh frame comprising the seventh 1024 samples of the periodic ultrasound signal.

14. The computer program product of claim 11, wherein the processor-executable instructions are further configured to cause a second filter, coupled between the first filter and the detection logic circuit, to filter the periodic ultrasound signal between a frequency range of 55 KHz to 65 KHz.

15. The computer program product of claim 11, wherein the periodic ultrasound signal has a central frequency between 60 KHz and 60.5 KHz.

16. The computer program product of claim 11, wherein the transmitter is a speaker.

17. The computer program product of claim 11, wherein the receiver is a microphone.

18. The computer program product of claim 11, wherein the transmitter is located on a same side of a mobile communication device as the receiver.

19. The computer program product of claim 11, wherein the processor-executable instructions are further configured to cause the detection logic circuit to stabilize the receiver prior to reception of the periodic ultrasound signal.

20. The computer program product of claim 11, wherein the processor-executable instructions are further configured to cause the detection logic circuit to compensate for a signal delay of the periodic ultrasound signal.

21. A method for detection of an enclosed environment, the method comprising:

transmitting a periodic ultrasound signal from a transmitter;

receiving the periodic ultrasound signal by a receiver, the receiver located remote from the transmitter;

filtering of the periodic ultrasound signal by a first filter based on a frame length of the periodic ultrasound signal;

determining whether a threshold power level is exceeded in the periodic ultrasound signal;

determining whether a threshold signal to noise ratio is exceeded in the periodic ultrasound signal; and

determining whether the receiver is in the enclosed environment based on a power level and a signal to noise ratio of the periodic ultrasound signal;

and preventing an initiation of a communication session based upon the determination of whether the receiver is in the enclosed environment;

wherein the first filter is configured to filter the periodic ultrasound signal by using a matrix wherein each column of the matrix represents one of a first frame, a second frame, a third frame, a fourth frame, a fifth frame, a sixth frame, and a seventh frame and each row of the matrix represents one of a first 1024 samples, a second 1024 samples, a third 1024 samples, a fourth 1024 samples, a fifth 1024 samples, a sixth 1024 samples, and a seventh 1024 samples, respectively.

22. The method for detection of claim 21, further comprising stabilizing the receiver.

23. The method for detection of claim 21, further comprising compensating for a signal delay.

24. The method for detection of claim 21, further comprising filtering the periodic ultrasound signal by a second filter.

25. The method for detection of claim 21, further comprising determining whether a threshold number of successive frames of the periodic ultrasound signal have been buffered by a buffer mechanism.

26. A system for detection of an enclosed environment, the system comprising:

a transmitter configured to transmit a periodic ultrasound signal with a frequency in a transmitted pattern range;

a receiver configured to receive the periodic ultrasound signal, the receiver located remote from the transmitter;

a first filter coupled to the receiver and configured to filter the periodic ultrasound signal based on a frame length of the periodic ultrasound signal;

a second filter coupled to the first filter and configured to filter the periodic ultrasound signal between a frequency range of the transmitted pattern range; and

a detection logic circuit coupled to the second filter and configured to determine a power level of the periodic ultrasound signal, a signal to noise ratio of the periodic ultrasound signal, and whether the receiver is located in the enclosed environment based on the power level and the signal to noise ratio;

wherein the first filter is configured to filter the periodic ultrasound signal by using a matrix wherein each column of the matrix represents one of a first frame, a second frame, a third frame, a fourth frame, a fifth frame, a sixth frame, and a seventh frame and each row of the matrix represents one of a first 1024 samples, a second 1024 samples, a third 1024 samples, a fourth 1024 samples, a fifth 1024 samples, a sixth 1024 samples, and a seventh 1024 samples, respectively.

27. The system of claim 26, wherein the first filter is configured to sample the periodic ultrasound signal at a sampling rate of 192 KHz and the frame length is 1024 samples of the periodic ultrasound signal, and the transmitted pattern range is 55 KHz to 65 KHz.

28. The system of claim 27, wherein the first filter is configured to filter the periodic ultrasound signal after reception of the first frame comprising the first 1024 samples of the periodic ultrasound signal, the second frame comprising the second 1024 samples of the periodic ultrasound signal, the third frame comprising the third 1024 samples of the periodic ultrasound signal, the fourth frame comprising the fourth 1024 samples of the periodic ultrasound signal, the fifth frame comprising the fifth 1024 samples of the periodic ultrasound signal, the sixth frame comprising the sixth 1024 samples of the periodic ultrasound signal, and the seventh frame comprising the seventh 1024 samples of the periodic ultrasound signal.