Method and apparatus for proximity sensing

• US 10,531,232 B2
• Filed: 04/18/2019
• Issued: 01/07/2020
• Est. Priority Date: 12/08/2016
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: AT&T Intellectual Property I LP (AT&T, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: AT&T Intellectual Property I LP (AT&T, Inc.)
• Inventors: Bennett, Robert, Henry, Paul Shala, Gerszberg, Irwin, Barzegar, Farhad, Willis, III, Thomas M., Barnickel, Donald J.
• Primary Examiner(s): Bilgrami, Asghar H
• Application Number:
  US16/387,778
• Publication Number:
  US 20190246239A1
• Time in Patent Office: 264 Days
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 17/23 Indication means, e.g. displays, alarms, audible means
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 17/27 for locating or positioning the transmitter
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 17/318 Received signal strength
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 7/145 Passive relay systems
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/023 using mutual or relative location information between multiple location based services [LBS] targets or of distance thresholds

Abstract

Aspects of the subject disclosure may include, for example, receiving, by a receiver of a first device, electromagnetic waves that are generated by a transmitter of a second device at a physical interface of a transmission medium, where the electromagnetic waves propagate without requiring an electrical return path, and where the electromagnetic waves are guided by the transmission medium to the receiver of the first device. The first device can detect a physical object in proximity to the transmission medium according to a change in the parameter associated with the electromagnetic waves. Other embodiments are disclosed.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

monitoring, by a processing system including a processor, a parameter associated with electromagnetic waves that are generated at a physical interface of a transmission medium, wherein the electromagnetic waves are guided by the transmission medium, and wherein the electromagnetic waves propagate without requiring an electrical return path;

detecting, by the processing system, a physical object in proximity to the transmission medium based on a value of the parameter; and

generating, by the processing system, an alert message in accordance with the detecting.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising analyzing, by the processing system, a change in the parameter to determine a distance between the physical object and the transmission medium.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the analyzing includes comparing the value of the parameter to a pre-determined value for the parameter.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the parameter includes a received signal strength.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the electromagnetic waves are generated by a transmitter included in a group of transmitters, wherein the electromagnetic waves are guided by the transmission medium to a receiver included in a group of receivers, wherein the group of transmitters and the group of receivers are part of a communication device that includes the processing system and a touch screen display, and wherein the detecting the physical object is associated with operation of the touch screen display.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the electromagnetic waves are reflected waves.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the electromagnetic waves are generated by a transmitter, wherein the electromagnetic waves are guided by the transmission medium to a receiver, wherein the receiver is of a first device, wherein the transmitter is of a second device, the method further comprising:

determining, by the processing system, a change in the proximity of the physical object to the transmission medium according to determining another change in the parameter associated with the electromagnetic waves.

8. The method of claim 1, further comprising determining, by the processing system, that the physical object is in contact with the transmission medium according to the electromagnetic waves no longer being received by a receiver.

9. A first device, comprising:

a processing system including a processor; and

a memory that stores executable instructions that, when executed by the processing system, facilitate performance of operations, the operations comprising;

receiving electromagnetic waves at a physical interface of a transmission medium, wherein the electromagnetic waves are generated by a second device and propagate without requiring an electrical return path, and wherein the electromagnetic waves are guided by the transmission medium;

detecting a physical object in proximity to the transmission medium based on a value of a parameter associated with the electromagnetic waves; and

generating an alert message in accordance with the detecting.

10. The first device of claim 9, wherein the operations further comprise determining a distance between the physical object and the transmission medium according to an analysis of a change in the parameter.

11. The first device of claim 10, wherein the analysis includes a comparison of the value of the parameter to a pre-determined value for the parameter.

12. The first device of claim 9, wherein the operations further comprise:

receiving other electromagnetic waves at the physical interface of the transmission medium, wherein the other electromagnetic waves are generated by the second device and propagate without requiring the electrical return path, and wherein the other electromagnetic waves are guided by the transmission medium,

wherein the electromagnetic waves and the other electromagnetic waves have a different frequency or a different mode.

13. The first device of claim 9, wherein the parameter includes a received signal strength.

14. The first device of claim 9, wherein the operations further comprise determining that the physical object is in contact with the transmission medium according to the electromagnetic waves no longer being received.

15. A machine-readable medium, comprising executable instructions that, when executed by a processing system including a processor, facilitate performance of operations, the operations comprising:

monitoring a parameter associated with electromagnetic waves that are generated at a physical interface of a transmission medium, wherein the electromagnetic waves propagate without requiring an electrical return path, and wherein the electromagnetic waves are guided by the transmission medium;

detecting a physical object in proximity to the transmission medium based on a value of the parameter associated with the electromagnetic waves; and

generating an alert message in accordance with the detecting.

16. The machine-readable medium of claim 15, wherein the operations further comprise analyzing a change in the parameter to determine a distance between the physical object and the transmission medium.

17. The machine-readable medium of claim 15, wherein the parameter includes a received signal strength.

18. The machine-readable medium of claim 15, wherein the electromagnetic waves are generated by a transmitter at the physical interface.

19. The machine-readable medium of claim 18, wherein the transmitter is part of a communication device that includes the processing system and a touch screen display, and wherein the detecting the physical object is associated with operation of the touch screen display.

20. The machine-readable medium of claim 15, wherein the operations further comprise determining a change in the proximity of the physical object to the transmission medium according to another change in the parameter associated with the electromagnetic waves.