ELECTRONIC DEVICE AND CONTROL METHOD THEREOF

• US 20120062424A1
• Filed: 09/13/2011
• Published: 03/15/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 09/14/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Compal Electronics Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Compal Electronics Incorporated
• Inventors: Hwang, Chieh-Tsao
• Granted Patent: US 8,766,852 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 342/374
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 1/3838 Arrangements for reducing RF exposure to the user, e.g. by changing the shape of the transceiver while in use
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 7/0602 using antenna switching H04B7/0686 takes precedence; antenna beam directivity switching H01Q3/24
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 52/367 Power values between minimum and maximum limits, e.g. dynamic range
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 52/42 in systems with time, space, frequency or polarisation diversity

Abstract

An electronic device including a first antenna, a second antenna, a first sensor, a signal processing module and an antenna control module is provided. The first antenna has a function of transmitting a wireless signal and is disposed on a first side of the electronic device. The second antenna is disposed on a second side of the electronic device. The first sensor detects whether a first object is around the first antenna and generates a first sensing signal according to a detecting result. The signal processing module generates a first control signal according to the first sensing signal. The antenna control module switches the function of transmitting the wireless signal from the first antenna to the second antenna.

Claims

1. An electronic device, comprising:

a first antenna having a transmitting wireless signal function and disposed on a first side of the electronic device;

a second antenna disposed on a second side of the electronic device;

a first sensor adapted to detect whether a first object exists around the first antenna and generate a first sensing signal according to a detecting result;

a signal processing module adapted to generate a first control signal according to the first sensing signal; and

an antenna control module adapted to switch the transmitting wireless signal function from the first antenna to the second antenna according to the first control signal.

2. The electronic device as claimed in claim 1, wherein when the signal processing module is unable to receive the first sensing signal for a predetermined time, the signal processing module generates a second control signal so that the antenna control module switches the transmitting wireless signal function from the second antenna to the first antenna, wherein the first sensing signal is a signal generated by the first sensor when detecting that the first object exists within a first predetermined area around the first antenna.

3. The electronic device as claimed in claim 1, further comprising:

a second sensor adapted to detect whether a second object exists around the second antenna and generate a second sensing signal according to a detecting result, wherein when the signal processing module receives the second sensing signal, the signal processing module generates a second control signal so that the antenna control module switches the transmitting wireless signal function from the second antenna to the first antenna.

4. The electronic device as claimed in claim 3, wherein when the signal processing module simultaneously receives the first sensing signal and the second sensing signal, the signal processing module generates a power adjusting signal so as to reduce a power of the first antenna or the second antenna transmitting a wireless signal, wherein the second sensing signal is a signal generated by the second sensor when detecting that the second object exists within a second predetermined area around the second antenna.

5. The electronic device as claimed in claim 3, wherein the second sensor is adjacent to the second antenna and located at the second side.

6. The electronic device as claimed in claim 1, wherein the first sensor is a light sensor, a motion sensor or an acceleration sensor.

7. The electronic device as claimed in claim 1, wherein the signal processing module is formed by a central processing unit, and the central processing unit is electrically connected to the first sensor and the antenna control module.

8. The electronic device as claimed in claim 1, wherein the signal processing module comprises:

a controller electrically connected to the first sensor, wherein a first switching signal is generated after the controller receives the first sensing signal; and

a central processing unit electrically connected to the controller and the antenna control module, and generates the first control signal according to the first switching signal.

9. The electronic device as claimed in claim 1, wherein the antenna control module comprises:

a network module; and

a switching unit having a first terminal electrically connected to the network unit, a second terminal electrically connected to the first antenna and a third terminal electrically connected to the second antenna, wherein the switching unit conducts the first terminal to the third terminal according to the first control signal.

10. The electronic device as claimed in claim 9, wherein the network module is a wireless wide area network module.

11. The electronic device as claimed in claim 1, wherein the first side of the electronic device is parallel to the second side.

12. The electronic device as claimed in claim 1, wherein the first sensor is adjacent to the first antenna and located at the first side.

13. An electronic device, comprising:

a first antenna having a transmitting wireless signal function and disposed on a first side of the electronic device;

a second antenna disposed on a second side of the electronic device;

a first sensor adapted to detect whether a first object exists around the first antenna and generate a first dielectric constant according to a detecting result;

a metal detector adapted to determine whether the first object is a metal or not, and generate a first metal identification signal when the first object is determined as a metal;

a signal processing module adapted to generate a first control signal according to the first dielectric constant and the first metal identification signal; and

an antenna control module adapted to switch the transmitting wireless signal function from the first antenna to the second antenna according to the first control signal.

14. The electronic device as claimed in claim 13, wherein when the signal processing module is unable to receive the first dielectric constant for a predetermined time, the signal processing module generates a second control signal so that the antenna control module switches the transmitting wireless signal function from the second antenna to the first antenna, wherein the first dielectric constant is a signal generated by the first sensor when detecting that the first object exists within a first predetermined area around the first antenna, and the first dielectric constant is a dielectric constant of the first object.

15. The electronic device as claimed in claim 13, wherein when the signal processing module determines that the first dielectric constant is equal to a human body dielectric constant and the first metal identification signal is not received, then the signal processing module generates the first control signal so that the antenna control module switches the transmitting wireless signal function from the first antenna to the second antenna.

16. The electronic device as claimed in claim 13, wherein when the signal processing module determines that the first dielectric constant is equal to a human body dielectric constant and the first metal identification signal is received, then the signal processing module does not generate the first control signal.

17. The electronic device as claimed in claim 13, wherein when the signal processing module determines that the first dielectric constant is not equal to a human body dielectric constant, the signal processing module does not generate the first control signal.

18. The electronic device as claimed in claim 13, further comprising:

a second sensor adapted to detect whether a second object exists around the second antenna and generate a second dielectric constant according to a detecting result, wherein the metal detector determines whether the second object is a metal or not, and generates a second metal identification signal when the second object is determined as a metal.

19. The electronic device as claimed in claim 18, wherein the signal processing module generates a second control signal according to the second dielectric constant and the second metal identification signal, so that the antenna control module switches the transmitting wireless signal function from the second antenna to the first antenna, wherein the second dielectric constant is a signal generated by the second sensor when detecting that the second object exists within a second predetermined area around the second antenna, and the second dielectric constant is a dielectric constant of the second object.

20. The electronic device as claimed in claim 18, wherein when the signal processing module determines that both the first dielectric constant and the second dielectric constant are equal to the human body dielectric constant and the first metal identification signal and the second metal identification signal are not received, then the signal processing module generates a power adjusting signal so to reduce a power of the first antenna or the second antenna transmitting a wireless signal.

21. The electronic device as claimed in claim 18, wherein when the signal processing module determines that the second dielectric constant is equal to a human body dielectric constant and but the second metal identification signal is received, then the signal processing module does not generate the second control signal.

22. The electronic device as claimed in claim 18, wherein when the signal processing module determines that the second dielectric constant is not equal to a human body dielectric constant, the signal processing module does not generate the second control signal.

23. The electronic device as claimed in claim 13, wherein the first sensor is a capacitive proximity sensor.

24. The electronic device as claimed in claim 13, wherein the metal detector is an electromagnetic sensor or an E-compass.

25. The electronic device as claimed in claim 13, wherein the signal processing module is formed by a central processing unit, and the central processing unit is electrically connected to the first sensor, the metal detector and the antenna control module.

26. The electronic device as claimed in claim 13, wherein the signal processing module comprises:

a controller electrically connected to the first sensor and the metal detector and determines whether the first dielectric constant is equal to the human body dielectric constant through a lookup table, wherein when the first dielectric constant is equal to the human body dielectric constant and the controller does not receive the first metal identification signal, the controller generates a first switching signal; and

a central processing unit electrically connected to the controller and the antenna control module, and generates the first control signal according to the first switching signal.

27. The electronic device as claimed in claim 13, wherein the controller is an embedded controller.

28. An electronic device control method, comprising:

(a) actuating an electronic device, wherein the electronic device comprises a first antenna and a second antenna;

(b) proceeding to a transmitting a wireless signal function by using the first antenna;

(c) detecting whether a first object exists around the first antenna by using a first sensor and generating a first sensing signal according to a detecting result;

(d) generating a first control signal according to the first sensing signal by using a signal processing module; and

(e) switching the transmitting wireless signal function from the first antenna to the second antenna according to the first control signal by using an antenna control module.

29. The electronic device control method as claimed in claim 28, wherein when the signal processing module is unable to receive the first sensing signal for a predetermined time, the signal processing module generates a second control signal so that the antenna control module switches the transmitting wireless signal function from the second antenna to the first antenna, wherein the first sensing signal is a signal generated by the first sensor when detecting that the first object exists within a first predetermined area around the first antenna.

30. The electronic device control method as claimed in claim 28, further comprising:

(f) detecting whether a second object exists around the second antenna by using a second sensor and generating a second sensing signal according to a detecting result;

(g) generating a second control signal according to the second sensing signal by using the signal processing module; and

(h) switching the transmitting wireless signal function from the second antenna to the first antenna according to the second control signal by using the antenna control module.

31. The electronic device control method as claimed in claim 28, wherein when the signal processing module simultaneously receives the first sensing signal and the second sensing signal, the signal processing module generates a power adjusting signal so as to reduce a power of the first antenna or the second antenna transmitting a wireless signal, wherein the second sensing signal is a signal generated by the second sensor when detecting that the second object exists within a second predetermined area around the second antenna.

32. The electronic device control method as claimed in claim 28, wherein the second sensor is adjacent to the second antenna and located at a second side of the electronic device.

33. The electronic device control method as claimed in claim 28, wherein a first side of the electronic device is parallel to the second side.

34. The electronic device control method as claimed in claim 28, wherein the first sensor is adjacent to the first antenna and located at the first side.

35. An electronic device control method, comprising:

(a) actuating an electronic device, wherein the electronic device comprises a first antenna and a second antenna;

(b) proceeding to a transmitting wireless signal function by using the first antenna;

(c) detecting whether a first object exists around the first antenna by using a first sensor and generating a first dielectric constant according to a detecting result;

(d) determining whether the first object is a metal or not by using a metal detector, and generating a first metal identification signal when the first object is determined as a metal;

(e) generating a first control signal by using a signal processing module according to the first dielectric constant and the first metal identification signal; and

(f) switching the transmitting wireless signal function from the first antenna to the second antenna according to the first control signal by using an antenna control module.

36. The electronic device control method as claimed in claim 35, wherein when the signal processing module is unable to receive the first dielectric constant for a predetermined time, the signal processing module generates a second control signal so that the antenna control module switches the transmitting wireless signal function from the second antenna to the first antenna, wherein the first dielectric constant is a signal generated by the first sensor when detecting that the first object exists within a first predetermined area around the first antenna, and the first dielectric constant is a dielectric constant of the first object.

37. The electronic device control method as claimed in claim 35, wherein when the signal processing module determines that the first dielectric constant is equal to a human body dielectric constant and the first metal identification signal is not received, then the signal processing module generates the first control signal so that the antenna control module switches the transmitting wireless signal function from the first antenna to the second antenna.

38. The electronic device control method as claimed in claim 35, wherein when the signal processing module determines that the first dielectric constant is equal to a human body dielectric constant and but the first metal identification signal is received, then the signal processing module does not generate the first control signal.

39. The electronic device control method as claimed in claim 35, wherein when the signal processing module determines that the first dielectric constant is not equal to a human body dielectric constant, the signal processing module does not generate the first control signal.

40. The electronic device control method as claimed in claim 35, further comprising:

(g) detecting whether a second object exists around the second antenna by using a second sensor and generating a second dielectric constant according to a detecting result;

(h) determining whether the second object is a metal or not by using the metal detector, and generating a second metal identification signal when the second object is determined as a metal;

(i) generating a second control signal according to the second dielectric constant and the second metal identification signal by using the signal processing module; and

(j) switching the transmitting wireless signal function from the second antenna to the first antenna according to the second control signal by using the antenna control module.

41. The electronic device control method as claimed in claim 40, wherein the second dielectric constant is a signal generated by the second sensor when detecting that the second object exists within a second predetermined area around the second antenna, and the second dielectric constant is a dielectric constant of the second object.

42. The electronic device control method as claimed in claim 40, wherein when the signal processing module determines that both the first dielectric constant and the second dielectric constant are equal to the human body dielectric constant and the first metal identification signal and the second metal identification signal are not received, then the signal processing module generates a power adjusting signal so as to reduce a power of the first antenna or the second antenna transmitting a wireless signal.

43. The electronic device control method as claimed in claim 40, wherein when the signal processing module determines that the second dielectric constant is equal to a human body dielectric constant and but the second metal identification signal is received, then the signal processing module does not generate the second control signal.

44. The electronic device control method as claimed in claim 40, wherein when the signal processing module determines that the second dielectric constant is not equal to a human body dielectric constant, the signal processing module does not generate the second control signal.