PORTABLE ELECTRONIC DEVICE FOR REDUCING SPECIFIC ABSORPTION RATE

• US 20130178174A1
• Filed: 01/05/2012
• Published: 07/11/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 01/05/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Malikie Innovations Limited (Key Patent Innovations Limited)
• Original Assignee: Blackberry Limited
• Inventors: GERIS, Ryan Alexander, BERNARD, Christopher David, MARCHAND, Rene Pierre
• Granted Patent: US 8,989,665 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/90.3
• 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: H04M 1/04 Supports for telephone transmitters or receivers
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2250/12 including a sensor for measuring a physical value, e.g. temperature or motion telephones including GPS signal receivers H04M2250/10

Abstract

A portable electronic device for reducing specific absorption rate (SAR) is provided. The portable electronic device comprises a processor, at least one antenna, and a sensor enabled to detect when the portable electronic device is being held by a complementary holder, the processor enabled to: determine that the sensor has detected the holder; and, responsively, switch the at least one antenna from an omnidirectional mode to a directional mode such that energy is radiated from a given side of the portable electronic device.

Claims

1. A portable electronic device comprising:

a processor, at least one antenna, and a sensor enabled to detect when the portable electronic device is being held by a complementary holder, the processor enabled to;

determine that the sensor has detected the holder; and

, responsively,

switch the at least one antenna from an omnidirectional mode to a directional mode such that energy is radiated from a given side of the portable electronic device.

2. The portable electronic device of claim 1, further comprising a motion sensor, wherein the processor is further enabled to:

responsively switch the at least one antenna from the omnidirectional mode to the directional mode when the sensor has detected the holder and the motion detector has detected motion.

3. The portable electronic device of claim 2, wherein the motion sensor comprises one or more of an accelerometer, a geomagnetic sensor, a magnetometer, a Global Positioning System (GPS)-based motion sensor, and a vibration sensor.

4. The portable electronic device of claim 2, wherein the processor is further enabled to determine a direction of movement of the portable electronic device via the motion sensor and responsively select the given side as a side of the portable electronic device facing the direction of movement.

5. The portable electronic device of claim 1, where the processor is further enabled to select the given side as a side facing outwards from the holder.

6. The portable electronic device of claim 1, wherein the sensor comprises one or more of a magnetic sensor, a Hall effect sensor, a magnetometer, a proximity sensor, and an RFID (radio frequency identification) sensor, and a near field communication sensor.

7. The portable electronic device of claim 1, wherein the sensor is enabled to detect the holder by interacting with a complimentary device at the holder.

8. The portable electronic device of claim 1, wherein the at least one antenna comprises an omnidirectional antenna and a directional antenna such that:

in the omnidirectional mode, the omnidirectional antenna radiates the energy and the directional antenna is off; and

in the directional mode, the directional antenna radiates the energy from the given side and the omnidirectional antenna is off.

9. The portable electronic device of claim 1, wherein the at least one antenna comprises a segmented antenna such that:

in the omnidirectional mode, all segments of the segmented antenna radiate the energy; and

,

in the directional mode, a given subset of the segments of the segmented antenna radiates the energy from the given side and a remaining subset of the segments are off.

10. The portable electronic device of claim 1, wherein the at least one antenna comprises an omnidirectional antenna that can be switched between the omnidirectional mode and the directional mode.

11. The portable electronic device of claim 10, wherein the omnidirectional antenna that can be switched between the omnidirectional mode and the directional mode by transmitting antenna signals in a same phase in the directional mode and transmitting the antenna signals in different phases in the omnidirectional mode.

12. The portable electronic device of claim 11, wherein the at least one antenna comprises an antenna array.

13. The portable electronic device of claim 1, wherein the processor is further enabled to periodically and temporarily switch to the omnidirectional mode to compare a signal strength of the directional mode with a signal strength of the omnidirectional mode, and when the highest signal strength is not received in the directional mode, thereafter cause the at least one antennas to operate in the omnidirectional mode.

14. The portable electronic device of claim 1, wherein the holder comprises a holster.

15. The portable electronic device of claim 1, wherein the holder comprises a device enabled to be worn by a user and further enabled to hold the portable electronic device.

16. The portable electronic device of claim 1, wherein the holder comprises one or more of a hook, a clip, and an accessory enabled to be worn by a user.

17. The portable electronic device of claim 1, further comprising at least one of a mobile electronic device, a portable communication device, a cell phone, a personal digital assistant, and a smart phone.