DYNAMIC DC-OFFSET DETERMINATION FOR PROXIMITY SENSING

• US 20140111187A1
• Filed: 12/30/2013
• Published: 04/24/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 01/14/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Qualcomm, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Qualcomm, Inc.
• Inventors: Harrat, Newfel, Sheynblat, Leonid, Oh, Kyoung Cheol
• Granted Patent: US 9,995,773 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 324/103.R
• CPC Class Codes: G01R 21/133 by using digital technique
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/3231 Monitoring the presence, absence or movement of users
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/3265 Power saving in display device
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/027 using movement velocity, acceleration information
• CPC Class Codes: Y02D 10/00 Energy efficient computing, e.g. low power processors, power management or thermal management
• CPC Class Codes: Y02D 30/50 in wire-line communication networks, e.g. low power modes or reduced link rate

Abstract

The subject matter disclosed herein relates to dynamically determining DC-offset used for proximity sensing of a mobile device.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

receiving one or more signals from one or more inertial sensors on a mobile device;

receiving a received power signal from a distance sensor on said mobile device; and

estimating a DC offset component of said received power signal based, at least in part, on said one or more signals received from said one or more inertial sensors.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

inferring an orientation of said mobile device based, at least in part, on said one or more signals received from said one or more inertial sensors.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein said inferred orientation comprises a face-up orientation and said reflective object comprises an indoor ceiling.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein said DC offset component is estimated to comprise substantially said received power signal.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein said one or more inertial sensors comprise a compass, gravitometer, gyroscope, pressure sensor, and/or an accelerometer.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein said distance sensor comprise an infrared sensor.

7. A method comprising:

receiving a received power signal from a distance sensor on a mobile device;

detecting a user event on said mobile device at a time; and

estimating a DC offset component of said received power signal at said time responsive to said user event.

10. The method of claim 7, further comprising:

time-stamping said received power signal with a receive-time;

determining whether said receive-time is within a particular time range of said time of said user event; and

initiating said estimating said DC offset component based, at least in part, on said determining.

11. The method of claim 7, further comprising:

receiving one or more signals from one or more inertial sensors on said mobile device; and

confirming said estimated DC offset component based, at least in part, on said one or more signals received from said one or more inertial sensors.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein said one or more inertial sensors comprise a compass, gravitometer, gyroscope, pressure sensor, and/or an accelerometer.

13. The method of claim 7, wherein said distance sensor comprise an infrared sensor.

8. The method of claim 8, wherein said user event comprises a camera shutter click.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein said user event comprises entry of information (text message, calculate numbers, etc) via a user interface (by keypad, stylus, voice command, etc.).

14. A mobile device comprising:

one or more inertial sensors to provide signals representative of orientation of said mobile device;

a distance sensor to provide a received power signal; and

a DC offset component manager to estimate a DC offset component of said received power signal based, at least in part, on said signals provided by said one or more inertial sensors.

15. The mobile device of claim 14, wherein said DC offset component is estimated to comprise substantially said received power signal.

16. The mobile device of claim 14, wherein said one or more inertial sensors comprise a compass, gravitometer, gyroscope, pressure sensor, and/or an accelerometer.

17. The mobile device of claim 14, wherein said distance sensor comprise an infrared sensor.

18. The mobile device of claim 14, wherein said distance sensor utilizes electromagnetic signals, audio signals, sonar signals, or any combination thereof.

19. The mobile device of claim 14, wherein said mobile device comprises:

a cell phone, a PDA, a camera, or any combination thereof.

20. An apparatus comprising:

means for receiving one or more signals from one or more inertial sensors on a mobile device;

means for receiving a received power signal from a distance sensor on said mobile device; and

means for estimating a DC offset component of said received power signal based, at least in part, on said one or more signals received from said one or more inertial sensors.

22. The apparatus of claim 20, wherein said one or more inertial sensors comprise a compass, gravitometer, gyroscope, pressure sensor, and/or an accelerometer.

23. The apparatus of claim 20, wherein said distance sensor comprise an infrared sensor.

24. A mobile device comprising:

one or more inertial sensors to provide signals representative of orientation of said mobile device;

a distance sensor to provide a received power signal; and

a special purpose computing device adapted to estimate a DC offset component of said received power signal based, at least in part, on said signals provided by said one or more inertial sensors.

21. The apparatus of claim 25, wherein said DC offset component is estimated to comprise substantially said received power signal.

25. The mobile device of claim 24, wherein said DC offset component is estimated to be substantially said received power signal.

26. The mobile device of claim 24, wherein said one or more inertial sensors comprise a compass, gravitometer, gyroscope, pressure sensor, and/or an accelerometer.

27. The mobile device of claim 24, wherein said distance sensor comprise an infrared sensor.

28. The mobile device of claim 24, wherein said distance sensor utilizes electromagnetic signals, audio signals, sonar signals, or any combination thereof.

29. The mobile device of claim 24, wherein said mobile device comprises:

a cell phone, a PDA, a camera, or any combination thereof.

30. An article comprising:

a storage medium comprising machine-readable instructions stored thereon that are executable by a special purpose computing device to;

receive one or more signals from one or more inertial sensors on a mobile device;

receive a received power signal from a distance sensor on said mobile device; and

estimate a DC offset component of said received power signal based, at least in part, on said one or more signals received from said one or more inertial sensors.