Electronic Device With Wireless Power Control System

• US 20140328488A1
• Filed: 05/02/2013
• Published: 11/06/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 05/02/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Original Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Inventors: Caballero, Ruben, DiVincent, Michael, Sen, Indranil S., Schlub, Robert W., Narang, Mohit, Velasco, Ricardo R., Crowe, Christopher B., Vernon, Scott
• Granted Patent: US 9,602,919 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 381/58
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 15/02 using reflection of acoustic waves G01S15/66 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 7/539 using analysis of echo signal for target characterisation; Target signature; Target cross-section
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 1/0343 to be carried on the body
• 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 1/385 Transceivers carried on the body, e.g. in helmets
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 3/00 Circuits for transducers , loudspeakers or microphones
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 52/0209 in terminal devices terminal devices per se H04W88/02
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 52/282 taking into account the speed of the mobile
• CPC Class Codes: Y02D 30/70 in wireless communication networks

Abstract

An electronic device may include wireless circuitry that is configured to transmit wireless signals during operation. A maximum transmit power level may be established that serves as a cap on how much power is transmitted from the electronic device. Adjustments may be made to the maximum transmit power level in real time based on sensor signals and other information on the operating state of the electronic device. The sensor signals may include motion signals from an accelerometer. The sensor signals may also include ultrasonic sound detected by a microphone. Device orientation data may be used by the device to select whether to measure the ultrasonic sound using a front facing or rear facing microphone. Maximum transmit power level may also be adjusted based on whether or not sound is playing through an ear speaker in the device.

Claims

1. An electronic device, comprising:

a microphone;

a radio-frequency antenna with which radio-frequency signals are transmitted with a transmit power that is capped at a maximum transmit power level; and

circuitry that adjusts the maximum transmit power level based at least partly on data from the microphone.

2. The electronic device defined in claim 1 further comprising a sound source that emits audio signals, wherein the circuitry is configured to measure the emitted audio signals with the microphone.

3. The electronic device defined in claim 2 wherein the circuitry is configured to compare the measured emitted audio signals to a predetermined audio signal threshold.

4. The electronic device defined in claim 3 wherein the circuitry is configured to raise the maximum transmit power level at least partly in response to determining that the measured emitted audio signals are more than the predetermined audio signal threshold.

5. The electronic device defined in claim 4 further comprising an accelerometer, wherein the circuitry is configured to gather motion information with the accelerometer that is associated with motion of the electronic device.

6. The electronic device defined in claim 5 wherein the circuitry is configured to compare the gathered motion information to a predetermined motion threshold.

7. The electronic device defined in claim 6 wherein the circuitry is configured to raise the maximum transmit power at least partly in response to determining that the gathered motion information is less than the predetermined motion threshold.

8. The electronic device defined in claim 7 further comprising an ear speaker, wherein the circuitry is configured to adjust the maximum transmit power level at least partly in response to determining that no audio is being played through the ear speaker.

9. The electronic device defined in claim 8 wherein the electronic device has opposing front and rear sides with, respectively, a front facing microphone and a rear facing microphone and wherein the microphone with which the circuitry measures the audio signals is a selected one of the front facing microphone and the rear facing microphone.

10. The electronic device defined in claim 9 wherein the circuitry is configured to gather orientation data from the accelerometer and is configured to select the microphone with which to measure the audio signals from the front and rear facing microphones based on the gathered orientation data.

11. The electronic device defined in claim 10 wherein the audio source comprises a speakerphone speaker.

12. The electronic device defined in claim 11 further comprising a housing having opposing upper and lower ends, wherein the front-facing microphone and rear-facing microphone are located at the upper end and wherein the speakerphone speaker is located at the lower end.

13. A portable electronic device having opposing upper and lower ends and opposing front and rear sides, the portable electronic device comprising:

a front facing microphone on the front side and a rear facing microphone on the rear side;

an ear speaker at the upper end;

a speakerphone speaker that generates ultrasonic sound;

a radio-frequency antenna with which radio-frequency signals are transmitted with a transmit power that is capped at a maximum transmit power level; and

circuitry that adjusts the maximum transmit power level based at least partly on measured ultrasonic sound from a selected one of the front and rear facing microphones.

14. The portable electronic device defined in claim 13 further comprising an accelerometer, wherein the circuitry is configured to gather orientation information from the accelerometer that indicates how the electronic device is oriented and wherein the circuitry is configured to select whether to gather the ultrasonic sound using the front facing microphone or using the rear facing microphone based on the orientation information.

15. The portable electronic device defined in claim 14 wherein the circuitry is configured to:

place the electronic device in a first mode of operation in which the maximum transmit power is set to a first level in response to determining that sound is playing through the ear speaker;

place the electronic device in a second mode of operation in which the maximum transmit power is set to a second level in response to determining that sound is not being played through the ear speaker, that the accelerometer is producing a motion signal that is below a predetermined motion threshold, and that the microphone with which the circuitry is gathering the ultrasonic sound is gathering more ultrasonic sound than a predetermined sound threshold; and

place the electronic device in a third mode of operation in which the maximum transmit power is set to a third level in response to determining that sound is not being played through the ear speaker, that the accelerometer is producing a motion signal that is above the predetermined motion threshold, and that the microphone with which the circuitry is gathering the ultrasonic sound is gathering less ultrasonic sound than the predetermined sound threshold, wherein the first level is more than the third level and is less than the second level.

16. A method of adjusting a maximum wireless signal transmit power level in a portable electronic device that caps maximum wireless signal transmit power from a wireless transmitter in the portable electronic device, comprising:

measuring audio signals with the portable electronic device;

measuring motion signals with the portable electronic device; and

at least partly in response to the measured audio signals and the motion signals, adjusting the maximum wireless signal transmit power level with the portable electronic device.

17. The method defined in claim 16 further comprising:

with the portable electronic device, gathering orientation data that reflects how the portable electronic device is oriented with respect to the Earth; and

selecting which of multiple microphones to use in the portable electronic device to measure the audio signals based on the orientation data.

18. The method defined in claim 17 further comprising transmitting ultrasonic sound with a speakerphone speaker in the electronic device, wherein measuring the audio signals comprises measuring the transmitted ultrasonic sound with a microphone in the electronic device that has been selected based on the orientation data.

19. The method defined in claim 18 wherein the microphone selected based on the orientation data is a downward facing microphone, the method further comprising:

determining whether sound is being played through an ear speaker in the electronic device; and

adjusting the maximum wireless signal transmit power based at least partly on whether sound is being played through the ear speaker.

20. The method defined in claim 19 wherein the multiple microphones comprise a front facing microphone and a rear facing microphone located on opposing sides of the portable electronic device and wherein measuring the transmitted ultrasonic sound with the microphone selected based on the orientation data comprises measuring the transmitted ultrasonic sound with a selected one of the front facing microphone and the rear facing microphone.