Portable Electronic Device with Proximity Sensors and Identification Beacon

• US 20160345264A1
• Filed: 05/21/2015
• Published: 11/24/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 05/21/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Motorola Mobility LLC (Lenovo Group Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: Motorola Mobility LLC (Lenovo Group Ltd.)
• Inventors: McDunn, Kevin J, Alameh, Rachid M, Steuer, Paul
• Granted Patent: US 10,075,919 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72412 using two-way short-range wireless interfaces
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2250/12 including a sensor for measuring a physical value, e.g. temperature or motion
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/023 using mutual or relative location information between multiple location based services [LBS] targets or of distance thresholds
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 52/0229 where the received signal is a wanted signal
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 52/0254 detecting a user operation or a tactile contact or a motion of the device
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 8/005 Discovery of network devices, e.g. terminals
• CPC Class Codes: Y02D 30/70 in wireless communication networks

Abstract

An electronic device includes a housing, a user interface, and one or more processors operable with the user interface. At least one proximity sensor component is operable with the one or more processors and can include an infrared signal receiver to receive an infrared emission from an object external to the housing. At least one proximity detector component can be operable with the one or more processors and can include a signal emitter and a corresponding signal receiver. The one or more processors can actuate the at least one proximity detector component when the at least one proximity sensor component receives the infrared emission from the object, thereby causing the signal emitter to transmit a beacon having a unique identifier encoded therein. The beacon allows the device to determine the number and identity of other devices or persons within a thermal detection radius.

Claims

1. An electronic device, comprising:

a housing;

one or more processors;

at least one proximity sensor component operable with the one or more processors and comprising an infrared signal receiver to receive an infrared emission from an object external to the housing;

at least one proximity detector component operable with the one or more processors and comprising a signal emitter and a corresponding signal receiver;

the one or more processors operable to actuate the at least one proximity detector component when the at least one proximity sensor component receives the infrared emission from the object, thereby causing the signal emitter to transmit a beacon having a unique identifier encoded therein.

2. The electronic device of claim 1, the one or more processors to receive, with the corresponding signal receiver, and in response to transmission of the beacon, a response transmission from another electronic device having another unique identifier encoded therein.

3. The electronic device of claim 2, the one or more processors to identify the another electronic device from the another unique identifier.

4. The electronic device of claim 3, further comprising a user interface, the one or more processors to present indicia on the user interface comprising an identification of the another electronic device.

5. The electronic device of claim 2, the one or more processors, upon failing to identify the another electronic device from the another unique identifier, to cause the signal emitter to transmit a request signal requesting identification credentials from the another electronic device.

6. The electronic device of claim 5, the one or more processors to, in response to transmitting the request signal, receive another response transmission from the another electronic device having at least some of the identification credentials encoded therein.

7. The electronic of claim 1, the one or more processors to monitor the corresponding signal receiver for a response transmission from another electronic device in response to transmission of the beacon, and upon failing to receive the response transmission, to cause the signal emitter to transmit a request signal requesting identification credentials from the another electronic device.

8. The electronic device of claim 7, the one or more processors to, in response to transmitting the request signal, receive another response transmission from the another electronic device having at least some of the identification credentials encoded therein.

9. The electronic device of claim 1, the one or more processors operable to cause the signal emitter to transmit the beacon in accordance with a time division-multiplexing algorithm along with one or more proximity detection beams.

10. The electronic device of claim 1, the unique identifier comprising a pseudo-random code.

11. The electronic device of claim 1, the unique identifier comprising an International Mobile Station Equipment Identity (IMEI) number.

12. A method, comprising:

determining, with at least one proximity sensor component comprising an infrared signal receiver to receive an infrared emission from an object external to a housing, that the object is within a thermal detection radius of the electronic device; and

in response to detecting the object within the thermal detection radius, causing a signal emitter of at least one proximity detector component comprising the signal emitter and a corresponding signal receiver to transmit a beacon having a unique identifier encoded therein.

13. The method of claim 12, further comprising receiving, in response to the causing, a response transmission from another electronic device having another unique identifier encoded therein.

14. The method of claim 13, further comprising identifying the another electronic device from the another unique identifier.

15. The method of claim 12, further comprising, in response to detecting the object within the thermal detection radius, also transmitting a request signal requesting identification credentials from another electronic device.

16. The method of claim 12, the transmitting comprising multiplexing the beacon having the unique identifier encoded therein with one or more proximity detection beams.

17. The method of claim 16, the multiplexing in accordance with a time-division multiplexing algorithm.

18. A method, comprising:

receiving from an electronic device, with a signal receiver corresponding to a signal emitter of at least one proximity detector component, a beacon having a unique identifier encoded therein; and

in response to the receiving, transmitting, with the signal emitter, a response transmission having another unique identifier encoded therein.

19. The method of claim 18, the another unique identifier one of a pseudo-random code or an IMEI number.

20. The method of claim 18, the response transmission further having identification credentials therein.