Dynamic EMI (electromagnetic interference) management

• US 7,894,838 B2
• Filed: 04/20/2009
• Issued: 02/22/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 10/24/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Original Assignee: Intel Corporation
• Inventors: O'Mahony, Barry A.
• Primary Examiner(s): Dao; Minh D
• Application Number:
  US12/386,535
• Publication Number:
  US 20090270040A1
• Time in Patent Office: 673 Days
• Field of Search: 455/501, 455/63.1, 455/561, 455/414.1, 455/404.2, 455/570, 455/39, 455/512, 455/513, 455/500, 455/67.11, 455/550, 455/456.1, 455/486.3, 375/148, 375/346
• US Class Current: 455/501
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 15/00 Suppression or limitation of noise or interference by means associated with receiver H04B1/10
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 9/00 Screening of apparatus or components against electric or magnetic fields devices for absorbing radiation from an antenna H01Q17/00

Abstract

In one embodiment, a method is provided. The method may include determining if electromagnetic interference (EMI) is emitted by a device in one or more regions of an electromagnetic spectrum occupied by other users, and if it is determined that EMI is emitted by the device in one or more regions of the electromagnetic spectrum occupied by other users, reducing the EMI in the one or more regions, and increasing the EMI in one or more other regions unoccupied by the other users.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

determining if a device emits electromagnetic interference (EMI) in one or more regions of an electromagnetic spectrum occupied by other users comprising;

determining a presence of other users at a location of the device comprising;

determining the location of the device using a Global Positioning System (GPS); and

accessing a database of users at the location of the device; and

if it is determined that the device emits EMI in one or more regions of the electromagnetic spectrum occupied by other users;

reducing the EMI in the one or more regions; and

increasing the EMI in one or more other regions of the electromagnetic spectrum that are unoccupied by the other users.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein determining the presence of other users at the location of the device comprises listening for the presence of other users.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein determining the presence of other users at the location of the device comprises determining the presence of other users licensed at the location.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein reducing the EMI in the one or more regions comprises removing the EMI from the one or more regions.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

determining if the device unintentionally emits EMI in one or more regions of an electromagnetic spectrum occupied by other users; and

reducing the EMI in the one or more regions, and increasing the EMI in one or more other regions if it is determined that the device unintentionally emits EMI in one or more regions of an electromagnetic spectrum occupied by other users.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein the device unintentionally emits EMI in one or more regions of a radio frequency spectrum occupied by licensed users of the radio frequency spectrum, and increasing the EMI results in increasing the EMI in one or more other regions of the radio frequency spectrum that are unoccupied by the licensed users of the radio frequency spectrum.

7. An apparatus comprising:

circuitry to determine if a device emits electromagnetic interference (EMI) in one or more regions of an electromagnetic spectrum occupied by other users, the circuitry to determine a presence of other users at a location of the device by;

determining the location of the device using a Global Positioning System (GPS); and

accessing a database of users at the location of the device; and

the circuitry to reduce the EMI in the one or more regions and increase the EMI in one or more other regions of the electromagnetic spectrum unoccupied by the other users if it is determined that the device emits EMI in the one or more regions of an electromagnetic spectrum occupied by other users.

8. The apparatus of claim 7, wherein the circuitry to determine the presence of other users at the location of the device by listening for the presence of other users.

9. The apparatus of claim 7, wherein the circuitry to determine the presence of other users at the location of the device by determining the presence of other users licensed at the location.

10. The apparatus of claim 7, wherein the circuitry to remove the EMI from the one or more regions.

11. The apparatus of claim 7, wherein the circuitry to determine if the device unintentionally emits EMI in one or more regions of an electromagnetic spectrum occupied by other users, and to reduce the EMI in the one or more regions, and increase the EMI in one or more other regions if the circuitry determines that the device unintentionally emits EMI in one or more regions of an electromagnetic spectrum occupied by other users.

12. The apparatus of claim 7, wherein the circuitry to increase the EMI in one or more other regions of the radio frequency spectrum unoccupied by the licensed users of the radio frequency spectrum if the device unintentionally emits EMI in one or more regions of a radio frequency spectrum occupied by licensed users of the radio frequency spectrum.

13. The apparatus of claim 7, wherein the circuitry to determine the one or more regions of the electromagnetic spectrum occupied by the other users at the location.