Proximity based algorithms to control transmit power of a user device

• US 8,738,093 B1
• Filed: 04/09/2012
• Issued: 05/27/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 04/09/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Amazon Technologies, Inc. (Amazon.com, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Amazon Technologies, Inc. (Amazon.com, Inc.)
• Inventors: Gopalakrishnan, Varada, Edara, Kiran K.
• Primary Examiner(s): TRAN, PABLO N
• Application Number:
  US13/442,182
• Time in Patent Office: 778 Days
• Field of Search: 455/572, 455/100, 455/522, 455/453, 455/106, 455/450, 455/452.1, 455/452.2, 455/91, 455/92, 455/127.1, 455/115.1
• US Class Current: 455/572
• 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 1/72454 according to context-related or environment-related conditions
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2250/12 including a sensor for measuring a physical value, e.g. temperature or motion
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 52/0261 managing power supply demand, e.g. depending on battery level

Abstract

Methods and systems for selecting a number of requests for transmission information by a user device when a presence of an object is detected are described. A user device detects a presence of object that absorbs electromagnetic radiation, and in response, selects a number of requests for transmission of additional information. The user device transmits the additional information at the specified transmit power level using the selected number of scheduled requests when the presence of the object is detected.

Claims

1. A method, implemented by a user device programmed to perform the following, comprising:

transmitting information at a specified transmit power level;

detecting a presence of an object that absorbs electromagnetic radiation;

in response to the detection of the presence of the object, selecting a number of requests for transmission of additional information; and

transmitting the additional information at the specified transmit power level using the selected number of requests.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the information is transmitted using a specified number of scheduled requests, and wherein said selecting comprises reducing the specified number of scheduled requests.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the object is a human body part, and wherein said detecting the presence of the human body part comprises detecting the presence of the human body party using a proximity sensor disposed on or within the user device.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the object is a human body part, and wherein said detecting the presence comprises detecting a user interaction condition indicative of a user'"'"'s interaction with the user device.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the object is a human body part, and wherein said detecting the presence comprises obtaining motion data from an inertial sensor included in the user device to detect the presence of the human body party.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein the object is a human body part, and wherein said detecting the presence comprises:

determining a tilt angle of the user device based on the motion data; and

determining whether the tilt angle is beyond a tilt angle threshold to detect the presence of the human body part.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the user device is at least one of an electronic book reader, a cellular telephone, a personal digital assistant, a portable media player, a tablet computer, or a netbook.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the requests are at least one of Long Term High-Speed Downlink Packet Access (HSDPA) scheduled requests or Long Term Evolution (LTE) scheduled requests.

9. A user device, comprising:

an antenna configured to transmit information at a specified transmit power level;

a processing component to receive sensor data from a sensor and to determine, based on the sensor data, whether the presence of an object that absorbs electromagnetic radiation is detected; and

a power manager, configured to be executed from a memory by the processing component, to select a number of requests for transmission of additional information when the presence of the object is detected and to instruct the processing component to transmit the additional information at the specified transmit power level using the selected number of requests when the presence of the object is detected.

10. The user device of claim 9, wherein the processing component is configured to transmit the information at a specified number of requests, and to reduce the specified number of requests when selecting the number of requests for transmission of the additional information.

11. The user device of claim 9, further comprising a sensor disposed on or within the user device.

12. The user device of claim 9, wherein the sensor is a proximity sensor, and wherein the processing component is to receive the sensor data from the proximity sensor and to determine, based on the sensor data, whether the presence of the object is detected.

13. The user device of claim 9, wherein the sensor is an inertial sensor, and wherein the processing component is to receive motion data from the inertial sensor and to determine, based on the motion data, whether the presence of the object is detected.

14. The user device of claim 10, further comprising a modem, coupled to the antenna and the processing component, to control the transmission of the information at the specified transmit power level and the additional information at the specified transmit power level using the reduced number of requests when the presence of the object is detected, wherein the processing component resides in the modem.

15. The user device of claim 10, further comprising:

a modem, coupled to the antenna, to transmit the information via the antenna according to the specified transmit power level,

wherein the processing component is a processor coupled to the modem, and

wherein the processor executes the power manager, and wherein the processor is configured to;

detect the presence of the object; and

instruct the modem to transmit the additional information via the antenna at the specified transmit power level using the reduced number of requests when the presence of the object is detected.

16. The user device of claim 15, wherein the processor is configured to detect the presence of the object by detecting a user interaction condition indicative of a user'"'"'s interaction with the user device.

17. The user device of claim 9, wherein the user device is an electronic book reader.

18. The user device of claim 9, wherein the user device is a tablet computer.

19. A computer readable storage medium including instructions that, when executed by a processing device, cause the processing device to perform operations comprising:

transmitting information at a specified transmit power level;

detecting a presence of an object that absorbs electromagnetic radiation;

in response to the detection of the presence of the object, selecting a number of requests for transmission of additional information; and

transmitting the additional information at the specified transmit power level using the selected number of requests.

20. The computer readable storage medium of claim 19, wherein the information is transmitted using a specified number of requests, and wherein said selecting comprises reducing the specified number of requests.

21. The computer readable storage medium of claim 19, wherein the operations further comprise:

determining whether transmitting the additional information would exceed a remaining amount of a transmit power budget;

when the transmitting the additional information would exceed the remaining amount, delaying a specified amount of time; and

when the transmitting the additional information would not exceed the remaining amount, transmitting the additional information at the specified transmit power level without said delaying.

22. The computer readable storage medium of claim 19, wherein the operations further comprise determining whether the information comprises variable-sized packets or fixed-sized packets.

23. The computer readable storage medium of claim 19, wherein the information comprises variable-sized packets, and wherein the operations further comprise:

calculating a packet size that can be transmitted without exceeding a transmit power budget;

determining that the packet size exceeds a specified threshold; and

delaying a specified amount of time.

24. The computer readable storage medium of claim 19, wherein the information comprises fixed-sized packets, and wherein the operations further comprise:

determining that transmitting the additional information would exceed a remaining amount of a transmit power budget; and

delaying a specified amount of time.