Environment detection for mobile devices

• US 8,744,418 B2
• Filed: 03/11/2013
• Issued: 06/03/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 08/31/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Analog Devices, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Analog Devices, Inc.
• Inventors: Novet, Isaac
• Primary Examiner(s): Shen, Qun
• Application Number:
  US13/794,363
• Publication Number:
  US 20140066124A1
• Time in Patent Office: 449 Days
• Field of Search: 455/556.1, 455/411, 455/414.1, 455/456.1, 455/67.11
• US Class Current: 455/414.1
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/0202 Portable telephone sets, e.g. cordless phones, mobile phones or bar type handsets constructional features of telephone transmitters or receivers, e.g. of speakers or microphones H04M1/03
• 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 telephones including GPS signal receivers H04M2250/10

Abstract

Apparatus and methods are disclosed related to managing characteristics of a mobile device based upon capacitive detection of materials proximate the mobile device. One such method includes receiving a first capacitive sensor measurement with a first capacitive sensor of the mobile device. The method further includes determining a value indicative of a material adjacent to the mobile device based on a correspondence between the first capacitive sensor measurement and stored values corresponding to different materials. The method further includes sending instructions to adjust a characteristic of the mobile device based on the determined value indicative of the material adjacent to the mobile device.

Claims

1. A method of managing characteristics of a mobile device based upon capacitive detection of materials proximate the mobile device, the method comprising:

receiving location data of the mobile device;

receiving a first capacitive sensor measurement with a first capacitive sensor of the mobile device, wherein the first capacitive sensor measurement is a measurement of surface charge on the first capacitive sensor;

determining a type of material adjacent to the mobile device based on the first capacitive sensor measurement, location data of the mobile device, and stored values in a metadata library in a memory of the mobile device corresponding to types of materials having different dielectric constants, wherein the metadata library tracks capacitive sensor measurements over time to account for changes in the stored values corresponding to different materials having different dielectric constants;

storing information to the metadata library, wherein the information comprises (1) one or more of the following;

the first capacitive sensor measurement and a calculated dielectric constant based on the first capacitive sensor measurement, (2) location data of the mobile device, and (3) the determined type of material; and

sending data for adjusting a user interface output characteristic or a radio frequency communication characteristic of the mobile device based on the determined type of material adjacent to the mobile device.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

taking a measurement with a second capacitive sensor of the mobile device; and

determining a spatial relationship between the mobile device and the material adjacent to the mobile device based on the measurements taken from the first and second capacitive sensors.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the determined spatial relationship comprises a manner in which a hand grips the mobile device.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein sending data for adjusting the characteristic of the mobile device comprises adjusting a transmit power of the mobile device.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein sending data for adjusting the characteristic of the mobile device comprises adjusting a tuning of an antenna.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

transmitting information related to the first capacitive sensor measurement to a networked metadata database.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein determining the type of material adjacent to the mobile device comprises determining whether the material is conductive or not conductive.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein when the mobile device is in motion relative to the material adjacent to the mobile device, the method further comprises:

determining a change in measurement over a time period by the first capacitive sensor caused at least in part by the relative movement of the mobile device; and

determining the type of material adjacent to the mobile device based on the change in measurement by the first capacitive sensor and a change in distance between the mobile device relative to the material adjacent to the mobile device over the same time period.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein the change in distance is determined based on a first acceleration measurement measured at a first time and a second acceleration measurement measured at a second time by an accelerometer of the mobile device.

10. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

determining a variability over time in measurement by the first capacitive sensor caused by the material adjacent to the mobile device, wherein the variability over time comprises a standard deviation across a plurality of stored capacitive measurements measured using the first capacitive sensor; and

determining whether the material is human based on the variability.

11. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

measuring a case or housing, or a change thereof, with the first capacitive sensor; and

calibrating the first capacitive sensor based on the measurement.

12. A system configured to manage characteristics of a mobile device based upon capacitive detection of materials proximate the mobile device comprising:

a first capacitive sensor configured to provide a first capacitive sensor measurement related to a material adjacent to the mobile device, wherein the first capacitive sensor measurement is a measurement of surface charge on the first capacitive sensor;

a memory configured to store one or more values corresponding to types of materials having different dielectric constants in a metadata library, wherein the metadata library is configured to track capacitive sensor measurements over time to account for changes in the stored values corresponding to different materials having different dielectric constants; and

one or more processors configured to;

receive location data of the mobile device;

receive the first capacitive sensor measurement;

determine a type of material adjacent to the mobile device based on the first capacitive sensor measurement, the location data of the mobile device, and the one or more values corresponding to materials having different dielectric constants;

store information to the metadata library, wherein the information comprises (1) one or more of the following;

the first capacitive sensor measurement and a calculated dielectric constant based on the first capacitive sensor measurement, (2) location data of the mobile device, and (3) the determined type of material; and

send data for modifying a user interface output characteristic or a radio frequency communication characteristic of the mobile device based on the determined type of material adjacent to the mobile device.

13. The system of claim 12, further comprising:

a second capacitive sensor of the mobile device,

wherein the one or more processors are further configured to determine a spatial relationship between the mobile device and the material adjacent to the mobile device based on measurements received from the first and second capacitive sensors.

14. The system of claim 13, wherein the determined spatial relationship comprises a manner in which a hand grips the mobile device.

15. The system of claim 12, wherein the one or more processors are configured to send data for adjusting a transmit power of the mobile device based on the determined type of material adjacent to the mobile device.

16. The system of claim 12, wherein the one or more processors are configured to send data for adjusting a tuning of an antenna based on the determined type of material adjacent to the mobile device.

17. The system of claim 12, further comprising a transmitter, configured to transmit information related to the measurement, based on the determined type of material adjacent to the mobile device.

18. The system of claim 12, wherein the one or more processors are configured to perform one or more of the following:

record an updated correspondence between the measurement and the determined type of material;

adjust a user interface output; and

log data based on the determined type of material adjacent to the mobile device.

19. The system of claim 12, wherein the one or more values corresponding to types of materials having different dielectric constants comprises one or more of the following:

a plurality of dielectric constants and predicted characteristics of the types of materials having different dielectric constants.

20. The system of claim 12, wherein the type of material adjacent to the mobile device corresponds to whether the material is conductive or not conductive.

21. The system of claim 12, wherein, when the mobile device is in motion relative to the material, the one or more processors are further configured to:

determine a change in measurement over a time period by the first capacitive sensor caused at least in part by the relative movement of the mobile device; and

determine the type of material adjacent to the mobile device based on the change in measurement by the first capacitive sensor and a change in distance between the mobile device relative to the material adjacent to the mobile device over the same time period.

22. The system of claim 21, wherein the change in distance is determined based on a first acceleration measurement measured at a first time and a second acceleration measurement measured at a second time by an accelerometer of the mobile device.

23. The system of claim 12, wherein the one or more processors are further configured to:

determine a variability over time in measurement by the first capacitive sensor caused by the material adjacent to the mobile device, wherein the variability over time comprises a standard deviation across a plurality of stored capacitive measurements measured using the first capacitive sensor; and

determine whether the material is human based on the variability in measurement.

24. The system of claim 12, wherein:

the received measurement corresponds to a case or housing of the mobile device, and

the one or more processors are further configured to calibrate the first capacitive sensor based on the received measurement or a change thereof.

25. An apparatus for managing characteristics of a mobile device based upon capacitive detection of materials proximate the mobile device comprising:

a memory of the mobile device;

a processor of the mobile device coupled to the memory element;

an environment sense controller that when executed by the processor is configured to;

receive location data of the mobile device;

receive a measurement related to a material adjacent to the mobile device from a capacitive sensor, wherein the measurement is a measurement of surface charge on the capacitive sensor;

determine a type of material adjacent to the mobile device based on the measurement, location data of the mobile device, and stored values in a metadata library in the memory of the mobile device corresponding to types of materials having different dielectric constants, wherein the metadata library tracks capacitive sensor measurements over time to account for changes in the stored values corresponding to different materials having different dielectric constants;

store information to the metadata library, wherein the information comprises (1) one or more of the following;

the first capacitive sensor measurement and a calculated dielectric constant based on the first capacitive sensor measurement, (2) location data of the mobile device, and (3) the determined type of material; and

send data for modifying a user interface output characteristic or a radio frequency communication characteristic of the mobile device based on the determined type of material adjacent to the mobile device.

26. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium comprising code for managing characteristics of a mobile device based upon capacitive detection of materials proximate the mobile device that, when executed by one or more processors, causes an apparatus to:

receive location data of the mobile device;

take a measurement with a first capacitive sensor of a mobile device, wherein the measurement is a measurement of surface charge on the first capacitive sensor;

look up in a metadata library a corresponding type of material of a material adjacent to the mobile device based on the measurement, the location data of the mobile device, and one or more values corresponding to types of materials having different dielectric constants, wherein the metadata library tracks capacitive sensor measurements over time to account for changes in the stored values corresponding to different materials having different dielectric constants;

store information to the metadata library, wherein the information comprises (1) one or more of the following;

the first capacitive sensor measurement and a calculated dielectric constant based on the first capacitive sensor measurement, (2) location data of the mobile device, and (3) the determined type of material; and

send data for modifying a user interface output characteristic or a radio frequency communication characteristic of the mobile device based on the determined type of material.