Proximity based algorithms to control transmit power of a user device

• US 8,880,128 B1
• Filed: 04/17/2014
• Issued: 11/04/2014
• 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:
  US14/255,467
• Time in Patent Office: 201 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, 455/574, 455/127.5, 455/343.1, 455/343.2, 455/343.5
• US Class Current: 455/574
• 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 telephones including GPS signal receivers H04M2250/10
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 52/0261 managing power supply demand, e.g. depending on battery level

Abstract

Methods and systems for preventing a user device from exceeding a transmit power budget 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 to detection of the human body part, the user device determines a remaining amount of a transmit power budget of the user device, and calculates an amount of data that can be transmitted without exceeding the remaining amount. The user device transmits the second data at the specified transmit power level according to the calculated amount of data.

Claims

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

transmitting first data at a specified transmit power level;

detecting a presence of an object that absorbs electromagnetic radiation; and

in response to the detection of the presence of the object,

determining a remaining amount of a transmit power budget of the user device,

calculating an amount of data that can be transmitted without exceeding the remaining amount, and

transmitting second data at the specified transmit power level according to the calculated amount of data.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising transmitting the second data at the specified transmit power level when the presence of the object is not detected.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

determining a type of application using the first data;

when the type of application is a first type, performing the calculating and the transmitting the second data; and

when the type of application is a second type,

determining that transmitting the second data would exceed the remaining amount of the transmit power budget, and

delaying a specified amount of time.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein the type of application is the second type, and wherein the method further comprises:

determining that transmitting the second data would not exceed the remaining amount of the transmit power budget; and

transmitting the second data at the specified transmit power level without the delaying.

5. The method of claim 3, wherein a first application of the first type uses variable-sized packets and a second application of the second type uses fixed-size packets.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising determining whether the first data comprises variable-sized packets or fixed-sized packets.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the first data comprises variable-sized packets, and wherein the method further comprises:

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

determining that the packet size exceeds a specified threshold; and

delaying a specified amount of time.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein the first data comprises variable-sized packets, and wherein the method further comprises:

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

determining that the packet size does not exceed a specified threshold; and

transmitting the second data at the specified transmit power level using the calculated packet size.

9. The method of claim 5, wherein the first data comprises the fixed-sized packets, and wherein the method further comprises:

determining that transmitting the second data would exceed the remaining amount of the transmit power budget; and

delaying a specified amount of time.

10. The method of claim 5, wherein the first data comprises the fixed-sized packets, and wherein the method further comprises:

determining that transmitting the second data would not exceed the remaining amount of the transmit power budget; and

transmitting the second data at the specified transmit power level without the delaying.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein the specified transmit power level is a maximum transmit power level.

12. 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.

13. The method of claim 1, wherein the object is a human body part, and wherein the 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.

14. The method of claim 1, further comprising determining a number of scheduled requests for transmission of the second data.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein the scheduled requests are at least one of Long Term High-Speed Downlink Packet Access (HSDPA) scheduled requests, Long Term Evolution (LTE) scheduled requests, Worldwide interoperability for Microwave Access (WiMax) requests, or general packet radio service (GPRS) requests.

16. A user device, comprising:

an antenna configured to transmit first data at a specified transmit power level;

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

a power manager, configured to be executed from a memory by the processing component, the power manager, in response to the detection of the presence of the object, is to;

determine a remaining amount of a transmit power budget of the user device,

calculate an amount of data that can be transmitted without exceeding the remaining amount, and

control the antenna to transmit second data at the specified transmit power level according to the calculated amount of data.

17. The user device of claim 16, wherein the power manager is further to:

determine a type of application using the first data;

when the type of application is a first type, performing the calculating and the transmitting the second data; and

when the type of application is a second type,

determine that transmitting the second data would exceed the remaining amount of the transmit power budget, and

delay a specified amount of time.

18. The user device of claim 17, wherein the type of application is the second type, and wherein the power manager is further to:

determine that transmitting the second data would not exceed the remaining amount of the transmit power budget; and

transmit the second data at the specified transmit power level without the delaying.

19. The user device of claim 16, further comprising the sensor disposed on or within the user device, wherein the sensor is at least one of a proximity sensor or an inertial sensor, wherein the user device is at least one of an electronic book reader, a tablet computer, or a mobile phone.

20. The user device of claim 16, further comprising a modem, coupled to the antenna and the processing component, to control the transmission of the first data and the second data at the specified transmit power level when the presence of the object is detected, wherein the processing component resides in the modem.

21. The user device of claim 16, further comprising:

a modem, coupled to the antenna, to transmit the first data and the second data 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 that absorbs electromagnetic radiation; and

instruct the modem to transmit the first data and the second data.

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

transmitting first data at a specified transmit power level;

detecting a presence of an object that absorbs electromagnetic radiation; and

in response to the detection of the presence of the object,

determining a remaining amount of a transmit power budget,

calculating an amount of data that can be transmitted without exceeding the remaining amount, and

transmitting second data at the specified transmit power level according to the calculated amount of data.

23. The computer readable storage medium of claim 22, wherein the operations further comprise:

determining a type of application using the first data;

when the type of application is a first type, performing the calculating and the transmitting the second data; and

when the type of application is a second type,

determining that transmitting the second data would exceed the remaining amount of the transmit power budget, and

delaying a specified amount of time.