Mobile device with temperature sensing capability and method of operating same
First Claim
1. An electronic device comprising:
- a plurality of group sensors positioned at a first location, a second location, and a third location, wherein each group sensors includes at least one temperature sensing device at or proximate to the exterior surface of the electronic device;
an operational amplifier, coupled to the plurality of group sensors, that generates an output signal based on distribution of temperature at the first location, the second location, and the third location;
a memory device that stores a look-up table having expected thermal difference values corresponding to a plurality of different operation modes of the electronic device, wherein expected thermal difference values in the look-up table indicate different temperature differentials that correspond to an expected measurement based on at least two of the plurality of group sensors; and
at least one processing device that receives the output signals from the operational amplifier and determines, based at least in part on a current operation mode of the electronic device included in the plurality of different operation modes, an operational context of the electronic device based at least upon the output signal and at least one of the expected thermal difference values stored in the look-up table that corresponds to the current operation mode.
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Abstract
The present invention relates to electronic devices such as mobile devices, and methods of operating such devices. In one embodiment of the invention, the electronic device includes first and second temperature sensors positioned at different respective locations on the electronic device and at least one processing device. The first and second temperature sensors respectively output first and second signals indicative of the respective temperatures experienced at those respective sensors. The at least one processing device (i) receives the first and second signals respectively from the first and second temperature sensors respectively and generates based thereon an indication of a difference or a relationship between the first and second temperatures, and (ii) determines an operational context of the electronic device based at least in part upon the difference. In an additional embodiment, other sensor information from one or more other sensors is taken into account in determining the operational context.
185 Citations
17 Claims
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1. An electronic device comprising:
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a plurality of group sensors positioned at a first location, a second location, and a third location, wherein each group sensors includes at least one temperature sensing device at or proximate to the exterior surface of the electronic device; an operational amplifier, coupled to the plurality of group sensors, that generates an output signal based on distribution of temperature at the first location, the second location, and the third location; a memory device that stores a look-up table having expected thermal difference values corresponding to a plurality of different operation modes of the electronic device, wherein expected thermal difference values in the look-up table indicate different temperature differentials that correspond to an expected measurement based on at least two of the plurality of group sensors; and at least one processing device that receives the output signals from the operational amplifier and determines, based at least in part on a current operation mode of the electronic device included in the plurality of different operation modes, an operational context of the electronic device based at least upon the output signal and at least one of the expected thermal difference values stored in the look-up table that corresponds to the current operation mode. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17)
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Specification