Adjustable wireless circuitry with antenna-based proximity detector

• US 9,179,299 B2
• Filed: 05/18/2015
• Issued: 11/03/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 04/13/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Original Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Inventors: Schlub, Robert W., Caballero, Ruben
• Primary Examiner(s): Jackson, Blane J
• Application Number:
  US14/714,991
• Publication Number:
  US 20150249916A1
• Time in Patent Office: 169 Days
• Field of Search: 455/63.1, 455/63.4, 455/115.1, 455/121, 455/127.1, 455/562.1
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 1/243 with built-in antennas
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 1/401 for selecting or indicating operating mode
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/12 Messaging; Mailboxes; Announcements
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 8/22 Processing or transfer of terminal data, e.g. status or physical capabilities

Abstract

An electronic device such as a portable electronic device has wireless communications circuitry. Antennas in the electronic device may be used in transmitting radio-frequency antenna signals. A coupler and antenna signal phase and magnitude measurement circuitry may be used to determine when external objects are in the vicinity of the antenna by making antenna impedance measurements. In-band and out-of-band phase and magnitude signal measurements may be made in determining whether external objects are present. Additional sensors such as motion sensors, light and heat sensors, acoustic and electrical sensors may produce data that can be combined with the proximity data gathered using the antenna-based proximity sensor. In response to detecting that an external object such as a user'"'"'s body is within a given distance of the antenna, the electronic device may reduce transmit powers, switch antennas, steer a phased antenna array, switch communications protocols, or take other actions.

Claims

1. An electronic device, comprising:

an antenna with which the electronic device transmits radio-frequency signals according to a wireless communications mode;

circuitry that is coupled to the antenna and that makes radio-frequency signal phase and magnitude measurements; and

storage and processing circuitry that determines whether an external object is adjacent to the antenna by processing the radio-frequency signal phase and magnitude measurements, wherein the storage and processing circuitry identifies what tasks are being performed by the electronic device and, in response to determining that the external object is adjacent to the antenna, adjusts the wireless communications mode based at least partly on the tasks that are being performed by the electronic device.

2. The electronic device defined in claim 1, wherein the circuitry comprises phase and magnitude detection circuitry.

3. The electronic device defined in claim 1, wherein the storage and processing circuitry is configured to identify tasks that are scheduled to be performed by the electronic device and, in response to determining that the external object is adjacent to the antenna, adjust the wireless communications mode based at least partly on the tasks that are scheduled to be performed by the electronic device.

4. The electronic device defined in claim 3, wherein the storage and processing circuitry is configured to, in response to determining that the external object is adjacent to the antenna, adjust the wireless communications mode based at least partly on whether a message is scheduled to be sent by the electronic device.

5. The electronic device defined in claim 4, wherein the message comprises an email message.

6. The electronic device defined in claim 1, wherein the storage and processing circuitry is configured to identify tasks that are likely to be performed by the electronic device and, in response to determining that the external object is adjacent to the antenna, adjust the wireless communications mode based at least partly on the tasks that are likely to be performed by the electronic device.

7. The electronic device defined in claim 1, wherein the storage and processing circuitry is configured to, in response to determining that the external object is adjacent to the antenna, adjust the wireless communications mode based at least partly on whether a telephone call is being performed by the electronic device.

8. The electronic device defined in claim 1, wherein the storage and processing circuitry is configured to, in response to determining that the external object is adjacent to the antenna, switch an additional antenna into use so that the additional antenna transmits the radio-frequency signals based at least partly on the tasks that are being performed by the electronic device.

9. The electronic device defined in claim 1, wherein the storage and processing circuitry is configured to, in response to determining that the external object is adjacent to the antenna, change a wireless communications protocol used by the electronic device to transmit the radio-frequency signals based at least partly on the tasks that are being performed by the electronic device.

10. The electronic device defined in claim 1, wherein the storage and processing circuitry is configured to, in response to determining that the external object is adjacent to the antenna, change a transmit power used by the electronic device to transmit the radio-frequency signals based at least partly on the tasks that are being performed by the electronic device.

11. The electronic device defined in claim 1, further comprising:

a sensor configured to gather sensor data in response to the external object, wherein the storage and processing circuitry is configured adjust the communications mode based at least partly on the phase and magnitude measurements, the sensor data, and the tasks that are being performed by the electronic device.

12. A method of using an electronic device, the method comprising:

transmitting radio-frequency antenna signals through an antenna;

with phase and magnitude detector circuitry that is coupled to the antenna in the electronic device, making radio-frequency antenna signal phase and magnitude measurements to produce proximity data;

with the control circuitry, identifying what task is being performed by the electronic device; and

with the control circuitry, adjusting a wireless communications mode of the electronic device based on the proximity data from the phase and magnitude detector circuitry and the identified task.

13. The method defined in claim 12, further comprising:

with the control circuitry, determining whether an external object is adjacent to the antenna based on the proximity data from the phase and magnitude detector circuitry; and

with the control circuitry in response to determining that the external object is adjacent to the antenna, adjusting the wireless communications mode based on the identified task.

14. The method defined in claim 12, wherein identifying what task is being performed by the electronic device comprises:

determining whether the electronic device is currently being used for a telephone call.

15. The method defined in claim 13, wherein adjusting the wireless communications mode comprises adjusting the wireless communications mode based on the proximity data and whether the electronic device is currently being used for the telephone call.

16. The method defined in claim 12, wherein identifying what task is being performed by the electronic device comprises:

determining whether an email message has been queued for transmission over the antenna.

17. The method defined in claim 12 wherein adjusting the wireless communications mode of the electronic device based on the proximity data and the identified task comprises:

adjusting a selected one of antenna transmit power, wireless communications protocol, and a tunable circuit coupled to the antenna based on the proximity data and the identified task.

18. An electronic device, comprising:

an antenna with which the electronic device transmits radio-frequency signals according to a wireless communications mode;

circuitry coupled to the antenna that gathers phase and magnitude data; and

storage and processing circuitry that is configured to identify what task is being performed by the electronic device and to adjust the wireless communications mode based at least partly on the phase and magnitude data and the task that is being performed by the electronic device.

19. The electronic device defined in claim 18, wherein the circuitry comprises phase and magnitude detection circuitry that makes phase and magnitude measurements to generate the phase and magnitude data.

20. The electronic device defined in claim 18, further comprising:

an additional antenna, wherein the storage and processing circuitry is configured to adjust the wireless communications mode based at least partly on the task that is being performed by the electronic device by switching between a first communications mode in which the antenna and the additional antenna transmit the radio-frequency signals and a second communications mode in which only the antenna transmits the radio-frequency signals.