Method and device for determining user handedness and controlling a user interface

• US 9,215,302 B2
• Filed: 05/10/2013
• Issued: 12/15/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 05/10/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Google Technology Holdings LLC (Alphabet Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Google Technology Holdings LLC (Alphabet Inc.)
• Inventors: Thorson, Dean E, Aerrabotu, Naveen
• Primary Examiner(s): Le, Lana N
• Application Number:
  US13/891,806
• Publication Number:
  US 20140335916A1
• Time in Patent Office: 949 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1626 with a single-body enclosure integrating a flat display, e.g. Personal Digital Assistants [PDAs]
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1698 the I/O peripheral being a sending/receiving arrangement to establish a cordless communication link, e.g. radio or infrared link, integrated cellular phone details of antennas disposed inside a computer H01Q1/2266
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/048 Interaction techniques based on graphical user interfaces [GUI]
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/0281 for providing single handed use or left/right hand conversion
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/724 User interfaces specially adapted for cordless or mobile telephones

Abstract

A handheld portable device (10) receives information signals modulated over one or more radio frequency (RF) spectrums includes housing (150), a user interface (62) and a plurality of antennae (A1-A3) that are configured to respond to modulated RF information signals. Receivers (RX1-RX3) receive the modulated RF information signals from the plurality of antennae. A controller (602) determines a user grip from one or more properties of the response to modulated RF signals by respective ones of the plurality of antennae and controls the user interface based on a determined user grip.

Claims

1. A handheld portable device comprising:

a housing;

a user interface;

a plurality of antennae carried by the housing, the plurality of antennae configured to respond to modulated radio frequency information signals;

one or more receivers carried in the housing and coupled to the plurality of antennae to receive the modulated radio frequency information signals from the plurality of antennae; and

a controller carried in the housing, wherein the controller is operable to determine, based on a matrix of expected antenna loss due to handedness, a user grip from a respective signal quality measure at each antenna of the plurality of antennae and to control the user interface based on the determined user grip, wherein the user grip includes one or more of a right handed grip, a left handed grip, or a two handed grip.

2. The handheld device of claim 1, wherein the signal quality measure comprises at least one of a received signal strength indicator, bit error rate, Reference Signal Received Power, Reference Signal Received Quality, or signal to noise ratio.

3. The handheld device of claim 1, wherein the controller determines the user grip based on a relationship defined in terms of corresponding magnitudes of the respective signal quality measure at each antenna of the plurality of antennae.

4. The handheld device of claim 3, wherein the relationship relates to whether the magnitude of a first signal quality measure at a first antenna of the plurality of antennae is greater or less than the magnitude of a second signal quality measure at a second antenna of the plurality of antennae.

5. The handheld device of claim 1,

wherein at least some of the plurality of antennae are associated with a respective automatic gain control amplifier responsive to reference feedback signals, and

wherein the controller is further operable to determine the user grip based on reference feedback signals associated with respective automatic gain control amplifiers associated with each antenna from the plurality of antennae.

6. The handheld device of claim 1, further including a storage device that stores grip profiles of the one or more properties associated with different respective user grips.

7. The handheld device of claim 6, wherein different grip profile information is derived from calibration of the plurality of antennae using different grips.

8. The handheld device of claim 6, wherein grip profiles include at least one grip profile associated with a left hand grip and at least one grip profile associated with a right hand grip.

9. The handheld device of claim 1, wherein the user interface comprises a touch screen display, and the controller controlling the presentation of at least one icon on the touch screen display, and wherein the interface controller controls the position of the interface icon on the display based on the determined user grip configuration.

10. The handheld device of claim 1, wherein the user interface is controlled by changing a functionality associated with the user interface.

11. The handheld device of claim 10, wherein the user interface comprises at least one of a switch, button, or a mechanical control.

12. A system comprising:

one or more receivers configured to receive respective modulated radio frequency information signals using respective antennas; and

a controller configured to determine, based on a matrix of expected antenna loss due to handedness, a user grip from a respective signal quality measure at each of the respective antennas, wherein the user grip includes one or more of a right handed grip, a left handed grip, or a two handed grip and control a user interface displayed on a handheld device based on the determined user grip.

13. The system of claim 12, wherein the user interface is controlled by changing a functionality associated with the user interface.

14. The system of claim 12, wherein the user interface comprises an interface icon on a display of the handheld device, and wherein the controller positions the interface icon on the display based on the determined user grip configuration.

15. The system of claim 12, wherein the controller changes the position of the user interface icon in response to determining change in the user grip.

16. A method for determining a user grip holding a handheld device and controlling a user interface of the handheld device, the method comprising:

receiving radio frequency modulated information signals at a plurality of antennae;

determining, based on a matrix of expected antenna loss due to handedness, a user grip from a respective signal quality measure at each antenna of the plurality of antennae, wherein the user grip includes one or more of a right handed grip, a left handed grip, or a two handed grip; and

controlling, based on the determined user grip, the user interface of the handheld device.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein controlling the user interface comprises changing a functionality associated with the user interface.

18. The method of claim 16, wherein the user interface includes a display icon presented on a display of the handheld device, and wherein controlling the user interface includes positioning the icon on the display based on the determined user grip.

19. The method of claim 16, wherein the position of the icon is changed upon determination of a change in user grip.