Low radiation wireless communicator

• US 9,288,292 B2
• Filed: 05/21/2014
• Issued: 03/15/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 09/03/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Google LLC (Alphabet Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Google Inc. (Alphabet Inc.)
• Inventors: Bychkov, Eyal, Storfer, Lior, Sherman, Itay, Katz, Hagay, Brison, Uriel R., Ron, Uri, Engelstein, Tal, Zeltser, Sagiv
• Primary Examiner(s): TRINH, TAN H
• Application Number:
  US14/283,231
• Publication Number:
  US 20140295911A1
• Time in Patent Office: 664 Days
• Field of Search: 455/115.3, 455/550.1, 455/509, 455/67.11, 455/522, 455/129, 455/13.4, 455/95, 455/69, 455/70, 455/515, 455/500, 455/414.1, 455/569.1, 455/552.1, 333/56, 345/169, 345/167, 345/156, 340/669, 340/689
• US Class Current: 1/1
• 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 1/026 Details of the structure or mounting of specific components
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 52/38 TPC being performed in particular situations

Abstract

A wireless communicator, including a modem operable to transmit and receive voice communication phone calls, an accelerometer to measure an angle of orientation, and a controller coupled with the modem and with the accelerometer, the controller being operable to restrict operation of the modem when the wireless communicator is not being used in a low radiation listening mode and the accelerometer indicates a substantially stationary angle of orientation longer than a pre-designated length of time.

Claims

1. A wireless communicator, comprising:

a modem operable to transmit and receive voice communication phone calls;

an accelerometer to measure an angle of orientation; and

a controller coupled with said modem and with said accelerometer, the controller being operable to restrict operation of said modem and to generate a prompt for the user to switch listening ear, when the wireless communicator is not being used in a low radiation listening mode and said accelerometer indicates a substantially stationary angle of orientation during an ongoing phone call longer than a pre-designated length of time.

2. The wireless communicator of claim 1 wherein said controller is operable to restrict outgoing phone calls to one or more pre-designated phone numbers when the wireless communicator is not being used in a low radiation listening mode and said accelerometer indicates a substantially stationary angle of orientation during an ongoing phone call longer than the pre-designated length of time.

3. The wireless communicator of claim 2 wherein the one or more pre-designated phone numbers comprise emergency phone numbers or phone numbers of parents of a child who uses the wireless communicator.

4. The wireless communicator of claim 1 further comprising a hands-free speaker that can be coupled with said controller, and wherein the low radiation listening mode comprises listening to phone calls through said hands-free speaker.

5. The wireless communicator of claim 1 further comprising a low radiation headset that can be coupled with said controller, and wherein the low radiation listening mode comprises listening to phone calls through said low radiation headset.

6. The wireless communicator of claim 5 wherein said low radiation headset comprises air-tube earphones or wired earphones or a BLUETOOTH®

headset.

7. The wireless communicator of claim 1 further comprising a mechanism for activating and deactivating said controller to respectively control and to not control operation of said modem based on data provided by said monitor.

8. The wireless communicator of claim 7 wherein said mechanism activates said controller to control operation of said modem based on data provided by said monitor, upon user entry of a password.

9. The wireless communicator of claim 7 further comprising a jacket device into which the wireless communicator may be inserted, wherein said controller is automatically activated to control operation of said modem based on data provided by said monitor, when the wireless communicator is inserted into said jacket device.

10. The wireless communicator of claim 7 wherein the wireless communicator may be locked in said jacket device so that it cannot be removed therefrom by a child.

11. The wireless communicator of claim 1 wherein the pre-designated length of time is calibrated according to a user'"'"'s gender, age and weight.

12. The wireless communicator of claim 1 wherein the pre-designated length of time is calibrated according to a frequency of transmission of said modem.

13. The wireless communicator of claim 1 further comprising at least one audio component, and wherein the pre-designated length of time is calibrated according to the nature of said at least one audio component.

14. The wireless communicator of claim 13 wherein said at least one audio component comprises at least one member of the group consisting of a speaker, an earpiece, a microphone, a hands-free headset, a car kit and air-tube earphones.

15. The wireless communicator of claim 1 further comprising a jacket device into which the wireless communicator may be inserted, and wherein the pre-designated length of time is calibrated according to a SAR profile of the jacket device.

16. A method for limiting radiation transmitted by a wireless communicator, comprising:

monitoring an angle of orientation of a wireless communicator, the wireless communicator being used to send and receive voice communication phone calls;

determining whether the wireless communicator has been in a substantially stationary angle of orientation during an ongoing phone call longer than a designated length of time; and

while said determining is affirmative;

restricting operation of the wireless communicator when said determining is affirmative, comprising limiting usage of the wireless communicator when the wireless communicator is not being used in a low radiation listening mode; and

generating a prompt for the user to switch listening ear.

17. The method of claim 16 wherein the low radiation listening mode comprises using the wireless communicator with a hands-free speaker.

18. The method of claim 16 wherein the low radiation listening mode comprises using the wireless communicator with a low radiation headset.

19. The method of claim 18 wherein the low radiation headset includes air-tube earphones or wired earphones or a BLUETOOTH®

headset.

20. The method of claim 16 wherein said limiting usage of the wireless communicator includes restricting incoming and outgoing phone calls sent and received by the wireless communicator to one or more pre-designated phone numbers.

21. The method of claim 20 wherein the one or more pre-designated phone numbers comprise emergency phone numbers or phone numbers of parents of a child who uses the wireless communicator.

22. The method of claim 16 further comprising, while said determining is affirmative, issuing an alarm advising a user that a current call will be disconnected unless the user switches the wireless communicator to the low radiation listening mode.

23. The method of claim 16 further comprising calibrating the pre-designated length of time according to a user'"'"'s gender, age and weight.