Wearing position derived device operation

• US 9,300,386 B2
• Filed: 01/12/2012
• Issued: 03/29/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 01/12/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P. (HP Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Plantronics, Inc.
• Inventors: Knowles, Andrew
• Primary Examiner(s): Mei, Xu
• Assistant Examiner(s): Jerez Lora, William A
• Application Number:
  US13/348,841
• Publication Number:
  US 20130182867A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,538 Days
• Field of Search: 381/74, 381/312, 381/370, 381/330, 381/374, 381/379, 381/385, 381/77, 381/79, 381/80, 381/81, 381/309, 381/314, 455/41.1, 455/41.3, 455/41.7, 455/500.1
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 7/0834 based on external parameters, e.g. subscriber speed or location
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 1/1041 Mechanical or electronic switches, or control elements switches in general H01H
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 2201/107 Monophonic and stereophonic headphones with microphone for two-way hands free communication
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 2201/109 Arrangements to adapt hands free headphones for use on both ears

Abstract

Methods and apparatuses for wearing position derived device operation are disclosed. In one example, methods and apparatuses are described herein using capacitive sensors to determine device antenna selection or user interface selection.

Claims

1. An electronic device comprising:

a housing having a first surface adapted to contact a user body and a second surface adapted to contact the user body;

a first conductive material disposed on or in proximity to the first surface, the first conductive material operable as a first capacitive sensor or a first antenna, wherein the first antenna is configured to transmit and receive first wireless signals; and

a second conductive material disposed on or in proximity to the second surface, the second conductive material operable as a second capacitive sensor or a second antenna, wherein the second antenna is configured to transmit and receive second wireless signals;

wherein the first conductive material is configured to operate as the first capacitive sensor and the second conductive material is configured to operate as the second antenna when the housing is worn on the user right ear; and

wherein the first conductive material is configured to operate as the first antenna and the second conductive material is configured to operate as the second capacitive sensor when the housing is worn on the user left ear.

2. The electronic device of claim 1, wherein the electronic device is a headset and the first surface is adapted to contact a user head when the housing is worn on a user right ear and the second surface is adapted to contact the user head when the housing is worn on a user left ear.

3. The electronic device of claim 2, further comprising a radio transceiver coupled to the first conductive material when the housing is worn on the user left ear and coupled to the second conductive material when the housing is worn on the user right ear.

4. The electronic device of claim 1 further comprising a printed circuit board wherein the first conductive material is located on a first side of the printed circuit board and the second conductive material is located on a second side of the printed circuit board.

5. The electronic device of claim 1, wherein the first conductive material and the second conductive material are a stamped metal.

6. The electronic device of claim 1, wherein the first conductive material or the second conductive material comprise copper tape.

7. The electronic device of claim 1, further comprising:

a first switch arranged to switch the first conductive material between a radio transceiver and a capacitive sense module; and

a second switch arranged to switch the second conductive material between the radio transceiver and the capacitive sense module.

8. A method for selecting an antenna for use by an electronic device comprising:

alternating operation of a first conductive material as a first capacitive sensor and a first antenna;

alternating operation of a second conductive material as a second capacitive sensor and a second antenna;

detecting a first capacitive sensor output associated with proximity to a user body or a second capacitive sensor output associated with proximity to a user body; and

responsive to detecting the first capacitive sensor output operating the second conductive material as an antenna and responsive to detecting the second capacitive sensor output operating the first conductive material as an antenna.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein the electronic device is a headset and the first conductive material is disposed in proximity to a first surface of a headset housing and the second conductive material is disposed in proximity to a second surface of the headset housing.

10. The method of claim 8, wherein the first conductive material and the second conductive material are a stamped metal or a copper tape.

11. A method for selecting an antenna for use by an electronic device comprising:

detecting proximity of an electronic device to a user body utilizing a first conductive material operable as a first sensor or proximity of the electronic device to the user body utilizing a second conductive material operable as a second sensor;

responsive to detecting proximity of the electronic device to the user body utilizing the first conductive material, operating the second conductive material as an antenna to transmit and receive second wireless signals; and

responsive to detecting proximity of the electronic device to the user body utilizing the second conductive material, operating the first conductive material as an antenna to transmit and receive first wireless signals.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein the electronic device is a headset adaptable to be worn on either a user left ear or a user right ear and the first conductive material is disposed in proximity to a first surface of a headset housing and the second conductive material is disposed in proximity to a second surface of the headset housing.

13. The method of claim 11, wherein the first conductive material and the second conductive material are a stamped metal or a copper tape.