Electronic device with accessory-based transmit power control

• US 9,398,456 B2
• Filed: 03/07/2014
• Issued: 07/19/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 03/07/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Original Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Inventors: Jadhav, Digvijay A., Sen, Indranil S., King, Jonathan C.
• Primary Examiner(s): LE, DANH C
• Application Number:
  US14/201,620
• Publication Number:
  US 20150257158A1
• Time in Patent Office: 865 Days
• Field of Search: 455/550.1, 455/522, 455/556.1, 455/404.1
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 1/04 Circuits
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 1/3877 Arrangements for enabling portable transceivers to be used in a fixed position, e.g. cradles or boosters
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 1/40 Circuits
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 2001/0416 having gain or transmission power control
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72409 by interfacing with external accessories hands-free H04M1/60
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72418 for supporting emergency services
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2250/12 including a sensor for measuring a physical value, e.g. temperature or motion telephones including GPS signal receivers H04M2250/10
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/06 Authentication
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/90 Services for handling of emergency or hazardous situations, e.g. earthquake and tsunami warning systems [ETWS]
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 52/04 TPC
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 52/146 Uplink power control
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 52/247 where the output power of a terminal is based on a path parameter sent by another terminal
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 52/248 where transmission power control commands are generated based on a path parameter
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 52/281 taking into account user or data type priority
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 52/283 Power depending on the position of the mobile

Abstract

An electronic device may be provided with wireless circuitry for transmitting and receiving wireless signals. Control circuitry may be used to adjust transmit power levels for the wireless signals and other settings for the wireless circuitry. The electronic device may be operated in conjunction with an external accessory. The accessory may be equipment that includes a dock connector, a case to enclose the electronic device, equipment that is coupled to the electronic device using a cable, or other external electronic equipment. An identifier may be stored in the accessory. The impact of the accessory on the wireless performance of the electronic device may be characterized and associated with the identifier. During operation of the electronic device, the electronic device may adjust transmit power levels and other settings based on the identifier of the accessory and based on sensor data, user input, and other information.

Claims

1. An electronic device configured to couple to an external accessory, comprising:

an antenna;

wireless radio-frequency transceiver circuitry that transmits wireless signals at a wireless transmit power level using the antenna; and

control circuitry that receives an identifier from the accessory and that controls the wireless radio-frequency transceiver circuitry to adjust the wireless transmit power level based on the identifier and based on transmit power commands received from a wireless base station.

2. The electronic device defined in claim 1 further comprising a proximity sensor, wherein the control circuitry is configured to control the wireless radio-frequency transceiver circuitry to adjust the wireless transmit power level based on data from the proximity sensor.

3. The electronic device defined in claim 2, wherein the control circuitry is configured to control the wireless radio-frequency transceiver circuitry to adjust the wireless transmit power level to one of first, second, and third different transmit power levels based on the data from the proximity sensor and to one of fourth and fifth different transmit power levels based on the identifier, wherein the third and fourth transmit power levels are greater than the first, second, and third transmit power levels.

4. The electronic device defined in claim 1 further comprising input-output circuitry that receives user input from a user, wherein the control circuitry is configured to control the wireless radio-frequency transceiver circuitry to adjust the wireless transmit power level based on the user input.

5. The electronic device defined in claim 4 wherein the user input comprises an emergency authorization and wherein the input-output circuitry comprises circuitry that receives the emergency authorization.

6. The electronic device defined in claim 4 wherein the input-output circuitry comprises a touch screen display and wherein the user input comprises an authorization received through the touch screen display.

7. The electronic device defined in claim 1 wherein the accessory has a dock, the electronic device further comprising:

a connector that is coupled to the dock.

8. The electronic device defined in claim 1 wherein the accessory is a case, the electronic device further comprising a magnetic sensor that senses the identifier by detecting magnetic signals from the case with the magnetic sensor.

9. The electronic device defined in claim 1 further comprising a sensor, wherein the control circuitry is configured to adjust the wireless transmit power based on data from the sensor.

10. The electronic device defined in claim 9 wherein the sensor comprises an accelerometer.

11. The electronic device defined in claim 9 wherein the sensor comprises a capacitive proximity sensor.

12. The electronic device defined in claim 9 wherein the sensor comprises a light-based proximity sensor.

13. The electronic device defined in claim 9 wherein the sensor comprises an audio sensor.

14. The electronic device defined in claim 1 further comprising a housing with a connector port, wherein the accessory is coupled to the connector port.

15. The electronic device defined in claim 1 further comprising:

an additional antenna; and

switching circuitry that selectively couples the antenna and the additional antenna to the wireless radio-frequency transceiver circuitry, wherein the control circuitry is configured to couple a selected one of the antenna and the additional antenna to the wireless transceiver circuitry based on the identifier.

16. The electronic device defined in claim 1 wherein the antenna comprises a tunable antenna and wherein the control circuitry is configured to tune the antenna based on the identifier.

17. The electronic device defined in claim 1, wherein the transmitted wireless signals comprise wireless data that is transmitted at the wireless power level to external communications equipment that is separate from the external accessory.

18. The electronic device defined in claim 1, wherein the control circuitry is configured to control the wireless radio-frequency transceiver circuitry to reduce the wireless transmit power level based on the received identifier.

19. A portable electronic device configured to be coupled to an external accessory in which an accessory identifier for that accessory is stored, comprising:

a housing;

a display mounted in the housing;

a proximity sensor mounted in the housing that monitors for external objects adjacent to the housing;

an antenna;

wireless radio-frequency transceiver circuitry that transmits wireless signals at a wireless transmit power level using the antenna;

input-output circuitry;

a connector; and

control circuitry that receives user input from a user with the input-output circuitry and that receives the accessory identifier with the connector, wherein the control circuitry controls the wireless radio-frequency transceiver circuitry to adjust the wireless transmit power level based on the user input, the accessory identifier, and transmit power commands received from a wireless base station.

20. The portable electronic device defined in claim 19 wherein the accessory comprises in-vehicle equipment and wherein the user input comprises an emergency responder authorization.