Proximity detection via magnetic resonance coupling

• US 9,803,971 B2
• Filed: 12/28/2011
• Issued: 10/31/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 12/28/2011
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Intel Corporation
• Original Assignee: Intel Corporation
• Inventors: Wang, Minglei, Yang, Xue, Guo, Xingang
• Primary Examiner(s): Vargas, Dixomara
• Application Number:
  US13/977,560
• Publication Number:
  US 20140197830A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,134 Days
• CPC Class Codes: G01B 7/14 for measuring distance or clearance between spaced objects or spaced apertures G01B7/30 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G01R 33/20 involving magnetic resonance medical aspects A61B5/055; magnetic resonance gyrometers G01C19/60
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 5/22 Capacitive coupling
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 5/73 for taking measurements, e.g. using sensing coils
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 8/005 Discovery of network devices, e.g. terminals

Abstract

A magnetic resonance technology is used to implement front and back proximity sensing capability for wireless devices such as a laptap device. For example, a high quality (Q) factor coil antenna may be embedded in a display, such as a liquid crystal display, of a first laptap device to detect other wireless devices (e.g., a second laptap) that are within coupling distance of the first laptap device. In this example, the second laptap device induces a sine wave signal to the first laptap device if the second laptap device is physically located at backside of the first laptap device. Otherwise, the second laptap device may induce a cosine wave signal to the first laptap device if the second laptap device is physically located at the front side of the first laptap device.

Claims

1. A method of proximity detection via magnetic resonance coupling comprising:

configuring a first wireless device that includes a processor, and receiver to receive magnetic resonance signal from a second wireless device;

determining bearing location of a second wireless device based on a signal phase of the received magnetic resonance signal, wherein the bearing location includes the second wireless device to be physically located at front side or at backside of the first wireless device, wherein the signal phase received from the second wireless device located at the backside of the first wireless device is one hundred eighty degrees (180°

) out of phase with the signal phase received when the second wireless device is located at the front side of the first wireless device; and

providing the bearing location to a user.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the configuring includes setting maximum coupling distance, which is based on a coil diameter of high quality (Q) factor antenna embedded at a display of the first wireless device, for proximity sensing range of the first wireless device.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the configuring includes setting a threshold for the magnetic resonance signal to indicate presence of the second wireless device within a configured maximum coupling distance.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising receiving an induced sine wave signal from the second wireless device that is physically located at the backside of the first wireless device.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising receiving an induced cosine wave signal from the second wireless device that is physically located at the front side of the first wireless device, wherein the cosine wave signal is derived from a sine wave signal generated by the second wireless device due to opposite physical location.

6. A first wireless device comprising:

one or more processors;

memory configured to the one or more processors;

a magnetic resonance detector that is configured to receive magnetic resonance signal from a second wireless device, wherein bearing location of the second wireless device is determined by a signal phase of the received magnetic resonance signal, the bearing location is to indicate that the second wireless device to be physically located at front side or at back side of the first wireless device; and

a high quality factor (Q) coil antenna that supplies the magnetic resonance signal to the magnetic resonance detector based on the magnetic resonance signal induced by the second wireless device, wherein the signal phase received from the second wireless device located at the backside of the first wireless device is one hundred eighty degrees (180°

) out of phase with the signal phase received when the second wireless device is located at the front side of the first wireless device.

7. The first wireless device of claim 6, wherein the magnetic resonance detector is configured to indicate a maximum coupling distance, which is based at least in part on a coil diameter of high quality (Q) factor antenna embedded in a display of the first wireless device, for proximity sensing range of the first wireless device.

8. The first wireless device of claim 6, wherein the magnetic resonance detector is configured to include a threshold that indicates presence of the second wireless device within a configured maximum coupling distance.

9. The first wireless device of claim 6, wherein the magnetic resonance detector includes receiving an induced sine wave signal from the second wireless device that is physically located at the backside of the first wireless device.

10. The first wireless device of claim 6, wherein the magnetic resonance detector includes receiving an induced cosine wave signal that is derived from a sine wave signal generated by the second wireless device that is physically located at the front side of the first wireless device.

11. A high quality (Q) factor coil antenna embedded in a display of a first wireless device, comprising the coil antenna to supply a detected magnetic resonance signal to a magnetic resonance detector, which detects bearing location of a second wireless device that induced the magnetic resonance signal to the high Q coil antenna, wherein the bearing location of the second wireless device is determined by a signal phase of the supplied magnetic resonance signal, the bearing location includes the second wireless device to be physically located at front side or at backside of the first wireless device, wherein the signal phase received from the second wireless device located at the backside of the first wireless device is one hundred eighty degrees (180°

) out of phase with the signal phase received when the second wireless device is located at the front side of the first wireless device.

12. The antenna of claim 11, wherein the coupled magnetic resonance detector is configured to indicate a maximum coupling distance, which is based at least in part on a coil diameter of the coil antenna, for proximity sensing range of the first wireless device.

13. The antenna of claim 11, wherein the induced magnetic resonance signal includes a sine wave signal from the second wireless device that is physically located at the backside of the first wireless device.

14. The antenna of claim 11, wherein the induced magnetic resonance signal includes a cosine wave signal from the second wireless device that is physically located at the front side of the first wireless device.