Methods and apparatus for determining a transmit antenna gain and a spatial mode of a device

• US 10,028,234 B2
• Filed: 12/15/2016
• Issued: 07/17/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 03/15/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Google Technology Holdings LLC (Alphabet Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Google Technology Holdings LLC (Alphabet Inc.)
• Inventors: Boos, John P., Bellamkonda, Krishna K., Muratory, Pierre, Patel, Nischal Y.
• Primary Examiner(s): Nealon, William
• Application Number:
  US15/380,095
• Publication Number:
  US 20170099640A1
• Time in Patent Office: 579 Days
• Field of Search: 4554521
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 17/318 Received signal strength
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 7/02 Diversity systems; Multi-antenna system, i.e. transmission or reception using multiple antennas RAKE receivers H04B1/7115
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 7/0404 the mobile station comprising multiple antennas, e.g. to provide uplink diversity
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/16 Threshold monitoring
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 52/242 taking into account path loss
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 52/245 taking into account received signal strength
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 52/282 taking into account the speed of the mobile
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 52/283 Power depending on the position of the mobile

Abstract

Methods and apparatus for determining a transmit antenna gain and a spatial mode of a wireless device (100) are disclosed. The apparatus (100) includes a main receive antenna (112) associated with a first receive signal strength, a diversity receive antenna (114) associated with a second receive signal strength, and a transmit antenna (116). Each of the antennas (112, 114, and 116) is operatively coupled to a controller (102). The controller (102) determines (i) a difference between the first receive signal strength and the second receive signal strength, (ii) a correction factor based on the difference, and (iii) the transmit antenna gain based on the correction factor. In addition, the difference between the first receive signal strength and the second receive signal strength may be used, along with other sensor data (e.g., accelerometer), to estimate the spatial mode (e.g., orientation and hand grip) of the device (100). This spatial mode estimation may be then be used, among other things, to more accurately determine transmit antenna gain.

Claims

1. A method of determining a spatial mode of a device, the method comprising:

receiving, by a controller of the device, a first data from a proximity sensor coupled to the controller;

receiving, by the controller, a second data from an accelerometer coupled to the controller;

determining, by the controller, a difference between at least two receive signal strengths, each receive signal strength associated with a different antenna of the device; and

determining, by the controller, the spatial mode of the device based on the first data, the second data, and the difference between the at least two receive signal strengths.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising determining, by the controller, a transmit antenna gain based on the spatial mode of the device.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein determining the transmit antenna gain includes determining at least one of an application age rating and a content age rating.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein determining the difference between the at least two receive signal strengths includes receiving a main receive antenna signal strength from a main receive antenna and receiving a diversity receive antenna strength from a diversity receive antenna.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the diversity receive antenna is physically located between the main receive antenna and a transmit antenna.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein determining the difference between the at least two different receive signal strengths is performed in real time.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising determining, by the controller, if the difference between the at least two receive signal strengths exceeds a predetermined threshold.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein the predetermined threshold is indicative of an adjusted gain difference between a main receive antenna and a diversity receive antenna.

9. The method of claim 1, further comprising determining, by the controller, an indication of path loss.

10. The method of claim 1, further comprising receiving, by the controller, a third data from a touch sensor coupled to the controller, wherein determining the spatial mode of the device is further based on the third data.

11. An apparatus for determining a spatial mode, the apparatus comprising:

a controller;

a proximity sensor operatively coupled to the controller, the proximity sensor being structured to produce proximity data;

an accelerometer operatively coupled to the controller, the accelerometer being structured to produce accelerometer data;

a main receive antenna operatively coupled to the controller, the main receive antenna being associated with a first receive signal strength;

a diversity receive antenna operatively coupled to the controller, the diversity receive antenna being associated with a second receive signal strength; and

a transmit antenna operatively coupled to the controller, wherein the controller is structured to;

determine a difference between the first receive signal strength and the second receive signal strength; and

determine the spatial mode of the apparatus at least based on the proximity data, the accelerometer data, and the difference between the first receive signal strength and the second receive signal strength.

12. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein the diversity receive antenna is physically located between the main receive antenna and the transmit antenna.

13. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein the controller is structured to determine a transmit antenna gain based on the spatial mode of the apparatus.

14. The apparatus of claim 13, wherein the controller is structured to determine the transmit antenna gain based on at least one of an application age rating and a content age rating.

15. The apparatus of claim 11, further comprising a touch sensor operatively coupled to the controller, the touch sensor being structured to produce touch data, wherein determining the spatial mode of the apparatus is further based on the touch data.