METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR PROXIMITY SENSING ON A COMMUNICATION DEVICE
First Claim
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1. A device, comprising:
- a first group of transmitters and a second group of transmitters coupled with a transmission medium, wherein the transmission medium comprises an outer surface;
a first group of receivers and a second group of receivers coupled with the transmission medium; and
a processing system including a processor,wherein each of the first group of transmitters generates a first electromagnetic wave resulting in a first group of electromagnetic waves that is guided by the transmission medium to a corresponding one of the first group of receivers,wherein each of the second group of transmitters generates a second electromagnetic wave resulting in a second group of electromagnetic waves that is guided by the transmission medium to a corresponding one of the second group of receivers,wherein a first disturbance is detected by the processing system in a first particular electromagnetic wave of the first group of electromagnetic waves that is transmitted to a first receiver of the first group of receivers,wherein a second disturbance is detected by the processing system in a second particular electromagnetic wave of the second group of electromagnetic waves that is transmitted to a second receiver of the second group of receivers, andwherein the processing system determines a position of a physical object in proximity to the transmission medium according to the detection of the first and second disturbances and according to a determination that the first and second particular electromagnetic waves were transmitted to the first and second receivers, respectively.
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Abstract
Aspects of the subject disclosure may include, for example, detecting, by a first receiver of the first group of receivers, a first disturbance in one of a first group of electromagnetic waves and detecting, by a second receiver of a second group of receivers, a second disturbance in one of the second group of electromagnetic waves. A processing system can determine a position of a physical object in proximity to the transmission medium according to locations of the first and second receivers with respect to the transmission medium. Other embodiments are disclosed.
5 Citations
20 Claims
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1. A device, comprising:
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a first group of transmitters and a second group of transmitters coupled with a transmission medium, wherein the transmission medium comprises an outer surface; a first group of receivers and a second group of receivers coupled with the transmission medium; and a processing system including a processor, wherein each of the first group of transmitters generates a first electromagnetic wave resulting in a first group of electromagnetic waves that is guided by the transmission medium to a corresponding one of the first group of receivers, wherein each of the second group of transmitters generates a second electromagnetic wave resulting in a second group of electromagnetic waves that is guided by the transmission medium to a corresponding one of the second group of receivers, wherein a first disturbance is detected by the processing system in a first particular electromagnetic wave of the first group of electromagnetic waves that is transmitted to a first receiver of the first group of receivers, wherein a second disturbance is detected by the processing system in a second particular electromagnetic wave of the second group of electromagnetic waves that is transmitted to a second receiver of the second group of receivers, and wherein the processing system determines a position of a physical object in proximity to the transmission medium according to the detection of the first and second disturbances and according to a determination that the first and second particular electromagnetic waves were transmitted to the first and second receivers, respectively. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12)
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13. A method comprising:
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generating, by a first transmitter of a communication device, a first electromagnetic wave that propagates along a transmission medium of the communication device; generating, by a second transmitter of the communication device, a second electromagnetic wave that propagates along the transmission medium; detecting, by a processing system of the communication device, a first disturbance in the first electromagnetic wave; detecting, by the processing system, a second disturbance in the second electromagnetic wave; and determining, by the processing system, a position of a physical object in proximity to the transmission medium according to the detecting of the first and second disturbances and according to a determination that the first and second electromagnetic waves were transmitted to a first receiver and a second receiver of the communication device, respectively. - View Dependent Claims (14, 15, 16, 17, 18)
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19. A non-transitory machine-readable storage device, comprising instructions, wherein responsive to executing the instructions, a processing system of a communication device performs operations, the operations comprising:
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detecting a first disturbance in a first electromagnetic wave of a first group of electromagnetic waves that propagates along a transmission medium of the communication device; detecting a second disturbance in a second electromagnetic wave of a second group of electromagnetic waves that propagates along the transmission medium; identifying a first receiver that received or was intended to receive the first electromagnetic wave, the first receiver being identified from among a group of first receivers of the communication device; identifying a second receiver that received or was intended to receive the second electromagnetic wave, the second receiver being identified from among a group of second receivers of the communication device; and determining a position of a physical object in proximity to the transmission medium according to the identifying of the first and second receivers. - View Dependent Claims (20)
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Specification