Method to estimate head relative handset location

• US 8,774,855 B2
• Filed: 11/09/2012
• Issued: 07/08/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 11/09/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Futurewei Technologies Incorporated (Huawei Investment & Holding Co., Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: Futurewei Technologies Incorporated (Huawei Investment & Holding Co., Ltd.)
• Inventors: Sanchez, Jorge Fabrega, Vanjani, Kiran
• Primary Examiner(s): Siddiqui, Kashif
• Application Number:
  US13/673,835
• Publication Number:
  US 20140135058A1
• Time in Patent Office: 606 Days
• Field of Search: 455/456.3, 455/517, 455/574, 455/522, 455/414.1
• US Class Current: 455/550.1
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/12 specially adapted for proprietary or special-purpose networking environments, e.g. medical networks, sensor networks, networks in vehicles or remote metering networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72448 with means for adapting the functionality of the device according to specific conditions
• 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 4/026 using orientation information, e.g. compass
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/027 using movement velocity, acceleration information
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/02 Terminal devices

Abstract

In one embodiment, the disclosure includes an apparatus comprising a processor configured to estimate a position of a wireless communication device relative to a user'"'"'s body part based on an output of at least one sensor, wherein the position is selected from a group comprising: a left side position, a right side position, and a front-facing position, and configure at least one wireless communication device setting based on the estimated position. In another embodiment, the disclosure includes a mobile device comprising at least one sensor, an antenna subsystem, a transceiver subsystem coupled to the antenna subsystem, and a processor coupled to the transceiver subsystem and the sensor, and wherein the processor is configured to determine that the mobile device is in use, obtain a tilt angle of the mobile device from the sensor, and estimate the mobile device location relative to a user'"'"'s body using the tilt angle.

Claims

1. An apparatus comprising:

a processor configured to;

determine that a wireless communication device is in use by receiving indications that a voice telephone call is in progress, a speakerphone is not in use, a headset is not in use, and a handsfree device is not in use;

estimate a position of the wireless communication device relative to a user'"'"'s body part based on an output of at least one sensor; and

configure at least one wireless communication device setting based on the estimated position.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the sensor is selected from a group consisting of a proximity sensor, an accelerometer, a gyroscope, a magnetometer, and a tilt sensor.

3. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the body part is the head, and wherein the wireless communication device is configured to estimate the position and configure the setting while the wireless communication device is in use and the wireless communication device is proximate to the head.

4. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein configuring the setting comprises entering a first optimized configuration when the position is a left side position, a second optimized configuration when the position is a right side position, or a third optimized configuration when the position is a front-facing position.

5. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein one sensor is a proximity sensor for indicating that the wireless communication device is proximate to a user'"'"'s head.

6. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the wireless communication device setting is a setting of an input/output (I/O) device, and wherein the I/O device is selected from a group consisting of a speaker, a microphone, or an antenna.

7. A mobile device comprising:

at least one sensor;

an antenna subsystem, wherein the antenna subsystem comprises one or more antennas;

a transceiver subsystem coupled to the antenna subsystem; and

a processor coupled to the transceiver subsystem and the sensor, and wherein the processor is configured to;

determine that the mobile device is in use by receiving indications that a voice telephone call is in progress, a speakerphone is not in use, a headset is not in use, and a handsfree device is not in use;

obtain a tilt angle of the mobile device from the sensor; and

estimate the mobile device location relative to a user'"'"'s body using the tilt angle.

8. The mobile device of claim 7, wherein determining that the mobile device is in use further comprises determining either that the antenna is communicating data or that a proximity sensor indicates that the mobile device is proximate to a user'"'"'s head.

9. The mobile device of claim 7, wherein the sensor is selected from a group consisting of an accelerometer, a gyroscope, a tilt sensor, and a position sensor.

10. The mobile device of claim 7, wherein the processor is further configured to establish a first optimized configuration of the mobile device when the tilt angle provides data used to estimate that the mobile device is located on the right side of a user'"'"'s body, or establish a second optimized configuration of the mobile device when the tilt angle provides data used to estimate that the mobile device is located on the left side of a user'"'"'s body.

11. The mobile device of claim 10, wherein the mobile device is estimated to be located on the right side of a user'"'"'s body when the tilt angle corresponds to a first predefined range, or the mobile device is estimated to be on the left side of a user'"'"'s body when the tilt angle corresponds to a second predefined range.

12. The mobile device of claim 11, wherein the mobile device is estimated to be in a front-facing position with respect to a user'"'"'s body when the tilt angle corresponds to a third predefined range.

13. A method of optimizing settings for a wireless communication device comprising:

configuring an initial system setting for the wireless communication device;

determining that the wireless communication device is in use by receiving indications that a voice telephone call is in progress, a speakerphone is not in use, a headset is not in use, and a handsfree device is not in use;

estimating a position of the wireless communication device relative to a user'"'"'s head using output from a sensor; and

reconfiguring the wireless communication device setting based on the estimated position.

15. The method of claim 13, wherein the sensor is selected from a group consisting of a tilt sensor and a position sensor.

16. The method of claim 13, further comprising:

recording an output from the sensor; and

performing a statistical analysis to determine a user-specific natural use position.

17. The method of claim 13, wherein estimating a position of a wireless communication device comprises excluding erroneous atypical use measurements using an error band.

18. The method of claim 13, wherein reconfiguring the wireless communication device setting comprises selecting at least one of a speaker, a microphone, and an antenna.

19. The method of claim 13, wherein second reconfiguring the wireless communication device setting comprises selecting at least one of a speaker, a microphone, and an antenna.

20. The method of claim 13, wherein estimating the position of the wireless communication device relative to the user'"'"'s head comprises estimating that the mobile device is located on the right or left side of a user'"'"'s body according to an angle between the head centerline and the mobile device.

14. The method of step 13, further comprising:

recording an output from the sensor;

obtaining a subsequent output from the sensor;

comparing the subsequent output from the sensor to the output to obtain a new position of the wireless communication device relative to the user'"'"'s head; and

performing a second reconfiguration of the wireless communication device setting based on the new position of the wireless communication device.