Passive proximity detection

• US 9,007,871 B2
• Filed: 04/18/2011
• Issued: 04/14/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 04/18/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Original Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Inventors: Armstrong-Muntner, Joel
• Primary Examiner(s): Murphy, Daniel L
• Application Number:
  US13/089,054
• Publication Number:
  US 20120263019A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,457 Days
• Field of Search: 324/115, 330/129, 330/149, 330/279, 330/304, 340/426.24, 340/426.28, 340/544, 340/945, 367/3, 367/99, 367/118, 367/119, 367/129, 367/136, 379/388.03, 379/390.01, 381/56, 381/72, 381/92, 381/94.1, 381/94.7, 381/107, 381/122, 381/123, 381/307, 381/333, 381/334, 381/335, 455/90.3, 455/233.1, 455/238.1, 455/456.1, 455/456.3, 455/569.1, 704/E21.004
• US Class Current: 367/118
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 15/003 Bistatic sonar systems; Multistatic sonar systems
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 15/04 Systems determining presence of a target
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 15/876 Combination of several spaced transmitters or receivers of known location for determining the position of a transponder or a reflector G01S15/872 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 29/00 Monitoring arrangements; Testing arrangements for hearing aids H04R25/30; detection of loudspeaker connection H04R5/04; sound-field adaptation dependent on speaker detection H04S7/308

Abstract

Techniques and devices are disclosed for utilizing passively received audio signals to determine proximity of devices to other objects. In one embodiment, a method of passive proximity detection is provided that includes sensing a first sound wave using a first audio transducer and generating a first signal representative of the first sound wave. A second sound wave is also sensed and a second signal is generated. The method includes comparing characteristics of the first and second signals using a processor to determine if differences between the first and second signals indicate the first audio transducer is proximately located to another object.

Claims

1. A method of passive proximity detection comprising:

sensing a first sound wave using a first audio transducer and generating a first signal representative of the first sound wave;

sensing a second sound wave and generating a second signal representative of the second sound wave; and

comparing characteristics of the first and second signals using a processor to determine if differences between the first and second signals indicate the first audio transducer is proximately located to another object, wherein the first and second sound waves are sourced from ambient noise not emitted from the object.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein comparing the first and second signals comprises determining if one of the first or second signals has a spike at a frequency that is narrowed about a frequency relative to the other signal.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein comparing the first and second signals comprises determining if one of the first or second signals has a spike that is amplified relative to a spike in the other signal.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein comparing the first and second signals comprises determining if one of the first or second signals has an equalization curve heavily weighted in a lower frequency band relative to the other signal.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein comparing the first and second signals comprises determining if one of the first or second signals has an equalization curve indicative that a muffling of one of the first or second sound wave has occurred.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the first and second sound waves are sensed at discrete moments in time.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the first and second sound waves are the same sound waves and the second sound wave is sensed by a second audio transducer positioned in a different plane than the first audio transducer.

8. The method of claim 1 further comprising amplifying the differences between the first and second signals.

9. A computing device comprising:

a processor;

a storage device coupled to the processor, the storage device storing instructions executable by the processor to determine a proximity of the device to another object based on audio signals; and

a first audio transducer configured to sense ambient sound waves and convert the sensed sound waves into a first electrical data signal, wherein the device is configured to store the first electrical data signal from the first audio transducer and a second electrical data signal representative of additional sound waves, wherein the processor is configured to determine if differences between the first and second electrical data signals indicate that the first audio transducer is proximately located to an object external to the device, wherein the object does not emit the additional sound waves or the ambient sound waves sensed by the first audio transducer and converted into the first electrical data signal.

10. The computing device of claim 9 further comprising at least one other audio transducer configured to sense ambient sound waves and convert the sensed sound waves into an electrical data signal, wherein the processor is configured to compare electrical data signals from the at least one other audio transducer with electrical data signals from the first audio transducer.

11. The computing device of claim 10, wherein one of the at least one other audio transducer is configured to function as a speaker.

12. The computing device of claim 10, wherein one of the at least one other audio transducer is provided in a capsule adjacent to a speaker of the device, wherein the capsule is shaped to resonate sound waves within a desired frequency band.

13. The computing device of claim 9, wherein the at least one other audio transducer is positioned within the device in a different plane from a plane in which the first audio transducer is positioned.

14. The computing device of claim 9, wherein the at least one other audio transducer is positioned adjacent to the first audio transducer.

15. The computing device of claim 14, wherein the first audio transducer comprises an omnidirectional transducer and the at least one other audio transducer comprises a directional transducer.

16. A communication device configured to passively determine proximity to other objects, the communication device comprising:

a multi-sided housing having an aperture to allow for receipt and transmission of sound waves therethrough;

an audio transducer located within the housing adjacent to the aperture, wherein the audio transducer is configured to sense ambient sound waves; and

a processor configured to evaluate signals generated by the audio transducer to determine if the device is in proximity to other objects based on at least one of;

a narrowing of a spike about a frequency and an amplification of a spike about a frequency.

17. The communication device of claim 16 wherein the aperture is configured to resonate sound waves that are at frequencies utilized to determine proximity.

18. The communication device of claim 16 further comprising at least one audio transducer positioned in each surface plane of the multi-sided housing.

19. The communication device of claim 16 wherein the audio transducer comprises a directional microphone.

20. The communication device of claim 16 wherein the processor is configured to evaluate the signals generated by the audio transducer to determine if the device is in proximity to other objects based a narrowing of a spike about a frequency.

21. The communication device of claim 16 wherein the processor is configured to evaluate the signals generated by the audio transducer to determine if the device is in proximity to other objects based an amplification of a spike about a frequency.