Portable electronic device with proximity-based communication functionality
AssigneeMotorola Mobility LLC
InventorsRachid M Alameh, Kevin J McDunn
Life of this patent
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Abstract
An electronic device includes a housing and one or more processors. At least one proximity sensor component is operable with the one or more processors and can include an infrared signal receiver to receive an infrared emission from an object external to the housing. The one or more processors can receive, with a communication circuit, an incoming communication from a remote communication device and determine whether a person is within a thermal reception radius of the at least one proximity sensor component. Where the person is not within the thermal reception radius, the one or more processors can perform a control operation in response to receiving the incoming communication.
Claims20
An electronic device, comprising:
- a housing;
- one or more processors;
- at least one proximity sensor component operable with the one or more processors and comprising an infrared signal receiver receiving an infrared emission from an object external to the housing;
- at least one sensor;
- a memory;
- an identification module;
- and
- a communication circuit;
- the one or more processors receiving, with the communication circuit, an incoming communication from a remote communication device and determining whether a person is within a thermal reception radius of the at least one proximity sensor component;
- where the person is within the thermal reception radius, the identification module attempting to determine an identity of the person;
- and
- where the person is not within the thermal reception radius, the one or more processors performing a control operation in response to receiving the incoming communication;
- the identification module operable with the at least one sensor to compare attribute data received from the at least one sensor with a reference file stored in the memory to confirm an identity of the person beyond a threshold authenticity probability.
A method for controlling an electronic device, comprising:
- receiving, with a communication circuit, an incoming message from a remote device;
- receiving background data prior to responding to the incoming message;
- determining, with one or more proximity sensor components whether a person is within a thermal reception radius of the electronic device;
- altering a response to the incoming message as a function of the background data;
- where the person is within the thermal reception radius of the electronic device, attempting, with an identification module, to identify the person as a owner of the electronic device;
- and
- where the person is not within the thermal reception radius, automatically responding, with one or more processors, to the incoming message.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.