US 10,581,143 B2Granted

Method and apparatus for detecting object position relative to antenna arrays of an electronic communication device

AssigneeMotorola Mobility LLC

InventorsMd Rashidul Islam, Mohammed Abdul-Gaffoor, Eric L. Krenz, Hugh K. Smith

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Abstract

An electronic communication device performs a method to detect proximity of an object to the device. The method includes determining a set of mutual coupling values for at least one pair of a plurality of antennas arrays of the electronic communication device. Each mutual coupling value indicates an efficiency of a mutual coupling transmission between an antenna element of a first antenna array of a pair of antenna arrays and an antenna element of a second antenna array of the pair of antenna arrays. The method further includes determining object position relative to the plurality of antenna arrays based on the set of mutual coupling values.

Claims20

Dependent claims

A method comprising:

determining a first set of mutual coupling values for a first millimeter-wave antenna array and a second millimeter-wave antenna array of a plurality of multi-element, millimeter-wave antenna arrays of an electronic communication device, each multi-element, millimeter-wave antenna array comprising a distinct set of antenna elements, wherein each mutual coupling value indicates mutual coupling transmission efficiency between antenna elements of a respective pair of antenna arrays;
determining an object position relative to the plurality of antenna arrays based on the first set of mutual coupling values;
operating, based on the object position, a shadowed antenna element of the first millimeter-wave antenna array and a shadowed antenna element of the second millimeter-wave antenna array for a mutual coupling transmission;
operating, based on the object position, an un-shadowed first sub-array of the first millimeter-wave antenna array for communication transmissions, the first sub-array comprising at least two antenna elements of the first millimeter-wave antenna array;
and
deactivating, based on the object position, a shadowed second sub-array of the second millimeter-wave antenna array, the second sub-array comprising at least two antenna elements of the second millimeter-wave antenna array.

3 more elements

An electronic communication device comprising:

multiple multi-element, millimeter wave antenna arrays, with each antenna array comprising a distinct set of antenna elements, with each antenna element operative to exchange a mutual coupling transmission with another antenna array element;
a processor, operatively coupled to the multiple antenna arrays, the processor operative to:
determine a set of mutual coupling values for mutual coupling transmissions sent between different pairs of the multiple antenna arrays, wherein each mutual coupling value indicates mutual coupling transmission efficiency between antenna elements of a respective pair of antenna arrays;
determine an object position relative to the multiple antenna arrays based on the set of mutual coupling values;
operate, based on the object position, a shadowed antenna element of a first millimeter-wave antenna array and a shadowed antenna element of a second millimeter-wave antenna array for a mutual coupling transmission;
operate, based on the object position, an un-shadowed first sub-array of the first millimeter-wave antenna array for communication transmissions, the first sub-array comprising at least two antenna elements of the first millimeter-wave antenna array;
and
deactivate, based on the object position, a shadowed second sub-array of the second millimeter-wave antenna array, the second sub-array comprising at least two antenna elements of the second millimeter-wave antenna array.

5 more elements

An apparatus comprising:

at least two millimeter-wave antenna arrays, with each antenna array comprising four active antenna elements and two parasitic antenna elements;
at least one transceiver, operatively coupled to the at least two millimeter-wave antenna arrays;
a processor, operatively coupled to the at least one transceiver, the processor operative to:
control the at least one transceiver to initiate mutual coupling transmissions between any two active antenna elements of the at least two millimeter-wave antenna arrays;
determine a set of mutual coupling efficiency values for the mutual coupling transmissions between antenna elements of the at least two millimeter-wave antenna arrays;
determine an object position relative to the at least two millimeter-wave antenna arrays based on the set of mutual coupling values;
operate, based on the object position, a shadowed antenna element of a first millimeter-wave antenna array of the at least two millimeter-wave antenna arrays and a shadowed antenna element of a second millimeter-wave antenna array of the at least two millimeter-wave antenna arrays for a mutual coupling transmission;
operate, based on the object position, an un-shadowed first sub-array of the first millimeter-wave antenna array for communication transmissions, the first sub-array comprising at least two antenna elements of the first millimeter-wave antenna array;
and
deactivate, based on the object position, a shadowed second sub-array of the second millimeter-wave antenna array, the second sub-array comprising at least two antenna elements of the second millimeter-wave antenna array.

7 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.