# US 11,310,747 B2 · Methods and apparatus for user equipment to differentiate human grip from protective covers > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 11,310,747 B2 - Document ID: US11310747B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 16/898,746 - Filed: 2020-06-11 - Published: 2020-12-17 - Granted: 2022-04-19 - Earliest claimed: 2019-06-12 - Assignees: QUALCOMM Incorporated - Applicants: QUALCOMM Incorporated - Inventors: Seunghwan Kim; Udara Fernando; Eyosias Yoseph Imana; Robert Gilmore - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US11310747B2 ## CPC - H04B 1/3838: {Arrangements for reducing RF exposure to the user, e.g. by changing the shape of the transceiver while in use} - H04W 52/146: {Uplink power control} - H04B 3/52: Systems for transmission between fixed stations via waveguides - H04B 7/0456: Selection of precoding matrices or codebooks, e.g. using matrices antenna weighting - H04B 7/0608: {Antenna selection according to transmission parameters} - H04B 7/10: Polarisation diversity; Directional diversity - H04B 17/0085: {using test signal generators} - H04W 52/0254: {detecting a user operation or a tactile contact or a motion of the device} - H04W 52/225: {Calculation of statistics, e.g. average or variance} - H04W 52/241: {taking into account channel quality metrics, e.g. SIR, SNR, CIR or Eb/lo} - H04W 52/242: {taking into account path loss} - H04W 52/246: {where the output power of a terminal is based on a path parameter calculated in said terminal} - H04W 52/325: {Power control of control or pilot channels} - H04W 52/367: {Power values between minimum and maximum limits, e.g. dynamic range} - H04W 52/42: in systems with time, space, frequency or polarisation diversity - H04B 17/336: Signal-to-interference ratio [SIR] or carrier-to-interference ratio [CIR] - Y02D 30/70: in wireless communication networks - H04B: TRANSMISSION - H04W: WIRELESS COMMUNICATION NETWORKS (broadcast communication H04H; communication systems using wireless links for non-selective communication, e.g. wireless extensions H04M1/72) - Y02D: CLIMATE CHANGE MITIGATION TECHNOLOGIES IN INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGIES [ICT], I.E. INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGIES AIMING AT THE REDUCTION OF THEIR OWN ENERGY USE ## Abstract Methods and apparatus for distinguishing between an antenna of a user equipment (UE) being blocked by a cover (e.g., a protective rubber or plastic case) or by human tissue (e.g., a finger or palm). The transmission power of uplink (UL) signals may be adjusted accordingly, with relatively higher transmission power for open space or a cover and relatively lower transmission power for human tissue. One example method for wireless communications by a UE generally includes transmitting a first signal from the UE, receiving a plurality of signals at the UE based on the transmitted first signal, determining values for at least two different types of parameters based on the received plurality of signals, determining an environmental scenario for the UE based on the values for the at least two different types of parameters, and transmitting a second signal using a transmission power based on the determined environmental scenario. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A method for wireless communications by a user equipment (UE), comprising: transmitting a first signal from the UE; receiving a plurality of signals at the UE based on the transmitted first signal, wherein the received plurality of signals comprises a vertical polarization component signal and a horizontal polarization component signal; determining values for at least two different types of parameters based on the received plurality of signals; determining an environmental scenario for the UE based on the values for the at least two different types of parameters; and transmitting a second signal using a transmission power based on the determined environmental scenario. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein the at least two different types of parameters comprise a statistic of a cross-polarization ratio between the vertical polarization component signal and the horizontal polarization component signal. ### Claim 3 (depends on 2) The method of claim 2, wherein the statistic of the cross-polarization ratio comprises a standard deviation of the cross-polarization ratio. ### Claim 4 (depends on 2) The method of claim 2, wherein the at least two different types of parameters further comprise a statistic of a signal-to-noise ratio based on the vertical polarization component signal and the horizontal polarization component signal. ### Claim 5 (depends on 4) The method of claim 4, wherein the statistic of the signal-to-noise ratio comprises a mean of the signal-to-noise ratio calculated based on a variance of the vertical polarization component signal and on a variance of the horizontal polarization component signal. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein the at least two different types of parameters comprise a statistic of a signal-to-noise ratio based on the vertical polarization component signal and the horizontal polarization component signal. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein receiving the plurality of signals comprises: receiving the vertical polarization component signal via a vertically polarized receive path of the UE; and receiving the horizontal polarization component signal via a horizontally polarized receive path of the UE. ### Claim 8 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein the first signal comprises a test signal from the UE. ### Claim 9 (depends on 8) The method of claim 8, wherein the test signal comprises a continuous wave signal or a frequency-modulated continuous-wave (FMCW) radar signal. ### Claim 10 (depends on 8) The method of claim 8, wherein the test signal is transmitted from an antenna in an antenna array of the UE and wherein the plurality of signals is received by another antenna in the antenna array. ### Claim 11 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein determining the environmental scenario comprises distinguishing between an antenna of the UE being blocked by a cover or by human tissue. ### Claim 12 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein determining the environmental scenario comprises determining a center and a radius of an open space from an antenna of the UE. ### Claim 13 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein determining the environmental scenario comprises determining a material of a protective case covering the UE. ### Claim 14 (depends on 13) The method of claim 13, wherein: the at least two different types of parameters comprise a statistic of a cross-polarization ratio between the vertical polarization component signal and the horizontal polarization component signal; and determining the material of the protective case covering the UE is based, at least in part, on the statistic of the cross-polarization ratio. ### Claim 15 (depends on 14) The method of claim 14, wherein the statistic comprises a standard deviation of the cross-polarization ratio. ### Claim 16 A method for wireless communications by a user equipment (UE), comprising: transmitting a first signal from the UE; receiving a plurality of signals at the UE based on the transmitted first signal; determining values for at least two different types of parameters based on the received plurality of signals; determining an environmental scenario for the UE based on the values for the at least two different types of parameters; and transmitting a second signal using a transmission power based on the determined environmental scenario, wherein determining the environmental scenario comprises: determining a boundary based on a relationship between the at least two types of parameters; and determining whether one of the at least two types of parameters is on a first side of the boundary or a second side of the boundary, wherein: the second signal is transmitted using a relatively lower transmission power if the one of the at least two types of parameters is on the first side of the boundary; and the second signal is transmitted using a relatively higher transmission power if the one of the at least two types of parameters is on the second side of the boundary. ### Claim 17 A method for wireless communications by a user equipment (UE), comprising: transmitting a first signal from the UE; receiving a plurality of signals at the UE based on the transmitted first signal; determining values for at least two different types of parameters based on the received plurality of signals; determining an environmental scenario for the UE based on the values for the at least two different types of parameters; transmitting a second signal using a transmission power based on the determined environmental scenario; determining a value for each of one or more parameters based on the received plurality of signals; determining a type of a cover adjacent to an antenna array of the UE based on the value for each of the one or more parameters; selecting an antenna array codebook based on the determined type of the cover; and transmitting a third signal according to the selected antenna array codebook. ### Claim 18 (depends on 17) The method of claim 17, wherein determining the type of the cover comprises determining a material of the cover. ### Claim 19 (depends on 17) The method of claim 17, wherein the received plurality of signals comprises a vertical polarization component signal and a horizontal polarization component signal and wherein the one or more parameters comprise a statistic of a cross-polarization ratio between the vertical polarization component signal and the horizontal polarization component signal. ### Claim 20 (depends on 19) The method of claim 19, wherein the one or more parameters further comprise a statistic of a signal-to-noise ratio based on the vertical polarization component signal and the horizontal polarization component signal. ### Claim 21 (depends on 20) The method of claim 20, wherein the statistic of the signal-to-noise ratio comprises a mean of the signal-to-noise ratio calculated based on a variance of the vertical polarization component signal and on a variance of the horizontal polarization component signal. ### Claim 22 (depends on 17) The method of claim 17, further comprising wirelessly reading an identification tag associated with the cover. ### Claim 23 (depends on 22) The method of claim 22, wherein determining the type of the cover comprises comparing the type of the cover determined based on the value for each of the one or more parameters with a type of the cover based on the read identification tag. ### Claim 24 (depends on 22) The method of claim 22, wherein the cover is a protective case for the UE and wherein the identification tag indicates a particular model of the protective case. ### Claim 25 An apparatus for wireless communications, comprising: a transmitter configured to transmit a first signal from the apparatus; a receiver configured to receive a plurality of signals based on the transmitted first signal, wherein the plurality of signals comprises a vertical polarization component signal and a horizontal polarization component signal; and a processing system configured to: determine values for at least two different types of parameters based on the received plurality of signals; and determine an environmental scenario for the apparatus based on the values for the at least two different types of parameters, the transmitter being further configured to transmit a second signal using a transmission power based on the determined environmental scenario. ### Claim 26 (depends on 25) The apparatus of claim 25, wherein: the receiver comprises a vertically polarized receive path and a horizontally polarized receive path; the vertically polarized receive path is configured to receive the vertical polarization component signal; and the horizontally polarized receive path is configured to receive the horizontal polarization component signal. ### Claim 27 An apparatus for wireless communications, comprising: a transmitter configured to transmit a first signal from the apparatus; a receiver configured to receive a plurality of signals based on the transmitted first signal; an antenna array, wherein the transmitter is configured to transmit the first signal from a first antenna in the antenna array and wherein the receiver is configured to receive the plurality of signals via a second antenna in the antenna array; and a processing system configured to: determine values for at least two different types of parameters based on the received plurality of signals; and determine an environmental scenario for the apparatus based on the values for the at least two different types of parameters, the transmitter being further configured to transmit a second signal using a transmission power based on the determined environmental scenario. ### Claim 28 An apparatus for wireless communications, comprising: a transmitter configured to transmit a first signal from the apparatus; a receiver configured to receive a plurality of signals based on the transmitted first signal; a processing system configured to: determine values for at least two different types of parameters based on the received plurality of signals; and determine an environmental scenario for the apparatus based on the values for the at least two different types of parameters, the transmitter being further configured to transmit a second signal using a transmission power based on the determined environmental scenario; and a protective case covering the apparatus, wherein the processing system is configured to determine the environmental scenario by determining a material of the protective case covering the apparatus.