US 12,111,713 B2Granted

Smartphone-based radar system for determining user intention in a lower-power mode

AssigneeGoogle Inc.

InventorsLeonardo Giusti, Ivan Poupyrev, Eiji Hayashi, Patrick M. Amihood

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Abstract

This document describes techniques and systems that enable a smartphone-based radar system for determining user intention in a lower-power mode. The techniques and systems use a radar field to enable the smartphone to accurately determine the presence or absence of a user and further determine the intention of the user to interact with the smartphone. Using these techniques, the smartphone can account for the user's nonverbal communication cues to determine and maintain an awareness of users in its environment, and only respond to direct interactions once a user has demonstrated an intention to interact, which preserves battery power. The smartphone may determine the user's intention by recognizing various cues from the user, such as a change in position relative to the smartphone, a change in posture, or by an explicit action, such as a gesture.

Claims22

Dependent claims

An electronic device, comprising:

a radar system, implemented at least partially in hardware, configured to:
provide a radar field;
sense reflections from an object in the radar field;
provide an analysis of the reflections from the object;
and
provide, based on the analysis of the reflections, radar data;
and
one or more computer-readable media having instructions stored thereon that, responsive to execution by one or more computer processors, implement a persistent radar-based interaction manager configured to:
maintain the radar system in an idle mode, the idle mode:
requiring no more than a first threshold of power;
and
comprising the radar system operating with a first set of radar characteristics comprising at least one of a first maximum transmit power available to the radar system, a first set of sensors available to the radar system, a first set of one or more processors available to the radar system, or a first duty cycle of the radar system;
determine, based on the radar data, whether a presence of the object is within an awareness zone of the electronic device;
and
responsive to a determination that the object is within the awareness zone, cause the radar system to exit the idle mode and enter an interaction mode, the interaction mode:
requiring no more than a second threshold of power, the second threshold of power greater than the first threshold of power;
and
comprising the radar system operating with a second set of radar characteristics comprising at least one of a second maximum transmit power available to the radar system, a second set of sensors available to the radar system, a second set of one or more processors available to the radar system, or a second duty cycle of the radar system.

15 more elements

A method implemented in an electronic device that includes a radar system, the method comprising:

providing, by the radar system, a radar field;
sensing, by the radar system, reflections from an object in the radar field;
analyzing the reflections from the object;
providing, based on an analysis of the reflections, radar data;
maintaining the radar system in an idle mode, the idle mode:
requiring no more than a first threshold of power;
and
comprising the radar system operating with a first set of radar characteristics comprising at least one of a first maximum transmit power available to the radar system, a first set of sensors available to the radar system, a first set of one or more processors available to the radar system, or a first duty cycle of the radar system;
and
determining, based on the radar data, whether a presence of the object is within an awareness zone of the electronic device;
responsive to determining that the object is within the awareness zone, causing the radar system to exit the idle mode and enter an interaction mode, the interaction mode:
requiring no more than a second threshold of power, the second threshold of power greater than the first threshold of power;
and
comprising the radar system operating with a second set of radar characteristics comprising at least one of a second maximum transmit power available to the radar system, a second set of sensors available to the radar system, a second set of one or more processors available to the radar system, or a second duty cycle of the radar system.

11 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Facts

Application: 17/650,488Filed 9 Feb 2022 · continuation
Priority: 22 Oct 2018
Published: US 2022/0269329 A125 Aug 2022
Granted: 8 Oct 2024
Term ends: Not estimatedThe source records don’t support an estimate.

Classification10 codes

G06F 1/3231
Monitoring of events, devices or parameters that trigger a change in power modality: monitoring the presence, absence or movement of users
G01S 7/35
Of systems according to group G01S13/00: details of non-pulse systems
G01S 13/04
Systems using reflection of radio waves, e.g. primary radar systems; Analogous systems: systems determining presence of a target
G01S 13/88
Systems using the reflection or reradiation of radio waves, e.g. radar systems; Analogous systems using reflection or reradiation of waves whose…:…

Family

Application16/166,900Parent of this continuation · filed 22 Oct 2018
Application17/035,059Parent of this continuation · filed 28 Sep 2020
US 10,788,880 B2Parent of this continuation · filed 29 Sep 2020
US 2022/0269329 A1Pre-grant publication · published 25 Aug 2022
US 11,314,312 B2Parent of this continuation
US 2020/0125158 A1Published application
US 2021/0026434 A1Published application
US 12,111,713 B2This patent

From the US filing history. Foreign family members aren’t listed.

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