Electronic devices having antenna arrays for performing proximity detection operations and detection methods thereof

A proximity detection method for an electronic device, the proximity detection method comprising:

• transmitting, from an antenna array, wireless signals generated by a radio frequency (RF) front end circuit and receiving the wireless signals by the antenna array;
• obtaining receiving powers of the wireless signals reflected from the external object and received by a plurality of antennas of the antenna array;
• calculating a receiving power difference between the receiving powers associated with different antennas of the antenna array, and
• a distance information between the external object and the electronic device is determined based on the receiving power difference.

An electronic device comprising:

• a radio frequency (RF) front end circuit for generating wireless signals;
• an antenna array, coupled to the RF front end circuit, for transmitting the wireless signals generated by the RF front end circuit and receiving the wireless signals transmitted by the antenna array;
• and
• a control unit coupled to the radio frequency (RF) front end circuit, wherein the control unit is configured to control a first set of transceiver circuitries of the RF front end circuit to transmit the wireless signals to a third set of the antenna array and control a second set of transceiver circuitries of the RF front end circuit to receive the wireless signals transmitted from the third set of antennas of the antenna array using a fourth set of antennas of the antenna array;
• wherein
• receiving powers of the wireless signals reflected from the external object and received by a plurality of antennas of the antenna array are obtained,
• a receiving power difference between the receiving powers associated with different antennas of the antenna array is calculated, and
• a distance information between the external object and the electronic device is determined based on the receiving power difference.