# US 2010/0164479 A1 · Portable Electronic Device Having Self-Calibrating Proximity Sensors > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 2010/0164479 A1 - Document ID: US20100164479A1 - Status: Published application - Kind: A1 - Application number: 12/344,760 - Filed: 2008-12-29 - Published: 2010-07-01 - Earliest claimed: 2008-12-29 - Assignees: Motorola, Inc. - Inventors: Rachid M. Alameh; Aaron L. Dietrich; Kenneth Allen Paitl - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US20100164479A1 ## CPC - G01D 18/006: {Intermittent recalibration} - G06F 1/1626: {with a single-body enclosure integrating a flat display, e.g. Personal Digital Assistants [PDAs]} - G06F 1/1684: {Constructional details or arrangements related to integrated I/O peripherals not covered by groups G06F1/1635 - G06F1/1675} - G06F 1/3231: Monitoring the presence, absence or movement of users - G06F 1/325: {Power saving in peripheral device} - G06F 1/3262: {Power saving in digitizer or tablet} - G06F 1/3265: {Power saving in display device} - G06F 1/3287: by switching off individual functional units in the computer system - G06F 3/0418: {for error correction or compensation, e.g. based on parallax, calibration or alignment} - H04M 1/72454: according to context-related or environment-related conditions - H04W 52/0225: {using monitoring of external events, e.g. the presence of a signal} - H03K 2217/94031: Calibration involving digital processing - H04M 2250/12: including a sensor for measuring a physical value, e.g. temperature or motion - H04M 2250/22: including a touch pad, a touch sensor or a touch detector - H04W 52/0238: {where the received signal is an unwanted signal, e.g. interference or idle signal} - Y02D 10/00: Energy efficient computing, e.g. low power processors, power management or thermal management - G01D: MEASURING NOT SPECIALLY ADAPTED FOR A SPECIFIC VARIABLE; ARRANGEMENTS FOR MEASURING TWO OR MORE VARIABLES NOT COVERED IN A SINGLE OTHER SUBCLASS; TARIFF METERING APPARATUS; MEASURING OR TESTING NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR - G06F: ELECTRIC DIGITAL DATA PROCESSING (computer systems based on specific computational models G06N) - H04M: TELEPHONIC COMMUNICATION (circuits for controlling other apparatus via a telephone cable and not involving telephone switching apparatus G08) - H04W: WIRELESS COMMUNICATION NETWORKS (broadcast communication H04H; communication systems using wireless links for non-selective communication, e.g. wireless extensions H04M1/72) - H03K: PULSE TECHNIQUE (measuring pulse characteristics G01R; modulating sinusoidal oscillations with pulses H03C; transmission of digital information H04L; discriminator circuits detecting phase difference between two signals by counting or integrating cycles of oscillation H03D3/04; automatic control, starting, synchronisation or stabilisation of generators of electronic oscillations or pulses where the type of generator is irrelevant or unspecified H03L; coding, decoding or code conversion, in general H03M) - 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 A method of a portable electronic device for self-calibration of a proximity sensor. A background measurement is obtained by the proximity sensor and a detection threshold of the proximity sensor is adjusted based on the background measurement. The background measurement is a measure of a received signal when no signal is transmitted by the proximity sensor, and the detection threshold is associated with a sensitivity of the proximity sensor to environmental conditions. A source signal is emitted by the proximity sensor based on the adjusted detection threshold of the proximity sensor, and a return signal is received by the proximity sensor corresponding to the source signal. A function of the portable electronic device may be performed base don the received return signal. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A method of a portable electronic device for self-calibration of a proximity sensor, the method comprising: obtaining a background measurement by the proximity sensor, wherein the background measurement is a measure of a received signal when no signal is transmitted by the proximity sensor; adjusting a detection threshold of the proximity sensor based on the background measurement, the detection threshold associated with a sensitivity of the proximity sensor to environmental conditions; emitting a source signal by the proximity sensor based on the adjusted detection threshold of the proximity sensor; and receiving a return signal by the proximity sensor corresponding to the source signal. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein: emitting a source signal by the proximity sensor occurs multiple times: and obtaining a background measurement by the proximity sensor occurs before each occurrence of emitting the source signal by the proximity sensor. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein obtaining a background measurement by the proximity sensor includes obtaining the background measurement by the proximity sensor on a periodic basis. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, further comprising: detecting a change in the environmental conditions, wherein obtaining a background measurement by the proximity sensor includes obtaining the background measurement in response to detecting a change in the environmental conditions. ### Claim 5 (depends on 4) The method of claim 4, wherein detecting a change in the environmental conditions includes detecting the change in environmental conditions based on information received from another proximity sensor or a sensor other than the proximity sensor. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, further comprising: emitting a second source signal; and receiving a second return signal corresponding to the second source signal, wherein obtaining a background measurement by the proximity sensor includes obtaining the background measurement subsequent to receiving the second return signal. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein adjusting a detection threshold of the proximity sensor based on the background measurement comprises identifying the background measurement as exceeding a predetermined noise threshold. ### Claim 8 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein adjusting a detection threshold of the proximity sensor based on the background measurement comprises determining an appropriate detection threshold based on information from another proximity sensor or a sensor other than the proximity sensor in conjunction with the background measurement by the proximity sensor. ### Claim 9 (depends on 8) The method of claim 8, wherein the sensor other than the proximity sensor includes at least a touch sensor, a light sensor or an accelerometer. ### Claim 10 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein adjusting a detection threshold of the proximity sensor based on the background measurement comprises determining an appropriate detection threshold based on at least date or time information in conjunction with the background measurement by the proximity sensor. ### Claim 11 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein adjusting a detection threshold of the proximity sensor based on the background measurement comprises: accumulating a statistic of ambient background noise; and determining an appropriate detection threshold based on the accumulated statistic. ### Claim 12 (depends on 11) The method of claim 11, wherein the accumulated statistic includes at least one of mean, standard deviation, maximum signal level, or minimum signal level. ### Claim 13 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, further comprising performing a function of the portable electronic device based on the received return signal. ### Claim 14 A portable electronic device having one or more sensors with self-calibration capabilities comprising: a proximity sensor including an emitter and a detector, the emitter capable of emitting a source signal and a detector capable of detecting a return signal corresponding to the source signal, the detector further capable of detecting a background measurement, wherein the background measurement is a measure of a received signal when no signal is transmitted by the proximity sensor; and a processor capable of adjusting a detection threshold of the proximity sensor based on the background measurement, the detection threshold associated with a sensitivity of the proximity sensor to environmental conditions. ### Claim 15 (depends on 14) The portable electronic device of claim 14, wherein the proximity sensor is one of a light sensor, capacitive sensor, magnetic sensor, inductive sensor, acoustic sensor, thermal sensor or a radiation sensor. ### Claim 16 (depends on 14) The portable electronic device of claim 14, wherein the proximity sensor is a first proximity sensor directed in a first direction, the portable electronic device further comprising: a second proximity sensor directed in a second direction substantially opposite to the first direction, wherein the processor determines a direction of activity based on information received from the first and second proximity sensors. ### Claim 17 (depends on 14) The portable electronic device of claim 14, wherein the proximity sensor detects a background measurement before each occurrence of emitting the source signal. ### Claim 18 (depends on 14) The portable electronic device of claim 14, wherein the proximity sensor detects a background measurement on a periodic basis. ### Claim 19 (depends on 14) The portable electronic device of claim 14, further comprising a second sensor, different from the proximity sensor, capable of detecting a change in the environmental conditions, wherein the proximity sensor obtains the background measurement in response to detecting a change in the environmental conditions by the second sensor. ### Claim 20 A method of a portable electronic device for self-calibration of a proximity sensor, the method comprising: emitting a first source signal by the proximity sensor, the first source signal including a plurality of pulses; receiving a first return signal by the proximity sensor corresponding to the first source signal; determining whether the first return signal meets or exceeds a predetermined criterion based on timing of the plurality of pulses; determining a magnitude measurement of the first return signal based on signal strength of the plurality of pulses; adjusting a detection threshold of the proximity sensor based on the magnitude measurement in response to determining that the first return signal meets or exceeds the predetermined criterion; emitting a first source signal by the proximity sensor based on the adjusted detection threshold of the proximity sensor; and receiving a second return signal by the proximity sensor corresponding to the second source signal.