Body detection using near field millimeter wave scattering

A communication device comprising:

• a millimeter wave (mmWave) antenna array;
• a memory containing a near-field detection application;
• a communication module communicatively coupled to the mmWave antenna array to transmit and to receive signals;
• and
• a processor subsystem in communication with the communication module and which executes the near-field detection application, which causes the processor subsystem to:
• transmit an mmWave signal from a communication device that is swept across a range of frequencies;
• receive by the communication device any back-scattered signals in the range of frequencies;
• determine based on magnitude and phase characteristics of the received back-scattered signals whether a near-field obstruction exists;
• and
• in response to determining that a near-field obstruction exists, perform a selected one of:
• (i) altering a transmission beam transmitted by the communication device;
• and (ii) triggering an application to execute on the communication device, the application intended to interact with a user of the communication device.

A computer program product comprising:

• a computer readable storage device;
• and
• program code on the computer readable storage device that when executed by a processor associated with a communication device, the program code enables the communication device to provide the functionality of:
• transmitting a millimeter wave (mmWave) signal from a communication device that is swept across a range of frequencies;
• receiving by the communication device any back-scattered signals in the range of frequencies;
• determining based on magnitude and phase characteristics of the received back-scattered signals whether a near-field obstruction exists;
• and
• in response to determining that a near-field obstruction exists, performing a selected one of:
• (i) altering a transmission beam transmitted by the communication device;
• and (ii) triggering an application to execute on the communication device, the application intended to interact with a user of the communication device.