Proximity and tap detection using a wireless system
AssigneeApple Inc.
InventorsJoakim Linde, Brian J Tucker
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A method for detecting the proximity of a signal source using wireless systems is contemplated in which a wireless mobile device wirelessly receives packets from a signal source and determines a received signal strength for each packet. The wireless mobile device may store information based upon the received signal strength for each packet, and calculate from the information stored for all the packets, a current path loss value corresponding to a current distance from the wireless mobile device to the signal source. The wireless mobile device may then determine whether the current distance is sufficient to be an enabling condition such as tap, for example, for a data transfer or a transaction between the wireless mobile device and the signal source.
Claims14
A method comprising:
- a wireless mobile device wirelessly receiving packets from a signal source and determining a received signal strength for each packet;
- calculating, based upon information corresponding to the received signal strength for each of the packets, a current path loss value corresponding to a current distance from the wireless mobile device to the signal source;
- and
- determining, by the wireless mobile device, whether the current distance comprises an enabling condition for an exchange of data between the wireless mobile device and the signal source;
- wherein the determining whether the current distance comprises an enabling condition comprises comparing the current path loss value to a plurality of predetermined path loss ranges to determine within which of the path loss ranges the current path loss value falls, wherein each path loss range corresponds to a different distance from the wireless mobile device to the signal source, and wherein the calculating the current path loss value comprises storing information for a predetermined number of packets, wherein the predetermined number is based upon which range of the plurality of predetermined path loss ranges the current path loss value falls within.
A wireless mobile device comprising:
- a receiver/transmitter unit configured to receive packets from a signal source;
- a processor coupled to the receiver/transmitter unit;
- and
- a proximity unit coupled to the processor and configured to determine a received signal strength for each packet;
- wherein the proximity unit is further configured to calculate, based upon information corresponding to the received signal strength for each of the packets, a current path loss value corresponding to a current distance from the wireless mobile device to the signal source;
- and
- wherein the proximity unit is further configured to determine whether the current distance comprises an enabling condition for an exchange of data between the wireless mobile device and the signal source and to compare the current path loss value to a plurality of predetermined path loss ranges to determine within which of the path loss ranges the current path loss value falls, wherein each path loss range corresponds to a different distance from the wireless mobile device to the signal source, and wherein the proximity unit is configured to store information for a predetermined number of packets, wherein the predetermined number is based upon which range of the plurality of path loss ranges the current path loss value falls within.
A non-transitory computer readable storage medium including program instructions that are executable by a processor of a wireless mobile device to:
- receive packets from a signal source;
- determine a received signal strength for each packet;
- calculate, based upon information corresponding to the received signal strength for each of the packets, a current path loss value corresponding to a current distance from the wireless mobile device to the signal source;
- and
- determine whether the current distance comprises an enabling condition for an exchange of data between the wireless mobile device and the signal source;
- wherein the program instructions are executable by a processor of the wireless mobile device to compare the current path loss value to a plurality of predetermined path loss ranges to determine within which of the path loss ranges the current path loss value falls, wherein each path loss range corresponds to a different distance from the wireless mobile device to the signal source;
- and
- wherein the program instructions are further executable by a processor of a wireless mobile device to store information for a predetermined number of packets, wherein the predetermined number is based upon which range of the plurality of path loss ranges the current path loss value falls within.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.