IP Library Granted Patent US 10,447,263
Granted Patent B2
US 10,447,263 · App. 15/679,550 · Granted Oct 15, 2019

Electronic device and method thereof for grip recognition

Inventors: Dongil Yang (Gyeonggi-do, KR); Wonsub Lim (Gyeonggi-do, KR); Daeyoung Kim (Seoul, KR); Sunah Park (Gyeonggi-do, KR); Seunghyun Oh (Gyeonggi-do, KR)
Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd
H03K17/962G06F1/1626G06F1/1684H01Q1/243H04B1/0458H04B5/0031H04B5/0056H04M1/72569H04W4/80H04W52/0254G01R1/025H03K2217/94089H03K2217/960775H04B1/006H04B1/3838H04W12/06Y02D70/00Y02D70/1242Y02D70/1262Y02D70/1264Y02D70/142Y02D70/144Y02D70/164Y02D70/166Y02D70/168Y02D70/20Y02D70/26Y02D70/42
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 10,447,263
App. No.
15/679,550
Granted
Oct 15, 2019
Kind
B2
Abstract

An electronic device and a method of grip recognition of the electronic device are provided. The electronic device includes an antenna, a radio communication device having a coupler, a memory, and a processor which is electrically connected to the radio communication device and the memory, wherein the memory includes instructions, executable by the processor, wherein the processor is configured to detect a first signal being transmitted and a second signal being received through the antenna using the coupler, calculate a reflection coefficient of the antenna based on the first signal and the second signal, determine a signal magnitude and a phase corresponding to the reflection coefficient, and determine whether the electronic device is being gripped based on the signal magnitude and the phase.

Claims (48)

1. An electronic device, comprising:

an antenna;

a radio communication device having a coupler;

a memory; and

a processor which is electrically connected to the radio communication device and the memory,

wherein the memory comprises instructions, executable by the processor, the processor is configured to:

detect a first signal being transmitted and a second signal being received through the antenna using the coupler,

calculate a reflection coefficient of the antenna based on the first signal and the second signal,

determine a signal magnitude and a phase corresponding to the reflection coefficient, and

determine whether the electronic device is being gripped based on the signal magnitude and the phase.

2. The electronic device of claim 1 , further comprising a transceiver which is configured to generate and transmit the first signal,

wherein the processor is configured to detect, if the first signal is being transmitted to the antenna via the coupler, the first signal by the coupler.

3. The electronic device of claim 2 , wherein the processor is configured to detect, if the second signal received by the antenna is being transmitted to the transceiver via the coupler, the second signal by the coupler.

4. The electronic device of claim 1 , wherein the coupler is a bi-directional coupler, and the processor is configured to detect the first signal and the second signal separately by the bi-directional coupler.

5. The electronic device of claim 1 , wherein the memory is configured to store a predetermined equation, and the processor is configured to calculate the reflection coefficient of the antenna by substituting values of the first signal and the second signal into the equation.

6. The electronic device of claim 1 , wherein the memory is configured to store a lookup table and a gamma chart for determining the signal magnitude and the phase corresponding to the reflection coefficient.

7. The electronic device of claim 1 , further comprising a diversity antenna, wherein the processor is configured to:

detect, if the radio communication device is switched from the antenna to the diversity antenna, the first and second signals being transmitted to and from the diversity antenna, and

calculate the reflection coefficient of the diversity antenna based on the first signal and the second signal.

8. The electronic device of claim 7 , wherein the processor is further configured to:

determine the signal magnitude and the phase corresponding to the reflection coefficient, and

determine whether an object is approaching the electronic device based on the signal magnitude and the phase.

9. The electronic device of claim 7 , wherein the processor is further configured to determine a state of the electronic device based on the reflection coefficients of the antenna and the diversity antenna.

10. The electronic device of claim 1 , wherein the processor is configured to enable, if the electronic device is being gripped, an electromagnetic function for reducing electromagnetic wave radiation.

11. A method of grip recognition of an electronic device, the method comprising:

detecting a first signal being transmitted and a second signal being received through an antenna using a coupler;

calculating a reflection coefficient of the antenna based on the first signal and the second signal;

determining a signal magnitude and a phase corresponding to the reflection coefficient; and

determining whether the electronic device is being gripped based on the signal magnitude and the phase.

12. The method of claim 11 , wherein detecting the first signal comprises:

generating, at a transceiver of the electronic device, the first signal; and

detecting, if the first signal is being transmitted to the antenna via the coupler, the first signal by the coupler.

13. The method of claim 11 , wherein detecting the second signal comprises:

receiving the second signal through the antenna; and

detecting, if the second signal is being transmitted to a transceiver of the electronic device via the coupler, the second signal by the coupler.

14. The method of claim 11 , wherein the coupler is a bi-directional coupler configured to detect the first signal and the second signal separately.

15. The method of claim 11 , wherein calculating the reflection coefficient comprises calculating the reflection coefficient based on the first signal and the second signal using an equation stored in a memory.

16. The method of claim 11 , wherein determining the signal magnitude and the phase corresponding to the reflection coefficient comprises retrieving the signal magnitude and the phase from a lookup table and a gamma chart stored in the memory for use in determining the signal magnitude and the phase.

17. The method of claim 11 , further comprising:

switching from the antenna to a diversity antenna;

detecting, if the coupler is switched from the antenna to the diversity antenna, the first signal being transmitted to the diversity antenna;

detecting the second signal being transmitted from the diversity antenna; and

calculating the reflection coefficient of the diversity antenna based on the first signal and the second signal.

18. The method of claim 17 , further comprising:

determining the signal magnitude and the phase corresponding to the reflection coefficient; and

determining whether an object is approaching the electronic device based on the signal magnitude and the phase.

19. The method of claim 17 , further comprising determining a state of the electronic device based on the reflection coefficients of the antenna and the diversity antenna.

20. The method of claim 11 , further comprising enabling, if the electronic device is being gripped, an electromagnetic function for reducing electromagnetic wave radiation.

Assignments (2)
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Sep 6, 2017
From: KIM, DAEYOUNG; PARK, SUNAH; OH, SEUNGHYUN
To: SAMSUNG ELECTRONICS CO., LTD.
Reel/Frame 043502/0237 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Aug 21, 2017
From: YANG, DONGIL; LIM, WONSUB
To: SAMSUNG ELECTRONICS CO., LTD.
Reel/Frame 043610/0425 →
Priority Claims (1)
KR 10-2016-0104827 · Aug 18, 2016 · national
Continuity (1)
Related Publication 20180054196A1 · Feb 22, 2018
Cited By (1)
US 12,580,594