Granted Patent B2

US 8,731,503 · App. 12/770,133 · Granted May 20, 2014

Abstract

Claims (36)

1. A method comprising:

measuring, under control of at least one processor of a mobile device, performance of at least one radio frequency reception parameter for radio frequency reception of the mobile device, the mobile device comprising at least one antenna over which the radio frequency reception occurs and the at least one processor; and

in response to the measured performance, causing automatic movement by the mobile device to change the positioning thereof to improve the performance of the at least one radio frequency reception parameter,

wherein causing automatic movement further comprises causing vibration of the mobile device to cause the mobile device to rotate to improve the performance of the at least one radio frequency reception parameter.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein causing vibration further comprises causing a vibration device to accelerate in a predetermined vibration mode, transitioning to a deceleration, and decelerating the vibration device, and repeating the acceleration, transitioning, and deceleration while rotation of the mobile device is desired.

3. The method of claim 2 , wherein decelerating the vibration device comprises letting friction of at least the vibration device reduce vibration of the vibration device.

4. The method of claim 2 , wherein decelerating the vibration device comprises reversing polarity of a voltage applied to the vibration device from a first polarity of the voltage applied to accelerate the vibration device to a second polarity of the voltage.

5. The method of claim 2 , wherein:

the acceleration, transitioning, and deceleration cause the mobile device to rotate in a first direction;

the predetermined vibration mode is a first predetermined vibration mode; and

causing vibration further comprises causing the mobile device to move in a second direction opposite the first direction by causing the vibration device to accelerate in a second predetermined vibration mode opposite from the first predetermined vibration mode, transitioning to a deceleration, and decelerating the vibration device.

6. The method of claim 1 , in response to a user selecting a channel over which the radio frequency reception is to occur:

measuring further comprises measuring, while vibration is occurring, a number of values for the performance of the at least one radio frequency reception parameter for the channel; and

causing vibration further comprises causing vibration to rotate the mobile device to a location determined to meet at least one predetermined threshold criterion as measured by at least one corresponding value for the at least one radio frequency reception parameter.

7. The method of claim 1 , wherein causing movement further comprises causing rotation of a motor coupled to a housing of the mobile device to cause the mobile device to rotate.

8. The method of claim 1 , wherein:

measuring further comprises measuring, while movement is occurring, a number of values for the performance of the at least one radio frequency reception parameter; and

causing movement further comprises using the values to determine movement of the mobile device that improves the performance.

9. The method of claim 1 , wherein the at least one radio frequency reception parameter comprises at least one of a radio frequency receive signal strength indicator (RSSI) value, a signal to noise ratio (SNR) value, or a number of channels found during a frequency band scan.

10. A mobile device comprising:

at least one antenna and a receiver over which radio frequency reception occurs;

at least one processor; and

at least one memory including computer program code, the at least one memory and the computer program code configured to, with the at least one processor, cause the mobile device to perform at least the following:

measuring, under control of the at least one processor, performance of at least one radio frequency reception parameter for the radio frequency reception; and

in response to the measured performance, causing automatic movement by the mobile device to change the positioning thereof to improve the performance of the at least one radio frequency reception parameter,

wherein causing automatic movement further comprises causing vibration of the mobile device to cause the mobile device to rotate to improve the performance of the at least one radio frequency reception parameter.

11. The mobile device of claim 10 , wherein the mobile device further comprises a vibration device configured to vibrate the mobile device, and wherein causing movement further comprises causing vibration of the vibration device to cause the mobile device to rotate to improve the performance of the at least one radio frequency reception parameter.

12. The mobile device of claim 10 , further comprising a housing and a motor coupled to the housing, wherein causing movement further comprises causing rotation of the motor coupled to cause the mobile device to rotate.

13. The mobile device of claim 10 , wherein:

measuring further comprises measuring, while movement is occurring, a number of values for the performance of the at least one radio frequency reception parameter of the receiver; and

causing movement further comprises using the values to determine movement of the mobile device that improves the performance.

14. The mobile device of claim 10 , wherein the at least one radio frequency reception parameter comprises at least one of a radio frequency receive signal strength indicator (RSSI) value, a signal to noise ratio (SNR) value, or a number of channels found during a frequency band scan.

15. A computer program product comprising a computer-readable memory medium bearing computer program code embodied therein for use with a computer, the computer program code comprising:

code for measuring, under control of at least one processor of a mobile device, performance of at least one radio frequency reception parameter for radio frequency reception of the mobile device, the mobile device comprising at least one antenna over which the radio frequency reception occurs and the at least one processor; and

code for causing automatic movement by the mobile device to change the positioning thereof to improve the performance of the at least one radio frequency reception parameter in response to the measured performance,

wherein causing automatic movement further comprises causing vibration of the mobile device to cause the mobile device to rotate to improve the performance of the at least one radio frequency reception parameter.

Assignments (9)