Adjustable Wireless Circuitry with Antenna-Based Proximity Detector

摘要

An electronic device such as a portable electronic device has wireless communications circuitry. Antennas in the electronic device may be used in transmitting radio-frequency antenna signals. A coupler and antenna signal phase and magnitude measurement circuitry may be used to determine when external objects are in the vicinity of the antenna by making antenna impedance measurements. In-band and out-of-band phase and magnitude signal measurements may be made in determining whether external objects are present. Additional sensors such as motion sensors, light and heat sensors, acoustic and electrical sensors may produce data that can be combined with the proximity data gathered using the antenna-based proximity sensor. In response to detecting that an external object such as a user's body is within a given distance of the antenna, the electronic device may reduce transmit powers, switch antennas, steer a phased antenna array, switch communications protocols, or take other actions.

主权项

1. An electronic device, comprising:
an antenna with which the electronic device transmits radio-frequency signals according to a wireless communications mode; circuitry that is coupled to the antenna and that makes radio-frequency signal phase and magnitude measurements; and storage and processing circuitry that determines whether an external object is adjacent to the antenna by processing the radio-frequency signal phase and magnitude measurements, wherein the storage and processing circuitry identifies what tasks are being performed by the electronic device and, in response to determining that the external object is adjacent to the antenna, adjusts the wireless communications mode based at least partly on the tasks that are being performed by the electronic device.