Method and apparatus for user equipment to distinguish human grasp and protective cover

Abstract

A method for wireless communication by a user equipment (UE) and an apparatus for performing the method are disclosed. The method includes: receiving multiple cross-polarization captures from a plurality of antenna arrays of the UE; determining that the multiple cross-polarization captures from the plurality of antenna arrays correspond to an environmental scenario; and transmitting a signal using a transmission power based on the determined environmental scenario.

Description

[0001] This patent application is a divisional application of the following invention patent application:

[0002] Application Number: 202180017866.1

[0003] Application date: February 4, 2021

[0004] Invention Title: Method and Apparatus for User Equipment to Differentiate Between Human Grips and Protective Covers

[0005] Cross-reference to related applications

[0006] This application claims priority to U.S. Application 17 / 166,501, filed February 3, 2021, which claims the benefit and priority to U.S. Provisional Application 62 / 986,528, filed March 6, 2020, both of which are incorporated herein by reference in their entirety for all applicable purposes. Technical Field

[0007] Certain aspects of this disclosure generally relate to wireless devices, and more specifically, to distinguishing between a human grip and a protective cover on a wireless device. Background Technology

[0008] Modern wireless devices, such as cellular phones, typically need to meet radio frequency (RF) exposure limits set by national and international standards and regulations. To ensure compliance, such devices must undergo an extensive certification process before being shipped to the market. To ensure compliance with RF exposure limits, technologies have been developed to enable wireless devices to assess RF exposure in real time and adjust their transmit power accordingly to meet these limits. Summary of the Invention

[0009] The systems, methods, and apparatuses of this disclosure each have several aspects, none of which is solely responsible for their desired properties. Without limiting the scope of this disclosure as set forth by the appended claims, some features will now be briefly discussed. Upon consideration of this discussion, and especially after reading the section entitled "Detailed Description," it will become apparent how the features of this disclosure provide advantages including improved systems and methods for assessing RF exposure from wireless devices.

[0010] Certain aspects of this disclosure provide a method for wireless communication by a user equipment (UE). The method typically includes: receiving multiple signals at the UE; determining values ​​for at least two different types of parameters based on the received multiple signals; determining an environmental scenario for the UE based on the values ​​of the at least two different types of parameters; and transmitting signals using a transmission power based on the determined environmental scenario.

[0011] Certain aspects of this disclosure provide a method for wireless communication by a UE. The method typically includes: receiving a plurality of signals at the UE; determining a value for each of one or more parameters based on the received plurality of signals; determining a type of cover adjacent to an antenna array of the UE based on the value of each of the one or more parameters; selecting an antenna array codebook based on the determined type of cover; and transmitting signals according to the selected antenna array codebook.

[0012] Certain aspects of this disclosure provide a method for wireless communication by a UE. The method typically includes: receiving multiple cross-polarization captures from multiple antenna arrays of the UE; detecting a first OS circle in an in-phase / orthogonal IQ plane from a set of possible open space (OS) circles of the UE corresponding to the multiple cross-polarization captures from the multiple antenna arrays; assigning the first OS circle as an active OS circle of the UE based on the detection, and deactivating other possible OS circles in the set; determining an environmental scenario corresponding to the active OS circle; and transmitting a signal using a transmission power based on the determined environmental scenario.

[0013] Certain aspects of this disclosure provide an apparatus for wireless communication. The apparatus typically includes a receiver, a transmitter, a memory, and a processor. The receiver is configured to receive multiple cross-polarization captures from multiple antenna arrays. The processor is coupled to the memory, and the processor and memory are configured to: detect that the multiple cross-polarization captures from the multiple antenna arrays correspond to a first OS circle in the in-phase / orthogonal IQ plane of a set of possible open-space OS circles of the apparatus; based on the detection, assign the first OS circle as the active OS circle of the apparatus, and deactivate other possible OS circles in the set; and determine an environmental scenario corresponding to the active OS circle. The transmitter is configured to transmit a signal using a transmission power based on the determined environmental scenario.

[0014] Certain aspects of this disclosure provide an apparatus for wireless communication. The apparatus typically includes: components for receiving multiple cross-polarization captures from multiple antenna arrays of the apparatus; components for detecting a first OS circle in an in-phase / orthogonal IQ plane from a set of possible open-space OS circles of the apparatus, corresponding to the multiple cross-polarization captures from the multiple antenna arrays; components for assigning the first OS circle as the active OS circle of the apparatus based on the detection, and deactivating other possible OS circles in the set; components for determining an environmental scenario corresponding to the active OS circle; and components for transmitting a signal using a transmission power based on the determined environmental scenario.

[0015] Some aspects of this disclosure provide a computer-readable medium having instructions stored thereon for: receiving multiple cross-polarization captures from multiple antenna arrays of a UE; detecting a first OS circle in the in-phase / orthogonal IQ plane of a set of possible open space (OS) circles of the UE corresponding to the multiple cross-polarization captures from the multiple antenna arrays; assigning the first OS circle as the active OS circle of the UE based on the detection, and deactivating other possible OS circles in the set; determining an environmental scenario corresponding to the active OS circle; and transmitting a signal using a transmission power based on the determined environmental scenario.

[0016] For the purposes of the foregoing and related purposes, one or more aspects include the features fully described below and specifically pointed out in the claims. Certain illustrative features of one or more aspects are set forth in detail in the following description and drawings. However, these features indicate only a few of the various ways in which the principles of each aspect can be employed, and this specification is intended to include all such aspects and their equivalents. Attached Figure Description

[0017] To gain a more detailed understanding of the features of this disclosure, reference can be made to various aspects, some of which are illustrated in the accompanying drawings. However, it should be noted that the drawings illustrate only certain typical aspects of this disclosure and should not be considered as limiting its scope, as the description may acknowledge other equally valid aspects.

[0018] Figure 1 This is a conceptual block diagram illustrating an example telecommunications system according to certain aspects of this disclosure.

[0019] Figure 2 This is a block diagram conceptually illustrating the design of an example base station (BS) and an example user equipment (UE) according to certain aspects of this disclosure.

[0020] Figure 3 This is a block diagram showing an example transceiver front end according to certain aspects of this disclosure.

[0021] Figure 4A Millimeter-wave (mmW) sensing performed by a UE according to certain aspects of this disclosure is shown.

[0022] Figure 4B mmW sensing using cross-polarization (Xpol) is shown according to certain aspects of this disclosure.

[0023] Figure 4C mmW sensing using frequency modulated continuous wave (FMCW) radar is shown according to certain aspects of this disclosure.

[0024] Figure 5Example Fast Fourier Transform (FFT) symbol values ​​from Xpol detections are shown according to certain aspects of this disclosure.

[0025] Figure 6 This is an example diagram of the cross-polarization ratio (K) in the in-phase / orthogonal (IQ) plane for detecting an object in front of an antenna, according to certain aspects of this disclosure.

[0026] Figure 7 This is a flowchart illustrating an example operation of wireless communication according to certain aspects of this disclosure.

[0027] Figure 8 These are example diagrams of signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) in decibels (dB) of vertical and horizontal polarization components for different scenarios, based on certain aspects of this disclosure.

[0028] Figure 9 This shows the standard deviation (σ) of the K value for different scenarios according to certain aspects of this disclosure. K The average signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) of the vertical and horizontal polarization components m Example relevance between ).

[0029] Figure 10 σ is shown for different scenarios according to certain aspects of this disclosure. K and SNR m An example linear relationship between them, where the line represents the boundary between the open space (OS) and the object detection region.

[0030] Figure 11 Based on certain aspects of this disclosure, σ K and SNR m A flowchart for determining the parameters used in the OS.

[0031] Figure 12 This is a flowchart illustrating an example operation of wireless communication based on an antenna array codebook selection according to certain aspects of this disclosure.

[0032] Figure 13 This is a flowchart illustrating an example operation of wireless communication according to certain aspects of this disclosure.

[0033] For ease of understanding, the same reference numerals are used where possible to indicate the same common elements in the figures. Elements disclosed in one aspect are intended to be usefully applied to other aspects without specific description. Detailed Implementation

[0034] Certain aspects of this disclosure provide techniques and means for distinguishing whether a user equipment (UE) antenna is blocked by a covering (e.g., a protective covering made of rubber or plastic) or by human tissue (e.g., a finger or palm). The transmission power of the uplink (UL) signal can be adjusted accordingly, with a relatively higher transmission power for open spaces or coverings and a relatively lower transmission power for human tissue.

[0035] The following description provides examples and is not limited to the scope, applicability, or examples set forth in the claims. Changes may be made to the function and arrangement of the elements discussed without departing from the scope of this disclosure. Various processes or components may be appropriately omitted, substituted, or added to the various examples. For example, the described methods may be performed in a different order than described, and various steps may be added, omitted, or combined. Furthermore, features described with respect to some examples may be combined in some other examples. For example, any number of aspects set forth herein may be used to implement an apparatus or practice. Moreover, the scope of this disclosure is intended to cover such apparatus or methods practiced using structures, functions, or structures and functions other than or different from the aspects of this disclosure set forth herein. It should be understood that any aspect of the disclosure herein may be embodied by one or more elements of the claims. The term “exemplary” as used herein means “serving as an example, instance, or illustration.” Any aspect described herein as “exemplary” is not necessarily to be construed as more preferred or advantageous than other aspects.

[0036] The technologies described in this article can be used in various wireless communication technologies, such as LTE, CDMA, TDMA, FDMA, OFDMA, SC-FDMA, and other networks. The terms "network" and "system" are often used interchangeably. CDMA networks can implement radio technologies such as Universal Terrestrial Radio Access (UTRA), cdma2000, etc. UTRA includes Wideband Code Division Multiple Access (WCDMA) and other variants of CDMA. cdma2000 covers the IS-2000, IS-95, and IS-856 standards. TDMA networks can implement radio technologies such as Global System for Mobile Communications (GSM). OFDMA networks can implement radio technologies such as NR (e.g., 5G RA), Evolved UTRA (E-UTRA), Ultra Mobile Broadband (UMB), IEEE 802.11 (WiFi), IEEE 802.16 (WiMAX), IEEE 802.20, Flash-OFDMA, etc. UTRA and E-UTRA are part of the Universal System for Mobile Communications (UMTS).

[0037] New Radio (NR) is an emerging wireless communication technology developed in conjunction with the 5G Technology Forum (5GTF). 3GPP Long Term Evolution (LTE) and LTE-Advanced (LTE-A) are versions of UMTS using EUTRA. UTRA, E-UTRA, UMTS, LTE, LTE-A, and GSM are described in documents from an organization called the 3rd Generation Partnership Project (3GPP). CDMA2000 and UMB are described in documents from an organization called 3rd Generation Partnership Project 2 (3GPP 2). The technologies described herein can be used in the aforementioned wireless network and radio technologies, as well as other wireless network and radio technologies. For clarity, although terms commonly associated with 3G and / or 4G wireless technologies may be used to describe aspects herein, aspects of this disclosure can be applied to other generation-based communication systems, such as 5G and later, including NR technology.

[0038] NR access (e.g., 5G technology) can support a variety of wireless communication services, such as enhanced mobile broadband (eMBB) targeting wide bandwidth (e.g., 80 MHz or above), millimeter wave (mmW) targeting high carrier frequencies (e.g., 25 GHz or above), massive machine-type communication (mMTC) targeting non-backward-compatible MTC technologies, and / or mission-critical communication targeting ultra-reliable low-latency communication (URLLC). These services may include latency and reliability requirements. These services may also have different transmission time intervals (TTIs) to meet their respective quality of service (QoS) requirements. Furthermore, these services can coexist in the same subframe.

[0039] Example wireless communication system

[0040] Figure 1 An example wireless communication network 100 is illustrated, in which various aspects of this disclosure can be performed. Wireless devices in wireless network 100 can perform the methods described further herein for determining the environmental scenario of the wireless device's antenna (or antenna array). As used herein, the environmental scenario generally refers to whether the wireless device's antenna (or antenna array) is obstructed by an object (such as a protective covering or a human grip) or is not obstructed by an object (this situation is referred to as "open space").

[0041] like Figure 1As shown, the wireless network 100 may include multiple base stations (BS) 110 and other network entities. A BS may be a station communicating with a user equipment (UE). Each BS 110 may provide communication coverage for a specific geographic area. In 3GPP, the term "cell" may refer to the coverage area of ​​a Node B (NB) and / or the Node B subsystem serving that coverage area, depending on the context in which the term is used. In NR systems, the term "cell" is interchangeable with Next Generation Node B (gNB), New Radio Base Station (NR BS), 5G NB, Access Point (AP), or Transmitter Receiver Point (TRP). In some examples, the cell is not necessarily stationary, and the geographic area of ​​the cell may move depending on the location of the mobile BS. In some examples, base stations may use any suitable transport network to interconnect with each other and / or with one or more other base stations or network nodes (not shown) in the wireless communication network 100 via various types of backhaul interfaces, such as direct physical connections, wireless connections, virtual networks, etc.

[0042] Typically, any number of wireless networks can be deployed in a given geographical area. Each wireless network can support a specific Radio Access Technology (RAT) and can operate on one or more frequencies. A RAT can also be referred to as a radio technology, air interface, etc. A frequency can also be referred to as a carrier, subcarrier, channel, tone, subband, etc. Each frequency can support a single RAT in a given geographical area to avoid interference between wireless networks using different RATs. In some cases, NR or 5G RAT networks can be deployed.

[0043] Base stations (BSs) can provide communication coverage for macrocells, picocells, femtocells, and / or other types of cells. Macrocells can cover a relatively large geographic area (e.g., a radius of several kilometers) and allow unrestricted access for UEs with service subscriptions. Picocells can cover a relatively small geographic area and allow unrestricted access for UEs with service subscriptions. Femtocells can cover a relatively small geographic area (e.g., a home) and allow restricted access for UEs associated with that femtocell (e.g., UEs in a Closed Subscriber Group (CSG), UEs of users in a home, etc.). A BS used for macrocells can be called a macro BS. A BS used for picocells can be called a pico BS. A BS used for femtocells can be called a femto BS or a home BS. Figure 1 In the example shown, BS 110a, 110b, and 110c can be macro BSs for macro cells 102a, 102b, and 102c, respectively. BS 110x can be a pico BS for pico cell 102x. Base stations 110y and 110z can be femto BSs for femto cells 102y and 102z, respectively. A BS can support one or more (e.g., three) cells.

[0044] The wireless communication network 100 may also include relay stations. A relay station is a station that receives data and / or other information transmissions from an upstream station (e.g., a BS or UE) and sends data and / or other information transmissions to a downstream station (e.g., a UE or BS). A relay station may also be a UE relaying transmissions for other UEs. Figure 1 In the example shown, relay station 110r can communicate with BS 110a and UE 120r to facilitate communication between BS 110a and UE 120r. A relay station can also be referred to as a relay BS, relay station, etc.

[0045] Wireless network 100 can be a heterogeneous network, including different types of BSs, such as macro BSs, pico BSs, femto BSs, repeaters, etc. These different types of BSs may have different transmission power levels, different coverage areas, and different effects on interference in wireless network 100. For example, macro BSs may have high transmission power levels (e.g., 20 watts (W)), while pico BSs, femto BSs, and repeaters may have lower transmission power levels (e.g., 1 W).

[0046] Wireless communication network 100 can support synchronous or asynchronous operation. For synchronous operation, BSs can have similar frame timings, and transmissions from different BSs can be approximately time-aligned. For asynchronous operation, BSs may have different frame timings, and transmissions from different BSs may be time-disaligned. The techniques described herein can be used for both synchronous and asynchronous operations.

[0047] Network controller 130 can be coupled to a collection of BSs and provide coordination and control for these BSs. Network controller 130 can communicate with BS 110 via backhaul. BS 110 can also communicate with each other via wireless or wired backhaul (e.g., directly or indirectly).

[0048] UEs 120 (e.g., 120x, 120y, etc.) can be distributed throughout the wireless network 100, and each UE can be fixed or mobile. A UE can also be referred to as a mobile station (MS), terminal, access terminal, subscriber unit, station, client equipment (CPE), cellular phone, smartphone, personal digital assistant (PDA), wireless modem, wireless communication device, handheld device, laptop computer, cordless phone, wireless local loop (WLL) station, tablet computer, camera, gaming device, netbook, smartbook, ultrabook, appliance, medical device or medical equipment, biosensor / device, wearable device (such as smartwatch, smart clothing, smart glasses, smart wristband, or smart jewelry (e.g., smart ring, smart bracelet, etc.)), entertainment device (e.g., music device, video device, satellite radio, etc.), vehicle component or sensor, smart meter / sensor, industrial manufacturing equipment, Global Positioning System (GPS) device, or any other suitable device configured to communicate via wireless or wired media. Some UEs can be considered machine-type communication (MTC) devices or evolved MTC (eMTC) devices. MTC and eMTC UEs include, for example, robots, drones, remote devices, sensors, instruments, monitors, location tags, etc., which can communicate with the BS, another device (e.g., a remote device), or other entities. For example, a wireless node can provide connectivity to or to a network (e.g., a wide area network such as the Internet or cellular networks) via wired or wireless communication links. Some UEs can be considered Internet of Things (IoT) devices, which may be narrowband IoT (NB-IoT) devices.

[0049] Some wireless networks (e.g., LTE) utilize Orthogonal Frequency Division Multiplexing (OFDM) on the downlink and Single-Carrier Frequency Division Multiplexing (SC-FDM) on the uplink. OFDM and SC-FDM divide the system bandwidth into multiple (K) orthogonal subcarriers, often referred to as tones, frequency bands, etc. Each subcarrier can be modulated with data. Typically, OFDM is used to transmit modulation symbols in the frequency domain, and SC-FDM is used to transmit modulation symbols in the time domain. The spacing between adjacent subcarriers can be fixed, and the total number of subcarriers (K) can depend on the system bandwidth. For example, the subcarrier spacing could be 15 kHz, and the minimum resource allocation (called a "resource block" (RB)) could be 12 subcarriers (or 180 kHz). Therefore, for system bandwidths of 1.25, 2.5, 5, 10, or 20 MHz, the nominal Fast Fourier Transform (FFT) size could be equal to 128, 256, 512, 1024, or 2048, respectively. The system bandwidth can also be divided into subbands. For example, a subband can cover 1.08 MHz (i.e., 6 resource blocks), and for system bandwidths of 1.25, 2.5, 5, 10, or 20 MHz, there can be 1, 2, 4, 8, or 16 subbands respectively.

[0050] While the aspects of the examples described herein may be associated with LTE technology, the aspects of this disclosure are applicable to other wireless communication systems, such as NR. NR can utilize OFDM with a cyclic prefix (CP) on both the uplink and downlink, and includes support for half-duplex operation using Time Division Duplex (TDD). Beamforming can be supported, and beam direction can be dynamically configured. Multiple-input multiple-output (MIMO) transmission with precoding can also be supported. MIMO configuration in the downlink (DL) can support up to eight transmit antennas, with up to eight streams in multi-layer DL transmission and up to two streams per UE. Aggregation of multiple cells can be supported with up to eight serving cells.

[0051] In some examples, access to the air interface can be scheduled, where a scheduling entity (e.g., a base station) allocates resources for communication between some or all devices and equipment within its service area or cell. The scheduling entity can be responsible for scheduling, allocating, reconfiguring, and releasing resources for one or more subordinate entities. That is, for scheduled communication, the subordinate entities utilize the resources allocated by the scheduling entity. A base station is not the only entity that can act as a scheduling entity. In some examples, a UE can act as a scheduling entity and can schedule resources for one or more subordinate entities (e.g., one or more other UEs), and other UEs can utilize the resources scheduled by the UE for wireless communication. In some examples, a UE can act as a scheduling entity in peer-to-peer (P2P) networks and / or mesh networks. In mesh network examples, in addition to communicating with a scheduling entity, UEs can also communicate directly with each other.

[0052] exist Figure 1 In the diagram, a solid line with a double arrow indicates a desired transmission between the UE and the serving BS, which is the BS designated to serve the UE on the downlink and / or uplink. A dashed line with a double arrow indicates interference transmission between the UE and the BS.

[0053] Figure 2 BS 110 and UE 120 (as shown) are illustrated. Figure 1 The example components shown herein can be used to implement various aspects of this disclosure. For example, the antenna 252, transceiver (TX / RX) front-end circuitry 254, processors 258, 264, and / or controller / processor 280 of UE 120 can be used to perform the various techniques and methods described herein (e.g., Figure 7 Operation 700 Figure 12 Operation 1200 or Figure 13 Operation 1300).

[0054] At BS 110, the transmit processor 220 can receive data from data source 212 and control information from controller / processor 240. The control information can be used for the Physical Broadcast Channel (PBCH), Physical Control Format Indicator Channel (PCFICH), Physical Hybrid ARQ Indicator Channel (PHICH), Physical Downlink Control Channel (PDCCH), Group Common PDCCH (GC PDCCH), etc. This data can also be used for the Physical Downlink Shared Channel (PDSCH), etc. The processor 220 can process (e.g., encode and symbol map) the data and control information to obtain data symbols and control symbols, respectively. The processor 220 can also generate reference symbols, for example, for the Primary Synchronization Signal (PSS), Secondary Synchronization Signal (SSS), and Cell-Specific Reference Signal (CRS). The transmit (TX) multiple-input multiple-output (MIMO) processor 230 can perform spatial processing (e.g., precoding) on ​​the data symbols, control symbols, and / or reference symbols (if applicable), and can provide an output symbol stream to the transmit (TX) front-end circuits 232a to 232t. Each TX front-end circuit 232 can process its own output symbol stream (e.g., for OFDM, etc.) to obtain an output sample stream. Each TX front-end circuit 232 can also process (e.g., convert to analog, amplify, filter, and up-convert) the output sample stream to obtain a downlink signal. The downlink signals from TX front-end circuits 232a to 232t can be transmitted via antennas 234a to 234t, respectively.

[0055] At UE 120, antennas 252a to 252r can receive downlink signals from BS 110 and can provide received signals to receive (RX) front-end circuits 254a to 254r respectively. Each RX front-end circuit 254 can adjust (e.g., filter, amplify, downconvert, and digitize) the corresponding received signal to obtain an input sample. Each RX front-end circuit 254 can also process the input sample (e.g., for OFDM, etc.) to obtain the received symbols. MIMO detector 256 can obtain the received symbols from all RX front-end circuits 254a to 254r, perform MIMO detection on the received symbols if applicable, and provide the detected symbols. Receive processor 258 can process (e.g., demodulate, deinterleave, and decode) the detected symbols, provide decoded data for UE 120 to data sink 260, and provide decoding control information to controller / processor 280. Memory 282 can store data and program code for UE 120 and can interface with controller / processor 280.

[0056] On the uplink, at UE 120, the transmitting processor 264 can receive and process data from data source 262 (e.g., for the Physical Uplink Shared Channel (PUSCH)) and control information from controller / processor 280 (e.g., for the Physical Uplink Control Channel (PUCCH)). The transmitting processor 264 can also generate reference symbols for reference signals (e.g., for a Sounding Reference Signal (SRS)). If applicable, the symbols from the transmitting processor 264 can be pre-encoded by the TX MIMO processor 266, further processed by the RX front-end circuits 254a to 254r (e.g., for SC-FDM, etc.), and transmitted to BS 110. At BS 110, the uplink signal from UE 120 can be received by antenna 234, processed by the TX front-end circuit 232, detected by MIMO detector 236 (if applicable), and further processed by the receiving processor 238 to obtain the decoded data and control information transmitted by UE 120. The receiver processor 238 can provide decoded data to the data sink 239 and decoded control information to the controller / processor 240. The memory 242 can store data and program code for the BS 110 and can interface with the controller / processor 240.

[0057] Controllers / processors 240 and 280 can direct operations at BS 110 and UE 120, respectively. Processor 240 and / or other processors and modules at BS 110 can execute or direct the execution of processes described herein. Memory 242 and 282 can store data and program code for BS 110 and UE 120, respectively. Scheduler 244 can schedule data transmission by the UE on the downlink and / or uplink.

[0058] Figure 3 This is a block diagram of an example transceiver front end 300 based on certain aspects of this disclosure, such as Figure 2 The TX / RX front-end circuits 232 and 254 are included in the transceiver front-end 300. The transceiver front-end 300 includes at least one transmit (TX) path 302 (also called a transmit chain) for transmitting signals via one or more antennas and at least one receive (RX) path 304 (also called a receive chain) for receiving signals via antennas. When the TX path 302 and RX path 304 share antenna 303, these paths can be connected to the antenna via RF interface 306, which can include any of a variety of suitable RF devices, such as a duplexer, switch, etc.

[0059] Receiving in-phase (I) or quadrature (Q) baseband analog signals from a digital-to-analog converter (DAC) 308, the TX path 302 may include a baseband filter (BBF) 310, a mixer 312, a driver amplifier (DA) 314, and a power amplifier (PA) 316. The BBF 310, mixer 312, and DA 314 may be included in a radio frequency integrated circuit (RFIC), while the PA 316 may be included in or outside the RFIC. The BBF 310 filters the baseband signal received from the DAC 308, and the mixer 312 mixes the filtered baseband signal with a transmit local oscillator (LO) signal to convert the baseband signal of interest to a different frequency (e.g., up-converting from baseband to RF). This frequency conversion process produces a sum and difference frequency between the LO frequency and the frequency of the baseband signal of interest. The sum and difference frequencies are called beat frequencies. The beat frequency is typically in the RF range, so the signal output by mixer 312 is typically an RF signal, which can be amplified by DA 314 and / or PA 316 before being transmitted by antenna 303.

[0060] The RX path 304 may include a low-noise amplifier (LNA) 322, a mixer 324, and a baseband filter (BBF) 326. The LNA 322, mixer 324, and BBF 326 may be included in a radio frequency integrated circuit (RFIC), which may or may not be the same RFIC that includes the TX path components. The RF signal received via antenna 303 may be amplified by the LNA 322, and the mixer 324 mixes the amplified RF signal with a received local oscillator (LO) signal to convert the RF signal of interest to a different baseband frequency (i.e., down-conversion). The baseband signal output from the mixer 324 may be filtered by the BBF 326 before being converted into digital I or Q signals for digital signal processing by an analog-to-digital converter (ADC) 328.

[0061] Some systems may employ a frequency synthesizer with a voltage-controlled oscillator (VCO) to generate a stable, tunable LO with a specific tuning range. Therefore, the transmit LO can be generated by the TX frequency synthesizer 318, which can be buffered or amplified by the amplifier 320 before being mixed with the baseband signal in the mixer 312. Similarly, the receive LO can be generated by the RX frequency synthesizer 330, which can be buffered or amplified by the amplifier 332 before being mixed with the RF signal in the mixer 324.

[0062] Example RF exposure assessment

[0063] RF exposure can be expressed as a specific absorption rate (SAR), which measures the energy absorption per unit mass of human tissue, and the unit can be watts per kilogram (W / kg). Alternatively, RF exposure can be expressed as power density (PD), which measures the energy absorption per unit area, and the unit can be mW / cm². 2 .

[0064] SAR (Radio Exposure Detection) can be used to assess RF exposure at transmission frequencies below 6 GHz, encompassing wireless communication technologies such as 3G (e.g., CDMA), 4G (e.g., LTE), 5G (e.g., NR in the 6 GHz band), and IEEE 802.11ac. PD (Radio Exposure Detection) can be used to assess RF exposure at transmission frequencies above 10 GHz, encompassing wireless communication technologies such as IEEE 802.11ad, 802.11ay, and 5G. Therefore, different metrics can be used to assess the RF exposure of different wireless communication technologies.

[0065] A wireless device (e.g., UE 120) can transmit signals simultaneously using multiple wireless communication technologies. For example, a wireless device can simultaneously transmit signals using a first wireless communication technology operating at or below 6 GHz (e.g., 3G, 4G, 5G, etc.) and a second wireless communication technology operating above 6 GHz (e.g., 5G, IEEE 802.11ad, or 802.11ay in the 24 to 60 GHz band). In some aspects, a wireless device can simultaneously transmit signals using a first wireless communication technology in which RF exposure is measured according to SAR (e.g., 3G, 4G, 5G, IEEE 802.11ac, etc. in the 6 GHz band) and a second wireless communication technology in which RF exposure is measured according to PD (e.g., 5G, IEEE 802.11ad, 802.11ay, etc. in the 24 to 60 GHz band).

[0066] Assessing RF exposure from transmissions using a first technology (e.g., 3G, 4G, 5G, IEEE 802.11ac, etc. in the 6 GHz band), the wireless device may include storage in memory (e.g., Figure 2 The memory 282 contains multiple SAR distributions of the first technology. Each SAR distribution may correspond to a specific one of multiple transmission scenarios supported by the wireless device for the first technology. A transmission scenario may correspond to an antenna (e.g., Figure 2 Antennas 252a to 252r or Figure 3 Various combinations of antenna 303, frequency band, channel and / or body position, as discussed further below.

[0067] The SAR distribution (also known as the SAR map) for each transmission scenario can be generated based on measurements performed in a test laboratory using a human model (e.g., E-field measurements). After generating the SAR distribution, it can be stored in memory so that a processor (e.g., ...) can... Figure 2 The processor 266 is capable of assessing RF exposure in real time. Each SAR distribution comprises a set of SAR values, where each SAR value may correspond to a different location (e.g., on a human model). Each SAR value may contain the average SAR value over a mass of 1 g or 10 g at the corresponding location.

[0068] The SAR values ​​in each SAR distribution correspond to a specific transmission power level (e.g., the transmission power level at which SAR values ​​are measured in a test laboratory). Since SAR scales with transmission power level, the processor can scale a SAR distribution for any transmission power level by multiplying each SAR value in the SAR distribution by the following transmission power scaler:

[0069] (1)

[0070] Where Tx c It is the current transmission power level of the corresponding transmission scenario, and Tx SAR It is the transmission power level corresponding to the SAR value in the stored SAR distribution (e.g., the transmission power level of the SAR value measured in a test laboratory).

[0071] As described above, the wireless device can support multiple transmission scenarios for the first technology. In some aspects, a transmission scenario can be specified by a set of parameters. The set of parameters may include one or more of the following: antenna parameters indicating one or more antennas (i.e., active antennas) used for transmission; frequency band parameters indicating one or more frequency bands (i.e., active frequency bands) used for transmission; channel parameters indicating one or more channels (i.e., active channels) used for transmission; body position parameters indicating the location of the wireless device relative to the user's body position (head, torso, away from the body, etc.); and / or other parameters. When the wireless device supports a large number of transmission scenarios, performing measurements on each transmission scenario in a test environment (e.g., a test laboratory) can be very time-consuming and expensive. To reduce test time, measurements can be performed on a subset of transmission scenarios to generate a SAR distribution for that subset of transmission scenarios. In this example, the SAR distribution for each of the remaining transmission scenarios can be generated by combining two or more SAR distributions for a subset of transmission scenarios, as discussed further below.

[0072] For example, SAR measurements can be performed on each of the antennas to generate a SAR distribution for each of the antennas. In this example, a SAR distribution for a transmission scenario in which two or more antennas are active can be generated by combining the SAR distributions for two or more active antennas.

[0073] In another example, SAR measurements can be performed on each of multiple frequency bands to generate a SAR distribution for each of the multiple frequency bands. In this example, a SAR distribution for a transmission scenario active in two or more frequency bands can be generated by combining the SAR distributions for two or more active frequency bands.

[0074] In some respects, the SAR distribution can be normalized relative to the SAR limit by dividing each SAR value in the SAR distribution by the SAR limit. In this case, when the normalized SAR value is greater than 1, the normalized SAR value exceeds the SAR limit, and when the normalized SAR value is less than 1, the normalized SAR value is below the SAR limit. In these respects, each of the SAR distributions stored in memory can be normalized relative to the SAR limit.

[0075] In some respects, a normalized SAR distribution for a transmission scenario can be generated by combining two or more normalized SAR distributions. For example, a normalized SAR distribution for a transmission scenario in which two or more active antennas are active can be generated by combining normalized SAR distributions for two or more active antennas. Where different transmission power levels are used for the active antennas, the normalized SAR distribution for each active antenna can be scaled by its respective transmission power level before combining the normalized SAR distributions for the active antennas. The normalized SAR distribution for simultaneous transmission from multiple active antennas can be given by the following equation:

[0076] (2)

[0077] Among them, SAR lim It is a SAR limitation, SAR norm_combined It is a combined, normalized SAR distribution transmitted simultaneously from active antennas, where i is the index of the active antenna, SAR i For the SAR distribution of the i-th active antenna, Tx i For the transmission power level of the i-th active antenna, Tx SARi K is the transmission power level of the SAR distribution for the i-th active antenna, and K is the number of active antennas.

[0078] Equation (2) can be rewritten as follows:

[0079] (3a)

[0080] Among them, SAR norm_i This is the normalized SAR distribution for the i-th active antenna. In the case of simultaneous transmission using multiple active antennas at the same transmission frequency (e.g., Multiple-Input Multiple-Output (MIMO)), the combined normalized SAR distribution is obtained by summing the square roots of the individual normalized SAR distributions and calculating the square of that sum, as shown in the following equation:

[0081] (3b).

[0082] In another example, normalized SAR distributions for different frequency bands can be stored in memory. In this example, a normalized SAR distribution for a transmission scenario active in two or more frequency bands can be generated by combining normalized SAR distributions for two or more active frequency bands. For cases where the transmission power level differs for the active frequency bands, the normalized SAR distribution for each active frequency band can be scaled by the corresponding transmission power level before combining the normalized SAR distributions for the active frequency bands. In this example, the combined SAR distribution can also be calculated using equation (3a), where i is the index of the active frequency band, SAR... norm_i Tx is the normalized SAR distribution for the i-th active frequency band. i It is the transmission power level for the i-th active frequency band, and Tx SARi It is the transmission power level of the normalized SAR distribution for the i-th active frequency band.

[0083] Assessing RF exposure from transmissions using a second technology (e.g., 5G in the 24 to 60 GHz band, IEEE 802.11ad, 802.11ay, etc.), the wireless device may include storage in memory (e.g., Figure 2 The memory 282 contains multiple PD distributions for the second technology. Each PD distribution may correspond to one of multiple transmission scenarios supported by the wireless device for the second technology. A transmission scenario may correspond to an antenna (e.g., Figure 2 Antennas 252a to 252r or Figure 3 Various combinations of antenna 303, frequency band, channel and / or body position.

[0084] The PD distribution (also known as the PD map) for each transmission scenario can be generated based on measurements performed in a test lab using a human model (e.g., E-field measurements). After generating the PD distribution, it can be stored in memory so that the processor (e.g., ...) can... Figure 2 The processor 266 is capable of assessing RF exposure in real time, as discussed further below. Each PD distribution comprises a set of PD values, where each PD value may correspond to a different location (e.g., on a human model).

[0085] The PD values ​​in each PD distribution correspond to a specific transmission power level (e.g., the transmission power level at which PD values ​​are measured in a test lab). Since PD scales with transmission power level, the processor can scale the PD distribution for any transmission power level by multiplying each PD value in the PD distribution by the following transmission power scaler:

[0086] (4)

[0087] Where Tx c This refers to the current transmission power level for the corresponding transmission scenario, and T. XPD It is the transmission power level corresponding to the PD value in the PD distribution (e.g., the transmission power level of the PD value measured in a test laboratory).

[0088] As described above, wireless devices can support multiple transmission scenarios for the second technology. In some aspects, a transmission scenario can be specified by a set of parameters. This set of parameters may include one or more of the following: antenna parameters indicating one or more antennas used for transmission (i.e., active antennas), frequency band parameters indicating one or more frequency bands used for transmission (i.e., active frequency bands), channel parameters indicating one or more channels used for transmission (i.e., active channels), body position parameters indicating the location of the wireless device relative to the user's body position (head, torso, away from the body, etc.), and / or other parameters. When a wireless device supports a large number of transmission scenarios, performing measurements on each transmission scenario in a test setting (e.g., a test laboratory) can be very time-consuming and expensive. To reduce test time, measurements can be performed on a subset of transmission scenarios to generate a PD distribution for that subset of transmission scenarios. In this example, the PD distribution for each of the remaining transmission scenarios can be generated by combining two or more PD distributions for a subset of transmission scenarios, as discussed further below.

[0089] For example, PD measurements can be performed on each antenna to generate the PD distribution for each of the antennas. In this example, the PD distribution for a transmission scenario in which two or more antennas are active can be generated by combining the PD distributions of two or more active antennas.

[0090] In another example, PD measurements can be performed on each of the multiple frequency bands to generate a PD distribution for each of the multiple frequency bands. In this example, a PD distribution for a transmission scenario where two or more frequency bands are active can be generated by combining the PD distributions for two or more active frequency bands.

[0091] In some respects, the PD distribution can be normalized relative to the PD limit by dividing each PD value in the PD distribution by the PD limit. In this case, when the normalized PD value is greater than 1, the normalized PD value exceeds the PD limit, and when the normalized PD value is less than 1, the normalized PD value is below the PD limit. In these respects, each of the PD distributions stored in memory can be normalized relative to the PD limit.

[0092] In some respects, a normalized PD distribution for a transmission scenario can be generated by combining two or more normalized PD distributions. For example, a normalized PD distribution for a transmission scenario where two or more active antennas are active can be generated by combining normalized PD distributions for two or more active antennas. Where different transmission power levels are used for the active antennas, the normalized PD distribution for each active antenna can be scaled by its respective transmission power level before combining the normalized PD distributions for the active antennas. The normalized PD distribution for simultaneous transmission from multiple active antennas can be given by the following equation:

[0093] (5)

[0094] Among them, PD lim It's a PD limitation, PD norm_combined It is the combined, normalized PD distribution of simultaneous transmissions from active antennas, where i is the index of the active antenna, and PD... i For the PD distribution of the i-th active antenna, Tx i T represents the transmission power level of the i-th active antenna. XPDi Let L be the transmission power level of the PD distribution for the i-th active antenna, and L be the number of active antennas.

[0095] Equation (5) can be rewritten as follows:

[0096] (6a)

[0097] Among them, PD norm_iThis is the normalized PD distribution for the i-th active antenna. In the case of simultaneous transmission using multiple active antennas at the same transmission frequency (e.g., MIMO), the combined normalized PD distribution is obtained by summing the square roots of the individual normalized PD distributions and calculating the square of that sum, as shown in the following equation:

[0098] (6b).

[0099] In another example, normalized PD distributions for different frequency bands can be stored in memory. In this example, a normalized PD distribution for a transmission scenario where two or more frequency bands are active can be generated by combining the normalized PD distributions for two or more active frequency bands. For cases where the transmission power level differs for the active frequency bands, the normalized SAR distribution for each active frequency band can be scaled by the corresponding transmission power level before combining the normalized PD distributions for the active frequency bands. In this example, the combined PD distribution can also be calculated using equation (6a), where i is the index of the active frequency band, and PD... norm _ i Tx is the normalized PD distribution for the i-th active frequency band. i It is the transmission power level for the i-th active frequency band, and T XPDi It is the transmission power level of the normalized PD distribution for the i-th active frequency band.

[0100] Example methods for distinguishing between coverings and human grip.

[0101] As mentioned above, in wireless communications, there are maximum permissible exposure (MPE) limits from international regulatory bodies, including the International Commission on Non-Ionizing Radiation Protection (ICNIRP) and the U.S. Federal Communications Commission (FCC), which specify the highest power or energy density (in W / cm²) of electromagnetic sources considered safe. 2 or J / cm 2 (in units). In some cases, MPE limits can be translated into constraints related to the maximum transmission power of one or more devices (e.g., depending on the implementation of each device), and therefore, the uplink (UL) signals transmitted by the devices may be limited due to MPE compliance.

[0102] Some UEs may include sensors (e.g., millimeter-wave (mmW) sensors) that, if the sensor output indicates no object is detected obstructing the UE antenna, allow for higher UL transmission power levels, potentially boosting UL throughput at such higher power levels. For example, Figure 4AThe image shows mmW sensing performed by the UE 120 using this object detection sensor. Figure 4A In this configuration, UE 120 includes at least one antenna array 400 having multiple antennas 402a-d (collectively referred to herein as "antenna 402"). This array is used to detect object 404 (in...). Figure 4B and Figure 4C In the case of an open space (OS) environment (as shown in the diagram), UE 120 can output a signal (e.g., continuous wave (CW), out-of-band signal) with a specific detection angle 406 from one of the antennas 402 in array 400 (e.g., from antenna 402a), and another antenna in the array (e.g., antenna 402d) can receive the signal reflected from the surface of a nearby object 404 (such as a protective covering or a human hand or finger). Using the reflected signal, UE 120 can utilize... Figure 4B The cross-polarization (Xpol) shown has two polarization receiving paths (one for the horizontal polarization component in circuit diagram 420 (labeled "H-pol") and the other for the vertical polarization component (labeled "V-pol")) to determine the cross-polarization ratio (K = k V / k H And detect the presence of object 404. Alternatively or additionally, UE120 may use frequency modulated continuous wave (FMCW) radar for object detection, such as... Figure 4C The example frequency sweep and circuit diagram 460 are shown in the example. Figure 4A As shown, Xpol can have an object detection radius of 408 from 0 to approximately 4 cm from the UE 120, while the FMCW radar can have an object detection radius from approximately 4 cm to approximately 60 cm from the UE.

[0103] As mentioned above, Figure 4B This illustrates mmW sensing using cross-polarization (Xpol) to detect an object 404 near the UE or to detect the OS condition, according to certain aspects of this disclosure. Figure 4B In the diagram, antenna array 400 includes four antennas 402, although any suitable number of antennas can be used. In circuit diagram 420, the transmit path (e.g., transmit path 302) includes a frequency synthesizer (e.g., TX frequency synthesizer 318) and an amplifier 421. The frequency synthesizer is used to generate frequencies with frequencies that are out-of-band (f0). CW The CW signal, for example, between the first component carrier band (CC1) and the second component carrier band (CC2). In this example, f CW The frequency is 28 GHz. Amplifier 421 can amplify the CW signal and drive antenna 402a to transmit the signal wirelessly (e.g., at a specific detection angle 406).

[0104] If object 404 is present near the UE, the surface of the object can reflect the transmitted signal, and another antenna in antenna array 400 (e.g., antenna 402d) can receive the signal reflected from the surface of the object. For Xpol detection, the receiving path (e.g., receiving path 304) may include two polarized receiving paths (one for the horizontal polarization component in circuit diagram 420 (labeled "H-pol"), and the other for the vertical polarization component (labeled "V-pol")). The H-pol receiving path includes an amplifier (e.g., low-noise amplifier 332). H ), Mixer 324 H Filters (e.g., baseband filter 326) H ) and ADC 328 H Similarly, the V-pol receiver path includes amplifiers (e.g., low-noise amplifier 332). V ), Mixer 324 V Filters (e.g., baseband filter 326) V ) and ADC 328 V A frequency synthesizer (e.g., RX frequency synthesizer 330) can generate a local oscillator (LO) signal (e.g., with a frequency of 28.001 GHz and an offset of 100 MHz from the transmitted signal) as an H-pol and V-pol mixer 324. H 324 V The input for each of them. Figure 4B These receiver chain components can be referenced as above. Figure 3 It works as described, amplifying the received RF signal, mixing the amplified RF signal with the LO signal to form a frequency-converted signal, filtering the mixed signal to focus it on the baseband signal, and digitizing the baseband signal.

[0105] The H-pol and V-pol digitized signals from the ADC can be transmitted to processor 422, which can be implemented by a digital signal processor (DSP) or any other suitable processing system. Processor 422 may include a Fast Fourier Transform (FFT) module 424 and a Frequency Domain In-Phase / Quadrature (FD-IQ) module 426. FFT module 424 can be used to convert the time-domain digitized signal into frequency-domain data, which can produce the maximum H-pol FFT value (k... H ) and the maximum V-pol FFT value (k V (See below for reference) Figure 5 As explained. Using frequency domain data, the FD-IQ module 426 can be used to plot the cross-polarization ratio (K = k) in the I / Q plane. V / k HAs shown in Figure 430, open space (i.e., where there are no objects nearby) can have different positions in the I / Q plane than various objects, and in this way, Xpol can be used to determine whether an object exists.

[0106] As mentioned above, Figure 4C This illustrates mmW sensing using FMCW radar to detect objects 404 near the UE or to detect OS conditions, according to certain aspects of this disclosure. Figure 4C In this circuit diagram, antenna array 400 includes four antennas 402, although any suitable number of antennas can be used. In circuit diagram 460, the transmit path (e.g., transmit path 302) includes a DAC 308, a baseband filter 310, a mixer 312, and an amplifier 421, which may represent a DA 314 and / or a PA 316. A frequency synthesizer 462 can be used to generate an LO signal to be input to mixer 312. The frequency synthesizer 462, in conjunction with other components of the transmit path, can be used to generate a frequency sweep (e.g., from 25 to 29 GHz) in the wireless transmit signal output from, for example, antenna 402a, which may include the CC1 and CC2 bands as shown.

[0107] If an object 404 is present near the UE, the surface of the object can reflect the transmitted signal, and another antenna in the antenna array 400 (e.g., antenna 402d) can receive the signal reflected from the surface of the object. For FMCW radar detection, the receive path (e.g., receive path 304) may include a low-noise amplifier 332, a mixer 324, a baseband filter 326, and an ADC 328. Figure 4C The receiving path components in circuit diagram 460 can be as described above regarding... Figure 3 The system operates as described, amplifying the received RF signal, mixing the amplified RF signal with the LO signal from the frequency synthesizer 462 to form a downconverted signal, filtering the mixed signal to focus it onto the baseband signal, and digitizing the baseband signal. The FMCW digitized signal from the ADC 328 can be transmitted to the processor 464, which can be implemented by a DSP or any other suitable processing system. The processor 464 can process the FMCW digitized signal to detect objects or open space conditions.

[0108] Figure 5 Example FFT symbol values ​​from Xpol detection are shown according to certain aspects of this disclosure. The FFT symbol values ​​include a horizontally polarized FFT value 510 based on the digitized signal from the H-pol receiving path and a vertically polarized FFT value 520 based on the digitized signal from the V-pol receiving path. The maximum value of the horizontally polarized FFT value 510 indicates k. H The maximum value of the vertically polarized FFT value of 620 indicates k. VThe cross-polarization ratio (K) is given by K = k V / k H Decide.

[0109] The complex value of K(I+jQ) provides an indication of the presence of an object in front of the antenna. V / k H Division (which can be implemented as) This can eliminate the randomness of sending gain / phase during each measurement during calibration. Figure 6 Figure 600 shows multiple samples of K in the in-phase / orthogonal (IQ) plane for two different scenarios (open space and finger grip (or protective cover)).

[0110] The standard deviation (σ) of K consecutive measurements over a period of time K This provides a measure of the stability of objects in front of the antenna. In other words, a relatively large σ... K This implies lower object stability (i.e., more object motion) and relatively smaller σ. K This indicates higher stability (i.e., less object motion). Open space (i.e., no reflectors) provides relatively small σ. K The absence of human fingers or hands gripping the UE in front of the antenna provides a relatively large σ. K However, the fingers gripping the UE provide relatively small σ K Because fingers don't move much when they are part of a grip. Similar to fingers and grip, protective sleeves (e.g., made of plastic and / or glass) also provide a smaller σ (grasping force). K Thus, only σ is used K It is difficult to distinguish between protective coverings and human grip. For example, as Figure 6 As shown in Example Figure 600, the σ of the open space K σ may be similar to a protective sleeve (or a finger grip). K .

[0111] When the antenna is obstructed by a protective cover, the UE can use higher transmission power. However, as mentioned above, due to MPE limitations, lower transmission power should be used when the antenna is obstructed by fingers or other human tissue. Therefore, technologies and devices are needed to distinguish between protective coverings and human gripping via the UE's object detection sensor.

[0112] Furthermore, different protective covers can provide different median cross-polarization ratios {mean(K)} in the IQ plane. The algorithm used to determine transmission power can periodically adjust the open space parameters for the UE, which, when combined with the different median K values ​​for different protective covers, can also make it more difficult to distinguish between protective covers and finger grips.

[0113] Certain aspects of this disclosure provide techniques and apparatus for distinguishing whether a UE's antenna is blocked by a cover (e.g., a protective rubber or plastic covering) or by human tissue (e.g., a finger or palm) using at least two different types of parameters, as described in more detail below.

[0114] Figure 7 This is a flowchart illustrating an example operation 700 for wireless communication according to certain aspects of this disclosure. Operation 700 can be performed, for example, by a wireless device (e.g., Figure 1 The UE 120 performs this function, and more specifically, it is performed by the receiver, processor, and transmitter of the wireless device.

[0115] Operation 700 can begin at block 701, where the wireless device transmits a first signal (e.g., using the TX front-end circuitry 254a-254r of UE 120 or transmit path 302), and at block 702, based on the transmitted first signal, receives multiple signals (e.g., reflections of the transmitted first signal) (e.g., using the RX front-end circuitry 254a-254r of UE 120 or receive path 304). At block 704, the wireless device determines the values ​​of at least two different types of parameters based on the received multiple signals (e.g., using the receive processor 258, control / processor 280, and / or transmit processor 264, or using the processor 422 of UE 120). At block 706, the wireless device determines the device's environmental scenario based on the values ​​of at least two different types of parameters (e.g., using the receive processor 258, control / processor 280, and / or transmit processor 264, or using the processor 422 of UE 120). At box 708, the wireless device transmits a second signal using a transmission power based on the determined environmental scenario (e.g., utilizing the TX front-end circuitry 254a-254r of UE120 or transmission path 302). Operation 700 will be described in more detail below and is shown in the various figures.

[0116] As mentioned above, σ K This may not be sufficient to distinguish between protective coverings and human grip. Therefore, certain aspects of this disclosure provide additional protection beyond σ. K This is another dimension of information. In some respects, this additional information can be determined from the FFT data already provided by the two polarization receiving paths.

[0117] For example, empirical studies show that the signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) of FFTs from H-pol and V-pol fluctuates with different object types. The SNR (SNRV) of the vertical polarization component can be expressed as... , where σ 2 FFTVThis is the variance of the vertical polarization FFT value (e.g., FFT value 520). The SNR of the horizontal polarization component (SNR...) H ) can be represented as , where σ 2 FFTH This is the variance of the horizontally polarized FFT values ​​(e.g., FFT value 510). The average SNR of these two SNRs (SNR... m ) can be represented as A processor that computes the FFT value (e.g., processor 422) can compute the value with respect to k. H or k V The noise power of multiple bins adjacent to the peak (e.g., 20 adjacent bins, 10 bins on each side of the peak). In some respects, the processor can remove or otherwise effectively ignore bins with spurs.

[0118] Electromagnetic (EM) simulations show that the near-field coupling electric field varies with the dielectric material simulating a human finger. The assumption for the observed SNR fluctuations is that the coupled signal power fluctuates relative to a fixed receiver noise substrate (e.g., according to kTBFG, where k is the Boltzmann constant, T is the absolute temperature, F is the noise figure, B is the receiver bandwidth, and G is the gain) and is material-type dependent due to the material's reflection coefficient.

[0119] Figure 8 Figure 800 shows example SNR in decibels (dB) of the vertical and horizontal polarization components for different scenarios, including open space (OS), grip, and protective cover. Therefore, with this additional information, the same σ is produced. K Different environmental scenarios can also be viewed by checking SNR. m To distinguish them.

[0120] Figure 9 Example diagram 900 shows K in the IQ plane for different scenarios. In IQ diagram 900, the orthogonal human finger pressing on the UE has a relatively very large σ. K As shown in the distribution of K values. In contrast, open spaces and human palms pressed against the UE have similarly small σ values. K The rubber protective sleeve and the human vertical finger pressed on the UE have similar but significantly larger σ. K Therefore, considering only σ K It may be difficult to distinguish between open spaces, protective covers, or human tissue.

[0121] according to Figure 9 Figure 950 is also shown, which illustrates σ for the same scenario presented in IQ graph 900 for certain aspects of this disclosure. K and SNR mExample correlations between them. Using regression or any of a variety of other suitable techniques, a linear equation can be found to separate scenes that can be classified as OS (e.g., OS or protective covering) and scenes that can be classified as object detection (e.g., the presence of human tissue) in order to determine transmission power. The line 952 represented by this linear equation in graph 950 can be considered as the boundary separating the two regions: the OS region and the object detection region. The threshold standard deviation of this OS / detection boundary line 952 ( ) can be represented as Where m is the slope of the line, and c is σ K Offset.

[0122] Figure 10 Figure 1000 illustrates, according to certain aspects of this disclosure, for different scenarios (e.g., different materials), σ K and SNR m Example linear relationships between them, where there is an equation Line 1002 represents the boundary between the open space (OS) and the object detection area. Note how the air, rubber protective case, and plastic phone back cover are located within the OS area, and how pressing horizontal human fingers, pressing human palms, pressing orthogonal human fingers, and pressing vertical human fingers are located within the detection area. The linear equation can be frequency- or band-dependent. Additionally or alternatively, the linear equation can depend on the specific UE, varying between type, brand, and model.

[0123] Figure 11 Based on certain aspects of this disclosure, σ K and SNR m Flowchart 1100 shows the process for determining the parameters used for the OS. The parameters used for the OS may include the OS's radius (R). OS ) and center (C OS As shown in flowchart 1100, if σ K < σ TH (Indicates the OS region), which allows updating OS parameters, where And C OS = mean(K). Otherwise, the OS parameters will not be updated, and more samples will be captured. More specifically, in box 1102, samples (e.g., Xpol samples) are captured, and in box 1104, an FFT is performed on the captured samples to transform the sampled data from the time domain to the frequency domain. As described above, σ can be determined in box 1106 based on the FFT. K And the SNR can be determined in box 1108. mIn box 1110, the variables (e.g., m and c) of the linear equation used for the boundary (e.g., line 952 or line 1002) between the open space and the object detection region can be determined (e.g., read from memory such as memory 282). In box 1112, the linear equation and SNR can be used. m Calculate σ using variables TH If σ is determined in block 1114 K < σ TH (Indicating the OS region), then update the OS parameters in block 1116, where... And C OS = mean(K). Otherwise, if σ is determined in box 1114 K ≥ σ TH If not, the OS parameters will not be updated, and more samples will be captured in box 1102.

[0124] As described above, certain aspects of this disclosure relate to a method for wireless communication by a UE. This method typically includes: receiving multiple signals at the UE; determining values ​​for at least two different types of parameters based on the received multiple signals; determining an environmental scenario for the UE based on the values ​​of the at least two different types of parameters; and transmitting signals using transmission power based on the determined environmental scenario.

[0125] In some aspects, the received multiple signals include vertically polarized component signals and horizontally polarized component signals. In some aspects, at least two different types of parameters include statistics on the cross-polarization ratio between the vertically polarized component signals and the horizontally polarized component signals. For example, the statistics on the cross-polarization ratio could be the standard deviation of the cross-polarization ratio. In some aspects, at least two different types of parameters also include signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) statistics based on the vertically polarized component signals and the horizontally polarized component signals. For example, the SNR statistics could be the average SNR calculated based on the variances of the vertically polarized component signals and the horizontally polarized component signals.

[0126] According to some aspects, the at least two different types of parameters include signal-to-noise ratio statistics based on the vertical polarization component signal and the horizontal polarization component signal.

[0127] In some respects, receiving multiple signals requires receiving the vertically polarized component signal via the UE's vertical polarization receiving path and the horizontally polarized component signal via the UE's horizontal polarization receiving path.

[0128] Depending on some aspects, the method may also include transmitting a test signal from the UE. In some cases, the test signal may be a continuous wave (CW) signal or a frequency modulated continuous wave (FMCW) radar signal. In some aspects, the test signal is transmitted from an antenna in the UE's antenna array, and multiple signals are received by another antenna in the antenna array.

[0129] Depending on certain factors, determining the environmental scenario requires distinguishing between whether the UE's antenna is blocked by a covering or by human tissue. For example, the covering may include a protective sleeve for the UE.

[0130] Determining the environmental scenario, depending on certain factors, includes determining the center and radius of the open space from the UE's antenna.

[0131] Determining the environmental scenario, in some respects, involves: identifying a line (e.g., a line such as line 952 or line 1002) based on a linear relationship between at least two types of parameters, and determining whether one of the at least two types of parameters is on the line. In this case, if one of the at least two types of parameters is on the line, a relatively low transmission power can be used to transmit the signal, while if one of the at least two types of parameters is not on the line, a relatively high transmission power can be used to transmit the signal. In some respects, the parameters of the line (e.g., slope and offset) can be stored in memory.

[0132] Determining the environmental scenario, in some respects, includes: determining the boundary based on the relationship between at least two types of parameters, and determining whether one of the at least two types of parameters is on the first side of the boundary or the second side of the boundary. In this case, if one of the at least two types of parameters is on the first side of the boundary, a relatively low transmission power can be used to transmit the signal, while if one of the at least two types of parameters is on the second side of the boundary, a relatively high transmission power can be used to transmit the signal.

[0133] Determining the environmental scenario, depending on certain aspects, includes determining the material of the protective sleeve covering the UE. In some aspects, the received multiple signals include vertically polarized component signals and horizontally polarized component signals, and at least two different types of parameters include statistics on the cross-polarization ratio between the vertically polarized component signals and the horizontally polarized component signals. In this case, determining the material of the protective sleeve covering the UE can be based at least in part on statistics of the cross-polarization ratio. For example, this statistic could be the standard deviation of the cross-polarization ratio.

[0134] Example of automatic overlay detection

[0135] As mentioned above, millimeter-wave (mmWave) transmissions pose potential safety hazards because they can cause localized heating of the skin or eye surface. To protect the public from this hazard, government regulatory agencies have set RF exposure limits (e.g., based on maximum power per square centimeter). For mmWave, this limit is called the Maximum Permissible Exposure (MPE) limit. For example, the U.S. Federal Communications Commission (FCC) has set MPE limits for all transmissions at frequencies above 3 GHz. For example, for transmissions between 30 and 300 GHz, the FCC MPE limit is set at 1 mW / cm². 2 MPE constraints tighten the link budget for 5G mmWave uplink (UL) transmissions.

[0136] One solution is to use a proximity sensor to determine the presence of a human body near the mmWave module. When the proximity sensor indicates open space (OS), the UE can transmit at higher power, but if the sensor indicates the presence of an object, the UE can back down its UL transmission power to maintain MPE compliance. A drawback of many proximity sensors is that they cannot distinguish between a human body and other objects. Therefore, when an end user installs a protective cover on the UE, the cover may trigger continuous detection, rendering the proximity sensor unusable. Thus, a mechanism for sensing through protective covers is desired.

[0137] As described above, the cross-polarization (Xpol) sensor can detect the presence of objects near the antenna array by relying on the near-field coupling characteristics between the transmitting and receiving antenna elements within the mmWave antenna array. Using Xpol, the transmitter can transmit a single tone (e.g., at an mmWave frequency), and two receivers can receive the transmitted tone back. The two receivers can be attached to antenna ports with different polarizations (e.g., vertical and horizontal polarization). The ratio of the two received signals (K = k) v / k H The phase and amplitude of the OS are used as a signature to identify the OS from the object.

[0138] Using the Xpol algorithm, the OS signature can be defined as an OS circle, the center and radius of which are plotted on the in-phase / orthogonal (IQ) plane, for example, as referenced in this paper. Figure 6The OS signature for each antenna array (at each frequency or band) can be characterized or calibrated per device. Once this OS circle is established for a given antenna array, the Xpol algorithm can detect objects by classifying captures outside the OS circle in the IQ plane as object detections and captures inside the OS circle as open space. OS circles can be characterized or generated for various states of the antenna array and the UE, such as the state when the UE is not covered and multiple states corresponding to various situations or covers. For example, an OS circle can be characterized for a given antenna array when the UE is not covered, while a different OS circle can be characterized for the antenna array when the UE is covered by a specific cover or cover.

[0139] A single Xpol sensor scan can struggle to distinguish human body parts from other objects, a situation common to most other sensors. Therefore, when an end user installs a protective cover on the UE (e.g., a smartphone), the cover can trigger persistent detection, which is problematic. One potential solution to this problem is to have multiple active OS circles. For example, one OS circle could be associated with an exposed (i.e., uncovered) UE, while another OS circle could correspond to the represented cover. In this case, if the capture is located in any of these OS circles, the Xpol algorithm might classify the capture as an OS. The problem with this approach is that it's possible to find a specific finger touch location on top of an exposed UE, causing the capture to be incorrectly located in the OS circle of the cover. This finger touch location is likely to be falsely detected on the exposed UE because the capture will be interpreted as an OS on the cover.

[0140] Some aspects of this disclosure provide Xpol-based algorithms and sensors supporting multiple OS circles, but only one of these OS circles is allowed to be active at a time. In this way, when the algorithm determines that the UE is exposed, it deactivates the OS circles of all covers, and when the algorithm determines that a specific cover is installed, it deactivates the OS circles of the exposed UE and any other covers (except the OS circle of the installed cover). Therefore, some aspects of this disclosure relate to an Xpol algorithm that determines when and which cover is installed. This Xpol algorithm relies on a very low probability that an exposed UE is held in such a way that the specific holding scenario appears to be an OS across multiple antenna arrays. For some aspects, the Xpol algorithm can determine that a cover is installed by observing Xpol captures across multiple antenna arrays. When an OS corresponding to a given cover is detected across multiple antenna arrays, the algorithm designates the OS circle of that given cover as the only active OS circle. Similarly, when an end user removes the cover, the algorithm may eventually observe the exposed OS of the UE detected across multiple antenna arrays. Therefore, the algorithm can reallocate the OS circle of the exposed UE to a unique active OS circle.

[0141] As shown in Table 1, the nominal value of the OS circle may differ for a given environmental condition (e.g., a specific coverage area) observed by different antenna arrays. In Table 1, rows correspond to the antenna arrays in the UE, and columns correspond to the environmental conditions. The algorithm disclosed herein selects individual columns from Table 1 at a time, rather than selecting individual OSs.

[0142]

[0143] Figure 13 This is a flowchart of an example operation 1300 for wireless communication according to certain aspects of this disclosure. Operation 1300 can be performed, for example, by a wireless device (e.g., Figure 1 The UE 120 performs this function, and more specifically, it is performed by the receiver, processor, and transmitter of the wireless device.

[0144] Operation 1300 can begin at block 1301, where the wireless device transmits at least one test signal (e.g., using the TX front-end circuitry 254a-254r of UE 120 or transmit path 302), and at block 1302, receives multiple cross-polarization captures from multiple antenna arrays (e.g., using the RX front-end circuitry 254a-254r of UE 120 or receive path 304). In some aspects, the received multiple cross-polarization captures can indicate the reflection of the transmitted test signal. At block 1304, the wireless device can detect that the multiple cross-polarization captures from the multiple antenna arrays correspond to a first OS circle in the in-phase / orthogonal (IQ) plane of a set of possible open space (OS) circles of the wireless device. Based on the detection at block 1304, the wireless device can assign the first OS circle as the active OS circle of the wireless device at block 1306. Based on the detection at block 1304, the wireless device can also deactivate (e.g., ignore) other possible OS circles in the set. At block 1308, the wireless device can determine the environmental scene corresponding to the active OS circle. At box 1310, the wireless device may transmit signals using transmission power based on the determined environmental scenario (e.g., utilizing the TX front-end circuitry 254a-254r of UE 120 or transmission path 302).

[0145] In some respects, since the first OS circle can be associated with a specific state of the wireless device (e.g., covered or uncovered by a specific cover / cover), for example, due to the wireless device being covered by a different cover / cover or a change in coverage, the wireless device can update the active OS circle to a second OS circle in the set of possible OS circles and associate it with another state of the wireless device. Regarding operation 1300, the wireless device can send another test signal and receive multiple other cross-polarization captures from multiple antenna arrays of the wireless device. The wireless device can detect that the multiple other cross-polarization captures from the multiple antenna arrays correspond to a second OS circle in the IQ plane of the set of possible OS circles, the second OS circle being different from the first OS circle. Based on the detected correspondence with the second OS circle, the wireless device can assign the second OS circle as the active OS circle of the wireless device and deactivate other possible OS circles in that set, including the first OS circle. As an example, the first OS circle can correspond to when the wireless device is uncovered, and the second OS circle can correspond to when the wireless device is covered by a specific cover or cover.

[0146] In various respects, the set of possible OS circles can correspond to or be associated with various states of the wireless device. For example, the set of possible OS circles can correspond to the wireless device being uncovered and / or the wireless device being covered by one or more different types of covers or covers.

[0147] In some respects, the transmission of the test signal at box 1302 may include using one of the antennas in one of the antenna arrays. The test signal may include a continuous wave signal or an FMCW radar signal. The test signal may be transmitted from an antenna in one of the multiple antenna arrays of the wireless device, and the vertical polarization component signal and the horizontal polarization component signal may be received by another antenna in the same array of the multiple antenna arrays.

[0148] In some aspects, determining the environmental scene at box 1308 may require identifying whether human tissue is near the wireless device. For example, determining the environmental scene may include the wireless device distinguishing whether its antenna is blocked by a covering or by human tissue.

[0149] Depending on some aspects, the cover may include a protective case for wireless devices. For example, the cover may be a case for a mobile phone or smartphone. The cover may include various materials, such as plastic, rubber, or leather.

[0150] In some respects, cross-polarization capture can indicate the cross-polarization component signal received at block 1302. For example, each of the plurality of cross-polarization captures can be based on the cross-polarization ratio between the vertical polarization component signal and the horizontal polarization component signal.

[0151] According to certain aspects, cross-polarization captures associated with multiple antenna arrays can be used to detect OS circles associated with the current coverage / out-of-coverage state of the wireless device. For example, the detection at block 1304 may include the wireless device detecting that a first cross-polarization capture from the first antenna array corresponds to a first OS circle and a second OS circle, and detecting that a second cross-polarization capture from the second antenna array corresponds to the first OS circle but not to the second OS circle. Based on the first OS circle corresponding to the first and second antenna arrays, the wireless device can identify that the first OS circle is the OS circle corresponding to the current coverage / out-of-coverage state of the wireless device.

[0152] While this document describes various examples for ease of understanding of OS circles used to identify environmental scenarios or corresponding to the uncovered or covered states of a wireless device, aspects of this disclosure can also be applied to other suitable regions (e.g., polygons) in the IQ plane. For example, a particular polygon in the IQ plane can indicate the OS state of a wireless device.

[0153] The various operations described above can be performed by any suitable device capable of performing the corresponding function. This device may include various hardware and / or software components and / or modules, including but not limited to circuits, application-specific integrated circuits (ASICs), or processors. Typically, in cases where operations are illustrated in the figures, those operations may have corresponding means-plus-function. For example, a receiving device may include… Figure 2 The RX front-end circuitry 254a-254r and / or antenna 252a-252r or Figure 3 The receiving path 304 and / or antenna 303. The means for transmitting may include... Figure 2 TX front-end circuit 254a-254r and / or antenna 252a-252r or Figure 3 The transmission path 302 and / or antenna 303. The means for detection, the means for determination, and / or the means for allocation (and deactivation) may include at least one processor, such as... Figure 2 The receive processor 258, controller / processor 280 and / or transmit processor 264 or Figure 4B The processor 422.

[0154] Example

[0155] In addition to the various aspects described above, specific combinations of these aspects are also within the scope of this disclosure, some of which are described in detail below:

[0156] A first aspect. A method for wireless communication performed by a user equipment (UE), comprising: receiving a plurality of cross-polarization captures from a plurality of antenna arrays of the UE; detecting a first OS circle in an in-phase / orthogonal (IQ) plane of a set of possible open space (OS) circles of the UE corresponding to the plurality of cross-polarization captures from the plurality of antenna arrays; assigning the first OS circle as an active OS circle of the UE based on the detection, and deactivating other possible OS circles in the set; determining an environmental scenario corresponding to the active OS circle; and transmitting a signal using a transmission power based on the determined environmental scenario.

[0157] The second aspect. The method of the first aspect further includes: receiving multiple other cross-polarization captures from multiple antenna arrays of the UE; detecting that the multiple other cross-polarization captures from the multiple antenna arrays correspond to a second OS circle in the IQ plane of a set of possible OS circles, the second OS circle being different from the first OS circle; and assigning the second OS circle as the active OS circle of the UE based on the detected correspondence with the second OS circle, and deactivating other possible OS circles in the set, including the first OS circle.

[0158] Third aspect. According to the method of the first or second aspect, the set of possible OS circles corresponds to the UE not being covered, and corresponds to one or more different types of coverage for the UE.

[0159] Fourth aspect. The method according to the first to third aspects further includes: sending at least one test signal from the UE.

[0160] Fifth aspect. According to the method of the fourth aspect, at least one test signal includes a continuous wave signal or a frequency modulated continuous wave (FMCW) radar signal.

[0161] Sixth aspect. According to the method of the fourth aspect, at least one test signal is transmitted from an antenna in one of the multiple antenna arrays of the UE, and the vertical polarization component signal and the horizontal polarization component signal are received by another antenna in the same array of the multiple antenna arrays.

[0162] Seventh aspect. According to the method described in any one of aspects one through six, determining the environmental scenario includes distinguishing whether the UE's antenna is blocked by a covering or by human tissue.

[0163] Eighth aspect. According to the method of the seventh aspect, wherein the covering includes a protective sleeve for the UE.

[0164] Ninth aspect. The method according to any one of the first to eighth aspects, wherein each of the plurality of cross-polarization captures is based on the cross-polarization ratio between the vertical polarization component signal and the horizontal polarization component signal.

[0165] Tenth aspect. The method according to any one of the first to ninth aspects, wherein the detection includes: detecting a first cross-polarization capture from the first antenna array corresponding to a first OS circle and a second OS circle; and detecting a second cross-polarization capture from the second antenna array corresponding to the first OS circle but not to the second OS circle.

[0166] Eleventh aspect. An apparatus for wireless communication, comprising: a plurality of antenna arrays; a receiver configured to receive a plurality of cross-polarization captures from the plurality of antenna arrays; a memory; a processor coupled to the memory, the processor and the memory being configured to: detect that the plurality of cross-polarization captures from the plurality of antenna arrays correspond to a first OS circle in an in-phase / orthogonal (IQ) plane of a set of possible open space (OS) circles of the apparatus; based on the detection, assign the first OS circle as an active OS circle of the apparatus and deactivate other possible OS circles in the set; and determine an environmental scene corresponding to the active OS circle; and a transmitter configured to transmit a signal using a transmission power based on the determined environmental scene.

[0167] Twelfth aspect. According to the apparatus of the eleventh aspect, the receiver is configured to: receive other plurality of cross-polarization captures from a plurality of antenna arrays of the apparatus; and the processor and memory are further configured to: detect that the other plurality of cross-polarization captures from the plurality of antenna arrays correspond to a second OS circle in the IQ plane of a set of possible OS circles, the second OS circle being different from the first OS circle; and based on the detected correspondence with the second OS circle, assign the second OS circle as the active OS circle of the apparatus, and deactivate other possible OS circles in the set, including the first OS circle.

[0168] Thirteenth aspect. The apparatus according to the eleventh or twelfth aspect, wherein the set of possible OS circles corresponds to the apparatus not being covered, and corresponds to one or more different types of covers on the apparatus.

[0169] Fourteenth aspect. The apparatus according to any one of aspects eleven through thirteen, wherein the transmitter is further configured to transmit at least one test signal.

[0170] Fifteenth aspect. According to the apparatus of the fourteenth aspect, an antenna in one of a plurality of antenna arrays is configured to transmit at least one test signal, and another antenna in the same array of the plurality of antenna arrays is configured to receive a vertical polarization component signal and a horizontal polarization component signal.

[0171] Sixteenth aspect. The apparatus according to any one of aspects eleven to fifteen, wherein the processor and the memory are further configured to distinguish whether the antenna of the apparatus is blocked by a covering or by human tissue.

[0172] Seventeenth aspect. According to the apparatus of the sixteenth aspect, the covering includes a protective sleeve for the UE.

[0173] Eighteenth aspect. The apparatus according to any one of aspects eleven to seventeen, wherein each of the plurality of cross-polarization captures is based on the cross-polarization ratio between the vertical polarization component signal and the horizontal polarization component signal.

[0174] Nineteenth aspect. The apparatus according to any one of aspects eleven to eighteen, wherein the processor and memory are further configured to: detect a first cross-polarization capture from the first antenna array corresponding to a first OS circle and a second OS circle; and detect a second cross-polarization capture from the second antenna array corresponding to the first OS circle but not to the second OS circle.

[0175] Twentieth aspect. An apparatus for wireless communication, comprising: means for receiving a plurality of cross-polarization captures from a plurality of antenna arrays of the apparatus; means for detecting that the plurality of cross-polarization captures from the plurality of antenna arrays correspond to a first OS circle in an in-phase / orthogonal (IQ) plane of a set of possible open space (OS) circles of the apparatus; means for assigning the first OS circle as an active OS circle of the apparatus based on the detection, and deactivating other possible OS circles in the set; means for determining an environmental scene corresponding to the active OS circle; and means for transmitting a signal using a transmission power based on the determined environmental scene.

[0176] As used herein, the term "determine" encompasses a wide variety of actions. For example, "determine" can include calculation, operation, processing, derivation, investigation, searching (e.g., looking in a table, database, or other data structure), ascertainment, etc. Furthermore, "determine" can include receiving (e.g., receiving information), accessing (e.g., accessing data in memory), etc. Additionally, "determine" can include parsing, selecting, picking, building, etc.

[0177] As used herein, the phrase “at least one of a series of items” refers to any combination of those items, including a single member. For example, “at least one of a, b, or c” is intended to cover: a, b, c, ab, ac, bc, and abc, as well as any combination of multiple identical elements (e.g., aa, aaa, aab, aac, abb, acc, bb, bbb, bbb, bbc, cc, and cccc, or any other order of a, b, and c).

[0178] The various illustrative logic blocks, modules, and circuits described in this disclosure may be implemented or performed using a general-purpose processor, a digital signal processor (DSP), an ASIC, a field-programmable gate array (FPGA) or other programmable logic device (PLD), discrete gate or transistor logic, discrete hardware components, or any combination thereof designed to perform the functions described herein. The general-purpose processor may be a microprocessor, but optionally, it may be any commercially available processor, controller, microcontroller, or state machine. The processor may also be implemented as a combination of computing devices, such as a combination of a DSP and a microprocessor, multiple microprocessors, one or more microprocessors combined with a DSP core, or any other such configuration.

[0179] The methods disclosed herein include one or more steps or actions for implementing the described methods. The method steps and / or actions may be interchanged without departing from the scope of the claims. In other words, unless a specific order of steps or actions is specified, the order and / or use of a particular step and / or action may be modified without departing from the scope of the claims.

[0180] The described functionality can be implemented using hardware, software, firmware, or any combination thereof. If implemented in hardware, an example hardware configuration could include a processing system in a wireless node. This processing system could be implemented using a bus architecture. Depending on the specific application and overall design constraints of the processing system, the bus could include any number of interconnect buses and bridges. The bus can link various circuits together, including processors, machine-readable media, and bus interfaces. The bus interface can be used to connect network adapters, etc., to the processing system via the bus. The network adapter can be used to implement signal processing functions at the physical (PHY) layer. In the case of a user terminal, a user interface (e.g., a keyboard, display, mouse, joystick, etc.) can also be connected to the bus. The bus can also link various other circuits, such as timing sources, peripherals, voltage regulators, power management circuits, etc., which are well known in the art and will not be described further.

[0181] The processing system can be configured as a general-purpose processing system, having one or more microprocessors providing processor functionality and external memory providing at least a portion of machine-readable medium, all linked together with other supporting circuitry via an external bus architecture. Alternatively, the processing system can be implemented using an ASIC, with a processor, bus interface, (in the case of an access terminal) a user interface, supporting circuitry, and at least a portion of machine-readable medium integrated into a single chip, or with one or more FPGAs, PLDs, controllers, state machines, gating logic, discrete hardware components, or any other suitable circuitry, or any combination of circuitry capable of performing the various functions described throughout this disclosure. Those skilled in the art will recognize how best to implement the functions for the processing system depends on the specific application and the overall design constraints imposed on the system as a whole.

[0182] It should be understood that the claims are not limited to the precise configuration and components described above. Various modifications, alterations, and variations may be made to the arrangement, operation, and details of the methods and apparatus described above without departing from the scope of the claims.

Claims

1. A method for wireless communication by a user equipment (UE), comprising: Receive multiple cross-polarization captures from multiple antenna arrays of the UE; The multiple cross-polarization captures from the multiple antenna arrays are determined to correspond to the environmental scene; as well as Signals are transmitted using transmission power based on the determined environmental scenario.

2. The method according to claim 1, further comprising: Receive multiple other cross-polarization captures from multiple antenna arrays of the UE; It is determined that the other multiple cross-polarization captures correspond to the second environmental scenario; and The signal is transmitted using the transmission power based on the second environmental scenario.

3. The method according to claim 1, wherein, The capture includes information indicating IQ plane data associated with one or more signals received at the UE, the information corresponding to the UE not being covered, and corresponding to one or more different types of coverage for the UE.

4. The method according to claim 1, further comprising: At least one test signal is sent from the UE.

5. The method according to claim 4, wherein, The at least one test signal includes a continuous wave signal or a frequency modulated continuous wave (FMCW) radar signal.

6. The method according to claim 4, wherein, The at least one test signal is transmitted from an antenna in one of the plurality of antenna arrays of the UE, and wherein the vertical polarization component signal and the horizontal polarization component signal are received by another antenna in the same antenna array of the plurality of antenna arrays.

7. The method according to claim 1, wherein, Determining the environmental scenario includes distinguishing whether the UE's antenna is blocked by a covering or by human tissue.

8. The method according to claim 7, wherein, The covering includes a protective sleeve for the UE.

9. The method according to claim 1, wherein, Each of the multiple cross-polarization captures is based on the cross-polarization ratio between the vertical polarization component signal and the horizontal polarization component signal.

10. The method according to claim 1, further comprising: The detection of the first cross-polarization capture from the first antenna array corresponds to a first OS signature and a second OS signature, the OS signature being based on the cross-polarization ratio between the vertical polarization component signal and the horizontal polarization component signal; as well as The detection of a second cross-polarization capture from the second antenna array corresponds to the first OS signature, but not to the second OS signature; and The environmental scenario is determined based on the first OS signature.

11. An apparatus for wireless communication, comprising: Multiple antenna arrays; The receiver is configured to receive multiple cross-polarization captures from multiple antenna arrays; Memory; A processor, coupled to a memory, is configured such that the device: The multiple cross-polarization captures from the multiple antenna arrays are determined to correspond to the environmental scene; as well as The transmitter is configured to transmit signals using a transmission power based on a determined environmental scenario.

12. The apparatus according to claim 11, wherein: The receiver is configured to receive additional cross-polarization captures from multiple antenna arrays of the device; and The processor and the memory are further configured such that the device: It is determined that the other multiple cross-polarization captures correspond to the second environmental scenario; and The signal is transmitted using the transmission power based on the second environmental scenario.

13. The apparatus according to claim 11, wherein, The capture includes information indicating IQ plane data associated with one or more signals received at the UE, the information corresponding to the device not being covered, and corresponding to one or more different types of covers for the device.

14. The apparatus according to claim 11, wherein, The transmitter is also configured to send at least one test signal.

15. The apparatus according to claim 14, wherein, An antenna in one of the plurality of antenna arrays of the device is configured to transmit the at least one test signal, and wherein another antenna in the same antenna array of the plurality of antenna arrays is configured to receive a vertical polarization component signal and a horizontal polarization component signal.

16. The apparatus according to claim 11, wherein, The processor is also configured to enable the device to distinguish whether the device’s antenna is blocked by a covering or by human tissue.

17. The apparatus according to claim 16, wherein, The covering includes a protective sleeve for the UE.

18. The apparatus according to claim 11, wherein, Each of the multiple cross-polarization captures is based on the cross-polarization ratio between the vertical polarization component signal and the horizontal polarization component signal.

19. The apparatus according to claim 11, wherein, The processor is also configured to cause the device to: The detection of the first cross-polarization capture from the first antenna array corresponds to a first OS signature and a second OS signature, the OS signature being based on the cross-polarization ratio between the vertical polarization component signal and the horizontal polarization component signal; The detection of a second cross-polarization capture from the second antenna array corresponds to the first OS signature, but not to the second OS signature; and The environmental scenario is determined based on the first OS signature.

Images