Method for rf compliance of a terminal

Abstract

An electronic device and a method for applying a maximum permissible exposure (MPE) operation on the electronic device are disclosed. The electronic device includes a plurality of antenna arrays and a processor operably connected to the plurality of antenna arrays. The processor is configured to detect an MPE condition of radio frequency exposure; and apply one MPE operation among a plurality of MPE operations to at least one of the plurality of antenna arrays to modify the radio frequency exposure. The MPE operation includes coordination of at least two antenna arrays for signal transmission.

Description

TECHNICAL FIELD

[0001] The present disclosure relates generally to electronic devices. More particularly, the present disclosure relates to millimeter wave (mmWave) wireless communication systems and operations for controlling radio frequency (RF) exposure. BACKGROUND

[0002] The use of mobile computing technology, such as portable electronic devices including radios, has greatly expanded in large part due to availability, convenience, computing power, and the like. Due to the widespread use of such devices, the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) has implemented guidelines and regulations to limit the amount of RF exposure to the human body. The FCC defines RF compliance requirements for radio devices to ensure safe operation, which is intended to prevent human body exposure hazards represented by changes in tissue temperature. RF compliance requirements for frequencies above 6 GHz are referred to as Maximum Permissible Exposure (MPE), which is defined by a power density (PD) limit. In the interim guidance issued by the FCC on October 3, 2018, the limits for 28 GHz and 39 GHz were defined as 4 cm 2 10 W / m2in the region of 10 cm 2 where the average time is 4 seconds. SUMMARY

[0003] TECHNICAL PROBLEM

[0004] Operation of a radio device in compliance with RF safety requirements includes performing an action such as shutting down transmission of an antenna module when the risk of RF exposure to human skin can exceed a specified limit. However, the limited options of shutting down or reducing transmission of an antenna module slows uplink transmission of the radio device.

[0005] SOLUTION TO THE PROBLEM

[0006] The present disclosure provides methods and devices for controlling RF exposure in mmWave wireless communication systems.

[0007] In a first embodiment, an electronic device includes a plurality of antenna arrays; and a processor operably connected to the plurality of antenna arrays. The processor is configured to detect a maximum permissible exposure (MPE) condition of radio frequency exposure. The processor is further configured to apply a MPE operation from among a plurality of MPE operations to at least one of the plurality of antenna arrays to modify the radio frequency exposure. The MPE operation includes coordination of at least two antenna arrays for signal transmission.

[0008] In a second embodiment, a method for applying MPE operations on an electronic device includes detecting an MPE condition of radio frequency exposure. The method also includes applying an MPE operation from among a plurality of MPE operations to at least one of a plurality of antenna arrays to modify the radio frequency exposure. The MPE operation includes coordination of at least two antenna arrays for signal transmission. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS

[0009] For a more complete understanding of the present disclosure and its advantages, reference is now made to the following description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings in which:

[0010] Figure 1 An exemplary communication system is shown in accordance with an embodiment of the present disclosure;

[0011] Figure 2 An exemplary electronic device is shown in accordance with an embodiment of the present disclosure;

[0012] Figure 3 An exemplary architecture implementing hybrid beamforming is shown in accordance with an embodiment of the present disclosure;

[0013] Figure 4 An exemplary architecture of a monostatic radar is shown in accordance with an embodiment of the present disclosure;

[0014] Figure 5 A block diagram of an exemplary method for applying adaptive MPE operations is shown in accordance with an embodiment of the present disclosure;

[0015] Figure 6 A block diagram of an exemplary method for applying adaptive MPE operations according to UL channel or signal type is shown in accordance with an embodiment of the present disclosure;

[0016] Figure 7A A reduced UL duty cycle for MPE compliance is applied equally to all physical channel types of an electronic device in accordance with an embodiment of the present disclosure;

[0017] Figure 7B A reduced UL duty cycle for MPE compliance is applied to PUSCH but not PUCCH in accordance with an embodiment of the present disclosure;

[0018] Figure 8 A block diagram of an exemplary method for applying MPE operations dependent on object distance is shown in accordance with an embodiment of the present disclosure;

[0019] Figure 9 A block diagram of an exemplary method for applying multiple MPE operations according to object distance is shown in accordance with an embodiment of the present disclosure;

[0020] Figure 10A block diagram illustrating an exemplary method for applying MPE operations based on object distance and angular position, according to embodiments of the disclosure, is shown;

[0021] Figure 11 A block diagram illustrating an exemplary method for applying multiple MPE operations based on object distance and according to angular position of the object, according to embodiments of the disclosure, is shown;

[0022] Figure 12 A block diagram illustrating an exemplary method for applying MPE operations based on object material, according to embodiments of the disclosure, is shown; and

[0023] Figure 13 A block diagram illustrating an exemplary method for applying multiple MPE operations according to object distance and object material, according to embodiments of the disclosure, is shown;

[0024] Figure 14 A timing diagram illustrating MPE operations with reduced transmit duty cycle of a first antenna module and activation of a second antenna module, according to embodiments of the disclosure, is shown; and

[0025] Figure 15 An exemplary method for applying MPE operations, according to embodiments of the disclosure, is shown. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0026] The following discussion Figures 1 to 15 The principles of the present disclosure discussed below are merely exemplary and should not be construed as limiting the scope of the present disclosure in any way. Those skilled in the art will understand that the principles of the present disclosure can be implemented in any suitably arranged wireless communication system.

[0027] Figure 1 An exemplary communication system 100, according to embodiments of the disclosure, is shown. Figure 1 The illustrated embodiment of the computing system 100 is for illustration only. Other embodiments of the computing system 100 can be used without departing from the scope of the present disclosure.

[0028] As Figure 1 As shown, the computing system 100 includes a network 102 that facilitates communication between various components in the computing system 100. For example, the network 102 can communicate Internet Protocol (IP) packets, frame relay frames, Asynchronous Transfer Mode (ATM) cells, or other information between network addresses. The network 102 can include one or more local area networks (LANs), metropolitan area networks (MANs), wide area networks (WANs), all or a portion of a global network such as the Internet, or one or more other communication systems at one or more locations.

[0029] The network 102 facilitates communication between at least one server 104 and various client devices 106-114. Each server 104 includes any suitable computing or processing device that can provide computing services to one or more client devices. Each server 104 may, for example, include one or more processing devices, one or more memories storing instructions and data, and one or more network interfaces that facilitate communication over the network 102.

[0030] Each client device 106-114 represents any suitable computing or processing device that interacts with at least one server or other computing device over the network 102. In this example, the client devices 106-114 include a desktop computer 106, a mobile telephone or smartphone 108, a personal digital assistant (PDA) 110, a laptop computer 112, and a tablet computer 114. However, any other or additional client devices can be used in the computing system 100. A smartphone represents a class of mobile devices 108 that are handheld devices with a mobile operating system and integrated mobile broadband cellular network connectivity for voice, short message service (SMS), and Internet data communications. In certain embodiments, any of the client devices 106-114 can send and collect radar signals for facial authentication, anti-spoofing, and gesture recognition.

[0031] In this example, some of the client devices 108-114 communicate indirectly with the network 102. For example, the client devices 108-110 communicate via one or more base stations 116, such as cellular base stations or eNodeBs. Also, the client devices 112-114 communicate via one or more wireless access points 118, such as IEEE 802.11 wireless access points. Note that these are for illustration only and each client device can communicate directly with the network 102, or indirectly with the network 102 via any suitable intervening device or network.

[0032] Although Figure 1 One example of a computing system 100 is shown, but various changes can be made Figure 1 For example, the system 100 can include any number of each component in any suitable arrangement. In general, computing and communication systems have a wide variety of configurations, and Figure 1 The scope of the present disclosure is not limited to any particular configuration. Figure 1 One operational environment in which various features disclosed in this patent document can be used is shown, but these features can be used in any other suitable system.

[0033] Figure 2An exemplary electronic device 200 according to an embodiment of the present disclosure is shown. The electronic device 200 may be a mobile communication device, such as, for example, a mobile station, a subscriber station, a wireless terminal, a desktop computer, a portable electronic device, etc.

[0034] like Figure 2 As shown, electronic device 200 includes a transceiver 210, transmit (TX) processing circuitry 215, microphone 220, and receive (RX) processing circuitry 225. The transceiver 210 may include, for example, an RF transceiver, Bluetooth transceiver, Wi-Fi transceiver, ZigBee transceiver, infrared transceiver, and various other wireless communication signals. Electronic device 200 also includes a speaker 230, a processor 240, an input / output (I / O) interface (IF) 245, an input terminal 250, a display 255, a memory 260, a sensor 265, and a camera 275. The memory 260 includes an operating system (OS) 261 and one or more applications 262.

[0035] Transceiver 210 may include an antenna array with multiple antennas. Transceiver 210 may transmit signals or power to or receive signals or power from electronic device 200. Transceiver 210 transmits signals to other components in the system and receives incoming signals transmitted by other components in the system. For example, transceiver 210 transmits RF signals (such as Bluetooth or Wi-Fi signals) to access points (such as base stations, Wi-Fi routers, or Bluetooth devices) of a network (such as Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, cellular, 5G, LTE, LTE-A, WiMAX, or any other type of wireless network) and receives these signals from the network access points. The received signals are processed by RX processing circuitry 225. RX processing circuitry 225 may send the processed signals to speaker 230 (e.g., for voice data) or processor 240 for further processing (e.g., for web browsing data). TX processing circuitry 215 receives voice data from microphone 220 or other outgoing data from processor 240. Outgoing data may include web data, email, or interactive video game data. The TX processing circuit 215 processes the outgoing data to generate a processed signal. The transceiver 210 receives the processed outgoing signal from the TX processing circuit 215 and converts the received signal into an RF signal to be transmitted via an antenna. In other embodiments, the transceiver 210 may transmit and receive radar signals to detect the potential presence of objects in the environment surrounding the electronic device 200.

[0036] In this embodiment, one of the one or more transceivers 210 includes a radar transceiver 270 configured to transmit and receive signals for detection and ranging purposes. For example, the radar transceiver 270 can be any type of transceiver, including but not limited to a WiFi transceiver, such as an 802.1 lay transceiver. The radar transceiver 270 includes an antenna array that includes transmitter and receiver antenna arrays. The antenna array can include antennas that include radiating elements composed of conductive material or conductive patterns formed in or on a substrate (e.g., a PCB). Additional components (e.g., radio frequency integrated circuits (RFICs)) other than the radiating elements can additionally be formed as part of the antenna array. The radar transceiver 270 can transmit signals at frequencies less than or equal to 100 GHz. For example, the transmitter 257 can transmit signals at frequencies including but not limited to 6-8 GHz, 28 GHz, 39 GHz, 60 GHz, and 77 GHz. In some embodiments, the signals transmitted by the radar transceiver 270 can include but are not limited to millimeter wave (mmWave) signals. After the signals have bounced or reflected off a target object in the surrounding environment of the electronic device 200, the radar transceiver 270 can receive the signals that were originally transmitted from the radar transceiver 270. The processor 240 can analyze the time difference between the time the radar transceiver 270 transmitted the signals and the time the radar transceiver 270 received the signals to measure the distance of the target object from the electronic device 200.

[0037] The TX processing circuitry 215 receives analog or digital voice data from the microphone 220 or other outgoing baseband data (such as web data, e-mail, or interactive video game data) from the main processor 240. The TX processing circuitry 215 encodes, multiplexes, and / or digitizes the outgoing baseband data to generate a processed baseband or IF signal. The RF transceiver 210 receives the outgoing processed baseband or IF signal from the TX processing circuitry 215 and up-converts it to an RF signal that is transmitted via the antenna 205.

[0038] The processor 240 can include one or more processors or other processing devices. The processor 240 can execute instructions that are stored in the memory 260, such as the OS 261, in order to control the overall operation of the electronic device 200. For example, the processor 240 can control the reception of forward channel signals and the transmission of reverse channel signals by the RF transceiver 210, the RX processing circuitry 225, and the TX processing circuitry 215 in accordance with well-known principles. The processor 240 can include any suitable number(s) and type(s) of processors or other devices in any suitable arrangement. For example, in certain embodiments, the processor 240 includes at least one microprocessor or microcontroller. Exemplary types of processors 240 include microprocessors, microcontrollers, digital signal processors, field programmable gate arrays, application specific integrated circuits, and discrete circuitry. In certain embodiments, the processor 240 can include a neural network.

[0039] The processor 240 is also capable of executing other processes and programs that are resident in the memory 260, such as processes that receive and store data. The processor 240 can move data into or out of the memory 260 as required by the processes. In certain embodiments, the processor 140 is configured to execute the one or more applications 262 based on the OS 261 or in response to receiving signals from other sources or operators. For example, the applications 262 can include authentication programs, as well as programs or files that require authentication prior to access.

[0040] The processor 240 is also coupled to the I / O interface 245, which provides the electronic device 200 with the ability to connect to other devices. The I / O interface 245 is the communication path between these accessories and the processor 240.

[0041] The processor 240 is also coupled to the input 250 and the display 255. The operator of the electronic device 200 can use the input 250 to enter data or inputs into the electronic device 200. The input 250 can be a keyboard, a touch screen, a mouse, a trackball, a voice input, or other device that can serve as a user interface to allow a user to interact with the electronic device 200. For example, the input 250 can include voice recognition processing, thereby allowing a user to input voice commands. In another example, the input 250 can include a touch panel, a (digital) pen sensor, a key, or an ultrasonic input device. The touch panel can recognize, for example, a touch input, in at least one scheme such as a capacitive scheme, a pressure sensitive scheme, an infrared scheme, or an ultrasonic scheme. The input 250 can be associated with the sensor 265 and / or the camera by providing additional inputs to the processor 240. In certain embodiments, the sensor 265 includes one or more inertial measurement units (IMUs) such as accelerometers, gyroscopes, and magnetometers, motion sensors, optical sensors, cameras, pressure sensors, heart rate sensors, altimeters, etc. The input 250 can also include a control circuit. In the capacitive scheme, the input 250 can recognize a touch or proximity. In certain embodiments, the input 250 includes the antenna 205, which can transmit and receive radar signals to authenticate a user.

[0042] The display 255 can be a liquid crystal display (LCD), a light emitting diode (LED) display, an organic LED (OLED), an active matrix OLED (AMOLED), or other display capable of rendering text and / or graphics such as from websites, videos, games, and images. The display 255 can be sized to fit within an HMD. The display 255 can be a single display screen or multiple display screens capable of forming a stereoscopic display. In certain embodiments, the display 255 is a heads-up display (HUD).

[0043] The memory 260 is coupled to the processor 240. A portion of the memory 260 can include a RAM, and another portion of the memory 260 can include a flash memory or other ROM. The memory 260 can include a permanent storage device (not shown) that represents any structure capable of storing and facilitating the retrieval of information such as data, program code, and / or other suitable information. The memory 260 can include one or more components or devices, such as read only memory, hard disk drives, flash memory, or optical discs, that support longer-term data storage. The memory 260 can also include sensitive and confidential information that requires user authentication prior to access.

[0044] The electronic device 200 also includes one or more sensors 265 that can measure physical quantities or detect an activation state of the electronic device 200 and convert the measured or detected information into an electrical signal. For example, the sensors 265 can include one or more buttons for touch input, a camera, a gesture sensor, an IMU sensor such as a gyroscope or gyro sensor and an accelerometer, an eye tracking sensor, a barometric sensor, a magnetic sensor or magnetometer, a grip sensor, a proximity sensor, a color sensor, a biophysical sensor, a temperature / humidity sensor, an illuminance sensor, an ultraviolet (UV) sensor, an electromyography (EMG) sensor, an electroencephalogram (EEG) sensor, an electrocardiogram (ECG) sensor, an IR sensor, an ultrasonic sensor, an iris sensor, a fingerprint sensor, a color sensor such as a red, green, blue (RGB) sensor, etc. The sensors 265 can also include a control circuit for controlling any of the sensors included therein. Any of these sensors 265 can be located within the electronic device 200, within a secondary device operably connected to the electronic device 200, within an earphone configured to house the electronic device 200, or in a single device in which the electronic device 200 includes the earphone.

[0045] In certain embodiments, the radar transceiver 270 can include a transmitter and a receiver. The transmitter can transmit millimeter wave (mmWave) signals. The receiver can receive the mmWave signals that were originally transmitted from the transmitter after the mmWave signals have bounced or reflected off of a target object in the surrounding environment of the electronic device 200. The processor 240 can analyze a time difference between when the mmWave signals were transmitted and received to measure a distance of the target object from the electronic device 200. Based on the time difference, the processor 240 can generate an image of the object by mapping the various distances.

[0046] Although Figure 2 One example of an electronic device 200 is shown, but various changes can be made Figure 2 For example, Figure 2 Various components in the electronic device 200 can be combined, further subdivided, or omitted and additional components can be added according to particular needs. As a particular example, the processor 240 can be divided into multiple processors such as one or more central processing units (CPUs), one or more graphics processing units (GPUs), one or more neural networks, etc. Also, while Figure 2 Although the electronic device 200 is shown configured as a mobile phone, a tablet computer, or a smart phone, the electronic device 200 can be configured to operate as other types of mobile or stationary devices including, for example and without limitation, a robot.

[0047] Figure 3An example of an antenna architecture 300 implementing hybrid beamforming according to an embodiment of the present disclosure is shown. Figure 3 The embodiments described are for illustrative purposes only. Other embodiments may be used without departing from the scope of this disclosure.

[0048] For the mmWave band, for a given form factor, the number of antenna elements can be relatively large. However, as... Figure 3 As shown, the number of digital chains is limited by hardware constraints (such as the feasibility of mounting a large number of ADCs / DACs at mmWave frequencies). For example, a digital chain maps to a large number of antenna elements that can be controlled by a set of analog phase shifters. A digital chain can then correspond to a subarray that generates a narrow analog beam through analog beamforming. This analog beam can be configured to scan over a wider angular range by varying the set of phase shifters over the transmission time interval. Figure 3 The hybrid beamforming architecture shown can be applied at base stations and user equipment (UEs) (such as electronic devices 200).

[0049] Figure 4 An example of the architecture of a monostatic radar according to an embodiment of the present disclosure is shown. Figure 4 The embodiments described are for illustrative purposes only. Other embodiments may be used without departing from the scope of this disclosure.

[0050] Figure 4 An electronic device 400 is shown, comprising a processor 402, a transmitter 404, and a receiver 406. The electronic device 400 may be similar to... Figure 2 Any aspect of the electronic device 200. Processor 402 is similar to... Figure 2 The processor 240. Furthermore, the transmitter 404 and receiver 406 can be similar to... Figure 2 Radar transceiver 270.

[0051] Transmitter 404 transmits radar signal 414 to target 408 at a distance of 410. In some embodiments, when electronic device 400 is used, target 408 is the user's hand or other body part.

[0052] A monostatic radar is characterized by its delayed echo because the radar signal transmitter 404 and the radar signal receiver 406 are located substantially in the same location. In some embodiments, the transmitter 404 and receiver 406 are co-located or nearly co-located but using separate but adjacent antennas by using a common antenna. It is assumed that the monostatic radar is coherent, such that the transmitter 404 and receiver 406 are synchronized via a common time reference.

[0053] Pulse radars are generated as the realization of the desired radar waveform, modulated onto a radio carrier frequency and transmitted through a power amplifier and antenna. For example, Figure 4 A parabolic antenna is shown. In certain embodiments, the antenna is omnidirectional. In other embodiments, the antenna is focused to a particular direction. When a target 408 is within the field of view of the transmitted signal and within a distance 410 from the radar location, then the target 408 will be illuminated by the RF power density p t for the duration of the transmission. Equation (1) describes the first order p t .

[0054] Equation (1)

[0055]

[0056] Referring to Equation 1, P T is the transmitted power (watts). G T and A T describe the transmitted antenna gain (dBi) of the effective aperture area (m 2 ). λ corresponds to the wavelength (m) of the radar signal RF carrier signal, and R corresponds to the distance (m) between the antenna and the target 408 410. In certain embodiments, the effects of atmospheric attenuation, multipath propagation, antenna losses, and the like can be negligible.

[0057] The transmitted power density impinging on the target 408 surface can cause a reflection, depending on the material, composition, surface shape, and dielectric behavior at the frequency of the radar signal. In certain embodiments, only the direct reflection contributes to the detectable received signal, as the scattered signals off direction can be too weak to be received at the radar receiver. The illuminated area of a target with a normal vector pointing back to the receiver can act as a transmitted antenna aperture with a directivity (gain) according to their effective aperture area. Equation (2) below describes the reflected back power.

[0058] Equation (2)

[0059]

[0060] In Equation 2, P ref1 describes the effective isotropic target reflected power. The term A t describes the effective target area perpendicular to the radar direction, the term r t describes the reflectivity of the material and shape, and the term G tThe corresponding aperture gain is described. RSC is the radar cross section, which is the equivalent area scaled in proportion to the square of the actual reflecting area inversely proportional to the square of the wavelength, and reduced by various shape factors and the reflectivity of the material itself. Due to the material and shape dependence, it is difficult to infer the actual physical area of the target from the reflected power even if the distance 410 to the target 408 is known.

[0061] The target reflected power at the receiver location is caused by the reflected power density at the back range 410 collected over the receiver antenna aperture area. Equation (3) below describes the received target reflected power. Note that P R is the received target reflected power, and A R is the receiver antenna effective aperture area. In certain embodiments, A R is the same as A T .

[0062] Equation (3)

[0063]

[0064] A radar system can be used as long as the receiver signal exhibits sufficient signal-to-noise ratio (SNR). The value of the SNR depends on the waveform and the detection method. Equation (4) below describes the SNR. Note that kT is the Boltzmann constant multiplied by the current temperature. B is the radar signal bandwidth in Hz. F is the receiver noise factor, which is the degradation of the receiver signal SNR due to the noise contribution of the receiver circuitry itself.

[0065] Equation (4)

[0066]

[0067] When the radar signal is a short pulse of duration T p , the delay 412 between the transmission and reception of the corresponding echo is described in equation (5). τ corresponds to the delay 412 and c is the speed of light in air. When there are multiple targets located at different distances, individual echoes can be distinguished only if the delay differs by at least one pulse width. In this way, the range resolution of the radar is described in equation (6). A rectangular pulse of duration T P exhibits a power spectral density as described in equation (7) and includes a first null at its bandwidth as shown in equation (8). The range resolution of the radar signal fundamental related to the bandwidth of the radar waveform is expressed in equation (9).

[0068] Equation (5)

[0069] τ = 2R / c

[0070] Equation (6)

[0071] AR = cAT / 2 = cT p / 2

[0072] Equation (7)

[0073] P(f) ~ (sin(πfT p ) / (πfT p )) 2

[0074] Equation (8)

[0075] B = 1 / T P

[0076] Equation (9)

[0077] AR = c / 2B

[0078] The channel impulse response (CIR) is a measure of the reflected signal or echo from a potential target as a function of distance at the receive antenna module.

[0079] Radios that transmit RF must comply with guidelines and regulations to ensure safe operation. For example, RF compliance guidelines are designed to prevent tissue temperature variations that can cause harm to human skin. RF compliance requirements for frequencies above 6 GHz are referred to as the maximum permissible exposure (MPE). The MPE is defined by a power density (PD) limit for a specific frequency. The PD limit for 28 GHz and 39 GHz is defined as 10 W / m 2 in a 4 cm 2 average time of 4 seconds. One way for a radio to comply with RF safety requirements is by performing actions such as turning off transmission of an antenna module when the risk of RF exposure to human skin can exceed the specified limit. Other examples of MPE compliance operations include, but are not limited to, the following:

[0080] a) Transmit power backoff: The transmit power of an antenna element is reduced. This directly reduces the effective isotropic radiated power (EIRP) and power density. There can be one or more power backoff levels to produce EIRP and power density levels depending on the distance of the object. The power level should decrease as the distance of the object decreases. Zero transmit power can be considered a special case of transmit power backoff.

[0081] b) Reduce transmit or uplink duty cycle: The ratio of transmit duration to total duration is reduced. This reduces the power density because the power density is measured in W / m 2 as per FCC guidelines with an average time of 4 seconds. The transmit duty cycle should decrease as the distance of the object decreases.

[0082] c) switching to a different beam:

[0083] i. using the same antenna module: This includes switching to a different beam of the same antenna array or switching to a different antenna array in the same antenna module. One antenna array can generate one or more beams. Different beams can produce their peak gain in different directions, and more generally, the radiation pattern of different beams can be different. Thus, the impact of different beams on power density can also be different. A set of beams that can be generated by an antenna module is referred to as a beam codebook. In one embodiment, one or more beams in the beam codebook can be disabled to meet MPE compliance. The disabled beams are beams that can generate power density that exceeds the allowed limit. In another embodiment, one or more beams in the beam codebook can be replaced by a different set of beams. The replacement beams can be utilized such that the resulting power density does not exceed the allowed limit.

[0084] ii. using a different antenna module: The current antenna module can be turned off or disabled, and another antenna module is used for transmission instead. The transmission of the other antenna module reduces the power density experienced by the detected / target object.

[0085] According to embodiments of the present disclosure, the MPE operation can be adaptive. That is, the MPE operation is only performed when the condition that requires the MPE operation exists. The MPE operations (a) and (b) described above can not need to be applied to all antenna elements or antenna arrays in an antenna module, or the power amplifiers that drive the antenna elements or antenna arrays. According to embodiments, some antenna elements can perform the MPE operations (a) and / or (b). For example, an antenna element can be turned off to reduce the power density. In another embodiment, an antenna module can have more than one antenna array, e.g., an antenna array of patch antennas and an antenna array of dipole antennas. If the transmission of a first antenna array of the antenna module exceeds MPE compliance due to the proximity of an object, while the transmission of a second antenna array of the module does not have the same issue, the first antenna array can perform the MPE operations (a) and / or (b). For example, the first antenna array can be turned off to reduce the power density.

[0086] Figure 5 A block diagram illustrating an exemplary method 500 for applying adaptive MPE operation according to embodiments of the present disclosure is shown. Figure 5 Embodiments of the present disclosure are for illustration only. Other embodiments can be used without departing from the scope of the present disclosure.

[0087] In step 510, such as Figure 2The UE of the electronic device 200 determines whether a condition for MPE operation is detected. If the condition is not detected, the UE continues to operate in the current manner and does not perform the MPE operation in step 520. When the condition for MPE operation is detected, the UE applies the MPE operation according to the detected MPE condition in step 530. According to embodiments of the present disclosure, the MPE operation includes at least one of sending power down, reducing a transmit duty cycle, switching to a different antenna module, disabling one or more beams, replacing one or more beams, and reducing a transmit power.

[0088] The UE can be configured with multiple serving cells by a network node such as a gNB or an eNB. At least one or more serving cells can be activated by a command sent from the network node and used for data communication services. Among the multiple antenna modules equipped in the UE, at least one antenna module can be selected and used for those activated serving cells. In an embodiment, when a condition for MPE operation is detected, the MPE compliance operation can be applied to at least one of the activated serving cells. Among the multiple activated serving cells, a secondary cell with a higher priority can be selected for the MPE compliance operation. The UE can estimate the result of applying the MPE compliance operation to the selected secondary cell, and if the result still triggers the MPE compliance operation, the UE can also include a primary cell for the MPE compliance operation.

[0089] Figure 6 A block diagram illustrating an exemplary method 600 for applying adaptive MPE operation according to UL channel or signal type according to embodiments of the present disclosure is shown. Figure 6 Embodiments are for illustration only. Other embodiments can be used without departing from the scope of the present disclosure.

[0090] Reference Figure 6 For non-limiting examples of the present disclosure, the MPE operation can be applied, or can be prioritized by the UE to be applied to certain uplink signals or channels. In step 610, the UE determines whether a condition for MPE operation is detected. If the condition is not detected, the UE continues to operate in the current manner and does not perform the MPE operation in step 620. When the condition for MPE operation is detected, the UE applies the MPE operation according to the detected MPE condition in step 630. According to embodiments of the present disclosure, the MPE operation includes at least one of sending power down, reducing a transmit duty cycle, switching to a different antenna module, disabling one or more beams, replacing one or more beams, and reducing a transmit power. Figure 2The UE of the electronic device 200 determines whether a condition for MPE operation is detected. If not, the UE continues to perform normal operation in step 620. If it is determined that the MPE condition is detected, the MPE operation is applied only to uplink channels carrying best effort data, such as PUSCH. This is possible because different physical channels are transmitted orthogonally in time for the UE. For example, in step 630, the UE determines that the current uplink (UL) transmission corresponds to a physical uplink control channel (PUCCH) or a physical random access channel (PRACH). If the UL transmission corresponds to a PUCCH or a PRACH, the UE does not apply the MPE operation in step 650. If the UL transmission does not correspond to a PUCCH or a PRACH and corresponds to an uplink channel carrying best effort data, such as a PUSCH or SRS, the UE applies the MPE operation in step 640. According to embodiments of the present disclosure, the MPE operation can be applied on PUSCH without UCI, while the MPE operation is not applied for PUCCH, PRACH, and PUSCH with UCI. This can be prioritized since UCI is considered as important data. More than one UL channel transmission profile can be defined, where each profile corresponds to a pattern of different UL physical channel transmissions in a time period. Depending on the detection of the condition for MPE operation, the UL channel transmission profile that is able to meet the MPE requirement is selected. According to other embodiments of the present disclosure, more physical channels or signals can be subjected to MPE operation in a particular priority order if it is determined that more aggressive MPE operation is needed. For example, the MPE operation will be applied to the case of UL transmission of PUSCH with UCI before the case of UL transmission of PUCCH. As another example, the MPE operation will be applied to the case of UL transmission of PUCCH before the case of UL transmission of PRACH. Although Figure 6 The condition detection for MPE operation is included, but need not be included if desired (e.g., for simplicity), i.e., the application of MPE operation dependent on uplink signals / channels can be applied all the time as long as there is an uplink transmission.

[0091] According to embodiments of the present disclosure, if MPE operation is applied to more than one type of physical channel, the MPE operation can also be different. For example, a larger power backoff can be applied to a physical channel with high priority MPE operation. According to embodiments of the present disclosure, different MPE operation for different channels can apply a smaller duty cycle (less uplink transmission) for a MPE prioritized UL physical channel (e.g., PUSCH) compared to other UL physical channels (e.g., PUCCH and PRACH). One illustrative example is shown. Figure 7A

[0092] ​Figure 7A It is shown that the reduced UL duty cycle for MPE compliance is applied equally to all physical channel types of the electronic device according to embodiments of the present disclosure. Figure 7B It is shown that the reduced UL duty cycle for MPE compliance is applied to PUSCH but not PUCCH according to embodiments of the present disclosure. Figure 7A and Figure 7B Embodiments are for illustration only. Other embodiments can be used without departing from the scope of the present disclosure.

[0093] Referring to Figure 7A , a 25% UL duty cycle can be achieved with 1 UL slot per 4 slots, and each slot contains 12 PUSCH symbols and 2 PUCCH symbols (slot boundaries are not shown in the figure). Figure 7B It is shown that the reduced UL duty cycle for MPE compliance is applied to PUSCH but not PUCCH. For example, six PUSCH symbols per UL slot can be configured, and a periodicity of one UL PUSCH slot per four slots is configured. For PUCCH, the two symbols in each slot can still be configured without reducing the duty cycle. This example of reducing the duty cycle for PUSCH but not PUCCH generally maintains a 25% duty cycle to comply with MPE while allowing more frequent transmission opportunities for PUCCH to carry uplink control information.

[0094] According to embodiments of the present disclosure, the method of applying different MPE operations for different channels can also be applied in the case where no MPE condition is detected according to the priority rule. That is, referring to Figure 6, steps 610 and 620 are cancelled and the method of applying MPE operation depends only on which type of uplink carrier is configured or activated for the UE in step 630. The priority rule of applying MPE operation can depend on the frequency band or the function of the uplink carrier. Exemplary operations of the priority rule are as follows. When the first condition of triggering MPE operation, the uplink carrier with MPE operation prioritized performs MPE operation such as transmit power back-off or duty cycle reduction, while the uplink carrier without MPE operation prioritized does not need MPE operation. When the second condition of triggering MPE operation, the terminal needs to make a more aggressive response, both the prioritized carrier and the non-prioritized carrier can apply MPE operation. The MPE operation applied to both types of carriers can be the same or different. One example of different MPE operations for different carriers is that the MPE prioritized carrier applies a smaller duty cycle compared to other carriers, resulting in less uplink transmission. In one example, the secondary carrier can prioritize the application of MPE operation compared to the primary carrier, because the primary carrier usually carries more important uplink messages. In another example, the secondary carrier carrying only uplink data can prioritize the application of MPE operation compared to another uplink carrier carrying or configured to carry uplink control information such as PUCCH and HARQ-ACK. In another example, the PSCell can prioritize the application of MPE operation compared to the PCell. In another example, the uplink carrier with the largest margin for MPE compliance can be prioritized for MPE operation. The examples given for prioritizing the application of MPE operation are for illustration only and should not be construed as limiting the present disclosure.

[0095] According to embodiments of the present disclosure, MPE operation can be applied or priority order can be determined according to uplink traffic types contained in the transmission. Transmissions containing uplink traffic types requiring lower quality of service (QoS) can apply MPE operation with or can be prioritized over transmissions containing higher QoS. For 5G NR, QoS of UL traffic can be differentiated by QoS flow, which is identified by a QoS flow ID (QFI) carried in an encapsulation header on NG-U (NG user plane interface) within a protocol data unit (PDU) session. In one example, UL traffic corresponding to non-guaranteed bit rate (GBR) flows can be applied or can be prioritized for MPE operation; while GBR or delay-critical GBR flows are not applied or can be de-prioritized for MPE operation. In another embodiment, UL traffic can also be differentiated by RNTI type used for scrambling of CRC of UL physical channels. For example, UL transmissions not corresponding to MCS-RNTI and CS-RNTI can be applied or can be prioritized for MPE operation. UL transmissions corresponding to MCS-RNTI (target high reliability data transmission) and CS-RNTI are not applied or can be de-prioritized for MPE operation.

[0096] According to embodiments of the present disclosure, like Figure 2 The UE of the electronic device 200 includes a radar module, which can be a separate module located next to or near the mmWave antenna module, or can be integrated with the mmWave antenna module by sharing the same antenna elements or a subset thereof, can be used to detect the presence of one or more objects within a detection range. If no object is detected, no action related to MPE compliance is required. Otherwise, the distance of the detected object from the radar module is estimated from radar signals reflected from the object, which can be in the form of a CIR. MPE operation can be performed according to the estimated distance.

[0097] Figure 8 A block diagram illustrating an exemplary method 800 for applying MPE operation dependent on object distance according to embodiments of the present disclosure is shown. Figure 8 Embodiments of the present disclosure are for illustration only. Other embodiments can be used without departing from the scope of the present disclosure.

[0098] In step 810, the UE like the electronic device 200 detects whether an object is within a predetermined range. If there is no object within the predetermined range, the electronic device 200 continues to operate under normal conditions in step 820. If there is an object within the predetermined range, the electronic device 200 continues to measure the distance of the object from the antenna array using radar signal processing in step 830. Steps 831 through 835 show an exemplary method of measuring object distance using radar. In step 831, radar signals (such as CIR) from baseband processing are transmitted and received by the electronic device 200 via the radar transceiver 270. In step 832, based on a measured or simulated antenna pattern, which is information about the quantized phase and amplitude of each antenna element or beam with respect to all azimuth and elevation angles, beamforming can be applied for all azimuth and elevation directions on the angular grid of each pulse train in a frame. In step 833, a fast Fourier transform (FFT) is applied along the slow-time dimension (i.e., along the pulse train) on the 4D radar image, resulting in a complete 4D radar image in space (i.e., azimuth, elevation, range, and velocity). In step 834, detection of the strongest target is performed. For example, the strongest target is detected by identifying the global maximum in the 4D radar image that exceeds a given detection threshold. In step 835, the presence detection of the object or the estimated distance of the object is output. In step 840, the electronic device performs MPE operations based on the estimated distance of the object from the antenna module.

[0099] Although Figure 8 One example of a method 800 for applying object-dependent MPE operations is shown, but various changes can be made Figure 8 For example, if angle information is not needed, beamforming can not be performed in step 832. Similarly, if velocity information is not needed, step 833, the Doppler FFT, can not be performed. Figure 8 Various steps in the method 800 can overlap, occur in parallel, occur in series, occur in a different order, or occur any number of times.

[0100] Figure 9 A block diagram of an exemplary method 900 for applying multiple MPE operations depending on object distance according to an embodiment of the disclosure is shown. Figure 9 Embodiments of the method 900 are for illustration only. Other embodiments can be used without departing from the scope of the disclosure.

[0101] Reference is made to Figure 9 such as Figure 2The UE's response to RF compliance in electronic device 200 varies with the distance to an object near the antenna array. In step 910, electronic device 200 detects whether the object is within a predetermined range. The predetermined range is the estimated distance, which can be expressed as a single value (e.g., in cm) or a range of values ​​(e.g., 0-4 cm). If no object is within the predetermined range, electronic device 200 continues to operate under normal conditions in step 920. If an object is within the predetermined range, electronic device 200 continues to use radar signal processing in step 930 to measure the distance between the object and the antenna array. The process of measuring distance using radar signal processing is the same as that in step 830. Figure 8 Steps 831 to 835 are explained in the same way. The distance between the detected object and the radar module is estimated based on the radar signal reflected from the object, which may be in the form of CIR. D i (i = 0, 1, 2, 3, ... where D) i >D i+1 The distances (D1, D2, D3) represent the different distances between the detected object and the radar or antenna module. Different MPE operations can be performed for different distances. According to an embodiment of this disclosure, in step 940, the electronic device 200 determines whether the object is detected at a distance >D1 (but within the detection range D0), and if so, performs MPE operation 1 in step 945. In step 950, the electronic device 200 determines whether the object is detected at a distance >D2 and ≤D1, and if so, performs MPE operation 2 in step 955. In step 960, the electronic device 200 determines whether the object is detected at a distance >D3 and ≤D2, and if so, performs MPE operation 3 in step 965. Otherwise, the electronic device performs MPE operation 4 in step 970.

[0102] MPE operations can be one or more of the MPE compliance operations described herein. According to embodiments of this disclosure, different MPE operations can correspond to different power backoffs, allowing the transmit power to be gradually reduced as an object is detected approaching the module, and vice versa. In another example, different MPE operations can correspond to different beam-switching operations, such that MPE operation 1 can select different beams within the same antenna array, while MPE operations 2 and 3 can select different beams in different antenna arrays within the same antenna module, and MPE operation 4 can select beams from different antenna modules. This is done to select beams with relatively high spatial correlation when the nearby object is far away. When the object is closer to the antenna module, selecting beams with lower spatial correlation (such as beams from different arrays or modules) may be more appropriate, as closer objects can obstruct the spatial direction radiated by the original beam.

[0103] Figure 10 A block diagram is shown of an exemplary method 1000 for applying MPE operations based on object distance and angular position according to embodiments of the present disclosure. Such as Figure 2 The UE of the electronic device 200 includes a radar module, which may be a separate module located next to or near the mmWave antenna module, or integrated with the mmWave antenna module by sharing the same antenna elements or a subset thereof, and may be used to detect the presence of one or more objects within the detection range in step 1010. If no object is detected, the electronic device 200 continues to operate normally in step 1020 without applying MPE operation. If an object is detected within the range, in step 1030, the electronic device 200 uses radar signals reflected from the object to estimate the distance to the radar module, which may be in the form of CIR. In step 1040, the angular position of the object is estimated based on the detected distance. The process of measuring distance using radar signal processing is the same as that in step 830. Figure 8 Steps 831 to 835 are explained in the same way. In step 1050, the MPE operation can be applied based on the estimated distance and angular position of the object.

[0104] Figure 11 A block diagram is shown of an exemplary method 1100 for applying multiple MPE operations based on object distance and according to the angular position of the object, according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. Figure 11 The embodiments described are for illustrative purposes only. Other embodiments may be used without departing from the scope of this disclosure.

[0105] refer to Figure 11 The response of electronic device 200 to achieving RF compliance varies with the distance from objects near the antenna array. In step 1110, such as Figure 2 The UE of the electronic device 200 detects whether an object is within a predetermined range. The predetermined range is the estimated distance, which can be expressed as a single value (e.g., in cm) or a range of values ​​(e.g., 0-4 cm). If no object is within the predetermined range, the electronic device 200 continues to operate under normal conditions in step 1120. If an object is within the predetermined range, the electronic device 200 continues to use radar signal processing in step 1130 to measure the distance and angular position of the object relative to the antenna array. The angular position of the detected object can be expressed as a single azimuth and / or a single elevation direction, or a range of azimuths and / or a single elevation direction (typically an angular region). The process of measuring distance and angular position using radar signal processing is the same as that in step 830. Figure 8The process explained in steps 831-835 is the same. The distance and angle of the detected object from the radar module is estimated from the radar signals reflected from the object, which can be in the form of CIR. Different MPE operations can be performed for different angular positions of the object. According to embodiments of the disclosure, in step 1140, the electronic device 200 determines whether the detected object is in angle region A, and if so, in step 1145, MPE operation 1 is performed. In step 1150, the electronic device 200 determines whether the object is detected to be in angle region B, and if so, in step 1155, MPE operation 2 is performed. In step 1160, the electronic device 200 determines whether the object is detected to be within angle region C, and if so, in step 1165, MPE operation 3 is performed. Otherwise, the electronic device 200 performs MPE operation 4 in step 1170. The MPE operations can be one or more of the MPE compliance operations as described herein.

[0106] Figure 12 A block diagram of an exemplary method 1200 for applying MPE operations based on object material according to embodiments of the disclosure is shown. The UE, such as the electronic device 200, Figure 2 The UE, such as the electronic device 200, includes a radar module, which can be a separate module located next to or near the mmWave antenna module, or can be integrated with the mmWave antenna module by sharing the same antenna elements or a subset thereof, can be used to detect the presence of one or more objects within a detection range in step 1210. If no object is detected, the electronic device 200 continues to operate in a normal manner without applying MPE operations in step 1220. If an object is detected within the range, in step 1230, the electronic device 200 estimates the distance of the object from the radar module using radar signals reflected from the object, which can be in the form of CIR. In step 1240, the electronic device 200 determines whether the detected object has the material type of a human body (i.e., human skin) or a living being. The material type detection can be performed using radar signals with supervised machine learning or classifier techniques. The classifier can be distance dependent, i.e., there can be one classifier per distance range. The material type detection can also be performed by measuring the reflection coefficient using a bidirectional coupler located between the antenna and the front-end module. The object material can be determined by comparing the reflection coefficient with a lookup table. The lookup table can be distance dependent, such that there is one lookup table per distance range.

[0107] If the object is identified as not being a human body, human skin, or a living being, no action can be needed to be taken on MPE, and the method proceeds to step 1250. Otherwise, in step 1260, the MPE operation can be performed using, for example, the reference step 830 using the radar signals reflected from the object, which can be in the form of CIR. The MPE operation can be one or more of the MPE compliance operations as described herein. Figure 8Steps 831 to 835 explain the radar signal processing method for estimating the angular position of the object. Based on the estimated distance or angular position of the object, an MPE operation can be performed in step 1270.

[0108] According to embodiments of this disclosure, material type detection can only be performed for certain detection distances. For example, material type detection may only occur when sufficiently reliable detection can be performed at a certain distance. Figure 13 A block diagram is shown of an exemplary method 1300 for applying multiple MPE operations based on object distance and object material according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. Figure 13 The embodiments described are for illustrative purposes only. Other embodiments may be used without departing from the scope of this disclosure.

[0109] refer to Figure 13 The UE's response to RF compliance varies with the distance from objects near the antenna array. In step 1310, such as... Figure 2 The UE of the electronic device 200 detects whether an object is within a predetermined range. The predetermined range is the estimated distance, which can be expressed as a single value (e.g., in cm) or a range of values ​​(e.g., 0-4 cm). If no object is found within the predetermined range, the electronic device 200 continues to operate under normal conditions in step 1320. If an object is detected within the range, in step 1330, the electronic device 200 uses radar signals reflected from the object to estimate the distance between the object and the radar module, said radar signals may be in the form of CIR. The distance between the detected object and the radar module is estimated based on the radar signals reflected from the object, said radar signals may be in the form of CIR. i (i = 0, 1, 2, 3, ... where D) i >D i+1represents different distances of the detected object from the radar or antenna module. Different MPE operations can be performed for different distances. According to embodiments of the disclosure, in step 1340, the electronic device 200 determines whether the object is detected at a distance > D1, and if so, performs MPE operation 1 in step 1345. In step 1350, the electronic device 200 determines whether the object is detected at a distance > D2 and < D1, and if so, performs MPE operation 2 in step 1355. In step 1360, the electronic device 200 determines whether the object is detected at a distance > D3 and < D2, and performs MPE operation 3 in step 1365. In step 1370, the material type of the detected object is detected when the distance is less than D3. If the detected object is a human body, human skin, or a living being, MPE operation 4 is performed in step 1375. Otherwise, the electronic device continues to operate under normal conditions in step 1380. The MPE operations can be one or more of the MPE compliance operations as described herein.

[0110] Although Figure 13 One example of a method 1300 for applying multiple MPE operations according to object distance and object material is shown, various changes can be made to Figure 13 For example, the method can apply MPE operations based on the angular region in which the detected object is located. Figure 13 Various steps in the method 1300 can overlap, occur in parallel, occur in series, occur in a different order, or occur any number of times.

[0111] According to embodiments of the disclosure, MPE operations can involve coordination of multiple antenna arrays or modules. Antenna module switching in MPE operation (c) as described above is one type of coordination between antenna modules. Other coordination schemes are also possible.

[0112] According to embodiments of the disclosure, when the power level of one module is reduced but not reduced to a zero power level, another antenna module can increase its power, which can be from a zero power level. This can reduce the power density near the object for MPE compliance, while mitigating the negative impact of the degradation of received signal strength at the base station. In this example, it is assumed that multiple antenna modules can transmit simultaneously. A lookup table can map a target total transmit power level, which can be controlled by the base station, to a combination of transmit power levels for each antenna module. Table 1 is an exemplary lookup table.

[0113] [Table 1]

[0114]

[0115] In another example, the transmit power of each antenna module can be calculated with a formula, e.g., P1 = PT -△ (dB), P2 =△; where P1 and P2 are the transmit power in dB of the first antenna module and the second antenna module, respectively.△ is the power backoff required for the first antenna module to meet MPE compliance, and PT is the target total transmit power of the UE in dB. This coordination of transmit power levels can also be applied to multiple antenna arrays within an antenna module.

[0116] Figure 14 A timing diagram 1400 of MPE operation with reduced transmit duty cycle of a first antenna module and activation of a second antenna module is shown in accordance with embodiments of the present disclosure. For example, when the transmit duty cycle of the first antenna module is reduced due to MPE compliance, part or all of the loss of transmission time of the first antenna module can be compensated by the second antenna module by utilizing the activation and transmission of the second antenna module. If only one antenna module can transmit at a given time, the second antenna module can transmit when the first antenna module does not transmit. This operation is beneficial if the first antenna module is still advantageous in terms of received signal strength or SINR at the received base station. According to one embodiment, the first antenna module can be used for transmitting PUCCH / PRACH / SRS, while the second antenna module can be used for transmitting PUSCH. This coordination of transmit duty cycle can also be applied to multiple antenna arrays within an antenna module, i.e., when the transmit duty cycle of a first antenna array of an antenna module is reduced due to MPE compliance, part or all of the loss of transmission time of the first antenna array can be compensated by a second antenna array in the same module by utilizing the activation and transmission of the second antenna array. More generally, when the transmit duty cycle of a first beam is reduced due to MPE compliance, part or all of the loss of transmission time can be compensated by a second beam as follows:

[0117] (1) the same antenna module, where the second beam can come from:

[0118] A. the same antenna array

[0119] B. a different antenna array

[0120] (2) a different antenna module.

[0121] According to another embodiment, when one or more beams of a first antenna module are disabled to meet MPE compliance, one or more beams of a second antenna module can be enabled to mitigate the negative impact of the degradation of the UE radio spherical coverage. There can be a lookup table that maps the disabled beams in the first antenna module to the enabled beams in the second antenna module. Table 2 is an exemplary lookup table. This beam coordination can also be applied to multiple antenna arrays within an antenna module.

[0122] [Table 2]

[0123]

[0124]

[0125] Figure 15 A block diagram illustrating an exemplary method 1500 for applying MPE operations according to embodiments of the disclosure is shown. Although the flow diagram depicts a series of sequential steps, unless explicitly stated, no inference should be drawn from this as to specific order in which steps were performed, that a specific order is required for execution, that the steps were performed serially rather than concurrently or with partial concurrence, or that only a single iteration of steps is performed. As is apparent from this disclosure, some steps can be performed in a different order, or omitted.

[0126] In block 1510, the electronic device 200 detects an MPE condition of radio frequency exposure. For example, the MPE condition can be detected by detecting whether an object is located within a predetermined distance of the electronic device 200. When the object is located within the predetermined distance, the electronic device 200 determines a distance of the object from the electronic device 200 by transmitting a signal toward the object using a transmitter 304 of an exemplary monostatic radar such as Figure 2 a radar transceiver of the radar transceiver 270 or Figure 3 a radar transceiver of the radar transceiver 270. According to embodiments of the disclosure, the MPE condition can be detected by determining an angular position or a position of the object relative to the electronic device 200 using the radar transceiver 270.

[0127] In block 1520, the electronic device 200 determines whether a material of the object is human skin. According to embodiments, the electronic device 200 uses the determination of the material of the object when selecting and applying MPE operations during use.

[0128] In block 1530, the electronic device 200 monitors the distance of the object when the object is moving toward the electronic device 200. For example, if the object is not stationary and moving toward the electronic device, the electronic device monitors the distance in order to select an MPE operation to be applied based on the monitored distance. According to embodiments of the disclosure, the selected MPE operation is also based on the material of the object being human skin.

[0129] In block 1540, the electronic device 200 selects an MPE operation to apply in order to control and limit RF exposure to the user. According to an embodiment of the present disclosure, the electronic device selects one MPE operation from among a plurality of MPE operations based on the determined distance of the object. For example, the electronic device 200 selects a first MPE operation from among a plurality of MPE operations based on the determined distance of the object being greater than a first distance and a second MPE operation from among a plurality of MPE operations based on the determined distance of the object being less than the first distance and greater than a second distance. According to an embodiment of the present disclosure, the electronic device selects one MPE operation from among a plurality of MPE operations based on the angular position of the object. For example, the electronic device 200 selects a first MPE operation from among a plurality of MPE operations based on the object being located in a first angular region relative to the electronic device 200 and a second MPE operation from among a plurality of MPE operations based on the object being located in a second angular region relative to the electronic device 200. According to an embodiment of the present disclosure, the electronic device 200 can select an MPE operation to apply based on a determination that the material of the object is human skin and its monitored distance as the object moves toward the electronic device 200. For example, the electronic device selects a first MPE operation to apply from among a plurality of MPE operations based on the monitored distance of the object being greater than a first distance, and the electronic device selects a second MPE operation to apply from among a plurality of MPE operations based on the monitored distance of the object being less than the first distance and greater than a second distance, and the electronic device selects a third MPE operation to apply from among a plurality of MPE operations based on the monitored distance of the object being less than the second distance and the material of the object being human skin, and the electronic device does not apply any MPE operation based on the monitored distance of the object being less than the second distance and the material of the object not being human skin.

[0130] In block 1550, the electronic device 200 applies the MPE operation from among a plurality of MPE operations to at least one of a plurality of antenna arrays to modify the radio frequency. According to an embodiment of the present disclosure, the MPE operation includes coordination of at least two antenna arrays for signal transmission. For example, the electronic device 200 applies the MPE operation by identifying a first antenna array from among a plurality of antenna arrays that is closer to the object than a second antenna array from among a plurality of antenna arrays based on the position of the object relative to the electronic device, and reduces a power level of the first antenna array to reduce power density in the vicinity of the object, and increases a power level of the second antenna to at least partially compensate for the reduction in the power level of the first antenna array. For another example, the electronic device 200 applies the MPE operation by identifying at least one beam of a first antenna array that radiates in a direction toward the object based on the position of the object relative to the electronic device, and disables the at least one beam of the first antenna array to reduce power density in the vicinity of the object, and enables at least one beam of a second antenna array to at least partially compensate for the disabling of the at least one beam of the first antenna array.

[0131] According to embodiments of the disclosure, the MPE operation can be applied based on predefined priority rules. For example, the electronic device can apply the MPE operation on the PUSCH without UCI, while not applying the MPE operation on the PUCCH, PRACH, and PUSCH with UCI. As another example, the electronic device can apply the MPE operation on the secondary carrier before the primary carrier. The MPE operation given here is only as an example, and does not limit the scope or define the method of applying the MPE operation as described above.

[0132] The above flowcharts illustrate exemplary methods that can be implemented in accordance with the principles of the disclosure, and various changes can be made to the methods illustrated in the flowcharts herein. For example, although illustrated as a series of steps, various steps in each figure can overlap, occur in parallel, occur in a different order, or occur multiple times. In another example, steps can be omitted or replaced by other steps.

[0133] No description in the present application should be interpreted as implying any particular element, step, or function is an essential element that must be included within the scope of the claims. The scope of the patent subject matter is defined only by the claims. Although the present disclosure is described in terms of exemplary embodiments, various changes and modifications can be suggested to one skilled in the art, and it is intended that the present disclosure encompass such changes and modifications as fall within the scope of the claims. The present disclosure relates to the following items.

[0134] Other technical features can be readily apparent to one skilled in the art from the following figures, descriptions, and claims.

[0135] Before undertaking a detailed description of the above detailed description, it can be advantageous to set forth definitions of certain words and phrases that have been used throughout this patent document: The terms "coupled" and "coupling," and their derivatives, refer to any direct or indirect communication between two or more elements, whether or not those elements are in physical contact with one another. The terms "transmit," "receive," and "communicate," and derivatives thereof, encompass both direct and indirect communication. The terms "include," "including," and "includes" mean, and are limited to, "without limitation." The term "or" is inclusive, meaning and / or. The phrase "associated with," as well as derivatives thereof, means any of the following: includes, is included in, interconnects with, contains, is contained within, connects to or with, couples to or with, is communicable with, cooperates with, inter-leaves, is interleafed with, is next to, is bound to or with, has, has a property of, has a relationship to or with, or the like. The term "controller" means any device, system or part thereof that controls at least one operation. Such a controller can be implemented in hardware or a combination of hardware and software and / or firmware. The functionality associated with any particular controller, whether local or remote, can be centralized or distributed, whether locally or remotely. The phrase "at least one of," when used with a list of items, means that different combinations of one or more of the listed items can be used and only one item from the list can be needed. For example, "at least one of A, B, and C" includes any of the following combinations: A, B, C, A and B, A and C, B and C, and A and B and C.

[0136] Moreover, various functions described below can be implemented or supported by one or more computer programs, each of which is formed from computer readable program code. The terms "application" and "program" refer to one or more computer programs, software components, sets of instructions, procedures, functions, objects, classes, instances, related data, or a portion thereof. The phrase "computer readable program code" includes any type of computer code, including source code, object code, and executable code. The phrase "computer readable medium" includes any type of media capable of storing data that is accessible by a computer, such as, without limitation, readonly memory (ROM), random access memory (RAM), a hard disk drive, a compact disc (CD), a digital video disc (DVD), or any other type of memory. A "non-transitory" computer readable medium excludes wired, wireless, optical, or other communication links. The non-transitory computer readable medium includes media where data is stored permanently such as ROM, as opposed to being stored temporarily as RAM. Other definitions of certain terms used herein can be found throughout this patent document.

Claims

1. An electronic device comprising: a plurality of antenna arrays; and a processor operably connected to the plurality of antenna arrays, the processor configured to: monitor a distance between the electronic device and an object to determine whether a maximum permissible exposure, MPE, condition for radio frequency exposure is satisfied; if the MPE condition is satisfied: select at least one MPE operation among a plurality of MPE operations based on the distance between the electronic device and the object, and apply the selected at least one MPE operation among the plurality of MPE operations to at least one of the plurality of antenna arrays to modify radio frequency exposure, wherein the plurality of MPE operations includes reducing transmit power of an antenna, reducing transmit duty cycle, switching to a different antenna module, disabling one or more beams, and replacing one or more beams, and wherein the selecting the at least one MPE operation based on the distance between the electronic device and the object includes: selecting a first MPE operation among the plurality of MPE operations based on the distance being greater than a first distance; selecting a second MPE operation among the plurality of MPE operations based on the distance being less than the first distance and greater than a second distance; and selecting a third MPE operation among the plurality of MPE operations based on the distance being less than the second distance and a reflection coefficient of a radar signal reflected from the object being within a range indicative of human skin.

2. The electronic device of claim 1, wherein: the processor is further configured to apply the selected at least one MPE operation based on a predefined priority rule, and the predefined priority rule includes the processor being further configured to at least one of (i) apply the selected at least one MPE operation on a physical uplink shared channel, PUSCH, without uplink control information, UCI, and not apply the MPE operation on a physical uplink control channel, PUCCH, a physical random access channel, PRACH, and the PUSCH with UCI, and (ii) apply the selected at least one MPE operation on a secondary carrier before a primary carrier.

3. The electronic device of claim 1, further comprising: a radar transceiver, wherein the processor is further configured to: determine that the MPE condition is satisfied when an object is within a threshold distance of the electronic device; determine the distance between the electronic device and the object using the radar transceiver based on the object being within the threshold distance. the processor is further configured to: 4.The electronic device of claim 3, wherein, determine an angular position of the object relative to the electronic device; and select the MPE operation based on the angular position of the object. the processor is further configured to: 5.The electronic device of claim 4, wherein, select a fourth MPE operation among the plurality of MPE operations based on the object being in a first angular region relative to the electronic device; and select a fifth MPE operation among the plurality of MPE operations based on the object being in a second angular region relative to the electronic device. the processor is further configured to: 6.The electronic device of claim 3, wherein ​ monitoring, using the radar transceiver, the distance between the electronic device and the object moving towards the electronic device.

7. The electronic device of claim 1, wherein: the processor is further configured to determine a location of an object relative to the electronic device; and to apply the selected at least one MPE operation, the processor is further configured to: identify, based on the location of the object relative to the electronic device, a first antenna array of the plurality of antenna arrays that is closer to the object than a second antenna array from the plurality of antenna arrays, reduce a power level from the first antenna array of the plurality of antenna arrays to reduce a power density in a vicinity of the object, and increase a power level from the second antenna array of the plurality of antenna arrays to at least partially compensate for the reduction in the power level of the first antenna array.

8. The electronic device of claim 1, wherein: the processor is further configured to determine a location of an object relative to the electronic device; and to apply the selected at least one MPE operation, the processor is further configured to: identify, based on the location of the object relative to the electronic device, at least one beam of a first antenna array radiating in a direction towards the object, disable the at least one beam of the first antenna array to reduce a power density in a vicinity of the object, and enable at least one beam from a second antenna array of the plurality of antenna arrays to at least partially compensate for the disabling of the at least one beam of the first antenna array.

9. A method for applying maximum permissible exposure (MPE) operations on an electronic device, the method comprising: monitoring a distance between the electronic device and an object to determine whether an MPE condition for radio frequency exposure is satisfied; if the MPE condition is satisfied: selecting at least one MPE operation among a plurality of MPE operations based on the distance between the electronic device and the object, and applying the selected at least one MPE operation among the plurality of MPE operations to at least one of a plurality of antenna arrays of the electronic device to modify radio frequency exposure, wherein the plurality of MPE operations comprises reducing a transmit power of an antenna, reducing a transmit duty cycle, switching to a different antenna module, disabling one or more beams, and replacing one or more beams, wherein the selecting the at least one MPE operation based on the distance between the electronic device and the object comprises: selecting a first MPE operation from the plurality of MPE operations based on the distance being greater than a first distance; selecting a second MPE operation from the plurality of MPE operations based on the distance being less than the first distance and greater than a second distance; and selecting a third MPE operation from the plurality of MPE operations based on the distance being less than the second distance and a reflection coefficient of a radar signal reflected from the object being within a range indicative of human skin.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein: applying the selected at least one MPE operation is based on a predefined priority rule, and The predefined priority rules include at least one of (i) applying the selected at least one MPE operation on a physical uplink shared channel, PUSCH, without uplink control information, UCI, and not applying the selected at least one MPE operation on a physical uplink control channel, PUCCH, a physical random access channel, PRACH, and a PUSCH with UCI, and (ii) applying the selected at least one MPE operation on a secondary carrier before a primary carrier.

11. The method of claim 9, further comprising: determining that the MPE condition is satisfied when a radar transceiver determines that an object is within a threshold distance of the electronic device; determining, based on the object being within the threshold distance, a distance between the electronic device and the object using the radar transceiver.

12. The method of claim 11, further comprising: determining, based on the object being within a predetermined distance, an angular position of the object relative to the electronic device; and selecting the at least one MPE operation based on the angular position of the object. ​

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