Body Proximity Sensing Through Wireless Signal Loopback
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing wireless communication devices face inefficiencies and increased costs when implementing dedicated hardware proximity sensors or software-based solutions to comply with Specific Absorption Rate (SAR) limitations, leading to performance degradation and unnecessary power limitations.
Innovation Solution
A Body Proximity Sensor (BPS) that utilizes existing wireless communication signals to detect proximity to a human body, optimizing transmission power based on actual body proximity without requiring additional hardware, by reusing existing wireless capabilities.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If dedicated hardware proximity sensors are implemented, then body proximity detection accuracy is improved, but device cost and complexity increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies universality by enabling existing wireless communication transceivers to perform dual functions: both wireless communication and body proximity sensing. The same antenna and signal processing circuits used for communication are reused for detecting body proximity through analysis of communication signal characteristics, eliminating the need for dedicated sensing hardware.
Solution Approach 2:
The wireless communication system serves itself by using its own transmitted and received signals to detect body proximity. The communication signals inherently contain information about the surrounding environment, and by analyzing signal characteristics such as impedance changes or standing wave patterns, the system automatically detects body proximity without requiring external sensing mechanisms.
2Object-affected harmful factors
If transmission power is reduced to comply with SAR limitations, then health and regulatory requirements are met, but communication performance and cell range degrade
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies dynamics by making transmission power adaptive rather than static. The system continuously monitors body proximity through communication signal analysis and dynamically adjusts transmission power in real-time: reducing power when body proximity is detected to ensure SAR compliance, and increasing power when no body is present to maximize communication performance and cell range.
Solution Approach 2:
The system implements feedback by using the received communication signals to detect body proximity and feed this information back to the power control mechanism. This closed-loop approach allows the system to continuously optimize transmission power based on actual body proximity conditions, ensuring both safety and performance.
3Device complexity
If software-based proximity sensing solutions are used, then device complexity is reduced, but detection reliability and precision deteriorate
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces physical sensing hardware with a software-based analysis approach that processes existing communication signals. Instead of using dedicated sensors that detect physical proximity through electromagnetic field changes, the system uses signal processing algorithms to analyze characteristics of communication signals, achieving reliable detection without additional hardware.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
Enhances performance by allowing increased transmission power when not in proximity to a human body, reducing costs and complexity, and achieving up to 50% extended cell range without additional components.
Implementation Method 1
a transmitter to transmit a transmit (Tx) signal over a transmission path to a receiver
Implementation Method 2
detecting a proximity of the wireless communication device to a body based on the one or more properties of the transmission path
Implementation Method 3
based on wireless communication signals communicated by the wireless communication device
Data Source
AI summary
For example, an apparatus may include a Body Proximity Sensor (BPS) configured to detect proximity of a wireless communication device to a human body based on wireless communication signals communicated by the wireless communication device. For example, the BPS may include an input to receive loopback information of a Receive (Rx) loopback signal, the Rx loopback signal including a wireless Rx signal received by a receiver of the wireless communication device based on a loopback of a wireless transmit (Tx) signal transmitted by a transmitter of the wireless communication device; and a processor configured to determine a detection result based on the loopback information, the detection result to indicate a detected proximity of the wireless communication device to the human body.