Over the years, Google filed for a number of patents regarding the future use of radar technology so as to allow Android/Chrome users to use in-air gestures to control their device interfaces. They've been working on this since 2016 and beyond (02, 03, 04).

An Apple patent in 2023 referenced the use of radar technology for a future Apple Watch. Earlier this year we posted an Apple patent report titled "Apple wins Patent for a new Ultra-Accurate Object Tracking System using Radar for MacBooks, Smart Glove, Smart Display & more."

Last week the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office officially published a patent application from Samsung this is aiming at the same type of future application using radar technology for glove, water and soft surface modes, with the later pertaining to when a smartphone, laptop or other device is close to materials such as blankets, a mattress,  a sofa and more.  

According to an aspect of Samsung's patent application, an electronic device may include a radar configured to transmit an electromagnetic signal and receive a radar signal which is a reflected signal of the electromagnetic signal, the reflected signal being reflected from at least one target object, a touch pad configured to detect a touch of a user based on a designated touch threshold value, and at least one processor operatively coupled with the memory, the radar, and the touch pad.

The instructions may, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the electronic device to obtain the radar signal received by the radar. The instructions may, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the electronic device to identify, based on the radar signal, a surrounding environment of the electronic device. The instructions may, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the electronic device to adjust a touch threshold value based on the surrounding environment.

According to one aspect of the patent filing, a method performed by an electronic device, may include transmitting an electromagnetic signal through a radar of the electronic device, and obtaining a radar signal which is a reflected signal of the electromagnetic signal, the reflected signal being reflected from at least one target object.

The method may include identifying a surrounding environment of the electronic device based on the radar signal. The method may include adjusting a touch threshold value for a touch pad of the electronic device based on the surrounding environment.

In FIG. 2 below, the processor #210 may detect, by using the radar #220 and/or the sensor #240, that the electronic device #200 is in the glove mode, and may transmit, to the touch pad #230, a signal indicating to increase the threshold value associated with the touch sensitivity of the touch pad #230 (of a glove over fingers #310). Based on a higher threshold value, the touch pad may detect a touch by the finger wearing a glove more accurately.

In an embodiment, the processor may detect, by using the radar and/or the sensor 240, that the electronic device 200 is in the underwater mode, and may transmit, to the touch pad, a signal indicating to lower the threshold value associated with the touch sensitivity of the touch pad 230. Based on a lower threshold value, the touch pad may detect a touch in water more accurately.

As illustrated in FIG. 3A below, a user may touch a display (e.g., the touch pad #230) of the electronic device 200 with a finger #310 wearing a glove. . When the electronic device (smartphone #200) tries to detect a touch by the finger #310 by using a normal touch threshold value not knowing that the user wears gloves, a detection of the touch of the finger wearing a glove may fail.

Samsung's patent FIG. 3B below is a view illustrating a touch detection in an underwater mode according to an embodiment.

Samsung's patent FIG. 15 above illustrates radar-based operation control for improving touch sensitivity

For more details, review Samsung's patent application 20240345682.