Ultrasound based configuration detection of a multipart electronic apparatus

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10191147-B2
Application number	US-201615230224-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Aug 5, 2016
Priority date	Aug 5, 2016
Publication date	Jan 29, 2019
Grant date	Jan 29, 2019

Abstract

In one example, an electronic apparatus comprises a first portion having an ultrasound emitter. The electronic apparatus further comprises a second portion having an ultrasound sensor. The first portion and the second portion are arranged to be movable with respect to each other thereby allowing distance between the ultrasound emitter and the ultrasound sensor to vary. The electronic apparatus further comprises a measurement unit configured to measure current propagation delay of an ultrasound wave from the ultrasound emitter to the ultrasound sensor. The electronic apparatus further comprises a calculation unit configured to calculate current distance between the ultrasound emitter and the ultrasound sensor based on the measured current propagation delay of the ultrasound wave from the ultrasound emitter to the ultrasound sensor.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. An electronic apparatus, comprising:
a first portion having an ultrasound emitter;
a second portion having an ultrasound sensor, the first portion and the second portion arranged to be movable with respect to each other thereby allowing distance between the ultrasound emitter and the ultrasound sensor to vary, wherein the first portion and the second portion are arranged to be foldable with respect to each other in a folding angle;
a measurement unit configured to measure current propagation delay of an ultrasound wave from the ultrasound emitter to the ultrasound sensor; and
a calculation unit configured to:
calculate current distance between the ultrasound emitter and the ultrasound sensor based on the measured current propagation delay of the ultrasound wave from the ultrasound emitter to the ultrasound sensor; and
determine a current folding angle based on the calculated current distance between the ultrasound emitter and the ultrasound sensor and further based on configuration information about the first portion and the second portion.

2. The electronic apparatus as claimed in claim 1 , wherein each of the first portion and the second portion have a graphical user interface.

3. The electronic apparatus as claimed in claim 2 , wherein a display of each of the graphical user interfaces is updated based on the determined current folding angle.

4. The electronic apparatus as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the first portion and the second portion are arranged to be slidable with respect to each other.

5. The electronic apparatus as claimed in claim 1 , wherein at least one of the first portion and the second portion is arranged to be bendable.

6. The electronic apparatus as claimed in claim 1 , wherein at least one of the first portion and the second portion is arranged to be rollable.

7. The electronic apparatus as claimed in claim 1 , wherein at least one of the first portion and the second portion comprises a display with a graphical user interface, and the electronic apparatus is configured to update the displayed graphical user interface based on the calculated current distance between the ultrasound emitter and the ultrasound sensor.

8. The electronic apparatus as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the electronic apparatus is configured to launch an application based on the calculated current distance between the ultrasound emitter and the ultrasound sensor.

9. The electronic apparatus as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the electronic apparatus is configured to close an application based on the calculated current distance between the ultrasound emitter and the ultrasound sensor.

10. The electronic apparatus as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the electronic apparatus is configured to select an operating mode based on the calculated current distance between the ultrasound emitter and the ultrasound sensor.

11. The electronic apparatus as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the ultrasound emitter comprises a speaker.

12. The electronic apparatus as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the ultrasound sensor comprises a microphone.

13. The electronic apparatus as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the first portion has at least two ultrasound emitters.

14. The electronic apparatus as claimed in claim 13 , wherein at least two of the at least two ultrasound emitters are arranged on opposite sides of the first portion.

15. The electronic apparatus as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the second portion has at least two ultrasound sensors.

16. The electronic apparatus as claimed in claim 15 , wherein at least two of the at least two ultrasound sensors are arranged on opposite sides of the second portion.

17. A method, comprising:
transmitting an ultrasound wave with an ultrasound emitter on a first portion of an electronic apparatus; and
in response to receiving the transmitted ultrasound wave at an ultrasound sensor on a second portion of the electronic apparatus:
measuring, by a measurement unit of the electronic apparatus, current propagation delay of the ultrasound wave from the ultrasound emitter to the ultrasound sensor;
calculating, by a calculation unit of the electronic apparatus, current distance between the ultrasound emitter and the ultrasound sensor based on the measured current propagation delay of the ultrasound wave from the ultrasound emitter to the ultrasound sensor; and
determining a current folding angle based on the calculated current distance between the ultrasound emitter and the ultrasound sensor and further based on configuration information about the first portion and the second portion.

18. The method as claimed in claim 17 , wherein each of the first portion and the second portion have a graphical user interface that is updated based on the determined current folding angle.

19. The method as claimed in claim 17 , further comprising at least one of updating a displayed graphical user interface, launching an application, closing an application, or selecting an operating mode based on the calculated current distance between the ultrasound emitter and the ultrasound sensor.

20. A foldable electronic apparatus, comprising:
a first portion having an ultrasound emitter;
a second portion having an ultrasound sensor, the first portion and the second portion arranged to be foldable with respect to each other in a folding angle thereby allowing distance between the ultrasound emitter and the ultrasound sensor to vary, wherein the first portion and the second portion are arranged to be foldable with respect to each other in a folding angle;
a measurement unit configured to measure current propagation delay of an ultrasound wave from the ultrasound emitter to the ultrasound sensor;
a calculation unit configured to:
calculate current distance between the ultrasound emitter and the ultrasound sensor based on the measured current propagation delay of the ultrasound wave from the ultrasound emitter to the ultrasound sensor, and further configured to determine current folding angle based on the calculated current distance between the ultrasound emitter and the ultrasound sensor and further based on configuration information about the first portion and the second portion; and
determine a current folding angle based on the calculated current distance between the ultrasound emitter and the ultrasound sensor and further based on configuration information about the first portion and the second portion.

Assignees

• Microsoft Technology Licensing Llc

Inventors

• Kemppinen Pasi

Classifications

• H04M1/0243

  using the relative angle between housings · CPC title

• G06F1/1624

  with sliding enclosures, e.g. sliding keyboard or display · CPC title

• G06F1/1677

  for detecting open or closed state or particular intermediate positions assumed by movable parts of the enclosure, e.g. detection of display lid position with respect to main body in a laptop, detection of opening of the cover of battery compartment · CPC title

• G01S11/14 Primary

  using ultrasonic, sonic or infrasonic waves · CPC title

• G06F2200/1637

  Sensing arrangement for detection of housing movement or orientation, e.g. for controlling scrolling or cursor movement on the display of an handheld computer · CPC title