Flip position detection

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10613593-B1
Application number	US-201916654813-A
Country	US
Kind code	B1
Filing date	Oct 16, 2019
Priority date	Feb 12, 2019
Publication date	Apr 7, 2020
Grant date	Apr 7, 2020

Abstract

In aspects of flip position detection, a mobile device has a device housing with a base section and a flip section that folds onto the base section. The mobile device has a hinge that operates between open and closed positions of the device, and the flip section of the device housing operates to open relative to the base section of the device housing. An inductor is positioned in the device housing to have an inductance as the hinge operates to open and close the device housing. A metal plate is coupled to the hinge in a configuration that translates the metal plate relative to the inductor as the hinge operates between the open and closed positions. A sensor is implemented to detect the inductance between the inductor and the metal plate, where inductance values indicate the closed and open positions of the device housing.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A mobile device, comprising:
a device housing having a base section and a flip section operable to fold onto the base section in a closed position of the mobile device;
a hinge operable between the closed position and an open position of the mobile device, the flip section of the device housing operable to open relative to the base section of the device housing;
a metal plate coupled to the hinge in a configuration operable to translate the metal plate relative to a passive material that interacts with the metal plate as the hinge operates between the open position and the closed position, the passive material and the metal plate rotating with the hinge as it operates between the open position and the closed position.

2. The mobile device as recited in claim 1 , wherein:
the passive material is one of an inductor, a capacitor, or a resistor; and
the metal plate remains approximately parallel with the inductor, the capacitor, or the resistor as the metal plate translates approximately perpendicular relative to the inductor, the capacitor, or the resistor.

3. The mobile device as recited in claim 1 , further comprising a sensor to detect interaction values between the passive material and the metal plate, a first interaction value indicating the closed position of the device housing and a second interaction value indicating the open position of the device housing.

4. The mobile device as recited in claim 3 , wherein the interaction values each correlate to one of multiple positions of the hinge between the open position and the closed position.

5. The mobile device as recited in claim 1 , wherein the passive material is positioned in the device housing on a flexible printed circuit that couples to a sensor configured to detect interaction values between the passive material and the metal plate.

6. The mobile device as recited in claim 5 , further comprising a device controller for multi-position determination of the flip section of the device housing relative to the base section of the device housing, the multi-position determination based on sensor detection of the interaction values changing as the hinge operates between the open position and the closed position.

7. The mobile device as recited in claim 1 , further comprising a device controller to initiate an operating state change of the mobile device based on detection of an interaction value between the passive material and the metal plate that indicates the open position of the device housing.

8. The mobile device as recited in claim 1 , further comprising a device controller to initiate turning-on a display device based on detection of an interaction value between the passive material and the metal plate that indicates the open position of the device housing.

9. A hinge system, comprising:
a hinge operable between an open position and a closed position;
a passive material positioned to have one of an inductance, a capacitance, or a resistance as the hinge operates between the open position and the closed position;
a metal plate coupled to the hinge in a configuration operable to translate the metal plate relative to the passive material that interacts with the metal plate as the hinge operates between the open position and the closed position, the passive material and the metal plate rotating with the hinge as it operates between the open position and the closed position.

10. The hinge system as recited in claim 9 , wherein:
the passive material is one of an inductor, a capacitor, or a resistor; and
the metal plate remains approximately parallel with the inductor, the capacitor, or the resistor as the metal plate translates approximately perpendicular relative to the inductor, the capacitor, or the resistor.

11. The hinge system as recited in claim 9 , further comprising a sensor to detect interaction values between the passive material and the metal plate, a first interaction value indicating the closed position of the hinge and a second interaction value indicating the open position of the hinge.

12. The hinge system as recited in claim 9 , wherein the passive material is a component of a circuit formed on a flexible printed circuit that couples to a sensor configured to detect interaction values between the passive material and the metal plate.

13. The hinge system as recited in claim 12 , wherein the interaction values are detectable by the sensor to indicate multiple positions of the hinge as the interaction values change with the hinge operating between the open position and the closed position.

14. The hinge system as recited in claim 9 , further comprising an adjustable controller to define the open position of the hinge based on an interaction value between the passive material and the metal plate that is detectable as the hinge operates to open and close.

15. A method, comprising:
increasing a distance between a metal plate and a passive material, the metal plate coupled to a hinge in a configuration operable to translate the metal plate relative to the passive material as the hinge operates to open, the passive material and the metal plate rotating along with the hinge as it operates to open and close;
detecting an interaction value between the passive material and the metal plate, the interaction value indicating an open position of the hinge as the distance between the metal plate and the passive material increases;
decreasing the distance between the metal plate and the passive material as the metal plate translates relative to the passive material as the hinge operates to close; and
detecting a different interaction value between the passive material and the metal plate, the different interaction value indicating a closed position of the hinge as the distance between the metal plate and the passive material decreases.

16. The method as recited in claim 15 , wherein:
the passive material is one of an inductor, a capacitor, or a resistor; and
the metal plate remains approximately parallel with the inductor, the capacitor, or the resistor as the metal plate translates approximately perpendicular relative to the inductor, the capacitor, or the resistor.

17. The method as recited in claim 15 , further comprising:
detecting an interaction value that indicates a position of the hinge between the open position and the closed position.

18. The method as recited in claim 15 , further comprising:
initiating an operating state change of a mobile device based on the detecting the interaction value that indicates the open position of the hinge.

19. The method as recited in claim 15 , further comprising:
determining multiple positions of the hinge as the interaction values change with the hinge operating to open and close.

20. The method as recited in claim 15 , further comprising:
receiving an input of an interaction value that defines the open position of the hinge, and the interaction value being detectable as the hinge operates to open.

Assignees

• Motorola Mobility Llc

Inventors

• Morrison Wayne Garrett
• Budnick Dennis J
• Kadiwala Sanjay N

Classifications

• G06F1/1616 Primary

  with folding flat displays, e.g. laptop computers or notebooks having a clamshell configuration, with body parts pivoting to an open position around an axis parallel to the plane they define in closed position · CPC title

• G06F1/1677 Primary

  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

• G06F1/1681

  Details related solely to hinges (hinge details related to the transmission of signals or power are classified in G06F1/1683) · CPC title

• G01B7/003

  for measuring position, not involving coordinate determination (coordinate measuring G01B7/004) · CPC title

• F16C11/04 Primary

  Pivotal connections (hinges for doors, windows or wings E05D) · CPC title