Cover device, and electronic device and method for identifying cover device

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10852858-B2
Application number	US-201816013226-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jun 20, 2018
Priority date	Aug 22, 2017
Publication date	Dec 1, 2020
Grant date	Dec 1, 2020

Abstract

An electronic device and method for identifying a detached cover device and a cover device therefor are provided. The electronic device includes a housing, a wireless communication circuit disposed within the housing, a touch screen display exposed to the exterior, and a processor disposed within the housing and electrically connected to the wireless communication circuit and the touch screen display. The processor may be configured to sense mounting of the cover device on the touch screen display, identify a conductor pattern of the mounted cover device by scanning the touch screen display on which the cover device is mounted, and identify the mounted cover device on the basis of the identified conductor pattern.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An electronic device comprising:
a housing;
a memory;
a wireless communication circuit disposed within the housing;
a touch screen display exposed to an exterior of the housing; and
a processor disposed within the housing and electrically connected to the wireless communication circuit and the touch screen display,
wherein the processor is configured to:
sense a rear cover of a cover device mounted on the electronic device,
receive a first identifier from the rear cover,
in response to identifying that the first identifier does not match any of one or more identifiers stored in the memory, display a message on the touch screen display,
sense a front cover of the cover device mounted on the touch screen display,
identify a conductor pattern of a plurality of conductor pads in the mounted front cover by scanning the touch screen display on which the front cover is mounted,
identify an area specified by an outer boundary of the conductor pattern as a conductor pattern region,
identify a distance from a center point of the conductor pattern region to a predetermined point on the touch screen display, and
identify the mounted front cover based on the identified distance.

2. The electronic device of claim 1 , wherein the processor is further configured to:
recognize a magnetic body attached to the mounted front cover, and
identify the front cover based on the conductor pattern when the magnetic body is recognized.

3. The electronic device of claim 2 , wherein the processor is further configured to:
recognize at least one of a position, a size, an intensity, or a polarity distribution of the magnetic body, and
identify the front cover based on the recognition of the at least one of the position, the size, the intensity, or the polarity distribution.

4. The electronic device of claim 1 , wherein the processor is further configured to:
configure and display a screen of the touch screen display to correspond to the identified front cover.

5. The electronic device of claim 1 , wherein the processor is further configured to:
determine, when a first identifier of the rear cover is received via the wireless communication circuit from the rear cover, whether the first identifier and a previously stored second identifier are the same,
request information of at least one cover device corresponding to the first identifier when the first identifier and the second identifier are not the same, and
receive the information of the at least one cover device.

6. The electronic device of claim 5 , wherein the information of the cover device comprises information of at least one of a shape or a region of the conductor pattern, or a position, a size, an intensity, or a polarity distribution of a magnetic body attached to the at least one cover device.

7. The electronic device of claim 5 , wherein the processor is further configured to identify the front cover mounted on the touch screen display after identifying that the first identifier and the second identifier are the same.

8. A method of identifying a cover device attached to an electronic device, the method comprising:
sensing mounting of a rear cover of the cover device on the electronic device;
activating a wireless communication circuit in response to sensing the mounting of the rear cover on the electronic device;
receiving, through the wireless communication circuit, a first identifier of the rear cover from the rear cover;
in response to identifying that the first identifier does not match any of one or more identifiers stored in a memory of the electronic device, displaying a message;
sensing mounting of a front cover of the cover device on a touch screen display of the electronic device;
identifying a conductor pattern of a plurality of conductor pads in the mounted front cover by scanning the touch screen display on which the front cover is mounted;
identifying an area specified by an outer boundary of the conductor pattern as a conductor pattern region;
identifying a distance from a center point of the conductor pattern region to a predetermined point on the touch screen display; and
identifying the mounted front cover based on the identified distance.

9. The method of claim 8 , further comprising:
recognizing a magnetic body attached to the front cover; and
identifying the front cover based on the conductor pattern when the magnetic body is recognized.

10. The method of claim 8 , further comprising:
recognizing at least one of a position, a size, an intensity, or a polarity distribution of a magnetic body attached to the mounted front cover; and
identifying the front cover based on the recognition of the at least one of the position, the size, the intensity, or the polarity distribution.

11. The method of claim 8 , further comprising:
determining, when a first identifier of the rear cover is received via the activated wireless communication circuit from the rear cover, whether the first identifier and a second identifier previously stored in a memory are the same;
requesting information of at least one cover device corresponding to the first identifier when the first identifier and the second identifier are not the same; and
receiving the information of the at least one cover device.

12. The method of claim 11 , further comprising:
identifying the front cover mounted on the touch screen display on the basis of the first identifier after identifying that the first identifier and the second identifier are the same.

13. The method of claim 8 , further comprising:
configuring a screen of the touch screen display which is sized based on the front cover; and
displaying the configured screen on the touch screen display.

Assignees

• Samsung Electronics Co Ltd

Inventors

• Paik Su-Jin
• Do Joo-Hoan
• Kang Seong-Hoon
• Sun Kum-Jong
• Yu Tae-Hyeon
• Kim Young-Oog
• Choi Yeong-Su

Classifications

• H04M1/724092

  Interfacing with an external cover providing additional functionalities · CPC title

• H04M1/72412

  using two-way short-range wireless interfaces · CPC title

• H01H13/04

  Cases; Covers · CPC title

• G06F1/1698

  the I/O peripheral being a sending/receiving arrangement to establish a cordless communication link, e.g. radio or infrared link, integrated cellular phone (details of antennas disposed inside a computer H01Q1/2266) · CPC title

• G06F1/1671 Primary

  Special purpose buttons or auxiliary keyboards, e.g. retractable mini keypads, keypads or buttons that remain accessible at closed laptop (G06F1/1666 takes precedence) · CPC title