Sensor and electronic device

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11009986-B2
Application number	US-201816632751-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jul 20, 2018
Priority date	Jul 21, 2017
Publication date	May 18, 2021
Grant date	May 18, 2021

Abstract

An electronic device includes: a housing; a sensor provided on an inner surface of the housing and configured to detect deformation of the housing; and a control unit configured to control an operation of the electronic device on the basis of a detection result of the sensor. The sensor has a first sensing unit configured to detect a prescribed user operation and a second sensing unit configured to compensate for a malfunction.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. An electronic device comprising:
a housing;
a sensor provided on an inner surface of the housing and configured to detect deformation of the housing; and
a control unit configured to control an operation of the electronic device on a basis of a detection result of the sensor, wherein
the sensor includes
a first sensing unit configured to detect a prescribed user operation, and
a second sensing unit configured to compensate for a malfunction, and

the control unit is configured to detect a malfunction on a basis of whether or not a level of at least one signal among detection signals of the first sensing unit and the second sensing unit exceeds a second threshold that is opposite in polarity to a first threshold that is for determining the prescribed user operation.

2. The electronic device according to claim 1 , wherein
the sensor includes two or more of the first sensing unit, and
the second sensing unit is provided between the first sensing units that are adjacent.

3. The electronic device according to claim 1 , wherein a signal having a highest signal level among at least one signal exceeding the first threshold is a detection signal of the first sensing unit.

4. The electronic device according to claim 1 , wherein, as an application is activated, the control unit allocates some of a plurality of sensing units to the first sensing unit and allocates a rest to the second sensing unit.

5. The electronic device according to claim 4 , further comprising
a display device, wherein
the control unit displays information regarding an operation corresponding to the first sensing unit at a position corresponding to the first sensing unit in a screen of the display device.

6. The electronic device according to claim 1 , wherein
the housing includes a bottom part, a wall part provided at a peripheral edge of the bottom part, and a front panel provided on the wall part,
the first sensing unit is provided on an inner surface of the wall part, and
the second sensing unit is provided on at least one inner surface of the bottom part or of the front panel.

7. The electronic device according to claim 6 , wherein the control unit detects a malfunction on a basis of whether or not a detection signal of the second sensing unit exceeds the second threshold.

8. The electronic device according to claim 1 , wherein
the housing has a side wall part, and
the sensor is provided on an inner surface of the side wall part.

9. The electronic device according to claim 8 , further comprising:
an elastic body provided on a back surface of the sensor; and
a support configured to support the elastic body, wherein
the housing has a groove part provided along the side wall part,
a sensor module is configured by the sensor, the elastic body, and the support, and
the sensor module is fitted into the groove part.

10. The electronic device according to claim 1 , further comprising:
an elastic body provided on a back surface of the sensor; and
a support configured to support the elastic body.

11. The electronic device according to claim 1 , wherein
the housing has a side wall part having a slit part, and
the sensor is accommodated in the slit part.

12. The electronic device according to claim 1 , wherein the sensor has a film shape, and is provided to cause one main surface of the sensor to face an inner surface of the housing.

13. The electronic device according to claim 1 , wherein
the sensor includes
a first reference electrode layer,
a first support layer provided on the first reference electrode layer,
a first sensor electrode layer provided on the first support layer,
a second support layer provided on the first sensor electrode layer, and
a second reference electrode layer provided on the second support layer.

14. The electronic device according to claim 13 , wherein
the sensor further includes
a third support layer provided on the second reference electrode layer,
a second sensor electrode layer provided on the third support layer,
a fourth support layer provided on the second sensor electrode layer, and
a third reference electrode layer provided on the fourth support layer.

15. The electronic device according to claim 13 , wherein the first reference electrode layer, the second reference electrode layer, and the first sensor electrode layer are configured by one flexible board.

16. An electronic device comprising:
a housing;
a sensor provided in the housing and configured to detect deformation of the housing; and
a control unit configured to control an operation of the electronic device on a basis of a detection result of the sensor, wherein
the sensor includes
a first sensing unit configured to detect a prescribed user operation, and
a second sensing unit configured to compensate for a malfunction, and
the control unit is configured to detect a malfunction on a basis of whether or not a level of at least one signal among detection signals of the first sensing unit and the second sensing unit exceeds a second threshold that is opposite in polarity to a first threshold that is for determining the prescribed user operation.

17. A sensor provided on an inner surface of a housing and configured to detect deformation of the housing, the sensor comprising:
a first sensing unit configured to detect a prescribed user operation; and
a second sensing unit configured to compensate for a malfunction, wherein
the first and second sensing units are configured to enable detecting a malfunction on a basis of whether or not a level of at least one signal among detection signals of the first sensing unit and the second sensing unit exceeds a second threshold that is opposite in polarity to a first threshold that is for determining the prescribed user operation.

18. A sensor provided in a housing and configured to detect deformation of the housing, the sensor comprising:
a first sensing unit configured to detect a prescribed user operation; and
a second sensing unit configured to compensate for a malfunction, wherein
the first and second sensing units are configured to enable detecting a malfunction on a basis of whether or not a level of at least one signal among detection signals of the first sensing unit and the second sensing unit exceeds a second threshold that is opposite in polarity to a first threshold that is for determining the prescribed user operation.

Assignees

• Sony Corp

Inventors

• Kawabata Tomoki
• Itoshiro Yasushi
• Nishikawa Toshiaki
• Ebihara Munetake
• Fujisawa Akira
• Tsukamoto Kei
• Yamana Hiroaki
• Yamaguchi Makoto
• Kinokuni Keisuke

Classifications

• G06F11/3044

  where the computing system component is the mechanical casing of the computing system · CPC title

• G06F3/0414 Primary

  using force sensing means to determine a position · CPC title

• G06F1/1656

  Details related to functional adaptations of the enclosure, e.g. to provide protection against EMI, shock, water, or to host detachable peripherals like a mouse or removable expansions units like PCMCIA cards, or to provide access to internal components for maintenance or to removable storage supports like CDs or DVDs, or to mechanically mount accessories (mounting of accessories to a computer display G06F1/1607; display hoods G06F1/1603; cooling arrangements for portable computers G06F1/203) · CPC title

• G06F11/3058

  Monitoring arrangements for monitoring environmental properties or parameters of the computing system or of the computing system component, e.g. monitoring of power, currents, temperature, humidity, position, vibrations (thermal management in cooling arrangements of a computing system G06F1/206) · CPC title

• G06F11/0754

  by exceeding limits · CPC title