Capacitive switch for controlling a camera module for an information handling system

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11089196-B1
Application number	US-202016855323-A
Country	US
Kind code	B1
Filing date	Apr 22, 2020
Priority date	Apr 22, 2020
Publication date	Aug 10, 2021
Grant date	Aug 10, 2021

Abstract

A camera module for an information handling system, including: a camera having an electronic shutter; a capacitive sensor positioned proximate to the camera, the capacitive sensor configured to detect a change in capacitance at the capacitive sensor; a shutter controller computing module configured to: receive a first signal from the capacitive sensor indicating the change in capacitance at the capacitive sensor; process the first signal from the capacitive sensor, including determining that the first signal indicates to change a state of the electronic shutter; and in response to determining that the first signal indicates to change the state of the electronic shutter, providing, to the camera module, a second signal to adjust an initial state of the electronic shutter of the camera to a secondary state.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An information handling system, comprising:
a display housing including a first side positioned opposite to a second side, and a top side positioned opposite to a bottom side;
a display coupled to the display housing;
a cover glass spaced-apart from the second side of the display housing, wherein the display is positioned between the cover glass and the second side of the display housing;
a camera having an electronic shutter, the camera positioned at the top side of the display housing;
a capacitive sensor configured to detect a change in capacitance at the capacitive sensor, the capacitive sensor positioned i) at the top side of the display housing and proximate to the camera, ii) positioned along a first axis with respect to the camera and offset a distance from the camera along the first axis such that the capacitive sensor does not overlap the camera, iii) adjacent the cover glass, and iv) between the cover glass and the second side of the display housing, wherein the cover glass covers the camera and the capacitive sensor;
a processor having access to memory media storing instructions executable by the processor to perform operations comprising:
receive a first signal from the capacitive sensor indicating the change in capacitance at the capacitive sensor;
process the first signal from the capacitive sensor, including determining that the first signal indicates to change a state of the electronic shutter; and
in response to determining that the first signal indicates to change the state of the electronic shutter, providing, to the camera module, a second signal to adjust an initial state of the electronic shutter of the camera to a secondary state.

2. The information handling system of claim 1 , the operations further comprising:
receive the second signal from the shutter control computing module; and
in response to the second signal, adjust the initial state of the electronic shutter to the secondary state based on the second signal.

3. The information handling system of claim 2 , wherein adjusting the initial state of the electronic shutter to the secondary state based on the second signal includes actuating the electronic shutter.

4. The information handling system of claim 1 , wherein the initial state is a closed shutter state, and the secondary state is an open shutter state.

5. The information handling system of claim 1 , wherein the initial state is an open shutter state, and the secondary state is a closed shutter state.

6. The information handling system of claim 1 , wherein the capacitive sensor detects the change of capacitance along the capacitive sensor in a first direction, the operations further comprising providing, to the camera module, the second signal to adjust a closed shutter state of the electronic shutter of the camera to an open shutter state based on the change of capacitance along the capacitive sensor in the first direction.

7. The information handling system of claim 1 , wherein the capacitive sensor detects the change of capacitance along the capacitive sensor in a second direction, the operations further comprising providing, to the camera module, the second signal to adjust an open shutter state of the electronic shutter of the camera to a closed shutter state based on the change of capacitance along the capacitive sensor in the second direction.

8. A dual-body information handling system, comprising:
a first body, including:
a display housing including a first side positioned opposite to a second side, and a top side positioned opposite to a bottom side;
a display coupled to the display housing;
a cover glass spaced-apart from the second side of the display housing, wherein the display is positioned between the cover glass and the second side of the display housing;
a camera having an electronic shutter, the camera positioned at the top side of the display housing;
a capacitive sensor configured to detect a change in capacitance at the capacitive sensor, the capacitive sensor positioned i) at the top side of the display housing and proximate to the camera, ii positioned along a first axis with respect to the camera and offset a distance from the camera along the first axis such that the capacitive sensor does not overlap the camera, iii) adjacent the cover glass, and iv) between the cover glass and the second side of the display housing, wherein the cover glass covers the camera and the capacitive sensor;

a second body, coupled to the first body with a hinging apparatus, the second body including:
a processor having access to memory media storing instructions executable by the processor to perform operations comprising:
receive a first signal from the capacitive sensor indicating the change in capacitance at the capacitive sensor;
process the first signal from the capacitive sensor, including determining that the first signal indicates to change a state of the electronic shutter; and
in response to determining that the first signal indicates to change the state of the electronic shutter, providing, to the camera module, a second signal to adjust an initial state of the electronic shutter of the camera to a secondary state.

9. The information handling system of claim 8 , the operations further comprising:
receive the second signal from the shutter control computing module; and
in response to the second signal, adjust the initial state of the electronic shutter to the secondary state based on the second signal.

10. The information handling system of claim 9 , wherein adjusting the initial state of the electronic shutter to the secondary state based on the second signal includes actuating the electronic shutter.

11. The information handling system of claim 8 , wherein the initial state is a closed shutter state, and the secondary state is an open shutter state.

12. The information handling system of claim 8 , wherein the initial state is an open shutter state, and the secondary state is a closed shutter state.

13. The information handling system of claim 8 , wherein the capacitive sensor detects the change of capacitance along the capacitive sensor in a first direction, the operations further comprising providing, to the camera module, the second signal to adjust a closed shutter state of the electronic shutter of the camera to an open shutter state based on the change of capacitance along the capacitive sensor in the first direction.

14. The information handling system of claim 8 , wherein the capacitive sensor detects the change of capacitance along the capacitive sensor in a second direction, the operations further comprising providing, to the camera module, the second signal to adjust an open shutter state of the electronic shutter of the camera to a closed shutter state based on the change of capacitance along the capacitive sensor in the second direction.

15. A computer-implemented method of adjusting a state of a camera module of an information handling system, the method comprising:
receive a first signal from a capacitive sensor indicating a change in capacitance at the capacitive sensor, the capacitive sensor in communication with a camera;
process the first signal from the capacitive sensor, including determining that the first signal indicates to change a state of an electronic shutter, the camera including the electronic shutter; and
in response to determining that the first signal indicates to change the state of the electronic timer, providing, to the camera module, a second signal to adjust an initial state of the electronic shutter of the camera to a secondary state,
wherein the capacitive sensor is positioned

Assignees

• Dell Products Lp

Inventors

• Hampton Patrick A
• Critz Christian L
• David Michael
• Ramirez Ernesto

Classifications

• G06F1/1686 Primary

  the I/O peripheral being an integrated camera · CPC title

• H04N23/57 Primary

  Mechanical or electrical details of cameras or camera modules specially adapted for being embedded in other devices · CPC title

• H04N23/73

  by influencing the exposure time · CPC title

• H04N23/63

  by using electronic viewfinders · CPC title

• H04N23/62

  Control of parameters via user interfaces · CPC title