Method for detecting water in connection terminal of electronic device and electronic device supporting the same

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11428753-B2
Application number	US-201916660654-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Oct 22, 2019
Priority date	Oct 22, 2018
Publication date	Aug 30, 2022
Grant date	Aug 30, 2022

Abstract

An electronic device according to various embodiments of the disclosure includes a connection terminal including a terminal; a controller configured to identify a resistance value of the terminal; a capacitance checker configured to identify capacitance of the terminal; and a processor configured to determine whether or not water is present in the at least one terminal based on information related to the resistance value received from the controller and the capacitance received from the capacitance checker.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An electronic device comprising:
a connection terminal comprising a terminal;
a controller configured to:
determine a resistance value of the terminal;
compare the determined resistance value to a specified first threshold value; and
in response to comparing the determined resistance value to the specified first threshold value, transmit, to a processor, information related to the resistance value;

a capacitance checker comprising a sensing unit configured to determine capacitance of the terminal, and a switch configured to connect the terminal to the sensing unit based on a control signal received from the controller, wherein the sensing unit is configured to transmit the determined capacitance of the terminal to the processor; and
the processor configured to:
compare the determined capacitance of the terminal to a specified second threshold value;
determine whether or not the capacitance of the terminal is greater than or equal to the specified second threshold value;
determine whether or not water is present in the terminal based on the information related to the resistance value received from the controller and the capacitance received from the capacitance checker by:
based on the resistance value being less than or equal to the specified first threshold value and the capacitance being greater than or equal to the specified second threshold value, determining that water is present in the connection terminal;
based on the resistance value exceeding the specified first threshold value and the capacitance being less than the specified second threshold value, determining that the connection terminal is in a dry state;
based on the resistance value being less than or equal to the specified first threshold value and the capacitance being less than the specified second threshold value, determining that foreign matter is present in the connection terminal; and
based on the resistance value exceeding the specified first threshold value and the capacitance being greater than or equal to the specified second threshold value, determining that a circuit of the electronic device has been damaged.

2. The electronic device of claim 1 , wherein the controller is configured to:
determine whether or not the resistance value is less than or equal to the specified first threshold value;
based on determining that the resistance value is less than or equal to the specified first threshold value, transmit, to the processor, information related to the resistance value indicating that the resistance value is less than or equal to the specified first threshold value; and
based on determining that the resistance value exceeds the specified first threshold value, transmit, to the processor, information related to the resistance value indicating that the resistance value exceeds the specified first threshold value.

3. The electronic device of claim 1 , wherein:
based on the electronic device performing an operation of sensing whether water is present in the connection terminal, the specified second threshold value is configured as a specified third threshold value, and
based on the electronic device performing an operation of sensing whether the connection terminal is in the dry state, the specified second threshold value is configured as a specified fourth threshold value, which is less than the specified third threshold value.

4. The electronic device of claim 1 , further comprising a display device,
wherein the processor is configured to display information indicating that water is present in the connection terminal, information indicating that foreign matter is present in the connection terminal, or information indicating that a circuit of the electronic device has been damaged through the display device.

5. The electronic device of claim 1 , wherein the sensing unit comprises a sensor configured to sense capacitance using a self-capacitance method.

6. The electronic device of claim 1 , wherein the connection terminal is a universal serial bus (USB) connector.

7. An electronic device comprising:
a connection terminal comprising a terminal;
a capacitance checker comprising:
a sensing unit configured to determine capacitance of the terminal; and
a switch configured to connect the terminal to the sensing unit based on a control signal received from a controller,
wherein the sensing unit is configured to transmit the determined capacitance of the terminal to the controller; and

the controller configured to:
determine a resistance value of the terminal;
compare the determined resistance value to a specified first threshold value;
in response to comparing the determined resistance value to the specified first threshold value, generate information related to the resistance value;
compare the determined capacitance of the terminal to a specified second threshold value;
determine whether or not the capacitance of the terminal is greater than or equal to the specified second threshold value; and
determine whether or not water is present in the terminal based on the information related to the resistance value and the capacitance received from the capacitance checker by:
based on the resistance value being less than or equal to the specified first threshold value and the capacitance being greater than or equal to the specified second threshold value, determining that water is present in the connection terminal;
based on the resistance value exceeding the specified first threshold value and the capacitance being less than the specified second threshold value, determining that the connection terminal is in a dry state;
based on the resistance value being less than or equal to the specified first threshold value and the capacitance being less than the specified second threshold value, determining that foreign matter is present in the connection terminal; and
based on the resistance value exceeding the specified first threshold value and the capacitance being greater than or equal to the specified second threshold value, determining that a circuit of the electronic device has been damaged.

8. The electronic device of claim 7 , wherein the controller is configured to determine whether or not the resistance value is less than or equal to the specified first threshold value.

9. The electronic device of claim 8 , wherein:
based on the electronic device performing an operation of sensing whether water is present in the connection terminal, the specified second threshold value is configured as a specified third threshold value, and
based on the electronic device performing an operation of sensing whether the connection terminal is in the dry state, the specified second threshold value is configured as a specified fourth threshold value, which is less than the specified third threshold value.

10. The electronic device of claim 7 , further comprising a display device,
wherein the controller is configured to display information indicating that water is present in the connection terminal, information indicating that foreign matter is present in the connection terminal, or information indicating that a circuit of the electronic device has been damaged through the display device.

11. The electronic device of claim 7 , wherein the controller comprises a processor configured to perform at least part of determining whether or not water is present in the terminal.

12. The electronic device of claim 7 , wherein the connection terminal is a universal serial bus (USB) connector.

Assignees

• Samsung Electronics Co Ltd

Inventors

• Kim Kyoungwon
• Kang Wonseok
• Park Sejong
• Ahn Jaehyun
• Lee Kwangyeol

Classifications

• G01M3/16 Primary

  using electric detection means ({G01M3/045,} G01M3/06, G01M3/12, G01M3/20, G01M3/24, G01M3/26 take precedence) · CPC title

• H01R2107/00

  Four or more poles · CPC title

• G01R27/2605

  Measuring capacitance (capacitive sensors G01D5/24) · CPC title

• G01R31/69 Primary

  of terminals at the end of a cable or a wire harness; of plugs; of sockets, e.g. wall sockets or power sockets in appliances · CPC title

• G01N27/223 Primary

  for determining moisture content, e.g. humidity (rain detectors on vehicle windows B60S1/0825) · CPC title