Size detection

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11796302-B2
Application number	US-202016747778-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jan 21, 2020
Priority date	Jan 20, 2020
Publication date	Oct 24, 2023
Grant date	Oct 24, 2023

Abstract

A capacitance sensor may be positioned to detect size changes in objects. The sensor may be constructed with to use mutual capacitance or self-capacitance to detect the size changes.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A laptop, comprising:
a keyboard surface including a keyboard and a palm rest;
a battery located under a palm rest of a keyboard surface;
a track pad assembly positioned in an opening defined in the keyboard surface;
an electrode in a sensing strip adjacent to the battery and independent of and spaced away from an underside of the track pad assembly at a distance; and
a controller programmed to detect a change in capacitance measured with the electrode when a size of the battery changes; and
a structure where the structure spaces the electrode away from the underside of the track pad assembly;
wherein the structure is a post.

2. The laptop of claim 1 , further comprising a compressible material in communication with the battery.

3. The laptop of claim 2 , wherein the compressible material is a foam, a rubber, a foam rubber, or combinations thereof.

4. The laptop of claim 2 , wherein the electrode is located on a first insulator.

5. The laptop of claim 4 , further comprising:
a second electrode; and
a second insulator on which the second electrode is located;
wherein the compressible material is located between the first insulator and the second insulator;
wherein the capacitance measured with the electrode is based on a distance between the electrode and the second electrode.

6. The laptop of claim 4 , further comprising:
a second electrode located on the first insulator;
wherein the first insulator has a bendable region and is configured to bend around the battery.

7. The laptop of claim 2 , further comprising:
a second electrode;
wherein the electrode and the second electrode are located adjacent a first side of the compressible material.

8. The laptop of claim 7 , further comprising:
a floating coupler;
wherein the floating coupler is adjacent a second side of the compressible material that is opposite of the first side of the compressible material.

9. The laptop of claim 1 , wherein the capacitance measured with the electrode is a self-capacitance measurement.

10. The laptop of claim 1 , wherein the electrode is incorporated into the sensing strip that is independent of the track pad assembly and spaced apart from the track pad assembly at a distance.

11. The laptop of claim 10 , further comprising a second electrode incorporated into a second sensing strip that is independent of the track pad assembly and spaced apart from the track pad assembly at a distance;
wherein the first sensing strip and the second sensing strip are positioned to detect size changes of the battery.

Assignees

• Cirque Corp

Inventors

• Bytheway Jared
• Coy Nate
• Monson Brian
• Sturm Ethan

Classifications

• G01B7/08 Primary

  using capacitive means · CPC title

• G06F3/044

  by capacitive means · CPC title

• H01M10/4257

  Smart batteries, e.g. electronic circuits inside the housing of the cells or batteries · CPC title

• H01M10/48 Primary

  Accumulators combined with arrangements for measuring, testing or indicating the condition of cells, e.g. the level or density of the electrolyte (constructional details of current conducting connections for detecting conditions inside cells or batteries, e.g. details of voltage sensing terminals, H01M50/569) · CPC title

• G06F2203/04102

  Flexible digitiser, i.e. constructional details for allowing the whole digitising part of a device to be flexed or rolled like a sheet of paper · CPC title