Electronic device and method for controlling digitizer panel of electronic device on basis of state of electronic pen

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11875003-B2
Application number	US-202217573861-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jan 12, 2022
Priority date	Jul 26, 2019
Publication date	Jan 16, 2024
Grant date	Jan 16, 2024

Abstract

An electronic device and method are disclosed. The electronic device includes a communication circuit, a sensor circuit, a digitizer panel, and a processor. The processor implements the method, including: detecting whether an electronic pen is detached from the electronic device via the sensor circuit, activating the digitizer panel based on detecting detachment of the electronic pen from the electronic device, identifying a state of the electronic pen through a communication linkage with the electronic pen via the communication circuit, and deactivate the activated digitizer panel based on the identified state of the electronic pen.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. An electronic device, comprising:
a communication circuit;
a sensor circuit;
a digitizer panel; and
a processor operatively connected to the communication circuit, the sensor circuit, and the digitizer panel, wherein the processor is configured to:
detect whether an electronic pen is detached from the electronic device via the sensor circuit,
activate the digitizer panel based on detecting detachment of the electronic pen from the electronic device,
identify a state of the electronic pen through a communication linkage with the electronic pen via the communication circuit,
while the electronic pen remains detached from the electronic device, deactivate the activated digitizer panel based on the identified state of the electronic pen,
identify a distance to the electronic pen based on a strength of a communication signal with the electronic pen,
identify whether a movement of the electronic pen is detected for a designated time based on sensor information received from the electronic pen, and
deactivate the activated digitizer panel in case that the identified distance is greater than a predefined threshold distance and the movement of the electronic pen is not detected for the designated time.

2. The electronic device of claim 1 , wherein the state of the electronic is detected while maintaining the communication linkage with the electronic pen, and
wherein the identified state includes at least one of the strength of the communication signal with the electronic pen, or the sensor information received from the electronic pen.

3. The electronic device of claim 2 , wherein the processor is configured to:
maintain activation of the digitizer panel based on detecting that the identified distance is disposed within the predefined threshold distance.

4. The electronic device of claim 2 , wherein the processor is configured to:
maintain the activation of the digitizer panel based on detecting the movement of the electronic pen via the received sensor information.

5. The electronic device of claim 1 , wherein, when the communication circuit is deactivated and the electronic pen is attached, the processor is further configured to:
based on detecting detachment of the electronic pen, activate the communication circuit.

6. The electronic device of claim 1 , wherein the processor is configured to:
identify whether the state of the electronic pen is received from the electronic pen via the communication linkage; and
deactivate the digitizer panel when the state of the electronic pen is not received.

7. The electronic device of claim 6 , wherein the processor is configured to:
identify the state of the electronic pen based on receiving a transmission of the state from the electronic pen via the communication circuit.

8. The electronic device of claim 6 , wherein the processor is configured to:
activate the digitizer panel when the state is received from the electronic pen via the communication circuit after lapse of a predesignated time period starting from when the digitizer panel is deactivated.

9. A method of an electronic device, the method comprising:
detecting whether an electronic pen is detached from the electronic device via a sensor circuit;
activating, by at least one processor, a digitizer panel based on detecting detachment of the electronic pen from the electronic device;
identifying a state of the electronic pen while maintaining a communication linkage with the electronic pen via a communication circuit; and
while the electronic pen remains detached from the electronic device, deactivating the activated digitizer panel based on the identified state of the electronic pen,
wherein deactivating the activated digitizer panel comprises:
identifying a distance to the electronic pen based on a strength of a communication signal with the electronic pen,
identifying whether a movement of the electronic pen is detected for a designated time based on sensor information received from the electronic pen; and
deactivating the activated digitizer panel in case that the identified distance is greater than a predefined threshold distance and the movement of the electronic pen is not detected for the designated time.

10. The method of claim 9 , wherein the identified state of the electronic pen includes at least one of the strength of the communication signal with the electronic pen, or the sensor information of the electronic pen.

11. The method of claim 10 , wherein deactivate the activated digitizer panel further includes:
maintaining activation of the digitizer panel based on detecting that the identified distance is disposed within the predefined threshold distance.

12. The method of claim 10 , wherein deactivate the activated digitizer panel further includes:
maintaining the activation of the digitizer panel based on detecting the movement of the electronic pen via the received sensor information.

13. The method of claim 9 , further comprising:
when the communication circuit is deactivated and the electronic pen is attached, based on detecting detachment of the electronic pen, activating the communication circuit.

14. The method of claim 9 , further comprising:
identifying whether the state of the electronic pen is received from the electronic pen through the communication linkage via the communication circuit.

15. The method of claim 14 , further comprising: deactivate the digitizer panel when the state of the electronic pen is not received through the communicate linkage.

Assignees

• Samsung Electronics Co Ltd

Inventors

• Lim Chaehoon
• Choi Dusun

Classifications

• G06F3/0441 Primary

  using active external devices, e.g. active pens, for receiving changes in electrical potential transmitted by the digitiser, e.g. tablet driving signals · CPC title

• G06F3/03545 Primary

  Pens or stylus · CPC title

• G06F3/0442

  using active external devices, e.g. active pens, for transmitting changes in electrical potential to be received by the digitiser · CPC title

• G06F3/04162

  for exchanging data with external devices, e.g. smart pens, via the digitiser sensing hardware · CPC title

• H04B17/318

  Received signal strength · CPC title