Foldable electronic device and method for controlling foldable electronic device

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12174674-B2
Application number	US-202217983091-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Nov 8, 2022
Priority date	Aug 19, 2021
Publication date	Dec 24, 2024
Grant date	Dec 24, 2024

Abstract

A method is provided for folding an electronic device including a first housing and a second housing. The method includes an operation of calculating an angle between the first housing and the second housing. The operation of calculating the angle includes calculating, based on sensing data measured by a first sensor module disposed in the first housing and a second sensor module disposed in the second housing, an angle between the first housing and the second housing. The method further includes an operation of measuring a magnetic force value using a digital Hall sensor when a state of the foldable electronic device corresponding to the calculated angle corresponds to a set condition. The method further includes an operation of setting a first reference value associated with folding the foldable electronic device and a second reference value associated with unfolding the foldable electronic device based on the magnetic force value.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A foldable electronic device comprising:
a first housing and a second housing disposed opposite the first housing, the first and second housing configured to fold relative to each other with respect to a folding axis;
a first sensor module coupled to the first housing;
a second sensor module coupled to the second housing;
at least one digital Hall sensor coupled to the first housing or the second housing;
a magnet coupled to the foldable electronic device and configured to interact with the at least one digital Hall sensor;
a memory; and
a processor operatively coupled to one or a combination of the first sensor module, the second sensor module, the digital Hall sensor, and the memory, wherein the processor is configured to:
calculate an angle between the first housing and the second housing based at least in part on sensing data measured by the first sensor module and the second sensor module;
obtain a measured magnetic force value from the digital Hall sensor when a state of the foldable electronic device corresponding to a calculated angle satisfies a set condition; and
set a first reference value associated with folding of the foldable electronic device and a second reference value associated with unfolding of the foldable electronic device based at least in part on the measured magnetic force value.

2. The foldable electronic device of claim 1 , wherein the processor is configured to:
set the first reference value based at least in part on the measured magnetic force value obtained from the digital Hall sensor at a time when the set condition is satisfied and a first reference set value; and
set the second reference value based at least in part on the set first reference value and a second reference set value.

3. The foldable electronic device of claim 1 , wherein the processor is configured to:
receive an interrupt signal based at least in part on the first reference value or the second reference value from the digital Hall sensor; and
control an operation of the foldable electronic device based at least in part on the received interrupt signal.

4. The foldable electronic device of claim 1 , wherein the processor is configured to:
set a difference between the first reference value and the second reference value to be greater than or equal to a reference set value.

5. The foldable electronic device of claim 1 , wherein the processor is configured to:
determine that a state of the foldable electronic device corresponds to the set condition when the calculated angle corresponds to a set angle and is maintained at the set angle for a predetermined time.

6. The foldable electronic device of claim 1 , wherein the processor is configured to:
determine that the foldable electronic device is in a folded state when a first interrupt signal corresponding to the first reference value is received from the digital Hall sensor, and control an operation of the foldable electronic device in response to the folded state; and
determine that the foldable electronic device is in an unfolded state when a second interrupt signal corresponding to the second reference value is received from the digital Hall sensor, and control the operation of the foldable electronic device in response to the unfolded state.

7. The foldable electronic device of claim 1 , wherein the processor is configured to:
designate a first reference set value and a second reference set value;
acquire a plurality of magnetic force values corresponding to a set angle range between the first housing and the second housing from the digital Hall sensor;
calculate a first difference value between two magnetic force values corresponding to a first angle range and a second difference value between two magnetic force values corresponding to a second angle range;
determine the first difference value as the first reference set value when the first difference value exceeds the first reference set value; and
determine the first reference set value as the designated first reference set value when the first difference value is equal to or less than the first reference set value.

8. The foldable electronic device of claim 7 , wherein the processor is configured to:
determine whether the second difference value exceeds the second reference set value;
determine the second difference value as the second reference set value when the second difference value exceeds the second reference set value; and
determine the second reference set value as the designated second reference set value when the second difference value is equal to or less than the second reference set value.

9. The foldable electronic device of claim 1 , wherein the processor is configured to store the set first reference value or the second reference value in an inactive memory included in the memory.

10. The foldable electronic device of claim 9 , wherein the processor is configured to:
determine whether the first reference value or the second reference value is stored in the inactive memory when the foldable electronic device is booted;
control an operation of the foldable electronic device based at least in part on an interrupt signal corresponding to the stored first reference value and second reference value when the first reference value or the second reference value is stored; and
execute a reference value setting process when the first reference value or the second reference value is not stored.

11. The foldable electronic device of claim 10 , wherein, in the reference value setting process,
the measured magnetic force value from the digital Hall sensor is acquired when the state of the foldable electronic device corresponding to the angle between the first housing and the second housing corresponds to the set condition, and
the first reference value and the second reference value are set based on one or a combination of the magnetic force value, a first reference set value, and a second reference set value.

12. A method of operating a foldable electronic device including a first housing and a second housing disposed opposite the first housing, the first and second housings configured to fold relative to each other with respect to a folding axis, the method comprising:
an operation of calculating an angle between the first housing and the second housing based on sensing data measured by a first sensor module coupled to the first housing and a second sensor module coupled to the second housing;
an operation of acquiring a measured magnetic force value from the digital Hall sensor of the foldable electronic device when a state of the foldable electronic device corresponding to the calculated angle corresponds to a set condition; and
an operation of setting a first reference value associated with folding of the foldable electronic device and a second reference value associated with unfolding of the foldable electronic device based at least in part on the measured magnetic force value.

13. The method of claim 12 , wherein the setting operation includes:
an operation of setting the first reference value based at least in part on the magnetic force value obtained from the digital Hall sensor and a first reference set value when the set condition is satisfied; and
an operation of setting the second reference value based at least in part on the set first reference value and a second reference set value.

14. The method of claim 12 , further comprising:
an operation of receiving an interrupt signal based at least in part on the first reference value or the second reference value from the digital Hall sensor; and
an operation of controlling an operation of th

Assignees

• Samsung Electronics Co Ltd

Inventors

• KWON Oheon
• Eom Kihun
• Kang Seongsig
• Oh Sejeong
• Choi Heejun

Classifications

• G06F1/1652

  the display being flexible, e.g. mimicking a sheet of paper, or rollable · CPC title

• H04M1/0214

  Foldable telephones, i.e. with body parts pivoting to an open position around an axis parallel to the plane they define in closed position (combined with translation movement H04M1/0235) · CPC title

• G06F1/1616

  with folding flat displays, e.g. laptop computers or notebooks having a clamshell configuration, with body parts pivoting to an open position around an axis parallel to the plane they define in closed position · CPC title

• G01R33/072

  Constructional adaptation of the sensor to specific applications · CPC title

• G09F9/301

  flexible foldable or roll-able electronic displays, e.g. thin LCD, OLED · CPC title