Electronic device and grip sensing method

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2016076952-A1
Application number	US-201514850323-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Sep 10, 2015
Priority date	Sep 11, 2014
Publication date	Mar 17, 2016
Grant date	—

Abstract

An electronic device is provided. The electronic device includes a display; a housing including a front surface including the display, a rear surface facing a direction opposite to the front surface, and a side surface enclosing at least a part of a space defined between the front surface and the rear surface; a wireless communication module included in the housing; at least one antenna pattern electrically connected to the wireless communication module and configured to form an electromagnetic field or a magnetic field; a detection circuit electrically connected to the antenna pattern and configured to detect a current and/or a voltage associated with the antenna pattern; and a processor electrically connected to the wireless communication module and the detection circuit, wherein the processor is configured to change at least a part of an operation of the electronic device at least partly based on a change of the current and/or the voltage detected by the detection circuit.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . An electronic device, comprising:
a display; a housing including a front surface including the display, a rear surface facing a direction opposite to the front surface, and a side surface enclosing at least a part of a space defined between the front surface and the rear surface; a wireless communication module included in the housing; at least one antenna pattern electrically connected to the wireless communication module and configured to form an electromagnetic field or a magnetic field; a detection circuit electrically connected to the antenna pattern and configured to detect a current and/or a voltage associated with the antenna pattern; and a processor electrically connected to the wireless communication module and the detection circuit, wherein the processor is configured to change at least a part of an operation of the electronic device, at least partly based on a change of the current and/or the voltage detected by the detection circuit.

2 . The electronic device of claim 1 , wherein the at least one antenna pattern comprises at least one of:
a first antenna pattern extending along at least one side surface of the display to be adjacent to a part of the front surface, and disposed within the housing; a second antenna pattern disposed within the housing to be adjacent to a part of the rear surface; and a third antenna pattern forming at least a part of the side surface.

3 . The electronic device of claim 1 , wherein the at least one antenna pattern is a loop antenna pattern.

4 . The electronic device of claim 1 , wherein the at least one antenna pattern is a near field communication (NFC) antenna pattern.

5 . The electronic device of claim 1 , wherein, when the detected voltage corresponds to a voltage level of a gripped state, the processor is further configured to determine that the electronic device is in a gripped state, and when the detected voltage does not correspond to the voltage level of the gripped state, the processor is further configured to determine that the electronic device is in a non-gripped state.

6 . The electronic device of claim 5 , wherein, when the detected voltage returns to a default state from a state where the electronic device is gripped, the processor is further configured to determine that the gripped state of the electronic device is released.

7 . The electronic device of claim 1 , further comprising:
a current providing module configured to supply a current to the at least one antenna pattern according to a predetermined period.

8 . The electronic device of claim 7 , wherein the predetermined period is changed to one of a first period and a second period depending on whether the display unit is turned on or turned off.

9 . The electronic device of claim 7 , wherein the predetermined period is changed to one of a first period and a second period depending on whether the electronic device moves.

10 . The electronic device of claim 1 , wherein the processor is further configured to determine which voltage level the detected voltage corresponds to among a plurality of predetermined voltage levels.

11 . The electronic device of claim 10 , wherein the plurality of predetermined voltage levels includes at least one of a voltage level in a state where no object is brought close to the electronic device; a voltage level corresponding to a state where the electronic device is gripped by a hand; a voltage level corresponding to a case where a metallic material is brought close to the electronic device; and a voltage level corresponding to a case where an object, having an influence on a magnetic field, other than a hand and a metallic material, is brought close to the electronic device.

12 . The electronic device of claim 10 , wherein the plurality of predetermined voltage levels includes at least one of a voltage level corresponding to a state where a part of a finger touches the electronic device; a voltage level corresponding to a state where the electronic device is gripped with a first intensity; and a voltage level corresponding to a state where the electronic device is gripped with a second intensity.

13 . The electronic device of claim 1 , wherein the voltage level corresponding to the gripped state is a voltage reduced from a voltage of a default state within a predetermined voltage level range.

14 . A grip sensing method in an electronic device, the method comprising:
supplying a current to an antenna pattern; detecting a current level and/or a voltage level by an electromagnetic field or a magnetic field formed by the antenna pattern as the current is supplied; and determining whether the electronic device is gripped based on the detected current level and/or the detected voltage level.

15 . The method of claim 14 , wherein the antenna pattern is a loop antenna pattern.

16 . The method of claim 14 , wherein the antenna pattern is a near field communication (NFC) antenna pattern.

17 . The method of claim 14 , wherein determining whether the electronic device is gripped comprises:
determining whether the electronic device is in a gripped state when the detected voltage corresponds to a voltage level of a gripped state; and determining whether the electronic device is in a non-gripped state when the detected voltage does not correspond to the voltage level of the gripped state.

18 . The method of claim 17 , further comprising:
determining whether the gripped state of the electronic device is released when the detected voltage returns to a default state from a state where the electronic device is gripped.

19 . The method of claim 14 , wherein the current is supplied to the at least one antenna pattern according to a predetermined period.

20 . The method of claim 19 , wherein the predetermined period is changed to one of a first period and a second period depending on whether the display unit is turned on or turned off.

21 . The method of claim 19 , wherein the predetermined period is changed to one of a first period and a second period depending on whether the electronic device moves.

22 . The method of claim 14 , further comprising:
determining which voltage level the detected voltage corresponds to among a plurality of predetermined voltage levels.

23 . The method of claim 22 , wherein the plurality of predetermined voltage levels includes at least one of a voltage level in a state where no object is brought close to the electronic device; a voltage level corresponding to a state where the electronic device is gripped by a hand; a voltage level corresponding to a case where a metallic material is brought close to the electronic device; and a voltage level corresponding to a case where an object, having an influence on a magnetic field, other than a hand and a metallic material, is brought close to the electronic device.

24 . The method of claim 22 , wherein the plurality of predetermined voltage levels includes at least one of a voltage level corresponding to a state where a part of a finger touches the electronic device; a voltage level corresponding to a state where the electronic device is gripped with a first intensity; and a voltage level corresponding to a state where the electronic device is gripped with a second intensity.

25 . The method of claim 14 , wherein a voltage level corresponding to a gripped state is a voltage reduced from a voltage of a default state within a predeter

Assignees

• Samsung Electronics Co Ltd

Inventors

• Kim Bong-Sub

Classifications

• G06F1/1698

  the I/O peripheral being a sending/receiving arrangement to establish a cordless communication link, e.g. radio or infrared link, integrated cellular phone (details of antennas disposed inside a computer H01Q1/2266) · CPC title

• H01Q7/00

  Loop antennas with a substantially uniform current distribution around the loop and having a directional radiation pattern in a plane perpendicular to the plane of the loop · CPC title

• G06F1/1684

  Constructional details or arrangements related to integrated I/O peripherals not covered by groups G06F1/1635 - G06F1/1675 · CPC title

• H03K2217/94089

  Wireless transmission · CPC title

• G06F1/1626 Primary

  with a single-body enclosure integrating a flat display, e.g. Personal Digital Assistants [PDAs] · CPC title