Electronic device having hinge structure and operating method thereof

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9389647-B2
Application number	US-201414322500-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jul 2, 2014
Priority date	Jul 17, 2013
Publication date	Jul 12, 2016
Grant date	Jul 12, 2016

Abstract

An electronic device is provided, which includes a first case frame, a second case frame, a hinge portion, and a processor. The first case frame includes a keypad. The second case frame is installed to be rotatable from the first case frame, and includes a touchscreen. The hinge portion couples the first case frame with the second case frame, and is rotatably installed to rotate the second case frame. The processor controls to determine an operation mode of the electronic device depending on rotation of the hinge portion.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An electronic device comprising:
a first case frame;
a second case frame installed to be rotatable from the first case frame;
a hinge portion for coupling the first case frame with the second case frame, and rotatably installed to rotate the second case frame;
a plurality of magnets installed on the hinge portion, used for detecting a rotation angle of the hinge portion;
a magnetic force sensing sensor installed on the first case frame for detecting the plurality of magnets; and
a processor for controlling to determine an operation mode of the electronic device depending on the rotation angle of the hinge portion,
wherein the processor detects the rotation angle of the hinge portion based on a number of the plurality of magnets sensed by the magnetic force sensing,
wherein, when the number of sensed magnets is less than a reference value, the electronic device operates in a first operation mode, and
wherein, when the number of sensed magnets is at least equal to the reference value, the electronic device operates in a second operation mode.

2. The electronic device of claim 1 , wherein the second mode is a tablet mode, and the first mode is a laptop mode,
wherein the first case frame comprises a keypad and the second case frame comprises a touchscreen.

3. The electronic device of claim 2 , wherein when operating in the tablet mode, the processor controls to inactivate an input function of the keypad of the first case frame, and to activate a touch input function of the touchscreen of the second case frame.

4. The electronic device of claim 1 , wherein the processor detects a rotation direction of the hinge portion based on a sequence in which the plurality of magnets are detected.

5. The electronic device of claim 1 , wherein the magnetic force sensing sensor comprises a Hall sensor or a lead switch.

6. The electronic device of claim 1 , wherein the processor controls to perform at least one of resolution setting change and user interface setting change in response to the determined operation mode.

7. The electronic device of claim 1 , wherein the operation mode comprises a software mode such as a smartphone mode, a tablet Personal Computer (PC) mode and a laptop PC mode, or a hardware device mode.

8. A method in an electronic device, the method comprising:
detecting a rotation angle of a hinge portion, the hinge portion coupling a first case frame and a second case frame forming the electronic device and rotatably installed to rotate the second case frame; and
determining an operation mode of the electronic device depending on the detected rotation angle of the hinge portion,
wherein detecting the rotation angle of the hinge portion comprises detecting, by a magnetic force sensing sensor installed on the first case frame, the rotation angle of the hinge portion based on a number of a plurality of magnets sensed by the magnetic force sensing sensor, the plurality of magnets being installed on the hinge portion,
wherein, when the number of sensed magnets is less than a reference value, the electronic device operates in a first operation mode, and
wherein, when the number of sensed magnets is at least equal to the reference value, the electronic device operates in a second operation mode.

9. The method of claim 8 , wherein the second mode is a tablet mode, and the first mode is a laptop mode,
wherein the first case frame comprises a keypad and the second case frame comprises a touchscreen.

10. The method of claim 9 , wherein when operating in the tablet mode, an input function of the keypad of the first case frame is inactivated, and a touch input function of the touchscreen of the second case frame is activated.

11. The method of claim 9 , further comprising:
detecting a rotational direction of the hinge portion based on a sequence in which the plurality of magnets has been detected.

12. The method of claim 8 , wherein the magnetic force sensing sensor comprises a Hall sensor or a lead switch.

13. The method of claim 8 , wherein the operation mode comprises a software mode such as a smartphone mode, a tablet Personal Computer (PC) mode and a laptop PC mode, or a hardware device mode.

14. An electronic device comprising:
at least one processor;
a memory; and
at least one program stored in the memory and executed by the at least one processor,
wherein the program detects a rotation angle of a hinge portion, the hinge portion coupling a first case frame and a second case frame forming the electronic device, and rotatably installed to rotate the second case frame, and the program determines an operation mode of the electronic device depending on the detected rotation angle of the hinge portion,
wherein detecting the rotation angle of the hinge portion comprises detecting, by a magnetic force sensing sensor installed on the first case frame, the rotation angle of the hinge portion based on a number of a plurality of magnets sensed by the magnetic force sensing sensor, the plurality of magnets being installed on the hinge portion,
wherein, when the number of sensed magnets for being sensed is less than a reference value, the electronic device operates in a first operation mode, and
wherein, when the number of sensed magnets is at least equal to the reference value, the electronic device operates in a second operation mode.

Assignees

• Samsung Electronics Co Ltd

Inventors

• Hwang Sun-Lyeong

Classifications

• G06F1/1681 Primary

  Details related solely to hinges (hinge details related to the transmission of signals or power are classified in G06F1/1683) · CPC title

• G06F1/3262

  Power saving in digitizer or tablet · CPC title

• G06F1/1618

  the display being foldable up to the back of the other housing with a single degree of freedom, e.g. by 360° rotation over the axis defined by the rear edge of the base enclosure · CPC title

• G06F1/1613

  for portable computers (cooling arrangements therefor G06F1/203; constructional details or arrangements for pocket calculators, electronic agendas or books G06F15/0216; constructional details of portable telephone sets: with several bodies H04M1/0202) · CPC title

• G06F1/16 Primary

  Constructional details or arrangements · CPC title