Method for controlling electronic device using earphone and electronic device for the same

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9898247-B2
Application number	US-201715419119-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jan 30, 2017
Priority date	Jul 14, 2016
Publication date	Feb 20, 2018
Grant date	Feb 20, 2018

Abstract

An electronic device is provided which includes a housing, a connecting member having a first conductive pattern formed on an inner surface thereof, and a processor configured to control a function of the electronic device according to a rotation of a plug corresponding to an alignment between the first conductive pattern and a second conductive pattern formed on the plug when the plug is inserted into a hole of the connecting member.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An electronic device, comprising:
a housing;
a connecting member having a first conductive pattern formed on an inner surface thereof, wherein the first conductive pattern is configured to include a plurality of contact points connectable to a second conductive pattern formed on a plug configured to be inserted into a hole of the connecting member; and
a processor configured to:
detect voltage corresponding to the plurality of contact points, when the at least one of the second conductive pattern contacts to at least one of the plurality of contact points,
detect a direction of rotation of the plug based on detected voltage, and
control a function of the electronic device according to the direction of rotation of the plug when the plug is inserted into the hole of the connecting member.

2. The electronic device of claim 1 , wherein the first conductive pattern is formed on an inner surface of the connecting member formed in a cylindrical shape having a side open to a surface of the housing and includes a plurality of contact points arranged on a first circumference of the inner surface.

3. The electronic device of claim 2 , wherein the plurality of contact points are arranged on a first circumference of the inner surface spaced apart from each other at predetermined distances.

4. The electronic device of claim 1 , wherein the second conductive pattern is formed on at least a portion of areas surrounding an outer surface of a body of at least one of a microphone terminal, a first audio terminal, and a second audio terminal of the plug.

5. The electronic device of claim 4 , wherein the second conductive pattern is formed in a lengthwise direction from an end of the plug and is formed on a second circumference of the outer surface of the body of at least one of the microphone terminal, the first audio terminal, and the second audio terminal of the plug.

6. The electronic device of claim 5 , wherein other areas except for the at least one portion of the areas surrounding the outer surface of the body of at least one of the microphone terminal, the first audio terminal, and the second audio terminal of the plug are formed of a non-conductive material.

7. The electronic device of claim 2 , wherein a width of the second conductive pattern is dimensioned to contact two of the plurality of contact points.

8. The electronic device of claim 2 , wherein the processor is further configured to control the function of the electronic device according to a signal detected through the plurality of contact points of the connecting member as the plug which includes the second conductive pattern rotates in the hole.

9. The electronic device of claim 2 , wherein the alignment between the first conductive pattern and the second conductive pattern includes a state in which the second conductive pattern is connected with any one of the plurality of contact points of the first conductive pattern.

10. The electronic device of claim 2 , wherein the plurality of contact points include four contact points when the plug is a four-pole earphone plug.

11. The electronic device of claim 1 , wherein the processor is further configured to control a volume of the electronic device and a speed of adjustment of the volume according to a direction and a degree of rotation of the plug.

12. The electronic device of claim 1 , wherein the processor is further configured to adjust at least one of a screen brightness and a screen size of the electronic device according to a direction of rotation of the plug.

13. A method for controlling a function of an electronic device, the method comprising:
when a plug is inserted into a hole of a connecting member, recognizing connection of the plug, wherein the connecting member is exposed through a surface of a housing of the electronic device and has a first conductive pattern formed on an inner surface, and wherein a second conductive pattern is formed on the plug, wherein the first conductive pattern is configured to include a plurality of contact points connectable to a second conductive pattern formed on a plug configured to be inserted into a hole of the connecting member; and
detecting voltage corresponding to the plurality of contact points, when the at least one of the second conductive pattern contacts to at least one of the plurality of contact points;
detecting a direction of rotation of the plug based on detected voltage; and
controlling a function of the electronic device according to the direction of rotation of the plug when the plug is inserted into the hole of the connecting member.

14. The method of claim 13 , wherein the plurality of contact points are further configured to include four contact points spaced apart from each other when the plug is a four-pole earphone plug.

15. The method of claim 13 , wherein controlling the function of the electronic device includes controlling a volume of the electronic device and a speed of adjustment of the volume according to a direction and a degree of the rotation of the plug.

Assignees

• Samsung Electronics Co Ltd
• Samsung Electronics Co Ltd

Inventors

• Kim Shin Ho
• Shim Hwan Woo

Classifications

• H04R2499/11

  Transducers incorporated or for use in hand-held devices, e.g. mobile phones, PDA's, camera's · CPC title

• H01R29/00

  Coupling parts for selective co-operation with a counterpart in different ways to establish different circuits, e.g. for voltage selection, for series-parallel selection, {programmable connectors} · CPC title

• H04R2420/05

  Detection of connection of loudspeakers or headphones to amplifiers · CPC title

• H04R3/00

  Circuits for transducers (arrangements for producing a reverberation or echo sound G10K15/08; amplifiers H03F) · CPC title

• H01R2107/00

  Four or more poles · CPC title