Accelerometer based Hall effect sensor filtering for computing devices

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9965022-B2
Application number	US-201514792202-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jul 6, 2015
Priority date	Jul 6, 2015
Publication date	May 8, 2018
Grant date	May 8, 2018

Abstract

In one general aspect, a method can include receiving, from a magnetic sensor included in a housing of a computing device, an indication of a change of state of the magnetic sensor, obtaining, subsequent to receiving the indication of the change of state of the magnetic sensor, first data from a first accelerometer included in a lid portion of the computing device, obtaining, subsequent to receiving the indication of the change of state of the magnetic sensor, second data from a second accelerometer included in a base portion of the computing device. The base portion and the lid portion can be connected by a hinge about which the lid portion is configured to rotate relative to the base portion between an open state and a closed state. The method can include determining whether the computing device is being closed based on analyzing the first data and the second data.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A method comprising:
receiving, from a magnetic sensor included in a housing of a computing device, an output indicating a triggering of the magnetic sensor, the triggering indicating a possible transitioning of the computing device from an open state to a closed state, the magnetic sensor configured to change state from a first operating mode to a second operating mode based on a voltage measured across two faces of the magnetic sensor, the measured voltage indicative of a distance between the magnetic sensor and a magnet included in the housing of the computing device;
in response to receiving the output indicating the triggering of the magnetic sensor:
obtaining first data from a first accelerometer included in a lid portion of the computing device;
obtaining second data from a second accelerometer included in a base portion of the computing device, the base portion and the lid portion being connected by a hinge about which the lid portion is configured to rotate relative to the base portion between the open state and the closed state;
calculating a value for an orientation angle of the lid portion with respect to the base portion using the first data and the second data; and
confirming that the computing device is being transitioned from the open state to the closed state based on determining that the value for the orientation angle of the lid portion relative to the base portion is less than or equal to a threshold value for the orientation angle; and

based on confirming that the computing device is being transitioned from the open state to the closed state, transitioning the computing device from a first power mode to a second power mode.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the magnetic sensor is a Hall effect sensor.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein the second power mode is a lower power mode than the first power mode.

4. The method of claim 3 , wherein the second power mode is one of a sleep mode or a hibernate mode.

5. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
determining that the lid portion of the computing device is not being rotated relative to the base portion of the computing device from the open state to the closed state based on the calculated value for the orientation angle; and
not confirming that the computing device is being transitioned from the open state to the closed state based on determining that the output received from the magnetic sensor has not changed and based on determining that the lid portion of the computing device is being rotated relative to the base portion of the computing device from the open state to the closed state.

6. The method of claim 1 ,
wherein the first data is a lid accelerometer vector for the lid accelerometer,
wherein the second data is a base accelerometer vector for the base accelerometer, and
wherein calculating the value for the orientation angle of the lid portion relative to the base portion is based on the lid accelerometer vector and the base accelerometer vector.

7. The method of claim 6 , further comprising:
not confirming that the computing device is being transitioned from the open state to the closed state based on determining that the output received from the magnetic sensor has not changed and based on determining that the value of the orientation angle is greater than the threshold value for the orientation angle.

8. A non-transitory, machine-readable medium having instructions stored thereon, the instructions, when executed by a processor, cause a computing device to:
receive, from a magnetic sensor included in a housing of a computing device, an output indicating a triggering of the magnetic sensor, the triggering indicating a possible transitioning of the computing device from an open state to a closed state, the magnetic sensor configured to change state from a first operating mode to a second operating mode based on a voltage measured across two faces of the magnetic sensor, the measured voltage indicative of a distance between the magnetic sensor and a magnet included in the housing of the computing device;
in response to receiving the output indicating the triggering of the magnetic sensor:
obtain first data from a first accelerometer included in a lid portion of the computing device;
obtain second data from a second accelerometer included in a base portion of the computing device, the base portion and the lid portion being connected by a hinge about which the lid portion is configured to rotate relative to the base portion between the open state and the closed state;
calculate a value for an orientation angle of the lid portion with respect to the base portion using the first data and the second data; and
confirm that the computing device is being transitioned from the open state to the closed state based on determining that the value for the orientation angle of the lid portion with respect to the base portion is not less than a threshold value; and

based on confirming that the computing device is being transitioned from the open state to the closed state, transitioning the computing device from a first power mode to a second power mode.

9. The medium of claim 8 , wherein the magnetic sensor is a Hall effect sensor.

10. The medium of claim 8 , wherein the second power mode is a lower power mode that the first power mode.

11. The medium of claim 10 , wherein the second power mode is one of a sleep mode or a hibernate mode.

12. The medium of claim 8 , wherein the instructions, when executed by the processor, further cause the computing device to:
determine that the lid portion of the computing device is not being rotated relative to the base portion of the computing device from the open state to the closed state based on the calculated value for the orientation angle; and
not confirm that the computing device is being transitioned from the open state to the closed state based on determining that the output received from the magnetic sensor has not changed and based on determining that the lid portion of the computing device is not being rotated relative to the base portion of the computing device from the open state to the closed state.

13. The medium of claim 8 ,
wherein the first data is a lid accelerometer vector for the lid accelerometer,
wherein the second data is a base accelerometer vector for the base accelerometer, and

wherein calculating the value for the orientation angle of the lid portion relative to the base portion is based on the lid accelerometer vector and the base accelerometer vector.

14. The medium of claim 13 , wherein the instructions, when executed by the processor, further cause the computing device to:
not confirm that the computing device is being transitioned from the open state to the closed state based on determining that the output received from the magnetic sensor has not changed and based on determining that the value of the orientation angle is greater than the threshold value for the orientation angle.

15. A computing device comprising:
a lid portion;
a base portion;
a magnet;
a magnetic sensor including two faces, the magnetic sensor configured to change state from a first operating mode to a second operating mode based on a voltage measured across the two faces, the measured voltage indicative of a distance between the magnetic sensor and the magnet;
a lid accelerometer configured to measure acceleration and orientation associated with the lid portion of the computing device;
a base accelerometer configured to measure acceleration and orientation associated with the base portion of the computing device; and
a controller configure

Assignees

• Google Inc
• Google Llc

Inventors

• Schneider David Ness

Classifications

• G06F1/1677 Primary

  for detecting open or closed state or particular intermediate positions assumed by movable parts of the enclosure, e.g. detection of display lid position with respect to main body in a laptop, detection of opening of the cover of battery compartment · CPC title

• G01B5/24

  for measuring angles or tapers; for testing the alignment of axes · CPC title

• G01R33/07

  Hall effect devices · CPC title

• G06F1/3231

  Monitoring the presence, absence or movement of users · CPC title

• G01D5/142

  using Hall-effect devices (measuring magnetic variables using Hall-effect or other galvanomagnetic devices G01R33/06) · CPC title