Electronic device

• US 10,095,203 B2
• Filed: 11/05/2015
• Issued: 10/09/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 08/24/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: LG Electronics, Inc. (LG Corporation)
• Original Assignee: LG Electronics, Inc. (LG Corporation)
• Inventors: Lee, Haklim, Seol, Jaehyuk
• Primary Examiner(s): ELAMIN, ABDELMONIEM I
• Application Number:
  US14/933,480
• Publication Number:
  US 20170060110A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,069 Days
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 15/02 electric
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/163 Wearable computers, e.g. on a belt
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1632 External expansion units, e.g. docking stations
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2203/0384 Wireless input, i.e. hardware and software details of wireless interface arrangements for pointing devices
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0362 with detection of 1D translations or rotations of an operating part of the device, e.g. scroll wheels, sliders, knobs, rollers or belts
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/038 Control and interface arrangements therefor, e.g. drivers or device-embedded control circuitry
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04847 Interaction techniques to control parameter settings, e.g. interaction with sliders or dials
• CPC Class Codes: H01H 19/00 Switches operated by an operating part which is rotatable about a longitudinal axis thereof and which is acted upon directly by a solid body external to the switch, e.g. by a hand

Abstract

Electronic devices are disclosed. According to the present invention, an electronic device may comprise a base; a rotor rotating on the base; a first magnetic body positioned at a center of rotation of the rotor; a second magnetic body having a different polarity from the first magnetic body, facing the first magnetic body, and positioned in the base; a first plurality of magnetic bodies positioned around the second magnetic body and having at least two different polarities; a hall sensor embedded in the rotor and sensing a change in magnetic property provided from the first plurality of magnetic bodies according to the rotation of the rotor; a wireless communication unit embedded in the rotor or the base; and a controller embedded in the rotor or the base and transmitting information obtained by the hall sensor through the wireless communication unit.

Claims

1. An electronic device, comprising:

a base forming an accommodation space;

a rotor being received in the accommodation space of the base, the rotor being rotatably coupled to the base;

a first magnetic body being installed in the rotor, the first magnetic body being positioned at a center of rotation of the rotor, the first magnetic body facing the base, and the first magnetic body having a first polarity;

a second magnetic body being installed in the base, the second magnetic body facing the first magnetic body, and the second magnetic body having a second polarity;

a first group of magnetic bodies being installed in the base, the first group of magnetic bodies being positioned around the second magnetic body;

a third magnetic body being installed in the rotor, the third magnetic body facing at least one of the first group of magnetic bodies, and the third magnetic body being positioned around the first magnetic body;

a hall sensor embedded in the rotor and sensing a change in magnetic field provided from the first group of magnetic bodies according to a rotation of the rotor;

a wireless communication unit embedded in the rotor or the base; and

a controller embedded in the rotor or the base and configured to transmit information obtained by the hall sensor through the wireless communication unit,

wherein the first polarity is different from the second polarity, and

wherein the first group of magnetic bodies includes;

a fourth magnetic body having a fourth polarity; and

a fifth magnetic body having a fifth polarity different from the fourth polarity.

2. The electronic device of claim 1, further comprising a second plurality of magnetic bodies positioned around the first magnetic body, facing at least two of the first group of magnetic bodies, and having the same polarity as at least one of the first group of magnetic bodies and a different polarity from at least another of the first group of magnetic bodies.

3. The electronic device of claim 1, wherein the rotor has a pebble shape, and the base has a shell shape having a concave surface,

wherein the concave surface forms the accommodation space, and

wherein the rotor is placed on the concave surface of the base.

4. The electronic device of claim 1, further comprising:

a rotational shaft externally extending from a part of the base, the rotational shaft facing the rotor; and

a rotational hole formed on the rotor facing the base,

wherein the rotational shaft fitted into the rotational hole.

5. The electronic device of claim 1, further comprising:

a rotational shaft externally extending from a part of the rotor, the rotational shaft facing the base; and

a rotational hole formed on the base facing the rotor,

wherein the rotational shaft is fitted into the rotational hole.

6. The electronic device of claim 5, wherein the first magnetic body is positioned at the rotational shaft, and the second magnetic body is positioned at the rotational hole.

7. The electronic device of claim 5, further comprising:

a sync extending from an end of the rotational shaft in an outside direction of a diameter of the rotational shaft and formed asymmetrically; and

a sync hole depressed from a periphery of an upper end of the rotational hole in an inside direction of a diameter of the rotational hole, the sync hole formed asymmetrically to match the sync.

8. The electronic device of claim 1, further comprising a sound unit embedded in the rotor,

wherein the sound unit includes a housing and a sounder provided in the housing and moved in the housing by a change in magnetic property of the first group of magnetic bodies according to the rotation of the rotor and having different magnetic properties.

9. The electronic device of claim 8, wherein the sounder includes a plurality of magnetic bodies having different polarities.

10. The electronic device of claim 8, wherein the sounder includes a first cube having a magnetic property and a second cube having a magnetic property different from the first cube, and

wherein the magnetic property is at least one of a polarity or a magnetic field.

11. The electronic device of claim 8, wherein the sounder includes a ball having a magnetic property and a cube having a magnetic property different from the ball, and

wherein the magnetic property is at least one of a polarity or a magnetic field.

12. The electronic device of claim 1, further comprising a sound unit embedded in the rotor,

wherein the sound unit includes a housing,

a sounder embedded in the housing, the sounder having a magnetic property, and the sounder being configured to move in the housing in accordance with a change in magnetic field of the first group of magnetic bodies according to the rotation of the rotor, and

a pivot lever,

wherein a side of the pivot lever is pivotally connected to the housing, and

wherein another side of the pivot lever is fixed to the sounder.

13. The electronic device of claim 1, further comprising:

a plurality of terminals being provided at a part of the rotor, the plurality of terminals facing the base; and

a terminal provided at a part of the base, the terminal facing the rotor, the terminal contacting at least one of the plurality of terminals according to the rotation of the rotor,

wherein the controller is configured to determine an external system connected to the wireless communication unit by information obtained from a terminal resistance of any one of the plurality of terminals.

14. The electronic device of claim 13, wherein the controller is configured to determine the external system connected to the wireless communication unit when a change in the terminal resistance of any one of the plurality of terminals lasts a predetermined time or more.

15. The electronic device of claim 1, further comprising a display unit being coupled to the rotor and forming a surface of the rotor.

16. The electronic device of claim 15, wherein the controller is configured to activate at least a portion of the display unit in accordance with the rotation of the rotor.

17. The electronic device of claim 15, wherein the controller is configured to display a dot or a line on the display unit in an opposite direction of a direction in which the rotor rotates.

18. The electronic device of claim 1, wherein the rotor includes an inner covered by the base and an outer exposed to an outside of the base, the outer having an asymmetrical shape.

19. The electronic device of claim 1, wherein the fourth magnetic body includes a plurality of parts being spaced apart from one another,

wherein the fifth magnetic body includes a plurality of parts being spaced apart from one another, and

wherein the plurality of parts of the fourth magnetic body are positioned alongside of a perimeter of the second magnetic body alternatively with the plurality of parts of the fifth magnetic body.

20. The electronic device of claim 1, wherein the plurality of parts of the fourth magnetic body includes a first part and a second part, the first part of the fourth magnetic body is positioned opposite to the second part of the fourth magnetic body with respect to the second magnetic body,

wherein the plurality of parts of the fifth magnetic body includes a first part and a second part, the first part of the fifth magnetic body is positioned opposite to the second part of the fifth magnetic body with respect to the second magnetic body, and

wherein the first part of the fourth magnetic body, the first part of the fifth magnetic body, the second part of the fourth magnetic body, and the second part of the fifth magnetic body are sequentially positioned alongside of a perimeter of the second magnetic body.