Portable electronic device and sensing method thereof

• US 10,393,600 B2
• Filed: 12/15/2016
• Issued: 08/27/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 12/15/2016
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: HTC Corporation
• Original Assignee: HTC Corporation
• Inventors: Liao, Yu-Jing, Chien, Shih-Po, Liu, Yi-Ting, Tseng, Chun
• Primary Examiner(s): Kirkland, III, Freddie
• Application Number:
  US15/379,490
• Publication Number:
  US 20180172525A1
• Time in Patent Office: 985 Days
• CPC Class Codes: G01L 1/144 with associated circuitry G01L1/146 and G01L1/148 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G01L 1/146 for measuring force distributions, e.g. using force arrays G01L1/148 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2200/1636 Sensing arrangement for detection of a tap gesture on the housing
• CPC Class Codes: H03K 17/962 Capacitive touch switches
• CPC Class Codes: H03K 17/975 using a capacitive movable element

Abstract

A portable electronic device including a supporting plate, a frame, and a sensing component is provided. The supporting plate has a first sensing side surface. The frame is assembled around the supporting plate and has a second sensing side surface facing the first sensing side surface. The sensing component is disposed between the first sensing side surface and the second sensing side surface. The sensing component is configured to sense a variation in a distance to the first sensing side surface or sense a variation in a distance to the second sensing side surface. Moreover, a sensing method is also provided.

Claims

1. A portable electronic device comprising:

a supporting plate disposed inside the portable electronic device as a supporting structure of an interior of the portable electronic device and the supporting plate comprising a first sensing side surface;

a frame comprising a second sensing side surface facing the first sensing side surface and the second sensing side surface having a recess facing toward the first sensing side surface and the supporting plate disposed inside the frame; and

a sensing component disposed in the recess between the first sensing side surface and the second sensing side surface, the sensing component being configured to sense a variation in a distance to the first sensing side surface.

2. The portable electronic device according to claim 1, wherein the first sensing side surface and the second sensing side surface are planes and are parallel to each other.

3. The portable electronic device according to claim 1, further comprising a buffer component disposed between the sensing component and the second sensing side surface or disposed between the sensing component and the first sensing side surface.

4. The portable electronic device according to claim 1, wherein the sensing component comprises a plurality of sensing electrodes independent of each other.

5. A sensing method adapted for the portable electronic device according to claim 1, the sensing method comprising:

applying an external force to the frame to generate a variation in a distance between the sensing component in the recess of the frame and the first sensing side surface;

generating a sensing signal through the sensing component according to the variation of the distance between the sensing component and the first sensing side surface; and

triggering a command according to the sensing signal.

6. The sensing method according to claim 5, wherein the sensing signal is generated according to a capacitance variation generated by the variation in the distance.

7. A portable electronic device comprising:

a supporting plate disposed inside the portable electronic device as a supporting structure of an interior of the portable electronic device and the supporting plate comprising a first sensing side surface;

a frame comprising a second sensing side surface facing the first sensing side surface and the supporting plate disposed inside the frame; and

a sensing component disposed on the first sensing side surface between the first sensing side surface and the second sensing side surface, the sensing component being configured to sense a variation in a distance to the second sensing side surface.

8. The portable electronic device according to claim 7, wherein the first sensing side surface and the second sensing side surface are planes and are parallel to each other.

9. The portable electronic device according to claim 7, further comprising a buffer component disposed between the sensing component and the second sensing side surface or disposed between the sensing component and the first sensing side surface.

10. The portable electronic device according to claim 7, wherein the frame comprises a protrusion, and a surface of the protrusion is the second sensing side surface.

11. The portable electronic device according to claim 7, wherein the sensing component comprises a plurality of sensing electrodes independent of each other.

12. A sensing method adapted for the portable electronic device according to claim 7, the sensing method comprising:

applying an external force to the frame to generate a variation in a distance between the sensing component on the first sensing side surface of the supporting plate and the second sensing side surface;

generating a sensing signal through the sensing component according to the variation of the distance between the sensing component and the second sensing side surface and; and

triggering a command according to the sensing signal.