METHOD AND SYSTEM FOR CONTROLLING A HANDHELD ELECTRONIC DEVICE

• US 20090009233A1
• Filed: 07/03/2007
• Published: 01/08/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 07/03/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Motorola Solutions, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Motorola, Inc. (Motorola Solutions, Inc.)
• Inventors: Shah, Dhaval N., Bergin, Timothy M., Gilmore, Peter B., Mahajan, Manish W.
• Granted Patent: US 7,523,012 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 327/511
• CPC Class Codes: H03K 17/97 using a magnetic movable element
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 224/93 Attached to animate bearer

Abstract

A method (500), a handheld electronic device (102) and an external accessory (402) for controlling at least one function of a plurality of functions of the handheld electronic device is provided. The method includes determining (504) whether the handheld electronic device is docked in an external accessory. Further, the method includes measuring (506) a first magnetic field density when the handheld electronic device is docked in the external accessory. Furthermore, the method includes generating (508) a signal to activate at least one function, based on an electrical parameter.

Claims

1. A method for controlling at least one function of a plurality of functions of a handheld electronic device, the method comprising:

determining whether the handheld electronic device is docked in an external accessory, wherein the external accessory is movably coupled to a swivel;

measuring a first magnetic field density corresponding to an angular position of the swivel with respect to the external accessory when the handheld electronic device is docked in the external accessory; and

generating a signal to activate the at least one function based on an electrical parameter, wherein the electrical parameter is based on the measured first magnetic field density.

2. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein the electrical parameter is selected from a group comprising a voltage and a current.

3. The method as recited in claim 1 further comprising using a first sensor to measure the first magnetic field density, wherein the first sensor is housed in the handheld electronic device.

4. The method as recited in claim 3, wherein the first sensor is a Hall-Effect sensor.

5. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein the first magnetic density is based on a presence of a first magnet coupled to the external accessory.

6. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein determining whether the handheld electronic device is docked in the external accessory comprises measuring a change in a second magnetic field density.

7. The method as recited in claim 6, wherein determining whether the handheld electronic device is docked in the external accessory further comprises checking whether the change in the second magnetic field density is greater than a predefined value.

8. The method as recited in claim 6 further comprising using a second sensor for measuring the change in the second magnetic field density, wherein the second sensor is housed in the handheld electronic device.

9. The method as recited in claim 6, wherein the change in the second magnetic field density is based on a presence of a second magnet coupled to the external accessory.

10. A handheld electronic device comprising:

a first sensor configured to measure a first magnetic field density, wherein the first magnetic field density is based on a presence of a first magnet housed in a external accessory;

a second sensor configured to measure a change in a second magnetic field density, wherein the second magnetic field density is based on a presence of a second magnet housed in the external accessory; and

a processor for generating a signal to activate at least one function of the handheld electronic device based on a voltage, wherein the voltage is based on the measured first magnetic field density.

11. The handheld electronic device as recited in claim 10, wherein the external accessory is a holster.

12. The handheld electronic device as recited in claim 10, wherein the first sensor is activated when the change in the second magnetic field density is greater than a predefined value.

13. The handheld electronic device as recited in claim 12, wherein the change in the second magnetic field density is greater than the predefined value when the handheld electronic device is docked in the external accessory.

14. The handheld electronic device as recited in claim 10, wherein the external accessory is movably coupled to a swivel.

15. The handheld electronic device as recited in claim 14, wherein the first magnetic field density measured at the first sensor changes when the swivel is rotated.

16. The handheld electronic device as recited in claim 10, wherein the external accessory comprises a selective-magnetic shield over the first magnet.

17. An external accessory comprising:

a transducer configured to generate a voltage, wherein the voltage is based on an angular position of a swivel with respect to the external accessory, and wherein the external accessory is movably coupled to the swivel;

a converter for converting the generated voltage to a digital value; and

a transmitter for transmitting the digital value to a handheld electronic device.

18. The external accessory as recited in claim 17, wherein the voltage changes when the angular position of the swivel with respect to the external accessory is changed.

19. The external accessory as recited in claim 17, wherein the transducer is activated when the handheld electronic device is docked in the external accessory.

20. The external accessory as recited in claim 19, wherein the transducer is selected from a group comprising a potentiometer, a Zigbee device, a Radio Frequency (RF) device and an optical transducer.