PORTABLE ELECTRONIC DEVICE AND METHOD OF MEASURING DROP IMPACT AT THE PORTABLE ELECTRONIC DEVICE

• US 20100319434A1
• Filed: 06/22/2009
• Published: 12/23/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 06/22/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Malikie Innovations Limited (Key Patent Innovations Limited)
• Original Assignee: Blackberry Limited
• Inventors: LAHAIE, Denis, PALECZNY, Todd Robert, WEBER, Arnett
• Granted Patent: US 8,061,182 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 73/12.06
• CPC Class Codes: G01P 15/0891 with indication of predetermined acceleration values G01P15/135 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G01P 15/18 in two or more dimensions
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 19/042 due to external shock or vibration
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/185 Improving the rigidity of the casing or resistance to shocks
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2250/12 including a sensor for measuring a physical value, e.g. temperature or motion telephones including GPS signal receivers H04M2250/10

Abstract

A method of measuring drop impact at an electronic device includes detecting a fall based on signals from drop detection sensor of the electronic device, receiving an output from a piezoelectric sensor in response to detecting the fall, and storing drop data based on the output from the piezoelectric sensor in a memory at the electronic device.

Claims

1. A method of measuring drop impact at an electronic device, the method comprising:

detecting a fall based on signals from an drop detection sensor of the electronic device;

in response to detecting the fall, receiving an output from a piezoelectric sensor; and

storing drop data, based on the output from the piezoelectric sensor, in a memory at the electronic device.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein receiving an output comprises measuring a voltage across the piezoelectric sensor.

3. The method according to claim 2, wherein storing drop data comprises storing the measured voltage.

4. The method according to claim 2, comprising repeating measuring voltage across the piezoelectric sensor at a regular interval of time to provide repeat measurements.

5. The method according to claim 4, comprising extrapolating to estimate an amplitude at impact based on the repeat measurements and a frequency and damping coefficient of the piezoelectric sensor.

6. The method according to claim 5, wherein storing comprising storing the estimate of the amplitude in memory.

7. The method according to claim 1, wherein storing drop data comprises storing drop data based on output from each of a plurality of piezoelectric sensors.

8. The method according to claim 5 comprising repeating receiving the output from the piezoelectric sensor at a regular interval for a period of time after detecting an end of the fall.

9. The method according to claim 1, comprising polling the drop detection sensor at a regular interval prior to detecting the fall.

14. The portable electronic device according to claim 9, comprising a plurality of piezoelectric sensors disposed in the housing and operably coupled to the processor for measuring output from each of the piezoelectric sensors, and storing the measured output from each the piezoelectric sensors in the memory.

15. The portable electronic device according to claim 9, comprising a microprocessor connected to the piezoelectric sensors, wherein the processor is operably coupled to the piezoelectric sensors via the microprocessor.

10. A portable electronic device comprising:

a housing;

an input device;

a display exposed by the housing;

a piezoelectric sensor disposed in the housing;

a drop detection sensor housed within the housing; and

functional components in the housing comprising a memory and a processor operably connected to the memory, the input device, the display, the piezoelectric sensor, and the drop detection sensor for executing a program stored in the memory to detect a fall based on signals from an drop detection sensor of the electronic device, in response to detecting the fall, receiving an output from a piezoelectric sensor, and storing drop data, based on the output from the piezoelectric sensor, in a memory at the electronic device.

11. The portable electronic device according to claim 10, wherein the drop detection sensor comprises an accelerometer.

12. The portable electronic device according to claim 10, wherein the piezoelectric sensor comprises a piezo disk actuator disposed between a base in the housing and the display for applying a force to the display in response to detection of a touch event on the touch-sensitive overlay.

13. The portable electronic device according to claim 12, wherein the piezo disk actuator comprises a piezoelectric disk adhered to a metal substrate for application of voltage or current to the piezoelectric disk to cause bending of the piezo disk actuator and thereby apply the force to the display in response to detection of the touch event on the touch-sensitive overlay.

16. A computer-readable medium having computer-readable code embodied therein for execution by a processor in an electronic device to cause the electronic device to detect a fall based on signals from a drop detection sensor of the electronic device, in response to detecting the fall, receive an output from a piezoelectric sensor, and store drop data, based on the output from the piezoelectric sensor, in a memory at the electronic device.