ELECTRONIC DEVICE AND METHOD FOR DETERMINING A TEMPERATURE OF AN ELECTRONIC DEVICE

• US 20130222306A1
• Filed: 02/27/2013
• Published: 08/29/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 02/28/2012
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Sony Mobile Communications AB (Sony Group Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Sony Mobile Communications AB (Sony Group Corp.)
• Inventors: ABERG, Peter, KNUTSSON, Lars, MIDHOLT, Magnus, ROSQVIST, Bjorn
• Application Number:
  US13/778,808
• Publication Number:
  US 20130222306A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 345/173
• CPC Class Codes: G01K 13/20 Clinical contact thermometers for use with humans or animals
• CPC Class Codes: G01K 7/16 using resistive elements resistive elements per se H01C, H01L
• CPC Class Codes: G01L 1/2281 for temperature variations
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/206 comprising thermal management
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2203/04105 Pressure sensors for measuring the pressure or force exerted on the touch surface without providing the touch position
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0416 Control or interface arrangements specially adapted for digitisers

Abstract

An electronic comprises at least one strain gauge arranged at the electronic device such that a strain of the at least one strain gauge is influenced by a change of a temperature of the electronic device and a control assembly for evaluating an output signal of the at least one strain gauge to determine a temperature of the electronic device on the basis of the output signal and for controlling at least one function of the electronic device based on the determined temperature.

Claims

1. An electronic device comprising:

at least one strain gauge arranged at the electronic device such that a strain of the at least one strain gauge is influenced by a change of a temperature of the electronic device, and

a control assembly for evaluating an output signal of the at least one strain gauge to determine a temperature of the electronic device on the basis of the output signal and for controlling at least one function of the electronic device based on the determined temperature.

2. The electronic device according to claim 1,

wherein the at least one strain gauge is part of a force detection arrangement of the electronic device, the force detection arrangement being provided for detecting a force exerted on the electronic device.

3. The electronic device according to claim 2,

wherein the force detection arrangement is adapted to detect a force exerted on a touch screen of the electronic device.

4. The electronic device according to claim 1,

wherein the at least one strain gauge is arranged such that the strain of the at least one strain gauge is influenced by a change of a temperature of a display or a touch screen of the electronic device;

and

wherein the control assembly is adapted to determine the temperature of the display or the touch screen of the electronic device on the basis of the output signal of the at least one strain gauge and controls the at least one function of the electronic device based on the determined temperature of the display or touch screen of the electronic device.

5. The electronic device according to claim 1,

wherein the at least one strain gauge arranged on the surface of the display comprises a transparent material, wherein the transparent material is indium tin oxide.

6. The electronic device according to claim 1,

wherein the at least one strain gauge is arranged in a leg of a Wheatstone bridge circuit.

7. The electronic device according to claim 1,

wherein the at least one strain gauge is arranged at a surface region of the electronic device such that the strain of the at least one strain gauge is influenced by a change of a temperature at the surface region of the electronic device.

8. The electronic device according to claim 1,

wherein the at least one function of the electronic device is a function of a heat management system of the electronic device.

9. The electronic device according to claim 1,

wherein the electronic device is a mobile device selected from a group consisting of a mobile phone, a personal digital assistant, a mobile music player, a mobile computer, a tablet computer, and a mobile navigation system.

10. A touch sensitive user interface for an electronic device, comprising:

a force detection arrangement comprising at least one sensor for detecting a force exerted by a user on a surface of the touch sensitive user interface, and

a control assembly for evaluating an output signal of the at least one sensor to determine a temperature of the touch sensitive user interface on the basis of the output signal and for generating a control signal to control at least one function of the electronic device.

11. An electronic device comprising the touch sensitive user interface according to claim 10.

12. The electronic device according to claim 11, wherein the electronic device is an electronic device comprising:

at least one strain gauge arranged at the electronic device such that a strain of the at least one strain gauge is influenced by a change of a temperature of the electronic device, and

a control assembly for evaluating an output signal of the at least one strain gauge to determine a temperature of the electronic device on the basis of the output signal and for controlling at least one function of the electronic device based on the determined temperature.

13. A method for determining a temperature of an electronic device, comprising the steps:

arranging at least one strain gauge at the electronic device such that a strain of the at least one strain gauge is influenced by a change of a temperature of the electronic device, and

evaluating an output signal of the at least one strain gauge to determine a temperature of the electronic device on the basis of the output signal.

14. The method according to claim 13,

further comprising the step of using an electronic device comprising at least one strain gauge arranged at the electronic device such that a strain of the at least one strain gauge is influenced by a change of a temperature of the electronic device, and

a control assembly for evaluating an output signal of the at least one strain gauge to determine a temperature of the electronic device on the basis of the output signal and for controlling at least one function of the electronic device based on the determined temperature.

15. A method for determining a temperature of a user interface of an electronic device, comprising the steps:

detecting an output signal of at least one sensor of a force detection arrangement of the touch sensitive user interface, wherein the at least one sensor of the force detection arrangement is provided for detecting a force exerted by a user on a surface of the touch sensitive user interface; and

determining a temperature of the touch sensitive user interface on the basis of an evaluation of the output signal of the at least one sensor.