ROTATION SENSOR DEVICE

• US 20170010636A1
• Filed: 03/28/2014
• Published: 01/12/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 03/28/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Intel Corporation
• Original Assignee: Intel Corporation
• Inventors: Shao, Bao, Xia, Ze An
• Granted Patent: US 10,571,972 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: E05Y 2900/606 for electronic devices
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1616 with folding flat displays, e.g. laptop computers or notebooks having a clamshell configuration, with body parts pivoting to an open position around an axis parallel to the plane they define in closed position
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1618 the display being foldable up to the back of the other housing with a single degree of freedom, e.g. by 360° rotation over the axis defined by the rear edge of the base enclosure
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1677 for detecting open or closed state or particular intermediate positions assumed by movable parts of the enclosure, e.g. detection of display lid position with respect to main body in a laptop, detection of opening of the cover of battery compartment
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1681 Details related solely to hinges hinge details related to the transmission of signals or power are classified in G06F1/1683
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/3218 of display devices
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/3265 Power saving in display device
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04847 Interaction techniques to control parameter settings, e.g. interaction with sliders or dials
• CPC Class Codes: Y02D 10/00 Energy efficient computing, e.g. low power processors, power management or thermal management

Abstract

embodiments described herein provide for a device that can include a hinge to couple a first housing to a second housing. The hinge can include logic to detect a rotation of the first housing around an axis of the hinge relative to the second housing. The logic may be included in a digital potentiometer integrated within the hinge.

Claims

1-25. -25. (canceled)

26. A device, comprising:

a hinge to couple a first housing to a second housing, the hinge including logic to detect a rotation of the first housing around an axis of the hinge, relative to the second housing.

27. The electronic device of claim 26, wherein the logic is included in a digital potentiometer integrated within the hinge.

28. The electronic device of claim 27, wherein the logic includes an inter-integrated circuit.

29. The electronic device of claim 26, further comprising:

a rotation detection module, wherein the rotation detection module can receive an angle value signal from the logic, wherein the angle value signal includes an angle value that represents an angle the first housing rotated around the axis of the hinge.

30. The electronic device of claim 29, wherein the rotation detection module can determine a configuration of the device based on the angle value in the angle value signal.

31. The electronic device of claim 26, wherein the logic is integrated into a shaft of the hinge.

32. The electronic device of claim 26, wherein the detected rotation of the first housing is displayed on a display.

33. A convertible computer, comprising:

a first housing;

a second housing;

a hinge to couple the first housing to the second housing; and

a sensor device located in the hinge, wherein the sensor device is configured to detect a rotation of the first housing around an axis of the hinge, relative to the second housing.

34. The convertible computer of claim 33, wherein the sensor device is a digital potentiometer and includes an inter-integrated circuit.

35. The convertible computer of claim 33, further comprising:

a rotation detection module, wherein the rotation detection module can receive an angle value signal from the sensor device, wherein the angle value signal includes an angle value that represents an angle the first housing rotated around the axis of the hinge.

36. The convertible computer of claim 35, wherein the rotation detection module can determine a configuration of the convertible computer based on the angle value in the angle value signal.

37. The convertible computer of claim 33, wherein the sensor device is integrated into a shaft of the hinge.

38. The convertible computer of claim 33, wherein the detected rotation of the first housing is displayed on a display.

39. One or more computer readable medium having instructions stored thereon, the instructions, when executed by a processor, cause the processor to determine, relative to a second housing, an angle of rotation of a first housing around an axis of a hinge using logic, wherein the logic is integrated in the hinge.

40. The medium of claim 39, wherein the logic is included in a digital potentiometer.

41. The medium of claim 40, wherein the logic includes an inter-integrated circuit.

42. The medium of claim 39, further including instructions that, when executed by the processor, cause the processor to:

send an angle value signal to a rotation detection module, wherein the angle value signal includes an angle value that represents the determined angle of rotation.

43. The medium of claim 42, further including instructions that, when executed by the processor, cause the processor to:

determine a configuration of an electronic device using the angle value.

44. The medium of claim 39, further including instructions that, when executed by the processor, cause the processor to:

display the detected rotation of the first housing on a display.

45. A system, comprising:

a hinge to couple a first housing to a second housing; and

logic located in the hinge to detect a rotation of the first housing around an axis of the hinge, relative to the second housing.

46. The system of claim 45, wherein the logic is included in a digital potentiometer.

47. The system of claim 45, wherein the logic includes an inter-integrated circuit.

48. The system of claim 45, further comprising:

a rotation detection module, wherein the rotation detection module can receive an angle value signal from the logic, wherein the angle value signal includes an angle value that represents an angle the first housing has rotated around the axis.

49. The system of claim 48, wherein the rotation detection module can determine a configuration of an electronic device that includes the first housing and the second housing based on the angle value signal.

50. The system of claim 45, wherein the logic is integrated into a shaft of the hinge.