Method and system for determining mechanical strain in a mobile phone

• US 7,020,503 B2
• Filed: 03/27/2002
• Issued: 03/28/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 03/27/2002
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Nokia Corporation
• Original Assignee: Nokia Corporation
• Inventors: Parfeniuk, Dean, Wong, John P
• Primary Examiner(s): Corsaro, Nick
• Assistant Examiner(s): Persino, Raymond B.
• Application Number:
  US10/109,471
• Publication Number:
  US 20040203500A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,462 Days
• Field of Search: 455/550.1, 455/575.1, 455/575.8, 455/90.3, 455/404.1, 455/347, 340/573.1, 340/573.4
• US Class Current: 455/575.1
• CPC Class Codes: G01L 5/00 Apparatus for, or methods of, measuring force, work, mechanical power, or torque, specially adapted for specific purposes
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 1/3833 Hand-held transceivers
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/18 Telephone sets specially adapted for use in ships, mines, or other places exposed to adverse environment H04M1/19 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/724 User interfaces specially adapted for cordless or mobile telephones

Abstract

A method and system for determining mobile phone strain is provided. The method includes the steps of determining if strain on a mobile phone housing and/or strain on a printed circuit board (PCB) within the mobile phone exceed a predetermined value. If the strain(s) values exceed the predetermined value an alarm may be sounded and the strain values may be stored in memory for later retrieval and/or analysis.

Claims

1. A strain indicator system for indicating mechanical strain in a communications device having a housing, the strain indicator system comprising:

at least one housing strain indicator, wherein the at least one housing strain indicator is mechanically coupled to the housing;

at least one first electric circuit coupled to the at least one housing strain indicator for determining housing strain;

at least one first alarm device coupled to the at least one first electric circuit, wherein the strain indicator system is adapted to automatically emanate a human perceivable sensory signal from the communications device when the housing is subjected to an unintentional strain beyond a predetermined undesired strain threshold.

2. A strain indicator system as in claim 1 wherein the at least one first electric circuit comprises a first buffer-amplifier circuit.

3. A strain indicator system as in claim 1 wherein the at least one first alarm device comprises a first light adapted to signal housing strain exceeding a predetermined value.

4. A strain indicator system as in claim 1 wherein the at least one first alarm device comprises a first sound alarm adapted to signal housing strain exceeding a predetermined value.

5. A strain indicator system as in claim 1 wherein the at least one first alarm device comprises a vibrator for vibrating the housing.

6. A strain indicator system as in claim 1 wherein the at least one housing strain indicator mechanically coupled to the housing comprises the at least one housing strain indicator epoxy bonded to the housing.

7. A strain indicator system as in claim 1 wherein the at least one housing cell strain indicator mechanically coupled to the housing comprises the at least one housing strain indicator fabricated within the housing.

8. A strain indicator system as in claim 1 further comprising a memory for storing the housing strain determined by the first electric circuit.

9. A strain indicator system as in claim 1 further comprising:

at least one printed circuit board (PCB);

at least one PCB strain indicator, the at least one PCB strain indicator mechanically coupled to the PCB;

at least one second electric circuit coupled to the at least one PCB strain indicator for determining PCB strain, wherein the at least one second electric circuit is coupled to the at least one first alarm device.

10. A strain indicator system as in claim 1 wherein the at least one housing strain indicator comprises at least one first resistive strain gauge.

11. A strain indicator system as in claim 10 wherein the at least one first resistive strain gauge comprises at least one element of a first Wheatstone bridge.

12. A strain indicator system as in claim 1 wherein the at least one housing cell strain indicator comprises at least one first piezo-electric crystal.

13. A strain indicator system as in claim 12 wherein the at least one first piezo-electric crystal comprises at least one first rectangular shaped piezo-electric crystal.

14. A strain indicator system as in claim 12 wherein the at least one first piezo-electric crystal comprises at least one first circular shaped piezo-electric crystal.

15. A strain indicator system for indicating mechanical strain in a communications device having a housing, the strain indicator system comprising:

at least one housing strain indicator, wherein the at least one housing strain indicator is mechanically coupled to the housing;

at least one first electric circuit coupled to the at least one housing strain indicator for determining housing strain;

at least one first alarm device coupled to the at least one first electric circuit;

at least one printed circuit board (PCB);

at least one PCB strain indicator, the at least one PCB strain indicator mechanically coupled to the PCB;

at least one second electric circuit coupled to the at least one PCB strain indicator for determining PCB strain;

at least one second alarm device coupled to the at least one second electric circuit.

16. A strain indicator system as in claim 15 wherein the at least one second electric circuit comprises a second buffer-amplifier circuit.

17. A strain indicator system as in claim 15 wherein the at least one second alarm device comprises a second light adapted to signal PCB strain exceeding a predetermined value.

18. A strain indicator system as in claim 15 wherein the at least one second alarm device comprises a sound alarm adapted to signal PCB strain exceeding a predetermined value.

19. A strain indicator system as in claim 15 wherein the at least one second alarm device comprises a first vibrator for vibrating the housing.

20. A strain indicator system as in claim 15 wherein the at least one PCB strain indicator mechanically coupled to the PCB comprises the at least one PCB strain indicator epoxy bonded to the PCB.

21. A strain indicator system as in claim 15 wherein the at least one PCB strain indicator mechanically coupled to the housing comprises the at least one PCB strain indicator fabricated within the PCB.

22. A strain indicator system as in claim 15 further comprising a memory for storing the housing strain determined by the second electric circuit.

23. A strain indicator system as in claim 15 wherein the at least one PCB strain indicator comprises at least one second resistive strain gauge.

24. A strain indicator system as in claim 23 wherein the at least one second resistive strain gauge comprises at least one element of a second Wheatstone bridge.

25. A strain indicator system as in claim 15 wherein the at least one PCB strain indicator comprises at least one second piezo-electric crystal.

26. A strain indicator system as in claim 25 wherein the at least one second piezo-electric crystal comprises at least one second rectangular shaped piezo-electric crystal.

27. A strain indicator system as in claim 25 wherein the at least one second piezo-electric crystal comprises at least one second circular shaped piezo-electric crystal.

28. A strain sensing system for sensing strain within a mobile phone, the strain system comprising:

at least one housing strain indicator, the housing strain indicator mechanically coupled to a mobile phone housing, wherein the at least one housing strain indicator is adapted to sense strain of the housing; and

at least one printed circuit board (PCB) strain indicator, wherein the PCB strain indicator is mechanically coupled to at least one PCB, wherein the PCB strain indicator is adapted to sense strain of the PCB, and wherein the at least one PCB is adapted to fit within the mobile phone housing.

29. A strain sensing system as in claim 28 wherein the at least one housing strain indicator comprises at least one first resistive strain gauge.

30. A strain sensing system as in claim 28 wherein the at least one housing strain indicator comprises at least one first piezo-electric crystal.

31. A strain sensing system as in claim 28 wherein the at least one PCB strain indicator comprises at least one second resistive strain gauge.

32. A strain sensing system as in claim 28 wherein the at least one PCB strain indicator comprises at least one second piezo-electric crystal.

33. A strain sensing system as in claim 28 further comprising a first strain circuit configuration, wherein the first strain configuration comprises:

at least one of the at least one housing strain indicator; and

at least one of the at least one PCB strain indicator.

34. A strain sensing system as in claim 33 wherein the first strain circuit configuration comprises a Wheatetone bridge circuit configuration.

35. A method for determining mobile phone strain, the method comprising the steps of:

determining at least one unintentional phone housing strain; and

sounding an alarm if the at least one unintentional phone housing strain exceeds a predetermined undesired strain value.

36. A method as in claim 35, wherein the step of determining mobile phone strain further comprises the steps of:

determining at least one printed circuit board (PCB) strain; and

sounding an alarm if the at least one PCB strain exceeds a PCB predetermined undesired strain value.

37. A method as in claim 36 wherein the step of sounding the alarm comprises sounding a tone proportionate relative to a sensed strain.