Multi-mode foldable electronic apparatus and method thereof

• US 7,647,020 B2
• Filed: 03/03/2006
• Issued: 01/12/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 09/05/2005
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Compal Electronics Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Compal Electronics Incorporated
• Inventors: Chuang, Cheng-Chia
• Primary Examiner(s): SHARMA, SUJATHA R
• Application Number:
  US11/308,017
• Publication Number:
  US 20070054709A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,411 Days
• Field of Search: 455/575.1, 455/566, 455/575.4, 455/575.3, 455/550.1, 455/90.3, 163/66, 16/54, 162/21, 162/33, 162/94, 439/374, 439 38- 40, 439/31
• US Class Current: 455/19
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/0222 Foldable in two directions, i.e. using a two degree of freedom hinge
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/0245 using open/close detection

Abstract

A multi-mode foldable electronic apparatus and the method thereof are provided. The multi-mode foldable electronic apparatus includes a first housing, a second housing, a first hinge, a second hinge and a system. The first hinge and the second hinge are used for connecting the first housing and the second housing. A first magnet and a second magnet are disposed in the first housing, and magnetism changes when the first and the second magnet being moved. A first magnetism sensor disposed in the second housing is used for sensing the changes in magnetism of the first magnet and generates a first signal thereby. A second magnetism sensor disposed in the second housing is used for sensing the changes in magnetism of the second magnet to generate a second signal thereby. The system commands the apparatus in one of different modes in response to the first and the second signals being received.

Claims

1. A multi-mode foldable electronic apparatus, comprising:

a first housing;

a second housing;

a first hinge for connecting the first housing and the second housing;

a second hinge for connecting the first housing and the second housing;

a first magnet disposed in the first housing;

a second magnet disposed in the first housing and on one side of the first hinge;

a first magnetism sensor disposed in the second housing to opposite to the first magnet, for sensing changes in first magnetism of the first magnet to generate a first signal thereby;

a second magnetism sensor disposed in the second housing to opposite to the second magnet, for sensing changes in second magnetism of the second magnet to generate a second signal thereby; and

a system connected to the first magnetism sensor and the second magnetism sensor, for receiving the first signal and the second signal and changing the mode of the multi-mode foldable electronic apparatus, wherein the system receives the first signal and the second signal simultaneously when the first housing rotates relative to the second housing via the second hinge.

2. The multi-mode foldable electronic apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the circular second magnet appears is disposed on one side of the first hinge.

3. The multi-mode foldable electronic apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the second magnet can rotate along with the first hinge.

4. The multi-mode foldable electronic apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the system commands the multi-mode foldable electronic apparatus in a first mode.

5. The multi-mode foldable electronic apparatus according to claim 4, wherein the first mode is a Personal Digital Assistant (PDA) mode.

6. The multi-mode foldable electronic apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the system only receives the first signal when the first housing rotates relative to the second housing via the first hinge.

7. The multi-mode foldable electronic apparatus according to claim 6, wherein the system commands the multi-mode foldable electronic apparatus in a second mode.

8. The multi-mode foldable electronic apparatus according to claim 7, wherein the second mode is a cellular phone mode.

9. The multi-mode foldable electronic apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the system commands the multi-mode foldable electronic apparatus appear in a standby mode when the system does not receive the first and the second signals.

10. The multi-mode foldable electronic apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the first magnetism sensor is a magneto-resistive sensor.

11. The multi-mode foldable electronic apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the second magnetism sensor is a magneto-resistive sensor.

12. The multi-mode foldable electronic apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the first magnetism sensor is a magnetic pole sensor.

13. The multi-mode foldable electronic apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising an image display interface disposed in the first housing.

14. The multi-mode foldable electronic apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising a touch input interface disposed in the second housing.

15. The multi-mode foldable electronic apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the first hinge and the second hinge are L-shaped.

16. The multi-mode foldable electronic apparatus according to claim 1, wherein changes in the first and the second magnetisms comprise changes in magneto-resistance and magnetic pole.

17. A method for used in a multi-mode foldable electronic apparatus, comprising:

(a) utilizing a system in the multi-mode foldable electronic apparatus to identify a first signal sent from a first magnetism sensor and a second signal sent from a second magnetism sensor, wherein the multi-mode foldable electronic apparatus comprises a first housing and a second housing, a first hinge and a second hinge used for connecting the first housing and the second housing with each other, and the first magnetism sensor and the second magnetism sensor disposed in the second housing;

(b) the system does not receive the first signal and the second signal when the first housing and the second housing are closed;

(b

     1) the system commands the multi-mode foldable electronic apparatus appear in a standby mode;

(c) when the first housing rotates relative to the second housing via the second hinge, the first magnetism sensor identifies changes in magnetism of the first magnet installed on the first housing as the first magnet being move to generate a first signal thereby, while the second magnetism sensor identifies changes in magnetism of the second magnet installed on the first housing as the second magnet being moved to generate a second signal thereby, wherein the second magnet is disposed on one side of the first hinge;

(c1) the system commands the multi-mode foldable electronic apparatus in a first mode when receiving the first signal and the second signal simultaneously;

(d) when the first housing rotates relative to the second housing via the first hinge, the first magnetism sensor identifies changes in magnetism of the first magnet installed on the first housing as the first magnet being moved to generate the first signal; and

(d1) the system commands the multi-mode foldable electronic apparatus appear in a second mode when receiving the first signal.

18. The method for used in a multi-mode foldable electronic apparatus according to claim 17, wherein the circular second magnet appears is disposed on one side of the first hinge.

19. The method according to claim 17, wherein the second magnet can rotate along with the first hinge.

20. The method according to claim 17, wherein the first mode is a PDA mode.

21. The method according to claim 17, wherein the second mode is a cellular phone mode.

22. The method according to claim 17, wherein the first magnetism sensor is a magneto-resistive sensor.

23. The method according to claim 17, wherein the second magnetism sensor is a magneto-resistive sensor.

24. The method according to claim 17, wherein the first magnetism sensor is a magnetic pole sensor.

25. The method according to claim 17, wherein the multi-mode foldable electronic apparatus further comprises an image display interface disposed in the first housing.

26. The method according to claim 17, wherein the multi-mode foldable electronic apparatus further comprises a touch input interface disposed in the second housing.

27. The method according to claim 17, wherein the first hinge and the second hinge are L-shaped.

28. The method according to claim 17, wherein changes in first and the second magnetisms both comprise changes in magnetisms of magneto-resistance and magnetic pole.