Portable electronic device

• US 8,384,615 B2
• Filed: 05/25/2010
• Issued: 02/26/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 09/29/2009
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: FIH (Hong Kong) Limited (Hon Hai Precision Industry Co., Ltd.), Shenzhen Futaihong Precision Industrial Company Limited (Hon Hai Precision Industry Co., Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: FIH (Hong Kong) Limited (Hon Hai Precision Industry Co., Ltd.), Shenzhen Futaihong Precision Industrial Company Limited (Hon Hai Precision Industry Co., Ltd.)
• Inventors: Huang, Shao-Hui, TAN, CHUAN-KANG, Li, Jian-Hui
• Primary Examiner(s): Awad, Amr
• Assistant Examiner(s): Bukowski, Kenneth
• Application Number:
  US12/786,693
• Publication Number:
  US 20110074655A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,008 Days
• Field of Search: 4555561-5562, 455/575.1, 455/575.3, 455/575.8, 345 11- 13, 345/156, 345/158, 345173-177
• US Class Current: 345/1.1
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/0214 Foldable telephones, i.e. with body parts pivoting to an open position around an axis parallel to the plane they define in closed position combined with translation movement H04M1/0235
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/0245 using open/close detection
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2250/16 including more than one display unit

Abstract

A portable electronic device includes a main body and a cover rotatably mounted to the main body. The main body includes a central processing unit (CPU), a sensor, a first display, and a second display. The sensor, the first display, and the second display are connected to the CPU. The cover includes a third display connected to the CPU. The CPU detects the position of the cover relative to the main body using the sensor, switches the first display on when the cover is positioned at a first state, and switches the second display and the third display on when the cover is positioned at a second state.

Claims

1. A portable electronic device, comprising:

a main body, the main body including a central processing unit (CPU), a sensor, a first display, and a second display;

the sensor, the first display, and the second display being all electrically connected to the CPU; and

a cover rotatably mounted to the main body, the cover including a third display electrically connected to the CPU;

wherein the CPU detects the position of the cover relative to the main body using the sensor, and switches the first display on when the cover is positioned at a first state, and switches the second display and the third display on when the cover is positioned at a second state; and

wherein the CPU includes a plurality of pins, the sensor, the first display, the second display, and the third display are all electrically connected to the CPU by the pins, and both the second display and the third display are electrically connected to the CPU by a same group of pins selected from the plurality of pins; and

wherein the sensor includes a Hall element electrically connected to the CPU and the cover further includes a magnetic component; and

the magnetic component is positioned relative to the sensor such that when the portable electronic device is closed the magnetic field applied to the Hall element by the magnetic component actuates the Hall element to switch on, and when the portable electronic device is opened the magnetic component is moved away from the Hall element such that the magnetic field applied to the Hall element by the magnetic component does not actuate the Hall element to switch on, the sensor respectively generates different voltage levels when it is respectively switched on and switched off, and the CPU detects the voltage levels generated by the sensor to identify the position of the cover, the sensor further includes a resistor and a capacitor, and the Hall element includes a first connector, a second connector, and a third connector; and

when an electric potential is applied to the first connector, the resistor is electrically connected between the first connector and the second connector, the capacitor is electrically connected between the first connector and ground, and the third connector is grounded; and

wherein the plurality of pins includes a switch pin, a first enabling pin, a reset pin, an image signal pin, a clock pin, a second enabling pin, and a control pin;

the switch pin is electrically connected to the second connector, and the CPU detects the voltage level on the second connector to identify the position of the cover; and

the first enabling pin is electrically connected to the first display, and both the second display and the third display are electrically connected to the CPU by the reset pin, the image signal pin, the clock pin, the second enabling pin, and the control pin.

2. The portable electronic device as claimed in claim 1, wherein the first state is when the portable electronic device is closed and the second state is when the portable electronic device is opened;

the cover is rotated relative to the main body to open or close the portable electronic device, and the CPU switches the first display on when the portable electronic device is closed and switches the second display and the third display on when the portable electronic device is opened.

3. The portable electronic device as claimed in claim 2, wherein the second display and the third display cooperatively form a multiple display and respectively display corresponding parts of a displayed image when the portable electronic device is opened.

4. The portable electronic device as claimed in claim 2, wherein the main body includes a first outer surface and an opposite first inner surface, and the cover includes a second outer surface and an opposite second inner surface;

the first display is mounted on the first outer surface, the second display is mounted on the first inner surface, and the third display is mounted on the second inner surface;

the second inner surface facing the first inner surface when the portable electronic device is closed; and

the second inner surface positioned coplanar with the first inner surface and the second display and the third display being aligned with each other to form the multiple display when the portable electronic device is opened.

5. The portable electronic device as claimed in claim 1, wherein the CPU sends reset signals, image data, clock signals, and enabling signals to both the second display and the third display through the reset pin, the image signal pin, the clock pin, and the second enabling pin, correspondingly;

and the CPU further sends instruction signals to both the second display and the third display through the image signal pin, and sends identifying signals to both the second display and the third display through the control pin, such that both the second display and the third display identify the kind of signals sent from the image signal pin.

6. A portable electronic device, comprising:

a main body, the main body including a central processing unit (CPU), a first display, and a second display;

the first display and the second display both electrically connected to the CPU; and

a cover rotatably mounted to the main body to close or open the portable electronic device, the cover including a third display electrically connected to the CPU;

wherein when the portable electronic device is closed the CPU switches the first display on, and when the portable electronic device is opened the CPU switches the second display and the third display on and controls the second display and the third display to form a multiple display and respectively display corresponding parts of a displayed image; and

wherein the CPU includes a plurality of pins, the first display, the second display, and the third display are all electrically connected to the CPU by the pins, and both the second display and the third display are electrically connected to the CPU by a same group of pins selected from the plurality of pins; and

wherein the main body further includes a sensor, and the CPU detects the position of the cover relative to the main body using the sensor to identify whether the portable electronic device is closed or opened, the sensor includes a Hall element electrically connected to the CPU and the cover further includes a magnetic element; and

the magnetic component is positioned relative to the sensor such that the magnetic field applied to the Hall element by the magnetic component actuates the Hall element to switch on when the portable electronic device is closed, and the magnetic component is moved away from the Hall element such that the magnetic field applied to the Hall element by the magnetic component is unable to actuate the Hall element to switch on when the portable electronic device is opened, the sensor respectively generates different voltage levels when it is respectively switched on and switched off, and the CPU detects the voltage levels generated by the sensor to identify the position of the cover, the sensor further includes a resistor and a capacitor, and the Hall element includes a first connector, a second connector, and a third connector; and

when an electric potential is applied to the first connector, the resistor is electrically connected between the first connector and the second connector, the capacitor is electrically connected between the first connector and ground, and the third connector is grounded; and

wherein the plurality of pins includes a switch pin, a first enabling pin, a reset pin, an image signal pin, a clock pin, a second enabling pin, and a control pin;

the switch pin is electrically connected to the second connector, and the CPU detects the voltage level on the second connector to identify the position of the cover; and

the first enabling pin is electrically connected to the first display, and both the second display and the third display are electrically connected to the CPU by the reset pin, the image signal pin, the clock pin, the second enabling pin, and the control pin.

7. The portable electronic device as claimed in claim 6, wherein the main body includes a first outer surface and an opposite first inner surface, and the cover includes a second outer surface and an opposite second inner surface;

the first display is mounted on the first outer surface, the second display is mounted on the first inner surface, and the third display is mounted on the second inner surface;

the second inner surface facing the first inner surface when the portable electronic device is closed; and

the second inner surface positioned coplanar with the first inner surface and the second display and the third display being aligned with each other to form the multiple display when the portable electronic device is opened.

8. The portable electronic device as claimed in claim 6, wherein the CPU sends reset signals, image data, clock signals, and enabling signals to both the second display and the third display through the reset pin, the image signal pin, the clock pin, and the second enabling pin, correspondingly;

and the CPU further sends instruction signals to both the second display and the third display through the image signal pin, and sends identifying signals to both the second display and the third display through the control pin, such that both the second display and the third display identify the kind of signals sent from the image signal pin.