Electronic device with anti-shock function

• US 8,421,763 B2
• Filed: 12/08/2009
• Issued: 04/16/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 03/13/2009
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Hon Hai Precision Industry Co., Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Hon Hai Precision Industry Co., Ltd.
• Inventors: Liao, Ming-Yang
• Primary Examiner(s): MERCEDES, DISMERY E
• Application Number:
  US12/632,924
• Publication Number:
  US 20100231538A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,225 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 345/173
• 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 1/1626 with a single-body enclosure integrating a flat display, e.g. Personal Digital Assistants [PDAs]
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1656 Details related to functional adaptations of the enclosure, e.g. to provide protection against EMI, shock, water, or to host detachable peripherals like a mouse or removable expansions units like PCMCIA cards, or to provide access to internal components for maintenance or to removable storage supports like CDs or DVDs, or to mechanically mount accessories mounting of accessories to a computer display G06F1/1607; display hoods G06F1/1603; cooling arrangements for portable computers G06F1/203
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/185 Improving the rigidity of the casing or resistance to shocks
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2250/12 including a sensor for measuring a physical value, e.g. temperature or motion

Abstract

An electronic device with anti-shock function includes a shell, a sensor, and a controller received in the shell and electrically coupled to the sensor. The sensor includes at least one pressure sensor to generate a position signal and at least one touch sensor to generate a touch signal. The controller defines the electronic device to be in a freefall state and enters into a protection mode when the controller does not receive the position signal and the touch signal.

Claims

1. An electronic device comprising:

a shell;

a sensor, the sensor comprising;

at least one pressure sensor to generate a position signal using a weight of the electronic device when the electronic device is at rest;

at least one touch sensor to generate a touch signal when the electronic device is held by a user,

a controller received in the shell and electrically coupled to the sensor, wherein the controller determines the electronic device to be in a freefall state and enters a protection mode when the controller does not receive the position signal and the touch signal.

2. The electronic device of claim 1, wherein the controller shuts down the electronic device or terminates one or more operation procedures of the electronic device when the controller enters the protection mode.

3. The electronic device of claim 1, wherein the controller defines the electronic device to be in a rest state when the controller receives the position signal.

4. The electronic device of claim 1, wherein the controller defines the electronic device to be in a moving state when the controller does not receive the position signal.

5. The electronic device of claim 1, wherein the at least one touch sensor generates the touch signal when the touch sensor of the electronic device is touched.

6. The electronic device of claim 1, wherein the controller defines the electronic device to be in a handheld state when the controller receives the touch signal.

7. The electronic device of claim 1, wherein the controller defines the electronic device to be in a handsfree state when the controller does not receive the touch signal.

8. The electronic device of claim 1, wherein the shell is rectangular and comprises four side walls connected to each other, an operation surface and a supporting surface, wherein the operation surface and the supporting surface are opposite to each other.

9. The electronic device of claim 8, wherein the at least one pressure sensor comprises four pressure sensors, and the four pressure sensors are positioned on the supporting surface near four corners of the supporting surface, correspondingly.

10. The electronic device of claim 9, wherein the four pressure sensors protrudes from the supporting surface to form a first sensing surface farther than a touch surface of one of the three touch sensors located on the supporting surface.

11. The electronic device of claim 9, wherein the at least one touch sensor comprises three touch sensors located on two opposite side walls and the supporting surface, correspondingly, the touch sensors located on two opposite side walls extend from one pressure sensor to another pressure sensor, the touch sensor located on the supporting surface almost cover the supporting surface.

12. The electronic device of claim 8, wherein the at least one pressure sensor comprises four pressure sensors, and the four pressure sensors are located at four corners of the shell at the intersections of the four side walls.

13. The electronic device of claim 12, wherein each one of the four pressure sensors extends perpendicularly over the operation surface a first distance to form a first sensing surface.

14. The electronic device of claim 13, wherein each one of the four pressure sensors extends perpendicularly over the supporting surface a second distance to form a second sensing surface.

15. The electronic device of claim 14, wherein the second sensing surface formed by the four pressure sensors is farther than a touch surface of one of the three touch sensors located on the supporting surface.

16. The electronic device of claim 1, wherein the shell is a cylinder and comprises a circular operation surface, a circular supporting surface opposite to the operation surface, and a cylindrical side surface sandwiched between the operation surface and the supporting surface.

17. The electronic device of claim 16, wherein the at least one touch sensor comprises a first touch sensor covering at least part of the cylindrical side surface and a second touch sensor positioned at the center of the supporting surface, the first touch sensor is a cylinder sheet and the second touch sensor is circular.

18. The electronic device of claim 17, wherein the at least one pressure sensor comprises a circular pressure sensor positioned on the supporting surface surrounding the second touch sensor.

19. The electronic device of claim 18, wherein circular pressure sensor protrudes perpendicularly from the supporting surface to form a sensing surface farther than a touch surface of the second touch sensor positioned at the center of the supporting surface.

20. An electronic device, comprising:

a rectangular shell comprising four side walls connected to each other, an operation surface adjacent to the four side walls and a supporting surface opposite to the operation surface;

a sensor comprising;

four pressure sensors positioned at four corners of the rectangular shell to support a weight of the electronic device, and to generate a position signal when the electronic device is at rest;

at least one touch sensor substantially covering two opposite side walls of the rectangular shell and the supporting surface, the at least one touch sensor generating a touch signal when the electronic device is held by a user,

a controller received in the shell and electrically coupled to the sensor, wherein the controller determines the electronic device to be in a freefall state and enters a protection mode when the controller does not receive the position signal and the touch signal.