Method of switching power modes and a portable electronic device configured to perform the same

• US 8,862,913 B2
• Filed: 10/02/2009
• Issued: 10/14/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 10/02/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Malikie Innovations Limited (Key Patent Innovations Limited)
• Original Assignee: Blackberry Limited
• Inventors: Aldridge, Dustin
• Primary Examiner(s): YANCHUS III, PAUL B
• Application Number:
  US12/572,605
• Publication Number:
  US 20110080155A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,838 Days
• Field of Search: 713/300, 713/320, 713/323, 713/324
• US Class Current: 713/320
• CPC Class Codes: H02N 2/18 producing electrical output from mechanical input, e.g. generators for measurement devices G01

Abstract

The present disclosure provides a method of switching power modes on a portable electronic device and a portable electronic device configured to perform the same. In accordance with one embodiment, there is provided a portable electronic device, having a housing; a processor received within the housing; a display screen connected to the processor and exposed by the housing; a piezoelectric switch connected to the processor disposed in the housing, the piezoelectric switch having a piezoelectric element which generates an electric charge in response to forces applied to the piezoelectric element; and an actuator for engaging the piezoelectric element, the actuator being exposed by the housing and movable within the housing to transfer externally applied forces to the piezoelectric element; wherein the processor is configured for switching between at least two power modes in response to the generation of the electric charge by the piezoelectric element.

Claims

1. A portable electronic device, comprising:

a housing;

a processor received within the housing;

a display screen connected to the processor and movable from a first position to a second position relative to the housing in response to an externally applied force;

a base received within the housing;

biasing elements located between a back of the display screen and the base, the biasing elements urging the display screen away from the second position toward the first position;

a piezoelectric switch connected to the processor, the piezoelectric switch comprising a piezoelectric element positioned by a back side of the display screen, the piezoelectric element generating an electric charge when the piezoelectric element is deformed by a force applied to the display screen and transferred to the piezoelectric element, the piezoelectric element being directly connected to the processor to output the electric charge directly to the processor; and

wherein the processor is configured for switching between at least two power modes in response to receipt of the electric charge from the piezoelectric element.

2. The portable electronic device of claim 1, the display screen applying a greater force to the piezoelectric element in the second position than in the first position.

3. The portable electronic device of claim 1, wherein the display screen is a touch-sensitive display.

4. The portable electronic device of claim 1, wherein the processor is configured to switch from a power saving mode to a full-power mode in response to the receipt of the electric charge from the piezoelectric element.

5. The portable electronic device of claim 4, wherein the power saving mode is a sleep-mode.

6. The portable electronic device of claim 4, wherein the power saving mode is an off-mode.

7. The portable electronic device of claim 4, wherein the processor is configured to deactivate the display screen in the power saving mode.

8. A method of switching power modes on a portable electronic device, the method comprising:

receiving a force at a piezoelectric element positioned by a back side of a display screen, the force acting against a biasing force urging the display screen into a first position and causing the display screen to move from the first position to a second position relative to a housing of the portable electronic device, the force being transferred to the piezoelectric element;

generating an electric charge at the piezoelectric element in response to deformation of the piezoelectric element by the force;

conditioning, by a signal conditioner, the electric charge into a conditioned electric charge for direct output to a processor of the portable electronic device;

when the processor receives the conditioned electric charge, switching the portable electronic device between a first power mode and a second power mode.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein the first power mode is a power saving mode and second power mode is a full-power mode.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein the power saving mode is a sleep-mode.

11. The method of claim 9, wherein the power saving mode is an off-mode.

12. The method of claim 9, wherein a display screen of the portable electronic device is deactivated in the power saving mode and wherein switching the portable electronic device to the full-power mode comprises reactivating the display screen.

13. The method of claim 9, further comprising initiating the power saving mode in response to detection of a trigger condition.

14. The method of claim 8, wherein conditioning the electric charge into the conditioned electric charge comprises switching a relay from a first state to a second state when the electric charge exceeds a threshold, wherein no electric charge is outputted to the processor in the first state and the conditioned electric charge is outputted to the processor in the second state, the conditioned electric charge being outputted by the relay directly to the processor.

15. A portable electronic device, comprising:

a housing;

a processor received within the housing;

a touch-sensitive screen connected to the processor, the touch-sensitive screen being mounted within the housing for movement from a first position to a second position relative to the housing in response to an externally applied force;

a piezoelectric switch connected to the processor, the piezoelectric switch comprising;

a piezoelectric element positioned by a back side of the touch-sensitive screen, the piezoelectric element generating an electric charge when the piezoelectric element is deformed by movement of the touch-sensitive screen from the first position to the second position; and

a signal conditioner electrically connected to the piezoelectric element for conditioning the electrical charge into a conditioned electrical charge for direct input to the processor;

the piezoelectric element being connected to output, via the signal conditioner, the conditioned electric charge directly to the processor;

wherein the processor is configured to switch between at least two power modes in response to receipt of the conditioned electric charge.

16. The portable electronic device of claim 15, further comprising:

a base received within the housing; and

biasing elements located between a back of the display screen and the base, the biasing elements urging the display screen away from the second position toward the first position;

the display screen applying a greater force to the piezoelectric element in the second position than in the first position.

17. The portable electronic device of claim 15, wherein the processor is configured to switch from a power saving mode to a full-power mode in response to the receipt of the conditioned electric charge.

18. The portable electronic device of claim 15, wherein the signal conditioner comprises a voltage regulator for receiving the electric charge generated by the piezoelectric element and the voltage regulator conditions the electric charge by providing the conditioned electric charge to the processor if the electric charge exceeds a threshold and providing no electric charge if the electric charge does not exceed the threshold, the voltage regulator being connected to output the conditioned electric charge directly to the processor.

19. The portable electronic device of claim 15, wherein the signal conditioner comprises a relay operably connected to the piezoelectric element and the relay conditions the electric charge by switching from a first state to a second state when the electric charge exceeds a threshold, the piezoelectric relay providing no electric charge to the processor in the first state and providing the conditioned electric charge in the second state, the relay being connected to output the conditioned electric charge directly to the processor.

20. The portable electronic device of claim 19, wherein the conditioned electric charge is a voltage provided by a power supply when the relay is in the first state.