Detection system and method between accessory and electronic device

• US 9,035,872 B2
• Filed: 09/12/2012
• Issued: 05/19/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 06/08/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Original Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Inventors: Brown, Matthew I., Zambetti, Nicholas, Smith, Samuel G., Cretella, Michael A. Jr., Mullens, Chris
• Primary Examiner(s): PHAM, VIET DAVID
• Application Number:
  US13/612,403
• Publication Number:
  US 20130328825A1
• Time in Patent Office: 979 Days
• Field of Search: 345156-174
• US Class Current: 345/156
• CPC Class Codes: G01B 2210/58 Wireless transmission of information between a sensor or probe and a control or evaluation unit
• CPC Class Codes: G01B 7/30 for measuring angles or tapers; for testing the alignment of axes
• CPC Class Codes: G01V 3/00 Electric or magnetic prospecting or detecting; Measuring magnetic field characteristics of the earth, e.g. declination, deviation
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1603 Arrangements to protect the display from incident light, e.g. hoods
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1613 for portable computers cooling arrangements therefor G06F1/203; constructional details or arrangements for pocket calculators, electronic agendas or books G06F15/0216; constructional details of portable telephone sets: with several bodies H04M1/0202
• 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 1/1677 for detecting open or closed state or particular intermediate positions assumed by movable parts of the enclosure, e.g. detection of display lid position with respect to main body in a laptop, detection of opening of the cover of battery compartment
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2200/1634 Integrated protective display lid, e.g. for touch-sensitive display in handheld computer
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2203/04803 Split screen, i.e. subdividing the display area or the window area into separate subareas
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/01 Input arrangements or combined input and output arrangements for interaction between user and computer G06F3/16 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/041 Digitisers, e.g. for touch screens or touch pads, characterised by the transducing means
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0412 Digitisers structurally integrated in a display
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/044 by capacitive means
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04886 by partitioning the display area of the touch-screen or the surface of the digitising tablet into independently controllable areas, e.g. virtual keyboards or menus
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2320/0686 with two or more screen areas displaying information with different brightness or colours
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2330/021 Power management, e.g. power saving
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2340/04 Changes in size, position or resolution of an image
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2360/144 the light being ambient light
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 5/00 Control arrangements or circuits for visual indicators common to cathode-ray tube indicators and other visual indicators image data processing or generation, in general G06T
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 5/006 Details of the interface to the display terminal specific for a display terminal using a CRT G09G1/167; using a flat panel G09G3/2096; circuits for interfacing with colour displays G09G5/04

Abstract

Accurate and reliable techniques for determining information of an accessory device in relation to an electronic device are described.

Claims

1. A cover suitable for protecting and controlling an operation of a tablet device having a sensor and a housing, the tablet device further including a display configured for presenting visual content coupled to a processor and an outer protective layer overlaying the display and having a size and a shape in accordance with a full front side of the tablet device, the cover comprising:

a single piece flap pivotally attachable to the tablet device and having the size and the shape of the full front side of the tablet device and comprising;

a first portion movable away from the outer protective layer, the first portion comprising a pattern of micro-perforations that allows external light to pass through the pattern of micro-perforations that forms a light pattern detectable by the sensor, wherein the light pattern provides information used by the processor; and

a second portion movable away from the outer protective layer and opposite the first portion, wherein the first portion and the second portion are capable of moving independently of each other, and wherein the first portion and the second portion are capable of moving with respect to the outer protective layer.

2. The cover as recited in claim 1, wherein the information provided by the light pattern corresponds to cover specific information.

3. The cover as recited in claim 1, further comprising:

an attachment magnet that in an inactive state is located at a first location with respect to an interior surface of the housing of the tablet device such that a first magnetic field at an exterior surface of the housing provided by the attachment magnet is of insufficient strength to form a suitable magnetic attraction.

4. The cover as recited in claim 3, wherein only the attachment magnet moves towards the interior surface of the housing from the first location to a second location in response to an external magnetic field provided by an attachment feature of the tablet device.

5. The cover as recited in claim 4, wherein the attachment magnet at the second location provides a second magnetic field at the exterior surface of the housing that has sufficient strength to form the suitable magnetic attraction.

6. The cover as recited in claim 5, wherein the movement of the attachment magnet from the first location to the second location triggers an electrical signal to the tablet device that confirms that an attachment mechanism is attached to the housing.

7. The cover as recited in claim 1, further comprising a passive element that includes a capacitive element.

8. The cover as recited in claim 7, wherein the capacitive element capacitively couples with a detection mechanism within the tablet device are configured to define a capacitive coupling.

9. The cover as recited in claim 8, wherein the detection mechanism is a multi-touch sensing circuit disposed in the display.

10. The cover as recited in claim 9, wherein the capacitive coupling is interpreted by a second processor in the tablet device as an accessory device information related to the cover.

11. The cover as recited in claim 8, wherein the detection mechanism is capable of detecting the passive information element only in a closed configuration defined be the single piece flap in contact with the outer protective layer.

12. A cover suitable for protecting and controlling an operation of a tablet device having a plurality of magnetic sensors, the tablet device further including a display configured for presenting visual content coupled to a processor and an outer protective layer overlaying the display and having a size and a shape in accordance with a full front side of the tablet device, cover comprising:

a single piece flap comprising;

a first portion having a plurality of magnets capable of detection by the plurality of magnetic sensors when the cover is in a closed configuration defined by the first portion in contact with the outer protective layer, wherein the plurality of magnets comprise a first magnet and a second magnet that encode cover information related to the cover; and

a second portion movable away from the outer protective layer and opposite the first portion, wherein the first portion and the second portion are capable of moving independently of each other, and wherein the first portion and the second portion are capable of moving with respect to the outer protective layer.

13. The cover as recited in claim 12, wherein the cover information is selected from a group consisting of a color and a design.

14. The cover as recited in claim 12, wherein the plurality of magnetic sensors comprises:

a first magnetic sensor that detects a first magnetic field from the first magnet; and

a second magnetic sensor that detects a second magnetic field from the second magnet.

15. The cover as recited in claim 14, wherein the first magnetic sensor and the second magnetic sensor are configured to identify the cover information related to the cover.

16. The cover as recited in claim 15, wherein:

the first magnet comprises a first magnetic polarity and the second magnetic comprises a second magnetic polarity;

the first magnetic sensor is configured to detect the first magnetic polarity; and

the second magnetic sensor is configured to detect the second magnetic polarity.

17. A cover suitable for protecting and controlling an operation of a tablet device having a circuit and a plurality of magnetic sensors, the tablet device further including a display configured for presenting visual content coupled to a processor and an outer protective layer overlaying the display and having a size and a shape in accordance with a full front side of the tablet device, the cover comprising:

a first portion comprising a radio frequency identification (RFID) tag capable of detection by the circuit when the cover is in a fully closed configuration defined by a first portion in contact with the outer protective layer; and

a second portion comprising a plurality of magnets capable of detection by the plurality of magnetic sensors when the cover is in a partially closed configuration defined by the first portion being free of contact with the outer protective layer.

18. The cover as recited in claim 17, further comprising a pattern of micro-perforations that allows external light to pass through the pattern of micro-perforations in the form of a light pattern detectable by a sensor within the tablet device, wherein the light pattern provides cover specific information.

19. The cover as recited in claim 17, wherein the tablet device is configured to display at least some of the visual content in the partially closed configuration.

20. The cover as recited in claim 17, wherein the RFID tag stores information related to the cover, and wherein the information is selected from a group consisting of a serial number, a style, a date and place of manufacture, and an authentication code.