Electronic device and control method thereof

• US 9,035,902 B2
• Filed: 08/18/2011
• Issued: 05/19/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 08/19/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: HTC Corporation
• Original Assignee: HTC Corporation
• Inventors: Huang, David, Chen, Yung-Tsung, Huang, Pei-Hao
• Primary Examiner(s): EURICE, MICHAEL
• Application Number:
  US13/213,051
• Publication Number:
  US 20120212447A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,370 Days
• Field of Search: 345/156, 345/173, 345/98, 345/102, 345/204, 345/169, 178/18.03, 178/18.06, 340/5.53, 379/433.01, 713/320, 713/323
• US Class Current: 345/174
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/3231 Monitoring the presence, absence or movement of users
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0443 using a single layer of sensing electrodes
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2330/021 Power management, e.g. power saving
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 2499/11 Transducers incorporated or for use in hand-held devices, e.g. mobile phones, PDA's, camera's
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 52/0254 detecting a user operation or a tactile contact or a motion of the device
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 52/027 by controlling a display operation or backlight unit
• CPC Class Codes: Y02D 30/70 in wireless communication networks

Abstract

An electronic device includes a sensing unit, a charge-and-discharge circuit, and a processing circuit. The processing circuit includes a control unit, a detecting unit, a determining unit, and an executing unit. The control unit provides a plurality of periodic pulses to the sensing unit and the charge-and-discharge circuit, such that they are charged and discharged periodically and output a sensing voltage. The sensing unit detects the sensing voltage, and determines a charging time according to the sensing voltage, wherein the charging time is a time at which the sensing voltage reaches a predetermined voltage. The determining unit determines whether to trigger an interrupt request according to the charging time. The executing unit performs a designated application when the interrupt request is received.

Claims

1. A mobile phone, comprising:

a display panel;

a touch panel;

a sound output device;

a housing means with a containing space to contain the sound output device, wherein the housing means has an inner surface;

a conductive layer disposed on the inner surface of the housing means and adjacent to the sound output device and used for sensing a touch during a phone call and turning off the touch panel or backlight of the display panel when the touch is sensed;

a charge-and-discharge circuit coupled to the conductive layer, wherein the charge-and-discharge circuit and the conductive layer are charged and discharged periodically according to a plurality of periodic pulses and output a sensing voltage; and

a processing circuit coupled to the conductive layer and the charge-and-discharge circuit, comprising;

a control unit for providing the periodic pulses to the-conductive layer and the charge-and-discharge circuit;

a detecting unit for detecting the sensing voltage and deciding a charging time according to the sensing voltage, wherein the charging time is a time at which the sensing voltage reaches a predetermined voltage;

a determining unit coupled to the detecting unit for deciding whether to trigger an interrupt request according to the charging time; and

an executing unit coupled to the determining unit for turning off the touch panel or backlight of the display panel when the interrupt request is received;

wherein the housing means is a cover plate with a cavity forming the containing space to contain the sound output device;

wherein the conductive layer is disposed on a specific area of the inner surface of the housing means, and the specific area is adjacent to the cavity and is covered by a layer of colored material.

2. The mobile phone of claim 1, wherein the charge-and-discharge circuit comprises a charging capacitor.

3. The mobile phone of claim 1, wherein the conductive layer comprises a virtual capacitor, and when the conductive layer receives the touch from the object, the capacitance of the virtual capacitor changes.

4. The mobile phone of claim 1, wherein the determining unit compares the charging time with a threshold, triggers the interrupt request when the charging time is greater than the threshold, and does not trigger the interrupt request when the charging time is not greater than the threshold.

5. The mobile phone of claim 1, wherein the housing means is a housing with the containing space to contain the sound output device.

6. The mobile phone of claim 1, wherein the conductive layer is a metal sheet.