System for detecting orientation of magnetically coupled devices

• US 9,395,827 B2
• Filed: 07/20/2010
• Issued: 07/19/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 07/21/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Qualcomm, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Qualcomm, Inc.
• Inventors: Chatterjee, Manjirnath
• Primary Examiner(s): Satanovsky, Alexander
• Application Number:
  US12/840,241
• Publication Number:
  US 20110022350A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,191 Days
• Field of Search: 702/150, 702/151, 702/152, 702/153
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2200/1614 Image rotation following screen orientation, e.g. switching from landscape to portrait mode
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0346 with detection of the device orientation or free movement in a 3D space, e.g. 3D mice, 6-DOF [six degrees of freedom] pointers using gyroscopes, accelerometers or tilt-sensors
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0362 with detection of 1D translations or rotations of an operating part of the device, e.g. scroll wheels, sliders, knobs, rollers or belts

Abstract

A device includes a receiving surface to magnetically retain the orientation-dependent device in any one of a plurality of possible orientations. The detection device includes circuitry that detects the relative orientation of the orientation-dependent device based on a magnetic orientation of the orientation-dependent device relative to the detection device.

Claims

1. A system comprising:

an orientation-dependent device having multiple modes of operation, the orientation-dependent device including an arrangement of magnetic elements that are provided on a contact surface, the arrangement of magnetic elements corresponding to a tab with each tab differing in mass, the arrangement of magnetic elements including at least one magnetic element that is designated as an orientation marker;

a detection device having a receiving surface to receive the contact surface of the orientation-dependent device and to retain the orientation-dependent device in any one of a plurality of possible orientations, the detection device including detection circuitry and logic that is configured (i) to generate a response that is sensitive to variation in mass amongst the tabs to detect individual magnetic elements that comprise the arrangement, and (ii) to determine an orientation of the orientation-dependent device based on the orientation marker; and

wherein the detection device is structured to communicate the determined orientation to the orientation-dependent device.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the arrangement of magnetic elements include multiple magnetic elements that have a same magnetic response, and wherein the at least one magnetic element that is designated as the orientation marker has a different magnetic response than the other magnetic elements.

3. The system of claim 2, wherein the at least one magnetic element that is designated as the orientation marker has a different shape from the other magnetic elements.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein the arrangement of magnetic elements include one or more magnetic elements that are ring-shaped.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein the detection circuitry and logic incorporate one or more coils that are each activated to be responsive to individual magnetic elements of the orientation-dependent device.

6. The system of claim 5, wherein the detection circuitry and logic detect electrical skew in an output of each of the one or more coils, the electrical skew being indicative of a relative position of the magnetic element that is designated as the orientation marker.

7. The system of claim 1, wherein when retained by the detection device, the orientation-dependent device is configured for operation in one of the multiple modes based, at least in part, on the orientation information.

8. The system of claim 1, wherein the multiple modes of operation of the orientation-dependent device include at least (i) a portrait mode, and (ii) a landscape mode.

9. The system of claim 1, wherein the detection device is structured to communicate the determined orientation to the orientation-dependent device using a wireless communication medium.

10. The system of claim 1, wherein the detection device is structured to communicate the determined orientation to the orientation-dependent device using an inductive communication medium.

11. The system of claim 1, wherein each tab is formed from a ferrous material, and wherein the detection device includes one or more magnets to magnetically couple to each tab of the orientation-dependent device.

12. The system of claim 1, further comprising at least one electrically pulsed elements that is affected by the variation in mass amongst the tabs.

13. The system of claim 12, wherein the at least one electrically pulsed elements is activated repeatedly before and after magnetic coupling is present.

14. The system of claim 1, wherein detection circuitry and logic includes a coil to generate a response that is sensitive to the variation in mass amongst the tabs.

15. The system of claim 1, wherein a difference in mass amongst the tabs correlates to an electrical characteristic identifying a position of a marker tab.

16. A device for detecting an orientation of an orientation-dependent device that is brought into contact, the device comprising:

a receiving surface to retain the orientation-dependent device in any one of a plurality of possible orientations;

detection circuitry and logic that is configured (i) to detect individual magnetic elements that are provided on the orientation-dependent device based on corresponding tabs each differing in mass, and (ii) to generate a response that is sensitive to variation in mass amongst the tabs and determine the orientation of the orientation-dependent device based at least in part on an orientation marker that is present in the magnetic elements provided on the orientation-dependent device.

17. The device of claim 16, wherein the detection circuitry and logic that incorporate one or more coils that are each activated to be responsive to individual magnetic elements of the orientation-dependent device.

18. The device of claim 17, wherein the detection circuitry and logic detect electrical skew in an output of each of the one or more coils, the electrical skew being indicative of a relative position of the magnetic element that is designated as the orientation marker.

19. The device of claim 16, further comprising one or more magnets to magnetically couple to each tab of the orientation-dependent device.

20. The system of claim 16, wherein the detection device is structured to communicate the determined orientation to the orientation-dependent device using a wireless communication medium.

21. The system of claim 16, wherein the detection device is structured to communicate the determined orientation to the orientation-dependent device using an inductive communication medium.

22. A system comprising:

a orientation-dependent device having multiple orientation-dependent modes of operation; and

a detection device having (i) a receiving surface to magnetically retain the orientation-dependent device in a plurality of orientations relative to the detection device, and (ii) circuitry to detect the relative orientation of the orientation-dependent device based on variation in mass of tabs on the orientation-dependent device and a magnetic orientation of the orientation-dependent device and the detection device.

23. The system of claim 22, wherein the multiple modes of operation include at least (i) a portrait mode, and (ii) a landscape mode.

24. The system of claim 22, wherein the detection device is configured to communicate the relative orientation to the orientation-dependent device.