Electronic compensated pivot control

• US 9,846,438 B2
• Filed: 03/23/2015
• Issued: 12/19/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 12/06/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Inventors: Rihn, Bernard K., Geiger, Avi R., Hill, Andrew W., Gault, Joseph B., Klein, Stephen C.
• Primary Examiner(s): Nguyen, An T
• Application Number:
  US14/666,198
• Publication Number:
  US 20150192929A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,002 Days
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 15/02 electric
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 3/00 Control of position or direction G05D1/00 takes precedence; numerical control to execute positioning G05B19/18
• 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 1/1679 for locking or maintaining the movable parts of the enclosure in a fixed position, e.g. latching mechanism at the edge of the display in a laptop or for the screen protective cover of a PDA G06F1/1681 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1681 Details related solely to hinges hinge details related to the transmission of signals or power are classified in G06F1/1683
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 248/917 Video display screen support

Abstract

In embodiments of electronic compensated pivot control, a computing device includes a device housing that is integrated with a display device, and the device housing tilts for multiple display positions. Pivotable components pivot in coordination to position the display device in a display position, and sensors detect positioning inputs that are received to re-position the display device. Actuators are implemented for electronic actuation to drive the pivotable components to position the display device, and clutches are implemented to limit movement of the pivotable components. A pivot controller is implemented to receive input data corresponding to a user input to change a position of the display device, control the actuators based on the input data to assist with positioning the display device, receive an indication that the user input has stopped, and control the one or more clutches to hold the position of the display device.

Claims

1. A pivotable system for a display device comprising:

pivotable components at multiple pivot points configured to pivot in coordination to position the display device in one of multiple display positions;

one or more actuators configured to drive the pivotable components to position the display device;

one or more clutches configured to limit movement of the pivotable components;

a pivot controller configured to;

receive input data corresponding to a user input to change a position of the display device;

control the one or more actuators based on the input data to assist with positioning the display device;

determine based on the input data, movement towards an unstable position of the display device; and

control the one or more clutches to limit movement of the pivotable components into the unstable position and hold the position of the display device.

2. The pivotable system as recited in claim 1, wherein the input data corresponds to a minimal apparent force applied as the user input to effectuate the one or more actuators driving the pivotable components to position the display device, the input data received from one or more sensors integrated into a display housing associated with the display device.

3. The pivotable system as recited in claim 1, wherein the one or more clutches utilize one or more mechanical mechanisms to limit movement of the pivotable components.

4. The pivotable system as recited in claim 1, wherein the one or more clutches utilize electronic activation of the one or more actuators to engage or release the pivotable components.

5. The pivotable system as recited in claim 1, wherein the pivot controller is configured to receive an indication that the user input has stopped.

6. The pivotable system as recited in claim 1, wherein the pivot controller is configured to:

determine that the display device is in the unstable position; and

initiate the one or more actuators to re-position the display device in a stable position.

7. The pivotable system as recited in claim 1, wherein the pivot controller is configured to control the one or more actuators to counter-balance varying centers-of-mass of the display device over a range of the multiple display positions to minimize an apparent force of the user input that is applied to re-position the display device.

8. The pivotable system as recited in claim 7, wherein the pivot controller is further configured to electronically-control the counter-balance of the varying centers-of-mass of the display device over the range of the multiple display positions.

9. The pivotable system as recited in claim 7, wherein the pivot controller is further configured to utilize a proportional-integral-derivative (PID) control feedback to said counter-balance the varying centers-of-mass of the display device to minimize the apparent force of the user input that is applied to re-position the display device.

10. A method to control the stability of a display device, the method comprising:

receiving input data corresponding to a user input to change a position of the display device;

controlling one or more actuators based on the input data to drive pivotable components at multiple pivot points to assist with positioning the display device;

determining movement towards an unstable position of the display device; and

controlling one or more clutches to limit movement of the pivotable components into the unstable position and hold the position of the display device.

11. The method as recited in claim 10, further comprising:

receiving an indication that the user input has stopped; and

engaging the one or more clutches to hold the position of the display device.

12. The method as recited in claim 10, further comprising:

determining that the display device is in the unstable position; and

initiating the one or more actuators to re-position the display device in a stable position.

13. The method as recited in claim 10, wherein the input data corresponds to a minimal apparent force applied as the user input to effectuate the one or more actuators driving the pivotable components to position the display device.

14. The method as recited in claim 10, wherein the input data is received by at least one of:

pressure sensors integrated with device supports configured to support a device housing of the display device;

torque sensors that detect torque forces in device axes corresponding to the multiple pivot points, the torque forces imparted as the user input; and

positional sensors that detect the position of the device housing of the display device.

15. The method as recited in claim 10, wherein said controlling the one or more actuators comprises driving the one or more actuators to counter-balance varying centers-of-mass of the display device over a range of device positions to minimize an apparent force of the user input that is applied to re-position the display device.

16. The method as recited in claim 15, further comprising electronically-controlling the counter-balance of the varying centers-of-mass of the display device over the range of the device positions.

17. The method as recited in claim 15, further comprising utilizing a proportional-integral-derivative (PID) control feedback to counter-balance the varying centers-of-mass of the display device to minimize the apparent force of the user input that is applied to re-position the display device.

18. A stability system for a display device, comprising:

one or more sensors configured to generate sensor data associated with positioning the display device;

pivotable components configured to pivot in coordination to position the display device in one of multiple display positions;

a pivot controller configured to;

receive the sensor data from the one or more sensors, the sensor data corresponding to input forces imparted to change a position of the display device;

determine, based on the sensor data, movement towards an unstable position of the display device; and

control one or more clutch mechanisms of the pivotable components to limit movement of the stability system for the display device into the unstable position.

19. The stability system as recited in claim 18, wherein the pivot controller is configured to initiate the one or more clutch mechanisms to limit the movement of the stability system into the unstable position of the display device.

20. The stability system as recited in claim 18, wherein the pivot controller is configured to:

determine, based on the sensor data, that the display device is in the unstable position; and

initiate one or more actuators to re-position the display device in a stable position.