Variable friction hinge for electronic devices

• US 9,921,612 B2
• Filed: 08/16/2016
• Issued: 03/20/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 08/16/2016
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Lenovo PC International Limited (Lenovo Group Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: Lenovo Singapore Pte Limited (Lenovo Group Ltd.)
• Inventors: Tucker, Matthew Ian, Ent, Ali Kathryn, Truong, Cuong Huy
• Primary Examiner(s): Cao, Allen T
• Application Number:
  US15/238,155
• Publication Number:
  US 20180052496A1
• Time in Patent Office: 581 Days
• Field of Search: 340 223
• 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 1/1643 the display being associated to a digitizer, e.g. laptops that can be used as penpads details related to the relative motion of the display enclosure with respect to the body enclosure, e.g. to move between laptop and tablet PC configuration G06F1/1615
• 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: G06F 1/1692 the I/O peripheral being a secondary touch screen used as control interface, e.g. virtual buttons or sliders

Abstract

An embodiment provides a method, including detecting, using a touch sensor, a touch input; and operating, using a control unit, a variable friction hinge to achieve a low friction mode in response to the touch input. Other aspects are described and claimed.

Claims

1. An electronic device, comprising:

a touch sensor;

a main body;

a cover; and

a hinge connecting the cover and the main body, comprising;

a rotary shaft; and

an electromechanical coupler that selectively adjusts a rotational resistance of the rotary shaft in response to a signal derived from the touch sensor, wherein the touch sensor comprises a touch sensitive layer and is coupled to the cover.

2. The electronic device of claim 1, wherein the touch sensitive layer is disposed in an outer surface of the cover.

3. The electronic device of claim 1, wherein the touch sensitive layer is disposed in a bottom surface of the cover.

4. The electronic device of claim 1, wherein the touch sensitive layer is disposed in a top surface of the cover.

5. The electronic device of claim 1, wherein the touch sensitive layer is disposed in a side surface of the cover.

6. The electronic device of claim 1, wherein the touch sensor comprises a plurality of touch sensitive layers.

7. The electronic device of claim 6, wherein at least one of the plurality of touch sensitive layers is disposed in the main body.

8. The electronic device of claim 6, wherein at least one of the plurality of touch sensitive layers is disposed about a periphery of a display screen disposed within the cover.

9. The electronic device of claim 1, wherein the electromechanical coupler adjusts the rotational resistance in response to a detection of a predetermined user.

10. A method, comprising:

detecting, using a touch sensor, a touch input, wherein the detecting comprises detecting the touch input while the lid is in a closed state; and

operating, using a control unit, a variable friction hinge to achieve a low friction mode in response to the touch input.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein the detecting comprises detecting a contact input.

12. The method of claim 10, wherein the detecting comprises detecting a biometric input.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein the biometric input comprises fingerprint data.

14. The method of claim 10, wherein:

the detecting comprises detecting a number of touch inputs; and

the operating comprises variably adjusting the variable friction hinge based on the number of touch inputs.

15. The method of claim 10, wherein:

the detecting comprises detecting the touch input for less than a predetermined time.

16. The method of claim 10, wherein the operating comprises providing an electromagnet excitation signal.

17. A program product, comprising:

a storage device comprising computer readable program code, the code being executable by a processor and comprising;

code that detects, from a touch sensor, a touch input, wherein the code that detects comprises code that detects the touch input while the lid is in a closed state; and

code that operates a variable friction hinge to achieve a low friction mode in response to the touch input.