MOVEMENT SENSOR

• US 20110241758A1
• Filed: 04/23/2010
• Published: 10/06/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 04/02/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Sony Ericsson Mobile Communications USA Incorporated (Sony Group Corp.)
• Inventors: Klinghult, Gunnar, Futter, Paul
• Granted Patent: US 8,704,427 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 327/516
• 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 1/1677 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: H10N 30/302 Sensors

Abstract

A device may include a component including an electroactive polymer (EAP) material configured to generate a voltage in response to movement of the component. The device may also include voltage detector coupled to the component, the voltage detector configured to detect voltage generated by the component. The device may further include processing logic configured to perform a function based on the detected voltage.

Claims

1. A device, comprising:

a component including an electroactive polymer (EAP) material configured to generate a voltage in response to movement of the component;

a voltage detector coupled to the component, the voltage detector configured to detect voltage generated by the component; and

processing logic configured to perform a function based on the detected voltage.

2. The device of claim 1, further comprising:

a hinge coupling an upper portion of the device to a lower portion of the device, wherein at least a portion of the component is disposed in the hinge,

wherein the component comprises a flexible strip that is configured to bend or un-bend when the device is opened, and

wherein the processing logic is further configured to;

determine that the device is open based on the detected voltage.

3. The device of claim 1, wherein the EAP material comprises an ionic EAP material.

4. The device of claim 1, wherein the voltage detector is configured to:

forward information corresponding to the detected voltage to the processing logic.

5. The device of claim 1, wherein when performing a function, the processing logic is configured to at least one of activate a backlight, activate a keypad, activate a button, activate camera functionality or register an input.

6. The device of claim 1, wherein when generating a voltage, the component is configured to:

generate a voltage based on an amount of movement, wherein a larger amount of movement generates a greater voltage as compared to a smaller amount of movement.

7. The device of claim 6, wherein the component is configured to:

generate a first voltage in response to a first movement, and

generate a second voltage in response to a second movement, and wherein the processing logic is further configured to;

receive information corresponding to the first and second voltages,

perform a first function in response to the first voltage, and

perform a second function in response to the second voltage.

8. The device of claim 1, wherein the processing logic is further configured to determine a state of the device based on the generated voltage and wherein the EAP material comprises Nafion.

9. The device of claim 1, wherein the device comprises a mobile terminal.

10. A method, comprising:

generating, in a device, a voltage in response to movement of a flexible component comprising an electroactive polymer (EAP) material;

detecting the generated voltage; and

performing, by the device, a function based on the detected voltage.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein the device comprises a mobile terminal, the method further comprising:

determining whether the device is open based on the detected voltage; and

at least one of activating a backlight or a keypad based on the determining that the device is open.

12. The method of claim 10, wherein the performing a function comprises at least one of activating a backlight, activating a keypad, activating a button, activating camera functionality or registering an input.

13. The method of claim 10, wherein the generating a voltage comprises:

generating a voltage based on an amount of movement of the flexible component, wherein a larger amount of movement generates a greater voltage as compared to a smaller amount of movement.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein generating a voltage further comprises:

generating a first voltage in response to a first movement of the flexible component, and

generating a second voltage in response to a second movement of the flexible component, the method further comprising;

performing a first function in response to the first voltage, and

performing a second function in response to the second voltage.

15. A device, comprising:

an electroactive polymer (EAP) material configured to generate a voltage in response to movement of the EAP material;

a voltage detector coupled to the EAP material via electrodes, the voltage detector configured to detect voltage generated by the EAP material; and

a processor configured to perform a function based on the detected voltage.

16. The device of claim 15, further comprising:

a hinge coupling an upper portion of the device to a lower portion of the device, wherein at least a portion of the EAP material is disposed in the hinge within a flexible strip,

wherein the processor is further configured to;

determine whether the device is open based on the detected voltage.

17. The device of claim 16, wherein when generating a voltage, the component is configured to:

generate a voltage based on an amount of movement of the EAP material, and wherein the processor is configured to increase the powering of a backlight for the device as the voltage generated by the movement of the EAP material increases.

18. The device of claim 15, wherein when performing a function, the processor is configured to at least one of activate a backlight, activate a keypad, activate a button, activate camera functionality or register an input.

19. The device of claim 15, wherein the EAP material is configured to:

generate a first voltage in response to a first movement of the EAP material, and

generate a second voltage in response to a second movement of the EAP material, and wherein the processor is further configured to;

receive information corresponding to the first and second voltages,

perform a first function in response to the first voltage, and

perform a second function in response to the second voltage.

20. The device of claim 15, wherein the device comprises a mobile device.