Determining Spatial Relationships Between Housings of a Mobile Device

• US 20170257131A1
• Filed: 03/03/2016
• Published: 09/07/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 03/03/2016
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Motorola Mobility LLC (Lenovo Group Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: Motorola Mobility LLC (Lenovo Group Ltd.)
• Inventors: Debates, Scott, Lautner, Douglas A., Shah, Jagatkumar
• Granted Patent: US 10,498,380 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1652 the display being flexible, e.g. mimicking a sheet of paper, or rollable
• 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: H04B 1/3833 Hand-held transceivers
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 1/3888 Arrangements for carrying or protecting transceivers

Abstract

In implementations, a mobile device having a plurality of housings connected, one to another, using a flex structure that is bendable, is configured to determine spatial relationships between the housings. Sensors within the mobile device allow the mobile device to determine the spatial relationships as the mobile device is manipulated via the flex structure.

Claims

1. A mobile device comprising:

a plurality of housings that are connected, one to another, using a flex structure that is bendable to permit the plurality of housings to rotate in relation to each other;

at least one display device disposed over the plurality of housings and the flex structure and configured to bend along with the flex structure;

first and second accelerometers that are disposed at opposing ends of the plurality of housings; and

a module implemented at least partially in hardware, the module configured to determine a spatial relationship of the plurality of housings, one to another, based at least in part on inputs received from the first and second accelerometers.

2. The mobile device as described in claim 1, wherein the module is configured to determine the spatial relationship through comparison of angles detected by respective ones of the first and second accelerometers.

3. The mobile device as described in claim 1, wherein the module is configured to identify an open mode based on the inputs received from the first and second accelerometers that indicate that the plurality of housings are disposed along a single plane.

4. The mobile device as described in claim 1, wherein the module is configured to identify a dock mode based on the inputs received from the first and second accelerometers that indicate that a one of the plurality of housings and a second one of the plurality of housings are normal to each other.

5. The mobile device as described in claim 1, further comprising at least one other sensor and wherein the module is configured to identify a closed mode based on inputs received from the first and second accelerometers that indicate that one of the plurality of housings and a second one of the plurality of housings are parallel to each other and inputs received from the at least one other sensor that indicate that an edge of the one of the plurality of housings is flush with another edge of the second one of the plurality of housings.

6. The mobile device as described in claim 1, further comprising at least one other sensor and wherein the module is configured to identify a glance mode based on inputs received from the first and second accelerometers that indicate that one of the plurality of housings and a second one of the plurality of housings are parallel to each other and inputs received from the at least one other sensor that indicate that an edge of the one of the plurality of housings is offset with respect to another edge of the second one of the plurality of housings effective to expose a portion of a display device of the at least one display device.

7. The mobile device as described in claim 1, further comprising at least one other sensor and wherein the module is configured to identify a productive mode based on inputs received from the first and second accelerometers that indicate that one of the plurality of housings and a second one of the plurality of housings are parallel or have an acute relative angle to each other and inputs received from the at least one other sensor that indicate that an edge of the one of the plurality of housings is offset with respect to another edge of the second one of the plurality of housings effective to expose half of a display device of the at least one display device.

8. The mobile device as described in claim 1, further comprising at least one other sensor;

wherein the module is configured to identify a glance or productive mode based on inputs received from the first and second accelerometers that indicate that one of the plurality of housings and a second one of the plurality of housings are parallel or have an acute relative angle to each other and inputs received from the at least one other sensor that indicate that an edge of the one of the plurality of housings is offset with respect to another edge of the second one of the plurality of housings effective to expose a portion of the at least one display device; and

wherein the mobile device comprises a second display device disposed opposite the at least one display device that is exposed in the glance or productive mode.

9. The mobile device as described in claim 1, further comprising at least one other sensor and wherein the module is configured to verify a spatial relationship of the plurality of housings in relation to each other based at least in part on inputs received from the at least one other sensor.

10. The mobile device as described in claim 9, wherein the at least one other sensor is configured as a proximity sensor, infrared sensor, touch input sensor, or magnetometer.

11. The mobile device as described in claim 1, wherein the flex structure is formed as part of the plurality of housings wherein the plurality of housings are bendable at a plurality of different locations to permit the rotation.

16. The mobile device as described in claim 11, further comprising at least one other sensor and wherein the module is configured to identify another spatial relationship based on a combination of inputs received from the at least one other sensor and the inputs received from the magnetometer, the other spatial relationship not determinable by the inputs received from the magnetometer alone.

17. The mobile device as described in claim 16, wherein the at least one other sensor is configured as a proximity sensor, infrared sensor, touch input sensor, or accelerometer.

12. A mobile device comprising:

a plurality of housings that are connected, one to another, using a flex structure that is bendable to permit the plurality of housings to rotate in relation to each other;

at least one display device disposed over the plurality of housings and the flex structure and configured to bend along with the flex structure;

a magnetometer and a magnetometer reference that are disposed at opposing ends of the plurality of housings; and

a module implemented at least partially in hardware, the module configured to determine a spatial relationship of the plurality of housings, one to another, based at least in part on inputs received from the magnetometer.

13. The mobile device as described in claim 12, wherein the module is configured to determine the spatial relationship through a feedback reading of the magnetometer reference detected by the magnetometer.

14. The mobile device as described in claim 12, wherein the module is configured to identify an open mode based on the inputs received from the magnetometer that indicate that the plurality of housings are disposed along a single plane.

15. The mobile device as described in claim 12, wherein the module is configured to identify a closed mode based on the inputs received from the magnetometer that indicate that a one of the plurality of housings and a second one of the plurality of housings are parallel to each other and that an edge of the one of the plurality of housings is flush with another edge of the second one of the plurality of housings.

18. A mobile device comprising:

a plurality of housings that are connected, one to another, using a flex structure that is bendable to permit the plurality of housings to rotate in relation to each other;

at least one display device disposed over the plurality of housings and the flex structure and configured to bend along with the flex structure;

a plurality of sensors; and

a module implemented at least partially in hardware, the module configured to;

determine a spatial relationship of the plurality of housings, one to another, based on inputs received from at least one sensor of the plurality of sensors;

verify the spatial relationship of the plurality of housings, one to another, based on inputs received from at least one other sensor of the plurality of sensors;

determine a mode of the mobile device responsive to the verification of the spatial relationship; and

select a display mode for the at least one display device based upon the determined mode.

19. The mobile device as described in claim 18, wherein the at least one sensor includes two accelerometers disposed at opposing ends of the plurality of housings and wherein the module is configured to determine the spatial relationship through comparison of angles detected by the two accelerometers.

20. The mobile device as described in claim 19, wherein the at least one other sensor is configured as a proximity sensor, infrared sensor, touch input sensor, or magnetometer.