Detecting closure of an electronic device using capacitive sensors

• US 8,149,000 B2
• Filed: 10/11/2007
• Issued: 04/03/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 08/31/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Microchip Technology Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Standard Microsystems Corporation (Microchip Technology Incorporated)
• Inventors: Harris, Ian F., Dutton, Drew J., Gay, Kenneth W.
• Primary Examiner(s): Valone, Thomas F.
• Application Number:
  US11/870,529
• Publication Number:
  US 20090058429A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,636 Days
• Field of Search: 324/661
• US Class Current: 324/661
• 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: H03K 17/975 using a capacitive movable element
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/0245 using open/close detection
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2250/12 including a sensor for measuring a physical value, e.g. temperature or motion telephones including GPS signal receivers H04M2250/10
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 52/0251 using monitoring of local events, e.g. events related to user activity
• CPC Class Codes: Y02D 30/70 in wireless communication networks

Abstract

System and method for determining closure of an electronic device. The electronic device may include a top portion and a bottom portion, and may be connecting via a hinge or other closing mechanism. The top portion and/or the bottom portion may include one or more capacitive sensors which provide signals corresponding to physical contact and a controller coupled to the one or more capacitive sensors. The controller may operate to receive the signals from the one or more capacitive sensors, determine if the electronic device has been closed based on the received signals, and initiate a sequence of events corresponding to the closure of the electronic device. The sequence of events may result in the device entering a low power state.

Claims

1. A mobile computer, comprising:

a top portion, comprising a lid of the mobile computer;

a bottom portion, wherein the top portion and the bottom portion are connected using a hinge connected to both the top portion and the bottom portion, such that the top portion and the bottom portion come in full contact when the mobile computer is closed and do not come in full contact when the mobile computer is open, and wherein when closed, an interior of the top portion and the bottom portion cannot be viewed and the mobile computer takes on a smaller and more mobile configuration;

wherein the top portion and/or the bottom portion comprise;

one or more capacitive sensors which provide signals corresponding to physical contact; and

a controller coupled to the one or more capacitive sensors, wherein the controller is configured to;

receive the signals from the one or more capacitive sensors;

determine if the mobile computer has been closed based on the received signals from the one or more capacitive sensors; and

perform a sequence of events corresponding to the closure of the mobile computer in response to determining that the mobile computer has been closed, wherein the sequence of events results in the mobile computer entering a low power state.

2. The mobile computer of claim 1, wherein the mobile computer comprises a laptop computer, wherein the top portion comprises a display, and wherein the bottom portion comprises a keyboard.

3. The mobile computer of claim 1, wherein the top portion comprises at least one capacitive sensor of the one or more capacitive sensors.

4. The mobile computer of claim 3, wherein the bottom portion comprises a corresponding material for the at least one capacitive sensor, wherein the at least one capacitive sensor and the material are proximate to each other when the mobile computer is closed, and wherein the at least one capacitive sensor is operable to provide a unique signal when the device is closed due to the proximity of the material.

5. The mobile computer of claim 1, wherein the bottom portion comprises at least one capacitive sensor of the one or more capacitive sensors.

6. The mobile computer of claim 5, wherein the top portion comprises a corresponding material for the at least one capacitive sensor, wherein the at least one capacitive sensor and the material are proximate to each other when the mobile computer is closed, and wherein the at least one capacitive sensor is operable to provide a unique signal when the device is closed due to the proximity of the material.

7. The mobile computer of claim 1, wherein the top portion comprises a first capacitive sensor of the one or more capacitive sensors and the bottom portion comprises a second capacitive sensor of the one or more capacitive sensors, wherein the first capacitive sensor and the second capacitive sensor are proximate to each other when the mobile computer is closed, and wherein at least one of the first and the second capacitive sensor is operable to provide a unique signal when the device is closed due to the proximity of the corresponding first or second capacitive sensor.

8. The mobile computer of claim 1, wherein at least one of the one or more capacitive sensors comprises a human interface device.

9. The mobile computer of claim 1, wherein at least one of the one or more capacitive sensors comprises a touch interface.

10. A method for detecting closure of a mobile computer, comprising:

receiving signals from one or more capacitive sensors comprised in the mobile computer, wherein the signals correspond to detection of physical contact, wherein the mobile computer comprises a top portion and a bottom portion connected using a hinge, wherein the top portion comprises a lid of the mobile computer, wherein, when the mobile computer is closed, the top portion and the bottom portion are in full contact, an interior of the top portion and the bottom portion cannot be viewed, and the mobile computer takes on a smaller and more mobile configuration, and wherein, when the mobile computer is open, the top portion and the bottom portion are not in full contact;

determining if the mobile computer has been closed based on the received signals from the one or more capacitive sensors; and

performing a sequence of events corresponding to the closure of the mobile computer in response to determining that the mobile computer has been closed, wherein the sequence of events results in the mobile computer entering a low power state.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein the mobile computer comprises a laptop computer.

12. The method of claim 10, wherein at least one of the one or more capacitive sensors are comprised in the top portion of the mobile computer.

13. The method of claim 10, wherein the at least one of the one or more capacitive sensors are comprised in the bottom portion of the mobile computer.

14. The method of claim 10, wherein at least one of the one or more capacitive sensors comprises a human interface device.

15. The method of claim 10, wherein at least one of the one or more capacitive sensors comprises a touch interface.

16. A mobile computer, comprising:

a top portion, comprising a lid of the mobile computer;

a bottom portion, wherein the top portion and the bottom portion are connected using a hinge connected to both the top portion and the bottom portion, such that the top portion and the bottom portion come in full contact when the mobile computer is closed and do not come in full contact when the mobile computer is open, and wherein when closed, an interior of the top portion and the bottom portion cannot be viewed and the mobile computer takes on a smaller and more mobile configuration;

wherein the top portion and/or the bottom portion comprise one or more capacitive sensors which provide signals corresponding to physical contact;

wherein the signals provided by the capacitive sensors are used to determine if the mobile computer has been closed.