Source: https://patents.justia.com/patent/8289115
Timestamp: 2019-11-12 03:20:57
Document Index: 671966729

Matched Legal Cases: ['Application No. 61', 'Application No. 61', 'Application No. 202011101534', 'Application No. 2011122000403290', 'Application No. 2011070100483440', 'Application No. 2011201090', 'Application No. 10', 'Application No. 201120086053', 'Application No. 100204174', 'Application No. 100217428', 'Application No. 2', 'Application No. 201101971', 'Application No. 2011201089']

US Patent for Sensor fusion Patent (Patent # 8,289,115 issued October 16, 2012) - Justia Patents Search
Justia Patents Combined With Diverse-type Art DeviceUS Patent for Sensor fusion Patent (Patent # 8,289,115)
Feb 28, 2011 - Apple
This U.S. patent application claims priority under 35 U.S.C. 119(e) to (i) U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 61/384,179, filed Sep. 17, 2010 and entitled “Apparatus and Method for Magnetic Attachment” by Lauder et al., and (ii) U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 61/438,220, filed Jan. 31, 2011 and entitled “Magnetic Attachment Unit and Methods of Use” by Lauder et al., each of which are incorporated by reference in their entirety for all purposes. This application is also related to U.S. patent application Ser. No. 12/971,411, filed Dec. 17, 2010 and entitled “Foldable Accessory Device” by Lauder et. al. also incorporated by reference in its entirety for all purposes.
In one embodiment, an ambient light sensor (ALS) can be queried by the electronic device. The ALS can include a photosensitive circuit (such as a photodiode) that can respond to varying levels of incident light, typically in the form of ambient light. In one embodiment, the ALS can detect ambient light. The ALS can, however, be configured to respond to the detection of the ambient light in many ways. For example, the ALS can respond by providing a signal whenever the photosensitive circuit within the ALS detects an amount (i.e., intensity) of ambient light greater than a pre-defined amount of ambient light. In other words, the threshold amount of ambient light can be a defined threshold level. For example, a threshold amount of “x” lumens can represent an amount of ambient light consistent with the protective cover being in a closed configuration where the value “x” takes into account light leaking in from around the edges of the protective cover. Of course, the threshold amount of ambient light can be set to any amount deemed appropriate. For example, in some cases where the electronic device is in bright environment such as daylight, the amount of light leakage can be much higher than would be expected in darker conditions. Therefore, the amount of light leaking around the edges of the protective cover can be substantially greater and therefore, the threshold amount of light consistent with the protective cover being in the closed configuration can increased to take this fact into account.
In another embodiment, the threshold amount can be consistent with a differential change in ambient light detected by the photosensitive circuit in the ALS. For example, in those situations where electronic device is in a bright environment (such as outdoors in daylight), there can be substantial amount of light leakage when the protective cover is in fact closed. However, in order to reduce uncertainties related to just how much light leakage there really is, the ALS can be configured to provide a signal based upon a differential change in the amount of light detected by the photosensitive circuit within the ALS. For example, when the protective cover is open, the ALS can detect an amount of light represented by “y1” lumens. However, when the protective cover is closed, the amount of light detected by the photosensitive circuit in the ALS can change from “y1” to “y2” lumens. Only in those situations where the difference in the amount of light detected (i.e., Δy=abs (y1−y2)) is greater than a predetermined value, will the ALS provide the appropriate signal indicating that the protective cover is in the closed configuration. The advantage to this approach lies in the fact that light leakage values are difficult to deduce and therefore by relying upon a well-defined change in detected ambient light a more accurate and robust indication of the status of the protective cover in relation to the electronic device can be forthcoming.
It should also be noted that magnetic materials included in the protective cover can affect the performance of the magnetometer such as the onboard compass. In particular, the basic operations of the onboard compass (embodied as instructions executable by a processor or other appropriate circuit) can be altered by the presence of the magnetic materials in the protective cover. In particular, the motion of the protective cover can be detected by the onboard compass as a change in magnetic field strength and direction that can result in an “error” since the onboard compass will experience a dynamic offset based upon the positional change in the protective cover. For example, when the cover is going from the open to closed configuration, the dynamic offset at the onboard compass can increase due to the fact that the magnetic elements within the protective cover are moving closer to the magnetometer and are therefore inducing a greater offset value in the readings of the onboard compass (of course, just the opposite occurs when the cover status changes from closed to open).
The remainder of this discussion will describe particular embodiments of devices that can use the magnetic attachment system. In particular, FIG. 2A and FIG. 2B show electronic device 100 presented in terms of tablet device 100 and accessory device 200 is shown as protective cover 200 each in perspective top views. These elements may generally correspond to any of those previously mentioned. In particular, FIGS. 2A and 2B shows two perspective views of tablet device 100 and protective cover 200 in the open configuration. For example, FIG. 2A shows device attachment feature 108 included in tablet device 100 and its relationship to tablet device 100. FIG. 2B, on the other hand, is the view presented in FIG. 2A rotated about 180° to provide a second view of attachment feature 202 and its relationship with protective cover 200.
In one embodiment, flap 202 can include RFID device 210 that can be used to identify protective cover 200. In particular, when protective cover 200 is in the closed configuration, flap 202 can be in contact with cover glass 106 thereby allowing a RFID sensor within tablet device 100 to “read” RFID device 210. In this way not only can the indication from Hall Effect sensor 120 be corroborated, but an identification of protective cover 200 can also be performed.
In order to transition from the closed to the open configuration, releasing force Frelease can be applied to flap 202. Releasing force Frelease can overcome the magnetic attractive force between attachment feature 207 in flap 202 and attachment feature 110 in tablet device 100. Hence, protective cover 200 can be secured to tablet device 100 until releasing force Frelease is applied to flap 202. In this way, flap 202 can be used to protect cover glass 106. For example, protective cover 200 can be magnetically attached to tablet device 100. Flap 202 can then be placed upon and magnetically secured to cover glass 106 by the magnetic interaction between magnetic attachment feature 20 and 207. Flap 202 can be detached from cover glass 106 by the application of releasing force Frelease directly to flap 202. Releasing force Frelease can overcome the magnetic attraction between magnetic attachment features 20 and 207. Hence, flap 202 can then move away from cover glass 106 unhindered.
Due to the ability of segmented body 302 to fold and more particularly the various segments to fold with respect to each other, most of magnetic elements 322 can be used to magnetically interact with magnetically active insert 324 embedded in insert 318. By magnetically binding both active insert 324 and magnetic elements 322 various support structures can be formed some of which can be triangular in shape. The triangular support structures can aid in the use of tablet device 1100. For example, one triangular support structure can be used to support tablet device 1100 in such a way that visual content can be presented at a desirable viewing angle of about 75° from horizontal. However, in order be able to appropriately fold segmented cover 300, segment 308 can be sized to be somewhat larger than segments 304, 306 and 310 (which are generally the same size). In this way, the segments can form a triangle having two equal sides and a longer third side, the triangle having an interior angle of about 75°.
FIGS. 5A and 5B illustrate representative magnetic interaction between onboard compass 118 and magnetic elements 207 and 209 in flap 202. For the remainder of this discussion, for sake of clarity, magnetic elements 207 and 209 are presumed as a combined magnetic element ME located distance r from onboard compass 118. In the open configuration, distance r is a fixed distance Ropen, whereas in the closed configuration distance r is a fixed distance Rclosed. Accordingly, onboard compass 118 can detect magnetic flux density M emanating from combined magnetic element ME according to Eq. (1):
M(r)=BME/r2 Eq. (1)
BME is magnetic flux density of combined magnetic element ME (Tesla); and
r is distance between combined magnetic element ME and onboard compass 118.
Accordingly, in the open configuration, onboard compass 118 can detect a magnetic flux density according to Eq. (2):
Mopen=BME/Ropen2 Eq. (2).
Whereas, in the closed configuration, onboard compass 118 can detect a magnetic flux density according to Eq. (3):
Mclosed=BME/Rclosed2 Eq. (3).
However, since distance r between combined magnetic element ME and onboard compass 118 varies with pivot angle Θ, a change in magnetic flux density M detected by onboard compass 118 can provide an estimation of the movement of flap 202 about pivot line 211. In this way, by modeling the motion of flap 202 about pivot line 211, motion of flap 202 can be deduced by evaluating the change of the magnetic flux density M of combined magnetic element ME detected by compass 118 according to Eq. (4):
M(Θ)=BME/r(Θ)2 Eq. (4)
where: 0≦Θ≦π.
Since tablet device 100 cannot detect the pivoting angle Θ directly, an indirect determination can be obtained using an accelerometer and gyroscope (not shown) included in tablet device 100. The accelerometer and gyroscope can provide a spatial orientation of tablet device 100 and onboard compass 118 can detect an overall magnetic flux density (including magnetic offsets shown in FIGS. 6A and 6B) that can be compared to the dynamic model to deduce if flap 202 is rotating about pivot line 211.
1. A method of continuously monitoring by a tablet device pivotally attached to a cover, a pivot angle of the cover in relation to the tablet device, the cover comprising a magnet, the tablet device comprising a processor coupled to which is a display having a top protective layer, a magnetic sensor configured to detect a magnetic field from the magnet through the top protective layer, and an inertial system configured to determine a spatial orientation of the tablet with respect to an inertial reference frame, in a closed configuration the pivot angle is 0 radians and the magnetic sensor is substantially co-planar with the magnet and separated by a first distance R0 and detects a first magnetic field value propagating through the top protective layer from the magnet, and in an open configuration, the pivot angle is it radians and the magnetic sensor is substantially coplanar with the sensor and separated by a second distance R1, and detects a second magnetic field value propagating from the magnet, the second distance R1 being greater than first distance R0, the method comprising: sensing a current magnetic field value from the magnet by the magnetic sensor; determining a relative magnetic field value by comparing the current magnetic field value to the first and second magnetic field values; determining a current spatial orientation of the tablet device with respect to the inertial reference frame by the inertial system; adjusting the relative magnetic field value in accordance with the current spatial orientation; and providing a current pivot angle in accordance with the adjusted relative magnetic field value.
2. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein the magnetic sensor is a magnetometer.
3. The method as recited in claim 2, the cover further comprising a first magnetic attachment unit.
4. The method as recited in claim 3, the tablet device further comprising a second magnetic attachment unit, the first and second magnetic attachment units configured to generate a mutual magnetic attachment force of sufficient strength to pivotally attach the tablet device and the cover.
5. The method as recited in claim 4, wherein the magnetometer detects a magnetic offset value in accordance with the mutual magnetic attachment force.
6. The method as recited in claim 5, wherein the processor determines that the cover and the tablet device are magnetically attached to each other when the processor receives an indication that the magnetometer has detected the magnetic offset value.
7. The method as recited in claim 2, wherein the magnetometer is a compass.
8. The method as recited in claim 7, further comprising compensating for a moving cover magnetic offset at the compass induced by the magnet as the cover moves.
9. The method as recited in claim 8, wherein the compensating for the moving cover magnetic offset comprises: determining a horizontal component of an external magnetic field; and using the horizontal component to estimate a maximum change in a magnetic compass heading induced by the relative change in position of the cover in relation to the tablet device.
10. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein the inertial system is an accelerometer coupled to the processor.
11. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein the inertial system is a gyroscope coupled to the processor.
12. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein the inertial system comprises an accelerometer and a gyroscope each coupled to the processor.
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Patent Publication Number: 20120072167
Inventors: Michael A. Cretella, Jr. (San Francisco, CA), Venu Madhav Duggineni (Santa Clara, CA), Michael Man-Cheung Eng (San Jose, CA), Ronald Keryuan Huang (San Jose, CA), Christopher Moore (San Francisco, CA), Christopher T. Mullens (San Francisco, CA)
Application Number: 13/037,271
Current U.S. Class: Combined With Diverse-type Art Device (335/219); Work Or Object Holding Type (335/285); Permanent Magnets (335/302); Enclosed In Flexible Plastic, Cloth Or Tape (335/303); With Flux Leakage-reducing Means (335/304); Plural Magnets (335/306); Permanent Magnet-actuated Switches (335/205); Plural Switches (335/206); Plural Magnets (335/207); Component Mounting Or Support Means (361/807); For Electronic Systems And Devices (361/679.01); Housing Or Mounting Assemblies With Diverse Electrical Components (361/600); Having Magnetic Fastener (24/303); With Cover Convertible To Easel Or Receptacle Support (206/45.2); Pivoted Cover (206/45.23); With Folding Easel Or Receptacle Support (206/45.24); For A Household Appliance (206/320); Having Separate Stand (206/764)
International Classification: H01F 7/00 (20060101); H01F 1/00 (20060101); H01F 7/02 (20060101); B65D 5/52 (20060101); B65D 25/24 (20060101);