IP Library Granted Patent US 10,365,098
Granted Patent B2
US 10,365,098 · App. 15/751,755 · Granted Jul 30, 2019

Terminal device

Inventors: Quancheng Han (Shenzhen, CN); Wei Wang (Beijing, CN); Baicai Wang (Beijing, CN); Zhengping Tan (Beijing, CN)
Assignee: HUAWEI TECHNOLOGIES CO., LTD.
G01B21/22G06F1/1686H01R13/6205H01R35/04H04M1/0264H04M1/24H04N5/2252H04N5/2253H04M2250/20H04N5/2251
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 10,365,098
App. No.
15/751,755
Granted
Jul 30, 2019
Kind
B2
Abstract

A terminal device having a rotatable image capture component, including a magnetic body and a sensor. A change in the magnetic flux caused by rotation of the magnetic body is identified by the sensor, and used to identify whether the image capture component is in a front-facing state or a rear-facing state. The magnetic body is mounted in a connector of the image capture component or at an end of the connector. The sensor is mounted on a circuit board using a bottom surface perpendicular to a Z-axis of the sensor. When the image capture component is at a front-facing position and a rear-facing position, an angle between a connection line, which connects a south pole and a north pole of the magnetic body, and a radial line of an image capture unit included in the image capture component is less than a preset value in a rotation direction.

Claims (28)

1. A terminal device, comprising:

a device housing;

a circuit board disposed in the device housing;

an image capture component comprising an image capture circuit configured to capture image data, wherein an end of the image capture component has a connector, wherein the connector is pivotally coupled to the device housing, and wherein the image capture component is rotatable between a rear-facing position and a front-facing position relative to the device housing using the connector;

a magnetic body disposed in the connector or at an end of the connector, wherein the magnetic body comprises a south pole and a north pole;

a sensor mounted on the circuit board and disposed proximate to the magnetic body and is configured to:

sense magnetic flux generated when the magnetic body is rotated; and

output a preset signal based on the magnetic flux; and

a processor electrically coupled to the image capture component and the sensor and configured to determine, according to the preset signal output by the sensor, whether the image capture component is in a rear-facing state or a front-facing state,

wherein a first output terminal of the sensor is configured to output a first level when the magnetic flux generated by the magnetic body is greater than or equal to a first threshold, the processor is further configured to determine that the image capture component is in the front-facing state when identifying the first level output by the first output terminal of the sensor, and

wherein a second output terminal of the sensor is configured to output a second level when the magnetic flux generated by the magnetic body is less than or equal to a second threshold, wherein the first threshold is greater than the second threshold, the processor is further configured to determine that the image capture component is in the rear-facing state when identifying the second level output by the second output terminal of the sensor.

2. The terminal device according to claim 1 , wherein when the image capture component is in the front-facing state, the processor is further configured to provide an image-rotating instruction.

3. The terminal device according to claim 1 , wherein the sensor comprises a bipolar Hall sensor.

4. The terminal device according to claim 1 , wherein the sensor is mounted on the circuit board using a pad.

5. A camera state switching method, applied to a terminal device having a camera, comprising:

sensing, using a sensor, magnetic flux generated when a magnetic body is rotated, wherein the terminal device further comprises a device housing, an image capture component, the magnetic body, and the sensor, wherein the image capture component comprises an image capture circuit configured to capture image data, wherein an end of the image capture component has a connector pivotally coupled to the device housing, wherein the image capture component is rotatable between a rear-facing position and a front-facing position relative to the device housing using the connector, wherein the magnetic body is disposed in the connector or at an end of the connector;

outputting, by a first output terminal of the sensor, a first level when the magnetic flux generated by the magnetic body is greater than or equal to a first threshold;

determining that the image capture component is in a front-facing state when the first output terminal of the sensor outputs the first level;

outputting, by a second output terminal of the sensor, a second level when the magnetic flux generated by the magnetic body is greater than or equal to a second threshold, wherein the first threshold is greater than the second threshold; and

determining that the image capture component is in a rear-facing state when the second output terminal of the sensor outputs the second level.

6. The method according to claim 5 , further comprising providing an image-rotating instruction when the image capture component is in the front-facing state.

7. A computer program product comprising a non-transitory computer readable storage medium storing one or more programs which when executed by a terminal device having a camera, cause a method that comprises:

sensing, using a sensor, magnetic flux generated when a magnetic body is rotated, wherein the terminal device further comprises a device housing, an image capture component, the magnetic body, and the sensor, wherein the image capture component comprises an image capture circuit configured to capture image data, wherein an end of the image capture component has a connector pivotally coupled to the device housing, wherein the image capture component is rotatable between a rear-facing position and a front-facing position relative to the device housing using the connector, wherein the magnetic body is disposed in the connector or at an end of the connector;

outputting, by a first output terminal of the sensor, a first level when the magnetic flux generated by the magnetic body is greater than or equal to a first threshold;

determining that the image capture component is in a front-facing state when the first output terminal of the sensor outputs the first level;

outputting, by a second output terminal of the sensor, a second level when the magnetic flux generated by the magnetic body is greater than or equal to a second threshold, wherein the first threshold is greater than the second threshold; and

determining that the image capture component is in a rear-facing state when the second output terminal of the sensor outputs the second level.

8. The computer program product according to claim 7 , further comprising providing an image-rotating instruction when the image capture component is in the front-facing state.

Assignments (2)
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Apr 13, 2021
From: HUAWEI TECHNOLOGIES CO., LTD.
To: HONOR DEVICE CO., LTD.
Reel/Frame 055919/0344 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Mar 12, 2018
From: HAN, QUANCHENG; WANG, WEI; WANG, BAICAI; TAN, ZHENGPING
To: HUAWEI TECHNOLOGIES CO., LTD.
Reel/Frame 045176/0625 →
Priority Claims (1)
CN 2015 1 0487748 · Aug 10, 2015 · national
Continuity (1)
Related Publication 20180238684A1 · Aug 23, 2018