IP Library Granted Patent US 9,965,022
Granted Patent B2
US 9,965,022 · App. 14/792,202 · Granted May 8, 2018

Accelerometer based Hall effect sensor filtering for computing devices

Inventor: David Ness Schneider (Sunnyvale, CA)
Assignee: Google LLC
G06F1/3287G01B5/24G01D5/142G06F1/1677G06F1/3231
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 9,965,022
App. No.
14/792,202
Granted
May 8, 2018
Kind
B2
Abstract

In one general aspect, a method can include receiving, from a magnetic sensor included in a housing of a computing device, an indication of a change of state of the magnetic sensor, obtaining, subsequent to receiving the indication of the change of state of the magnetic sensor, first data from a first accelerometer included in a lid portion of the computing device, obtaining, subsequent to receiving the indication of the change of state of the magnetic sensor, second data from a second accelerometer included in a base portion of the computing device. The base portion and the lid portion can be connected by a hinge about which the lid portion is configured to rotate relative to the base portion between an open state and a closed state. The method can include determining whether the computing device is being closed based on analyzing the first data and the second data.

Claims (59)

1. A method comprising:

receiving, from a magnetic sensor included in a housing of a computing device, an output indicating a triggering of the magnetic sensor, the triggering indicating a possible transitioning of the computing device from an open state to a closed state, the magnetic sensor configured to change state from a first operating mode to a second operating mode based on a voltage measured across two faces of the magnetic sensor, the measured voltage indicative of a distance between the magnetic sensor and a magnet included in the housing of the computing device;

in response to receiving the output indicating the triggering of the magnetic sensor:

obtaining first data from a first accelerometer included in a lid portion of the computing device;

obtaining second data from a second accelerometer included in a base portion of the computing device, the base portion and the lid portion being connected by a hinge about which the lid portion is configured to rotate relative to the base portion between the open state and the closed state;

calculating a value for an orientation angle of the lid portion with respect to the base portion using the first data and the second data; and

confirming that the computing device is being transitioned from the open state to the closed state based on determining that the value for the orientation angle of the lid portion relative to the base portion is less than or equal to a threshold value for the orientation angle; and

based on confirming that the computing device is being transitioned from the open state to the closed state, transitioning the computing device from a first power mode to a second power mode.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the magnetic sensor is a Hall effect sensor.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein the second power mode is a lower power mode than the first power mode.

4. The method of claim 3 , wherein the second power mode is one of a sleep mode or a hibernate mode.

5. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:

determining that the lid portion of the computing device is not being rotated relative to the base portion of the computing device from the open state to the closed state based on the calculated value for the orientation angle; and

not confirming that the computing device is being transitioned from the open state to the closed state based on determining that the output received from the magnetic sensor has not changed and based on determining that the lid portion of the computing device is being rotated relative to the base portion of the computing device from the open state to the closed state.

6. The method of claim 1 ,

wherein the first data is a lid accelerometer vector for the lid accelerometer,

wherein the second data is a base accelerometer vector for the base accelerometer, and

wherein calculating the value for the orientation angle of the lid portion relative to the base portion is based on the lid accelerometer vector and the base accelerometer vector.

7. The method of claim 6 , further comprising:

not confirming that the computing device is being transitioned from the open state to the closed state based on determining that the output received from the magnetic sensor has not changed and based on determining that the value of the orientation angle is greater than the threshold value for the orientation angle.

8. A non-transitory, machine-readable medium having instructions stored thereon, the instructions, when executed by a processor, cause a computing device to:

receive, from a magnetic sensor included in a housing of a computing device, an output indicating a triggering of the magnetic sensor, the triggering indicating a possible transitioning of the computing device from an open state to a closed state, the magnetic sensor configured to change state from a first operating mode to a second operating mode based on a voltage measured across two faces of the magnetic sensor, the measured voltage indicative of a distance between the magnetic sensor and a magnet included in the housing of the computing device;

in response to receiving the output indicating the triggering of the magnetic sensor:

obtain first data from a first accelerometer included in a lid portion of the computing device;

obtain second data from a second accelerometer included in a base portion of the computing device, the base portion and the lid portion being connected by a hinge about which the lid portion is configured to rotate relative to the base portion between the open state and the closed state;

calculate a value for an orientation angle of the lid portion with respect to the base portion using the first data and the second data; and

confirm that the computing device is being transitioned from the open state to the closed state based on determining that the value for the orientation angle of the lid portion with respect to the base portion is not less than a threshold value; and

based on confirming that the computing device is being transitioned from the open state to the closed state, transitioning the computing device from a first power mode to a second power mode.

9. The medium of claim 8 , wherein the magnetic sensor is a Hall effect sensor.

10. The medium of claim 8 , wherein the second power mode is a lower power mode that the first power mode.

11. The medium of claim 10 , wherein the second power mode is one of a sleep mode or a hibernate mode.

12. The medium of claim 8 , wherein the instructions, when executed by the processor, further cause the computing device to:

determine that the lid portion of the computing device is not being rotated relative to the base portion of the computing device from the open state to the closed state based on the calculated value for the orientation angle; and

not confirm that the computing device is being transitioned from the open state to the closed state based on determining that the output received from the magnetic sensor has not changed and based on determining that the lid portion of the computing device is not being rotated relative to the base portion of the computing device from the open state to the closed state.

13. The medium of claim 8 ,

wherein the first data is a lid accelerometer vector for the lid accelerometer,

wherein the second data is a base accelerometer vector for the base accelerometer, and

wherein calculating the value for the orientation angle of the lid portion relative to the base portion is based on the lid accelerometer vector and the base accelerometer vector.

14. The medium of claim 13 , wherein the instructions, when executed by the processor, further cause the computing device to:

not confirm that the computing device is being transitioned from the open state to the closed state based on determining that the output received from the magnetic sensor has not changed and based on determining that the value of the orientation angle is greater than the threshold value for the orientation angle.

15. A computing device comprising:

a lid portion;

a base portion;

a magnet;

a magnetic sensor including two faces, the magnetic sensor configured to change state from a first operating mode to a second operating mode based on a voltage measured across the two faces, the measured voltage indicative of a distance between the magnetic sensor and the magnet;

a lid accelerometer configured to measure acceleration and orientation associated with the lid portion of the computing device;

a base accelerometer configured to measure acceleration and orientation associated with the base portion of the computing device; and

a controller configured to:

determine that the magnetic sensor has triggered, the triggering indicating a possible transitioning of the computing device from an open state to a closed state; and subsequent to determining that the magnetic sensor has triggered:

calculate a value for an orientation angle of the lid portion with respect to the base portion using data received from the lid accelerometer and the base accelerometer;

confirm that the computing device is transitioning from the open state to the closed state based on determining that the value of the orientation angle is equal to or less than a threshold value for the orientation angle; and

transition the computing device from a first power state to a second power state based on confirming the transitioning of the computing device from the open state to the closed state.

16. The computing device of claim 15 , wherein the magnetic sensor is a Hall effect sensor.

17. The computing device of claim 15 ,

wherein the first power state is a full power state; and

wherein the second power state is one of a sleep mode or a hibernate mode.

18. The computing device of claim 15 , wherein the controller is further configured to, subsequent to determining that the magnetic sensor has triggered:

not confirm that the computing device is transitioning from the open state to the closed state based on determining that the value of the orientation angle is greater than the threshold value for the orientation angle; and

not transition the computing device from a first power state to a second power state based on not confirming the transitioning of the computing device from the open state to the closed state.

Assignments (2)
CHANGE OF NAME Recorded Oct 5, 2017
From: GOOGLE INC.
To: GOOGLE LLC
Reel/Frame 044129/0001 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Oct 7, 2015
From: SCHNEIDER, DAVID NESS
To: GOOGLE INC.
Reel/Frame 036746/0327 →
Continuity (1)
Related Publication 20170010657A1 · Jan 12, 2017