Device power control method, foldable screen device, storage medium, and program product

Abstract

The present application relates to the technical field of terminals, and provides a device power control method, a foldable screen device, a storage medium, and a program product. The method is applied to a foldable device comprising at least two capacitive sensors, and comprises: in a scenario where a foldable device starts to fold, if the capacitance values measured by all the capacitive sensors are greater than or equal to a second preset trigger threshold, the foldable device determines that the device is in a fully folded state, and the foldable device performs capacitance calibration on at least two capacitive sensors so as to eliminate the impacts of proximity of frames to sensing objects. The method can ensure that capacitance calibration is triggered after a foldable device is actually in a fully folded state to so as to eliminate impacts of metal frames, thereby preventing early calibration from affecting subsequent operations, thus ensuring the accuracy of device power control and improving the communication capability of devices.

Description

Device power control methods, foldable screen devices, storage media and software products

[0001] This application claims priority to Chinese Patent Application No. 202510242506.1, filed with the State Intellectual Property Office of China on February 28, 2025, entitled "Device Power Control Method, Foldable Screen Device, Storage Medium and Program Product", the entire contents of which are incorporated herein by reference. Technical Field

[0002] This application relates to the field of terminal technology, and in particular to a device power control method, a foldable screen device, a storage medium, and a program product. Background Technology

[0003] With the development of electronic device technology, users are increasingly using mobile phones, tablets, and other electronic devices. At the same time, the product forms of electronic devices are also becoming more diverse, including foldable and non-foldable devices. In some cases, electronic devices are equipped with capacitive sensors to detect human proximity and trigger power reduction to decrease the impact of radiation on the human body.

[0004] However, for foldable electronic devices, the metal frame of the device increases capacitance when folded, which can easily affect the accuracy of capacitive sensors in sensing the human body, leading to a decrease in the accuracy of device power control and a reduction in device communication capabilities. Summary of the Invention

[0005] This application provides a device power control method, a foldable screen device, a storage medium, and a program product to avoid the influence of the metal frame of the foldable device, thereby improving the accuracy of device power control and enhancing device communication capabilities.

[0006] To achieve the above objectives, the embodiments of this application adopt the following technical solutions:

[0007] In a first aspect, a device power control method is provided, applied to a foldable device. The foldable device includes at least two capacitive sensors, with the sensing elements of the capacitive sensors disposed within the frame of the foldable device. When a capacitively loaded object approaches the sensing element of a capacitive sensor, the capacitance value of the capacitive sensor increases. The method includes: after the foldable device begins to fold from a fully unfolded state, if one of the capacitance values ​​detected by the at least two capacitive sensors is greater than or equal to a preset first trigger threshold, the foldable device determines that a human body is approaching and performs power reduction processing; if the capacitance values ​​detected by each capacitive sensor are all greater than or equal to a preset second trigger threshold, the foldable device determines that the device is in a fully folded state, and the foldable device performs capacitance calibration on the at least two capacitive sensors to eliminate the influence of the frame approach sensing element and performs power recovery processing; wherein the second trigger threshold is greater than the first trigger threshold; after capacitance calibration, if one of the capacitance values ​​detected by the at least two capacitive sensors is greater than or equal to the first trigger threshold, the foldable device determines that a human body is approaching and performs power reduction processing.

[0008] In this implementation, by using at least two SAR sensors and multi-level trigger thresholds (i.e., the first trigger threshold and the second trigger threshold) to make decisions, it is possible to ensure that capacitor calibration is triggered only after the foldable device is truly in a fully folded state to eliminate the influence of the metal frame. This also prevents premature capacitor calibration and avoids the foldable device from continuously reducing power and starting from an inaccurate capacitor value after being fully folded, thereby improving the accuracy of device power control and enhancing the device's communication capabilities.

[0009] In one possible implementation of the first aspect, the device power control method further includes: after capacitance calibration, if the capacitance values ​​detected by at least two capacitive sensors are all less than a first trigger threshold, the foldable device determines that a human body is not approaching, and the foldable device does not perform power reduction processing. Thus, while meeting human radiation requirements, the device's communication capabilities are not affected.

[0010] In one possible implementation of the first aspect, the device power control method further includes: after the foldable device begins to fold, if at least two capacitive sensors detect a capacitance value less than a second trigger threshold, the foldable device determines that it is not in a fully folded state, and the foldable device does not perform capacitance calibration. This avoids premature capacitance calibration, thereby preventing the accuracy of device power control and the reduction of device communication capabilities in the fully folded state.

[0011] In one possible implementation of the first aspect, the device power control method further includes: when the foldable device is in its fully deployed state, if at least two capacitive sensors detect a capacitance value greater than or equal to a first trigger threshold, the foldable device performs power reduction processing; when the foldable device is in its fully deployed state, if at least two capacitive sensors detect capacitance values ​​less than the first trigger threshold, the foldable device does not perform power reduction processing. In this implementation, in the fully deployed state, the foldable device normally determines whether to reduce power based on the detected capacitance value and the first trigger threshold to determine whether a human body is approaching, which can meet the relevant requirements for reducing the impact of human radiation when a human body is approaching.

[0012] In one possible implementation of the first aspect, the device power control method further includes: after performing power reduction processing, if the capacitance values ​​detected by each capacitive sensor are all less than a first trigger threshold, the foldable device determines that the human body is far away, and the foldable device performs power recovery processing, thereby ensuring that the device's communication capability is not affected when the human body is not close; after performing power recovery processing, if at least two capacitance values ​​detected by capacitive sensors have a capacitance value greater than or equal to a preset first trigger threshold, the foldable device determines that the human body is close, and the foldable device performs power reduction processing, thereby reducing the impact of human body radiation when the human body is close.

[0013] In one possible implementation of the first aspect, at least two capacitive sensors include a first capacitive sensor and a second capacitive sensor; the sensing elements of the first and second capacitive sensors are disposed on different frames. This avoids the problem of premature capacitance calibration caused by the user holding all the sensing elements during folding, thereby ensuring the accuracy of device power control and not affecting the device's communication capabilities.

[0014] In one possible implementation of the first aspect, the foldable device is a foldable screen device, the display of which can be folded to form a first screen and a second screen; the sensor of the first capacitive sensor is disposed on the first edge of the first screen, and the sensor of the second capacitive sensor is disposed on the second edge of the first screen; or, the sensor of the first capacitive sensor is disposed on the first edge of the second screen, and the sensor of the second capacitive sensor is disposed on the second edge of the second screen.

[0015] In this implementation, since all the sensors are on the same side and in different frames on the same side, the problem of premature capacitor calibration caused by the user holding all the sensors during the folding process can be avoided, regardless of whether the user folds with both hands or one hand. This ensures the accuracy of the device's power control and does not affect the device's communication capabilities.

[0016] In one possible implementation of the first aspect, the first border of the first screen is adjacent to the second border of the first screen; the first border of the second screen is adjacent to the second border of the second screen.

[0017] In one possible implementation of the first aspect, the foldable device is a foldable screen device. The display screen of the foldable screen device can be folded vertically to form a first screen and a second screen. In the fully unfolded state, the first screen and the second screen are arranged in a row. The front-facing camera of the foldable screen device is disposed on the first screen. The sensor of the first capacitive sensor is disposed on the first edge of the first screen, and the sensor of the second capacitive sensor is disposed on the second edge of the first screen; or, one of the sensors of the first capacitive sensor and the second capacitive sensor is disposed on the edge of the first screen, and the other sensor is disposed on the edge of the second screen. In this way, even in the use scenarios of smaller foldable screen devices, the scenario where the user holds all the sensors during the folding process can be avoided as much as possible, so as to ensure the accuracy of capacitive calibration triggering.

[0018] In one possible implementation of the first aspect, at least two capacitive sensors include a first capacitive sensor, a second capacitive sensor, and a third capacitive sensor; the first, second, and third capacitive sensors are not all located on the same frame. In this implementation, when there are three or more sensors, not all of them are located on the same frame, which avoids the scenario where the user holds all the sensors during folding, thus ensuring the accuracy of capacitive calibration triggering.

[0019] In one possible implementation of the first aspect, after the foldable device begins to unfold from its fully folded state, if any of the capacitance values ​​detected by at least two capacitive sensors is less than a third trigger threshold, the foldable device performs capacitance calibration on at least two capacitive sensors to eliminate the influence of the frame being far from the sensor. In this implementation, triggering capacitance calibration upon unfolding ensures that the device can begin human proximity detection from an accurate capacitance value after unfolding, ensuring the accuracy of power control.

[0020] In one possible implementation of the first aspect, the foldable device performs a power reduction process, including: the foldable device reduces the power of the antenna.

[0021] In one possible implementation of the first aspect, the capacitive sensor includes a specific absorption rate sensor.

[0022] In one possible implementation of the first aspect, the foldable device includes a magnetic sensor for detecting when the foldable device begins to fold or unfold.

[0023] Secondly, this application provides a foldable screen device, comprising: at least two capacitive sensors, one or more processors and a memory, the memory being coupled to the processor; the memory storing one or more computer program codes, the computer program codes including computer instructions; when the processor executes the computer instructions, the foldable screen device performs the following steps: after the foldable screen device begins to fold from a fully unfolded state, if one of the capacitance values ​​detected by the at least two capacitive sensors is greater than or equal to a preset first trigger threshold, the foldable screen device determines that a human body is approaching, and the foldable screen device performs power reduction processing; if the capacitance values ​​detected by each capacitive sensor are all greater than or equal to a preset second trigger threshold, the foldable screen device determines that the device is in a fully folded state, the foldable screen device performs capacitance calibration on the at least two capacitive sensors to eliminate the influence of the edge proximity sensor, and performs power recovery processing; wherein, the second trigger threshold is greater than the first trigger threshold; after capacitance calibration, if one of the capacitance values ​​detected by the at least two capacitive sensors is greater than or equal to the first trigger threshold, the foldable screen device determines that a human body is approaching, and the foldable screen device performs power reduction processing.

[0024] In one possible implementation of the second aspect, when the aforementioned computer instructions are executed by the processor, the foldable screen device further performs the following steps: after capacitance calibration, if the capacitance values ​​detected by at least two capacitive sensors are both less than a first trigger threshold, the foldable screen device determines that no human body is approaching, and the foldable screen device does not perform power reduction processing.

[0025] In one possible implementation of the second aspect, when the aforementioned computer instructions are executed by the processor, the foldable screen device further performs the following steps: after the foldable screen device begins to fold, if at least two capacitive sensors detect a capacitance value less than a second trigger threshold, the foldable screen device determines that the device is not in a fully folded state, and the foldable screen device does not perform capacitance calibration.

[0026] In one possible implementation of the second aspect, when the aforementioned computer instructions are executed by the processor, the foldable screen device further performs the following steps: when the foldable screen device is in a fully unfolded state, if at least two capacitive sensors detect a capacitance value greater than or equal to a first trigger threshold, the foldable screen device performs power reduction processing; when the foldable screen device is in a fully unfolded state, if at least two capacitive sensors detect capacitance values ​​less than the first trigger threshold, the foldable screen device does not perform power reduction processing.

[0027] In one possible implementation of the second aspect, when the aforementioned computer instructions are executed by the processor, the foldable screen device further performs the following steps: after performing power reduction processing, if the capacitance values ​​detected by each capacitive sensor are all less than a first trigger threshold, the foldable screen device determines that the human body is moving away, and the foldable screen device performs power recovery processing; after performing power recovery processing, if at least two capacitance values ​​detected by capacitive sensors have a capacitance value greater than or equal to a preset first trigger threshold, the foldable screen device determines that the human body is approaching, and the foldable screen device performs power reduction processing.

[0028] In one possible implementation of the second aspect, at least two capacitive sensors include a first capacitive sensor and a second capacitive sensor; the sensing elements of the first capacitive sensor and the second capacitive sensor are disposed on different borders.

[0029] In one possible implementation of the second aspect, the display screen of the foldable screen device can be folded to form a first screen and a second screen; the sensor of the first capacitive sensor is disposed on the first edge of the first screen, and the sensor of the second capacitive sensor is disposed on the second edge of the first screen; or, the sensor of the first capacitive sensor is disposed on the first edge of the second screen, and the sensor of the second capacitive sensor is disposed on the second edge of the second screen.

[0030] In one possible implementation of the second aspect, the first border of the first screen is adjacent to the second border of the first screen; the first border of the second screen is adjacent to the second border of the second screen.

[0031] In one possible implementation of the second aspect, the display screen of the foldable screen device can be vertically folded to form a first screen and a second screen. In the fully unfolded state, the first screen and the second screen are arranged in a row. The front-facing camera of the foldable screen device is disposed on the first screen. The sensor of the first capacitive sensor is disposed on the first edge of the first screen, and the sensor of the second capacitive sensor is disposed on the second edge of the first screen. Alternatively, one of the sensors of the first capacitive sensor and the second capacitive sensor is disposed on the edge of the first screen, and the other sensor is disposed on the edge of the second screen.

[0032] In one possible implementation of the second aspect, at least two capacitive sensors include a first capacitive sensor, a second capacitive sensor, and a third capacitive sensor; the first capacitive sensor, the second capacitive sensor, and the third capacitive sensor are not all arranged on the same border.

[0033] In one possible implementation of the second aspect, when the aforementioned computer instructions are executed by the processor, the foldable screen device further performs the following steps: after the foldable screen device begins to unfold from a fully folded state, if one of the capacitance values ​​detected by at least two capacitive sensors is less than a third trigger threshold, the foldable screen device performs capacitance calibration on at least two capacitive sensors to eliminate the influence of the frame being far from the sensor.

[0034] Thirdly, this application provides a computer-readable storage medium storing a computer program that, when executed by a processor in an electronic device, causes a foldable device to perform the device power control method described in the first aspect and any possible implementation thereof. The aforementioned foldable device includes a foldable screen device.

[0035] Fourthly, this application provides a computer program product that, when run on a computer, causes the computer to execute the device power control method described in the first aspect and any possible implementation thereof. The computer may be the aforementioned foldable device, which includes a foldable screen device.

[0036] Fifthly, embodiments of this application provide a chip, the chip including a processor, the processor being configured to invoke a computer program in memory to perform the method as described in any one of the first aspects.

[0037] Understandably, the beneficial effects achievable by the foldable screen device of any possible implementation of the second aspect, the computer-readable storage medium of the third aspect, the computer program product of the fourth aspect, and the chip of the fifth aspect can be referred to as the beneficial effects of the first aspect and any possible implementation thereof, which will not be repeated here. Attached Figure Description

[0038] Figure 1 is a product form diagram of a folding machine provided in an embodiment of this application;

[0039] Figure 2 is a product form diagram of a folding machine provided in an embodiment of this application;

[0040] Figure 3 is a product form diagram of a folding machine provided in an embodiment of this application;

[0041] Figure 4 is a schematic diagram of the working principle of a SAR sensor provided in an embodiment of this application;

[0042] Figure 5 is a schematic diagram of a scenario where a capacitor is added to a metal frame according to an embodiment of this application;

[0043] Figure 6 is a trigger curve diagram of a first sensor provided in an embodiment of this application;

[0044] Figure 7 is a schematic diagram of a scenario where a hand-held sensor folds, as provided in an embodiment of this application.

[0045] Figure 8 is a schematic diagram of a scenario where a hand-held sensor folds, as provided in an embodiment of this application.

[0046] Figure 9 is a structural schematic diagram of a foldable device provided in an embodiment of this application;

[0047] Figure 10 is a software structure block diagram of a foldable device provided in an embodiment of this application;

[0048] Figure 11 is a schematic flowchart of a device power control method provided in an embodiment of this application;

[0049] Figure 12 is a schematic diagram of a sensor placement position provided in an embodiment of this application;

[0050] Figure 13 is a schematic diagram of a sensor placement position according to an embodiment of this application;

[0051] Figure 14 is a schematic diagram of a sensor placement position according to an embodiment of this application;

[0052] Figure 15 is a schematic flowchart of a device power control method provided in an embodiment of this application;

[0053] Figure 16 is a schematic diagram of the position of a sensor provided in an embodiment of this application;

[0054] Figure 17 is a schematic diagram of the position of a sensor provided in an embodiment of this application;

[0055] Figure 18 is a schematic flowchart of a device power control method provided in an embodiment of this application;

[0056] Figure 19 is a schematic diagram of the structure of a chip system provided in an embodiment of this application. Detailed Implementation

[0057] The technical solutions of the embodiments of this application will be clearly and completely described below with reference to the accompanying drawings. In the description of the embodiments of this application, the terminology used in the following embodiments is for the purpose of describing specific embodiments only and is not intended to limit the application. Furthermore, to facilitate a clear description of the technical solutions of the embodiments of this application, the terms "first," "second," etc., are used in the embodiments of this application to distinguish identical or similar items with substantially the same function and effect. Those skilled in the art will understand that the terms "first," "second," etc., do not limit the quantity or execution order, and that "first," "second," etc., are not necessarily different. Also, in the description of the embodiments of this application, unless otherwise stated, "multiple" means two or more.

[0058] With the development of electronic device technology, users are increasingly using mobile phones, tablets, and other electronic devices. At the same time, the product forms of electronic devices are also becoming more diverse, including foldable and non-foldable electronic devices. Taking mobile phones as an example, there are foldable and non-foldable mobile phones. In some embodiments, a non-foldable mobile phone can be simply referred to as a candybar phone. A foldable mobile phone can be simply referred to as a foldable phone (or foldable screen phone). Foldable phones, based on the product's size and the different folding methods / directions, can be further distinguished into vertical foldable phones, horizontally inward foldable phones, and horizontally outward foldable phones, etc.

[0059] For example, Figures 1-3 show a product form diagram of a folding machine.

[0060] Figure 1 shows the product form of the horizontal inward folding machine.

[0061] Referring to Figure 1, the horizontally folding machine includes an outer screen and an inner screen. The inner screen is a foldable display screen, which, when folded, forms two display areas: screen A and screen B. The outer screen is located on the back of the inner screen, such as on the back of screen A or screen B. In Figure 1, the outer screen of the folding machine is located on the back of screen B. The form shown in Figure 1 (1) is the fully unfolded state (unfolded state), in which the angle between screen A and screen B is 180 degrees. The form shown in Figure 1 (2) is the semi-folded state (between the unfolded and fully folded states), in which the angle between screen A and screen B is greater than 0 degrees and less than 180 degrees. The form shown in Figure 1 (3) is the fully folded state, in which the angle between screen A and screen B is 0 degrees. In the fully folded state, the inner screen of the folding machine is not visible to the user, i.e., screens A and B are not visible to the user.

[0062] Figure 2 shows the product form of the horizontal outward folding machine.

[0063] Referring to Figure 2, the horizontally outward folding machine includes a foldable display screen, which can be folded to form two display areas, screen A and screen B. The form shown in Figure 2(1) is the fully unfolded state, in which the angle formed by screen A and screen B is equal to 180 degrees. The form shown in Figure 2(2) is the semi-folded state, in which the angle formed by screen A and screen B is greater than 180 degrees. The form shown in Figure 2(3) is the fully folded state, in which the angle formed by the back of screen A and the back of screen B is equal to 0 degrees.

[0064] Figure 3 shows the product form of the vertical folding machine.

[0065] Referring to Figure 3, the vertical folding device also includes an outer screen and an inner screen. The inner screen is a foldable display screen that can be folded to form screen A and screen B. The outer screen is located on the back of screen A or screen B, as shown in Figure 3, where the outer screen is located on the back of screen A. The form shown in Figure 3 (1) is the fully unfolded state, where the angle between screen A and screen B is equal to 180 degrees. The form shown in Figure 3 (2) is the semi-folded state, where the angle between screen A and screen B is greater than 0 degrees and less than 180 degrees. The form shown in Figure 3 (3) is the fully folded state, where the angle between screen A and screen B is equal to 0 degrees, and the inner screen is not visible to the user.

[0066] In some embodiments, screen A and screen B can be two independent displays. In some embodiments, screen A and screen B can also be two display areas formed by folding a single display. For example, the inner screen of a vertically folding machine and the inner screen of a horizontally inward folding machine can be flexible screens that can be folded to form the two display areas, screen A and screen B. Similarly, the display in a horizontally outward folding machine can also be a flexible screen that can be folded to form the two display areas, screen A and screen B.

[0067] Regardless of their form, electronic devices typically transmit information via electromagnetic waves during communication, resulting in electromagnetic radiation from their antennas. When a human body approaches an electronic device, this radiation can cause some degree of harm. In some embodiments, approaching an electronic device can mean the distance between the person and the device is less than a preset distance. For example, the distance between the user's hand and the electronic device may be less than a preset distance. Therefore, to quantify the impact of electromagnetic radiation from electronic devices on the human body and reduce its effects, the specific absorption rate (SAR) metric has been introduced. Furthermore, electronic devices are equipped with SAR sensors.

[0068] A SAR sensor is a capacitive sensor. When a human body approaches the sensor's sensing element (i.e., the sensing element), a certain capacitance increases on the sensing element. Thus, the SAR sensor can identify whether a human body is near the electronic device by detecting the magnitude of this increased capacitance. In some embodiments, the SAR sensor's sensing element can be multiplexed with an antenna in the electronic device. In some embodiments, multiplexing with an antenna can mean that the sensing element is mounted on the antenna, or that the antenna itself serves as the SAR sensor's sensing element.

[0069] Taking the antenna as the sensing element as an example, Figure 4 shows a schematic diagram of the working principle of a SAR sensor.

[0070] As shown in Figure 4, the antenna is positioned between the printed circuit board (PCB) and the device casing (overlay) within the mobile terminal. It is understood that Figure 4 is merely an example of an embodiment of this application and does not constitute any limitation on the positional relationship of the components within the device. For example, in some embodiments, the overlay may not be present above the antenna.

[0071] In the scenario shown in Figure 4(1), since there are no human beings approaching the SAR sensor, the capacitance C detected by the SAR sensor is... SAR It is the environmental capacitance value C E nv, i.e., C SAR =C E nv. Ambient capacitance can be understood as the capacitance caused by devices around the sensor. For example, ambient capacitance includes the capacitance caused by the PCB.

[0072] In the scenario shown in Figure 4(2), when a human body approaches the SAR sensor, the human body is a capacitively loaded object, so the capacitance detected by the SAR sensor increases due to the approach of the human body. At this time, the capacitance detected by the SAR sensor includes not only the environmental capacitance value C. E nv also includes the capacitance generated by the proximity of a human body, which is referred to as the human body capacitance value Cuser in this embodiment. That is, Cuser at this time SAR =C E nv+Cuser, where Cuser is the additional capacitance value of the human body.

[0073] Next, the closer the human body is to the electronic device, the larger the human body capacitance value (Cuser) becomes. Therefore, the SAR sensor can determine whether the distance between the human body and the electronic device has reached a level where human radiation has an impact, based on the magnitude of the human body capacitance value (Cuser). In some embodiments, the electronic device has a preset first trigger threshold (also called preset threshold 1). The first trigger threshold is a capacitance determined based on the capacitive loading effect of the human body. For example, if the increase in capacitance caused by the distance between the human body and the electronic device being equal to or less than a preset distance is AAAA, then the first trigger threshold can be set based on AAAA. Specifically, when considering the environmental capacitance value, the first trigger threshold is greater than AAAA, and can be the sum of AAAA and the environmental capacitance value. When not considering the environmental capacitance value, the first trigger threshold can be directly preset to AAAA. The specific first trigger threshold can be set based on actual needs, and this application embodiment does not impose any limitations on it.

[0074] When the human body capacitance value (Cuser) is greater than or equal to a preset first trigger threshold, the SAR sensor will determine that a human body is approaching the electronic device, thereby triggering the electronic device to reduce the antenna power to reduce the impact of human radiation. When the human body capacitance value (Cuser) is less than the first trigger threshold, that is, although the capacitance has increased, it has not yet reached a level that would cause human radiation impact, the SAR sensor will determine that no human body is approaching the electronic device. In this case, the SAR sensor will not report the human body approaching, or the SAR sensor can report the human body moving away, thus triggering the electronic device to not reduce the antenna power, allowing the antenna to maintain a high-power transmission state and improve the communication capability of the electronic device.

[0075] However, besides the human body, other capacitively loaded objects can also cause an increase in capacitance. For example, metal is a capacitively loaded object with a higher capacitive loading effect than the human body. This means that even when other capacitively loaded objects are nearby, the SAR sensor can still detect the increased capacitance. Therefore, if the increased capacitance due to the proximity of other capacitively loaded objects exceeds the first trigger threshold, the SAR sensor may mistakenly interpret this as a human approach and trigger a power reduction. Furthermore, the sensor is usually mounted on the frame of the electronic device along with the antenna, and the frame of the electronic device may be made of metal. Thus, for non-foldable electronic devices and foldable electronic devices in their fully unfolded state, since the frame of the device itself is not in a near-field state, the metal frame of the device usually does not cause an increase in the capacitance of the sensor. In other words, as long as neither the device's own metal frame nor any capacitively loaded object other than a human body is near the sensor, the SAR sensor can normally detect the proximity of a human body and trigger a power reduction to reduce the impact of human radiation.

[0076] However, for foldable electronic devices, as they transition from a fully unfolded to a fully folded state, the metal frame gradually approaches and eventually closes. This means that the metal frame area corresponding to the sensor's location will approach the sensor, causing an increase in capacitance. Simultaneously, because the capacitive loading effect of metal is higher than that of the human body, this increase in capacitance can easily exceed a preset first trigger threshold, causing the SAR sensor to mistakenly identify a human presence, thus triggering antenna power reduction and decreasing the accuracy of power control. If the device remains in a fully folded state, even if no human is actually nearby, the antenna will remain in a power-reduced state. While this may meet human radiation requirements, it reduces the device's communication capabilities, and the SAR sensor's continued perception of a human presence can also interfere with normal human proximity detection.

[0077] Taking the horizontally inward folding machine shown in Figure 1 as an example, Figure 5 shows a schematic diagram of a scenario where a metal frame is fitted with capacitors.

[0078] Referring to Figure 5, the horizontally folding device includes antenna 1 and antenna 2. The SAR sensor's sensor element is multiplexed with antenna 1, and the metal frame area corresponding to the position of antenna 1 is metal 1. It is understood that the metal 1 marked in the figure only represents the frame position corresponding to the position of antenna 1, and does not mean that only the area corresponding to metal 1 is made of metal. Based on actual product design, the entire frame can be made of metal, and this application embodiment does not impose any limitation on this. Therefore, during the process of the horizontally folding device changing from a fully unfolded state to a fully folded state, metal 1 gradually approaches antenna 1 until it closes with antenna 1. During this process, the SAR sensor detects the increase in capacitance caused by metal 1. When the increase in capacitance caused by metal 1 exceeds a preset first trigger threshold, the horizontally folding device will trigger a reduction in the power of antennas 1 and 2. If the horizontally folding device remains in a fully folded state, metal 1 and antenna 1 will remain in a closed state. Even without a human body approaching, antennas 1 and 2 will remain in a reduced-power state, the communication capability of the horizontally folding device will decrease, and the SAR sensor will be unable to properly detect whether a human body is approaching.

[0079] It is understandable that, in addition to the horizontal inward folding machine shown in Figure 1, the horizontal outward folding machine shown in Figure 2 and the vertical folding machine shown in Figure 3 also have the above problems, and the principle is the same, so they will not be elaborated further.

[0080] In summary, compared to non-foldable electronic devices, foldable electronic devices, due to their adaptability in form factor, can meet the requirements of not posing a radiation risk to the human body when fully folded by continuously reducing power. However, this continuous power reduction also reduces the device's communication capabilities, potentially affecting normal communication. Furthermore, it can interfere with the normal operation of SAR sensors in detecting the proximity of people, thus impacting the accuracy of power control.

[0081] To address this issue, this application proposes a device power control method. This method is mainly applied to foldable electronic devices, such as the foldable machines shown in Figures 1-3 above. For ease of description, the foldable electronic device using the device power control method will be referred to as a foldable device in the following embodiments of this application.

[0082] To ensure that the foldable device's communication capabilities are not reduced in its fully folded state, and that the SAR sensor can correctly detect the approach of a person by measuring the increase in capacitance, this embodiment utilizes an existing first sensor in the foldable device, or adds a new first sensor, to detect the device's configuration. When the first sensor detects a change in the foldable device's configuration, such as a switch from a fully unfolded to a fully folded state, it triggers the SAR sensor to perform capacitance calibration. Upon receiving the calibration command and determining that the increase in capacitance exceeds a first trigger threshold, the SAR sensor performs capacitance calibration to clear the increase in capacitance caused by the metal frame. Thus, after the increase in capacitance caused by the metal frame is cleared, it avoids the metal frame causing the capacitance increase to exceed the preset first trigger threshold, thereby preventing the metal frame from mistakenly triggering the foldable device to reduce antenna power, improving the accuracy of power control, and avoiding a reduction in the foldable device's communication capabilities in its fully folded state. Furthermore, after capacitance calibration, the SAR sensor can detect the approach of a person from an accurate capacitance value, thus not affecting the normal operation of the SAR sensor and ensuring the accuracy of power control. In some embodiments, the first sensor can be a magnetic sensor. For example, the first sensor could be a Hall sensor.

[0083] Furthermore, considering the differences in capacitive loading effects between the human body and metal, and considering that the accuracy differences of the first sensor may affect the accuracy of device shape detection, this application embodiment adds a second trigger threshold (also referred to as a preset threshold 2) based on the first sensor and the first trigger threshold. The second trigger threshold is primarily determined and preset based on the capacitive loading effect of metal. In some embodiments, the second trigger threshold can be determined in advance by detecting the increase in capacitance caused by the metal frame of the device when it is in a fully folded state and no human body or other capacitively loaded objects are near the foldable device.

[0084] For example, when considering the environmental capacitance value, the second trigger threshold is greater than BBBB, and can be the sum of BBBB and the environmental capacitance value. When not considering the environmental capacitance value, the second trigger threshold can be directly preset to BBBB. The specific second trigger threshold can be set based on actual needs, and this application embodiment does not impose any limitations on it. It is understood that because the capacitive loading effect of metal is higher than that of the human body, the increase in capacitance caused by metal will be higher than the increase in capacitance caused by the human body. Therefore, in this application embodiment, the second trigger threshold is higher than the first trigger threshold.

[0085] Specifically, it takes a certain amount of time for a foldable device to switch from a fully unfolded state to a fully folded state. If the first sensor has an accuracy problem, it may trigger the SAR sensor calibration capacitor before the foldable device has switched to a fully folded state.

[0086] For example, Figure 6 shows a trigger curve of a first sensor.

[0087] Referring to Figure 6, the dashed line represents the expected trigger curve, meaning that the first sensor is expected to trigger the SAR sensor for capacitance calibration when the unfolded angle is 0 degrees (i.e., fully folded state). However, the solid line represents the actual trigger curve, meaning that due to the accuracy issue of the first sensor, it triggers the SAR sensor for capacitance calibration when the unfolded angle reaches 20 degrees (i.e., the folding angle from the half-folded state to 20 degrees). In other words, due to accuracy issues, when the unfolded angle of the foldable device changes from 180 degrees to 20 degrees, the first sensor determines that the foldable device has reached the fully folded state, thus triggering the SAR sensor for capacitance calibration. It is understood that the aforementioned 20 degrees is merely an example of an embodiment of this application; based on the actual accuracy error of the first sensor, it could also be 10 degrees, 15 degrees, or 30 degrees, etc., and this embodiment does not limit this in any way.

[0088] Next, during the SAR sensor's decision-making phase regarding capacitance calibration, because the capacitive loading effect of metal is higher than that of the human body, there's a possibility that the capacitance increase caused by the metal frame might exceed the first trigger threshold before the foldable device reaches its fully folded state. In this case, the SAR sensor will respond to the trigger from the first sensor and perform capacitance calibration. Thus, capacitance calibration is performed prematurely, meaning the SAR sensor completes capacitance calibration before the foldable device reaches its fully folded state. However, prematurely triggering capacitance calibration cannot prevent further capacitance increases.

[0089] For example, if capacitance calibration is completed at 20 degrees, the SAR sensor's sensing element will still increase capacitance due to the proximity of the metal frame during the transition from 20 degrees to 0 degrees. Therefore, although capacitance calibration has been performed, the premature calibration results in inaccurate capacitance values ​​detected by the SAR sensor after switching to the fully folded state. This causes the SAR sensor to start operating with inaccurate capacitance values ​​in the fully folded state, affecting its normal operation, reducing the accuracy of human proximity detection, and consequently impacting power control accuracy. In extreme cases, even after the unfolding angle changes from 20 degrees to 0 degrees, the capacitance increase at 0 degrees still exceeds the first trigger threshold. This will also cause the fully folded state to falsely trigger the foldable device to reduce power even without human proximity, resulting in inaccurate power control and affecting the device's communication capabilities. Therefore, this application embodiment adds a second trigger threshold. Even if the first sensor prematurely triggers the SAR sensor to perform capacitance calibration, the second trigger threshold controls the SAR sensor to delay capacitance calibration until the foldable device reaches the fully folded state. This avoids premature capacitance calibration, thereby improving power control accuracy and minimizing the impact on the device's communication capabilities.

[0090] Furthermore, considering the sensor's placement and users' habits of holding foldable devices, there might actually be scenarios where users fold the device while holding the sensor. In such scenarios, both the human body and the metal frame would be close to the SAR sensor's sensor. Due to the combined capacitive loading effect of the human body and the metal frame, the SAR sensor might detect an increase in capacitance exceeding the preset second trigger threshold even before the foldable device is fully folded. Therefore, in actual operation, the SAR sensor might prematurely perform capacitance calibration.

[0091] For example, Figure 7 shows a schematic diagram of a scenario where a hand-held sensor is folded.

[0092] Referring to Figure 7(1), when the SAR sensor's sensor element and antenna 1 are multiplexed, there is a situation where the user holds the antenna 1 while folding the device. In this case, during the folding process, the SAR sensor's sensor element will increase its capacitance not only due to the proximity of the metal 1 but also due to contact with the user's hand. This causes the total increased capacitance to easily exceed the preset second trigger threshold.

[0093] Referring to Figure 7(2), when the SAR sensor's sensor element and antenna 2 are reused, even if antenna 2 is located at the top of the foldable device, it cannot completely rule out the possibility that the user will fold the foldable device by holding the top. In this case, the SAR sensor's sensor element will not only increase its capacitance due to the proximity of metal 2, but also due to the contact of the user's hand, which will also cause the total increased capacitance to easily exceed the preset second trigger threshold.

[0094] Based on this, this embodiment increases the number of SAR sensors in the foldable device to at least two. When the first sensor detects that the foldable device has reached a fully folded state, the first sensor needs to trigger all SAR sensors to perform capacitance calibration. Then, in this embodiment, the SAR sensors only perform capacitance calibration when the capacitance values ​​detected by all SAR sensors exceed a second trigger threshold. That is, because there are two or more SAR sensors, at least one SAR sensor's sensor element will not be held by the user's hand during folding. The SAR sensor whose sensor element is not held by the user is the one that can truly reflect whether the foldable device has reached a fully folded state. In this way, by determining that the capacitance values ​​detected by all SAR sensors exceed the second trigger threshold before triggering the SAR sensors to perform capacitance calibration, premature capacitance calibration by the SAR sensors can be avoided, thereby improving the accuracy of capacitance calibration and ensuring the accuracy of power control.

[0095] For example, taking two SAR sensors as an example, Figure 8 shows a schematic diagram of a scenario where the sensor is folded by hand.

[0096] Referring to Figure 8, the sensor 1 of the first SAR sensor is multiplexed with the antenna 1, and the sensor 2 of the second SAR sensor is multiplexed with the antenna 2. Therefore, when a user holds the foldable device and folds it, the scenario might be as shown in Figure 8(1) or Figure 8(2). In the scenario shown in Figure 8(1), the antenna 2, i.e., the sensor 2, is not touched by the user's hand during the folding process. Therefore, after reaching the fully folded state, the capacitance value detected by the second SAR sensor corresponding to the sensor 2 can accurately reflect whether the foldable device has switched to the fully folded state.

[0097] In the scenario shown in Figure 8(2), antenna 1, i.e., sensor 1, is not touched by the user's hand during the folding process. Therefore, after reaching the fully folded state, the capacitance value of the first SAR sensor can accurately reflect whether the foldable device has switched to the fully folded state. In this way, the first SAR sensor and the second SAR sensor are only triggered to perform capacitance calibration when the capacitance values ​​detected by both exceed the second trigger threshold. This ensures that the capacitance calibration is triggered in the fully folded state, thereby avoiding premature calibration of the capacitance by the SAR sensor and ensuring the accuracy of power control based on capacitance.

[0098] In some embodiments, where the sensor element and antenna of a SAR sensor are multiplexed, the number of SAR sensors may be equal to the number of antennas. In some embodiments, where the sensor element and antenna of a SAR sensor are not multiplexed, for example, where the sensor element of a SAR sensor can be independently disposed in the frame of a foldable device, then the number of SAR sensors may not be equal to the number of antennas, and the number of SAR sensors may be greater than the number of antennas.

[0099] In some embodiments, the foldable device described above, in addition to the two-fold foldable device shown in Figures 1-3, can also be a three-fold foldable device. The folding direction / method of the three-fold foldable device can be horizontal or vertical, and this application embodiment does not limit this in any way. In addition, the foldable device can be other types of devices besides mobile phones, such as foldable tablets, foldable wearable devices, etc. It is understood that this application embodiment does not impose any special limitations on the specific type of foldable device. In some embodiments, the foldable device includes a foldable screen device, and the display screen in the foldable screen device can be folded to form multiple screens, such as screen A and screen B shown in Figures 1-3 above. For a three-fold foldable screen device, the display screen can be folded into screen A, screen B, and screen C.

[0100] Figure 9 shows a schematic diagram of the structure of a foldable device.

[0101] As shown in Figure 9, the foldable device may include a processor 110, an external memory interface 120, an internal memory 121, a universal serial bus (USB) connector 130, a charging management module 140, a power management module 141, a battery 142, antenna 1, antenna 2, a mobile communication module 150, a wireless communication module 160, an audio module 170, a speaker 170A, a receiver 170B, a microphone 170C, a headphone jack 170D, a sensor module 180, buttons 190, a motor 191, an indicator 192, a camera module 193, a display screen 194, and a subscriber identification module (SIM) card interface 195, etc. The sensor module 180 includes a magnetic sensor and at least two SAR sensors, such as SAR sensor 1, SAR sensor 2, ..., SAR sensor n, where n is a positive integer and n is greater than or equal to 2.

[0102] In some embodiments, the sensor module 180 may further include any one or more of a pressure sensor, a gyroscope sensor, a barometric pressure sensor, an accelerometer, a distance sensor, a proximity sensor, a fingerprint sensor, a temperature sensor, a touch sensor, an ambient light sensor, and a bone conduction sensor.

[0103] Processor 110 may include one or more processing units, such as application processors (APs), modem processors, graphics processing units (GPUs), image signal processors (ISPs), controllers, video codecs, digital signal processors (DSPs), baseband processors, and / or neural network processing units (NPUs). These different processing units may be independent devices or integrated into one or more processors. Processor 110 can generate operation control signals based on instruction opcodes and timing signals to control instruction fetching and execution.

[0104] The processor 110 may also include a memory for storing instructions and data. In some embodiments, the memory in the processor 110 may be a cache memory. This memory can store instructions or data that the processor 110 has used or that are used frequently. If the processor 110 needs to use the instruction or data, it can directly retrieve it from this memory. This avoids repeated accesses, reduces the waiting time of the processor 110, and thus improves the efficiency of the system.

[0105] In some embodiments, the processor 110 may include one or more interfaces. These interfaces may include an inter-integrated circuit (I2C) interface, an inter-integrated circuit sound (I2S) interface, a pulse code modulation (PCM) interface, a universal asynchronous receiver / transmitter (UART) interface, a mobile industry processor interface (MIPI), a general-purpose input / output (GPIO) interface, a subscriber identity module (SIM) interface, and / or a universal serial bus (USB) interface, etc. The processor 110 can connect to modules such as touch sensors, audio modules, wireless communication modules, displays, and camera modules through at least one of these interfaces.

[0106] It is understood that the interface connection relationships between the modules illustrated in the embodiments of this application are merely illustrative and do not constitute a structural limitation on the foldable device. In other embodiments of this application, the foldable device may also employ different interface connection methods or combinations of multiple interface connection methods as described in the above embodiments.

[0107] Internal memory 121 can be used to store computer executable program code, including instructions. Internal memory 121 may include a program storage area and a data storage area. The program storage area may store the operating system, at least one application program required for a function (such as sound playback, image playback, etc.), etc. The data storage area may store data created during the use of the foldable device (such as audio data, phonebook, etc.). Furthermore, internal memory 121 may include high-speed random access memory and may also include non-volatile memory, such as at least one disk storage device, flash memory device, universal flash storage (UFS), etc. Processor 110 executes various functional methods or data processing of the foldable device by running instructions stored in internal memory 121 and / or instructions stored in memory disposed in the processor.

[0108] The wireless communication function of the foldable device can be implemented through antenna 1, antenna 2, mobile communication module 150, wireless communication module 160, modem processor, and baseband processor.

[0109] The foldable device can achieve display functionality through a GPU, a display screen 194, and an application processor. The GPU is a microprocessor for image processing, connecting the display screen 194 and the application processor. The GPU is used to perform mathematical and geometric calculations for graphics rendering. The processor 110 may include one or more GPUs, which execute program instructions to generate or modify display information.

[0110] The display screen 194 is used to display images, videos, etc. In some embodiments, the foldable device may include one or more display screens 194. For example, when the foldable device is a horizontally outward folding machine as shown in FIG. 2, the foldable device may include only one display screen. When the foldable device is a horizontally outward folding machine and a vertical folding machine as shown in FIG. 1, the foldable device may include two display screens, one of which may be an outer screen and the other an inner screen.

[0111] The display screen 194 includes a display panel. The display panel may be a liquid crystal display (LCD), an organic light-emitting diode (OLED), an active-matrix organic light-emitting diode (AMOLED), a flexible light-emitting diode (FLED), a miniature LED, a microLED, a micro-LED, a quantum dot light-emitting diode (QLED), etc.

[0112] Electronic device 100 can connect to an external memory card via external memory interface 120. Electronic device 100 can implement camera functions via camera module 193, ISP, video codec, GPU, display screen 194, and application processor (AP), neural network processor (NPU), etc. Electronic device 100 can also implement audio functions via audio module 170, speaker 170A, receiver 170B, microphone 170C, headphone jack 170D, and application processor, such as music playback and recording. Buttons 190 include a power button, volume buttons, etc. Motor 191 can generate vibration prompts. SIM card interface 195 is used to connect a SIM card.

[0113] Magnetic sensors include Hall effect sensors. Foldable devices can utilize magnetic sensors to detect whether the device is folded or unfolded, or to detect the unfolding angle of the foldable device. In some embodiments, the magnetic sensor can also detect the opening and closing of a flip cover.

[0114] In some embodiments, the software system of a foldable device may employ a layered architecture, event-driven architecture, microkernel architecture, microservices architecture, or cloud architecture. This application embodiment uses a layered architecture of Android... TM Taking the system as an example, the software structure of electronic device 100 is illustrated.

[0115] Figure 10 shows a software architecture block diagram of a foldable device.

[0116] A layered architecture divides software into several layers, each with a clear role and function. Layers communicate with each other through software interfaces. In some embodiments, Android... TM The system is divided into five layers, from top to bottom: application layer, application framework layer, Android runtime (ART) and native C / C++ libraries, hardware abstraction layer (HAL) and kernel layer.

[0117] The application layer can include a series of application packages. As shown in Figure 10, application packages can include applications such as gallery, calendar, map, WLAN, music, SMS, calling, navigation, Bluetooth, and video.

[0118] The application framework layer provides application programming interfaces (APIs) and a programming framework for applications in the application layer. The application framework layer includes some predefined functions.

[0119] As shown in Figure 10, the application framework layer may include a window manager, activity manager, input manager, resource manager, notification manager, view system, content provider, etc.

[0120] The window manager provides a window management service (WMS), which can be used for window management, window animation management, surface management, and as a relay station for the input system.

[0121] Content providers store and retrieve data, making that data accessible to applications. This data can include videos, images, audio, phone calls made and received, browsing history and bookmarks, phone books, etc.

[0122] A view system includes visual controls, such as controls for displaying text and controls for displaying images. View systems can be used to build applications. A display interface can consist of one or more views. For example, a display interface including a text notification icon could include views for displaying text and views for displaying images.

[0123] The resource manager provides applications with various resources, such as localized strings, icons, images, layout files, video files, and more. The notification manager allows applications to display notifications in the status bar, which can be used to convey informational messages and can disappear automatically after a short pause without user interaction. For example, the notification manager can be used to notify of download completion or message alerts.

[0124] The notification manager can also display notifications as icons or scrolling text in the system's top status bar, such as notifications from background applications, or as dialog boxes on the screen. Examples include displaying text messages in the status bar, emitting alert sounds, causing electronic devices to vibrate, and flashing indicator lights.

[0125] The Activity Manager Service (AMS) can be used to start, switch, and schedule system components (such as activities, services, content providers, and broadcast receivers), as well as manage and schedule application processes.

[0126] The input manager can provide an input management service (IMS), which can be used to manage system inputs, such as touchscreen input, keypad input, and sensor input. IMS retrieves events from input device nodes and, through interaction with the WMS, distributes these events to the appropriate windows.

[0127] The Android runtime comprises the core libraries and the Android runtime itself. The Android runtime is responsible for converting source code into machine code. The Android runtime primarily employs ahead-of-time (AOT) compilation and just-in-time (JIT) compilation technologies. The core libraries mainly provide basic Java class library functionalities, such as libraries for basic data structures, mathematics, I / O, tools, databases, and networking. The core libraries provide APIs for users to develop Android applications. The native C / C++ libraries can include multiple functional modules. Examples include: surface manager, media framework, libc, OpenGL ES, SQLite, and Webkit.

[0128] The Surface Manager manages the display subsystem and provides fusion of 2D and 3D layers for multiple applications. The Media Framework supports playback and recording of various common audio and video formats, as well as still image files. The Media Library supports multiple audio and video encoding formats, such as MPEG4, H.264, MP3, AAC, AMR, JPG, and PNG. OpenGL ES provides drawing and manipulation of 2D and 3D graphics in applications. SQLite provides a lightweight relational database for applications on the electronic device.

[0129] The Hardware Abstraction Layer (HAL) runs in user space, encapsulates kernel-level drivers, and provides calling interfaces to upper layers. As shown in Figure 10, the HAL may include a display HAL and a sensor HAL. In this embodiment, the sensor HAL may include a magnetic sensor HAL and a SAR sensor HAL. In some embodiments, the HAL may also include an audio HAL, a camera HAL, a Bluetooth HAL, etc., and this embodiment does not impose any limitations on these aspects.

[0130] The kernel layer is the layer between hardware and software. The kernel layer includes at least a display driver and a sensor driver. In this embodiment, the sensor driver may include a magnetic sensor driver and a SAR sensor driver. In some embodiments, the kernel layer may also include an audio driver, a camera driver, a Bluetooth driver, etc., but this embodiment does not impose any limitations on these aspects.

[0131] The device power control method proposed in the embodiments of this application will be described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings. It should be noted that the device power control method in the following embodiments can all be implemented in a foldable device with the above-described hardware structure.

[0132] Taking two SAR sensors as an example, Figure 11 shows a flowchart of a device power control method.

[0133] S1101, the foldable device determines whether the device is in a fully unfolded state.

[0134] When the foldable device is in the fully unfolded state, the foldable device executes S1102.

[0135] When the foldable device is not in a fully unfolded state, the foldable device executes S1105.

[0136] Whether the foldable device is in its fully unfolded state can be detected by a first sensor within the foldable device. This first sensor can be a magnetic sensor, such as a Hall sensor.

[0137] In some embodiments, the foldable device includes a device form parameter, which is assigned a value by a first sensor. For example, when the device is in a fully unfolded state, the first sensor sets the device form parameter to 1. When the device is not in a fully unfolded state, the first sensor sets the device form parameter to 0. In this way, the foldable device can determine whether it is in a fully unfolded state by acquiring the form parameter.

[0138] S1102, the foldable device determines whether capacitance value 1 or capacitance value 2 is greater than or equal to the first trigger threshold.

[0139] Wherein, capacitance value 1 is the capacitance detected by the first SAR sensor in the fully deployed state. Capacitance value 2 is the capacitance detected by the second SAR sensor in the fully deployed state. If the foldable device determines that either capacitance value 1 or capacitance value 2 is greater than or equal to the first trigger threshold, since there is no situation where the metal frame of the device is close to the sensor in the fully deployed state, the foldable device can determine that the increase in capacitance is due to a human body approaching the foldable device. Therefore, in order not to cause radiation impact on the human body, the foldable device can reduce power, that is, the foldable device executes S1103.

[0140] If the foldable device determines that no one is approaching it, i.e., both capacitance 1 and capacitance 2 are less than the first trigger threshold, since the capacitance has not exceeded the threshold and it is a scenario where no human is approaching, the foldable device can determine that no human is approaching it. In order not to affect the device's communication capability, the foldable device does not reduce power, i.e., the foldable device executes S1104.

[0141] S1103, a foldable device that reduces the power of the antenna.

[0142] In this application embodiment, the foldable device performs power reduction processing on the antenna in the following two ways:

[0143] The first power reduction scenario: In the fully deployed state, if a human body is detected approaching the foldable device based on a first trigger threshold, the foldable device reduces the power of the antenna to minimize the impact of human radiation. That is, after the judgment in S1102 is completed, a decision can be made based on the judgment result to determine whether to reduce the power of the antenna.

[0144] The second scenario involving reduced power:

[0145] In the folded state, and after the SAR sensor has completed capacitance calibration based on the second trigger threshold (meaning the influence of the device's metal frame has been eliminated), if a human body is detected approaching the foldable device based on the first trigger threshold, the foldable device will reduce the antenna power to minimize the impact of human radiation. That is, after the judgment in S1107 below is completed, a decision can be made based on the judgment result regarding whether to reduce the antenna power.

[0146] S1104, the foldable device performs power recovery processing on the antenna.

[0147] In this application embodiment, the power recovery processing of the antenna by the foldable device includes the following two scenarios:

[0148] First scenario for power recovery:

[0149] In the fully deployed state, if it is determined based on the first trigger threshold that no human body is approaching the foldable device, maintaining high power will not cause radiation effects on the human body. Therefore, in order not to affect the device's communication capabilities, the antenna power can remain unchanged. Furthermore, the foldable device can perform antenna power restoration processing. That is, after the judgment in S1102 is completed, a decision can be made based on the judgment result regarding whether to perform antenna power restoration processing.

[0150] Second scenario for power recovery:

[0151] In the folded state, and after capacitor calibration has been completed to eliminate the influence of the device's metal frame, if it is determined based on the first trigger threshold that no human body is approaching the foldable device, the antenna power can still be maintained. Therefore, the foldable device restores the antenna power, which not only meets the human body radiation requirements but also does not affect the device's communication capabilities. That is, after the judgment in S1107 below is completed, a decision can be made based on the judgment result as to whether to perform antenna power restoration processing.

[0152] In some embodiments, the antenna power is supplied by an RF chip, so both antenna power reduction and power recovery processing can be performed by the RF chip. When antenna power needs to be reduced, the RF chip can reduce the power supplied to the antenna. When antenna power needs to be restored, the RF chip can increase the power supplied to the antenna.

[0153] S1105, the foldable device determines whether capacitance value 3 and capacitance value 4 are greater than or equal to the second trigger threshold.

[0154] Wherein, capacitance value 3 is the capacitance detected by the first SAR sensor in the folded state (i.e., after folding begins). Capacitance value 4 is the capacitance detected by the second SAR sensor in the folded state (i.e., after folding begins). The second trigger threshold is a threshold determined based on the capacitive loading effect of the metal frame. If the foldable device's judgment result is yes, that is, both capacitance values ​​3 and 4 are greater than or equal to the second trigger threshold, meaning that the capacitance values ​​detected by all SAR sensors exceed the second trigger threshold corresponding to the metal frame, it indicates that even if the user holds the sensor and folds the device, the foldable device has reached the fully folded state. Then, in order to eliminate the impact of the metal frame's false triggering of the antenna power reduction on the device's communication capability, the foldable device can perform capacitance calibration, that is, the foldable device can continue to execute S1106.

[0155] If the foldable device determines the form factor as negative (i.e., capacitance value 3 or capacitance value 4 is less than the second trigger threshold), meaning that as long as there is a SAR sensor with a capacitance value less than the second trigger threshold, the foldable device can determine that the device is not in a fully folded state. Therefore, to avoid premature capacitance calibration affecting its accuracy, the foldable device decides not to perform capacitance calibration temporarily. For example, the foldable device might decide not to perform capacitance calibration temporarily if: capacitance value 3 is less than the second trigger threshold, and capacitance value 4 is greater than or equal to the second trigger threshold; or capacitance value 3 is greater than or equal to the second trigger threshold, and capacitance value 4 is less than the second trigger threshold; or both capacitance values ​​3 and 4 are less than the second trigger threshold.

[0156] Understandably, the reason why capacitance value 3 is less than the second trigger threshold while capacitance value 4 is greater than or equal to the second trigger threshold may be because the user's hand is gripping the sensor of the first SAR sensor during the folding process, causing the sensor to be affected by both the human body and the metal frame. Similarly, the reason why capacitance value 3 is greater than or equal to the second trigger threshold while capacitance value 4 is less than the second trigger threshold may be because the user's hand is gripping the sensor of the second SAR sensor during the folding process.

[0157] Furthermore, as the unfolding angle of the foldable device decreases, the distance between the metal frame and the sensor decreases, causing the capacitance to continue to increase. Specifically, capacitance values ​​3 and 4 will continue to increase with the folding action. Therefore, if the foldable device determines that capacitance calibration is not currently required, it can continue to determine whether capacitance values ​​3 and 4 are greater than or equal to the second trigger threshold until the trigger is met to execute step S1106.

[0158] S1106, the foldable device performs capacitance calibration on the first SAR sensor and the second SAR sensor.

[0159] Capacitor calibration is performed to eliminate the capacitance caused by the metal frame when the foldable device is folded, thereby eliminating the influence of the metal frame and avoiding false triggering of power derating. In this embodiment, all SAR sensors require capacitor calibration. After capacitor calibration, the first and second SAR sensors can operate normally from accurate capacitance values, ensuring the accuracy of human proximity detection and improving the accuracy of power control. Simultaneously, because accurate power control is possible, it avoids the continuous power derating in the fully folded state, which could affect the device's communication functions.

[0160] In some embodiments, capacitance calibration includes two calibration methods. The first method involves the foldable device calibrating the SAR sensor via software control. The second method involves controlling the SAR sensor to perform self-calibration.

[0161] In some embodiments, the primary purpose of capacitance calibration is to eliminate the increased capacitance caused by the metal frame. Specifically, when considering the ambient capacitance value, capacitance calibration can eliminate the newly added capacitance while retaining the ambient capacitance value, thereby eliminating the increased capacitance caused by the metal frame approaching the sensor. When not considering the ambient capacitance value, capacitance calibration can completely reset the capacitance to zero. Meanwhile, it should be noted that to ensure the accuracy of trigger judgment, if capacitance calibration retains the ambient capacitance value, then the preset first and second trigger thresholds need to be set considering the ambient capacitance value. Conversely, if capacitance calibration does not retain the ambient capacitance value, the setting of the first and second trigger thresholds cannot consider the ambient capacitance value. This ensures that the set trigger thresholds are applicable both before and after capacitance calibration, guaranteeing the accuracy of trigger judgment.

[0162] S1107, the foldable device determines whether the capacitance value 5 or the capacitance value 6 is greater than or equal to the first trigger threshold.

[0163] Wherein, capacitance value 5 is the capacitance detected by the first SAR sensor in its fully folded state after capacitance calibration. Capacitance value 2 is the capacitance detected by the second SAR sensor in its fully deployed state after capacitance calibration.

[0164] If the foldable device determines that the capacitance value of 5 or 6 is greater than or equal to the first trigger threshold, the possibility of false triggering by the metal frame has been eliminated through capacitance calibration. Therefore, the foldable device can determine that in the fully folded state, the capacitance increase is due to a human being approaching and using the foldable device. In order not to cause radiation impact on the human body, the foldable device reduces power, and the foldable device executes S1103.

[0165] If the judgment result of the foldable device is negative, that is, if both capacitance values ​​5 and 6 are less than the first trigger threshold, the foldable device determines that no human body is currently approaching and using the foldable device in the fully folded state. In order not to affect the device's communication capability, the foldable device does not reduce power, that is, the foldable device executes S1104.

[0166] Therefore, the embodiments of this application, through the combined use of a first sensor, two SAR sensors, and multi-level trigger thresholds to determine whether to perform capacitance calibration, can improve the accuracy of power control and minimize the impact on device communication capabilities. Specifically, the device shape detected by the first sensor can prevent false power reduction triggered when a metal frame approaches the sensor. Furthermore, the combined use of multi-level trigger thresholds and multiple SAR sensors to determine whether to reduce power not only avoids premature calibration caused by the accuracy of the first sensor but also avoids premature calibration caused by a user holding the sensor. This improves the accuracy of capacitance calibration, ensuring that the SAR sensors can correctly detect the proximity of a human body, thereby enhancing the accuracy of power control.

[0167] In some embodiments, after S1105, if the foldable device determines that one of the capacitance values ​​3 and 4 is less than the second trigger threshold, the foldable device can further determine whether one of the capacitance values ​​3 and 4 is greater than the first trigger threshold. If so, and since the folding operation is performed by the user, there may be human radiation effects at this time, so the foldable device can also perform power reduction processing at this time. In this way, the human radiation effects during the folding process can be reduced by reducing power. Then, after completing the power reduction processing, the foldable electronic device continues to determine whether the capacitance values ​​3 and 4 are greater than or equal to the second trigger threshold to decide whether to trigger capacitance calibration. It is understandable that because capacitance calibration will reset the capacitance value to zero, it means that the calibrated capacitance value represents a state where no human body is approaching. Therefore, after performing capacitance calibration, power restoration processing is required to ensure that the capacitance value and power control are consistent.

[0168] In some embodiments, the first SAR sensor and the second SAR sensor can be multiplexed with different antennas. For example, referring to the hardware structure shown in FIG9, the first SAR sensor can be multiplexed with antenna 1, and the second SAR sensor can be multiplexed with antenna 2. Alternatively, the first SAR sensor can be multiplexed with antenna 2, and the second SAR sensor can be multiplexed with antenna 1.

[0169] In some embodiments, where the foldable device includes a first SAR sensor and a second SAR sensor, to minimize the probability that a user simultaneously holds all sensors (here, sensor 1 and sensor 2), and further reduce the probability that the capacitance values ​​detected by all SAR sensors prematurely exceed the second trigger threshold, thus prematurely triggering capacitance calibration and affecting subsequent normal detection and device communication capabilities, sensors 1 and 2 can be distributed and positioned as far as possible, based on the user's hand-holding habits, in locations where the user is unlikely to hold them simultaneously. Here, sensor 1 is the sensor of the first SAR sensor, and sensor 2 is the sensor of the second SAR sensor.

[0170] In some embodiments, sensor 1 and sensor 2 are not located on the same side frame to avoid the user simultaneously touching both sensors with one hand. For example, a foldable device is typically rectangular, including four side frames: top, bottom, left, and right. Sensor 1 and sensor 2 can then be distributed across different side frames of the foldable device. For instance, sensor 1 could be located on the top side frame, and sensor 2 on the right side frame. Alternatively, sensor 1 could be located on the top side frame, and sensor 2 on the bottom side frame.

[0171] Figures 12-14 show schematic diagrams of the sensor placement positions. The placement positions of sensors 1 and 2 will be illustrated below with reference to Figures 12-14.

[0172] First, based on the characteristic that a foldable device can be folded to form two sub-devices, this application defines a foldable device as a device including a first sub-device and a second sub-device. For a foldable screen device, the first sub-device can be understood as the first screen, and the second sub-device as the second screen. For example, referring to Figures 1-3, the device on the side corresponding to screen A (i.e., the first screen) is the first sub-device, and the device on the side corresponding to screen B (i.e., the second screen) is the second sub-device. Alternatively, the device on the side corresponding to screen A (i.e., the first screen) is the second sub-device, and the device on the side corresponding to screen B (i.e., the second screen) is the first sub-device. Hereinafter, this application will use the example of the device on the side corresponding to screen A as the first sub-device and the device on the side corresponding to screen B as the second sub-device for explanation.

[0173] In some embodiments, for larger foldable devices, such as the lateral inward folding mechanism shown in Figure 1 and the lateral outward folding mechanism shown in Figure 2, users typically need to operate both hands to fold the device, meaning both hands simultaneously operate on the first and second sub-devices. Therefore, for this type of foldable device, to minimize the need for users to hold two sensors simultaneously, sensor 1 and sensor 2 can be located on different side frames of the first sub-device. Alternatively, sensor 1 and sensor 2 can be located on different side frames of the second sub-device. Referring to Figure 12, the black rectangle represents the sensor.

[0174] As shown in Figure 12(1), sensor 1 and sensor 2 can be located on the second sub-device, with one sensor on the top edge and the other on the right edge. Alternatively, as shown in Figure 12(2), sensor 1 and sensor 2 can be located on the second sub-device, but with one sensor on the top edge and the other on the bottom edge. Or, as shown in Figure 12(3), sensor 1 and sensor 2 can be located on the first sub-device, but with one sensor on the top edge and the other on the bottom edge. Or, as shown in Figure 12(4), sensor 1 and sensor 2 can be located on the first sub-device, with one sensor on the top edge and the other on the left edge. In this way, regardless of the user's hand grip posture, it is possible to avoid holding both sensors simultaneously.

[0175] It is understood that Figure 12 is merely some examples of embodiments of this application and does not constitute any limitation on the placement of the two sensors. For example, one of the sensors, 1 and 2, may be placed on the right side border of the second sub-device, and the other sensor may be placed on the bottom border of the second sub-device. Alternatively, one of the sensors, 1 and 2, may be placed on the left side border of the first sub-device, and the other sensor may be placed on the bottom border of the first sub-device.

[0176] In some embodiments, for large-sized foldable devices, sensors 1 and 2 may be located in different sub-devices to correspond to different user-preferred folding hand grip postures.

[0177] Referring to Figure 13(1), one sensor is located on the upper edge of the first sub-device, and the other sensor is located on the right edge of the second sub-device. This way, except for the user's hand position simultaneously holding the upper edge of the first sub-device and the right edge of the second sub-device, other hand positions can avoid simultaneously holding both sensors. For example, as shown in Figure 13(1), it avoids simultaneously holding both sensors when the user holds the left and right edges of the folded device. Or, it avoids simultaneously holding both sensors when the user simultaneously holds the left edge of the first sub-device and the upper edge of the second sub-device.

[0178] Referring to Figure 13(2), one sensor is located on the upper edge of the second sub-device, and the other sensor is located on the left edge of the first sub-device. This way, except for the user's hand position where they simultaneously hold the left edge of the first sub-device and the upper edge of the second sub-device, other hand positions can avoid holding both sensors simultaneously. For example, as shown in Figure 13(2), it avoids holding both sensors simultaneously when the user holds the left and right edges together. Or, it avoids holding both sensors simultaneously when the user simultaneously holds the upper edge of the first sub-device and the right edge of the second sub-device.

[0179] Referring to Figure 13(3), one sensor is located on the upper edge of the first sub-device, and the other sensor is located on the lower edge of the second sub-device. In this way, except for the user's hand grip posture of simultaneously holding the upper edge of the first sub-device and the lower edge of the second sub-device, other hand grip postures can avoid the simultaneous use of both sensors.

[0180] Alternatively, referring to Figure 13(4), one sensor is located on the upper edge of the second sub-device, and the other sensor is located on the lower edge of the first sub-device. In this way, except when the user holds the lower edge of the first sub-device and the upper edge of the second sub-device at the same time, other hand-holding postures can avoid having both sensors on at the same time.

[0181] It is understood that Figure 13 is only some examples of the embodiments of this application and does not constitute any limitation on the setting position of the two sensors. The specific setting can be based on actual needs, and the embodiments of this application do not limit it in any way.

[0182] In addition, for the position setting of the sensor of the horizontal outward folding machine, you can refer to the horizontal outward folding machines shown in Figures 12 and 13. The principle is the same, so it will not be described again.

[0183] In some embodiments, for small-sized foldable devices, such as the vertical folding device shown in Figure 3, due to their small size, there are situations where a user can fold the device by holding the second sub-device with one hand. Therefore, for this type of foldable device, if all the sensors are located in the second sub-device, the user may be able to reach all the sensors with one hand. Therefore, sensor 1 and sensor 2 can be located on different side frames of the first sub-device.

[0184] Referring to Figure 14, the black area shown in Figure 14 indicates the location of the sensors. As shown in Figure 14(1), one sensor can be located on the upper side frame of the first sub-device, and the other sensor can be located on the left side frame of the first sub-device. Alternatively, as shown in Figure 14(2), one sensor can be located on the upper side frame of the first sub-device, and the other sensor can be located on the right side frame of the first sub-device.

[0185] It is understood that Figure 14 is only some examples of embodiments of this application and does not constitute any limitation. Based on actual needs, the position of the sensor can be adjusted accordingly, and this application does not limit it in any way. For example, for a vertical folding machine, the two sensors can also be respectively set in the first sub-device and the second sub-device. As shown in Figure 14 (3), one sensor can be set on the upper side frame of the first sub-device and the other sensor can be set on the lower side frame of the second sub-device. Alternatively, one sensor can be set on the upper side frame of the first sub-device and the other sensor can be set on the right side frame of the second sub-device.

[0186] In some embodiments, the foldable device may further include two or more SAR sensors. That is, the foldable device includes a first SAR sensor, a second SAR sensor, and at least one third SAR sensor.

[0187] Figure 15 shows a schematic flowchart of a device power control method.

[0188] S1501, the foldable device determines whether the device is in a fully unfolded state.

[0189] When the foldable device is in its fully unfolded state, it executes S1502. When the foldable device is not in its fully unfolded state, it executes S1505. For details, please refer to the description of S1101 above; further explanation is unnecessary.

[0190] S1502, the foldable device determines whether capacitance value 1, capacitance value 2 or at least capacitance value 7 is greater than or equal to a first trigger threshold.

[0191] Here, capacitance value 7 refers to the capacitance detected by the third SAR sensor in its fully deployed state. The number of capacitance values ​​7 is the same as the number of third SAR sensors and corresponds one-to-one. For example, one third SAR sensor includes one capacitance value 7. Three third SAR sensors will each include three capacitance values ​​7.

[0192] If the foldable device determines that the capacitance value among capacitance 1, capacitance 2, and at least one capacitance value 7 is greater than or equal to the first trigger threshold, the foldable device can determine that the capacitance increase is due to a human body approaching the foldable device. Therefore, to avoid radiation impact on the human body, the foldable device can reduce its power, i.e., the foldable device executes S1503. If the foldable device determines that the capacitance value among capacitance 1, capacitance 2, and at least one capacitance value 7 is not greater than or equal to the first trigger threshold, the foldable device can determine that no human body is currently approaching the foldable device. Therefore, to avoid affecting the device's communication capabilities, the foldable device does not reduce its power, i.e., the foldable device executes S1504.

[0193] S1503, a foldable device that reduces the power of the antenna.

[0194] S1504, a foldable device performs power recovery processing on the antenna.

[0195] Referring to the descriptions in S1103 and S1104 above, the principle is the same and will not be repeated here.

[0196] S1505, the foldable device determines whether capacitance value 3, capacitance value 4 and at least one capacitance value 8 are greater than or equal to a second trigger threshold.

[0197] Here, capacitance value 8 represents the capacitance detected by the third SAR sensor in the folded state. The number of capacitance values ​​8 corresponds one-to-one with the number of third SAR sensors. For example, two third SAR sensors correspond to two capacitance values ​​8, and four third SAR sensors correspond to four capacitance values ​​7.

[0198] If the foldable device determines that capacitance values ​​3, 4, and at least one capacitance value 8 are all greater than or equal to the second trigger threshold (meaning all SAR sensors detect capacitance values ​​exceeding the second trigger threshold corresponding to the metal frame), it indicates that even if the user holds the sensor and folds the device, it is still fully folded. Therefore, to eliminate the impact of the metal frame falsely triggering the antenna and reducing its power, thus affecting the device's communication capabilities, the foldable device can perform capacitance calibration, allowing it to continue executing step S1506.

[0199] If the foldable device determines that the capacitance value is not fully folded (i.e., one of capacitance values ​​3, 4, and at least one capacitance value 8 is less than the second trigger threshold), the foldable device can determine that the device is not in a fully folded state. Therefore, to avoid premature capacitance calibration affecting its accuracy, the foldable device decides not to perform capacitance calibration for the time being. If the foldable device determines that capacitance calibration is not performed for the time being, it can continue to determine whether one of capacitance values ​​3, 4, and at least one capacitance value 8 is greater than or equal to the second trigger threshold until the trigger condition is met to execute step S1506.

[0200] S1506, the foldable device performs capacitance calibration on the first SAR sensor, the second SAR sensor, and at least one third SAR sensor.

[0201] The difference from S1106 above is that capacitance calibration is also required for all third SAR sensors. The calibration method for the third SAR sensors is the same as that for the first and second SAR sensors. For details, please refer to the description in S1106 above; the principle is the same and will not be repeated here.

[0202] S1507, the foldable device determines whether capacitance value 5, capacitance value 6 or at least capacitance value 9 is greater than or equal to a first trigger threshold.

[0203] Among them, capacitance value 9 is the capacitance detected by the third SAR sensor in its fully folded state after capacitance calibration. The number of capacitance values ​​9 is the same as the number of third SAR sensors and they correspond one-to-one.

[0204] If the foldable device determines that there is a capacitance value greater than or equal to the first trigger threshold among capacitance value 5, capacitance value 6 and at least one capacitance value 9, since the possibility of false triggering by the metal frame has been eliminated through capacitance calibration, the foldable device can determine that the capacitance increase is due to a human being approaching and using the foldable device. In order not to cause radiation impact on the human body, the foldable device reduces power, i.e., the foldable device executes S1503.

[0205] If the determination result of the foldable device is negative, that is, if the capacitance values ​​5, 6 and at least one capacitance value 9 are all less than the first trigger threshold, the foldable device determines that no human body is currently approaching and using the foldable device in the fully folded state. In order not to affect the device's communication capability, the foldable device does not reduce power, that is, the foldable device executes S1504.

[0206] Therefore, the embodiments of this application, through the use of a first sensor, three or more SAR sensors, and multi-level trigger thresholds to determine whether to perform capacitance calibration, can improve the accuracy of power control and minimize the impact on device communication capabilities. Furthermore, compared to a scenario with two SAR sensors, the increased number of SAR sensors reduces the probability of a user holding all of them, thus lowering the probability of all SAR sensors detecting capacitance values ​​exceeding the second trigger threshold. This helps avoid the influence of the metal frame after folding, further improving the accuracy of power control.

[0207] In some embodiments, after S1505, if the foldable device determines that one of the capacitance values ​​3, 4, and at least one of the capacitance values ​​8 is less than the second trigger threshold, the foldable device can further determine whether one of the capacitance values ​​3, 4, and at least one of the capacitance values ​​8 is greater than the first trigger threshold. If so, the foldable device can perform power reduction processing at this time. In this way, the impact of human radiation during the folding process can be reduced by reducing power. Then, after completing the power reduction processing, the foldable electronic device continues to determine whether the capacitance values ​​3, 4, and at least one of the capacitance values ​​8 are all greater than or equal to the second trigger threshold to decide whether to trigger capacitance calibration. It is understandable that because capacitance calibration will reset the capacitance value to zero, it means that the calibrated capacitance value represents a state where no human body is approaching. Therefore, after performing capacitance calibration, power restoration processing is required to ensure that the capacitance value and power control are consistent.

[0208] In some embodiments, when the number of antennas in the foldable device is sufficient, the third SAR sensor can be multiplexed with the antennas. When the number of antennas in the foldable device is insufficient, the third SAR sensor may not be multiplexed with the antennas, and the third SAR sensor can be independently disposed in the frame of the foldable device.

[0209] In some embodiments, when the foldable device includes three or more SAR sensors, as long as all sensors are not placed on the same edge, the possibility of all sensors being touched by the user's hand can be minimized. That is, the sensors 1 of the first SAR sensor, the sensors 2 of the second SAR sensor, and at least one sensor 3 corresponding to at least one third SAR sensor are not all placed on the same edge. In this way, regardless of the user's hand posture, the situation where sensors 1, 2, and 3 are all held by the user and trigger premature calibration can be avoided, thereby ensuring the accuracy of calibration.

[0210] Taking two third SAR sensors as an example, the foldable device includes a total of four SAR sensors, corresponding to four sensors. Figure 16 shows a schematic diagram of the sensor positions.

[0211] Referring to Figure 16, the black area shown in Figure 16 indicates the location of the sensors. As shown in Figure 16(1), one sensor is located at the top left corner of the first sub-device, and the remaining three sensors are located on the three sides of the second sub-device. Alternatively, as shown in Figure 16(2), three sensors are located on the three sides of the first sub-device, and another sensor is located at the bottom right corner of the first sub-device. Or, as shown in Figure 16(3), one sensor is located on the top side of the first sub-device, and the remaining three sensors are located on the three sides of the second sub-device. Or, as shown in Figure 16(4), three sensors are located on the three sides of the first sub-device, and another sensor is located on the right side of the first sub-device. It can be understood that the foldable device shown in Figure 16 can be either the horizontal outward folding device shown in Figure 1 or the horizontal inward folding device shown in Figure 2.

[0212] Taking a vertical folding machine and a third SAR sensor as an example, i.e., the vertical folding machine includes a total of three SAR sensors, corresponding to three sensing objects, Figure 17 shows a schematic diagram of the position of one of the sensing objects.

[0213] Referring to Figure 17, the black area shown in Figure 17 indicates the location of the sensors. As shown in Figure 17(1), one sensor is located on the upper edge of the first sub-device, one sensor is located on the left edge of the first sub-device, and one sensor is located on the right edge of the second sub-device. Alternatively, as shown in Figure 17(2), one sensor is located on the upper edge of the first sub-device, one sensor is located on the right edge of the first sub-device, and one sensor is located on the left edge of the second sub-device. Or, as shown in Figure 17(3), one sensor is located on the upper edge of the first sub-device, one sensor is located on the right edge of the first sub-device, and one sensor is located on the lower edge of the second sub-device. Or, as shown in Figure 17(4), three sensors are located on the three edges of the first sub-device respectively.

[0214] It should be noted that the sensor positions shown in Figures 16 and 17 are merely examples of embodiments of this application. Figures 16 and 17 do not constitute any limitation on the placement of three or more sensors; the specific positions can be set according to actual needs, and this application embodiment does not impose any limitations in this regard. For example, two of the four sensors can be placed in different frames of the first sub-device, while the other two sensors can be placed in different frames of the second sub-device. Alternatively, for the foldable device shown in Figure 16, if it includes three SAR sensors, the corresponding three sensors can be placed on the three frames of the first sub-device or the second sub-device, respectively. Or, any two of the three sensors can be placed in the frame of the first sub-device, and the other sensor can be placed in the frame of the second sub-device.

[0215] Taking the foldable screen device shown in Figure 1 as an example, and combining the actual folding usage scenarios of the foldable screen device, Figure 18 shows a flowchart of a device power control method.

[0216] Referring to Figure 18, in the fully unfolded state, the foldable screen device normally compares the first trigger threshold y1 with the capacitance values ​​DR detected by each SAR sensor. If there is a capacitance value DR greater than or equal to the first trigger threshold y1 (i.e., DR ≥ y1), the foldable screen device performs power reduction. If all capacitance values ​​DR are less than the first trigger threshold y1 (i.e., all DR < y1), the foldable screen device does not reduce power. In cases where power reduction has already occurred, power restoration is performed.

[0217] During the folding process from the fully unfolded state to the fully folded state, the foldable screen device compares the capacitance values ​​DR detected by each SAR sensor with a second trigger threshold y2. Capacitance calibration is triggered only if all DR values ​​are greater than or equal to y2. It is understood that in this embodiment, due to the multiple sensors and multi-level trigger thresholds, the device can accurately detect when it reaches the fully folded state. Therefore, referring to Figure 18, this embodiment does not trigger capacitance calibration when folding to the semi-folded state. That is, in the semi-folded state, if DR < y2, no calibration is performed. In the fully folded state, if all DR values ​​are greater than or equal to y2, capacitance calibration is performed. Simultaneously, during this stage, whether in the semi-folded or fully folded state, the foldable screen device continues to compare the capacitance values ​​DR detected by each SAR sensor with a first trigger threshold y1 to determine whether power reduction is necessary. For example, if the capacitance value does not exceed the first trigger threshold y1 after calibration, power recovery can be performed after calibration.

[0218] From the fully folded state to the fully unfolded state, because capacitance calibration eliminates the increased capacitance due to the metal frame's proximity, unfolding the foldable screen device will cause the capacitance to change again as the metal frame moves away. However, this movement away results in a decrease in capacitance, and in extreme cases, the capacitance value may be negative, which will also affect normal detection. Therefore, during the unfolding process, if there is a capacitance value DR less than the third trigger threshold y3, capacitance calibration is also triggered (i.e., DR < y3, capacitance calibration). This capacitance calibration is used to eliminate the influence of the metal frame moving away from the sensor. This capacitance calibration can increase the capacitance, for example, by the amount of capacitance reduced due to the metal frame moving away. The third trigger threshold is less than the first trigger threshold, and the specific third trigger threshold can be set based on actual needs; this application embodiment does not limit this. Furthermore, during the unfolding stage, the foldable screen device will still decide whether to reduce power based on the capacitance value DR and the first trigger threshold y1.

[0219] Another embodiment of this application provides a foldable screen device, including: one or more processors and a memory. The memory is coupled to the processor; the memory stores one or more computer program codes, the computer program codes including computer instructions; when the processor executes the computer instructions, the foldable screen device implements the device power control method described in any of the above embodiments.

[0220] Another embodiment of this application provides a computer-readable storage medium storing a computer program that, when executed by a processor in a foldable device, causes the foldable device to implement the device power control method described in any of the above embodiments. The foldable device can be a foldable screen device.

[0221] This application also provides a computer program product that, when run on a computer, causes the computer to perform the various functions or steps described in the method embodiments above. The computer may be the aforementioned foldable screen device.

[0222] This application also provides a chip system, as shown in FIG19, which includes at least one processor 1901 and at least one interface circuit 1902. The processor 1901 and the interface circuit 1902 are interconnected via lines. For example, the interface circuit 1902 can be used to receive signals from other devices (e.g., a computer's memory). As another example, the interface circuit 1902 can be used to send signals to other devices (e.g., the processor 1901).

[0223] For example, interface circuit 1902 can read instructions stored in memory and send those instructions to processor 1801. When the instructions are executed by processor 1901, the computer can perform the steps in the above embodiments. Of course, the chip system may also include other discrete devices, and this application embodiment does not specifically limit this.

[0224] Through the above description of the embodiments, those skilled in the art can clearly understand that, for the sake of convenience and brevity, only the division of the above functional modules is used as an example. In actual applications, the above functions can be assigned to different functional modules as needed, that is, the internal structure of the device can be divided into different functional modules to complete all or part of the functions described above.

[0225] In the several embodiments provided in this application, it should be understood that the disclosed apparatus and methods can be implemented in other ways. For example, the apparatus embodiments described above are merely illustrative; for instance, the division of modules or units is only a logical functional division, and in actual implementation, there may be other division methods. For example, multiple units or components may be combined or integrated into another apparatus, or some features may be ignored or not executed. Furthermore, the mutual coupling or direct coupling or communication connection shown or discussed may be through some interfaces; the indirect coupling or communication connection between apparatuses or units may be electrical, mechanical, or other forms.

[0226] The units described as separate components may or may not be physically separate. A component shown as a unit can be one or more physical units; that is, it can be located in one place or distributed in multiple different locations. Some or all of the units can be selected to achieve the purpose of this embodiment according to actual needs.

[0227] Furthermore, the functional units in the various embodiments of this application can be integrated into one processing unit, or each unit can exist physically separately, or two or more units can be integrated into one unit. The integrated unit can be implemented in hardware or as a software functional unit.

[0228] If the function of the integrated unit is implemented as a software functional unit and sold or used as an independent product, it can be stored in a readable storage medium. Based on this understanding, the technical solutions of the embodiments of this application, essentially, or the parts that contribute to the prior art, or all or part of the technical solutions, can be embodied in the form of a software product. This software product is stored in a storage medium and includes several instructions to cause a device (which may be a microcontroller, chip, etc.) or processor to execute all or part of the steps of the methods of the various embodiments of this application. The aforementioned storage medium includes various media capable of storing program code, such as USB flash drives, portable hard drives, read-only memory (ROM), random access memory (RAM), magnetic disks, or optical disks.

[0229] The above description is merely a specific embodiment of this application, but the scope of protection of this application is not limited thereto. Any changes or substitutions within the technical scope disclosed in this application should be included within the scope of protection of this application. Therefore, the scope of protection of this application should be determined by the scope of the claims.

Claims

1. A method for controlling device power, characterized in that, The invention is applied to foldable devices, the foldable devices including at least two capacitive sensors, the sensing elements of the capacitive sensors being disposed in the frame of the foldable devices; When a capacitively loaded object approaches the sensing element of the capacitive sensor, the capacitance value of the capacitive sensor increases; the method includes: After the foldable device starts to fold from its fully unfolded state, if one of the capacitance values ​​detected by the at least two capacitive sensors is greater than or equal to a preset first trigger threshold, the foldable device determines that a human body is approaching and performs power reduction processing. If the capacitance value detected by each of the capacitive sensors is greater than or equal to a preset second trigger threshold, the foldable device determines that the device is in a fully folded state. The foldable device performs capacitance calibration on the at least two capacitive sensors to eliminate the influence of the frame approaching the sensor and performs power recovery processing; wherein, the second trigger threshold is greater than the first trigger threshold. After capacitance calibration, if one of the capacitance values ​​detected by the at least two capacitive sensors is greater than or equal to the first trigger threshold, the foldable device determines that a human body is approaching and performs power reduction processing.

2. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that, The method further includes: After capacitance calibration, if the capacitance values ​​detected by at least two capacitive sensors are both less than the first trigger threshold, the foldable device determines that no human body is approaching and does not perform power reduction processing.

3. The method according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that, The method further includes: After the foldable device begins to fold, if any of the capacitance values ​​detected by the at least two capacitive sensors is less than the second trigger threshold, the foldable device determines that the device is not in a fully folded state and does not perform capacitance calibration.

4. The method according to any one of claims 1-3, characterized in that, The method further includes: In the fully unfolded state, if one of the capacitance values ​​detected by the at least two capacitive sensors is greater than or equal to the first trigger threshold, the foldable device performs power reduction processing. If, in the fully unfolded state, the foldable device does not perform power reduction processing if the capacitance values ​​detected by at least two capacitive sensors are both less than the first trigger threshold.

5. The method according to any one of claims 1-4, characterized in that, The method further includes: After performing power reduction processing, if the capacitance value detected by each of the capacitive sensors is less than the first trigger threshold, the foldable device determines that the human body is away, and the foldable device performs power recovery processing. After performing power recovery processing, if one of the capacitance values ​​detected by the at least two capacitive sensors is greater than or equal to a preset first trigger threshold, the foldable device determines that a human body is approaching, and the foldable device performs power reduction processing.

6. The method according to any one of claims 1-5, characterized in that, The at least two capacitive sensors include a first capacitive sensor and a second capacitive sensor; the sensing elements of the first capacitive sensor and the second capacitive sensor are disposed on different frames.

7. The method according to claim 6, characterized in that, The foldable device is a foldable screen device, and the display screen of the foldable screen device can be folded to form a first screen and a second screen. The sensor of the first capacitive sensor is disposed on the first edge of the first screen, and the sensor of the second capacitive sensor is disposed on the second edge of the first screen. Alternatively, the sensor of the first capacitive sensor may be disposed on the first edge of the second screen, and the sensor of the second capacitive sensor may be disposed on the second edge of the second screen.

8. The method according to claim 7, characterized in that, The first border of the first screen is adjacent to the second border of the first screen; the first border of the second screen is adjacent to the second border of the second screen.

9. The method according to claim 6, characterized in that, The foldable device is a foldable screen device. The display screen of the foldable screen device can be folded vertically to form a first screen and a second screen. In the fully unfolded state, the first screen and the second screen are arranged in a row. The front-facing camera of the foldable screen device is located on the first screen; The sensor of the first capacitive sensor is disposed on the first edge of the first screen, and the sensor of the second capacitive sensor is disposed on the second edge of the first screen. Alternatively, one of the sensors of the first capacitive sensor and the second capacitive sensor may be disposed on the edge of the first screen, and the other sensor may be disposed on the edge of the second screen.

10. The method according to any one of claims 1-5, characterized in that, The at least two capacitive sensors include a first capacitive sensor, a second capacitive sensor, and a third capacitive sensor; the first capacitive sensor, the second capacitive sensor, and the third capacitive sensor are not all arranged on the same frame.

11. The method according to any one of claims 1-10, characterized in that, The method further includes: After the foldable device begins to unfold from the fully folded state, if any of the capacitance values ​​detected by the at least two capacitive sensors is less than a third trigger threshold, the foldable device performs capacitance calibration on the at least two capacitive sensors to eliminate the influence of the frame being far from the sensor.

12. The method according to any one of claims 1-11, characterized in that, The foldable device performs power reduction processing, including reducing the power of the antenna.

13. The method according to any one of claims 1-12, characterized in that, The capacitive sensor includes a specific absorption rate sensor.

14. The method according to any one of claims 1-13, characterized in that, The foldable device includes a magnetic sensor for detecting when the foldable device begins to fold or unfold.

15. A foldable screen device, characterized in that, include: One or more processors and a memory, the memory being coupled to the processor; the memory storing one or more computer program codes, the computer program codes including computer instructions; when the processor executes the computer instructions, it causes the foldable screen device to perform the device power control method as described in any one of claims 1-14.

16. A computer-readable storage medium having a computer program stored thereon, characterized in that, When the computer program is executed by the processor of the foldable device, the foldable device performs the device power control method as described in any one of claims 1-14.

17. A computer program product, comprising a computer program, characterized in that, When the computer program is executed by the processor in the foldable device, the foldable device performs the device power control method as described in any one of claims 1-14.

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