Human Body Communication Screen State Control

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Solution Overview

Problem

Existing methods for controlling terminal screen states, such as locking and unlocking, require manual button presses or swipes, which can lead to unintended interactions and increased power consumption.

Innovation Solution

Integration of human body communication components into terminals and wearable devices, allowing electromagnetic signals to be transmitted through the user's skin for quick and efficient control of screen states, reducing power usage and enhancing safety.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Productivity

If manual button press or swipe operation is used to control terminal screen locking, then the terminal can be locked or unlocked, but the operation process is slow and consumes more power

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvescreen locking speedVSAvoidpower consumption
Core Design Contradiction:
ProductivityVSUse of energy by moving object

Solution Approach 1:

The patent replaces manual mechanical operations (button pressing, swiping) with electromagnetic signal transmission through human body communication. The wearable device transmits electromagnetic signals that pass through the user's body to the terminal, enabling automatic locking control without mechanical user input, thereby improving speed and reducing power consumption.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #28Mechanics substitution (Replace mechanical system)

Solution Approach 2:

The system enables self-service locking by detecting when the terminal is placed in the wearable device through automatic electromagnetic signal recognition. The terminal automatically locks itself when it detects the presence of the wearable device, eliminating the need for active user control actions and reducing overall power consumption.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #25Self-service

2Ease of operation

If manual unlocking operation is performed on terminal screen, then the screen can be unlocked, but the operation requires user interaction which increases power consumption

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveunlocking convenienceVSAvoidpower consumption
Core Design Contradiction:
Ease of operationVSUse of energy by moving object

Solution Approach 1:

The patent replaces manual unlocking operations with electromagnetic signal-based automatic unlocking. When the wearable device is removed from the terminal or a specific signal is transmitted, the terminal automatically unlocks through electromagnetic communication, eliminating the need for manual screen interaction and associated power consumption.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #28Mechanics substitution (Replace mechanical system)

Solution Approach 2:

The human body acts as an intermediary medium for transmitting electromagnetic signals between the wearable device and terminal. The user's body conducts the electromagnetic signals during the unlocking process, enabling contactless and automatic unlocking without direct manual operation on the terminal screen.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

3Reliability

If traditional locking method is used, then screen locking can be achieved, but unintended touch operations may occur increasing power consumption

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvelocking accuracyVSAvoidpower consumption
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSUse of energy by moving object

Solution Approach 1:

The patent eliminates mechanical touch-based locking control by using electromagnetic signal transmission through the body. The wearable device sends specific electromagnetic signals that are uniquely recognized by the terminal, ensuring accurate locking control without the risk of unintended touch operations, thereby improving reliability and reducing unnecessary power consumption.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #28Mechanics substitution (Replace mechanical system)

Applied Scientific Principles

This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.

Function Achieved in This Case

Enables rapid and secure switching of terminal screen states by using the human body as a signal medium, improving operational efficiency and reducing power consumption while enhancing safety.

Implementation Method 1

human body communication components are respectively embedded into an inside of the terminal and the wearable device, and the human body communication components are respectively connected to the metal structures on the surface of the terminal and the wearable device. In this way, the user may establish a signal channel between the terminal and the wearable device via a medium of the skin of the user when the user touches the metal structures on the surface of the terminal and the wearable device, and the control to the locking state of the terminal screen is achieved based on the transmission of the electromagnetic signal

Methodology Applied
Scientific EffectHuman body communication: Conduction (electrical)

Data Source

PatentEP3076640B1Method, apparatus for controlling state of terminal screen, and electronic device
Publication Date: 2020.05.06 XIAOMI INC
  • EP3076640B1 patent drawingFigure 1~2
  • EP3076640B1 patent drawingFigure 3~4
  • EP3076640B1 patent drawingFigure 5

AI summary

The present invention relates to a method and an apparatus for controlling a state of a terminal screen and an electronic device, the terminal contains a first human body communication component (21) connected with a metal structure (22) on a surface of the terminal, the method includes: determining (102) a real-time state of the terminal screen as a first state; generating a first electromagnetic signal corresponding to the first state, and sending the first electromagnetic signal to the metal structure (22) via the first human body communication component (21); receiving (106), by the first human body communication component (21) via the metal structure (22), a second electromagnetic signal returned according to the first electromagnetic signal by an associated wearable device; and if the second electromagnetic signal includes state switching information of the terminal screen, switching (108) the real-time state from the first state to a second state.