Magnetometer Lid Angle Control Under Vibration and Vertical Use
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing methods for measuring the lid angle of portable devices, such as notebooks and smartphones, are unreliable due to reliance on accelerometers, which are sensitive to linear accelerations and environmental vibrations, and fail to provide accurate measurements when the device is oriented vertically or subjected to external movements.
Innovation Solution
The use of magnetometers to generate signals indicative of the relative orientation between hardware elements, with a processing unit calculating a calibration parameter and reliability value to determine a reliable lid angle, allowing for accurate control of device functions regardless of orientation or environmental conditions.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If accelerometers are used to measure lid angle, then the measurement can be obtained, but the measurement becomes unreliable when the device is subjected to linear accelerations or vibrations
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces the mechanical accelerometer-based measurement system with a magnetic field-based measurement system using magnetometers. This substitution eliminates sensitivity to linear accelerations and vibrations, as magnetometers measure magnetic field orientation rather than mechanical acceleration, thereby resolving the reliability issue under acceleration conditions.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces magnetometers as intermediary devices that indirectly measure lid angle through magnetic field orientation detection. Instead of directly measuring mechanical acceleration, the system uses magnetic field vectors as an intermediary to determine the relative orientation between hardware elements, providing immunity to acceleration interference.
2Measurement precision
If accelerometers are used to measure lid angle, then the measurement can be obtained, but the measurement fails when the device is oriented vertically with pivot parallel to gravity
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements a universal measurement system using magnetometers that can accurately determine lid angle in any device orientation. The magnetic field-based measurement approach works consistently whether the device is held horizontally, vertically, or at any intermediate angle, unlike accelerometer-based systems that fail when the pivot axis aligns with the gravity vector.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent changes the measurement parameter from acceleration (gravity-dependent) to magnetic field orientation (orientation-independent). By measuring the orientation of magnetic field vectors rather than acceleration vectors, the system maintains measurement capability across all spatial orientations without being constrained by gravitational direction.
3Reliability
If filters are used to reduce linear acceleration effects, then measurement reliability improves, but response time increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces the accelerometer-based system requiring filtering with a magnetometer-based system that inherently rejects linear acceleration effects. This substitution eliminates the need for low-pass filters or other signal processing techniques to remove acceleration noise, thereby maintaining high reliability without sacrificing response speed.
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
This solution provides a reliable and adaptive measurement of the lid angle, reducing costs and immunity to linear accelerations and drift, ensuring accurate measurements even when the device is used in various orientations and conditions.
Implementation Method 1
generating, by the first magnetometer and by the second magnetometer, first signals that are indicative of measurements of a magnetic field external to the electronic apparatus
Data Source
AI summary
A method is provided for controlling an electronic apparatus on the basis of a value of a lid angle between a first hardware element accommodating a first magnetometer and a second hardware element accommodating a second magnetometer. The method includes acquiring, through the magnetometers, first signals representing an orientation of the hardware elements. A calibration parameter indicative of a condition of calibration of the magnetometers is generated on the basis of the first signals. A reliability value indicative of a condition of reliability of the first signals is generated on the basis of the first signals. A first intermediate value of the lid angle is calculated on the basis of the first signals. A current value of the lid angle is calculated on the basis of the calibration parameter, of the reliability value, and of the first intermediate value, and the electronic apparatus is controlled on the basis of the current value.