TWM528462U - Portable electronic device - Google Patents

Abstract

A portable electronic device is provided, which includes a jack and an embedded controller. A first sensing conductor is disposed on the jack, and the embedded controller is coupled to the jack and includes a capacitance sensor. When a plug with a second sensing conductor is inserted into the jack, the capacitance sensor detects a capacitance value generated by the first sensing conductor and the second sensing conductor. The embedded controller determines whether to output a power-on signal to start up the portable electronic device according to whether the capacitance value matches a predefined condition.

Description

Portable electronic device

The present invention relates to a portable electronic device, and more particularly to a portable electronic device having a jack.

With the advancement of technology, portable electronic devices have become an indispensable necessity for modern people. The vast amount of information is stored in portable electronic devices, and this information often involves the user's personal confidential information. In order to protect the data inside the portable electronic device from being stolen, the user can use the user account of the operating system to set the account password to protect the data inside the portable electronic device. However, this method must be protected by the operating system after the data inside the portable electronic device enters the operating system. Therefore, the user must first press the power button to activate the portable electronic device, and then manually input the account password to obtain the operation right of the portable electronic device. However, the above operational flow is still somewhat cumbersome, and the memory of the account password can be regarded as a burden to the user.

Alternatively, by additionally providing a biometric identification component (such as a fingerprint identification device, a pupil identification device, etc.) on the portable electronic device, the security of the portable electronic device can be improved. However, when the user cannot access the portable electronic device, the user cannot request assistance from others to turn on the portable electronic device. In addition, the setting of the biometric identification component not only increases the cost of manufacturing the portable electronic device, but also imposes certain restrictions on the mechanism design of the portable electronic device.

In view of the above, the present invention provides a portable electronic device for determining whether to activate a portable electronic device by detecting a capacitance value between a jack and a plug on the portable electronic device, thereby ensuring information security. Improve the convenience of operating portable electronic devices under the conditions.

The novel creation provides a portable electronic device including a jack and an embedded controller. The jack is provided with a first sensing conductor, and the embedded controller is coupled to the jack and includes a capacitance value detector. When the plug having the second sensing conductor is inserted into the jack, the capacitance detector detects a capacitance value formed by the first sensing conductor and the second sensing conductor. The embedded controller determines whether to output a power-on signal to activate the portable electronic device according to whether the capacitance value meets a preset condition.

Based on the above, in the portable electronic device created by the present invention, when the plug of the peripheral device or the plug of the data transmission interface is inserted into the jack of the portable electronic device, the sensing conductor on the plug and the sensing on the jack The conductor will produce a capacitance value. The embedded electronic device determines whether to output a power-on signal according to whether the capacitance value meets a preset condition. The capacitance value described above is equal to a preset value in response to the user inserting the matched plug, and the embedded controller will output the power-on signal to activate the portable electronic device. Therefore, the portable electronic device created by the present invention greatly simplifies the operation steps of unlocking the portable electronic device, and can reduce the limitation of the design of the device by using the existing jack on the portable electronic device.

The above described features and advantages of the present invention will become more apparent and understood from the following description.

The above and other technical contents, features and effects of the present invention will be apparent from the following detailed description of the embodiments. The directional terms mentioned in the following embodiments, such as "upper", "lower", "front", "back", "left", "right", etc., are only directions referring to the additional schema. Therefore, the directional terminology used is for illustrative purposes and is not intended to limit the novel creation. Also, in the following embodiments, the same or similar elements will be given the same or similar reference numerals.

1 is a block diagram of a portable electronic device in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention. Referring to FIG. 1 , the portable electronic device 10 includes a system wafer 110 , an embedded controller 120 , a power supply unit 130 , and a jack 140 . The plug 20 is pluggably connected to the jack 140. The portable electronic device 10 is, for example, a smart phone, a notebook computer, a digital camera, a game machine, a tablet computer, etc., but the novel creation is not limited thereto.

The jack 140 is, for example, a USB jack, a headphone jack, or a jack for other data transmission interfaces, and the novel creation is not limited thereto. As long as the jack of the portable electronic device 10 can accept the insertion of a plug, it is the scope of the novel creation. A first inductive conductor is disposed on the jack 140, and the material of the first inductive conductor is, for example, a metal or other electrically conductive material.

The system chip 110 is coupled to the embedded controller 120 and the power supply unit 130, and can perform a boot process according to the boot signal S1 and the system power P1. In one embodiment, the system wafer 110 can include a south bridge wafer and a north bridge wafer, wherein the south bridge wafer is used to connect the embedded controller 120, a basic input/output system (not shown), and the north bridge wafer is connected to a portable electronic device. 10 processor and main memory (not shown) and so on. The Northbridge and Southbridge wafers can also be integrated into a chipset. This new creation is not limited to this.

The power supply unit 130 is coupled to the embedded controller 120 and outputs the system power P1 to the system wafer 110 in response to the power control signal S2. The embedded controller 120 is used to control the peripheral device of the portable electronic device 10. For example, the peripheral device may be an input device such as a fan, a touch pad or a keyboard (not shown). On the other hand, the embedded controller 120 can also manage the power of the portable electronic device 10. It should be noted that when the portable electronic device 10 is turned off or enters the power saving mode, the portable electronic device 10 will turn off its power or reduce power consumption to avoid consuming battery power. At this time, the embedded controller 120 can continuously obtain the supply of the power supply because there are still some tasks that need to be performed when the system is shut down. In other words, when the portable electronic device 10 is turned off, the embedded controller 120 can still obtain power supply and perform specific tasks.

In the novel creation, the embedded controller 120 is coupled to the jack 140 and includes a capacitance value detector 121. When the plug 20 having the second inductive conductor is inserted into the jack 140, the capacitance detector 121 detects a capacitance value formed by the first inductive conductor and the second inductive conductor. In detail, the plug 20 is provided with a second inductive conductor. When the plug 20 is inserted into the jack 140, the second inductive conductor on the plug 20 is adjacent to the first inductive conductor on the jack 140, and the second inductive conductor on the plug 20 does not contact the first inductive conductor on the jack 140. Accordingly, in the case where a voltage is applied to the first inductive conductor or the second inductive conductor, the capacitance value formed by the first inductive conductor and the second inductive conductor is related to the distance between the first inductive conductor and the second inductive conductor.

In this configuration, the embedded controller 120 determines whether to output the boot signal S1 to activate the portable electronic device 10 according to whether the capacitance value detected by the capacitance value detector 121 meets a preset condition. In addition, the embedded controller 120 determines whether to output the power control signal S2 to the power supply unit 130 according to whether the detected capacitance value meets a preset condition. That is, once the spatial relationship between the second sensing conductor on the plug 20 and the first inductive conductor on the jack 140 conforms to a conditional state, the capacitance value detected by the capacitance detector 121 will also conform to the preset. condition. In this manner, the embedded controller 120 outputs the power-on signal S1 and the power control signal S2 in response to detecting the capacitance value meeting the preset condition, and the system chip 110 will also start the portability according to the power-on signal S1 and the system power source P1. Electronic device 10.

In order to clearly illustrate the novel creation, FIG. 2 is a flow chart of a startup procedure of the portable electronic device according to an embodiment of the present invention. Referring to FIG. 2, the startup process of the present embodiment is applicable to the portable electronic device 10 described above. The following is a detailed description of the detailed flow of the embodiment in conjunction with the components of the portable electronic device 10 of FIG. When the portable electronic device is in the off state, in step S201, the capacitance value detector 121 of the embedded electronic device 120 detects the capacitance value associated with the sensing conductor on a jack 140. In the novel creation, the embedded controller determines whether the capacitance value is substantially equal to the preset value and determines whether to output the power-on signal S1. In addition, the term "substantially" as used herein means that when there is an "admissible error value", it is also within the scope of the novel creation.

Then, in step S202, the embedded controller 120 determines whether the capacitance value substantially conforms to a preset value. If the determination in step S202 is YES, in step S203, the embedded controller 120 sends a power-on signal S1 to activate the portable electronic device 10. In other words, when the capacitance value is substantially equal to the preset value, the embedded controller 120 outputs the power-on signal S1 to activate the portable electronic device 10. If the determination in step S202 is no, in step S204, the embedded controller 120 does not issue the power-on signal S1, so that the portable electronic device 10 is kept in the off state. In other words, when the capacitance value is substantially not equal to the preset value, the embedded controller 120 does not output the power-on signal S1, so that the portable electronic device 10 is kept in the off state.

In the following, the case where the jack is the headphone jack and the plug is the headphone plug will be described as an example, but the present invention is not limited. 3 is a schematic structural view of a jack and a socket according to an embodiment of the present invention. Referring to FIG. 3, the socket 141 is adapted to allow the plug 21 to be inserted. The jack 141 may be a headphone jack having a hole diameter of 2.5 mm or 3.5 mm, and the plug 21 may be a headphone plug having a corresponding size. In the present embodiment, the second inductive conductor 21a is disposed on the surface of the plug 21, and the first inductive conductor 141a is disposed on the inner surface of the jack 141. When the plug 21 is inserted into the jack 141, the capacitance value depends on the detection distance d1 between the first inductive conductor 21a and the second inductive conductor 141a. In the present embodiment, the first inductive conductor 141a is disposed at the bottom end of the insertion hole 141, and the second inductive conductor 21a is disposed at the top end of the plug 21, but the present invention is not limited thereto. In another embodiment, the first inductive conductor 141a may also be disposed on the hole wall of the jack 141, and the second inductive conductor 21a may be correspondingly disposed on the sidewall of the plug 21.

In the configuration of FIG. 3, when the plug 21 is fully inserted into the jack 141, the capacitance value formed by the first inductive conductor 141a and the second inductive conductor 21a is determined based on the detection distance d1. 4 is a schematic diagram showing the relationship between capacitance value and distance according to an embodiment of the present invention. Referring to FIG. 4, the relationship between the distance between the first inductive conductor 141a and the second inductive conductor 21a and the capacitance value under the condition that the material and size of the first inductive conductor 141a and the second inductive conductor 21a are fixed. As shown in Figure 4. Therefore, when the distance between the first sensing conductor 141a and the second sensing conductor 21a is the detection distance d1, the embedded controller can acquire the capacitance value c1 and determine whether the capacitance value c1 is equal to the preset value.

Assuming that the capacitance value c1 is equal to the preset value, if the user will not match the other plug (the distance between the sensing conductor without the sensing conductor or the upper end thereof and the first sensing conductor 141a is not equal to the detection distance d1) Inserting the jack 141, the embedded controller will not output the power-on signal without starting the portable electronic device. In addition, with the configuration shown in FIG. 3, the portable electronic device is activated only when the plug 21 is correctly and completely inserted into the jack 141. Therefore, the novel creation on the other hand can serve as a mechanism for detecting whether the plug 21 is inserted in place.

However, although FIG. 3 is described by taking a headphone plug and a headphone jack as an example, the present invention is not limited thereto. FIG. 5 is a schematic diagram of a portable electronic device according to an embodiment of the present invention. Referring to FIG. 5 , the portable electronic device 50 includes a universal serial bus (USB) jack 51 . The USB plug 52 of the peripheral device (the mouse 53 is taken as an example) is adapted to be inserted into the USB jack 51, and the USB plug 52 is provided with an inductive conductor 52a. Further, the USB plug 55 of the storage device (for example, the flash drive 54 in FIG. 5) is also adapted to be inserted into the USB jack 51, and the USB plug 55 is provided with an inductive conductor 55a.

Therefore, when the USB plug 52 is inserted into the USB jack 51, the embedded controller of the portable electronic device 50 can also be formed according to the sensing conductor (not shown in FIG. 5) on the jack 51 and the sensing conductor 52a. The capacitance value determines whether to output a power-on signal to activate the portable electronic device 50. Similarly, when the USB plug 55 is inserted into the USB jack 51, the embedded controller of the portable electronic device 50 can also determine whether to output the boot signal according to the capacitance formed between the sensing conductor on the jack 51 and the sensing conductor 55a. The portable electronic device 50 is activated. In this way, the user must use the matched plug to activate the portable electronic device to improve the safety of the portable electronic device.

FIG. 6 is a block diagram of a portable electronic device according to an embodiment of the present invention. Referring to FIG. 6 , the portable electronic device 10 includes a system wafer 110 , an embedded controller 120 , a power supply unit 130 , and a jack 140 . The plug 20 is pluggably connected to the jack 140. In the present embodiment, the power supply unit 130 includes a power management bus 131, a switch 132, and a power supply element 133. The power supply element 133 outputs the first power source P3. The power supply element 133 is, for example, a power adapter that receives an external alternating current power source (AC-IN), or a battery that supplies a direct current power source (DC-IN). The power supply component 133 can provide the second power source P2 to the embedded controller 120 in the off state, thereby causing the embedded controller 120 to continue performing specific tasks in the off state.

The switch 132 is coupled to the power supply component 133 and the embedded controller 120, and outputs the first power source P3 in response to receiving the power control signal S2. For example, the switch 132 can be implemented by using a logic circuit, a switch or a multiplexer, and the input terminal receives the first power source P3. In addition, the output end of the switch 132 is coupled to the power management bus 131, and the control end of the switch 132 is coupled to the embedded controller 120. The power management bus 131 is coupled to the switch 132 and receives the first power source P3 to generate the system power source P1 to the system wafer 110. That is, when the matched plug 20 is inserted into the jack 140, the switch 132 supplies the first power source P3 to the power management bus 131 in response to the power control signal S2, so that the power management bus 131 can generate the system power P1 accordingly.

In summary, in the portable electronic device of the present invention, the embedded electronic device determines whether to output the power-on signal according to whether the capacitance value meets the preset condition. The capacitance value described above is equal to a preset value in response to the user inserting the matched plug, and the embedded controller will output the power-on signal to activate the portable electronic device. Therefore, the portable electronic device created by the present invention greatly simplifies the operation steps of unlocking the portable electronic device, and can reduce the limitation of the design of the device by using the existing jack on the portable electronic device. In addition, by detecting and viewing the capacitance value, it can be further detected whether the plug is inserted in place in the correct manner.

Although the present invention has been disclosed in the above embodiments, it is not intended to limit the novel creation, and any person skilled in the art can make some changes without departing from the spirit and scope of the novel creation. Retouching, the scope of protection of this new creation is subject to the definition of the scope of the patent application attached.

10, 50‧‧‧ portable electronic devices
110‧‧‧System Chip
120‧‧‧ embedded controller
121‧‧‧Capacitance value detector
130‧‧‧Power supply unit
140, 141, 51‧‧‧ jacks
20, 21, 52, 55‧‧‧ plug
141a‧‧‧First induction conductor
21a‧‧‧Second induction conductor
52a, 55a‧‧‧Inductive conductor
54‧‧‧USB flash drive
53‧‧‧ Mouse
S1‧‧‧ boot signal
S2‧‧‧ power control signal
P1‧‧‧ system power supply
131‧‧‧Power Management Bus
132‧‧‧ switch
133‧‧‧Power supply components
P2‧‧‧second power supply
P3‧‧‧First power supply
S201～S204‧‧‧Steps

1 is a block diagram of a portable electronic device in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention. 2 is a flow chart of a startup procedure of a portable electronic device in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention. 3 is a schematic structural view of a jack and a socket according to an embodiment of the present invention. 4 is a schematic diagram showing the relationship between capacitance value and distance according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 5 is a schematic diagram of a portable electronic device according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 6 is a block diagram of a portable electronic device according to an embodiment of the present invention.

10‧‧‧Portable electronic devices

110‧‧‧System Chip

120‧‧‧ embedded controller

121‧‧‧Capacitance value detector

130‧‧‧Power supply unit

140‧‧‧ jack

20‧‧‧ plug

S1‧‧‧ boot signal

S2‧‧‧ power control signal

P1‧‧‧ system power supply

Claims (9)

A portable electronic device includes: a jack disposed with a first inductive conductor; and an embedded controller coupled to the jack and including a capacitance value detector; wherein when having a second inductive conductor a capacitor is inserted into the jack, and the capacitance detector detects a capacitance value formed by the first sensing conductor and the second sensing conductor, wherein the embedded controller determines whether the capacitor value meets a preset condition. Decide whether to output a power-on signal to activate the portable electronic device. The portable electronic device of claim 1, wherein the portable electronic device further comprises: a power supply unit coupled to the embedded controller, and outputting a system power supply in response to a power control signal And a system chip coupled to the embedded controller and the power supply unit, and executing a booting process according to the boot signal and the system power, wherein the embedded controller determines whether the capacitor value meets the preset condition Whether to output the power control signal to the power supply unit. The portable electronic device of claim 2, wherein the power supply unit comprises: a power supply component that outputs a first power source; a switch coupled to the power supply component and the embedded controller, And outputting the first power source in response to receiving the power control signal; and a power management bus coupled to the switch to receive the first power source to generate the system power. The portable electronic device of claim 1, wherein the embedded controller determines whether the capacitance value is substantially equal to a predetermined value and determines whether to output the power-on signal. The portable electronic device of claim 4, wherein when the capacitance value is substantially equal to the preset value, the embedded controller outputs the power-on signal to activate the portable electronic device; and when the The capacitance value is substantially not equal to the preset value, and the embedded controller does not output the power-on signal, so that the portable electronic device is kept in a shutdown state. The portable electronic device of claim 1, wherein the second sensing conductor is disposed on a surface of the plug, and the first sensing conductor is disposed on an inner surface of the jack when the plug is inserted In the jack, the capacitance value is determined according to a detection distance between the first inductive conductor and the second inductive conductor. The portable electronic device of claim 6, wherein the first sensing conductor is disposed at a bottom end of the jack, and the second sensing conductor is disposed at a top end of the plug. The portable electronic device of claim 1, wherein the plug comprises a headphone plug, and the jack comprises a headphone jack. The portable electronic device of claim 1, wherein the plug comprises a universal serial bus (USB) plug, and the jack comprises a USB jack.