JP2008294490A - Folding electronic equipment, and case position detecting method of folding electronic equipment - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide folding electronic equipment capable of detecting not only the opening/closing state of a case, but also the direction of the case at the same time, the number of component being reduced; and a case position detecting method of the folding electronic equipment. <P>SOLUTION: The folding electronic equipment has a two-axial hinge, having two movable axes, which rotates on a horizontal axis 3 and a vertical axis 4 as axis of rotation, a second case 2, a first case 1, a magnetic sensor 8, and a magnet 7, where the magnet 7 is disposed at an arbitrary position on the vertical axis of the second case 2, and the magnetic sensor 8 is disposed in the other first case 1 at a predetermined position opposed to the magnet 7 in a folding state. The folding electronic equipment can detect positions of the two cases on the vertical axis and horizontal axis, i.e. both the opening/closing state and the direction by the one magnetic sensor and one magnet. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2009,JPO&INPIT

Description

  The present invention relates to a foldable electronic device, and more particularly to a foldable electronic device using a biaxial hinge typified by a mobile phone and a housing position detection method of the foldable electronic device.

  Typical examples of foldable electronic devices include portable terminal devices, notebook computers, and PDAs (Personal Digital Assistants). These devices have recently incorporated various functions such as digital camera functions and one-segment functions. Things are getting more. Especially in mobile terminal devices, not only the telephone function but also the mail function, browser function, etc. have been installed for several years, and the liquid crystal display part has been enlarged with this, the shape of the mobile terminal device is also a folded shape from the straight type Has become mainstream.

  Furthermore, in recent years, in addition to the mail function and browser function described above, a camera function, a TV function, and the like have been added. In many cases, the liquid crystal display unit rotates using a biaxial hinge and performs complicated operations.

  For the detection of opening and closing of foldable electronic devices such as mobile phones and laptop computers, contact-type switches, magnetic sensors, and magnets are used. Electronic devices with a biaxial hinge as described above In this case, in addition to opening / closing detection, it is necessary to detect the orientation of the upper housing, and a plurality of switches, a plurality of magnetic sensors, and a plurality of magnets are required.

  Such multi-functionalization tends to increase the number of components and increase the mounting area. In view of space, it is desired to reduce the mounting area. In addition, in order to improve the portability of electronic equipment, It is necessary to reduce the number of points to reduce the size and weight.

  Patent Document 1 discloses an example in which it is possible to provide a portable information terminal with a reduced number of parts related to detection of an open / close state and a rotation / non-rotation state.

  Patent Document 2 discloses an example in which it is possible to provide a mobile terminal device with a reduced mounting area by reducing the number of components.

JP 2005-303688 A JP 2005-354384 A

  Patent Document 1 includes two magnetic sensors, an MR sensor and a Hall sensor, and one magnet, and identifies the state of the electronic device based on the open / closed state and rotation / non-rotation detection results of the magnetic sensor. Although it has become possible to identify the open / closed state and the orientation of the housing by a magnetic sensor, there has been a problem that it is not sufficient in terms of reducing the number of parts for miniaturization and weight reduction.

  Patent Document 2 includes a magnetic sensor including two MR sensors and a magnet, and can reduce the mounting area. However, there has been a problem that it cannot be said that the number of parts for reduction in size and weight is reduced.

  An object of the present invention is to reduce costs by reducing the mounting area of a foldable electronic device and the number of components.

  The present invention has been made to solve the conventional problems, and in order to detect the opening / closing of the housing and the orientation of the housing, a plurality of switches or a plurality of magnetic sensors and a plurality of magnets are required. An object of the present invention is to provide a housing position detection method for a foldable electronic device in which the opening / closing of the housing and the orientation of the housing can be detected simultaneously by one magnetic sensor and one magnet.

  In order to solve the above-described problem, the present invention includes a biaxial hinge that rotates about a horizontal axis and a vertical axis as a rotation axis, a first casing, a second casing, a magnetic sensor, and a magnet. In the electronic device, the first casing is coupled to one end of the two-axis hinge in the vertical axis direction, and the second casing is coupled to the other end of the two-axis hinge in the vertical axis direction. When one magnet is arranged in the extension of the vertical axis of the casing, the first casing is rotated about the horizontal axis as the rotation axis, and the first casing and the second casing are brought close to each other, The foldable electronic apparatus is characterized in that one magnetic sensor is arranged at a position where the magnets of the two housings face each other.

  Further, the magnetic sensor detects the strength of the magnetic field of the magnet and the direction of the magnetic field, and detects the positions of the first casing and the second casing on the horizontal axis and the vertical axis. Equipment.

  A method for detecting a position of an electronic device having a biaxial hinge that rotates about a horizontal axis and a vertical axis as a rotation axis, a first casing, a second casing, a magnetic sensor, and a magnet. The first casing is coupled to one end of the two-axis hinge in the vertical axis direction, and the second casing is coupled to the other end of the two-axis hinge in the vertical axis direction. When one magnet is arranged on the extension of the vertical axis, the first casing is rotated about the horizontal axis as the rotation axis, and the first casing and the second casing are brought close to each other, the second casing One magnetic sensor is disposed at a position where the magnets of the body face each other, the magnetic sensor detects the magnetic field strength and the magnetic field direction of the magnet, and the horizontal axis between the first housing and the second housing and A position detection method for a casing of a foldable electronic device, characterized by detecting a position on a vertical axis.

  Therefore, according to the present invention, in a foldable electronic apparatus in which two casings are coupled by a two-axis hinge having a horizontal axis and a vertical axis, a magnet (magnetic sensor) is placed at a predetermined position on the second casing. Foldable electronic equipment by using a magnetic sensor capable of two-system output with bipolar detection by arranging a magnetic sensor (magnet) at a predetermined position on the vertical axis of the opposing first casing It is possible to detect the magnetic sensors and magnets that were conventionally required for detecting the position on the vertical and horizontal axes of the two cases, that is, opening / closing and orientation, with one magnetic sensor and one magnet. Reduction and cost can be reduced.

  Moreover, not only the opening / closing detection of the housing, but also the orientation of the housing can be detected at the same time. An orientation detection method can be obtained.

  FIG. 1 is an explanatory diagram of a foldable electronic device according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 6 is a diagram of a portable terminal when a biaxial hinge is used when the second casing 2 is closed with a liquid crystal panel 5 (not shown) as a liquid crystal display portion facing inside; A magnet 7 is disposed on the body 2, and a magnetic sensor 8 is disposed on the first housing 1. The magnetic sensor 8 uses a two-system output Hall IC that distinguishes and detects both the north and south poles, that is, the polarity. The first casing 1 and the second casing 2 are coupled by a biaxial hinge having two movable axes, a horizontal axis 3 and a vertical axis 4.

  The magnet 7 is disposed at an arbitrary position on the vertical axis of the second housing 2, and the magnetic sensor 8 disposed in the first housing 1 is in a state where the second housing 2 is closed, Is disposed at a predetermined position of the first casing 1 facing the. The magnetized direction of the magnet 7 arranged is a direction (vertical direction in the figure) perpendicular to the vertical axis 4 and further perpendicular to the horizontal axis 3, and the magnetic sensor 8 side (lower side) is the S pole and the opposite side ( The upper side is the N pole. The magnetic field direction detected by the magnetic sensor 8 disposed in the first housing 1 is parallel to the magnetization direction of the magnet 7 disposed in the second housing 2. That is, the magnetic sensor 8 operates by causing the magnetic flux generated from the magnet 7 to intersect the plane direction of the magnetic sensor 8 in the vertical direction.

  That is, in the state of FIG. 1, the magnetic sensor 8 detects a magnetic field generated from the S pole from the magnet 7 disposed in the second housing 2 and outputs a signal. Then, the foldable electronic device that has received the signal that has detected the south pole of the magnet 7 recognizes that the liquid crystal panel 5 that is the liquid crystal display section is closed inside, and the power supply of the liquid crystal panel 5 is turned off.

  FIG. 2 is an explanatory diagram of the folding electronic device according to the embodiment of the present invention when the second housing 2 is opened from the state of FIG. When the second housing 2 is opened, the magnetic field from the magnet 7 to the magnetic sensor 8 is removed, and the magnetic sensor 8 does not detect the magnetic field and does not output a signal. Therefore, the foldable electronic device recognizes that the second housing 2 is in an open state, and the power source of the liquid crystal panel 5 is turned on.

  FIG. 3 is an explanatory diagram of the foldable electronic device according to the embodiment of the present invention when the second housing 2 is rotated 180 ° and opened from the state of FIG. FIG. 4 is an explanatory diagram of the foldable electronic device according to the embodiment of the present invention when the second housing 2 is closed from the state of FIG. When the second casing 2 is rotated around the vertical axis 4 as shown in FIG. 3 and the second casing 2 is closed as shown in FIG. 4, the magnetic sensor 8 is installed in the second casing 2. The N pole magnetic field is received from the magnet 7, and the N pole magnetic field is detected and a signal is output. Then, the foldable electronic device that has received the signal for detecting the N pole from the magnetic sensor 8 recognizes that the liquid crystal panel 5 is closed to the outside, and performs control such as reversing the display direction of the liquid crystal display unit by 180 degrees. Do.

  The magnet 7 may be disposed in the first housing 1 and the magnetic sensor 8 may be disposed in the second housing 2. Instead of the Hall IC, the magnetic sensor 8 may be an MR sensor with two-pole detection dual output. Absent. The magnetic sensor 8 and the magnet 7 to be arranged may be at arbitrary positions on the vertical axis 4 or near the hinge. Further, the magnetization direction of the magnet 7 and the magnetic field direction having the sensitivity of the magnetic sensor 8 are not limited to the direction of the embodiment of FIG.

  In this embodiment mode, a cellular phone is used as an example of a folding electronic device. However, the present invention is not limited to this, and the present invention can also be used for an electronic device having a folding function such as a notebook personal computer or a PDA. As described above, conventionally, a magnetic sensor and a magnet for opening and closing detection, a magnetic sensor and a magnet for detecting the orientation of the housing, which required a plurality of magnetic sensors and a plurality of magnets, It is possible to detect both opening and closing and orientation with one magnetic sensor and one magnet, and it is possible to reduce the mounting area and cost.

  Next, the foldable electronic device of the present invention will be described in more detail based on examples.

  In FIG. 1, the dimensions of each part of the structure of the folding electronic device of the present invention are as follows: the horizontal dimension is 50 mm, the vertical dimension is 100 mm, and the thickness of the second casing 2 is 7 mm. The thickness dimension m of 1 is 9 mm. The distance between the opposing surfaces of the magnetic sensor 8 and the magnet 7 was 8.0 mm. At this time, the magnetic sensor 8 has a sensitivity of an output voltage of 10 mV when the magnetic field is 20 × 10 minus 4 Tesla. From this state, it is recognized that the liquid crystal panel 5 which is a liquid crystal display unit is closed inside, and the power supply of the liquid crystal panel 5 is turned off.

  In addition, in order to recognize the current state of the foldable electronic device, it is necessary to have a sensitivity of an output voltage of 10 mV. At this time, the interval between the facing surfaces of the magnetic sensor 8 and the magnet 7 is as follows. The limit is 8.0 mm. If the interval exceeds 8.0 mm, the output voltage decreases from 10 mV, and sufficient sensitivity cannot be obtained. If the interval is less than 3.0 mm, the magnetic sensor 8 and the magnet 7 are accommodated due to the structure. Therefore, the distance is preferably within the range of 3.0 to 8.0 mm.

Explanatory drawing of the foldable electronic device concerning embodiment of this invention. Explanatory drawing of the foldable electronic device concerning embodiment of this invention when the 2nd housing | casing is opened from the state of FIG. Explanatory drawing of the foldable electronic device concerning embodiment of this invention when the 2nd housing | casing is rotated 180 degrees and opened from the state of FIG. Explanatory drawing of the foldable electronic device concerning embodiment of this invention when the 2nd housing | casing is closed from the state of FIG.

Explanation of symbols

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 1st housing | casing 2 2nd housing | casing 3 Horizontal axis 4 Vertical axis 5 Liquid crystal panel 6 Operation button 7 Magnet 8 Magnetic sensor

Claims (3)

  An electronic device including a biaxial hinge that rotates about a horizontal axis and a vertical axis as a rotation axis, a first casing, a second casing, a magnetic sensor, and a magnet, wherein the first casing A body is coupled to one end of the biaxial hinge in the vertical axis direction, and the second housing is coupled to the other end of the biaxial hinge in the vertical axis direction, and the body of the first housing is When one of the magnets is arranged on an extension of a vertical axis, the first casing is rotated around the horizontal axis as a rotation axis, and the first casing and the second casing are brought close to each other A foldable electronic device, wherein one of the magnetic sensors is arranged at a position where the magnet of the second casing faces.   The magnetic sensor detects a magnetic field strength and a magnetic field direction of the magnet, and detects positions of the first casing and the second casing on the horizontal axis and the vertical axis. The foldable electronic device according to claim 1.   A method for detecting the position of a casing of an electronic device including a biaxial hinge that rotates about a horizontal axis and a vertical axis as a rotation axis, a first casing, a second casing, a magnetic sensor, and a magnet. The first housing is coupled to one end of the biaxial hinge in the vertical axis direction, and the second housing is coupled to the other end of the biaxial hinge in the vertical axis direction, One magnet is disposed in an extension of the vertical axis of one casing, the first casing is rotated about the horizontal axis as a rotation axis, and the first casing and the second casing are rotated. When the body is brought close, one magnetic sensor is arranged at a position where the magnet of the second casing faces, the magnetic sensor detects the strength of the magnetic field and the direction of the magnetic field of the magnet, A position on the horizontal axis and the vertical axis between the first casing and the second casing is detected. Ri foldable housing position detection method of the electronic device.

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