TWI503731B - A pressure triggering apparatus and an electronic device having the same - Google Patents

Description

Pressure triggering device and electronic device including the same

The present invention relates to a pressure triggering device, and more particularly to a pressure triggering device for an electronic device.

Currently, some digital products have built-in G-sensor (acceleration sensor), which can sense the change of acceleration force. When the object is in the acceleration process, various movement changes such as shaking, falling, rising or falling are all G-sensor. It is converted into an electrical signal, and then through the calculation and analysis of the microprocessor, the predetermined function can be completed. For example, the MP3 can change the playing song to the previous or next song according to the user's tilting direction, or calculate the user's advancement when the MP3 is put into the pocket. In addition, some high-end notebooks have a G-sensor inside, and when a strong acceleration is detected (such as accidentally falling), the hard disk is immediately protected to avoid damage to the hard disk. This is because G-sensor is an intelligent gravity sensing system that can detect the current state of the hard disk on a hard disk. When an accidental drop occurs, the hard disk senses the acceleration generated, and the head is automatically reset. The disc body and the magnetic head are separated to prevent accidental impact during the reading and writing operation, and affect the normal reading/writing of the data.

On the other hand, G-sensor technology can also be applied in mobile phones. When the user swings the mobile phone, the user can execute the corresponding application software based on the user's action behavior, such as playing games, listening to MP3 or taking photos, etc., similar to WiFi. Micro Electromechanical System (MEMS), a micro-electromechanical system that integrates miniature sensors, actuators, and signal processing and control circuits, interface circuits, communications, and power.

However, in the prior art, when the mobile phone with the built-in G-sensor is in a state of motion, the function of the mobile phone is relatively simple, and the user cannot pick up the phone freely, which reduces the user experience. Moreover, there are currently few measures to protect the handheld device from underwater, and if the user's handheld device falls into the water, it will cause significant losses.

In view of the above-mentioned drawbacks of prior art electronic devices in sensing technology, the present invention provides a pressure triggering device for an electronic device.

According to an embodiment of the invention, a pressure triggering device for an electronic device is provided, comprising: a pressure sensor, a resistance strain wire and a pressure setting module. Wherein, one end of the resistance strain wire is connected to the pressure sensor, and the other end is connected to the body of the electronic device. The pressure setting module is configured to receive the resistance value change of the resistance strain wire and convert it into a corresponding pressure value. The pressure sensor changes the resistance value according to the change of the external force acting on the electronic device, and the change amount of the resistance value of the pressure sensor is amplified by the resistance strain wire and sent to the pressure setting module. The electronic device implements different application functions according to the pressure value output by the pressure setting module.

Preferably, the pressure sensor is located on an outer surface of the electronic device. More specifically, an adhesive can be used to secure the pressure sensor to the outer surface of the electronic device. In addition, a protective film can be provided on the pressure sensor.

Preferably, the pressure sensor can be a strain gauge or a semiconductor strain gauge. When the pressure sensor is a resistance strain gauge, the resistance value change of the resistance strain gauge is proportional to the stress variation of the electronic device. When the pressure sensor is a semiconductor strain gauge, the resistance value of the semiconductor strain gauge changes based on the change in resistivity, and the change in resistivity is proportional to the stress variation of the electronic device.

Preferably, when the external force applied to the electronic device changes, the resistance value of the pressure sensor also changes accordingly, and the electronic device can switch from one application function to another.

According to still another embodiment of the present invention, an electronic device is provided, including: a housing, a pressure triggering device, and a control module. Wherein, the pressure triggering device comprises a pressure sensor, a resistance strain wire and a pressure setting module. Wherein, one end of the resistance strain wire is connected to the pressure sensor, and the other end is connected to the outer casing of the electronic device. The pressure setting module is configured to receive the resistance value change of the resistance strain wire and convert it into a corresponding pressure value. The pressure sensor changes the resistance value according to the change of the external force acting on the electronic device, and the amount of change in the resistance value of the pressure sensor is amplified by the resistance strain wire and sent to the pressure setting module. The control module receives the pressure value of the pressure setting module, so that the electronic device performs an application function corresponding to the pressure value.

Preferably, the electronic device is a mobile phone, a personal digital assistant, an MP3, an MP4 or other portable digital device. For example, mobile phone app features include playing games, playing music, and making phone calls. When the pressure setting of the pressure setting module is 0-10, the mobile phone picks up the phone; when the pressure setting module pressure value is 10-20, the mobile phone starts the game; and when the pressure setting module pressure value is 20 At -30 hours, the mobile phone plays music.

Preferably, when browsing a word document or a PDF document on the device, the automatic page turning function can be achieved according to the change of the pressure, for example, when the pressure value is 0-10, the word document is turned forward or backward by 1 page, when the pressure is The value is turned 2 pages forward or backward at 10-20, and the pressure value is overturned by the corresponding number of pages.

Preferably, the device can be fully controlled by the device to replace today's button and touch screen sensing technologies and the like. If the upper and lower sides of the device are used to implement the menu selection, and the two sides of the device are pressed to determine the behavior, the selected application is entered.

Preferably, the pressure sensor is attached to the housing of the electronic device using an adhesive. In addition, a protective film can be provided on the pressure sensor.

In accordance with yet another embodiment of the present invention, a pressure triggering method for an electronic device is provided. In this pressure triggering method, the user first presses the pressure sensor of the electronic device and then obtains the corresponding pressure value through the pressure sensor. Since the obtained pressure value is generally small, the pressure value needs to be transmitted to the processing circuit of the electronic device for processing, and the electronic device is triggered to perform various operations according to the processing result of the processing circuit.

Preferably, the pressure sensor is located on an outer surface of the electronic device. Additionally, an adhesive can be used to secure the pressure sensor to the outer surface of the electronic device.

Preferably, the processing circuit is an A/D conversion circuit or an amplification circuit.

Preferably, the application operations of the electronic device include playing games, playing music, making calls, and reading documents. In an embodiment, when the pressure sensor is pressed, the triggering operation of the electronic device corresponds to any one of playing a game, playing music, making a call, and reading a document. In another embodiment, when the pressure sensor is pressed, the triggering operation of the electronic device corresponds to forward play or backward play in the played music. In still another embodiment, when the pressure sensor is pressed, the triggering operation of the electronic device corresponds to flipping forward or backward in the reading document.

Specific embodiments of the present invention will be further described in detail below with reference to the drawings.

First, let's briefly introduce the piezoresistive sensor and piezoresistive effect. A piezoresistive sensor is a device that is formed by diffusion resistance on a substrate of a semiconductor material according to the piezoresistive effect of the semiconductor material. Wherein, the substrate can be directly used as a sensing element for measurement, and the diffusion resistor is connected in the form of a bridge in the substrate. When the substrate is not subjected to an external force, the bridge is in an equilibrium state, and the output voltage is zero; when the substrate is deformed by an external force, the resistance values in the bridge will change, so the bridge is in an original equilibrium state. Converts to an unbalanced state and generates a corresponding output voltage. Generally, piezoresistive sensors are used for measurement and control of pressure, tension, pressure difference, and other physical quantities (such as liquid level, acceleration, weight, strain, flow, vacuum) that can be converted into changes in force, and used as pressure The substrate material of the resistive sensor is mainly a cymbal or a cymbal, and a solid-state piezoresistive sensor using a cymbal as a material is most commonly used. So what is the piezoresistive effect? Taking a single crystal germanium material as an example, when an external force acts on the germanium crystal, the crystal lattice of the crystal is deformed, causing the carrier to scatter from one energy valley to another, causing the mobility of the carrier to change, thereby disturbing. The average number of longitudinal and lateral carriers is changed, so that the resistivity of the crucible is changed, and the electrical signal output proportional to the change of the external force can be obtained by the measuring circuit.

It will be understood by one of ordinary skill in the art that the change in carrier mobility varies with crystal orientation, and therefore, the piezoresistive effect of germanium is related to the orientation of the crystal. In addition, the piezoresistive effect of tantalum is different from strain gauges (ie, resistance strain gauges) because the voltage change in the piezoresistive effect mainly depends on the change in tantalum resistivity, and the voltage change in the resistance strain gauge mainly depends on The geometry of the material itself varies, and the sensitivity of the piezoresistive effect is 50-100 times greater than the sensitivity of the strain gauge. It can be seen that in the pressure triggering device, a higher sensitivity can be obtained by using a piezoresistive sensor.

In a piezoresistive strain sensor, a resistive strain wire is a sensitive device that converts a change in stress on a device under test into an electrical signal. It is one of the main components of a piezoresistive strain sensor. The most widely used resistance strain wires are metal resistance strain wires and semiconductor strain wires. The metal resistance strain wire has two kinds of filament strained wire and metal foil strained wire. Usually, the strained wire is tightly bonded to the mechanically strained substrate through a special adhesive. When the stress is changed by the force of the substrate, the resistance strained wire is also deformed together, so that the resistance of the strain gauge is changed, thereby The voltage applied to the resistor changes. The strain gauges typically have a small change in resistance when stressed. Typically, such strain gauges form a strain bridge and are amplified by subsequent instrumentation amplifiers and then transmitted to the processing circuitry (usually A/D conversion and CPU) display or actuator.

Among them, the working principle of the metal resistance strain gauge is that the strain resistance adsorbed on the base material changes with the resistance of the mechanical deformation, which is commonly known as the resistance strain effect. The resistance value of the metal conductor can be expressed by the following formula:

R=ρS/L

Where: resistivity of ρ-metal conductor (Ω‧cm ² /m)

Cross-sectional area of the S-conductor (cm ² )

Length of L-conductor (m)

Taking the wire strain resistance as an example, when the wire is subjected to an external force, its length and cross-sectional area will change. It can be easily seen from the above formula that the resistance value will change if the wire is subjected to an external force. When it is stretched, its length increases, and the cross-sectional area decreases, and the resistance value increases. When the wire is compressed by an external force, the length is decreased and the section is increased, and the resistance value is decreased. Therefore, as long as the change in resistance value (usually the voltage across the resistance) is measured, the strain of the strained wire can be obtained.

1 is a schematic view showing the structural principle of an exemplary embodiment of a pressure triggering device of the present invention. In Fig. 1, a schematic structural view of a mobile handset having a pressure triggering device is described. One of ordinary skill in the art will appreciate that a mobile handset is just one of many devices that include a pressure triggering device, but the invention is not limited thereto. For example, it can also be a personal digital assistant (PDA) or a portable multi-function digital device (such as a digital device compatible with gaming functions, music listening or camera functions).

As shown, the pressure triggering device includes at least an outer ring pressure sensor 100, a body 102, and a resistance strain wire 104. The outer ring pressure sensor 100 can be a strain gauge or a semiconductor strain gauge. Here, the resistance strain gauge is exemplified. The resistance strain gauge is tightly bonded to the mechanical strain generating body 102 by a special adhesive, and is used to convert the force change of the mobile phone body 102 into an electrical signal. When an external force is applied to cause a stress change in the body 102, the strain gauges are also deformed together, and the resistance value of the strain gauge is changed, so that the voltage applied to the resistor also changes.

It should be understood by those skilled in the art that the resistance strain gauge has a relatively small change in resistance when the body is stressed, and it is usually required to form the strain gauge into a strain bridge, which is amplified by a subsequent instrumentation amplifier and then transmitted to the processing circuit (eg, A/D conversion or CPU). In this embodiment, we use the resistance strain wire 104 to amplify the voltage change applied across the resistance strain gauge, and send the pressure value corresponding to the amplified voltage to the control module of the mobile phone for processing. Preferably, the control module can be a pressure setting module, and the application software corresponding to the mobile phone is activated according to the pressure value corresponding to the voltage value.

FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram showing the circuit principle of the pressure triggering device in FIG. 1 for amplifying the voltage change. In Fig. 2, the potentials at node 2 and node 4 of strain bridge 200 are denoted by V ₂ and V ₄ , respectively, and the output voltage of amplifier 202 is denoted by V _o . It should be noted that, according to the load balancing principle at the input of the amplifier, the resistance R ₁ , R ₂ , R ₃ and R ₄ must satisfy: R ₃ /R ₁ =R ₄ /R ₂ .

To account for the proportional relationship between the output voltage V _{o of} amplifier 202 and the voltage change (V ₂ -V ₄ ) between node 2 and node 4 of bridge 200, a brief derivation is as follows: assuming positive and negative inputs of amplifier 202 The terminal voltages of the terminals are V ₊ and V _{- respectively} , according to Kirchhoff's law,

(V ₄ -V ₊ )/R ₁ =(V ₊ -V _o )/R ₃ ;

V ₂ /(R ₂ +R ₄ )=V _- /R ₄

Due to the virtual short function between the positive input terminal and the negative input terminal, that is, V ₊ =V _- , the above two equations are calculated:

V _o =(V ₂ -V ₄ )R ₃ /R ₁

When the proper proportional relationship between the resistance values of R ₃ and R ₁ is selected, the weak voltage change in bridge 200 can be converted to a voltage change in the corresponding range of values.

Figure 3 is a schematic diagram showing the function of the pressure triggering device of Figure 1 under different pressure values. In Fig. 3, comprising: step 300, setting a pressure range, and performing subsequent processing when a pressure value corresponding to the resistance value is within the range. At this point, it is necessary to set a lock1 to lock the application so that the lock1 flag bit is loaded when the user needs to use the pressure trigger device, and the lock1 flag bit is released when the user does not need to use the pressure trigger device. In other words, the pressure triggering device can be used to set the pressure range as the lock1 layer; in step 302, the specific pressure value is transmitted, and step 304, step 306, step 308, step 310 or step is performed according to the preset respective pressure range. 312. At the same time, a further flag bit is set to latch the various applications based on the pressure values, which are the start game of step 304, the call to step 306, the play music of step 308, other functions and steps of step 310. Read the 312 document. The lock2 flag bit is loaded when the user needs to choose to start the game, make a call, play music, read a document, or other functions, and release the lock2 flag bit when the user does not need to select these applications and return to the lock1 layer. In other words, the corresponding pressure change is only valid in the lock2 layer, and the pressure value corresponds to any one of the steps 304, 306, 308, 310 or 312; in step 304, when the pressure value is 10-20, the mobile phone starts the game; Step 306, when the pressure value is 0-10, the mobile phone answers the call; in step 308, when the pressure value is 20-30, the mobile phone plays music; in step 312, when the pressure value is 30-40, the mobile phone reads the document, for example, Yes, but not limited to, word format or pdf format documents; and step 310, when the pressure value is in other intervals in the pressure range, the phone performs other functions. For example, mobile phone standby, etc.

In addition, when playing music or reading a document, the loaded lock3 flag bit can also be used to set the number of tracks played by the music and the number of pages read by the document. Specifically, when step 308 is performed, the handset begins to play music, and the pressure change is used to set the play track in step 314. Also, when the pressure is 0-10, the previous or next track is played; when the pressure is 10-20, the two tracks are turned forward or backward to start playing, and so on. When the lock3 layer needs to be exited, the lock3 flag bit is released and returned to the lock2 layer, where the pressure change is used to select each application in the lock2 layer. Similarly, when step 312 is performed, the phone reads the word or pdf document and the pressure change is used to page through the settings in step 316. Also, when the pressure is 0-10, turn one page forward or backward; when the pressure is 10-20, turn two pages forward or backward, and so on. When the lock3 layer needs to be exited, the lock3 flag bit is released and returned to the lock2 layer, where the pressure change is used to select each application in the lock2 layer. It can be seen from step 314 and step 316 that after entering the lock3 layer, the transmitted pressure value range no longer selects each application in lock2, but is used to determine the number of tracks that are turned forward or backward when playing music, and The number of pages turned forward or backward when reading a document. That is to say, the application of the lock3 layer includes two situations of setting a play track and setting a page turn.

The above is a detailed description of an exemplary embodiment of the pressure triggering device of the present invention. In the following, we combine the detailed implementation steps to illustrate the implementation process of the pressure trigger method.

FIG. 4 is a flow chart showing a pressure triggering method according to still another aspect of the present invention. In step 400, when the user presses the pressure sensor in the electronic device, the pressure sensor responds to the pressure change of the user. Next, step 402 is performed, and the pressure sensor obtains a corresponding pressure value. Generally, the pressure value is small, and subsequent A/D conversion or amplification processing is required. In step 404, the amplified resistance value (usually measuring the voltage loaded across the resistor) is converted to a corresponding control command via an A/D conversion circuit or an amplification circuit. Finally, step 406 is executed to control the electronic device to perform corresponding operations according to the control command, for example, operating the device to start a game, make a call, play music, or read a document. By using the mobile phone with the pressure trigger device of the invention, by pressing the side of the mobile phone, the functions of answering the phone, listening to music, playing games, etc. can be freely selected, and in addition, after the application for playing music or reading the document is locked, the pressure change is used. You can control the number of tracks turned forward or backward and the number of pages turned forward or backward. In addition, the phone can also be used for pressure measurement on the sea floor.

It should be understood by those skilled in the art that the electronic device in the above embodiments of the present invention may be a palm-type device that is convenient for the user to carry, or may be other electronic devices compatible with the pressure trigger device, which all detect the user. The magnitude of the applied pressure and the order of response control the device to perform various different operations or different actions in the same operation.

Further, according to an embodiment of the present invention, when the mobile device falls into the water, it can be automatically raised to the surface. First, according to the pressure formula, the pressure on the equipment can be monitored, then the equipment is shut down according to the pressure, and finally the drainage volume of the equipment is increased according to the buoyancy formula to increase the buoyancy. In this way, when the buoyancy is greater than or equal to gravity, the device can automatically surface up and recover.

Although the present invention has been disclosed in the above embodiments, it is not intended to limit the present invention, and the present invention can be modified and modified without departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention. The scope is subject to the definition of the scope of the patent application attached.

100. . . Pressure sensor

102. . . Body

104. . . Resistance strain wire

200. . . Strain bridge

202. . . Amplifier

Step 300 Set the pressure range

Step 302: Transmitting pressure values

Step 304 Start the game

Step 306 pick up the phone

Step 308 playing music

Step 310 Other functions

Step 312 Reading the document

Step 314 Set the play track

Step 316 Set the document to turn pages

Step 400 Pressing the pressure sensor of the electronic device

Step 402: The pressure sensor obtains the corresponding pressure value

Step 404: processing the pressure value by A/D conversion or CPU

Step 406: Control the device to perform corresponding operations according to the processing result.

1 is a schematic view showing the structure of an exemplary embodiment of a pressure triggering device according to an aspect of the present invention;

FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram showing the circuit principle of the pressure triggering device in FIG. 1 for amplifying a voltage change; FIG.

Figure 3 is a schematic diagram showing the function of the pressure triggering device of Figure 1 under different pressure values;

FIG. 4 is a flow chart showing a pressure triggering method according to still another aspect of the present invention.

100. . . Pressure sensor

102. . . Body

104. . . Resistance strain wire

Claims (9)

A pressure triggering device for an electronic device, comprising: a pressure sensor, the resistance value is changed according to a change in an external force acting on the electronic device, wherein the pressure sensor is a resistance strain gauge or a semiconductor strain gauge; a resistance strain wire having one end connected to the pressure sensor and the other end connected to the body of the electronic device, wherein the resistance strain wire amplifies the change amount of the pressure sensor resistance value; and a pressure setting module Receiving a change in the resistance value of the resistance strain wire and converting it into a corresponding pressure value; wherein the resistance strain wire amplifies the change amount of the pressure sensor resistance value and sends it to the pressure setting module, and according to the pressure setting The pressure value outputted by the module enables the electronic device to implement different application functions, wherein when the external force applied to the electronic device changes, the resistance value of the pressure sensor changes accordingly, and the electronic device can Switch from one application function to another. The pressure triggering device of claim 1, wherein the resistance value change of the resistance strain gauge is proportional to a change in stress of the electronic device. The pressure triggering device of claim 1, wherein the change in the resistance value of the semiconductor strain gauge is based on a change in resistivity, and the change in the resistivity is proportional to a change in stress of the electronic device. An electronic device comprising: a housing; a pressure triggering device comprising: a pressure sensor that changes a resistance value according to a change in an external force acting on a housing of the electronic device, wherein the pressure sensor is a resistor a strain gauge or a semiconductor strain gauge; a resistance strain wire having one end connected to the pressure sensor and the other end connected to the outer casing of the electronic device, wherein the resistance strain wire changes the resistance value of the pressure sensor And a pressure setting module receives the resistance value of the resistance strain wire and converts it into a corresponding pressure value; and a control module receives the pressure value of the pressure setting module, so that the electronic device performs The pressure value corresponds to an application function, wherein the resistance strain wire amplifies the change amount of the pressure sensor resistance value and sends the change amount to the pressure setting module, when the external force applied to the electronic device changes, The resistance value of the pressure sensor also changes accordingly, and the electronic device can switch from one application function to another. A pressure triggering method for an electronic device, comprising: pressing a pressure sensor of the electronic device, wherein the pressure sensor is a resistance strain gauge or a semiconductor strain gauge; and the pressure sensor is used to obtain a corresponding resistance; Amplifying the change in the resistance value of the pressure sensor via a resistance strain wire, wherein one end of the resistance strain wire is connected to the pressure sensor, and the other end is connected to the outer casing of the electronic device; the amplified resistor is Converting the value change to a corresponding pressure value; transmitting the pressure value to a processing circuit of the electronic device for processing; and triggering the electronic device to perform various different operations according to the processing result of the processing circuit, wherein when applied to the When the external force on the electronic device changes, the resistance value of the pressure sensor also changes accordingly, and the electronic device can switch from one application function to another. The pressure triggering method of claim 5, wherein the application operation of the electronic device comprises playing a game, playing music, making a call, and reading a document. The pressure triggering method of claim 6, wherein when the pressure sensor is pressed, the triggering operation of the electronic device corresponds to any one of playing a game, playing music, making a call, and reading a document. The pressure triggering method of claim 6, wherein the triggering operation of the electronic device corresponds to forward play or backward play in playing music when the pressure sensor is pressed. The pressure triggering method of claim 6, wherein when the pressure sensor is pressed, the triggering operation of the electronic device corresponds to flipping forward or backward in the reading document.