TWI613567B - Mobile device and proximity detection method - Google Patents

Abstract

A mobile device and corresponding proximity detection method. The above mobile device includes an infrared emitter and a proximity sensor. The infrared emitter is configured to emit infrared light using the first power in the first mode or to emit infrared light using the second power in the second mode, wherein the first power and the second power are different. The proximity sensor is configured to detect the reflected light of the infrared rays, and determine whether the object is adjacent to the mobile device according to the reflected light.

Description

Mobile device and proximity detection method

The present invention relates to a mobile device, and more particularly to a proximity detection method for the above mobile device.

Today's smart phones can usually be purchased with a flip cover. This type of mobile phone usually contains a Hall sensor, and the corresponding side flap usually contains a magnet. When the side flap is clicked, the Hall sensor can sense the magnetic field emitted by the magnet, and the smart phone can automatically enter the suspend mode accordingly. When the side flap is opened, the Hall sensor does not sense the magnetic field, and the smart phone can automatically leave the standby mode accordingly.

Because the side flaps are optional accessories, many users will not buy them. Such a Hall sensor contained in a smart phone would become a waste.

The present invention provides a mobile device and proximity detection method to solve the above-mentioned waste problem.

The mobile device of the present invention includes an infrared emitter and a proximity sensor. The infrared emitter is configured to emit infrared light using the first power in the first mode or to emit infrared light using the second power in the second mode, wherein the first power and the second power are different. The proximity sensor is configured to detect the reflected light of the infrared rays, and determine whether the object is adjacent to the mobile device according to the reflected light.

The proximity detecting method of the present invention is applicable to a mobile device, comprising the steps of: transmitting infrared light using a first power in a first mode; transmitting infrared light using a second power in a second mode, wherein the first power and the second power are different; detecting Infrared reflected light; and judging whether an object is adjacent to the mobile device based on the reflected light.

The above-described mobile device and proximity detection method can replace the conventional Hall sensor and magnet with an infrared emitter and a proximity sensor. In addition to detecting whether the mobile device is covered, the infrared emitter and proximity sensor can perform other functions as well. Therefore, even if the mobile device is not equipped with a side flip cover, the infrared emitter and the proximity sensor will not be ineffective and waste.

The above described features and advantages of the invention will be apparent from the following description.

100‧‧‧ mobile devices

110‧‧‧ display

120‧‧‧Touch panel

130‧‧‧Communication unit

140‧‧‧ processor

150‧‧‧Infrared emitter

160‧‧‧ proximity sensor

170‧‧‧Light sensor

200‧‧‧Upper cover

210‧‧‧Surface of the upper cover

220‧‧‧Reflective zone

305~385, 410~470‧‧‧ method steps

1 and 2 are schematic views of a mobile device in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 3 is a flowchart of a proximity detection method according to an embodiment of the invention. Figure.

4 is a flow chart of a proximity detection method in accordance with another embodiment of the present invention.

1 is a schematic diagram of a mobile device 100 in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention. The mobile device 100 can be a smart phone, a personal digital assistant (PDA), or a tablet. The mobile device 100 includes at least a display 110, a touch panel 120, a communication unit 130, a processor 140, an infrared emitter 150, a proximity sensor 160, and a light sensor 170. The processor 140 is coupled to the display 110 , the touch panel 120 , the communication unit 130 , the infrared emitter 150 , the proximity sensor 160 , and the light sensor 170 .

The communication unit 130 can use one or more wireless protocols for telephone communication. The display 110 is used to display a user interface of the mobile device 100. The touch panel 120 is configured to detect touch operations and inputs on the mobile device 100. The display 110 and the touch panel 120 can form a touch display.

The infrared emitter 150 may be an infrared light emitting diode (LED) or other electronic component that emits infrared light. The infrared emitter 150 has two modes. In the first mode, the infrared emitter 150 can emit infrared light with a first power. In the second mode, the infrared emitter 150 can emit infrared light with a second power. The first power is different from the second power. The first work of this embodiment The rate is less than the second power. Therefore, the first mode can also be referred to as a low power mode, and the second mode can also be referred to as a high power mode.

The proximity sensor 160 is configured to detect the reflected light of the infrared ray emitted by the infrared ray emitter 150, and determine whether an object is adjacent to the mobile device 100 according to the reflected light. The proximity sensor 160 may convert the intensity of the reflected light into a sensed value, and then compare the sensed value with a predetermined threshold to determine whether an object is adjacent to the mobile device 100.

The photo sensor 170 is configured to detect the ambient brightness and determine whether the mobile device 100 is in a dark environment according to the ambient brightness. The light sensor 170 may convert the ambient brightness into a sensed value, and then compare the sensed value with another preset threshold value to determine whether the mobile device 100 is in a dark environment. The light sensor 170 can also determine in the same manner whether the mobile device 100 has left the dark environment.

FIG. 2 is also a schematic diagram of the mobile device 100 in accordance with the present embodiment. The mobile device 100 of FIG. 2 further includes an upper cover 200 for covering the body of the mobile device 100, and the proximity sensor 160 and the photo sensor 170 can be combined into one module, and thus disposed at the same position. The upper cover 200 of this embodiment is a side flap. In another embodiment of the invention, the upper cover 200 can be a slide or other type of cover.

The upper cover 200 and the mobile device 100 can be relatively open or closed. The upper cover 200 includes a reflective region 220 relative to the infrared emitter 150 and the surface 210 of the proximity sensor 160. When the upper cover 200 and the mobile device 100 are relatively closed, the upper cover 200 covers the light sensor 170, and the reflective area 220 covers the infrared emitter 150 and the proximity sensor 160. The reflective region 220 may include a material having a high reflection coefficient, for example, including a metal Divided metal spray paint. This allows the reflection coefficient of the reflection region 220 to be close to the mirror surface to sufficiently reflect the infrared ray emitted from the infrared ray emitter 150.

The first mode of the infrared emitter 150 can be used to detect whether the upper cover 200 and the mobile device 100 are relatively closed. In the first mode, the infrared emitter 150 emits infrared light at a first power. When the upper cover 200 and the mobile device 100 are relatively closed, the infrared rays are reflected by the reflective area 220 and then detected by the proximity sensor 160. Since the reflection region 220 has an extremely high reflection coefficient, even if the infrared ray emitter 150 emits infrared rays using a small first power, the sensed value of the proximity sensor 160 can be made larger than the preset threshold value, thereby judging the object. Adjacent to the mobile device 100. The reflection coefficient of the general object is relatively low. If the general object is over the infrared emitter 150 and the proximity sensor 160, the sensed value of the proximity sensor 160 is less than the preset threshold value, so that no object proximity action is determined. Device 100. Thus, the mobile device 100 can distinguish the upper cover 200 from other objects without causing malfunction due to erroneous determination.

The second mode of the infrared emitter 150 can be used to detect if the user is in proximity to the mobile device 100. In the second mode, the infrared emitter 150 emits infrared light at a second power. When the user approaches the mobile device 100, the infrared light is reflected by the user and then detected by the proximity sensor 160. Since the reflection coefficient of the user's skin is lower than the reflection area 220, the infrared emitter 150 must emit infrared rays with a higher second power to make the sensed value of the proximity sensor 160 larger than the preset threshold value, thereby judging An object is adjacent to the mobile device 100.

FIG. 3 is a flowchart of a proximity detection method, which may be performed by the mobile device 100, in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention. At step 305, the processor 140 The light sensor 170 is enabled. At step 310, the photo sensor 170 determines whether the mobile device 100 is in a dark environment. If not, the flow returns to step 310. If so, the light sensor 170 issues an interrupt or other form of signal to notify the processor 140. Processor 140 then turns on proximity sensor 160 at step 315. Processor 140 turns on infrared emitter 150 at step 320 and controls infrared emitter 150 to enter a first mode of low power.

At step 325, the proximity sensor 160 determines if an object is adjacent to the mobile device 100. If no object is adjacent to the mobile device 100, the proximity sensor 160 issues an interrupt or other form of signal to notify the processor 140. The processor 140 then determines in step 330 that the upper cover 200 and the mobile device 100 are in a relatively open state. At step 335, the light sensor 170 determines if the mobile device 100 has left the dark environment. If not, the flow returns to step 335. If yes, the flow returns to step 310.

At step 325, if the result of the proximity sensor 160 is that an object is adjacent to the mobile device 100, the proximity sensor 160 notifies the processor 140. The processor 140 then determines in step 340 that the upper cover 200 and the mobile device 100 are in a relatively closed state. Processor 140 turns off proximity sensor 160 and infrared emitter 150 at step 345. Processor 140 then controls mobile device 100 to enter a standby mode at step 350.

Next, the photo sensor 170 determines in step 355 whether the mobile device 100 has left the dark environment. If not, the flow returns to step 355. If so, the light sensor 170 notifies the processor 140. Processor 140 then turns on proximity sensor 160 at step 360. Processor 140 turns on infrared emitter 150 at step 365 and controls infrared emitter 150 to enter the first mode. At step 370, the proximity sensor 160 determines if an object is adjacent to the mobile device 100. If an object is adjacent to the mobile device 100, indicating that the upper cover 200 and the mobile device 100 are still relatively closed, the flow returns to step 355. If no object is adjacent to the mobile device 100, the proximity sensor 160 notifies the processor 140. The processor 140 then determines in step 375 that the upper cover 200 and the mobile device 100 are in a relatively open state. Processor 140 turns off proximity sensor 160 and infrared emitter 150 at step 380. The processor 140 controls the mobile device 100 to leave the standby mode at step 385. The flow then returns to step 310.

4 is a flow diagram of a proximity detection method that may be performed by mobile device 100 in accordance with another embodiment of the present invention. At step 410, the processor 140 determines whether the communication unit 130 is performing telephone communication. If not, the flow returns to step 410. If so, the processor 140 turns on the proximity sensor 160 in step 415, then turns on the infrared emitter 150 in step 420 and controls the infrared emitter 150 to enter the second mode of high power.

The proximity sensor 160 determines in step 430 whether an object is adjacent to the mobile device 100, and then issues an interrupt or other form of signal to notify the processor 140 of the result of the determination. If the proximity sensor 160 determines that the object is adjacent to the mobile device 100, indicating that the user is already close to the mobile device 100, the processor 140 disables the touch panel 120 in step 440 to prevent the user from accidentally touching during the telephone communication. Causes an error. If the proximity sensor 160 determines that no object is adjacent to the mobile device 100, the processor 140 enables the touch panel 120 at step 450.

Next, the processor 140 determines in step 460 whether the telephone communication by the communication unit 130 has ended. If not, the flow returns to step 430. If the telephone communication has ended, the processor 140 turns off the proximity sensor 160 and the infrared emitter 150 at step 470.

The above-mentioned mobile device and proximity detection method can detect whether the mobile device is covered by the infrared emitter and the proximity sensor, and does not require a conventional Hall sensor and magnet. This saves the cost and space of Hall sensors and magnets. In addition to detecting whether the mobile device is covered, the infrared emitter and the proximity sensor can also detect whether the user is close to the mobile device. Therefore, even if the mobile device is not equipped with a side flip cover, the infrared emitter and the proximity sensor will not be ineffective and waste.

Although the present invention has been disclosed in the above embodiments, it is not intended to limit the present invention, and any one of ordinary skill in the art can make some changes and refinements without departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention. The scope of the invention is defined by the scope of the appended claims.

100‧‧‧ mobile devices

110‧‧‧ display

120‧‧‧Touch panel

130‧‧‧Communication unit

140‧‧‧ processor

150‧‧‧Infrared emitter

160‧‧‧ proximity sensor

170‧‧‧Light sensor

Claims (11)

A mobile device comprising: an infrared emitter for emitting an infrared light using a first power in a first mode, or transmitting the infrared light using a second power in a second mode, wherein the first power and the first The second power is different; a proximity sensor is configured to detect the reflected light of the infrared light, and determine, according to the reflected light, whether an object is adjacent to the mobile device; a light sensor is configured to detect an ambient brightness, and according to The ambient brightness determines whether the mobile device is in a dark environment; and a processor coupled to the infrared emitter, the proximity sensor, and the light sensor, when the light sensor determines that the mobile device is in a dark environment and When the proximity sensor determines that an object is adjacent to the mobile device, the processor controls the mobile device to enter a standby mode, wherein the processor turns on the infrared emitter after the light sensor determines that the mobile device is in a dark environment and The proximity sensor controls the infrared emitter to enter the first mode, wherein the processing is performed before the mobile device enters the standby mode Close the infrared emitter and the proximity sensor. The mobile device of claim 1, further comprising: an upper cover, wherein the upper cover and the mobile device are relatively open or closed, the upper cover being included with respect to a surface of the infrared emitter and the proximity sensor a reflective area; the reflective area covers the infrared emitter and the proximity sensor when the upper cover and the mobile device are relatively closed. The mobile device of claim 2, wherein the first power is less than the second power, the reflected light of the first mode is from the reflective region, and the reflective region comprises a metal component. The mobile device of claim 2, wherein the upper cover covers the photo sensor when the upper cover and the mobile device are relatively closed. The mobile device of claim 1, wherein the processor controls the mobile device when the photo sensor determines that the mobile device has left the dark environment and the proximity sensor determines that no object is adjacent to the mobile device. Leave the standby mode. The mobile device of claim 5, wherein the processor turns on the infrared emitter and the proximity sensor after the light sensor determines that the mobile device has left the dark environment, and controls the infrared emitter Entering the first mode, wherein the mobile device is in the standby mode, the processor turns off the infrared emitter and the proximity sensor. The mobile device of claim 1, further comprising: a communication unit for performing telephone communication; and a touch panel for detecting a touch operation on the mobile device, wherein the processor is coupled The infrared emitter, the proximity sensor, the communication unit, and the touch panel are configured to turn on the infrared emitter and control the infrared emitter to enter the second mode when the communication unit performs telephone communication, in the vicinity The sensor determines that an object is closed when the object is adjacent to the mobile device, and turns on the touch panel when the proximity sensor determines that no object is adjacent to the mobile device. A proximity detection method suitable for a mobile device, including: Using an infrared ray emitter to emit an infrared ray in a first mode using a first power; wherein the infrared ray emitter emits the infrared ray in a second mode using a second power, wherein the first power and the second power Detecting the reflected light of the infrared ray by a proximity sensor; determining, by the proximity sensor, whether an object is adjacent to the mobile device; and detecting an ambient brightness by using a light sensor; Determining, by the processor, whether the mobile device is in a dark environment according to the ambient brightness; and in the first mode, controlling the action by the processor when the mobile device is in a dark environment and an object is adjacent to the mobile device The device enters a standby mode, turns on the infrared emitter and the proximity sensor after determining that the mobile device is in a dark environment, and controls the infrared emitter to enter the first mode, wherein before the mobile device enters the standby mode, The infrared emitter and the proximity sensor are turned off by the processor. The proximity detecting method of claim 8, wherein the first power is less than the second power, the reflected light of the first mode is from a reflective area of an upper cover of the mobile device, and the reflective area Includes a metal component. The proximity detecting method according to claim 8 , further comprising: when the mobile device has entered the standby mode, when the mobile device has left the dark environment and no object is adjacent to the mobile device, controlling the mobile device to leave Waiting Machine mode. The proximity detection method of claim 8, further comprising: entering the second mode when the mobile device performs telephone communication; and in the second mode, closing the action when an object is adjacent to the mobile device a touch panel of the device; and in the second mode, the touch panel is turned on when no object is adjacent to the mobile device.