Sensing the screen positions in a dual screen phone

Abstract

A handheld communication device includes first and second screens, a hinge to rotate the first and second screens between open and closed positions, and a position sensor to determine the relative position of the first and second screens. The position sensor can be a Hall-Effect sensor.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A handheld computing device, comprising:
 first and second screens comprising first and second display panels, respectively, to receive input from and provide graphical output to a user;   a plurality of electronic components comprising a processor and memory, the plurality of electronic components generating an electromagnetic field during operation;   a hinge connected to the first and second screens, wherein the hinge moves between a closed position and an open position; and   at least one Hall-Effect sensor operable, at a selected time, to sense at least one of variations in and a strength of the electromagnetic field, wherein the processor is configured, based on the currently sensed at least one of variation in and strength of the electromagnetic field, to determine a relative position of the first and second screens.   
     
     
         2 . The device of  claim 1 , wherein the at least one Hall-Effect sensor comprises first and second Hall-Effect sensors positioned proximal to the first and second screens, respectively. 
     
     
         3 . The device of  claim 2 , wherein the first Hall-Effect sensor is positioned near a periphery of the first screen and the second Hall-Effect sensor is positioned near the hinge. 
     
     
         4 . The device of  claim 1 , further comprising at least one magnet to resist opening of the device when the hinge is in the closed position and a magnetic field of the at least one magnet being sensed by the at least one Hall-Effect sensor. 
     
     
         5 . The device of  claim 4 , wherein the at least one magnet comprises first and second magnets, the first magnet being proximal to the first screen and the second magnet being proximal to the second screen, wherein, when the hinge is in the closed position, the first magnet attracts the second magnet, thereby resisting opening of the device. 
     
     
         6 . The device of  claim 1 , wherein the first and second display panels comprise first and second active display areas and wherein the first and second screens have a range of rotation about the hinge of more than 180 degrees so that the device is foldable between an open position in which a first plane of the first screen is transverse to a second plane of the second screen and a closed position in which the first and second screens are oriented substantially back-to-back in adjacent planes. 
     
     
         7 . The device of  claim 6 , wherein the hinge is configured to enable a distance between the first and second active display areas, when the first and second screens are in the fully opened position, to be no more than about 10 mm. 
     
     
         8 . The device of  claim 7 , wherein the distance is no more than about 5 mm. 
     
     
         9 . The device of  claim 8 , wherein the distance is no more than about 1 mm. 
     
     
         10 . The device of  claim 9 , wherein the distance is no more than about 0.5 mm. 
     
     
         11 . The device of  claim 10 , wherein the distance is no more than about 0.25 mm. 
     
     
         12 . A method, comprising:
 providing a handheld computing device comprising first and second screens, the first and second screens comprising first and second display panels to receive input from and provide graphical output to a user, a plurality of electronic components comprising a processor and memory, the plurality of electronic components generating an electromagnetic field during operation, and a hinge connected to the first and second screen assemblies, wherein the hinge moves between a closed position and an open position;   sensing, at a selected time and by at least one position sensor, at least one of a variation in and strength of the electromagnetic field; and   determining, based on the sensed at least one of a variation and strength of the electromagnetic field and by the processor, relative positions of the first and second screens.   
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 12 , wherein the at least one position comprises at least one Hall-Effect sensor and wherein the at least one Hall-Effect sensor comprises first and second Hall-Effect sensors positioned proximal to the first and second screens, respectively. 
     
     
         14 . The method of  claim 13 , wherein the first Hall-Effect sensor is positioned near a periphery of the first screen and the second Hall-Effect sensor is positioned near the hinge. 
     
     
         15 . The device of  claim 12 , further comprising at least one magnet to resist opening of the device when the hinge is in the closed position and a magnetic field of the at least one magnet being sensed by the at least one Hall-Effect sensor. 
     
     
         16 . The device of  claim 15 , wherein the at least one magnet comprises first and second magnets, the first magnet being proximal to the first screen and the second magnet being proximal to the second screen, wherein, when the hinge is in the closed position, the first magnet attracts the second magnet, thereby resisting opening of the device. 
     
     
         17 . The device of  claim 12 , wherein the first and second display panels comprise first and second active display areas and wherein the first and second screens have a range of rotation about the hinge of more than 180 degrees so that the device is foldable between an open position in which a first plane of the first screen is transverse to a second plane of the second screen and a closed position in which the first and second screens are oriented substantially back-to-back in adjacent planes. 
     
     
         18 . The device of  claim 17 , wherein the hinge is configured to enable a distance between the first and second active display areas, when the first and second screens are in the fully opened position, to be no more than about 10 mm. 
     
     
         19 . The method of  claim 18 , wherein the distance is no more than about 0.25 mm. 
     
     
         20 . A computer readable medium comprising processor executable instructions that, when executed by the processor, perform the determining step.