Cover accessory device for a portable electronic and/or computer apparatus, and apparatus provided with such an accessory device

Abstract

The present invention relates to a device for a portable user apparatus, including a portion which can be folded over the user apparatus, said foldable portion including at least two detection layers, each kept at a guard potential and including at least one capacitive detection electrode: a first of said layers being arranged to carry out a function of capacitive detection of at least one control object located on one side of said foldable portion; a second of said layers being arranged so as to carry out a function of capacitive detection of at least one control object located on the other side of said foldable portion, with a view to triggering a function in the user apparatus. The invention also relates to an apparatus provided with such an accessory device.

Claims

1. A device for a portable electronic user apparatus comprising: a foldable part in order to cover at least one part of said user apparatus when it is folded onto said user apparatus, wherein said foldable part comprises at least two layers, one of the layers configurable to act as a capacitive detection electrode and another of the layers configurable to act as a guard layer placed at a guard potential for guarding the capacitive detection electrode: a first of said at least two layers being further configurable to perform a capacitive detection function of at least one command object located on one side of said foldable part; and a second of said at least two layers being further configurable to perform a capacitive detection function of at least one command object located on another side of said foldable part; in order to trigger a function in said user apparatus.

2. The device according to claim 1, characterized in that each of said first and second of said at least two layers is configured for being activated for detection in turn, depending upon a relative position of the foldable part with respect to the user apparatus, whereby for a given position of said foldable part just one of said layers performs the detection function.

3. The device according to claim 1, characterized in that: each of said first and second of said at least two layers is configured to act as a capacitive detection electrode; and the foldable part further comprises at least one guard plane arranged between the first and second of said at least two layers of the foldable part and configured for being placed at the guard potential in order to guard at least one of said first and second of said at least two layers during the detection of at least one command object.

4. The device according to claim 3, characterized in that it comprises a single guard plane arranged between the first and second of said at least two layers of the foldable part in order to guard each of said layers.

5. The device according to claim 1, characterized in that each of said first and second of said at least two layers is configured for performing in turn the role of: either the detection function; or a guard function for the other of said capacitive detection layers by being placed at an alternating guard potential (V.sub.G); where the function performed by each of said layers depends on a relative position of said foldable part relative to said user apparatus.

6. The device according to claim 1, characterized in that it additionally comprises at least one means of control to determine, depending on a position of the foldable part, which of the layers performs the detection function in order to activate the electrodes from said layer in a measurement mode.

7. The device according to claim 6, characterized in that the means of control is further arranged in order to control placing the electrodes from the other electrode layer in the foldable part at the guard potential (V.sub.G) in order to perform the guard function.

8. The device according to claim 6, characterized in that the control means comprises a means of measurement of the position of the foldable part.

9. The device according to claim 1, characterized in that at least one layer is further configurable to perform a detection of at least one command object with or without contact.

10. The device according to claim 1, characterized in that it is removable and includes at least one means of connection to the user apparatus.

11. The device according to claim 10, characterized in that the means of connection is incorporated in a portion of a shell connected to the foldable part and arranged in order to be substituted for or arranged on a rear shell of the user apparatus.

12. The device according to claim 1, characterized in that it is an integral part of the user apparatus.

13. The device according to claim 1, characterized in that the foldable part comprises at least one transparent area and at least one of the layers comprises, at said transparent area, electrodes made of a transparent material.

14. The device according to claim 1, characterized in that the foldable part comprises at least one opaque area and at least one of the layers comprises, at said opaque area, electrodes made by PCB technology.

15. The device according to claim 1, implemented for the user apparatus provided with a screen, characterized in that the foldable part is configured in order to be positioned on or against said screen when it is folded.

16. A portable computer user apparatus comprising the device according to claim 1.

17. A method of providing object detection for a portable electronic user apparatus, comprising: covering at least a part of said user apparatus with a foldable part, wherein said foldable part comprises at least two layers, one of the layers configurable to act as a capacitive detection electrode and another of the layers configurable to act as a guard layer placed at a guard potential for guarding the capacitive detection electrode; detecting objects using a first of said at least two layers on a first side of the foldable part while guarding the first layer with a guard potential; detecting objects using a second of said at least two layers a second side of the foldable part while guarding the second layer with the guard potential; and triggering a function in said user apparatus based on the detection of the objects.

18. The method according to claim 17, further comprising activating each of said first and second of said at least two layers for detection in turn, depending upon a relative position of the foldable part with respect to the user apparatus, whereby for a given position of said foldable part just one of said layers performs the detection function.

19. The method according to claim 17, further comprising: configuring each of said first and second of said at least two layers to act as a capacitive detection electrode; and maintaining a plane at the guard potential between the first and second of said at least two layers of the foldable part in order to guard at least one of said first and second of said at least two layers during the detection of at least one command object.

20. The method according to claim 19, further comprising forming a single guard plane arranged between the first and second of said at least two layers of the foldable part in order to guard each of said layers.

Description

DESCRIPTION OF THE FIGURES AND EMBODIMENTS

(1) Other advantages and features will appear from an examination of the detailed description of examples which are in no way limiting and of the attached drawings on which:

(2) FIGS. 1-3 are schematic representations of the device according to the invention in three different configurations.

(3) FIGS. 4-6 are schematic representations, in section view, of three implementation examples of a foldable part of a device according to the invention.

(4) FIG. 7 is a schematic representation of a control module for a device according to the invention.

(5) FIG. 8 is a schematic representation of the operation of the foldable part shown in FIG. 6; and

(6) FIGS. 9-11 are schematic representations of an apparatus according to the invention, in which a portion of the device according to the invention is substituted for a rear shell of said user apparatus.

(7) It is well understood that the embodiments which will be described in the following are in no way limiting. One could in particular imagine variants of the invention only comprising a selection of features subsequently described isolated from other features described, if this selection of features is sufficient to confer a technical advantage or for distinguishing the invention from the state of the prior art. This selection includes at least one preferably functional feature without structural details, or with only a portion of the structural details, if this part alone is sufficient to give a technical advantage or to distinguish the invention compared to the state of the prior art.

(8) In particular, all the variants and all the embodiments described can be combined with each other if at the technical level nothing prevents it.

(9) In the figures, the elements common to several figures retain the same reference.

(10) We are now going to describe different examples of an electronic/computer device according to the invention implementing different embodiments of an accessory device according to the invention.

(11) FIGS. 1 to 3 are schematic representations of a nonlimiting example of a device 100 according to the invention for user apparatus 102 such as a smart Phone or a digital tablet.

(12) The device 100 comes in the form of a protective cover for the user apparatus 102 and comprises a part 104 foldable relative to the user apparatus and a part 106 fixed relative to the user apparatus.

(13) The fixed part 106 functions as a shell for the rear of the user apparatus 102 and envelops the user apparatus 102.

(14) The foldable part 104 is mechanically connected to the fixed part 106 by a flexible connection 108 and can be rotated around this flexible connection 108 in order to be opened or be folded against the user apparatus 102. The foldable part 104 is intended to cover the screen 110 of the apparatus 102 in folded position. In FIG. 1, the foldable part 104 is open so as to form an angle substantially equal to 135 with the plane formed by the screen 110 of the user apparatus 102. In FIG. 2, the foldable part 104 is open so as to form an angle substantially equal to 180 with the plane formed by the screen 110 of the user apparatus 102. In FIG. 3, the foldable part 104 is closed or in folded position so as to form an angle substantially equal to 0 with the plane formed by the screen 110 of the user apparatus 102.

(15) FIGS. 4-6 are schematic representations, according to a section view, of three implementation examples of a foldable part 104.

(16) Whatever the embodiment, the foldable part 104 comprises: a carrying structure 402; an inner surface 404 provided for coming into contact with the user apparatus 102, and more specifically the screen 110 of the user apparatus, when the foldable part 104 is completely folded, such as shown in FIG. 3; and an outer surface 406 opposite the inner surface 404.

(17) The inner surface 404 comprises a detection layer 408, called inner, formed by a set of capacitive detection electrodes (not shown) and the outer surface 406 comprises a detection layer 410, called outer, formed by a set of capacitive detection electrodes (not shown). Each detection layer 408 and 410 is provided and laid out in order to implement detection, with or without contact, of one or more command objects such as a finger, hand or stylus. Connecting tracks (not shown) are associated with each of the detection layers 408 and 410.

(18) When the foldable part comprises a transparent area made of transparent material, the electrodes for each of the detection layers 408 and 410 and the connecting tracks which are found at the transparent area level are made using ITO (Indium Tin Oxide) technology. When the foldable part 102 is completely opaque, the detection electrodes and connecting tracks are made with PCB (Printed Circuit Board) type technologies, flexible or rigid, surrounded or not with a dielectric for protection.

(19) In the example shown in FIG. 4, the foldable part 104.sub.1 further comprises a guard plane 412, called inner, associated with the inner detection layer 408 and provided for guarding the electrodes of said inner layer 408 when this layer is used for detecting one or more command objects. The foldable part 104.sub.1 also comprises a guard plane 414, called outer, associated with the outer detection layer 410 and provided for guarding the electrodes of said outer layer 410 when the latter is used for detecting one or more command objects. Each guard plane 412 and 414 is placed at an alternating potential V.sub.G, of a given frequency.

(20) In the example shown in FIG. 5, the foldable part 104.sub.2 comprises a single guard plane 502 shared by the inner 408 and outer 410 detection layers. This single guard plane 502 is placed at an alternating guard potential V.sub.G, of a given frequency and serves to guard each of the detection layers 408 and 410.

(21) In the example shown in FIG. 6, the foldable part 104.sub.3 comprises only the inner detection layers 408 and 410 and does not comprise a guard plane in addition to the detection layers 408 and 410. In this embodiment, when one of the detection layers 408 and 410 is used in detection, the other one of the detection layers 410 and 408 is used in order to form a guard by being placed at a guard potential and in that way guarding the detection layer activated in detection.

(22) FIG. 7 is a schematic representation in diagram form of an example control and command module of a device according to the invention, controlling the components of the foldable part.

(23) The module 700 shown in FIG. 7 comprises one control unit 702 in communication with the user apparatus 102 because of a wired or wireless means of communication 704.

(24) The module 700 comprises or is associated with one or more sensors 706, such as one or more optical, capacitive, mechanical or magnetic sensors measuring an angle, a distance or a movement serving to determine the relative position of the foldable part 102 compared to the user apparatus 102.

(25) The control unit is configured to receive signals from a part of the user apparatus 104 and sensors 706, process the received signals and control the detection layers 408 and 410 and possibly the guard planes 412, 414 and 502.

(26) Additionally, the control unit 702 is also configured for receiving signals from each of the detection layers 408 and 410 and informing the user apparatus 102 of the one or more positions of the one or more command objects detected by each of the detection layers 408 and 410.

(27) We are now going to describe the operation of the control unit 702, when the device comprises the foldable part 104.sub.1 shown in FIG. 4.

(28) In a first variant, the control unit 702 can activate the inner 408 and outer 410 layers in detection at any time: in this case, the layers 408 and 410 perform a detection function for one or more command objects whatever the relative position of the foldable part 1041 compared to the user apparatus 102. In this first variant the guard planes 412 and 414 are also activated at any moment and perform the guard function.

(29) In a second variant, the activation of the detection layers 408 and 410 is done as a function of the relative position of the foldable part 104.sub.1 relative to the user apparatus. In this variant, depending on the relative position of the foldable part 104.sub.1 relative to the user apparatus, each of the detection layers 408 and 410 is activated or not. More generally: when the foldable part 104.sub.1 has an angle less than or equal to a first set threshold value .sub.1, the control unit 700 deactivates the inner layer 408 and only the outer layer 410 is activated in detection; and when the foldable part 104.sub.1 has an angle greater than or equal to a second set threshold value .sub.2, the outer layer 410 is deactivated and only the inner layer is activated in detection.

(30) The guard planes 412 and 414 associated respectively with the inner layer 408 and the outer layer can be activated and deactivated at the same time as the layer with which they are associated.

(31) Of course, the first threshold value .sub.1 can be identical, greater than or less than the second threshold value .sub.2. Each threshold value is included between 45 and 135, and in particular is equal to 90.

(32) We are now going to describe the operation of the control unit 702, when the device comprises the foldable part 104.sub.2 shown in FIG. 5.

(33) In order to control the foldable part 104.sub.2, the control unit 702 can implement the two control variants described above for the control part 104.sub.1, with the difference that the single guard plane 502 is activated when at least one of the detection layers 408 and 410 is activated.

(34) We are now going to describe the operation of the control unit 702, when the device comprises the foldable part 104.sub.3 shown in FIG. 6.

(35) The control unit 702 commands the two detection layers 408 and 410, either in capacitive detection function, or in electrostatic guard function. In that way, each of the two surfaces 404 and 406 of the foldable part 104.sub.3 is alternately a detection surface and a guard surface, depending on the position of the foldable part 104.sub.3, such as shown in FIG. 8.

(36) In that way, when one of the detection layers is used in detection, the other detection layer is used as guard plane, and vice versa. For example, when the movable part 104.sub.3 is folded back: the inner layer 408 is commanded to perform the guard function by being placed at guard potential by the control unit 702 and the outer layer 410 is commanded to perform the detection function, and when the movable part 104.sub.3 is open and reaches an angle greater than a set angle relative to the surface of the apparatus 102: The inner layer 408 is commanded to perform the detection function and the outer layer 410 is commanded to perform the guard function by being placed by the control unit 702 at the guard potential.

(37) In other words, and more generally, the inner layer 408 and the outer layer 410 are set up such that the function done by each layer is chosen depending on the angle between the foldable part 104.sub.3 and the user apparatus 102, such that: when is less than a first set value .sub.1, the inner layer 408 performs a guard function and the outer layer 410 performs a detection function, and when is greater than a second set value .sub.2, the inner layer 408 performs a detection function and the outer layer 410 performs a guard function.

(38) Of course, the first and second threshold values can be identical or different. The threshold value or values can be included between 45 and 135, and in particular equal to 90.

(39) In general, in all the embodiments described, when a detection layer is not used/activated in detection, for example because it is deactivated or activated in guard, at least one of the electrodes from this layer can be used sporadically, on request or at a set frequency, in order to detect the presence of objects opposite the surface associated with said detection layer and the type of object detected (for example a table when it involves the outer surface, a display screen when it involves the inner surface, etc.).

(40) We are now going to describe a user apparatus according to the invention.

(41) FIGS. 9-11 are schematic representations of an example implementation of a apparatus according to the invention provided with a device according to the invention comprising a fixed part coming to replace a rear shell of the portable apparatus.

(42) The device 100 equipping the apparatus 102 comprises a fixed part 106 arranged in order to be substituted for a rear shell normally equipping the portable user portable apparatus 102.

(43) This fixed part 106 comprises a connection device 902 intended to be enclosed in the portable apparatus 102 and to implement the necessary electrical connections for interfacing the detection layers 408 and 410 of the foldable part 104 of the accessory 100 with the control and processing modules of the portable apparatus 102. The device 100 therefore comes in the form of an accessory which is an integral part of the portable apparatus 102 to which it contributes additional functions of capacitive detection.

(44) FIG. 10 shows a representation of the apparatus 102 from FIG. 9, set on a surface 1002, such as a table, where the foldable part 104 is open so as to obtain a touch screen keyboard assembly which allows performing hovering type controls for games, for example directly with the user's hand 1004 or finger. These controls can include a joystick control by inclination of the user's hand 1004 above the foldable part 104 in order to direct an object displayed on the screen 110 and can do so without hiding the screen with the hand 1004.

(45) FIG. 11 shows a representation of the apparatus 102 from FIG. 9, set on the surface 1002, such as a table, where the foldable part 104 forms an angle greater than or equal to 90 with the screen 110 of the apparatus 102.

(46) The screen 110 of the user apparatus 102 is provided with a capacitive detection layer/pad in order to detect with and/or without contact one or more command objects, such as a hand with one or more fingers towards the surface involved.

(47) The detection of the hand 1004 by both the inner layer and by the detection layer of the display screen 110 serves to implement a detection volume formed between the foldable part 104 and the display screen 110.

(48) Of course, the invention is not limited to the examples which were just described and many improvements could be made to these examples without leaving the scope of the invention.