# US 11,442,510 B2 · Hinge, electronic device, and electronic device control method > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 11,442,510 B2 - Document ID: US11442510B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 17/211,561 - Filed: 2021-03-24 - Published: 2021-07-08 - Granted: 2022-09-13 - Earliest claimed: 2018-09-26 - Assignees: Vivo Mobile Communication Co., Ltd. - Applicants: Vivo Mobile Communication Co.,Ltd. - Inventors: Lele Li; Yalei Song - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US11442510B2 ## CPC - G06F 1/1681: {Details related solely to hinges (hinge details related to the transmission of signals or power are classified in G06F1/1683)} - G01B 7/30: for measuring angles or tapers; for testing the alignment of axes - G06F 1/1616: {with folding flat displays, e.g. laptop computers or notebooks having a clamshell configuration, with body parts pivoting to an open position around an axis parallel to the plane they define in closed position} - G06F 1/1641: {the display being formed by a plurality of foldable display components (G06F1/1647 takes precedence)} - G06F 1/1652: {the display being flexible, e.g. mimicking a sheet of paper, or rollable} - G06F 1/1677: {for detecting open or closed state or particular intermediate positions assumed by movable parts of the enclosure, e.g. detection of display lid position with respect to main body in a laptop, detection of opening of the cover of battery compartment} - G06F 1/1683: {for the transmission of signal or power between the different housings, e.g. details of wired or wireless communication, passage of cabling} - G06F 1/1684: {Constructional details or arrangements related to integrated I/O peripherals not covered by groups G06F1/1635 - G06F1/1675} - G06F: ELECTRIC DIGITAL DATA PROCESSING (computer systems based on specific computational models G06N) - G01B: MEASURING LENGTH, THICKNESS OR SIMILAR LINEAR DIMENSIONS; MEASURING ANGLES; MEASURING AREAS; MEASURING IRREGULARITIES OF SURFACES OR CONTOURS ## Abstract A hinge, an electronic device, and an electronic device control method are provided. The electronic device control method includes: when detecting that an electrical signal changes, obtaining a first electrical signal between a first metal plate and a second metal plate; and determining a first folding angle of a hinge according to the first electrical signal; and controlling the electronic device according to the first folding angle. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A hinge, comprising N sleeves that are jointed, wherein any two adjacent sleeves of the N sleeve may be sheathed together, and N is a positive integer greater than or equal to 2; a first side wall of a first sleeve is provided with a first metal plate, a second side wall of a second sleeve is provided with a second metal plate, and the first sleeve and the second sleeve are two adjacent sleeves; when the first sleeve and the second sleeve are sheathed, the first side wall is opposite to the second side wall and the first metal plate is opposite to the second metal plate, and the first metal plate and the second metal plate have overlapped orthogonal projection areas; and an electrical signal is applied to at least one of the first metal plate and the second metal plate, wherein when the first sleeve and the second sleeve move relative to each other, the electrical signal between the first metal plate and the second metal plate changes. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The hinge according to claim 1, wherein the first sleeve is sheathed inside the second sleeve, the first side wall is an outer side wall of the first sleeve, the second side wall is an inner side wall of the second sleeve, a first side end of the first metal plate is provided with a first contact, a first side end of the second metal plate is provided with a second contact, the first contact may move along the second metal plate, and the second contact may move along the first metal plate. ### Claim 3 (depends on 2) The hinge according to claim 2, wherein a second side end of the first metal plate is electrically connected to a first power source through a load, a second side end of the second metal plate is grounded, and the second side end of the first metal plate is also electrically connected to a first electrical signal detector. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The hinge according to claim 1, wherein there is a gap between the first metal plate and the second metal plate. ### Claim 5 (depends on 4) The hinge according to claim 4, wherein the gap between the first metal plate and the second metal plate is filled with an electrical medium. ### Claim 6 (depends on 4) The hinge according to claim 4, wherein a first target metal plate is electrically connected to a second power source, a second target metal plate is electrically connected to a second electrical signal detector, the first target metal plate is any one of the first metal plate and the second metal plate, and the second target metal plate is one of the first metal plate and the second metal plate other than the first target metal plate. ### Claim 7 An electronic device, comprising a first substrate, a second substrate, and a hinge, wherein the first substrate and the second substrate are connected through the hinge, and the hinge comprises N sleeves that are joined, any two adjacent sleeves of the N sleeves may be sheathed together, and N is a positive integer greater than or equal to 2; a first side wall of a first sleeve is provided with a first metal plate, a second side wall of a second sleeve is provided with a second metal plate, and the first sleeve and the second sleeve are two adjacent sleeves; when the first sleeve and the second sleeve are sheathed, the first side wall is opposite to the second side wall and the first metal plate is opposite to the second metal plate, and the first metal plate and the second metal plate have overlapped orthogonal projection areas; and an electrical signal is applied to at least one of the first metal plate and the second metal plate, wherein when the first sleeve and the second sleeve move relative to each other, the electrical signal between the first metal plate and the second metal plate changes. ### Claim 8 (depends on 7) The electronic device according to claim 7, wherein the first substrate is provided with a first screen, and the second substrate is provided with a second screen. ### Claim 9 (depends on 7) An electronic device control method, applied to the electronic device according to claim 7, wherein the method comprises: when detecting that an electrical signal changes, obtaining a first electrical signal between a first metal plate and a second metal plate; and determining a first folding angle of a hinge according to the first electrical signal; and controlling the electronic device according to the first folding angle. ### Claim 10 (depends on 9) The electronic device control method according to claim 9, wherein the controlling the electronic device comprises controlling at least one of the following: controlling a volume of the electronic device; controlling screen brightness of the electronic device; switching a display interface of the electronic device; or controlling an application interface running on the electronic device. ### Claim 11 (depends on 9) An electronic device, comprising a processor, a memory, and a computer program stored in the memory and capable of running on the processor, wherein when the computer program is executed by the processor, steps of the electronic device control method according to claim 9 are implemented. ### Claim 12 (depends on 9) A non-transitory computer readable storage medium storing therein a computer program, wherein the computer program, when executed by a processor, implements steps of the electronic device control method according to claim 9.