# US 11,907,437 B2 · Terminal control system and method, and terminal device

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- Number: US 11,907,437 B2
- Document ID: US11907437B2
- Status: Granted
- Kind: B2
- Application number: 17/595,403
- Filed: 2020-05-14
- Published: 2022-06-23
- Granted: 2024-02-20
- Earliest claimed: 2019-05-16
- Assignees: Shanghai Awinic Technology Co., LTD
- Applicants: Shanghai Awinic Technology Co., Ltd
- Inventors: Tao Cheng; Zhong Zhang; Jiantao Cheng; Liming Du; Hongjun Sun
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US11907437B2

## CPC

- G06F 3/0202: {Constructional details or processes of manufacture of the input device}
- G06F 1/1626: {with a single-body enclosure integrating a flat display, e.g. Personal Digital Assistants [PDAs]}
- G06F 1/1671: {Special purpose buttons or auxiliary keyboards, e.g. retractable mini keypads, keypads or buttons that remain accessible at closed laptop (G06F1/1666 takes precedence)}
- G06F 3/023: Arrangements for converting discrete items of information into a coded form, e.g. arrangements for interpreting keyboard generated codes as alphanumeric codes, operand codes or instruction codes
- G06F 3/0346: with detection of the device orientation or free movement in a three-dimensional [3D] space, e.g. 3D mice, 6-DOF [six degrees of freedom] pointers using gyroscopes, accelerometers or tilt-sensors
- G06F 3/03547: {Touch pads, in which fingers can move on a surface}
- H03K 17/9622: {using a plurality of detectors, e.g. keyboard}
- H04M 1/236: {including keys on side or rear faces}
- G06F 2203/0339: Touch strips, e.g. orthogonal touch strips to control cursor movement or scrolling; single touch strip to adjust parameter or to implement a row of soft keys
- H03K 2217/96066: Thumbwheel, potentiometer, scrollbar or slider simulation by touch switch
- H03K 2217/96073: Amplitude comparison
- H04M 2250/22: including a touch pad, a touch sensor or a touch detector
- G06F: ELECTRIC DIGITAL DATA PROCESSING (computer systems based on specific computational models G06N)
- H03K: PULSE TECHNIQUE (measuring pulse characteristics G01R; modulating sinusoidal oscillations with pulses H03C; transmission of digital information H04L; discriminator circuits detecting phase difference between two signals by counting or integrating cycles of oscillation H03D3/04; automatic control, starting, synchronisation or stabilisation of generators of electronic oscillations or pulses where the type of generator is irrelevant or unspecified H03L; coding, decoding or code conversion, in general H03M)
- H04M: TELEPHONIC COMMUNICATION (circuits for controlling other apparatus via a telephone cable and not involving telephone switching apparatus G08)

## Abstract

A terminal control system and method, and a terminal device are provided. The terminal control system includes: a detection chip and at least one terminal key arranged on a side surface of a terminal device. The detection chip is connected to the terminal key. The terminal key is configured to generate an inductive capacitance and an interelectrode capacitance corresponding to an external control instruction, in response to a reception of the external control instruction. The detection chip is configured to detect the inductive capacitance and the interelectrode capacitance; determine inductive capacitance variation corresponding to the inductive capacitance and interelectrode capacitance variation corresponding to the interelectrode capacitance; determine a control type corresponding to the control instruction according to the inductive capacitance variation and the interelectrode capacitance variation; and trigger the terminal device to perform a control operation corresponding to the control type.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A terminal control system, comprising:
a detection chip, and at least one terminal key arranged on a side of a terminal device, wherein
the detection chip is connected to each of the at least one terminal key;
each of the at least one terminal key is configured to generate an inductive capacitance and an interelectrode capacitance corresponding to an external control instruction, in response to a reception of the external control instruction; and
the detection chip is configured to detect the inductive capacitance and the interelectrode capacitance; determine inductive capacitance variation corresponding to the inductive capacitance and interelectrode capacitance variation corresponding to the interelectrode capacitance; determine a control type corresponding to the control instruction according to the inductive capacitance variation and the interelectrode capacitance variation; and trigger the terminal device to perform a control operation corresponding to the control type;
wherein the detection chip comprises a trigger module, the trigger module is configured to:
in a case that the inductive capacitance variation is greater than a preset first threshold and the interelectrode capacitance variation is greater than a preset second threshold, determine that the control type corresponding to the control instruction is a user pressing control, and trigger the terminal device to perform a pressing control operation corresponding to the user pressing control; in a case that the inductive capacitance variation is not greater than the first threshold and the interelectrode capacitance variation is greater than the second threshold, determine that the control type corresponding to the control instruction is a mechanical pressing control, and no trigger the terminal device to perform any control operation; in a case that the inductive capacitance variation is greater than the first threshold and the interelectrode capacitance variation is not greater than the second threshold, determine that the control type corresponding to the control instruction is a user touch control, and trigger the terminal device to perform a touch control operation corresponding to the user touch control; and in a case that the inductive capacitance variation is not greater than the first threshold and the interelectrode capacitance variation is not greater than the second threshold, determine that the control type corresponding to the control instruction is a mechanical touch control, and no trigger the terminal device to perform any control operation.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The terminal control system according to claim 1, wherein the terminal key comprises:
a key shell, a capacitive sensing layer, a buffer layer and a substrate which are arranged in sequence, wherein
the key shell is configured to protect the capacitive sensing layer, the buffer layer and the substrate;
one end of the capacitive sensing layer is connected to system ground to forms a ground capacitor to the system ground, the capacitive sensing layer is configured to generate the inductive capacitance corresponding to the control instruction in response to a reception of the control instruction by the terminal key;
the buffer layer is configured to form an interelectrode gap between the capacitive sensing layer and the substrate; and form a deformation in response to a reception of the control instruction by the capacitive sensing layer, to generate interelectrode gap variation corresponding to the deformation; and
the substrate is configured to form an interelectrode capacitor with the capacitive sensing layer, and generate the interelectrode capacitance corresponding to the control instruction after the buffer layer forms the deformation.

### Claim 3 (depends on 2)

The terminal control system according to claim 2, wherein the detection chip further comprises:
a first detection module, and a second detection module, wherein
the first detection module is connected to the capacitive sensing layer;
the second detection module is connected to the capacitive sensing layer and the substrate respectively;
the trigger module is connected to the first detection module and the second detection module respectively;
the first detection module is configured to detect the ground capacitor of the capacitive sensing layer, detect the inductive capacitance variation corresponding to the inductive capacitance in response to a generation of the inductive capacitance by the capacitive sensing layer, and determine whether the inductive capacitance variation is greater than the preset first threshold;
the second detection module is configured to detect the interelectrode capacitor between the capacitive sensing layer and the substrate; in a case that the interelectrode capacitance greater than an initial capacitance is generated between the capacitive sensing layer and the substrate, detect the interelectrode capacitance variation corresponding to the interelectrode capacitance; and determine whether the interelectrode capacitance variation is greater than the preset second threshold.

### Claim 4 (depends on 3)

The terminal control system according to claim 3, wherein the second detection module is further configured to:
detect a variation of a pressure value sustained by the terminal device in response to a reception of the control instruction by the terminal key, to determine whether the control instruction is a pressing control based on the variation of the pressure value, wherein the pressing control comprises the user pressing control and the mechanical pressing control.

### Claim 5 (depends on 2)

The terminal control system according to claim 2, wherein the capacitive sensing layer has a single strip structure, or a sliding strip structure containing at least two channels.

### Claim 6 (depends on 1)

The terminal control system according to claim 1, further comprising: an orientation sensor, wherein
the orientation sensor is connected to the detection chip;
the orientation sensor is configured to sense a screen orientation of the terminal device, and send an orientation changing instruction to the detection chip in response to a change of the screen orientation of the terminal device, wherein the detection chip switches a key function of the terminal key corresponding to the control operation according to the orientation changing instruction.

### Claim 7 (depends on 1)

The terminal control system according to claim 1, the key shell of each of the at least one terminal key is arranged on a side surface of the terminal control system;
the capacitive sensing layer, the buffer layer and the substrate of each of the at least one terminal key are arranged inside the terminal control system; and
each key shell is arranged on the side surface of the terminal control system according to a preset arrangement.

### Claim 8 (depends on 1)

A terminal device, comprising the terminal control system according to claim 1.

### Claim 9 (depends on 8)

The terminal device according to claim 8, wherein the terminal device is a smart phone.

### Claim 10

A terminal control method, comprising: detecting an inductive capacitance and an interelectrode capacitance which correspond to a control instruction and are generated by a preset terminal key, in response to a reception of the control instruction;
determining inductive capacitance variation corresponding to the inductive capacitance and interelectrode capacitance variation corresponding to the interelectrode capacitance, based on the inductive capacitance and the interelectrode capacitance; and
determining a control type corresponding to the control instruction according to the inductive capacitance variation and the interelectrode capacitance variation, and triggering the terminal device to perform a control operation corresponding to the control type;
wherein the determining the control type corresponding to the control instruction according to the inductive capacitance variation and the interelectrode capacitance variation, and triggering the terminal device to perform the control operation corresponding to the control type comprises:
determining whether the inductive capacitance variation is greater than a preset first threshold;
determining that the control type corresponding to the control instruction is a user control and triggering the terminal device to perform a control operation corresponding to the user control, in a case that the inductive capacitance variation is greater than the first threshold; and
determining that the control type corresponding to the control instruction is a mechanical control and no triggering the terminal device to perform any control operation, in a case that the inductive capacitance variation is not greater than the first threshold.

### Claim 11 (depends on 10)

The terminal control method according to claim 10, wherein the determining that the control type corresponding to the control instruction is a user control and triggering the terminal device to perform the control operation corresponding to the user control, in a case that the inductive capacitance variation is greater than the first threshold comprises:
detecting whether the interelectrode capacitance variation is greater than a preset second threshold, in the case that the inductive capacitance variation is greater than the first threshold;
determining that the user control is a user pressing control and triggering the terminal device to perform a pressing control operation corresponding to the user pressing control, in a case that the interelectrode capacitance variation is greater than the second threshold; and
determining that the user control is a user touch control and triggering the terminal device to perform a touch control operation corresponding to the user touch control, in a case that the interelectrode capacitance variation is not greater than the second threshold.

### Claim 12 (depends on 10)

The terminal control method according to claim 10, wherein the determining that the control type corresponding to the control instruction is a mechanical control and no triggering the terminal device to perform any control operation, in a case that the inductive capacitance variation is not greater than the first threshold comprises:
detecting whether the interelectrode capacitance variation is greater than a preset second threshold, in the case that the inductive capacitance variation is not greater than the first threshold;
determining that the mechanical control is a mechanical pressing control and no triggering the terminal device to perform any control operation, in a case that the interelectrode capacitance variation is greater than the second threshold; and
determining that the mechanical control is a mechanical touch control and no trigging the terminal device to perform any control operation, in a case that the interelectrode capacitance variation is not greater than the second threshold.

### Claim 13 (depends on 10)

The terminal control method according to claim 10, further comprising:
switching a key function of the terminal key corresponding to the control operation according to an orientation changing instruction, in response to a reception of the orientation changing instruction sent by a preset orientation sensor; and triggering the terminal device to perform a control operation corresponding to the key function, in a case that it is determined that the control type corresponding to the control instruction and received by the terminal key is the user control.

### Claim 14

A terminal device, comprising a detection chip, wherein the detection chip is stored with computer programs, when the computer programs are executed, the detection chip executes a terminal control method to:
detect an inductive capacitance and an interelectrode capacitance which correspond to a control instruction and are generated by a preset terminal key, in response to a reception of the control instruction;
determine inductive capacitance variation corresponding to the inductive capacitance and interelectrode capacitance variation corresponding to the interelectrode capacitance, based on the inductive capacitance and the interelectrode capacitance; and
determine a control type corresponding to the control instruction according to the inductive capacitance variation and the interelectrode capacitance variation, and trigger the terminal device to perform a control operation corresponding to the control type;
wherein when the computer programs are executed, the detection chip further executes a terminal control method to:
determine whether the inductive capacitance variation is greater than a preset first threshold;
determine that the control type corresponding to the control instruction is a user control and triggering the terminal device to perform a control operation corresponding to the user control, in a case that the inductive capacitance variation is greater than the first threshold; and
determine that the control type corresponding to the control instruction is a mechanical control and no triggering the terminal device to perform any control operation, in a case that the inductive capacitance variation is not greater than the first threshold.

### Claim 15 (depends on 14)

The terminal device according to claim 14, wherein the terminal device is a smart phone.