# US 12,007,237 B2 · Electronic apparatus control method performed through lid angle calculation, electronic apparatus thereof and software product

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- Number: US 12,007,237 B2
- Document ID: US12007237B2
- Status: Granted
- Kind: B2
- Application number: 18/300,296
- Filed: 2023-04-13
- Published: 2023-08-10
- Granted: 2024-06-11
- Earliest claimed: 2020-05-05
- Assignees: STMicroelectronics S.r.l.
- Applicants: STMICROELECTRONICS S.r.l.
- Inventors: Federico Rizzardini; Stefano Paolo Rivolta; Lorenzo Bracco; Marco Bianco
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US12007237B2

## CPC

- G01B 7/30: for measuring angles or tapers; for testing the alignment of axes
- G01D 5/16: by varying resistance
- G01D 18/00: Testing or calibrating apparatus or arrangements provided for in groups G01D1/00 - G01D15/00
- G05B 17/02: electric
- 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 1/1694: {the I/O peripheral being a single or a set of motion sensors for pointer control or gesture input obtained by sensing movements of the portable computer}
- 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}
- G01B: MEASURING LENGTH, THICKNESS OR SIMILAR LINEAR DIMENSIONS; MEASURING ANGLES; MEASURING AREAS; MEASURING IRREGULARITIES OF SURFACES OR CONTOURS
- G01D: MEASURING NOT SPECIALLY ADAPTED FOR A SPECIFIC VARIABLE; ARRANGEMENTS FOR MEASURING TWO OR MORE VARIABLES NOT COVERED IN A SINGLE OTHER SUBCLASS; TARIFF METERING APPARATUS; MEASURING OR TESTING NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR
- G05B: CONTROL OR REGULATING SYSTEMS IN GENERAL; FUNCTIONAL ELEMENTS OF SUCH SYSTEMS; MONITORING OR TESTING ARRANGEMENTS FOR SUCH SYSTEMS OR ELEMENTS (systems for controlling or regulating non-electric variables G05D; systems for regulating electric or magnetic variables G05F; control devices or systems insofar as characterised by mechanical features only G05G)
- G06F: ELECTRIC DIGITAL DATA PROCESSING (computer systems based on specific computational models G06N)

## Abstract

A method is provided for controlling an electronic apparatus on the basis of a value of a lid angle between a first hardware element accommodating a first magnetometer and a second hardware element accommodating a second magnetometer. The method includes acquiring, through the magnetometers, first signals representing an orientation of the hardware elements. A calibration parameter indicative of a condition of calibration of the magnetometers is generated on the basis of the first signals. A reliability value indicative of a condition of reliability of the first signals is generated on the basis of the first signals. A first intermediate value of the lid angle is calculated on the basis of the first signals. A current value of the lid angle is calculated on the basis of the calibration parameter, of the reliability value, and of the first intermediate value, and the electronic apparatus is controlled on the basis of the current value.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A method, comprising:
generating, by a first magnetometer and a second magnetometer of an electronic apparatus, first signals indicating measurements of a magnetic field, the first magnetometer and the second magnetometer being in a first hardware element and a second hardware element, respectively, of the electronic apparatus;
determining, by a processing unit of the electronic apparatus, a calibration parameter based on the first signals, the calibration parameter indicating a condition of calibration of the first and second magnetometers;
determining, by the processing unit, a reliability value based on the first signals, the reliability value indicating of a condition of reliability of the first signals;
determining, by the processing unit, a first value of a lid angle between the first hardware element and the second hardware element based on the first signals;
determining, by the processing unit, a second value of the lid angle based on the calibration parameter, the reliability value, and the first value of the lid angle; and
controlling, by the processing unit, a function of the electronic apparatus based on the second value of the lid angle.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The method according to claim 1, wherein the first and second hardware elements are rotatable around a rotation axis, and the lid angle is between a surface of the first hardware element and a surface of the second hardware element.

### Claim 3 (depends on 2)

The method according to claim 2, wherein the determining of the first value includes executing the operation:
arctan
⁢
2
⁢
(
G
⁢
z
2
·
Gy
1
-
G
⁢
y
2
·
Gz
1
G
⁢
z
2
·
Gz
1
+
G
⁢
y
2
·
Gy
1
)
+
π
where Gy1 is a component of the first signal generated by the first magnetometer along a first sensing axis of the first magnetometer, Gz1 is a component of the first signal generated by the first magnetometer along a second sensing axis of the first magnetometer, Gy2 is a component of the first signal generated by the second magnetometer along a first sensing axis of the second magnetometer, and Gz2 is a component of the first signal generated by the second magnetometer along a second sensing axis of the second magnetometer.

### Claim 4 (depends on 3)

The method according to claim 3, wherein the determining of the reliability value includes:
determining a reliability angle based on the first signals; and
determining the reliability value based on a comparison between the reliability angle and a threshold angle.

### Claim 5 (depends on 4)

The method according to claim 4, wherein the reliability angle is measured between the rotation axis and the magnetic field, and the determining of the reliability angle includes:
determining a first intermediate angle based on the first signal of the first magnetometer by executing the operation:
tan
-
1
⁢
G
⁢
y
1
2
+
G
⁢
z
1
2
❘
"\[LeftBracketingBar]"
Gx
1
❘
"\[RightBracketingBar]"
or determining a second intermediate angle based on the first signal of the second magnetometer by executing the operation:
tan
-
1
⁢
G
⁢
y
2
2
+
G
⁢
z
2
2
❘
"\[LeftBracketingBar]"
Gx
2
❘
"\[RightBracketingBar]"
where Gx1 is a component of the first signal generated by the first magnetometer along a third sensing axis of the first magnetometer, and Gx2 is a component of the first signal generated by the second magnetometer along a third sensing axis of the second magnetometer; and
determining the reliability angle based on the first intermediate angle or the second intermediate angle.

### Claim 6 (depends on 3)

The method according to claim 3, wherein the determining the reliability value includes:
determining a first reliability angle based on the first signals by executing the operation:
tan
-
1
⁢
G
⁢
y
1
2
+
G
⁢
z
1
2
❘
"\[LeftBracketingBar]"
Gx
1
❘
"\[RightBracketingBar]"
where Gx1 is a component of the first signal generated by the first magnetometer along a third sensing axis of the first magnetometer;
determining a second reliability angle based on the first signals by executing the operation:
tan
-
1
⁢
G
⁢
y
2
2
+
G
⁢
z
2
2
❘
"\[LeftBracketingBar]"
Gx
2
❘
"\[RightBracketingBar]"
where Gx2 is a component of the first signal generated by the second magnetometer along a third sensing axis of the second magnetometer; and
determining the reliability value based on a first comparison between the first reliability angle and a threshold angle and based on a second comparison between the second reliability angle and the threshold angle.

### Claim 7 (depends on 1)

The method according to claim 1, wherein the determining of the calibration parameter includes:
determining calibrated data based on the first signals; and
comparing the calibrated data with respective comparison data.

### Claim 8 (depends on 1)

The method according to claim 1, wherein
the reliability value is a function of the calibration parameter,
the determining of the second value of the lid angle includes recursively updating the second value of the lid angle by executing the operation:
αLID(t)=(1−K1′)·αLID(t−1)+K1′·αLID_MAG(t)
with K1′=n·K1, where K1 is the reliability value and has a value equal to or greater than 0 and smaller than or equal to 1, n is a coefficient with a value greater than 0 and smaller than or equal to 1, αLID(t) is the second value of the lid angle, αLID(t−1) is a value of the lid angle at an instant immediately preceding the instant of the second value αLID(t), and αLID_MAG(t) is the first value.

### Claim 9 (depends on 1)

The method according to claim 1, wherein
the first hardware element includes a first accelerometer,
the second hardware element includes a second accelerometer, and
the method further includes:
generating, by the first accelerometer and the second accelerometer, second signals indicating measurements of relative orientation of the first and second hardware elements;
determining, by the processing unit, a third value of the lid angle based on the second signals; and
determining, by the processing unit, the second value of the lid angle based on the third value of the lid angle.

### Claim 10 (depends on 9)

The method according to claim 9, further comprising:
determining, by the processing unit, another reliability value based on the second signals, the another reliability value indicating a condition of reliability of the second signals.

### Claim 11 (depends on 10)

The method according to claim 10, wherein the determining of the second value of the lid angle includes executing the operation:
KLP·αLID_ACC_MAG(t)+(1−KLP)·αLID(t−1)
where αLID(t−1) is a value of the lid angle at an instant immediately preceding the instant of the second value, KLP is a coefficient greater than or equal to 0 and smaller than or equal to 1, and αLID_ACC_MAG(t) is a value equal to:
the third value in a case where the reliability value is equal to 0 and the another reliability value is not equal to 0; or
the first value in a case where the reliability value is not equal to 0 and the another reliability value is equal to 0; or
(K1·αLID_MAG(t)+K2·αLID_ACC(t))/(K1+K2) in a case where the reliability value is not equal to 0 and the another reliability value is not equal to 0, where αLID_MAG(t) is the first value, and αLID_ACC(t) is the third value, K1 is the reliability value and K2 is the another reliability value, and
where KLP is equal to 0 if the reliability value is equal to 0 and the another reliability value is equal to 0.

### Claim 12 (depends on 1)

The method according to claim 1, wherein
the first hardware element includes a first gyroscope,
the second hardware element includes a second gyroscope, and
the method further includes:
generating, by the first gyroscope and second gyroscope, second signals indicating measurements of relative orientation of the first and second hardware elements;
determining, by the processing unit, a third value of the lid angle based on the second signals; and
determining, by the processing unit, the second value of the lid angle based on the third value of the lid angle.

### Claim 13 (depends on 12)

The method according to claim 12, wherein the determining of the second value of the lid angle includes executing a weighted sum of the first value and of the third value.

### Claim 14 (depends on 13)

The method according to claim 13, wherein the executing of the weighted sum includes executing the operation:
αLID(t)=K1′·αLID_MAG(t)+(1−K1′)·aLID_GYR(t)
with K1′=n·K1, where K1 is the reliability value and has a value equal to or greater than 0 and smaller than or equal to 1, n is a coefficient with a value greater than 0 and smaller than or equal to 1, αLID(t) is the second value of the angle, αLID_MAG(t) is the first value, and αLID_GYR(t) is the third value.

### Claim 15

A device, comprising:
a first hardware element including a first magnetometer;
a second hardware element including a second magnetometer, the first magnetometer and the second magnetometer configured to generate first signals indicating measurements of a magnetic field; and
a processing unit configured to:
determine a calibration parameter based on the first signals, the calibration parameter indicating a condition of calibration of the first and second magnetometers;
determine a reliability value based on the first signals, the reliability value indicating of a condition of reliability of the first signals;
determine a first value of a lid angle between the first hardware element and the second hardware element based on the first signals;
determine a second value of the lid angle based on the calibration parameter, the reliability value, and the first value of the lid angle; and
control a function of the device based on the second value of the lid angle.

### Claim 16 (depends on 15)

The device according to claim 15, wherein the first and second hardware elements are rotatable around a rotation axis, and the lid angle is between a surface of the first hardware element and a surface of the second hardware element.

### Claim 17 (depends on 15)

The device according to claim 15, wherein
the first hardware element includes a first accelerometer,
the second hardware element includes a second accelerometer,
the first accelerometer and the second accelerometer are configured to generate second signals indicating measurements of relative orientation of the first and second hardware elements
the processing unit is configured to:
determine a third value of the lid angle based on the second signals; and
determine the second value of the lid angle based on the third value of the lid angle.

### Claim 18 (depends on 15)

The device according to claim 15, wherein
the first hardware element includes a first gyroscope,
the second hardware element includes a second gyroscope,
the first gyroscope and second gyroscope are configured to generate second signals indicating measurements of relative orientation of the first and second hardware elements;
the processing unit is configured to:
determine a third value of the lid angle based on the second signals; and
determine the second value of the lid angle based on the third value of the lid angle.

### Claim 19

A non-transitory computer-readable medium having contents which configure a processing unit of an electronic apparatus to perform a method, the method comprising:
receiving, from a first magnetometer and a second magnetometer of the electronic apparatus, first signals indicating measurements of a magnetic field, the first magnetometer and the second magnetometer being in a first hardware element and a second hardware element, respectively, of the electronic apparatus;
determining a calibration parameter based on the first signals, the calibration parameter indicating a condition of calibration of the first and second magnetometers;
determining a reliability value based on the first signals, the reliability value indicating of a condition of reliability of the first signals;
determining a first value of a lid angle between the first hardware element and the second hardware element based on the first signals;
determining a second value of the lid angle based on the calibration parameter, the reliability value, and the first value of the lid angle; and
controlling a function of the electronic apparatus based on the second value of the lid angle.

### Claim 20 (depends on 19)

The non-transitory computer-readable medium according to claim 19, wherein the first and second hardware elements are rotatable around a rotation axis, and the lid angle is between a surface of the first hardware element and a surface of the second hardware element.