# US 12,602,770 B2 · Information handling system visual image inspection to support hinge reuse and recycling

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- Number: US 12,602,770 B2
- Document ID: US12602770B2
- Status: Granted
- Kind: B2
- Application number: 18/380,746
- Filed: 2023-10-17
- Published: 2025-04-17
- Granted: 2026-04-14
- Earliest claimed: 2023-10-17
- Assignees: Dell Products L.P.
- Applicants: Dell Products L.P.
- Inventors: Jace W. Files; John Trevor Morrison; Chiu-Jung Tsen
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US12602770B2

## CPC

- G06T 7/001: {using an image reference approach}
- 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 1/1635: {Details related to the integration of battery packs and other power supplies such as fuel cells or integrated AC adapter}
- G06F 1/1662: {Details related to the integrated keyboard}
- G06F 1/1681: {Details related solely to hinges (hinge details related to the transmission of signals or power are classified in G06F1/1683)}
- G06F 1/169: {the I/O peripheral being an integrated pointing device, e.g. trackball in the palm rest area, mini-joystick integrated between keyboard keys, touch pads or touch stripes (G06F1/1643 takes precedence; constructional details of pointing devices G06F3/033)}
- G06F 1/263: {Arrangements for using multiple switchable power supplies, e.g. battery and AC (G06F1/30 takes precedence)}
- G06F 1/28: Supervision thereof, e.g. detecting power-supply failure by out of limits supervision
- G06F 3/0202: {Constructional details or processes of manufacture of the input device}
- G06F 3/03547: {Touch pads, in which fingers can move on a surface}
- G06T 7/246: using feature-based methods, e.g. the tracking of corners or segments
- G06T 2207/10028: Range image; Depth image; 3D point clouds
- G06T 2207/10048: Infrared image
- G06T 2207/30164: Workpiece; Machine component
- G06T: IMAGE DATA PROCESSING OR GENERATION, IN GENERAL
- G06F: ELECTRIC DIGITAL DATA PROCESSING (computer systems based on specific computational models G06N)

## Abstract

A portable information handling system hinge is tested for wear to determine reuse or recycling by subjecting the information handling system to an acceleration and capturing a visual image of hinge movement in response to the acceleration. Excessive hinge wear is detected when housing movement exceeds a threshold distance or fails to achieve threshold dampening effect. After detection of hinge wear, when a hinge has sufficient torque for use in a selected of plural information handling system platforms, the hinge is reused, otherwise the hinge is broken down and recycled.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A system for evaluating information handling system hinge wear, the system comprising:
a camera operable to capture visual images in a field of view;
a test station configured to accept an information handling system aligned with the field of view and to apply an acceleration to the information handling system; and
a processor interfaced with the camera and the test station, the processor operable to accept the visual images from the camera to apply the accelerations to the information handling system; and
a non-transitory memory interfaced with the processor and storing instructions that when executed on the processor cause:
application of an acceleration to the information handling system;
capture of visual images of the information handling system during the acceleration; and
analysis of movement of a hinged housing portion of the information handling system to assign a reuse of a hinge of the information handling system;
wherein the analysis of movement comprises a distance of movement of the lid portion compared against a threshold of distance of movement of the hinge.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The system of claim 1 further comprising:
an actuator coupled to the test station to move the test station when the information handling system rests on the test station;
wherein the application of the acceleration is to a main portion of the information handling system housing resting on the test station when a lid portion of the information handling system housing is in an open position.

### Claim 3 (depends on 2)

The system of claim 2 wherein the analysis assigns the hinge to reuse if the movement is less than the threshold and assigns the hinge to recycle if the movement is greater than the threshold.

### Claim 4 (depends on 3)

The system of claim 3 wherein the analysis of movement comprises a time response of distance of movement of the lid portion compared against a threshold of dampening of the hinge movement.

### Claim 5 (depends on 3)

The system of claim 3 wherein the camera comprises an infrared depth camera that determines distance with time of flight.

### Claim 6 (depends on 3)

The system of claim 3 wherein:
the information handling system comprises a first platform having a first hinge torque and a first threshold of distance of movement; and
the hinge reuse comprises installation of the hinge in a second platform having a second hinge torque of less than the first hinge torque.

### Claim 7 (depends on 3)

The system of claim 3 further comprising:
a visual image captured by the camera of a display coupled to the lid housing portion; and
analysis of the display to detect cracks of the display.

### Claim 8 (depends on 3)

The system of claim 3 further comprising:
a visual image captured by the camera of a keyboard coupled to the main housing portion; and
analysis of the keyboard keys to detect a neutral bias up position discrepancy threshold of the keyboard keys.

### Claim 9 (depends on 8)

The system of claim 8 wherein the analysis further comprises a comparison of a height of the keyboard keys relative to a palm rest.

### Claim 10

A method for evaluating information handling system hinge wear, the method comprising:
applying an acceleration to the information handling system with a lid housing portion in an open position relative to a main housing portion;
capturing the lid housing portion response to the acceleration as visual images with a camera; and
analyzing movement of the lid housing portion to determine wear of a hinge rotationally coupling the lid housing portion to the main housing portion;
wherein the analyzing movement further comprises a distance of movement of the lid housing portion against a threshold distance of movement associated with the hinge.

### Claim 11 (depends on 10)

The method of claim 10 further comprising:
assigning the hinge to reuse if the movement is less than the threshold; and
assigning the hinge to recycle if the movement is greater than the threshold.

### Claim 12 (depends on 11)

The method of claim 11 wherein the analysis of movement comprises a time response of distance of movement of the lid portion compared against a threshold of dampening of the hinge movement.

### Claim 13 (depends on 12)

The method of claim 12 further comprising detecting the movement with an infrared time of flight sensor of the camera.

### Claim 14 (depends on 13)

The method of claim 13 further comprising:
assigning the hinge for reuse to a first platform when the hinge has a first hinge torque and a first threshold of distance of movement; and
assigning the hinge for reuse to a second platform when the hinge has a second hinge torque of less than the first hinge torque.

### Claim 15 (depends on 14)

The method of claim 14 further comprising:
capturing a visual image with the camera of a display coupled to the lid housing portion; and
analyzing from the visual image to detect cracks of the display.

### Claim 16 (depends on 14)

The method of claim 14 further comprising:
capturing a visual image with the camera of a keyboard coupled to the main housing portion; and
analyzing from the visual image to detect a neutral bias up position discrepancy threshold of the keyboard keys.

### Claim 17 (depends on 16)

The method of claim 16 wherein the analysis further comprises a comparison of a height of the keyboard keys relative to a palm rest.

### Claim 18

A method for evaluating information handling system hinge wear, the method comprising:
applying an acceleration to the information handling system with a lid housing portion in an open position relative to a main housing portion;
capturing the lid housing portion response to the acceleration as visual images with a camera; and
analyzing movement of the lid housing portion to determine wear of a hinge rotationally coupling the lid housing portion to the main housing portion;
comparing in the visual images movement of a left side of the lid housing portion and right side of the lid housing portion in response to the acceleration; and
analyzing the comparing to determine wear of a left side hinge and a right side hinge rotationally coupling the lid housing portion to the main housing portion.