US 12,130,133 B2
Capacitive detection of fold angle for foldable devices
Guozhong Shen, San Jose, CA (US); and Tom Vandermeijden, San Jose, CA (US)
Assigned to Synaptics Incorporated, San Jose, CA (US)
Filed by Synaptics Incorporated, San Jose, CA (US)
Filed on Jul. 8, 2022, as Appl. No. 17/861,022.
Prior Publication US 2024/0011759 A1, Jan. 11, 2024
Int. Cl. G01B 7/30 (2006.01); G01D 5/24 (2006.01)
CPC G01B 7/30 (2013.01) [G01D 5/24 (2013.01)] 18 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A system for determining a fold angle of a foldable device, comprising:
a plurality of electrodes, including at least one first electrode and at least one second electrode, wherein the at least one second electrode is farther from a fold line of the foldable device than the at least one first electrode; and
a processing system, configured to:
obtain at least one first absolute capacitance measurement via the at least one first electrode and at least one second absolute capacitance measurement via the at least one second electrode;
determine the fold angle of the foldable device based on the at least one first absolute capacitance measurement and the at least one second absolute capacitance measurement, wherein the at least one first absolute capacitance measurement corresponds to an electrode location closer to the fold line of the foldable device than an electrode location corresponding to the at least one second absolute capacitance measurement; and
based on the determined fold angle of the foldable device, changing contents displayed on one or more displays of the foldable device;
wherein determining the fold angle of the foldable device based on the at least one first absolute capacitance measurement and the at least one second absolute capacitance measurement comprises utilizing the at least one second absolute capacitance measurement to cancel out interference effects from the at least one first absolute capacitance measurement, wherein the interference effects are common to the at least one first electrode which is closer to the fold line and the at least one second electrode which is farther from the fold line.