Intelligent user interface with touch sensor technology
DCFirst Claim
1. An electronic unit for use with a product connected to a power source, an energy consuming load and a power circuit that connects the power source to the load to power the load, said electronic unit, comprising:
- (a) a microchip;
the microchip at least controlling the flow of power from the power source to activate the load;
(b) a switch, wherein the switch is not a serial element in the power circuit, and wherein the switch is a user interface; and
(c) a touch sensor;
wherein the microchip is coupled to the switch and to the touch sensor;
wherein the microchip controls the activation and the deactivation of the load in response to a signal from the switch; and
wherein the microchip, in response to at least a signal from the touch sensor, is configured for activating a visible find-in-the-dark indication, when the load is not activated.
2 Assignments
Litigations
3 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
An electronic circuit including a microchip for use as an intelligent user interface also comprises touch sensor technology that differentiates between proximity and physical contact events to activate and control various loads including light bulbs, products with radio frequency circuitry or electric motors. An input to the microchip is connected to a switch or sensing structure that does not form a serial link between the power source and the load. The electronic circuit controls various functions in response to user actions including automatic delayed shut-off functions, find-in-the-dark indicator and a power source level/product state indications. The microchip allows the user to select specific functions based on the time duration of activation signals, the time duration between activation signals and the number of activation signals at the input. The microchip is further configured to interpret and react to the signals received from a user in a way that enhances ease of use of the product and to use the indicators to provide information to the user that is influenced by the signals received as well as the state of the product.
40 Citations
48 Claims
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1. An electronic unit for use with a product connected to a power source, an energy consuming load and a power circuit that connects the power source to the load to power the load, said electronic unit, comprising:
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(a) a microchip;
the microchip at least controlling the flow of power from the power source to activate the load;(b) a switch, wherein the switch is not a serial element in the power circuit, and wherein the switch is a user interface; and (c) a touch sensor; wherein the microchip is coupled to the switch and to the touch sensor;
wherein the microchip controls the activation and the deactivation of the load in response to a signal from the switch; and
wherein the microchip, in response to at least a signal from the touch sensor, is configured for activating a visible find-in-the-dark indication, when the load is not activated. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20)
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21. An electronic unit for use with a product connected to a power source an energy consuming load and a power circuit that connects the power source to the load to power the load, said electronic unit, comprising:
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(a) a microchip;
the microchip at least controlling a flow of power from the power source to activate the load;(b) a switch, wherein the switch is not a serial element in the power circuit and wherein the switch is a user interface; and (c) a touch sensor;
wherein the microchip is coupled to the switch and to the touch sensor;
wherein the microchip controls the activation and the deactivation of the load in response to a signal from the switch; andwherein the microchip, performs an automatic delayed shut-off of a function activated in response to a signal from the switch; and wherein the microchip also controls an advance auto-off warning signal to indicate the auto shut-off is imminent. - View Dependent Claims (22, 23)
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24. A method of controlling a product for use with a power source comprising an energy consuming load, a microchip, a switch connected to the microchip, the switch being a user interface switch and not forming a serial part of a circuit for conducting power from the power source to operate the load and a touch sensor that serves as a user interface for contact and/or proximity detection, the method comprising:
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the microchip receiving a signal from the user interface switch, wherein the microchip is configured for activating and deactivating the load by controlling a power switch, in response to the signals received from the user interface switch; causing, under control of the microchip, a flow of power to the load to be varied in response to at least a signal received from the user interface switch; and causing, under control of the microchip and in response to a signal from the touch sensor, the product to provide a visible indication to a user. - View Dependent Claims (25, 26, 27, 28)
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29. An electronic unit for use with a power supply, comprising:
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(a) a load; (b) a first circuit for conducting power from said power source to power the load; (c) a touch sensor type switch, wherein the touch sensor switch is a proximity and/or contact user interface, with said switch not forming a serial link in the first circuit; and (d) a microchip coupled to the switch and wherein the microchip is configured for controlling the activation, deactivation and at least one other function of the load in response to at least a signal received through said switch;
wherein the microchip is further configured to provide a visible indication to the user at least in response to an event detected by the switch, without activating the load. - View Dependent Claims (30, 31, 32, 33, 34, 35)
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36. An electronic unit for use with a power supply, comprising:
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(a) a light source; (b) a first circuit for conducting power from said power source to power the light source; (c) a switch, wherein the switch is a serial element of said first circuit, and wherein the switch is a user interface; (d) a touch sensor, wherein the touch sensor serves as a user interface for contact and/or proximity detection; and (e) a microchip having a first input coupled to the switch and at least a second input coupled to the touch sensor, and wherein the microchip is configured for controlling the activation and deactivation of the light source;
wherein the light source has a plurality of modes including at least an off mode; and
wherein the microchip is further configured to provide a shut off function if a time period of switch actuation is longer than a certain predefined period of time and to provide another of the plurality of modes if the time period of switch actuation is less than a certain predefined period of time. - View Dependent Claims (37)
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38. An electronic unit for use with a power source, comprising:
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(a) a light source; (b) a first circuit for conducting power from said power source to power the light source; (c) a switch, wherein the switch is not a serial element of said first circuit, and wherein the switch is a user interface; (d) a touch sensor, wherein the touch sensor serves as a user interface for contact and/or proximity detection; and (e) a microchip having a first input connected to the switch, wherein the microchip is configured for controlling the activation and deactivation of the light source in response to a signal received from said switch through said input;
wherein the light source has a plurality of user-selectable operating modes controlled by said microchip, said operating modes being selected by signals received at least from said switch through said first input;
wherein the microchip is further configured for causing the light source to change from an active operating mode, that is one of the plurality of operating modes, to an off mode, if a time period between a switch operation during the selection of the active operating mode and the next activation of the switch is longer than a predetermined period of time;
wherein the microchip is further configured for causing the light source to change from an active operating mode, that is one of the plurality of operating modes, to another one of the plurality of operating modes, if the time period between a switch operation during the selection of the active operating mode and the next activation of the switch is not longer than a predetermined period of time;
wherein the light source has an operating mode in which the microchip causes an adjustment of the average current supplied to the light source by means of an intermittent power delivery sequence from said power source, such that any dead period of power when the power source is disconnected from said light source, is not easily visible to the human eye; and
wherein the microchip is further configured to perform certain functions in response to a signal received from the touch sensor. - View Dependent Claims (39, 40, 41, 42, 43, 44, 45, 46, 47)
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48. A switching unit for use with a power source and an energy consuming load comprising;
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(a) a first circuit for conducting power from said power source to power the load; (b) a switch, wherein the switch is not a serial element of the first circuit, and wherein the switch is a user interface; (c) a touch sensor, wherein the touch sensor is a contact and/or proximity user interface; (d) a microchip having a first input coupled to the switch and at least a second input coupled to the touch sensor;
wherein the microchip is configured for controlling the activation and the deactivation of the load in response to a first signal from the switch received through said first input; and(e) an indicator selected from the following; (e1) a find-in-the-dark indicator, wherein the find-in-the-dark indicator is activated under control of the microchip in response to a proximity detection signal from the touch sensor;
wherein the find-in-the-dark indicator specifically illuminates the contact surface of a user interface switch; and(e2) an indicator under control of the microchip where the indicator is used to give a user information about a switch near the proximity detection sensor when a proximity event is detected.
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Specification