Electricity: circuit makers and breakers – Multiple circuit control – Reciprocating contact
Reexamination Certificate
2000-11-24
2001-08-21
Riley, Shawn (Department: 2838)
Electricity: circuit makers and breakers
Multiple circuit control
Reciprocating contact
C323S350000, C200S018000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06278069
ABSTRACT:
CLAIM OF PRIORITY
This application makes reference to, incorporates the same herein, and claims all benefits accruing under 35 U.S.C. §119 from my application ELECTRONIC SYSTEM FOR PREVENTING FAILURE DURING PUSH OPERATION OF POWER SWITCH AND METHOD OF CONTROLLING POWERSWITCH INPUT SIGNAL filed with the Korean Industrial Property Office on Nov. 23, 1999 and there duly assigned Ser. No. 1999-52233.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The present invention generally relates to an electronic system and, more particularly, to an apparatus and method for supplying power to an electronic system such as a computer display apparatus or a television receiver set.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The development of integrated circuits (ICs) has allowed the electronics industry to establish a trend with products that continue growing increasingly more powerful, reliable, functional, compact, user-friendly, and inexpensive. ICs are widely utilized in a variety of electronic systems, e.g., personal computers, television sets, video cameras, video/audio players, mobile phones, etc., as well as in a host of industrial applications such as heating, air-conditioning, and even automotive control, making these systems more reliable and efficient.
A recent trend of electronic system design is to make surfaces be smooth to the touch by leveling switch buttons with a surface of an electronic system housing. For example, ellipsoidal knob-type power switches are popular in the electronics industry.
A typical knob-type power switch device includes only one microswitch that is installed at the center region thereof. The microswitch is arranged in such a manner that a switching element thereof is depressed in the direction of movement of a pushbutton and is actuated by a protrusion member of the pushbutton. So, such a knob-type power switch operates well when the center region of the pushbutton is exactly depressed, but if not, the switch may not operate well.
What is needed is a power switch that is capable of actuating two or more electrical microswitches underneath the power switch button. A controller connected to each of the microswitches will turn the electrical appliance on if just one of said microswitches is actuated when the power switch button is depressed by user manipulation. Therefore, the user does not need to press the exact center of the power switch button to power on an electrical appliance.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
Therefore, an object of the present invention is to provide an apparatus and method for supplying power to an electronic system having a power switch device capable of operating correctly in spite of depressing an edge part of a pushbutton of the switch device.
It is another object of the present invention to provide an apparatus and method for supplying power to an electronic system, which are capable of preventing errors in supplying power to electronic systems.
It is still yet another object to provide an apparatus and a method that turns on an electrical appliance even when the user fails to press exactly the middle of a pushbutton.
It is also another object of the present invention to provide an apparatus and method that ignores actuation of a power switch when the power switch button has been pressed a short time ago.
It is also another object of the present invention to cut off power to an electrical appliance when the electrical appliance was originally turned on when the pushbutton for the power supply is actuated by user manipulation.
According to a preferred aspect of the invention, power supply apparatus includes a power supply section, a microcontroller, and a switch device having a pushbutton and two (or more) microswitches. The microcontroller controls the power supply section in accordance with the states of the microswitches. The microcontroller receives an electrical signal from the microswitches when either one of the microswitches is pressed, and determines erroneous push operation of the pushbutton, such as pushing the pushbutton successively more than one time within a predetermined period of time.
The switch device further includes a printed circuit board accommodating the microswitches thereon, a board supporting member, an elastic member combined with the pushbutton, and an assembly holder for holding the pushbutton. The pushbutton includes a button body, two or more legs attached to the body and corresponding to the microswitches, and at least two locking hooks.
According to another aspect of the invention, a method of controlling power supply to an electronic system is provided. First, it is repeatedly checked whether the either one of the microswitches is pressed. If so, it is then determined whether one of the microswitches has been pressed previously within the predetermined period of time from the moment when the microswitch is presently pressed. If so, the present switch-on is ignored, but if not, it is checked whether an electronic system is in a power-on state. If the electronic system is in the power-on state, power supply to the system is interrupted. But, if the electronic system is not in the power-on state then the system is supplied with power.
REFERENCES:
patent: 3258549 (1966-06-01), Stoi
patent: 5049709 (1991-09-01), Prickett et al.
Kim Ki-Seon
Lee Ji-Young
Park Sung-Sik
Bushnell , Esq. Robert E.
Riley Shawn
Samsung Electronics Co,. Ltd.
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