Electric lamp and discharge devices: systems – Electric switch in the supply circuit
Reexamination Certificate
2000-12-21
2003-01-28
Wong, Don (Department: 2821)
Electric lamp and discharge devices: systems
Electric switch in the supply circuit
C315S194000, C315S307000, C340S309160, C340S870030, C340S870030, C340S870030, C340S870030, C345S173000, C318S468000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06512338
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to controlling appliances such as lamps, roller blinds or heating appliances adapted to assume a level selected from a range of levels.
It relates more particularly to a control device which includes a keypad representative of said range of levels to enable a user to select a level.
It also relates to a method of controlling a roller blind to move it from a current position to a target position using the control device and a user module for the device.
2. Description of the Prior Art
A rotary dimmer including a potentiometer for varying the angle of opening of an electronic switch of a lamp is known in the art. The dimmer also includes an on/off switch for switching the lamp on and off.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,485,058 describes a lamp control device which includes a keypad with five keys, namely an on/off key and four level keys each of which represents one preset level of brightness of the lamp. The keypad is connected to a central processor unit and:
if the lamp is off and the on/off key is operated, the lamp assumes the brightness level that it had before it was switched off,
if the lamp is switched off and one of the four level keys is operated, the lamp assumes progressively all the intermediate brightness levels from the off level to the target preset level selected by the key operated,
if the lamp is on and one of the four level keys is operated, the lamp progressively assumes all the intermediate brightness levels from its current level to a preset target brightness level selected by the level key operated, and
if the lamp is switched on and the on/off key is operated, the lamp is switched off.
Apart from the fact that the control device is very complicated, it obliges the lamp to pass through intermediate levels before reaching the target level selected by the user.
This also applies to the conventional dimmer previously described using a potentiometer.
Compared to the above prior art, the invention proposes a new control device for an appliance adapted to assume a level selected from a range of levels enabling the appliance to access directly the level selected by the user from the keypad, without passing through intermediate levels, which makes use of the appliance safer by separating the control for switching off the appliance from the other controls.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The control device according to the invention includes a keypad representative of the range of levels to enable a user to select a level, an “off” key for switching off the appliance, and a processor unit connected to the keypad and to the “off” key, and in the device:
when the appliance is off and the keypad is operated to select a target level, the processor unit causes the appliance to assume the selected target level,
when the appliance is off and the “off” key is operated, the processor unit leaves the appliance switched off,
when the appliance is on and the keypad is operated to select a target level, the processor unit causes the appliance to assume the selected target level if that level is different from its current level, and
when the appliance is on and the “off” key is operated, the processor unit switches off the appliance.
Thus in accordance with the invention the off key of the control device cannot be used to switch it on, as is conventionally the case with control devices known in the art.
Preferably, in accordance with the invention, the processor unit includes means for monitoring separately operation of the keypad and operation of the “off” key.
The following are further advantageous and non-limiting features of the device according to the invention.
The device includes means for displaying the current level of the appliance connected to the processor unit.
The processor unit is adapted to maintain the display means active after the appliance is switched off to show the current level of the appliance before it was switched off.
Accordingly, when the appliance is switched off, the display means provide the user with an indication of the current level of the appliance before it was switched off and the user can operate the keypad if he wishes to switch on the appliance at that level or at a selected other target level.
The processor unit is adapted to place the display means in a standby state after the appliance is switched off.
The standby state of the display means consists of a reduced brightness of the display means.
The device includes means for displaying a change of level of the appliance.
The display means include at least one row of light-emitting diodes facing the keypad.
The display means include at least one row of bargraphs.
The device according to the invention advantageously includes keypad marking means. The marking means can intentionally be placed on standby, at a background level relative to the display of the current level or the target level for the appliance.
In one embodiment of the control device according to the invention the keypad has at least one touch-sensitive region provided with means for recognizing an area of the touch-sensitive region pressed by a finger and corresponding to the selection of a target level to be assumed by the appliance and the recognition means are connected to the processor unit which is adapted to determine from the recognized pressed area and to transmit to the appliance an appliance set point such that the appliance assumes the selected target level.
The touch-sensitive region comprises three subregions, namely:
a top subregion representing a top limit level assumed by the appliance,
a bottom subregion representing a bottom limit level assumed by the appliance, and
an intermediate subregion between the top and bottom subregions and representative of a range of intermediate levels assumed by the appliance between the top and bottom limit levels.
The recognition means of the touch-sensitive region are of the resistive type.
The recognition means include an open circuit whose terminals are connected to the processor unit and which is formed of two comb-like parts with substantially parallel resistive backs and interleaved conductive teeth, the touch-sensitive region being such that pressing a finger onto an area of the touch-sensitive region closes the circuit by virtue of contact between at least one tooth of one part with at least one tooth of the other part, the processor unit including means for reading off the value of the resistance between the terminals of the closed circuit, the resistance being representative of the area pressed, and means for determining from the resistance read off an appliance set point to be transmitted to the appliance so that the appliance assumes the corresponding selected target level.
In another embodiment of the control device according to the invention the keypad includes a movable button controlling a variable resistance, movement of the button corresponding to selection of a target level to be assumed by the appliance, and an “on” key connected to the processor unit and integrated into the movable button, the processor unit including means for reading off the resistance of the variable resistance when the “on” key is operated, the resistance being representative of the position of the button, and means for determining from the resistance read off an appliance set point to be transmitted to the appliance so that the appliance assumes the corresponding selected target level.
The processor unit includes means for determining a display set point from the resistance read off and means for transmitting the display set point to the display means to display the corresponding selected target level assumed by the appliance.
The control device according to the invention can include an external installation connected to the processor unit and adapted to supply a set point for selecting a target level in the range of levels to the processor unit which is adapted to transmit the set point to the appliance so that it assumes the selected target level if it is different from its current level.
In this case the pro
Legrand
Tran Thuy Vinh
Wong Don
Young & Thompson
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