Touch sensitive switch with light

Details Touch sensitive switch with light Touch sensitive switch with light

1999-08-03

2001-05-22

O'Shea, Sandra (Department: 2875)

Illumination

Light source and modifier

Condition responsive

C362S095000, C362S489000, C362S802000

Reexamination Certificate

active

06234651

ABSTRACT:

This invention claims the benefit of Japanese Patent Application No. 10-220857, filed Aug. 4, 1998, which is hereby incorporated by reference.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a touch sensitive switch with a light for adoption in operating switches used in vehicle mounted equipment such as audio equipment or air conditioning equipment etc. that is also usable in a dark environment such as during night time.
2. Discussion of the Related Art
An example configuration of a related touch sensitive switch
90
with a light is shown in FIG.
3
. In
FIG. 3
, a switch element
92
and a light-emitting element
93
such as an LED etc. are mounted on a substrate
94
provided within a key top
91
provided at the surface of a panel
20
. The switch element
92
is turned on or off by pressing the key top
91
.
In this example, the light-emitting element
93
is connected to a day
ight switchover circuit (not shown in the drawings) and remains turned off during the day with a display printed on the surface of the key top
91
being read using external light such as daylight. The light-emitting element
93
is then turned on at night, and the display is read using light from the light-emitting element
93
.
The related touch sensitive switch
90
has the following problems. First, printing on the surface of the key top
91
is the only indication of the function of the touch sensitive switch
90
of the related configuration. It is therefore inclined for a person to become confused as to which channel is being received when pressing the key top
91
in order to change channel. Second, when this kind of touch sensitive switch
90
is adopted for the above use, touch sensitive switches
90
with channel numbers printed on the surface of the key top
91
have to be used in accordance with the number of channels, so that the apparatus therefore becomes bulky and costs are also increased.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
In order to resolve the aforementioned problems with the related art, in the present invention there is provided a touch sensitive switch with a light. This touch sensitive switch with a light has a switch element and a light emitting element provided within a key top. A surface of the key top is illuminated by light coming from the light emitting element and transmitted by the surface of the key-top. The touch sensitive switch with a light comprises a light sensor. The light sensor is disposed for detecting a finger approaching the key top before start of operation of the switch element.
In the present invention described above, a touch sensitive switch with a light is provided with a light sensor housed in a key top and for detecting a finger approaching the key top. The output of the light sensor is used to detect that the touch sensitive switch is to be operated before the operation takes place. Notification to the person who operates the key-top can therefore be given by any predetermined effect such as a voice sounded based on the output of the light sensor just before the operation starts. There is therefore not the confusion that arises when a plurality of functions are incorporated, and equipment adopting this type of touch sensitive switch can be made smaller and give better results.
As this advance notification is possible, an operator can, for example, be given warnings with respect to the operation of switches etc. that have a substantial effect on operation before such an operation is carried out so that erroneous operation can be prevented and safety can be improved.
According to the present invention, light from the light emitting element conventionally used for lighting the key top is utilized, so that advance notification is carried out with only one additional part, i.e. one light sensor. Costs therefore do not increase significantly and the present invention can be easily realized.


REFERENCES:
patent: 4216524 (1980-08-01), Leveraus
patent: 4433328 (1984-02-01), Saphir et al.
patent: 4868384 (1989-09-01), Franken et al.
patent: 4904991 (1990-02-01), Jones
patent: 5434378 (1995-07-01), McLean
patent: 5442527 (1995-08-01), Wichelt
patent: 5808606 (1998-09-01), Kodama et al.
patent: 5814945 (1998-09-01), Hsu
patent: 4-51404 (1992-12-01), None
patent: 4-51403 (1992-12-01), None

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