Infrared hand-held remote control
First Claim
1. An ergonomic control device for the setting of a given single variable physical property of a structure between a maximum setting and a minimum setting;
- said structure having a control input connected thereto for adjusting said variable property to any of a plurality of settings between said maximum and minimum settings;
said control device having first, second, third and fourth separate manually operable control elements which are operatively connected to said control input;
said first and second control elements being operable to set said variable property of said structure at said maximum setting and said minimum setting respectively;
said third and fourth control elements being vernier controls and being respectively operable to adjust said variable property from said maximum setting and toward said minimum setting, and to any of said plurality of settings and from said minimum setting and toward said maximum setting and to any of said plurality of settings.
2 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
An infrared hand-held remote control for handling a single or plural devices such as lights, shades, drapes and the like contains ergonomically selected and placed control buttons that are self-describing and easy to use. It allows explicit, easy-to-use control of different functions by providing for each function to be controlled vertically disposed discrete buttons that provide “all or nothing” control of some physical feature and similar, vertically disposed and horizontally aligned “adjust” buttons that allow for fine and continuous control of the physical quantities between the extremes or limits of the discrete button functions. Successive groups of buttons provide for the control of different appliances or devices, where each group of buttons is identified by easy to comprehend icon or alphabetic representations.
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Citations
43 Claims
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1. An ergonomic control device for the setting of a given single variable physical property of a structure between a maximum setting and a minimum setting;
- said structure having a control input connected thereto for adjusting said variable property to any of a plurality of settings between said maximum and minimum settings;
said control device having first, second, third and fourth separate manually operable control elements which are operatively connected to said control input;
said first and second control elements being operable to set said variable property of said structure at said maximum setting and said minimum setting respectively;
said third and fourth control elements being vernier controls and being respectively operable to adjust said variable property from said maximum setting and toward said minimum setting, and to any of said plurality of settings and from said minimum setting and toward said maximum setting and to any of said plurality of settings. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 15, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21)
- said structure having a control input connected thereto for adjusting said variable property to any of a plurality of settings between said maximum and minimum settings;
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14. The process of adjusting a single given physical property of apparatus in which the physical property is adjustable between minimum and maximum values;
- said process comprising the steps of activating only one of a first and a second control element to set said physical property at its minimum or maximum value respectively; and
thereafter selectively activating only one of a third and fourth control element to readjust said physical property in a vernier manner from said minimum value, or from said maximum value, respectively, and toward some desired intermediate setting between said minimum and maximum values.
- said process comprising the steps of activating only one of a first and a second control element to set said physical property at its minimum or maximum value respectively; and
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16. The process of adjusting an electrical load from a portable hand held remote control device which has first, second, third and fourth manually operable control elements on surface thereof for producing control signals for operating said electrical load in accordance with respective first, second, third and fourth values, which are maximum energization, minimum energization, a continually decreasing energization to a selected respective value, and a continuously increasing energization to a selected value;
- said process comprising the sequence of first manually operating either said first and then said third control elements, and thereafter operating either of said second and fourth control elements until a desired selected value is achieved.
- 22. An ergonomic hand-held control device for controlling the setting of an electrically controlled appliance having a physical property adjustable between a maximum setting and a minimum setting and at intermediate positions therebetween, the control device comprising a first pair, including first and second buttons that are vertically aligned on a face plate of the control device and a second pair comprising respective first and second buttons that are vertically aligned relative to one another, and horizontally aligned with the first pair of buttons, and an electronic circuit in the control device that is associated with the first and second pair of buttons and so operable as to cause said variable property to assume its maximum setting when the first button of the first pair is actuated, to assume the minimum setting when the second button of the first pair is actuated, continuously increase its setting value when the first button of the second pair is activated and continuously decrease its setting when the second button of the second pair is actuated.
Specification