Disappearing interface system

• US 20050237217A1
• Filed: 06/21/2004
• Published: 10/27/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 03/31/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Electrolux Home Products Incorporated (AB Electrolux)
• Original Assignee: Electrolux Home Products Incorporated (AB Electrolux)
• Inventors: Hughes, James, McCoy, Robert, Donoho, Maureen, Downing, Frank, Rudolph, John R., Fisher, Gary
• Granted Patent: US 7,499,003 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 340/815.450
• CPC Class Codes: F24C 7/083 on tops, hot plates
• CPC Class Codes: F24C 7/085 on baking ovens
• CPC Class Codes: F24C 7/086 touch control
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 6/6435 Aspects relating to the user interface of the microwave heating apparatus

Abstract

A disappearing interface system for a device, such as an appliance (e.g., a cooking range) having an interactive user interface, a light-emitting device (e.g., a LED), a microprocessor based LED fader electronic control system that uses a PWM signal to drive an A/D circuit to control the intensity (e.g., fade in/out) of the light-emitting device.

Claims

1. A disappearing interface system including:

interface means for information exchange between a user and the interface system, the interface means including at least one light-emitting diode visible to the user when activated; and

control means, operatively connected to the interface means, for changing intensity of the light emitted from the light-emitting diode in response to a condition at the interface means.

2. A disappearing interface system as set forth in claim 1, wherein the control means includes means for changing the intensity of the light emitted from the light-emitting diode to increase the light intensity.

3. A disappearing interface system as set forth in claim 1, wherein the control means includes means for changing the intensity of the light emitted from the light-emitting diode to decrease the light intensity.

4. A disappearing interface system as set forth in claim 1, wherein the interface means includes means responsive to a user touch, and the control means includes means for changing the intensity of the light emitted from the light-emitting diode condition at the interface means in response to the user touch at the interface means as the condition at the interface means.

5. A disappearing interface system as set forth in claim 1, wherein the interface means includes means responsive to a user touch, and the control means includes means for time-based determinations and means for changing the intensity of the light emitted from the light-emitting diode condition at the interface means in response to an absence of a user touch at the interface means as the condition at the interface means.

6. A disappearing interface system as set forth in claim 1, wherein the interface system is part of an appliance and the interface means includes means for exchanging information between a user and the interface system concerning the operation of the appliance.

7. A disappearing interface system as set forth in claim 6, wherein the interface system is part of a cooking range as the appliance and the interface means includes means for exchanging information between a user and the interface system concerning the operation of the range.

8. A disappearing interface system as set forth in claim 1, including a medium located between the light-emitting diode and the user, the medium permits viewing of the light-emitting diode when the light-emitting diode is activated and obscures viewing of the light-emitting diode when the light-emitting diode is not activated.

9. A disappearing interface system as set forth in claim 8, wherein the medium is black glass.

10. A disappearing interface system as set forth in claim 1, wherein the control means includes a circuit that provides a varying voltage to the light-emitting diode.

11. A disappearing interface system as set forth in claim 10, wherein the circuit includes a transistor that is operated to output a varying voltage.

12. A disappearing interface system as set forth in claim 10, wherein the circuit includes a transistor that is operated via a pulsed input to the transistor.

13. A disappearing interface system as set forth in claim 12, wherein the control means includes means for providing the pulsed input to the transistor such that the frequency is changed.

14. A disappearing interface system as set forth in claim 13, wherein means for providing the pulsed input changes the frequency exponentially over time.

15. A disappearing interface system as set forth in claim 12, wherein the circuit includes a capacitor connected to an output of the transistor such that a voltage at the transistor output is averaged to an analog voltage.

16. A disappearing interface system as set forth in claim 15, wherein the circuit includes a second transistor that is operated to output a varying voltage, the analog voltage is used to control the second transistor.

19. A disappearing interface system of claim 1, wherein the interface means further comprises a plurality of touch pad buttons and an informational display area to display graphics.

20. A disappearing interface system of claim 19, wherein the control means further comprises a digitized exponential curve and a microprocessor based time-stepped algorithm to process data from the digitized exponential curve.

21. A disappearing interface system of claim 20, wherein the microprocessor generates a pulse width modulated output digital signal based on the data processed by the time-stepped algorithm, wherein the frequency of the pulse-width output signal is proportional to the data received from the time-stepped algorithm.

22. A disappearing interface system of claim 21, wherein the control system further comprises a digital to analog circuit to receive the pulse width modulated output signal, wherein the digital to analog circuit provides an output voltage to the at least one light-emitting diode that is proportional to the frequency of the pulse-width modulated output signal.

23. A disappearing interface system of claim 22, wherein the at least one light emitting diode further comprises an LED array, wherein the light intensity of the LED array is proportional to the output voltage of the digital to analog circuit.

24. A disappearing interface system of claim 23, wherein the LED array illuminates the graphics on the informational display.

25. A disappearing interface system of claim 24, wherein when the frequency of the pulse-width modulated signal increases at least a portion of the graphics on the informational display illuminate and when the frequency of the pulse-width modulated signal decreases at least a portion of the graphics on the informational display disappear.

26. A disappearing interface system of claim 1, wherein the control means includes a digital to analog converter and a means to provide a variable frequency digital signal as an input to the digital to analog converter.

17. A disappearing interface system as set forth in claim 17, wherein the second transistor is operatively connected to a supply voltage, application of the analog voltage to the second transistor is used to control the percent of the supply voltage that passes through the second transistor.

18. A disappearing interface system as set forth in claim 18, wherein the percent of the supply voltage that passes through the second transistor is provided to the light-emitting diode.

27. A disappearing interface system including:

interface means for information exchange between a user and the interface system, the interface means including at least one light-emitting device visible to the user when activated; and

control means, operatively connected to the interface means, for changing intensity of the light emitted from the light-emitting diode, and including a variable frequency digital signal provider and a digital to analog voltage provider, the analog voltage being provided to energize the light-emitting device.

28. A disappearing interface system of claim 27, wherein the light-emitting device is a light-emitting diode.

29. A cooking range comprising:

a user interface having a plurality of touch pad buttons further comprising an informational display area;

a microprocessor-based fader electronic control system further comprising;

a digitized exponential curve;

a time-stepping algorithm to read data from the exponential curve;

a pulse width modulated output signal generated by the microprocessor and controlled by the time-stepped algorithm;

a digital to analog circuit driven by the pulse-width modulated output signal;

an LED array located behind the user interface and driven by the digital to analog circuit; and

,

wherein the LED fader electronic control system receives an input from the user interface and further processes the information to reduce or increase at least a portion of the light intensity of the LED array.

30. A method of controlling light intensity within an interface system, such that the interface may disappear from view, the interface system including interface means for information exchange between a user and the interface system, the interface means including at least one light-emitting diode visible to the user when activated and the interface system including control means, operatively connected to the interface means, for changing intensity of the light emitted from the light-emitting diode, the method including:

providing a condition indication regarding the interface means for use in the control means;

processing the condition indication to provide a changing voltage to the light-emitting diode to change the intensity of the light emitted from the light-emitting diode in response to the condition.

31. A method of activating and deactivating the light intensity of a disappearing interface system on a cooking range display comprising the steps of:

providing a user interface having a plurality of touch pad buttons and an informational display area, an electronic control system comprising a digitized exponential curve, a microprocessor based time-stepped algorithm to process data from the digitized exponential curve, a pulse width modulated output digital signal generated by the microprocessor based on the data received from the time-stepped algorithm, a digital to analog circuit to receive the pulse width modulated output signal, and an at least one light-emitting diode;

inputting a signal to the user interface;

reading the digitized data from the digitized exponential curve;

transmitting the data to the output of the microprocessor;

modifying the frequency of the pulse-width modulated signal;

transmitting the pulse-width modulated signal to the digital to analog circuit;

applying a voltage to the output of the digital to analog circuit; and

,

adjusting the light intensity of the at least one light-emitting diode.