CONTROL DEVICE FOR AN ELECTRICAL APPLIANCE AND CONTROL METHOD
First Claim
1. Control device for an electrical appliance, said control device having a control element positioned in a movable and removable manner on a support of said control device, wherein said control element is provided with an underside and with a plurality of sensor surfaces on said underside for a contactless capacitive signal coupling between signal generators on or beneath said support and said sensor surfaces, wherein said sensor surfaces are coupled to contact surfaces on said control element, wherein said contact surfaces are contactable or operable by an operator for a control function by signal coupling at the signal generators, wherein a plurality of said signal generators and said sensor surfaces are provided along corresponding concentric circles on said support and said control element, wherein more of said sensor surfaces are provided as of said signal generators.
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Accused Products
Abstract
A control device for an electric hob has a control element placed on a support. Circular ring segmental surfaces are provided as signal generators beneath the support. On the top side and underside, the control element has numerous electrically interconnected, circular ring segmental surfaces, the lower surfaces being above the signal generators during rotation. The application of a finger to a contact surface on the control element top side is directly coupled to a sensor surface on the control element underside and can be capacitively detected by a directly facing signal generator and evaluated as a corresponding control function by a control device.
16 Citations
16 Claims
- 1. Control device for an electrical appliance, said control device having a control element positioned in a movable and removable manner on a support of said control device, wherein said control element is provided with an underside and with a plurality of sensor surfaces on said underside for a contactless capacitive signal coupling between signal generators on or beneath said support and said sensor surfaces, wherein said sensor surfaces are coupled to contact surfaces on said control element, wherein said contact surfaces are contactable or operable by an operator for a control function by signal coupling at the signal generators, wherein a plurality of said signal generators and said sensor surfaces are provided along corresponding concentric circles on said support and said control element, wherein more of said sensor surfaces are provided as of said signal generators.
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13. The control device for an electrical appliance, said control device having a control element resting in a movable and removable manner on a support of said control device, wherein said control element is provided with an underside having a plurality of sensor surfaces on said underside for a contactless capacitive signal coupling between signal generators on or beneath said support and said sensor surfaces, wherein said sensor surfaces are coupled to contact surfaces on said control element, wherein said contact surfaces are contactable or operable by an operator for a control function by signal coupling at the signal generators, wherein several said signal generators are provided with said several sensor surfaces along corresponding concentric circles on said support and said control element, wherein more of said sensor surfaces are provided relative to said signal generators, wherein one said signal generator is formed as a capacitive slider with a circular ring form and is positioned at said support.
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14. A method for operating a control device for an electrical appliance comprising a plurality of hotplates, said control device having a control element positioned in a movable and removable manner on a support of said control device, wherein said control element is provided with an underside and with a plurality of sensor surfaces on said underside for a contactless capacitive signal coupling between signal generators on or beneath said support and said sensor surfaces, wherein said sensor surfaces are coupled to contact surfaces on said control element, wherein said contact surfaces are contactable or operable by an operator for a control function by signal coupling at the signal generators, wherein a plurality of said signal generators are provided and said sensor surfaces along corresponding concentric circles on said support and said control element, wherein more of said sensor surfaces are provided as of said signal generators, said steps comprising:
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determining a user has contacted said control element by a finger of the user using said capacitive signal coupling; identifying a corresponding one of the plurality of hotplates associated with said control device based on a position said finger has contacted said control element; determining a movement of said control element by said user, said movement corresponding to an indicated operating power level; and providing said indicated power level to said selected hotplate. - View Dependent Claims (15, 16)
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Specification