User Interface

• US 20100315351A1
• Filed: 12/26/2007
• Published: 12/16/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 12/28/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Arcelik Anonim Sirketi
• Original Assignee: Arcelik Anonim Sirketi
• Inventors: Akbas, M. Omer
• Granted Patent: US 8,866,753 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 345/173
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04142 the force sensing means being located peripherally, e.g. disposed at the corners or at the side of a touch sensing plate
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0416 Control or interface arrangements specially adapted for digitisers

Abstract

The present invention relates to a user interface (1) which can be employed in household appliances such as cooking appliances, dishwashers, washing machines, refrigerators, and all appliances which make use of tablets (2), screens etc. with symbols thereon.

Claims

1. A user interface (1) comprising a tablet (2) that the user touches to enter data, one or more buttons (4) over the tablet (2) defining the fields upon which the user may apply force, marked with symbols, and more than one sensors (3) which are located beneath the tablet (2) that the user touches, positioned so as to remain in contact with the tablet (2), and which sense any force exerted onto the tablet (2) and generate signals by sensing the force;

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and characterized by a control unit (5);

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wherein the manufacturer stores a template sorting of the sensors (3) in ascending to descending order for each pressed button (4) according to the sensed values by the sensors (3) and,—

compares the momentary sorting of the sensors (3) in ascending to descending order according to the sensed values by the sensors (3) when the user applies force over the tablet (2), with the templates particular to each button (4), and at the end of this comparison if there is an overlapping pattern, concludes that the button (4) corresponding to that specific sorting has been pressed.

A user interface (1) as in claim 1, characterized by the control unit (5) which, in the case when there is no overlapping between the template sorting of sensors (3) of any one of the buttons (4) and the momentary sorting concludes that the force has been exerted in an area where there are no buttons (4).

A user interface (1) as in claim 2, characterized by the control unit (5) which alerts the user if it concludes that force has been exerted in an area without buttons (4).

A user interface (1) as in any one of the above claims characterized by the control unit (4) which, when the user interface (1) is active position but before user interaction with the tablet (2), determines reference values of sensors (3) by doing measurements by all sensors (3) which in contact with the tablet (2), and which, once the user gets into interaction with the tablet (2), subtracts the reference values from the values sensed by the sensors (3), and arranges the sensors (3) according to the resulting values to obtain the momentary sorting.

A cooking device characterized by the user interface (1) as in any one of the above claims.

A dishwasher characterized by the user interface (1) as in any one of the above claims 1 to 4.

A washing machine characterized by the user interface (1) as in any one of the above claims 1 to 4.

A refrigerator characterized by the user interface (1) as in any one of the above claims 1 to 4.