PROGRAMMABLE USER INTERFACE DEVICE FOR CONTROLLING AN ELECTRICAL POWER SUPPLIED TO AN ELECTRICAL CONSUMER

• US 20110089857A1
• Filed: 06/03/2009
• Published: 04/21/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 06/10/2008
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Koninklijke Philips Electronics N.V. (Koninklijke Philips N.V.)
• Original Assignee: Koninklijke Philips Electronics N.V. (Koninklijke Philips N.V.)
• Inventors: Diederiks, Elmo Marcus Attila
• Application Number:
  US12/994,872
• Publication Number:
  US 20110089857A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 315/291
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 47/165 following a pre-assigned programmed sequence; Logic control [LC]

Abstract

The invention relates to a user interface device and a method for controlling an electrical consumer (130). To provide a cost effective user interface device with an improved usability for an average users a user interface device for controlling an electrical consumer (130) is provided, comprising: a manual control device (110) including a display unit (112) and an input unit (111) for generating a switching signal (1a) based on an user input; and an electronic control device (120) for receiving the switching signal (Ia) and generating an information signal (1b) based on the switching signal (Ia) and/or a feedback signal (1e) received from the consumer load (130) and for outputting a control signal (1d) to the electrical consumer (130), wherein the information signal (1b) includes information at least indicating a direct relation between a presentation on the display unit (112) and the control setting of the electrical consumer (130); wherein the display unit (112) is adapted to display the presentation based on the information included in the received information signal (1b).

Claims

1. User interface device for controlling an electrical consumer (130), comprising:

a manual control unit device (110) including a display unit (112) and an input unit (111) for generating a switching signal (1a) based on an user input; and

an electronic control device (120) for receiving the switching signal (1a) and generating an information signal (1b) based on the switching signal (1a) and/or a feedback signal (1e) received from the consumer load (130) and for outputting a control signal (1d) to the electrical consumer (130),

wherein the information signal (1b) includes information at least indicating a direct relation between a presentation on the display unit (112) and the control setting of the electrical consumer (130);

wherein the display unit (112) is adapted to display the presentation based on the information included in the received information signal (1b).

2. User interface device as claimed in claim 1, wherein the electrical consumer (130) includes at least one light appliance, and the direct relation indicated by the information included in the information signal (1b) output by the electronic control unit (120) is a direct relation between a light output by the display unit (112) and the control setting of the light appliance (130).

3. User interface device as claimed in claim 2, wherein the light output by the display unit (112) represents a characteristic of the light setting of the light appliance (130).

4. User interface device according to claim 1, wherein the display unit (112) includes a matrix of LED-elements (220) and/or the input unit (111) includes a matrix of touch sensitive elements (230), wherein the touch sensitive elements (230) are preferably operated based on capacitive sensing.

5. User interface device according to claim 4, wherein the input unit (111) and the display unit (112) are arranged internested to each other in a common layer (210) or arranged stacked on each other, wherein the input unit (111) is arranged in front of the display unit (112) or behind the display unit (112).

6. User interface device according to claim 1, wherein the electronic control device (120) comprises:

at least one memory (620) for storing at least one electronic control function,

at least one microprocessor (610) for generating the information signal (1b) based on the switching signal (1a) and one of the at least one electronic control function stored in the memory (620) and/or the feedback signal (1e) received from the consumer load (130)

an output unit (630) for outputting electrical signals to the electrical consumer (130),

wherein preferably one single microprocessor (610) is adapted to perform a plurality of electronic control functions.

7. User interface device according to claim 1, wherein at least one of the electronic control functions is a navigation function to be displayed on the display unit (112) and enabling the user to select between further electronic control functions, wherein the navigation function is preferably enabled based on a type of a covering layer (440) included in the manual control element (110) or based on an identification element, which is a paper inlay, or an identification element, wherein the identification element is included in an identification signal received via an antenna or a connection cable from a server or from the internet.

8. User interface device as claimed in claim 1, further including a covering layer (440) covering the manual control device (110), wherein the covering layer (440) has a diffuse surface.

9. User interface device as claimed in claim 8, wherein the covering layer (440) comprises:

a relief (510) to indicate areas on the input unit (111) to receive a user input, and/or

a slot (520) for accommodating a paper or an ID card.

10. Method for controlling an electrical consumer (130), comprising the steps of:

receiving a user input on an input unit (111) and generating a switching signal (1a) based on the user input;

generating a control signal (1b) based on the switching signal (1a) for controlling the electrical consumer;

generating an information signal (1b) based on the switching signal (1a)

outputting the control signal (1d) to the electrical consumer (130), and

outputting the information signal (1b) to a display unit (112) including information at least indicating a direct relation between a presentation on the display unit (112) and the control setting of the electrical consumer (130);

displaying the presentation on the display unit (112) based on information included in the received information signal (1b).

11. Computer program or computer program product for performing the method as claimed in claim 10, when executed on a computer.

12. Data carrier including computer program code for performing the method as claimed in claim 10, when executed on a computer.

13. Computer programmed to execute the computer program as claimed in claim 11.

14. Manual control device for controlling at least one electrical consumer, comprising:

a display unit (112) and an input unit (111) for generating a switching signal (1a) based on an user input, wherein the display unit (112) and the input unit (111) are arranged internested in a common layer (215).

15. Touch sensitive device, comprising:

a light guidance layer (410) having a user input face; and

a light generating unit (420) adapted to output light, which is coupled into at least one side face of the light guidance layer (410), the light generating unit (420) is adapted to generate a reference light, in particular IR-light, and

a light reception unit (440) coupled to an opposing side face of the light guidance layer (420), wherein the light reception unit (440) is adapted to receive the light guided through the light guidance layer (410), wherein the touch sensitive device is adapted to compare the light received through the light guidance layer (430) with the reference light and to determine a position of a user input based disturbances in the received light.

16. User interface device for controlling an electrical consumer (130), comprising:

a manual control device (110) including a display unit (112) and an input unit (111) for generating a switching signal (1a) based on an user input; and

an electronic control device (120) for receiving the switching signal (1a),

wherein the electronic control device (120) includes a reading unit (700) capable to identify a control function to be performed by the user interface device and to generate an information signal (1b) based on the switching signal (1a) and/or a feedback signal (1e) and/or the identified control function.