Light Switch and Control Device Having a Touch Screen Interface

• US 20130257315A1
• Filed: 03/30/2012
• Published: 10/03/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 03/30/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Eaton Intelligent Power Limited (Eaton Corporation PLC.)
• Original Assignee: Richard A. Pabst Jr
• Inventors: Restrepo, Carlos Eduardo, Lacey, Darron Kirby, Pabst, Richard A. Jr., Landrum, Thomas, Zhang, Sheldon, Du, Lily
• Granted Patent: US 9,215,779 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 315/362
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 47/10 Controlling the light source

Abstract

The touch screen lighting control device provides a multitude of graphical user interface (GUI) displays at a touch screen and is capable of detecting location specific selections based on the GUI to determine control actions for lighting devices, fans and other electrical fixtures. The device includes a mounting strap configured to couple the device to an in-wall junction box, a touch screen, and a thin film transistor communicably coupled to the touch screen for displaying the different displays and receiving selections at the touch screen. A glass panel can also be positioned between the touch screen and the thin film transistor. The GUI presents an interactive template to a user, and the touch screen and thin film transistor determines an interaction from the user based on the user interacting with the interactive template displayed on the GUI a the touch screen.

Claims

1. An electrical switch device, comprising:

a mounting strap coupleable to an in-wall junction box;

a touch screen assembly comprising;

a touch screen; and

a thin film transistor screen communicably coupled to the touch screen; and

a housing coupled to the mounting strap, wherein the housing comprises a plurality of surfaces defining a cavity, wherein the cavity is configured to receive a plurality of electrical components to electrically couple the touch screen assembly to a source of electrical power.

2. The electrical switch device of claim 1, wherein the touch screen assembly further comprises a glass layer disposed between the touch screen and the thin film transistor, wherein the thin film transistor screen is communicably coupled to the touch screen through the glass layer.

3. The electrical switch device of claim 1, further comprising a top housing member coupled to the mounting strap, the top housing member comprising:

a front panel; and

an aperture disposed through a portion of the front panel,

wherein the front panel extends over at least a portion of the touch screen, and

wherein at least another portion of the touch screen is accessible through the aperture in the front panel.

4. The electrical switch device of claim 1, further comprising a top housing member coupled to the housing, the top housing member comprising:

a front panel; and

an aperture disposed through a portion of the front panel,

wherein the front panel extends over at least a portion of the touch screen, and

wherein at least another portion of the touch screen is accessible through the aperture in the front panel.

5. The electrical switch device of claim 1, wherein touch screen comprises a first portion and a second portion, wherein the first portion of the touch screen is transparent and the second portion of the touch screen is opaque.

6. The electrical switch device of claim 5, wherein the touch screen further comprises a third portion, wherein the third portion of the touch screen is opaque and wherein the first portion is disposed between the second portion and the third portion.

7. The electrical switch device of claim 6, wherein the second portion is positioned along a bottom half of the touch screen, extending up from a bottom edge of the touch screen to a point less than twenty five percent up a longitudinal length of the touch screen.

8. The electrical switch device of claim 6, wherein the third portion is positioned along a top half of the touch screen, extending down from a top edge of the touch screen to a point less than twenty five percent down a longitudinal length of the touch screen.

9. The electrical switch device of claim 5, wherein the first portion covers at least sixty percent of a total surface area for the touch screen.

10. The electrical switch device of claim 1, further comprising a junction box, wherein the device is removably coupled to the junction box.

11. The electrical switch device of claim 1, further comprising a faceplate removably coupled to the mounting strap, the faceplate comprising:

a front panel; and

an aperture disposed through the front panel, wherein the aperture is configured to provide manual adjustment access to at least a portion of the touch screen therethrough.

12. The electrical switch device of claim 11, wherein the touch screen has a first total surface area, wherein the thin film transistor screen has a second total surface area, and wherein the first total surface area is less than the second total surface area.

13. The electrical switch device of claim 12, wherein first total surface area is greater than sixty percent of the second total surface area but less than ninety percent of the second total surface area.

14. The electrical switch device of claim 13, wherein the first total surface area is substantially equal to an area of the aperture disposed through the front panel.

15. A method for controlling a lighting device, the method comprising:

providing an electrical switch device comprising a touch screen and a thin film transistor (TFT) screen communicably coupled to the touch screen;

presenting one of a plurality of interactive templates on a graphical user interface (GUI) at the TFT screen;

receiving, at the touch screen, a selection of a portion of the interactive template on the GUI at the TFT screen; and

sending a signal to the lighting device to control a function of the lighting device in response to and corresponding to the selection,

wherein the lighting device comprises at least one selected from a group consisting of a lighting fixture and a ceiling fan, and

wherein at least a portion of the electrical switch device is mechanically coupled to a wall.

16. The method of claim 15, further comprising the steps of:

monitoring, while controlling the function of the lighting device, a performance parameter of the lighting device; and

compiling information based on monitoring the performance parameter; and

generating a display, on the GUI at the TFT screen, of the information.

17. The method of claim 15, further comprising the steps of:

detecting, while presenting the interactive template, a manual contact on the touch screen;

determining a selection on the GUI at the TFT screen that corresponds with a location of the manual contact on the touch screen; and

generating a display of an alternative interactive template at the GUI at the TFT screen in place of the interactive template.

18. The method of claim 15, further comprising the steps of:

determining if a first period of time has elapsed since a manual contact with the touch screen has occurred; and

dimming the display at the GUI at the TFT screen based on a positive determination that the first period of time has elapsed.

19. The method of claim 18, further comprising the steps of:

determining if a second period of time has elapsed since a manual contact with the touch screen has occurred; and

terminating the display at the GUI at the TFT screen based on a positive determination that the second period of time has elapsed, wherein the second period of time is greater than the first period of time.

20. A computer readable medium comprising computer readable program code embodied therein for performing a method for controlling a lighting device, the method comprising:

presenting one of a plurality of interactive templates on a graphical user interface (GUI) at a thin film transistor (TFT) screen of an electrical switch device;

receiving, at a touch screen communicably coupled to the TFT screen, a selection of a portion of the interactive template on the GUI at the TFT screen; and

sending a signal to the lighting device to control a function of the lighting device in response to and corresponding to the selection,

wherein at least a portion of the electrical switch device is mechanically coupled to a wall.

21. The computer readable medium of claim 20, the method further comprising:

detecting, while presenting the interactive template, a manual contact on the touch screen;

determining a selection on the GUI at the TFT screen that corresponds with a location of the manual contact on the touch screen; and

generating a display of a modified interactive template at the GUI at the TFT screen in place of the interactive template,

wherein the modified interactive template is a modification of the interactive template.

22. The computer readable medium of claim 20, the method further comprising:

detecting, while presenting the interactive template, a manual contact on the touch screen;

determining that the manual contact is a command to display a different interactive template; and

generating a display of the different interactive template at the GUI at the TFT screen in place of the interactive template,

wherein the manual contact is a swiping motion across the touch screen, and

wherein the different interactive template is a replacement of the interactive template.