Wall-Mounted Multi-Touch Electronic Lighting- Control Device with Capability to Control Additional Networked Devices

• US 20140253483A1
• Filed: 03/05/2014
• Published: 09/11/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 03/07/2013
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: UBE Inc.
• Original Assignee: UBE Inc.
• Inventors: Kupersztoch, Daniel J., Burchers, Glen A., Baldwin, Utz D.
• Application Number:
  US14/198,279
• Publication Number:
  US 20140253483A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 345/173
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2203/04808 Several contacts: gestures triggering a specific function, e.g. scrolling, zooming, right-click, when the user establishes several contacts with the surface simultaneously; e.g. using several fingers or a combination of fingers and pen
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04883 for inputting data by handwriting, e.g. gesture or text
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/282 based on user interaction within the home receiver circuitry for displaying additional information being controlled by a remote control apparatus H04N21/42204
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 47/10 Controlling the light source
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 47/175 by remote control
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 47/19 via wireless transmission

Abstract

An in-wall, touch-actuated electronic control device makes use of gesture motions. A touch sensor permits a user to input control commands through the use of one or more one- or two-dimensional gestures such as one- or two-fingered tapping; swiping; tracing; pinching; and zooming, allowing for a significant increase in the potential number of network endpoints that can be controlled from, and also in the number of control signals that can be generated by, a single touch-control device. The touch-control device may include both a direct load controller such as a light switch or dimmer as well as a network connection to allow control of networked devices, either on a local network (for example a home WiFi network) or, for example, Web applications hosted on a remote server.

Claims

1. A touch-control device comprising the following:

(a) the touch-control device includes (1) a touch-input surface capable of detecting gestures made in two dimensions;

(2) a gesture processor;

(3) a controller module;

(4) at least one DATA STORE; and

(5) one or more LOAD CONTROLLERs connectable to control the applicable of electrical power to one or more loads;

(b) the gesture processor is operatively coupled to the touch-input surface to generate one or more respective digital signals, each referred to as a gesture signal, representing each of one or more such gestures;

(c) the controller module is operatively coupled to receive gesture signals from the gesture processor;

(d) the controller module is operatively coupled to the at least one data store to search for an identifier of a specific gesture corresponding to the gesture signal;

(e) the controller module is operatively coupled to the one or more load controllers to generate one or more load-control signals corresponding to the gesture identifier; and

(f) the touch-control device is configured to fit in a standard electrical wall box.

2. The touch-control device of claim 1, in which:

(1) the controller module further includes a COMMUNICATION INTERFACE configured to be operatively coupled to the controller module and to a NETWORK; and

(2) the controller module is programmed to send at least one ENDPOINT-control signal, corresponding to the gesture identifier, to the network via the communication interface.

3. The touch-control device of claim 2, wherein the controller module is programmed to generate at least one ENDPOINT-control signal whose information conforms to a format understandable by a Web-based application operating on a remote server.

4. The touch-control device of claim 2, in which the controller module is programmed to communicate with at least one of the at least one data store via the communication interface and the network.

5. The touch-control device of claim 1, in which the controller module is programmed to recognize a specified gesture as a prefix signal.

6. The touch-control device of claim 1, wherein the controller module'"'"'s responses to gestures are user-configurable.

7. The touch-control device of claim 1, in which one or more specified command sequences is available only to one or more specified users.

8. The touch-control device of claim 1, wherein different gesture identifiers are stored in the one or more data stores as corresponding to a specified gesture, depending on the region of the touch-input surface where the gesture is made.

9. The touch-control device of claim 2, wherein the controller module is programmed to generate respective control signals for at least two types of ENDPOINT.

10. The touch-control device of claim 2, wherein the controller module is programmed to generate, in response to a single gesture, respective control signals for (1) an ENDPOINT, and (2) one or more of (i) the load;

and (ii) another ENDPOINT.

11. The touch-control device of claim 1, in which the touch-input surface and the gesture processor are operatively coupled to detect multi-touch gestures.

12. A home control system comprising:

(a) a touch-control system in accordance with claim 2; and

(b) at least one endpoint controllable by the touch-control system.

13. The home control system of claim 12, wherein at least one endpoint includes an electrical outlet controllable by the touch-control device.

14. The home control system of claim 12, wherein at least one endpoint includes a lighting fixture controllable by the touch-control device.

15. The home control system of claim 12, wherein at least one endpoint includes a lighting fixture controllable by the touch-control device.

16. The home control system of claim 12, wherein at least one endpoint includes a home-security device controllable by the touch-control device.