INTELLIGENT CAPACITIVE SWIPE SWITCH
3 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
A capacitive sensing-based electronic switch, which incorporates an integrated circuit with processing capability, which can only be activated by user action in a dedicated area, whereby switch activation occurs only if, at least, a touch is capacitively sensed and criteria based on timing plus sequential touches on capacitive sensors are satisfied.
137 Citations
46 Claims
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1-26. -26. (canceled)
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27. An electronic switch, for use in a product with two or more main loads or functions, where the switch comprises an integrated circuit with microprocessor functionality and capacitive sensing circuitry, wherein the integrated circuit can detect and annunciate a specific motion sequence of a user'"'"'s finger across two or more capacitive sensing electrodes, said sequence forming a swipe event, wherein the integrated circuit detects, subject to timing constraints to exclude swipe events that are too fast or too slow and subject to a defined order of sequentially registered minimum predefined changes in capacitive measurement values for the respective capacitive sensing electrodes, a valid swipe event and a swipe direction, and with the resulting action taken by the integrated circuit, based on the detected valid swipe event and direction, conforming to the following protocols:
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with the main loads/functions in a de-activated state then, based on the detection of a first valid swipe event in a first direction, the electronic switch activates a first main load/function, whereas with the detection of a first valid swipe event in a second direction the electronic switch activates a second main load/function; another valid swipe event in the same direction as the first valid swipe event that activated the first/second main load/function, and within a predefined period, will affect a mode or operation of said activated first/second main load/function; whereas, another valid swipe event in a direction opposite to the first/second valid swipe direction, will de-activate the first/second main load/function that was activated as a result of the first valid swipe event. - View Dependent Claims (28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34, 35, 36, 37, 38, 39, 40, 41, 42, 43, 44, 45)
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46. A method of operating an electronic switch for a product with at least two main loads or functions, wherein the electronic switch comprises a microprocessor with capacitive sensing circuitry and wherein the method includes the steps of using the microprocessor to detect and annunciate a specific motion sequence of a user'"'"'s finger across two or more capacitive sensing electrodes, said sequence forming a swipe event, utilizing timing constraints to exclude swipe events that are too fast or too slow, sequentially registering a minimum predefined change in measurement value for the respective capacitive sensing electrodes to result in a valid swipe event being detected by the microprocessor, and with the electronic switch using the capacitive measurement swipe information to select and control, or activate a first load, mode or function in the product according to the direction of the detected valid swipe event and wherein the load, mode or function selected and controlled, or activated in association with the direction of a subsequent detected valid swipe event is affected by the direction of the valid swipe event that activated the first load, mode or function.
Specification