CONTROLLER WITH DYNAMICALLY INDICATED INPUT DEVICES

• US 20150160691A1
• Filed: 12/05/2014
• Published: 06/11/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 12/06/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: ICM Controls Corporation (ICM Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: ICM Controls Corporation (ICM Incorporated)
• Inventors: Kadah, Andrew S., Pan, Weidong, Gmyr, Hollis Jordan, Ritchie, James H., Wood, Eric Christopher, Freer, Benjamin A., Muench, Michael Peter, Jobsky, Kevin
• Granted Patent: US 9,465,407 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 15/02 electric
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/16 Constructional details or arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0443 using a single layer of sensing electrodes
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0482 Interaction with lists of selectable items, e.g. menus
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04895 Guidance during keyboard input operation, e.g. prompting

Abstract

A user interface of a controller has multiple touch-sensitive input transducers, e.g., capacitive pads. The pads are dynamically indicated: When any given touch sensitive input device is needed for input at a given step of the programming operation, an associated light source illuminates that input device so it is visible to the user. Those touch-panel input devices not needed for that are left unilluminated, and the microprocessor ignores any input from those input devices. At each step of the operation or programming of the controller, only those input transducers for the inputs that are permitted or relevant to that state are indicated. Correspondingly, only the inputs that are generated by actuating the input transducers for the valid (i.e., permitted or relevant) inputs results in a change in the state of the program in the microprocessor.

Claims

1. A controller interface, comprising:

a plurality of input elements coupled to a controller circuit device of a controlled device and adapted to operate or configure the controller circuit to set or adjust an operating mode of the controlled device;

a plurality of indicators respectively associated with the plurality of input devices each of the indicators capable of being set in at least a first and second indication states;

[a processing module adapted to, for a state of operation or configuration of the controller], the controller circuit device being operative to actively monitor or to ignore each of said input elements according to an interface program, and to set each of the plurality of indicators in one of the indication states based on whether the associated input device is set to be actively monitored or ignored in accordance with said interface program.

2. The controller interface of claim 1, wherein the plurality of the input devices each comprises a capacitive touch sensor, and wherein the plurality of indicators each comprise a light source positioned to illuminate an icon design formed on the associated capacitive touch sensor.

3. The controller interface of claim 1, wherein said interface includes a programmable thermostat, and wherein the input devices are adapted to operate or program the thermostat.

4. The controller of claim 2, wherein the capacitive touch sensors each comprise a transparent or translucent dielectric substrate, an insulating coating on the dielectric substrate, and an electrode layer formed on said insulating coating, with a shaped void formed on said electrode layer defining an icon adapted to pass light from the associated light source and through the insulating coating and said dielectric substrate, wherein the associated light source is ON so as to identify the location of an active one of said input elements for the user.

5. A method of guiding an operation or configuration of a controller interface associated with a controlled device, comprising, for establishing a desired state of operation or configuration of the controlled device by employing a plurality of input elements of said interface, each of which has an associated indicator to signal whether the input element is active or ignored, establishing an active or ignored state for each of said input elements depending on a predetermined sequence of input steps for configuring operation of the controlled device, each of said steps being determined by setting one or another of the plurality of input elements, and turning on only the indicator or indicators associated with the input elements needed or permitted for a subsequent step of the sequence for operating or configuring the controlled device.

6. A touch-panel control interface for a controlled device, the control interface comprising a face plate formed of a transparent dielectric plate, a microprocessor programmed to respond to touch commands, and a plurality of illumination sources positioned behind said face plate;

wherein said face plate includes a layer of a non-conductive translucent material disposed on a back side of said transparent dielectric plate, a conductive opaque layer laid down in a predetermined pattern on said non-conductive translucent layer, said pattern including a plurality of capacitive touch pads at predetermined locations on the back side of the face plate adapted to generate the touch commands, a plurality of connector pads situated within a predetermined location on the back of said face plate, and conductive paths connecting respective ones of said capacitive touch pads to associated ones of said connector pads; and

wherein shaped void areas are formed in each of said capacitive touch pads to permit light to pass therethrough and through said translucent material and said face plate to form visible icons at said predetermined locations;

conductive connector means for connecting said connector pads on said face plate to corresponding electrodes of said microprocessor, and a plurality of illumination devices each respectively coupled to a predetermined output of said microprocessor and being positioned behind a respective one of said capacitive touch pads, the microprocessor being suitably programmed so that for any given phase of a control operation for entry of settings into said control interface, the microprocessor is operative to receive a signal from only predetermined ones of said touch pads, fewer than all of said touch pads, and to ignore signals from the remaining ones of said touch pads, and is also operative to illuminate only the illumination devices associated with said predetermined ones of the touch pads and leave off those illumination devices associated with said remaining ones of said touch pads.

7. A touch-panel control interface according to claim 6, further comprising a display screen positioned behind said face plate and coupled to said microprocessor to display indicia as commanded by said microprocessor, and the face plate having a clear window formed therein through which the display screen is visible.

8. A touch-panel control interface according to claim 6, wherein said icons are visible on the front of the face plate only when the corresponding illumination device is lit, and are not visible otherwise.

9. A touch-panel control interface according to claim 7, comprising a printed circuit board on which said display screen and said illumination devices are carried, and further comprising a spacer frame disposed between an outer margin of said face plate beyond said window and said printed circuit board, and including a plurality of apertured reflector domes corresponding to position respective positions of said illumination devices.

10. A touch-panel control interface according to claim 7, wherein said conductive connector means for connecting said connector pads on said face plate to corresponding electrodes of said microprocessor includes a plurality of conductive connector pads positioned on said printed circuit board at locations in registry with the conductive connector pads formed on the back side of said face plate;

an elastomeric connector member positioned between said face plate and said printed circuit board and in contact with the connector pads of said face plate and the connector pads of said printed circuit board; and

means compressing said face plate towards said printed circuit board with the elastomeric connector sandwiched therebetween.

11. A touch-panel control interface according to claim 6, the face plate comprising a film of a clear plastic resin, with said layer of translucent material and said conductive opaque layer being printed onto said film, with said conductive opaque layer being printed with a conductive ink.

12. A touch-panel control interface according to claim 6 comprising a home icon that is raised or embossed onto the front of the face plate at the location of a predetermined one of said capacitive touch pads, such that the position of the home icon can be detected by touch.

13. A touch-panel control interface according to claim 6, wherein said face plate is formed with a contoured, non-flat front surface.

14. A controller, comprising:

a plurality of input devices adapted to operate or configure the controller to operate a controlled device;

a plurality of indicators respectively associated with the plurality of input devices, each of the indicators capable of being set in at least two indication states;

a processing module adapted to, for a state of operation or configuration of the controller, set each of the plurality of indicators in one of the indication states based on whether activation of the input device with which the indicator is associated is permitted or required for the state.

15. The controller of claim 14, wherein the plurality of the input devices each comprising a capacitive touch sensor, and wherein the plurality of indicators each comprise a light source positioned to illuminate at least a portion of the input device.

16. The controller of claim 14, further comprising a programmable thermostat, wherein the input devices are adapted to operate or program the thermostat.

17. The controller of claim 15, wherein the capacitive touch sensors each comprise a transparent or translucent dielectric substrate, an insulating coating on the substrate and defining an opening adapted to pass light, and an electrode layer adapted to pass light therethrough, and through the insulating coating, to the dielectric substrate, wherein the light source are each positioned to shine light through the electrode layer and insulating coating layer to illuminate an portion of the sensor.

18. A method of guiding an operation or configuration of a controller, comprising, for a state of operation or configuration of the controller, set each of a plurality of indicators, each of which is associated with a respective one of a plurality of input devices adapted to operate or configure the controller to operate a controlled device and capable of being set in at least two indication states, in one of the indication states based on whether activation of the input device with which the indicator is associated is permitted or required for the state.