METHOD FOR OPERATOR GUIDANCE, CONTROL PANEL COMPONENT, PRODUCTION OF A CONTROL PANEL COMPONENT AND HOME APPLIANCE COMPRISING A CONTROL PANEL COMPONENT

• US 20150160850A1
• Filed: 02/28/2014
• Published: 06/11/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 12/10/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: PAS Deutschland GmbH (Baird Financial Group, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: PAS Deutschland GmbH (Baird Financial Group, Inc.)
• Inventors: Krause, Olaf
• Granted Patent: US 9,983,783 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 15/42 Details
• CPC Class Codes: D06F 2101/12 Washing temperature
• CPC Class Codes: D06F 2101/14 Time settings
• CPC Class Codes: D06F 2105/58 Indications or alarms to the control system or to the user
• CPC Class Codes: D06F 34/32 characterised by graphical features, e.g. touchscreens
• CPC Class Codes: F24C 7/086 touch control
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2203/04103 Manufacturing, i.e. details related to manufacturing processes specially suited for touch sensitive devices
• 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 3/016 Input arrangements with force or tactile feedback as computer generated output to the user
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0443 using a single layer of sensing electrodes
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04883 for inputting data by handwriting, e.g. gesture or text
• CPC Class Codes: H03K 17/96 Touch switches specially adapted for electronic time-pieces with no moving parts G04G21/08
• CPC Class Codes: H03K 17/9622 using a plurality of detectors, e.g. keyboard
• CPC Class Codes: H03K 2217/96066 Thumbwheel, potentiometer, scrollbar or slider simulation by touch switch
• CPC Class Codes: H03K 2217/960755 Constructional details of capacitive touch and proximity switches
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/49002 Electrical device making

Abstract

The present disclosure relates to a method for selective operator guidance for operator inputs, in particular for operator inputs in a home appliance, to a control panel component, in particular for an operating control panel for a home appliance, and to a method for producing a control panel component, in particular for an operating control panel of a home appliance. The control panel component may comprise a cover layer, a sensor layer which covers a rear side of the cover layer in a flat manner, at least sectionally, and an indicator layer comprising at least one discrete indicator element, wherein the sensor layer is arranged between the cover layer and the at least one discrete indicator element, wherein the sensor layer is configured to detect operator inputs, in particular operator gestures, wherein the sensor layer may be activated sectionally depending on a desired input mode, and wherein the at least one discrete indicator element may be actuated for selective operator guidance.

Claims

1. A method for selective operator guidance for operator inputs, comprising the following steps:

providing a control panel component comprising a sensor layer covered by a cover layer, wherein the sensor layer is configured to detect operator inputs,

defining a present input mode, comprising;

allocating at least one defined field to be evaluated for operator inputs on the sensor layer depending on the input mode desired, and

detecting and evaluating operator inputs in the field to be evaluated.

2. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the step of defining the present input mode further comprises:

activating at least one discrete indicator element of an indicator layer which is arranged on a side of the sensor layer facing away from the cover layer for identifying the field to be evaluated of the sensor layer.

3. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the step of defining the present input mode further comprises the following:

assigning the field to be evaluated for operator inputs to an operating symbol which is optically or haptically perceivable at the cover layer.

4. The method as claimed in claim 1, further comprising:

outputting feedback to the operator by selective activation of at least one discrete indicator element of the indicator layer.

5. A control panel component, comprising:

a cover layer,

a sensor layer,

an indicator layer comprising at least one discrete indicator element,

wherein the sensor layer at least sectionally covers a rear side of the cover layer,

wherein the sensor layer is arranged between the cover layer and the at least one discrete indicator element,

wherein the sensor layer is configured to detect operator inputs,

wherein the sensor layer is sectionally activatable depending on a desired input mode, and

wherein the at least one discrete indicator element is actuable for selective operator guidance.

6. The control panel component as claimed in claim 5, wherein the sensor layer is configured to detect operator gestures.

7. The control panel component as claimed in claim 5, wherein the sensor layer is arranged as a capacitive sensor layer.

8. The control panel component as claimed in claim 7, wherein the sensor layer is arranged to detect touches on the cover layer or approximations to the cover layer in the region of the sensor layer.

9. The control panel component as claimed in claim 5, further comprising an interface for a control device, wherein the control device is configured, when being coupled to the interface, to selectively actuate the sensor layer and the at least one discrete indicator element, thereby defining a plurality of input modes.

10. The control panel component as claimed in claim 9, wherein the control device is configured to define a present input mode, and wherein the control device is further configured to allocate at least one field to be evaluated for operator inputs on the sensor layer under consideration of at least one selected input mode.

11. The control panel component as claimed in claim 5, further comprising at least one indicator element arranged as a discrete selectively activatable symbol or a discrete selectively activatable segment indicator.

12. The control panel component as claimed in claim 11, wherein the at least one indicator element is arranged as a seven-segment indicator.

13. The control panel component as claimed in claim 5, wherein the cover layer and the sensor layer are at least sectionally transparent or translucent.

14. The control panel component as claimed in claim 5, wherein the cover layer is at least sectionally surface-treated, and wherein the cover layer comprises at least one optically or haptically perceivable operating symbol for operator guidance.

15. A home appliance comprising a control panel component as claimed in claim 5.

16. A method for producing a control panel component, comprising the following steps:

providing a cover layer,

providing a sectionally activatable sensor layer which is configured to detect operator inputs,

joining the cover layer and the sensor layer, and

allocating at least one field to be evaluated for operator inputs on the sensor layer depending on a desired input configuration of the control panel component.

17. The method as claimed in claim 16, wherein the step of providing a sectionally activatable sensor layer further comprises:

providing a sensor layer extending in a flat areal manner which is configured to detect operator gestures.

18. The method as claimed in claim 16, further comprising the following steps:

providing at least one discrete indicator element,

joining the cover layer, the sensor layer and the at least one discrete indicator element, wherein the sensor layer is arranged between the cover layer and the at least one discrete indicator element, and

providing an interface for a control device for actuating the at least one discrete indicator element and for evaluating operator inputs detected at the sensor layer for selective operator guidance.

19. The method as claimed in claim 16, further comprising the following steps:

processing the cover layer, and

allocating at least one field to be evaluated for operator inputs on the sensor layer depending on a size or arrangement of the at least one optically or haptically perceivable operating symbol for operator guidance.

20. The method as claimed in claim 19, wherein the step of processing the cover layer comprises:

printing or coating the cover layer, thereby generating at least one optically or haptically perceivable operating symbol for operator guidance.