Digital fader or like device
First Claim
1. Apparatus comprising a plurality of channels of audio signals and, in association with each of said channels, a touch-sensitive strip having first and second overlying portions are of which is relatively flexible with respect to the other so as to contact said other portion at a location corresponding to the position of an operator'"'"'s finger thereon;
- detecting means for detecting said contact and for detecting said contact and for producing a signal in response thereto; and
encoding means coupled to said detecting means for encoding said produced signal into a digital signal representing said contact location, whereby each of said channels can be faded independently of the others by movement of the operator'"'"'s finger;
wherein one of said overlying portions of said touch-sensitive strip is provided with multiple discrete conductive elements and the other portion is provided with a reference potential which is coupled to at least one conductive element as a function of the particular location of contact of said portions.
1 Assignment
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Accused Products
Abstract
A digital fader or like device having slidably operable means, such as a touch-sensitive strip, which is manually operable to different settings that are represented by a digital signal. Manual changes in the relative operating position of the slidably operable means produce corresponding adjustments in the digital signal. Display elements are selectively energized by the digital signal to indicate the relative setting of the slidably operable means.
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Citations
26 Claims
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1. Apparatus comprising a plurality of channels of audio signals and, in association with each of said channels, a touch-sensitive strip having first and second overlying portions are of which is relatively flexible with respect to the other so as to contact said other portion at a location corresponding to the position of an operator'"'"'s finger thereon;
- detecting means for detecting said contact and for detecting said contact and for producing a signal in response thereto; and
encoding means coupled to said detecting means for encoding said produced signal into a digital signal representing said contact location, whereby each of said channels can be faded independently of the others by movement of the operator'"'"'s finger;
wherein one of said overlying portions of said touch-sensitive strip is provided with multiple discrete conductive elements and the other portion is provided with a reference potential which is coupled to at least one conductive element as a function of the particular location of contact of said portions. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3)
- detecting means for detecting said contact and for detecting said contact and for producing a signal in response thereto; and
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4. Apparatus comprising a touch-sensitive strip having first and second overlying portions, one of which is relatively flexible with respect to the other so as to contact said other portion at a location corresponding to the position of an operator'"'"'s finger thereon;
- detecting means for detecting said contact and for producing a signal in response thereto; and
encoding means coupled to said detecting means for encoding said produced signal into a digital signal representing said contact location;one of said overlying portions of said touch-sensitive strip being provided with multiple discrete conductive elements and the other portion being provided with a reference potential which is coupled to at least one conductive element as a function of the particular location of contact of said portions; said portions contacting each otherin response to an operator'"'"'s finger placed thereon, and said reference potential being coupled to first and second conductive elements spaced apart by a distance which approximately corresponds to the dimension of the operator'"'"'s finger placed on said touch-sensitive strip; the portion of said touch-sensitive strip provided with said reference potential comprising a plurality of individual segments, each being connected to receive said reference potential, and said portion of said touch-sensitive strip provided with said conductive elements comprising a like plurality of individual groups, each of said groups being opposite a respective segment and having a number of conductive elements, said reference potential being coupled to a conductive element in a group when an opposing segment is brought into contact therewith; the respective conductive elements in said groups being connected in common, and said detecting means comprising segment scanning means for scanning successive segments to supply said reference potential in the scanned segments in succession, and group scanning means for scanning successive conductive elements to detect the conductive elements having said reference potential coupled thereto. - View Dependent Claims (5, 6, 7, 8, 9)
- detecting means for detecting said contact and for producing a signal in response thereto; and
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10. Apparatus comprising a touch-sensitive strip having first and second overlying portions one of which is relatively flexible with respect to the other so as to contact said other portion at a location corresponding to the position of an operator'"'"'s finger thereon;
- detecting means for detecting said contact and for producing a signal in response thereto; and
encoding means coupled to said detecting means for encoding said produced signal into a digital signal representing said contact location;one of said overlying portions of said touch-sensitive strip being provided with multiple discrete conductive elements and the other portion being provided with a reference potential which is coupled to at least one conductive element as a function of the particular location of contact of said portions; said portions contacting each other in response to an operator'"'"'s finger placed thereon, and said reference potential being coupled to first and second conductive elements spaced apart by a distance which approximately corresponds to the dimension of the operator'"'"'s finger placed on said touch-sensitive strip; and
said detecting means comprising;scanning means for scanning said conductive elements successively to detect the conductive elements having said reference potential coupled thereto; and
said encoding means comprises identifying means for identifying said first and second conductive elements which are detected as having said reference potential coupled thereto, checking means for checking that said first and second conductive elements are spaced apart by a predetermined minimum distance and combining means responsive to said checking means for combining the identities of said first and second conductive elements to identify the approximate location of said operator'"'"'s finger. - View Dependent Claims (11)
- detecting means for detecting said contact and for producing a signal in response thereto; and
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12. Volume control means comprising a plurality of channels of audio signals and, in association with each of said channels, a touch-sensitive strip having overlying portions one of which is relatively flexible with respect to the other so as to establish a contact location along said strip corresponding to the position of an operator'"'"'s finger thereon;
- detecting means for detecting said contact location;
encoding means coupled to said detecting means for encoding the detected contact location to produce a digital volume level signal representing said contact location; and
adjustment means responsive to incremental sliding movement of said operator'"'"'s finger along said strip to correspondingly adjust said digital volume level signal in a direction corresponding to the direction of said incremental sliding movement, whereby each of said channels can be faded independently of the others. - View Dependent Claims (13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18)
- detecting means for detecting said contact location;
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19. Volume control means comprising a touch-sensitive strip having overlying portions one of which is relatively flexible with respect to the other so as to establish a contact location along said strip corresponding to the position of an operator'"'"'s finger thereon;
- detecting means for detecting said contact location;
encoding means coupled to said detecting means for encoding the detected contact location to produce a digital volume level signal representing said contact location; and
adjustment means responsive to incremental sliding movement of said operator'"'"'s finger along said strip to correspondingly adjust said digital volume level signal in a direction corresponding to the direction of said incremental sliding movement;said encoding means being operative to produce successive digital volume level signals; and
said adjustment means comprising storage means for temporarily storing and preceding digital volume level signal;
comparator means for comparing the digital volume level signal then being produced to said stored digital volume level signal to produce an output; and
means for changing said digital volume level signal by an incremental amount in response to said output. - View Dependent Claims (20, 21, 22)
- detecting means for detecting said contact location;
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23. Apparatus comprising adjustable means having a slidable position adjustment element for producing a signal representing the relative position of said slidable position adjustment element;
- encoding means for encoding said signal to produce a digital position signal;
display means responsive to a digital position signal for displaying the relative position of said slidable position adjustment element; and
adjustment control means for effecting fine adjustments to said digital position signal, whereby said display means provides corresponding adjustments in the displayed relative position;said display means comprising light emitting means; said light emitting means comprising an array of light emitting elements, each element being selectively energizable to represent the relative position of said slidable position adjustment element; said display means further comprising decoding means for decoding said digital position signal, and energizing means coupled to said decoding means for energizing a corresponding light emitting element; said adjustment control means including said slidable position adjustment element;
sensing means for sensing a change in the relative position of said slidable position adjustment element; and
increment means responsive to said sensing means for changing said digital position signal;said sensing means comprising sampling means for successively sampling the position of said slidable position adjustment element to produce successive position sample signals;
storage means for temporarily storing a preceding position sample signal; and
comparator means for comparing the stored position sample signal to a succeeding position sample signal. - View Dependent Claims (24)
- encoding means for encoding said signal to produce a digital position signal;
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25. Volume control means comprising adjustable means having a slidable volume adjustment element for producing a signal representing a relative volume level;
- encoding means for encoding said signal to produce a digital volume level signal;
display means responsive to said digital volume level signal for displaying said relative volume level; and
adjustment control means for effecting fine adjustments to said digital volume level signal and corresponding adjustments in said display;said adjustment control means comprising manually operable positioning means;
sensing means for sensing a change in the relative position of said manually operable positioning means; and
increment means responsive to said sensing means for changing said digital position signal;said sensing means comprising sampling means for successively sampling the position of said manually operable positioning means to produce successive position sample signals;
storage means for temporarily storing a preceding position sample signal; and
comparator means for comparing the stored position sample signal to a succeeding position sample signal. - View Dependent Claims (26)
- encoding means for encoding said signal to produce a digital volume level signal;
Specification