Integrated display screen and slidable control for electrical circuits

• US 5,805,146 A
• Filed: 12/10/1996
• Issued: 09/08/1998
• Est. Priority Date: 11/05/1993
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Intertactile Technologies Corporation
• Original Assignee: Intertactile Technologies Corporation
• Inventors: Twain, Kenneth M., Jaeger, Denny
• Primary Examiner(s): Liang, Regina
• Application Number:
  US08/763,132
• Time in Patent Office: 637 Days
• Field of Search: 345/168, 345/169, 345/170, 345/171, 345/172, 345/173, 345/184, 345/905, 341/22, 341/23, 341/28, 341/33, 341/34, 381/119, 381/104
• US Class Current: 345/172
• CPC Class Codes: G02F 1/13306 Circuit arrangements or driving methods for the control of single liquid crystal cells G02F1/132, G02F1/133382 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G02F 1/13338 Input devices, e.g. touch panels
• CPC Class Codes: G02F 1/1345 Conductors connecting electrodes to cell terminals
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1601 Constructional details related to the housing of computer displays, e.g. of CRT monitors, of flat displays constructional details related to flat displays integrated in a portable computer, e.g. laptop, handheld computer G06F1/1637; constructional details related to television receivers H04N5/64
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2200/1611 CRT monitor
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2200/1612 Flat panel monitor
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0238 Programmable keyboards key guide holders G06F3/0224
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0312 for tracking the rotation of a spherical or circular member, e.g. optical rotary encoders used in mice or trackballs using a tracking ball or in mouse scroll wheels tracking relative movement in co-operation with a regularly or irregularly patterned surface, e.g. as in optical mice G06F3/0317; constructional details of scroll or thumb-wheels G06F3/0362; optical rotary encoders G01D5/3473
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0362 with detection of 1D translations or rotations of an operating part of the device, e.g. scroll wheels, sliders, knobs, rollers or belts
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/042 by opto-electronic means
• CPC Class Codes: H01C 10/38 the contact moving along a straight path
• CPC Class Codes: H01H 15/00 Switches having rectilinearly-movable operating part or parts adapted for actuation in opposite directions, e.g. slide switch
• CPC Class Codes: H01H 2009/184 Illumination of symbols by using laser light
• CPC Class Codes: H01H 9/161 comprising light emitting elements
• CPC Class Codes: H01H 9/181 using a programmable display, e.g. LED or LCD
• CPC Class Codes: H03K 17/94 characterised by the way in which the control signals are generated
• CPC Class Codes: H03K 2217/96066 Thumbwheel, potentiometer, scrollbar or slider simulation by touch switch
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 60/04 Studio equipment; Interconnection of studios

Abstract

A circuit control device of the type having a knob which an operator travels along a track to vary a circuit condition is disposed on the face of an electronic display screen. This enables a display of calibration marks, symbols and/or other indicia pertaining to operation of the control including at; locations in immediate proximity to the slidable knob which display can change instantly when the function of the control changes or when other conditions call for different graphics. The track and sliding knob and electronic components of the control signal producing circuit are at the front of the display screen thereby enabling easy repair. Components of the control signal producing circuit are contained within the knob and/or track. Knob motion is detected by compact and durable sensors which may include radio frequency sensors, capacitive sensors, photoelectric sensors or Hall effect sensors among others.

Claims

1. A control device for an electrical circuit which control device has a slidable member that is traveled along a track to any of a plurality of different positions in order to change an electrical condition in the circuit, wherein the improvement comprises:

said slidable member and track being disposed in front of an electronic display screen which has an image display area at which instantly changeable images are displayed, at least a portion of said slidable member being situated directly in front of said image display area.

2. The apparatus of claim 1 further including an image display controller coupled to said electronic display screen and which causes said screen to display indicia at locations along the path of travel of said slidable member.

3. The apparatus of claim 1 further including a control signal producing circuit which produces a circuit control signal that varies in response to movement of said slidable member, said control signal producing circuit having electronic components that are situated in front of said electronic display screen and which are within at least one of said slidable member and said track.

4. The apparatus of claim 3 wherein said track includes at least one rail extending along a front surface of said electronic display screen, said slidable member being engaged on said rail and being detachable therefrom, at least one component of said control signal producing circuit being carried by said slidable member and being removable from said rail therewith.

5. The apparatus of claim 3 wherein said track includes a pair of spaced apart parallel rails extending along a front surface of said electronic display screen, at least one component of said control signal producing circuit being situated between said rails.

6. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein said track includes at least one rail extending along a front surface of said electronic display screen and wherein said slidable member rides along said rail, further including an elongated electrical resistance extending along said rail in spaced apart relationship therewith, a band of electrically conductive material extending along said resistance in spaced apart relationship therewith, a first electrical wiper contact secured to said slidable member in position to contact said electrical resistance and ride therealong as said slidable member is moved along said rail, and a second electrical wiper contact secured to said slidable member in position to contact said band of electrically conductive material and to travel therealong as said slidable member is moved along said rail, said first and second wiper contacts being electrically connected to each other.

7. The apparatus of claim 6 wherein a pair of said rails extend along said front surface of said transparent cover plate in spaced apart and parallel relationship with each other and wherein said slidable member straddles both of said rails and engages each thereof, said electrical resistance and said band of electrically conductive material being between said rails and being affixed to said front surface of said transparent cover plate.

8. The apparatus of claim 4 further including at least one electrical coil having an elongated configuration and which extends along said rail behind said slidable member, said coil having a width which becomes progressively smaller along at least a portion of the length of the coil, said electrical coil being part of a resonant circuit of an electrical oscillator circuit, a body of electrically conductive material secured to said slidable member in spaced apart relationship with said slidable member, and a signal processor coupled to said electrical oscillator circuit and which outputs a circuit control signal that changes in response to changes in the resonant frequency of said oscillator circuit.

9. The apparatus of claim 8 wherein said electrical coil and said body of electrically conductive material are substantially enclosed by a shield of electrically conductive material.

10. The apparatus of claim 8 wherein a pair of the rails extend along said front surface of said transparent cover plate in spaced apart and parallel relationship with each other and wherein said slidable member straddles both of said rails and engages each thereof, said electrical coil being between said rails and being affixed to said front surface of said transparent cover plate.

11. The apparatus of claim 8 having a pair of electrical oscillator circuits and wherein a pair of elongated electrical coils extend along said rail behind said slidable member and wherein each of said electrical coils is a part of a resonant circuit of a separate one of said electrical oscillator circuits, and wherein said signal processor is electrically coupled to each of said electrical oscillator circuits and outputs a circuit control signal that changes in response to changes in the ratio of the resonant frequencies of said electrical oscillator circuits.

12. The apparatus of claim 11 wherein components of said electrical oscillator circuits are disposed within said slidable member.

13. The apparatus of claim 1 further including an elongated first capacitor plate extending alongside said rail in parallel relationship therewith and which has a width that becomes progressively smaller along at least a portion of the length of the first capacitor plate, a second capacitor plate secured to said slidable member and being positioned to face said first capacitor plate in spaced apart relationship therewith, said second capacitor plate having a length in the direction of travel of said slidable member that is shorter than the length of said first capacitor plate in that direction, a band of electrically conductive material extending along said first capacitor plate in spaced apart relationship therewith, an electrical wiper contact secured to said slidable member and being positioned to contact said band and travel therealong as the slidable member is traveled along the rail and which is electrically connected to said second capacitor plate, an electrical oscillator circuit connected to said first capacitor plate and to said band and wherein said first and second capacitor plate are a capacitive component of a resonant circuit of said electrical oscillator circuit, and a signal processor which outputs a circuit control signal that changes in response to changes of the resonant frequency of said electrical oscillator circuit.

14. The apparatus of claim 1 further including first and second elongated capacitor plates extending alongside said rail in parallel relationship therewith and in spaced apart relationship with each other, each of said first and second capacitor plates having a width which becomes progressively smaller along at least a portion of the length of the capacitor plate and wherein the decreases in the widths of the first and second capacitor plates occur in the same direction, a third capacitor plate secured to said slidable member and being positioned to face said first and second capacitor plates in spaced apart relationship therewith, said third capacitor plate having a length in the direction of travel of said slidable member that is shorter than the lengths of said first and second capacitor plates in that direction, an electrical oscillator circuit connected to said first and second capacitor plates, said capacitor plates being a capacitive component of a resonant circuit of said electrical oscillator circuit, and a signal processor which outputs a circuit control signal that changes in response to changes of the resonant frequency of said electrical oscillator circuit.

15. The apparatus of claim 14 wherein a pair of rails extend along said front surface of said transparent cover plate in spaced apart and parallel relationship with each other and wherein said slidable member straddles both of said rails and engages each thereof, said first and second capacitor plates being between said rails.

16. The apparatus of claim 1 further including a band of light reflecting material extending along said rail in spaced apart relationship therewith, first and second linear light modulators extending along said rail at a location which is between said band of light reflecting material and said slidable member, each of said light modulators having spaced apart light transmissive zones along the length thereof which alternate with relatively opaque zones and wherein the spacing of said light transmissive zones of said first light modulator progressively changes along the length of said first light modulator, said light transmissive zones of said second light modulator being uniformly spaced apart, a first light source carried by said slidable member in position to direct light towards said first light modulator and said band of light reflecting material, a first photoelectric light detector carried by said slidable member in position to receive and detect light which passes through one of said light transmissive zones of said first light modulator and which is reflected back through another thereof by said band of light reflecting material, , a second photoelectric light detector carried by said slidable member in position to receive and detect light which passes through one of said light transmissive zones of said second light modulator and which is reflected back through another thereof by said band of light reflecting material, and a signal processor electrically coupled to said first and second photoelectric light detectors and which detects the position of said slidable member along said rail by comparison of the time interval between successive signals from said first photoelectric light detector with the time interval between successive signals from said second photoelectric light detector.

17. The apparatus of claim 1 further including a linear toothed gear rack extending along said rail in spaced apart relationship therewith, a rotary gear carried by said slidable member and having an axis of rotation that is at right angles to said transparent cover plate, said rotary gear being engaged with said gear rack, and means for generating electrical circuit control signals in response to rotary motion of said rotary gear.

18. The apparatus of claim 17 wherein said means for generating electrical circuit control signals includes a disk carried by said slidable member and which rotates as said rotary gear is turned, said disk having an annular band of reflective material thereon which encircles said axis of rotation and wherein successive portions of said annular band of reflective material have differing degrees of light reflectance, a light source carried by said slidable member in position to direct light towards said annular band of reflective material along an optical path which extends therebetween, and a photoelectric light detector carried by said slidable member and which is positioned to receive light which is reflected by said annular band of reflective material at said optical path.

19. The apparatus of claim 1 further including first and second pulleys disposed at opposite ends of the path of travel of said slidable member along said rail, said pulleys being oriented for rotation about axes of rotation that are at right angles to said transparent cover plate, a continuous belt engaged on said pulleys and having one side which is fastened to said slidable member, and a pulley rotation sensor which varies an output signal in response to rotary motion of said first pulley.

20. The apparatus of claim 1 further including a magnet carried by said slidable member and wherein a Hall effect sensor is disposed at least one end of the path of travel of said slidable member, further including a signal processor which is electrically coupled to said Hall effect sensor and which produces a control signal that varies in response to variation of the electrical resistance of said Hall effect sensor.

21. The apparatus of claim 20 having a pair of said Hall effect sensors each being disposed at an opposite end of said path of travel.

22. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein said electronic display screen has a transparent cover plate and wherein said track includes a pair of spaced apart parallel rails affixed to a front surface of the transparent cover plate and which extend therealong within said image display area, said rails being formed at least in part of electrical conductor, and wherein said slidable member of said control device straddles said rails and is engaged thereon, said slidable member having a first electrically conductive region that contacts one of said rails and a second electrically conductive region that contacts the other of said rails, said first and second electrically conductive regions being insulated from each other, and wherein at least one electronic component of a control signal producing circuit is carried by said slidable member and has first and second terminals across which electrical voltage is applied, each of said terminals being electrically connected to a separate one of said first and second electrically conductive regions of said slidable member, and a voltage supply having a third and fourth terminals each of which is connected to a separate one of said rails to provide voltage to said electronic component of said control signal producing circuit through said rails.

23. The apparatus of claim 22 wherein said first and second conductive regions of said slidable member are metal coatings at the surface of said slidable member.

24. The apparatus of claim 22 wherein an electronic component of said control signal producing circuit that is carried by said slidable member has a fifth terminal which requires an electrical connection to a remote circuit element that is situated away from said slidable member, further including at least one elongated band of electrical conductor extending in parallel relationship with said rails at a location between said slidable member and said transparent cover plate and being electrically connected to said remote circuit element, and at least one electrical wiper contact extending from said slidable member in position to travel along said band in contact therewith when said slidable member is slid along said rails, said wiper contact being electrically connected to said fifth terminal.

25. The apparatus of claim 1 further including a plurality of parallel binary coding zones situated between said slidable member and said electronic display screen and which extend in the direction of travel of said slidable member, each of said zones having first segments formed of light reflective material and second segments formed of light absorbent material, said first and second segments being in an arrangement wherein a series of transverse bands along said plurality of zones each exhibit a different combination of light reflective areas and light absorbent areas, at least one light source carried by said slidable member and being positioned to direct light towards successive ones of said transverse bands as said slidable member is traveled along said track, and a plurality of photoelectric light detectors carried by said slidable member each being positioned to receive light which is reflected by a separate one of said coding zones.

26. The control device of claims 25 wherein said light reflective areas alternate with said light absorbent areas along a first and a second of said binary coding zones and wherein said light reflective areas and light absorbent areas of said second binary coding zone have a length which is twice the length of the light reflective areas and light absorbent areas of said first binary coding zone.

27. The control device of claim 1 further including a linear rack gear extending along said track in parallel relationship therewith, a rotary gear carried by said slidable member and being engaged with said rack gear, and a signal generator carried by said slidable member which produces a signal that varies in response to turning of said rotary gear.

28. The control device of claim 27 wherein said signal generator includes a disk carried by said slidable member and which rotates as said rotary gear is turned by movement of said slidable member along said track, said disk having an annular band of light reflective material thereon wherein the reflectivity of said material varies at successive locations within said annular band of material, a light source carried by said slidable member and being positioned to direct light towards a limited portion of said annular band of light reflective material, and a photoelectric detector carried by said slidable member and being positioned to detect light which is reflected at said limited portion of said annular band of light reflective material.

29. The control device of claim 27 wherein said signal generator produces a quadrature signal indicative of movement of said slidable member and wherein said signal generator includes a disk carried by said slidable member and which rotates as said rotary gear is turned by movement of said slidable member along said track, first and second light sources carried by said slidable member and being positioned to direct light towards two spaced apart locations on said disk, first and second photoelectric light detectors carried by said slidable member each being positioned to receive and respond to light from a separate one of said first and second locations, said disk having first and second areas which alternate with each other around a circular path on said disk, said first areas having a characteristic which suppresses light transmission between said first and second locations and said photoelectric detectors and said second areas having a characteristic which enables light transmission from said first and second locations to said photoelectric detectors.

30. The control device of claim 29 wherein said first and second areas of said disk are arranged to enable light transmission to both of said photoelectric detectors at a first angular position of said disk and to enable light transmission to only said first photoelectric detector at an immediately following angular position of said disk and to suppress light transmission to both of said photoelectric detectors at the next following angular position of said disk and to enable light transmission to only said second photoelectric detector at the next following angular position of said disk.

31. The control device of claim 29 wherein said first areas of said disk are light reflecting areas and said second areas of said disk are light absorbent areas.

32. The apparatus of claim 1 further including a plurality of parallel binary coding zones situated between said slidable member and said electronic display screen and which extend in the direction of travel of said slidable member, each of said zones having first segments formed of magnetic material and second segments formed of non-magnetic material, said first and second segments being in an arrangement wherein a series of transverse bands along said plurality of zones each exhibit a different combination of magnetic areas and non-magnetic areas, and a plurality of Hall effect sensors carried by said slidable member each being positioned to travel along an associated one of said coding zones as said slidable member is traveled along said track.

33. The control device of claim 32 wherein said magnetic areas alternate with said non-magnetic areas along a first and a second of said binary coding zones and wherein said magnetic areas and non-magnetic areas of said second binary coding zone have a length which is twice the length of the magnetic areas and non-magnetic areas of said first binary coding zone.

34. The control device of claim 32 wherein said Hall effect sensors are offset from each other in the direction of travel of said slidable member.

35. The control device of claim 34 wherein said Hall effect sensors produce output signals having a variable magnitude that is dependent on the strength of the magnetic field that is sensed by the sensor and wherein each of said Hall effect sensors has a width which exceeds the width of the associated binary coding zone whereby the Hall effect sensor overlaps a coding zone that is adjacent to the coding zone with which the Hall effect sensor is associated, further including a plurality of comparators each being coupled to a separate one of said Hall effect sensors and each being conditioned to suppress output signals which have a magnitude that is smaller than the magnitude of the output signal that is produced when the Hall effect sensor is detecting a magnetized area on the associated one of said coding zones.

36. The control device of claim 32 wherein at least one of said binary coding zones is situated outside of said track, the binary coding zone including said magnetic areas thereof being formed of transparent material.

37. The control device of claim 1 wherein a plurality of said circuit control devices are disposed in front of said electronic display screen for controlling a plurality of electrical circuits, a display controller coupled to said electronic display screen for producing a plurality of changeable images thereon, a plurality of first digital data processors each being coupled to a separate one of said circuit control devices to produce digital signals in response to operator manipulation of said separate one of said circuit control devices, a plurality of buffer memories each being coupled to a separate one of said first digital data processors to temporarily store the digital signals which are produced thereby, and master digital data processing means for sequentially interrogating each of said buffer memories and for transmitting control signals derived therefrom to each of said controlled circuits.

38. The control device of claim 1 wherein said electronic display screen is the screen of a flat panel display, further including a magnet carried by said slidable member, and a magnetic pad which generates a variable signal in response to movement of a magnet, wherein said magnetic pad is behind flat panel display and extends in substantially parallel relationship with said screen.

39. The control device of claim 1 further including an electrical motor carried by said slidable member, a linear rack gear extending along said track, a first rotary gear carried by said slidable member in front of said electronic display screen and being engaged with said linear rack gear, said motor being in driving relationship with said first rotary gear to travel said slidable member along said track.

40. The control device of claim 39 further including a position signal producing component carried by said slidable member and having a rotary motion sensing input shaft, said rotary motion sensing input shaft having a second rotary gear thereon which is engaged with said linear rack gear.

41. The control device of claim 39 further including a position signal producing component carried by said slidable member and having a rotary motion sensing input shaft, said rotary motion sensing input shaft being driven by said motor through additional gears which are carried by said slidable member.

42. The control device of claim 39 wherein said motor has an axis of rotation that extends in parallel relationship with said electronic display screen, further including additional gearing carried by said slidable member and which couples said motor to said first rotary gear.

43. The control device of claim 1 further including a rotatable worm gear disposed in said track and extending along the path of travel of said slidable member, a motor disposed in said track and being in driving relationship to said worm gear, said slidable member having a threaded passage through which said worm gear extends and wherein threads engage said worm gear whereby said slidable member is traveled along said track by operation of said motor.

44. The control device of claim 1 wherein said electronic display screen is the screen of a flat panel display and wherein a passage extends through said flat panel display at a location within said image display area thereof, further including first and second pulleys disposed in said track at opposite ends of the path of travel of said slidable member, a belt engaged on said pulleys and which extends along the path of travel of said slidable member, a motor disposed behind said flat panel display, and a drive shaft which extends through said passage in said flat panel display and which couples said motor to one of said pulleys.

45. The control device of claim 44 further including a position signal generator disposed behind said flat panel display, said position signal generator having a rotary motion sensing input shaft which is coupled to and driven by said motor.

46. The control device of claim 1 wherein said track extends along and protrudes from a transparent cover plate of said electronic display screen, further including a transparent supplemental overlay plate disposed against said transparent cover plate and having a slot into which said track is received.

47. The control device of claim 46 wherein said transparent supplemental overlay plate has a thickness at least equal to the distance that said track protrudes from said transparent cover plate.

48. The control device of claim 46 wherein said transparent supplemental overlay plate has a thickness that is equal to the distance that said track protrudes from said transparent cover plate.

49. The control device of claim 46 wherein said track has a pair of spaced apart linear rails disposed in parallel relationship, said rails having parallel coplanar edges that extend in parallel relationship with said transparent cover plate, said transparent supplemental overlay plate having a flat outer surface that is coplanar with said edges of said rails.

50. A control device for an electrical circuit which control device comprises:

an electronic display screen having a face with an image area thereat at which instantly changeable images are displayable,

a track extending along said face of said display screen within said image area thereof,

a slidable member engaging said track and being manually slidable therealong to any of a plurality of successive positions,

a slidable member position sensor producing a control signal for said electrical circuit which changes in response to movement of said slidable member between said positions, and

a display controller electrically coupled to said position sensor and to said display screen, said display controller being conditioned to cause display of changeable images at said screen which images convey information pertinent to operation of said control device.