Control device for an appliance adapted to assume a level selected from a range of levels, method of controlling a roller blind using the device, and user module for the device

• US 6,512,338 B2
• Filed: 12/21/2000
• Issued: 01/28/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 12/22/1999
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Legrand (Legrand SA), Legrand Snc (Legrand SA)
• Original Assignee: Legrand (Legrand SA), Legrand Snc (Legrand SA)
• Inventors: Cousy, Jean-Pierre
• Primary Examiner(s): Wong, Don
• Assistant Examiner(s): Tran, Thuy Vinh
• Application Number:
  US09/741,418
• Publication Number:
  US 20020135307A1
• Time in Patent Office: 768 Days
• Field of Search: 315/194, 315/291, 315/293, 315/307, 315/362, 340/309.15, 340/825.06, 340/825.22, 340/825.36, 340/825.37, 345/168, 345/173, 345/163, 318/445, 318/466, 318/468, 318/484
• US Class Current: 315/362
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 19/40 Open loop systems, e.g. using stepping motor
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 19/425 Teaching successive positions by numerical control, i.e. commands being entered to control the positioning servo of the tool head or end effector
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/36467 Teach and store time needed from open to closed and closed to open position

Abstract

A control device for an appliance which can assume a level selected from a range of levels includes a keypad representative of the range of levels to enable a user to select a level, an “off” key for switching off the appliance, and a processor unit connected to the keypad and to the “off” key. If the appliance is off and the keypad is operated to select a target level, the processor unit causes the appliance to assume the selected target level. If the appliance is off and the “off” key is operated, the processor unit leaves the appliance off. If the appliance is on and the keypad is operated to select a target level, the processor unit causes the appliance to assume the selected target level if that level is different from its current level. If the appliance is on and the “off” key is operated, the processor unit switches off the appliance.

Claims

1. A control device for an appliance adapted to assume a level selected from a range of levels, the device comprising a keypad representative of said range of levels to enable a user to select a level, an “

off”

key for switching off said appliance, and a processor unit connected to said keypad and to said “

off”

key, wherein,

when said appliance is off and said keypad is operated to select a target level, said processor unit causes said appliance to assume the selected target level,

when said appliance is off and said “

off”

key is operated, said processor unit leaves said appliance switched off,

when said appliance is on and said keypad is operated to select a target level, said processor unit causes said appliance to assume the selected target level if that level is different from its current level, and

when said appliance is on and said “

off”

key is operated, said processor unit switches off said appliance.

2. The device claimed in claim 1 wherein said processor unit includes means for monitoring separately operation of said keypad and operation of said “

off”

key.

3. The device claimed in claim 1 wherein said processor unit has an input interface connected to said keypad and to said “

off”

key, an output interface connected to said appliance, and a microcontroller connected to said input interface and to said output interface which applies to said appliance an appliance set point determined under the control of said microcontroller.

4. The device claimed in claim 1 including means for displaying said current level of said appliance connected to said processor unit.

5. The device claimed in claim 4 wherein said processor unit is adapted to maintain said display means active after said appliance is switched off to show the current level of said appliance before it was switched off.

6. The device claimed in claim 5 wherein said processor unit is adapted to place said display means in a standby state after said appliance is switched off.

7. The device claimed in claim 6 wherein said standby state of said display means consists of a reduced brightness of said display means.

8. The device claimed in claim 4 including means for displaying a change of level of said appliance.

9. The device claimed in claim 4 wherein said display means include at least one row of light-emitting diodes facing said keypad.

10. The device claimed in claim 4 wherein said display means include at least one row of bargraphs.

11. The device claimed in claim 1 including keypad marking means.

12. The device claimed in claim 1 wherein said keypad has at least one touch-sensitive region provided with means for recognizing an area of said touch-sensitive region pressed by a finger and corresponding to the selection of a target level to be assumed by said appliance and said recognition means are connected to said processor unit which is adapted to determine from the recognized pressed area and to transmit to said appliance an appliance set point such that said appliance assumes the selected target level.

13. The device claimed in claim 12 wherein said touch-sensitive region comprises three subregions, namely:

a top subregion representing a top limit level assumed by said appliance,

a bottom subregion representing a bottom limit level assumed by said appliance, and

an intermediate subregion between said top and bottom subregions and representative of a range of intermediate levels assumed by said appliance between said top and bottom limit levels.

14. The device claimed in claim 12 wherein said recognition means of said touch-sensitive region are of the resistive type.

15. The device claimed in claim 14 wherein said recognition means include an open circuit whose terminals are connected to said processor unit and which is formed of two comb-like parts with substantially parallel resistive backs and interleaved conductive teeth, said touch-sensitive region being such that pressing a finger onto an area of said touch-sensitive region closes said circuit by virtue of contact between at least one tooth of one part with at least one tooth of the other part, said processor unit including means for reading off the value of the resistance between said terminals of the closed circuit, said resistance being representative of said area pressed, and means for determining from said resistance read off an appliance set point to be transmitted to said appliance so that said appliance assumes the corresponding selected target level.

16. The device claimed in claim 15 wherein said touch-sensitive region has substantially parallel conductive tracks extending generally transversely to and above said interleaved teeth of said two parts of said circuit and said conductive tracks are adapted, when a finger presses on said touch-sensitive region, to come into contact with at least one tooth of each of said parts of said circuit to close it at the level of said pressed area.

17. The device claimed in claim 15 including means for displaying said current level of said appliance connected to said processor unit and wherein said processor unit includes means for determining a display set point from said resistance read off and means for transmitting said display set point to said display means to display the corresponding selected target level assumed by said appliance.

18. The device claimed in claim 1 wherein said keypad includes a movable button controlling a variable resistance, movement of said button corresponding to selection of a target level to be assumed by said appliance, and an “

on”

key connected to said processor unit and integrated into said movable button, said processor unit including means for reading off the resistance of said variable resistance when said “

on”

key is operated, said resistance being representative of the position of said button, and means for determining from said resistance read off an appliance set point to be transmitted to said appliance so that said appliance assumes the corresponding selected target level.

19. The device claimed in claim 1 including an external installation connected to said processor unit and adapted to supply a set point for selecting a target level in said range of levels to said processor unit which is adapted to transmit said set point to said appliance so that it assumes the selected target level if it is different from its-current level.

20. The device claimed in claim 19 wherein said processor unit includes means for controlling the priorities of information that it receives from said keypad and from said external installation so that said information from said keypad has a higher priority than said information from said external installation.

21. The device claimed in claim 19 wherein said external installation is a meteorological station.

22. The device claimed in claim 19 wherein said external installation is a detector responsive to the presence of a person.

23. The device claimed in claim 19 wherein said external installation is a thermostat.

24. The device claimed in claim 1 wherein said appliance is a lamp, the levels assumed by said appliance are brightness levels varying between a bottom limit level corresponding to a minimum brightness and a top limit level corresponding to a maximum brightness, and said processor unit is adapted, when said keypad is operated, to determine a fractional brightness and transmit it to said lamp.

25. The device claimed in claim 24 wherein said processor unit is adapted to provide said lamp with direct access to a brightness level selected using said keypad.

26. The device claimed in claim 1 wherein said appliance is a roller blind and said levels to be assumed by said device are positions of said blind varying between top and bottom limit levels corresponding to top and bottom end of travel positions of said blind and said processor unit is adapted, when said keypad is operated, to determine and to transmit to said blind an instruction to raise or lower said blind for a given time so that said blind reaches the selected position.

27. The device claimed in claim 26 wherein said processor unit determines the time for which said blind is raised or lowered by means of an initialization operation during which said processor unit causes said blind to move between said top and bottom end of travel positions, measures the time taken by said blind to perform said movement, and stores the measured time.

28. The device claimed in claim 26 wherein said processor unit includes means for storing the current position of said blind, and, when a target position of said blind, is selected by operating said keypad, to determine and to transmit to said blind said instruction to raise or lower said blind for a given time so that it reaches the selected target position from its current position.

29. The device claimed in claim 26 wherein said processor unit includes means for moving said blind directly to its top end of travel position, respectively bottom end of travel position, if a target level is selected by operating said keypad that is above, respectively below, a particular top threshold, respectively a particular bottom threshold.

30. The device claimed in claim 26 wherein said processor unit includes means for updating the displacement time of said blind for its entire travel if said blind reaches said top end of travel position, respectively bottom end of travel position, when said blind raising time, respectively said blind lowering time, determined by said processor unit has not totally elapsed.

31. A user module for a control device for an appliance adapted to assume a level selected from a range of levels, which control device includes a keypad representative of said range of levels to enable a user to select a level, an “

off”

key for switching off said appliance, and a processor unit connected to said keypad and to said “

off”

key, which user module includes;

an elongate touch-sensitive region constituting said control keypad of said control device,

an “

off”

key located near one end of said touch-sensitive region, and

means for displaying said current level and said target level of said appliance extending in a line along at least one longitudinal side of said touch-sensitive region.

32. The module claimed in claim 31 wherein said display means extend from said “

off”

key to the opposite end of said touch-sensitive region.

33. The module claimed in claim 31 wherein said display means extend along both longitudinal sides of said touch-sensitive region.

34. The module claimed in claim 33 wherein said display means include at least one row of diodes regularly spaced along said touch-sensitive region.

35. The module claimed in claim 31 wherein said touch-sensitive region is subdivided into three subregions:

a top subregion representing a top limit level assumed by said appliance,

a bottom subregion representing a bottom limit level assumed by said appliance, and

an intermediate subregion between said top and bottom subregions and representative of a range of intermediate levels assumed by said appliance between said top and bottom limit levels.

36. The module claimed in claim 31 wherein said touch-sensitive region has means for recognizing an area of said touch-sensitive region pressed by a finger and corresponding to the selection of a target level to be assumed by said appliance and said recognition means are connected to said processor unit which is adapted, from the recognized pressed area, to determine and to transmit to said appliance an appliance set point such that it assumes the selected target level.

37. The module claimed in claim 36 wherein said recognition means of said touch-sensitive region are of the resistive type.

38. The module claimed in claim 37 wherein said recognition means include an open circuit whose terminals are connected to said processor unit and which is formed of two comb-like parts with substantially parallel resistive backs and interleaved conductive teeth, said touch-sensitive region being such that pressing a finger onto an area of said touch-sensitive region closes said circuit by virtue of contact between at least one tooth of one part with at least one tooth of the other part, said processor unit including means for reading off the value of the resistance between said terminals of the closed circuit, said resistance being representative of said area pressed, and means for determining from said resistance read off an appliance set point to be transmitted to said appliance so that said appliance assumes the corresponding selected target level.

39. The module claimed in claim 38 wherein said touch-sensitive region has substantially parallel conductive tracks extending generally transversely to and above said interleaved teeth of said two parts of said circuit and said conductive tracks are adapted, when a finger presses on said touch-sensitive region, to come into contact with at least one tooth of each of said parts of said circuit to close it at the level of said pressed area.

40. The module claimed in claim 31 wherein said touch-sensitive region has at one end, respectively at an opposite end, an indication for the user of said top limit level, respectively said bottom limit level, that can be assumed by said appliance.

41. The module claimed in claim 40 wherein said “

off”

key is located near the end of said touch-sensitive region having said indication of said bottom limit level that can be assumed by said appliance.

42. A control device for a roller blind adapted to assume a position selected from a range of positions varying between top and bottom limit levels corresponding to top and bottom end of travels positions of said blind, which control device includes a keypad representative of said range of positions to enable a user to select a position, an “

off”

key for switching off said blind, and a processor unit connected to said keypad and to said “

off”

key, said processor unit is adapted, when said keypad is operated, to determine and to transmit to said blind an instruction to raise or lower said blind for a given time so that said blind reaches the selected position, and said control device includes;

a) means for determining the target position responsive to keypad selection,

b) means for determining the displacement time of said blind between its current position and said target position,

c) means for determining the direction of displacement of said blind from its current position to said selected target position,

d) means for raising or lowering said blind for said displacement time determined, and

e) means for storing said target position as the current position of said blind,

whereby when said roller blind is switched on and said keypad is operated to select a target position, said blind assumes said selected target position is said selected target position is different from the current position.

43. A control device claimed in claim 42 wherein said processor unit includes means for executing an initialization operation when said control device is switched on, said processor unit includes:

i) means for moving said blind to an end of travel position,

ii) means for starting a timer,

iii) means for moving said blind to an opposite end of travel position,

iv) means for stopping said timer and reading off the time counted by said timer, and

v) means for storing said time counted by said timer as said displacement time of said blind for an entire travel between said end of travel position and said opposite end of travel position.

44. A control device claimed in claim 43 wherein said processor unit comprises means for displaying said top end of travel position of said blind.

45. A control device claimed in claim 44 which comprises means for displaying the displacement of said blind between its current position and said target position by successively turning light-emitting diodes on and off.

46. A control device claimed in claim 45 which comprises means for displaying said target position simultaneously with the displacement of said blind.

47. A control device claimed in claim 42 wherein said processor unit comprises means for determining if the selected target position is greater than or equal to, respectively less than or equal to, a top threshold, respectively a bottom threshold, and means for moving said blind directly to said top end of travel position, respectively said bottom end of travel position, independently of the determined displacement time of said blind.

48. A control device claimed in claim 42 wherein said processor unit comprises mean for reading off a resistance at the terminals of a resistive circuit of said keypad and means for determining said displacement time of said blind as a function of its displacement time for an entire travel between an end of travel position and an opposite end of travel position from the difference between resistances read off corresponding to said current position and said target position and from the difference between resistances read off corresponding to said top and bottom end of travel positions.

49. A control device claimed in claim 42 wherein said “

off”

key can stop said blind at any time.