Configurable industrial input devices that use electrically conductive elastomer

• US 6,888,537 B2
• Filed: 02/13/2002
• Issued: 05/03/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 02/13/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Siemens Corp. (Siemens AG)
• Original Assignee: Siemens Technology-To-Business Center LLC (Siemens AG)
• Inventors: Scher, Irving S., Benson, Daniel Conrad
• Primary Examiner(s): Shankar, Vijay
• Assistant Examiner(s): Dharia, Prabodh M
• Application Number:
  US10/075,075
• Publication Number:
  US 20030151589A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,175 Days
• Field of Search: 345/156, 345/159, 345/162, 345/168, 345172-174, 345/733, 345/734, 345/751, 345/179, 345/753, 345/156.4, 178/18.06, 463/38, 379/75, 318/109
• US Class Current: 345/173
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0414 using force sensing means to determine a position
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0481 based on specific properties of the displayed interaction object or a metaphor-based environment, e.g. interaction with desktop elements like windows or icons, or assisted by a cursor's changing behaviour or appearance
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0488 using a touch-screen or digitiser, e.g. input of commands through traced gestures

Abstract

A configurable operator panel that uses a tactile sensor with electrically conductive elastomer and appropriate electronics is disclosed herein. The device relies on a robust and inexpensive tactile sensor that senses the touch position (and may or may not sense touch pressure as well). The physical interface is easily configurable along with the electronics, which execute the desired function based on touch location and pressure. The configurable operator panel is designed to communicate with most industrial automation equipment, including but not limited to, motion control equipment, programmable logic controllers (PLC), personal computers, and can be made to control other types of machines requiring external analog or digital input.

Claims

1. A control panel apparatus having reconfigurable input buttons, said apparatus comprising:

a tactile sensor;

a plurality of input buttons reconfigurable by a user, a representation of said plurality of input buttons placed on said tactile sensor; and

electronics, coupled to said tactile sensor, for measuring a location of a touch to an input button on said tactile sensor and an existence of and a level of pressure of said touch and for storing a plurality of functions, each of said plurality of functions associated with a corresponding one of said plurality of input buttons and each of said plurality of functions associated with a different level of pressure of said touch;

wherein said touch on one of said plurality of input buttons on said tactile sensor causes said electronics to measure said location and said level of pressure of said touch and said touch causes an occurrence of one of said plurality of functions associated with said location and said level of said pressure of said touch.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the number of said plurality of input buttons can be reconfigured by the user.

3. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the spatial relation between said plurality of input buttons can be reconfigured by the user.

4. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the shapes of said plurality of input buttons can be reconfigured by the user.

5. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the sizes of said plurality of input buttons can be reconfigured by the user.

6. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the locations of said plurality of input buttons can be reconfigured.

7. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the orientations of said plurality of input buttons can be reconfigured by the user.

8. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the functions associated with each of said plurality of input buttons can be reconfigured by the user.

9. The apparatus of claim 8, wherein the functions associated with each of said plurality of input buttons and with defined levels of pressure can be reconfigured by the user.

10. The apparatus of claim 9, wherein said functions include providing help, turning on, turning off, increasing, decreasing, and particular actions depending on said defined levels of pressure.

11. The apparatus of claim 9, wherein said functions include providing help, turning on, turning off, increasing, decreasing, particular actions depending on said defined levels of pressure, and providing particular actions depending on lengths of time that a defined level of pressure is exerted on said location.

12. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising:

a housing for enclosing said electronics and said tactile sensor, said housing including a slot for inserting said representation of said plurality of input buttons onto said tactile sensor.

13. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising:

a housing for enclosing said electronics and said tactile sensor, said housing including a top, said top being removable to place said representation of said plurality of input buttons onto said tactile sensor.

14. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein said tactile sensor comprises a conductive foam elastomer.

15. A method of configuring an operating control device having a foam tactile sensor, said method comprising the steps of:

(a) defining an input button and a location of said input button corresponding to a portion of said tactile sensor, wherein said input button and said location of said input can be reconfigurable by a user of said operating control device;

(b) defining a first function of said input button, said first function associated with an existence of, a first defined level of pressure of, and a location of a touch within said portion on said tactile sensor; and

(c) defining a second function of said input button, said second function associated with an existence of, a second defined level of pressure of, and said location of a touch within said portion on said tactile sensor;

wherein said first function of said input button is selectable based on said first defined level of pressure and said second function of said input button is selectable based on said second defined level of pressure.

16. The method of claim 15, further comprising the steps of:

establishing a first configuration resulting from said steps (a) to (c);

generating a first representation of said input button for placement over the tactile sensor within said wherein operating control device; and

loading said first configuration into said operating control device to enable said operating control device to determine an appropriate output dependent on said first or second defined level of pressure at said location of said touch.

17. The method of claim 16, further comprising the steps of:

changing said first function or said second function of said input button to result in a different output;

establishing a second configuration resulting from said changing step;

loading said second configuration into said operating control device to enable said operating control device to determine a different appropriate output.

18. The method of claim 15, wherein said input button defining step includes defining the type of said input button.

19. The method of claim 15, wherein said type of said input button can comprise a toggle button, a pressure-sensitive button, a time-sensitive button, a one-dimensional control button, a two-dimensional control button, or a repeat button.

20. The method of claim 15, wherein said operating control device controls an external device coupled to said operating control device, and said operating control device and said external device are in a harsh environment or in an industrial setting.

21. A computer program product for configuring an operator control panel having a tactile sensor, said computer program product comprising:

computer code for defining an input button and a location of said input button corresponding to a portion of said tactile sensor, wherein said input button and said location of said input button can be reconfigurable by a user of said operator control panel;

computer code for defining a first function of said input button, said first function associated with an existence of, a first defined level of pressure of, and a location of a touch within said portion on said tactile sensor; and

computer code for defining a second function of said input button, said second function associated with an existence of, a second defined level of pressure of, and said location of a touch within said portion on said tactile sensor; and

a computer-readable medium for storing said computer codes;

and wherein said first function of said input button is selectable based on said first defined level of pressure and said second function of said input button is selectable based on said second defined level of pressure.

22. The computer program product of claim 21 wherein:

said computer-readable medium comprises a floppy disk, a magnetic storage disk or tape, a CD-ROM, or a hard drive.

23. The computer program product of claim 21 wherein:

said computer code for defining said input button provides a user to configure said input button as a toggle button, a pressure-sensitive button, a time-sensitive button, a one-dimensional control button, a two-dimensional control button, or a repeat button.

24. A system for controlling devices in an industrial or harsh environment, said system comprising:

an operating control panel having a foam tactile sensor, a representation of input buttons on said foam tactile sensor, and electronics, wherein said electronics me capable of measuring a pressure level and a location from a touch on said representation of input buttons on said foam tactile sensor, processing said pressure level and said location, and outputting a signal that causes a function associated with said pressure level and said location, wherein said input buttons and said function associated with said pressure level and said location are reconfigurable by a user of said operating control panel; and

an external device coupled to said operating control panel for receiving said signal and performing said function.

25. The system of claim 24, further comprising software for reconfiguring said input buttons on said representation of said operating control panel and loading said reconfigured input buttons and associated functions to said operating control panel, wherein said electronics are capable storing said reconfigured input buttons and associated functions so as to cause said external device coupled to said operating control panel to perform according to the reconfigured input buttons.

26. The system of claim 24, wherein said external device includes a motor controller, a temperature controller, a PLC, a computer, a sensor, a pressurizer, a laser, a furnace, a whirlpool, or a mechanical manipulation device.

27. A control panel apparatus having reconfigurable input buttons, said apparatus comprising:

a tactile sensor;

a plurality of input buttons reconfigurable by a user, a representation of said plurality of input buttons placed on said tactile sensor; and

electronics, coupled to said tactile sensor, for measuring a location of a touch to an input button and for storing a plurality of functions, each of said plurality of functions associated with a corresponding one of said plurality of input buttons;

wherein said touch on one of said plurality of input buttons causes said electronics to measure said location of said touch and said touch causes an occurrence of one of said plurality of functions associated with said location of said touch; and

wherein at least one of said functions and at least one of the number, spatial relation, shapes, sizes, orientations and/or locations of said plurality of input buttons can be reconfigured by the user.

28. The apparatus of claim 27 wherein said tactile sensor comprises polyester and conductive layers.

29. A method of configuring an operating control device having a tactile sensor, said method comprising the steps of:

defining a plurality of input buttons and a plurality of corresponding locations of said input buttons corresponding to portions of said tactile sensor;

defining a first set of functions of said plurality of input buttons, said first set of functions triggered by a touch on said tactile sensor at portions corresponding to said plurality of corresponding locations of said input buttons to form a first configuration; and

generating a first representation of said plurality of input buttons for placement over the tactile sensor within said operation control device; and

loading said first configuration into said operation control device to enable said operation control device to determine an appropriate output dependent on a location of said touch on said first representation on said tactile sensor;

changing said first configuration to establish a second configuration, wherein said second configuration differs from said configuration by at least one of said functions and at least one of the number, spatial relation, shape, size, orientations and/or locations of said plurality of input buttons being reconfigured by the user; and

loading said second configuration into said operation control device to enable said operating control device to operate according to said second configuration.

30. The method of claim 29, wherein said tactile sensor of said operating control device comprises polyester and conductive layers.

31. A computer program product for configuring an operator control panel having a tactile sensor, said computer program product comprising:

computer code for defining an input button and a location of said input button corresponding to a portion of said tactile sensor;

computer code for defining at least one of a function, size, orientation, location, spatial relation, and/or shape of said input button to form a first configuration; and

computer code for altering at least one of said function and at least one of said size, orientation, location, spatial relation, and/or shape of said input button from said first configuration to form a second configuration; and

a computer-readable medium for storing said computer codes.