Directionless rotary encoder control system for a household appliance

• US 7,076,324 B2
• Filed: 08/12/2004
• Issued: 07/11/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 08/02/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: EGO Elektro-Gerã¤Tebau GmbH (EGO Blanc und Fischer & Company GmbH)
• Original Assignee: KGO North America Incorporated
• Inventors: Clemens, Joerg, Bryan, Craig E., Harkcom, Alton
• Primary Examiner(s): PATEL, RAMESH B
• Application Number:
  US10/918,626
• Publication Number:
  US 20060036338A1
• Time in Patent Office: 698 Days
• Field of Search: 700/205, 700/210, 700/211, 700/204, 219/483, 219/484, 219/485, 219/486, 219/487, 219/446.1, 219/448.11, 219/391, 219/414, 126 19- 22, 126/39
• US Class Current: 700/211
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 19/104 characterised by physical layout of switches; switches co-operating with display; use of switches in a special way
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/23023 Control knobs, levers integrated into display, display parameters near knobs
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/23057 Position of knob, pedal detected by encoder, addresses memory for functions

Abstract

An embodiment of the present invention uses an on-board microcontroller of a household appliance to receive signals from a directionless encoder attached to a knob for receiving user input and processing the signals from the direction encoder according to a control algorithm. The microcontroller may increase the output to an electric heating element on the appliance based on a variety of criteria, including either direction of rotation, current heating element setting, or a change in directional rotation. Alternatively, or in addition, the microcontroller may provide various types of graduated visual or audible feedback to the user.

Claims

1. A control system for receiving input from a user, comprising:

a rotary encoder adapted to be rotated by the user in conjunction with operation of an appliance, said rotary encoder additionally adapted to generate a signal in response to rotation of said rotary encoder, said signal including an indication of a degree and direction of rotation;

a memory for storing an indicia representative of a first operational status of said appliance; and

a microcontroller operatively connected to said rotary encoder and said memory, said microcontroller configured to decreases said indicia without regard to said direction of said user rotation when said indicia is at a maximum value.

2. The system of claim 1 wherein said user rotation occurs in either a clockwise or counterclockwise rotation.

3. The system of claim 1 wherein the household appliance is an electric cooktop or range.

4. The system of claim 3 further comprising a heating element wherein the output of the heating element is determined in part by the proportion of said indicia with said maximum value.

5. A system for receiving user input comprising:

a rotary encoder adapted to be rotated by a user in conjunction with operation of a household appliance, the rotary encoder generating signals associated with an amount of rotation and either a first or second direction of rotation; and

a microcontroller operatively connected to the rotary encoder, the microcontroller adapted to receive the signals from the rotary encoder, the microcontroller further adapted to interpret the signals so as to increase an indicia stored in a memory based on the amount of rotation and regardless of the first or second direction of rotation when the indicia is at a minimum value.

6. The system of claim 5 further comprising:

a control circuit receiving the first output signal and providing a second output signal;

wherein the second output signal is associated with the first output signal; and

an electric heating element receiving the second output signal and providing heat in response thereto.

7. The system of claim 5 further comprising:

an LED display operatively connected to the microcontroller, the LED receiving the first output signal and generating a numerical value for display to the user.

8. The system of claim 5 further comprising:

a circuit comprising a plurality of LEDs operatively connected to the microcontroller, the circuit receiving the first output signal and activating a certain number of the plurality of LEDs based on a value of the first output signal.

9. The system of claim 5 further comprising:

a piezoelectric transducer operatively connected to the microcontroller receiving a control signal from the microcontroller causing an audible sound to be produced by the piezoelectric transducer.

10. The system of claim 8 further comprising:

a piezoelectric transducer operatively connected to the microcontroller receiving a control signal from the microcontroller causing an audible sound to be produced by the piezoelectric transducer.

11. The system of claim 5 further comprising a piezoelectric transducer operatively connected to the microcontroller, the piezoelectric transdacer receiving the first output signal and generating an audible sound as feedback to the user.

12. The system of claim 11 wherein the audible sound provided as feedback to the user comprises a variable audible sound.

13. The system of claim 5 wherein the microcontroller is adapted to execute software that decreases a first output signal based on either to first or second direction of rotation when the software registers a maximum user input setting associated with the variable encoder prior to rotation.

14. The system of claim 5 wherein the microcontroller is adapted to execute software that increases a first output signal based on regardless of a rotational direction of the rotary encoder when the software registers a minimum input setting associated with the variable encoder.

15. The system of claim 5 wherein the microcontroller decreases a first output signal based on a certain rotational direction of the rotary encoder when the software registers a less than maximum user input setting associated with the variable encoder.

16. A method of processing signals from a directionless encoder comprising:

receiving a first signal from a rotary encoder;

determining an first amount of rotation and a first direction of rotation;

determining that an indicia is at a minimum;

increasing the indicia in proportion to the first amount of rotation regardless of the first direction of rotation;

further increasing the indicia in response to second signals from the rotary encoder;

determining that the indicia is at a maximum;

receiving third signals from the rotary encoder and determining a third amount of rotation and a third direction of rotation; and

decreasing the indicia in proportion to the third amount of rotation and regardless of the third direction of rotation.

17. The method of claim 16 further comprising:

increasing an appliance control signal in conjunction with increasing the indicia.

18. The method of claim 17 further comprising:

activating at least one of a plurality of visual indicator in proportion to the appliance control signal.

19. The method of claim 16 anther comprising

altering an output signal to an audible output device producing a audible output based on in part the appliance control signal.

20. A method of processing signals from a directionless encoder comprising:

receiving a first signal from a rotary encoder;

determining an first amount of rotation and a first direction of rotation;

determining that an indicia is at a minimum;

increasing the indicia based on the first amount of rotation regardless of the first direction of rotation;

further increasing the indicia in response to second signals from the rotary encoder;

determining that the indicia is at a maximum;

receiving third signals from the rotary encoder and determining a third amount of rotation and a third direction of rotation; and

decreasing the indicia based on the third amount of rotation only if the third direction of rotation is not equal to the first direction of rotation.

21. The method of claim 20 wherein the step of further increasing the indicia in response to second signals from the rotary encoder comprises further increasing the indicia in response to second signals from the rotary encoder only if the second signals from the rotary encoder indicate rotational direction the same as the first direction of rotation.