Operating device and operating method for an electric domestic appliance

• US 7,238,929 B2
• Filed: 09/17/2004
• Issued: 07/03/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 09/18/2003
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: EGO Elektro-Gerã¤Tebau GmbH (EGO Blanc und Fischer & Company GmbH)
• Original Assignee: EGO Elektro-Gerã¤Tebau GmbH (EGO Blanc und Fischer & Company GmbH)
• Inventors: Baier, Martin
• Primary Examiner(s): PYO, KEVIN K
• Application Number:
  US10/944,021
• Publication Number:
  US 20050061958A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,019 Days
• Field of Search: 250/221, 250/222.1, 250/342, 345/173, 345/175, 345/157, 345/166
• US Class Current: 250/221
• CPC Class Codes: F24C 7/082 on ranges, e.g. control panels, illumination
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 3/746 Protection, e.g. overheat cutoff, hot plate indicator

Abstract

In an operating device for a cooking system with a hob and an operating surface, at least one operating element with a contact detection function is positioned under the operating surface. The at least one operating element is implemented as a motion or movement sensor with a camera, which detects a movement or a contact point on the operating surface and determines a position and/or a position change of the contact point on the operating surface. In an operating method for activating an operating function an evaluation unit evaluates the position or the position change of the contact point.

Claims

1. An operating device for an electrical appliance, said operating device comprising:

an operating surface having a plurality of distinct regions, each region uniquely corresponding to one of a plurality of different operating functions of said electrical appliance;

at least one operating element below said operating surface, wherein said at least one operating element has at least one movement sensor, and wherein said at least one movement sensor has an optical recording device for detecting a movement or a contact point of a finger at or on said operating surface and determining a position or a position change of said movement or said contact point at or on said operating surface;

a lens disposed between the operating surface and at least one optical recording device to enlarge a visual field of the optical recording device such that the operating surface and the optical recording device have an equal number of corresponding surface portions, each surface portion of the operating surface being magnified by the lens to a size larger than the corresponding surface portion of the optical recording device; and

an evaluating unit for selectively actuating at least one of said plurality of distinct operating functions based upon said position or said position change of said contact point.

2. The operating device according to claim 1, wherein said electrical appliance is a cooking system.

3. The operating device according to claim 1, wherein said operating surface is illuminated from below.

4. The operating device according to claim 1 ,wherein, for detecting said movement or said contact point, an optical system having at least one mirror is positioned under said operating surface and is combined with said optical recording device.

5. The operating device according to claim 1, wherein said operating surface is implemented as a line.

6. The operating device according to claim 1, wherein said operating surface is implemented as a multi-line surface having individual partial surfaces or areas corresponding to the plurality of distinct regions.

7. The operating device according to claim 1, wherein said optical recording device has a surface-based resolution in rastered steps.

8. The operating device according to claim 7, wherein said optical recording device has a surface-based resolution in at least one line, wherein said line has several areas corresponding to the plurality of distinct regions.

9. The operating device according to claim 8, wherein said operating surface is subdivided and said stepped rastering of said surface-based resolution of said optical recording device corresponds to said subdivision.

10. The operating device according to claim 1, wherein said optical recording device scans said operating surface with time intervals dependent on said movement.

11. The operating device according to claim 1, wherein said optical recording device successively produces images of said operating surface, and said images are compared for establishing said position or said position change of said contact point on said operating surface.

12. The operating device according to claim 1, wherein said optical recording device is a camera.

13. The operating device according to claim 12, wherein said optical recording device has a CCD chip.

15. The operating device according to claim 2, wherein said operating surface is illuminated from below.

16. The operating device according to claim 1, wherein each of said different operating functions is indicated by a corresponding printed-on symbol on said operating surface for each operating function.

14. A method of operating an operating device for an electrical appliance, said operating device having an operating surface and an optical recording device for detecting a movement or a contact point on said operating surface, wherein said method comprises:

positioning a lens between the operating surface and at least one optical recording device to enlarge a visual field of the optical recording device such that the operating surface and the optical recording device have an equal number of corresponding surface portions, each surface portion of the operating surface being magnified by the lens to a size larger than the corresponding surface portion of the optical recording device;

detecting with said optical recording device a movement along or a contact point at one of plurality of distinct regions of said operating surface, each distinct region uniquely corresponding to one of a plurality of different operating functions of said operating device;

evaluating the movement or contact point detected; and

selectively actuating at least one of said plurality of different operating functions based upon said evaluation.

17. The method according to claim 14, further comprising indicating each of said different operating functions by a printed-on symbol on said operating surface, each printed symbol uniquely corresponding to a different operating function.