Circuit with an opto-electronic display unit

• US 7,250,596 B2
• Filed: 09/21/2002
• Issued: 07/31/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 09/25/2001
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Gerd Reime
• Original Assignee: Gerd Reime
• Inventors: Reime, Gerd
• Primary Examiner(s): Epps; Georgia
• Assistant Examiner(s): Williams; Don
• Application Number:
  US10/489,787
• Publication Number:
  US 20040251402A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,774 Days
• Field of Search: 250/221, 250/205, 250/222.1, 345/156, 345/173, 345/175, 362/276, 362/464, 362/800, 362/802, 178/18.01, 178/18.09, 178/18.1
• US Class Current: 250/221
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 17/04 Systems determining the presence of a target
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 17/46 Indirect determination of position data
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 7/497 Means for monitoring or calibrating
• CPC Class Codes: H03K 17/943 using a plurality of optical emitters or detectors, e.g. keyboard
• CPC Class Codes: H03K 17/9631 using a light source as part of the switch
• CPC Class Codes: H03K 2217/94052 with evaluation of actuation pattern or sequence, e.g. tapping
• CPC Class Codes: H03K 2217/94112 having more than one receiver

Abstract

A circuit provided with an optoelectronic display unit. For discrete display of the settings of a regulating/control unit, said circuit comprises at least one detection element for detecting the actuation of an object in order to modify the settings of the regulating/control unit, whereby the detection element delivers an output signal corresponding to the desired modification. Several luminous diodes (1a, . . . , 1n), which are essentially arranged next to each other in a row and which emit luminous radiation, are used as display elements. A control device controls at least one of the luminous diodes (1a, . . . , 1n) according to the output signal in order to display the respective setting, in addition to the regulating/control unit for modification of the setting. In order to produce a quality display and operator unit, at least two receiver elements which are sensitive with respective to the luminous radiation of the luminous diodes (1a, . . . , 1n) are provided, acting as detection elements in order to detect the luminous radiation reflected by at least one luminous diode (1c) and by an object (2), and the control device controls at least one of the luminous diodes in addition to the regulating/control unit as a result of the output signal, which is formed according to the movement of the object relative to the luminous diode (1c) emitting luminous radiation, according to the movement of said object.

Claims

1. Circuit with an optoelectronic display unit for the discrete display of the setting of a regulating/adjusting unit comprising:

at least one detection element configured to detect actuation of the regulating/adjusting unit by means of a body configured to change the setting of the regulating/adjusting unit, wherein the detection element upon actuation is configured to supply an output signal corresponding to the desired change;

a plurality of light-emitting diodes disposed substantially side by side in a row and configured to emit optical radiation, the light-emitting diodes being formed as display elements on the display unit;

a control device, which, in dependence upon the output signal produced by the detection element, is configured to control at least one of the light-emitting diodes to display the respective setting, as well as the regulating/adjusting unit to change the setting,

wherein the control device is configured to control at least one of the light-emitting diodes, the detection elements, as well as the regulating/adjusting unit to follow the movement of the body on the basis of the output signal, which is formed in dependence upon the movement of the body relative to the light-emitting diode that is emitting optical radiation, and that either of at least two receiving elements are provided, which are configured to be sensitive to the optical radiation of the light-emitting diodes, wherein the detection elements detect the optical radiation emitted by at least one light-emitting diode and reflected by the body, or at least one receiving element is provided, which is configured to be sensitive to the optical radiation of the light-emitting diodes, wherein the detection element detects the optical radiation emitted by at least two light-emitting diodes and reflected by the body, wherein in both cases the control device, as soon as the control device because of the output signal advances the display unit in one direction to one of the next light-emitting diodes, is configured to advances in the same direction the receiving element(s) being adjacent to the light-emitting diode emitting the optical radiation.

2. Circuit according to claim 1, wherein the one direction is along the row of light-emitting diodes.

3. Circuit according to claim 1, wherein the receiving element is one of the light-emitting diodes, which is at least part of the time controlled in such a way that upon illumination it generates a voltage.

4. Circuit according to claim 1, wherein the light-emitting diodes are configured to be operated sequentially in respect of time as transmitter and receiving element.

5. Circuit according to claim 1, wherein the light-emitting diodes immediately adjacent to the light-emitting diode that is emitting optical radiation are operated as a receiving element, and that, as soon as the control device because of the output signal advances the display unit to the next light-emitting diode, the adjacent light-emitting diodes operated as a receiving element are also configured to be advanced in the same direction.

6. Circuit according to claim 1, wherein the optical radiation emitted by the light-emitting diode is modulated by a clock generator, and connected downstream of the receiving elements is a synchronous demodulator configured to recognize the modulated light reflected by the body.

7. Circuit according to claim 1, wherein a momentary contact recognition apparatus with a surface in the vicinity of the light-emitting diode is provided, which is configured to activate a timer, which is configured to enable the actuation of the display unit.

8. Circuit according to claim 7, wherein the light-emitting diodes and the receiving elements form at least two reflection sections and that, for recognition of the momentary contact, the individual signals resulting therefrom are supplied to a summing stage to form a signal of the distance from the surface of or in the vicinity of the surface of the light-emitting diode.

9. Circuit according to claim 7, wherein the momentary-contact recognition apparatus is configured to recognize as momentary contact a pattern of motion, which comprises the approach of the body, the sudden braking of the body against a momentarily touched surface as well as a dwelling on the surface for a pre-selected time.

10. Circuit according to one of claim 7, wherein the momentary-contact recognition apparatus is configured to recognize as momentary contact only a repeated momentary contact.

11. Circuit according to claim 1, wherein the light-emitting diodes and the receiving elements form at least two reflection sections, and a comparator compares individual signals resulting therefrom in order to decide about the direction of motion in order to generate a digital output signal.

12. Circuit according to claim 1, wherein the light-emitting diodes and the receiving elements form at least two reflection sections, and a position recognition comparator compares individual signals resulting therefrom in order to decide about the changeover instant between two adjacent light-emitting diodes together with formation of an analogue output signal for the position of the object.

13. Circuit according to claim 1, wherein, for a light-emitting diode located at the end of the row, a simulation circuit is configured to simulate a light signal at the side remote from the light-emitting diode, which is adjacent to the light-emitting diode located at the end of the row.

14. Circuit according to claim 13, wherein at the simulation circuit a voltage divider is provided, the divider ratio of which being dimensioned so that the divided-down transmitted clock signal of the clock generator at the side, where the light signal is simulated, is at least slightly greater than the reception signal of the adjacent light-emitting diode produced by parasitic reflection at the translucent surface.

15. Circuit according to claim 1, wherein the control device on the basis of the output signals is configured to control the light-emitting diodes in such a way that the light-emitting diode forming the display element is situated under the body.

16. Circuit according to claim 15, wherein the control device, when the body remains in an unvarying position between adjacent light-emitting diodes, is configured to switch back and forth between the adjacent light-emitting diodes, and increase the sensitivity for position detection until a preselected value is exceeded.

17. Circuit according to claim 16, wherein in the event of repeated switching back and forth, a decision aid is activated that sets the receiving element less and less sensitively until the light-emitting diode situated closer to the body is selectable and which then reverts to the state of sensitivity for the detection of further movement of the body.

18. Circuit according to claim 17, wherein the decision aid is a hysteresis detector.

19. Circuit according to one of claims 16, wherein the output signal at a instant of a changeover is referred to a specific preselected or preselectable value so that after the changeover a next threshold value is reached with a part of the output signal.

20. Circuit according to claim 1, wherein the output signal for the position of the body is ignored if at the same time a signal of the distance from the surface of or from the vicinity of the surface of the light-emitting diode changes with simultaneous removal of the body from the light-emitting diode.

21. Circuit according to claim 20, wherein, when the output signal for the position of the body during removal varies by more than a preselected value, the control device selects the light-emitting diode, at which the body last dwelt for longer than a preselected dwell time.

22. Circuit according to claim 1, wherein storage means are provided, and configured to store a last setting even in a de-energized state.

23. Circuit according to claim 1, wherein a plurality of rows of light-emitting diodes are cascaded in order to lengthen the operating path.

24. Circuit according to claim 1, wherein a last light-emitting diode of the row is functionally linked to a first light-emitting diode of the same row with simultaneous formation of a virtual turning knob.

25. Circuit according to claim 1, wherein the light-emitting diodes are arranged in the shape of an arc or circle.

26. Circuit according to claim 1, wherein the control device is configured to operate all of the light-emitting diodes up to a position of the body and/or up to a position of the receiving element as display elements to form a light strip.