Intelligent electrical switching device including a touch sensor switch
First Claim
1. An electronic module for use with a product, said product comprising a power source or a connection to a power source, and an energy consuming load, said module comprising,a circuit, said circuit including a microchip and a touch sensor switch, said switch being an activation/deactivation user interface and connected to an input of the microchip, said switch and input not forming a serial link in the circuit that transfers power from the power source to the load, wherein the microchip also controls a power switch to power the load according to at least one configuration selected from the following group:
- a) a switching off function and gradual adjustment of power to the load is selected based on the different periods of switch activation; and
b) a function is selected based on the number of switch activations and the period between preceding switch operations.
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Abstract
The present invention, according to a preferred embodiment, is directed to portable electronic devices which operate on exhaustible power sources, for example, batteries. The electronic devices of the present invention comprise at least one signal switch and a microchip in communication with the switch wherein the switch is only capable of transmitting a signal to the microchip that the switch has been activated or deactivated. The microchip is in communication with the exhaustible power source of the electronic device and controls (i) the power on/off function of the device, (ii) at least one other function of the device in response to activation and deactivation signals from the switch, and (iii) an automatic shut off function in response to the receipt of an activation signal from the switch.
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Citations
35 Claims
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1. An electronic module for use with a product, said product comprising a power source or a connection to a power source, and an energy consuming load, said module comprising,
a circuit, said circuit including a microchip and a touch sensor switch, said switch being an activation/deactivation user interface and connected to an input of the microchip, said switch and input not forming a serial link in the circuit that transfers power from the power source to the load, wherein the microchip also controls a power switch to power the load according to at least one configuration selected from the following group: -
a) a switching off function and gradual adjustment of power to the load is selected based on the different periods of switch activation; and b) a function is selected based on the number of switch activations and the period between preceding switch operations. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31)
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32. A method of implementing an activation/deactivation user interface in a product with an power switch to power an energy consuming load by connecting it to a power source, the method includes providing a touch sensor as the user interface switch and the interface switch not forming a serial element in the circuit that transfers power between the power source and the load, said method comprising,
providing automatic termination of a function that was activated in response to a activation signal received through the user interface, a predetermined period after receiving a signal from the user interface, and using the activation of a visible location indicator to give an indication of the user interface switch activation when the load is not active.
Specification