Touch screen having a uniform actuation force and a maximum active area
First Claim
1. A load control device for controlling the amount of power delivered to an electrical load from an AC power source, the load control device comprising:
- a controllably conductive device operable to be coupled in series electrical connection between the source and the load, the controllably conductive device having a control input for controlling the controllably conductive device between a non-conductive state and a conductive state;
a controller operatively coupled to the control input of the controllably conductive device for controlling the controllably conductive device between the non-conductive state and the conductive state;
a touch sensitive front surface adapted to be provided in an opening of a faceplate, such that the touch sensitive front surface is provided either substantially coextensive with the opening of the faceplate or slightly beyond a front surface of the faceplate; and
a touch sensitive device responsive to a plurality of point actuations on the touch sensitive front surface, each point actuation characterized by a position and a force,the touch sensitive device having an output operatively coupled to the controller for providing a control signal representative of the position of the point actuation and responsive to the point actuation when the magnitude of the force of the point actuation is greater than a minimum magnitude;
wherein the minimum magnitude of the force of each of the point actuations is substantially equal at each of the respective positions on the touch sensitive front surface.
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Accused Products
Abstract
A load control device for controlling the amount of power delivered to an electrical load from an AC power source comprises a touch sensitive device having a touch sensitive front surface responsive to a point actuation. The front surface is adapted to be provided in an opening of a faceplate such that the front surface of the touch sensitive actuator extends through the opening at a distance equal to or greater than the depth of the faceplate. According to the present invention, the operational area of the front surface is maximized to substantially the entire area of the front surface. Further, a minimum magnitude of a force of each of the point actuations is substantially equal at each of the respective positions on the front surface of the touch sensitive actuator, such that the front surface provides a substantially uniform force profile.
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Citations
42 Claims
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1. A load control device for controlling the amount of power delivered to an electrical load from an AC power source, the load control device comprising:
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a controllably conductive device operable to be coupled in series electrical connection between the source and the load, the controllably conductive device having a control input for controlling the controllably conductive device between a non-conductive state and a conductive state; a controller operatively coupled to the control input of the controllably conductive device for controlling the controllably conductive device between the non-conductive state and the conductive state; a touch sensitive front surface adapted to be provided in an opening of a faceplate, such that the touch sensitive front surface is provided either substantially coextensive with the opening of the faceplate or slightly beyond a front surface of the faceplate; and a touch sensitive device responsive to a plurality of point actuations on the touch sensitive front surface, each point actuation characterized by a position and a force, the touch sensitive device having an output operatively coupled to the controller for providing a control signal representative of the position of the point actuation and responsive to the point actuation when the magnitude of the force of the point actuation is greater than a minimum magnitude; wherein the minimum magnitude of the force of each of the point actuations is substantially equal at each of the respective positions on the touch sensitive front surface. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19)
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20. A user interface for a lighting control, the user interface comprising:
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a touch sensitive front surface adapted to be provided in an opening of a faceplate, such that the touch sensitive front surface is provided either substantially coextensive with the opening of the faceplate or slightly beyond a front surface of the faceplate; and a touch sensitive device responsive to a plurality of point actuations on the touch sensitive front surface, each point actuation characterized by a position and a force, the touch sensitive device having an output for providing a control signal representative of the position of the point actuation and responsive to the point actuation when the magnitude of the force of the point actuation is greater than a minimum magnitude; wherein the minimum magnitude of the force of each of the point actuations is substantially equal at each of the respective positions on the touch sensitive front surface.
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21. A load control device for controlling the amount of power delivered to an electrical load from an AC power source, the load control device comprising:
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a controllably conductive device operable to be coupled in series electrical connection between the source and the load, the controllably conductive device having a control input for controlling the controllably conductive device between a non-conductive state and a conductive state; a controller operatively coupled to the control input of the controllably conductive device for controlling the controllably conductive device between the non-conductive state and the conductive state; a faceplate having a front surface and an opening defining a first area; a touch sensitive front surface having a second area substantially the same as the first area, the touch sensitive front surface adapted to be provided in the opening of the faceplate, such that the touch sensitive front surface is provided either substantially coextensive with the opening of the faceplate or slightly beyond the front surface of the faceplate; and a touch sensitive device responsive to a plurality of point actuations on the touch sensitive front surface, each of the point actuations characterized by a position and a force, the touch sensitive device comprising an output operatively coupled to the controller for providing a control signal representative of the position of the point actuation; wherein each of the point actuations is operable to actuate the touch sensitive device at any of the positions on the second area of the touch sensitive front surface. - View Dependent Claims (22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34, 35, 36, 39, 40, 41, 42)
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37. A user interface for a lighting control, the user interface comprising:
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a faceplate having a front surface and an opening defining a first area; a touch sensitive front surface having a second area substantially the same size and shape as the first area, the touch sensitive front surface adapted to be provided in the opening of the faceplate, such that the touch sensitive front surface is provided either substantially coextensive with the opening of the faceplate or slightly beyond the front surface of the faceplate; a touch sensitive device responsive to a plurality of point actuations on the touch sensitive front surface, each of the point actuations characterized by a position and a force; wherein the touch sensitive device is operable to provide a control signal representative of the position of the point actuation; wherein each of the point actuations is operable to actuate the touch sensitive device at any of the positions on the second area of the touch sensitive front surface.
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38. A control structure for an electrical control system for producing a variable output electrical signal to an electrical load for controllably varying an output of said load, said control structure comprising:
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(a) an enclosed volume which contains electrical circuitry; (b) a cover plate on one surface of said enclosed volume having a planar front surface and having a rectangular opening therein; (c) a rectangular frame extending into said rectangular opening in said cover plate and having a thin front surface adapted to have an operating pressure applied thereto; (d) a touch sensitive device having a front surface, said touch sensitive device disposed adjacent to and behind said rectangular opening and received in said rectangular frame, said thin front surface of said rectangular frame operable to permit the transmission of said operating pressure to said front surface of said touch sensitive device, said touch sensitive device coupled to said electrical circuitry and adapted to produce an output signal which is related to the position within an area of said touch sensitive device front surface corresponding to the position within an area of said front surface of said rectangular frame at which said operating pressure is applied; wherein the area of said touch sensitive device is greater than the area of said front surface of said rectangular frame, whereby side edges of said touch sensitive device are unresponsive when pressure is applied to said front surface of said rectangular frame.
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Specification