Continuous capacitive slider controller for a smooth surfaced cooktop
First Claim
1. A touch control comprising, in combination,an elongated control surface, anda shunt mode capacitive sensor adjacent to the elongated control surface for detecting a position of a human finger touching the elongated control surface,whereinthe shunt mode capacitive sensor comprises at least one conductive transmitter plate adapted to be driven by an alternating current and to create an electrical field, and first and second receiver plates that are each conductive and adapted to capacitively couple with the at least one conductive transmitter plate,the first receiver plate comprises a first set of tongues, which said first set of tongues comprises more than two tongues,the second receiver plate comprises a second set of tongues, which said second set of tongues comprises more than two other tongues, andthe first set of tongues and the second set of tongues are interleaved,the elongated control surface has a first end and a second end, andthe width of tongues in the first set of tongues progressively increases, and the width of tongues in the second set of tongues progressively decreases, from the first end to the second end, wherein the at least one conductive transmitter plate comprises a first transmitter plate and a second transmitter plate, and the first receiver plate and the second receiver plate are positioned between the first transmitter plate and the second transmitter plate.
1 Assignment
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Accused Products
Abstract
A touch responsive capacitive control for a smooth surfaced ceramic cooktop provides a continuously variable control voltage which indicates the last touched position on an elongated control surface. An alternating current potential is applied between a transmitter plate and a pair of receiver plates all of which are positioned below the surface of the cooktop. The relative area of overlap between the touching finger and the two receiver plates varies along the length of the control surface, and the resulting change in the relative currents flowing to the two receiver plates is sensed to provide a position indication used to control the cooktop.
22 Citations
20 Claims
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1. A touch control comprising, in combination,
an elongated control surface, and a shunt mode capacitive sensor adjacent to the elongated control surface for detecting a position of a human finger touching the elongated control surface, wherein the shunt mode capacitive sensor comprises at least one conductive transmitter plate adapted to be driven by an alternating current and to create an electrical field, and first and second receiver plates that are each conductive and adapted to capacitively couple with the at least one conductive transmitter plate, the first receiver plate comprises a first set of tongues, which said first set of tongues comprises more than two tongues, the second receiver plate comprises a second set of tongues, which said second set of tongues comprises more than two other tongues, and the first set of tongues and the second set of tongues are interleaved, the elongated control surface has a first end and a second end, and the width of tongues in the first set of tongues progressively increases, and the width of tongues in the second set of tongues progressively decreases, from the first end to the second end, wherein the at least one conductive transmitter plate comprises a first transmitter plate and a second transmitter plate, and the first receiver plate and the second receiver plate are positioned between the first transmitter plate and the second transmitter plate.
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15. A touch control comprising, in combination,
an elongated control surface, and a shunt mode capacitive sensor adjacent to the elongated control surface, wherein the shunt mode capacitive sensor comprises at least one conductive transmitter plate for generating an alternating electrical field, and first and second receiver plates that are each conductive and adapted to capacitively couple with the at least one conductive transmitter plate, the first receiver plate comprises a first set of tongues comprised of more than two tongues, the second receiver plate comprises a second set of tongues comprised of more than two other tongues, and the elongated control surface has a first end and a second end, and the first set of tongues and the second set of tongues are interleaved in a pattern that, when a human finger touches the elongated control surface, defines a first area of overlap between the human finger and the first set of tongues and a second area of overlap between the human finger and the second set of tongues, with the first area of overlap being less than the second area of overlap when the human finger touches the first end and the second area of overlap being less than the first area of overlap when the human finger touches the second end, wherein the at least one conductive transmitter plate comprises a first transmitter plate and a second transmitter plate, and the first receiver plate and the second receiver plate are positioned between the first transmitter plate and the second transmitter plate.
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19. An elongated shunt mode capacitive sensor comprising:
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at least one transmitter plate, first and second receiver plates that are interleaved with each other, are each elongated and are each adapted to capacitively couple with the at least one transmitter plate, a first circuit connected to the first receiver plate for outputting a first signal value indicative of a first sensed value from the first receiver plate, and a second circuit connected to the second receiver plate for outputting a second signal value indicative of a second sensed value from the second receiver plate, wherein the elongated shunt mode capacitive sensor has a first end and a second end, and a difference value varies monotonically when a human finger moves from the first end to the second end, with the difference value being equal to the first sensed value minus the second value, wherein the at least one transmitter plate comprises a first transmitter plate and a second transmitter plate, and the first receiver plate and the second receiver plate are positioned between the first transmitter plate and the second transmitter plate. - View Dependent Claims (20)
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Specification