User interface with annular touch sensor array

• US 8,730,185 B2
• Filed: 12/23/2009
• Issued: 05/20/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 12/23/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Electrolux Home Products Incorporated (AB Electrolux)
• Original Assignee: Electrolux Home Products Incorporated (AB Electrolux)
• Inventors: Rudolph, John
• Primary Examiner(s): Bibbins, Latanya
• Application Number:
  US12/645,681
• Publication Number:
  US 20110148773A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,609 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 345/173
• CPC Class Codes: F24C 7/083 on tops, hot plates
• CPC Class Codes: H03K 17/96 Touch switches specially adapted for electronic time-pieces with no moving parts G04G21/08
• CPC Class Codes: H03K 2017/9507 with illumination
• CPC Class Codes: H03K 2217/96066 Thumbwheel, potentiometer, scrollbar or slider simulation by touch switch

Abstract

Provided is a user interface comprising a substrate having a through-hole, an annular touch sensor array located on the substrate and at least partially surrounding the through-hole, and a display device in alignment the through-hole.

Claims

1. A user interface, comprising:

a substrate having a through-hole;

an annular touch sensor array located on an upper surface of the substrate and at least partially surrounding the through-hole, the annular touch sensor array having an inner circumference and an outer circumference; and

a display device in alignment with the through-hole, the display device comprising;

a circular upper surface in alignment with the through-hole and substantially flush with the upper surface of the substrate to form a substantially continuous surface of the user interface;

a plurality of terminals for surface mounting the display device to the substrate; and

a plurality of light-emitting elements forming an annular bar graph located entirely within the inner circumference of the annular touch sensor array.

2. The user interface of claim 1, wherein the display device is mounted in the through-hole.

3. The user interface of claim 1, wherein the user interface controls an operation of a cooking appliance, the cooking appliance comprising:

a heating element; and

a cooktop having a cooktop upper surface,

wherein a touch control area is provided on the cooktop upper surface,

wherein the user interface is mounted beneath the touch control area, and

wherein a power level of the heating element is set in accordance with a rotational input using the annular touch sensor array.

4. The user interface of claim 1, wherein based on a rotational input using the annular touch sensor array, a corresponding rotational light display is generated by the annular bar graph.

5. The user interface of claim 1, wherein the display device comprises a numerical display located within the annular touch sensor array and the annular bar graph wherein the annular bar graph displays information graphically, and the numerical display simultaneously displays the same information numerically.

6. The user interface of claim 5, wherein the numerical display comprises a further plurality of light-emitting elements forming a multi-segment display.

7. The user interface of claim 6, wherein based on a rotational input using the annular touch sensor array, a number displayed by the multi-segment display changes.

8. The user interface of claim 1, wherein the display device further comprises a numerical display located within the annular touch sensor array, the numerical display including a further plurality of light-emitting elements forming a multi-segment display,

wherein the plurality of light-emitting elements forming the annular bar graph and the further plurality of light-emitting elements forming the multi-segment display are arranged electrically as a matrix between both of a first group of the plurality of terminals and a second group of the plurality of terminals, the display device being surface mounted to a lower surface of the substrate.

9. A user interface, comprising:

a substrate having a through-hole formed therein;

an annular touch sensor array located on the substrate around the through-hole the annular touch sensor array having an inner circumference and an outer circumference; and

a display device located within the through-hole, the display device comprising;

a plurality of light-emitting elements forming an annular bar graph, wherein the annular bar graph is located entirely inside of the inner circumference of the annular touch sensor array; and

a numerical display located within the annular bar graph, wherein the annular bar graph displays information graphically, and the numerical display simultaneously displays the same information numerically,

wherein the numerical display comprises a further plurality of light-emitting elements forming a multi-segment display, and

wherein the plurality of light-emitting elements forming the annular bar graph and the further plurality of light-emitting elements forming the multi-segment display are arranged electrically as a matrix between both of a first group of terminals and a second group of terminals for surface mounting the display device to the substrate.

10. The user interface of claim 9, wherein the user interface controls an operation of a cooking appliance, the cooking appliance comprising:

a heating element; and

a cooktop having an upper surface,

wherein a touch control area is provided on the upper surface,

wherein the user interface is mounted beneath the touch control area, and

wherein a power level of the heating element is set in accordance with a rotational input using the annular touch sensor array.

11. The user interface of claim 10,

wherein the annular bar graph displays the power level graphically, and the numerical display simultaneously displays the power level numerically, and

wherein based on the rotational input using the annular touch sensor array, a corresponding rotational light display is generated by the annular bar graph.

12. A user interface, comprising:

a substrate having a through-hole formed therein;

an annular touch sensor array located on the substrate around the through-hole the annular touch sensor array having an inner circumference and an outer circumference; and

a display device located within the through-hole, the display device comprising;

a plurality of light-emitting elements forming an annular bar graph, wherein the annular bar graph is located entirely inside of the inner circumference of the annular touch sensor array; and

a numerical display located within the annular bar graph, wherein the annular bar graph displays information graphically, and the numerical display simultaneously displays the same information numerically, wherein the annular touch sensor array is located on an upper surface of the substrate;

wherein the numerical display comprises a further plurality of light-emitting elements forming a multi-segment display, and

wherein the plurality of light-emitting elements forming the annular bar graph and the further plurality of light-emitting elements forming the multi-segment display are mounted within a cylindrical portion of a common housing of the display device, the common housing further comprising a printed circuit board including a plurality of terminals for surface mounting the display device to a lower surface of the substrate.

13. The user interface of claim 12, wherein the user interface controls an operation of a cooking appliance, the cooking appliance comprising:

a heating element; and

a cooktop having an upper surface,

wherein a touch control area is provided on the upper surface,

wherein the user interface is mounted beneath the touch control area, and

wherein a power level of the heating element is set in accordance with a rotational input using the annular touch sensor array.

14. The user interface of claim 13,

wherein the annular bar graph displays the power level graphically, and the numerical display simultaneously displays the power level numerically, and

wherein based on the rotational input using the annular touch sensor array, a corresponding rotational light display is generated by the annular bar graph.