Button based color navigation method and device in a lighting or visualization system

• US 8,816,611 B2
• Filed: 05/09/2008
• Issued: 08/26/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 05/16/2007
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Philips Lighting BV (Koninklijke Philips N.V.)
• Original Assignee: Koninklijke Philips N.V.
• Inventors: Vinkenvleugel, Lucius Theodorus
• Primary Examiner(s): Crawford, Jason M
• Assistant Examiner(s): Johnson, Christine
• Application Number:
  US12/599,351
• Publication Number:
  US 20100301780A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,300 Days
• Field of Search: 315/362
• US Class Current: 315/362
• CPC Class Codes: F21V 23/04 the elements being switches safety devices F21V25/00
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04845 for image manipulation, e.g. dragging, rotation, expansion or change of colour
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04847 Interaction techniques to control parameter settings, e.g. interaction with sliders or dials
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 45/20 Controlling the colour of the light
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 47/10 Controlling the light source

Abstract

The invention relates to button based color navigation in a lighting or visualization system, particularly for allowing fast and slow navigation through the colors in a lighting or visualization system only by usage of buttons. For the navigation, a device (10; 50) is provided which comprises several buttons (14,16, 18, 20, 22, 24,- 52, 54) arranged in predetermined order (12,-56), wherein each of the buttons is provided for a certain color of the system to be selected. Presses of one or more buttons (S10) are sensed, parameters of the sensed presses (S12) are evaluated, and a color in the system is changed depending on the evaluation of the parameters (S14, S16, S18, S20).

Claims

1. A button based color navigation method in a lighting or visualization system with a device comprising

a plurality of buttons arranged in predetermined order on a panel,

wherein each of the buttons is provided for a certain color of the system to be selected, including

sensing presses of one or more buttons,

evaluating parameters of the sensed presses and

changing a color in the system depending on the evaluation of the parameters

wherein the step of evaluating parameters of the sensed presses includes

evaluating an adjacency of two consecutively pressed buttons and

changing the color depending on the evaluated adjacency,

wherein adjacency is determined by distance of a position of the two buttons.

2. The method of claim 1., wherein the step of changing the color depending on the evaluated adjacency comprises

changing the color at a first predetermined speed if the evaluated adjacency is larger than a predetermined adjacency, or

changing the color at a second predetermined speed less than the first predetermined speed if the evaluated adjacency is smaller than or equals the predetermined adjacency.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the step of changing the color at the second predetermined speed comprises

changing the color at the second predetermined speed as long a button is pressed and

stop changing the color upon release of a button.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the step of evaluating parameters of the sensed presses comprises

evaluating the number of presses of a single button and

changing the color depending on the evaluated number of presses.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein the step of changing the color depending on the evaluated number of presses comprises

changing the color at a first predetermined speed if the single button was pressed repeatedly within a predetermined time span or

changing the color at a second predetermined speed less than the first predetermined speed if the single button was pressed once within the predetermined time span.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the step of evaluating parameters of the sensed presses comprises

evaluating the time duration of pressing of a single button and

changing the color depending on the evaluated time duration.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein the step of changing the color depending on the evaluated time duration comprises

changing the color at a first predetermined speed if the evaluated time duration is smaller than a predetermined time duration or

changing the color at a second predetermined speed less than the first predetermined speed if the evaluated time duration is larger than or equals the predetermined time duration.

8. The method claim 1, wherein the step of evaluating parameters of the sensed presses comprises

evaluating the simultaneous pressing of several buttons and

changing the color depending on the evaluated simultaneous pressing.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein the step of changing the color depending on the evaluated simultaneous pressing comprises

changing the color at a first predetermined speed if two or more buttons were pressed at the same time or

changing the color at a second predetermined speed greater than the first predetermined speed if only one button was pressed.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the step of sensing presses comprises

storing an identification of a pressed button and the number of consecutively presses of the button within a predetermined time span in a memory.

11. the method of claim 10 wherein the step of evaluation parameters of the sensed presses comprises

reading the stored identifications of a pressed button and the number of consecutively presses from the memory,

processing the read identifications of the pressed button and the number of consecutively presses, and

changing the color in accordance with the processing result.

12. A button based color navigation device for a lighting or visualization system comprising

a plurality of buttons arranged in predetermined order,

wherein each of the buttons is provided for a certain color of the system to be selected, including

sensor means for sensing presses of one or more buttons,

evaluation means for evaluating parameters of the sensed presses and

color change means for initiating a changing of a color in the system depending on the evaluation of the parameters,

wherein the evaluating means includes

evaluating the circular or angle between two consecutively pressed buttons.

13. A remote control device for a lighting or visualization system comprising several buttons arranged in predetermined order, wherein each of the buttons is provided for a certain color of the system to be selected, comprising

sensor means for sensing presses of one or more buttons,

evaluation means for evaluating parameters of the sensed presses,

color change means for initiating a changing of a color in the system depending on the evaluation of the parameters,

transmitter means for transmitting a color change signal to initiate a color change in the system,

wherein the evaluating means includes

evaluating the circular or angle between two consecutively pressed buttons.