User interface

• US 8,866,753 B2
• Filed: 12/26/2007
• Issued: 10/21/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 12/28/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Arcelik Anonim Sirketi
• Original Assignee: Arcelik Anonim Sirketi
• Inventors: Akbas, M. Omer
• Primary Examiner(s): Kumar, Srilakshmi K
• Assistant Examiner(s): Abebe, Sosina
• Application Number:
  US12/521,576
• Publication Number:
  US 20100315351A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,491 Days
• Field of Search: 345/156, 345/172, 345/173, 463/37, 341/34
• US Class Current: 345/173
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04142 the force sensing means being located peripherally, e.g. disposed at the corners or at the side of a touch sensing plate
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0416 Control or interface arrangements specially adapted for digitisers

Abstract

The present invention relates to a user interface (1) which can be employed in household appliances such as cooking appliances, dishwashers, washing machines, refrigerators, and all appliances which make use of tablets (2), screens etc. with symbols thereon.

Claims

1. A user interface (1) comprising a tablet (2) that can be touched by the user to enter data, one or more buttons (4) over the tablet (2) defining fields upon which the user may apply force, marked with symbols, and sensors (3) which are located beneath the tablet (2), positioned so as to remain in contact with the tablet (2), and which all sensors sense any force exerted onto the tablet (2) and generate signals by sensing the force which are sensed values for each of the sensors;

and further comprising a control unit (5);

wherein a template is stored for sorting of the sensors (3) according to the sensed values in ascending to descending order for each pressed button (4) and the control unit (5) compares a momentary sorting of all of the sensors (3) in ascending to descending order according to the sensed values, without need to proceed to any calculation of the sensed values, by the sensors (3) when the user applies force over the tablet (2) to the template sorting particular to each button (4), and to conclude at the end of this comparison if there is an overlapping pattern between the template sorting and the momentary sorting of the sensors, that the button (4) corresponding to that specific overlapping pattern has been pressed.

2. The user interface (1) as in claim 1, wherein the control unit (5) being configured to conclude, in the case when there is no overlapping pattern between the template sorting of sensors (3) of any one of the buttons (4) and the momentary sorting concludes that the force has been exerted in an area where there are no buttons (4) the force has been exerted in an area where there are no buttons (4).

3. The user interface (1) as in claim 2, wherein the control unit (5) being configured to alert the user if is concluded that force has been exerted in an area without buttons (4).

4. The user interface (1) as in claims 2 or 3 wherein the control unit (5) being configured to, when the user interface (1) is active position but before user interaction with the tablet (2), determine reference values of the sensors (3) by measurements done by the sensors (3) which are in contact with the tablet (2), and being configured to, once the user interacts with the tablet (2), subtracts the reference values from the values sensed by the sensors (3), and arranges the sensors (3) according to the resulting values to obtain the momentary sorting.

5. A cooking device wherein the user interface (1) as in claims 2 or 3.

6. A dishwasher wherein the user interface (1) as in any one of claims 2 or 3.

7. A washing machine wherein the user interface (1) as in claims 2 or 3.

8. A refrigerator wherein the user interface (1) as in claims 2 or 3.