Controlling intensity of light emitted by a device

• US 9,326,672 B2
• Filed: 11/17/2011
• Issued: 05/03/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 12/20/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Welch Allyn Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Welch Allyn Incorporated
• Inventors: Wood, Robert J.
• Primary Examiner(s): Merene, Jan Christopher
• Assistant Examiner(s): COTRONEO, STEVEN J
• Application Number:
  US13/298,323
• Publication Number:
  US 20120157776A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,629 Days
• Field of Search: 600178-180, 600/185, 600199-200, 345173-184, 362/295
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 1/00039 provided with input arrangements for the user
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 1/00066 Proximal part of endoscope body, e.g. handles A61B1/0052 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 1/0661 Endoscope light sources
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 1/227 for ears, i.e. otoscopes
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 3/0008 provided with illuminating means A61B3/117 takes precedence; goniolenses used for laser treatment A61F9/009; illuminating means for optical instruments G02B27/00
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 3/0033 characterised by user input arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 47/115 by determining the presence or movement of objects or living beings
• CPC Class Codes: Y02B 20/40 Control techniques providing energy savings, e.g. smart controller or presence detection

Abstract

A device has a capacitive surface and a light source. A user of the device uses the capacitive surface to change the intensity of light emitted by the light source. To increase and decrease the intensity of the light emitted by the light source, the user touches the capacitive surface with one or more fingers.

Claims

1. A medical device comprising:

a medical instrument;

a handle;

a capacitive surface disposed on the handle;

a head, including a light source that emits light, an intensity of the light changing in response to a user'"'"'s finger touching the capacitive surface; and

a processing circuit that receives a signal that encodes a capacitance of the capacitive surface, the processing circuit causing the light source to change the intensity of the light based on changes to capacitance of the capacitive surface after the user'"'"'s finger initially touches the capacitive surface, and wherein the processing circuit causes the light source to increase the intensity of the light and also decrease the intensity of the light without the user lifting the user'"'"'s finger off the capacitive surface, wherein upon detecting a capacitance exceeding a baseline level of the capacitive surface prior to the user'"'"'s finger initially touching the capacitive surface, the processing circuit;

calculates a normalized capacitance for a rolling time window using at least two samples, the at least two samples representing capacitances of the capacitive surface at least two times during the rolling time window;

causes the light source to increase the intensity of the light when the normalized capacitance has increased during the rolling time window; and

causes the light source to decrease the intensity of the light when the normalized capacitance has decreased during the rolling time window.

2. The device of claim 1, wherein the intensity decreases upon the user'"'"'s finger touching the capacitive surface until the user'"'"'s finger releases the capacitive surface.

3. The device of claim 1, wherein the intensity increases upon a greater number of the user'"'"'s fingers touching the capacitive surface.

4. The device of claim 1, wherein the intensity decreases upon a lesser number of the user'"'"'s fingers touching the capacitive surface.

5. The device of claim 1, wherein the intensity of the light increases in response to a pressure of the user'"'"'s finger on the capacitive surface increasing after the user'"'"'s finger initially touches the capacitive surface, and wherein the intensity of the light decreases in response to a pressure of the user'"'"'s finger on the capacitive surface decreasing after the user'"'"'s finger initially touches the capacitive surface.

6. The device of claim 1, wherein no moving parts are involved when changing the intensity of the light.

7. The device of claim 1, wherein the processing circuit calculates the normalized capacitance as a mean of the capacitances represented by the samples.

8. The device of claim 1, wherein the processing circuit causes the light source to increase the intensity of the light by an amount directly related to an amount by which the capacitance increased during the rolling time window;

and wherein the processing circuit causes the light source to decrease the intensity of the light by an amount directly related to an amount by which the capacitance decreased during the rolling time window.