Method for operator guidance, control panel component, production of a control panel component and home appliance comprising a control panel component
First Claim
1. A method for selective operator guidance for operator inputs in a home appliance, comprising the following steps:
- providing a control panel component comprising a sensor layer covered by a cover layer, wherein the sensor layer is a film component that is configured to detect different operator inputs based on a desired input mode, and that comprises a two-directional location detecting sensor network, wherein the sensor layer is flexibly configurable during operation of the home appliance corresponding to the desired input mode from an available plurality of input modes, and wherein the sensor network forms a changeable area which is available for the operator inputs, the changeable area capable of changing based on the desired input mode and the corresponding operator input,providing an indicator layer comprising a plurality of selectively activatable permanently fixed portions of physical discrete indicator elements within the indicator layer, with one of the plurality of the discrete indicator elements activatable based on the desired input mode, wherein selective activation includes illuminating the one of the plurality of discrete indicator elements,defining a present input mode, comprising;
allocating at least one defined field corresponding to the changeable area to be monitored for operator inputs on the sensor layer depending on the desired input mode and the corresponding selectively activated discrete indicator element, wherein the at least one defined field is a subset of available area formed by the sensor network, andactivating the one of the plurality of discrete indicator element for selective operator input, anddetecting and evaluating operator input in the at least one defined field.
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Accused Products
Abstract
There is presented a method for selective operator guidance for operator inputs, in particular for operator inputs in a home appliance, to a control panel component, in particular for an operating control panel for a home appliance, and to a method for producing a control panel component, in particular for an operating control panel of a home appliance. In one aspect, the control panel component includes a cover layer, a sensor layer which covers a rear side of the cover layer in a flat manner, at least sectionally, and an indicator layer comprising at least one discrete indicator element, wherein the sensor layer is arranged between the cover layer and the at least one discrete indicator element, wherein the sensor layer is configured to detect operator inputs, in particular operator gestures, wherein the sensor layer is arranged to be activated sectionally depending on a desired input mode, and wherein the at least one discrete indicator element is arranged to be actuated for selective operator guidance.
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Citations
20 Claims
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1. A method for selective operator guidance for operator inputs in a home appliance, comprising the following steps:
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providing a control panel component comprising a sensor layer covered by a cover layer, wherein the sensor layer is a film component that is configured to detect different operator inputs based on a desired input mode, and that comprises a two-directional location detecting sensor network, wherein the sensor layer is flexibly configurable during operation of the home appliance corresponding to the desired input mode from an available plurality of input modes, and wherein the sensor network forms a changeable area which is available for the operator inputs, the changeable area capable of changing based on the desired input mode and the corresponding operator input, providing an indicator layer comprising a plurality of selectively activatable permanently fixed portions of physical discrete indicator elements within the indicator layer, with one of the plurality of the discrete indicator elements activatable based on the desired input mode, wherein selective activation includes illuminating the one of the plurality of discrete indicator elements, defining a present input mode, comprising; allocating at least one defined field corresponding to the changeable area to be monitored for operator inputs on the sensor layer depending on the desired input mode and the corresponding selectively activated discrete indicator element, wherein the at least one defined field is a subset of available area formed by the sensor network, and activating the one of the plurality of discrete indicator element for selective operator input, and detecting and evaluating operator input in the at least one defined field. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4)
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5. A control panel component, comprising:
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a cover layer, a flexibly configurable sensor layer, and an indicator layer comprising a plurality of selectively activatable permanently fixed portions of physical discrete indicator elements within the indicator layer, wherein selective activation includes illuminating one of the plurality of discrete indicator elements, wherein the sensor layer at least sectionally covers a rear side of the cover layer, wherein the sensor layer is arranged between the cover layer and the plurality of portions of discrete indicator elements, with the one of the plurality of discrete indicator elements activatable based on the desired input mode and the corresponding selectively activated discrete indicator element, wherein the sensor layer is a film component that is configured to detect different operator inputs based on a desired input mode from an available plurality of input modes, and that comprises a two-directional location detecting sensor network, wherein the sensor network forms an area which is available for the operator inputs, wherein the sensor layer is sectionally activatable depending on a desired input mode so as to define at least one field corresponding to a sectionally activatable area to be monitored for operator inputs on the sensor layer depending on the desired input mode, wherein the at least one defined field is a subset of the available area formed by the sensor network, and wherein the one of the plurality of discrete indicator elements is activatable for selective operator input. - View Dependent Claims (6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15)
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16. A method for producing a flexibly configurable control panel component for a home appliance, comprising the following steps:
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providing a cover layer, providing a flexibly configurable sensor layer which is sectionally activatable and configured to detect operator inputs based on a desired input mode of an available plurality of input modes, wherein the sensor layer is a film component that is configured to detect operator inputs and that comprises a two-directional location detecting sensor network, and wherein the sensor network forms an area which is available for the operator inputs, a sectionally activatable area capable of changing based on the desired input mode and the corresponding operator input, providing a plurality of selectively activatable permanently fixed portions of physical discrete indicator elements within the indicator layer, with one of the plurality of discrete indicator elements activatable based on the desired input mode, wherein selective activation includes illuminating the one of the plurality of discrete indicator elements, joining the cover layer, the sensor layer and the one discrete indicator element, and allocating at least one field corresponding to the sectionally activatable area to be monitored for operator inputs on the sensor layer depending on a desired input configuration of the control panel component and the corresponding selectively activated discrete indicator element, wherein the at least one field is a subset of available area formed by the sensor network, wherein the one of the plurality of discrete indicator elements is activatable for selective operator input. - View Dependent Claims (17, 18, 19, 20)
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Specification