Touch-sensitive control

• US 10,114,402 B2
• Filed: 07/18/2014
• Issued: 10/30/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 07/19/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: AMS Neve Ltd. (Navitas Pty Ltd. (Western Australia))
• Original Assignee: AMS Neve Ltd. (Navitas Pty Ltd. (Western Australia))
• Inventors: Farrar, Wayne, Wyatt, Stephen Martin, Porter, Robin Andrew, Bloor, Christopher
• Primary Examiner(s): Shankar, Vijay
• Application Number:
  US14/905,243
• Publication Number:
  US 20160170436A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,565 Days
• CPC Class Codes: G01D 5/30 the beams of light being detected by photocells
• CPC Class Codes: G05G 1/015 Arrangements for indicating the position of a controlling member means for continuously detecting pedal position G05G1/38; means for detecting position through tactile feedback G05G5/03
• CPC Class Codes: G05G 1/08 Controlling members for hand actuation by rotary movement, e.g. hand wheels
• CPC Class Codes: G05G 1/105 comprising arrangements for illumination
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0202 Constructional details or processes of manufacture of the input device
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/03547 Touch pads, in which fingers can move on a surface
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/165 Management of the audio stream, e.g. setting of volume, audio stream path
• CPC Class Codes: H01H 2019/143 having at least two concentric turn knobs
• CPC Class Codes: H01H 2219/0621 Optical fiber light conductor
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 60/04 Studio equipment; Interconnection of studios

Abstract

The invention provides a rotary or touch-sensitive control comprising a first rotatable and/or touch-sensitive body comprising means for displaying information relating to a parameter controlled by the first body, and a second rotatable and/or touch-sensitive body formed around the first rotatable body comprising means for displaying information relating to a parameter controlled by the second rotatable body.

Claims

1. A control comprising a cylindrical first touch-sensitive body comprising a first display element, the first display element adapted to display information relating to a parameter controlled by the first touch-sensitive body, and

an annular second touch-sensitive body formed around a circumference of the first touch-sensitive body, the second touch-sensitive body comprising a second display element, the second display element adapted to display information relating to a parameter controlled by the second touch-sensitive body,

wherein both the first touch-sensitive body and the second touch-sensitive body are rotatable.

2. The control as claimed in claim 1 wherein one or both of the first and second display elements comprises one or more visual display elements.

3. The control as claimed in claim 2 wherein at least one of the one or more visual display elements is connected to circuitry or other electrical means to enable selected elements to be activated to represent conditions associated with a parameter controlled by the first and/or second touch-sensitive body.

4. The control as claimed in claim 2 wherein at least one of the one or more visual display elements are connected to at least one information encoder and at least one corresponding information reader which together process information corresponding to the rotational position of the first and/or second bodies and relays said information to circuitry or other electronics to activate change in the parameter controlled by the first and/or second body and display the change via the one or more visual display elements.

5. The control as claimed in claim 4 wherein the at least one encoder and at least one reader are located on the outside of the first and/or second body or is located within the first and/or second body so that they are not visible during normal use of the control.

6. The control as claimed in claim 4 comprising a first encoder and a first reader for the first rotatable body located within the first rotatable body so that they are not visible during normal use of the control;

a second encoder corresponding to the second rotatable body is located on an outside surface of the second body; and

a second reader corresponding to the second rotatable body is located adjacent to the surface of the second body comprising the encoder.

7. The control as claimed in claim 1 wherein one or both of the the first and second display elements comprises a plurality of channels for the transmission of light signals.

8. The control as claimed in claim 1 wherein the first display element is formed within the first body, the second display element is formed within the second body, and the first and second display elements are adapted to display information relating to different parameters.

9. The control as claimed in claim 1 wherein the first display element is formed within the first body, the second display element is formed within the second body, and the first and second display elements are adapted to display information relating to a parameter controlled by both the first and second body.