Operator/circuit interface with integrated display screen

• US 5,572,239 A
• Filed: 04/10/1995
• Issued: 11/05/1996
• Est. Priority Date: 11/05/1993
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Intertactile Technologies Corporation
• Original Assignee: Intertactile Technologies Corporation
• Inventors: Jaeger, Denny
• Primary Examiner(s): Hjerpe, Richard
• Assistant Examiner(s): Liang, Regina
• Application Number:
  US08/420,438
• Time in Patent Office: 575 Days
• Field of Search: 345/168, 345/169, 345/170, 345/171, 345/172, 345/173, 345/184, 345/905, 341/22, 341/23, 341/28, 341/33, 341/34
• US Class Current: 345/172
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 2360/126 Rotatable input devices for instruments
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 2360/143 Touch sensitive instrument input devices
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 2360/145 Instrument input by combination of touch screen and hardware input devices
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 35/10 Input arrangements, i.e. from user to vehicle, associated with vehicle functions or specially adapted therefor
• CPC Class Codes: G02F 1/13306 Circuit arrangements or driving methods for the control of single liquid crystal cells G02F1/132, G02F1/133382 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G02F 1/13338 Input devices, e.g. touch panels
• CPC Class Codes: G02F 1/1345 Conductors connecting electrodes to cell terminals
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 19/108 characterised by physical layout of switches; switches co-operating with display; use of switches in a special way
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/23023 Control knobs, levers integrated into display, display parameters near knobs
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/23141 Flat panel, thin film electro luminescent
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1601 Constructional details related to the housing of computer displays, e.g. of CRT monitors, of flat displays constructional details related to flat displays integrated in a portable computer, e.g. laptop, handheld computer G06F1/1637; constructional details related to television receivers H04N5/64
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2200/1611 CRT monitor
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2200/1612 Flat panel monitor
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0238 Programmable keyboards key guide holders G06F3/0224
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0312 for tracking the rotation of a spherical or circular member, e.g. optical rotary encoders used in mice or trackballs using a tracking ball or in mouse scroll wheels tracking relative movement in co-operation with a regularly or irregularly patterned surface, e.g. as in optical mice G06F3/0317; constructional details of scroll or thumb-wheels G06F3/0362; optical rotary encoders G01D5/3473
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0362 with detection of 1D translations or rotations of an operating part of the device, e.g. scroll wheels, sliders, knobs, rollers or belts
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/041 Digitisers, e.g. for touch screens or touch pads, characterised by the transducing means
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0489 using dedicated keyboard keys or combinations thereof
• CPC Class Codes: H01H 2009/184 Illumination of symbols by using laser light
• CPC Class Codes: H01H 9/181 using a programmable display, e.g. LED or LCD

Abstract

Operator interaction with electrical systems is facilitated by providing electromechanical control devices, which have switch buttons, rotary knobs or the like, with flat panel displays that convey information pertaining to the controls that can be changed instantly by a display controller. The display may identify the function of the control, the current setting, create calibration marks or provide other graphics. The images change automatically if the same control is used for multiple functions. In one form of the invention, the display screen has openings in the image area and the controls extend through and protrude from the screen enabling display of graphics in close proximity to the controls. In another form, the settings of controls which are secured to the face of a display screen are optically or magnetically detected by sensors located behind the screen. In still another form of the invention, the display is embedded in a switch key and has an image area that is substantially coextensive with the key. This enables permanent markings, such as are found on computer keyboard keys for example, to be replaced with changeable images that identify multiple functions of the keys.

Claims

1. Operator and electrical circuit interfacing apparatus having at least one circuit component for enabling operator interaction with the electrical circuit, said apparatus further having an electrically controlled display screen and control means for generating any of a plurality of different images at an image display area of said screen, at least a portion of said circuit component being situated at said screen within said image display area thereof, and wherein said control means generates an image on said screen that conveys information pertaining to said circuit component, said screen having at least one opening that extends through said screen at said image display area thereof and wherein at least a portion of said circuit component extends within said display screen at said opening, wherein said display screen includes a plurality of spaced apart conductors extending along said screen at said image display area thereof for creating electrical fields within said screen, each of said conductors having opposite end segments that are linear and in alignment with each other and wherein ones of said conductors which have end segments that are directed towards said opening have intermediate segments which link said end segments and which are shaped to extend along the portions of said screen that adjoin said opening.

2. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the spacing of said intermediate segments is smaller than the spacing of said end segments of said conductors.

3. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein said intermediate segments of said conductors are of differing lengths and wherein progressively longer ones of said intermediate segments have progressively greater transverse dimensions which cause said each of said intermediate segments to have substantially the same electrical resistance.

4. Operator and electrical circuit interfacing apparatus having at least one circuit component for enabling operator interaction with the electrical circuit, said apparatus further having an electrically controlled display screen and control means for generating any of a plurality of different images at an image display area of said screen, at least a portion of said circuit component being situated at said screen within said image display area thereof, and wherein said control means generates an image on said screen that conveys information pertaining to said circuit component, said screen having at least one opening that extends through said screen at said image display area thereof and wherein at least a portion of said circuit component extends within said display screen at said opening, wherein said display screen includes a plurality of spaced apart conductors extending along one surface of said screen at said image display area thereof for creating electrical fields within said screen, each of said conductors having opposite end segments that are linear and in alignment with each other and wherein ones of said conductors which have end segments that are directed towards said opening extend through said opening and onto the opposite surface of said screen and around said opening and then back through said opening to said one surface of said screen.

5. Operator and electrical circuit interfacing apparatus having at least one circuit component for enabling operator interaction with the electrical circuit, said apparatus further having an electrically controlled display screen and control means for generating any of a plurality of different images at an image display area of said screen, at least a portion of said circuit component being situated at said screen within said image display area thereof, and wherein said control means generates an image on said screen that conveys information pertaining to said circuit component, said screen having at least one opening that extends through said screen at said image display area thereof and wherein at least a portion of said circuit component extends within said display screen at said opening, wherein said display screen includes a plurality of spaced apart conductors extending along said screen at said image display area thereof for creating electrical fields within said screen, each of said conductors having opposite end segments that are linear and in alignment with each other, further including connector means for interconnecting said end segments of ones of said conductors that are interrupted by said opening which means includes additional conductors situated at a location that is spaced apart from said screen.

6. Operator and electrical circuit interfacing apparatus having at least one circuit component for enabling operator interaction with the electrical circuit, said apparatus further having an electrically controlled display screen and control means for generating any of a plurality of different images at an images display area of said screen, at least a portion of said circuit component being situated at said screen within said image display area thereof, and wherein said control means generates an image on said screen that conveys information pertaining to said circuit component, said screen having at least one opening that extends through said screen at said image display area thereof and wherein at least a portion of said circuit component extends within said display screen at said opening, wherein said opening extends through said screen and said electrical circuit component extends through said opening and protrudes therefrom and has a control member which is movable between a plurality of positions to selectively alter an electrical characteristic of said component, wherein said screen further includes spaced apart first and second pluralities of spaced apart coplanar conductors which extend along said screen and which create electrical fields therein to generate said images, the conductors of said first and second pluralities thereof being in orthogonal relationship, each of said conductors having linear opposite end segments that are aligned with each other and wherein at least a portion of said conductors have end segments directed towards said opening, further including means for interconnecting said end segments of said portion of said conductors through conductive paths which bypass said opening.

7. Operator and electrical circuit interfacing apparatus having at least one circuit component for enabling operator interaction with the electrical circuit, said circuit component having an actuator that is manipulated by the operator and having means for producing control signals which means responds to manipulation of said actuator, said apparatus further having an electrically controlled display screen with a front face that is viewed by said operator and control means for generating any of a plurality of different images at an image display area of said screen, wherein the improvement comprises:

said actuator being situated at least in part at said front face of said screen within said image display area thereof and at least a portion of said control signal producing means being behind said screen and wherein said control signal producing means interacts with said actuator through said image display area of said screen, and

wherein said control means generates an image on said screen that conveys information pertaining to said circuit component, wherein said display screen includes spaced apart front and back light transparent panels and a volume of image producing material therebetween and has edge walls which extend between said panels at right angles thereto, said screen further having a first plurality of spaced apart bus conductors which extend across said front panel at one side of said image producing material and a second plurality of spaced apart bus conductors which extend across said back panel at the other side of said image producing material, bus conductors of said second plurality thereof being in orthogonal relationship with the bus conductors of said first plurality thereof, bus conductors of said first plurality thereof having ends which are angled and which extend towards said back panel along a first edge wall of said screen and said bus conductors of said second plurality thereof having ends which are angled and which extend towards said front panel along a second edge wall of said screen, said apparatus further having connector means for connecting each of said bus conductors with said control means which connector means includes a plurality of connector conductors which extend to said first and second edge walls of said screen and each of which connects with an individual one of said bus conductors at at an edge wall of said screen.

8. Operator and electrical circuit interfacing apparatus having at least one circuit component for enabling operator interaction with the electrical circuit, said circuit component having an actuator that is manipulated by the operator and having means for producing control signals which means responds to manipulation of said actuator, said apparatus further having an electrically controlled display screen with a front face that is viewed by said operator and control means for generating any of a plurality of different images to an image display area of said screen, wherein the improvement to comprises:

said actuator being situated at least in part at said front face of said screen within said image display area thereof and at least a portion of said control signal producing means being behind said screen and wherein said control signal producing means interacts with said actuator through said image display area of said screen, and

wherein said control means generates an image on said screen that conveys information pertaining to said circuit component, wherein said actuator of said circuit component for enabling operator interaction with said electrical circuit includes a knob which is selectively slidable along a path of travel at said image display area of said screen and said means for producing control signals in response to manipulation of said actuator includes a circuit control device situated at the opposite side of said screen which device has a movable input member and wherein said screen has a pair of spaced apart openings which are situated at opposite ends of the path of travel of said knob and which extend through said screen, further including a belt extending from said knob through each of said openings and being coupled to said input member of said circuit control device to operate said input member in response to movement of said knob.