Computer-mirrored panel input device

• US 5,959,610 A
• Filed: 01/11/1995
• Issued: 09/28/1999
• Est. Priority Date: 06/21/1993
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Avid Technology Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Euphonix Incorporated (Avid Technology Incorporated)
• Inventors: Silfvast, Scott W.
• Primary Examiner(s): SARAS, STEVEN J
• Application Number:
  US08/371,462
• Time in Patent Office: 1,721 Days
• Field of Search: 345/156, 345/157, 345/172, 345/173, 345/184, 364/188, 364/514, 381/117, 381/119, 395/159, 395/326, 395/334, 395/354, 395/978
• US Class Current: 345/156
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 27/034 on discs G11B27/036, G11B27/038 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H01H 19/00 Switches operated by an operating part which is rotatable about a longitudinal axis thereof and which is acted upon directly by a solid body external to the switch, e.g. by a hand
• CPC Class Codes: H01H 2217/032 Feedback about selected symbol, e.g. display
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 715/978 Audio interaction as part of an operator interface

Abstract

A control panel for digital input having multiple rotary knobs without absolute minimum and maximum settings feeds knob position information back to an operator by providing a display of the knobs with position indicators. The display is updated according to real adjustment of the knobs. This arrangement allows the knobs to be assigned to different inputs and the apparent positions of the knobs to be changed without requiring moving the real knobs. In a preferred embodiment the control system is applied to an audio mixer panel.

Claims

1. A system for accepting control input from one or more controls of a mixer and for providing visual simulated, realistic feedback to a user, comprising:

(a) a user-operable input apparatus providing a digital signal relative to movement of the input apparatus;

(b) a video display screen positioned to be readily observed by a user manipulating the user-operable input;

(c) a CPU for managing operations of the system, including flexibly arranging and presenting a plurality of simulated, realistic images of the one or more controls of a mixer on the video display screen;

(d) a memory for storing and recalling data and control routines; and

(e) digital communication links connecting the one or more controls of a mixer, the video display screen, the CPU, and the memory;

wherein the CPU drives the video display screen to present a flexible, user-definable, simulated, realistic image of the one or more controls of a mixer, and updates the simulated, realistic image of the one or more controls of a mixer in response to movement of the one or more controls of a mixer.

2. A system as in claim 1 wherein the movable portion of the user-operable input apparatus comprises a rotary knob, and the indicator of relative position includes a mark on the image of the knob and a reference mark adjacent to the image of the knob.

3. A system as in claim 2 wherein the user-operable input apparatus comprises a shaft encoder assembled with the rotary knob, the shaft encoder providing a digital indication of magnitude of rotary movement of the knob.

4. A system as in claim 1 wherein the movable portion of the user-operable input apparatus comprises a slide of a slide rheostat, and the indicator of relative position includes a reference mark adjacent to the moving image of the slide on the video display screen.

5. A system as in claim 2 further comprising an input array of rotary knobs, wherein the CPU drives the video display screen to present an image of the input array having one-to-one positional correspondence with the input array, wherein the indicator of relative position includes a mark on the image of each of the knobs and a reference mark adjacent to the image of each of the knobs, and wherein input from a rotary knob in the input array is associated only with the corresponding rotary knob displayed in the displayed image of the input array.

6. A system as in claim 5 wherein the CPU stores a digital value as a real-time operating value for each rotary knob in the input array, updates the real-time operating values according to signals received from the associated rotary knobs in the input array, and uses the digital values to update the positions of the marks on the images of the rotary knobs on the video display screen relative to the reference marks adjacent to the knobs, as well as to provide control variables to connected, digitally controllable apparatus.

7. A system as in claim 6 wherein the connected, digitally controllable apparatus comprises audio signal processors connected to an audio mixer panel.

8. A system as in claim 6 wherein the CPU stores a snapshot of the real-time operating values associated with each of the rotary knobs in the display in response to a first user signal, the snapshot being stored in an area of memory separate from storage of the real-time operating values, retrieves the snapshot in response to a second user signal, substitutes the snapshot values for the existing real-time values upon retrieval, the snapshot values becoming new real-time values, and updates the images on the video display screen according to the new real-time values.

9. A system as in claim 7 further comprising an assignment function selectable by the user, for assigning the individual real-time operating values to control different ones and groups of the audio signal processors.

10. A system as in claim 9 wherein the assignment of the real-time operating values to different ones and groups of the audio signal processors is indicated by legends displayed on the video display screen.

11. A system as in claim 1 wherein the CPU stores a real-time digital value associated with the input apparatus, updates the real-time digital value according to user-movement of the moveable portion of the input apparatus, and uses the updated digital value to position the indicator of relative position of the movable portion of the input apparatus on the video display screen, as well as to provide a control variable to a connected digitally-controllable apparatus.

12. A system as in claim 11 wherein the real-time digital value may be reset to zero or other base value by a user or preprogrammed input other than movement of the moveable portion of the input apparatus.

13. A system as in claim 11 wherein the connected digitally controlled apparatus comprises an audio signal processor connected to an audio mixer panel.

14. A system as in claim 6 wherein the real-time digital values may be reset to zero or other base value by user or preprogrammed input other than movement of the knobs of the input array.

15. An audio mix controller, including one or more controls, comprising:

(a) a user-operable control of the one or more controls of the audio mix controller which generates a digital signal relative to movement of a movable portion of the control;

(b) a video display screen positioned to be readily observed by a user;

(c) a CPU for managing operations of the system, including flexibly arranging and presenting images on the video display screen indicative of the one or more controls;

(d) a memory for storing and recalling data and control routines;

(e) digitally-controllable audio signal processing and mixing devices; and

(f) digital communication links connecting the input apparatus, the video display screen, the CPU, the memory, and the audio signal processing and mixing devices;

wherein the CPU drives the video display screen to present a user-definable, simulated, realistic image of the one or more controls, including an indicator of relative position of the moveable portion, and updates the position indication in response to movement of the input apparatus in a realistic manner which simulates the movement of the control realistically on the video display screen.

16. An audio mix controller as in claim 15 wherein the movable portion of the user-operable input apparatus comprises a rotary knob, and the indicator of relative position includes a mark on the image of the knob and a reference mark adjacent to the image of the knob.

17. An audio mix controller as in claim 16 wherein the user-operable input apparatus comprises a shaft encoder assembled with the rotary knob, the shaft encoder providing a digital indication of magnitude of rotary movement of the knob.

18. An audio mix controller as in claim 15 wherein the movable portion of the user-operable input apparatus comprises a slide of a slide rheostat, and the indicator of relative position includes a reference mark adjacent to the moving image of the slide on the video display screen.

19. An audio mix controller as in claim 16 further comprising an input array of rotary knobs, wherein the CPU drives the video display screen to present an image of the input array having one-to-one positional correspondence with the input array, wherein the indicator of relative position includes a mark on the image of each of the knobs and a reference mark adjacent to the image of each of the knobs, and wherein input from a rotary knob in the input array is associated only with the corresponding rotary knob displayed in the displayed image of the input array.

20. An audio mix controller as in claim 19 wherein the CPU stores a digital value as a real-time operating value for each rotary knob in the input array, updates the real-time operating values according to signals received from the associated rotary knobs in the input array, and uses the digital values to update the positions of the marks on the images of the rotary knobs on the video display screen relative to the reference marks adjacent to the knobs.

21. An audio mix controller as in claim 20 wherein the real-time operating values are provided as control signals to the audio signal processors of the audio mix controller, each real-time operating value associated with a unique audio signal processor.

22. An audio mix controller as in claim 20 wherein the CPU stores a snapshot of the real-time operating values associated with each of the rotary knobs in the display array in response to a first user signal, the snapshot being stored in an area of memory separate from storage of the real-time operating values, retrieves the snapshot in response to a second user signal, substitutes the snapshot values for the existing real-time values upon retrieval, the snapshot values becoming new real-time values, and updates the images on the video display screen according to the new real-time values.

23. An audio mix controller as in claim 21 further comprising an assignment function selectable by the user, for assigning the individual real-time operating values to control different ones and groups of the audio signal processors.

24. An audio mix controller as in claim 23 wherein the assignment of the real-time operating values to different ones and groups of the audio signal processors is indicated by legends displayed on the video display screen.

25. An audio mix controller as in claim 15 wherein the CPU stores a real-time digital value associated with the input apparatus, updates the real-time digital value according to user-movement of the moveable portion of the input apparatus, and uses the updated digital value to position the indicator of relative position of the movable portion of the input apparatus on the video display screen, as well as to provide a control variable to at least one of the audio signal processing and mixing devices.

26. An audio mix controller as in claim 25 wherein the real-time digital value may be reset to zero or other base value by a user or preprogrammed input other than movement of the moveable portion of the input apparatus.

27. An audio mix controller as in claim 20 wherein the real-time digital values may be reset to zero or other base value by user or preprogrammed input other than movement of the knobs of the input array.

28. A method for flexibly defining and displaying realistic, simulated positional information to a user for one or more mixing controls having a movable portion for varying a signal in a control system, comprising the steps of:

(a) storing a digital value in an operating register, the digital value indicating magnitude of an input signal associated with the user-operable one or more mixing controls;

(b) defining and displaying a simulated, realistic image of the one or more mixing controls on a video display screen, along with an indication of input magnitude, the video display screen positioned to be readily observed by an operator manipulating the one or more mixing controls;

(c) amending the digital value according to movement of the movable portion of the one or more mixing controls; and

(d) updating the simulated, realistic image of the one or more mixing controls to indicate the actual change of the one or more mixing controls on the image of the display screen according to the changed digital value in a realistic manner.