Computer-mirrored panel input device

• US 6,057,829 A
• Filed: 08/18/1997
• Issued: 05/02/2000
• 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): Hjerpe, Richard A.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Laneau, Ronald
• Application Number:
  US08/912,384
• Time in Patent Office: 988 Days
• Field of Search: 345/156, 345/157, 345/172, 345/173, 345/184, 364/188, 364/514, 381/119, 381/117, 395/978, 395/159, 395/326, 395/334, 395/354
• 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 digital input and virtual feedback comprising:

manually operable input means for providing a digital signal relative to movement of the manually operable input means;

display means for displaying a virtual image of the manually operable input means including a visual position indication of the manually operable input means;

CPU means for managing operation of the system, receiving, processing and routing digital signals from the manually operable input means and driving the display means to provide the virtual image and the visual position indication corresponding to movement of the manually operable input means and providing the digital signals to digitally controllable devices and storing a snapshot of one or more real-time operating values associated with the manually operable input means in response to a first user signal, the snapshot being stored in a separate assigned series of memory registers, representing the position of the manually operable input means at the time the first user signal is received, to retrieve the snapshot in response to a second user signal, and to display the positions of the manually operable input means on the virtual image according to the snapshot data retrieved; and

memory means for storing data and control routines for use by the CPU means.

2. A system as recited in claim 1 further comprising assignment means for assigning the manually operable input means to control separate ones and groups of the audio signal processors.

3. A system as recited in claim 2 wherein the assignment of the manually operable input means to control separate ones and groups of the audio signal processors is indicated by a legend on the display means.

4. A system as recited in claim 1 wherein the manually operable input means comprises multiple manually operable input means, the virtual image comprises multiple virtual images corresponding to the multiple manually operable input means on a one-to-one basis, wherein the one or more real-time operating values are digital values representing a position of the multiple manually operable input means relative to an assigned base position, and wherein the CPU means further comprises updating the real-time operating values according to signals received from the multiple manually operable input means as the multiple manually operable input means are adjusted.

5. A system as recited in claim 1 wherein the manually operable input means comprise a rotary knob having one or more shaft encoders, the display means comprises a flat panel display, and the virtual image comprises a plan view of the rotary knob having one or more position indicators on and adjacent to the plan view of the rotary knob.

6. A system as recited in claim 1 wherein the system is a system for providing digital signals to control audio signal processors in and audio mixer having multiple input channels for audio signals.

7. An audio mix controller comprising:

manually operable input means for providing digital signals relative to movement of the manually operable input means;

display means for displaying virtual images of the manually operable input means including a visual position indication of the manually operable input means;

CPU means for managing operation of the system, receiving, processing and routing digital signals from the manually operable input means, and driving the display means to provide the virtual image and the visual position indication corresponding to movement of the manually operable input means and to provide the digital signals to digitally controllable devices, and storing a snapshot of the one or more real-time operating values associated with the manually operable input means in response to a first user signal, the snapshot being stored in a separate assigned series of memory registers, representing the position of the manually operable input means at the time the first user signal is received, to retrieve the snapshot in response to a second user signal, and to display the positions of the manually operable input means on the virtual image according to the snapshot data retrieved;

memory means for storing data and control routines for use by the CPU means; and

digitally controllable audio signal processing and mixing means for receiving, processing and mixing audio signals from the CPU means.

8. An audio mix controller as in claim 7 further comprising assignment means for assigning the manually operable input means to control separate ones and groups of the audio signal processors.

9. An audio mix controller as in claim 8 wherein the assignment of the manually operable input means to control separate ones and groups of the audio signal processors is indicated by a legend on the display means.

10. An audio mix controller as recited in claim 7 wherein the manually operable input means comprises multiple manually operable input means, the virtual image comprises multiple virtual images corresponding to the multiple manually operable input means on a one-to-one basis, wherein the one or more real-time operating values are digital values representing a position of the multiple manually operable input means relative to an assigned base position, and wherein the CPU means further comprises updating the real-time operating values according to signals received from the multiple manually operable input means as the multiple manually operable input means are adjusted.

11. An audio mix controller as recited in claim 7 wherein the manually operable input means comprise a rotary knob having one or more shaft encoders, the display means comprises a flat panel display, and the virtual image comprises a plan view of the rotary knob having one or more position indicators on and adjacent to the plan view of the rotary knob.

12. A audio mix controller as recited in claim 7 wherein the system is a system for providing digital signals to control audio signal processors in and audio mixer having multiple input channels for audio signals.

13. A method for displaying a virtual image and a position of a manually adjustable digital input device in a control system, comprising the steps of:

storing a snapshot of one or more digital values indicating the position of the manually adjustable digital input device in an operating register in response to a first user signal;

retrieving the snapshot in response to a second user signal;

displaying the virtual image and the position of the manually adjustable digital input device on a display according to the retrieved snapshot;

amending the snapshot of the one or more digital values according to movement of the manually adjustable digital input device; and

updating the position of the virtual image according to the amended snapshot of the one or more digital values.

14. An apparatus for providing visual simulated, realistic feedback to a user that corresponds to a user-input at a mixer, comprising:

(a) one or more input devices providing one or more independent signals to the mixer relative to movement of the one or more input devices;

(b) a display positioned to be observable by the user manipulating the one or more input devices;

(c) a CPU connected to the mixer, the CPU controlling the display and presenting a simulated, realistic image of the mixer and the one or more input devices on the display storing a snapshot of the one or more real-time operating values associated with the one or more input devices in response to a first user signal and retrieving the snapshot in response to a second user signal and displaying the positions of the one or more input devices on the virtual image according to the snapshot data received and updating the simulated, realistic image of the mixer and the one or more input devices in response to movement of the one or more input devices based on the one or more independent signals; and

(d) a communication link coupling the mixer, the display and the CPU.

15. The apparatus as recited in claim 14, further comprising a memory for storing and recalling data and control routines from the CPU.

16. The apparatus as recited in claim 14, wherein the mixer controls are further defined as being rotary knobs having a shaft encoder.

17. The apparatus as recited in claim 14, further comprising an audio signal processor connected to the CPU.

18. The apparatus as recited in claim 14, further comprising an audio mixer panel connected to the CPU.

19. The apparatus as recited in claim 14, wherein the movable portion of the input device 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 rotary knob.

20. The apparatus as recited in claim 14, 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.

21. A method for 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 snapshot of one or more digital values in a memory of the control system in response to a first user signal, the one or more digital values indicating magnitude of an input signal associated with the one or more mixing controls;

(b) retrieving the snapshot in response to a second user signal;

(c) displaying a simulated, realistic image of the one or more mixing controls on a video display screen, along with an indication of input magnitude according to the retrieved snapshot;

(d) amending the snapshot of the one or more digital values according to movement of the movable portion of the one or more mixer controls; and

(e) 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 video display screen according to the changed digital value in a realistic manner.

22. A computer program embodied on a computer-readable medium for 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:

(a) logic that stores a snapshot of one or more digital values in a memory of the control system in response to a first user signal, the one or more digital values indicating magnitude of an input signal associated with the one or more mixing controls;

(b) logic the retrieves the snapshot in response to a second user signal;

(c) logic that displays a simulated, realistic image of the one or more mixing controls on a video display screen, along with an indication of input magnitude according to the retrieved snapshot;

(d) logic that amends the snapshot of the one or more digital values according to movement of the movable portion of the one or more mixer controls; and

(e) logic that updates 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 video display screen according to the changed digital value in a realistic manner.