Touch switch structure
AssigneesHyundai Motor Company, Kia Corporation
InventorsSeong Hyeon Shin, Jung Sang You, Ju Hyun Cha, Sang Hyun Lee, Seon Chae Na, Sang Ho Kim, Byung Yong Choi, Hyeok Lee, Seong Kwon Go, Chong Hwan Jeon
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A cover type touch switch structure includes: a seat housing embedded in a seat of a vehicle so as to be fastened to a seat frame; a switch housing disposed in the seat housing and including an outer surface which is coupled to the seat housing via a hook; a light-emitting unit which is disposed in the switch housing and stacked on the seat frame; and a knob unit which has a portion disposed in the switch housing and is stacked on the light-emitting unit.
Claims13
A touch switch structure comprising:
- a seat housing embedded in a seat of a vehicle so as to be fastened to a seat frame;
- a switch housing disposed in the seat housing, an outer surface of the switch housing being coupled to the seat housing via a hook;
- a light-emitting unit disposed in the switch housing, the light-emitting unit being stacked on the seat frame;
- and
- a knob unit having a portion disposed in the switch housing, the knob unit being stacked on the light-emitting unit,
- wherein the light-emitting unit comprises:
- a haptic actuator stacked on the seat frame;
- a main circuit board stacked on the haptic actuator;
- a light emitting diode (LED) portion stacked on the main circuit board;
- and
- a holder configured to wrap outermost sides of the haptic actuator, the main circuit board, and the LED portion,
- wherein the knob unit comprises:
- a proximity sensor unit stacked on the holder;
- a touch sensor unit stacked on the proximity sensor unit;
- and
- a button knob configured to wrap outermost sides of the proximity sensor unit and the touch sensor unit,
- wherein the proximity sensor unit comprises:
- a proximity sensor configured to generate a sensing output signal in response to a user approach;
- and
- a proximity sensor controller configured to generate approach information based on the sensing output signal received from the proximity sensor and turn on the LED portion,
- wherein, when there is no user touch, based on a touch output signal from the touch sensor unit, within a predetermined time after the LED portion is turned on, the LED portion is turned off, and
- wherein, when there is a user touch, based on the touch output signal from the touch sensor unit, within the predetermined time after the LED portion is turned on, color of the LED portion is changed, and the haptic actuator vibrates simultaneously.
A control method for a touch switch, the control method comprising:
- determining whether there is user approach information based on a sensing output signal from a proximity sensor;
- turning on, by a proximity sensor controller, an LED portion of the touch switch in a case in which there is the user approach information;
- determining, by a touch sensor controller, whether there is a user touch based on a touch output signal from a touch sensor, within a predetermined time after the LED portion is turned on;
- in response to determining that there is no user touch within the predetermined time after the LED portion is turned on, turning off the LED portion;
- and
- in response to determining that there is the user touch within the predetermined time after the LED portion is turned on, changing color of the LED portion, and performing vibration of a haptic actuator simultaneously when driving a seat in response to the user touch.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.