Man-machine interface
AssigneeScientific Generics Limited
InventorsMark A. Howard, Richard A. Doyle, Alice Richard
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A man-machine interface is provided for a domestic appliance in which remotely sensed buttons, slider bars, marker pucks and a knob are used. The sensing coils for remotely sensing the positions of the buttons, slider bars, marker pucks and the knob are formed on a printed circuit board which is located behind a sealed surface such that there is no risk of contaminants accessing the printed circuit board.
Claims72
A domestic appliance having a man-machine interface for controlling the operation thereof, the man-machine interface comprising:
- first and second relatively moveable members;
- wherein said second member comprises means for generating a signal;
- and
- wherein said first member comprises means for sensing the signal generated by said second member and for outputting a signal which varies in dependence upon the relative position of said first and second members;
- and
- means for controlling the appliance in dependence upon the sensed relative position of said first and second members.
A man-machine interface for controlling the operation of an appliance, the man-machine interface comprising first and second relatively moveable members;
- wherein said second member comprises means for generating a signal;
- and
- wherein said first member comprises means for sensing the signal generated by said second member and for outputting a signal which varies in dependence upon the relative position of said first and second members;
- and
- means for controlling the appliance in dependence upon the sensed relative position of said first and second members.
An interface overlay for affixing to an appliance to form a part of a man-machine interface for controlling an appliance:
- removable fixing means for co-operating with corresponding fixing means formed on the appliance to permit the interface overlay to be removably affixed thereto;
- a mounting surface;
- and
- one or more user actuable elements mounted on said mounting surface each of which includes a member having means for generating a signal which is capable of being received by said appliance to determine the positions or orientations of said user actuable elements relative to the mounting surface.
A man-machine interface for a domestic appliance, the man-machine interface comprising at least one remotely detectable puck, sensing means for sensing a remotely detectable characteristic of the puck in a contactless manner and processing means for generating a value or values for one or more user settable parameters in dependence upon the sensed characteristic of the puck.
A domestic appliance having a man-machine interface for controlling the operation thereof, the man-machine interface comprising:
- means for generating a signal;
- first and second relatively moveable members;
- wherein said second member comprises means for modifying the signal;
- and
- wherein said first member comprises means for sensing the signal modified by said second member and for outputting a signal which varies in dependence upon the relative position of said first and second members;
- and
- means for controlling the appliance in dependence upon the sensed relative position of said first and second members.
A method of manufacturing a domestic appliance, comprising the steps of:
- manufacturing a first part of the domestic appliance including an overlay receiving surface for receiving an interface overlay;
- and
- manufacturing a plurality of different interface overlays each of which may be mounted onto the overlay receiving surface of the first part and corporate with the first part of the domestic appliance to complete the manufacture of the domestic appliance.
A method of controlling a domestic appliance having a man-machine interface for controlling the operation thereof, the method comprising the steps of
- providing first and second relatively moveable members;
- generating a signal from said second member;
- remotely sensing the signal generated by said second member;
- outputting a signal which varies in dependence upon the relative position of said first and second members;
- and
- controlling the appliance in dependence upon the sensed relative position of said first and second members.
A domestic appliance having a man-machine interface for controlling the operation thereof, the man-machine interface comprising:
- first and second relatively moveable members;
- wherein said second member comprises a signal generator operable to generate a signal;
- and
- wherein said first member comprises a sensor operable to sense the signal generated by said second member and to output a signal which varies in dependence upon the relative position of said first and second members;
- and
- a controller operable to control the appliance in dependence upon the sensed relative position of said first and second members.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.