Method for determining the condition of a rotary switch
AssigneeWhirlpool Corporation
InventorMinh Duc Tran
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
In a combination switch having both rotary and pushbutton momentary switches, a method for determining which switch has been selected by a user. The method also includes distinguishing between the selection of a rotary switch from a pushbutton switch.
Claims20
A method for determining which switch is selected by a user of a control panel comprising an array of momentary pushbutton switches, each operable between an open condition and a closed condition, a rotary switch having multiple normally-open, rotary momentary switches, each operable between an open condition and a closed condition, and a processor electrically coupled to all the switches, the method comprising the steps of:
- determining the open/closed condition of the pushbutton and rotary momentary switches by polling the pushbutton and rotary momentary switches with the processor;
- and
- determining a user-selected switch from one of the pushbutton or rotary momentary switches based on the polled open/closed condition.
A method for determining which switch is selected by a user of a control panel comprising an array of momentary pushbutton switches, each operable between an open condition and a closed condition, a rotary switch having multiple normally-open, rotary momentary switches, each operable between an open condition and a closed condition, with a rotatable knob for selecting one of the rotary momentary switches, and a processor electrically coupled to all the switches, the method comprising the steps of:
- determining when the user-selected switch is one of the rotary momentary switches;
- and
- determining a rapid-rotation condition where the user is rotating the knob at a rate faster than what can be read by the controller.
A method for determining which switch is selected by a user of a control panel comprising an array of momentary pushbutton switches, each operable between an open condition and a closed condition, a rotary switch having multiple normally-open, rotary momentary switches, each operable between an open condition and a closed condition, with a rotatable knob for selecting one of the rotary momentary switches, and a processor electrically coupled to all the switches, the method comprising the steps of:
- determining when the user-selected switch is one of the rotary momentary switches;
- and
- determining a slow-rotation condition where the user is rotating the knob at a rate such that the user does not select the rotary switch within a predetermined time.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.