Touch sensor controlled switch with intelligent user interface
OwnerFrederick Johannes Bruwerinventor
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A module for controlling power supply to a load in a product which includes a microchip, and an electromechanical switch and a proximity/touch sensor connected to the microchip, preferably to the same input. The switch is primarily used to activate or deactivate the load and the proximity/touch sensor to vary the effect of operating the switch, or to control additional functions such as the activation of a signal, typically a light signal, which helps to locate the product, particularly in the dark, and to vary the duration of an automatic time-out period at the end of which the load is deactivated.
Claims21
An electronic switch module for use with a product comprising a connection for a power source and an energy consuming load, said module comprising:
- a microchip;
- at least one capacitive sensing proximity/touch sensor switch;
- said at least one switch functioning as a user interface for the selection of multiple functions controlled by said microchip;
- said microchip configured to control the activation and deactivation of the load as well as at least one function;
- said module configured to receive an input signal from the proximity/touch sensor interface;
- wherein said microchip is further configured to function according to at least one configuration selected from the following group:
- a)
- wherein upon activation of the load, the proximity/touch sensor interface establishes a touch condition reference level which is used to determine when a no-touch condition occurs and wherein adjustment of the touch condition reference level is frozen while the no-touch condition is maintained;
- and
- b) wherein said at least one switch is used to activate the load in a mode that provides an automatic time-out to deactivate the load, in which the microchip controls an indication before the deactivation occurs and in which an input signal from the proximity/touch switch sensor showing proximity resets the time-out and (i) continues activation of the load only in a predetermined period after the indication has been given, or (ii) reactivates the load only in a predetermined period after deactivation has occurred.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.