Method and device for user interaction
AssigneeKoninklijke Philips N.V.
InventorsGalileo June Destura, Armanda Cinderella Nieuwkerk, Johan Thomas Oostveen
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Abstract
The invention relates to a user interaction device (200, 300) comprising an optical module (210, 310) having a layer (5) of a substance being electrically switchable between a first visual state and a second visual state, and an electrical switch (6a, 6b) for electrically switching the substance between the first and second visual states, a detector (6a, 11b) for detecting the presence of a physical object, and a control unit (290, 390) for controlling the electrical switch in response to the detection of presence of the physical object.
Claims16
A user interaction device comprising:
- an optical module having a layer of a substance being electrically switchable between a first visual state and a second visual state, and an electrical switch for electrically switching the substance between the first visual state and the second visual state;
- a detector for detection of presence of a physical object;
- and
- a control unit for controlling the electrical switch in response to the detection of the presence of the physical object to switch the substance from a non-transparent state to a transparent state,
- wherein the electrical switch and the detector are integrated for the detection of the presence of the physical object,
- wherein the electrical switch comprises two electrodes on opposite sides of the layer of the substance, one of the electrodes being used for the detection of the presence of the physical object, and
- wherein the control unit is configured to reduce a voltage across the substance for operating the user interaction device in a touch sensitive mode for the detection of the presence of a physical object, and to increase the voltage for operating the user interaction device in a visual switching mode for switching the substance between the first visual state and the second visual state.
A user interaction method comprising the acts of:
- using an optical module having a layer of a substance being electrically switchable between a non-transparent and a transparent state, and an electrical switch for electrically switching the substance between the first visual state and the second visual state;
- detecting a presence of a physical object;
- and
- controlling the electrical switch in response to the detection of the presence of a physical object to switch the substance from a non-transparent state to a transparent state,
- wherein the electrical switch and the detector are integrated for the detection of the presence of the physical object,
- wherein the electrical switch comprises two electrodes on opposite sides of the layer of the substance, one of the electrodes being used for the detection of the presence of the physical object, and
- wherein the controlling act comprises the acts of:
- reducing a voltage across the substance for operating the optical module in a touch sensitive mode for detection of the presence of a physical object;
- and
- increasing the voltage for operating the optical module in a visual switching mode for switching the substance between the first visual state and the second visual state.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.