Method and apparatus for carrying out a switching process using an operating element including at least one light-emitting diode as a display and a device for measuring the voltage of same
AssigneeFronius International GmbH
InventorsChristian Fasthuber, Florian Schuster, Gerald Ortner, Michael Sandberger
Life of this patent
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Abstract
The invention relates to a method and an apparatus for performing a switching operation with the aid of a operation element (13). In order to avoid mechanical components, at least one light-emitting diode (14) is used as the operating element (13), and the voltage (U) on the at least one light-emitting diode (14) is measured in the switched-off state, and the switching operation is performed when the measured voltage (15) falls below a pregiven lower threshold (18) over a pregiven time period (19).
Claims15
A method for performing a switching operation by the aid of an operating element, comprising the steps of:
- providing an operating element with at least one light-emitting diode provided as a display,
- in the switched-off state, measuring the voltage on the at least one light-emitting diode, wherein the voltage on the at least one light-emitting diode is induced by ambient light and measured in the switched-off state, and
- performing a switching operation if and when the measured voltage falls below a pre-given lower threshold for a pre-given time period because of the shading of the at least one light-emitting diode due to a brightness reduction of the ambient light.
A method for performing a switching operation by the aid of an operating element, comprising the steps of:
- providing an operating element with at least one light-emitting diode as a display,
- in the switched-off state, measuring the voltage on the at least one light-emitting diode, wherein the voltage on the at least one light-emitting diode is measured in the switched-off state,
- irradiating the at least one light-emitting diode by at least one reference light-emitting diode during the switched-off state, wherein the voltage on the at least one light-emitting diode is induced by the light of the reference light-emitting diode and measured in the switched-off state irradiated by the at least one reference light-emitting diode,
- subsequently switching off the at least one reference light-emitting diode,
- measuring the voltage on the at least one light-emitting diode in the switched-off state, and
- performing a switching operation if and when the measured voltage falls below a pre-given lower threshold for a pre-given time period because of the shading of the at least one light-emitting diode.
A device for performing a switching operation by the aid of an operating element, comprising:
- an operating element formed by at least one light-emitting diode as a display, and
- a device for measuring the voltage induced by ambient light on the at least one light-emitting diode in a switched-off state, wherein the measured voltage is provided to enable the switching operation if and when the measured voltage falls below a pre-given lower threshold for a pre-given time period because of the shading of the at least one light-emitting diode due to a brightness reduction of the ambient light.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.