US4270171A
Expired / Lapsed
US
⏱️ 0.0 years remaining
Position sensing and indicating device
Assignee: Individual
•
Filing: 1979-03-07
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Granted: 1981-05-26
•
Expires: 1999-03-07
Abstract
Abstract The position of an operator's finger on a transducing surface is used for controlling the level of utilization devices including theater lights controlled by an automated theater light control system. The transducing surface, which may be either an analog or a digital device, is elongated in shape and is immediately adjacent to an elongated display having individual light-emitting devices to indicate the level of the utilization device being controlled. Circuitry connected to the transducing surface produces a first signal to indicate when an operator's finger is present on the transducing surface, and it produces a second signal to indicate the position of the operator's finger on the transducing surface. The second signal is supplied to the display, and the first and second signals are supplied to the utilization devices.
Inventors
- 👤 James A. Maples
- 👤 Robert B. Pepper
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
US
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-11-09 20:01
CPC Classifications
F; F21; F21V; F21V23/00; G; G01; G01D; G01D5/00; G01D5/12; G01D5/14; G01D5/16; G01D5/165; H; H05; H05B; H05B47/00; H05B47/10; H05B47/155; F21W; F21W2131/00; F21W2131/40; F21W2131/406; H01; H01H; H01H3/00; H01H3/02; H01H2003/0293; H01H2215/00; H01H2215/044; H01H2217/00; H01H2217/038; H01H9/00; H01H9/18; H01H9/182; H03; H03K; H03K17/00; H03K17/94; H03K17/96; H03K17/9645
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 34
Claim 1
Independent Claim
79 words
A level controlling device comprising: position sensing transducer means having an elongated transducing surface for detecting the presence and position of an operator's finger on the tranducing surface; and circuit means connected to the transducer means for producing a first signal representative of the fact that an operator's finger is present on the transducing surface and a second signal representative of the position of the operator's finger on the transducing surface for controlling the level of a utilization device.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
79 words
A level controlling device comprising: position sensing transducer means having an elongated transducing surface for detecting the presence and position of an operator's finger on the tranducing surface; and circuit means connected to the transducer means for producing a first signal representative of the fact that an operator's finger is present on the transducing surface and a second signal representative of the position of the operator's finger on the transducing surface for controlling the level of a utilization device.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
48 words
A level controlling device as in claim 1 wherein the position sensing transducer means comprises: an elongated conductor on the transducing surface; and an elongated resistor on the transducing surface spaced from and parallel to the elongated conductor, and having a higher electrical resistance than the elongated conductor.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
119 words
A level controlling device as in claim 2 wherein the circuit means comprises: a source of potential connected to the elongated conductor; differential amplifier means connected to each end of the elongated resistor for differentially amplifying the potential produced at each end of the elongated resistor when an operator's finger is in contact with both the elongated conductor and the elongated resistor to produce an output signal indicative of the position of the operator's finger along the length of the elongated resistor; and detector means coupled to the elongated resistor for detecting a potential indicative of an operator's finger in contact with both the elongated conductor and the elongated resistor and for producing in response thereto the first signal.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
122 words
A level controlling device as in claim 3 wherein the differential amplifier means comprises: a first current pump connected to a first end of the elongated resistor; a second current pump connected to a second end of the elongated resistor; and a differential voltage amplifier having first and second differential inputs, and having an output, the first differential input being connected to the first end of the elongated resistor and the second differential input being connected to the second end of the elongated resistor; and wherein the detector means comprises: a source of reference potential; and a voltage comparator having a first input connected to the source of reference potential and a second input connected to one end of the elongated resistor.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
33 words
A level controlling device as in claim 4 further comprising analog-to-digital converter means connected to the output of the differential voltage amplifier for producing a digital signal representative of the output signal thereof.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
20 words
A level controlling device as in claim 1 wherein the position sensing transducer means comprises a linear array of switches.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
173 words
A level controlling device as in claim 6 wherein the circuit means comprises: a source of a periodic timing signal; counter means connected to the source of a periodic timing signal for repetitively counting the periodic timing signals up to a predetermined number and for producing on an output thereof a signal representative of the instantaneous count in the counter means; scanner means connected to the counter means and to the linear array of switches for sequentially scanning the linear array of switches and for producing an output signal in response to one of the switches in the linear array being activated; position output latch means connected to the counter means and the scanner means for storing the instantaneous count of the counter means in response to receipt of the output signal from the scanner means and for producing the second signal; and first signal latch means connected to the counter means and the scanner means for producing the first signal in response to receipt of the output signal from the scanner means.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
20 words
A level controlling device as in claim 7 wherein the linear array of switches comprises a plurality of membrane switches.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
20 words
A level controlling device as in claim 7 wherein the linear array of switches comprises a plurality of capacitive switches.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
36 words
A level controlling device as in claims 5 or 7 further comprising visible output means connected to the circuit means for producing a visible indication of the position of the operator's finger on the transducing surface.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
53 words
A level controlling device as in claim 10 wherein the visible output means has a longitudinal axis which is parallel with the longer dimension of the elongated transducing surface and the visual indication produced by the visible output means is aligned with the physical position of the operator's finger on the transducing surface.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim
31 words
A level controlling device as in claim 11 wherein the visible output means comprises a linear array of light emitting devices and a digital decoder/driver circuit connected to the light-emitting devices.
Claim 14
Dependent Claim
54 words
A position sensing device comprising: touch-sensitive transducer having an operating surface; and circuit means connected to the touch-sensitive transducer for producing a first signal in response to an operator's finger being placed on the operating surface and for producing a second signal to indicate the location of the operator's finger on the operating surface.
Claim 15
Dependent Claim
54 words
A position sensing device comprising: touch-sensitive transducer having an operating surface; and circuit means connected to the touch-sensitive transducer for producing a first signal in response to an operator's finger being placed on the operating surface and for producing a second signal to indicate the location of the operator's finger on the operating surface.
Claim 16
Dependent Claim
29 words
A position sensing device as in claim 13 further comprising display means connected to the circuit means for displaying the position of the operator's finger on the operating surface.
Claim 17
Dependent Claim
36 words
A position sensing device as in claim 14 wherein the operating surface is an elongated generally planar surface and the display means has an elongated display surface located adjacent to and parallel with the operating surface.
Claim 18
Dependent Claim
40 words
A position sensing device as in claim 15 wherein the touch-sensitive transducer has a plurality of discrete sensitive regions arranged in a linear array and the display means has a plurality of discrete display regions arranged in a linear array.
Claim 19
Dependent Claim
50 words
A position sensing device as in claim 16 wherein the circuit means includes electronic scanner means connected to the plurality of discrete sensitive regions for scanning the sensitive regions and producing an output signal in response to an operator's finger being placed in contact with one of the sensitive regions.
Claim 20
Dependent Claim
39 words
A position sensing device as in claim 17 wherein the circuit means further includes storage means connected to the scanner means for storing an indication of the sensitive region being scanned when the scanner means output signal is produced.
Claim 21
Dependent Claim
17 words
A position sensing device as in claim 18 wherein each sensitive region is a touch-sensitive switch element.
Claim 22
Dependent Claim
16 words
A position sensing device as in claim 14 wherein each display region is a light-emitting device.
Claim 23
Dependent Claim
47 words
A position sensing device as in claim 13 wherein the touch-sensitive transducer means comprises: an elongated conductor on the operating surface; and an elongated resistor on the operating surface spaced from and parallel to the elongated conductor, and having a higher electrical resistance than the elongated conductor.
Claim 24
Dependent Claim
119 words
A position sensing device as in claim 21 wherein the circuit means comprises: a source of potential connected to the elongated conductor; differential amplifier means connected to each end of the elongated resistor for differentially amplifying the potential produced at each end of the elongated resistor when an operator's finger is in contact with both the elongated conductor and the elongated resistor to produce an output signal indicative of the position of the operator's finger along the length of the elongated resistor; and detector means coupled to the elongated resistor for detecting a potential indicative of an operator's finger in contact with both the elongated conductor and the elongated resistor and for producing in response thereto the first signal.
Claim 25
Dependent Claim
118 words
A position sensing device as in claim 22 wherein the differential amplifier means comprises: a first current pump connected to a first end of the elongated resistor; a second current pump connected to a second end of the elongated resistor; and a differential voltage amplifier having first and second differential inputs, the first differential input being connected to the first end of the elongated resistor and the second differential input being connected to the second end of the elongated resistor; and wherein the detector means comprises: a source of reference potential; and a voltage comparator having a first input connected to the source of reference potential and a second input connected to one end of the elongated resistor.
Claim 26
Dependent Claim
33 words
A position sensing device as in claim 23 further comprising analog-to-digital converter means connected to the output of the differential voltage amplifier for producing a digital signal representative of the output signal thereof.
Claim 27
Dependent Claim
127 words
In an automated control system having programmed control means for controlling the level of a utilization device connected thereto, a manual override control comprising: display means connected to the programmed control means for displaying the current level of the utilization device under control; a touch-sensitive control panel; circuit means connected to the display means and the control panel for detecting the presence of an operator's finger on the control panel and producing a first signal to cause the program control means to interrupt program control of the level of the utilization device, and for determining the position of the operator's finger on the control panel and producing a second signal to establish the level of the utilization device in response to the position of the operator's finger.
Claim 28
Dependent Claim
127 words
In an automated control system having programmed control means for controlling the level of a utilization device connected thereto, a manual override control comprising: display means connected to the programmed control means for displaying the current level of the utilization device under control; a touch-sensitive control panel; circuit means connected to the display means and the control panel for detecting the presence of an operator's finger on the control panel and producing a first signal to cause the program control means to interrupt program control of the level of the utilization device, and for determining the position of the operator's finger on the control panel and producing a second signal to establish the level of the utilization device in response to the position of the operator's finger.
Claim 29
Dependent Claim
46 words
A manual override control as in claim 25 wherein the control panel has a plurality of sensing areas arranged in a linear array and the display means has a plurality of display areas arranged in a linear array adjacent to and parallel to the sensing areas.
Claim 30
Dependent Claim
45 words
A manual override control as in claim 26 wherein the circuit means includes electronic scanner means connected to the sensing areas for scanning the sensing areas and producing an output signal in response to an operator's finger being placed on one of the sensing areas.
Claim 31
Dependent Claim
42 words
A manual override control as in claim 27 wherein the circuit means further includes storage means connected to the scanner means for storing an indication of the position of the sensing area being scanned when the scanner means output signal is produced.
Claim 32
Dependent Claim
16 words
A manual override control as in claim 28 wherein each display area is a light-emitting device.
Claim 33
Dependent Claim
19 words
A manual override control as in claim 29 wherein each sensing area is an element of a touch-sensitive switch.
Claim 34
Dependent Claim
16 words
A manual override control as in claim 28 wherein the utilization device is a theater light.
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USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows
| Annuity Stage | Window Opens | Payment Deadline | Surcharge Period Until | Estimated Fee | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3.5 Years (Year 4) | 1984-05-25 | 1984-11-24 | 1985-05-26 | $2000.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 7.5 Years (Year 8) | 1988-05-25 | 1988-11-24 | 1989-05-26 | $3760.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 11.5 Years (Year 12) | 1992-05-25 | 1992-11-24 | 1993-05-26 | $7700.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |