Donnelly Corporation

Donnelly Technology, Inc.

Steelcase Inc.

Nicholas W Medendorp

David W Caldwell

Robert P Poppe

A touch control system that is responsive to a user input selection includes an electrically non-conducting substrate, such as glass ceramic, and at least one capacitive-responsive touch pad on the substrate. A source signal having a primary frequency that is greater than 150 kHz, and preferably in the range of between 150 kHz and 500 kHz, is applied to one portion of the touch pad. The touch pad couples the electrical signal to another portion of the touch pad in order to develop a detection signal, which is decoded in order to determine the presence of the capacitance of a user. The decoder preferably includes a peak detector composed of a low gain circuit in order to avoid distortion of the detection signal. Greatly improved performance in the presence of liquids, such as water, on the touch pad is provided. This is especially useful when the touch pad is applied to a horizontal surface, such as a cook top, upon which liquid spills may occur. A display is juxtaposed with the glass ceramic substrate and an optical correction material is provided between the display and the underlying modulated surface that imparts mechanical strength to the substrate. The optical correction material corrects optical distortion of the visual indications of the display caused by the modulated surface.

Touch control system

A module electrical control system for controlling office equipment includes a plurality of control modules interconnected with an input module via a system bus assembly. The input module includes an input-generating device, such as a keypad or the like, for generating an input signal, an output port to which the system bus assembly is connected and a circuit that is responsive to the input signal for supplying a command signal to the output port. The circuit includes a switch control unit that is responsive to a particular state of the input signal by producing a switched low voltage output signal and an address and command control until that is responsive to a particular state of the input signal by producing a particular value of a data signal. The system bus assembly includes at least two signal channels; one selectively supplied with the switched low voltage signal and the other selectively supplied with the data signal. Each control module is one of at least two types. A first type includes a control circuit that is responsive to the switched low voltage signal on the first signal channel in order to perform a control function on the load connected therewith. All control modules of the first type will respond concurrently to the switched low voltage signal. A second type of control module includes a control circuit that is responsive to a particular value of the data signal on a second signal channel uniquely assigned to that control module in order to perform a control function on the load connected therewith. Thus, modules of the second type will respond individually to the data signal.

Modular network control system

A capacitive touch sensor panel includes a generally planar substrate, a graphic layer behind the substrate defining user readable graphic symbols and a light source behind the graphic layer including individual selectively actuatable light elements behind particular ones of the graphic symbols. A flexible substrate supporting a plurality of electrically capacitive sensing pads are juxtaposed with the graphic symbols in a manner that functions associated with the graphic symbols are invoked by actuation of the sensing pads overlaying the corresponding symbol. The substrate has optical transmission characteristics at selected light frequencies in order to project images of the graphic symbols juxtaposed with actuated light elements and to impart a homogeneous appearance to portions of the substrate overlying nonactuated light elements, the later defining a 'sleep mode' in which the touch panel blends in with surrounding surfaces.

Touch sensor panel with hidden graphic mode

A circuit for detecting user contact of one of a plurality of touch pads includes a plurality of drive lines and a plurality of sense lines coupled with the touch pads. A sense circuit responsive to the signals on the sense lines produces a pulse having a width that is proportional to the amplitude of each of the sense signals. A control circuit measures the width of the pulses produced by the sense circuit and compares each measured pulse width to a reference pulse width to distinguish between a touch and no-touch condition for each touch pad. The sense circuit is illustrated in the form of a comparator having a threshold input that is always exceeded by the sense signal to produce the variable width pulse. Separate amplifiers may be provided for each sense line.

Detection circuit for matrix touch pad

A user operable power distribution system that is suitable for supplying switched power to an individual workstation, or to an entire office, is expandable to accommodate additional loads. The system includes a user command device, such as a touch panel, for supplying low voltage command signals and a connection device, which responds to the low voltage command signal to interconnect a load with a supply voltage, such as an AC power outlet. The connection device further responds to the low voltage input command signal by producing a low voltage output command signal which may be applied to another connection device to cause that particular connection device to connect another load with a source of supply voltage. In this manner, the connection devices may be ganged in an indefinite number.

Controllable power distribution system

A user operable power distribution system that is suitable for supplying switched power to an individual workstation, or to an entire office, includes a user command module, such as a touch panel, for supplying low voltage command signals and a plug strip, which responds to the low voltage command signal to interconnect a load with a supply voltage, such as an AC power outlet. An unregulated power supply is provided in the plug strip and supplies the low voltage requirements for the switching circuit in the plug strip. In addition, the unregulated low voltage is supplied to the user command module to provide its low voltage power requirements.

Modular power outlet strip

A touch responsive user selection system including a plurality of touch pads on an insulated substrate and a logic circuit for responding to the change of impedance of any of the pads for setting or resetting a latch and thereby producing an output signal indicative of a user selection. A coincidence detector responds to the simultaneous change of impedance of two or more different touch pads by inhibiting the logic circuit from producing an output signal both during the coincidence and for a predetermined period of time after the coincidence has ceased. The logic circuit is made up of components that are arranged in a fashion that causes the circuit to respond to a ratio of signals that vary in proportion to supply voltage. In this manner, a touch-responsive system is provided that may be used with an unregulated power supply while functioning with extreme variations in supply voltage.

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Holland, MI, United States of America

Nicholas W Medendorp