Diehl Ako Stiftung & Co. Kg

Ralph Stohr

Bruno Fuhge

Joachim Lyszus

Andreas Maigler

Thomas Frommelt

Robert J Alvord

Anthony M Dmytriw

Matthew Schwind

Sam Toktaeng

Anthony Dmytriw

A virtual touch knob assembly is provided that translates sensed movement of a user's fingers around a knob into control signals for operation of an appliance. A knob is provided on a user control panel of an appliance. The knob is fixed, i.e., does not turn or rotate. A system is provided that can sense the user's fingers moving around the fixed knob and translate the sensed input to control signals for setting the operation of the appliance or device.

Virtual touch knob assembly

An operating device, in particular for electronic household appliances, includes a cover plate with an operating portion, a transmitter for emitting electromagnetic radiation, a receiver for registering electromagnetic radiation, and control electronics for evaluating measurement signals produced by the receiver. The operating portion is at least partly elastically deformable and/or movable by an action of force from the direction of a user side of the cover plate and it at least partly reflects the radiation emitted by the transmitter. The receiver is disposed and/or configured in such a way that it facilitates a spatially resolved registration of the radiation reflected by the operating portion in such a way that the control electronics can detect an actuation of the operating portion in a manner dependent on a registration location of the reflected radiation. An electronic household appliance having at least one operating device is also provided.

Operating device comprising a receiver to facilitate a spatially resolved registration of radiation reflected by an operating portion of said operating device

A storage apparatus for a refrigerator and/or freezer contains a storage element for storing goods, a detection device for detecting whether the storage element is occupied by goods and an illumination device for illuminating the storage element and goods stored on the storage element and/or a storage region for the goods, which storage region is formed by the storage element. A control device is provided for actuating the illumination device depending on the result of the detection process in respect of whether the storage element is occupied by goods. The storage apparatus allows a user of the refrigerator and/or freezer to be made aware, in a simple manner, of goods possibly being stored for an excessively long time.

Storage apparatus, in particular for a refrigerator and/or freezer and method for controlling the refrigerator and/or freezer

An operating device for an electronic household appliance contains a rotary control knob being mounted on a control panel such that a carrier of the rotary control knob can rotate about an axis of rotation relative to the control panel, an angle of rotation detection device for detecting an angle position of the carrier, and a control device that is connected to the angle of rotation detection device and evaluates a measurement signal generated by the angle of rotation detection device. The rotary control knob further contains an operating element that is attached in a non-rotatable manner to the carrier and embodied in an elastically deformable manner and the rotary control knob contains a sensor that is attached in a non-rotatable manner to the carrier and detects any deformation of the operating element. The control device is connected to the sensor and evaluates a measurement signal generated by the sensor.

Operating device and appliance having the device

A touch and/or proximity-sensitive actuation element has an electrically non-conductive housing, which has a fastening portion for the stationary and non-rotational mounting of the actuation element and a substantially cylindrical detection portion, which defines a touch and/or proximity-sensitive detection region of the actuation element, at which a rotary movement of a user around the actuation element can be detected. A plurality of electrically conductive sensor elements are arranged in the housing spaced apart from one another along a lateral surface of the detection portion. A printed circuit board is provided and has a plurality of contact faces, which are each electrically conductively in contact with one of the plurality of sensor elements.

Growing community of inventors

Leutkirch, Germany

Ralph Stohr