Method and Apparatus for Tap-Sensing Electronic Switch to Trigger
Contents
1. In further contemplated embodiments the detection region is a region distinguished by an imprint an etching or a modified surface material 0059 In one embodiment the lit marking shone on the surface area is a green circular marking with the words TAP TO TURN ON In another embodiment the lit marking shone on the surface area is a green ON OFF as shown in FIG 9 The user then taps his finger on the circular marking thereby turning on the faucet and allowing the water to flow out of the faucet This faucet may optionally be advanta geously enhanced by changing a color or a wording in the lit marking depending on the status of the switch For example if the switch has been turned on the lit marking can optionally be changed from a green TAP TO TURN ON marking to a red TAP TO TURN OFF marking In a second example if the switch has been turned on the lit marking can optionally be changed from a green ON OFF marking to a red ON OFF marking The user then taps his finger on the red lit marking to turn off the faucet The lit marking then changes back to a green TAP TO TURN ON or ON OFF 0060 In yet another embodiment of the contemplated sys tem a stereo system having the instant switch design may be placed on top of a credenza in a room This stereo system has an illuminating LED marker that shines a lit button shaped lit marking similar to that shown in FIG 9 onto the top surface o2. 20 The method as recited in claim 19 wherein the station ary object is not a physical part of the system and is not a physical part of the electronic equipment and said stationary object is any of a separate fixture a separate furniture piece a floor and a wall
3. sliding 0034 FIG 11 is an illustration of one embodiment of explicitly indicated switch for finger circling 0035 FIG 12 is a high level block diagram of one embodiment of a system that sends a command signal to a controlled device Aug 1 2013 0036 FIG 13 is a more detailed block diagram of one embodiment of a system such as that shown in FIG 12 0037 FIG 14 is a flow diagram of one embodiment of a method for controlling at least one feature of a controlled device 0038 FIG 15 is a setup diagram to process a trigger 0039 FIG 16 is a flow diagram of data processing trigger sensing algorithm DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 0040 The invention and its various embodiments can now be better understood by turning to the following detailed description of the preferred embodiments which are pre sented as illustrated examples of the invention defined in the claims It is expressly understood that the invention as defined by the claims may be broader than the illustrated embodi ments described below 0041 Referring now to FIG 1 the contemplated device 100 has an electrical switch comprising a radiation source 102 shining a radiation 103 a detector 104 a detection region 105 a marked i e explicitly indicated or unmarked i e implicitly indicated contact surface 106 on an optional plat form 130 and a microprocessor 000 These elements will ensure that when the switch is used in combination with el
4. the inventive subject matter 0025 FIG 5A is a side view of one embodiment of a desk lamp implementing the inventive subject matter 0026 FIG 5B is a close up perspective view of the desk lamp of FIG 5 illustrating its detection region 0027 FIG 5C is a close up perspective view of one embodiment the desk lamp of FIG 5 in operation where its detection zone is implicit and hidden 0028 FIG 5D is a close up perspective view of another embodiment of the desk lamp of FIG 5 in operation where its detection zone is explicitly indicated on the table surface visible to a user 0029 FIG 6 is a side view of another embodiment of the inventive subject matter to detect a foot tapping motion showing a user s foot entering into the designated detection zone and placing the foot on a surface according to an aspect of the inventive subject matter 0030 FIG 7 is a side view of the embodiment in FIG 6 witha user s foot raised from its position in FIG 6 according to an aspect of the inventive subject matter 0031 FIG 8 isa side view of the embodiment in FIG 6 with a user s foot lowered from its position in FIG 7 touch ing the surface completing a two tapping motion according to an aspect of the inventive subject matter 0032 FIG 9 is an illustration of one embodiment of explicitly indicated switch for finger tapping 0033 FIG 10 is an illustration of another embodiment of explicitly indicated switch for finger
5. tion off of the table surface changes when a hand enters the detection region 205 to tap a finger on the contact surface 206 0069 It should be noted that in some embodiments the emitter can be installed under the contact surface For Aug 1 2013 example within a bass drum pedal The emitter would point upwards towards a user s foot 0070 Detector 0071 With respect to the detector it is shown in FIG 1 as being coupled in close proximity to the radiation source One skilled in the art will readily understand that there are many other suitable locations and angles to install such detector so long as it is capable of collecting raw data from the detection region The detector may even be installed underneath a trans parent glass table surface on which the finger tapping is to take place This way detector located underneath the glass surface points upwards and collects raw data from the other side of the transparent glass 0072 The contemplated detector is provided to collect raw data relating to the reflection from the detection region As discussed above this raw data is on reflection changes as a user introducing a moving object into the designated detec tion region and moves said moving object in the detection region This moving object may be a hand a finger or a foot 0073 The detector as mentioned above may be located at various angles and locations of the electrical equipment to which the contemplated system contr
6. well known 0066 In one preferred embodiment whether or not the switch is triggered is based on changes in the detected reflec tion off of stationary objects in the detection region For example in FIGS 1 4 whether or not the switch is triggered is based on changes in the detected reflection off of the plat form 130 In another preferred embodiment whether or not the switch is triggered is based on changes in the detected reflection off of moving objects in the detection region For example in FIGS 1 4 whether or not the switch is triggered can be based on changes in the detected reflection off of the moving hand 125 in the detection region 105 In yet another embodiment whether or not the switch is triggered is based on changes in the detected reflection off of both the moving objects in the detection region and reflection off of the sta tionary objects in the detection region or the changes in their relative positions 0067 Thus in the example of FIGS 1 4 where the switch is designed to sense a finger tapping motion in the detection region 105 one contemplated embodiment can sense the finger tapping based on radiation reflection off of the finger as a user s hand 125 enters the detection region 105 and taps a finger in the detection region 105 0068 In the embodiment as shown in FIGS 5A 5D the switch can sense the finger tapping based on radiation reflec tion off of a stationary table surface 236 and how this reflec
7. 006 There have been attempts to minimize size of con trollers so that controller features are less prominent to the eyes An example of this is televisions with small buttons Other attempts include positioning such buttons on the side of the television so these controllers are not readily seen There are undesirable drawbacks to these solutions Buttons that are hidden made it harder for a user to control the device Also buttons that are small made it harder for people with big hands to accurately press the right buttons 0007 There have been discussions in the industry about electronic equipments that recognize hand gestures of a user and certain hand gestures represent certain commands to the electronic equipment The disadvantage of this type of con trol is that it may not be appropriate for people with certain disabilities Also it may be harder for older people to learn about this type of controller 0008 Another problem the industry has always tried to resolve is to create effective child proof controllers for elec tronic devices Young children are quick to recognize where buttons are on electronic equipment and parents often have to place electronic equipment out of the reach of their children to prevent their children from playing with expensive equip ment 0009 There continues to be a need for effective ways to provide electronic control switches that is child proof And there continues to be a need for a way to discreet
8. 30 A1 Aug 1 2013 Sheet 11 of 12 Patent Application Publication sauouydpeaH oL ST Old HOd EBS Id WOAA OL JAMOd JOMOd a AODEUUOI qns q uid 6 1ODEUUOI asn Jopeuuog JeMOd OLAF WMd NO opny punolg dSq z4 deplis YI Patent Application Publication Aug 1 2013 Sheet 12 of 12 US 2013 0194030 A1 Flowchart initialize HW Generate Command FIG 16 US 2013 0194030 Al METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR TAP SENSING ELECTRONIC SWITCH TO TRIGGER A FUNCTION IN AN ELECTRONIC EQUIPMENT CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS 0001 This application claims priority to U S Provisional Patent No 61 593 686 filed on Feb 1 2012 now pending which is hereby incorporated by reference in its entirety BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 0002 1 Field of the Invention 0003 The field of the invention is electrical switches and electrical controllers 0004 2 Description of Related Art Including Informa tion Disclosed Under 37 CFR 1 97 and 1 98 0005 Typical electronics have power switches or control switches placed on the body of electronic equipment for a user to control operation of the electronic equipment Having such switches on the body of the electronic equipment can negatively hinder restrict the aesthetic creativity in the design of the overall looks This is because the designer would now have to consider blending the controller design into the rest of the overall design 0
9. G 5C shows one embodiment where the desk lamp 200 does not explicitly show a user where the contact surface is for finger tapping Only a user who has read the user s manual or has experience operating one would rec ognize where to tap his finger to turn on and off the desk lamp 0049 FIG 5D shows another embodiment where the desk lamp 200 explicitly shows a user where the contact surface is for finger tapping by shining a LED marking 207 onto table top 236 using a LED illuminator 240 located on the desk lamp Here it can be easily understood by a first time user having no experience at all to turn on this desk lamp 200 because of the explicit marking 207 0050 There exists another embodiment not shown in the figures where the desk lamp 200 has its emitter 202 and detector 204 angled such that it can make a small area on the wall across the room the contact surface 205 Because this contact surface 205 is quite a distance from the lamp 200 it is preferred to use a LED illuminator so a user walking into the room can recognize where to tap his finger 0051 There exists yet another embodiment not shown in the figures installed in a room where a ceiling light installed on the ceiling has its emitter and detector physically located apart from the ceiling light This way the emitter and detector can be freely installed at a convenient location base on the need of the user For example the emitter and detector assem bly can be install
10. US 20130194030A1 as United States a2 Patent Application Publication ao Pub No US 2013 0194030 A1 Steckman 43 Pub Date Aug 1 2013 54 METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR 52 U S CL TAP SENSING ELECTRONIC SWITCH TO EN HO3K 17 945 2013 01 TRIGGER A FUNCTION IN AN ELECTRONIC Cisse eee A ER Ad 327 517 EQUIPMENT 57 ABSTRACT 71 72 21 22 60 51 Applicant Michael Steckman Los Angeles CA US Inventor Michael Steckman Los Angeles CA US Appl No 13 757 711 Filed Feb 1 2013 Related U S Application Data Provisional application No 61 593 686 filed on Feb 1 2012 Publication Classification Int Cl HO3K 17 945 2006 01 An electronic switch or an electronic equipment having such switch that has a tap sensing detection region for a user to perform finger tapping foot tapping or other finger move ments on a contact surface in this region and effectuate send ing of a signal to turn on turn off or perform other contem plated functions of the electronic equipment This switch emits a radiation such as infrared light towards the detection region The reflection of the radiation off of an object is collected and compared to a predetermined value If there is a match the switch would senda signal to the device to perform the predetermined function In operation the switch would allow an electrical equipment to have a virtual switch where the user can control the device
11. art of the device as exemplified in FIGS 1 4 or on many different surfaces of any nearby fixture a nearby furniture Aug 1 2013 piece a floor or on the wall The contemplated surface can be made of any suitable materials capable of allowing contact by a finger or by a foot performing the contemplated move ments illustrated in this specification The contact surface does not have to be flat 0055 With respect to explicitly indicating a contact sur face 206 which can be on a platform of the device or on an adjacent surface not part of the electronic device it can be indicated by a LED illuminator Alternatively it can be indi cated by a sticker or printed graphics Also alternatively or in combination of if the contact surface is on a platform then the platform can have a different texture from surrounding surface to implicitly indicate where the contact surface is 0056 In another embodiment the detection region is a marked by a second projected light source to shine a marking onto the stationary object wherein a purpose of the marking is to educate a user to understand where and how the contact surface is used For example the marking can resemble a button a slider a turn knob or a mixture of these 0057 In yet another embodiment the detection region is a region having a marking marked by printed graphics wherein the marking resembles a button a keyboard a slider a turn knob or a mixture of these 0058
12. ation of how to use the trigger condition In this case volume is determined by the amplitude of the measurement motion A trigger event plays a pre recorded sound that sounds like a drum Software Overview 0103 Functionally of the hardware is determined by soft ware loaded on the system There are two parts of the system that are controlled by software running on hardware proces sors C8051F930 processor and ADSP 21065L processor In this case functionally was broken up into items on two pro cessors This is done for convenience as the two hardware modules used naturally had separate abilities that combined to produce a working system IR Sensor Processing 0104 This processing takes place on C8051F930 U1 of the IR Slider demo unit The software is not modified from the vendor definition IR pulses are generated every 16 ms Pres ence of an object is measured by the low going output pulse of PRX Active low pulse width is inversely proportional to the distance to the reflection of the IR from the object A small reading means that the object is farther away than a object with a larger reading IR is emitted during the pulse caption time by U1 Aug 1 2013 Algorithm Data Processing 0105 This processing takes place on ADSP 21065L U18 on the Ez DSP demo unit This software is customized to provide a tap sensing capability An event timer on the processor measures the duration of the PRX signal from the IR Sensor P
13. bodiment the inventive subject matter is the switch itself In a further preferred embodiment the inventive subject matter is the electronic equipment implementing such switch In yet another preferred embodi ment the inventive subject matter is about a method of using tap sensing and other finger motion sensing switches to oper ate electronic equipment In some preferred embodiments the contemplated switch would allow an electronic equip ment to have a virtual switch or invisible switch where the user can control the device by manipulating his finger or his foot on a contact surface i e a surface in a detection region which can be physically separate or separable from the electronic equipment For example in the embodiment as shown in FIGS 1 4 a user would have to touch the platform US 2013 0194030 Al 130 which is part of the electronic device 100 in order to turn on the device 100 In the example as shown in FIGS 5A 5F a user may control the electronic equipment i e the desk lamp 200 without having to physically touch the electronic equipment 0047 Referring now to FIGS 5A 5D a desk lamp 200 is shown having a radiation source 202 a detector 204 where the desk lamp 200 is set on top of the top surface 236 of a table 235 The radiation source 202 emits radiation 203 into detec tion region 205 FIG 5C shows the radiation source 202 in operation and the radiation is invisible to the human eyes 0048 FI
14. by manipulating his finger or his foot in the designated detection region The equipment may optionally have a LED illuminator to shine a lit marking indicating where the contact surface is and how it is to be used Patent Application Publication Aug 1 2013 Sheet 1 of 12 US 2013 0194030 A1 105 408 ER ee 130 ees Patent Application Publication Aug 1 2013 Sheet 2 of 12 US 2013 0194030 A1 104 100 Patent Application Publication Aug 1 2013 Sheet 3 of 12 US 2013 0194030 Al Patent Application Publication Aug 1 2013 Sheet 4 of 12 US 2013 0194030 A1 4 22 e N NE F DUA me Es me 2 NB A N Me T 4 Te en 236 e T A nae N AT id iS oS 4 N ad t n ee FIG 5C Patent Application Publication Aug 1 2013 Sheet 5 of 12 US 2013 0194030 A1 i si 104 100 Patent Application Publication Aug 1 2013 Sheet 6 of 12 US 2013 0194030 A1 Patent Application Publication Aug 1 2013 Sheet 7 of 12 US 2013 0194030 A1 FIG 10 Patent Application Publication Aug 1 2013 Sheet 8 of 12 US 2013 0194030 A1 RADIATION OURCE N PROCESSING DEVICE 2205 FIG 12 Patent Application Publication Aug 1 2013 Sheet 9 of 12 US 2013 0194030 A1 FIG 13 Patent Application Publication Aug 1 2013 Sheet 10 of 12 US 2013 0194030 A1 Emi radiation Detect reflected radiation Process the detected reflected radiation to delermine command signal FIG 14 US 2013 01940
15. cognize a finger tapping or foot tapping on the marking that is on the floor The system may even recognize tapping by other objects on the marking such as tapping using a cane 0062 Radiation Source and Reflection 0063 Referring back to FIG 1 which illustrates a general arrangement of parts in an embodiment of the inventive sub ject matter Here the switch has a radiation source 102 The radiation source 102 projects a radiation 103 into a designated detection region 105 A preferred radiation type is infrared radiation Other known radiation types of different wave length can be used in the alternative as will be by choice of design based on the application of the equipment being con trolled 0064 Various types of reflected radiation systems are in use today Examples of these systems include active radar detection In such a system pulses are emitted at a constant rate Reflections of the pulses can be detected and used to determine the motion of an object over time This is done by measuring the strength of the reflections that correspond to a distance of an object Range is determined by tracking an object over time to determine related direction and speed 0065 As the radiation 103 enters the designated detection region 105 some of the projected radiation will reflect off of stationary and moving objects in the detection region The technology necessary to use reflective light to detect move ment in front of a detector is
16. e g volume flow control and wherein the command is one selected from a group consisting of an on command an off command an increase in relative quantity command a decrease in relative quantity command an increase in relative intensity a decrease in relative inten sity and a mode changing command 3 The system as recited in claim 2 wherein the predeter mined triggering value is at least one selected from the group consisting of a light intensity difference a traveling path a relative velocity a strength indication a distance a pattern of light changes and wherein the processed data is at least one selected from the group consisting of a light intensity difference a travel ing path a relative velocity a strength indication a dis tance and a pattern of light changes US 2013 0194030 Al 4 The system as recited in claim 3 wherein the detection region is one selected from a a predetermined and unmarked region b a region marked by a second projected light source to shine a marking onto the stationary object wherein said marking resembles at least one member selected from the group consisting of a button a keyboard a slider and a turn knob c aregion having a marking marked by a printed graphics wherein said marking resembles at least one member selected from the group consisting of a button a key board a slider and a turn knob and d a region distinguished by any of an imprint an etching and a modi
17. ectronic equipment a user may effectuate certain predeter mined functions of the electronic equipment by tapping a finger tapping a foot or by performing other motions in the detection region as will be discussed in more details below 0042 FIGS 2 4 illustrate a series of finger tapping motion of hand 125 onto contact surface 106 of platform 130 Although FIGS 1 4 shows a two tapping motion it should be understood that it is a choice of design to set the threshold value at only one tapping or two tapping three tapping or any other repetition of tapping 0043 In one embodiment a one tapping motion or a single tapping motion is completed once the finger leaves the contact surface 106 of platform 130 as shown in FIG 3 In another embodiment the one tapping motion is completed once the finger lands on contact surface 106 of platform 130 as shown in FIG 2 0044 In one embodiment a two tapping motion or a double tapping motion is completed once the finger in FIG 4 leaves the contact surface 106 In another embodiment the two tapping motion is completed once the finger lands on contact surface 106 as shown in FIG 4 0045 Furthermore the system may be designed such that a specific number of tapping means a specific command For example two tapping means turn on the system and five tapping means turn off the system This type of design would avoid sending mistaken command and avoid false turn on 0046 In a preferred em
18. ed above an area near the entrance of the room so a contact surface can be assigned on the wall near where a typical light switch would be located This arrange ment can apply to any other electronic equipment where having such remotely located emitter detector can offer much needed freedom in changing the location of contact surface The contemplated remote emitter detector can be electrically connected to the electronic equipment by known wire or wireless methods 0052 FIGS 6 8 illustrate the contemplated device 100 of FIG 1 except here it is being used to detect foot tapping Operation and design of this embodiment is similar to that discussed for device 100 of FIG 1 0053 Other consumer products are also contemplated to use the technology and ingenuity of the inventive subject matter disclosed herein For example an electronic water faucet not shown can implement this switch wherein the switch has a LED illuminator that shines a lit marking on a surface area i e the contact surface near the wash bow for a user to tap his finger on the surface to turn on the water Alternatively the LED illuminator can shine a lit marking on the floor i e the contact surface for a user to tap his foot on the floor to turn on the water providing a sanitary solution in hospital and other healthcare related environments 0054 Thecontact surface as discussed in this specification can mean a contact surface on the optional platform that is p
19. etector work independently from the visible LED Processing 0099 Integration of the two prototype units required development of an algorithm to process the trigger and the addition of two wires to electrically connect the two systems together See FIG 15 a setup diagram 0100 A non critical function included in the design is to use the EZ KIT to process sound files as a response to the trigger Again this only demonstrates one possible use of the trigger device 0101 Measurements are taken on prototype 1 and deliv ered to prototype 2 for processing The key functionality of prototype 1 is that it produces a pulse width modulated PWM signal every 16 milliseconds that corresponds to reflected intensity of an object On prototype 2 the processor has a built in function to read PWM signals This built in function allows a new sample to be stored every 16 ms that corresponds to the intensity of the reflection 0102 Processing on prototype 2 happens in three phases The first phase is to average the data so that measurement noise is reduced Stage two is the trigger algorithm Before entering an active triggering state a target is validated only after the object is determined to be static At this point thresh olds are established for the target Upon entering the active triggering state the thresholds are used to determine whether the motion is considered to be a valid trigger condition The third stage is non critical determin
20. f the credenza right in front of where the stereo system is placed The lit button shaped lit marking has the words TAP HERE on the top surface This stereo system can be moved onto another furniture piece and it would shine such lit button on the surface of whichever furniture piece the stereo is placed upon The stereo system allows the user to selectively turn off this illuminating LED marker to optionally make the marking invisible so no one would know where the contact surface is except him 0061 In one embodiment of the stereo example the microprocessor and the detector is designed to detect a tap ping on a contact surface where the contact surface is level with whichever table surface the stereo system is placed on In other words if the user were to place this stereo system on the edge of a credenza and allows the LED illuminator to shine a marking on the floor where the user s foot is the stereo US 2013 0194030 Al system would not recognize a finger tapping or foot tapping on the marking that is on the floor In a further embodiment the microprocessor and detector would be able to process reflection whether or not the detection region is on the same plane as the surface the stereo system is placed on In other words if the user were to place this stereo system on the edge of the credenza and allows the LED illuminator to shine a marking on the floor where the user s foot is the stereo system would be able to re
21. fied surface material 5 The system as recited in claim 4 wherein the moving object is a finger or a foot of the user and the traveling path from said point A to said point B and back to said point A is a finger tapping motion or a foot tapping motion in the detec tion region 6 The system as recited in claim 5 wherein said finger tapping motion or a foot tapping motion is performed onto a stationary object and wherein the stationary object is not a physical part of the system and is not a physical part of the electronic equipment and said stationary object is any of a separate fixture a separate furniture piece a floor and a wall 7 The system as recited in claim 6 wherein the controlled device is a consumer product 8 The system as recited in claim 7 wherein the consumer product is a lighting fixture 9 The system as recited in claim 7 wherein the consumer product is an audio visual equipment 10 The switch as recited in claim 6 wherein the controlled device is a musical instrument 11 The switch as recited in claim 10 wherein the musical instrument is an electric bass drum 12 The switch as recited in claim 11 wherein a relatively faster movement traveling from said point A to point B trig gers the switch to send a command to produce a relatively louder bass drum sound and wherein a relatively slower movement traveling from said point A to point B triggers the switch to send a command to produce a relatively l
22. g a circling action across a surface in a detection region etc In general as long as certain contemplated conditions that are detectable based on reflective radiation are met within a detection region the switch will send the contem plated command to the electronic equipment Various con templated conditions will be discussed in more details below 0012 This switch can be used to control various types of electronic equipment One skilled in the art will recognize that any known electronic equipment requiring user control can implement the instant inventive subject matter While some electronic equipment depending on its usage and the environment to which it is used may not be appropriate to use the contemplated switch system one skilled in the electronic art can readily determine whether or not the contemplated switch disclosed herein can be appropriately implemented in an electronic equipment of choice to achieve the desired objective of controlling by finger tapping foot tapping or other finger movements on a surface 0013 Among the various available electronic equipment that are suitable for use with this switch musical instruments such as an electric drum set or a virtual bass drum would work particularly well 0014 Other contemplated consumer electronic products are lighting fixtures audio visual equipment and electroni cally controlled water faucets 0015 As for the technology behind detecting contem plated
23. he group not A plus N or B plus N etc What is claimed is 1 A system that sends a command signal to a controlled device the system comprising a radiation source that emits radiation to a detection region a detector that detects reflected radiation based on the emitted radiation from the radiation source wherein the reflected radiation is the emitted radiation that is reflected off of an object within the detection region a processing device that is coupled to the detector to receive electrical signals based on the detected reflected radia tion and to process the electrical signal into a processed data wherein the processing device send the command signal to the controlled device that controls at least one feature of the controlled device wherein the command signal is sent when the processed data matches with a predetermined triggering value and wherein the predetermined triggering value comprises the traveling path of said moving object traveling from a point A to a point B and returning back to said point A wherein said point A is located a on a contact surface of a stationary object within the detection region or b mid air within the detection region wherein the detec tion region is a 3 dimensional space 2 The system as recited in claim 1 wherein the system is a controlling device that controls the controlled device wherein the controlling controlled device is an on off switch or a gradient controller
24. he scope of the commonly defined meanings Thus if an element can be understood in the context of this specification as including more than one meaning then its use in a claim must be understood as being generic to all possible meanings supported by the specification and by the word itself 0123 The definitions of the words or elements of the fol lowing claims therefore include not only the combination of elements which are literally set forth but all equivalent struc ture material or acts for performing substantially the same function in substantially the same way to obtain substantially the same result In this sense it is therefore contemplated that an equivalent substitution of two or more elements may be made for any one of the elements in the claims below or that a single element may be substituted for two or more elements in a claim Although elements may be described above as acting in certain combinations and even initially claimed as such it is to be expressly understood that one or more ele ments from a claimed combination can in some cases be excised from the combination and that the claimed combina tion may be directed to a subcombination or variation of a subcombination 0124 Thus specific embodiments and applications of tap sensing switch have been disclosed It should be apparent however to those skilled in the art that many more modifica tions besides those already described are possible without departing from the
25. ife example this system is applied in a vehicle to deploy an airbag at appropriate time When a driver enters the vehicle the system automatically sets point A as the driver moves around in the vehicle Many point As may be set While the vehicle is in motion the driver sits back and the system automatically sets the driver body in point B Upon impact driver body moves violently towards certain direction where certain point A was previously set Now the system detects the relative velocity of the driver body moving back towards that certain point A from point B to determine whether or not to trigger the airbag deployment 0088 Similarly the processed data can be one type or a mixture of types of data such as data relating to light intensity difference a traveling path a relative velocity a strength indication a distance and a pattern of light changes 0089 Method 0090 Another aspect of the invention is directed to meth ods of turning on or controlling electronic equipments by finger tapping or foot tapping in an area near under or within close proximity to the electronic equipment but not directly finger tapping or foot tapping on the electronic equipment In one embodiment the tapping is performed directly on a plat form which is part of the electronic equipment 0091 In operation the contemplated electronic equip ment implements reflective light and detector that can readily turn any surfaces near the electronic equip
26. inventive concepts herein The inventive subject matter therefore is not to be restricted except in the spirit of the appended claims Moreover in interpreting both the specification and the claims all terms should be inter preted in the broadest possible manner consistent with the context In particular the terms comprises and compris Aug 1 2013 ing should be interpreted as referring to elements compo nents or steps in a non exclusive manner indicating that the referenced elements components or steps may be present or utilized or combined with other elements components or steps that are not expressly referenced Insubstantial changes from the claimed subject matter as viewed by a person with ordinary skill in the art now known or later devised are expressly contemplated as being equivalent within the scope of the claims Therefore obvious substitutions now or later known to one with ordinary skill in the art are defined to be within the scope of the defined elements The claims are thus to be understood to include what is specifically illustrated and described above what is conceptually equivalent what can be obviously substituted and also what essentially incorporates the essential idea of the invention In addition where the specification and claims refer to at least one of something selected from the group consisting of A B C and N the text should be interpreted as requiring only one element from t
27. ly place switches and control elements on electronic equipment Fur ther there continues to be a need for easy to learn controller switches 0010 All referenced patents applications and literatures are incorporated herein by reference in their entirety Further more where a definition or use of a term ina reference which is incorporated by reference herein is inconsistent or contrary to the definition of that term provided herein the definition of that term provided herein applies and the definition of that term in the reference does not apply The invention may seek to satisfy one or more of the above mentioned desires Although the present invention may obviate one or more of Aug 1 2013 the above mentioned desires it should be understood that some aspects of the invention might not necessarily obviate them BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 0011 The inventive subject matter contemplated is an electrical switch capable of sending a command to an elec tronic equipment to turn on off increase decrease volume and or other useful commands based on a user s finger tapping motion within a certain detection region More broadly speaking the contemplated switch can be designed to detect many types of user movement within a certain detec tion region In more specific embodiments it can detect a foot tapping finger tapping a finger performing a sliding action across a surface in a detection region a finger perform in
28. ment into a detec tion region And most preferably a user can easily move the electronic equipment to another location and a new detection Aug 1 2013 region would be automatically created without requiring the user to recalibrate based on distance and angle 0092 As just one example further illustrating the method of FIG 5A 5D the desk lamp 200 has an infrared emitter 202 that directs an infrared light 203 downwardly and angled at about 45 degrees away from the vertical axis of the desk lamp 200 As shown further in FIGS 5B and 5D the desk lamp 200 has a detector 204 installed near the infrared emitter 202 and is also pointed downwardly and angled at about 45 degrees away from the vertical axis of the desk lamp 200 This par ticular desk lamp 200 is equipped with an LED illuminator 240 which shines a lit marking 207 onto the table top 236 Upon seeing the lit marking 207 a user can tap his finger on the lit marking 207 to turn on the lamp After the lamp 207 is turned on the user can dim the light by placing his finger tip on the lit mark 207 which is illuminated to show a turntable as shown in FIG 11 and moves his finger in a counter clock wise motion as if he is turning a knob or a small turntable To turn off the desk lamp 200 the user simply taps his finger twice on the lit marking 207 again The user can easily remove desk lamp 200 from table 235 and place the desk lamp 200 on a buffet table Although the desk lamp 200 i
29. motions within the detection region the contemplated electrical switch has a radiation source to project a projected radiation into this detection region The radiation is detect able based on the reflection of the radiation off of whatever object located within the detection region as will be dis cussed in further detail below 0016 The contemplated system further includes a detector and a microprocessor to collect and process raw data relating to the reflection from the detection region The switch will recognize certain patterns within a reasonable degree of error that match the predetermined triggering patterns 0017 The detector as mentioned above may be located at various angles and locations of the electrical equipment to which the contemplated system controls The detector can also be located physically separate from the main housing of the device Preferably the detector is located somewhere above the detection region 0018 Inessence the contemplated system would allow an electrical equipment to have a virtual switch or an invis ible switch where the user can control the device by tapping his finger or tapping his foot in the designated detection zone The designation of the detection zone can be explicit and can be implicit US 2013 0194030 Al 0019 Various objects features aspects and advantages of the present invention will become more apparent from the following detailed description of preferred emb
30. ms measurements use pulsing patterns there is a non pulsed time of 3 5 ms 16 ms 2 5x5 ms Measuring this non pulsed time synchronizes the sensor reading to the first of five pulsed patterns Subse quently the circular buffer is filled with every fifth reading This corresponds to a single emitter detector every 16 ms The primary algorithm reads the circular buffer every time a new sample is read There are two modes of operation active and inactive Inactive operation is when there is not enough signal level for a good measurement This is a setting based on the position of the IR Slider When the IR Slider is facing the floor approximately 4 5 inches above the ground at 30 degrees tilt from a normal orientation a value of 0x3500 can be used When actively processing samples thresholds are used to set the degree of tap response 0109 A 64 sample average is used set the threshold From the most recent 64 samples the highest lowest and average values are found If the high and low values are within 2 percent of the average the threshold is set to high low times 2 0110 Incoming data is monitored to determine when a tap occurs Both monotonic increasing and decreasing input data is measured A monotonic decreasing input in which high low is greater than the threshold calculated above will cause a trigger event 0111 A non critical feature of a trigger described above is a drum pedal application is that the trigger initiates a
31. n region within a reasonable degree of error wherein the path of travel from point A to point B is not a straight line but a curved line a circle or an arc 0079 Contemplated system is capable of detecting a mov ing object animate or inanimate as it moves from a starting point This starting point can be a non specified point located generally in the detection region which is a three dimen sional region 0080 In one embodiment the starting point is located on a contact surface of a stationary object within the detection region 0081 In another embodiment the starting point is located mid air within the detection region 0082 Microprocessor and Data Processing 0083 The contemplated system includes a microproces sor or processing device 1305 coupled to the detector to US 2013 0194030 Al process the collected raw data into a processed data The microprocessor is designed to compare the processed data to a predetermined triggering value This predetermined trigger ing value can be an absolute value a relative value or both When the processed data falls within a range of the predeter mined triggering value the microprocessor is contemplated to signal the system to send the command 0084 Ina preferred embodiment raw data on a combina tion of inactivity and activity is used to track motion This is unlike any of the known range detection devices because inactivity is critical here for valid triggering A meas
32. odiments of the invention along with the accompanying drawings in which like numerals represent like components BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 0020 It should be noted that the drawing figures may be in simplified form and might not be to precise scale In reference to the disclosure herein for purposes of convenience and clarity only directional terms such as top bottom left right up down over above below beneath rear front distal and proximal are used with respect to the accompanying draw ings Such directional terms should not be construed to limit the scope of the invention in any manner 0021 FIG 1 is a side view of a first embodiment of a device having the contemplated detection unit and a desig nated detection region according to an aspect of the inventive subject matter 0022 FIG 2 is a side view of a first embodiment of the device in FIG 1 with a user s finger entering into the desig nated detection zone and placing the finger tip on a surface according to an aspect of the inventive subject matter 0023 FIG 3 is a side view of a first embodiment of the device in FIG 1 with a user s finger raised from its position in FIG 2 according to an aspect of the inventive subject matter 0024 FIG 4 is a side view of a first embodiment of the device in FIG 1 witha user s finger lowered from its position in FIG 3 touching the surface completing a two tapping motion according to an aspect of
33. off provide gradient control e g volume flow control to increase in quantity to decrease in quantity to increase in relative intensity to decrease in relative intensity and changing mode 16 The method as recited in claim 15 wherein the prede termined triggering value is a relative velocity 17 The method as recited in claim 15 wherein said point A is located a on a contact surface of a stationary object within the detection region or b mid air within the detection region wherein the detec tion region is a 3 dimensional space 18 The method as recited in claim 17 wherein the moving object is a finger or a foot of the user and the traveling path to which the raw data is collected is a finger tapping or a foot tapping motion 19 The method as recited in claim 18 providing the detec tion region such that the detection region is one selected from a a predetermined and unmark region b a region marked by a second projected light source to shine a marking onto the stationary object wherein said marking resembles at least one member selected from the group consisting of a button a keyboard a slider and a turn knob and Cc a region having a marking marked by a printed graphics wherein said marking resembles at least one member selected from the group consisting of a button a key board a slider and a turn knob and d a region distinguished by any of an imprint an etching and a modified surface material
34. ols Preferably the detector is located somewhat above the contact surface of the detection region 0074 It should be noted that in some embodiments the detector can be located under the contact surface For example within a bass drum pedal The detector would point upwards towards a user s foot 0075 Types of Finger Movement 0076 Many different ways of movement in the detection region are contemplated to be recognizable by the system For example one preferred movement is a tapping motion e g finger tapping foot tapping Or in a general sense the con templated movement is a motion of an object moving from point A in the detection region to point B in the detection region and then back to point A in the detection region within a reasonable degree of error 0077 Another preferred movement can be a finger sliding motion on the contact surface in the detection region as shown in FIG 10 Or in a more general sense the movement is a motion of a moving object from point A in the detection region to point B in the detection region within a reasonable degree of error wherein the path of travel is a straight line 0078 Further preferred movement can be a finger circling motion clock wise motion and counter clock wise motion as shown in FIG 11 on the contact surface in the detection region Or in a more general sense the movement is a motion of a moving object from point A in the detection region to point B in the detectio
35. ower bass drum sound 13 A method for controlling at least one feature of a controlled device the method comprising having a radiation source to emit radiation to a detection region having a detector to detect a raw data from a reflected radiation based on the emitted radiation from the radia tion source wherein the reflected radiation is the emitted radiation that is reflected off of an object moving from a point A in the detection region to a point B in the detec tion region and back to said point A Aug 1 2013 having a processor and a logic to process the raw data into a processed data and compare the processed data to a predetermined triggering value send a command signal if there is a match to the predeter mined triggering value to control at least one feature of the controlled device 14 The method as recited in claim 13 wherein the logic is configured to process raw data in at least one type of value from the group consisting of a light intensity difference a traveling path a relative velocity a distance and a pattern of light changes and wherein the predetermined triggering value is at least one value selected from a group consisting of a light intensity difference a traveling path a relative veloc ity a distance and a pattern of light changes 15 The method as recited in claim 14 wherein the pro duced trigger to the electronic device effectuates at least one of the following functions switching on
36. re were a bass drum pedal In one illustrated example the electronic bass drum does not provide a LED illuminator to specifically indicate a lit marking The drum mer would visually gauge where the detection region may be by looking at where the infrared light emitter and the detector is pointing at The electronic bass drum has a microprocessor to gather raw data about the drummer s foot tapping such that it is able to distinguish speed force and distance traveled of the foot tapping By being able to make these distinctions the microprocessor can utilize a sound synthesizer to simulate actual bass drums 0097 Functionality in a drum pedal can be broken into two distinct areas a sensing system and a data processing system A demonstration has been constructed from the above con cept using two COTS Commercial Off the shelf Hardware prototype units A first unit provides sensing circuitry an US 2013 0194030 Al emitter with a detector of infrared light and a processor to instrument constant detection patterns These patterns are processed by data processor on a second unit Hardware Detection Orientation 0098 In order for the sensor to detect an object the object must be in the path of the sensor Two simple cases are sensing an object moving toward or away from the detector In any case the region must be identified There is an IR emitter an IR detector and a visible LED above the detection region The IR emitter and d
37. rocessing unit A reading occurs once every 16 ms This occurs based on the IR Sensor Processing period of 16 ms An event counter clears when the input is high and counts when the input is low Count increment time is 2x input clock frequency 40 Mhz or 16 67 ns When the input goes high the processor is interrupted to store the count value in a circular buffer This measurement is the input to the trigger sensing algorithm 0106 A separate algorithm reads the circular buffer to determine whether a valid trigger is present When this con dition is found a trigger message is generated See the flow diagram of FIG 16 0107 The initialize HW section configures the custom features An event timer 0 is used to read the low going pulses of PRX asm BIT SET IMASK TMZLI BIT CLR MODE2 INT_HIO INT_HI1 asm BIT CLR MODE2 PWMOUTO Set pin to input asm BIT SET MODE2 PULSE_HIO0 1 to 0 transition asm BIT CLR MODE2 PERIOD_CNT1 Intr Width count asm BIT SET MODE2 TIMENO Enable timer 0108 IR Slider processes two channels by emitting with two different sources and uses time multiplexing with a single detector In the 16 ms period five measurements are made 2 from single source diodes and three custom measurements Each emitter period occurs for less than 2 5 ms The first measurement is made from D1 D1 is the emitter used for the tap sensing algorithm As the first five 2 5
38. s now relocated to another piece of furniture the infrared emitter 202 the detector 204 and the LED illuminator 240 now readily creates another lit marking 207 on the top surface of the buffet table 0093 Example Light Bulb Adaptor 0094 Another useful application of this invention is a light bulb adaptor The contemplated light bulb adaptor is suffi ciently small in size to fit in between an ordinary light bulb and an ordinary light fixture e g a desk lamp similar to the one shown in FIGS 5A 5D The adaptor has one end having a screw thread contact to screw into the light fixture where an ordinary light bulb usually goes The adaptor has another end for receiving the ordinary light bulb s screw thread contact Essentially the adaptor acts as a connector connecting the light bulb to the light fixtures The adaptor would have all of the necessary parts i e detector emitter and processor contained within This way an user can instantly make any ordinary light fixture into a special light fixture with tap sensing switches 0095 Example Electric Drum Pedal 0096 As mentioned earlier one of the key implementa tion of this invention is in electronic percussion instruments In one embodiment a method is provided to create an elec tronic bass drum by using an assembly of infrared light emit ter and a detector pointed generally downwardly in the direc tion towards the floor upon which a drummer would tap his foot as if the
39. sound sample The sound sample produces sound reproduction ofa pre recorded base drum being stuck by a mallet US 2013 0194030 Al Visual LED Processing 0112 An LED is turned ON when an object is not detected Appendix 0113 IR Slider Schematic 0114 Ez DSP Schematic Abbreviations 0115 COTS Commercial Off the shelf Hardware 0116 DSP Digital signal processor 0117 IF Infrared 0118 LED Light emitting diode 0119 OEM Original Equipment Manufacture 0120 PWM Pulse width modulation 0121 Many alterations and modifications may be made by those having ordinary skill in the art without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention Therefore it must be understood that the illustrated embodiment has been set forth only for the purposes of example and that it should not be taken as limiting the invention as defined by the following claims For example notwithstanding the fact that the ele ments of a claim are set forth below in a certain combination it must be expressly understood that the invention includes other combinations of fewer more or different elements which are disclosed herein even when not initially claimed in such combinations 0122 The words used in this specification to describe the invention and its various embodiments are to be understood not only in the sense of their commonly defined meanings but to include by special definition in this specification structure material or acts beyond t
40. urement of an object is first determined to be static Static is relative and has a tolerance of minor movement From a static posi tion range of motion is determined by the signal level at the static position Movement from the static position away and back to the static position produces trigger conditions 0085 The contemplated switch is capable of functioning as an on off switch or a gradient controller e g for volume flow control The command as discussed above is contem plated to be at least one of the following an on command an off command an increase in relative quantity command a decrease in relative quantity command an increase in relative intensity a decrease in relative intensity and a mode chang ing command 0086 In the preferred embodiments the predetermined triggering value can be one type or a mixture of types of data such as data relating to light intensity difference a traveling path a relative velocity a strength indication a distance and a pattern of light changes 0087 In one embodiment where the triggering value is relative velocity the switch sends the command when a mov ing object is moving at a velocity within a predetermined range of speed More specifically the object is moving from point B back to point A at a velocity within a predetermined range of speed In another embodiment the object is moving from point A to point B at a velocity within a predetermined range of speed Ina real l
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