Lighting switch apparatus and lighting switching method

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9380681-B2
Application number	US-201514598775-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jan 16, 2015
Priority date	Jan 20, 2014
Publication date	Jun 28, 2016
Grant date	Jun 28, 2016

Abstract

Disclosed herein are a lighting switch apparatus and a lighting switching method, which can perform lighting control by blocking or passing light from a lighting device using a user's hand motion while the user may make input to a lighting switch by means of a capacitive touch on the lighting switch. The lighting switch apparatus includes a capacitive touch sensing unit for recognizing a user's touch. A hand motion visible light receiving unit receives visible light from a lighting device depending on motion of the user's hand. A control unit generates a touch-based lighting control signal based on results of touch recognition, controls the hand motion visible light receiving unit so that the user's hand motion-based signal is output based on the results of touch recognition, and generates a lighting control command by combining the lighting control signal with the user's hand motion-based signal.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A lighting switch apparatus, comprising:
a capacitive touch sensing unit for recognizing a user's touch;
a hand motion visible light receiving unit for receiving visible light from a lighting device depending on motion of the user's hand; and
a control unit for
generating a touch-based lighting control signal based on results of touch recognition by the capacitive touch sensing unit,
controlling the hand motion visible light receiving unit so that the user's hand motion-based signal is output based on the results of touch recognition by the capacitive touch sensing unit, and
generating a lighting control command by combining the lighting control signal with the user's hand motion-based signal,

wherein the hand motion visible light receiving unit comprises
a light receiving unit for receiving the visible light,
a photoelectric converter for converting the light received by the light receiving unit into electrical signals corresponding to the light,
a programmable filter for performing frequency filtering in a corresponding one of a Visible Light Communication (VLC) mode and a hand motion signal mode on the electrical signals, output from the photoelectric converter, in response to a first control signal from the control unit, and
a VLC signal processing and hand motion signal processing unit for performing corresponding signal processing of VLC signal processing and hand motion signal processing on a signal, having passed through the programmable filter, in response to a second control signal from the control unit.

2. The lighting switch apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the programmable filter is configured to, when the first control signal is a signal indicative of the hand motion signal mode, pass a signal that can be created using hand motion, among electric signals output from the photoelectric converter, through the programmable filter.

3. The lighting switch apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the programmable filter is configured to, when the first control signal is a signal indicative of the VLC mode, pass a signal in a VLC signal band, among the electrical signals output from the photoelectric converter, through the programmable filter.

4. The lighting switch apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the VLC signal processing and hand motion signal processing unit is configured to, when the second control signal is a signal indicative of the hand motion signal mode, perform hand motion signal processing on the signal output from the programmable filter, and provide a resulting signal to the control unit.

5. The lighting switch apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the VLC signal processing and hand motion signal processing unit is configured to, when the second control signal is a signal indicative of the VLC mode, perform VLC signal processing on the signal output from the programmable filter, and provide a resulting signal to the control unit.

6. The lighting switch apparatus of claim 1 , wherein:
the hand motion visible light receiving unit further comprises a light guide tube, and
the light receiving unit receives the visible light input through the light guide tube.

7. The light switching apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the capacitive touch sensing unit and the hand motion visible light receiving unit share a ground plane circuit so that levels of ground signals thereof are equal to each other.

8. The light switching apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the capacitive touch sensing unit comprises:
an electric field change unit for causing a change in an electric field depending on the user's touch;
a comparator for comparing a signal from the electric field change unit with a reference signal;
a sampling and capturing unit for sampling and capturing a signal output from the comparator; and
a touch signal processing unit for converting a signal output from the sampling and capturing unit into a signal readable by the control unit.

9. The lighting switch apparatus of claim 8 , wherein:
the electric field change unit comprises a passive element, and
the passive element is adjusted to enable a touch sensing range to be controlled.

10. The lighting switch apparatus of claim 1 , further comprising a status display unit for displaying results of control by the control unit.

11. A lighting switch apparatus, comprising:
a capacitive touch sensing unit for recognizing a user's touch;
a hand motion visible light receiving unit for receiving visible light from a lighting device depending on motion of the user's hand; and
a control unit for
generating a touch-based lighting control signal based on results of touch recognition by the capacitive touch sensing unit,
controlling the hand motion visible light receiving unit so that the user's hand motion-based signal is output based on the results of touch recognition by the capacitive touch sensing unit, and
generating a lighting control command by combining the lighting control signal with the user's hand motion-based signal,

wherein the capacitive touch sensing unit comprises
an electric field change unit for causing a change in an electric field depending on the user's touch,
a comparator for comparing a signal from the electric field change unit with a reference signal,
a sampling and capturing unit for sampling and capturing a signal output from the comparator, and
a touch signal processing unit for converting a signal output from the sampling and capturing unit into a signal readable by the control unit.

12. The lighting switch apparatus of claim 11 , wherein:
the electric field change unit comprises a passive element, and
the passive element is adjusted to enable a touch sensing range to be controlled.

Assignees

• Korea Electronics Telecomm

Inventors

• Kim You-Jin
• Kim Dae-Ho
• Kim Hyun-Seok
• Kim Hyun-Jong
• Kang Tae-Gyu

Classifications

• B26D3/282

  by peeling-off · CPC title

• A23N7/026 Primary

  Peeling machines therefor with rotary fruit holding spindles and fixed or movable peeler blades · CPC title

• B26D7/018

  Holding the work by suction · CPC title

• B26D2210/02

  for cutting food products, e.g. food slicers · CPC title

• H05B37/0227 Primary

  Electricity · mapped topic