Handheld measuring device comprising a user interface responsive to changes in a displacement sensed by a displacement sensor

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9678701-B2
Application number	US-201414533978-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Nov 5, 2014
Priority date	Nov 5, 2014
Publication date	Jun 13, 2017
Grant date	Jun 13, 2017

Abstract

A measuring device is provided including a user interface responsive to changes in a displacement sensed by a displacement sensor. The measuring device (e.g., a handheld caliper or micrometer) includes a displacement sensor, a display, a signal processing and control portion, and a user interface. The displacement sensor includes a readhead and a scale displaceable relative to one another along a measuring axis under the manual control of a user, with the display being connected to the readhead. In a first user interface mode, displacement measurement values are displayed and are responsive to changes in the displacement of the displacement sensor. In a second user interface mode, operation control elements are displayed in the user interface and an operation control element action visible in the user interface (e.g., movement of a selection indicator) is responsive to changes in the displacement of the displacement sensor.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A measuring device, comprising:
a displacement sensor comprising a readhead and a scale displaceable relative to one another along a measuring axis under manual control of a user;
a display connected to the readhead;
a signal processing and control portion connected to the displacement sensor and the display; and
a user interface controlled by the signal processing and control portion and displayed on the display, including user interface features comprising displacement measurement values and operation control elements displayed on the display,
wherein:
the user interface comprises:
a first user interface mode wherein the displacement measurement values are displayed and are responsive to changes in displacement of the displacement sensor, and
a second user interface mode wherein the operation control elements are displayed in the user interface and an operation control element action visible in the user interface is responsive to changes in the displacement of the displacement sensor, the operation control element action comprising a selection action which selects an operation control element, the selection action comprising at least one of:
a) selecting, or switching between, respective user interface screens which include respective screen configurations, including switching or scrolling between respective user interface screens in the display automatically in response to a change in the displacement of the displacement sensor, wherein the user interface further comprises at least a first selection activation element operable by the user to activate operations associated with the operation control element selected by the selection action, and the user interface is configured such that when the first selection activation element is operated by the user it activates operations associated with a currently displayed respective user interface screen including operations which cause subsequent changes in the displacement of the displacement sensor to affect operation control element actions directed to subordinate operation control elements which are organized in a functional hierarchy under the currently displayed respective user interface screen; or
b) moving a selection indicator between operation identifiers within an operation selection menu in response to a change in the displacement of the displacement sensor and selecting an operation identifier in the operation selection menu.

2. The measuring device of claim 1 , wherein the operation control elements comprise at least one of:
a) a respective user interface screen which includes a respective screen configuration;
b) a plurality of operation identifiers in an operation selection menu; or
c) a plurality of item identifiers in an item selection menu.

3. The measuring device of claim 1 , wherein the selection action comprises the selection action b), and the measuring device is a handheld caliper and moving the selection indicator comprises moving it from a first operation identifier to a second operation identifier in response to a change in the displacement of the displacement sensor which is not less than 0.5 mm.

4. The measuring device of claim 3 , wherein moving the selection indicator comprises moving from the first operation identifier to the second operation identifier in response to a change in the displacement of the displacement sensor which is at most 5 mm.

5. The measuring device of claim 1 , wherein the selection action comprises the selection action b), and the measuring device is a handheld micrometer actuated by a rotating thimble, and moving the selection indicator comprises moving it from a first operation identifier to a second operation identifier in response to a change in the displacement of the displacement sensor which corresponds to a thimble rotation which is not less than 10 degrees and which is at most 100 degrees.

6. The measuring device of claim 1 , wherein the selection action comprises the selection action a), and the selection activation element comprises a first button manually operable by a user to activate operations associated with the operation control element selected by the selection action.

7. A measuring device, comprising:
a displacement sensor comprising a readhead and a scale displaceable relative to one another along a measuring axis under manual control of a user;
a display connected to the readhead;
a signal processing and control portion connected to the displacement sensor and the display; and
a user interface controlled by the signal processing and control portion and displayed on the display, including user interface features comprising displacement measurement values and operation control elements displayed on the display,
wherein:
the user interface comprises:
a first user interface mode wherein the displacement measurement values are displayed and are responsive to changes in displacement of the displacement sensor, and
a second user interface mode wherein the operation control elements are displayed in the user interface and an operation control element action visible in the user interface is responsive to changes in the displacement of the displacement sensor, wherein the second user interface mode is configured such that a first respective user interface screen that appears when switching from the first to the second user interface mode, and the behavior of that first respective user interface in response to subsequent changes in the displacement of the displacement sensor, are independent of the position of the displacement sensor when switching from the first to the second user interface mode, for at least a majority of positions in a measurement range of the displacement sensor.

8. The measuring device of claim 7 , wherein the user interface comprises a first button that is manually operable by the user to switch to the second user interface mode when the measuring device is in the first user interface mode.

9. The measuring device of claim 8 , wherein when the measuring device is in the second user interface mode the first button is manually operable by a user to activate operations associated with a currently selected operation control element indicated by a selection indicator in the user interface.

10. The measuring device of claim 8 , wherein the user interface comprises a second button that is manually operable by a user to switch to the first user interface mode when the measuring device is in the second user interface mode.

11. A measuring device, comprising:
a displacement sensor comprising a readhead and a scale displaceable relative to one another along a measuring axis under manual control of a user;
a display connected to the readhead;
a signal processing and control portion connected to the displacement sensor and the display; and
a user interface controlled by the signal processing and control portion and displayed on the display, including user interface features comprising displacement measurement values and operation control elements displayed on the display,
wherein:
the user interface comprises:
a first user interface mode wherein the displacement measurement values are displayed and are responsive to changes in displacement of the displacement sensor, and
a second user interface mode wherein the operation control elements are displayed in the user interface and an operation control element action visible in the user interface is responsive to changes in the displacement of the displacement sensor, wherein the operation control element action visible in the user interface that is responsive to changes in the displacement of the displacement sensor comprises a user interface navigation action that moves a user

Assignees

• Mitutoyo Corp

Inventors

• Cook Ted Staton

Classifications

• G06F3/14 Primary

  Digital output to display device {; Cooperation and interconnection of the display device with other functional units} · CPC title

• G01B3/205 Primary

  provided with a counter for digital indication of the measured dimension · CPC title