Knob device, electronic device

Abstract

The utility model relates to a kind of knob device, electronic equipment, including knob main body, processing module, capacitance digital conversion circuit, switch array;Knob main body is configured as the non-activity component that protrudes from base body outer surface;Knob main body top surface is arranged at least three first electrodes, each first electrode is arranged along the circumference of knob main body and forms partially closed or fully closed first discrete array, the outer edge distance of first discrete array from knob main body top surface outer edge is at most not more than 5mm, electrode unit that surrounds the circumference of knob main body is arranged on the side wall of knob main body or base body outer surface, electrode unit and first discrete array are misaligned in array center axis direction;Capacitance digital conversion circuit is respectively coupled each electrode by switch array;Processing module is coupled capacitance digital conversion circuit.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This utility model relates to knob control components, and more particularly to a virtual knob device and electronic equipment. Background Technology

[0002] Rotary interactive devices on electronic devices such as washing machines are generally mechanical knobs. The limitations of mechanical knobs include: reliance on physical encoders and multi-component linkage mechanisms, resulting in high design complexity; increased assembly processes due to the combination of multiple components, affecting production efficiency; difficulty in achieving complete sealing of the combined structural components, making them susceptible to moisture damage and poor waterproof performance; and limited interactive operation, recognizing only circumferential movements.

[0003] Patent CN111857234B discloses a knob, including a fixed post, a base plate, a first touch sensing component and a conductive housing. Multiple touch electrodes are provided on the bottom surface of the base plate. The conductive housing rotates with the fixed post and is coupled to the touch electrodes through the conductive part to realize the sensing function of hand operation rotation. However, it still has the problems of low structural simplification, poor water resistance and inability to recognize vertical interactive actions. Utility Model Content

[0004] To address the shortcomings of existing technologies, a virtual knob device is provided.

[0005] The knob device of this utility model is mounted on an external substrate and includes a knob body, a processing module, a capacitor-to-digital converter circuit, and a switch array. The knob body is configured as a non-movable component protruding from the outer surface of the substrate. At least three first electrodes are arranged on the top surface of the knob body. Each first electrode is arranged along the circumference of the knob body to form a partially closed or fully closed first discrete array to detect the interaction of the user's hand rotating around the central axis of the array on the knob body. The outer edge of the first discrete array is no more than 5 mm away from the outer edge of the top surface of the knob body. Electrode units are provided on the side wall of the knob body or the outer surface of the substrate, surrounding the circumference of the knob body. The electrode units are offset from the first discrete array in the direction of the central axis of the array to cooperate with the first discrete array in detecting the interaction of the user's hand pushing and pulling on the knob body along the direction of the central axis of the array. The capacitor-to-digital converter circuit is coupled to each electrode through the switch array. The processing module is coupled to the capacitor-to-digital converter circuit.

[0006] The knob device of this utility model also includes the following auxiliary technical solutions:

[0007] The knob body has a second electrode located on the top surface of the knob body, within the inner ring of the first discrete array. The second electrode is located at the center of the top surface of the knob body.

[0008] The electrode unit is a continuous strip electrode.

[0009] The electrode unit is configured to include several third electrodes, which are arranged circumferentially along the knob body to form a partially closed or fully closed second discrete array. The electrodes of the first discrete electrode and the second discrete array are aligned vertically.

[0010] The electrode unit has at least two electrodes, and the electrodes are misaligned in the direction of the central axis of the array.

[0011] This includes indicators used to indicate the rotation angle and / or rotation position.

[0012] It also includes an electronic device, including but not limited to a washing machine, which is equipped with the aforementioned virtual knob.

[0013] Compared with the prior art, the knob structure of this utility model has the following advantages:

[0014] (1) The structural design is simplified, eliminating the need for mechanical encoders and simplifying the internal structure;

[0015] (2) Production and assembly are convenient, components are reduced, assembly process is optimized, and production efficiency is improved;

[0016] (3) Richer interactive operations, in addition to recognizing circumferential movements, it can also recognize vertical movements;

[0017] (4) The axial height difference ensures that the capacitive signals of rotation and push-pull actions are spatially decoupled to avoid misjudgment, and combined with the CDC’s 1fF level detection capability, it captures minute gesture changes.

[0018] (5) It is highly waterproof and can be designed to be fully enclosed, eliminating the risk of water leakage.

[0019] (6) Discrete arrays are easy to arrange on the top surface and are convenient to operate with a single finger. Attached Figure Description

[0020] Figure 1a A three-dimensional schematic diagram of a knob with electrodes distributed on the top surface and the substrate surface is provided. Figure 1b A three-dimensional schematic diagram of a knob with electrodes distributed on the top surface and side walls is provided.

[0021] Figure 2 A schematic diagram of the arrangement of the second electrode is given.

[0022] Figure 3 A schematic diagram of the arrangement of continuous electrode units is given.

[0023] Figure 4 A schematic diagram of the arrangement of the multi-electrode unit is given. Detailed Implementation

[0024] The technical solutions of the present invention will be clearly and completely described below with reference to the accompanying drawings of the embodiments of the present invention.

[0025] In one exemplary embodiment, reference is made to Figure 1a The knob device 1, as one of the operating components of the device, is located on an external base 2, such as the washing machine casing. The knob device 1 includes a knob body, a circuit board, and a detection module. The knob body protrudes from the outer surface of the base 2 to form a fixed, non-movable component, and the circuit board is built into the internal cavity of the protrusion or within the washing machine casing. The circuit board includes a processing module, a capacitance-to-digital converter (CDC) circuit, and a switch array. These components are integrated into a single chip for miniaturization. The capacitance-to-digital converter (CDC) circuit uses Δ-Σ modulation to directly convert the measured capacitance value into a digital value by repeatedly charging and discharging the capacitor and comparing it with a reference capacitance (see US Patent Number: 5,134,401), improving the measurement sensitivity to the capacitance to the 1ff level.

[0026] See Figure 1a , 1b The detection module includes electrodes 3 arranged on the top surface of the main body and electrodes 4 arranged on the sidewalls of the main body or the outer surface of the base 2. Specifically, at least three first electrodes 3 are arranged on the top surface of the knob body. Each first electrode 3 is arranged along the circumference of the knob body to form a partially closed or fully closed first discrete array to detect the interaction of the user's hand rotating around the central axis of the array on the knob body. The discrete array is easier to arrange on the top surface than on the sidewall, and it is also convenient for single-finger operation. To reliably detect the rotation interaction, the outer edge of the first discrete array is no more than 5 mm away from the outer edge of the top surface of the knob body. The electrodes arranged on the sidewalls of the main body or the outer surface of the base 2 are electrode units 4 surrounding the circumference of the knob body. The electrode units 4 can be continuous or discrete. The electrode units 4 are offset from the first discrete array in the direction of the central axis of the array to form a height difference, so as to cooperate with the first discrete array to detect the interaction of the user's hand pushing and pulling on the knob body along the direction of the central axis of the array. The capacitance-to-digital conversion circuit is coupled to each electrode through a switch array to obtain capacitance, and the processing module is coupled to the capacitance-to-digital conversion circuit.

[0027] The first discrete array detects the rotation of the hand around the central axis. When the finger moves circumferentially along the knob, the capacitance value of the electrode closer to the finger increases, and the capacitance value of the electrode farther away decreases. The direction and angle of rotation can be sensed by the sequence and amplitude of capacitance changes of at least three circumferentially arranged electrodes 3. The electrode unit 4 is located on the side wall of the knob or the surface of the base 2, and is axially offset from the first array. When it is located on the surface of the base 2, the height difference is maximized, which is beneficial to improving the signal-to-noise ratio. When the finger presses down or pulls up, the approach or departure of the hand along the central axis is detected by the sequence of capacitance changes of the electrode unit 4 and the first array.

[0028] The knob structure of this utility model offers the following advantages: simplified structural design, eliminating the need for a mechanical encoder and simplifying the internal structure; convenient production and assembly, reduced components, optimized assembly process, and improved production efficiency; richer interactive operations, recognizing not only circumferential movements but also vertical movements; axial height difference ensures spatial decoupling of the capacitive signals of rotation and push-pull movements, avoiding misjudgments, and combined with CDC's 1fF-level detection capability to capture minute gesture changes; strong waterproof performance, allowing for a fully enclosed design with no risk of water leakage; the discrete array arrangement on the top surface is easy to arrange, and single-finger operation is convenient.

[0029] See Figure 2 As an improvement, a second electrode 5 is located on the top surface of the knob body, within the inner ring of the first discrete array, enabling multi-dimensional interactive extensions such as radial sliding detection and click gesture recognition. Furthermore, the second electrode 5 is positioned at the center of the top surface of the knob body, achieving uniform electric field distribution and facilitating industrial design.

[0030] As an alternative improvement, electrode unit 4 can be configured as a continuous strip electrode, such as... Figure 3 This simplifies manufacturing and assembly. Electrode unit 4 can also be configured to include several third electrodes, such as... Figure 1a Each third electrode is arranged circumferentially along the knob body to form a partially or fully closed second discrete array. The second discrete array can detect circumferential rotation like the first array. Combined with the axial misalignment design, multi-dimensional gesture recognition is achieved. Furthermore, the electrodes between the first and second discrete arrays are aligned vertically. By aligning the coaxial capacitance difference of the electrodes under push-pull movements, the resolution of axial movements is improved.

[0031] See Figure 4 As another improvement, at least two electrode units 4 are provided, and the electrode units 4 are staggered in the direction of the array's central axis. Multiple staggered electrode units 4 form an axial capacitance gradient detection. By comparing the capacitance change ratio of electrodes at different heights, the distance of the hand approaching or moving away can be determined more accurately. At the same time, different trigger thresholds are formed by setting electrodes at different heights.

[0032] In this exemplary embodiment, the knob is equipped with an indicator for indicating the rotation angle and / or rotation position. The indicator may include a mechanical icon or an electronic component such as an audio-visual indicator, which enhances the intuitiveness of operation and interactive feedback, and improves the user experience when combined with push-pull shifting.

[0033] Finally, it should be noted that the above embodiments are only used to illustrate the technical solutions of this utility model, and are not intended to limit the scope of protection of this utility model. Although this utility model has been described in detail with reference to preferred embodiments, those skilled in the art should understand that modifications or equivalent substitutions can be made to the technical solutions of this utility model without departing from the essence and scope of the technical solutions of this utility model.

Claims

1. A knob device, disposed on an outer base, characterized in that: Includes the knob body, processing module, capacitor-to-digital converter circuit, and switch array; The knob body is configured as a non-movable component protruding from the outer surface of the base material; At least three first electrodes are arranged on the top surface of the knob body. Each first electrode is arranged along the circumference of the knob body to form a partially closed or fully closed first discrete array to detect the interaction of the user's hand rotating around the central axis of the array on the knob body. The outer edge of the first discrete array is no more than 5 mm away from the outer edge of the top surface of the knob body. Electrode units are provided on the side wall or outer surface of the base of the knob body, surrounding the circumference of the knob body. The electrode units are offset from the first discrete array in the direction of the central axis of the array to cooperate with the first discrete array to detect the interaction of the user's hand pushing and pulling on the knob body along the direction of the central axis of the array. The capacitor-to-digital converter circuit is coupled to each electrode via a switch array. The processing module is coupled with a capacitor-to-digital converter circuit.

2. The knob device according to claim 1, characterized in that: The top surface of the knob body is provided with a second electrode located in the inner ring of the first discrete array.

3. The knob device according to claim 2, characterized in that: The second electrode is located at the center of the top surface of the knob body.

4. The knob device according to claim 1, characterized in that: The electrode unit is a continuous strip electrode.

5. The knob device according to claim 1, characterized in that: The electrode unit is configured to include several third electrodes, each of which is arranged circumferentially along the knob body to form a partially closed or fully closed second discrete array.

6. The knob device according to claim 5, characterized in that: The electrodes between the first discrete electrode and the second discrete array are aligned vertically.

7. The knob device according to claim 1, characterized in that: The electrode unit has at least two units, and the individual electrode units are misaligned in the direction of the array's central axis.

8. The knob device according to claim 1, characterized in that: Includes indicators for indicating rotation angle and / or rotation position.

9. An electronic device, characterized in that, Includes the knob device as described in any one of claims 1-8.

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