Nested User Interface Device for Light System Control
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Solution Overview
Problem
Complex user interface devices for controlling advanced light systems and other electrical consumer loads are difficult for average users to operate due to their complexity and the challenge of providing clear feedback on selected presets, especially when using colored displays where feedback indicators may not be visible in areas with similar colors.
Innovation Solution
A user interface device that uses a light output to provide feedback on selected presets, with a display unit capable of showing a full color range to indicate settings such as color temperature, daylight, or saturation levels, and a feedback indicator that changes color to be visible against the background, using a matrix of independently addressable LEDs to illustrate scales and indicators, and optionally a color layer to enhance visibility.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Illumination intensity
If a colored display is used to show full color range for ambience creation, then the light output and color representation are improved, but the feedback indicator becomes invisible in areas with similar colors
Solution Approach 1:
The feedback indicator changes its color dynamically based on the background color at its position. When the background color matches or is similar to the indicator color, the indicator automatically changes to a contrasting color to maintain visibility. This resolves the contradiction by allowing full-color display while ensuring feedback visibility through adaptive color changes.
2Measurement precision
If multiple switches are provided for each ambience creation function, then the control precision is improved, but the device complexity and space requirement increase
Solution Approach 1:
A single user interface device integrates multiple control functions for different ambience creation parameters (color temperature, color level, saturation) into one unified interface. The display shows multiple scales simultaneously, allowing users to control multiple parameters through one device rather than requiring separate switches for each function, thus reducing device complexity while maintaining control precision.
Solution Approach 2:
The control interface transitions from a one-dimensional linear scale to a two-dimensional color space representation (such as UCS or CIE diagram). This dimensional change allows multiple control parameters to be displayed and adjusted simultaneously in different regions of the interface, providing comprehensive control without increasing the number of physical switches.
3Adaptability or versatility
If multiple full color light sources and variable color temperature light sources are integrated, then the ambience creation capability is improved, but the control complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
Multiple light sources with different functions (full color LEDs, variable color temperature LEDs) are merged into a single integrated light appliance. The control system combines multiple control parameters (color temperature, color level, saturation) into one unified user interface, allowing simultaneous control of all light sources through a single device rather than requiring separate controls for each light source or parameter.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
The solution allows for easy recognition of selected presets across all areas of the display, reducing user interface complexity and improving usability by using contrasting colors for feedback indicators, thereby enhancing the user experience and simplifying the control of parameters like color temperature, brightness, and saturation levels in light systems.
Implementation Method 1
using a matrix of independently addressable LEDs to illustrate scales and indicators
Implementation Method 2
a feedback indicator that changes color to be visible against the background
Data Source
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AI summary
The invention relates to a user interface device for controlling an electrical consumer, in particular, a light system (545). Further, it relates to light system using such user interface device. To provide a user interface device for controlling a light system (545), which could be easily operated and provides the possibility to recognize a selected preset in all areas of the display device (112), a user interface device for controlling a consumer load (545) is proposed, comprising: an input device (111); and a display device (112), wherein the input device (111) and the display device (112) are arranged internested to each other in one common layer or in two layers respectively stacked on each other. The display device (112) is adapted to display at least a first colored scale (210) indicating a first range of values adjustable by an user input on the first colored scale (210) and to display a first feedback indicator (215) within the first colored scale (210) indicating the current value of the first range of values output by the user interface device to a consumer load (545).