Rotary Control Element for Multi-Functional Lighting
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing electrical/electronic control units, such as rotary switches or encoders, can only influence a single functional level of actuators like lighting devices, limiting user control to brightness adjustment, whereas modern lighting systems require setting brightness, color temperature, and color settings.
Innovation Solution
A single touch/rotary control element with an incremental encoder design that allows endless rotation, combined with a logic unit, memory, and microcontroller, enables the detection of adjustment angle, direction, and speed to control multiple functional levels, including brightness, color temperature, and light scenes, through a single actuator.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Device complexity
If a single touch/rotary control element is used, then device complexity is reduced, but the ability to control multiple functional levels (brightness, color temperature, color settings) is limited
Solution Approach 1:
The control element is designed to perform multiple functions: it can detect rotational direction (clockwise/counter-clockwise), rotational angle, and pressing duration, enabling control of brightness, color temperature, and color settings through a single actuator rather than requiring separate controls for each function
2Measurement precision
If multiple control elements are used for different functions, then control precision for each function is improved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The control element operates in multiple dimensions: rotational direction (clockwise/counter-clockwise), rotational angle (0-360 degrees), and pressing duration (short/long press), allowing precise control of multiple parameters through a single actuator by exploiting different operational dimensions
3Ease of operation
If a simple rotary switch is used, then ease of operation is improved, but the range of controllable functions is limited to single functional level
Solution Approach 1:
The control element transitions from static to dynamic operation: it can rotate continuously in both directions, detect varying angles, and respond to different pressing durations, enabling a single simple actuator to control multiple functional levels including brightness, color temperature, and color settings
Data Source
Figure 1~2
AI summary
An electrical/electronic control unit with a combined push-button/rotary actuator is proposed. This unit controls the switching on and off of at least one connected actuator via its push-button switches and influences the actuator's position in a first functional level, depending on its adjustment angle, via its rotary actuator detection stage. The aim is to create an electrical/electronic control unit that allows the user to easily access a variety of functional levels (brightness, color temperature, color settings, lighting scenes, etc.) using a single push-button/rotary actuator.In order to be able to influence the operation of an actuator, the rotary actuation detection stage is connected to a branching stage, and the actuator is influenced by the rotary actuation detection stage in at least one further second functional level depending on the adjustment angle when a certain direction of rotation and/or rotational speed is detected by the rotary actuation detection stage.