Gestural control dimmer switch

摘要

A gestural control dimmer switch for controlling the illumination level of a light using hand movements includes a dimmer panel having a continuum of positions associated with a spectrum of illumination levels of the light. Hand position sensors produce a hand position detection field in front of the continuum of positions of the dimmer panel through which a hand can be passed. No dimming input is produced by a hand passing through the hand position detection field until the hand passing through the detection field reaches a set trigger position at one of the continuum of positions along the dimmer panel. A dimming input is only produced in response to changes in hand position in the hand position detection field after the hand reaches the trigger position. A new trigger position is set after the illumination level of the light controlled by the dimmer switch is adjusted.

主权项

1. A gestural control dimmer switch for controlling the illumination level of a light using hand movements, the gestural control dimmer switch comprising:
a dimmer panel in operative communication with the light, said dimmer panel having a continuum of positions including end positions associated with a spectrum of illumination levels of the light, hand position sensor means for producing a dimming input, said hand sensor means being associated with the continuum of positions including end positions of said dimmer panel and producing a hand position detection field in front of the continuum of positions of the dimmer panel through which a hand can be passed, said hand position sensor means being operative to produce dimming inputs characterized by the following:
no dimming input is produced by a hand passing through the hand position detection field until the hand passing through the detection field reaches a set trigger position at one of the continuum of positions along said dimmer panel which corresponds to a current illumination level of the light controlled by the dimmer switch, anda dimming input is produced for adjusting the illumination level of the light in response to changes in the position of the hand in the hand position detection field after the hand reaches the trigger position, whereupon changes in hand position become tracked changes, and wherein the hand position sensor means is further operative to produce a new trigger position after the illumination level of the light is adjusted in response to a tracked change in the position of the hand, such new trigger position being set at another of the continuum of positions along said dimmer panel which corresponds to the adjusted illumination level of the light controlled by the dimmer switch.