KR100918211B1 - Dimming control switch and control method therof - Google Patents

Abstract

A dimming control switch and a control method thereof are provided to perform mood lighting of various colors and brightness by selecting a color and brightness of a switch lighting part. A touch detection part(20) detects an object contact. A switch lighting part(40) emits a light by various colors and dimming step. One surface of the switch lighting part is exposed to outside of a dimming control switch. A lighting control part(50) includes an on/off control part(51) and a dimming control part(52). The on/off control part generates an on/off signal of the lighting. The dimming control part generates a dimming control signal of the lighting. A switch control part(30) controls a lighting control part according to information detected by the touch detecting part. The switch control part controls a color and dimming of the switch lighting part. The switch lighting part is used as the mood lighting of the dimming control switch by a control of the switch control part.

Description

Dimming control switch and its control method {DIMMING CONTROL SWITCH AND CONTROL METHOD THEROF}

The present invention relates to a dimming control switch and a control method thereof, and more particularly to a dimming control switch and its control method having its own mood lighting for visually providing a dimming step of the switch and the selectable illumination.

A light switch that is commonly used is an analog switch to turn on / off the light. Recently, an electronic light switch having an additional function such as a clock function or a remote control function is widely used in addition to the analog light switch.

However, the conventional light switch has a problem that the user is difficult to grasp the driving state at a glance. That is, although the conventional light switch is manufactured to include a light emitting element, etc., since the light emitting element is merely used to determine the position of the light switch, it is possible to determine the detailed driving state of the light switch. It is impossible.

In addition, although a lighting switch having a function of controlling a dimming of a light such as a fluorescent lamp is conventionally developed, this is simply a method of increasing or decreasing the dimming of a light by using a dimming control button. Therefore, the user can control the dimming degree only through the actual brightness of the actual light. That is, in the related art, dimming cannot be controlled while only looking at a light switch, and there is an inconvenience of controlling dimming while checking the brightness of the room according to the dimming adjustment.

Accordingly, an object of the present invention is to provide a dimming control switch having its own mood lighting for visually providing a driving state of the switch and a dimming step of selectable illumination, and a control method thereof.

In order to achieve the above object, a dimming control switch according to an embodiment of the present invention, the dimming control switch for controlling the lighting, the touch sensing unit for detecting an object contact; A switch illumination unit capable of emitting light in a plurality of colors and a plurality of dimming stages and having one side exposed to the outside of the dimming control switch; An illumination controller including an on / off controller for generating an on / off signal of the illumination and a dimming controller for generating a dimming control signal of the illumination; And a switch controller for controlling the illumination control unit according to the information detected by the touch sensing unit, and controlling a light emission color and dimming of the switch illumination unit, wherein the dimming control signal of the illumination corresponds to the dimming state of the switch illumination unit. The switch lighting unit may be controlled by the switch controller and used as mood lighting of the dimming control switch.

The dimming control switch further includes a motion detecting unit detecting an object approach, and the switch control unit controls the switch lighting unit according to the information detected by the motion detecting unit.

The switch controller emits the switch lighting unit with the first switch color when the object approach is detected through the motion detector.

The switch controller emits the switch lighting unit with the second switch color according to the first touch information detected by the touch sensing unit, and generates an on / off signal of the illumination from the on / off controller.

The switch control unit switches the dimming control switch to a dimming control mode according to the second touch information detected by the touch sensing unit, and controls the dimming of the switch lighting unit according to the third touch information detected by the touch sensing unit. .

The switch controller emits the switch lighting unit in a third color according to the second touch information.

The switch control unit switches the dimming control switch to a switch lighting control mode according to the fourth touch information detected by the touch sensing unit, and changes the light emission color of the switch lighting unit according to the fifth touch information detected by the touch sensing unit. Change it.

The color of the switch lighting unit is sequentially changed by the fifth touch information, and the color of the switch lighting unit which is sequentially changed includes at least three or more colors, and a first color on the color coordinates among the at least three or more colors. The distance between and the second color is closer than the distance between the first and third colors.

The touch sensing unit includes a touch sensor or a touch screen.

The dimming control switch further includes a vibration motor generating vibration in accordance with the touch information detected by the touch sensing unit.

The illumination includes any one of a fluorescent tube and a light emitting diode.

A control method of a dimming control switch according to an embodiment of the present invention includes a method of controlling a dimming control switch for controlling lighting, the method comprising: detecting an object contact; Controlling dimming of the switch lighting unit according to the detected object contact; And generating a dimming control signal of the illumination according to the detected object contact, wherein the dimming control signal is generated corresponding to the dimming state of the controlled switch lighting unit.

The control method of the dimming switch may include detecting an object access; And illuminating the switch lighting unit with the first switch color when the object approach is detected.

The object contact may include first touch information, and the method of controlling the dimming switch may include: emitting the switch lighting unit with a second switch color according to the detected first touch information; And generating an on / off signal of the illumination according to the sensed first touch information.

The object contact includes second and third touch information, and the method of controlling the dimming switch includes: switching the dimming control switch to a dimming control mode according to the sensed second touch information; And controlling dimming of the switch lighting unit according to the sensed third touch information.

The dimming control switch may further include emitting the switch illumination unit in a third switch color according to the detected second touch information.

The object contact includes fourth and fifth touch information, and the dimming control switch switches the dimming control switch to a switch illumination control mode according to the sensed fourth touch information; And changing the emission color of the switch lighting unit according to the sensed fifth touch information.

According to the invention, the switch illumination provides visually the driving state of the switch and the dimming step of the selectable illumination.

Further, according to the present invention, since the color and brightness of the switch lighting unit can be selected, the mood light of various colors and brightness can be emitted.

Other objects and advantages of the present invention in addition to the above object will be apparent from the description of the preferred embodiment of the present invention with reference to the accompanying drawings.

Hereinafter, exemplary embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to FIGS. 1 to 5.

Prior to this, terms or words used in the specification and claims should not be construed as having a conventional or dictionary meaning, and the inventors should properly explain the concept of terms in order to best explain their own invention. Based on the principle that can be defined, it should be interpreted as meaning and concept corresponding to the technical idea of the present invention. Therefore, the embodiments described in the specification and the drawings shown in the drawings are only the most preferred embodiments of the present invention and do not represent all of the technical idea of the present invention, various modifications that can be replaced at the time of the present application It should be understood that there may be equivalents and variations.

Basically, the present invention is characterized in that it is possible to directly control the dimming of the lighting by using a dimming step displayed through the switch lighting unit visually providing a driving state of the switch through the switch lighting unit.

1 is a block diagram schematically illustrating a configuration of a dimming control switch according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention.

Referring to FIG. 1, a dimming control switch according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention may include a motion detection unit 10, a touch detection unit 20, a switch control unit 30, a switch lighting unit 40, and a lighting control unit 50. Include.

The motion detector 10 includes a motion sensor to detect the approach of an object. That is, the motion detector 10 detects the user's movement when the user approaches within a predetermined distance from the position of the dimming control switch. As the motion sensor, any sensor that can detect motion such as an RF sensor, an infrared sensor, or an ultrasonic sensor can be used.

The touch detector 20 includes a touch sensor to detect a contact of an object. That is, when the user touches the dimming control switch, the touch sensing unit 20 detects the user's touch. In this case, the touch sensing unit 20 detects the position of the touch, the touch duration, the direction and the number of touch scrolls. Accordingly, the dimming control switch according to the present invention may implement different functions depending on the type of touch information sensed. In another embodiment, the touch sensing unit 20 may be formed using a touch screen.

The switch lighting unit 40 displays the state of the switch in the form of mood lighting, and can emit light in a plurality of colors and a plurality of dimming steps. The color and dimming of the switch lighting unit 40 are selected according to the touch of the user, that is, the touch information detected by the touch sensing unit 20. In one embodiment, the switch lighting unit 40 may be formed in a side view manner in which light generated from a light source positioned at one side is emitted using a light guide plate, a diffuser plate, and a reflecting plate, so that a dimming control switch may be implemented in a thin form. Make sure In this case, red, green, and blue light emitting diodes are used together as the light source so that the switch lighting unit 40 emits light in a plurality of colors.

The lighting controller 50 includes an on / off controller 51 and a dimming controller 52 to control lighting. The lighting may be applied to any lighting as long as it is a dimmable control such as a fluorescent lamp and a light emitting diode light.

The on / off control unit 51 allows the illumination to be turned on or off by generating an on / off signal of illumination. On the other hand, the dimming controller 52 generates a dimming control signal of the illumination so that the illumination can be emitted in various dimming steps. In this case, the dimming controller 52 controls the dimming of the illumination by generating a dimming control signal corresponding to the dimming step of the switch lighting unit 40. That is, the illumination is dimmed in a step set to correspond to the color temperature of the light emitted through the switch lighting unit 40. Therefore, when the user selects a desired dimming step while watching the change in the dimming step of the light emitted through the switch lighting unit 40, the illumination is dimmed at a color temperature corresponding to the step selected by the user. As described above, the dimming control switch according to the embodiment of the present invention is more effective because it is a method of directly selecting a desired color temperature rather than a method of selecting brightness of an illumination depending on the bodily sensation.

In another embodiment, the dimming control unit 52 may be implemented to control the on / off of the lighting, without separately forming the on / off control unit 51. In this case, the lighting is turned on when the dimming of the lighting is controlled to the highest brightness by the dimming control unit 52, and the lighting is turned off when the dimming of the lighting is controlled to the lowest brightness. That is, dimming and on / off of the lighting are controlled together through the dimming control signal.

The switch controller 30 controls the lighting controller 50 according to the information detected by the motion detector 10 and the touch sensor 20, and changes the color and dimming of the switch lighting unit 40. In this case, the switch controller 30 may implement different functions according to touch information such as the position of the touch, the touch duration, the touch scroll direction and the number of times detected by the touch sensor 20. That is, the switch controller 30 causes the on / off controller 51 to generate an on / off signal of illumination according to the touch information detected by the touch sensor 20. In addition, the switch controller 30 switches the dimming control switch to the dimming control mode according to the touch information, and allows the dimming control unit 52 to generate a dimming control signal for illumination. In addition, the switch controller 30 switches the dimming control switch to the switch illumination control mode according to the touch information, and changes the color and dimming of the switch illumination unit 40.

Dimming control switch according to an embodiment of the present invention may further include a vibrator (60). The vibrator 60 includes a vibrating motor to provide a touch feeling to the user by generating vibrations, such as different times and lengths, according to the touch information each time an object contact is detected through the touch sensor 20. .

As shown in FIG. 2, the dimming control switch is formed such that one side of the switch lighting unit 40 is exposed to the outside of the case 70, thereby visualizing the driving state of the switch through the switch lighting unit 40 emitting various colors. In addition, it can serve as a mood lighting at the same time. Meanwhile, the motion detection unit 10, the touch detection unit 20, the switch control unit 30, the lighting control unit 50, and the like may be located inside the case 70. In this case, the touch sensing unit 20 is located on the other side of the switch lighting unit 40 to detect the object contact through the switch lighting unit 40.

In another embodiment of the present disclosure, a dimming control switch that does not include the motion detection unit 10 may be formed. That is, in the above-described dimming control switch, the driving state of the dimming control switch is displayed after sensing the object's approach. Can be set to display.

3 to 5 are diagrams illustrating various control examples of the dimming control switch according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention, and the control method of the dimming control switch will be described in detail with reference to FIGS. 3 to 5.

3 is a flowchart illustrating a process of controlling on / off of lighting.

First, when the approach of the object is not detected through the motion detection unit 10, the switch lighting unit 40 maintains an unlit state (S11). The motion detector 10 continuously detects the motion (S12), and when the motion is detected by the motion detector 10, that is, when the user approaches the dimming control switch within a predetermined distance, the switch illumination unit 40. Is lit in the first switch color (S13). Here, the first switch color is a color indicating the current driving state of the dimming control switch. For example, when the dimming control switch is driven to turn on the illumination, the switch illumination unit 40 may emit red light, and when the dimming control switch is driven to turn off the illumination, the blue light may be emitted.

As the motion detector 10 continuously detects the motion, the touch detector 20 continuously detects the touch (S14), and when the first touch information is detected by the touch detector 20, That is, when the user touches the dimming control switch with the first touch information, the color of the switch lighting unit 40 is switched to the second switch color. Here, the second switch color is a color indicating the driving state of the dimming control switch switched by the first touch information. In addition, the first touch information is touch information indicating on or off of the lighting, and in one embodiment, the switch lighting unit 40 as shown in FIG. 2 may be set to be pressed under a predetermined time regardless of the position. . For example, when the user briefly presses a predetermined portion of the switch lighting unit 40 for less than 2 seconds, the switch control unit 30 switches the color of the switch lighting unit 40 to the second switch color corresponding thereto, and the lighting control unit ( The lighting is turned on or off by generating an on / off signal through the on / off control unit 51 of 50) (S15). In one embodiment, the light emission color of the switch illumination unit 40 is changed from blue to red by the first touch information, and the illumination is switched from the off state to the on state, or the first illumination information of the switch illumination unit 40 is performed. The emission color may be switched from red to blue, and the illumination may be switched from on to off.

In another embodiment, the dimming control switch is a button for turning on or off the switch illumination unit 40 regardless of motion detection, and a button for setting a color of the switch illumination unit 40 indicating a driving state of the switch to a desired color. And the like can be further provided. In addition, the illumination sensor further includes a function to automatically turn on the switch lighting unit 40 even when the motion is not detected when it is dark, and to switch off the lighting unit 40 even when the motion is detected when it is dark. Can be. In addition, an additional function may be provided to enable the switch illumination unit 40 to continuously emit light in a desired color regardless of the switch driving state.

As described above, according to an embodiment of the present invention, not only the lighting unit 40, that is, the mood lighting can be automatically emitted through motion detection, but also the on / off control of the lighting is performed by touching a dimming control switch. It can emit mood lights of different colors.

4 is a flowchart illustrating a process of controlling dimming of lighting.

First, the switch lighting unit 40 is turned on with the first switch color by the approach of an object, that is, the user's approach to dimming the light (S21). The touch detector 20 continuously detects the touch (S22), and when the second touch information is detected by the touch detector 20, that is, when the user touches the dimming control switch with the second touch information, The dimming control switch is switched to the dimming control mode by the switch controller 30 (S23). In this case, the light emission color of the switch lighting unit 40 may be switched to the third switch color indicating the dimming control mode. Here, the dimming control mode is a mode for controlling the dimming of the lighting. According to an embodiment, when the dimming control mode is used, the color of the switch lighting unit 40 may be changed to yellow. In addition, the second touch information is touch information for switching the dimming control switch to the dimming control mode, and in one embodiment, the second touch information may be set such that the central portion of the switch lighting unit 40 as shown in FIG. 2 is pressed for a predetermined time or more. have. For example, when the user presses the center portion of the switch lighting unit 40 for 2 seconds or more, the switch control unit 30 changes the color of the switch lighting unit 40 to yellow color and switches the dimming control switch to the dimming control mode. .

After the dimming control switch is switched to the dimming control mode, when the third touch information is detected by the touch sensing unit 20 (S24), the switch illumination unit 40 and the illumination are dimmed (S25). Here, the third touch information is touch information for dimming the switch illumination unit 40 and the illumination, and may be set to touch scroll the switch illumination unit 40 as shown in FIG. 2 in one embodiment. That is, when the user touch scrolls the surface of the switch lighting unit 40 from the top to the bottom, or from the bottom to the top, the switch controller 30 dims the switch lighting unit 40 to be dark or bright. At this time, the switch lighting unit 40 can be dimmed sequentially according to the set step. The dimming controller 52 of the lighting controller 50 generates a dimming control signal set to correspond to the dimming step of the switch lighting unit 40 so that the illumination can be dimmed. Therefore, when the user observes the change in the dimming step of the switch illumination unit 40 and selects a desired dimming step through the third touch information, the illumination is dimmed at a color temperature set to correspond to the dimming state of the selected switch illumination unit 40.

In another embodiment, the third touch information may be set by touching the upper or lower portion of the switch lighting unit 40 as shown in FIG. 2. That is, whenever the upper portion of the switch illumination unit 40 is touched while the dimming control switch is switched to the dimming control mode, the switch illumination unit 40 and the illumination are dimmed brightly sequentially, and the lower portion of the switch illumination unit 40 may be touched. Each time the switch lighting unit 40 and the lighting may be sequentially dimmed dark.

When the dimming control mode is used when the lighting is turned on, the dimmed lighting can be used immediately. When the dimming control mode is used, the lighting can be turned on even after the dimming step is selected.

The dimming control mode may be set to be automatically released when the touch is not detected for a predetermined time or, in another embodiment, may be set to be released when the second touch information is detected as in the dimming control mode.

As described above, according to the exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure, the dimming step of the illumination may be directly selected through the dimming step displayed by being emitted to the switch illumination unit 40.

5 is a flowchart illustrating a process of changing a color of mood lighting, that is, a process of changing a color of the switch lighting unit 40.

First, the switch illumination unit 40 is turned on by the first switch color by an object's approach, that is, a user's approach to change the color of the switch illumination unit 40 (S31). The touch detector 20 continuously detects the touch (S32), and when the fourth touch information is detected by the touch detector 20, that is, when the user touches the dimming control switch with the fourth touch information, The dimming control switch is switched to the switch illumination control mode by the switch controller 30 (S33). Here, the fourth touch information is touch information for switching the dimming control switch to the switch lighting control mode, and in one embodiment, the upper or lower portion of the switch lighting unit 40 as illustrated in FIG. 2 is pressed for a predetermined time or more. Can be set. For example, when the user presses the upper end or the lower end of the switch illumination unit 40 for two seconds or more, the switch controller 30 switches the dimming control switch to the switch illumination control mode.

In another embodiment, when the upper end of the switch lighting unit 40 is touched for a long time, the brightness of the switch lighting unit 40 may be controlled, and if the long touch of the lower end of the switch lighting unit 40 is controlled, the color of the switch lighting unit 40 may be controlled. In this case, both the color and the brightness of the switch lighting unit 40 can be controlled.

After the dimming control switch is switched to the switch illumination control mode, when the fifth touch information is sensed by the touch sensing unit 20 (S34), the color of the switch illumination unit 40 is changed (S35). Here, the fifth touch information is touch information for changing the color of the switch lighting unit 40 and may be set to touch scroll the switch lighting unit 40 as shown in FIG. 2 in one embodiment. That is, when the user touch scrolls the surface of the switch lighting unit 40 from the top to the bottom, or from the bottom to the top, the switch controller 30 sequentially changes the color of the switch lighting unit 40. The color of the switch lighting unit 40 can be changed in a set stage among a plurality of colors, and the stages are set in the order of adjacent colors on the color coordinates so that the color change is made naturally.

The switch lighting control mode may be set to be automatically released after the color and brightness of the switch lighting are determined as a result of the final touch when the touch is not detected for a predetermined time or more. In another embodiment, the fourth touch as in the case of entering the switch lighting control mode. If information is detected, it may be set to be released.

As described above, according to the exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure, the color and brightness of the switch lighting unit 40 may be changed according to the user's needs, and the mood lighting of various atmospheres may be emitted.

Those skilled in the art will appreciate that various changes and modifications can be made without departing from the technical spirit of the present invention. Therefore, the technical scope of the present invention should not be limited to the contents described in the detailed description of the specification but should be defined by the claims.

1 is a block diagram schematically showing the configuration of a dimming control switch according to an embodiment of the present invention;

2 is a view showing the appearance of a dimming control switch according to an embodiment of the present invention;

3 is a flowchart illustrating a process of controlling on / off of lighting;

4 is a flowchart illustrating a process of controlling dimming of lighting; and

5 is a flowchart illustrating a process of changing a color of mood lighting.

<Brief description of symbols for the main parts of the drawings>

10: motion detection unit 20: touch detection unit

30: switch control unit 40: switch lighting unit

50: lighting control unit 51: on / off control unit

52: dimming control unit 60: vibration unit

70: case

Claims (17)

In the dimming control switch for controlling the lighting, A touch sensing unit sensing an object contact; A switch illumination unit capable of emitting light in a plurality of colors and a plurality of dimming stages and having one side exposed to the outside of the dimming control switch; An illumination controller including an on / off controller for generating an on / off signal of the illumination and a dimming controller for generating a dimming control signal of the illumination; And A switch controller for controlling the lighting control unit according to the information detected by the touch sensing unit, and controls the emission color and dimming of the switch lighting unit Including, The dimming control signal of the illumination is generated corresponding to the dimming state of the switch lighting unit, And the switch lighting unit is controlled by the switch control unit and used as mood lighting of the dimming control switch. The method of claim 1, Motion detector to detect object access More, The switch control unit is a dimming control switch, characterized in that for controlling the switch lighting unit according to the information detected by the motion detection unit. The method of claim 2, The switch control unit is a dimming control switch, characterized in that for emitting the switch illumination unit in the first switch color when the object approach is detected through the motion detection unit. The method according to claim 1 or 3, The switch control unit emits the switch illumination unit in a second switch color according to the first touch information detected by the touch sensing unit, and the on / off control unit generates a on / off signal of the illumination Control switch. The method according to claim 1 or 3, The switch control unit switches the dimming control switch to a dimming control mode according to the second touch information detected through the touch sensing unit, and controls the dimming of the switch lighting unit according to the third touch information detected through the touch sensing unit. Dimming control switch, characterized in that. The method of claim 5, And the switch control unit emits the switch illumination unit in a third color according to the second touch information. The method according to claim 1 or 3, The switch control unit switches the dimming control switch to a switch lighting control mode according to the fourth touch information detected by the touch sensing unit, and changes the light emission color of the switch lighting unit according to the fifth touch information detected by the touch sensing unit. Dimming control switch, characterized in that for changing. The method of claim 7, wherein The color of the switch lighting unit is sequentially changed by the fifth touch information, The sequentially changed color of the switch lighting unit includes at least three or more colors, and a distance between the first color and the second color on the color coordinates of the at least three or more colors is between the first color and the third color. Dimming control switch, characterized in that closer than the distance. The method of claim 1, And the touch sensing unit comprises a touch sensor or a touch screen. The method of claim 1, Dimming control switch further comprises a vibration motor for generating a vibration in accordance with the touch information sensed by the touch sensing unit. The method of claim 1, And the illumination comprises one of a fluorescent lamp and a light emitting diode. In the control method of the dimming control switch for controlling the lighting, Sensing object contact; Controlling dimming of a switch lighting unit according to the detected object contact; And Generating a dimming control signal of the illumination according to the detected object contact Including, And the dimming control signal is generated in response to a dimming state of the controlled switch lighting unit. The method of claim 12, Detecting object access; And Illuminating a switch lighting unit with a first switch color when the object approach is detected Control method of the dimming control switch further comprising. The method according to claim 12 or 13, The object contact includes first touch information, Illuminating the switch lighting unit with a second switch color according to the sensed first touch information; And Generating an on / off signal of the illumination according to the detected first touch information Control method of the dimming control switch comprising a. The method according to claim 12 or 13, The object contact includes second and third touch information, Switching the dimming control switch to a dimming control mode according to the sensed second touch information; And Controlling dimming of the switch lighting unit according to the detected third touch information Control method of the dimming control switch comprising a. The method of claim 15, Illuminating the switch lighting unit with a third switch color according to the detected second touch information Control method of the dimming control switch further comprising. The method according to claim 12 or 13, The object contact includes fourth and fifth touch information, Switching the dimming control switch to a switch illumination control mode according to the sensed fourth touch information; And Changing the emission color of the switch illumination unit according to the detected fifth touch information; Control method of the dimming control switch comprising a.

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