WO2013128237A1

WO2013128237A1 - System and method for adjusting a numerical value

Info

Publication number: WO2013128237A1
Application number: PCT/IB2012/050945
Authority: WO
Inventors: Mustafa YAGCIOGLU
Original assignee: Aselsan Elektronik Sanayi Ve Ticaret Anonim Sirketi
Priority date: 2012-02-29
Filing date: 2012-02-29
Publication date: 2013-09-06

Abstract

The present invention relates to a system and method for easily adjusting the value of a numerical value or a parameter in an electronic device. The system comprises; a timing unit configured to keep track of time passed; a memory unit configured to store at least one numerical value to be used as an electronic parameter; a momentary input means configured to adjust said numerical value; and a processing unit configured to store momentary input means' (4) state change timings in memory unit (5); calculate state change count in a last predetermined period of time; calculate a change amount as a function of said state change count; and update the actual parameter in the memory unit, adding it the said change amount. The relevant method is also described.

Description

DESCRIPTION

SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR ADJUSTING A NUMERICAL VALUE Field of the Invention

The present invention relates to a method and system to adjust the value of a numerical value or a parameter in an electronic device.

Background of the Invention

In systems and devices using numerical values, generally buttons or keys are used to change the parameters or variables. For example the buttons are used to adjust a temperature, fluid flow or pressure in various different systems and devices. This kind of adjustment interfaces exist on almost every device nowadays. In some cases, there may be a wide variety of values that a variable can have and the whole range may be required to be assigned in various different operating conditions. When the number of available keys or buttons is also limited, skipping through a broad range of values will take too much time using for example only one button and incrementing or decrementing the value one by one. To be able to increment a value from 0 to 16000 would require 16000 key presses which is not rational at all.

A very basic solution to this problem would be increasing the step amount at each press to say, a hundred. Then skipping through 16000 would take only 160 presses but this time trimming the value becomes a problem. Another solution would be placing more than one button to the interface to increment or decrement the value for different amounts, but this will increase the number of buttons making the interface more complex and requires much more space.

A currently used method has only two buttons to change the value of a parameter, one for increasing and one for decreasing, and continuously increments or decrements the value proportional to the time a button is pressed or pushed down. As the button or key is pressed down, the increments are also increasing to be able to skip a range of values quickly. This is actually a good solution but adjusting the value is again not very practical especially for broad value ranges since as the increment is increased, it becomes harder to stop at the wanted value and further key presses will be required. A method and button system in which the increment caused by each press should be introduced. Additionally, if the system can only take an action when the button or key is pushed down or up, there is no way to continuously calculate the pressing time and change the variable value.

Another currently used method intends to solve this by introducing a third button or switch in addition to increment and decrement buttons. This third button is used to change the value interval and makes adjustment of broad range parameters much simpler. Again this system and method is not the best option since a third button is introduced. Therefore current methods are not offering an efficient way of adjusting a numerical value or a parameter which uses least number of buttons or keys as possible. Here the buttons/s witches mentioned are momentary switches or input means. The United States patent document US20100060491, an application in the state of the art, discloses a method for adjusting electronic parameters by intervals that can be changed each time a key value change button is pushed. According to the adjusted value, a variety of functions of the electronic device can be achieved. Summary of the Invention

An objective of the present invention is to provide a methodology and system to easily adjust the value of a numerical value or a parameter in an electronic device. Detailed Description of the Invention

A system and method realized to fulfil the objective of the present invention is illustrated in the accompanying figures, in which:

Figure 1 is the schematic view of the preferred embodiment system.

Figure 2 is the flowchart of the preferred method of the present invention.

The components illustrated in the figures are individually numbered where the numbers refer to the following:

1. System for adjusting a numerical value

2. Timing unit

3. Processing unit

4. Momentary input means

5. Memory unit

100. Method for adjusting a numerical value

A system for adjusting a numerical value (1) fundamentally comprises;

- at least one timing unit (2) configured to keep track of time passed,

- at least one memory unit (5) connected to processing unit (3) and configured to store at least one numerical value to be used as an electronic parameter,

- at least one momentary input means (4) configured to adjust said numerical value,

- at least one processing unit (3) connected to timing unit (2), memory unit (5), and momentary input means (4); and configured to store momentary input means' (4) state change timings in memory unit (5); calculate state change count in a last predetermined period of time; calculate a change amount as a function of said state change count; and update the actual parameter in the memory unit, adding it the said change amount. A method for adjusting a numerical value (100) fundamentally comprises the following steps,

reset and start timing unit (2) ( 101 ),

is the momentary input means's (4) electronic state changed ? (102), - record state change time (103),

calculate push count in the last period by finding the time difference between push timings and current time (104),

calculating a change amount as a function of push count and updating the actual parameter by adding the change amount (105).

In a preferred embodiment of the present invention, momentary input means (4) is a push button, which closes the electrical circuit upon pressing and opens it upon release or vice versa. This implies that a current passes through momentary input means (4) while it is pressed and the current is resisted upon release of said means or vice versa. The memory unit (5) is any of a random access memory (RAM), read only memory (ROM) such as a flash disk, hard disk drive (HDD) or electrically programmable read only memory (EPROM). It is already known that different parameters related to an electronic system can be stored in the memory unit (5), and that system can be controlled according to this parameter or this parameter can be transmitted to another location or another unit via different means. Furthermore, timing units such as hardware counters are implemented on integrated systems as a part of a central processing unit (CPU) or as an external device. The timing unit (2) used in a preferred embodiment is a counter as already known in the previous art. The processing unit (3) is connected to said timing unit (2), memory unit (5) and momentary input means (4) using one of the preferred methods with wired or wireless physical connections.

The processing unit (3) is configured to adjust the increment or decrement intervals of a stored parameter, which is on the memory unit (5), according to the momentary input means (4) pressing rate. In a preferred embodiment of the inventive system, processing unit (3) is configured to store the push timings of the momentary input means (4) in memory unit to be able to calculate push counts. Processing unit (3) is further configured to check how many times momentary input means (4) was switched during a predetermined period by comparing the recorded push timings with the time kept by the timing unit (2) and calculate a "change amount" as a function of push counts in this predetermined period In a preferred embodiment, processing unit (3) is configured to record push timings according to momentary input means' (4) open state following a closed state, meaning that the means (4) were pressed and released. This state change is a closed state following an open state in another embodiment. In yet another embodiment, the state change is any electronic state change (closed followed by open or vice versa) meaning that the means (4) press couses one push count and means (4) release couse another push count. Processing means (3) is further configured to update the actual parameter in the memory unit (5) adding it the said "change amount".

For example in a system (1) which has a parameter that takes value in between 0 and 16000, with the said function chosen as an exponential function such as 10^{n l}, n being the momentary input means (4) push count; if the momentary input means (4) is pressed and released (state is changed) 1 times in the last predetermined time period, the value of the parameter will be increased by 1. If momentary input means (4) is pressed and released twice, the value will be increased by 11 including the initial increase and when switched 3 times, value is increased by 111 etc. It can be said that the value change is cumulative and value increases with every state change. If the presses are more frequent, then the change rate is adjusted according to the said function. In a similar manner, to decrease the value of the actual parameter stored in memory unit (5), the said function can be selected having negative values such as -10^{n l}. Therefore with a single momentary input means (4) the value of the parameter can be adjusted according to the pressing rate. According to the button press count in the last predetermined period of time, the change is realized upon pressing the button by adding the result of the said function to the actual parameter. After initially starting the timing unit (2) it is possible to calculate the momentary input means (4) state change count as discussed above, by comparing the recorded timings with the current time kept by timing unit (2). Actually, the time difference between two (push timing and current time) is calculated and it is counted as a valid press if the difference does not exceed the predetermined time period. Timing unit (2) starts to count in step (101), when the method (100) is first started. According to a preferred configuration of the inventive method (100), momentary input means (4) is checked to detect a state change from an electrically open state following a closed state or vice versa in step (102). In a further configuration, state change is both an electrically open state following a closed one or a closed state following an open one. This electronic state change is predetermined and the selection is trivial, but it should be consistent given a system. Then the momentary input means (4) is continuously monitored in a loop to record the push timings and thus count the number of presses. If the momentary input means' (4) state changes (according to check (102)), the time is recorded in a step (103). Push count in the last period is calculated by finding the time difference between push timings and current time in step (104). Pushes for which the difference with current time does not exceed the predetermined time period are counted in this step. Finally, the actual "change amount" is calculated as a function of push counts and the actual parameter is updated by adding the "change amount" in step (105). The predetermined time period is chosen as one second in a preferred configuration.

In a preferred configuration, the said function is chosen as an exponential function such as 10^{n l}, n being the "value changing parameter". The method (100) starts over after executing step (105). In conclusion, an efficient methodology to easily adjust the value of a numerical value or a parameter in an electronic device is obtained with this inventive system (1) and method (100) using only a single button or switch.

Within the scope of these basic concepts, it is possible to develop a wide variety of embodiments of the inventive "system and method for adjusting a numerical value" (1), (100). The invention cannot be limited to the examples described herein; it is essentially according to the claims.

Claims

1. A system for adjusting a numerical value (1) comprising;

at least one timing unit (2) configured to keep track of time passed, at least one memory unit (5) connected to processing unit (3) and configured to store at least one numerical value to be used as an electronic parameter,

at least one momentary input means (4) configured to adjust said numerical value,

and characterized by;

at least one processing unit (3) connected to timing unit (2), memory unit (5), and momentary input means (4); and configured to store momentary input means' (4) state change timings in memory unit (5); calculate state change count in a last predetermined period of time; calculate a change amount as a function of said state change count; and update the actual parameter in the memory unit, adding it the said change amount.

. A system for adjusting a numerical value (1) as in Claim 1, characterized by a momentary input means (4) which is a push button.

. A system for adjusting a numerical value (1) as in Claim 1 or Claim 2, characterized by a processing unit (3) configured to determine the change amount according to an exponential function.

. A method for adjusting a numerical value (100) characterized by the steps of;

- reset and start timing unit (2) (101),

- is the momentary input means 's (4) electronic state changed ? (102),

- record state change time (103), - calculate push count in the last period by finding the time difference between push timings and current time (104),

- calculate a change amount as a function of push count and update the actual parameter by adding the change amount (105).

A method for adjusting a numerical value (100), characterized in that the function is chosen as an exponential function in step (105).