Patent · US Expired

Optical rotary control device using a microprocessor

US5530576A · kind A · utility

4Cited by
8References
16Claims
0Family size

Assignee

Inventors

Key dates

Filing dateJul 2, 1993
Grant dateJun 25, 1996
Priority date
Expiry dateJul 2, 2013

Classification

  • Technology area (CPC H)Electricity
  • CPC primaryH04B10/801
  • WIPO fieldTelecommunications
  • WIPO sectorElectrical engineering

Abstract

A rotary control device is provided comprising a light receptor (52), a plurality of light sources (54) radially spaced from the light receptor (52), a light director (14) having means for directing light from the light source (54) to the receptor (52) and means for rotating the director (14) thereby selectively directing light from the light sources (54) to the light receptor (52). In another aspect of the invention, the optical rotary device further comprises an isolator (56) made of opaque material which surrounds four sides of the light receptor (52) and four sides of the light sources (54). In a further aspect of the invention the light director includes a reflector (46) for directing the light from the light sources (54) to the light receptor (52).

Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.