Patent ID: 8748804

Claim:
An optical operating element, particularly a pushbutton or switch, comprising a light radiating light transmitter, an optical receiver, a prism suitable for guiding light, a compensation light source positioned along the prism to transmit light through the prism to the optical receiver to compensate for a transmission function from the light transmitter to the optical receiver, and having a cover, characterized in that the prism has a side surface that is an active sensor area, the prism is arranged below the cover in such manner that the active sensor area of the prism is oriented substantially parallel to the underside of the cover, the cover has a sensor region that is the region of the cover above the active sensor area and which has a transmittance of at most 99%, at most 95%, at most 90%, at most 80% or at most 50%, the prism and the light transmitter are arranged in such manner that the light emitted by the light transmitter is guided through the prism and passes through the active sensor area and the cover, the receiver is arranged in such manner that the transmitted light that is reflected from an object and enters the active sensor area through the sensor region of cover is guided to the receiver and a change in the reflection is detected by an analyzing circuit and interpreted as switching.