Patent ID: 8085248

Claim:
A design element, which in combination with other design elements constitutes a human-machine interface for an automation device, comprising: a display unit; a touch-sensitive element; a control unit coupled to the display unit and the touch-sensitive element; an identification unit to identify the design element based upon an identifier; a communication unit to transmit data between the design element and the automation device; a control panel, wherein the design element is physically connected to at least some of the other design elements to form a connected group of design elements, wherein the connected design element group can be freely repositioned from a first position on a surface of the control panel to a second position on the surface of the control panel to reconfigure a layout of the human-machine interface; a control module to activate the design elements and assign a respective operational functionality to the design elements, wherein a temporally concurrent activation and assignment of a common operational functionality of all the design elements of the connected group is automatically performed by the control module based on an identification by the control module of just one of the design elements of the connected group, the temporally concurrent activation and assignment configured to avoid individualized activation and assignment of the control functionality of all the design elements of the connected group; and a communication module to transmit data between the control module and the design element, wherein the design element is disposed on the control panel of the automation device and is responsive to said control module, which in combination with the control panel, comprises an operating unit for the automation device, and further wherein the control panel and the control module are spaced apart from one another and mounted on different sides of the automation device.