Patent Application
20190150702
The present invention relates to a touch-sensitive operating display for setting a program of a domestic appliance, the domestic appliance having multiple different programs. The operating display can be arranged on a domestic appliance such as, for example, a dishwasher or a washing machine, or be realized using a generic mobile terminal device. Furthermore, the present invention relates to a method for setting a program of a domestic appliance.
Currently, the operation of all commercially available dishwashers is very similar. The user first switches the dishwasher on and then selects a wash program. The wash programs differ with regard to their duration, their cleaning performance, the energy they consume and the noise that they produce. Programs such as AUTO 35°-45°, AUTO 55°-65°, PRE-WASH, QUICK WASH and ECO 50° are frequently offered. Frequently, additional options can also be selected to perfect or individually adjust the washing result. For example, special drying, disinfection, an energy saving mode and the like can be selected. These options in turn also have an impact on the duration, the energy consumed and other parameters of the wash program. By pressing a control button and/or by closing the dishwasher door, the selected program is then started.
A problem with this setting methodology just described is that the user is usually unaware of the consequences of his choice. Frequently, the program is selected almost at random or due to simple habit.
Based on the prior art, it is the object of the present invention to propose a touch-sensitive operating display for setting a program of a domestic appliance which permits a more intuitive choice of the program. Furthermore, an appropriate method for setting a program of a domestic appliance relating thereto must be declared.
These tasks are achieved by the objects of the independent claims. The dependent claims reproduce embodiments of the invention.
Accordingly, the invention relates to a touch-sensitive operating display for setting a program of a domestic appliance, the domestic appliance having multiple different programs. The domestic appliance concerned may, for example, be a dishwasher or also a washing machine and in the case of the specified programs, they may be cleaning programs. Each of the programs can be defined using multiple parameters that are interdependent.
The interdependencies between the parameters are known and were, for example, already described at the end of the 1950's by the surfactant chemist Dr. Herbert Sinner (cf. for example, the journal Getränkeindustrie 11/2004, pages 98-104: Sinner's Circle: The Basis for Successful Cleaning and Disinfection). Mr. Sinner believed that every cleaning process has four basic parameters, namely chemistry (the cleaning agent), mechanics, temperature and time. Put simply, this means, for example, that a cleaning process can be performed at a faster rate if a stronger cleaning agent is used and/or more mechanical energy is employed. A higher temperature also has a positive effect on the time required. If, on the other hand, a largely cold rinsing liquid is to be used and a gentle cleaning agent is to be employed, rinsing must be stronger and longer.
One idea of the present invention is now to make the interdependencies between the parameters of the programs visible for the user of the domestic appliance.
Accordingly, the operating display according to the invention shows multiple display areas which each represent one parameter. The parameters of the display areas and/or the display areas themselves can be changed by touching the operating display. If a parameter of one display area is now changed, this leads to the simultaneous change of a parameter of another display area. In particular, a parameter of one display area can be enlarged if a parameter of the other display area is reduced. In this case, there is therefore a trade-off between the two parameters.
A parameter can, for example, be an energy parameter which describes an amount of energy which is consumed as a result of the execution of the program. Another parameter can be a time parameter which describes the time required by the program for a run. Preferably, another parameter is a noise level parameter which indicates a noise level which arises as a result of the execution of the program.
If the user of a dishwasher now wishes to reduce the required time, this can be achieved, for example, by injecting the rinsing liquid into the dishwasher with increased pressure whereby, however, a higher noise level is produced. If the water is heated to a greater extent, a reduction in the duration of the rinsing process would be possible without increasing the injection pressure.
With the solution proposed here, when selecting the program the user can therefore intuitively detect how he can optimally weigh up his wishes against each other with regard to the time required, the energy consumed and the sound level generated. He can input requests with regard to the time and recognizes the impact of this on the sound level and the energy consumed. As the sound level and the energy required are certainly also interchangeable, he can select the balance he finds most pleasing between these two parameters by means of a further setting process.
The operating display presented here can, for example, be a touch display and/or also have setting buttons.
In a particularly preferred embodiment of the operating display, in each case two display areas adjoin each other and the operating display is set up in such a manner that a boundary between two display areas can be shifted by touching the operating display, whereby a parameter of one display area is enlarged and a parameter of the other display area is reduced. For example, the display areas can be arranged in a circular or triangular shape. As a result of the display areas being directly adjacent in this way, the exchange ratio of two parameters to one another can be intuitively visualized.
In some embodiments, the operating display has a selection area with the aid of which a condition of an item which is to be treated by means of the program can be defined by the user. The condition of the item can involve, for example, a degree of soiling of the item such that finally a cleaning performance to be rendered is selected in the selection area. Preferably, the operating display is set up such that an average condition of the item is already preselected in the selection area. In this manner, the user need then only make a choice in the selection area if the condition of the item deviates from an average condition, for example, if the crockery is particularly dirty or only champagne glasses are involved.
The operating display may also have an input area with the aid of which a chemical used by the domestic appliance can be defined. The chemical can, for example, be a cleaning agent such as a dishwasher detergent or a laundry detergent for a washing machine. As already explained above with regard to Sinner's Circle, an improved cleaning performance can be achieved by means of a particularly strong cleaning agent with otherwise identical parameters.
A presentation of the multiple display areas and/or the parameters of the multiple display areas may depend on an input entered by way of the selection area and/or the input area. If the display areas are arranged in a circular shape, the circle can, for example, be enlarged when a particularly high cleaning performance is to be provided. Analogously, in a triangular presentation a smaller triangle can be shown when a particularly concentrated and/or powerful cleaning agent is used.
The presentation of the multiple display areas and/or the parameters of the multiple display areas may also depend on a sensor-detected value. Thus, for example, it is conceivable that a dishwasher automatically recognizes the strength of the dishwasher detergent it is using. By examining the turbidity of the rinsing water, the degree of soiling of the items to be washed is equally apparent.
Preferably, each display area has a minimum size which cannot be undershot. In the case of time, for example, it is immediately obvious that the duration of the wash program cannot be reduced to zero.
The operating display can be arranged on a domestic appliance or also be realized by means of a generic mobile terminal device. Accordingly, the invention also comprises a domestic appliance having multiple different programs, in particular, cleaning programs, each of which can be defined using parameters that are interdependent. The domestic appliance can be, for example, a dishwasher or also a washing machine. The domestic appliance according to the invention has an operating display according to the invention for setting the program of the domestic appliance. The operating display can, for example, be permanently attached to the domestic appliance.
Furthermore, the invention comprises a computer program product comprising the program instructions which can be executed on a mobile terminal device with a touch-sensitive operating display which can be connected to a domestic appliance such that an operating display according to the invention is formed. The computer program product can, for example, be a data carrier with software stored thereon or also a data bundle which can be downloaded from the internet. It is particularly preferred if the computer program product is an app which can be executed on a commercially available smartphone with a touch display.
In addition to the touch-sensitive operating display already described, the invention comprises a method for setting a program of a domestic appliance, wherein the domestic appliance, as already described, has multiple different programs, in particular, cleaning programs. As already mentioned, the programs can each be defined by means of multiple parameters that are interdependent.
According to the method, first multiple display areas are shown, each of which represents a parameter. Presentation naturally takes place on the touch-sensitive operating display. Subsequently, a user can set the parameters by touching the operating display, wherein changing a parameter of one display area leads to the simultaneous change of the parameter of another display area. Subsequently, the program which is best defined by the set parameters is selected. By means of the method presented here, the user can intuitively influence the parameters he requests, immediately discern the effects of his choice on other parameters and thus arrive at a program which represents the best solution for the current situation and his requests.
The invention was presented with regard to an operating display, a domestic appliance, a computer program product and a method. Unless specified otherwise, the features of the operating display can naturally be applied analogously to the domestic appliance, the computer program product and the method.
Further details and advantages of embodiments of the invention will be explained hereinafter with reference to the figures, in which:
In the following description, identical and identically acting elements are each designated by the same reference character, unless specified otherwise.
A typical setting process is as follows. First the user touches the setting button to switch on the power supply 6 and indicates the degree of soiling of the crockery in the selection area 5. Based on this information, the touch-sensitive operating display can calculate the cleaning performance to be rendered. The user is then free to influence the parameters shown in the display areas 2 to 4, wherein a change of a parameter in each case also affects the other parameters. For example, if the user increases the time in the display area 2, the dishwasher can either inject the rinsing water into the dishwasher with less pressure or reduce the temperature of the rinsing water without the washing result being consequently impaired because additional time was made available. Conversely, if the user reduces the time in the display area 2, either a higher sound level must be accepted or the water must be heated further. In this way, the user can consider what is most important to him in the current situation, and set the display areas 2 to 4 accordingly. After the setting has been performed, he presses the setting button to start the domestic appliance 7 and closes the dishwasher door, whereby the cleaning program is started.
In the center of the circle the remaining time of the program is shown by means of a remaining time display 10. As in the first embodiment, the second embodiment also has a selection area 5 in which the soiling of the item to be washed can be selected. An average condition is selected here (“average”) without touch. Only if the user has the impression that the soiling is particularly light or particularly heavy, must he make a choice here. Furthermore, the second embodiment of the operating display 8 also has two setting buttons for switching on the domestic appliance and for starting the program. Further setting buttons are naturally conceivable and in part also plotted in
The operating displays can both be arranged directly on the domestic appliance and be realized using software on a generic mobile terminal device which, for example, is wirelessly connected to the domestic appliances.
A major advantage of the invention described here may consist of the user himself being able to determine to the minute how long his program should last, wherein he sees simultaneously the impact of his setting on the two other parameters sound level and energy. The user therefore learns intuitively how the parameters sound level, time and energy correlate. The program can therefore be chosen flexibly and yet with particularly ease.
The explanations provided with regard to the figures are purely illustrative and not to be construed as limiting. Many changes can be made to the embodiments shown without departing from the scope of the invention, as specified in the attached claims. In particular, the features of the individual embodiments can be freely combined with one another.
| Number | Date | Country | Kind |
|---|---|---|---|
| 102015220282.8 | Oct 2015 | DE | national |
| Filing Document | Filing Date | Country | Kind |
|---|---|---|---|
| PCT/EP2016/073722 | 10/5/2016 | WO | 00 |
