CN111172711A - Clothes treating device - Google Patents

Abstract

The invention provides a clothes treatment device capable of further improving operability related to operation setting. The clothes treatment device of the embodiment executes the operation for performing the specified treatment to the clothes, and is provided with: an operation display having a display unit for displaying various screens including various information related to an operation and operation keys for accepting various operations related to the operation; and a control unit that controls display on the display unit and performs predetermined control in accordance with operation of the operation keys. The control unit causes the display unit to display a setting screen for displaying the content of the settable operation and setting the operation, and displaying at least a part of the program corresponding to the set operation and setting the program.

Description

Clothes treating device

Technical Field

Embodiments of the present invention relate to a laundry treating apparatus.

Background

For example, in a laundry processing apparatus such as a washing machine, in order to improve operability related to operation setting thereof, a configuration in which a touch panel type liquid crystal operation panel is provided has been proposed. However, in such a conventional configuration, in order to change the detailed settings of the respective processes (cleaning, rinsing, drying, etc.), a dedicated screen is prepared for each process. Therefore, when changing the setting of the details of each procedure, the user must frequently perform an operation for switching the screen. As described above, in the conventional configuration, operability related to the operation setting is not sufficiently improved, and there is room for improvement in this point.

Prior art documents:

patent documents:

patent document 1: japanese patent No. 5938806

Disclosure of Invention

Accordingly, a laundry treatment apparatus capable of further improving operability related to the operation setting is provided.

The clothes treatment device of the embodiment executes the operation for performing the specified treatment to the clothes, and the clothes treatment device is provided with: an operation display having a display unit that displays various screens including various information related to the operation and operation keys for accepting various operations related to the operation; and a control unit that controls display on the display unit and performs predetermined control in accordance with an operation performed on the operation key. The control unit causes the display unit to display a setting screen for displaying the content of the operation that can be set and setting the operation, and the setting screen is a screen for displaying at least a part of a program corresponding to the set operation and setting the program.

Drawings

Fig. 1 is a diagram schematically showing the structure of a washing machine according to a first embodiment.

Fig. 2 is a diagram showing an electrical configuration of the washing machine of the first embodiment.

Fig. 3 is a diagram showing an example of a home screen in the first embodiment, and is a diagram showing a state in which the washing/drying operation and the standard program are selected.

Fig. 4 is a diagram showing an example of the body setting screen according to the first embodiment.

Fig. 5 is a diagram showing an example of a program information display screen corresponding to a standard program of the washing and drying operation according to the first embodiment.

Fig. 6 is a diagram showing an example of a program detailed setting screen corresponding to a standard program of the washing and drying operation according to the first embodiment.

Fig. 7 is a diagram showing an example of a dry setting screen according to the first embodiment.

Fig. 8 is a diagram showing an example of a bath water setting screen according to the first embodiment.

Fig. 9 is a diagram showing an example of a reservation setting screen according to the first embodiment.

Fig. 10 is a diagram showing an example of a hot water setting screen according to the first embodiment.

Fig. 11 is a diagram showing an example of a top screen in the second embodiment, and shows a state in which the washing/drying operation and the standard program are selected.

Fig. 12 is a diagram showing an example of a top screen in the third embodiment, and shows a state in which the washing/drying operation and the standard program are selected.

Fig. 13 is a diagram showing an example of a top screen of the fourth embodiment, and shows a state in which the washing/drying operation and the standard routine are selected.

Description of the reference numerals

In the drawings, 1 denotes a washing machine (laundry treatment apparatus), 4 denotes a control device (control unit), 5 denotes an operation panel (operation display), 20 denotes a display unit, 26 denotes a start key (operation key), 37 denotes a wash icon (course display), 38 denotes a rinse icon (course display), 39 denotes a spin-off icon (course display), 40 denotes a dry icon (course display), and 111 denotes a detail confirmation key (operation key).

Detailed Description

Hereinafter, a plurality of embodiments of the laundry treatment apparatus will be described with reference to the drawings. In each embodiment, substantially the same components are denoted by the same reference numerals, and description thereof is omitted.

(first embodiment)

As shown in fig. 1, a washing machine 1 according to the present embodiment is an example of a laundry processing apparatus that can perform operations for performing processes such as washing, rinsing, spin drying, and drying on laundry. Specifically, the washing machine 1 is capable of performing a washing operation, a drying operation, and a washing-drying operation.

The washing machine 1 is a drum-type washer-dryer having a drying function, and includes a casing 2, a door 3, a control device indicated by reference numeral 4 in fig. 2, an operation panel 5, and the like. In this case, the door 3 side of the casing 2 is defined as the front side of the washing machine 1, and the side opposite to the door 3 is defined as the rear side of the washing machine 1. In addition, a horizontal direction perpendicular to the front-rear direction is set as a left-right direction. In addition, a direction orthogonal to the front-rear direction and the left-right direction is referred to as a vertical direction.

The casing 2 constituting the main body of the washing machine 1 is formed in a rectangular box shape whose front surface is smoothly inclined. An opening 6 is provided in a central portion of the front of the housing 2. The opening 6 communicates with a not-shown rotary tub provided inside the casing 2. Through which opening 6 the laundry is taken out of or put into the rotary tub.

The door 3 is provided to be able to open and close the opening 6. The door 3 is opened by operating a door button not shown. A water supply port 7 is provided on the upper surface of the housing 2. The water supply port 7 is connected to a faucet of tap water serving as a water source by a water supply pipe not shown. Water from a tap of tap water is supplied into a not-shown water tub provided in the housing 2 through a water supply pipe and a water supply port 7.

The control device 4 is mainly composed of a microcomputer, for example, and executes a computer program stored in a storage device such as a ROM to control the overall operation of the washing machine 1. As shown in fig. 2, the control device 4 is connected to the motor 11, the drain valve 12, the water supply valve 13, the compressor 14, the blower 15, and the like. A detailed description of the motor 11 for rotating a not-shown rotary tub provided in the casing 2 will be omitted.

The drain valve 12 is used to drain water in the not-shown tub to the outside of the machine. The water supply valve 13 opens and closes communication between the water supply port 7 and the inside of the not-shown tub, and supplies water into the tub. The compressor 14 constitutes a heat pump unit for the drying function. The blower 15 supplies the hot air generated by the heat pump unit to a not-shown rotary tub.

The control device 4 is connected to input devices such as a temperature sensor 16, a water level sensor 17, a rotation sensor 18, and a door switch 19, and the operation panel 5. Detailed descriptions are respectively omitted, in which the temperature sensor 16 detects a temperature inside the tub, not shown. The water level sensor 17 detects a water level inside the tub. The rotation sensor 18 detects a rotational position and a rotational speed of the drum, not shown. The door switch 19 detects opening and closing of the door 3.

As shown in fig. 1, the operation panel 5 is provided on the front side of the upper surface of the housing 2. The operation panel 5 includes a rectangular display unit 20 formed of, for example, a liquid crystal display. In this case, a direction along the front-rear direction of the washing machine 1 is defined as the up-down direction of the display unit 20, and a direction along the left-right direction of the washing machine 1 is defined as the left-right direction of the display unit 20.

Various screens containing various information related to the operation of the washing machine 1 are displayed on the display unit 20. The display surface of the display unit 20 also functions as a touch panel on which a user can perform a touch operation. Various screens including operation keys for accepting various operations related to the operation of washing machine 1 are displayed on display unit 20. The user can perform various operations related to the operation of the washing machine 1 by performing a touch operation on the operation keys.

As described above, the operation panel 5 is used for displaying various screens including various information related to operations and operation keys for accepting various operations related to operations, and corresponds to an operation display. In the present embodiment, a capacitance type touch panel in which a change in capacitance generated when a finger is touched is sensed by a sensor is used as the touch panel of the display unit 20. As the touch panel of the display unit 20, various types such as a resistive film type can be used. The display unit 20 is not limited to a liquid crystal display, and various display devices such as an organic EL display can be used.

The control device 4 executes a program for display control to control display on the display unit 20 of the operation panel 5. The control device 4 executes various controls such as selection of an operation type, selection of a program, setting of contents of the program, and start or temporary stop of the operation in accordance with an operation performed on the operation keys displayed on the display unit 20. In this way, the control device 4 controls the display on the display unit 20, and performs predetermined control in accordance with the operation of the operation keys, and corresponds to a control unit.

Next, the contents of the control related to the display on the display unit 20 in the above configuration will be described.

[1] Picture about home page

When a power switch, not shown, is operated by a user, power is supplied to the washing machine 1. After the power is turned on, a home screen as shown in fig. 3 is displayed on the display unit 20. Hereinafter, the display unit 20 is also referred to as a screen.

The home screen is a display screen before the first input operation is performed after the power is turned on, and corresponds to a setting screen. As will be described in detail later, the home screen is a screen for displaying the contents of the settable operation and setting the operation. The home screen is a screen for displaying at least a part of the program corresponding to the set operation and setting the program.

In the top screen and various screens described later, the lower end of the screen is a common tail (footer) portion 21. At the tail portion 21, a wash operation icon 22, a wash/dry operation icon 23, a dry operation icon 24, another setting key 25, and a start key 26 are arranged in a row in the horizontal direction of the screen in this order from left to right. The washing operation icon 22 functions as an operation key for selecting washing operation. The washing and drying operation icon 23 functions as an operation key for selecting the washing and drying operation. The dry operation icon 24 functions as an operation key for selecting the dry operation.

In this case, the wash operation icon 22, the wash/dry operation icon 23, and the dry operation icon 24 are arranged in this order from left to right on the screen, but the order of arrangement of these three icons can be changed as appropriate. In addition, the order of arrangement of the three icons may be changed according to the selection state of the operation. For example, the arrangement of the icons may be changed as needed so that the operation key selected at that time is always arranged at the center.

The wash operation icon 22, the wash/dry operation icon 23, and the dry operation icon 24 are a plurality of operation type icons provided corresponding to each type of operation, and by operating any one of the plurality of operation type icons, the operation corresponding to the operation type icon on which the operation has been performed is selected and set, that is, the type of operation is determined.

Specifically, the cleaning operation is selected when the cleaning operation icon 22 is operated, the cleaning/drying operation is selected when the cleaning/drying operation icon 23 is operated, and the drying operation is selected when the drying operation icon 24 is operated. In addition, such selection and determination of the operation type can be performed any number of times before the operation is started.

When a predetermined operation type icon is operated, the control device 4 changes the display mode of the operated operation type icon to a display mode different from the display mode of the non-operated operation type icon. Examples of the different display modes include changing the background color of the icon, highlighting characters in the icon, and the like, and highlighting the outer frame of the icon. This allows the user to easily recognize the type of operation selected at that time.

As shown in fig. 3, in the present embodiment, the wash operation icon 22 and the dry operation icon 24, which are the non-operated operation type icons, are light colored in background color, and the characters indicating the operation type (wash, dry) are displayed in lighter gray, whereas the wash/dry operation icon 23, which is the operated operation type icon, is dark colored in background color, and the characters indicating the operation type (wash dry) are displayed in black.

The other setting keys 25 are operation keys for performing various settings related to the washing machine 1. When another setting key 25 is operated, the screen is changed to the main body setting screen shown in fig. 4. In the main body setting screen, "brightness setting for display" for setting the brightness of the liquid crystal display, "time setting" for setting the time of the timepiece of the washing machine 1, "child safety lock" for forcibly locking the door, and the like can be executed.

The start key 26 is an operation key for starting operation, and is displayed at an end portion of the screen, more specifically, at a lower right end of the screen. When the start key 26 is displayed, the control device 4 always displays the same position. The control device 4 may be configured to cause the start key 26 to be displayed at a common position on at least the top screen, the program information display screen, and the program detail setting screen, which will be described later.

In the top screen and various screens described later, the upper end of the screen is a common header (header) portion 27. In the header portion 27, the left side of the screen becomes a status display area 28. Various states such as the display time, the radio wave state related to wireless communication with an external device, the presence or absence of setting of automatic cleaning, the presence or absence of setting of mold prevention, and the like are always fixed in the state display area 28. In the head portion 27, the right side of the screen becomes an operation key display area 29.

In the operation key display area 29, a reservation setting key 30, a hot water setting key 31, and an illumination on/off key 32 are arranged in a row in the horizontal direction of the screen from left to right. When the three operation keys, that is, the reservation setting key 30, the hot water setting key 31, and the illumination switch key 32 are displayed, the control device 4 always displays them at the same position. Further, details regarding these three operation keys will be described later.

In the home screen, a program list display area 34 in which a program icon 33 is displayed is formed in the center of the screen, and the program icon 33 corresponds to all programs corresponding to the operation selected (set) at that time. In this case, five program icons 33 are displayed aligned in the lateral direction of the screen, and another five program icons 33 are displayed aligned in the lateral direction of the screen on their lower sides.

In the program list display area 34 shown in fig. 3, program icons 33 corresponding to the "quick wash program", the "sleep program", the "standard program", the "soak program", the "small 60 minute program", the "strong wash program", the "stored program", the "carpet program", the "fashion clothing program", and the "ultra light and soft program" are displayed, respectively, in association with the washing and drying operation. Each program icon 33 is a display mode in which each program can be imagined. For example, a program icon 33 of a standard program is a display form schematically showing a T-shirt as an example of laundry. The program icon 33 of the sleep program is a display mode showing the moon and stars associated with the night.

When a predetermined program icon 33 is operated, the control device 4 selects and sets a program corresponding to the operated program icon 33, and changes the display mode of the operated program icon 33 to a display mode different from the display mode of the non-operated program icon 33. Examples of the different display modes include changing the background color of the icon, enlarging at least one of the graphics and characters in the icon, and highlighting the outer frame of the icon. This makes it possible for the user to easily recognize what program the program selected at that time is.

As shown in fig. 3, in the present embodiment, the program icon 33 corresponding to the standard program operated is displayed with its outer frame in a bold line as compared with the outer frame of the other program icon 33, and its background color is displayed in a darker color than that of the other program icon. In this case, the graphics and characters in the program icon 33 corresponding to the operated standard program are displayed in an enlarged manner so as to be larger than the graphics and characters in the other program icon 33.

As described above, the control device 4 selects and sets the program corresponding to the predetermined program icon 33 by performing one operation (one touch operation) on the predetermined program icon 33. Then, the control device 4 operates the predetermined program icon 33 once again, that is, operates the predetermined program icon 33 twice or more in succession (performs touch operation twice or more in succession), thereby displaying information on the procedure content of the program corresponding to the program icon 33.

In this case, when a predetermined program is set, that is, when the predetermined program icon 33 is touched twice or more in succession, the control device 4 displays a program information display screen displaying information on the procedure content of the program corresponding to the program icon 33, instead of the top page screen. Therefore, as shown in fig. 3, when the program icon 33 corresponding to the standard program is further operated in a state where the program icon 33 corresponding to the standard program is operated once, information related to the procedure contents of the standard program is displayed, that is, the program information display screen shown in fig. 5 is changed. Details of the program information display screen will be described later.

In this case, the colors are associated with different colors for each type of operation. For example, a cleaning operation corresponds to a blue color, a cleaning and drying operation corresponds to a green color, and a drying operation corresponds to an orange color. For example, the washing operation may be a blue color (e.g., blue or cyan) associated with water, and the drying operation may be a red color (e.g., orange or red) associated with hot air, so long as the colors are set to such a degree that the colors match the impression of the respective operations.

When a predetermined operation type icon is operated and an operation corresponding to the operated operation type icon is selected, the control device 4 sets a background display of the same color system as the color corresponding to the selected operation to an arbitrary region on the screen displayed at that time (in this case, the home screen) and a screen displayed later (for example, a program information display screen).

The control device 4 is set to a state in which the operation type icon corresponding to the executed operation (previous operation) is selected on the home screen displayed after the washing machine 1 is powered on again after the operation is executed. However, the control device 4 may not perform such control when the previous operation is the dry operation. This is because the drying operation is used less frequently than the washing operation and the washing-drying operation.

Further, in the home screen displayed after the washing machine 1 is powered on again after the operation is executed, the control device 4 sets the washing operation, the washing-drying operation, and the drying operation to a state in which the program in the previous operation is selected. For example, when the previously performed washing operation is a stored program and the previously performed washing and drying operation is a standard program, the control device 4 performs the following control.

That is, in this case, when the wash operation icon 22 is selected on the home screen image after the power is turned on again, the control device 4 sets the display mode of each program icon 33 displayed in the program list display area 34 to the display mode in which the program icon 33 corresponding to the stored program is selected. In this case, when the wash/dry operation icon 23 is selected on the home screen after the power is turned on again, the control device 4 sets the display mode of each program icon 33 displayed in the program list display area 34 to the display mode in which the program icon 33 corresponding to the standard program is selected.

However, when the program that has been previously run is a standard program or a program other than a stored program, the control device 4 may not perform such control. This is because the programs other than the standard program and the stored program are used less frequently than the standard program and the stored program. For example, when the program to be operated in the previous time is a standard program or a program other than a stored program, the control device 4 may set the display mode of each program icon 33 displayed in the program list display area 34 to the display mode in which the program icon 33 corresponding to the standard program is selected.

The type, program, and the like of the operation performed in the preceding stage may be stored in a nonvolatile memory provided in a microcomputer constituting the control device 4. In addition, if a nonvolatile memory such as an EEPROM is provided outside the microcomputer, the type of operation, program, and the like may be stored in the external EEPROM. In this case, the microcomputer may write and read data such as the type of operation and the program to and from the EEPROM through various serial communications.

[2] Display screen for program information

As described above, when the predetermined program icon 33 is operated twice on the home screen, the home screen is shifted to the program information display screen for displaying information related to the procedure content of the program selected at that time. Here, although the program information display screen corresponding to the standard program of the washing and drying operation is described as an example, the same contents are also applied to the other program information display screens.

As shown in fig. 5, the program information display screen is provided with a header portion 27 and a footer portion 21, which are the same as those of the top page screen. Therefore, various operation type icons, various operation keys including the start key 26, and the like are also displayed on the program information display screen. In the program information display screen, an outline display area 35 for displaying the name of the program and the outline content of the program is provided above the center of the screen.

Specifically, in the summary display area 35 of the program information display screen corresponding to the standard program of the washing and drying operation shown in fig. 5, in addition to the display of "standard program" as the program name, a character "recommended for general laundry" indicating the summary of the standard program is displayed. ". This makes it possible for the user to easily grasp the type of the currently selected program and the program outline thereof.

In the program information display screen, a procedure display area 36 for displaying procedure contents of the program is provided below the center portion of the screen. In the course display area 36, a course display showing the entire course is displayed in a time-series manner along the lateral direction of the screen. Specifically, in the course display area 36 of the program information display screen corresponding to the standard course of the washing-and-drying operation shown in fig. 5, a washing icon 37 displayed as a course indicating a washing course, a rinsing icon 38 displayed as a course indicating a rinsing course, a dehydrating icon 39 displayed as a course indicating a dehydrating course, and a drying icon 40 displayed as a course indicating a drying course are arranged in this order from left to right, that is, in time series.

In this case, the process condition display "14 minutes" showing the conditions of the process is displayed on the wash icon 37, "2 times" the process condition display "showing the conditions of the process is displayed on the rinse icon 38," auto "the process condition display" auto "showing the conditions of the process is displayed on the spin icon 39, and" energy saving "the process condition display" showing the conditions of the process is displayed on the dry icon 40. As shown in fig. 5, a bath water icon 41, which is a display for showing the setting state of the bath water, is also displayed in the process display area 36.

The above-described process displays (the wash icon 37, the rinse icon 38, the spin icon 39, and the dry icon 40) are associated with different colors. Specifically, the wash icon 37 corresponds to darker blue, the rinse icon 38 corresponds to lighter blue, the spin icon 39 corresponds to cyan, and the dry icon 40 corresponds to orange. The control device 4 displays the wash icon 37, the rinse icon 38, the spin icon 39, and the dry icon 40 in colors corresponding to each other.

In the program information display screen, a return key 42 is displayed at the upper left end of the screen center portion. The return key 42 is an operation key for restoring the display content of the top page screen when displaying information related to the procedure content of the program, that is, an operation key for closing the program information display screen and returning to the top page screen. Therefore, when the return key 42 is operated, the program information display screen is changed to the home screen. In the program information display screen, a setting change key 43 is displayed at the upper right end of the central portion of the screen. The setting change key 43 is an operation key for shifting to a program detailed setting screen for setting the detailed contents of the program.

In this case, when the setting change key 43 is operated, the screen is shifted to a program detail setting screen for setting the contents of the program selected at that time. Specifically, as shown in fig. 5, when the setting change key 43 is operated on the program information display screen corresponding to the standard program in the washing and drying operation, the program is shifted to the program detail setting screen corresponding to the standard program in the washing and drying operation (see fig. 6). The control device 4 may also cause a part or the whole of the procedure display area 36 to function as an operation key for shifting to the program detailed setting screen, that is, an operation key equivalent to the setting change key 43. When the procedure display area 36 is made to function as an operation key equivalent to the setting change key 43, the setting change key 43 may be provided or the setting change key 43 may be omitted.

[3] Program detail setting screen

As described above, when the setting change key 43 or the procedure display area 36 is operated on the program information display screen, the program information display screen is shifted to the program detail setting screen. Here, although the program detail setting screen corresponding to the standard program of the washing and drying operation is described as an example, the same contents are also applied to the other program detail setting screens.

As shown in fig. 6, the program detail setting screen is provided with a header portion 27 and a footer portion 21, which are the same as those of the top page screen and the program information display screen. Therefore, on the program detailed setting screen, various operation type icons, various operation keys including the start key 26, and the like are also displayed. The program detail setting screen allows the user to confirm the detailed contents of the selected program and to set (change) the display of the contents. Specifically, in the program detail setting screen, a region 44 in which the details of the program and various operation keys for setting the program are displayed is provided in the center of the screen.

The control device 4 displays the names of programs, process displays indicating all the processes, process condition displays indicating conditions of the respective processes, process condition change keys serving as operation keys for changing the conditions of the respective processes, and the like in the area 44. Specifically, in the area 44 in the program detailed setting screen shown in fig. 6, a return key 45 is displayed at the right end of the upper part of the screen. The return key 45 is an operation key for closing the program detail setting screen and returning to the previous screen, that is, the program information display screen. Therefore, when the return key 45 is operated, the program detail setting screen is changed to the program information display screen.

In the area 44 of the program detailed screen shown in fig. 6, a washing icon 46 displayed as a process indicating a washing process, a rinsing icon 47 displayed as a process indicating a rinsing process, a dewatering icon 48 displayed as a process indicating a dewatering process, and a drying icon 49 displayed as a process indicating a drying process are arranged in a horizontal direction in order from the left side of the screen, that is, in a time series. The above-described process displays (the washing icon 46, the rinsing icon 47, the spin-drying icon 48, and the drying icon 49) are the same as the process displays on the program information display screen, and are associated with different colors. The control device 4 displays the wash icon 46, the rinse icon 47, the spin icon 48, and the dry icon 49 in colors corresponding to each other.

In the area 44 of the program detailed setting screen shown in fig. 6, a process condition display "automatic (14 minutes)" showing the conditions of the washing process is displayed below the washing icon 46, a process condition display "automatic (2 times)" showing the conditions of the rinsing process is displayed below the rinsing icon 47, a process condition display "automatic" showing the conditions of the dehydrating process is displayed below the dehydrating icon 48, and a process condition display "energy saving" showing the conditions of the drying process is displayed below the drying icon 49. In this way, the control device 4 displays the process display in a time-series manner along the lateral direction of the screen, and displays the process condition display in a manner juxtaposed to the process display.

An up key 50 and a down key 51 corresponding to the process condition change key are arranged above and below the wash icon 46 with the process condition display interposed therebetween. The plus key 50 located at the upper side of the process condition display is an operation key for increasing the washing time, and the washing time is increased by one minute every time the plus key 50 is operated once. The down key 51 located on the lower side of the process condition display is an operation key for reducing the washing time, and the washing time is reduced by one minute each time the down key 51 is operated. In the program detail setting screen, the user can set (change) the washing time during the washing process to a desired time by operating the up key 50 and the down key 51.

Below the rinse icon 47, an up key 52 and a down key 53 corresponding to the process condition change key are arranged in the vertical direction with the process condition display interposed therebetween. The additional key 52 located on the upper side of the process condition display is an operation key for increasing the number of times of rinsing, and the number of times of rinsing is increased once every time the additional key 52 is operated once. The down key 53 located at the lower side of the process condition display is an operation key for reducing the number of times of rinsing, and the number of times of rinsing is reduced once every time the down key 53 is operated once. In the program detailed screen, the user can set (change) the number of times of rinsing in the rinsing process to a desired number of times by operating the up key 52 and the down key 53.

An additional key and a subtraction key corresponding to the process condition changing key are not arranged below the dehydration icon 48. This is because the specification of the washing machine 1 cannot be changed by the user for the dehydration time in the washing-drying operation. Therefore, in the program detailed setting screen shown in fig. 6, the user cannot set (change) the dehydration time in the dehydration process. The process condition display 56 displayed below the drying icon 49 also functions as an operation key (process condition change key) for setting (changing) the conditions of the drying process. In this case, when the process condition display 56 is operated, a drying setting screen for setting the conditions of the drying process is displayed. The content of the drying setting screen will be described later.

The control device 4 displays a process switch key, which is an operation key for setting whether or not to execute each process, in the area 44. Specifically, in the area 44 on the program detailed setting screen shown in fig. 6, the on/off keys 57 and 58 are disposed below the down keys 51 and 53, respectively. The process switches 57 and 58 are operation keys for setting whether to perform the washing process or the rinsing process, respectively. The user can switch between the setting for executing the washing course and the setting for not executing the washing course by operating the course switch key 57. The user can switch between the setting for performing the rinsing process and the setting for not performing the rinsing process by operating the process switch key 58.

When the corresponding procedure is set to be performed by operating the procedure switch keys 57 and 58, the procedure switch keys 57 and 58 are in a display mode indicating the performed procedure. For example, when the washing course is set to be executed by operating the course switch key 57, an on indicating that the corresponding course is to be executed is displayed on the course switch key 57 as shown in fig. 6. When the corresponding procedure is set not to be executed by operating the procedure switches 57 and 58, the procedure switches 57 and 58 are in a display mode indicating that the procedure is not to be executed. For example, when the washing course is not to be executed by the operation of the course switch key 57, although not shown, the "off" indicating that the corresponding course is not to be executed is displayed on the course switch key 57.

At this time, the process condition display indicating the conditions of the washing process, the plus key 50, and the minus key 51 are displayed in a light gray color, so-called graying, and the setting change of the conditions of the washing process is not accepted. That is, when the process switch keys 57 and 58 are operated and the corresponding process is set to none, the control device 4 invalidates the operation reception related to the process condition change key for changing the condition of the process.

Further, when the process switch key is operated and the execution of the process is set to none after the process condition change key is operated and the condition of the process corresponding to the process condition change key is changed, the control device 4 initializes the condition of the process set in accordance with the operation of the process condition change key.

For example, it is assumed that the washing time during the washing process is changed from "automatic (14 minutes)" to "5 minutes" as an initial setting by operating one or both of the up key 50 and the down key 51. When the course switch key 57 is operated from this state to set the washing course not to be performed, the washing time during the washing course is automatically changed to "automatic (14 minutes)" as the initial setting, that is, initialized. Therefore, when the course switch key 57 is operated again to set the washing course, the "automatic (14 minutes)" as the initial setting is displayed in the course condition display indicating the conditions of the washing course.

A bathtub water setting key 60 is disposed at the right end of the central portion of the area 44, and the bathtub water setting key 60 is an operation key for changing the setting of bathtub water as a water supply method. The setting state of the bath water at that time (none in fig. 6) is displayed on the bath water setting key 60. In this case, when the bathtub water setting key 60 is operated, a bathtub water setting screen for setting related to bathtub water is displayed. The contents of the bath water setting screen will be described later.

In the area 44, a setting clear key 61 is arranged on the left side of the return key 45. The setting clear key 61 is an operation key for initializing all process conditions. However, when all the process conditions are not changed but the initial settings are maintained, the setting clear key 61 is in the state of ashing as shown in fig. 6, and the control device 4 is in the state of not accepting the operation. When at least one of the conditions of each process is changed, although not shown, the clear setting key 61 is in a normal display state, and the control device 4 is in a state of receiving the operation. Therefore, in this state, when the setting clear key 61 is operated, all the process conditions are automatically changed to the initial settings, that is, initialized.

[4] Drying setting screen

As described above, when the process condition display 56 is operated on the program detail setting screen, the drying setting screen is displayed. For example, when the process condition display 56 is operated on the program detail setting screen shown in fig. 6, the drying setting screen is displayed so as to be superimposed on the program detail setting screen as shown in fig. 7. The drying setting screen is smaller in size than the program detail setting screen, and a part of the program detail setting screen is displayed. In this case, at least a part of the start key 26 displayed on the program detail setting screen is covered with the dry setting screen.

However, in this case, the program detail setting screen is in a state in which shading is applied, that is, a state in which graying is applied, and the operation of all the operation keys including the start key 26 is not accepted. That is, when the control device 4 superimposes and displays the dry setting screen as another screen on the program detailed setting screen as the screen on which the start key 26 is displayed, the reception of the operation of the start key 26 is invalidated.

On the drying setting screen, icons 62 corresponding to a plurality of drying completion settings (in this case, energy saving, fast, high quality drying, hard drying, timer 30 minutes) are arranged, respectively. The user can set the conditions of the drying process to desired conditions by operating an icon corresponding to a desired setting among these icons 62.

Two operation keys for increasing and decreasing the drying time are arranged in the upper and lower sides with an icon 62 corresponding to 30 minutes of the timer interposed therebetween. By operating these operation keys, the user can set the drying time to a desired time when the drying completion is set to the timer for 30 minutes.

A setting information display area 63 for displaying information related to the drying completion setting is provided on the drying setting screen. When a predetermined icon 62 is operated, the control device 4 displays the operated icon 62 in a highlighted manner, and displays information related to the drying completion setting corresponding to the operated icon 62 in the setting information display area 63.

Specifically, when the icon 62 corresponding to "energy saving" is operated, as shown in fig. 7, the outer frame of the icon 62 corresponding to "energy saving" is displayed in a bold line as compared with the outer frames of the other icons 62. At this time, the setting information display area 63 displays the general contents of the drying completion setting "energy saving". Thus, the user can easily recognize the currently selected drying completion setting and can grasp the outline of the setting.

A close key 64 is disposed on the lower left side of the drying setting screen, and a decision key 65 is disposed on the lower right side. The close key 64 is an operation key for closing the drying setting screen without reflecting an operation of changing the setting on the drying setting screen. The decision key 65 is an operation key for turning off the drying setting screen in response to an operation reflecting a setting change in the drying setting screen.

[5] Picture about setting water in bathtub

As described above, when the bath water setting key 60 is operated on the program detail screen, the bath water setting screen is displayed. For example, when the bath water setting key 60 is operated on the program detail setting screen shown in fig. 6, the bath water setting screen is displayed in a superimposed manner on the program detail setting screen as shown in fig. 8. The size of the bath water setting screen is smaller than the program detailed setting screen, and a part of the program detailed setting screen is displayed. In this case, at least a part of the start key 26 displayed on the program detailed setting screen is covered with the bath water setting screen.

However, in this case, the program detail setting screen is in a state in which shading is applied, that is, a state in which graying is applied, and the operation of all the operation keys including the start key 26 is not accepted. That is, when the control device 4 superimposes and displays a bath water setting screen as another screen on the program detailed setting screen as the screen on which the start key 26 is displayed, the reception of the operation of the start key 26 is invalidated.

Icons 67 corresponding to a plurality of tub water settings (in this case, none, wash and rinse 1, and rinse 1) are arranged on the tub water setting screen. The user can set the bath water setting to a desired content by operating an icon corresponding to a desired setting among these icons 67.

A setting information display area 68 in which information related to the setting of the bath water is displayed is provided on the bath water setting screen. When a predetermined icon 67 is operated, the controller 4 highlights the operated icon 67 and displays information related to the bath water setting corresponding to the operated icon 67 in the setting information display area 68.

Specifically, when the icon 67 corresponding to "none" is operated, the outer frame of the icon 67 corresponding to "none" is displayed in a bold line as compared with the outer frames of the other icons 67, as shown in fig. 8. At this time, the general contents of the bathtub water setting "none" are displayed in the setting information display area 68. Thus, the user can easily recognize the currently selected bath water setting and can grasp the outline of the setting.

A close key 69 is disposed on the lower left side of the bathtub water setting screen, and a decision key 70 is disposed on the lower right side. The close key 69 is an operation key for closing the bath water setting screen without reflecting an operation of setting change in the bath water setting screen. The decision key 70 is an operation key for closing the bath water setting screen in response to an operation reflecting a setting change in the bath water setting screen.

[6] Three operation keys with respect to the head

As described above, the same header portion 27 is provided on the home screen, the program information display screen, and the program detailed setting screen, and three operation keys (the reservation setting key 30, the hot water setting key 31, and the illumination switch key 32) are arranged in the operation key display area 29 of the header portion 27. That is, these three operation keys are constantly displayed in a fixed manner on various display screens before the start of operation. In addition, these three operation keys are operation keys for making settings related to the operation of the washing machine 1, and are operation keys whose frequency of use is relatively high.

The reservation setting key 30 is an operation key for setting a reservation for operation. When the reservation setting key 30 is operated, a reservation setting screen as shown in fig. 9 is displayed. The reservation setting screen is smaller in size than the top page screen, the program information display screen, and the program detail setting screen. However, in this case, almost the entire areas of the home screen, the program information display screen, and the program detailed setting screen are covered with the reservation setting screen.

Icons 71 corresponding to a plurality of reservation settings (in this case, none, morning reservation, home reservation, and outside reservation) are arranged on the reservation setting screen. The user can set the reservation setting to a desired setting by operating an icon corresponding to the desired setting among these icons 71.

In addition, four operation keys 72 to 75 for setting the end time of the operation are provided on the reservation setting screen, and a time display area 76 for displaying the set end time is provided. On the reservation setting screen, a settable time display area 77 indicating an end time that can be set at the current time is provided for the currently selected operation and program. The user can set the end time of the operation to a desired time by operating the four operation keys 72 to 75 while confirming the time displayed in the time display area 76 and the settable end time displayed in the settable time display area 77.

A setting information display area 78 in which information related to reservation setting is displayed is provided on the reservation setting screen. When a predetermined icon 71 is operated, the control device 4 displays the operated icon 71 in a highlighted manner, and displays information related to the reservation setting corresponding to the operated icon 71 in the setting information display area 78.

Specifically, when the icon 71 corresponding to the "morning reservation" is operated, the outer frame of the icon 71 corresponding to the "morning reservation" is displayed in a thick line as compared with the outer frames of the other icons 71, as shown in fig. 9. At this time, the setting information display area 78 displays the contents of the reservation setting "morning reservation". Thus, the user can easily recognize the currently selected reservation setting and can grasp the outline of the setting.

A close key 79 is disposed on the lower left side of the reservation setting screen, and a decision key 80 is disposed on the lower right side. The close key 79 is an operation key for closing the reservation setting screen without reflecting an operation of changing the setting on the reservation setting screen. The decision key 80 is an operation key for closing the reservation setting screen in response to an operation reflecting a setting change in the reservation setting screen. In this case, the reserved operation is started by operating the decision key 80. The reason for this is as follows.

That is, if the screen is changed to various screens before operation when the decision key 80 is operated, there is a possibility that the program content and the like may be changed later. If a change is added to the program contents or the like in a state where the reservation setting is made, there is a fear that the operation cannot be ended before the set end time. Therefore, in the present embodiment, in order to prevent the case where the operation cannot be ended before the end time of the reservation by adding a change to the program content or the like after the execution of the reservation setting, the reserved operation is started when the decision key 80 is operated.

The warm water setting key 31 is an operation key for setting the temperature of water used in operation. When the warm water setting key 31 is operated, a warm water setting screen for setting the temperature of the water to several degrees during the washing operation such as the washing operation or the washing and drying operation is displayed. For example, when the hot water setting key 31 is operated on the program detail setting screen shown in fig. 6, the hot water setting screen is displayed in a superimposed manner on the program detail setting screen as shown in fig. 10. The hot water setting screen is smaller in size than the program detail setting screen, and a part of the program detail setting screen is displayed. In this case, at least a part of the start key 26 displayed on the program detail setting screen is covered with the hot water setting screen.

However, in this case, the program detail setting screen is in a state in which shading is applied, that is, a state in which graying is applied, and the operation of all the operation keys including the start key 26 is not accepted. That is, the control device 4 invalidates the reception of the operation of the start key 26 when the hot water setting screen as another screen is superimposed and displayed on the program detail setting screen as the screen on which the start key 26 is displayed.

Icons 81 corresponding to a plurality of hot water settings (in this case, none, 15 ℃, 30 ℃, 40 ℃, 50 ℃, 60 ℃ sterilization) are arranged on the hot water setting screen. The user can set the warm water setting to a desired setting by operating an icon corresponding to the desired setting among these icons 81.

The hot water setting screen is provided with a setting information display area 82 in which information related to the hot water setting is displayed. When a predetermined icon 81 is operated, the control device 4 displays the operated icon 81 in a highlighted manner, and causes the setting information display area 82 to display information related to the hot water setting corresponding to the operated icon 81.

Specifically, when the icon 81 corresponding to "none" is operated, the outer frame of the icon 81 corresponding to "none" is displayed in a bold line as compared with the outer frames of the other icons 81, as shown in fig. 10. At this time, the general contents of "none" regarding the warm water setting are displayed in the setting information display area 82. This allows the user to easily recognize the currently selected hot water setting and to grasp the outline of the setting.

A close key 83 is disposed on the lower left side of the hot water setting screen, and a decision key 84 is disposed on the lower right side. The close key 83 is an operation key for closing the hot water setting screen without reflecting an operation of changing the setting on the hot water setting screen. The decision key 84 is an operation key for closing the hot water setting screen in response to an operation reflecting a setting change in the hot water setting screen.

The illumination switch key 32 is an operation key for turning on (turning on) or off (turning off) illumination (for example, an LED) for illuminating the inside of the tub of the washing machine 1. The illumination is turned on by the operation of the illumination switch key 32, and the inside of the tub of the washing machine 1 is illuminated by the light of the LED, so that the dark inside of the tub is made bright, which can help the user to take out and put in laundry (clothes).

When the control device 4 executes a setting different from the initial setting in accordance with the operation of the reservation setting key 30, the hot water setting key 31, and the illumination switch key 32, the display mode of the operated operation key is changed. In general, the background color of the three operation keys is, for example, white. For example, when the reservation setting is changed from "none" as the initial setting to "home reservation" in accordance with the operation of the reservation setting key 30, and the end time thereof is set to "19: 00 ″, the display mode of the reservation setting key 30 is changed. Specifically, in this case, the background color of the reservation setting key 30 is changed, and "19: 00 ".

When the hot water setting is changed from "none" as the initial setting to "50 ℃ by operating the hot water setting key 31, the display mode of the hot water setting key 31 is changed. Specifically, in this case, the background color of the warm water setting key 31 is changed from white to a color (for example, red) in which warm water is supposed to be present, and the display of "50℃" is added to the warm water setting key 31.

When the illumination setting is changed from "off" as the initial setting to "on" in accordance with the operation of the illumination on-off key 32, the display mode of the illumination on-off key 32 is changed. Specifically, in this case, the background color of the illumination on-off key 32 is changed from white to a color (for example, yellow) that can be assumed to be the case where the illumination is on. When a setting different from the initial setting is executed in accordance with the operation of the reservation setting key 30 and the hot water setting key 31 as described above, the control device 4 changes the display mode of the operation keys to indicate the state of the executed setting (status).

[7] About start key

As described above, the start key 26 is displayed on the home screen, the program information display screen, and the program detailed setting screen, which are screens before operation. When the start key 26 is operated on the screen before the operation, the operation type selected at that time and the operation under the program are started. When the operation is started, an in-operation screen including all the in-operation processes including the currently-in-operation process and the remaining operation time, which is the time required until the operation is completed, is displayed.

According to the present embodiment described above, the following effects can be obtained.

After the power is turned on, the control device 4 causes the display unit 20 to display the home screen. The home screen is a screen for displaying the contents of the settable operation and setting the operation, and is a screen for displaying the program corresponding to the set operation and setting the program. In this way, the user can confirm the operation content and the settable program on one screen and perform the setting, and thus the operation and the program can be set without performing a screen switching operation. Therefore, according to the present embodiment, it is possible to realize a user interface with high operability and convenience without imposing an excessive load on the operation of the user and the setting of the program. That is, according to the present embodiment, an excellent effect is obtained that visibility and operability relating to the operation setting of the washing machine 1 can be further improved.

The control device 4 displays a start key 26 as an operation key for starting the operation on the home screen. Therefore, after the user has performed the above-described operation and program setting on the home screen, the user can immediately start the operation by operating the start key 26 provided on the same screen without performing an operation for shifting from the home screen to another screen, which improves convenience.

In this case, the control device 4 displays a start key 26 for starting the operation on an end portion of the screen of the operation panel 5, more specifically, a lower right end of the screen. That is, in the present embodiment, the start key 26 is disposed at the lower right of the screen. Generally, it is known that the flow of the human sight line is moving from the top left to the bottom right of the screen. Therefore, by disposing the start key 26 at the lower right of the screen as in the present embodiment, the flow of the user's sight line viewed on the screen smoothly proceeds, and it is possible to prevent a load or a disturbance from being imposed on the flow of the user's sight line. Therefore, the user can finally operate the start key 26 while roughly browsing, confirming settings related to various operations, and grasping the contents. That is, the operation panel 5 of the present embodiment has a screen layout with high operability.

In the conventional configuration in which the start key is provided independently of the touch panel type liquid crystal display, the user needs to look away from the liquid crystal display, and thus operability and visibility are impaired. In contrast, according to the present embodiment, the start key 26 is displayed (arranged) on the display unit 20 as a liquid crystal display, and the user can complete a series of operation operations including the grasping of the setting status in the liquid crystal display.

The start key 26 is disposed at the right end of the lower part of the screen so as to conform to the general human visual line flow. Therefore, according to the present embodiment, a user interface with high operability and convenience can be realized without imposing an excessive load on the operation setting of the user. That is, according to the present embodiment, an excellent effect of further improving visibility and operability related to the operation setting of the washing machine 1 can be obtained.

When the start key 26 is displayed, the control device 4 always displays the same position. That is, the control device 4 displays the start key 26 at a common position on various screens (the home screen, the program selection screen, and the program detail screen) before the operation. In this case, the size of the start key 26 is also common. In this way, the user can easily understand where the start key 26 is located on any of the various screens before operation, and does not need to move the line of sight significantly. Therefore, according to the present embodiment, it is possible to realize a highly-operable user interface that can easily perform an operation in a desired setting content without moving the user's gaze, while reducing the load on understanding of the user's operation.

In the conventional configuration in which the start key is provided independently of the liquid crystal display, the user cannot easily grasp whether the start key is valid in the current setting state, that is, whether the operation can be started, because the start key is independent. In contrast, in the present embodiment, when another screen (for example, a bath water setting screen, a hot water setting screen, or the like) is superimposed on the screen on which the start key 26 is displayed, the control device 4 invalidates the operation reception of the start key 26. According to the present embodiment, the user can easily determine whether or not the operation of the start key 26 is effective, that is, whether or not the operation can be started, and a user interface with high operability can be realized.

In this case, the size of the other screen is smaller than the screen on which the start key 26 is displayed, and a part of the screen on which the start key 26 is displayed can be visually recognized by the user. However, since the screen on which the start key 26 is displayed is grayed out, the user can easily recognize that the operation of the start key 26 is not effective, that is, the operation cannot be started. In addition, since a part of the screen on which the start key 26 is displayed can be visually confirmed in this way, the user can grasp which screen is displayed before even in a state where another screen is displayed in a superimposed manner.

When a predetermined program is selected and set on the home screen, the control device 4 displays the program information display screen instead of the home screen. On the program information display screen, contents related to the process contents of the set program and the like are displayed. In this way, the user can easily confirm the summary of the set program and the procedure content, that is, the configuration of the procedure set by the program selected by the user, based on the display content of the program information display screen. The program information display screen includes a procedure display area 36, and in the procedure display area 36, procedure displays indicating all the procedures are displayed in a time-series manner along the lateral direction of the screen. In this way, the user can more easily understand the course configuration of the selected program based on the display content of the course display area 36.

The control device 4 displays a setting change key 43 on the program information display screen, and the setting change key 43 is an operation key for shifting to a program detailed setting screen for setting the contents of the program. Further, the control device 4 causes at least a part of the procedure display area 36 to function as an operation key for shifting to a program detailed setting screen. In this way, when the user wants to change the contents of the program as a result of confirming the outline of the program or the like on the program information display screen, the program detail setting screen can be displayed and the program contents can be changed by operating the setting change key 43 or the procedure display area 36.

In the present embodiment, a start key 26 as an operation key for starting the operation is also displayed on the program information display screen. Therefore, when the user confirms in the program information display screen that the user has not intended to change the contents of the program as a result of, for example, confirming the outline of the program selected by the user, the user can immediately start the operation by operating the start key 26 provided on the same screen without performing an operation for changing from the program information display screen to another screen, and convenience is improved.

The control device 4 causes the program information display screen to display a return key 42 as an operation key for closing the program information display screen and returning to the top page screen. In this way, when the user wants to select a program again as a result of confirming the outline of the program selected by the user on the program information display screen, the user can select a program again by displaying the home screen again by operating the return key 42 provided on the same screen. In this way, operability in re-selecting a program can be improved compared to a conventional configuration in which a return key is provided independently of a liquid crystal display.

The control device 4 is provided with an operation key display area 29 in the head portion 27, and three operation keys (a reservation setting key 30, a hot water setting key 31, and an illumination switch key 32) for setting the operation of the washing machine 1 are arranged in the operation key display area 29, and are always displayed in the same position when the three operation keys are displayed. In this way, the user can perform various settings using the three operation keys arranged at the same position by performing the same operation on the three operation keys in the various screens (home screen, program information display screen, and program detailed setting screen) before the operation.

For example, when the user wants to additionally execute a hot water setting after selecting a desired program on the top page screen, or when the user wants to execute a reservation setting after finishing the setting of a desired process operation on the program detail setting screen, the hot water setting key 31 and the reservation setting key 30 for performing these settings are displayed at fixed positions on the head 27, and therefore, the positions of these operation keys can be easily recognized and quickly and reliably operated.

As described above, in the present embodiment, the three operation keys for setting the operation of the washing machine 1 are displayed at the fixed positions of the head 27, and the layout is such that access can be made from any of the various screens before the operation, and the switching of the screens is not required when the three operation keys are operated. Therefore, according to the present embodiment, visibility and operability at the time of setting relating to the operation of the washing machine 1 can be improved.

When a setting different from the initial setting is executed in accordance with the operation of the reservation setting key 30, the hot water setting key 31, and the illumination switch key 32, the control device 4 changes the display mode of the operation key. In this way, when the user operates the reservation setting key 30, the hot water setting key 31, and the illumination switch key 32 to make various settings, the user can confirm that the settings made by the user are being reflected reliably, in response to a change in the display mode of the operation keys.

When a setting different from the initial setting is executed in accordance with the operation of the reservation setting key 30 and the hot water setting key 31, the control device 4 changes the display form of the operation keys so as to indicate the state of the executed setting, specifically, to give the set state to the operation keys. In this way, when the user operates the reservation setting key 30 and the hot water setting key 31 to make various settings, the user can easily confirm the setting state (for example, the end time of the operation, the temperature of the hot water, and the like) of the user by confirming the display form of the operation key.

Of the three operation keys arranged in the operation key display area 29, the reservation setting key 30 and the hot water setting key 31 are very important in executing the operation of the washing machine 1. First, the reservation setting key 30 is used for setting a reservation for operation (setting of an end time) by the user, and it is desirable to improve visibility of the setting content (end time) when the reservation setting is completed. Therefore, in the present embodiment, the reservation setting key 30 relating to such an important element is fixedly displayed on the head portion 27, so that the user can frequently visually confirm the reservation setting key.

The warm water setting key 31 can set the temperature of water used in the washing process, which is an important factor having a large relationship with the washing performance. Therefore, in the present embodiment, the user can frequently visually confirm the temperature setting key 31, which is an important element, by being fixedly displayed on the head 27.

As described above, in the present embodiment, the reservation setting key 30 and the hot water setting key 31 are displayed in the same position and in the same layout in any of the various screens before operation. In this way, the user can easily visually confirm the position of the operation key for performing the reservation setting and the warm water setting, which are important settings during the operation of the washing machine 1, and can easily confirm the setting contents.

In the present embodiment, the control device 4 is configured to correspond to mutually different colors for each type of operation, and when a predetermined operation type icon is operated and an operation corresponding to the operated operation type icon is selected, to display a background of a color of the same color system as the color corresponding to the selected operation on an arbitrary region on the screen displayed at that time and on a screen displayed later.

In this way, the user can easily determine the type of operation selected by checking the background color of any region on various screens. In this case, it is preferable to associate colors corresponding to the impressions of the respective operations with each type of operation. In this way, the user can more easily determine the type of operation based on the background color of an arbitrary region. As described above, according to the present embodiment, visibility regarding the operation setting can be further improved.

The control device 4 is set to a state in which the operation type icon corresponding to the executed operation (previous operation) is selected on the home screen displayed after the washing machine 1 is powered on again after the execution of the operation. In this way, when the user wants to execute the same kind of operation as the previous operation, the user can immediately start the operation by operating the start key 26 without performing an operation for selecting the kind of operation, and convenience is improved.

Further, in the home screen displayed after the washing machine 1 is powered on again after the execution of the operation, the control device 4 is set in a state in which the program in the previous operation is selected for each of the washing operation, the washing-drying operation, and the drying operation. In this way, when the user wants to execute a predetermined operation using the same program as the previous program, the user can immediately start the operation by operating the start key 26 without performing an operation for selecting the program, which improves convenience.

The control device 4 displays a process display showing all the processes, a process condition display showing conditions of the processes, a process condition change key which is an operation key for changing the conditions of each process, and the like on a program detailed setting screen for setting the contents of the program corresponding to the operation. In the conventional configuration in which dedicated screens are prepared for each process, the user must frequently perform an operation for switching the screens when changing the setting of the details of each process. In contrast, according to the present embodiment, the user can confirm the contents of all the procedures and change the settings on one screen (program detailed setting screen). Therefore, according to the present embodiment, operability in setting the contents of the program can be improved.

In the present embodiment, a start key 26 as an operation key for starting the operation is also displayed on the program detailed setting screen. Therefore, when the user sets the contents of the program on the program detailed setting screen, the user can immediately start the operation by operating the start key 26 provided on the same screen without performing an operation for shifting from the program detailed setting screen to another screen, and convenience is improved.

(second embodiment)

Hereinafter, a second embodiment will be described with reference to fig. 11.

In the second embodiment, the content of control related to display on the display unit 20 is different from that of the first embodiment. In the present embodiment, when a predetermined program is set on the top page screen, that is, when the predetermined program icon 33 is touched twice or more in succession, the control device 4 causes information related to the process content of the set program to be displayed instead of a part of the content displayed on the top page screen.

In this case, when the predetermined program icon 33 is touched twice or more in succession, the controller 4 causes a part of the other program icon 33, specifically, the other program icon 33 arranged in the same column as the operated program icon 33 to be displayed in a reduced size so as to be compressed upward. The control device 4 displays information related to the procedure content of the program corresponding to the operated program icon 33 in the space secured by the reduced display.

For example, as shown in fig. 11, when the program icon 33 corresponding to the standard program is touched twice or more in succession, the program icons 33 corresponding to the quick wash program, the sleep program, the soak program, and the small 60-minute program are displayed in a reduced size. In this case, only the character indicating the program name is displayed on the reduced program icon 33.

In this case, the arrangement of each program icon 33 is changed so that the program icon 33 corresponding to the standard program is displayed at the left end of the screen. Further, a procedure display area 91 is provided in a form of being continuous with the lower right end of the program icon 33 corresponding to the standard program. In the procedure display area 91, procedure displays indicating all the procedures are displayed in a time-series manner along the lateral direction of the screen, similarly to the procedure display area 36 of the first embodiment.

Specifically, as shown in fig. 11, in the course display area 91, the wash icon 92, the rinse icon 93, the spin icon 94, and the dry icon 95, which are icons equivalent to the icons displayed in the course display area 36, are arranged in order from left to right, that is, in time series. In the process display area 91, a bath water icon 96 is also displayed, as in the process display area 36.

In this case, a return key 97 is displayed at the right end of the lower portion of the program list display area 34. The return key 97 is an operation key for restoring the display content of the home screen when information related to the procedure content of the program is displayed. Therefore, when the return key 97 is operated, the display of the home screen is returned from the mode for displaying information related to the procedure contents shown in fig. 11 to the mode for equally displaying all the program icons 33 shown in fig. 3, that is, the first display mode.

According to the present embodiment described above, when a predetermined program is set on the top screen, it is possible to display the contents related to the process contents of the set program without changing the screen from the top screen. According to this embodiment, the same effects as those of the first embodiment can be obtained. Further, according to the present embodiment, the user can select and set a program while confirming the process content of the selected program based on the display content of the process display area 91 on which each program icon 33 is displayed on the same screen. Further, according to the present embodiment, when the user changes the selected program, the user can easily recognize the difference in the procedure configuration of the program before and after the change based on the change in the display content of the procedure display area 91. Therefore, according to the present embodiment, the effect of further improving the convenience of program setting can be obtained.

(third embodiment)

Hereinafter, a third embodiment will be described with reference to fig. 12.

In the third embodiment, the content of control related to display on the display unit 20 is different from that of the first embodiment. In the present embodiment, when a predetermined program is set on the top page screen, that is, when the predetermined program icon 33 is touched twice or more in succession, the control device 4 causes information related to the process content of the set program to be displayed instead of a part of the content displayed on the top page screen.

In this case, when the predetermined program icon 33 is touched twice or more in succession, the control device 4 causes information related to the procedure content of the program corresponding to the operated program icon 33 to be displayed in the secured area so as to be superimposed on a part of the other program icon 33, specifically, so as to be arranged on the other program icon 33 in a different column from the operated program icon 33, or so as to cause a part of the other program icon 33 to be non-displayed.

For example, as shown in fig. 12, when the program icon 33 corresponding to the standard program is touched twice or more in succession, the program icons 33 corresponding to the strong washing program, the stored program, the carpet program, the fashion program, and the ultra-light program are not displayed, and the course display area 101 is provided in the area secured thereby. In this case, a feed key 108 is displayed on the right end of the program list display area 34. By operating the feed key 108, the user can display and select the non-displayed program icons 33. In this case, the arrangement of each program icon 33 is also changed so that the program icon 33 corresponding to the standard program is displayed at the left end of the screen. In the procedure display area 101, procedure displays showing all the procedures are displayed in a time-series manner along the lateral direction of the screen, similarly to the procedure display area 36 of the first embodiment.

Specifically, as shown in fig. 12, in the course display area 101, the wash icon 102, the rinse icon 103, the spin icon 104, and the dry icon 105, which are icons equivalent to the respective icons displayed in the course display area 36, are arranged in order from left to right, that is, in time series. In the process display area 91, a bath water icon 106 is also displayed, as in the process display area 36. Further, a mark 107 indicating that the standard program corresponds to the program icon 33 and the procedure display area 101 is displayed therebetween. A return key 97 similar to that of the second embodiment is displayed on the lower right end of the program list display area 34.

According to the present embodiment described above, as in the second embodiment, when a predetermined program is set on the top page screen, it is possible to display the contents related to the process contents of the set program without changing the screen from the top page screen. Therefore, according to the present embodiment, the same effects as those of the second embodiment can be obtained.

(fourth embodiment)

A fourth embodiment will be described below with reference to fig. 13.

In the fourth embodiment, the content of control related to display on the display unit 20 is different from that of the first embodiment. In the present embodiment, the control device 4 additionally displays the detail confirmation key 111 at the left end of the operation key display area 29 of the head 27 on the top page screen. The detail confirmation key 111 is an operation key for displaying information related to the process content of the set program.

In this case, even if the predetermined program icon 33 is operated two or more times in succession, the control device 4 does not display information on the procedure content of the program corresponding to the program icon 33, but displays information on the procedure content of the program corresponding to the program icon 33 selected at that time when the detail confirmation key 111 is operated. Further, as a method of displaying information related to the procedure content of the program, a method of shifting a screen from a top page screen to a program information display screen as in the first embodiment may be used, or a method of displaying information related to the procedure content of the program instead of a part of the content displayed on the top page screen as in the second embodiment and the third embodiment may be used.

According to the present embodiment described above, as in the first embodiment, the same effects as those of the first embodiment can be obtained because, when a predetermined program is set in the top screen, the control device 4 displays the program information display screen instead of the top screen. Further, according to the present embodiment, the following effects can be obtained. That is, in the configuration in which the program information display screen is displayed when the predetermined program icon 33 is operated two or more times consecutively as in the first embodiment, there is a fear that the screen transition to the program information display screen will be made against the intention of the user due to a touch operation on the program icon 33 (for example, a touch operation is performed twice while a touch operation is performed once). In contrast, as in the present embodiment, by adopting a configuration in which the program information display screen is displayed only when the detail confirmation key 111 is operated, it is possible to prevent the screen transition from being performed against the intention of the user.

(other embodiments)

The present invention is not limited to the embodiments described above and shown in the drawings, and can be arbitrarily modified, combined, or expanded without departing from the scope of the invention.

The numerical values and the like shown in the above embodiments are examples, and are not limited thereto.

The present invention is not limited to the washing machine 1 as a drum type washing and drying machine, and can be applied to all laundry processing apparatuses that perform operations for performing predetermined processing (washing, drying, deodorization, etc.) on laundry, such as a vertical axis type washing machine, a washing and drying machine, and a drying machine.

The operation display is not limited to the operation panel 5 provided in the washing machine 1, and may be, for example, an operation display unit of a mobile terminal such as a smartphone or a tablet terminal held by a user of the washing machine 1. In this case, it is sufficient that data for display, data indicating the operation result for the displayed operation key, and the like can be exchanged between the washing machine 1 and the mobile terminal via communication and the like.

The tail 21 and the head 27 may be provided at the end of the screen, and may be provided at the left end, the right end, or the like of the screen, for example.

The start key 26 may be displayed at any position on the home screen or the like. For example, the start key 26 may be disposed at the right end of the lower part of the screen. The control device 4 may be configured to be capable of switching between a mode in which the start key 26 is displayed at the left end of the screen and a mode in which the start key 26 is displayed at the right end of the screen as in the home screen shown in fig. 3.

Generally, if the user is right-handed, the operation keys provided on the right end of the screen are easily operated, and if the user is left-handed, the operation keys provided on the left side of the screen are easily operated. According to the above configuration, the user can change the arrangement of the start key 26 to a position where the user can easily operate the start key according to his own dominant hand, and thus the operability of the start key 26 can be further improved.

In the program list display area 34 of the home screen, at least a part of the program corresponding to the set operation may be displayed, and for example, the program icons 33 corresponding to the respective parts of the programs corresponding to the operation selected at that time may be displayed. In this case, an operation key for scrolling the screen may be provided in the vicinity of the program list display area 34 or the like, and a program icon corresponding to another program may be displayed in response to an operation of the operation key. The arrangement of the program icons 33 displayed in the program list display area 34 is not limited to the arrangement shown in fig. 3, and for example, the arrangement in which the program icons 33 are arranged in a ring shape may be appropriately changed.

The arrangement of the summary display area 35 and the procedure display area 36 may be replaced in the program information display screen.

In the program detailed setting screen, the process display, the process conditions, and the arrangement and display mode of the process condition change keys can be appropriately changed. In the program detail setting screen, the operation type (strong, weak, completion, etc.) of each process may be set. Thus, the user can perform desired operation with the content more suitable for his/her preference.

While the embodiments of the present invention have been described above, the embodiments are provided as examples and are not intended to limit the scope of the invention. These new embodiments can be implemented in other various ways, and various omissions, substitutions, and changes can be made without departing from the spirit of the invention. These embodiments and modifications thereof are included in the scope and gist of the invention, and are included in the scope and equivalents of the invention described in the claims.

Claims (6)

1. A laundry treatment apparatus that performs an operation for performing a predetermined treatment on laundry, the laundry treatment apparatus comprising:

an operation display having a display unit that displays various screens including various information related to the operation and operation keys for accepting various operations related to the operation; and

a control unit for controlling display on the display unit and performing predetermined control in accordance with operation of the operation keys,

the control unit causes the display unit to display a setting screen for displaying the content of the operation that can be set and setting the operation, and the setting screen is a screen for displaying at least a part of a program corresponding to the set operation and setting the program.

2. The laundry treating apparatus according to claim 1,

when the predetermined program is set, the control unit displays information related to the process content of the set program in place of at least a part of the content displayed on the setting screen.

3. The laundry treating apparatus according to claim 2,

the control unit displays a return key, which is the operation key for restoring the display content of the setting screen, when displaying information related to the process content of the program.

4. The laundry treating apparatus according to claim 1,

the control unit displays a detail confirmation key, which is the operation key for displaying information related to the procedure content of the program set on the setting screen.

5. The laundry treating apparatus according to claim 2,

when displaying information related to the process content of the program, the control unit displays process displays representing all the processes in a time-series arrangement in one direction.

6. The laundry treating apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 5,

the control unit causes a start key, which is the operation key for starting the operation, to be displayed on the setting screen.

Images