FR2781896A1 - METHOD AND DEVICE FOR SELECTING AN OPERATING PROGRAM FOR A PROGRAM CONTROLLED HOUSEHOLD APPLIANCE - Google Patents

Abstract

To establish the operating program and parameters 4, 5, 6, 7 of the latter on the selection device 2 of a household appliance controlled by program, parameters 4, 5, 6, 7 are selected at using several buttons or keys 8, 9, 10, 11 arranged on the surface of the selection device 2. The selections 4, 5, 6, 7 made using the buttons or keys 8, 9, 10, 11 are jointly viewed on a display device 3, which means that all of the displayed parameters 4, 5, 6, 7 are readable at a glance. This allows particularly effective control of all selected parameters 4, 5, 6, 7 and therefore a particularly safe selection of the operating program.

Description

Method and device for selecting an operating program

  The invention relates to a method for establishing or selecting an operating program, based on several parameters of operating programs, of a program controlled household appliance. comprising several selection elements which are used for the selection or adjustment of operating programs, the various parameters of operating programs being selected or adjusted using associated selection or adjustment elements, as well as a device for setting

work of this process.

  In the case of program-controlled household appliances such as, for example, washing machines, dryers, drying machines, ovens, hobs or dishwashers, generally make several adjustments or selections according to the desired operating program. In the case of washing machines

  laundry, these selections may relate to, for example,

  ple, the type of program, for example washing colored laundry, fine laundry or laundry to be boiled, washing temperature, spin speed or additional selections. The additional selections can be, in the case of washing machines, for example a prewash or pre-soaking of the laundry, washing with a high water level or a washing program.

shorter wash.

  We know household appliances with control

  by program (DE 35 42 503 A) on which the selections

  operating programs are modified respectively with the help of a selection element and can thus be carried out according to the wishes of

  the user. Rotary buttons are used for this purpose.

  tifs or selection keys; for selections which are only made from two selection possibilities such as, for example, "with prewash" or "without prewash", the keys are generally used.

  selection and for more than two selection possibilities

  tion, rotary selection buttons are used.

  The display of the current selection is carried out, in the case of a rotary selection button, generally on a graduation or scale on which the various selection possibilities appear and which is located on the selection surface of the household appliance. , this

  scale extending around the rotary selector

  tion on which there is an index which indicates the

  selection made. In the case of selection keys

  tion, the current selection can generally be deduced only by the position of the key, the depressed position generally corresponding to the active position and the raised position to the inactive position, which, under certain conditions, does not allow an indication

unequivocal of the current selection.

  These selection devices known for

  household appliances in particular have the disadvantages

  vénients given below. Also in the case of

  keys than in the case of rotary knobs, the indication

  tion of the current selection is made by the button or the key or by a scale or an index in the immediate vicinity. Since the various selection elements, due to their size, are distributed over the selection surface of the household appliance, the reading of all the selections of operating programs requires the observation of a large part of the selection area to be able to understand the selections

  performed using the various selection elements

  tion. This is on the one hand complicated and on the other hand generates an increased risk of incorrect selections insofar as, due to the distribution in space of the indications of the selections, one of these indications can easily be out of sight, therefore not be perceived. In addition, there is very little room around the selection elements, therefore little room for the writing of detailed legends or even only symbolic indications concerning the

  current selection, hence a risk of ambi-

  fords or at least difficult to read. This risk exists in particular in the case of selection keys for which the difference between the two

  possible positions is generally not very visible. However

  Even with rotary knobs comprising many selection positions, reading errors can occur due to the small differences between neighboring angular positions and

possible parallax errors.

  The object of the present invention is to create a method and a device of the type defined above for the selection of an operating program of a household appliance with program control, such as

  so that the function program selections-

  can be understood as a whole by

  being clearly legible, being clearly indicated

  and can be reliably established.

  According to the invention, this object is achieved by a process according to which, during the entry or introduction

  operating programs, several parameters

  very operating programs are shown together using a home appliance display. The selection device according to the invention comprises means for representing, during the entry or introduction of an operating program, several parameters of operating programs jointly using a device

home appliance display.

  Thus, all the selections can be read together, in one place, instead of being dispersed over the entire selection area. This allows in a simple way to have an overview of all the selections. It can also be recognized much more reliably if the program actually selected corresponds to the user's desire. The risk is also much lower if a wrong selection is not recognized due for example to the forgetting of the modification of the selection resulting from the previous operation. In addition, the use of a display device which is separate from the selection elements makes it possible to represent in a much more detailed and clearer manner the selections of

  operating programs only in the case of the possi-

  limited capacities and availability of direct indications

  at the location of the selection elements, like this

  would be the case for the usual selection methods.

  Advantageously, using at least one selection element, it is possible to select one from a predetermined number of possibilities for selecting operating programs. It is thus possible to

  combine, for each selection of operating programs,

  tion, a plurality of different possibilities that the user can scroll through. Thus, in the case of a parameter which is in fact continuously adjustable, by

  example the washing temperature or the speed of

  rage, the selectable possibilities may be

  limited to only judicious values in practice

  that so the selection is quick and simple because the user only has to scroll through one

  limited number of selection possibilities.

  To make it easier for the user to orient themselves within the selection possibilities, as well as the selection itself, it is advantageous to ensure that the selections can be scrolled in both possible directions. a predetermined number

selection possibilities.

  In case the type of program is represented

  felt as a selection of operating programs

  It is advantageous that a selection of operating programs represented using the display device is the type of program and that only the parameters of operating programs admissible for the associated type of program are available as a possibility. on the display device. So for example in the case

  of a washing machine, the temperature values

  high ture are not compatible with washing colors laundry, so when selecting the

  type of color laundry program, temperature values

  high erasures are excluded in the choice of possibilities

  selection items for the washing temperature. That

  prevents in particular that contradictory selections

  res can be performed and further makes the selection

  simpler and clearer since

  only the selection possibilities actually envisaged

are available.

  In case the type of program is represented

  In the form of a selection of operating programs, it may also be possible to store the type of program together with the other selections of operating programs. For this purpose, the selection element associated with the program type can be a rotary selection button with

  integrated key, the actuation of which allows memorization

  be the type of program selected in conjunction with

  the other selections of operating programs.

  If, for example, different types of programs are used frequently with the same parameters

  Additional 1s such as temperature or speed of

  rage, these parameters can be stored for the

  respective program type and thus already be pre-

  selected for future selection operations if the corresponding program type is selected. The possibility of modifying these selections can

however continue to exist.

  To adapt to the user's personal requirements, it is possible to provide, in the selection of the possibilities of program types, at least one memory location for a personalized program including the other program selections.

  can be selected and stored

  for this personalized program. Thus, the use of

  The author can compose his own program without having to modify the other presets. In such a case, the selection device can be designed so that only the selections of the personalized program can be modified and that the selections for the other types of programs are protected against storage with modified selections, in order to

  ensure that in all cases the memorized selections

  in the selection device are selections

  judicious preselected by the manufacturer.

  The different selections of operating programs are, according to a particularly advantageous embodiment, indicated one below the other in lines. This allows among other things a particularly clear display of the different selections.

  The display device displays advantageous-

  ment in an alphanumeric form, for example under the

  form of a matrix display, so that the selections

  operating programs are readable

  in plain language, for a better understanding.

  The selection elements are preferably rotary selection buttons. The user is already used to these rotary buttons which he already encounters on known selection devices, and these buttons allow a reliable modification of the selections, in particular due to the fact that the rotary buttons are generally entered between two fingers, which gives a good grip. In addition, these buttons allow you to advance very quickly in the selection possibilities, which is particularly important in the case where many selection possibilities are offered, and by changing the direction of rotation, it is also possible to progress in the two possible meanings. Furthermore, the selection elements can also be keys, these keys being able to be both snap-action keys and non-snap-action keys. In the latter case, a memory

  actuation electronics is advantageously combined

  ciée at the keys. The advantage of the keys generally lies in their small size. In addition, the keys can be housed in an aesthetic form in the selection device and their sealing is

  easy to make. The key variants are multi-

  ples, which offers many possibilities of conformation of the selection surface. During

  the use of keys, these can also

  They can be used in pairs as selection elements, so that with pairs of keys it is possible to scroll the selection possibilities in two possible directions. When, during the scrolling of the selection possibilities, the desired selection has been crossed, it is easier to go back one step rather than having to re-scroll all the possibilities in the same direction. In addition, this has a certain analogy with the rotary knobs with which, for example

  reversing the direction of rotation, it is also possible

  ble to go in reverse on the different selection possibilities. The two keys which form a selection element in pairs can also be produced in the form of rocker keys. This reduces the number of components and the cost of assembly, the function of the two keys being assumed by a single component; in addition, it is possible to prevent

  unwanted simultaneous actuation of the two keys.

  The selection elements are preferably provided with legends concerning the selection of the operating program. This makes it easy to see which selection element should be operated by

  view of each selection of operating program.

  These legends can be affixed either directly on the selection elements, or be printed in the vicinity of the elements, for example on the face

  front of the selection device.

  The operating program parameter selections can relate, for example, to the type of program, the washing temperature and the spin speed. These parameters generally make it possible to define the operating program sufficiently so that when all these selections are displayed, the user can generally, after checking the program, already start the latter. In addition, it is possible to display the start time and / or the set program end time or the duration of the program. It is also possible to display special, adjustable optional selections. he can

  here for example a selection for the unwind-

  the program in a shorter time, a selection for washing with a higher water level, or a selection involving soaking before washing. Similar optional selection possibilities exist on practically all program-controlled household appliances, so that they can be advantageously reproduced on the display device so that these selections can be viewed together with the others, in a

simple and clear way.

  Other features and benefits of

  the invention will emerge from the description given below

  after an exemplary embodiment illustrated by the accompanying drawings, in which:

  - Figure 1 is a perspective view of an apparatus

  household lighting equipped with a selection device according to the invention; Figure 2 is a front view of the selection device according to the invention; - Figure 3 is a partial view of the device

  selection according to the invention showing different

  your steps (a to f) of selecting the type of program, the temperature and the spin speed for a washing machine; and - Figure 4 shows, similarly to Figure 3, the selection device according to the invention for different stages (g to k) of

selection of options.

  FIG. 1 represents, as a household appliance with program control, a washing machine 1 which is equipped with a selection device 2 according to the invention and whose operating program selections 4, 5, 6, 7 can be

  established using the method according to the invention.

  FIG. 2 illustrates an embodiment of the selection device 2 according to the invention, comprising on the left a Start button 14 for starting the washing machine 1. Almost in the middle of the selection device 2 is a device display 3 on which the operating program selections 4, 5, 6 and 7 appear in plain text. The selections displayed are, in the case shown, the type of program 4,

  washing temperature 5 and spin speed 6.

  An additional optional selection 7 can be displayed, if necessary, on the lowest line of the

display device 3.

  Next to the display device 3 are available

  several rotary knobs 8, 9, 10, 11 with which the respective selections 4, 5, 6, 7 are associated and with which the various possibilities for selections 4, 5, 6, 7 can be advanced. For this purpose , the rotary knobs 8, 9, 10, 11 act on incremental pulse generators and are provided with notches facilitating the maneuver. The association already

  logic of rotary knobs 8, 9, 10, 11 at selections

  tions 4, 5, 6, 7 can be further reinforced by captions 12 which are printed in close proximity to

  side of the rotary knobs 8, 9, 10, 11 on the device

  selection tif 2. These legends 12 indicate the functions on which it is possible to act using the selection elements 8, 9, 10, 11. There is also provided a Start button 13 by which it is possible to start the compound operating program using buttons 8, 9, 10, 11. After switching on the washing machine 1 using button 14, the display device 3 already displays, on the top line, a type of

  preset program 3, from a predetermined number-

  mined with selections, as being particularly necessary

  often, which already allows, in operation

  normal, to limit the selections to a minimum

  kill. On the following lines are displayed, depending on the type of program 4 displayed on the first line, secondary selections 5, 6 which are the

  more appropriate for the type of program 4 selected

  tion. Insofar as, in general, washing takes place without optional selections 7, such an option is not preselected in this exemplary embodiment. Using the rotary button 8, it is

  possible to modify, on the first line of the

  display 3, the type of program, by scrolling through the other predetermined possibilities for the type of program selected. The contents of the lines

  settings will vary depending on the parameter selections.

  very additional 5, 6, 7, depending on the selections of additional parameters 5, 6, 7 which are possible

  for program type 4 selected.

  On the rotary buttons 9, 10, 11, it is possible to modify, by rotation of these buttons, the selections of additional parameters 5, 6, 7, within the possibilities of selections offered which

  depend on the type of program 4 selected.

  Figures 3 and 4 show the display device 3 with the operating program selections 4, 5, 6, 7 displayed as well as the rotary buttons 8, 9, 10, 11 during the

  steps a to k of a complete selection operation.

  In the example shown, we will describe the operation of selecting an unusual operating program, which is complicated to select under normal conditions, program according to which fragile wool must be washed in cold water and, after the washing operation must be spun at low speed, the washing phase must be short, i.e. reduced by

  time to spare the knitting (avoid felting).

  In step a, the standard "colors" program, washing at "60 C" and spinning at "1200 rpm", without additional selection, is selected, this program being the first program to be offered during when starting the washing machine. First, select the type of wool program. To do this, press the rotary button 8 next to which the legend "program" is printed. After a first rotation of the button 8, the selection device is in step b, the type of "synthetic" program being selected as the next selection possibility among the

  choice of types of programs stored in the device

  tif of selection. After a further rotation of the button 8, step c is reached in which the type of program 4 "wool" sought is selected. In addition, when this selection of the type of program "wool"

  is established, the temperature selection possibilities

  speed and spin speed have been adapted and limited

  reduced values, since wool

  is more fragile and should not be washed at temperatures

  high erasures or wrung at high speeds. In step c, only the washing temperature "40 C" and

  the spin speed "900 rpm" is displayed.

  The washing temperature is selected in the same way using the rotary button 9. After a first rotation of the latter, in step d, the washing temperature is selected on the

  first possibility "30" C. "After a second rotation

  tion, step e is reached, at which the next “cold” temperature value is selected. The selection of the spin speed is carried out in an analogous manner using the rotary button 10. The rotation of the latter leads, as shown in step f, to the

  switching the spin speed to "600 rpm".

  The optional "short" selection is made from

  correspondingly by rotating the rotary button 11.

  The corresponding steps g to k are illustrated in FIG. 4. Step g corresponds to step f. after adjusting the spin speed. By rotation of the button 11, the different selection possibilities are scrolled for the optional functions 7. After a first rotation, in step h, it is the optional "soaking" function which is selected, after a second rotation, at step i, it is the "water plus" function which is established and finally, in step k, it is the optional "short" function sought which is established. The various selections of operating programs 4, 5, 6, 7 are established in the same way, namely by rotation of the associated rotary button 8, 9, 11, by successively scrolling through the various selection possibilities, until selection is made.

  wanted. This results in a simple selection equal to

  ment in the case of complicated composition operating programs. During the entire selection phase, the selections 4, 5, 6, 7 are always visible at a glance and reliably on the display device 3 on which all the selections 4, 5, 6, 7 are represented jointly. After establishing the desired operating program, it can be started by actuation

the Start button 13.

Claims (18)

  1.- Method for establishing an operating program, from several operating program parameters (4, 5, 6, 7), of a household appliance (1) with program control, using several selection elements (8, 9, 10, 11) which are used to select operating programs (4, 5, 6, 7), method according to which the different parameters of operating programs (4, 5, 6, 7) are selected using associated selection elements (8, 9, 10, 11), characterized by   that during entry of operating programs   Several parameters of operating programs   ment (4, 5, 6, 7) are shown jointly by means of a display device (3) of the household appliance. 2.- Method according to claim 1, characterized in that using at least one selection element (8, 9, 10, 11), at least one possibility of selecting an operating program can be established among a predetermined number of possibilities. 3.- Method according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that the selection elements (8, 9, 10, 11) allow to scroll in the   two-way selection possibilities for para-   meters of operating programs (4, 5, 6, 7).   4.- Method according to claim 2 or 3, characterized in that one of the operating program selections displayed using the display device (3) is the type of program (4) and that only the operating program parameters (5, 6, 7) admissible for the associated program type are offered on the device   display for choosing the selection possibilities   tion. 5.- Method according to any one of   Claims 1 to 4, characterized in that one   visual operating program selections   with the display device (3) is the type of program and that the latter can be memorized in combination with the other program parameters of operation (5, 6, 7) displayed.   6.- Method according to any one of   claims i to 5, characterized in that one   visual operating program selections   with the display device (3) is the program type (4) and that the offer of possibilities for selecting program types includes at least one personalized program including the other operating program parameters (5 , 6, 7) can be selected and stored for this personalized program. 7.- Method according to any one of   claims i to 6, characterized in that the   operating program parameters (5, 6, 7) are displayed on the display device (3) by   lines, one below the other.   8.- Method according to any one of   Claims i to 7, characterized in that the   operating program selections (4, 5, 6, 7)   are displayed as plain text.   9.- Selection device for a household appliance with program control, for setting   work of the process according to any one of the claims   cations 1 to 8, including several pro-   operating grams (4, 5, 6, 7) and several selection elements (8, 9, 10, 11) which are associated with the parameters of operating programs (4, 5, 6, 7) and with which program settings   operating modes (4, 5, 6, 7) associated are selected-   tables, characterized in that it comprises means for displaying, during the entry of operating programs, several parameters of operating programs (3, 4, 5, 6) together with the aid   a display device (3) of the household appliance.   10.- Selection device according to claim 9, characterized in that the selection elements (8, 9, 10, 11) are buttons rotary selectors.   11.- Selection device according to   claim 9, characterized in that the elements   selection items (8, 9, 10, 11) are keys   to scroll through the selection possibilities tion.   12.- Selection device according to claim 9 or 11, characterized in that the selection elements (8, 9, 10, 11) are pairs of keys with which it is possible to scroll through the possibilities of two-way selection. 13. A selection device according to claim 12, characterized in that the two keys forming a pair are produced in the form of rocker keys.   14.- Selection device according to one   any of claims 9 to 13, characterized by   the fact that the selection elements (8, 9, 10, 11) are provided with legends (12) concerning the selections   associated operating programs (4, 5, 6, 7).   15.- Selection device according to one   any of claims 9 to 14, characterized by   the fact that the household appliance (1) controlled by   program is a washing machine, dryer   washing machine, dryer washing machine, oven,   a hob or a dishwasher.   16. A selection device according to claim 15, on a machine for treating linen, characterized in that the parameters of the operating programs (4, 5, 6, 7) displayed using the display device ( 3) include the   type of program (4) and / or milking temperature   (5) and / or the spin speed (6) and / or the time   at the start and / or end of the program.   17.- Selection device according to one   any of claims 9 to 16, characterized by   the fact that one of the parameters displayed on the device   tif display (3) concerns the type of program (4) and that the adjustment element (8) associated with the type of program (4) is a rotary button (8) with an associated key whose actuation makes it possible to memorize the type of program (4) selected jointly with the other parameters (5, 6, 7).   18.- Selection device according to one   any of claims 9 to 17, characterized by   the fact that the display device (3) is of the type alphanumeric display.