GB1574449A

GB1574449A - Micro-processor controlled domestic appliances

Info

Publication number: GB1574449A
Application number: GB8295/77A
Authority: GB
Original assignee: Thorn Automation Ltd
Current assignee: Thorn Automation Ltd
Priority date: 1977-02-28
Filing date: 1977-02-28
Publication date: 1980-09-10
Also published as: FR2382039A1; AU510856B2; DE2808190A1; AU3366178A; FR2382039B3

Description

(54). IMPROVEMENTS IN OR RELATING TO MICRO-PROCESSOR CONTROLLED DOMESTIC APPLIANCES (71) We, THORN AUTOMATION LIMITED, a British Company of P.O. Box 4, Rugeley, Staffordshire WS15 1DR, England, do hereby declare the invention for which we pray that a Patent may be granted to us, and the method by which it is to be performed to be particularly described in and by the following statement:- This invention relates to domestic appliances which have an operating cycle controlled by a micro-processor. More specifically, it seeks to provide an improved system of control for the operating cycles of domestic appliances such as cooking ovens.

In previous proposals for the microprocessor control of cooking ovens, the instructions of the human operator have been set in by means of a keyboard operated according to codes provided in a written instruction sheet or code book.

It is an object of the invention to achieve an improved arrangement that is easier and quicker for the housewife to operate and does not require reference to a separate code book or the memorising of codes.

According to the present invention, there is provided a domestic cooking oven, or other domestic appliance that operates according to different operating cycles in response to input data provided by a human operator, wherein the operating cycle is controlled by an interactive micro-processor system coupled to manually-operated input switches on a control panel and to an output device in the form of an alpha-numeric display, the micro-processor changing the display in response to inputs from the switches to ask questions in plain language which an inexpert human operator can answer by further use of the switches. The information input may be by means of touch-controlled switches associated with the alpha-numeric display.

In a preferred arrangement, the alphanumeric display may consist of characters each having 5 x 7 dot matrix format. The characters can be assembled in blocks in multiples of 16 characters, a convenient display consisting of 32 characters. This display is controlled by a micro-processor computer, i.e. the computer is capable of writing messages by means of the display in-reply to an input stimulus. Thus communication is possible with the machine via a question and answer routine; the computer can display a question which may be answered by the human operator with an input via the touch-controlled switches. In response to an answer the computer can, for example, control any machine device connected to its outputs and display the action that has been taken.

One embodiment of the invention will now be described by way of example, with reference to the accompanying drawing, which is a block diagram of the control system of an automatic domestic oven.

The operator input of the oven is a switch panel 11 with four touch-controlled switches 20-23 labelled, for instance, "Choice", "Yes", "Forward" and "Back- ward". These switches are solid state and work on the principle of the capacitive coupling between two plates on the inner side of the control panel 11 being modified by the human operator simply touching a third metallised plate which is on the outside of the panel. The panel is typically manufactured of toughened glass. The switches are therefore very reliable (being solid state they have no contacts), safe (due to the electrical isolation provided by the glass panel) and are functional, being easily kept clean.

The switch panel 11 is connected by an interface 12 to a central processor unit 13 of a micro-processor chip 14 which also comprises a data memory 15 and a read only memory 16. The read only memory 16 supplies output signals to oven control cir cuit 17 and also to activate an alphanumeric display 18 on the front of the oven visible to the operator of the switch panel 11.

The normal idling state, i.e. no cooking, is for the alpha-numeric display 18 to read "The time is xxx", i.e. it operates as a clock showing the time of day. The time is initially set with the "Forward" and "Backward" touch switch pads on the panel 11, i.e. the time display will be incremented or decremented by the CPU 13 depending on the pad touched.

If the "Choice" pad 20 on the panel 11 is touched the display 18 will change to read "What meat please-Beef well done". Then as a result of continuous touching of the "Forward" pad 22 or "Backward" pad 23 the CPU 13 causes successive choices of meat stored in the memory 16 to be displayed ranging from say, "Beef well done" to "Turkey". The choice of meat is changed at 1 sec. intervals so long as the human operator maintains finger contact with the "Forward" or "Backward" switch pad on the panel 11 and the display 18 will stop cycling when the switch pad is released. Overshoot of the desired meat can quickly be corrected by touching the opposite increment or decrement switch pad.

When the required meat is displayed, the human operator touches the "Yes" pad 21 which enters that information into the data memory 15.

In response, the micro-processor 14, again by means of the alpha-numeric display 18, asks the weight of the joint and, similarly, weights are incremented or decremented by the "Forward"/ "Backward" touch pads of the switch panel 11 and the weight required is entered with the "Yes" pad.

The next question is "What time is it required" and the time the meal is to be ready may be similarly entered in the data memory 15. From the- information now available -in the data memory 15, i.e. type of meat, weight and time required, the start time for the cooking is automatically calculated by the CPU 13. If this is earlier than the present time the display 18 will reply "Sorry earliest time xxx" and then re-request the time required or a new series of choices.

When the micro-processor 14 has accepted a cooking programme the real time is displayed simply as 4 digits plus colon on the extreme left of the display 18. At the calculated start time the oven will be switched on by signals from the memory 16 to the oven control circuits 17 and the display 18 will indicate "Oven on temperature xxx degrees C". Depending on the preset programme for the meat type this temperature may be profiled, i.e. automatically changed during the cooking period. At the end of the cooking period the oven is switched off and the display 18 indicates that the meal is cooked.

An audible alarm may also sound.

This example demonstrates the principle of operation. The system can be expanded to include foods other than meats; and the cooker will also have a "manual" operating mode. Furthermore, similar control arrangements can be employed on other programmable domestic appliances such as washing machines and heating systems.

WHAT WE CLAIM IS: 1. A domestic cooking oven, or other domestic appliance that operates according to different operating cycles in response to input data provided by a human operator, wherein the operating cycle is controlled by an interactive micro-processor system coupled to manually-operated input switches on a control panel and to an output device in the form of an alpha-numeric display, the micro-processor changing the display in response to inputs from the switches to ask questions in plain language which an inexpert human operator can answer by further use of the switches.

2. An appliance according to claim 1, wherein the input switches are solid-state capacitive touch-controlled switches.

3. An appliance according to claim I or claim 2, wherein the input switches include at least one switch in response to continuous operation of which the micro-processor is arranged to cause the alpha-numeric display to cycle through a series of possibilities or choices one or which can be selected by the human operator when the required choice is displayed.

4. An appliance according to claim 3, wherein the switches include both a "Forward" and a "Backward" switch, respectively causing the micro-processor to cycle the alpha-numeric display through the possibilities or choices in opposite directions.

5. An appliance according to claim 4, wherein the system includes a clock and the alpha-numeric display is arranged to display time of day, which time display can be incremented or decremented by use of the "Forward" and "Backward" switches.

6. An appliance according to claim 3 or claim 4 or claim 5, wherein the microprocessor has a memory store or several series of possibilities or choices and causes the display to cycle through first one and then another of said series in response to appropriate inputs from the manually operated switches.

7. An appliance according to any one of claims 3 to 6, wherein the switches include a "Yes" switch operation by the human operator of which selects the particular one of the cycled choices that is being displayed at the instant of switch operation.

**WARNING** end of DESC field may overlap start of CLMS **.

Claims

**WARNING** start of CLMS field may overlap end of DESC **. cuit 17 and also to activate an alphanumeric display 18 on the front of the oven visible to the operator of the switch panel 11. The normal idling state, i.e. no cooking, is for the alpha-numeric display 18 to read "The time is xxx", i.e. it operates as a clock showing the time of day. The time is initially set with the "Forward" and "Backward" touch switch pads on the panel 11, i.e. the time display will be incremented or decremented by the CPU 13 depending on the pad touched. If the "Choice" pad 20 on the panel 11 is touched the display 18 will change to read "What meat please-Beef well done". Then as a result of continuous touching of the "Forward" pad 22 or "Backward" pad 23 the CPU 13 causes successive choices of meat stored in the memory 16 to be displayed ranging from say, "Beef well done" to "Turkey". The choice of meat is changed at 1 sec. intervals so long as the human operator maintains finger contact with the "Forward" or "Backward" switch pad on the panel 11 and the display 18 will stop cycling when the switch pad is released. Overshoot of the desired meat can quickly be corrected by touching the opposite increment or decrement switch pad. When the required meat is displayed, the human operator touches the "Yes" pad 21 which enters that information into the data memory 15. In response, the micro-processor 14, again by means of the alpha-numeric display 18, asks the weight of the joint and, similarly, weights are incremented or decremented by the "Forward"/ "Backward" touch pads of the switch panel 11 and the weight required is entered with the "Yes" pad. The next question is "What time is it required" and the time the meal is to be ready may be similarly entered in the data memory 15. From the- information now available -in the data memory 15, i.e. type of meat, weight and time required, the start time for the cooking is automatically calculated by the CPU 13. If this is earlier than the present time the display 18 will reply "Sorry earliest time xxx" and then re-request the time required or a new series of choices. When the micro-processor 14 has accepted a cooking programme the real time is displayed simply as 4 digits plus colon on the extreme left of the display 18. At the calculated start time the oven will be switched on by signals from the memory 16 to the oven control circuits 17 and the display 18 will indicate "Oven on temperature xxx degrees C". Depending on the preset programme for the meat type this temperature may be profiled, i.e. automatically changed during the cooking period. At the end of the cooking period the oven is switched off and the display 18 indicates that the meal is cooked. An audible alarm may also sound. This example demonstrates the principle of operation. The system can be expanded to include foods other than meats; and the cooker will also have a "manual" operating mode. Furthermore, similar control arrangements can be employed on other programmable domestic appliances such as washing machines and heating systems. WHAT WE CLAIM IS:

1. A domestic cooking oven, or other domestic appliance that operates according to different operating cycles in response to input data provided by a human operator, wherein the operating cycle is controlled by an interactive micro-processor system coupled to manually-operated input switches on a control panel and to an output device in the form of an alpha-numeric display, the micro-processor changing the display in response to inputs from the switches to ask questions in plain language which an inexpert human operator can answer by further use of the switches.

8. An appliance according to claims 4,

6 and 7, wherein the switches include also a "Choice" switch, in response to operation of which the micro-processor is arranged to cause the display to show an indication of a first choice to be made from a first series of choices, after which operation of the "Forward" or "Backward" switch causes the choices of the first series to be cycled, operation of the "Yes" switch selects one of those choices and causes the display to show an indication of a second choice to be made from a second series of choices, further operation of the "Forward" or "Backward" switch causes the second series of choices to be cycled, and so on until all the choices necessary to define an operating cycle of the appliance have been made.

9. An appliance according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein, during performance of an operating cycle, the microprocessor is arranged to cause the alphanumeric display to show an indication of the operation currently taking place.

10. An appliance according to claim 6 or claim 8, wherein one of the choices available to the human operator is the time of day at which it is required that a defined operating cycle shall be completed, and the micro-processor is arranged to compute, from the choices made defining the required operating cycle, the time of day at which the defined operating cycle should be started in order to be completed at the chosen time.

11. An appliance according to claim 10, wherein if the time available before the chosen time of completion is insufficient to enable the defined operating cycle to be carried through, the micro-processor is arranged to cause that fact to be displayed on the alpha-numeric display and to request a new choice or series of choices.

12. An automatic domestic oven substantially as described with reference to the accompanying drawing.