JPH0247207B2 - - Google Patents

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION Field of Industrial Application The present invention relates to a rice cooker that has a clock means and has a timer function that operates by comparing the output of the clock means with a reserved time.

BACKGROUND TECHNOLOGY Some conventional rice cookers are equipped with timer timers, but the present invention has a clock means and compares the output of the clock means, that is, the current time and the reserved time. I can't find anything that makes the timer work. In addition, some video tape recorders (hereinafter referred to as "video") display the reserved time for a certain period of time after a key is input to call up the reserved time, while others display the reserved time for a certain period of time after the key is pressed to call up the reserved time. There are some that keep displaying the reservation time until you input it.

Problems to be Solved by the Invention In a conventional rice cooker equipped with a slow-down timer, only the remaining time until the start of rice cooking is displayed while the timer is operating, but in the present invention having a clock means, the timer is not operating. It is natural to display the current time inside as well. However, it often becomes necessary to check the reserved time while the timer is running. In that case, it is of course easy to operate, but due to differences in users and environments such as insufficient illuminance, users can decide how long the reserved time continues to be displayed. Must be able to decide;
It is extremely inconvenient to automatically return to displaying the current time after a predetermined period of time, as in the first example of the video. Furthermore, if the user wants to compare the reserved time and the current time, it is necessary to switch and display the reserved time and the current time as appropriate according to the user's request. In such a method, a key input has to be made every time the display is changed, which makes the operation complicated, and it is also necessary to make a key input every time the reserved time display is to be terminated, which is not rational.

Means for Solving the Problems In order to solve these problems, the present invention has the following features:
a clock means, a first storage means for storing the output of the clock means, that is, the current time, a reservation time setting means, a second storage means for storing the set reservation time, a key input determination means, a selection means for selecting one of the first storage means and the second storage means using the output of the key input determination means as an input; and a display means for displaying the contents of the selected storage means; If the reservation key is input while the timer is operating, the second storage means is selected and the reservation time is displayed; otherwise, the first storage means is selected.
The current time is displayed by selecting the storage means.

According to this configuration, when the reservation key is input while the timer is operating, the selection means selects the second storage means according to the output of the key input determination means, and the display means selects the reservation key. When the time is displayed and the reservation key is no longer input, the output of the key input determining means changes and the selection means selects the first storage means again, so that the display means displays the current time.

Embodiment An embodiment of the present invention will be described below with reference to FIGS. 1 and 2. In FIG. 1, reference numeral 1 denotes clock means for measuring the current time, and its output is stored in first storage means 2. As shown in FIG. Reference numeral 3 denotes a reserved time setting means for arbitrarily setting the operating time of the timer, and the reserved time set by this means is stored in the second storage means 4. Reference numeral 5 denotes a key input determining means for determining whether or not a reservation key has been input to request display of the reservation time. Reference numeral 6 denotes a selection means, and this selection means 6 selects the second storage means 4 when there is a reservation key input according to the output of the key input determination means 5, and selects the first storage means 4 at other times. Select storage means 2. 7 is a display means, and this display means 7
displays the contents of the storage means selected by the selection means 6.

Next, the operation of the above embodiment will be explained based on the flow chart of FIG. Normally, in step 8, the first storage means 2 is selected through the selection means 6, and in step 9, the current time stored in the first storage means 2 is displayed. Then, in step 10, it is confirmed that no reservation key has been input, and the process returns to step 8, and this process is repeated thereafter. However, when the reservation key is input to request display of the reservation time, this is determined in step 10 and the process moves to step 11. In this step 11, the second storage means 4 is selected through the selection means 6, and in step 12, the reserved time stored in the second storage means 4 is displayed, and the process returns to step 10. If the reservation key is still input here, the loop of steps 10, 11, and 122 continues to display the reservation time. On the other hand, when the reservation key is no longer input, the loop of steps 8, 9, and 10 immediately begins to return to the state where the current time is displayed. That is, when the user inputs the reservation key with the intention of confirming the reservation time, the reservation time is immediately displayed, and the reservation time continues to be displayed as long as the key input continues due to the request for use. If there is no longer a need to display the reserved time, it is possible to return to the original state of displaying the current time simply by canceling key input.

Effects of the Invention As described above, according to the present invention, when checking the reserved time of a rice cooker having a clock means while the timer is operating, the reserved time can be displayed with a minimum of simple operations; If you need to display the reservation time for a longer period of time, you can do so by continuing to input the reservation key; on the other hand, if you no longer need to display the reservation time, you can simply stop inputting the keys and the current time will be displayed. This provides an excellent effect in that it can be returned to the original state.

In addition, these effects are extremely important in light of the actual usage situations where rice cookers are used in environments with somewhat insufficient illumination, and where users operate them with their free hands or fingers while doing other tasks such as cooking. A clock-equipped rice cooker with improved usability can be provided.

[Brief explanation of the drawing]

FIG. 1 is a block diagram of a rice cooker with a clock according to an embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 2 is a flowchart showing the operating state of the rice cooker. 1... Clock means, 2... First storage means, 3...
...Reservation time setting means, 4...Second storage means, 5
...Key input discrimination means, 6...Selection means, 7...
Display means.

Claims (1)

[Claims] 1. A clock means, a first storage means for storing the output of the clock means, a reservation time setting means, a second storage means for storing the set reservation time, and a reservation key for instructing recall of the reservation time. a key input determining means for determining the presence or absence of an input; a selecting means for selecting one of the first storage means and the second storage means using the output of the key input determining means as an input; and display means for displaying the contents of the selected storage means, and when the reservation key is input while the timer is operating, the second storage means is selected and the reservation time is displayed, and otherwise the reservation time is displayed. In this case, the rice cooker with a clock is configured to select the first storage means and display the current time.