KR100705190B1 - Refrigerator with clock display function - Google Patents

Abstract

The present invention relates to a refrigerator, and more particularly, to a refrigerator and a clock display method of a refrigerator having a clock display function such that the clock is displayed on the display means of the refrigerator as a whole.

The refrigerator having a clock display function of the present invention includes at least one avatar, storage means for storing a basic screen and a clock screen, display means for displaying the avatar, a clock screen including the basic screen or a current date and time, and One clock number means for calculating a current date and time included in a clock screen, and receiving the current date and time from the one clock number means, and depending on whether the refrigerator is used by a user, the base screen or clock screen is displayed together with the avatar from the storage means. And control means for selectively reading out and displaying on the display means.

Description

Refrigerator with clock display {REFRIGERATOR WITH CLOCK DISPLAY FUNCTION}

1 is a block diagram of a display unit of a refrigerator according to the prior art.

2 is a block diagram of a refrigerator having a clock display function according to the present invention.

3 is a front view and a partially enlarged view of the refrigerator of FIG. 2.

4 is a flowchart of a clock display function service.

<Description of the symbols for the main parts of the drawings>

21: display means 22: input means

23: storage means 24: clockwork means

25: Micom

The present invention relates to a refrigerator, and more particularly, to a refrigerator and a clock display method of a refrigerator having a clock display function such that an avatar and a clock corresponding to the display means of the refrigerator are partially or totally displayed according to the use of the refrigerator.

The conventional refrigerator has a display unit such as an LED panel for providing information on the refrigerator and controlling the refrigerator. The user interface is displayed through the display unit, which displays the inside temperature of the refrigerator compartment, the inside temperature of the freezer compartment, the service state of the dispenser (water, ice, etc.) in the form of numbers, letters or icons, An input unit (for example, a button or the like) for controlling the inside temperature and the service of the dispenser is provided.

1 is a block diagram of a display unit of a refrigerator according to the prior art. As shown, this display unit displays the service type (eg ice, water, flake ice) of the dispenser, the set temperature of the freezer compartment and the set temperature of the refrigerating compartment, and is provided with predetermined input means at the bottom.

Since the refrigerator according to the related art does not display the time on the display unit or is displayed with other information even if it is displayed, there is a problem in that the user cannot check the time even if the user leaves the refrigerator slightly.

In order to solve this problem, it is an object of the present invention to provide a refrigerator and a clock display method of the refrigerator having a clock display function to display the time on the display means of the refrigerator as a whole.

In addition, the present invention provides a refrigerator and a clock display method of a refrigerator having a clock display function to display the clock on the display means so that the user can always check the time when the user does not use the refrigerator for a predetermined time. For the purpose of

Another object of the present invention is to provide a refrigerator and a clock display method of the refrigerator having a clock display function of displaying an avatar corresponding to the avatar according to whether the user uses the refrigerator.

The refrigerator having a clock display function of the present invention includes at least one avatar, storage means for storing a basic screen and a clock screen, display means for displaying the avatar, a clock screen including the basic screen or a current date and time, and One clock number means for calculating a current date and time included in a clock screen, and receiving the current date and time from the one clock number means, and depending on whether the refrigerator is used by a user, the base screen or clock screen is displayed together with the avatar from the storage means. And control means for selectively reading out and displaying on the display means.

In this case, it is preferable that the control means determines whether there is a user's use of the refrigerator within a predetermined time.

The control means may display the avatar corresponding to the use of the refrigerator and the base screen on the display means when the refrigerator is in use, and display the avatar and the watch screen when the refrigerator is not in use. It is preferable to display on the display means.

In addition, it is preferable that the avatar corresponding to the case where there is no use of the refrigerator represents a sleeping operation or a resting operation.

In addition, the control means, if there is a use of the refrigerator by the user, it is preferable to immediately change the avatar and the clock screen displayed on the display means to the avatar and the base screen corresponding to the use of the refrigerator.

In addition, the present invention provides a clock display method of the refrigerator determines whether there is a use of the refrigerator by the user, and if there is a use of the refrigerator in the determining step, and displays at least one avatar and the base screen corresponding thereto, If there is no use of the refrigerator in the determining step, displaying a clock screen including at least one avatar and a current date and time corresponding thereto.

In the following, the invention is explained in detail on the basis of the embodiments of the invention and the accompanying drawings. However, the scope of the present invention is not limited by the following embodiments and drawings, and the scope of the present invention will be limited only by the contents described in the claims below.

2 is a block diagram of a refrigerator having a clock display function according to the present invention, Figure 3 is a front view and a partially enlarged view of the refrigerator of FIG.

As shown in FIG. 2, the refrigerator 100 having a clock display function includes display means 21 for displaying an avatar and a basic screen or a clock screen, input means 22 for obtaining input from a user, and A storage means 23 for storing one or more avatar information, a base screen and a clock screen, a one-time counting means 24 for calculating a current date and time, and the above-described components, initially controlling the storage means 23 from the storage means 23; When the avatar and the base screen are read out and displayed on the display means 21, and the use of the refrigerator by the user is not performed for a predetermined time, the avatar and the clock screen corresponding to the avatar and the clock screen are read out from the storage means 23. It consists of the microcomputer 25 displayed on the display means 21 with the current date and time from the means 24. The refrigerator 100 may further include a main microcomputer (not shown) that performs a refrigeration control operation and the like, and a communication line is connected between the main microcomputer and the microcomputer 25 to perform data communication. Alternatively, the refrigerator 100 may perform a refrigeration refrigeration control operation through the microcomputer 25. In addition, the refrigerator 100 includes a power supply unit (not shown) to supply power required for each component.

In detail, the display unit 21 displays a basic screen including an avatar character or a clock screen including a current date and time, a user interface for a user to input a predetermined control command, and the refrigerator as shown in FIG. 3. It is formed on the outer surface 110 of the (100). As shown in FIG. 3, the input means 22 is formed near the display means 21 to consider the user's convenience.

In this case, the screen A is based on the avatar as shown in FIG. 3, and provides information on the temperatures of the refrigerating and freezing chambers and a service type of the dispenser (basic screen). In this case, the avatar may represent a form corresponding to the use of the refrigerator by the user. For example, when the user opens the refrigerator door, the avatar may also open the door.

In addition, as shown in FIG. 3, the screen B corresponds to a clock screen including a current date and time (for example, year, month, day, morning, afternoon, current time, etc.) on the display unit 21, and non-use of a refrigerator. A screen configured to display an avatar. As shown, the avatar represents a sleeping action, and as another example, the avatar may represent a resting action.

In addition, the input means 22 may provide a command from the user (for example, selecting a clock display service, setting a time for converting from a basic screen to a clock screen, changing a service type of the dispenser, and setting a refrigerator compartment and a freezer compartment temperature). And the like), which is related to a user interface displayed through the display means 21, and has a proper number of buttons or touch pads.

In addition, the storage means 23 stores the avatar information, the basic screen and the clock screen, and also stores information on whether the user has selected the clock display function service. This basic screen stores information on the temperature of the refrigerating compartment and the freezing compartment, information on the service type of the dispenser, and the like as described above. As described above, the clock screen also stores information on a portion displayed on the current date and time, and additionally stores information on the current date and time. However, this current date and time can be updated from time to time by transmission from the one-hour clock means 24.

Here, the avatar information includes a plurality of avatar characters. The avatar character may be a still image or a video or may be in an animation form. This avatar character is set by the user or by the microcomputer 25, and one or more avatar characters are displayed on the display means 21 by the reading of the microcomputer 25. FIG. In particular, the avatar character has an action and / or shape corresponding to whether the user uses the refrigerator. If there is no use of the refrigerator by the user, the avatar may open the door or open the home bar. If there is no use of the refrigerator by the user, the avatar may sleep or rest.

In addition, the one-time clock means 24 is a means for calculating the current date and time, when there is a request from the microcomputer 25, the microcomputer 25 provides the current date and time to the microcomputer 25 when the request is received or at predetermined time intervals. do.

Finally, the microcomputer 25 controls the entire refrigeration / refrigeration process, and additionally provides a clock display function service to be described later. The microcomputer 25 includes at least one central processing unit (not shown), and may be a device including the storage means 23 described above, or a device including only a processor such as the central processing unit. . However, in this specification, in order to describe the data stored in the storage means 23 in more detail, the microcomputer 25 and the storage means 23 will be described as separate elements.

First, a description will be given of the selection of the clock display function service.

Initially, the microcomputer 25 reads the avatar corresponding to the use of the refrigerator by the user stored in the storage means 23 and the basic screen, and displays them on the display means 21. Thereafter, the microcomputer 25 receives the selection input of the clock display function service from the user through the input means 22 and stores it in the storage means 21. At this time, the microcomputer 25 receives the user's input for the time interval (for example, 2 minutes, 5 minutes, etc.) when changing from the basic screen to the clock screen and stores them together with the input means 22.

Next, an embodiment of the clock display function service is disclosed with reference to FIG. 4.

4 is a flowchart of a clock display function service. This flowchart is performed after the selection of the clock display function service described above.

In detail, in step S41, the microcomputer 25 displays the avatar screen from the storage means 23 and the basic screen composed of various kinds of information on the display means 21 as a whole.

In step S42, the microcomputer 25 determines whether there is use of the refrigerator by the user during the time input by the user. Here, the use of the refrigerator by the user is used by the user's input through the input means 22 (for example, changing the refrigerating chamber set temperature, changing the dispenser service, etc.), opening and closing of the freezer door, dispenser or home bar Including use, etc. At this time, the operation of the refrigerator itself (for example, driving a fan, driving a compressor, etc.) not related to the direct use of the user is excluded from the use of the refrigerator by the user here. Thus, if there is use of the refrigerator by the user for a predetermined time, the microcomputer 25 proceeds to step S41 to continuously display the avatar and the basic screen displayed on the current display means 21, and for a predetermined time. If there is no use of the refrigerator by the user, the flow proceeds to step S43.

In step S43, the microcomputer 25 reads the avatar corresponding to the unused use of the refrigerator from the storage means 23 and the clock screen and displays the display means 21 partially or entirely. At this time, the microcomputer 25 stores the current date and time received from the one-time clock means 24 in the clock screen stored in the storage means 23, and then reads and displays the clock screen from the storage means 23, The current date and time may be directly displayed on a part of the clock screen displayed on the display means 21.

In step S44, if there is use of the refrigerator by the user, the microcomputer 25 immediately proceeds to step S41 to display the avatar and the base screen corresponding to the use of the refrigerator, and otherwise, step S43. By continuously executing, the display means 21 continuously displays an avatar corresponding to the unuse of the refrigerator and a clock screen.

As described above, the microcomputer 25 selectively displays the avatar, the base screen, or the clock screen corresponding thereto according to whether the refrigerator is used by the user.

The present invention according to this configuration has the effect of partially or totally displaying the time on the display means of the refrigerator.

In addition, the present invention, if the user does not use the refrigerator for a predetermined time, the clock is displayed on the display means in whole or in part so that the user can always check the time, if there is use of the refrigerator by the user immediately basic It has the effect of returning to the screen.

In addition, the present invention has an effect of displaying the avatar corresponding to the user according to whether or not the refrigerator is used by the user, to visually display the user's use of the refrigerator through the avatar.

Claims (13)

A base screen including at least one avatar character and storage means for storing a clock screen; Display means for displaying the basic screen or clock screen; One clock number means for calculating a current date and time included in the clock screen; Receives the current date and time from the one-hour clock means, reads the base screen or clock screen from the storage means, and displays the base screen when the user is using the refrigerator according to whether the user uses the refrigerator, and when the user is not in use. And a control means for displaying the watch screen on the display means. The refrigerator having a clock display function according to claim 1, wherein the basic screen includes an operation image of the avatar character. delete The refrigerator having a clock display function according to claim 1, wherein the control means determines whether a user has used the refrigerator within a predetermined time. The refrigerator having a clock display function according to claim 1, wherein the refrigerator further includes a means for detecting whether the user is used. The refrigerator having a clock display function according to claim 1, wherein the sensing means comprises a door opening detecting means or a user input means. The refrigerator of claim 1, wherein the clock screen includes a still image of the avatar character. Determining whether there is use of a refrigerator by a user; If there is no use of the refrigerator in the determining step, displaying a basic screen including one or more avatar characters; or if there is no use of the refrigerator in the determining step, displaying at least a clock screen including a current date and time; Clock display method of the refrigerator comprising a. The method of claim 8, wherein the determining step is performed for a predetermined time. The method of claim 8, wherein the clock display method further comprises the step of changing to the basic screen when there is a user's use of the refrigerator, and displaying and returning to the clock screen after a set time has elapsed. How to display the clock of the refrigerator. Means for determining whether a user uses the refrigerator; Means for storing an avatar display screen and a clock display screen; Means for displaying the avatar display screen or the clock display screen; And a control means for displaying the clock display screen when there is no use of the user and switching to the avatar display screen when there is the use of the user. The refrigerator according to claim 11, wherein the means for determining whether the user is using the device determines whether the door of the refrigerator is opened or closed or whether it is input by the user. The refrigerator according to claim 12, wherein the control unit switches from the avatar display screen to the clock display screen after a predetermined time has elapsed after the door opening / closing detection or user input detection of the refrigerator.

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