KR20140139839A - Output Images - Google Patents

Abstract

The present invention relates to an output screen including a plurality of areas for displaying items related to device operation and an indicator for indicating a state preset for each item. A first area, which is at least on area among the areas, includes a text or a figure explaining the item of a corresponding area; and a third area including an object linked with a commend to display a second area separately which includes at least two selectable states about the corresponding area. A first indicator for the first area indicates relation between a state, which is set on the corresponding item in a location having a color or a concentration different from the corresponding first area, and two or more selectable states with respect to the corresponding item.

Description

Output Screen {Output Images}

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to an output screen, and more particularly, to an output screen for setting an operation of a device through a display of a limited size in a home appliance such as a washing machine, a dryer, a refrigerator,

The washing machine is a device for removing pollutants adhered to the laundry by using the emulsifying action of the detergent, the friction action of the water stream generated by the rotation of the washing tub or the washing blade, and the impact action applied to the laundry, and washing, rinsing, , And a series of runs leading to drying.

When selecting one of several courses consisting of all or part of washing, rinsing, dewatering and drying process, or operating each course or course, set operating conditions such as amount of laundry, height of water, washing intensity, rinsing time, An operating unit and a display unit are provided on the front of the washing machine in order to display operating conditions.

In the case of a washing machine, there are many conditions to be selected or set. Therefore, as shown in the enlarged view of the control unit in FIG. 1 showing the perspective view of the drum type washing machine, there are knobs (or dials) for selecting one of several courses, A plurality of buttons for displaying a plurality of items, and a display for displaying the statuses set in the item are arranged on the front of the washing machine in a complicated manner.

In recent years, smart devices such as smart phones and smart players have become widespread, and home appliances such as washing machines and refrigerators are also shaped like a smart device interface, that is, the front surface is neatly decorated with a touch screen to be.

Since the size of the display screen is limited even when a touch screen is used in a household appliance, the user can easily select or set a course or various items or effectively display the output screen in order to intuitively check the state of the selected or set course or operation item It is necessary to design a configuration menu to deploy or provide multiple information at the same time.

An object of the present invention is to provide an output screen for efficiently providing various information to a limited display space.

It is another object of the present invention to provide an information processing apparatus and a method for setting a state set for a corresponding item without directly displaying two or more states selectable from the item for each item on a screen for setting a plurality of items, And a screen for displaying the information in a small space together with information on the relationship.

According to an aspect of the present invention, there is provided an output screen including: a plurality of areas for displaying items related to operation of the device; And an indicator for indicating a state set for each item, wherein at least one of the plurality of areas includes at least one of a text and a figure describing an item of the area; And a third region including an object linked to the instruction to separately display a second region including at least two states that can be selected for the item of the region, and wherein the first indicator for the first region includes: Indicates a relationship between a state set in the item and a state of two or more states that can be selected for the item in a different color or different concentration from the first region.

In one embodiment, the first indicator may have the form of a line or area.

In one embodiment, the first indicator may be represented in a line form on an edge forming the boundary of the corresponding first area.

In one embodiment, the first region is rectangular and the first indicator may be displayed on a portion of one long side of the rectangle.

In one embodiment, the first indicator may have a size to indicate the number of states that can be selected for that item.

In one embodiment, each of the unselected states of two or more states that can be selected for the item may be represented to have the same size as the first indicator and have a different color or different concentration than the first indicator.

In one embodiment, two or more states that can be selected for a given item may be separated into a neighboring state and an empty space, respectively.

In one embodiment, the state indicated by the first indicator may be selected by the user in the separately displayed second area or may be determined by default for the item.

In one embodiment, the first area may include text or graphics indicating the set or set state.

In one embodiment, the second region may be displayed over another first region immediately adjacent to the first region.

In one embodiment, when the second area is displayed, the display position of at least one other first area may be changed.

In one embodiment, the second region is divided into a fourth region of the number of states that can be selected for that item, and each of the fourth regions may include text or graphics indicating a state selected by the region have.

In one embodiment, the fourth region selected in the second region may have a color or a density of the first indicator.

In one embodiment, the object may be text or graphics describing the item.

In one embodiment, the object may be a figure indicating a direction in which the second area is to be displayed.

In one embodiment, the first area is an area for displaying or setting an item related to the basic function of the device, and the remaining area of the plurality of areas may be an area for displaying or setting an item related to the additional function Lt; / RTI >

According to another aspect of the present invention, there is provided a washing machine comprising: a cabinet forming an outer appearance of a washing machine body; A water storage tank installed inside the washing machine to receive wash water; A washing tub installed in the water storage tank so as to be rotatable to receive laundry; A driving unit for transmitting rotational force to the washing tub; A water supply device for supplying wash water necessary for washing; A drainage device for draining wash water accommodated in the water storage tank; An operation panel for receiving a user input for setting washing conditions of the washing machine and displaying an operation state of the washing machine; And a control unit for controlling the water supply unit, the drainage unit, and the driving unit to perform washing according to conditions set by a user, wherein the display of the operation panel includes a plurality of display units for displaying items related to the operation of the washing machine domain; And an indicator for indicating a state set for each item, wherein at least one of the plurality of areas includes at least one of a text and a figure describing an item of the area; And a third region including an object linked to the instruction to separately display a second region including at least two states that can be selected for the item of the region, and wherein the first indicator for the first region includes: Indicates a relationship between a state set in the item and a state of two or more states that can be selected for the item in a different color or different concentration from the first region.

Accordingly, it is possible to efficiently display a plurality of items related to the operation of the device and state information set in the item in a small space.

In addition, even when there are many states that can be selected, it is possible to display in the limited display space together with information on the relative relationship with the state in which only the set state can be selected without displaying a large number of states.

In addition, the user can set a desired state to an item related to the operation of the device without fail by providing a lot of information through the output screen.

In addition, the input / output devices of home appliances can be made uniform with those of smart devices and the appearance of home appliances can be neatly decorated.

1 is an enlarged view of a perspective view of a drum type washing machine and an operation unit /
2 is a sectional view showing the internal structure of the drum type washing machine,
3 is a sectional view showing the internal structure of the top loading type washing machine,
Fig. 4 is a block diagram showing the construction of a block operating to perform the function of the washing machine,
FIG. 5 shows washing, rinsing and dewatering steps performed by the washing machine,
6 shows an operation panel and an output screen according to an embodiment of the present invention,
Fig. 7 shows an initial screen for selecting a washing course,
FIG. 8 illustrates a closed state and an open state of a drop-down box according to an embodiment of the present invention,
9 shows various modifications of a drop-down box and an indicator indicating a set state according to the present invention.

Hereinafter, an output screen according to the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings.

A washing machine uses a detergent and a water action according to its functions to perform a washing machine for removing contaminants in clothes such as laundry, a dryer for drying clothes using hot air, and a drying system And a combination washing machine.

In addition, the washing machine has a top loading type in which a washing tub (or an inner tub or a drum) is vertically installed to rotate laundry around the vertical axis so that the laundry can be loaded from above, And a front loading type in which the washing tub is horizontally provided and rotated about the horizontal axis.

The top loading type washing machine includes an agitator type which rotates the washing rods rising in the center of the washing tub and a disk type pulsator formed under the washing tub or a pulsator type washing machine which rotates the washing tub, The front loading method is generally called a drum washing machine. A lift is provided on the inner circumferential surface of the drum constituting the washing tub, and the laundry is lifted up by the lift as the drum rotates, and then the washing is performed by dropping the laundry.

Although there are various types of washing machines as described above, any type of washing machine may be used, such as a water supply device for supplying washing water to a water storage tank (or an outer tank or a tub) or an inner tank, a drainage device for draining washing water from the outer tank after washing, rinsing, Respectively.

Unless specifically stated otherwise, embodiments of the present invention may be applied to all of them.

First, the structure of the washing machine will be described.

FIG. 1 is an enlarged view of a perspective view of a drum type washing machine and an operation part / output part thereof, and FIG. 2 is a sectional view showing the internal structure of the drum type washing machine.

The washing machine 100 includes a cabinet 110 forming an outer shape, a water storage tank (tub or outer tub) 120 provided inside the cabinet 110 to receive washing water, a laundry in the water storage tank 120 A driving unit 135 for washing, rinsing and dewatering the laundry introduced into the washing tub 130 by applying a rotational force to the washing tub 130, and various commands for operating the washing machine from the user An operation panel 50 for inputting and informing the operation state of the washing machine, and a controller (not shown) for operating the washing machine 100 by controlling each component. The washing machine 100 including the drying function may further include a drying device.

The cabinet 110 is mounted on the inside and the outside of various components to form the outer shape of the washing machine 100 and a door 115 for pouring laundry in front is rotatably provided.

The water storage tank 120 is configured to receive wash water in the cabinet 110 and is opened toward the door 115 to receive the laundry to be introduced through the door 115.

The water storage tank 120 is connected to the cabinet 110 through the upper spring 121 and the lower damper 122 and is elastically supported so that the vibration generated when the washing tub 130 rotates is transmitted to the spring 121 and the damper 122 to reduce vibration transmitted to the cabinet 110 due to rotation of the washing tub 130. [

A water supply valve 124 is provided in the water supply channel 123 and the water supply channel 123 so as to supply water from the outside to the inside of the tub 130, A detergent supply device 125 is installed in which the detergent is introduced into the water storage tank 120 together with the detergent. A drainage flow path 126 and a drainage pump 127 are installed below the water storage tank 120 so that wash water used for washing and rinsing can be discharged to the outside.

The washing tub 130 is rotatably disposed inside the water storage tank 120 and the laundry loaded on the door 115 is inserted into the drum 120 and loaded. The washing tub 130 is provided with a plurality of holes 132 through which wash water is circulated and a plurality of holes 132 for raising the laundry loaded on the washing tub 130 and dropping the laundry when the washing tub 130 is rotated The lift 134 is formed, and the washing performance can be improved according to the flow of laundry by the lift 134. [

A driving unit 135 for rotating the washing tub 130 is mounted on a rear surface of the water storage tank 120. The driving unit 135 includes a motor for generating a rotating force to rotate the washing tub 130, The rotational speed and rotational direction of the washing tub 130 can be controlled.

The washing machine 100 having a drying function may be provided with a circulating duct 140 for circulating air for the drying stroke on the outer side of the water storage tank 120. The circulating duct 140 circulates air in the water storage tank 120 And is then heated and then introduced into the water storage tank 120 again.

The circulation duct 140 is divided into a drying duct 141 and a condensing duct 147. A heater 143 and a blowing fan 145 are installed in the drying duct 141 to discharge hot air to the inside of the water storage tank 120. [ ) Is installed. The drying duct 141 and the condensing duct 147 communicate with each other and communicate with the inside of the washing tub 130. The water inlet 120 is provided with an inlet 128 through which hot air flows through the drying duct 141, And a discharge port 129 through which the air is discharged to the condensing duct 147 is formed. The condensing duct 147 is provided with a water dispenser 149 for supplying cooling water to condense moisture in the air.

3 is a sectional view showing the internal structure of the top loading type washing machine.

The washing machine 200 shown in FIG. 3 includes a cabinet 210 forming an outer shape, a water storage tank 220 disposed in the cabinet 210 to receive washing water, a water storage tank 220 housed in the water storage tank 220, And a washing tub 230 may be included.

A laundry input port is formed in the cabinet 210 so that laundry can be input into the washing tub 230 and a door 215 for opening and closing the laundry input port is rotatably provided. The top cover of the cabinet 210 may include an operation panel 250 including an input unit for receiving commands and a display unit for notifying the operation status of the washing machine.

A plurality of suspensions 221 such as springs for suspending the water storage tank 220 on the top cover of the cabinet 210 are provided, one of which is connected to the top cover and the other is connected to the water storage tank 220, It is possible to buffer the vibration generated when the motor 230 rotates.

The driving unit 235 provides a driving force for rotating the washing tub 230 or the pulsator 240. The washing tub 230 or the pulsator 240 rotates through a power transmitting means such as a belt 236. [ An indirect drive type motor for transmitting power to a rotary shaft for rotating the rotary shaft, or a direct drive type motor in which a rotor directly connected to the rotary shaft rotates. The driving unit 235 includes a clutch for selectively transmitting the rotational force of the motor to the washing tub 230 and the pulsator 240.

The water supply channel 223, the water supply valve 224 and the detergent box 225 serve as a water supply device for supplying water to the water storage tank 220. The water supply channel 223 is connected to an external water source such as a tap Water flows in and flows along the water supply flow path 9 is mixed with the additive such as detergent, fabric softener or bleaching agent accommodated in the detergent box 225 and is supplied into the washing tub 230 with the washing water.

The washing tub 230 is provided with a plurality of holes (not shown) through which washing water can pass and the washing water supplied into the washing tub 230 can be moved to the water storage tank 220 through a hole.

The drainage passage 226 and the drain valve 227 function as a drainage device for draining the wash water in the water storage tank 220 to the outside. When the drainage valve 227 is opened, (Not shown) provided on the drainage flow path 226, so that drainage may be performed.

Fig. 4 shows the construction of a block operating to perform the function of the washing machine.

The washing machine 100 includes a control unit 160 for controlling the washing process of the washing machine and controlling various matters, a driving unit 135 for rotating the washing tub 130 under the control of the control unit 160, A drain pump 127 for discharging the washing water of the water storage tank 120, a laundry amount sensor for detecting the amount of laundry contained in the washing tub 130, a water level sensor for measuring the water level of the washing tank 130, A sensor 165 such as a water level sensor, a temperature sensor, a vibration sensor for detecting vibration, an input unit 151 for receiving a user's command for selecting the operation of the washing machine, various types of laundry information And an output unit 152 for outputting a sound or a screen to the operation panel 150. The control unit 160 may be mounted on a board to which the operation panel 150 is attached.

The control unit 160 controls the overall operation of the washing machine according to an instruction input through the input unit 151. The control unit 160 automatically sets the type of the laundry detected by the sensor 165 based on the type of the laundry, According to the optimum washing pattern or course, or according to the washing course selected by the user, the operation and time, repetition frequency, and the like of progress of each stroke, water supply, washing, rinsing, drainage, dehydration and drying in each stroke are determined And do this.

The control unit 160 may include a storage unit (not shown) such as a nonvolatile memory for storing the laundry information and the washing method therein. The storage unit stores materials and cloths of various clothes in a database, A washing program, a washing program, a washing program, a washing program, a washing program, a drying program, a washing program, a washing program, Can be stored.

Fig. 5 shows the washing, rinsing and dewatering steps performed by the washing machine.

The washing process is a process of wetting the laundry mixed with the laundry detergent and rotating the washing tub 130 to remove contaminants from the laundry. The washing process can be performed in the order of water supply, washing, draining and simple dehydration. A laundry dispersing process for preventing the laundry from being pushed to one side in the washing machine.

The control unit 160 may indicate that the washing cycle is in progress through the output unit 152 when the washing cycle starts.

The water supply unit supplies water from the external water supply source (tap) to the water storage tank 120. The control unit 160 opens the water supply valve 124 to supply water from the water supply source to the detergent supply unit 125, and in the detergent supply device 125, water is mixed with laundry detergent, softener, and / or bleach into the water storage tank 120. The control unit 160 may drive the driving unit 135 to rotate the washing tub 130 so that the water mixed with the washing detergent flowing into the water storage tank 120 may wet the laundry.

The water supply progresses until the water reaches the target water level determined by the controller 160 according to the amount of laundry or the selected course which is set by the user through the input unit 151 or measured before the water supply and the water level is detected by the water level sensor 165 ). ≪ / RTI > The amount of laundry can be measured by the driving unit 135 rotating the washing tub 130 at a constant speed for a predetermined period of time and then measuring the deceleration time by the controller 160. As the deceleration time of the washing tub 130 is longer, It can be judged.

The control unit 160 closes the water supply valve 124 when the water reaches the target water level in the water storage tank 120 to complete the water supply.

The washing operation is performed by driving the driving unit 135 to rotate the washing tub 130 containing the laundry contained in the wash water mixed with the laundry detergent. When the washing tub 130 rotates, the laundry is pushed up by the lift 134 And the laundry is dirtied by the friction between the laundry and the drop of the laundry. During washing, the controller 160 controls the driving unit 135 to rotate the washing tub 130 in various speeds and directions and to stop the operation of the driving unit 135 at intervals of several seconds or several minutes to prevent overheating.

The control unit 160 operates the drain pump 127 (or the drain valve) to discharge wash water in the washing tub 130 to the drainage flow path 126, To the outside.

In the simple dehydration, the washing tub 130 is rotated at a high speed so that the washing water drained in the laundry is discharged. When the washing tub 130 rotates at a high speed, the laundry is attached to the inner wall of the washing tub 130, . Since the simple dehydration does not require dehydration so that the laundry is dried, the washing tub 130 can be rotated at such a speed that the laundry adheres to the inner wall of the washing tub 130 and rotates. The control unit 160 may intermittently operate the drain pump 127 when the simple dehydration process is performed so that the wash water in the water storage tank 120 is discharged to the outside along the drainage flow path 126.

The process of dispersing the laundry is a process of dispersing the laundry by changing the rotation speed of the washing tub 130, that is, inducing repeated acceleration and deceleration at the rotation speed. Since the laundry is entangled when the laundry is washed or rinsed, the laundry 130 may rotate with the eccentric component, which may cause noise and vibration during the dewatering process. Therefore, before the dewatering, The process of exorcism may be necessary.

The rinsing step is a step of washing the washing water mixed with the fabric softener into the laundry and then rotating the washing tub 130 to remove the detergent remaining in the laundry. The rinse is repeated twice to perform watering, rinsing, draining, Rinsing may be performed in the order of, and the rinsing may not be repeated or may be repeated three or more times.

The control unit 160 may indicate that the rinsing cycle is in progress through the output unit 152 when the rinsing cycle is started.

The control unit 160 controls the driving unit 135 to rotate the washing tub 130 so that the wash water is evenly mixed with the laundry. In this case, the washing water is supplied to the washing tub 120 from the outside water supply source, .

When the washing tub 130 is rotated, the laundry in the washing tub is pushed up by the lift 134, and then the laundry is pushed up by the friction between the laundry and the falling of the laundry. The detergent or contaminants remaining in the laundry are removed.

The drain water discharges the wash water in the water storage tank 120 to the outside of the cabinet 110 as in the case of the drainage of the washing cycle as described above, and is the same as described in the simple drainage wash cycle.

And a laundry dispersing process for dispersing the laundry at the end of the rinsing cycle may be further performed.

The dewatering step is a step of rotating the washing tub 130 at a high speed to separate water from the laundry, and may include drainage and main dehydration.

The control unit 160 may indicate that the dehydration process is in progress through the output unit 152 when the dehydration process is started. The drainage discharges the washing water in the washing tub 130 to the outside of the cabinet 110 as well as the draining of the washing and rinsing steps as described above. The dehydration in this case is to rotate the washing tub 130 at a high speed The control unit 160 rotates the washing tub 130 at a speed faster than the simple dehydration of the washing cycle and the rinsing cycle and intermittently operates the drain pump 127 so that the wash water in the water storage tank 120 flows along the drainage flow path 126 And can be discharged to the outside.

The washing machine including the drying function may further perform a drying step of supplying hot air to the inside of the washing tub 130 after the dewatering to dry the laundry.

In recent years, as the capacity for washing is increased and the technology of controlling the rotation of the washing tub is developed, various functions such as a drying function and a steam function are added to the washing machine, various courses can be washed, Items that can be selected or set by the user are increasing for each stroke such as rinse, dehydration, and drying.

In recent years, for example, a large-capacity washing machine has been used as a standard course, a functional clothes course, a quiet quilting course, a color care course, a lingerie / wool course, a quilt course, a rinse and dehydration course, a steam cleaning course, There are a number of courses that are automatically set up in a washing machine, such as a course, a baby clothes course, and a stout course, and all of the washing, rinsing, dehydrating and drying operations are automatically performed according to the course selected by the user.

In addition, even when the washing cycle is selected and performed, steam washing, soaking washing, avalanche washing, strong washing, standard washing, and washing in less time are provided so that when the user selects one of them, Thereby performing a rinsing and dewatering operation. In the case of the drying process, a course of jeans, cotton / towel, standard, synthetic fiber, shirt, lingerie,

In addition, even if course washing is selected, the user can set various items for each stroke, for example, water temperature, water height, washing strength, rinsing frequency, dehydration strength, dehydration time, drying degree, And each item has various states or operating conditions that can be selected by the user so that the user can set the state or operating condition for each item.

1, the user interface of the input section and the output section for selecting a washing course using a dial as shown in Fig. There are a lot of courses to display, and it is chaotic and you may have to turn the dial at a large angle to select a course, or you may cross the desired course to turn the dial.

1, it is difficult to apply a tree structure for efficiently inputting increasing setting items when a button for each stroke is provided outside and a display screen size is small, and many items Is difficult to display on one screen.

Output device similar to the interface of the smart device, it is not easy to display a large number of items and states (or operating conditions) set or selected in the items on a single screen. Since there is a large number of items, and for each item, the name (title) of the item, the names of the various states that can be selected for the item, and whether each state is selected or set are all displayed, It is not easy to display multiple items on the screen.

If only the name of the item and the name of the state that is set in one state are displayed for one item, since all the states that can be selected are not displayed, the number of states that can be selected for the item, It becomes difficult to intuitively judge which position occupies in the relationship with the user.

In the present invention, a state set for the item is selected for each item so that a plurality of items related to the operation of the apparatus can be displayed within a limited output screen of the display apparatus including the user input and the output display together So that it can be displayed together with the relationship with a plurality of possible states.

6 shows an operation panel and an output screen according to an embodiment of the present invention.

The operation panel of FIG. 6 may be disposed on the front surface of the cabinet 110 of the drum type washing machine 100 of FIG. 2 or behind the top cover of the cabinet 210 of the top loading type washing machine 200 of FIG.

The operation panel mainly includes a power button for controlling on / off of the power source, a progress / stop button for selecting the progress and stop of the operation, and a touch type input for receiving a user input for selecting or setting items related to the operation of the device And a touch screen attached to a display for displaying an output screen including a state in which the device is determined for each item or various operation states of the device. The power button and the on / . ≪ / RTI >

The screen displayed on the display of the touch screen may include a screen for selecting one of a plurality of courses, a screen for setting the status value of each item in relation to each stroke to be performed in the selected course, and a default or selected by the user And may be configured as a screen for showing the current progress when the operation is performed according to the set environment (course and item). The item setting screen and the screen for displaying the current progress are displayed together on one screen It is possible.

The screen for selecting a course is a screen that is first outputted after the power is applied to the washing machine. As shown in FIG. 7, the user can select various courses such as a standard course, a functional clothes course, a lingerie / A course, a quilt course, a rinse & dehydrate course, a steam cleaning course, and a course with a stain are displayed on one page or two or more pages, and texts or shapes (or symbols) , And each course can be displayed separately in the form of a square tile or a circular tile.

If there are many courses to be selected, it is possible to display another divided page and add a link for selecting one or more other pages to the screen so that another course not displayed on the current page can be selected and moved to another page.

When a desired course is selected on the course selection screen, it is necessary to display items to be set when performing one or more strokes performed in the course, and allow the user to set a desired state for each item. As shown in Fig. 6, the output screen displays a plurality of items related to the operation of the device and an area (left area in Fig. 6) for displaying the status set in the item and the remaining time, (Right area) including a link for storing a state set in a course and items as a user's preference course, and a text indicating a selected course, an icon related to the entire menu of the apparatus Return to menu, link to the first menu (home menu), QnA, WiFi connection, etc.) It can be assigned in the form of a status bar.

Items related to the operation of the apparatus may be displayed separately from items for setting the basic operation of the apparatus and items for setting the subordinate or detailed items, such as the left area of FIG. 6. In FIG. 6, Time is represented by items related to basic operation, and cold water, water, and so on are represented as secondary items, but the list of basic items and sub items is only for illustration.

In the box or area for each item for setting the basic operation of the device, text (and / or graphic) describing the item and text (and / or graphic) for the state A text or a graphic to describe a plurality of states that can be set in the item is not directly displayed and an indicator indicating a correlation between a plurality of states that can be set in the item and a state set in the item is a line Can be expressed around the box or inside the box in the form of an area.

In the boxes of the items related to the basic operation of the device, only indicators indicating the correlation between the plurality of states that can be set in the item and the state set in the item are displayed, and the text or the shape of the state set in the item may not be displayed have.

In addition, an object such as a graphic or text linked to a command to display a plurality of states so that one of a plurality of states that can be set in the item can be selected in a box of an item related to basic operation of the device is further expressed 6, a triangle facing downward inside the circle on the right side is linked to a command for displaying a plurality of states, and an area including a plurality of states related to the box is selected to be selected by touching an area including the triangle Can be displayed separately.

On the other hand, in a box or area related to a subordinate item of the apparatus, a text (and / or a graphic form) indicating the item, a plurality of states (or operating conditions) that can be set for the item, and a state ≪ / RTI > can all be represented.

FIG. 8 illustrates a closed state and an open state of a drop-down box according to an embodiment of the present invention.

Each item for setting the basic operation of the device includes an item name (or a graphic form) describing the item, a setting state name (or graphic form) set in the item, and an area for displaying a plurality of states for state setting And a box area including an indicator indicating a relation between a state set in the item and a plurality of states that can be set, and a closed state in which the corresponding item in the closed box area The open state further including a state setting area for displaying a plurality of states so as to select one of the plurality of states that can be set in the open state can be toggled. An indicator indicating the set state is not displayed in the box area displayed together with the state setting area in the open state.

In order to display a set state for a plurality of items related to the operation of the device on a limited screen, only a closed box including the indicator is displayed for each item, and in order to set a state for an item, A state setting area for state setting is expanded below the box area so that a plurality of states that can be set for the item are displayed together with the name (and / or figure), and each state is distinguished from other states and areas Can be displayed.

Since the status setting area is newly opened in the downward direction of the box area, the box for the item can be referred to as a drop-down box, and the state setting area can be expanded in the upper, lower, left, or right direction of the box area . When a triangle is used in the link figure for expanding the state setting area, the vertices of the triangle may be arranged to face the direction in which the state setting area is to be opened.

When the state setting area is expanded below the corresponding box area, the box area corresponding to one or more items below the corresponding box area may be pushed down by the state setting area to be newly expanded. Alternatively, when the state setting area is spread downward, another box area located under the item may be unfolded and spread over another box area located below.

When the state setting area is expanded, the state already set in the item is expressed in a different color or concentration (represented by the same color or concentration as the indicator indicating the set state), and the user is displayed in the state setting area When one of the plurality of states (exactly one of the divided regions displaying each state (indicating text or figure indicating each state) is touched), the touched state becomes the setting state for the item and the state setting region When closed, only the box area can be displayed. At this time, the indicator displayed in the closed box area can be displayed at the position corresponding to the newly set state.

The indicator in the closed state indicating only the state set in the item can be expressed in a straight line at the lower part of the box of the item, exactly the edge forming the boundary of the box area, as in the example of Fig. 8, It can be expressed in a different color or concentration than filling the box area on a part of the lower long side of the square box. The indicator in the form of a straight line may be displayed near the edge of the direction in which the state setting area is to be expanded, out of the edges forming the boundary of the box area.

When the number of states (or operating conditions) that can be set in the item is n and the length of the long side of the rectangle box is l, the indicator of the line type is represented by l / n length and the length of the indicator and the length of the side The user can easily recognize the number of states that can be set in the box.

In addition, the plurality of states in which the drop-down box and the indicator according to the present invention can be set are selected from the group consisting of, for example, delicate / weak / medium / strong / strong (Rinsing times), low / low / middle / middle / high / high (drying temperature), 10 minutes / 15 minutes / 20 minutes / 25 minutes / 30 minutes The relationship between the set state and the plurality of settable states can be expressed as to how far the position where the indicator is placed corresponds to a plurality of setting states that can be set in the item.

It is possible to display only a line-shaped indicator expressing a state set in the vicinity of a long side of a rectangular box area to express the number n of selectable states and the position of the set state in the item, (N-1) pieces of line segments (an indicator indicating a remaining unset state) having a density can be clearly displayed together with an indicator indicating a state set near the long side of the box area to clearly indicate the number of selectable states.

A boundary point between the first indicator indicating the set state and the second indicator indicating the non-selected remaining state and between the second indicator and the empty space or between the first indicator and the second indicator are set So that the number of selectable states can be more clearly expressed.

A small area in which the text of the item name or the set state name is linked to the command or the item name or the set state name is enclosed in the command area without separately displaying the link figure linked to the command for expanding the state setting area in the box area, So that the state setting area for the item can be expanded when the corresponding text or area is touched.

FIG. 9 shows various modifications of the drop-down box according to the present invention and the indicator indicating the set state.

The embodiment of FIG. 9A is the same as the embodiment of FIG. 8 described above. In the embodiment of FIG. 9, each item and a state set in the item correspond to a rectangular drop-down box including an item name, And is represented by a first indicator of a straight line indicating the state set on the side. In addition, the second indicator for other states that are not selected may also be displayed at the lower side of the box with a different color or concentration from the first indicator.

In the embodiment of FIG. 9B, the first indicator or the second indicator is added to the lower side of the box in the form of a rectangular area, which is not a linear shape, so that the set state value can be visually confirmed more clearly.

In the embodiment of FIG. 9C, the first indicator or the second indicator is expressed in the form of a region which is not a straight line, similar to the second embodiment, but the position where the indicator is placed is expressed in the box, not outside the box. The box is divided into the number of states that can be set for the item with respect to the long direction, and the division area corresponding to the position of the set state becomes the first indicator, and the other area corresponding to the second indicator and the color or the density Can be expressed differently.

In the embodiment of FIG. 9D, the area including the item name, the set state name, and the link graphic is not a rectangle box but is represented by a graphic consisting of a space between two arcs having different radii, and the first indicator or the second indicator is represented by a circle . Above each item related to the operation of the apparatus, a space for selecting a course is provided. A course name can be displayed in each of a plurality of sectors of a fan shape formed by dividing a circle in a circumferential direction.

The control unit 160 stores image data constituting an output screen according to the present invention. The control unit 160 generates an output screen or a user interface corresponding to the progress of the washing machine and the input of the user, Can be displayed through the display unit 152.

The control unit 160 stores all items that can set states in each laundry course and all states that can be set in each item. When the laundry course is selected, the controller 160 stores items related to the operation of the course And displays the output screen through the output unit 152 so that the user can set a status for a desired item.

When displaying a plurality of items related to the operation of the apparatus, for example, as shown in FIG. 8, the control unit 160 displays an output screen including a drop-down box in which an indicator indicating a state set in the item is expressed When a user touches a link graphic included in a drop-down box for an arbitrary item, a state setting area including a plurality of states that can be set is displayed by expanding a plurality of states that can be set in the item, If the user touches a division area corresponding to a desired state, an output screen image is generated so that an indicator is displayed at a position corresponding to a state selected from the drop box edges of the item, and displayed on the output unit 152 can do.

Through the output screen according to the present invention, various items related to the operation of the device and the state set in the item can be effectively transmitted to the user through the limited space display.

In addition, even when the number of states that can be set or selected is large in an item related to the operation of the apparatus, an area for displaying all the states that can be selected is newly opened, so that a desired state can be selected among various states without error.

It will be apparent to those skilled in the art that various modifications and variations can be made in the present invention without departing from the spirit or scope of the invention as defined in the appended claims. Addition or the like.

100: Washing machine 124: Water supply valve
127: Drain pump 150: Operation panel
151: input unit 152: output unit
160: control unit 165: sensor

Claims (17)

A plurality of areas for displaying items related to the operation of the device; And an indicator for indicating a state set for each item,
Wherein at least one of the plurality of areas includes at least one of a text and a figure describing an item of the area; And a third area including an object linked to the instruction to separately display a second area including at least two states that can be selected for the item of the area,
Wherein the first indicator for the first area indicates a relationship between a state set in the item and two or more states that can be selected for the item by a position having a different color or different concentration from the first area Features output screen. The method according to claim 1,
Wherein the first indicator has a shape of a line or an area. The method according to claim 1,
Wherein the first indicator is expressed in a line form on an edge forming a boundary of the corresponding first area. The method of claim 3,
Wherein the first region is rectangular and the first indicator is displayed on a portion of one long side of the rectangle. The method according to claim 1,
Wherein the first indicator has a size to indicate a number of states that can be selected for the item. The method according to claim 1,
Each of the states not selected from the at least two states that can be selected for the item has the same size as the first indicator and is expressed to have a different color or a different concentration from the first indicator. The method according to claim 6,
Wherein two or more states that can be selected for the item are respectively classified into a neighboring state and an empty space. The method according to claim 1,
Wherein the state indicated by the first indicator is selected by the user in the separately displayed second area or determined basically for the item. 9. The method of claim 8,
Wherein the first area includes text or graphics indicating the set or set state. The method according to claim 1,
Wherein the second area is displayed on another first area immediately adjacent to the first area. The method according to claim 1,
And the display position of at least one other first area is changed when the second area is displayed. The method according to claim 1,
Wherein the second region is divided into a fourth region of the number of states that can be selected for the item and each of the fourth regions includes text or graphics indicating a state selected by the region. . 13. The method of claim 12,
And the fourth region selected in the second region has a color or a density of the first indicator. The method according to claim 1,
Wherein the object is a text or a figure describing the item. The method according to claim 1,
Wherein the object is a figure indicating a direction in which the second area is to be displayed. The method according to claim 1,
Wherein the first area is an area for displaying or setting an item related to the basic function of the device and the remaining area among the plurality of areas is an area for displaying or setting an item related to the additional function Output screen. A cabinet forming an appearance of the main body of the washing machine;
A water storage tank installed inside the washing machine to receive wash water;
A washing tub installed in the water storage tank so as to be rotatable to receive laundry;
A driving unit for transmitting rotational force to the washing tub;
A water supply device for supplying wash water necessary for washing;
A drainage device for draining wash water accommodated in the water storage tank;
An operation panel for receiving a user input for setting washing conditions of the washing machine and displaying an operation state of the washing machine; And
And a control unit for controlling the water supply unit, the drainage unit, and the driving unit to perform washing according to conditions set by a user,
Wherein the display of the operation panel includes a plurality of areas for displaying items related to the operation of the washing machine; And an indicator for indicating a state set for each item,
Wherein at least one of the plurality of areas includes at least one of a text and a figure describing an item of the area; And a third area including an object linked to the instruction to separately display a second area including at least two states that can be selected for the item of the area,
Wherein the first indicator for the first area indicates a relationship between a state set in the item and two or more states that can be selected for the item by a position having a different color or different concentration from the first area Features a washing machine.

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