WO2009117795A2

WO2009117795A2 - Household appliance with function-selection touch-screen

Info

Publication number: WO2009117795A2
Application number: PCT/BR2009/000082
Authority: WO
Inventors: Lizandro Maciel Chrestenzen; Mayra Camargo Laska; Gustavo Eugênio Monteiro SINDEAUX
Original assignee: Electrolux Do Brasil S -A
Priority date: 2008-03-24
Filing date: 2009-03-24
Publication date: 2009-10-01
Also published as: WO2009117795A3; BRPI0801036A2

Abstract

The invention pertains to a function-selection device for household appliances, notably for the so-called 'white line', with a touch-screen to select operational options from a 'menu'. Said screen has a rigid surface, which reads fingertips' touches, working as an interface between the user and the operational options of household appliances, notably for the well- known 'white line', also conferring a differentiated aesthetic effect and facilitating the cleaning as there are not grooves or openings to accumulate dirt.

Description

HOUSEHOLD APPLIANCE WITH FUNCTION-SELECTION

TOUCH-SCREEN

Field of the Invention

This invention is related to a function-selection device for household appliances, by means of which it is possible to combine parameters and set an specific machine-behavior. Description of the Related Art Background of the Invention Traditionally, household appliances provide a selection panel, with a function-selection panel, in which all operational options are displayed, and they can be selected by means of keys, levers or knobs or by a combination of such controls, which are to be manually selected by the user. Examples of said mechanism are stoves and washing machines' knobs. Such presentation provides a visually and aesthetically polluted panel, and also limits the appliance's autonomy and workableness. Additionally, the knobs, dials, levers and keys are, generally, mechanically controlled, which limits options' control and selection, and are difficult to clean as they accumulate dirt in small orifices and grooves. The selection of operational options can be easier with the adoption of 'menus', which allow scrolling among different operational modes, in a hierarchical structure, with the different operational possibilities under categories. However, in order to make such alternative feasible, the panel must allow interactivity between the user and the 'menu', which is not compatible with the traditional knobs, levers, dials or keys. Thus, the use of screen-touch technology becomes enormously useful, as it provides a friendly interface between the user and the appliance, and easy access to operational options, in a hierarchical structure, under categories previously set by a programming adequate for each kind of equipment. The screen-touch panels allow the selection of the desired option, using the user's fingertips or a device such as a pen. The screen-touch panels are a well-known technology, and they are frequently used in portable media players, such as the 'iPods', or notebooks, also referred to as 'laptops'. They allow the correspondence of a movement or position on the surface, transmitting such information to an interface with the user. They also allow the selection of a certain option with a single touch on the surface, corresponding to a selection on the screen-interface with the user. Touch-screens may operate in several different ways, in order to recognize and interpret the presence and location of a touch or object on the panel's surface. The Cartesian coordinate system is used to monitor the position of said object, being the user's fingertip or an accessory such as a rod or pen - while moving on the panel's surface. Such system is generally presented as a bi-dimensional coordinates' system (x,y), where the coordinated of a certain point are the distances of two intersections, normally straight perpendicular lines, measured along the straight lines, in parallel to the intersection lines.

The touch- screens usually have one or more sensors to detect the proximity of the object moving on the surface. Said sensors may be based on several different technologies, such as resistive sensors, acoustic sensors, pressure sensors, optical sensors, capacitive sensors and other similar sensors. Generally, they are dispersed throughout the panel, each sensor representing a 'x,y' position, forming, in many cases, a grid of columns and lines. The distinct signals from the 'x,y' positions are generated by the movement of the object on the panel's surface, running on the grid of sensors which are part of the panel. In order to simplify the discussion, we have summarized the discussion to the capacitive-sensor technology. However, it is important to have in mind that other technologies have very similar presentations and effects. Capacitive touch-screens have many layers of material, including, at least, one layer of electrodes, a protective layer and a circuit plate. Typically, the protective layer covers the layer of electrodes, which is, generally, placed at the front of the circuit plate, and the protective layer is the surface the user touches, when handling the interface. The layer of electrodes, on its turn, is used to interpret the 'x,y' position of the object, moving on or touching the panel's surface, the said protective layer. In this case, the electrodes also form a grid of lines and columns, based on the Cartesian coordinate system.

The touch-screen may include electronic sensors to detect signals associated to the electrodes. For example, the electronic sensors may be adapted to perceive the changes in capacitance in each of the electrodes, as the object moves over the grid of lines and columns. Such sensors are generally placed at the circuit plate's rear.

Technical References The document bearing the US7046230B2 patent protects a "touch pad" which senses a fingertip touching or running on the surface, scrolling among menus, selecting different options, limiting the protection exclusively to media players, restricting the scope of use to these specific devices. The North American US4901074 patent disclosed a switch/keyboard layout that includes an ultra-fine and flexible top glass layer, forming a membrane, to be used in household appliances. As shown by its use, in household appliances, it is a keyboard with no touch-screen.

The document US4893942 described a membrane potentiometer control that selects the speed of a processor's motor, from the user's touch. Brief Description of the Invention

The invention describes a touch-screen, which is a rigid surface that responds to the touch or movement of the user's fingertips, serving as interface between the user and the set of operational options for said household appliances, notably to the appliances that belong to the so called 'white line', such as stoves, dish washers, washing machines and ovens. The combination of a screen sensitive to finger touching or running, which are perceived by means of sensors under the panel's rigid surface, such as capacitive sensors, allow the gradual adjustment of potency scales, such as temperature or operation-time or even the selection of items from a wide range of previously set options, as 'menus'. Detailed Description of the Invention This invention describes a touch-screen for household appliances, which perceives the touching or running of fingertips on a surface, configured to provide one or more control options, so that it is possible to select applications to the appliance, such as, for instance, to select the gradual adjustment of a certain parameter or to select a series of options, previously set and categorized under a 'menu' of alternatives. Said screen/panel has a rigid surface, made of glass or plastic, and under such screen/panel sensors are placed. A common example for such touchscreen is the capacitive type, where a series of electrodes are placed in lines and columns, generally based on Cartesian coordinates, interpreting the 'x,y' position of the user's fingertips when such fingertips are resting on a certain point or running on the screen/panel. Furthermore, the panel may include electronic sensors adapted to detect capacitance changes in each and every electrode as fingertips pass over the layer of electrodes. In another option, the screen may perceive and determine the angular and radial positions of the fingertips, in a radial circular movement, rotating or resting on said screen/panel.

The panel may also have its screen configured to display texts and charts associated with, at least, one of the appliance's applications .According to one aspect of the invention, a touch-screen is included in household appliances, notably to appliances of the so called "white line, in order to facilitate the interaction between the user and the device. According to another aspect of the invention, the household appliance has a touch-screen that may recognize and set angular and radial positions of objects rotating or on radial move on the panel, such as user's fingertips. The touch-screen is configured to offer one or more control functions for several applications associated with the household appliance. For example, it can be used to control the flame's intensity or temperature inside the oven or even food cooking times. In another example, it may be used to select the washing time, water temperature, washing cycle, water level and other operational options in a washing machine. Furthermore, in a third example, it may select the operational mode for a microwave oven, combining different options such as cooking time and temperature. The way the screen/panel receives information may significantly vary. In a suggested embodiment, the panel is adapted to receive information from the linear movement of fingertips or an object moving on the panel/screen's surface. In another embodiment, the screen is configured to receive information for a rotating or circular movement of the fingertips or another object moving on said screen. In an additional embodiment, the panel/screen is configured to receive information from the radial movement of fingertips or object moving on the panel's surface. Additionally or alternatively, the touch-screen may be arranged to receive information from fingertips' single touches or an object touching the screen's surface. As an example, it is possible to start the appliance's operation with a single touch on the panel, activating the device as if we were using an ON/OFF key.

In another alternative embodiment the touch-screen may be configured to control the scrolling of all options under a menu, where the fingertip or object moving on the surface may start the function and scroll the options under a menu, on display, when all options are not compatible with the display availability on the screen or when there are several different sets of options to be displayed. In essence, such function allows the display of consecutive data-sets, usually allocated outside the display area. Another alternative embodiment for the touch-screen allows its configuration to understand a rotating or circular movement on the panel's surface as a translation or linear movement, such as the displacement of the list of options on display. In this configuration, the panel is configured to set the angular location, direction, speed and acceleration of the fingertip or object running on the panel's surface, when said object or fingertip moves on the screen's plane surface, that is, the touch-screen, rotating, transforming the information into signals that start the linear movement on the display. In an optional embodiment, the panel interprets the fingertip or object's radial movement, running on the touch-screen, changing it to the translation or linear movement on the display. In this option, the panel is configured to determine the radial location, direction, speed and fingertip or object's acceleration, which runs on the place surface of the touchscreen, radial movement, transforming the information into signals that start the linear movement on the display. In a supplementary configuration, the panel interprets signals, fingertip or object's radial and angular movements, running on the screen/panel's plane surface, transforming them into signals that start the linear movement on the display. The touch-screen is, in general terms, an external surface that is run or touched by fingertips or an object. Below such surface three are sensors arranged to capture information depending on the positioning or movement of the fingertips or object on the surface. Said sensor-arrangement includes a plurality of sensors configured to activate as a finger or an object moves over them. In the simpler case, an electric signal is generated every time there is movement over the sensor. The number of signals in a certain time interval may indicate direction, location, speed and acceleration of the fingertips/object on the screen's surface. That is, a bigger number of signals indicates the user moves his fingers/the object more on the surface. In the majority of cases, the signals are monitored by an electronic interface that converts the signal number, combination or frequency into location, direction, and speed and acceleration information. Such information, then, may be used to execute the control functions on the option display. The positioning of the touch-screen, taking into consideration the entire set/appliance may vary. In the most common example, the panel is placed externally, at the top or front, where the user can easily access it, providing a more comfortable handling. In the majority of cases, the screen is totally exposed, at the user's disposal. Additionally, the screen may be more discreetly placed, in low-relief, on a plane inferior to the appliance's surface. The screen's format may also vary - it may be rectangular, circular, and triangular or in any other form use-adaptable. In general, the external perimeter sets the panel's work limits. Additionally, the screen may include one or more keys, also started by a touch mechanism, configured to perform one or more control functions dedicated to selections or commands associated with the appliance's operations. For instance, the key may be an ON/OFF switch. Moreover, a specific operation, previously set, may be selected, in which a primordial condition is observed, such as water saving, in a washing machine or popcorn cooking in a microwave oven. The position of such keys may considerably vary, they may be placed one next to the other or separately.

While the present invention has been described above in terms of specific embodiments, it is to be understood that the invention is not limited to these disclosed embodiments. Many modifications, additions, alterations and other embodiments of the invention will come to mind to those skilled in the art to which this invention pertains, and which are intended to be and are covered by both this disclosure and the appended claims. It is intended that the scope of the invention should be determined by proper interpretation and construction of the appended claims and their legal equivalents, as understood by those of skills in the art relying upon the disclosure in this specification and the eventual attached drawings.

Although specific terms are used here, they are used in a generic and descriptive way and are not to be seen as limiting.

Claims

CLAIMSHOUSEHOLD APPLIANCE WITH FUNCTION-SELECTIONTOUCH-SCREEN

1. Household appliance characterized by having a touch-screen to handle and select operational options for the household appliance.

2. Household appliance according to claim 1, characterized by having a display that presents operational options for the household appliance and also works as an interface with the user.

3. Touch-screen, according to claim 2, characterized by being configured to present texts associated with, at least, one application of the household appliance.

4. Touch-screen, according to claim 2, characterized by being configured to display charts associated with, at least, one application of the household appliance.

5. Touch-screen, according to claim 1, characterized by having a rigid surface below which there are detection sensors to interpret the movements on said rigid surface.

6. Touch-screen according to claim 1, characterized by having a rigid surface below which there are detection sensors to interpret the touches on said rigid surface.

7. Touch-screen according to claims 5 e 6, characterized by having resistive sensors.

8. Touch-screen according to claims 5 e 6, characterized by having capacitive sensors.

9. Touch-screen according to claims 5 e 6, characterized by having acoustic sensors.

10. Touch-screen according to claims 5 e 6, characterized by having pressure sensors.

11. Touch-screen according to claims 5 e 6, characterized by having optical sensors.

12. Touch-screen according to claims 5 e 6, characterized by being configured to control the selection of items under a menu shown on the display.

13. Touch-screen according to claims 5 e 6, characterized by having, at least, one key configured to perform, at least, one control function dedicated to specifically select the operation of the household appliance.

14. Touch-screen according to claims 5 e 6, characterized by having, at least, one key configured to perform, at least, one command associated with the operation of the household appliance.