Apparatus and method for inputting and displaying data for refrigerator

• US 20020003531A1
• Filed: 06/18/2001
• Published: 01/10/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 06/19/2000
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: LG Electronics, Inc. (LG Corporation)
• Original Assignee: LG Electronics, Inc. (LG Corporation)
• Inventors: Kim, Tae-Young, Kim, Jong-Jin, Kang, Jae-Moon
• Granted Patent: US 6,950,095 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 345/173
• CPC Class Codes: F25D 2400/361 Interactive visual displays
• CPC Class Codes: F25D 29/00 Arrangement or mounting of control or safety devices

Abstract

The present invention relates to an apparatus and method for inputting and displaying data for a refrigerator, and more particularly, to an apparatus and method for inputting and displaying data for a refrigerator wherein various data can be inputted and displayed in the form of images using a touchscreen. To this end, in the present invention the input and display of the characters are not made in a manner that the characters for forming the data are inputted but made in the form of the images corresponding to the characters. Thus, the input and display of the data can be performed regardless of the languages, and the regions and countries where the refrigerators are used. Accordingly, the present invention has an advantage in that the information on various data can be conveniently obtained without limitations on the function, used time and language for inputting the characters.

Claims

1. An apparatus for inputting and displaying data for a refrigerator, comprising:

a touchscreen mounted on a front surface of the refrigerator for inputting the data in the form of images that a user has written or drawn;

a memory means for storing the image data written or drawn on the touchscreen; and

a control means for performing control of displaying the image data stored in the memory means on the touchscreen or of storing the image data, which are inputted through the touchscreen, into the memory means.

2. An apparatus for inputting and displaying data for a refrigerator, comprising:

a touchscreen mounted on a front surface of the refrigerator for inputting information on foods stored in the refrigerator in the form of images;

a memory means for storing the image data on the stored foods inputted through the touchscreen; and

a control means for performing control of displaying the image data on the stored foods, which are stored in the memory means, on the touchscreen or of storing the image data on the stored foods, which are inputted through the touchscreen, into the memory means.

3. The apparatus for inputting and displaying the data for the refrigerator as claimed in claim 2, wherein the memory means stores the image data on the stored foods into storage areas which are divided into ones respectively corresponding to a plurality of food storage chambers provided in the refrigerator.

4. A method for inputting and displaying data for a refrigerator in which a touchscreen is mounted on a front surface of the refrigerator and data storage areas divided into ones respectively corresponding to a plurality of food storage chambers in the refrigerator are allocated, comprising the steps of:

displaying the plurality of the food storage chambers on the touchscreen;

selecting an arbitrary food storage chamber among the food storage chambers displayed on the touchscreen;

inputting information on foods stored in the refrigerator in the form of image data through the touchscreen; and

storing the image data on the stored foods into the data storage areas corresponding to the selected food storage chambers.

5. The method for inputting and displaying the data for the refrigerator as claimed in claim 4, wherein when the food storage chambers are displayed in the displaying step, the image data on the stored foods which are stored in the data storage areas corresponding to the respective food storage chambers are simultaneously displayed.

6. The method for inputting and displaying the data for the refrigerator as claimed in claim 5, further comprising a step of selecting some image data to be deleted from the image data on the stored foods displayed on the touchscreen and deleting the selected image data.

7. A method for inputting and displaying data for a refrigerator with a touchscreen mounted on a front surface thereof, comprising the steps of:

monitoring touch action of a user made on the touchscreen;

when a schedule management function is touched through the touchscreen, displaying a calendar corresponding to a relevant month on the touchscreen;

when a specific date region of the displayed calendar is touched, providing an input screen for inputting image data on schedules and daily life information at the specific date into an address allocated for the touched date region;

inputting the image data on the schedules and the daily life information into the input screen by a user;

storing the image data on the schedules and the daily life information written through the touchscreen into the address allocated for the touched date region; and

when the present date is consistent with the date corresponding to the image data on the schedules and the daily life information, displaying the image data on a first screen of the relevant date upon display thereof.

8. The method for inputting and displaying the data for the refrigerator as claimed in claim 7, wherein schedule input display images are displayed in the date region in which the image data on the schedules and the daily life information is inputted.

9. The method for inputting and displaying the data for the refrigerator as claimed in claim 7, wherein in a case where the inputted schedules are repeated in a predetermined cycle, the method further comprises the steps of:

inputting the repetition cycle;

determining whether a date on which the schedules are due depends on a solar calendar or a lunar calendar;

calculating the next relevant date based on the repetition cycle and according to one of the solar and lunar calendars;

storing the calculated date into a memory; and

when the present date is consistent with the calculated date, displaying the stored schedules on a main screen of the touchscreen.