Dishwasher having avatar display portion

• US 20070107754A1
• Filed: 06/30/2006
• Published: 05/17/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 06/30/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: LG Electronics, Inc. (LG Corporation)
• Original Assignee: LG Electronics, Inc. (LG Corporation)
• Inventors: Jeong, Seong, Ahn, Byung
• Granted Patent: US 7,658,806 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 134/58.D
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 15/4293 Arrangements for programme selection, e.g. control panels; Indication of the selected programme, programme progress or other parameters of the programme, e.g. by using display panels

Abstract

A dishwasher having an avatar display portion is provided. The dishwasher includes a tub for housing dishes, a pump for forcing wash water into the tub, a system microcomputer for controlling loads of the dishwasher including the pump and controlling an avatar image display operation, and a display unit including an avatar display portion for displaying a selected avatar image according to an operating state and a load state of the dishwasher under control of the system microcomputer.

Claims

1. A dishwasher having an avatar display portion, the dishwasher comprising:

a tub for housing dishes;

a pump for forcing wash water into the tub;

a system microcomputer for controlling loads of the dishwasher including the pump and controlling an avatar image display operation; and

a display unit including an avatar display portion for displaying a selected avatar image according to an operating state and a load state of the dishwasher under control of the system microcomputer.

2. The dishwasher according to claim 1, wherein the display unit further includes an operation display portion for displaying operating state information of the dishwasher.

3. The dishwasher according to claim 2, wherein a screen of the operation display portion and a screen of the avatar display portion are displayed on a single display panel.

4. The dishwasher according to claim 3, wherein the avatar image and the operating state information are simultaneously displayed on separate areas on the display panel or are repeatedly and sequentially displayed over an entire area of the display panel.

5. The dishwasher according to claim 2, wherein a screen of the operation display portion and a screen of the avatar display portion are displayed on two separate display panels, respectively.

6. The dishwasher according to claim 2, wherein a screen of the avatar display portion is displayed on an LCD panel and a screen of the operation display portion is displayed on an LED panel.

7. The dishwasher according to claim 1, wherein the system microcomputer controls motion of an avatar according to operating states of the dishwasher including wash, rinse, and dry operating states.

8. The dishwasher according to claim 7, wherein the system microcomputer controls motion of an avatar according to changes in operating states of loads of the dishwasher including the pump.

9. The dishwasher according to claim 1, further comprising a key input unit having an avatar control key used to input a user selection signal for avatar image processing.

10. The dishwasher according to claim 1, further comprising an avatar information storage for storing avatars to be displayed on the avatar display portion.

11. The dishwasher according to claim 1, wherein avatar information is downloaded using a wireless connection function.

12. The dishwasher according to claim 1, further comprising a communication interface block for connection to an external device to download avatar information.

13. The dishwasher according to claim 11, wherein the avatar information is searched for or created according to a user selection.

19. The dishwasher according to claim 12, wherein the avatar information is searched for or created according to a user selection.

14. A dishwasher having an avatar display portion, the dishwasher comprising:

a tub for housing dishes;

a pump for forcing wash water into the tub;

a system microcomputer for controlling loads of the dishwasher including the pump;

a display microcomputer for controlling an avatar image display operation; and

a display unit including an avatar display portion for displaying a selected avatar image according to an operating state and a load state of the dishwasher under control of the display microcomputer.

15. The dishwasher according to claim 14, wherein the display microcomputer includes a first controller for controlling a display operation of the avatar display portion and a second controller for controlling a display operation of the operation display portion.

16. The dishwasher according to claim 15, further comprising first and second display drivers for driving the avatar display portion and the operation display portion.

17. The dishwasher according to claim 14, wherein the display microcomputer controls motion of an avatar according to operating states of the dishwasher including wash, rinse, and dry operating states.

18. The dishwasher according to claim 17, wherein the display microcomputer controls motion of an avatar according to changes in operating states of loads of the dishwasher including the pump.