METHOD OF CONTROLLING COOKER

• US 20090078696A1
• Filed: 01/26/2007
• Published: 03/26/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 01/26/2006
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: LG Electronics, Inc. (LG Corporation)
• Original Assignee: LG Electronics, Inc. (LG Corporation)
• Inventors: Kim, Kyung-Jin, Bae, Jung-Ho
• Application Number:
  US12/159,648
• Publication Number:
  US 20090078696A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 219/506
• CPC Class Codes: F24C 7/082 on ranges, e.g. control panels, illumination

Abstract

The present invention relates to a oven and a method of controlling the same. In a method of controlling a oven for receiving a variety of operating and setting instructions and displaying various kinds of data related to the instructions, which comprises the steps of (A) displaying, by a control module, any one of menu lists included in a menu list image on a display unit to be relatively larger than the other menu lists; (B) receiving, by an input unit, an instruction to select any one of the menu lists displayed on the display unit at step (A); (C) displaying, by the control module, the menu list selected at step (B) on the display unit to be relatively larger than the other menu lists; (D) receiving, the input unit, an instruction to select any one of menus included in the menu list selected at step (B); (E) displaying, by the control module, a cooking method and image for the menu selected at step (D) on the display unit; (F) receiving, by the input unit, a cooking start instruction; and (G) performing a cooking operation in accordance with the cooking method for the menu selected at step (D) by means of the cooking start instruction received by the input unit at step (F). According to the present invention, there are advantages in that an item to be set can be easily discriminated and accurately selected, a cooking method can be easily discriminated and food can be easily cooked accordingly, and a variety of settings can be made according to users.

Claims

1. A method of controlling a oven for receiving a variety of operating and setting instructions and displaying various kinds of data related to the instructions, the method comprising the steps of:

(A) displaying, by a control module, any one of menu lists included in a menu list image on a display unit to be relatively larger than the other menu lists;

(B) receiving, by an input unit, an instruction to select any one of the menu lists displayed on the display unit at step (A);

(C) displaying, by the control module, the menu list selected at step (B) on the display unit to be relatively larger than the other menu lists;

(D) receiving, the input unit, an instruction to select any one of menus included in the menu list selected at step (B);

(E) displaying, by the control module, a cooking method and image for the menu selected at step (D) on the display unit;

(F) receiving, by the input unit, a cooking start instruction; and

(G) performing a cooking operation in accordance with the cooling method for the menu selected at step (D) by means of the cooking start instruction received by the input unit at step (F).

2. A method of controlling a oven for receiving a variety of operating and setting instructions and displaying various kinds of data related to the instructions, the method comprising the steps of:

(A) displaying, by a control module, any one of menu setting items included in a menu setting image on a display unit to be relatively larger than an equally divided area of an entire display area and displaying the other menu setting items in equally divided areas of a remaining display area, respectively;

(B) receiving, by an input unit, an instruction to select any one of the menu setting items displayed on the display unit at step (A); and

(C) displaying, by the control module, the menu setting item selected at step (B) on the display unit to be relatively larger than the equally divided area of the entire display area and displaying the other menu setting items in equally divided areas of a remaining display area, respectively.

4. The method as claimed in claim 2, wherein step (B) comprises the steps of:

(B1) displaying, by the control module, an initial value on each of the item display areas assigned to the display unit;

(B2) receiving, by the input unit, an instruction to input an item value displayed in the item display area;

(B3) displaying, by the control module, the item value input at step (B2) on the item display area; and

(B4) storing, by the control module, the item value input at step (B2) in a storage unit.

5. The method as claimed in claim 4, wherein step (B3) comprises the steps of:

(B31) receiving, by the input unit, an instruction to change an item displayed on the item display area into another item;

(B32) displaying, by the control module, a list of items on the item display area in accordance with the item change instruction input at step (B31); and

(B33) receiving, by the input unit, an instruction to select one item in the item list displayed at step (B32).

6. The method as claimed in claim 5, wherein step (B31) comprises the steps of:

(B311) receiving, by the input unit, an instruction to request registering a menu including an item with a changed item value;

(B312) receiving, by the input unit, an instruction to input a new menu name of a menu which will be registered in accordance with the menu registration instruction; and

(B313) storing, by the control module the menu including the item with the item value changed at step (B311) in the storage unit.

7. The method as claimed in claim 2, further comprising the steps of:

(D) receiving, by the input unit, a cooking start instruction in accordance with the selected menu item;

(E) performing, by the control module, a cooking operation in accordance with the item value stored in the menu item selected at step (B) by means of the cooking start instruction received by the input unit at step (D); and

(F) displaying, by the control module, a current cooking state on the display unit.

3. A method of controlling a oven for receiving a variety of operating and setting instructions and displaying various kinds of data related to the instructions, the method comprising the steps of:

(A) displaying, by a control module, any one of menu setting items included in a menu setting image on a display unit to be placed on two of equally divided areas obtained by equally dividing an entire display area into the number of menu setting items plus 1 (one) and displaying the other menu setting items to be placed on the remaining item display areas, respectively;

(B) receiving, by an input unit, an instruction to select any one of the menu setting items displayed on the display unit at step (A); and

(C) displaying, by the control module, the menu setting item selected at step (B) on the display unit to be placed on the two equally divided areas and displaying the other menu setting items to be placed on the remaining item display areas, respectively.

8. A method of controlling a oven for receiving a variety of operating and setting instructions and displaying various kinds of data related to the instructions, the method comprising the steps of:

(A) receiving, by an input unit, a menu mode selection instruction;

(B) displaying, by a control module, a menu list stored in a storage unit on a display unit in accordance with the menu mode selection instruction received by the input unit at step (A);

(C) receiving, by the input unit, an instruction to select any one menu in the menu list displayed on the display unit at step (B);

(D) displaying, by the control module, a cooking method and image for the menu received by the input unit at step (C) on the display unit;

(E) receiving, by the input unit, a cooking start instruction; and

(F) performing, by the control module, a cooking operation in accordance with the cooking method for the menu displayed on the display unit at step (D) by means of the cooking start instruction received by the input unit at step (E).

9. The method as claimed in claim 8, wherein the image includes at least one of a still image, a moving image and an avatar, which are related to the menu or cooking method.

10. The method as claimed in claim 8, wherein the cooking method displayed on the display unit at step (D) includes at least one of heating intensity, heating method, heating temperature and heating time for each cooking stage.

11. The method as claimed in claim 8, wherein step (F) comprises the steps of:

(F1) receiving, by the input unit, an instruction to select any one of stages;

(F2) determining, by the control module, whether the input unit has received an instruction to select any one of stages at step (F1); and

(F3) performing, by the control module, a cooking operation at the selected stage by means of the stage selection instruction received by the input unit at step (F2).

12. The method as claimed in claim 11, wherein step (F) further comprises the steps of:

(F4) receiving, by the input unit, a cooking start instruction for the next stage if the stage performed at step (F3) is ended;

(F5) determining, by the control module, whether the input unit has received the cooking start instruction for the next stage at step (F4); and

(F6) performing, by the control module, a cooking operation for the next stage, except if the input unit has received an instruction to stop the cooking operation for the next stage at step (F4).

13. The method as claimed in claim 8, wherein step (F) comprises the steps of:

(F1) if the input unit receives the cooking start instruction, detecting data including weight of food put into a cooking chamber and temperature, pressure and humidity in the cooking chamber and changing the cooking method, by the control module, when at least one or more of the detected data are different from those of the cooking method of the selected menu; and

(F2) performing the cooking operation in accordance with the cooking method changed at step (F1).

14. A method of controlling a oven for receiving a variety of operating and setting instructions and displaying various kinds of data related to the instructions, the method comprising the steps of:

(A1) displaying, by a control module, a list of at least one or more menu pages stored in a storage unit on a display unit;

(A2) receiving, by an input unit, an instruction to select any one menu page among the menu page list displayed on the display unit at step (A1); and

(A3) displaying, by the control module, information on the menu page selected at step (A2) on the display unit, the menu page including a name of the menu page, an avatar corresponding to the menu page name, a menu and a cooking method for the menu.

17. The method as claimed in claim 14, wherein the image includes at least any one of a still image and a moving image.

18. The method as claimed in claim 14, further comprising the steps of:

(A4) receiving, by the input unit, an instruction to select any one menu in a list of menus in the menu page displayed on the display unit at step (A3);

(A5) receiving, by the input unit, an instruction to start a cooking operation for the menu selected at step (A4); and

(A6) performing, by the control module, the cooking operation in accordance with the cooking method for the menu by means of the cooking start instruction received by the input unit at step (A5).

15. A method of controlling a oven for receiving a variety of operating and setting instructions and displaying various kinds of data related to the instructions, the method comprising the steps of:

(A1) displaying, by a control module, a list of at least one or more menu pages stored in a storage unit on a display unit;

(B1) receiving, by an input unit, an instruction to request registering a new menu page except the menu pages in the menu page list displayed on the display unit at step (A1);

(B2) receiving, by the input unit, a menu page name of the new menu page;

(B3) registering and storing, by the control module, the menu page name of the new menu page received by the input unit at step (B2) into the menu page list stored in the storage unit;

(B4) receiving, by the input unit, information on the new menu page registered in the menu page list at step (B3), the new menu page including an image corresponding to the new menu page, a menu and a cooking method for the menu; and

(B5) registering and storing, by the control module, the information on the new menu page received by the input unit at step (B4) into the storage unit.

19. The method as claimed in claim 15, wherein step (B4) comprises the steps of:

(B41) receiving, by the input unit, information on a user which is used as the page menu name of the new menu page received by the input unit at step (B3); and

(B42) registering and storing, by the control module, the menu page name received by the input unit at step (B41) into the storage unit.

20. The method as claimed in claim 19, wherein step (B4) further comprises the steps of:

(B43) receiving, by the input unit, an instruction to register an additional menu other than menus included in the menu page of which menu page name is stored in the storage unit at step (B42);

(B44) receiving, by the input unit, a menu name and cooking method for the menu added at step (B43); and

(B45) registering and storing, by the control module, the menu name and cooking method for the menu received by the input unit at step (B44) into the storage unit.

21. The method as claimed in claim 20, wherein step (B45) comprises the steps of:

(B451) receiving, by the input unit, cooking information about each cooking stage; and

(B452) registering and storing, by the control module, the cooking information about each cooking stage received by the input unit at step (B451) into the storage unit.

22. The method as claimed in claim 21, wherein step (B45) further comprises the steps of:

(B453) receiving, by the input unit, a stage advance instruction to change go from the stage stored in the storage unit at step (B452) to a next stage;

(B454) initializing a stage item and displaying a stage with an increased stage number on the display unit, by the control module, in response to the stage advance instruction received by the input unit at step (B453);

(B455) receiving, by the input unit, cooking information about the stage displayed on the display unit at step (B454); and

(B456) registering and storing, by the control module, the cooking information about the stage received by the input unit at step (B455) into the storage unit.

23. The method as claimed in claim 19, wherein the user information received by the input unit at step (B41) includes at least any one of family'"'"'s birthday and anniversary and a schedule for an event.

16. A method of controlling a oven for receiving a variety of operating and setting instructions and displaying various kinds of data related to the instructions, the method comprising the steps of:

(A1) displaying, by a control module, a list of at least one or more menu pages stored in a storage unit on a display unit;

(A2) receiving, by an input unit, an instruction to select any one menu page among the menu page list displayed on the display unit at step (A1);

(A3) displaying, by the control module, information on the menu page selected at step (A2) on the display unit, the menu page including a name of the menu page, an avatar corresponding to the menu page name, a menu and a cooking method for the menu;

(B1) receiving, by an input unit, an instruction to request registering a new menu page except the menu pages in the menu page list displayed on the display unit at step (A1);

(B2) receiving, by the input unit, a menu page name of the new menu page;

(B3) registering and storing, by the control module, the menu page name of the new menu page received by the input unit at step (B2) into the menu page list stored in the storage unit;

(B4) receiving, by the input unit, information on the new menu page registered in the menu page list at step (B3), the new menu page including an image corresponding to the new menu page, a menu and a cooking method for the menu; and

(B5) registering and storing, by the control module, the information on the new menu page received by the input unit at step (B4) into the storage unit.