Cooking apparatus having display unit and item selection unit

• US 6,097,016 A
• Filed: 03/30/1999
• Issued: 08/01/2000
• Est. Priority Date: 03/30/1998
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Sharp Kabushiki Kaisha (Hon Hai Precision Industry Co., Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: Sharp Kabushiki Kaisha (Hon Hai Precision Industry Co., Ltd.)
• Inventors: Ito, Kyoko, Hirata, Kengo, Kawaguchi, Shyuzi, Ikeda, Tadahito, Takashige, Yutaka, Otani, Hideaki
• Primary Examiner(s): Walberg, Teresa
• Assistant Examiner(s): PWU, JEFFREY C
• Application Number:
  US09/281,002
• Time in Patent Office: 490 Days
• Field of Search: 219/720, 219/702, 219/713, 219/714, 219/716, 219/721, 219/725, 219/506, 340/365, 341/23, 99/325, 364/477
• US Class Current: 219/720
• CPC Class Codes: A47J 36/32 Time-controlled igniting mechanisms or alarm devices
• CPC Class Codes: F24C 7/085 on baking ovens
• CPC Class Codes: F24C 7/086 touch control
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 6/6435 Aspects relating to the user interface of the microwave heating apparatus

Abstract

A cooking apparatus has a display and a selector for selecting an item displayed on the display. The display displays one screen after another so as to correspond to one item after another selected thereon. The cooking apparatus further has a bookmark attachment requester for requesting attachment of a bookmark to a specific screen displayed on the display unit, a storage for storing data related to the bookmarked screen, a bookmarked screen display requesting member for requesting display of the bookmarked screens and a display controller for displaying the bookmarked screen in accordance with the data stored in the storage in response to a request from the bookmarked screen display requester.

Claims

1. A cooking apparatus having a display unit and a selector for selecting an item displayed on the display unit, the display unit displaying one screen after another so as to correspond to one item after another selected thereon, comprising:

a bookmark attachment requesting member for requesting attachment of a bookmark to a specific screen displayed on the display unit;

a memory for storing data related to the bookmarked screen;

a bookmarked screen display requesting member for requesting display of the bookmarked screen; and

a display controller for displaying the bookmarked screen in accordance with the data stored in the memory in response to a request from the bookmarked screen display requesting member.

2. The cooking apparatus of claim 1, wherein a single member is shared as both the bookmark attachment requesting member and the bookmarked screen display requesting member, and a signal output from the single member when the specific screen is displayed on the display unit is used as a signal that requests attachment of the bookmark.

3. The cooking apparatus of claim 1, wherein an indication symbol is displayed on the bookmarked screen to indicate that the screen is bookmarked.

4. The cooking apparatus of claim 1, wherein the bookmarked screen display requesting member is operated to display a list of titles of bookmarked screens and the selector is operable to select and display one of the bookmarked screens included in the list.

5. A cooking apparatus having a display unit and a selector for selecting an item displayed on the display unit, the display unit displaying one screen after another so as to correspond to one item after another selected thereon, comprising:

an index key for displaying, as items displayed on the display unit, a list of names of groups into which cooking menus are classified by a first letter of the cooking menus; and

a display controller for displaying a list of cooking menus belonging to a group selected by the selector.

6. A cooking apparatus having an operation panel including a display unit and a data entry unit, the data entry unit controlling switching of screens displayed on the display unit, the data entry unit comprising:

data entry keys that are individually operable; and

a transparent touch panel laid over a front surface of the display unit for entering cooking conditions,

the display unit interactively switching the screens displayed responsive to operation of the touch panel,

the touch panel including

transparent substrate having a first transparent electrode formed thereon,

a flexible transparent film having, a second transparent electrode formed thereon, the transparent film being laid over the transparent substrate and bonded thereto at edges of the transparent substrate, an air layer being formed between the transparent substrate and the transparent film with the first and second transparent electrodes facing each other,

a connector for connecting to one end of a key cable the key cable, having a second end connected to a control circuit in the touch panel, and

an air passage near the connector for providing an air flow path into and out of the air layer.

7. The cooking apparatus of claim 6, wherein a touch surface of the touch panel is divided into an active area in which a touch is recognized and an inactive area in which a touch is not recognized, the active and inactive areas are assigned differently on different screens displayed on the display unit.

8. The cooking apparatus of claim 7, wherein a boundary figure is displayed around the active area on the touch panel to indicate a boundary of the active area.

9. The cooking apparatus of claim 8, wherein the active area has a larger area than the boundary figure.

10. The cooking apparatus of claim 6, wherein the touch panel is operable with a weaker pressing force than the individually operated data entry keys.

11. The cooking apparatus of claim 6, wherein the control circuit is disposed on a rear surface of the operation panel,

a recess in which the touch panel is housed being formed in a front surface of the operation panel and an opening through which the key cable is placed is formed in the recess so that the air passage communicates with a space behind the operation panel through the opening.

12. The cooking apparatus of claim 6, wherein a touch panel check mode for checking data entry from the touch panel and display on the display unit is provided, the touch panel check mode is started by operating the data entry unit in a predetermined manner.

13. The cooking apparatus of claim 12, wherein a function check mode for checking portions of the touch panel different from portions checked in the touch panel check mode is provided, the function check mode being selectable to be started independently Or Subsequently to the touch panel check mode.

14. The cooking apparatus of claim 6, wherein a data entry inhibition mode is provided in which at least a part of the data entry unit is disabled.

15. The cooking apparatus of claim 14, wherein, when the data entry inhibition mode is started an indication indicating that the data entry inhibition mode is in effect is displayed on the display unit.

16. The cooking apparatus of claim 14, wherein, when the data entry inhibition mode is started, a message informing how to cancel the data entry inhibition mode is displayed on the display unit.

17. The cooking apparatus of claim 14, wherein the data entry inhibition mode is used as a cleaning mode.

18. A method of displaying bookmarked screens on a display unit of a cooking apparatus, comprising the steps of:

a) displaying one screen after another responsive to selection of items on the screens;

b) attaching a bookmark to specific screens responsive to bookmark requests;

c) storing data related to the bookmarked screens; and

d) displaying the bookmarked screens in accordance with the stored data responsive to bookmarked screen display requests.

19. The method of displaying bookmarked screens of claim 18, wherein said step d) comprises displaying an indication symbol on the bookmarked screens indicative that the screens are bookmarked.

20. The method of displaying bookmarked screens of claim 18, wherein said step d) comprises displaying a list of bookmarked screens responsive to a bookmarked screen display request and displaying bookmarked screens responsive to selection from the list.

21. A method of displaying cooking menus on a display unit of a cooking apparatus, comprising the steps of:

a) displaying one screen after another responsive to selection of items on the screens;

b) displaying a list of names of groups into which cooking menus are classified by a first letter of the cooking menus, responsive to an index display request; and

c) displaying a list of cooking menus belonging, to a selected group responsive to selection from the list of names of groups.

22. The method of displaying cooking menus of claim 21, further comprising the step of:

d) displaying a selected cooking menu responsive to selection from the list of cooking menus.

23. The method of displaying cooking, menus of claim 21, wherein said step b) comprises displaying the list of names of groups alphabetically.