Washing machine, display/operation panel, and household appliance with the display/operation panel

• US 6,626,013 B2
• Filed: 04/25/2001
• Issued: 09/30/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 02/28/2001
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Hitachi, Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Hitachi, Ltd.
• Inventors: Takagishi, Katuhumi, Ohta, Yoshihiro, Koike, Toshifumi, Nagano, Yosuke
• Primary Examiner(s): Coe, Philip R.
• Application Number:
  US09/841,607
• Publication Number:
  US 20020116959A1
• Time in Patent Office: 888 Days
• Field of Search: 68/122.7
• US Class Current: 68/12.27
• CPC Class Codes: D06F 2101/14 Time settings
• CPC Class Codes: D06F 2101/20 Operation modes, e.g. delicate laundry washing programs, service modes or refreshment cycles
• CPC Class Codes: D06F 2103/04 Quantity, e.g. weight or variation of weight
• CPC Class Codes: D06F 2103/18 Washing liquid level
• CPC Class Codes: D06F 2105/02 Water supply
• CPC Class Codes: D06F 2105/58 Indications or alarms to the control system or to the user
• CPC Class Codes: D06F 2105/60 Audible signals
• CPC Class Codes: D06F 34/32 characterised by graphical features, e.g. touchscreens

Abstract

A washing machine in which a plurality of display image parts (ID=0 to 9) are disposed and displayed, on the basis of a display/arrangement structure, on the display surface of a display unit in which a transparent pressure-type touch panel is mounted, so as to form a display/operation unit which enables display and operation/instruction by depression. Thus, a user can change the layout of the display/operation unit and washing operations freely.

Claims

1. A washing machine comprising:

display means in which a transparent pressure-type touch panel is mounted on a display surface; and

storage means for storing a plurality of display image parts including at least a start button for instructing a start of washing and a plurality of display arrangement structures in which combinations of said display image parts and arrangements of said display image parts including said start button on said display surface are described; and

selection means for selecting at least one display arrangement structure from said plurality of display arrangement structures;

wherein a plurality of said display image parts including at least said start button are disposed and displayed by said display means on the basis of said at least one display arrangement structure optionally selected by said selection means so as to form display/operation means which enables display and operation/instruction by depression, and actions of said washing machine can be set by said display/operation means.

2. A washing machine according to claim 1, wherein said plurality of display arrangement structures describe a plurality of tree structures designating dependent relations and parallel relations among said display image parts.

3. A washing machine according to claim 1, wherein information for display positions on said display surface of said display means, sizes, dot picture image data and start addresses of said dot picture image data are stored as information for display corresponding to said display image parts.

4. A washing machine according to claim 1, wherein information indicating actions are stored corresponding to said plurality of said display image parts.

5. A washing machine according to claim 1, wherein information for display positions on said display surface of said display means, sizes, dot picture image data and start addresses of said dot picture image data are stored as information for display corresponding to said display image parts, and wherein information indicating actions are stored as information for actions along with said information for display corresponding to display image parts the depression areas of which are assigned on said pressure-type touch panel.

6. A washing machine according to claim 1, further comprising:

electrically rewritable storage means as said storage means for storing said plurality of display image parts and said plurality of display arrangement structures; and

data communication means for taking, into said storage means, display image parts or display arrangement structures transmitted from the outside of said washing machine.

7. A washing machine according to claim 6, wherein said data communication means is non-contact data reading means for reading data in a non-contact manner.

8. A display/operation panel comprising:

display means in which a transparent pressure-type touch panel is mounted on a display surface;

storage means for storing a plurality of display image parts including at least a start button for instructing a start and a plurality of display arrangement structures in which combinations of said display image parts and arrangements of said display image parts including said start button on said display surface are described; and

selection means for selecting at least one display arrangement structure from said plurality of display arrangement structures;

wherein a plurality of said display image parts including at least said start button are disposed and displayed by said display means on the basis of said at least one display arrangement structure optionally selected by said selection means so as to enable display and operation/instruction by depression.

9. A household appliance comprising:

display means in which a transparent pressure-type touch panel is mounted on a display surface;

storage means for storing a plurality of display image parts including at least a start button for instructing a start and a plurality of display arrangement structures in which combinations of said display image parts and arrangements of said display image parts including said start button on said display surface are described; and

selection means for selecting at least one display arrangement from said plurality of display arrangement structures;

wherein a plurality of said display image parts are disposed and displayed by said display means on the basis of said at least one display arrangement structure optionally selected by said selection means so as to form display/operation means which enables display and operation/instruction by depression, and actions can be set by said display/operation means.