Apparatus and method for inputting and displaying data for refrigerator

• US 6,950,095 B2
• Filed: 06/18/2001
• Issued: 09/27/2005
• 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
• Primary Examiner(s): Wu, Xiao
• Assistant Examiner(s): FATAHI YAR, MAHMOUD
• Application Number:
  US09/881,673
• Publication Number:
  US 20020003531A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,562 Days
• Field of Search: 345/173, 345/544, 621/25, 621/26, 700/17
• 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 display unit provided on the refrigerator;

a touchscreen provided on an outer surface of the display unit and configured to receive image data written or drawn on the touchscreen by a user;

a memory device provided within the display unit and configured to store the image data, wherein the memory device comprises a plurality of storage areas corresponding to a respective plurality of storage chambers in the refrigerator; and

a controller provided within the display unit and configured to store the image data input through the touchscreen into the memory device, and to control the touchscreen so as to display the image data on the touch screen.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the memory device is further configured to store the image data input by a user in a corresponding storage area of the memory device.

3. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the controller comprises a processor configured to process a plurality of coordinates corresponding to a plurality of touch signals applied to the touchscreen, and to store or to retrieve corresponding information from a corresponding storage area of the memory device based on said plurality of touch signals.

4. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the controller is further configured to delete image data from the memory device based on a touch signal applied to the touch screen.

5. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the display unit is configured to be mounted on a front surface of the refrigerator.

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

a display unit provided on a surface of the refrigerator;

a touchscreen provided on an outer surface of the display unit and configured to receive information on items stored in the refrigerator in the form of user generated image data;

a memory device provided within the display unit and configured to store the image data on the items stored in the refrigerator input through the touchscreen, wherein the memory device comprises a plurality of storage areas corresponding to a respective plurality of storage chambers in the refrigerator; and

a controller provided within the display unit and configured to control the touchscreen and the memory device so as to display the image data on the items stored in the refrigerator on the touchscreen, and to store the image data on the items stored in the refrigerator into the memory device.

7. The apparatus of claim 6, wherein the memory device comprises a plurality of storage areas which correspond to a respective plurality of storage chambers provided in the refrigerator, and wherein the memory device is configured to store the image data on the items stored in the refrigerator in an appropriate storage area of the memory device.

8. The apparatus of claim 6, wherein the display unit is configured to be mounted on a front surface of the refrigerator.

9. The apparatus of claim 6, wherein the items stored in the refrigerator comprise food items.

10. A method for inputting and displaying data for a refrigerator in which a display unit with a touchscreen provided thereon is provided on the refrigerator and a plurality of data storage areas respectively corresponding to a plurality of storage chambers in the refrigerator are allocated in a memory device provided therein, the method comprising:

displaying the plurality of storage chambers on the touchscreen;

selecting a storage chamber from the plurality of storage chambers displayed on the touchscreen;

receiving user generated image data corresponding to items stored in the refrigerator through the touchscreen; and

storing the image data in a data storage area of the memory device which corresponds to the selected storage chamber.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein displaying the plurality of storage chambers further comprises simultaneously displaying image data on the touchscreen which reflects the items which are stored in the data storage areas corresponding to the respective storage chambers.

12. The method of claim 11, further comprising allowing for selection of some image data to be deleted from the image data displayed on the touchscreen and deleting the selected image data.

13. The method of claim 10, wherein the display unit is configured to be mounted on a front surface of the refrigerator.

14. The method of claim 10, wherein the items stored in the refrigerator comprise food items.

15. A method for inputting and displaying information on a product with a display unit mounted thereon, comprising:

displaying a main menu comprising a plurality of functions on a touchscreen of the display unit, wherein the plurality of functions comprises at least a schedule management function, a perishable item management function configured to monitor a status of perishable items stored in a product on which the display unit is mounted, and a product management function;

allowing for selection of a function from the plurality of functions;

when the schedule management function is selected, displaying a calendar which corresponds to a relevant month on the touchscreen;

when a specific date of the displayed calendar is selected, providing an input screen configured to receive image data written or drawn thereon by a user and representing information related to the specific date;

receiving the image data representing information related to the specific date through the input screen;

storing the image data in a memory device provided within the display unit, wherein the memory device comprises a plurality of storage areas corresponding to a respective plurality of dates associated with the schedule management function; and

displaying the stored image data on a first display screen when a present date is consistent with the specific date.

16. the method of claim 15, wherein the image data is stored into an address allocated for the specific date.

17. The method of claim 15, wherein the product comprises a home appliance.

18. The method of claim 15, wherein when information is repeated in a predetermined cycle, the method further comprises:

determining whether a date on which the information recurs depends on a solar calendar or a lunar calendar and storing an appropriate repetition cycle;

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

storing the calculated date into the memory device; and

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

19. An apparatus for inputting and displaying data on a product, comprising

a display unit mounted on the product and configured to allow for input of image data generated by a user;

a touchscreen provided on an outer surface of the display unit;

a memory device provided within the display unit and configured to receive and to store the image data, wherein the memory device comprises a plurality of storage areas corresponding to a respective plurality of storage areas of the product; and

a controller provided within the display unit and configured to control the memory device and the touchscreen so as to store the image information in the memory device, and to display the image information on the touchscreen.

20. The apparatus of claim 19, wherein the product comprises a refrigerator and wherein the stored items comprise perishable food items.

21. The apparatus of claim 19, wherein the image data comprises image data written by a user which represents schedule related information.

22. The apparatus of claim 21, wherein the controller is further configured to control the touchscreen and the memory device so as to allow a user to view and update schedule related information on the touchscreen.

23. The method of claim 19, wherein the image data comprises image data written by a user which represents information on items stored within the product.