Electric device with a user guide

• US 7,436,317 B2
• Filed: 11/24/2004
• Issued: 10/14/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 11/26/2003
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: BSH Bosch und Siemens Hausgerã¤Te GmbH (Robert Bosch GmbH)
• Original Assignee: BSH Bosch und Siemens Hausgerã¤Te GmbH (Robert Bosch GmbH)
• Inventors: Becke, Christoph, Mueller, Martin
• Primary Examiner(s): Bugg; George A
• Assistant Examiner(s): Mehmood; Jennifer
• Application Number:
  US10/579,708
• Publication Number:
  US 20070069915A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,420 Days
• Field of Search: 34081541-81592, 340/686.1, 340/944, 340/686.6, 62125-131, 622/46, 236/1.B
• US Class Current: 340/815.48
• CPC Class Codes: H01H 13/84 characterised by ergonomic functions, e.g. for miniature keyboards; characterised by operational sensory functions, e.g. sound feedback legends H01H13/83
• CPC Class Codes: H01H 2217/038 Prompting
• CPC Class Codes: H01H 2239/05 Mode selector switch, e.g. shift, or indicator
• CPC Class Codes: H01H 2300/022 Application wake up; switches or contacts specially provided for the wake up or standby shift of a circuit
• CPC Class Codes: H01H 9/182 Illumination of the symbols or distinguishing marks H01H9/181 takes precedence

Abstract

An electric device comprising a plurality of operating elements which can be operated by a user. Said device is associated with a status display device, and it also comprises a control logic unit which is coupled to the operating elements in order to detect user operations and which is adjusted. Furthermore, the electric device has an operational state which corresponds to the user operations which are to be adjusted. In a first state, the control logic unit displaces the status display of each operational element, from which it is able to process a user operation, according to an adjusted operational state, and in a second state, said unit displaces the status display of each operational element, whereby it is not possible to process a user operation, according to an adjusted operational state.

Claims

1. An electric appliance, comprising:

a plurality of operating elements, each operating element actuatable by a user in an actuatable state and not actuatable by the user in a non-actuatable state, each operating element including a respective status display device; and

a control logic unit coupled to the operating elements, the control logic unit configured to detect a user input, change an operating state of the electrical appliance according to the user input, and activate the status display device of each operating element that is in an actuatable state and deactivate the status display device of each operating element that is in a non-actuatable state in response to a change in the electrical appliance from a first operating state to a second operating state.

2. The electric appliance according to claim 1, wherein each status display device is a light source.

3. The electric appliance according to claim 1, further comprising a housing, the housing including a surface, wherein the operating elements are arranged on the surface.

4. The electric appliance according to claim 1, wherein a status display device is in an illuminated state when a respective operating element is in the actuatable state and the status display device is in a non-illuminated state when the respective operating element is in the non-actuatable state.

5. The electric appliance according to claim 4, further comprising a housing including a surface on which the operating elements are arranged, wherein a status display device in a non-illuminated state has a color similar to a color of the surface.

6. The electric appliance according to claim 4, wherein the control logic unit is further configured to switch each status display device that is in the illuminated state into the non-illuminated state after a pre-determined time interval elapses following detection of the user input.

7. The electric appliance according to claim 5, wherein the control logic unit is further configured to maintain in the non-illuminated state the status display devices for the operating elements that are in the non-actuatable state, if the user attempts to actuate an operating element in the non-actuatable state.

8. The electric appliance according to claim 1, wherein the operating elements comprise capacitive proximity sensors.

9. The electric appliance according to claim 1, further comprising an acoustic signal transmitter that delivers an audible signal when an actuation of an operating element has been detected.

10. The electric appliance according to claim 1, wherein the operating elements are combined with an alphanumeric display in an assembly.

11. The electric appliance according to claim 1, wherein the electric appliance includes a refrigerating appliance.

12. A refrigerator comprising:

a housing having an interior chamber;

a door coupled to the housing for opening and closing the interior chamber;

a control panel, the control panel including a display window for displaying information and a plurality of buttons for receiving input from a user;

each button including a respective light source and a respective proximity sensor, the proximity sensor configured to detect contact of the button by the user;

each respective light source being in an illuminated state when the button is actuatable by the user and in a non-illuminated state when the button is not actuatable by the user; and

a control logic unit electrically connected to the control panel, the control logic unit configured to control operation of the refrigerator, receive input signals from the buttons, send output signals to control the display window and light sources, adjust an operating state of the refrigerator in response to a user input, and activate the light source of at least a first button into the illuminated state and deactivate the light source of at least a second button into the non-illuminated state in response to the user input.

13. The refrigerator according to claim 12, wherein the housing includes:

a freezer compartment including the first button, wherein the first button is for controlling the freezer compartment; and

a refrigerating compartment including the second button, wherein the second button is for controlling the refrigerating compartment.

14. The refrigerator according to claim 12, wherein the buttons include a select button for selecting an operating feature, an increment button for increasing the selected operating feature, and a decrement button for decreasing the selected operating feature.

15. The refrigerator according to claim 12, wherein the display window is configured to display a list of operating features and allow the user to scroll through the list of operating features.

16. The refrigerator according to claim 12, wherein the display window includes an LCD display and a luminescent screen.

17. The refrigerator according to claim 12, further comprising a door switch, the door switch coupled to the control logic unit and configured to sense if the door is open.

18. An electric appliance, comprising:

a plurality of operating elements, each operating element actuatable by a user in an actuatable state and not actuatable by the user in a non-actuatable state, each operating element including a respective status display device;

a control logic unit coupled to the operating elements, the control logic unit configured to detect a user input, change an operating state of the electrical appliance according to the user input, and activate the status display device of each operating element that is in an actuatable state and deactivate the status display device of each operating element that is in a non-actuatable state in response to a change in the electrical appliance from a first operating state to a second operating state, wherein a status display device is in an illuminated state when a respective operating element is in the actuatable state and the status display device is in a non-illuminated state when the respective operating element is in the non-actuatable state, the control logic unit is further configured to switch each status display device that is in the illuminated state into the non-illuminated state after a pre-determined time interval elapses following detection of the user input and the control logic unit is further configured to maintain in the non-illuminated state the status display devices for the operating elements that are in the non-actuatable state, if the user attempts to actuate an operating element in the non-actuatable state; and

a housing, the housing including an interior chamber that is closed by a door, wherein the control logic unit is further configured to maintain in the non-illuminated state the status display devices of the operating elements that are in the non-actuatable state, if the door is opened.