User interface and cooking oven provided with such user interface

• US 9,261,280 B2
• Filed: 05/05/2008
• Issued: 02/16/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 05/04/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Whirlpool Corporation
• Original Assignee: Whirlpool Corporation
• Inventors: Santinato, Matteo, Arione, Ettore
• Primary Examiner(s): Ng, Amy
• Assistant Examiner(s): Gutierrez, Andres E
• Application Number:
  US12/114,868
• Publication Number:
  US 20080276203A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,843 Days
• Field of Search: 715/751
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: F24C 7/085 on baking ovens
• CPC Class Codes: F24C 7/086 touch control

Abstract

An user interface for domestic appliances, particularly for cooking ovens, comprises input and display for showing menus and/or items selected by the user through said input. The input comprises a selection zone where the user'"'"'s finger can move, the display having at least a portion with a shape substantially corresponding to the shape of the selection zone and showing the result of the finger movement in terms of item or menu selection.

Claims

1. A user interface for domestic appliances, comprising:

a selection zone configured to sense movement of a user'"'"'s finger across the selection zone;

a display area, distinct from the selection zone, configured to display appliance use options including menu items, wherein at least a portion of the display area includes a shape substantially corresponding to a shape of the selection zone; and

a processor configured to translate the sensed movement of the user'"'"'s finger across the selection zone into corresponding movement in the display area such that remote navigation of the display area is obtained through movement of the user'"'"'s finger across the selection zone, receive a user selection from the appliance use options and display the user selection in the display, wherein the user interface is installed on a cooking oven including a door made of glass adapted to close a cavity of the cooking oven and wherein, when the door is in a closed position, the door covers the user interface and the appliance use options may be selected by the user through the glass of the door.

2. The user interface according to claim 1, wherein each of the selection zone and the at least a portion of the display area has a shape selected from the group consisting of a circular shape, a linear shape, and a curved shape.

3. The user interface according to claim 1, wherein the selection zone further includes one or more touch sensitive auxiliary zones adapted to be touched by the user, wherein the one or more touch sensitive auxiliary zones communicate with the processor in order to confirm the user selection from the appliance use options or scroll among different appliance use options.

4. The user interface of claim 1, wherein the user interface is installed on a door of a domestic appliance.

5. The user interface of claim 2, wherein the user interface is installed on a door of a domestic appliance.

6. The user interface of claim 3, wherein the user interface is installed on a door of a domestic appliance.

7. The user interface of claim 1, wherein the user interface comprises a control device capable of sensing a configuration of the door and adjusting a sensitivity of the selection zone of the user interface according to the configuration of the door.

8. A cooking appliance comprising:

an oven cavity;

a door made of glass adapted to close the oven cavity; and

a user interface including;

a selection zone configured to sense movement of a user'"'"'s finger across the selection zone;

a display area, distinct from the selection zone, configured to display appliance use options including menu items, wherein at least a portion of the display area includes a shape substantially corresponding to a shape of the selection zone; and

a processor configured to translate the sensed movement of the user'"'"'s finger across the selection zone into corresponding movement in the display area such that remote navigation of the display area is obtained through movement of the user'"'"'s finger across the selection zone, receive a user selection from the appliance use options and display the user selection in the display wherein, when the door is in a closed position, the glass door covers the user interface and the appliance use options may be selected by the user through the glass of the door.

9. The cooking appliance of claim 8, wherein each of the selection zone and the at least a portion of the display area has a shape selected from the group consisting of a circular shape, a linear shape, and a curved shape.

10. The cooking appliance of claim 8, wherein the user interface is installed on the door.

11. The cooking appliance of claim 8, wherein the user interface comprises a control device configured to detect a configuration of the door and adjust a sensitivity of the selection zone of the user interface according to the configuration of the door.