Patent ID: 12241638

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF EXEMPLARY EMBODIMENTS OF THE PRESENT INVENTION

FIG.1shows a household appliance system10. The household appliance system10here comprises a household appliance12configured as a hob. The household appliance12could alternatively also be configured as an oven, microwave, refrigerator, freezer, dishwasher, washing machine and/or tumble dryer. The household appliance12comprises a household appliance device14for communicating with an external multimedia unit22of the household appliance system10.

The household appliance device14configured here as a hob device has a household appliance operating unit16. The household appliance operating unit16is provided to operate and/or control and/or regulate the household appliance12and/or the household appliance device14. The household appliance operating unit16here comprises a recognition unit, which is provided to recognize a multimedia unit22in the area around the household appliance operating unit16, the household appliance operating unit16being able to connect and/or be coupled (not shown) automatically to the multimedia unit22.

FIGS.1and2show that the household appliance operating unit16is configured at least partially as a hob operator interface46. In this exemplary embodiment the household appliance12has a placement plate48provided as a hob plate. It can be seen fromFIG.2that the placement plate48here has four heating zones54, with a cooking utensil56being arranged by way of example in two of the heating zones54. For clarity only one heating zone54and one cooking utensil56are shown with a reference character. In at least one operating state the hob operator interface46is provided to operate the household appliance12configured as a hob, specifically to heat a food to be cooked and/or the cooking utensil56in at least the heating zone54.

To communicate with at least the multimedia unit22the household appliance operating unit16comprises a communication unit18. The communication unit18is provided for a data transfer and/or data communication with the multimedia unit22. The communication unit18has a transmit unit and/or a receive unit, which is/are configured to transmit and/or receive for example microwaves and/or infrared signals. It can be seen fromFIG.1here that the multimedia unit22comprises a further communication unit20, which is provided to communicate and/or exchange data with the communication unit18in at least the operating state. The further communication unit20has a further transmitter corresponding to the receiver and/or a further receiver corresponding to the transmitter for microwaves present. In a least the operating state at least one operating command can be transmitted from the household appliance operating unit16to the multimedia unit22by means of the communication unit18. An operating command could also be transmitted from the multimedia unit22to the household appliance operating unit16. Operation and/or control of the multimedia unit22and/or the household appliance12can be achieved by means of the operating command. In at least the operating state the household appliance operating unit16here allows an operator to interact with the multimedia unit22by means of the operating command and to control and/or regulate the multimedia unit22externally, by way of the household appliance operating unit16. The household appliance operating unit16here functions in the manner of a wireless mouse and/or touchpad mouse for the operation and/or control of the multimedia unit22.

The communication unit18is provided to transmit at least one item of screen information24from the multimedia unit22to the household appliance operating unit16. It could also be possible to transmit screen information24from the household appliance operating unit16to the multimedia unit22. Alternatively the screen information24could also only be located on the external multimedia unit22and the operating command, for example a navigating finger movement of the operator, could preferably be transmitted from the household appliance operating unit16to the external multimedia unit22. The screen information24displayed on the household appliance operating unit16is shown here by way of example in the form of apps50and an incoming call of the multimedia unit22(seeFIG.2). Alternatively and/or additionally digital media, for example a video and/or a music list and/or images and/or documents, from the multimedia unit22could also be displayed on the household appliance operating unit16. In the event of an incoming call, as shown in this exemplary embodiment inFIG.2, information about the incoming call is transmitted from the multimedia unit22to the household appliance operating unit16based on the screen information24. The operating command allows the operator to respond to the call, for example to accept or reject the call, by way of the household appliance operating unit16. An action by the operator, specifically the operating command, can be transmitted from the communication unit18to the further communication unit20. The screen information24of the multimedia unit22changes based on the operating command.

To improve a display of information, for example from the household appliance12and/or the multimedia unit22, by means of the household appliance operating unit16, the household appliance operating unit16comprises a display26. The display26here is configured as a touch-sensitive display26. As shown inFIG.2, at least the screen information24can be transmitted to the display26in at least the operating state. The operator controls and/or regulates the multimedia unit22by way of the display26by means of the operating command.

The followingFIGS.3to6all show detailed views of the display26. WhileFIG.3shows a view of a display region28of the display26, an exemplary embodiment of a display of a further display region34of the display26can be seen inFIG.4.FIGS.5and6also show that both the display region28and the further display region34can be displayed on the display26at the same time.

The display26has a first region58. The display region28here is in the first region58in at least the operating state. The display26is provided to display at least household appliance operating information30(seeFIG.3) in at least the display region28in at least the operating state. At least one household appliance function32can be set in the display region28. The household appliance function32is an operating function for operating the household appliance12, it being possible to set at least one operating parameter of the household appliance12in the display region28. In at least the operating state the household appliance function32can be set and/or selected by means of the household appliance operating unit16. In this exemplary embodiment the household appliance function32comprises a selection of a heat output level and a selection of the heating zone54. The display region28displays a current selection of at least one heating zone54and allows the operator to select an associated heat output density by way of the touch-sensitive display26.

The display26has a second region60. An on/off function66of the household appliance device14is displayed continuously (seeFIGS.3to6) in the second region60here.

In at least the operating state and in the further display region34the display26is provided to display at least one item of information36relating to the multimedia unit22(seeFIG.4). The further display region34is part of the first region58. The information36relating to the multimedia unit22here is the screen information24cited above, so that the screen information24can be displayed in the further display region34. In this embodiment at least one function38of the multimedia unit22can be set in the further display region34. The function28is an appliance function and/or operating function of the multimedia unit22. It is for example a volume and/or a brightness and/or a music setting.

The household appliance device14has a switching unit42, which can be used to switch (seeFIGS.3and4) between a display of the display region28and a display of the further display region34. For more convenient and/or faster switching between the display region28and/or the further display region34the switching unit42has an operating element44, which is displayed continuously by the display26in at least the operating state. The operating element44is part of the second region60and is continuously displayed in the second region60. Alternatively and/or additionally the operator could switch between the display of the display region28and the display of the further display region34based on a specific finger movement and/or a swiping movement and/or multiple tapping on the display26.FIG.3here shows that when the display region28is displayed in the first region58, the operating element44comprises an arrow symbol for example, so that the operator can see that it is possible to switch from the display region28to the further display region34by means of the operating element44. If the further display region34is displayed in the first region58on the display, the operating element44comprises for example a hob symbol (seeFIG.4). This shows an operator that it is possible to switch to the display region28by operating the operating element44.

The household appliance device14has a setting unit40, which is provided to change a position and/or size of the display region28and/or the further display region34on the display26(seeFIGS.5and6). The setting unit40here is part of the touch-sensitive display26. The setting unit40has an operating means52. The operating means52is used to set and change a size and/or position of the display region28and the further display region34manually. The display region28and the further display region34can be changed by a swiping movement and/or a sliding movement of the operating means52on the display, it being possible for a translational displacement of the display region28and the further display region34, in this instance in the x direction, to be brought about by means of the operating means52. Alternatively it could also be possible to displace the display region28and the further display region34in the manner of a conventional drag & drop action on the display26. Alternatively the household appliance device14could also comprise additional operating elements for displacing the display region28and the further display region34in the x and/or y direction (not shown).

FIG.5shows that the display region28can be reduced and the further display region34can be enlarged at the same time by means of the setting unit40. The operator here displaces the operating means52in a first direction62to enlarge the further display region34on the display26.FIG.6shows the reverse procedure, where the operator displaces the operating means52in a second direction64to enlarge the display region28on the display26.FIGS.5and6both show that a change to the display region28and/or the further display region34always brings about a change to the further display region34and/or the display region28at the same time.

FIG.7shows a schematically illustrated flow diagram of a method for operating the household appliance device14. In one method step100, to communicate with at least the multimedia unit22, at least the operating command is transmitted from the household appliance operating unit16, such that the multimedia unit22is operated and/or controlled by means of the operating command.