[0039] exist figure 1 The system 1 shown in includes a portable communication terminal device 2 and a plurality of household appliances 3, which are housed in a home and may include, for example, the following household appliances: washing machines, clothes dryers, ovens, stoves, Range hoods, cooling freezer combinations, dishwashers, etc. In this exemplary embodiment, the portable communication terminal 2 is designed as a smartphone and has a display device 4 which has a touch-sensitive surface 5 and is therefore generally designed as a touch screen. Arranged in the portable communication terminal 2 is a control unit 6 which is designed to actuate the display device 4 and furthermore receives operating inputs, which the user performs on the touch-sensitive surface 5 . In addition, the portable communication terminal 2 also includes a communication device 7 which is designed for wireless communication with the domestic appliance 3 . Said communication can take place eg via a wireless home network, eg via a WLAN network or under the relay of an internet server.
[0040] The application program is installed on the portable communication terminal device 2 as a computer program, and the user can start the application program or the computer program at any time. This takes place via corresponding operating inputs at the touch-sensitive surface 5 . If the application is activated, the control unit 6 generates a graphical user interface 8 on the display device 4 via which the household appliance 3 can be operated. Via the graphical user interface 8, on the one hand, the respective operating states of the household appliance 3 can be output; on the other hand, the user can control the household appliance 3 via the user interface 8 by performing corresponding operating inputs.
[0041] Overall, status data 9 with information on the current operating state can thus be transmitted from the household appliance 3 to the portable communication terminal 2 and control signals 10 can be transmitted from the portable communication terminal 2 to the domestic appliance 3 .
[0042] The mentioned graphical user interface 8 can, for example, have a large number of individually callable pages, which are hierarchically ordered. In this case, a separate page can be provided for each household appliance 3 on which the current operating state of the household appliance 3 is output.
[0043] In order to signal the current operating state of the respective household appliance 3 to the user, an image representation is generated on the respective page, which image representation consists of a base image and an overlay image superimposed on the base image. refer to figure 2 For example, a basic image 11 in which the interior of the dishwasher is imaged is provided for illustrating the current operating state of the dishwasher. A superimposed image 12 is superimposed on the base image 11, the superimposed image 12 representing a movable animation of the water droplets. If the dishwasher is activated, the activated operating state can be displayed as a whole by means of a graphic representation 13 consisting of a basic image 11 and superimposed, movable water droplets.
[0044] The base image 11 and the superimposed image 12 are also in Figure 3a or shown in 3b. Figure 3c The image representation 13 as represented on the display device 4 is shown here.
[0045] In other words, the difference characteristic between the current operating state (here the active operating state) and the reference state (here the deactivated state or the standby state) is determined. The differentiating features in this example are water droplets, which are illustrated in the overlay image 12 .
[0046] In order to represent the current operating state of the dishwasher, the following graphical representations can generally be provided:
[0047] - in the switched-off state of the household appliance 3 separated from the energy source, a basic image 11 can be displayed in which the empty, unlit interior of the dishwasher is imaged;
[0048] - in the standby state (the device is on, but not yet operating), a basic image 11 can be displayed in which the illuminated and colored interior with the colorful cutlery pieces in the dry state is displayed imaging; in order to generate said image representation, the above-mentioned basic images can be used if necessary and can be equipped with additional overlay images in which cutlery pieces are imaged and/or which are color filters; But other base images can alternatively be used;
[0049] - If the dishwasher is activated, then according to Figure 3c An image representation 13 of can be displayed, wherein an animated overlay regularly shows downward running water jets, splashes and droplets;
[0050]- while during drying an overlay image 12 can be selected in which only the individual drops are also represented;
[0051] - In the finished state, it is possible to represent only the interior space with the dried cutlery pieces.
[0052] In order to represent the current operating state of the washing machine, the following graphical representations can be generated;
[0053] - in the switched-off state, a base image 11 can be represented, in which a hollow, unlit washing drum is imaged;
[0054] - in the standby state, a washing drum illuminated and filled with colorful, dry laundry is represented (here a further base image 11 or the same base image 11 with a superimposed image 12 can be represented);
[0055] - During washing, the base image 11 can be represented together with the superimposed image 12 in which the wet laundry is imaged and which additionally shows splashed water and a washing drum partially filled with water (an animation of moving water splashes and drops with downward movement can also be shown additionally);
[0056] - During dehydration, a "still frame" of dehydration of the colourful laundry can be realistically represented, as well as an overlay image 12 in which the water splashes are imaged;
[0057] - In the finished state, the laundry can be represented, which is wet and in the wash drum.
[0058] In order to represent the current operating state of the oven, the following graphical representation can again be generated:
[0059] - in the switched-off state, a base image 11 can be represented in which the interior of the oven is imaged in black and white and without food;
[0060] - in the standby state, the interior space can be represented in color and, if necessary, filled with food;
[0061] - If the household appliance 3 is activated, an image representation 13 can be generated, in which a colored basic image 11 is superimposed with a superimposed image 12 , which, for example, shows an animation of a heat wave.
[0062] The following features are public content:
[0063] The present invention enables fast and interesting/novel visualization of device states (off, on, running, exact state). In this case it is possible to obtain a quick overview in the case of several appliances and still be able to read precise information about the respective operating conditions of the appliances (eg washing, spinning in the case of a washing machine). But this should not happen purely through textual cues, but should be innovatively supported on a visual level.
[0064] "LivingImage" is based on a superimposed composition of several visible image layers, which visualize the device's active state in detail and precisely and whose interaction enables a quick overview. In this case the picture in the background is associated with a (partially) transparent element such as an animation or overlay in the foreground. Many advantages are created by the combination of still pictures and moving animations. Different stimuli are therefore of interest to the user, which lead to a higher visibility and readability of the information. The motion of the animation draws the user's attention to himself and thereby quickly and conspicuously displays the general activity of the device. Color is used as an additional element to accentuate the activity of the device. In the switched-off state the device is thus represented openly and more likely in gray. During continuous operation, the appliance is equipped with colorful dishes, colorful laundry, etc., and is thus clearly set off by the colorless representation. At the same time, the outlay for data transmission and storage can be reduced because the layers are only combined in the terminal device and are therefore "reusable". At the same time individual elements can be easily replaced or individualized. The type of device can be represented more precisely (eg watery) through the selection of animations (eg water droplets). With the selection of background images, the respective states are visualized more precisely.
