Method and apparatus for displaying hot water heating state and timing heating

Abstract

This invention discloses a method and apparatus for displaying hot water heating status and timed heating. The method includes: in heating mode, the water volume in the water heater can be determined first, and a corresponding number of heating ring lights will illuminate according to the water volume. The heating ring lights are one of 12 pre-arranged circular ring lights or multiple ring lights arranged consecutively. In timed heating mode, each ring light corresponds to one hour in a 12-hour timer clockwise. When the user selects any one or more ring lights as timed ring lights, and the timed ring light is touched and pressed for a set duration by the user, the water in the water heater will start heating at the time point corresponding to the timed ring light. According to the ring lights corresponding to the 12-hour timer, the user can quickly complete the timed heating operation. When the water in the water heater is heated to the set temperature, all 12 ring lights can be illuminated to remind the user that heating is complete. This invention can be widely applied in the field of hot water heating display.

Description

TECHNICAL FIELD

[0001] The present application relates to hot water heating display technical field, especially a hot water heating state display and timing heating method and device. BACKGROUND

[0002] The existing household water heater, generally only a single indicator light to indicate heating state, can not be directly available hot water volume; At the same time, the general household water heater in use timing heating function, generally first set hours, then set minutes, the operation process is more complex, or use 24 segment wheel timing, with the general clock one week 12 hours, also will cause the operation cumbersome.

[0003] Therefore, a hot water heating state display and timing heating scheme which can display heating quantity and timing heating operation is very important. SUMMARY

[0004] Therefore, the present application provides a hot water heating state display and timing heating method and device which can display heating quantity and timing heating operation.

[0005] One aspect of the present application provides a hot water heating state display and timing heating method, comprising:

[0006] In the heating mode, the water quantity in the water heater is determined, and the corresponding number of heating ring segment lights is turned on according to the water quantity, the heating ring segment light being one or a plurality of continuously arranged ones of 12 ring segment lights arranged in a circle in advance;

[0007] In the timing heating mode, each ring segment light is one-to-one corresponding to an hour in 12-hour system clockwise, when the user selects any one or more ring segment lights as timing ring segment light, and the timing ring segment light is touched and held by the user for setting time length, the water in the water heater is heated at the time point corresponding to the timing ring segment light;

[0008] When the water in the water heater is heated to the set temperature, the 12 ring segment lights are turned on.

[0009] Preferably, the process of turning on the heating ring segment light comprises:

[0010] Before the water in the water heater is heated to the set temperature, the heating ring segment light is turned on in a set number of step brightness cycles.

[0011] Preferably, after the timing ring segment light is touched and held by the user for setting time length, further comprising:

[0012] The timing ring segment light flashes at a set time interval, and the remaining ring segment lights except the timing ring segment light are at a set standby brightness.

[0013] Once the timed heating time of the timed ring light segment is set, the timed ring light becomes at its maximum brightness, and the other ring lights except for the timed ring light become off.

[0014] Preferably, before the user selects any one or more of the ring lights as timed ring lights, the method further includes:

[0015] If it is determined that the user has selected the AM time period, then the time corresponding to the ring light is determined to be from 0:00 to 12:00;

[0016] If it is determined that the user selects the PM time period, then the time corresponding to the ring light is determined to be from 12:00 to 24:00.

[0017] Preferably, it further includes:

[0018] The hourly digital light corresponding to each of the 12 ring lights is illuminated on the outer side of the ring lights.

[0019] Preferably, it further includes:

[0020] In heating mode, the digital light turns off.

[0021] Preferably, it further includes:

[0022] In timed heating mode, the timer ON indicator light will be on, and the timer OFF indicator light will be off.

[0023] In non-timed heating mode, the timer OFF indicator light is on, and the timer ON indicator light is off.

[0024] Another aspect of the present invention provides a device for displaying hot water heating status and timed heating, comprising:

[0025] The first ring light control unit is used to determine the amount of water in the water heater in the heating mode, and to light up a corresponding number of heating ring lights according to the amount of water. The heating ring lights are one of 12 ring lights that are pre-arranged in a circle or multiple ring lights arranged consecutively.

[0026] The second ring light control unit is used in timed heating mode, where each ring light corresponds to one hour in a 12-hour clockwise. When the user selects any one or more ring lights as timed ring lights, and the timed ring light is touched and pressed for a set time by the user, the water in the water heater will start heating at the time point corresponding to the timed ring light.

[0027] The third ring light control unit is used to illuminate the 12 ring lights when the water in the water heater is heated to the set temperature.

[0028] Another aspect of the present invention provides an electronic device, including a processor and a memory;

[0029] The memory is used to store programs;

[0030] The processor executes the program to implement the above-described method.

[0031] Another aspect of this invention provides a computer-readable storage medium storing a program that is executed by a processor to implement the above-described method.

[0032] This invention also discloses a computer program product or computer program, which includes computer instructions stored in a computer-readable storage medium. A processor of a computer device can read the computer instructions from the computer-readable storage medium and execute the computer instructions, causing the computer device to perform the aforementioned method.

[0033] In heating mode, this invention allows users to determine the water volume in the water heater beforehand and illuminate a corresponding number of heating ring lights based on the water volume. Compared to existing technologies that only illuminate one heating indicator light during heating, this invention allows users to quickly understand the water volume in the water heater based on the number of illuminated ring lights. The heating ring lights are one of 12 pre-arranged circular ring lights or multiple ring lights arranged consecutively. In timed heating mode, each ring light corresponds to one hour in a 12-hour timer clockwise. When the user selects any one or more ring lights as timer ring lights, and the timer ring light is touched and held for the set duration, heating of the water in the water heater begins at the time corresponding to the timer ring light. Based on the ring lights corresponding to the 12-hour timer, users can quickly complete the timed heating operation without the tedious steps of following hours, minutes, and seconds, achieving efficient timed heating settings. When the water in the water heater reaches the set temperature, all 12 ring lights illuminate to remind the user that heating is complete. Attached Figure Description

[0034] To more clearly illustrate the technical solutions in the embodiments of the present invention, the accompanying drawings used in the description of the embodiments will be briefly introduced below. Obviously, the accompanying drawings described below are only some embodiments of the present invention. For those skilled in the art, other drawings can be obtained based on these drawings without creative effort.

[0035] Figure 1 A flowchart illustrating a method for displaying hot water heating status and timed heating according to an embodiment of the present invention;

[0036] Figure 2This is a display panel diagram of a hot water heating status display and timed heating provided in an embodiment of the present invention;

[0037] Figure 3 A flowchart illustrating a specific example of hot water heating status display and timed heating provided in an embodiment of the present invention;

[0038] Figure 4 This is a structural block diagram of a device for displaying the heating status of hot water and providing timed heating, provided in an embodiment of the present invention. Detailed Implementation

[0039] To make the objectives, technical solutions, and advantages of this invention clearer, the invention will be further described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings and embodiments. It should be understood that the specific embodiments described herein are merely illustrative and not intended to limit the invention.

[0040] Reference Figure 1 This invention provides a method for displaying the heating status of hot water and timed heating, specifically including the following steps:

[0041] S100: In heating mode, determine the water volume in the water heater and light up the corresponding number of heating ring lights according to the water volume. The heating ring lights are one of 12 ring lights that are pre-arranged in a circle or multiple ring lights arranged consecutively.

[0042] Specifically, the proportion of water volume in the water heater to the set maximum water volume can be determined, and then the number of heating ring lights that should be lit out among the 12 ring lights can be determined according to this proportion. In one optional implementation, when the heating ring lights are lit, the central and topmost ring light of the 12 ring lights can be used as the starting heating ring light, and the corresponding number of heating ring lights can be lit clockwise from the starting heating ring light. When multiple heating ring lights are lit, multiple heating ring lights can be lit continuously.

[0043] S110: In timed heating mode, each of the ring lights corresponds to one hour in a 12-hour clockwise. When the user selects any one or more of the ring lights as timed ring lights, and the timed ring light is touched and pressed for a set time by the user, the water in the water heater will start heating at the time point corresponding to the timed ring light.

[0044] Specifically, since each ring light corresponds one-to-one with an hour in a 12-hour clockwise, when a user needs timed heating, one or more ring lights can be quickly identified based on this correspondence. The selected ring light can be used as a timed ring light. When the user touches the timed ring light for the set duration, it can be considered as confirmation that timed heating will be performed at the time corresponding to that timed ring light.

[0045] Furthermore, to make timed operations more convenient and faster, the selection of AM and PM time periods can be added. If the user selects the AM time period, the time corresponding to the 12 ring lights will be set from 0:00 to 12:00; if the user selects the PM time period, the time corresponding to the 12 ring lights will be set from 12:00 to 24:00.

[0046] S120: When the water in the water heater is heated to the set temperature, the 12 ring lights are lit.

[0047] Specifically, once heating is complete, 12 ring lights will illuminate to remind the user that heating is finished.

[0048] Next, we will further explain the process of lighting up the heating ring light in the heating mode of step S100 above.

[0049] Specifically, before the water in the water heater is heated to the set temperature, the heating ring lights can illuminate in a cycle according to a set number of steps of brightness. In one optional implementation, each heating ring light can be divided into three different brightness levels and illuminate in a cycle from low to high brightness to achieve the effect of cyclic illumination of step brightness.

[0050] Next, regarding the timed heating mode in step S110 above, the control of the timer loop light illuminating after the user touches and presses it for a set duration will be explained, specifically including the following:

[0051] S1. The timed ring light flashes at a set time interval, and the other ring lights except the timed ring light are at a set standby brightness.

[0052] Specifically, the flashing brightness of the timed loop light can vary between the off state and the maximum brightness to achieve the flashing effect, while the standby brightness can be a lower brightness, such as 20% or 30% of the maximum brightness.

[0053] S2. After the timed heating time of the timed ring light segment is set, the timed ring light becomes at its maximum brightness, and the other ring lights except for the timed ring light become off.

[0054] Specifically, once the timed ring light is set, it can switch from a flashing state to a constant state with maximum brightness. In addition, the other ring lights, except for the timed ring light, can switch from a lower brightness state to an off state.

[0055] In this embodiment of the invention, an additional 12 digital lights can be added to the above scheme. Specifically, a digital light corresponding to the hour for each of the 12 ring lights will illuminate on the outer edge of the ring lights, helping users to more clearly understand the timing. Furthermore, when in heating mode, the aforementioned 12 digital lights can be turned off.

[0056] Furthermore, embodiments of the present invention can also add control processes for the timer ON indicator and the timer OFF indicator. Specifically, in timed heating mode, the timer ON indicator is lit and the timer OFF indicator is off; in non-timed heating mode, the timer OFF indicator is lit and the timer ON indicator is off.

[0057] Reference Figure 2 , Figure 3 , Figure 2 This diagram shows a display panel for displaying hot water heating status and timed heating, provided by the present invention. Figure 3 A flowchart illustrating a specific example of the present invention is shown below. The following will be combined with... Figure 2 ,right Figure 3 The process will be explained in detail for some parts.

[0058] (1) Heating mode:

[0059] When the system is heating normally and there is no customized heating mode, the ring lights will sequentially brighten clockwise according to the hot water volume algorithm to display the current hot water volume (e.g., when the hot water volume is 25%, it will start from 0 and display three brightness levels of 30%, 65%, and 100% in a sequential scrolling cycle) until the target temperature is reached. At this time, all ring lights will be on and the brightness of all ring lights will be 80%. The 3 / 6 / 9 / 12 lights around the ring lights will be off when the heating status is displayed.

[0060] When the heating status is displayed, the timer zone indicator lights up to indicate whether timed heating is currently in operation.

[0061] (2) Timed heating mode:

[0062] <1> There are 12 ring lights in total, representing the 12 hours of a day. Each ring light represents one hour, and each ring light can be touched individually. The AM and PM displays show two time periods.

[0063] <2> Each timed segment light is an individually settable point. Press the "Timer" button briefly to enter the timer settings interface. After entering the timer settings, you can select the current time point by touching and pressing any small square on the disc for 3 seconds. The selected square will flash, while other selected squares will maintain 20% brightness to indicate that the selected state is available.

[0064] <3> When setting a single-segment timer, in the first... <2> After the step, click on the segments of lights that need to be timed in sequence. Click on the selected segment light to display 100% brightness. You can repeat this operation on other segments to complete multiple timed segments.

[0065] <4> To switch between AM and PM display settings, click the left and right toggle buttons; AM and PM will light up respectively, allowing you to switch between different ring lights.

[0066] <5> Cancel single-segment timer same as the first <2> & <3> Follow the steps, then click the "Power" button to cancel the settings.

[0067] <6> Click the "Settings" button to save and exit the timer settings. All timers have a power-off memory function.

[0068] <7> Click the "Power" button to cancel all timer settings and exit the timer settings.

[0069] Reference Figure 4 This invention provides a device for displaying hot water heating status and timed heating, comprising:

[0070] The first ring light control unit is used to determine the amount of water in the water heater in the heating mode, and to light up a corresponding number of heating ring lights according to the amount of water. The heating ring lights are one of 12 ring lights that are pre-arranged in a circle or multiple ring lights arranged consecutively.

[0071] The second ring light control unit is used in timed heating mode, where each ring light corresponds to one hour in a 12-hour clockwise. When the user selects any one or more ring lights as timed ring lights, and the timed ring light is touched and pressed for a set time by the user, the water in the water heater will start heating at the time point corresponding to the timed ring light.

[0072] The third ring light control unit is used to illuminate the 12 ring lights when the water in the water heater is heated to the set temperature.

[0073] This invention also discloses a computer program product or computer program, which includes computer instructions stored in a computer-readable storage medium. A processor of a computer device can read the computer instructions from the computer-readable storage medium, and the processor executes the computer instructions, causing the computer device to perform... Figure 1 The method shown.

[0074] In some alternative embodiments, the functions / operations mentioned in the block diagrams may not occur in the order shown in the operation diagrams. For example, depending on the functions / operations involved, two consecutively shown blocks may actually be executed substantially simultaneously, or the blocks may sometimes be executed in reverse order. Furthermore, the embodiments presented and described in the flowcharts of this invention are provided by way of example to provide a more comprehensive understanding of the technology. The disclosed methods are not limited to the operations and logic flows presented herein. Alternative embodiments are contemplated in which the order of various operations is altered and sub-operations described as part of a larger operation are executed independently.

[0075] Furthermore, although the invention has been described in the context of functional modules, it should be understood that, unless otherwise stated, one or more of the described functions and / or features may be integrated into a single physical device and / or software module, or one or more functions and / or features may be implemented in a separate physical device or software module. It is also understood that a detailed discussion of the actual implementation of each module is unnecessary for understanding the invention. Rather, given the properties, functions, and internal relationships of the various functional modules in the apparatus disclosed herein, the actual implementation of the module will be understood within the scope of conventional skill of an engineer. Therefore, those skilled in the art can implement the invention as set forth in the claims using ordinary techniques without excessive experimentation. It is also understood that the specific concepts disclosed are merely illustrative and not intended to limit the scope of the invention, which is determined by the full scope of the appended claims and their equivalents.

[0076] If the aforementioned functions are implemented as software functional units and sold or used as independent products, they can be stored in a computer-readable storage medium. Based on this understanding, the technical solution of this invention, essentially, or the part that contributes to the prior art, or a portion of the technical solution, can be embodied in the form of a software product. This computer software product is stored in a storage medium and includes several instructions to cause a computer device (which may be a personal computer, server, or network device, etc.) to execute all or part of the steps of the methods described in the various embodiments of this invention. The aforementioned storage medium includes various media capable of storing program code, such as USB flash drives, portable hard drives, read-only memory (ROM), random access memory (RAM), magnetic disks, or optical disks.

[0077] The logic and / or steps represented in the flowchart or otherwise described herein, for example, can be considered as a sequenced list of executable instructions for implementing logical functions, and can be embodied in any computer-readable medium for use by, or in conjunction with, an instruction execution system, apparatus, or device (such as a computer-based system, a processor-included system, or other system that can fetch and execute instructions from, an instruction execution system, apparatus, or device). For the purposes of this specification, "computer-readable medium" can be any means that can contain, store, communicate, propagate, or transmit programs for use by, or in conjunction with, an instruction execution system, apparatus, or device.

[0078] More specific examples of computer-readable media (a non-exhaustive list) include: electrical connections (electronic devices) having one or more wires, portable computer disk drives (magnetic devices), random access memory (RAM), read-only memory (ROM), erasable and editable read-only memory (EPROM or flash memory), fiber optic devices, and portable optical disc read-only memory (CDROM). Furthermore, computer-readable media can even be paper or other suitable media on which the program can be printed, because the program can be obtained electronically, for example, by optically scanning the paper or other medium, followed by editing, interpreting, or otherwise processing as necessary, and then stored in computer memory.

[0079] It should be understood that various parts of the present invention can be implemented in hardware, software, firmware, or a combination thereof. In the above embodiments, multiple steps or methods can be implemented in software or firmware stored in memory and executed by a suitable instruction execution system. For example, if implemented in hardware, as in another embodiment, it can be implemented using any one or a combination of the following techniques known in the art: discrete logic circuits having logic gates for implementing logical functions on data signals, application-specific integrated circuits (ASICs) having suitable combinational logic gates, programmable gate arrays (PGAs), field-programmable gate arrays (FPGAs), etc.

[0080] In the description of this specification, references to terms such as "one embodiment," "some embodiments," "example," "specific example," or "some examples," etc., indicate that a specific feature, structure, material, or characteristic described in connection with that embodiment or example is included in at least one embodiment or example of the invention. In this specification, the illustrative expressions of the above terms do not necessarily refer to the same embodiment or example. Furthermore, the specific features, structures, materials, or characteristics described may be combined in any suitable manner in one or more embodiments or examples.

[0081] Although embodiments of the invention have been shown and described, those skilled in the art will understand that various changes, modifications, substitutions and alterations can be made to these embodiments without departing from the principles and spirit of the invention, the scope of which is defined by the claims and their equivalents.

[0082] The above is a detailed description of the preferred embodiments of the present invention. However, the present invention is not limited to the embodiments described. Those skilled in the art can make various equivalent modifications or substitutions without departing from the spirit of the present invention. All such equivalent modifications or substitutions are included within the scope defined by the claims of the present invention.

Claims

1. A method for displaying hot water heating status and timed heating, characterized in that, include: In heating mode, the water volume in the water heater is determined, and a corresponding number of heating ring lights are lit according to the water volume. The heating ring lights are one of 12 ring lights that are pre-arranged in a circle or multiple ring lights arranged consecutively. In timed heating mode, each of the ring lights corresponds to one hour in a 12-hour clockwise. When the user selects any one or more of the ring lights as timed ring lights, and the timed ring light is touched and pressed for a set time by the user, the water in the water heater will start heating at the time point corresponding to the timed ring light. When the water in the water heater is heated to the set temperature, the 12 ring lights will illuminate. The process of illuminating the heating ring light includes: Before the water in the water heater is heated to the set temperature, the heating ring lights illuminate in a cycle according to a set number of brightness levels; wherein each heating ring light has three different brightness levels and illuminates in a cycle from low to high brightness. After the timed loop light is touched and held by the user for a set duration, the following is also included: The timed ring light flashes at a set time interval, while the other ring lights are at a set standby brightness. Once the timed heating time of the timed ring light is set, the timed ring light becomes at its maximum brightness, and the other ring lights except for the timed ring light become off.

2. The method for displaying hot water heating status and timed heating according to claim 1, characterized in that, Before the user selects any one or more of the ring lights as timed ring lights, the method further includes: If it is determined that the user has selected the AM time period, then the time corresponding to the ring light is determined to be from 0:00 to 12:00; If it is determined that the user selects the PM time period, then the time corresponding to the ring light is determined to be from 12:00 to 24:

00.

3. The method for displaying hot water heating status and timed heating according to claim 1, characterized in that, Also includes: The hourly digital light corresponding to each of the 12 ring lights is illuminated on the outer side of the ring lights.

4. The method for displaying hot water heating status and timed heating according to claim 3, characterized in that, Also includes: In heating mode, the digital light turns off.

5. The method for displaying hot water heating status and timed heating according to claim 1, characterized in that, Also includes: In timed heating mode, the timer ON indicator light will be on, and the timer OFF indicator light will be off. In non-timed heating mode, the timer OFF indicator light is on, and the timer ON indicator light is off.

6. A device for displaying hot water heating status and providing timed heating, characterized in that, include: The first ring light control unit is used to determine the amount of water in the water heater in the heating mode, and to light up a corresponding number of heating ring lights according to the amount of water. The heating ring lights are one of 12 ring lights that are pre-arranged in a circle or multiple ring lights arranged consecutively. The second ring light control unit is used in timed heating mode, where each ring light corresponds to one hour in a 12-hour clockwise. When the user selects any one or more ring lights as timed ring lights, and the timed ring light is touched and pressed for a set time by the user, the water in the water heater will start heating at the time point corresponding to the timed ring light. The third ring light control unit is used to illuminate the 12 ring lights when the water in the water heater is heated to the set temperature; in: The process of illuminating the heating ring light includes: Before the water in the water heater is heated to the set temperature, the heating ring lights illuminate in a cycle according to a set number of brightness levels; wherein each heating ring light has three different brightness levels and illuminates in a cycle from low to high brightness. After the timed loop light is touched and held by the user for a set duration, the following is also included: The timed ring light flashes at a set time interval, while the other ring lights are at a set standby brightness. Once the timed heating time of the timed ring light is set, the timed ring light becomes at its maximum brightness, and the other ring lights except for the timed ring light become off.

7. An electronic device, characterized in that, Including the processor and memory; The memory is used to store programs; The processor executes the program to implement the method as described in any one of claims 1 to 5.

8. A computer-readable storage medium, characterized in that, The storage medium stores a program that is executed by a processor to implement the method as described in any one of claims 1 to 5.

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