Household appliance and method of operating the same

Abstract

A household appliance (100) for the treatment of articles comprises a control panel (120) comprising a household appliance turn-on button (205) and a user interface (210, 215, 220) configured to allow a user to enter operational commands for the operation of the household appliance and to provide information on its operational status. The user interface is configured to allow the user to set (420) for execution an article treatment program selected by the user from a plurality of selectable treatment programs; provide the user with an indication of a selected treatment program, and allow the user to command (415) the start of the execution, by the household appliance, of the treatment program set for execution. The household appliance further comprises a control unit (305) for controlling operating conditions and operation of the appliance, configured to communicate with the control panel, to automatically set for execution a predefined article treatment program and to provide an indication of the predefined article treatment program automatically set for execution by the control unit. The control unit is configured to automatically set for execution the predefined article treatment program when the control unit detects one of the following appliance operating conditions: (i) turning on of the appliance; (ii) turning on of the appliance followed by a manual selection, by the user via the control panel, of a treatment program different from said predefined article treatment program, in the event that the execution of the user manually selected treatment program is not started within a predetermined time interval, and (iii) reactivation of the household appliance from a stand-by condition, in the event that the household appliance is not executing any treatment program.

Description

Technical field

[0001] The present invention generally relates to the field of household appliances, for both domestic and professional use. In particular, the present invention relates to household appliances for the treatment of articles by means of treatment fluids, such as appliances for the treatment of linen (such as, for example, washing machines, drying machines, washer-dryers) and household appliances for the treatment of kitchen articles (such as, for example, dishwashers).Overview of the state of the art

[0002] Appliances for the treatment of articles by means of treatment fluids, such as for example appliances for the treatment of laundry (laundry washing machines, laundry drying machines, laundry washer-dryer machines) and appliances for the treatment of kitchen articles (dishwashing machines) are generally configured to be able to perform various article treatment programs (e.g. various laundry washing programs, various laundry drying programs, various kitchen article washing programs).

[0003] A user can select the article treatment program he / she desires, typically by means of a program selector, and cause the appliance to execute the selected program.

[0004] Generally, the different article treatment programs that are normally available on household appliances differ from each other in terms of the operating temperature of the article treatment fluid heating and in terms of duration. Different heating operating temperatures of the article treatment fluid, and different durations of the treatment programs, correspond to different levels of energy and non-energy consumption (electricity, treatment fluid, article treatment products).Summary of the invention

[0005] The Applicant has observed that the choice of a specific article treatment program among the numerous treatment programs often available on household appliances may result unsatisfactory for the user of the appliance, for example requiring repeated consultation of the user manual of the appliance, in which the characteristics of the various treatment programs, their suitability for the treatment of specific articles and so on are described.

[0006] The Applicant has further observed that in some household appliances the complete list of available treatment programs is not even permanently displayed on the user interface of the appliance (e.g. around the program selector), not even in symbolic form. For example, in household appliances with a user interface featuring a screen (display), the indication of the individual program currently selected by means of the program selector is displayed on the screen and changes continuously as the user acts on the program selector, which makes it impossible for the user to constantly have an overview of all the treatment programs available on the appliance and forces the user to scroll through the list by repeatedly acting on the program selector.

[0007] The Applicant has also observed that, nowadays, the attention of the users of household appliances with respect to environmental issues related to the use and disposal of treatment agents such as, for example, detergents, but also with respect to the problems related to the increase in the costs of resources, in particular water and energy, has significantly increased.

[0008] Therefore, a purpose of the present invention is to provide a household appliance for the treatment of articles configured to automatically set a default, predefined treatment program that is proposed to the user, in such a way as to simplify the phase of selection of a program and help the user to reduce the management costs of the household appliance.

[0009] For the purposes of the present invention, a "predefined treatment program" means a pre-established article treatment program, i.e. a treatment program that is predetermined by the manufacturer of the household appliance, that is fixed and that cannot be modified by the user (in particular, a treatment program that cannot be replaced by the user with a different article treatment program out of said plurality of treatment programs). In other words, the user is prevented from making any of the selectable treatment programs the new predefined treatment program automatically set by the household appliance.

[0010] In accordance with an aspect of the present invention, there is provided a household appliance for treating articles comprising a control panel. The control panel comprises a button to turn on the appliance and a user interface configured to allow a user to enter operational commands to operate the appliance and to provide information about its operating status.

[0011] The user interface is configured to: allow the user to set for execution an article treatment program selected by the user from a plurality of selectable treatment programs; provide the user with an indication of a selected treatment program, and allow the user to command the appliance to start the execution of the treatment program set for execution.

[0012] The appliance further comprises a control unit for controlling the appliance operating conditions and function, configured to: communicate with the control panel, to automatically set a predefined treatment program for execution, and to provide an indication of the predefined article treatment program automatically set for execution by the control unit.

[0013] The control unit is configured to automatically set the predefined treatment program for execution when the control unit detects one of the following operating conditions of the appliance: turning on of the appliance; turning on of the appliance followed by a manual selection by the user, via the control panel, of a treatment program different from the predefined article treatment program, if the execution of the treatment program manually selected by the user is not started within a predetermined time interval; reactivation of the appliance from a stand-by condition, if the appliance is not executing any article treatment program.

[0014] Preferably, the control unit is further configured to automatically set the predefined treatment program for execution when, during said predetermined time interval, the appliance is turned off and on again.

[0015] The predefined article treatment program may for example be a treatment program belonging to the plurality of article treatment programs executable by the appliance, which, in addition to being automatically set for execution by the control unit upon detection of said operating conditions, may also be selected and set for execution by the user on his own initiative (manually or by voice command or in any other manner).

[0016] Advantageously, the predefined article treatment program may be a treatment program involving low energy consumption, and / or low water consumption and / or low consumption of a treatment agent, for example an ECO program that meets the requirements of a certain energy class in terms of lower consumption of KWh per cycle and / or litres of water per cycle, and / or amount of detergent per cycle.

[0017] For example, the predefined article treatment program may be an article washing program with a washing liquid heated to a temperature equal to or lower than approximately 40 °C.

[0018] Still by way of example, the predefined treatment program may be a time-based article washing and / or drying program, having the shortest duration among the treatment programs of said plurality of treatment programs.

[0019] Alternatively, the predefined article treatment program may be a treatment program defined by the manufacturer based on the habits of use of the appliance by users, or defined or regulated by national and / or international regulations.

[0020] In embodiments of the present invention, the user interface of the control panel may comprise a screen configured and controlled by the control unit to display at least one of the article treatment programs of the plurality of treatment programs.

[0021] The household appliance may be of the type that can be connected to the Internet (for example, the household appliance may be equipped with a Wi-Fi communication interface for connection to an "Access Point" available in the environment in which the household appliance is installed and connected to the Internet) and with remote control functionality, for example through an app installed on a mobile terminal (such as a smartphone) of the user. The household appliance control unit may be advantageously configured to automatically set the predefined treatment program for execution, proposing it to the user through the app running on his / her mobile terminal, when the same operating conditions described above occur.

[0022] According to another aspect of the present invention, a method of operating a household appliance for treating articles according to the preceding aspect of the present invention is provided. In the method, the control unit of the household appliance is configured to: detect one of the following operating conditions of the household appliance: turning on of the appliance; turning on of the appliance followed by a manual selection, by a user via a control panel of the household appliance, of a treatment program other than said predefined article treatment program, in the event that execution of the treatment program manually selected by the user is not started within a predetermined time interval; reactivation of the appliance from a stand-by condition, if the appliance is not executing any treatment program, and, if one of the above operating conditions is detected, automatically set for execution by the appliance a predefined article treatment program, and provide the user with an indication of the predefined article treatment program automatically set for execution run by the control unit.

[0023] When the above operating conditions occur, the appliance control unit always automatically sets the predefined article treatment program, ignoring any possible different programs that may have been set before the above operating conditions occurred, such as the last program executed or a stored favorite program.

[0024] In embodiments of the present invention, the household appliance is advantageously configured to connect to a communication network, such as the Internet, and to allow a user to remotely control the household appliance, by means of a mobile terminal of the user (for example a smartphone, with a dedicated app installed) connected to the communication network. The method may comprise: allowing the user, through the mobile terminal, to set for execution an article treatment program selected by the user, through the mobile terminal, from a plurality of selectable treatment programs; providing the user, through the mobile terminal, with an indication of a selected treatment program, and allowing the user to command, through the mobile terminal, the start of the execution, by the household appliance, of the treatment program set for execution.

[0025] The method comprises providing the user, through the mobile terminal, with an indication of the predefined article treatment program automatically set for execution by the control unit.

[0026] The household appliance according to the present invention, and the related method of operation, thanks to the ability to autonomously and automatically suggest to the user a certain predefined treatment program, solve the problems highlighted above. The user is left free to accept and determine the execution of the predefined treatment program automatically set for execution by the household appliance, or to select and set for execution a different treatment program, different from the predefined treatment program, and determine the execution, by the household appliance, of the different treatment program.

[0027] In particular, if the predefined treatment program automatically set for execution by the appliance control unit upon detection of certain operating conditions is an ECO program, the user may be interested in executing this type of program with a certain frequency precisely because of its low consumption. In this case, the automatic setting for the execution of such a treatment program by the appliance saves the user the burden of searching each time for such a treatment program by "browsing" the list of treatment programs available on the appliance.Brief description of the drawings

[0028] The present invention will be better understood after reading the following detailed description of exemplary and non-limiting embodiments thereof. For a better intelligibility, the following description should be read by making reference to the annexed figures, in which: Fig. 1 schematically shows a household appliance for the treatment of articles by means of treatment fluids in which the present invention may find application; Fig. 2 is a more detailed schematic view of an exemplary control panel of the household appliance of Fig. 1; Fig. 3 is an illustrative diagram of interactions between a control panel, a control unit, and components / systems internal to the household appliance of Fig. 1, and Fig. 4 is a flowchart representation of a method of operation of the household appliance of Fig. 1 and Fig. 2, in accordance with an exemplary embodiment of the present invention. Detailed description of exemplary embodiments of the invention

[0029] With reference to the figures, Fig. 1 schematically shows a household appliance for the treatment of articles using treatment fluids in which the present invention can find application.

[0030] In the example shown, the household appliance, indicated by 100, is a household appliance for the treatment of linen, laundry, clothes, and in particular, again by way of example, the household appliance is a laundry washing machine. It should be noted that although in the following description reference will be made mainly to the example of a laundry washing machine, this shall not be considered as a limiting scope of application of the present invention, which can also be applied to other household appliances for the treatment of linen, such as for example clothes dryers or clothes washer-dryers, as well as to household appliances for the treatment of kitchen articles (such as for example dishwashers), and more generally to household appliances for the treatment of articles using treatment fluids.

[0031] The washing machine 100 comprises, in a known manner, an external casing 105 shaped like a cabinet. The cabinet 105 houses within it a tub (not visible in the figure) for containing the laundry washing liquid (or "washing tub"), with a laundry loading basket or drum (not visible in the figure) housed in a rotatable manner in the washing tub. Access to the drum (for loading and unloading the laundry) is permitted by a loading / unloading opening (not visible in the figure) provided in the front wall 110 of the cabinet 105, with such opening that can be closed by means of a door 115 hinged to the cabinet 105 in correspondence with the front wall 110 thereof.

[0032] The laundry washing machine 100 comprises known components and systems (not visible in the figures) for: connection to a water distribution network and connection to an electricity distribution network of the environment in which the washing machine 100 is intended to be installed; loading water into, and discharging washing liquid from, the washing tub; loading (by a user) and dispensing into the washing tub of laundry washing products (e.g. detergents, fabric softeners); heating the washing liquid in the washing tub; driving the drum in rotation.

[0033] The laundry washing machine 100 comprises a control unit (not visible in Fig. 1) which supervises the laundry washing machine operation, in particular by controlling (at least some of) the components and systems of the machine (such as one or more water loading valves, a pump for draining the washing liquid from the washing tub, washing liquid heating devices, a motor for rotating the laundry loading drum). The control unit is in particular configured to make the laundry washing machine execute laundry washing programs, as described in more detail below.

[0034] The laundry washing machine 100 includes a control panel 120, visible in greater detail in Fig. 2, configured to allow an interaction between a user and the laundry washing machine 100. For example, the control panel 120 is positioned at the top of the front wall 110 of the cabinet 105. The control panel 120 is a human-machine interface or user interface configured to allow a user to enter (via input means) commands to control the operation of the laundry washing machine 100 and to allow the laundry washing machine 100 to provide the user (via notification means) with information about the machine status.

[0035] As schematized in Fig. 3, the control panel 120 is in bidirectional communication with the control unit 305 of the laundry washing machine 100, and the control unit 305 controls the components / systems 310 of the laundry washing machine 100.

[0036] For example, the control panel 120 comprises a button 205 for turning the laundry washing machine 100 on / off, a laundry treatment program selector 210, a button 215 for starting a laundry treatment program, and a screen (display) 220. The buttons 205 and 215 (as well as any additional buttons) may be physical buttons or virtual buttons, for example they may be tactile buttons consisting of areas of a touch screen; for example, the display 220 may be a touch screen display (so-called "touchscreen") and one or more of the buttons 205, 215 or additional buttons may be predefined areas of the touch screen display 220. The program selector 210 may for example be a rotary electronic selector, by rotating which the user can manually browse through laundry treatment programs of a plurality of laundry treatment programs made available by the washing machine 100, manually select one of the treatment programs of the plurality and manually set it for execution. The control unit 305 is preferably configured to display on the display 220 a descriptive (graphic and / or textual) indication of the currently selected treatment program, either by action by the user on the program selector 210 or as a result of an automatic selection made by the control unit 305, as will be described in more detail below.

[0037] Preferably, the control panel may also be provided with a notification means that is not exclusively visual, for example, an acoustic notification means, for example, a buzzer or a loudspeaker. For example, the control unit 305 may be configured to play, via a loudspeaker, acoustic messages describing the currently selected laundry treatment program. This is advantageous not only because it makes the laundry washing machine 100 more easily usable by users with visual impairments, but also because it does not require the user to stare at the display 220 as the sole means of notification.

[0038] In very brief terms, the operation of the laundry washing machine 100 requires that the machine is first turned on by pressing the on / off button 205, that a laundry treatment program is selected by the user by means of the program selector 210 or that a predefined laundry treatment program is automatically set for execution by the control unit 305, and that the treatment program selected and set for execution on the user's own initiative (manually or by voice command or in any other way), or the predefined treatment program automatically set for execution by the control unit 305 is then started by means of an action by the user on the program start button 215 (it is understood that the user, at some point in time, must have loaded the laundry to be washed into the drum and must have loaded the necessary washing products (detergents, fabric softener, additives, etc.).

[0039] The predefined treatment program that can be automatically set for execution by the control unit 305 is an article treatment program, executable by the household appliance, which is pre-established, predetermined by the manufacturer of the household appliance, fixed and not modifiable by the user, in particular, not replaceable, by the user, with a different article treatment program of said plurality of treatment programs: in other words, the user is prevented from making any of the treatment programs of said plurality the new predefined treatment program that can be automatically set for execution by the control unit of the household appliance.

[0040] The method of operation of the laundry washing machine 100 in accordance with a preferred embodiment of the present invention will now be described with reference to the flow chart 400 of Fig. 4.

[0041] It is assumed that initially the laundry washing machine 100 has been installed and placed in condition of being able to operate (in particular, the laundry washing machine 100 has been connected to the electricity distribution network and the water network). Initially the laundry washing machine 100 is off, turned off (operating condition of lowest energy consumption). The user may have loaded the laundry to be treated in the drum of the laundry washing machine with the machine turned off.

[0042] At a certain point (block 405) a user turns the washing machine 100 on, for example by pressing the on / off button 205.

[0043] The laundry washing machine 100 turns on and the control unit 305 automatically sets for execution and proposes to the user (block 410) a predetermined laundry treatment program, or default treatment program, hereinafter also referred to as the "predefined program" or "default program" DEF PRG. The predefined program may be a treatment program included among the various treatment programs available on the laundry washing machine 100 and manually selectable by the user using the program selector 210, or it can be a treatment program not included among the treatment programs manually selectable by the user.

[0044] For example, the predefined laundry treatment program is a program involving low energy and / or resource consumption (e.g. in terms of consumption of electricity and / or water and / or a laundry treatment agent of the laundry washing machine), being for example the treatment program that is characterized by the lowest energy consumption among the various treatment programs available on the laundry washing machine 100. For example, the predefined program may be a laundry washing program that involves heating the washing liquid to a temperature not exceeding a predefined temperature range, for example, between 20 and 40 °C.

[0045] Advantageously, the control unit 305 makes the user aware of the predefined program that has been automatically set for execution, for example by displaying on the display 220 a textual or symbolic indication describing the predefined program that is understandable to the user, and / or by playing, via a loudspeaker, an acoustic message describing the automatically selected predefined laundry treatment program.

[0046] The laundry washing machine 100 then enters a waiting phase or cycle in which the laundry washing machine 100 waits for the user to confirm (block 415) the automatic setting for the execution of the predefined program operated by the control unit 305, or for the user to choose (block 420) on his own initiative a laundry treatment program from among the treatment programs available on the laundry washing machine 100 (which may be a treatment program different from the predefined program, or the same predefined program, but selected by the user, possibly after having browsed, by means of the program selector 210, one or more different laundry treatment programs from among the available treatment programs), and, having chosen the desired treatment program, the user confirms his choice (block 425). The user can confirm the selection of the treatment program, either of the predefined program automatically selected by the control unit 305 or of the treatment program chosen by the user, for example by acting on the button 215 for starting a laundry treatment program. To select a laundry treatment program other than the predefined program, the user can act on the program selector 210. The control unit 305, in communication with the program selector 210, informs the user of the treatment program that has been selected by the user, for example by displaying on the display 220 a textual or symbolic indication describing the selected treatment program that is understandable to the user, and / or by reproducing, via a loudspeaker, an acoustic message describing the laundry treatment program selected by the user.

[0047] The waiting cycle has a limited time duration, for example of a few minutes (for example 5 minutes), which the control unit 305 monitors (block 430). The laundry washing machine 100 remains in the waiting phase until the time limit has expired (output branch NO of block 430).

[0048] If during the waiting phase (before the time limit has expired) the user (intentionally or inadvertently) turns the washing machine 100 off (block 431, output branch YES), by acting on the on / off button 205, and then turns it on again, again by acting on the on / off button 205, the operational flow returns to block 405.

[0049] If, after the time limit has expired (output branch YES of block 430), the user has not yet confirmed / started (output branch NO of block 415) the predefined program automatically set for execution by the control unit 305 or the user, despite having selected a treatment program other than the predefined program (output branch YES of block 420), has not confirmed / started the program he / she has selected (output branch NO of block 425), the control unit 305 determines the entry of the laundry washing machine 100 into a waiting condition or mode ("stand-by" condition or mode, block 433), a condition in which the laundry washing machine 100 is not operational, but (only) some of its components / systems, in particular the control unit 305, are electrically powered and are ready for the reactivation of the full operation of the laundry washing machine 100. In other words, in the stand-by condition only those components, such as the control unit, are kept in operation that allow the laundry washing machine 100 to be restarted upon receipt of commands that imply its activation. Typically the stand-by condition corresponds to a reduced energy consumption compared to the operating mode. For example, in the stand-by condition the control unit 305 can turn the display 220 off and make the program selector 210 and the button 215 for starting a laundry treatment program inactive, leaving only the on / off button 205 active.

[0050] The user can reactivate the laundry washing machine 100 by pressing the on / off button 205 (block 435). If the user presses the on / off button 205 (output branch YES of block 435), the laundry washing machine 100 exits the stand-by condition and reactivates, and the operating flow returns to block 410: the control unit 305 automatically selects and proposes the predefined program to the user and returns to the waiting cycle 415 - 430.

[0051] If, instead, before the time limit expires, the user confirms the automatic selection of the predefined program operated by the control unit 305 by pressing the button 215 and starting the execution of the predefined program (output branch YES of block 415), or the user confirms the selection, operated by the user him / herself, of a laundry treatment program chosen by the user by starting its execution via the button 215 (output branch YES of block 425), the control unit 305 implements the execution of the laundry treatment program selected (automatically by the control unit or manually by the user) and confirmed. The laundry washing machine 100 carries out, under the supervision of the control unit 305, all the operations (loading water into the washing tub, dispensing the laundry treatment products - detergents, additives, fabric softeners -, heating the washing liquid, rotation of the drum, draining the washing liquid from the tub) foreseen for that specific laundry treatment program, until the program is completed (block 445).

[0052] Once the execution of the treatment program has been completed (block 450), the laundry washing machine 100 remains active for a certain period of time (waiting cycle 455), for example a few minutes (for example 5 minutes), after which (output branch YES of block 450) the control unit 305 determines the entry of the laundry washing machine 100 into the stand-by condition (block 460). As previously described, in the stand-by condition the control unit 305 can turn the display 220 off and make the program selector 210 and the button 215 for starting a laundry treatment program inactive, leaving only the on / off button 205 active.

[0053] The user can reactivate the laundry washing machine 100 by pressing the on / off button 205 (block 465). If the user presses the on / off button 205 (output branch YES of block 465), the laundry washing machine 100 exits the stand-by condition and reactivates, and the operating flow returns to block 410: the control unit 305 automatically selects and proposes to the user the predefined program and returns to the waiting cycle 415 - 430.

[0054] The predefined program that the control unit 305 automatically sets for execution by the laundry washing machine 100 and proposes to the user may, for example, be a laundry treatment program designed to meet certain needs. For example, the predefined program may be a treatment program that is suitable for treating the most common types of laundry, or the control unit 305 may be configured to build a history of treatment programs selected over time by the user and automatically select, and propose for execution, the treatment program most frequently selected by the user. Furthermore, the predefined program may be a treatment program that meets certain requirements in terms of consumption (of electricity and / or water and / or laundry treatment products), which make it preferable from the point of view of a lower environmental impact. For example, the predefined program may be a laundry washing program that involves heating the washing liquid to a temperature not higher than a certain value, for example a temperature equal to or lower than approximately 40 °C. Again as an example, the predefined program may be a time-based laundry washing program, having the shortest duration among all the laundry treatment programs available on the washing machine.

[0055] In general, the possibility given to the control unit 305 to automatically set for execution and propose to the user a specific predefined program is advantageous since it is preferable, for example, to the case in which, when the laundry washing machine 100 is turned on or reactivated, the control unit 305 simply selects and proposes for execution a random treatment program, or the last treatment program performed: in such cases, a user who is not particularly careful could in fact cause the execution a treatment program that is not suitable for the laundry to be treated.

[0056] If the laundry washing machine 100 is equipped with a "child lock" function, a safety function, which can be activated by the user, to prevent a child from accidentally modifying the settings of the laundry washing machine 100 by interacting with the control panel 120 of the laundry washing machine 100, for example by changing the laundry treatment program or starting the execution of a treatment program, and the user has activated this safety function, the control unit 305 is preferably configured to keep the child-lock function activated upon returning from the stand-by condition following the reactivation of the laundry washing machine 100 by acting on the on / off button 205.

[0057] Although in the preceding description reference has been made, by way of example, to a laundry washing machine 100, completely analogous considerations also apply to other household appliances for the treatment of articles by means of treatment fluids, be they other household appliances for the treatment of linen, laundry, clothes, such as for example laundry dryers or laundry washer-dryers, or household appliances for the treatment of kitchen articles, such as for example dishwashers. Also in such other household appliances the respective control units are configured to automatically select and propose for execution respective predefined treatment programs (in particular, a predefined laundry drying program, for example lasting less than two hours; a predefined laundry washing and drying program, which may for example comprise a laundry washing phase with heating of the washing liquid to a temperature equal to or lower than approximately 40 °C followed by a laundry drying phase lasting less than two hours; a predefined kitchen article washing program).

[0058] Similar considerations apply to a household appliance, such as a laundry washing machine, which can be connected to the Internet (for example, equipped with a Wi-Fi communication interface for connection to an "Access Point" available in the environment in which the household appliance is installed and connected to the Internet) and with remote control functionality, for example through an app installed on a mobile terminal (such as a smartphone) of the user. In this case, the household appliance control unit can be configured to automatically set for execution and propose to the user the predefined treatment program, through the app running on their mobile terminal, when the same operating conditions described above occur. In a manner completely analogous to what described above, through the app running on his / her mobile terminal the user can confirm the automatic selection made by the household appliance control unit, starting the execution of the predefined treatment program, or the user can select and determine the execution of a treatment program of his choice.

Examples

Embodiment Construction

[0029]With reference to the figures, Fig. 1 schematically shows a household appliance for the treatment of articles using treatment fluids in which the present invention can find application.

[0030]In the example shown, the household appliance, indicated by 100, is a household appliance for the treatment of linen, laundry, clothes, and in particular, again by way of example, the household appliance is a laundry washing machine. It should be noted that although in the following description reference will be made mainly to the example of a laundry washing machine, this shall not be considered as a limiting scope of application of the present invention, which can also be applied to other household appliances for the treatment of linen, such as for example clothes dryers or clothes washer-dryers, as well as to household appliances for the treatment of kitchen articles (such as for example dishwashers), and more generally to household appliances for the treatment of articles using treatm...

Technical field

[0001] The present invention generally relates to the field of household appliances, for both domestic and professional use. In particular, the present invention relates to household appliances for the treatment of articles by means of treatment fluids, such as appliances for the treatment of linen (such as, for example, washing machines, drying machines, washer-dryers) and household appliances for the treatment of kitchen articles (such as, for example, dishwashers).Overview of the state of the art

[0002] Appliances for the treatment of articles by means of treatment fluids, such as for example appliances for the treatment of laundry (laundry washing machines, laundry drying machines, laundry washer-dryer machines) and appliances for the treatment of kitchen articles (dishwashing machines) are generally configured to be able to perform various article treatment programs (e.g. various laundry washing programs, various laundry drying programs, various kitchen article washing programs).

[0003] A user can select the article treatment program he / she desires, typically by means of a program selector, and cause the appliance to execute the selected program.

[0004] Generally, the different article treatment programs that are normally available on household appliances differ from each other in terms of the operating temperature of the article treatment fluid heating and in terms of duration. Different heating operating temperatures of the article treatment fluid, and different durations of the treatment programs, correspond to different levels of energy and non-energy consumption (electricity, treatment fluid, article treatment products).Summary of the invention

[0005] The Applicant has observed that the choice of a specific article treatment program among the numerous treatment programs often available on household appliances may result unsatisfactory for the user of the appliance, for example requiring repeated consultation of the user manual of the appliance, in which the characteristics of the various treatment programs, their suitability for the treatment of specific articles and so on are described.

[0006] The Applicant has further observed that in some household appliances the complete list of available treatment programs is not even permanently displayed on the user interface of the appliance (e.g. around the program selector), not even in symbolic form. For example, in household appliances with a user interface featuring a screen (display), the indication of the individual program currently selected by means of the program selector is displayed on the screen and changes continuously as the user acts on the program selector, which makes it impossible for the user to constantly have an overview of all the treatment programs available on the appliance and forces the user to scroll through the list by repeatedly acting on the program selector.

[0007] The Applicant has also observed that, nowadays, the attention of the users of household appliances with respect to environmental issues related to the use and disposal of treatment agents such as, for example, detergents, but also with respect to the problems related to the increase in the costs of resources, in particular water and energy, has significantly increased.

[0008] Therefore, a purpose of the present invention is to provide a household appliance for the treatment of articles configured to automatically set a default, predefined treatment program that is proposed to the user, in such a way as to simplify the phase of selection of a program and help the user to reduce the management costs of the household appliance.

[0009] For the purposes of the present invention, a "predefined treatment program" means a pre-established article treatment program, i.e. a treatment program that is predetermined by the manufacturer of the household appliance, that is fixed and that cannot be modified by the user (in particular, a treatment program that cannot be replaced by the user with a different article treatment program out of said plurality of treatment programs). In other words, the user is prevented from making any of the selectable treatment programs the new predefined treatment program automatically set by the household appliance.

[0010] In accordance with an aspect of the present invention, there is provided a household appliance for treating articles comprising a control panel. The control panel comprises a button to turn on the appliance and a user interface configured to allow a user to enter operational commands to operate the appliance and to provide information about its operating status.

[0011] The user interface is configured to: allow the user to set for execution an article treatment program selected by the user from a plurality of selectable treatment programs; provide the user with an indication of a selected treatment program, and allow the user to command the appliance to start the execution of the treatment program set for execution.

[0012] The appliance further comprises a control unit for controlling the appliance operating conditions and function, configured to: communicate with the control panel, to automatically set a predefined treatment program for execution, and to provide an indication of the predefined article treatment program automatically set for execution by the control unit.

[0013] The control unit is configured to automatically set the predefined treatment program for execution when the control unit detects one of the following operating conditions of the appliance: turning on of the appliance; turning on of the appliance followed by a manual selection by the user, via the control panel, of a treatment program different from the predefined article treatment program, if the execution of the treatment program manually selected by the user is not started within a predetermined time interval; reactivation of the appliance from a stand-by condition, if the appliance is not executing any article treatment program.

[0014] Preferably, the control unit is further configured to automatically set the predefined treatment program for execution when, during said predetermined time interval, the appliance is turned off and on again.

[0015] The predefined article treatment program may for example be a treatment program belonging to the plurality of article treatment programs executable by the appliance, which, in addition to being automatically set for execution by the control unit upon detection of said operating conditions, may also be selected and set for execution by the user on his own initiative (manually or by voice command or in any other manner).

[0016] Advantageously, the predefined article treatment program may be a treatment program involving low energy consumption, and / or low water consumption and / or low consumption of a treatment agent, for example an ECO program that meets the requirements of a certain energy class in terms of lower consumption of KWh per cycle and / or litres of water per cycle, and / or amount of detergent per cycle.

[0017] For example, the predefined article treatment program may be an article washing program with a washing liquid heated to a temperature equal to or lower than approximately 40 °C.

[0018] Still by way of example, the predefined treatment program may be a time-based article washing and / or drying program, having the shortest duration among the treatment programs of said plurality of treatment programs.

[0019] Alternatively, the predefined article treatment program may be a treatment program defined by the manufacturer based on the habits of use of the appliance by users, or defined or regulated by national and / or international regulations.

[0020] In embodiments of the present invention, the user interface of the control panel may comprise a screen configured and controlled by the control unit to display at least one of the article treatment programs of the plurality of treatment programs.

[0021] The household appliance may be of the type that can be connected to the Internet (for example, the household appliance may be equipped with a Wi-Fi communication interface for connection to an "Access Point" available in the environment in which the household appliance is installed and connected to the Internet) and with remote control functionality, for example through an app installed on a mobile terminal (such as a smartphone) of the user. The household appliance control unit may be advantageously configured to automatically set the predefined treatment program for execution, proposing it to the user through the app running on his / her mobile terminal, when the same operating conditions described above occur.

[0022] According to another aspect of the present invention, a method of operating a household appliance for treating articles according to the preceding aspect of the present invention is provided. In the method, the control unit of the household appliance is configured to: detect one of the following operating conditions of the household appliance: turning on of the appliance; turning on of the appliance followed by a manual selection, by a user via a control panel of the household appliance, of a treatment program other than said predefined article treatment program, in the event that execution of the treatment program manually selected by the user is not started within a predetermined time interval; reactivation of the appliance from a stand-by condition, if the appliance is not executing any treatment program, and, if one of the above operating conditions is detected, automatically set for execution by the appliance a predefined article treatment program, and provide the user with an indication of the predefined article treatment program automatically set for execution run by the control unit.

[0023] When the above operating conditions occur, the appliance control unit always automatically sets the predefined article treatment program, ignoring any possible different programs that may have been set before the above operating conditions occurred, such as the last program executed or a stored favorite program.

[0024] In embodiments of the present invention, the household appliance is advantageously configured to connect to a communication network, such as the Internet, and to allow a user to remotely control the household appliance, by means of a mobile terminal of the user (for example a smartphone, with a dedicated app installed) connected to the communication network. The method may comprise: allowing the user, through the mobile terminal, to set for execution an article treatment program selected by the user, through the mobile terminal, from a plurality of selectable treatment programs; providing the user, through the mobile terminal, with an indication of a selected treatment program, and allowing the user to command, through the mobile terminal, the start of the execution, by the household appliance, of the treatment program set for execution.

[0025] The method comprises providing the user, through the mobile terminal, with an indication of the predefined article treatment program automatically set for execution by the control unit.

[0026] The household appliance according to the present invention, and the related method of operation, thanks to the ability to autonomously and automatically suggest to the user a certain predefined treatment program, solve the problems highlighted above. The user is left free to accept and determine the execution of the predefined treatment program automatically set for execution by the household appliance, or to select and set for execution a different treatment program, different from the predefined treatment program, and determine the execution, by the household appliance, of the different treatment program.

[0027] In particular, if the predefined treatment program automatically set for execution by the appliance control unit upon detection of certain operating conditions is an ECO program, the user may be interested in executing this type of program with a certain frequency precisely because of its low consumption. In this case, the automatic setting for the execution of such a treatment program by the appliance saves the user the burden of searching each time for such a treatment program by "browsing" the list of treatment programs available on the appliance.Brief description of the drawings

[0028] The present invention will be better understood after reading the following detailed description of exemplary and non-limiting embodiments thereof. For a better intelligibility, the following description should be read by making reference to the annexed figures, in which: Fig. 1 schematically shows a household appliance for the treatment of articles by means of treatment fluids in which the present invention may find application; Fig. 2 is a more detailed schematic view of an exemplary control panel of the household appliance of Fig. 1; Fig. 3 is an illustrative diagram of interactions between a control panel, a control unit, and components / systems internal to the household appliance of Fig. 1, and Fig. 4 is a flowchart representation of a method of operation of the household appliance of Fig. 1 and Fig. 2, in accordance with an exemplary embodiment of the present invention. Detailed description of exemplary embodiments of the invention

[0029] With reference to the figures, Fig. 1 schematically shows a household appliance for the treatment of articles using treatment fluids in which the present invention can find application.

[0030] In the example shown, the household appliance, indicated by 100, is a household appliance for the treatment of linen, laundry, clothes, and in particular, again by way of example, the household appliance is a laundry washing machine. It should be noted that although in the following description reference will be made mainly to the example of a laundry washing machine, this shall not be considered as a limiting scope of application of the present invention, which can also be applied to other household appliances for the treatment of linen, such as for example clothes dryers or clothes washer-dryers, as well as to household appliances for the treatment of kitchen articles (such as for example dishwashers), and more generally to household appliances for the treatment of articles using treatment fluids.

[0031] The washing machine 100 comprises, in a known manner, an external casing 105 shaped like a cabinet. The cabinet 105 houses within it a tub (not visible in the figure) for containing the laundry washing liquid (or "washing tub"), with a laundry loading basket or drum (not visible in the figure) housed in a rotatable manner in the washing tub. Access to the drum (for loading and unloading the laundry) is permitted by a loading / unloading opening (not visible in the figure) provided in the front wall 110 of the cabinet 105, with such opening that can be closed by means of a door 115 hinged to the cabinet 105 in correspondence with the front wall 110 thereof.

[0032] The laundry washing machine 100 comprises known components and systems (not visible in the figures) for: connection to a water distribution network and connection to an electricity distribution network of the environment in which the washing machine 100 is intended to be installed; loading water into, and discharging washing liquid from, the washing tub; loading (by a user) and dispensing into the washing tub of laundry washing products (e.g. detergents, fabric softeners); heating the washing liquid in the washing tub; driving the drum in rotation.

[0033] The laundry washing machine 100 comprises a control unit (not visible in Fig. 1) which supervises the laundry washing machine operation, in particular by controlling (at least some of) the components and systems of the machine (such as one or more water loading valves, a pump for draining the washing liquid from the washing tub, washing liquid heating devices, a motor for rotating the laundry loading drum). The control unit is in particular configured to make the laundry washing machine execute laundry washing programs, as described in more detail below.

[0034] The laundry washing machine 100 includes a control panel 120, visible in greater detail in Fig. 2, configured to allow an interaction between a user and the laundry washing machine 100. For example, the control panel 120 is positioned at the top of the front wall 110 of the cabinet 105. The control panel 120 is a human-machine interface or user interface configured to allow a user to enter (via input means) commands to control the operation of the laundry washing machine 100 and to allow the laundry washing machine 100 to provide the user (via notification means) with information about the machine status.

[0035] As schematized in Fig. 3, the control panel 120 is in bidirectional communication with the control unit 305 of the laundry washing machine 100, and the control unit 305 controls the components / systems 310 of the laundry washing machine 100.

[0036] For example, the control panel 120 comprises a button 205 for turning the laundry washing machine 100 on / off, a laundry treatment program selector 210, a button 215 for starting a laundry treatment program, and a screen (display) 220. The buttons 205 and 215 (as well as any additional buttons) may be physical buttons or virtual buttons, for example they may be tactile buttons consisting of areas of a touch screen; for example, the display 220 may be a touch screen display (so-called "touchscreen") and one or more of the buttons 205, 215 or additional buttons may be predefined areas of the touch screen display 220. The program selector 210 may for example be a rotary electronic selector, by rotating which the user can manually browse through laundry treatment programs of a plurality of laundry treatment programs made available by the washing machine 100, manually select one of the treatment programs of the plurality and manually set it for execution. The control unit 305 is preferably configured to display on the display 220 a descriptive (graphic and / or textual) indication of the currently selected treatment program, either by action by the user on the program selector 210 or as a result of an automatic selection made by the control unit 305, as will be described in more detail below.

[0037] Preferably, the control panel may also be provided with a notification means that is not exclusively visual, for example, an acoustic notification means, for example, a buzzer or a loudspeaker. For example, the control unit 305 may be configured to play, via a loudspeaker, acoustic messages describing the currently selected laundry treatment program. This is advantageous not only because it makes the laundry washing machine 100 more easily usable by users with visual impairments, but also because it does not require the user to stare at the display 220 as the sole means of notification.

[0038] In very brief terms, the operation of the laundry washing machine 100 requires that the machine is first turned on by pressing the on / off button 205, that a laundry treatment program is selected by the user by means of the program selector 210 or that a predefined laundry treatment program is automatically set for execution by the control unit 305, and that the treatment program selected and set for execution on the user's own initiative (manually or by voice command or in any other way), or the predefined treatment program automatically set for execution by the control unit 305 is then started by means of an action by the user on the program start button 215 (it is understood that the user, at some point in time, must have loaded the laundry to be washed into the drum and must have loaded the necessary washing products (detergents, fabric softener, additives, etc.).

[0039] The predefined treatment program that can be automatically set for execution by the control unit 305 is an article treatment program, executable by the household appliance, which is pre-established, predetermined by the manufacturer of the household appliance, fixed and not modifiable by the user, in particular, not replaceable, by the user, with a different article treatment program of said plurality of treatment programs: in other words, the user is prevented from making any of the treatment programs of said plurality the new predefined treatment program that can be automatically set for execution by the control unit of the household appliance.

[0040] The method of operation of the laundry washing machine 100 in accordance with a preferred embodiment of the present invention will now be described with reference to the flow chart 400 of Fig. 4.

[0041] It is assumed that initially the laundry washing machine 100 has been installed and placed in condition of being able to operate (in particular, the laundry washing machine 100 has been connected to the electricity distribution network and the water network). Initially the laundry washing machine 100 is off, turned off (operating condition of lowest energy consumption). The user may have loaded the laundry to be treated in the drum of the laundry washing machine with the machine turned off.

[0042] At a certain point (block 405) a user turns the washing machine 100 on, for example by pressing the on / off button 205.

[0043] The laundry washing machine 100 turns on and the control unit 305 automatically sets for execution and proposes to the user (block 410) a predetermined laundry treatment program, or default treatment program, hereinafter also referred to as the "predefined program" or "default program" DEF PRG. The predefined program may be a treatment program included among the various treatment programs available on the laundry washing machine 100 and manually selectable by the user using the program selector 210, or it can be a treatment program not included among the treatment programs manually selectable by the user.

[0044] For example, the predefined laundry treatment program is a program involving low energy and / or resource consumption (e.g. in terms of consumption of electricity and / or water and / or a laundry treatment agent of the laundry washing machine), being for example the treatment program that is characterized by the lowest energy consumption among the various treatment programs available on the laundry washing machine 100. For example, the predefined program may be a laundry washing program that involves heating the washing liquid to a temperature not exceeding a predefined temperature range, for example, between 20 and 40 °C.

[0045] Advantageously, the control unit 305 makes the user aware of the predefined program that has been automatically set for execution, for example by displaying on the display 220 a textual or symbolic indication describing the predefined program that is understandable to the user, and / or by playing, via a loudspeaker, an acoustic message describing the automatically selected predefined laundry treatment program.

[0046] The laundry washing machine 100 then enters a waiting phase or cycle in which the laundry washing machine 100 waits for the user to confirm (block 415) the automatic setting for the execution of the predefined program operated by the control unit 305, or for the user to choose (block 420) on his own initiative a laundry treatment program from among the treatment programs available on the laundry washing machine 100 (which may be a treatment program different from the predefined program, or the same predefined program, but selected by the user, possibly after having browsed, by means of the program selector 210, one or more different laundry treatment programs from among the available treatment programs), and, having chosen the desired treatment program, the user confirms his choice (block 425). The user can confirm the selection of the treatment program, either of the predefined program automatically selected by the control unit 305 or of the treatment program chosen by the user, for example by acting on the button 215 for starting a laundry treatment program. To select a laundry treatment program other than the predefined program, the user can act on the program selector 210. The control unit 305, in communication with the program selector 210, informs the user of the treatment program that has been selected by the user, for example by displaying on the display 220 a textual or symbolic indication describing the selected treatment program that is understandable to the user, and / or by reproducing, via a loudspeaker, an acoustic message describing the laundry treatment program selected by the user.

[0047] The waiting cycle has a limited time duration, for example of a few minutes (for example 5 minutes), which the control unit 305 monitors (block 430). The laundry washing machine 100 remains in the waiting phase until the time limit has expired (output branch NO of block 430).

[0048] If during the waiting phase (before the time limit has expired) the user (intentionally or inadvertently) turns the washing machine 100 off (block 431, output branch YES), by acting on the on / off button 205, and then turns it on again, again by acting on the on / off button 205, the operational flow returns to block 405.

[0049] If, after the time limit has expired (output branch YES of block 430), the user has not yet confirmed / started (output branch NO of block 415) the predefined program automatically set for execution by the control unit 305 or the user, despite having selected a treatment program other than the predefined program (output branch YES of block 420), has not confirmed / started the program he / she has selected (output branch NO of block 425), the control unit 305 determines the entry of the laundry washing machine 100 into a waiting condition or mode ("stand-by" condition or mode, block 433), a condition in which the laundry washing machine 100 is not operational, but (only) some of its components / systems, in particular the control unit 305, are electrically powered and are ready for the reactivation of the full operation of the laundry washing machine 100. In other words, in the stand-by condition only those components, such as the control unit, are kept in operation that allow the laundry washing machine 100 to be restarted upon receipt of commands that imply its activation. Typically the stand-by condition corresponds to a reduced energy consumption compared to the operating mode. For example, in the stand-by condition the control unit 305 can turn the display 220 off and make the program selector 210 and the button 215 for starting a laundry treatment program inactive, leaving only the on / off button 205 active.

[0050] The user can reactivate the laundry washing machine 100 by pressing the on / off button 205 (block 435). If the user presses the on / off button 205 (output branch YES of block 435), the laundry washing machine 100 exits the stand-by condition and reactivates, and the operating flow returns to block 410: the control unit 305 automatically selects and proposes the predefined program to the user and returns to the waiting cycle 415 - 430.

[0051] If, instead, before the time limit expires, the user confirms the automatic selection of the predefined program operated by the control unit 305 by pressing the button 215 and starting the execution of the predefined program (output branch YES of block 415), or the user confirms the selection, operated by the user him / herself, of a laundry treatment program chosen by the user by starting its execution via the button 215 (output branch YES of block 425), the control unit 305 implements the execution of the laundry treatment program selected (automatically by the control unit or manually by the user) and confirmed. The laundry washing machine 100 carries out, under the supervision of the control unit 305, all the operations (loading water into the washing tub, dispensing the laundry treatment products - detergents, additives, fabric softeners -, heating the washing liquid, rotation of the drum, draining the washing liquid from the tub) foreseen for that specific laundry treatment program, until the program is completed (block 445).

[0052] Once the execution of the treatment program has been completed (block 450), the laundry washing machine 100 remains active for a certain period of time (waiting cycle 455), for example a few minutes (for example 5 minutes), after which (output branch YES of block 450) the control unit 305 determines the entry of the laundry washing machine 100 into the stand-by condition (block 460). As previously described, in the stand-by condition the control unit 305 can turn the display 220 off and make the program selector 210 and the button 215 for starting a laundry treatment program inactive, leaving only the on / off button 205 active.

[0053] The user can reactivate the laundry washing machine 100 by pressing the on / off button 205 (block 465). If the user presses the on / off button 205 (output branch YES of block 465), the laundry washing machine 100 exits the stand-by condition and reactivates, and the operating flow returns to block 410: the control unit 305 automatically selects and proposes to the user the predefined program and returns to the waiting cycle 415 - 430.

[0054] The predefined program that the control unit 305 automatically sets for execution by the laundry washing machine 100 and proposes to the user may, for example, be a laundry treatment program designed to meet certain needs. For example, the predefined program may be a treatment program that is suitable for treating the most common types of laundry, or the control unit 305 may be configured to build a history of treatment programs selected over time by the user and automatically select, and propose for execution, the treatment program most frequently selected by the user. Furthermore, the predefined program may be a treatment program that meets certain requirements in terms of consumption (of electricity and / or water and / or laundry treatment products), which make it preferable from the point of view of a lower environmental impact. For example, the predefined program may be a laundry washing program that involves heating the washing liquid to a temperature not higher than a certain value, for example a temperature equal to or lower than approximately 40 °C. Again as an example, the predefined program may be a time-based laundry washing program, having the shortest duration among all the laundry treatment programs available on the washing machine.

[0055] In general, the possibility given to the control unit 305 to automatically set for execution and propose to the user a specific predefined program is advantageous since it is preferable, for example, to the case in which, when the laundry washing machine 100 is turned on or reactivated, the control unit 305 simply selects and proposes for execution a random treatment program, or the last treatment program performed: in such cases, a user who is not particularly careful could in fact cause the execution a treatment program that is not suitable for the laundry to be treated.

[0056] If the laundry washing machine 100 is equipped with a "child lock" function, a safety function, which can be activated by the user, to prevent a child from accidentally modifying the settings of the laundry washing machine 100 by interacting with the control panel 120 of the laundry washing machine 100, for example by changing the laundry treatment program or starting the execution of a treatment program, and the user has activated this safety function, the control unit 305 is preferably configured to keep the child-lock function activated upon returning from the stand-by condition following the reactivation of the laundry washing machine 100 by acting on the on / off button 205.

[0057] Although in the preceding description reference has been made, by way of example, to a laundry washing machine 100, completely analogous considerations also apply to other household appliances for the treatment of articles by means of treatment fluids, be they other household appliances for the treatment of linen, laundry, clothes, such as for example laundry dryers or laundry washer-dryers, or household appliances for the treatment of kitchen articles, such as for example dishwashers. Also in such other household appliances the respective control units are configured to automatically select and propose for execution respective predefined treatment programs (in particular, a predefined laundry drying program, for example lasting less than two hours; a predefined laundry washing and drying program, which may for example comprise a laundry washing phase with heating of the washing liquid to a temperature equal to or lower than approximately 40 °C followed by a laundry drying phase lasting less than two hours; a predefined kitchen article washing program).

[0058] Similar considerations apply to a household appliance, such as a laundry washing machine, which can be connected to the Internet (for example, equipped with a Wi-Fi communication interface for connection to an "Access Point" available in the environment in which the household appliance is installed and connected to the Internet) and with remote control functionality, for example through an app installed on a mobile terminal (such as a smartphone) of the user. In this case, the household appliance control unit can be configured to automatically set for execution and propose to the user the predefined treatment program, through the app running on their mobile terminal, when the same operating conditions described above occur. In a manner completely analogous to what described above, through the app running on his / her mobile terminal the user can confirm the automatic selection made by the household appliance control unit, starting the execution of the predefined treatment program, or the user can select and determine the execution of a treatment program of his choice.

Examples

Embodiment Construction

[0029]With reference to the figures, Fig. 1 schematically shows a household appliance for the treatment of articles using treatment fluids in which the present invention can find application.

[0030]In the example shown, the household appliance, indicated by 100, is a household appliance for the treatment of linen, laundry, clothes, and in particular, again by way of example, the household appliance is a laundry washing machine. It should be noted that although in the following description reference will be made mainly to the example of a laundry washing machine, this shall not be considered as a limiting scope of application of the present invention, which can also be applied to other household appliances for the treatment of linen, such as for example clothes dryers or clothes washer-dryers, as well as to household appliances for the treatment of kitchen articles (such as for example dishwashers), and more generally to household appliances for the treatment of articles using treatm...

Claims

1. Household appliance (100) for the treatment of articles comprising: - a control panel (120) comprising: - an appliance turn-on button (205) and - a user interface (210, 215, 220) configured to allow a user to enter operational commands for the operation of the appliance and to provide information on the appliance operational status, wherein the user interface is configured to: - allow the user to set (420) for execution an article treatment program selected by the user from a plurality of selectable treatment programs; - provide the user with an indication of a manually selected treatment program, and - allow the user to command (415) the start of the execution, by the appliance, of the treatment program set for execution, wherein the appliance (100) further includes a control unit (305) for controlling operating conditions and operation of the appliance, the control unit being configured to communicate with the control panel (120), to automatically set for execution a predefined article treatment program and to provide an indication of the predefined article treatment program automatically set for execution by the control unit, wherein the control unit (305) is configured to automatically set for execution the predefined article treatment program when the control unit (305) detects any one of the following appliance operating conditions: - turning on of the appliance; - turning on of the appliance followed by a manual selection, by the user via the control panel, of a treatment program different from said predefined article treatment program, in the event that the execution of the treatment program manually selected by the user is not started by the user within a predetermined time interval; - reactivation of the appliance from a stand-by condition, in the event that the appliance is not executing any treatment program.

2. Household appliance according to claim 1, wherein the control unit (305) is further configured to automatically set the predefined article treatment program for execution when, during said predetermined time interval, the household appliance is turned off and turned on again.

3. Household appliance according to claim 1 or 2, wherein said predefined article treatment program is a treatment program belonging to said plurality of article treatment programs executable by the household appliance.

4. Household appliance according to claim 1 or 2 or 3, wherein the predefined article treatment program is a low energy consumption treatment program included in said plurality of treatment programs.

5. Household appliance according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the predefined article treatment program is an article washing program with a washing liquid heated to a temperature equal to or lower than about 40°C.

6. Household appliance according to any of the preceding claims 1-4, wherein the predefined article treatment program is a time-based article washing and / or drying program, having the shortest duration among the treatment programs of said plurality of treatment programs.

7. Household appliance according to any of the preceding claims, wherein said user interface of the control panel includes a screen (220) configured and controlled by the control unit (305) to display at least one of the article treatment programs of the plurality of treatment programs.

8. Method (400) of operating a household appliance (100) for treating articles according to any one of claims 1 to 7, the method comprising: - detecting one of the following operating conditions of the appliance: - turning on of the appliance; - turning on of the appliance followed by a manual selection, by a user via a control panel (120) of the appliance, of a treatment program different from said predefined article treatment program, in the event that the execution of the treatment program manually selected by the user is not started within a predetermined time interval; - reactivation of the appliance from a stand-by condition, in the event that the appliance is not executing any treatment program, and - in the event that one of said operating conditions is detected, - automatically set a predefined article treatment program for execution and - provide the user with an indication of the predefined article treatment program automatically set for execution by the control unit.

9. Method according to claim 8, wherein the household appliance is configured for connecting to a communications network and for allowing a user to remotely control the household appliance, via a mobile terminal of the user connected to the communications network, the method including: - allowing the user, through the mobile terminal, to set for execution an article treatment program selected by the user, through the mobile terminal, among a plurality of selectable treatment programs; - providing the user, via the mobile terminal, with an indication of a manually selected treatment program, and - allowing the user to command, through the mobile terminal, the start of the execution by the appliance of the treatment program set for execution, the method further comprising providing the user, via the mobile terminal, with an indication of the predefined article treatment program automatically set for execution by the control unit.

Images