Clothing treatment apparatus

Abstract

To further improve operability of operation setting.SOLUTION: A clothing treatment apparatus includes: an operation display which has a display section for displaying various kinds of screens including operation keys for receiving various kinds of operations of various kinds of information and operations related to operations; and a control section which controls display on the display section and performs prescribed control according to the operation to the operation key. The control section causes the display section to display a course information display region where information on a course selected according to an operation of a plurality of courses corresponding to the operations is displayed. A course outline indicating the outlines of the courses and a stroke information display region indicating stroke information on the courses are displayed in the course information display region.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 5

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] An embodiment of the present invention relates to a clothes treatment device. [Background technology]

[0002] For example, in a laundry processing device such as a washing machine, a configuration has been proposed in which a touch panel type liquid crystal operation panel is provided to improve the operability of the operation settings. However, in such a conventional configuration, the operation keys using mechanical switches provided on the conventional operation panel are simply replaced with touch operable operation keys displayed on the liquid crystal operation panel, and it is difficult to say that the operability is sufficiently improved. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] Patent No. 5938806 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] Therefore, a clothing processing device is provided that can further improve operability regarding operation settings. [Means for solving the problem]

[0005] The clothing processing device of the embodiment is a clothing processing device that executes an operation to perform a specified processing on clothing, and is equipped with an operation display having a display unit that displays various screens including various information related to the operation and operation keys for accepting various operations related to the operation, and a control unit that controls the display on the display unit and performs specified control in response to operations on the operation keys.

[0006] The control unit is configured to cause the display unit to display a course information display area in which information regarding the course selected in response to the operation from among a plurality of courses corresponding to the driving is displayed, and the course information display area displays a course overview that shows an overview of the course, and a journey information display area that shows journey information of the course. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0007] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a diagram illustrating a schematic configuration of a washing machine according to an embodiment; [Diagram 2] FIG. 1 is a diagram showing an electrical configuration of a washing machine according to an embodiment; [Diagram 3] FIG. 13 is a diagram showing an example of a top screen according to an embodiment, in which a washing operation is selected; [Figure 4] FIG. 13 is a diagram showing an example of a top screen according to an embodiment, in which a washing and drying operation is selected; [Diagram 5] FIG. 13 is a diagram showing an example of a course selection screen corresponding to a washing operation according to an embodiment; [Figure 6] FIG. 13 is a diagram showing an example of a course selection screen corresponding to a washing and drying operation according to an embodiment; [Figure 7] FIG. 13 is a diagram showing an example of a course details screen corresponding to a standard course of a washing operation according to an embodiment; [Figure 8] FIG. 13 is a diagram showing an example of a course details screen corresponding to a standard course of a washing and drying operation according to an embodiment; [Figure 9] FIG. 13 is a diagram showing an example of a course details screen corresponding to a standard course of a washing and drying operation according to an embodiment, in which the washing step is not performed. [Figure 10] FIG. 13 is a diagram showing an example of a course details screen corresponding to a standard course of a washing and drying operation according to an embodiment, in which the washing time has been changed from the initial setting. [Figure 11] FIG. 13 is a diagram showing an example of a drying setting screen according to an embodiment; [Figure 12] FIG. 13 is a diagram showing an example of a bath water setting screen according to an embodiment; [Figure 13]FIG. 13 is a diagram showing an example of a main body setting screen according to an embodiment; [Figure 14] FIG. 13 is a diagram showing an example of a hot water setting screen according to an embodiment; [Figure 15] FIG. 13 is a diagram showing an example of a reservation setting screen according to an embodiment; [Figure 16] FIG. 13 is a diagram showing an example of a top screen according to an embodiment, showing a state in which the hot water setting has been changed from the initial setting. [Figure 17] FIG. 13 is a diagram showing an example of a display screen displayed when a reservation is set according to an embodiment; [Figure 18] FIG. 13 is a diagram showing an example of a screen during operation according to an embodiment, showing a state in which a washing step is being performed; [Figure 19] FIG. 13 is a diagram showing an example of an operation screen according to an embodiment, showing a state in which a rinsing step is being executed; [Figure 20] FIG. 13 is a diagram showing an example of a screen during operation according to an embodiment, showing a state in which a dehydration step is being performed; [Figure 21] FIG. 13 is a diagram showing an example of a screen during operation according to an embodiment, showing a state in which a drying step is being performed; [Figure 22] FIG. 13 is a diagram showing an example of a paused screen according to an embodiment; [Figure 23] FIG. 13 is a diagram showing an example of a course details screen during a temporary stop of driving according to an embodiment; [Figure 24] FIG. 10 shows a first modified example of the top screen. [Diagram 25] FIG. 2 shows a second modified example of the top screen. [Figure 26] FIG. 3 shows a third modified example of the top screen. [Figure 27] FIG. 13 is a diagram showing a first modified example of the course selection screen, and is a diagram showing an example of the course selection screen corresponding to the washing and drying operation. [Figure 28] FIG. 13 is a diagram showing a modified example 2 of the course selection screen, and shows an example of the course selection screen corresponding to the washing and drying operation. [Figure 29] FIG. 10 shows a first modified example of a course details screen. [Diagram 30] FIG. 13 is a diagram showing a modified example 2 of the course details screen, showing an example of the course details screen corresponding to the standard course of the washing and drying operation. [Diagram 31] FIG. 13 is a diagram showing a modified example 3 of the course details screen, and shows an example of the course details screen corresponding to the standard course of the washing and drying operation. [Diagram 32] FIG. 13 is a diagram showing a fourth modified example of the course details screen, and is a diagram showing an example of a wash setting screen. [Diagram 33] FIG. 13 is a diagram showing a fourth modified example of the program details screen, and is a diagram showing an example of a rinse setting screen. [Diagram 34] FIG. 13 is a diagram showing a fourth modified example of the course details screen, and is a diagram showing an example of a spin-dry setting screen. [Diagram 35] FIG. 13 is a diagram showing a first modified example of the screen during operation, showing a state in which operation is being performed in the standard course of the washing and drying operation. [Diagram 36] FIG. 13 is a diagram showing a second modified example of the screen during operation, showing a state in which operation is being performed in the standard course of the washing and drying operation. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0008] Hereinafter, one embodiment of a clothing processing device will be described with reference to the drawings. As shown in Fig. 1, the washing machine 1 of the present embodiment is capable of performing operations for washing, rinsing, spin-drying, drying, etc., and is an example of a clothing processing device. Specifically, the washing machine 1 is capable of performing a washing operation, a drying operation, and a washing and drying operation.

[0009] Washing machine 1 is a drum-type washer / dryer with a drying function, and includes a housing 2, a door 3, a control device indicated by reference numeral 4 in FIG. 2, and an operation panel 5. In this case, the door 3 side of housing 2 is the front side of washing machine 1, and the side opposite door 3 is the rear side of washing machine 1. The horizontal direction perpendicular to the front-to-rear direction is the left-to-right direction. The direction perpendicular to the front-to-rear and left-to-right directions is the up-to-down direction.

[0010] Housing 2, which constitutes the main body of washing machine 1, is formed in the shape of a rectangular box with a smoothly sloping front surface. An opening 6 is provided in the center of the front surface of housing 2. Opening 6 is connected to a rotating tub (not shown) provided inside housing 2. Laundry is loaded into and unloaded from the rotating tub through opening 6.

[0011] The door 3 is provided so that the opening 6 can be opened and closed. The door 3 is opened by operating a door button (not shown). A water inlet 7 is provided on the top surface of the housing 2. The water inlet 7 is connected to a water faucet, which serves as a water source, by a water supply hose (not shown). Water from the water faucet is supplied to a water tank (not shown) provided in the housing 2 through the water supply hose and the water inlet 7.

[0012] The control device 4 is mainly composed of, for example, a microcomputer, and controls the overall operation of the washing machine 1 by executing a computer program stored in a storage device such as a ROM. As shown in Fig. 2, the control device 4 is connected to a motor 11, a drain valve 12, a water supply valve 13, a compressor 14, a blower 15, and the like. Although detailed explanations of each are omitted, the motor 11 is for rotating a rotating tub (not shown) provided in the housing 2.

[0013] The drain valve 12 is for draining water from a water tank (not shown) to the outside of the machine. The water supply valve 13 is for opening and closing communication between the water supply port 7 and the water tank (not shown) to supply water to the water tank. The compressor 14 constitutes a heat pump unit for the drying function. The blower 15 is for supplying hot air generated by the heat pump unit to the rotating tank (not shown).

[0014] The control device 4 is also connected to input devices such as a temperature sensor 16, a water level sensor 17, a rotation sensor 18, and a door switch 19, as well as the operation panel 5. Although detailed explanations of each are omitted, the temperature sensor 16 detects the temperature in a water tank (not shown). The water level sensor 17 detects the water level in the water tank. The rotation sensor 18 detects the rotation position and rotation speed of the rotating tub (not shown). The door switch 19 detects whether the door 3 is open or closed.

[0015] 1, operation panel 5 is provided on the front side of the upper surface of housing 2. Operation panel 5 includes rectangular display unit 20 made of, for example, a liquid crystal display. In this case, the direction along the front-rear direction of washing machine 1 is defined as the up-down direction of display unit 20, and the direction along the left-right direction of washing machine 1 is defined as the left-right direction of display unit 20.

[0016] Various screens including various information related to the operation of the washing machine 1 are displayed on the display unit 20. The display surface of the display unit 20 also functions as a touch panel that allows a user to perform touch operations. Various screens including operation keys for receiving various operations related to the operation of the washing machine 1 are displayed on the display unit 20. The user can perform various operations related to the operation of the washing machine 1 by touching the operation keys.

[0017] In this way, the operation panel 5 is for displaying various screens including various information related to driving and operation keys for receiving various operations related to driving, and corresponds to an operation display device. In this embodiment, a capacitive touch panel that uses a sensor to detect a change in capacitance that occurs when touched with a finger is used as the touch panel of the display unit 20. Note that various types of touch panels, such as a resistive film type, can be used for the touch panel of the display unit 20. In addition, the display unit 20 is not limited to a liquid crystal display, and various display devices, such as an organic EL display, can be used.

[0018] The control device 4 controls the display on the display unit 20 of the operation panel 5 by executing a display control program. The control device 4 also executes various controls such as selection of the type of operation, selection of a course, setting the content of the course, starting or pausing the operation, etc., in response to the operation of the operation keys displayed on the display unit 20. In this way, the control device 4 controls the display on the display unit 20 and also performs predetermined controls in response to the operation of the operation keys, and corresponds to a control unit.

[0019] Next, the contents of control relating to the display on the display unit 20 in the above configuration will be described. [1] About the top screen When a user operates a power switch (not shown), power is turned on to the washing machine 1. After the power is turned on, a top screen as shown in Fig. 3 and Fig. 4 is displayed on the display unit 20. In the following, the display unit 20 will also be referred to as the screen.

[0020] This top screen is a display screen before the first input operation is performed after power is turned on, and corresponds to an operation type selection screen for selecting an operation type. The top end of the top screen and various screens described later are shared by a header section 21. Various statuses such as the name of the currently selected operation, the time, whether the doors are locked or not, and the radio wave state related to wireless communication with external devices are always displayed in a fixed manner in the header section 21.

[0021] On the top screen, in the center of the screen, there are arranged a washing operation icon 22 which is an operation key for selecting a washing operation, a washing and drying operation icon 23 which is an operation key for selecting a washing and drying operation, and a drying operation icon 24 which is an operation key for selecting a drying operation.

[0022] In this case, the washing operation icon 22, the washing / drying operation icon 23, and the drying operation icon 24 are arranged in parallel in this order from the left of the screen. The order of these three icons can be changed as appropriate. The order of the three icons may also be changed depending on the operation selection state. For example, the arrangement of each icon may be changed at any time so that the icon selected at that time is always arranged in the center.

[0023] The wash operation icon 22, the wash / dry operation icon 23, and the dry operation icon 24 correspond to a plurality of operation type icons provided corresponding to each type of operation. By performing an operation on one of the plurality of operation type icons, the operation corresponding to the operation type icon is selected, that is, the type of operation is determined.

[0024] Specifically, the washing operation is selected when the washing operation icon 22 is operated, the washing and drying operation is selected when the washing and drying operation icon 23 is operated, and the drying operation is selected when the drying operation icon 24 is operated. Note that such selection and determination of the type of operation can be performed any number of times during the period before the operation is started.

[0025] When an operation is performed on a specific driving type icon, the control device 4 displays the operated driving type icon relatively larger than the non-operated driving type icons. Also, when an operation is performed on a specific driving type icon, the control device 4 displays an operable area in which the operated driving type icon can be operated relatively larger than an operable area in which the non-operated driving type icons can be operated.

[0026] Therefore, when an operation is performed on the washing operation icon 22, as shown in Fig. 3, the washing operation icon 22 is displayed larger than the unoperated washing / drying operation icon 23 and drying operation icon 24. At this time, the operable area 22a corresponding to the washing operation icon 22 is larger than the operable area 23a corresponding to the unoperated washing / drying operation icon 23 and the operable area 24a corresponding to the drying operation icon 24.

[0027] 4, when an operation is performed on the wash / dry operation icon 23, the wash / dry operation icon 23 is displayed larger than the non-operated wash operation icon 22 and the dry operation icon 24. At this time, the operable area 23a corresponding to the wash / dry operation icon 23 is larger than the operable area 22a corresponding to the non-operated wash operation icon 22 and the operable area 24a corresponding to the dry operation icon 24.

[0028] When an operation is performed on a specific operation type icon, the control device 4 displays the name of the course selected for the operation corresponding to the operated operation type icon and an icon corresponding to the course. Specifically, when an operation is performed on the washing operation icon 22, as shown in Fig. 3, the washing operation icon 22 changes to a display including the name of the course currently selected for the washing operation (in this case, the standard course) and an icon corresponding to the course (in this case, an icon that typically represents a T-shirt).

[0029] Furthermore, when an operation is performed on the wash-dry operation icon 23, as shown in FIG. 4, the wash-dry operation icon 23 changes to a display including the name of the course currently selected for the wash-dry operation (in this case, the standard course) and an icon corresponding to that course (in this case, an icon that diagrammatically represents a T-shirt).

[0030] When an operation is performed once on a specific driving type icon, the control device 4 selects a driving operation corresponding to the specific driving type icon, and when an operation is performed again on the specific driving type icon that has been operated once, the control device 4 displays a course selection screen for selecting a course corresponding to that driving operation.

[0031] Therefore, as shown in FIG. 3, when an operation has been performed once on the washing operation icon 22, if another operation is performed on the washing operation icon 22, a course selection screen (see FIG. 5) for selecting a course corresponding to the washing operation is displayed, that is, the screen transitions to the course selection screen as shown in FIG. 5.

[0032] Also, as shown in FIG. 4, when an operation has been performed once on the wash / dry operation icon 23, if another operation is performed on the wash / dry operation icon 23, a course selection screen (see FIG. 6) for selecting a course corresponding to the wash / dry operation is displayed, that is, the screen transitions to the course selection screen as shown in FIG. 6.

[0033] The bottom edge of the top screen and various other screens described below share a common footer section 25. In the footer section 25, a setting key 26, a lighting on / off key 27, a hot water setting key 28, a reservation setting key 29, a course selection key 30, and a start key 31 are arranged in a row horizontally from the left in that order.

[0034] The area 32 in which these four operation keys are arranged is an area provided at the end of the display unit 20 in which at least one operation key is arranged, and corresponds to an end area. When displaying the four operation keys (setting key 26, lighting on / off key 27, hot water setting key 28, and reservation setting key 29) arranged in the area 32, the control device 4 always displays them in the same position. Details regarding these four operation keys will be described later.

[0035] The course selection key 30 is an operation key for transitioning to a course selection screen. In this case, when the course selection key 30 is operated, the screen transitions to a course selection screen for selecting a course corresponding to the operation selected at that time. Specifically, as shown in FIG. 3, when the course selection key 30 is operated with the washing operation selected, the screen transitions to a course selection screen (see FIG. 5) for selecting a course corresponding to the washing operation. Also, as shown in FIG. 4, when the course selection key 30 is operated with the washing and drying operation selected, the screen transitions to a course selection screen (see FIG. 6) for selecting a course corresponding to the washing and drying operation.

[0036] The start key 31 is an operation key for starting driving, and is displayed at the edge of the screen, more specifically, at the bottom right edge of the screen. The control device 4 is configured to always display the start key 31 in the same position when displaying it. It is sufficient that the control device 4 displays the start key 31 in a common position at least on the top screen, which is a driving type selection screen, the course selection screen, and a course detail screen, which will be described later.

[0037] In this case, different colors are associated with each type of operation. For example, blue is associated with the washing operation, green is associated with the washing and drying operation, and orange is associated with the drying operation. The associated colors may be set to match the image of each operation, for example, a bluish color (e.g., blue, light blue) that evokes water for the washing operation, and a reddish color (e.g., orange, red) that evokes warm air for the drying operation.

[0038] When an operation is performed on a specific driving type icon and a driving operation corresponding to the operated driving type icon is selected, the control device 4 displays a background color similar to the color associated with the selected driving operation in any area on the screen currently displayed (in this case, the top screen) and on any screen subsequently displayed (e.g., a course selection screen, etc.).

[0039] On the top screen, the header section 21, the area where the operation type icons are arranged, and the footer section 25, i.e., all areas of the top screen, are displayed with a background color similar to the color associated with the selected operation. However, in this case, the background color of the header section 21 and the area where the operation type icons are arranged is darker than the background color of the footer section 25.

[0040] The control device 4 selects an operation type icon corresponding to the executed operation (previous operation) on the top screen displayed after the power supply to the washing machine 1 is turned on again after the operation is executed. However, if the previous operation was a drying operation, the control device 4 does not need to execute such control. This is because the drying operation is used less frequently than the washing operation and the washing and drying operation.

[0041] Furthermore, the control device 4 selects the courses in the previous operation for each of the washing operation, the washing and drying operation, and the drying operation on the top screen displayed after the operation is performed and the power to the washing machine 1 is turned on again. When a predetermined operation type icon is selected, the control device 4 changes the display of the selected operation type icon to include the name of the course in the previous operation and an icon corresponding to that course.

[0042] For example, if the previously performed washing operation was the memory course and the previously performed washing and drying operation was the standard course, when the washing operation icon 22 is selected on the top screen after the power is turned back on, the control device 4 changes the display of the washing operation icon 22 to include the name of the memory course and an icon corresponding to the memory course. Also, in this case, when the washing and drying operation icon 23 is selected on the top screen after the power is turned back on, the control device 4 changes the display of the washing and drying operation icon 23 to include the name of the standard course and an icon corresponding to the standard course.

[0043] However, the control device 4 may not need to perform such control if the previous driving course was a course other than the standard course and the memory course. This is because courses other than the standard course and the memory course are used less frequently than the standard course and the memory course. For example, if the previous driving course was a course other than the standard course and the memory course, the control device 4 may set the standard course to a selected state and change the display of the driving type icon in the selected state to include the name of the standard course and an icon corresponding to the standard course.

[0044] The type and course of the operation performed last time may be stored in a non-volatile memory provided in the microcomputer constituting the control device 4. If a non-volatile memory such as an EEPROM is provided outside the microcomputer, the type and course of the operation may be stored in the external EEPROM. In this case, the microcomputer may write and read data such as the type and course of the operation to and from the EEPROM via various serial communications.

[0045] [2] Course selection screen As described above, when a specific operation type icon is operated twice on the top screen, or when the course selection key 30 is operated, the screen transitions to a course selection screen for selecting a course corresponding to the operation selected at that time. Note that, although the contents of the course selection screen will be described here using the course selection screen corresponding to the washing operation and the course selection screen corresponding to the washing and drying operation as examples, the contents of the other course selection screens are similar.

[0046] As shown in Figures 5 and 6, the course selection screen has a header section 21 and a footer section 25 similar to those of the top screen. However, the footer section 25 of the course selection screen has a close key 33 instead of the course selection key 30. The close key 33 is an operation key for closing the course selection screen and returning to the top screen. Therefore, when the close key 33 is operated, the course selection screen transitions to the top screen.

[0047] The course selection screen is displayed so that the user can select a course while referring to the course outline and itinerary. Specifically, the course selection screen has a course list display area 35 at the top center of the screen, where a plurality of course icons 34 corresponding to each course are displayed side by side on the screen.

[0048] The course selection screen for the washing operation shown in Fig. 5 displays course icons 34 corresponding to the standard course, soak course, speed course, memory course, and very gentle course, respectively. Also, the course selection screen for the washing and drying operation shown in Fig. 6 displays course icons 34 corresponding to the standard course, soak course, speed course, memory course, and small amount 60 minutes course, respectively.

[0049] Each course icon 34 is displayed in a manner that can be associated with the corresponding course. For example, the course icon 34 for the standard course is displayed in a manner that typically represents a T-shirt, which is an example of laundry. The course icon 34 for the soaking course is displayed in a manner that represents a T-shirt soaked in a container filled with water.

[0050] In addition, there are actually other types of courses that can be set on the course selection screen, and course icons corresponding to other courses can be displayed by operating the arrow icon 36 located at the right end of the course list display area 35.

[0051] Furthermore, on the course selection screen, a course information display area 37 in which information about the course is displayed is provided below the center of the screen. That is, the course information display area 37 is provided in the area of ​​the course selection screen excluding the course list display area 35. The course information display area 37 includes a course information display area 38 in which course displays representing all courses are displayed in chronological order across the screen.

[0052] Specifically, in the process information display area 38 on the course selection screen corresponding to the washing operation shown in FIG. 5, a wash icon 39 which is a process display indicating the washing process, a rinse icon 40 which is a process display indicating the rinsing process, and a spin-dry icon 41 which is a process display indicating the spin-dry process are arranged in this order from the left, that is, in chronological order.

[0053] In addition, in the process information display area 38 in the course selection screen corresponding to the washing and drying operation shown in Fig. 6, a wash icon 39, a rinse icon 40, a spin icon 41, and a drying icon 42, which is a process display showing the drying process, are arranged in a row in this order from the left. Furthermore, as shown in Figs. 5 and 6, the process information display area 38 also includes an indication for showing the bath water setting status.

[0054] A different color is associated with each of the above-mentioned process displays (wash icon 39, rinse icon 40, spin-dry icon 41, and dry icon 42). Specifically, dark blue is associated with wash icon 39, light blue is associated with rinse icon 40, light blue is associated with spin-dry icon 41, and orange is associated with dry icon 42. The control device 4 displays the wash icon 39, rinse icon 40, spin-dry icon 41, and dry icon 42 in the color associated with each icon.

[0055] On the course selection screen, the header section 21, the course list display area 35, and the footer section 25 are displayed with a background color similar to the color associated with the selected operation. However, in this case, the background color of the header section 21 and the course list display area 35 is darker than the background color of the footer section 25.

[0056] When an operation is performed on a specific course icon 34, the control device 4 selects the course corresponding to the operated course icon 34 and inverts the display color of the operated course icon 34. This allows the user to easily recognize which course is currently selected.

[0057] Furthermore, when an operation is performed on a specific course icon 34, the control device 4 is configured to display information about the course corresponding to the operated course icon 34 in the course information display area 37. Therefore, when an operation is performed on the course icon 34 corresponding to the standard course, the display color of the course icon 34 corresponding to the standard course is inverted and various information about the standard course is displayed in the course information display area 37, as shown in FIG.

[0058] As described above, the course selection screen also displays the start key 31. On the course selection screen, above the start key 31, that is, at the lower right edge of the screen, a setting change key 43 is displayed. The setting change key 43 is an operation key for transitioning to a course details screen for setting the contents of the course.

[0059] In this case, when the setting change key 43 is operated, the screen transitions to a course details screen for setting the content of the course selected at that time. Specifically, as shown in Fig. 5, when the setting change key 43 is operated with the standard course selected on the course selection screen corresponding to the wash operation, the screen transitions to a course details screen (see Fig. 7) corresponding to the standard course of the wash operation. Also, as shown in Fig. 6, when the setting change key 43 is operated with the standard course selected on the course selection screen corresponding to the wash and dry operation, the screen transitions to a course details screen (see Fig. 8) corresponding to the standard course of the wash and dry operation.

[0060] In this case, the control device 4 functions as an operation key for transitioning the journey information display area 38 to a course details screen, that is, an operation key equivalent to the setting change key 43. Therefore, when an operation is performed on the journey information display area 38, the screen transitions to a course details screen for setting the contents of the course selected at that time.

[0061] [3] Course details screen As described above, when the setting change key 43 or the process information display area 38 is operated on the course selection screen, the screen transitions to a course details screen for setting the contents of the course selected at that time. Note that, here, the contents of the course details screen will be explained using the course details screen corresponding to the standard course of the washing operation and the course details screen corresponding to the standard course of the washing and drying operation as examples, but the contents of the other course details screens are similar.

[0062] As shown in Fig. 7 to Fig. 10, the course details screen is provided with a header section 21 and a footer section 25 similar to those in the course selection screen. In the course details screen, the header section 21 and the footer section 25 are displayed with a background color similar to the color associated with the selected operation. However, in this case, the background color of the header section 21 is darker than the background color of the footer section 25.

[0063] The course details screen is displayed so that the user can confirm the detailed contents of the selected course and set (change) the contents. Specifically, in the center of the course selection screen, an area 44 is provided in which the detailed contents of the course and various operation keys for setting the course are displayed.

[0064] The control device 4 displays in the area 44 the name of the course, a journey display showing all the journeys, a journey condition display showing the conditions of each journey, a journey condition change key which is an operation key for changing the conditions of each journey, etc. Specifically, in the area 44 in the course details screen shown in Figs. 7 to 10, a back key 45 is displayed at the right end of the upper part of the screen. The back key 45 is an operation key for closing the course details screen and returning to the previous screen, that is, the course selection screen. Therefore, when the back key 45 is operated, the course details screen transitions to the course selection screen.

[0065] In area 44 on the course details screen shown in Fig. 7, a washing icon 46 which is a process display indicating a washing process, a rinsing icon 47 which is a process display indicating a rinsing process, and a spin-drying icon 48 which is a process display indicating a spin-drying process are arranged in this order horizontally from the left of the screen, that is, arranged in chronological order. In area 44 on the course details screen shown in Figs. 8 to 10, a washing icon 46, a rinsing icon 47, a spin-drying icon 48, and a drying icon 49 which is a process display indicating a drying process are arranged in this order horizontally from the left, that is, arranged in chronological order.

[0066] Each of the above-mentioned process indicators (wash icon 46, rinse icon 47, spin-dry icon 48, and dry icon 49) is assigned a different color, similar to the process indicators on the program selection screen. The control device 4 displays the wash icon 46, rinse icon 47, spin-dry icon 48, and dry icon 49 in the color assigned to each of them.

[0067] In area 44 on the course details screen shown in FIG. 7, a process condition display “Automatic (14 minutes)” indicating the conditions for the wash process is displayed below the wash icon 46, a process condition display “Automatic (twice)” indicating the conditions for the rinse process is displayed below the rinse icon 47, and a process condition display “Automatic (three times)” indicating the conditions for the spin process is displayed below the spin icon 48.

[0068] 8 to 10, a process condition display "Automatic (14 minutes)" indicating the conditions of the washing process is displayed below the washing icon 46, a process condition display "Automatic (twice)" indicating the conditions of the rinsing process is displayed below the rinsing icon 47, a process condition display "Automatic" indicating the conditions of the spinning process is displayed below the spinning icon 48, and a process condition display "Energy Saving" indicating the conditions of the drying process is displayed below the drying icon 49. In this way, the control device 4 displays the process displays in chronological order horizontally on the screen, and displays the process condition displays juxtaposed to the process displays.

[0069] An addition key 50 and a subtraction key 51, which correspond to process condition change keys, are arranged above and below the process condition display below the wash icon 46. The addition key 50, located above the process condition display, is an operation key for increasing the wash time, and each time the addition key 50 is operated, the wash time increases by one minute.

[0070] Further, the subtraction key 51 located below the process condition display is an operation key for decreasing the washing time, and each time the subtraction key 51 is operated, the washing time decreases by one minute. On the course detail screen shown in Figures 7 and 8, the user can set (change) the washing time in the washing process to a desired time by operating the addition key 50 and subtraction key 51.

[0071] An addition key 52 and a subtraction key 53, which correspond to process condition change keys, are arranged above and below the process condition display below the rinse icon 47. The addition key 52, located above the process condition display, is an operation key for increasing the number of rinses, and each time the addition key 52 is operated, the number of rinses increases by one.

[0072] Further, subtraction key 53 located below the process condition display is an operation key for decreasing the number of rinses, and each time subtraction key 53 is operated, the number of rinses decreases by one. On the course detail screens shown in Figures 7 and 8, the user can set (change) the number of rinses in the rinse process to a desired number by operating addition key 52 and subtraction key 53.

[0073] An addition key 54 and a subtraction key 55, which correspond to process condition change keys, are arranged above and below the process condition display below the spin icon 48. The addition key 54, located above the process condition display, is an operation key for increasing the spin time, and each time the addition key 54 is operated, the spin time increases by one minute.

[0074] Further, subtraction key 55 located below the process condition display is an operation key for decreasing the spin-drying time, and each time subtraction key 55 is operated, the spin-drying time is decreased by one minute. On the course details screen shown in Fig. 7, the user can set (change) the spin-drying time in the spin-drying process to a desired time by operating addition key 54 and subtraction key 55.

[0075] In addition, the addition key 54 and the subtraction key 55 are not displayed on the course details screen corresponding to the standard course of the washing and drying operation shown in Fig. 8 to Fig. 10. This is due to the specifications of the washing machine 1 that do not allow the user to change the spin-drying time in the washing and drying operation. Therefore, on the course details screen shown in Fig. 8 to Fig. 10, the user cannot set (change) the spin-drying time in the spin-drying step.

[0076] The process condition display 56 displayed below the drying icon 49 also functions as an operation key (process condition change key) for setting (changing) the conditions of the drying process. In this case, when the process condition display 56 is operated, a drying setting screen for setting the conditions of the drying process is displayed. The contents of the drying setting screen will be described later.

[0077] The control device 4 is configured to display, in the area 44, a trip on / off key which is an operation key for setting whether or not each trip is to be performed. Specifically, in the area 44 on the course detail screen shown in Fig. 7, trip on / off keys 57, 58, 59 are arranged below the subtraction keys 51, 53, 55, respectively. Also, in the area 44 on the course detail screen shown in Figs. 8 to 10, trip on / off keys 57, 58 are arranged below the subtraction keys 51, 53, respectively.

[0078] The stroke on / off keys 57, 58, 59 are operation keys for setting whether or not to perform a washing stroke, a rinsing stroke, and a spin-drying stroke, respectively. By operating the stroke on / off key 57, the user can switch between a setting for performing the washing stroke and a setting for not performing the same. By operating the stroke on / off key 58, the user can switch between a setting for performing the rinsing stroke and a setting for not performing the same. By operating the stroke on / off key 59, the user can switch between a setting for performing the spin-drying stroke and a setting for not performing the same.

[0079] When the operation of the step on / off key 57-59 has set the corresponding step to be performed, the step on / off key 57-59 is displayed in a manner that indicates that the step will be performed. For example, when the operation of the step on / off key 57 has set the wash step to be performed, "ON" is displayed on the step on / off key 57, indicating that the corresponding step will be performed, as shown in Figs. 7 and 8.

[0080] When the operation of the step on / off keys 57 to 59 has set the corresponding step not to be performed, the step on / off keys 57 to 59 are displayed in a manner that indicates that the step will not be performed. For example, when the operation of the step on / off key 57 has set the washing step not to be performed, as shown in Fig. 9, "OFF" is displayed on the step on / off key 57, indicating that the corresponding step will not be performed.

[0081] At this time, the process condition display showing the conditions of the washing process and the addition key 50 and subtraction key 51 are displayed in a light gray, i.e., grayed out, and the setting of the washing process conditions cannot be changed. In other words, when a process on / off key 57-59 is operated to set the corresponding process not to be performed, the control device 4 disables the acceptance of an operation by a process condition change key to change the conditions of that process.

[0082] In addition, when a process condition change key is operated to change the process conditions corresponding to that process condition change key, and then a process on / off key is operated to set the process not to be carried out, the control device 4 initializes the process conditions that were set in response to the operation of the process condition change key.

[0083] For example, suppose that the washing time in the washing step is changed from the initial setting "Auto (14 minutes)" to "5 minutes" as shown in Fig. 10 by operating one or both of the addition key 50 and the subtraction key 51. From this state, when the step on / off key 57 is operated to set the washing step not to be performed (the state shown in Fig. 9), the washing time in the washing step is automatically changed to the initial setting "Auto (14 minutes)", that is, initialized. Therefore, when the step on / off key 57 is subsequently operated again to set the washing step to be performed, the step condition display showing the conditions of the washing step displays the initial setting "Auto (14 minutes)" as shown in Fig. 8.

[0084] Located at the right end of the center of area 44 is a bath water setting key 60, which is an operation key for changing the bath water setting as a water supply method. The bath water setting key 60 displays the bath water setting status at that time ("none" in Fig. 7, etc.). In this case, when the bath water setting key 60 is operated, a bath water setting screen for setting the bath water is displayed. The contents of the bath water setting screen will be described later.

[0085] In the area 44, a clear setting key 61 is disposed to the left of the return key 45. The clear setting key 61 is an operation key for initializing the conditions of all the steps. However, if none of the conditions of each step have been changed and all remain at the initial settings, the clear setting key 61 will be grayed out as shown in Figs. 7 to 9, and the control device 4 will not accept its operation.

[0086] When at least one of the conditions for each process has been changed, the setting clear key 61 goes into a normal display state, as shown in Fig. 10, and the control device 4 is ready to accept the operation. Therefore, when the setting clear key 61 is operated in this state, the conditions for all processes are automatically changed to the initial settings, that is, initialized.

[0087] [4] Drying setting screen As described above, when an operation is performed on the course condition display 56 on the course details screen, the drying setting screen is displayed. For example, when an operation is performed on the course condition display 56 on the course details screen shown in Fig. 8, the drying setting screen is displayed so as to overlap the course details screen, as shown in Fig. 11. The size of the drying setting screen is smaller than the course details screen, and only a part of the course details screen is displayed. In this case, at least a part of the start key 31 displayed on the course details screen is covered by the drying setting screen.

[0088] In this case, however, the course details screen is shaded, i.e., grayed out, and does not accept any operation of any of the operation keys, including the start key 31. In other words, when the control device 4 displays the drying setting screen, which is another screen, superimposed on the course details screen, which is the screen on which the start key 31 is displayed, it disables the acceptance of operation from the start key 31.

[0089] The drying setting screen has icons 62 arranged corresponding to a number of drying finish settings (in this case, energy saving, quick, fine drying, thorough, and timer). The user can set the drying process conditions as desired by operating one of these icons 62 corresponding to the desired setting.

[0090] Two operation keys for increasing or decreasing the drying time are arranged above and below the icon 62 corresponding to the timer. By operating these operation keys, the user can set the drying time to a desired time when the drying finish setting is set to the timer.

[0091] The drying setting screen is provided with a setting information display area 63 in which information related to the drying finish setting is displayed. When an operation is performed on a specific icon 62, the control device 4 highlights the operated icon 62 and displays information related to the drying finish setting corresponding to the operated icon 62 in the setting information display area 63.

[0092] Specifically, when an operation is performed on the icon 62 corresponding to "energy saving", as shown in Fig. 11, the outer frame of the icon 62 corresponding to "energy saving" is displayed with a thicker line compared to the outer frames of the other icons 62. At this time, the setting information display area 63 also displays general details about the drying finish setting "energy saving". This allows the user to easily recognize the currently selected drying finish setting and to grasp the outline of that setting.

[0093] A close key 64 is located at the lower left of the drying setting screen, and a decision key 65 is located at the lower right. The close key 64 is an operation key for closing the drying setting screen without reflecting the setting change operation on the drying setting screen. The decision key 65 is an operation key for closing the drying setting screen after reflecting the setting change operation on the drying setting screen.

[0094] [5] Bath water settings screen As described above, when the bath water setting key 60 is operated on the course details screen, the bath water setting screen is displayed. For example, when the bath water setting key 60 is operated on the course details screen shown in Fig. 8, the bath water setting screen is displayed overlapping the course details screen, as shown in Fig. 12. The size of the bath water setting screen is smaller than the course details screen, and only a portion of the course details screen is displayed. In this case, at least a portion of the start key 31 displayed on the course details screen is covered by the bath water setting screen.

[0095] In this case, however, the course details screen is shaded, i.e., grayed out, and does not accept any operation of any of the operation keys, including the start key 31. In other words, when the control device 4 displays a separate screen, the bath water setting screen, superimposed on the course details screen on which the start key 31 is displayed, it disables the acceptance of operations via the start key 31.

[0096] The bath water setting screen has icons 67 arranged corresponding to a number of bath water settings (in this case, none, wash, wash and rinse 1, rinse 1). The user can set the bath water setting to the desired one by operating one of the icons 67 corresponding to the desired setting.

[0097] The bath water setting screen is provided with a setting information display area 68 in which information regarding the bath water settings is displayed. When an operation is performed on a specific icon 67, the control device 4 highlights the operated icon 67 and displays information regarding the bath water settings corresponding to the operated icon 67 in the setting information display area 68.

[0098] Specifically, when an operation is performed on the icon 67 corresponding to "none," the outer frame of the icon 67 corresponding to "none" is displayed with a thicker line than the outer frames of the other icons 67, as shown in Fig. 12. At this time, the setting information display area 68 also displays a general description of the bath water setting "none." This allows the user to easily recognize the currently selected bath water setting and to grasp the outline of that setting.

[0099] A close key 69 is located at the bottom left of the bath water setting screen, and an enter key 70 is located at the bottom right. The close key 69 is an operation key for closing the bath water setting screen without reflecting the setting change operations on the bath water setting screen. The enter key 70 is an operation key for closing the bath water setting screen after reflecting the setting change operations on the bath water setting screen.

[0100] [6] Four operation keys in the footer As described above, the top screen, the course selection screen, and the course detail screen are provided with the same footer section 25, and in the area 32 of the footer section 25, four operation keys (setting key 26, light on / off key 27, hot water setting key 28, and reservation setting key 29) different from the course selection key 30 and the start key 31 are arranged. In other words, these four operation keys are always fixedly displayed on various display screens before operation is started. Note that these four operation keys are operation keys for setting the operation of the washing machine 1, and are operation keys that are used relatively frequently.

[0101] The setting key 26 is an operation key for making various settings related to the washing machine 1. When the setting key 26 is operated, the screen transitions to a main body setting screen as shown in Fig. 13. On the main body setting screen, it is possible to execute "display brightness setting" for setting the brightness of the liquid crystal display, "time setting" for setting the clock time of the washing machine 1, "child lock" for forcibly locking the door, and the like.

[0102] Illumination on / off key 27 is an operation key for turning on (lighting) or off (extinguishing) a light (e.g., an LED) for illuminating the inside of the tub of washing machine 1. By turning on the light in response to the operation of illumination on / off key 27, the inside of the tub of washing machine 1 is illuminated with the light of the LED, brightening the dim tub interior and helping the user put laundry (clothes) in and take them out.

[0103] Hot water setting key 28 is an operation key for setting the temperature of water used in operation. When hot water setting key 28 is operated, a hot water setting screen is displayed for setting the temperature to which the water is heated in the wash step of the wash operation or the wash and dry operation.

[0104] For example, when the hot water setting key 28 is operated on the course details screen shown in Fig. 8, the hot water setting screen is displayed overlapping the course details screen as shown in Fig. 14. The size of the hot water setting screen is smaller than the course details screen, and only a part of the course details screen is displayed. In this case, at least a part of the start key 31 displayed on the course details screen is covered by the hot water setting screen.

[0105] In this case, however, the course details screen is shaded, i.e., grayed out, and does not accept any operation of any of the operation keys, including the start key 31. In other words, when the control device 4 displays the hot water setting screen, which is another screen, superimposed on the course details screen, which is the screen on which the start key 31 is displayed, it disables the acceptance of operation via the start key 31.

[0106] On the hot water setting screen, icons 71 corresponding to a plurality of hot water settings (in this case, none, 15°C, 30°C, 40°C, 50°C, 60°C sterilization) are arranged. The user can set the hot water setting to the desired one by operating one of the icons 71 corresponding to the desired setting.

[0107] The hot water setting screen is provided with a setting information display area 72 in which information about the hot water setting is displayed. When an operation is performed on a specific icon 71, the control device 4 highlights the operated icon 71 and displays information about the hot water setting corresponding to the operated icon 71 in the setting information display area 72.

[0108] Specifically, when an operation is performed on the icon 71 corresponding to "none," as shown in Fig. 14, the outer frame of the icon 71 corresponding to "none" is displayed with a thicker line than the outer frames of the other icons 71. At this time, the setting information display area 72 displays a general outline of the hot water setting "none." This allows the user to easily recognize the currently selected hot water setting and to grasp the outline of that setting.

[0109] A close key 73 is located at the bottom left of the hot water setting screen, and a decision key 74 is located at the bottom right. Close key 73 is an operation key for closing the hot water setting screen without reflecting the setting change operation on the hot water setting screen. Decision key 74 is an operation key for closing the hot water setting screen after reflecting the setting change operation on the hot water setting screen.

[0110] The reservation setting key 29 is an operation key for making settings related to driving reservations. When the reservation setting key 29 is operated, a reservation setting screen as shown in FIG. 15 is displayed. The reservation setting screen for setting the end time of driving, etc. is displayed. The size of the reservation setting screen is smaller than the top screen, the course selection screen, and the course details screen. However, in this case, almost the entire area of ​​the top screen, the course selection screen, and the course details screen is covered by the reservation setting screen.

[0111] The reservation setting screen has icons 75 arranged corresponding to a number of reservation settings (in this case, none, good morning reservation, welcome home reservation, and reservation from outside). The user can set the reservation setting to the desired setting by operating one of the icons 75 corresponding to the desired setting.

[0112] The reservation setting screen also has four operation keys 76-79 for setting the end time of the operation, and a time display area 80 for displaying the set end time. The reservation setting screen also has a settable time display area 81 for displaying the currently settable end time for the currently selected operation and course. The user can set the desired end time of the operation by operating the four operation keys 76 while checking the time displayed in the time display area 77 and the settable end time displayed in the settable time display area 81.

[0113] The reservation setting screen is provided with a setting information display area 82 in which information related to reservation settings is displayed. When an operation is performed on a specific icon 75, the control device 4 highlights the operated icon 75 and displays information related to the reservation setting corresponding to the operated icon 75 in the setting information display area 82.

[0114] Specifically, when an operation is performed on the icon 75 corresponding to "Good Morning Reservation", as shown in Fig. 15, the outer frame of the icon 75 corresponding to "Good Morning Reservation" is displayed with a thicker line than the outer frames of the other icons 75. At this time, the setting information display area 82 displays the outline of the reservation setting "Good Morning Reservation". This allows the user to easily recognize the currently selected reservation setting and to grasp the outline of the setting.

[0115] A close key 83 is located at the bottom left of the reservation setting screen, and a decision key 84 is located at the bottom right. The close key 83 is an operation key for closing the reservation setting screen without reflecting the setting change operation on the reservation setting screen. The decision key 84 is an operation key for closing the reservation setting screen after reflecting the setting change operation on the reservation setting screen. In this case, the reservation operation is started by operating the decision key 84. The reason for this is as follows.

[0116] That is, if the screen transitions to various pre-driving screens when the decision key 84 is operated, there is a possibility that the course contents and the like will be changed after that. If the course contents and the like are changed when a reservation is set, there is a risk that the driving will not be completed by the set end time. Therefore, in this embodiment, in order to prevent such a situation, that is, a situation in which the course contents and the like are changed after the reservation is set and the driving cannot be completed by the reserved end time, the reserved driving is started when the decision key 84 is operated.

[0117] When a setting different from the initial setting is executed in response to the operation of the lighting on / off key 27, the hot water setting key 28, and the reservation setting key 29 among the four operation keys described above, the control device 4 changes the display mode of the operated operation key. Normally, the background color of the four operation keys is dark gray. For example, when the lighting setting is changed from the initial setting of "off" to "on" in response to the operation of the lighting on / off key 27, the display mode of the lighting on / off key 27 is changed. Specifically, in this case, the background color of the lighting on / off key 27 is changed from dark gray to a color (e.g., yellow) that can be associated with the lighting being turned on.

[0118] Furthermore, when the hot water setting is changed from the initial setting of "none" to "50°C" in response to the operation of hot water setting key 28, the display manner of hot water setting key 28 is changed. Specifically, in this case, as shown in Fig. 16, the background color of hot water setting key 28 is changed from dark gray to a color that is reminiscent of hot water (e.g., red), and the display "50°C" is added above hot water setting key 28.

[0119] Furthermore, when the reservation setting is changed from the initial setting of "none" to "return reservation" in response to the operation of the reservation setting key 29 and the end time is set to "19:00", the display mode of the reservation setting key 29 is changed. Specifically, in this case, as shown in Fig. 17, the background color of the reservation setting key 29 is changed from dark gray to light gray, and "19:00" is displayed above the reservation setting key 29.

[0120] 17 shows a display screen that is displayed when a reservation is set for the standard course of the wash / dry operation. In this way, when a setting different from the initial setting is executed in response to the operation of the hot water setting key 28 and the reservation setting key 29, the control device 4 changes the display mode of the operation keys to show the state (status) of the executed setting.

[0121] [7] About the driving screen As described above, the top screen, which is a screen before driving, the course selection screen, and the course details screen all display the start key 31. When the start key 31 is operated on these pre-driving screens, driving is started in the driving type and course selected at that time.

[0122] When the operation is started, an operation screen with the contents as described below is displayed. In this case, the contents of the operation screen corresponding to the standard course of the washing and drying operation are explained as an example, but the contents of the other operation screens are similar. As shown in Figs. 18 to 21, the operation screen displayed during the operation has a header section 21 and a footer section 25 similar to the various screens before the operation (top screen, course selection screen, and course detail screen). However, the footer section 25 of the operation screen has a pause key 85 instead of the course selection key 30 and the start key 31.

[0123] The pause key 85 is an operation key for temporarily stopping the operation. In this case, the pause key 85 is arranged in an area corresponding to the area where the course selection key 30 and the start key 31 were arranged in the various screens before operation. The arrangement of the pause key 85 is not limited to this arrangement, and it may be arranged in an area including at least a part of the area where the start key 31 was arranged in the various screens before operation. When the pause key 85 is operated, the operation is temporarily stopped and a paused screen described later is displayed.

[0124] On the driving screen, an area 86 is provided at the top center of the screen to display the remaining driving time, which is the time required until the driving is completed. Also, on the driving screen, a process status display section 87 is provided at the bottom center of the screen to display the setting status of each process and the progress status of the current driving (progress status of the process). In the process status display section 87, process displays showing all processes in the driving including the process currently in progress are displayed in chronological order horizontally on the screen.

[0125] Specifically, in the operation screen shown in Figures 18 to 21, the process status display section 87 has a wash icon 88, which is a process display indicating the washing process, a rinse icon 89, which is a process display indicating the rinsing process, a spin-dry icon 90, which is a process display indicating the spin-dry process, and a dry icon 91, which is a process display indicating the drying process, arranged in this order from the left, that is, in chronological order.

[0126] A different color is associated with each of the above-mentioned process displays (wash icon 88, rinse icon 89, spin icon 90, and dry icon 91), similar to each process display on the course selection screen, etc. The control device 4 is configured to display the background of any area of ​​the screen during operation in a similar color to the color associated with the process being performed. In this case, the header section 21, which is an area including the edge of the screen, and area 86 are arbitrary areas that are displayed with a background of a similar color to the color associated with the process being performed. That is, in this case, the control device 4 is configured to display the remaining operation time in the arbitrary area.

[0127] Therefore, the background color of the header section 21 and area 86 on the operating screen is a color similar to the color associated with the wash step when the wash step is being performed, a color similar to the color associated with the rinsing step when the rinsing step is being performed, a color similar to the color associated with the spinning step when the spinning step is being performed, and a color similar to the color associated with the drying step when the drying step is being performed.

[0128] The control device 4 sets the background color of the icon corresponding to a completed step and an icon corresponding to a step being executed, among the washing icon 88, the rinsing icon 89, the spin-drying icon 90, and the drying icon 91, to a color corresponding to each icon. The control device 4 also sets the background color of the icon corresponding to a step that has not yet been executed, that is, an unexecuted step, among the washing icon 88, the rinsing icon 89, the spin-drying icon 90, and the drying icon 91, to white.

[0129] The implementation status of each step is displayed below the wash icon 88, the rinse icon 89, the spin icon 90, and the dry icon 91. Specifically, below the wash icon 88, a check mark "R" is displayed if the wash step has been completed, the remaining step time, which is the time required until the wash step is completed, is displayed if the wash step is being performed, and the set wash time, which is the set wash time, is displayed if the wash step has not been performed.

[0130] Below the rinse icon 89, a check mark "R" is displayed if the rinse cycle has already been performed, the remaining number of cycles, which is the number of cycles required to complete the rinse cycle, is displayed if the rinse cycle is currently in progress, and the set number of rinses, which is the number of rinses that has been set, is displayed if the rinse cycle has not yet been performed.

[0131] Below the dehydration icon 90, a check mark "R" is displayed if the dehydration process has already been performed, the remaining process time, which is the time required for the dehydration process to be completed, is displayed if the dehydration process is currently in progress, and the set dehydration time, which is the set dehydration time, is displayed if the dehydration process has not yet been performed.

[0132] Below the drying icon 91, a check mark "R" is displayed if the drying process has been completed, the remaining process time, which is the time required for the drying process to be completed, is displayed if the drying process is currently in progress, and the currently set drying finish setting is displayed if the drying process has not yet been completed.

[0133] In the process status display section 87, a bath water icon 92, which indicates water supply using bath water, is arranged to the right of the drying icon 91. A check mark "R" is displayed below the bath water icon 92 if water supply using bath water has already been performed, and the bath water settings are displayed if water supply using bath water is in progress or water supply using bath water has not yet been performed.

[0134] For example, on the operating screen while the washing cycle is being performed, as shown in FIG. 18, the remaining time for the washing cycle, "10 minutes", is displayed below the wash icon 88, the set number of rinses, "2 times", is displayed below the rinse icon 89, the set spin-dry time, "3 minutes", is displayed below the spin icon 90, the drying finish setting, "Energy saving", is displayed below the drying icon 91, and the bath water setting, "Wash", is displayed below the bath water icon 92.

[0135] At this time, the remaining operation time "2 hours 00 minutes" is displayed in area 86, and the header section 21 and area 86 are displayed with a background color similar to the color associated with the wash step, which is the step being executed. Also, at this time, the wash icon 88 is given a background color associated with the wash step, and the rinse icon 89, spin icon 90, and dry icon 91 are given no background color and have a white background.

[0136] Furthermore, on the operating screen while the rinsing cycle is being performed, as shown in FIG. 19, a check mark "R" is displayed below the wash icon 88, the number of cycles remaining in the rinsing cycle "1" is displayed below the rinse icon 89, the set spin-dry time "3 minutes" is displayed below the spin icon 90, the drying finish setting "Energy saving" is displayed below the drying icon 91, and a check mark "R" is displayed below the bath water icon 92.

[0137] At this time, the remaining operation time "1 hour 30 minutes" is displayed in area 86, and header section 21 and area 86 are displayed with a background color similar to the color associated with the rinsing process, which is the process being executed. Also, at this time, the wash icon 88 is given a background color associated with the wash process, the rinse icon 89 is given a background color associated with the rinsing process, and the spin icon 90 and the dry icon 91 are given no background color and have a white background.

[0138] Furthermore, on the operating screen while the spin cycle is being performed, as shown in FIG. 20, a check mark "R" is displayed below both the wash icon 88 and the rinsing icon 89, the remaining time for the spin cycle "1 minute" is displayed below the spin icon 90, the drying finish setting "Energy saving" is displayed below the drying icon 91, and a check mark "R" is displayed below the bath water icon 92.

[0139] At this time, the remaining operation time "1 hour 00 minutes" is displayed in area 86, and header section 21 and area 86 are displayed with a background color similar to the color associated with the spin-drying process, which is the process being executed. Also, at this time, the wash icon 88 is given a background color associated with the wash process, the rinse icon 89 is given a background color associated with the rinse process, the spin-drying icon 90 is given a background color associated with the spin-drying process, and the drying icon 91 is given no background color and has a white background.

[0140] Furthermore, on the operation screen while the drying process is being performed, as shown in FIG. 21, a check mark "R" is displayed below the wash icon 88, rinse icon 89 and spin icon 90, the remaining time for the drying process, "30 minutes", is displayed below the drying icon 91, and a check mark "R" is displayed below the bath water icon 92.

[0141] At this time, the remaining operation time, "30 minutes", is displayed in area 86, and header section 21 and area 86 are displayed with a background color similar to the color associated with the drying process, which is the process being executed. Also, at this time, the wash icon 88 is given a background color associated with the wash process, the rinse icon 89 is given a background color associated with the rinsing process, the spin-dry icon 90 is given a background color associated with the spin-dry process, and the drying icon 91 is given a background color associated with the drying process.

[0142] 18 to 21, the footer section 25 of the in-operation screen is provided with an area 32 in which four operation keys are arranged similarly to the various pre-operation screens. That is, the four operation keys, namely, the setting key 26, the lighting on / off key 27, the hot water setting key 28, and the reservation setting key 29, are always displayed in the same position and with the same layout in both the various pre-operation screens and the in-operation screen.

[0143] However, on the operation screen, the setting key 26, the hot water setting key 28, and the reservation setting key 29 are shown against a light gray background, that is, are grayed out, and the control device 4 disables the acceptance of operations through the setting key 26, the hot water setting key 28, and the reservation setting key 29 on the operation screen. Therefore, the user cannot make various settings related to the washing machine 1, hot water settings, or reservations while the washing machine is operating.

[0144] In contrast, the light on / off key 27 is given a dark gray background color, and the control device 4 enables reception of an operation by the light on / off key 27 even on the driving screen. Therefore, the user can switch the light on / off by operating the light on / off key 27 even while driving.

[0145] [8] About the pause screen As described above, when the pause key 85 is operated on the operation screen, the operation is paused and the paused screen is displayed. In this case, the contents of the paused screen corresponding to the standard course of the wash and dry operation will be explained as an example, but the contents of the other paused screens are similar.

[0146] The paused screen shown in Fig. 22 is displayed when pause key 85 is operated while the spin cycle is being performed. As shown in Fig. 22, the paused screen has header section 21 and footer section 25 similar to those of the operating screen. However, footer section 25 of the paused screen has start key 93 instead of pause key 85.

[0147] The start key 93 is an operation key for starting (resuming) driving. In this case, the start key 93 is arranged in an area corresponding to the area where the pause key 85 was arranged on the driving screen. The arrangement of the start key 93 is not limited to this arrangement, and it is sufficient that the start key 93 is arranged in an area including the lower right end of the screen. When the start key 93 is operated, driving is resumed and the driving screen is displayed again.

[0148] The paused screen has an area 86 and a journey status display section 87 similar to those of the driving screen. In this case, the area 86 displays the characters "paused" instead of the remaining driving time to indicate that driving is paused. The area 86 of the paused screen has a smaller vertical length than the area 86 of the driving screen. The journey status display section 87 of the paused screen has a larger vertical length than the area 86 of the driving screen.

[0149] In other words, when the pause key 85 is operated, the control device 4 reduces the area 86 in which the remaining operation time is displayed, and allocates the area secured by the reduction to the process status display section 87, thereby enlarging the process status display section 87. The control device 4 displays a setting change key 94 in the enlarged area of ​​the process status display section 87, specifically above the bath water icon 92.

[0150] The setting change key 94 is an operation key similar to the setting change key 43, that is, an operation key for transitioning to a course details screen for setting the contents of the course. Therefore, the user can change (review) the contents of the course by operating the setting change key 94 while driving is temporarily stopped.

[0151] However, when the setting change key 94 is operated on the paused screen, the course details screen that is displayed does not display the trip on / off key and the setting clear key 61 for changing whether or not each trip is performed, as shown in Fig. 23. In other words, the control device 4 is configured not to display the trip on / off key and the setting clear key 61 on the course details screen that is displayed while driving is paused.

[0152] The footer section 25 of the paused screen is provided with an area 32 in which the same four operation keys as those on the operating screen are arranged. That is, the four operation keys, the setting key 26, the lighting on / off key 27, the hot water setting key 28, and the reservation setting key 29, are always displayed in the same position and with the same layout on both the operating screen and the paused screen.

[0153] However, on the temporary screen, not only the light on / off key 27 but also the setting key 26 are given a dark gray background color, and the control device 4 enables the reception of operations by the setting key 26 on the paused screen. In other words, the control device 4 disables the reception of operations by the setting key 26 while the operation is in progress, and enables the reception of operations while the operation is paused. Therefore, the user can perform various settings related to the washing machine 1 by operating the setting key 26 while the operation is paused.

[0154] According to the present embodiment described above, the following effects can be obtained. The control device 4 is adapted to display a start key 31 for starting operation at the edge of the screen of the operation panel 5, more specifically, at the lower right edge of the screen. That is, in this embodiment, the start key 31 is arranged at the bottom right of the screen. It is generally known that a person's line of sight moves from the upper left to the lower right of the screen. Therefore, by arranging the start key 31 at the bottom right of the screen as in this embodiment, the line of sight of the user looking at the screen progresses smoothly, and the user's line of sight is prevented from being burdened or confused. Therefore, the user can look through and check various operation-related settings, understand the contents, and finally operate the start key 31. That is, the operation panel 5 of this embodiment has a screen layout that is highly operable.

[0155] In the conventional configuration in which a start key is provided separately from a touch panel type liquid crystal display, the user has to take his / her eyes off the liquid crystal display, which impairs its operability and visibility. In contrast, according to this embodiment, the start key 31 is displayed (placed) on the display unit 20, which is a liquid crystal display, so that the user can complete a series of driving operations, including grasping the setting status, on the liquid crystal display.

[0156] In addition, the start key 31 is arranged at the lower right edge of the screen so as to follow the line of sight of an average person. Therefore, according to this embodiment, a user interface with high operability and convenience can be realized without imposing an extra burden on the user in setting the operation. In other words, according to this embodiment, the excellent effect of further improving the visibility and operability of the operation setting of the washing machine 1 can be obtained.

[0157] The control device 4 is configured to always display the start key 31 in the same position. That is, the control device 4 is configured to display the start key 31 in a common position on various screens before driving (top screen, course selection screen, and course detail screen). In this case, the size of the start key 31 is also common.

[0158] In this way, the user can easily understand where the start key 31 is located on any of the various pre-driving screens, and does not need to move his / her line of sight significantly. Therefore, according to this embodiment, it is possible to realize a user interface with high operability that reduces the burden on the user in understanding the operation and allows the user to easily drive with the desired settings without having to move his / her line of sight unnecessarily.

[0159] In a conventional configuration in which a start key is provided separately from the liquid crystal display, the start key is independent, and therefore the user cannot easily grasp whether the start key is valid in the current setting state, i.e., whether operation can be started or not. In contrast, in this embodiment, the control device 4 disables the acceptance of operations using the start key 31 when another screen (e.g., a bath water setting screen, a warm water setting screen, etc.) is displayed superimposed on the screen on which the start key 31 is displayed. According to this embodiment, the user can easily determine whether operations using the start key 31 are valid, i.e., whether operation can be started or not, and a user interface with high operability can be realized.

[0160] In this case, the size of the other screen is smaller than the screen on which the start key 31 is displayed, and a part of the screen on which the start key 31 is displayed is visible to the user. However, the screen on which the start key 31 is displayed is grayed out, which allows the user to easily recognize that operation with the start key 31 is invalid, that is, operation cannot be started. In addition, since a part of the screen on which the start key 31 is displayed is visible in this way, the user can understand what the screen that was displayed before was like, even when another screen is displayed superimposed on it.

[0161] When displaying the top screen, the control device 4 displays a course selection key 30, which is an operation key for transitioning to a course selection screen. If the user does not need to change the type of operation, the type of course, or the content of the course after turning on the power of the washing machine 1, the user can start the operation by operating the start key 31 after confirming the content on the top screen. On the other hand, if the type of course needs to be changed, the user must operate the course selection key 30 on the top screen to transition to the course selection screen and select the desired course.

[0162] In this case, the course selection key 30 is located at the lower right edge of the screen alongside the start key 31. In this way, the user can check the setting status such as the current driving type displayed in the center of the top screen, and then recognize the position of the course selection key 30 with a slight eye movement and operate it. In other words, in this embodiment, since the course selection key 30 is located at the lower right edge of the screen, the user can transition to the course selection screen with an effortless eye movement.

[0163] The control device 4 provides an area 32 in the footer section 25 in which four operation keys (setting key 26, light on / off key 27, hot water setting key 28, and reservation setting key 29) that are different from the course selection key 30 and start key 31 and are used to set the operation of the washing machine 1 are arranged, and the four operation keys are always displayed in the same position when displayed. In this way, the user can perform various settings using the four operation keys by performing the same operation on the four operation keys arranged in the same position on various screens before operation (top screen, course selection screen, and course detail screen) and on the operation screen.

[0164] For example, if the user wishes to additionally set hot water after selecting a desired course on the course selection screen, or if the user wishes to set a reservation after setting the desired process operations on the course details screen, the hot water setting key 28 and reservation setting key 29 for making these settings are displayed in fixed positions on the footer section 25, so the user can easily recognize the positions of these operating keys and operate them quickly and reliably.

[0165] In this manner, in this embodiment, the four operation keys for making settings related to the operation of the washing machine 1 are displayed at fixed positions in the footer section 25, and are laid out in a manner that allows access from both various screens before operation and from the screen during operation, and there is no need to switch screens when operating the four operation keys. Therefore, according to this embodiment, it is possible to improve visibility and operability when making settings related to the operation of the washing machine 1.

[0166] In this case, the four operation keys are arranged in the same positions on both the operating screen and the paused screen. However, on the operating screen, the setting key 26, hot water setting key 28, and reservation setting key 29 are given a light gray background, and the control device 4 disables the acceptance of operations by these keys. Also, on the operating screen, the lighting on / off key 27 is given a dark gray background, and the control device 4 enables the acceptance of operations by these keys.

[0167] Moreover, on the paused screen, the hot water setting key 28 and the reservation setting key 29 are given a light gray background color, and the control device 4 disables the reception of operations by these keys. Also, on the paused screen, the setting key 26 and the lighting on / off key 27 are given a dark gray background color, and the control device 4 enables the reception of operations by these keys. In this way, the user can easily determine which of the four operation keys are operable and which are inoperable on the running screen and the paused screen by the background colors of the operation keys.

[0168] The control device 4 is configured to change the display mode of the operation keys when a setting different from the initial setting is executed in response to the operation of the lighting on / off key 27, the hot water setting key 28, and the reservation setting key 29. In this way, when the user operates the lighting on / off key 27, the hot water setting key 28, or the reservation setting key 29 to perform various settings, the display mode of the operation keys is changed, allowing the user to confirm that the settings he or she has performed have been reliably reflected.

[0169] When a setting different from the initial setting is executed in response to the operation of the hot water setting key 28 and the reservation setting key 29, the control device 4 changes the display mode of the operation key to indicate the state of the executed setting, specifically, so that the set status is given on the operation key. In this way, when the user operates the hot water setting key 28 or the reservation setting key 29 to execute various settings, the user can easily check the setting state (for example, the hot water temperature, the end time of operation, etc.) by checking the display mode of the operation key.

[0170] Of the four operation keys arranged in area 32 of footer section 25, hot water setting key 28 and reservation setting key 29 are important for operating washing machine 1. First, hot water setting key 28 allows the setting of the water temperature used in the washing process, and the water temperature is an important factor that is closely related to the washing performance. Therefore, in this embodiment, hot water setting key 28, which is related to such an important factor, is fixedly displayed in footer section 25 so that the user can frequently see it.

[0171] The reservation setting key 29 is used by the user to set a reservation for operation (setting the end time), and when a reservation is set, it is desirable to improve the visibility of the setting content (end time). Therefore, in this embodiment, the reservation setting key 29 related to such an important element is fixedly displayed in the footer section 25 so that the user can frequently see it.

[0172] In this embodiment, the hot water setting key 28 and the reservation setting key 29 are displayed in the same position, with the same icon and in the same layout on the various screens before operation, the operation screen, and the pause screen. In this way, the user can easily visually confirm the positions of the operation keys for setting the hot water setting and the reservation setting, which are important settings for the operation of the washing machine 1, and can easily check the setting contents.

[0173] When an operation is performed on a specific operation type icon on the top screen on which multiple operation type icons (washing operation icon 22, washing / drying operation icon 23, and drying operation icon 24) are arranged, the control device 4 displays the operated operation type icon larger relative to the operation type icons that have not been operated. In this way, the user can easily recognize which operation has been selected, that is, which operation is currently set.

[0174] When the operated driving type icon is enlarged and displayed in this way, if the operable area in which the icon can be operated remains the same size as before the enlargement, a large difference occurs between the size of the driving type icon and the size of the operable area, which may cause the user to feel uncomfortable. Therefore, when a predetermined driving type icon is operated, the control device 4 makes the operable area in which the operated driving type icon can be operated relatively large compared to the operable area in which the non-operated driving type icon can be operated. In this way, a large difference does not occur between the size of the driving type icon and the size of the operable area, which can prevent the user from feeling uncomfortable.

[0175] When an operation is performed on a specific driving type icon, the control device 4 displays the name of the course selected for the driving corresponding to the operated driving type icon and an icon corresponding to that course. More specifically, when an operation is performed on a specific driving type icon, the control device 4 changes the display of the operated driving type icon to include the name of the course selected for the corresponding driving and an icon corresponding to that course. In this way, the user can easily recognize what courses exist according to the type of driving and which course is currently selected.

[0176] On the top screen, the wash operation icon 22, the wash / dry operation icon 23, and the dry operation icon 24 are arranged in parallel in this order from the left of the screen. This provides a layout that is easy for the user to understand, and improves the operability of the operation type icons by the user.

[0177] The footer section 25 of the top screen is provided with a course selection key 30, which is an operation key for transitioning to a course selection screen. The user can display the course selection screen by operating this course selection key 30. However, when a user operates a predetermined driving type icon provided in the center of the screen to select a desired driving operation and then operates the course selection key 30 provided at the lower right end of the screen to select a course corresponding to that driving operation, the user's line of sight, fingers, etc. may move a relatively long distance.

[0178] Therefore, when an operation is performed once on a specific driving type icon, the control device 4 selects a driving operation corresponding to the specific driving type icon, and when an operation is performed again on the specific driving type icon that has been operated once, the control device 4 displays a course selection screen for selecting a course corresponding to that driving operation.

[0179] In this way, after a desired driving operation is selected by operating a specific driving type icon once, a course selection screen for selecting a course corresponding to the driving operation can be displayed by operating the driving type icon again, so there is no risk of the user having to move a long distance with their eyes, fingers, etc. Therefore, according to this embodiment, it is possible to improve the operability when displaying the course selection screen.

[0180] In this embodiment, a different color is associated with each type of driving, and when an operation is performed on a specific driving type icon and a driving operation corresponding to the operated driving type icon is selected, the control device 4 displays a background color similar to the color associated with the selected driving operation for any area on the screen that is displayed at that time and on any area on the screen that is displayed thereafter.

[0181] In this way, the user can easily determine the selected type of driving by checking the background color of any area on various screens. In this case, it is advisable to associate each type of driving with a color that matches the image of each driving. In this way, the user can more easily determine the type of driving based on the background color of the arbitrary area. In this way, according to this embodiment, the visibility of the driving settings can be further improved.

[0182] The control device 4 selects an operation type icon corresponding to the executed operation (previous operation) on the top screen displayed after the power supply to the washing machine 1 is turned on again after the operation is executed. In this way, when the user wants to execute the same type of operation as the previous operation, the user can immediately start the operation by operating the start key 31 without performing an operation to select the type of operation, thereby improving convenience.

[0183] Furthermore, the control device 4 selects the courses in the previous operation for each of the washing operation, the washing and drying operation, and the drying operation on the top screen displayed after the operation is performed and the power to the washing machine 1 is turned on again. When a predetermined operation type icon is selected, the control device 4 changes the display of the selected operation type icon to include the name of the course in the previous operation and an icon corresponding to that course.

[0184] In this way, when the user wants to execute a predetermined operation with the same course as the previous course, the user can immediately start the operation by operating the start key 31 without performing an operation for selecting the course, which improves convenience. In this case, the user can easily check the previous course and further the currently set course based on the display of the operation type icon.

[0185] In this embodiment, the course selection screen for selecting a course corresponding to driving includes a course list display area 35 in which a plurality of course icons 34 provided corresponding to each course are displayed aligned in one direction, and a course information display area 37 in which information about the course is displayed. When an operation is performed on a specific course icon 34, the control device 4 causes information about the course corresponding to that course icon 34 to be displayed in the course information display area 37.

[0186] According to such a course selection screen, the user can easily confirm the outline and itinerary of the selected course, i.e., the structure and itinerary of the selected course, based on the display contents of the course information display area 37. In this case, when the user changes the selected course, the user can easily recognize the difference in the itinerary structure of the course before and after the change, based on the change in the display contents of the course information display area 37.

[0187] The course information display area 37 includes a route information display area 38 that displays all the routes in chronological order across the screen. This allows the user to more easily understand the route configuration of the selected course based on the display contents of the route information display area 38.

[0188] The control device 4 displays a setting change key 43, which is an operation key for transitioning to a course details screen for setting the contents of the course, on the course selection screen. The control device 4 also functions as an operation key for transitioning the journey information display area 38 to the course details screen. In this way, if the user desires to change the contents of a course after selecting the course on the course selection screen, the user can operate the setting change key 43 or the journey information display area 38 to display the course details screen and change the course contents.

[0189] In this embodiment, the start key 31, which is an operation key for starting driving, is also displayed on the course selection screen. Therefore, when the user selects a desired course on the course selection screen, if the user does not intend to change the content of the course, the user can immediately start driving by operating the start key 31 provided on the same screen without performing an operation for transitioning from the course selection screen to another screen, thereby improving convenience.

[0190] The control device 4 displays a trip display showing all trips, a trip condition display showing the conditions of the trip, a trip condition change key which is an operation key for changing the conditions of each trip, and the like on a course details screen for setting the contents of the course corresponding to the driving. In a conventional configuration in which a dedicated screen is prepared for each trip, the user must frequently perform an operation for switching the screen when changing the settings of the detailed contents of each trip. In contrast, according to this embodiment, the user can check the contents of all trips and change the settings on one screen (course details screen). Therefore, according to this embodiment, the operability when setting the contents of the course can be improved.

[0191] The control device 4 displays each process display (such as a wash icon 46, a rinse icon 47, a spin icon 48, and a dry icon 49) in a chronological order horizontally from the left of the screen. The control device 4 also displays the process condition display and the process condition change key in parallel with the process display, specifically, in a line below the process display. In this way, the user can easily recognize which process condition display corresponds to each of the processes arranged in chronological order, and which operation key corresponds to the process condition change key.

[0192] The control device 4 is adapted to display, on the course details screen, trip on / off keys 57-59, which are operation keys for setting whether or not each trip is to be carried out. In a conventional configuration including a configuration with a liquid crystal operation panel, in order to set each trip to not be carried out, it was necessary to operate the increase / decrease button or the individual number buttons (for example, buttons representing the numbers 0-9).

[0193] In the case of operation using the increase / decrease buttons, it may be necessary to perform the operation multiple times, which may reduce operability. In addition, in the case of operation using the count button, the number of buttons that must be arranged increases. In contrast, in this embodiment, the user can switch between the execution and non-execution of the corresponding process by simply operating the process on / off keys 57 to 59 once. In this way, according to this embodiment, it is possible to improve the operability when setting the execution or non-execution of each process.

[0194] When a trip on / off key 57-59 is operated to set the corresponding trip to not be performed, the control device 4 disables the acceptance of operations using the trip condition change keys to change the conditions of that trip. In this way, the difference between operations using the trip on / off keys 57-59 and operations using the trip condition change keys (addition keys 50, 52, 54 and subtraction keys 51, 53, 55) is made clear, so that the user can clearly distinguish between these operation keys.

[0195] When a process condition change key is operated to change the process conditions corresponding to that process condition change key, and then when a process on / off key 57-59 is operated to set the process not to be carried out, the control device 4 initializes the process conditions that were set in response to the operation of the process condition change key.

[0196] In this way, the behavior of the trip on / off keys 57-59 when they are operated is simplified, so that the user can easily understand the usage of the trip on / off keys 57-59. In this case, the user can also use the trip on / off keys 57-59 as operation keys for initializing the conditions of the corresponding trip, improving convenience.

[0197] The control device 4 is configured to display a setting clear key 61, which is an operation key for initializing all the conditions of the journey, on the course details screen. In the conventional configuration, in order to return the conditions of a journey that has been changed to their original state, that is, to initialize them, it was necessary to perform extra operations such as turning the power off once and then on again, and selecting the course again.

[0198] In contrast, according to this embodiment, if a user changes the conditions of a journey on the course details screen and then wishes to initialize the changed conditions, the user can initialize the changed journey conditions by operating the setting clear key 61 provided on the same screen, without requiring extra operations such as powering the device back on or changing screens.

[0199] In this embodiment, the start key 31, which is an operation key for starting driving, is also displayed on the course details screen. Therefore, when the user sets the contents of the course on the course details screen, the user can immediately start driving by operating the start key 31 provided on the same screen without performing an operation for transitioning from the course details screen to another screen, thereby improving convenience.

[0200] The control device 4 is configured not to display the process on / off keys 57-59 and the setting clear key 61 on the course details screen displayed while the operation is paused. The washing machine 1 is configured not to allow the change of whether or not the process is performed after the operation is started, as in the conventional configuration. If the process on / off keys 57-59 or the setting clear key 61 were displayed on the course details screen displayed while the operation is paused, the user may mistakenly recognize that the execution or non-execution of the process can be changed by operating them. Therefore, in this embodiment, these unnecessary operation keys (the process on / off keys and the setting clear key) are not displayed, thereby preventing the user from misunderstanding.

[0201] The process condition display 56 displayed below the drying icon 49 also functions as a process condition change key for changing the conditions of the drying process, and when an operation is performed on the process condition display 56, a drying setting screen for setting the conditions of the drying process is displayed. Usually, the conditions of the drying process are not only changed in time and number of times, but also selected from a number of drying finish settings.

[0202] If all of these multiple drying finish settings are to be displayed on the course details screen, various pieces of information may be displayed without gaps, which may significantly reduce visibility. Therefore, in this embodiment, when an operation is performed on the process condition display 56, the screen is deliberately changed to display a drying setting screen in which multiple drying finish settings are displayed in a list. In this way, when setting conditions for the drying process, the user needs to perform an operation to change the screen only once, but can select a desired setting while checking the list of multiple drying finish settings, thereby improving convenience.

[0203] The control device 4 is configured to display, on an operation screen displayed during operation, a process display (wash icon 88, rinse icon 89, spin-dry icon 90, and dry icon 91) showing all the processes in the operation including the process currently in progress, and the remaining operation time. In this way, the user can easily grasp a series of operation conditions, such as the time required (or elapsed time) until the operation is completed and the progress of the process relative to the elapsed time, from a single screen (operation screen) displayed during operation.

[0204] In this embodiment, different colors are associated with each of a plurality of steps in driving, and the control device 4 displays the background of any area of ​​the driving screen in a similar color to the color associated with the step being executed. In this way, the user can easily recognize the currently executed, i.e., the step in progress, by checking the background color of any area of ​​the driving screen while driving.

[0205] In this case, since the user can distinguish the process by color, the user can quickly and reliably grasp the process in progress even from a relatively far away position from the washing machine 1. In this case, it is preferable to assign a color that matches the image of each process to each process. In this way, the user can more easily determine the process in progress based on the background color of any area on the screen during operation.

[0206] The arbitrary area having a background display of a similar color to the color associated with the currently executed journey includes an area 86 in which the remaining driving time is displayed. In this way, the user can easily grasp both the remaining driving time and the currently executed journey by simply checking the area 86. In this way, according to this embodiment, the visibility of the driving screen can be improved.

[0207] Moreover, the area 86 is provided on the upper side of the center of the screen during driving, and a relatively large area is secured. Therefore, according to this embodiment, the remaining driving time can be displayed relatively large, and the area with the background color similar to the color associated with the process being executed can be a relatively large area. Therefore, the user can more easily grasp both the remaining driving time and the process being executed.

[0208] The control device 4 displays on the screen during operation the remaining time of the trip, which is the time required until the currently ongoing trip is completed, and the remaining number of trips, which is the number of times required until the currently ongoing trip is completed. In this way, the user can understand the time required until each trip is completed. Then, the user can consider changing the settings for the subsequent operation (trip) based on each piece of information thus obtained.

[0209] In this embodiment, the header section 21 and the area 86, which are areas including the edges of the screen, are arbitrary areas that are displayed with a background color similar to the color associated with the above-mentioned process being performed. Therefore, the background color of the area including the edges of the screen changes according to the process being performed. In this way, the user can more easily recognize the background color that changes according to the process being performed, and as a result, the user can more easily and reliably recognize the process being performed.

[0210] The control device 4 changes the background color of each process display (wash icon 88, rinse icon 89, spin icon 90, and dry icon 91) corresponding to the process being performed and the completed process to the corresponding color, and changes the background color of the icon corresponding to the unperformed process to white. In addition, the control device 4 displays a check mark "R" below the completed process display.

[0211] In this manner, in this embodiment, visual effects are applied to each step display, such as changing (reverse) the background color of the icon according to its implementation status, or displaying a check mark below the icon, etc. In this way, the user can easily check the implementation status of each step (not implemented, in progress, completed).

[0212] The start key in the conventional configuration not only functions as an operation key for starting driving, but also functions as an operation key for temporarily stopping driving, that is, as a pause key. In consideration of this, in this embodiment, the control device 4 displays a pause key 85 for temporarily stopping driving in an area on the driving screen corresponding to the area where the course selection key 30 and the start key 31 were located on various screens before driving. In other words, in this embodiment, the pause key 85 is located in an area including the area where the start key 31 was located.

[0213] In this way, when the user starts driving and then wants to pause driving for some reason, the user can intuitively grasp the location of the pause key 85 and can easily pause driving by operating the pause key 85. In this way, according to this embodiment, the user can perform operations related to starting and pausing driving with the same feeling as in the conventional configuration.

[0214] The control device 4 is configured to display a setting change key 94, which is an operation key for transitioning to a course details screen, on a paused screen that is displayed when the pause key 85 is operated. When a user pauses driving, the contents of the course in the started driving may not be what the user intended, and the user may want to change the contents. In such a case, the user can change the contents of the course to the intended contents by operating the setting change key 94 displayed on the paused screen.

[0215] In this case, the setting change key 94 is not displayed on the driving screen, but is displayed only on the paused screen. In this way, since the setting change key 94, which is an unnecessary operation key, is not displayed on the driving screen, an area for other displays and operation keys can be secured, and the visibility and operability of the driving screen can be maintained at a good level.

[0216] Also, the size of the area 86 on the paused screen may be smaller than the size of the area 86 on the driving screen, since it is not necessary to display the remaining driving time. Therefore, the control device 4 reduces the area 86 on the paused screen with respect to the driving screen, and displays the setting change key 94 in the area secured by the reduction. In this way, the setting change key 94 can be displayed while maintaining good visibility and operability of the paused screen.

[0217] <Top screen variation 1> In a top screen or the like, the footer section 25 including the area 32 which is an end area may be provided at the end of the screen. Therefore, for example, a screen as shown in Fig. 24 can be used as the top screen. In the top screen of this modified example 1 shown in Fig. 24, the footer section 25 is located at the right end of the screen.

[0218] In this case as well, the start key 31 is provided at the edge of the screen, specifically at the lower right edge of the screen, and the course selection keys 30 are arranged in a line above the start key 31. With such a top screen of the present modified example 1, it is possible to achieve the same visibility and operability as the top screen described in the above embodiment.

[0219] <Top screen variation 2> In the top screen, etc., the start key 31 may be displayed at the edge of the screen. Therefore, for example, a screen as shown in Fig. 25 can be used as the top screen. In the footer section 25 of the top screen of this modified example 2 shown in Fig. 25, the start key 31, the course selection key 30, the setting key 26, the light on / off key 27, the hot water setting key 28, and the reservation setting key 29 are arranged in a row in the horizontal direction of the screen in this order from the left.

[0220] That is, in this case, the start key 31 is disposed at the lower left end of the screen, and the course selection keys 30 are disposed next to the right side of the start key 31. With such a top screen of the present modified example 2, it is possible to achieve the same visibility and operability as the top screen described in the above embodiment.

[0221] In addition, the control device 4 may be configured to be able to switch between a mode in which the start key 31 is displayed on the left edge of the screen (the lower left edge of the screen), as in the top screen shown in FIG. 25, and a mode in which the start key 31 is displayed on the right edge of the screen (the lower right edge of the screen), as in the top screen shown in FIG. 3.

[0222] Generally, a right-handed person can easily operate the operation keys provided at the right end of the screen, and a left-handed person can easily operate the operation keys provided at the left side of the screen. According to the above configuration, the user can change the position of the start key 31 to a position that is easy to operate depending on his / her dominant hand, so that the operability of the start key 31 can be further improved.

[0223] <Top screen variation 3> On the top screen, the display mode of the operation type icon can be changed as appropriate. For example, a screen as shown in FIG. 26 can be used as the top screen. On the top screen of the present modified example 3 shown in FIG. 26, the operation type icons, that is, the wash operation icon 22, the wash-dry operation icon 23, and the dry operation icon 24, are displayed as the laundry care instructions that are applicable to each of them. In this way, the user can set the operation type and course while checking the care instructions, thereby improving convenience.

[0224] <Course selection screen variation 1> In the course selection screen, the course information display area 37 may be provided in an area other than the course list display area 35. Therefore, a screen as shown in Fig. 27 can be used as the course selection screen. In the course selection screen of this modified example 1 shown in Fig. 27, the layout of the course list display area 35 and the course information display area 37 is swapped with respect to the course selection screen shown in Fig. 6.

[0225] That is, in this case, the course selection screen has a course information display area 37 provided above the center of the screen, and a course list display area provided below the center of the screen. The course selection screen of this modification 1 can also achieve the same visibility and operability as the course selection screen described in the above embodiment.

[0226] <Course selection screen variation 2> In the course selection screen, the course list display area 35 may display a plurality of course icons 34 aligned in one direction. Therefore, a screen as shown in Fig. 28 may be adopted as the course selection screen. The course selection screen in the above embodiment shown in Fig. 6 etc. is configured on the premise that the display unit 20 is a horizontally long screen, but in this modified example 2 shown in Fig. 28, it is configured on the premise that the display unit 20 is a vertically long screen.

[0227] In the course selection screen of this modified example 2 shown in FIG. 28, the left end of the screen is a header section 21, and the right end of the screen is a footer section 25. In this case, in the course selection screen, a course list display area 35 is provided on the left side of the center of the screen, and a course information display area is provided on the right side of the center of the screen. In this case, the display manner of each operation key, each icon, etc. is also changed as the screen is changed from horizontal to vertical. With such a course selection screen of this modified example 2, it is possible to achieve the same visibility and operability as the course selection screen described in the above embodiment.

[0228] <Course details screen variation 1> In the course details screen, the layout and display mode of the process display, process conditions, and process condition change keys can be changed as appropriate. Note that, although modified examples of the process display, process condition display, and process condition change key layout and display mode corresponding to the washing process are described here, similar modifications can be made for other processes.

[0229] As shown in Fig. 29(a), an addition key 50 and a subtraction key 51 corresponding to the process condition change keys may be arranged on the left and right sides of the process condition display below the wash icon 46. As shown in Fig. 29(b), the addition key 50 and the subtraction key 51 may be arranged below the wash icon 46 so as to be aligned to the left of the process condition display. As shown in Fig. 29(c), the addition key 50 and the subtraction key 51 may be arranged below the wash icon 46 so as to be aligned to the right of the process condition display.

[0230] As shown in Fig. 29(d), the addition key 50 and the subtraction key 51 may be arranged below the wash icon 46 so as to be aligned above the process condition display. As shown in Fig. 29(e), the addition key 50 and the subtraction key 51 may be arranged below the wash icon 46 so as to be aligned below the process condition display.

[0231] As shown in FIG. 29(f), a condition setting display section 95 may be provided below the washing icon 46 to select a washing time and display the selected washing time. The condition setting display section 95 is configured to allow a desired washing time to be selected from a plurality of washing times (0 to 30 minutes). In this case, the condition setting display section 95 corresponds to both a process condition display and a process condition change key. As shown in FIG. 29(g), the washing icon 46 and the process condition display may be arranged vertically, and an addition key 50 and a subtraction key 51 may be arranged above and below the washing icon 46 and the process condition display.

[0232] <Course details screen variation 2> The control device 4 may cause at least a part of the journey display on the course details screen to function as an operation key for setting whether or not to carry out the journey corresponding to the journey display, that is, a journey on / off key. Therefore, a screen as shown in Fig. 30 can be adopted as the course details screen.

[0233] The course details screen of the present modified example 2 shown in Fig. 30 differs from the course details screen shown in Fig. 8 in that it does not include step on / off keys 57, 58. In this case, the control device 4 causes the wash icon 46 and the rinse icon 47, which correspond to the step display, to function as step on / off keys for setting whether or not to perform the wash step and the rinse step.

[0234] In this way, the user can switch whether or not the wash step is performed by operating the wash icon 46, and can switch whether or not the rinse step is performed by operating the rinse icon 47. In this case, the area for displaying the step on / off keys 57, 58 can be used for other displays, thereby further improving visibility.

[0235] <Course details screen variation 3> The course details screen may be configured to allow the user to set the type of action (strong, weak, finish, etc.) for each step. Thus, a screen such as that shown in Fig. 31 may be used as the course details screen. The course details screen of this modified example 3 shown in Fig. 31 differs from the course details screen shown in Fig. 8 in that strong keys 96, 97 and weak keys 98, 99 are added.

[0236] In this case, a strong key 96 and a weak key 98 are disposed below the wash icon 46 between the subtraction key 51 and the stroke on / off key 57. The user can set the operation type of the wash stroke to "strong" by operating the strong key 96, and can set the operation type of the wash stroke to "weak" by operating the weak key 98.

[0237] In this case, a strong key 97 and a weak key 99 are disposed below the rinse icon 47 between the subtraction key 53 and the stroke on / off key 58. The user can set the operation type of the rinse stroke to “strong” by operating the strong key 97, and can set the operation type of the rinse stroke to “weak” by operating the weak key 99.

[0238] In this way, according to the course details screen of the present modified example 3, it is possible to change not only the values ​​(time, number of times) of each step but also the type of action of each step. Therefore, according to the present modified example 3, the user can perform the desired driving with the contents more in line with his / her preference.

[0239] <Course details screen variation 4> The control device 4 may cause at least one of the process display and the process condition display on the course details screen to function as an operation key for changing the process conditions, i.e., a process condition change key. Thus, the wash icon 46 and the process condition display corresponding to the wash process may function as a process condition change key for changing the conditions of the wash process.

[0240] In this case, when an operation is performed on the wash icon 46 or the process condition display corresponding to the wash process, a wash setting screen for setting the conditions of the wash process is displayed as shown in Fig. 32. As shown in Fig. 32, the wash setting screen is displayed in the same manner as the drying setting screen shown in Fig. 11.

[0241] The wash setting screen has icons 100 arranged corresponding to a plurality of wash finish settings (in this case, weak wash, normal wash, strong wash, low water level, normal water level, and high water level). The user can set the desired conditions for the wash process by operating one of the icons 100 corresponding to the desired setting. Specifically, the user can set the wash strength and water level on the wash setting screen.

[0242] A close key 101 is located on the lower left side of the wash setting screen, and an enter key 102 is located on the lower right side. The close key 101 is an operation key for closing the wash setting screen without reflecting the setting change operation on the wash setting screen. The enter key 102 is an operation key for closing the wash setting screen after reflecting the setting change operation on the wash setting screen.

[0243] Also, the rinse icon 47 and the process condition display corresponding to the rinse process may function as a process condition change key for changing the conditions of the rinse process. In this case, when an operation is performed on the rinse icon 47 or the process condition display corresponding to the rinse process, a rinse setting screen for setting the conditions of the rinse process shown in Fig. 33 is displayed. As shown in Fig. 33, the rinse setting screen is displayed in the same manner as the drying setting screen shown in Fig. 11.

[0244] The rinse setting screen has icons 103 arranged corresponding to a plurality of rinse finish settings (in this case, weak rinse, normal rinse, strong rinse, short rinse time, normal rinse time, and long rinse time). The user can set the conditions of the rinse process as desired by operating an icon corresponding to the desired setting among these icons 103. Specifically, the user can set the rinse strength and rinse time on the rinse setting screen.

[0245] A close key 104 is located at the lower left of the rinse setting screen, and a decision key 105 is located at the lower right. Close key 104 is an operation key for closing the rinse setting screen without reflecting the setting change operation on the rinse setting screen. Decision key 105 is an operation key for closing the rinse setting screen after reflecting the setting change operation on the rinse setting screen.

[0246] Also, the dehydration icon 48 and the process condition display corresponding to the dehydration process may function as a process condition change key for changing the conditions of the dehydration process. In this case, when an operation is performed on the dehydration icon 48 or the process condition display corresponding to the dehydration process, a dehydration setting screen for setting the conditions of the dehydration process shown in Fig. 34 is displayed. As shown in Fig. 34, the dehydration setting screen is displayed in the same manner as the drying setting screen shown in Fig. 11.

[0247] The spin setting screen has icons 106 arranged corresponding to a plurality of spin finish settings (in this case, weak spin, normal spin, strong spin, with loosening, and without loosening). The user can set the desired conditions for the spin process by operating one of these icons 106 corresponding to the desired setting. Specifically, the user can set the strength of spin and whether or not to perform loosening operation on the spin setting screen.

[0248] A close key 107 is located at the lower left of the spin setting screen, and a decision key 108 is located at the lower right. Close key 107 is an operation key for closing the spin setting screen without reflecting the setting change operation on the spin setting screen. Decision key 108 is an operation key for closing the spin setting screen after reflecting the setting change operation on the spin setting screen.

[0249] <Driving screen variations 1 and 2> In the driving screen, the area in which the background is displayed in a similar color to the color associated with the process being executed can be changed as appropriate. Therefore, the driving screen can be a screen as shown in Fig. 35 or Fig. 36. The driving screen of this modified example 1 shown in Fig. 35 differs from the driving screen shown in Fig. 18 in that an area 109 is added.

[0250] In this case, the vertical dimension of area 86 is reduced, and area 109 is provided in the space created by the reduction, that is, between header section 21 and area 86. In this case, control device 4 displays area 109 with a background color similar to the color associated with the process being executed.

[0251] The driving screen of the present modified example 2 shown in Fig. 36 differs from the driving screen shown in Fig. 18 in that an area 110 is added. In this case, the dimensions of the area 86 in the vertical and horizontal directions are reduced, and the area 110 is provided in the space secured by the reduction. Specifically, the area 110 is provided so as to surround the area 86.

[0252] In this case, the control device 4 is configured to display the background of the area 110 in a similar color to the color associated with the process being executed. The driving screens of the first and second modifications can also achieve the same visibility and operability as the driving screens described in the above embodiment.

[0253] (Other embodiments) The present invention is not limited to the embodiments described above and shown in the drawings, and can be modified, combined, or expanded as desired without departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention. The numerical values ​​and the like shown in the above embodiments are merely examples and are not intended to be limiting.

[0254] The present invention is not limited to the washing machine 1 which is a drum type washer-dryer, but can be applied to all clothing processing devices that perform operations to perform specified processes on clothing (washing, drying, deodorization, etc.), such as vertical axis washing machines, washer-dryers, and dryers.

[0255] The operation display device is not limited to the operation panel 5 provided on the washing machine 1, and may be, for example, an operation display unit of a mobile terminal such as a smartphone or tablet terminal carried by a user who uses the washing machine 1. In this case, the washing machine 1 may be configured to be able to exchange data for display, data showing the operation results of the displayed operation keys, and the like with the mobile terminal via communication or the like.

[0256] Although several embodiments of the present invention have been described above, these embodiments are presented as examples and are not intended to limit the scope of the invention. These novel embodiments can be implemented in various other forms, and various omissions, substitutions, and modifications can be made without departing from the spirit of the invention. These embodiments and their modifications are included in the scope and spirit of the invention, and are included in the scope of the invention and its equivalents described in the claims. [Explanation of symbols]

[0257] In the drawing, 1 is a washing machine (clothing processing device), 4 is a control device (control unit), 5 is an operation panel (operation display), 20 is a display unit, 21 is a header unit (arbitrary area), 22 is a washing operation icon (operation type icon), 23 is a washing and drying operation icon (operation type icon), 24 is a drying operation icon (operation type icon), 22a, 23a, and 24a are operable areas, 26 is a setting key (operation key), 27 is a lighting on / off key (operation key), 28 is a hot water setting key (operation key), 29 is a reservation setting key (operation key), 30 is a course selection key (operation key), 31 is a start key (operation key), 32 is an area (end area), 34 is a course icon, 35 is a course list display area, and 37 is course information. The display area includes 39 a wash icon (process display), 40 a rinse icon (process display), 41 a spin icon (process display), 42 a drying icon (process display), 43 a setting change key (operation key), 46 a wash icon (process display), 47 a rinse icon (process display), 48 a spin icon (process display), 49 a drying icon (process display), 50, 52, and 54 add keys (process condition change keys), 51, 53, and 55 subtract keys (process condition change keys), 56 a process condition display (process condition change key), 57 to 59 process on / off keys (operation keys), 61 a setting clear key (operation key), 85 a pause key (operation key), and 86, 109, and 110 areas (optional areas).

Claims

1. A clothing processing device that performs an operation to perform a predetermined process on clothing, A display having a display unit that displays various information related to the driving; A control unit that controls display on the display unit; Equipped with Different colors are assigned to the steps in the operation, The control unit is During the operation, displaying on the display unit a screen including a process display showing a process currently in progress; a first area, which is different from an area displaying the journey display on the screen displayed during the operation, is displayed in a color similar to a color associated with the journey being performed; A clothing processing device that displays the first area more widely than a second area that does not display a color similar to the color associated with the process during which the operation is being performed.

2. A clothing processing device that performs an operation to perform a predetermined process on clothing, A display having a display unit that displays various information related to the driving; A control unit that controls display on the display unit; Equipped with Different colors are assigned to the steps in the operation, The control unit is During the operation, displaying on the display unit a screen including a process display showing a process currently in progress and a remaining operation time which is a time required until the operation is completed; a first area, which is different from an area displaying the journey display on the screen displayed during the operation, is displayed in a color similar to a color associated with the journey being performed; A clothing processing device that displays the remaining operation time so that it is included within the first area.

3. A clothing processing device that performs an operation for performing a predetermined process on clothing, A display having a display unit that displays various information related to the driving; A control unit that controls display on the display unit; Equipped with Different colors are assigned to the steps in the operation, The control unit is During the operation, displaying on the display unit a screen including a process display showing all processes in the operation including the process currently in progress; a first area, which is different from an area displaying the journey display on the screen displayed during the operation, is displayed in a color similar to a color associated with the journey being performed; A clothing processing device that displays the process display in the vicinity of the first area.

4. The control unit, during the execution of the operation, causes the display unit to display a screen including a process display showing all processes in the operation including the process currently in progress, The clothing processing device according to claim 1 , wherein a background color of an icon corresponding to the process is displayed in a different manner depending on whether the process has been completed or not.

Images