A domestic appliance comprising a user interface for user inputs

[0001] The invention relates to a domestic appliance, in par ticular a domestic cooking appliance, comprising a user inter face for user inputs according to the preamble of claim 1.

[0002] When controlling home appliances such as kitchen appli ances and washing appliances a control interface operated by a user is provided. The control interface is often referred to as a user interface. The user interface provides a mechanism whereby the user can control the operating of the domestic ap pliance. The user interface can also provide information and/or instructions to the user of how to best operate the domestic ap pliance or information about different selections that are available to the user. There is a constant desire to improve the user interface to make the domestic appliance work safely and efficiently and to avoid annoyance of a user caused through ill- chosen displays, which for example are misplaced in terms of time .

[0003] It is an object of the present invention to provide an improved user interface for a domestic appliance. In particular it is desired to achieve a more effective and safe input to a domestic appliance that makes the data or command input and set ting selection more effective and less time-consuming by for ex ample reducing the number of user interactions required without reducing the possible selections and settings. At the same time, it is also desired to operate the domestic appliance in a safe manner and to avoid annoyance of the user with ill-chosen dis plays . [0004] This object and/or others is/are obtained by the domes tic appliance having a user interface as set out herein.

[0005] A domestic appliance according to the invention, in par ticular a domestic cooking appliance, comprises a user interface for user inputs, particularly for parameter setting and/or en tering of commands, and display means and/or input means, which enable (s) an accelerated and/or facilitated and/or appropriately timed selection or preselection of an operating program or sub program or of a program parameter or a program function or a value. By including said afore-described display means and/or input means, a domestic appliance is provided which allows a more effective and less time-consuming data or command input and setting selection and which avoids annoying the user with ill- chosen display information or requests.

[0006] The display means and/or input means may comprise at least one shortcut input selection and/or shortcut function for an accelerated and/or facilitated user input. Said accelerated and/or facilitated input is particularly a direct selection of specifically an operating program or a sub-program or of a pro gram parameter or a program function or a value, without a need for the user to navigate through a menu system or to take a num ber of steps for a selection of several program parameters. The at least one shortcut input selection and/or shortcut function is preferably displayed on the display means, in particular on a screen, and may be selectable by input means, in particular by a cursor and a key or button or by a touch field on a touch screen. In addition to said shortcut input selection and/or shortcut function, a menu selection option input may be included in the user interface and/or the display means, where all set tings such as programs and potentially sub-programs and other parameters are available for a user to select. Said menu selec tion option input may also be a sub-function of a selected shortcut input, i.e. the user may be provided with an option to modify any parameter or value, which is defined by the shortcut selection via said menu selection option input.

[0007] According to a specific embodiment, the at least one shortcut input selection and/or shortcut function is/are based or dependent on or tailored to the time of the operation, par ticularly on or to the time of program, of the domestic appli ance. More particularly, the at least one shortcut input selec tion and/or shortcut function is/are based or dependent on or tailored to the program point of time or the program residual duration. In particular, there are predefined a number of dif ferent sets of shortcut selections, which individually can be made available to the user at different points of time during the operating program sequence, i.e. a first set of shortcut se lections can be made available before a setting is made by the user, a second set of shortcut selections can be made available when the operating program has been selected but before the pro gram is started, a third set of shortcut selections can be made available in the beginning of the running of the domestic appli ance, and so on.

[0008] More specifically, the display and/or selectability of the at least one shortcut input selection and/or shortcut func tion is based or dependent on or tailored to a trigger point of a timer and/or an operating state of the domestic appliance.

Said trigger point is preferably an identification of a particu lar event and the domestic appliance may be configured to iden tify such events.

[0009] A preferred embodiment is characterized by a trigger point for the display and/or selectability of the at least one shortcut input selection and/or shortcut function, which is/are based on a time from start of a timer or an operating program or based on a time before finishing a timer or an operating pro gram. Displaying a shortcut input selection and/or function may also include displaying a change of the shortcut input selection and/or shortcut function to another one, i.e. for example from a first one to a second one. When a time event, for example a par ticular time from start of a timer or an operating program, has been identified to occur at a point in time, the domestic appli ance may be configured to change the shortcut selections to an other set of shortcut selections or to make a set of new

shortcut selections appear on the display means. The domestic appliance may further be configured to perform the operation as sociated with the activated input selection as a consequence of a user' s selection using anyone of the shortcut selections cur rently shown on the display means.

[0010] Said change of the display and/or selectability of the at least one shortcut input selection and/or shortcut function during a program cycle may be indicatable to a user, so that the user will recognize the modification. A respective signal may be provided or providable to the user, which is preferably an acoustic or an optical signal. Particularly, the user is alerted when shortcut selections appear, for example by sounding a sig nal on the domestic appliance when a new set of shortcut selec tions is made available.

[0011] According to one specific embodiment, the domestic ap pliance is adapted to provide shortcut selections which enable a user to influence the end of an operating program as defined by the specific operating program. In particular when cooking food with a domestic cooking appliance, the user may want to check the cooking result before ending the cooking in order either to shorten or to extend the predefined cooking time. In that case, shortcut selection may be made available at a specific time pe riod before the end of the regular cooking program, with which the user can finish the cooking directly or at an earlier time or can select additional cooking time for an extension of the cooking process.

[0012] The at least one shortcut input selection and/or shortcut function may be determined based on user behaviour, which may be at least one past user selection. Said at least one past user selection is more particularly a selection of an oper ating program and/or a sub-program and/or of a program parameter or a program function or a value. With such adaptation to the specific user of the domestic appliance, or to the specific user' s behaviour, respectively, the domestic appliance may be adapted to work more efficiently with the particular user using the domestic appliance.

[0013] According to one embodiment, the at least one shortcut input selection and/or shortcut function is dependent on or based on statistical evaluation of user behaviour, particularly on a number of a user's past selections. The domestic appliance may therefore be enabled to collect data regarding the user be havior such as what operating programs are most frequently se lected, what other setting such as temperatures and program run times are most often selected, etc.. Based on the collected user statistics a number of shortcut input selections may be dis played and selectable by the user.

[0014] The at least one shortcut input selection and/or shortcut function may be based or dependent on or tailored to at least one operating program and/or function and/or value, which is/are commonly used in the domestic appliance. The shortcut in put selection and/or function is particularly based or dependent on or tailored to operating programs and/or functions and/or values, which is/are most selected at all or most recently and/or which is/are customized via an application connected to the internet. If, for example, a user of the domestic appliance most frequently uses a certain operating program for operating the domestic appliance, that certain operating program may be one of the shortcut selections that is displayed on the user in terface, e.g. on the display means, and can be selected that way by the user.

[0015] A preferred embodiment is characterized by a domestic appliance, which is connected to or is configured to connect to a database, which provides data to the domestic appliance. Said data are in particular suitable start shortcut selections, what may be beneficial for the implementation phase of the domestic appliance, for example in a new environment. The database data have been collected from inputs to the domestic appliance, i.e. the actual domestic appliance, and/or to (an) other domestic ap pliance (s), which is or are preferably of the same or similar type or species as the actual domestic appliance. Preferably, when starting the domestic appliance the first time or the first times, the shortcut selections are taken from the database by selecting such shortcut selection choices which are representa tive for the model or type or species of the current domestic appliance .

[0016] The input means is in particular a rotating knob, which is adapted to move a selector on the display means to an input selection. The selector may be a cursor and/or the display means may be a screen. In this embodiment, the speed of movement of the selector is dependent on the way of rotational movement of the rotating knob.

[0017] Said speed of the movement of the selector may increase disproportionately in relation to the increase of the rotational speed and/or of the angular displacement of the rotating knob. The term "disproportionately" may be understood as following a mathematical function, not representing a direct proportional ity, which may be for example an exponential function. I.e., the higher the rotational speed, the higher the speed of the selec tor per angular displacement of the rotating hob. With such functionality, the user can move the selector quickly between different input selections, particularly when a menu of a domes tic appliance provides a relevant number of different input se lections, which, for example, may need more space than the dis play means can deliver at the same time.

[0018] A specifically preferred embodiment is characterized by at least one predefined angular speed threshold value, above which the speed of the movement of the selector is higher per angular displacement of the rotating knob than if the angular speed is below the angular speed threshold value. Preferably, at least two angular speed threshold values are predefined, a first lower one and a second higher one, and the crossing of each one of the at least two threshold values from below causes a jump to a higher level of the selector speed per angular displacement of the rotating knob.

[0019] According to embodiments, the selector is adapted to move from one icon or character on the display means to another icon or character. The selector movement may be interruptible. For example, the domestic appliance, particularly its input means, is configured to stop the movement of the selector when the selector reaches a particular icon or character on the dis play means. The movement may be resumable with a restart of ro tation of the rotating knob. Additionally or alternatively, an increased speed of the selector movement may be reducible at a specific icon or character on the display means. The movement interruption or the reduction of the increased speed may also occur when the selector approaches or arrives at a peripheral zone or edge of the display means. Also in that situation, the movement may be resumable with a restart of rotation of the ro tating knob, particularly after scrolling or turning over the displayed view of the display means.

[0020] More specifically, the domestic appliance or its user interface, particularly its display means, is configured to sig nal, in particular by displaying, a prompt or an invitation to perform or to initiate a maintenance program or maintenance ac tivities on the domestic appliance, or to have it performed by the domestic appliance, at or after the end of an executed oper ating program or after a switch-off of the domestic appliance. Said maintenance program is required in specific domestic appli ances, such like coffee machines and steam ovens, in which puri fication and/or decalcification may be required from time to time. In order to avoid that a user forgets maintenance, remind ers may be implemented in a control unit and/or in the user in terface of the domestic appliance. However, such reminders, or prompts or invitations, might be ignored when provided at a mo ment, at which the user wants to start an operating program, i.e. using the domestic appliance according to its proper task.

A prompt or invitation to perform said maintenance program or maintenance activities, or to have it performed by the domestic appliance, at or after the end of an executed operating program, may cause the user to readily follow such prompt or invitation. Further, this kind of prompt or invitation avoids annoyance of a user since not providing ill-chosen displays.

[0021] The maintenance program or the maintenance activities may comprise a start delay or postponement of the start of the maintenance program or maintenance activities. Additionally or alternatively, an initial cool down phase for a cooling down of the domestic appliance may be included. During said start delay or postponement phase, or during the initial cool down phase, no maintenance activity may be performed. Said start delay, post ponement of the start or initial cool down phase may be benefi cial for maintenance programs or maintenance activities, which need a cold or cooled appliance. To make it clear to the user that no further action is required, the initiation of the maintenance program or the maintenance activities may be

acknowledged to the user, particularly by providing a signal, for example an acoustic signal, such as a confirmation beep, or an optical signal such as a notification on the display means.

It may be notified that the maintenance program has started and that the first action will be a cool down phase for the domestic appliance .

[0022] According to one preferred embodiment, the prompt or in vitation to perform or initiate the maintenance program or the maintenance activities is indicatable at any time when the do mestic appliance is switched on. This may be directly after the switch-on or at the end of an operating program of the domestic appliance. But also during an execution of an operating program said indication may be provided.

[0023] Novel and inventive features of the present invention are set forth in the appended claims.

[0024] The invention will now be described in more detail, by way of examples, and with reference to the accompanying draw ings, in which:

[0025] Figs, la and lb are views of an oven with a user inter face,

[0026] Fig. lc is a view of a user input for an oven with

shortcut input selections, [0027] Fig. Id is a flowchart illustrating generation of shortcut input selections to be displayed,

[0028] Fig. 2a is a view showing a selection screen controlled by a rotary knob that can move a selector between dif ferent input selections,

[0029] Fig. 2b shows a scenario where the rotational speed of the rotating knob is slow and the selector slowly steps through each possible input selections from side to side,

[0030] Figs. 2c and 2d, illustrate a scenario where the rota tional speed of the rotating knob is fast and the selec tor fast steps through multiple input selections,

[0031] Fig. 2e is a flow chart illustrating some steps that can be performed by a domestic appliance when reading input from a rotating knob,

[0032] Fig. 3a, shows a view of a timer menu with events that can be timed,

[0033] Figs. 3b and 3c show some events that can be timed and logged and the time logged,

[0034] Fig. 3d is a flowchart illustrating steps that can be performed by a domestic appliance when setting a timer based on an event,

[0035] Figs. 4a and 4b, show an example of a display where some options have been removed by an earlier selection of an other parameter, [0036] Fig. 4c is a flowchart illustrating some steps performed in a domestic appliance when adjusting possible input settings based on previous input settings,

[0037] Fig. 5a shows a screen showing a prompt message to a user after a finished use of a domestic appliance,

[0038] Fig. 5b shows a screen informing a user that a mainte nance program has started and that the first action is cool down,

[0039] Fig. 5c is a flowchart illustrating some steps performed in a domestic appliance when performing maintenance of the domestic appliance,

[0040] Figs. 6a and 6b show screens showing messages to a user when power has been restored after a power failure,

[0041] Fig. 6c is a flowchart illustrating some steps performed in a domestic appliance when restarting a domestic ap pliance when power is cut and restored in a domestic ap pliance,

[0042] Figs. 7a and 7b, illustrate time-based shortcut selec tions on a screen, and

[0043] Fig. 7c is a flowchart illustrating some steps performed in a domestic appliance when making shortcut selections available based on time.

[0044] The invention will now be described more fully hereinaf ter with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which cer- tain embodiments of the invention are shown. In addition, fur ther embodiments generally supporting the inventive concept, but going beyond the claimed inventive aspects, are shown as well. The invention may, however, be embodied in many different forms and should not be construed as limited to the embodiments set forth herein; rather, these embodiments are provided by way of example so that this disclosure will be thorough and complete, and will fully convey the scope of the invention to those skilled in the art. For example, like or similar components of different embodiments can be exchanged between different embodi ments. So, while the invention is mainly described in conjunc tion with ovens, the invention can equally be used for other cooking appliances or even other kitchen appliances. Some of the aspects of the invention can, unless clearly being ill-suited for that purpose, also be used for other domestic appliances such as cleaning appliances including washing or drying appli ances. Some components can be omitted from different embodi ments. Also, steps may in some cases be performed in another or der than described while achieving the same or a similar effect. Further, the features of the different aspects are intended to work together so features from the different aspects and embodi ments can be used together unless otherwise explicitly stated. Like numbers refer to like elements throughout the description.

[0045] When giving input commands to a domestic appliance, the number of setting is typically constantly increasing. This is, at least partly, due to the demands of consumers to use the do mestic appliances in a versatile way, and also by the fact that programming and settings nowadays more easily can be achieved by software programming of the controller of the domestic appli ance. As a result, a user is typically faced with a number of options and program selections when operating a domestic appli ance. It is desired that the operation of the domestic appliance can be made with little time spent by the user and at the same time operate the domestic appliance in a safe manner and in ac cordance with the intent of the user.

[0046] The invention will now be described as examples. For il lustration purposes the invention will be described implemented in an oven. The oven can have different types of user interfaces used by an operator to control the oven. For example, an oven 6 having a user interface 10 comprising a touch screen panel 8 as depicted in Fig. la or an oven 6 having a user interface 10 with a display screen 12 and having a rotating knob 14 as depicted in Fig. lb can be used to input commands to the oven by an operator operating the oven. In the touch screen panel embodiment, the user selects input commands by pressing different symbols/icons/ text messages or the like on the touch panel screen. The user can move between different options by sweeping movements or sim ilar over the screen of the touch panel. In the rotating knop embodiment, the selections are displayed on a screen and the user moves over the screen by rotating the knob. A selection is made by for example pressing the knob when the selector is placed on a symbols/icons/text messages or the like on the screen. Further, to support the user input interface 10, the do mestic appliance, here the oven 6 can be provided with a micro controller 16 located inside the domestic appliance. The micro controller can be provided with functions and sub-routines to control settings such as programs and parameters of the domestic appliance. The micro controller can also provide different tim ing functions to the domestic appliance. The micro-controller 16 can be configured to operate a domestic appliance in accordance with the processes and procedures as described herein including the steps described in conjunction with various flowcharts set out herein. For this the micro-controller can comprise a proces sor and a memory having instructions to be executed by the mi cro-controller stored therein. In some embodiments the domestic appliance can have a battery 20 and a memory, in particular a back-up memory 18 powered by the battery 20 that can keep data during a power failure.

First aspect - Statistic based short cut input

[0047] Because a domestic appliance, here exemplified by an oven often has very many possible settings such as selectable programs or modes that can be selected by a user, it can often take time for a user to first find the desired settings and se lect program and/or other parameters to be executed by the do mestic appliance.

[0048] In Fig. lc, a view of a part of user interface for an oven is shown. The user interface in Fig. lc comprises a touch screen 8 but the other input selection mechanisms are also en visaged. The screen can have a menu selection option input 30 where all settings such as programs and potentially sub-programs and other parameters are available for a user to select. How ever, to save time in the setting, a number of shortcut input selections 41, 42 and 43 can be displayed on the screen 8 and selectable by a user. The shortcut input selections are not pre determined but determined based on the user behavior. For exam ple, if the user of the oven most frequently uses the grill pro gram on the oven, the grill program can be one of the shortcut selections that is displayed on the user interface and can be selected by the user. In Fig. lc the user can make a quick se lection of the program time based on earlier selections of pro gram time. For example, by pressing the shortcut input selection 42, the program time will be set to 25 minutes.

[0049] By making the shortcut selections depend on statistics of user behavior, the domestic appliance can be adapted to work more efficiently with the particular user using the domestic ap- pliance. The domestic appliance can there for be enabled to col lect data regarding user behavior such as what programs are most frequently selected, what other settings such as temperatures and run times are most often selected. Based on the collected user statistics a number of shortcut input selections can be displayed and selectable by a user. In Fig. lc, 3 shortcuts in put selections are available to a user. The number of shortcut input selections can advantageously be 2 - 5, but there are no limitations as to how many can be used. Thus, if the user opts to run the oven in accordance with one of these shortcut selec tions, the user only needs to select the shortcut input and the oven will run in accordance with that setting. However, should the user want to select a setting, such as a program, not dis played as a shortcut input selection, the user can use the con ventional menu for setting selection. In accordance with one ex emplary embodiment, when the oven is powered ON, a user will have access to three cooking functions on the main screen. These three functions will be the three most commonly used (statisti cally for that specific oven) or customized via an application connected to the internet. The user can change the oven process within the three shortcut selections with a simple touch on the oven to select the wanted process. The selected oven process is marked, for example by a color, and a header can show up over the three shortcut selections. When first starting to use the oven the three shortcut selections can be according to model (for example steam oven process on steam oven and so on.

[0050] In Fig. Id, a flowchart illustrating a procedure for generating shortcut input selections in a domestic appliance in accordance with the above. First, in a step 130, shortcut selec tions are initiated. For example, a number of pre-set shortcut selections can be used and applied so that a user can select them. In another exemplary embodiment, the domestic appliance can connect to a database to receive suitable start shortcut se lections. Next, in a step 132, the domestic appliance starts to collect data about user selections. Data can be collected from settings made on the domestic appliance or may alternatively or as a supplement be collected from a database connected to the domestic appliance. The database can be set-up to also collect data from other domestic appliances. Using the data, the domes tic appliance selects the shortcut selections based on some sta tistic measure of the data in a step 134. For example, the most used shortcut selections can be selected to be presented to the user via the user interface or the most recent selections can be used or some other suitable measure.

[0051] Thus, in accordance with some embodiments, a domestic appliance 6 having user interface 10 comprising a screen 8, 12 is provided. The screen can show shortcut selections 41, 42, 43. Each short cut selection corresponds to a particular setting to operate the domestic appliance, such as a program or some param eter that can be set. The shortcut selections can be accessed by a user via the user interface. The shortcut selections displayed on the screen are based on user data about previous selections made for the domestic appliance. The user data can be data for the actual domestic appliance or for other domestic appliances of the same or similar kind that are connected to a common data base. The user interface can be a touch screen 8. The user in terface can also be a screen 12 with a separate input selector such as a rotating knob 14. The domestic appliance can be a kitchen appliance such as a cooking appliance and in particular an oven or a microwave oven. It can also be a dishwasher or a washing machine. Hereby, a more efficient user interface can be provided. By making available the settings used more frequently as shortcut selections, the number of interactions required to make the settings of the domestic appliance can be reduced and thereby the domestic appliance can be operated more efficiently. Second aspect - Speed sensitive rotating input knob

[0052] In case a rotating knob 14 is used together with a dis play or screen 12 to input user selections such as for the oven in Fig. lb, the time to input a command can depend on the time for moving a selector on the screen using the rotating knob. In such an input scenario, it can be desired to move the selector quickly between different input selections, but at the same time, the user should be able to maintain control over the move ment of the selector on the input screen 12.

[0053] In Fig. 2a, a user interface 10 for a domestic appli ance, here an oven is shown. The user interface has a screen 12 with a rotating knob 14 as input selector. When a user rotates the rotating knob, the selector moves between the different icons shown on the screen. Each icon or similar is associated with a setting such as a program or some other parameter that can be set on the domestic appliance. By moving the selector to a desired icon and activating the selecting icon for example by pressing the rotating knob, the user can select a setting or control a setting or otherwise give commands to the oven. To give the user improved control over the movement of the selector using the rotating knob the domestic appliance, here an oven, is configured to sense the rotational speed that the user applies. The rotational speed of the rotating knob can then be used to control the speed at which the selector moves from one icon to another. In particular, when the angular speed is above a speed threshold value, the selector moves faster per angular displace ment of the rotating knob than if the angular speed is below the speed threshold value. For example, at a first lower angular speed of the rotating knob, when the angular speed is below the speed threshold value, an angular displacement of a first angle, e.g. 30 degrees, makes the selector move one icon on the screen. If, on the other hand the at a second higher angular speed of the rotating knob, when the angular speed is above the speed threshold value, an angular displacement of the first angle, e.g. 30 degrees, makes the selector move more than one icon on the screen, such as e.g. 5 icons or 10 icons. Hereby a movement of the selector on the screen can be made faster, which is par ticularly useful if the user wants to move the selector on the screen many icons from the current location of the selector.

[0054] To further aid the user to maintain control of the se lector when operating such a rotating knob, the domestic appli ance can be configured to stop the movement of the selector when the selector reaches a particular icon on the screen. Hereby, the movement of the selector will be made to stop at certain icons and the user will need to rotate the knob again or at a lower speed for the selector to start moving again on the screen. In another embodiment the movement of the selector past icons can be made to stop after a pre-determined number of icons. In particular, the selector can be made to stop at the end of the screen before switching to another view at the screen where the icons are displayed. In this way the screen can change from one screen to another in a manner that can be controlled by the user even if a fast movement between different icons is per formed. For example, the selector can stop at the last icon of a screen view and then if rotation is re-applied or applied in a slower manner the screen can hop to the next screen and so on.

[0055] In Fig. 2b a scenario where the rotational speed of the rotating knob is slow and the selector slowly steps through each possible input selections from side to side is shown. The cur rent selection that can be selected is highlighted.

[0056] In Fig. 2c and Fig. 2d, a scenario where the rotational speed of the rotating knob is fast and the selector fast steps through multiple input selections. However, as is illustrated in Fig. 2c when the selector reaches a particular input selection the stepping stops. In Fig. 2c the stepping stops at the input selection labeled "7". If the user wants to continue the step ping, the rotary knob is stopped or slowed down and the user can continue to step. This is illustrated in Fig. 2d, where the in put selector has moved to the next input selection labeled "a".

[0057] In Fig. 2e, a flow chart illustrating some steps that can be performed by a domestic appliance when reading input from a rotating knob and displaying icons or other input selections on a screen in response to the turning of the rotating knob. First, in a step 230, the rotating knob is in an initial posi tion where the knob is not turned. Next, when a user starts turning the rotating knob, the rotating speed of the knob and the angular displacement is detected in a step 232. Then, in a step 234, it is determined how many steps the selector on the screen is to move based on the rotating speed and the angular displacement. Next, in a step 236, it can be determined if the number of steps that the selector on the screen will be moved is above some value or would make the selector pass some pre-deter- mined selection. This selection can then be used as a limitation to the number of steps that the selector can be moved without having to first stop and then start tuning the rotating knob again or start rotating the knob at a slower rotational speed. Finally, in a step 238, the selector is moved the number of steps determined in step 232 possibly limited be some limitation determined in step 236.

[0058] Thus, in accordance with some embodiments, a domestic appliance 6 having user interface 10 comprising a screen 8, 12 is provided. The screen can show a number of input selections selectable by a user. Each input selection corresponds to a par- ticular setting to operate the domestic appliance. The selec tions can be accessed by a user via the user interface. The user interface can be a screen 12 with a separate rotating input se lector 14, such as a rotating knob. The domestic appliance can be a kitchen appliance such as a cooking appliance and in par ticular an oven or a microwave oven. The domestic appliance is configured to shift a selected input selection based on rotation of the rotating input selector. The domestic appliance can shift the input selector by a number of steps based on the angular displacement of the rotating input selector and the rotating speed of the input selector. The shifting of a number of steps based on the angular displacement of the rotating input selector and the rotating speed of the input selector can be limited by some pre-determined parameter. For example, the number of steps can be limited such that one turn on the rotating input selector can result in a maximum number of steps or the input selector is configured to always stop at some pre-determined input selection so that a new turning on the rotating input selector must start before the selection can go past the pre-determined input selec tion or the rotational speed of the rotating input selector is slowed down before the selection can go past the pre-determined input selection. The domestic appliance can be configured to stop the movement of the selector past icons after a pre-deter mined number of icons. In particular, the selector can be made to stop at the end of the screen before switching to another view at the screen where the icons are displayed. In this way the screen can change from one screen to another in a manner that can be controlled by the user even if a fast movement be tween different icons is performed. The domestic appliance can be configured to stop the selector at the last icon of a screen view and then if rotation is re-applied or applied in a slower manner the screen can hop to the next screen. By providing a function in the domestic appliance that can sense the rotational speed, the selector can be made to move faster than the actual angular displacement would normally correspond to. Hereby it is possible to very fast move the selector past many icons without having to turn a knob or similar very many turns. This will solve the problem of achieving a quicker browsing through icons without reducing the number of icons available. The quick turn ing can be further assisted by inserting stops at icons so that a quick turning does not move the selector too far and the user loses control over the movement of the selector.

Third aspect - Event based timer

[0059] When operating some types of domestic appliances, it has been found to be advantageous to enable the operator to view when certain passed events took place. For example, when cooking in an oven, it could be advantageous for the operator to be able to obtain information when a particular event took place such as when the door was closed or some other event that helps the op erator to perform a task. Also, a timer can be started when some event has occurred such that a temperature has been reached or some other event happens. For example, when cooking in the oven, the operator may place the item to be cooked in the oven and close the door of the oven. Later, it can be difficult to know when the item was placed in the oven and thus determine, for how long the item has been cooking in the oven or to know for how long the item has been cooking at a particular temperature. By providing a timer functionality in the domestic appliance that logs particular events with the time that the event took place, the operator can be provided with a tool that enables the opera tor to later determine when a particular event took place. For example, if an item is placed in an oven at the time 1.10, the oven can log the time when the door is then closed. Later at a time for example 1.15, when a user reads the timed events, the operator can read when the door was closed and determine that the item has been cooking for 5 minutes since the door was last closed. In another exemplary embodiment, it is indicated how long ago a timer end popup was shown so the user has an under standing how long ago it was that the dish was supposed to be ready and has been lingering in the oven.

[0060] In Fig. 3a, a view of a timer menu with events that can be timed is shown on a screen 8, 12. For example, here a user can select to time when the door of an oven is opened /closed as is highlighted on the screen. The timer can be implemented by the micro controller 16 and can log events and the time for the event. The timed events can be displayed either as an absolute time or as a time since the event occurred or both. In Fig. 3b some events that can be timed and logged are shown. For example, events such as the cooking start time, the cooking time since a pre-determined temperature was reached, the time for opening/ closing the door, the time at which the cooking temperature was changed can be logged an later accessed by the user. In Fig. 3c the user will be informed about the time that has elapsed since the door was opened /closed.

[0061] In Fig. 3d, a flowchart illustrating steps that can be performed by a domestic appliance when setting a timer based on an event. First In step 330, the timer is initiated. This can typically be when the domestic appliance is turned on or when a program is started. Next, in a step 332, a number of events that the timer is to log are set. These events can either be pre-set or can be user selected or both. Next, in a step 334 the timer starts timing and logging events set in step 332. Finally, in a step 336 the timed events are displayed on a screen so that a user can access the information of the logged events.

[0062] Thus, in accordance with some embodiments, a domestic appliance having user interface comprising a screen is provided. The screen can show events that can occur when operating the do mestic appliance by a user. The domestic appliance is configured to time a number of events. The events can be user selected or pre-determined or both. The domestic appliance has a user inter face. The timed events can be accessed by a user via the user interface. The user interface can be a touch screen. The user interface can be a screen with a separate rotating input selec tor, such as a rotating knob. The domestic appliance can be a kitchen appliance such as a cooking appliance and in particular an oven or a microwave oven. The timed events can include one or more of: the cooking start time, the cooking time since a pre determined temperature was reached, the time for opening/closing the door, the time at which the cooking temperature was changed. By providing the domestic appliance with means to determine that a particular event has occurred and configuring a timer to log the time of the event it is made possible to later determine the time of an event occurring in the domestic appliance. Hereby the problem of recreating a time of a particular event is solved.

Fourth Aspect - Efficient combined settings

[0063] In some domestic appliances, there are safety aspects and other aspects to consider when commanding the domestic ap pliance to operate in some modes of operation. This is because the setting of one parameter can influence how another parameter should and/or can be set to safely operate the domestic appli ance or operate the domestic appliance in a way that is possible for the domestic appliance. For example, consider a microwave oven. In a microwave oven the power is typically set as a power for example given in Watts. Also, a time for cooking in the mi crowave oven can typically be set. However, cooking at a very high power for a long time may be hazardous and can cause elec tronics failure or other negative effects for the microwave oven or the item being cooked. To make such undesired or not allowed combination of settings, the domestic appliance can be config ured to adapt the shown and selectable parameters and ranges thereof based on an earlier setting of a different parameter. In the above example, once the microwave oven has been set to a high power, the time allowed to be set can be limited to a safe value and only such safe values are displayed to be selected.

The non-selectable values can either be not shown or shown in a different way to indicate that they are not selectable under the circumstances. Hereby it is avoided that the microwave oven is operated in an un-safe manner in that the operator is never al lowed to input a command that either has to be rejected by the domestic appliance or could put the domestic appliance in a mode of operation that is potentially bad for the domestic appliance. In another exemplary embodiment, limits can be put on the steam generated by a steam oven when the temperature setting has an influence on the amount of steam available which is reduced as the temperature rises. Thus, at high temperature the steam oven may not be able to generate a high level of steam so the steam level selectable can be reduced when an operator selects a high temperature. For example, at 50 degrees Celsius, the steam level can be set to any value in the range 0 - 100%. However, if the temperature is set to a higher value such e.g. 120 degrees Cel sius, the available steam level selection can be only 0 - 75 % and so on.

[0064] In Fig. 4a and 4b, illustrate an example of a reduced selection. Here it is assumed that the operator operates a mi crowave oven. In Fig. 4a a view of a display 8, 12 is shown where the operator has selected a low power 200 W. With such a setting there is no limitation on the time that the user can set for the operation of the microwave oven. In Fig. 4b the user has increase the power to 1000 W, the selectable time is then re duced to a certain safe value such as a maximum of 7 min. This can be displayed and also the selection of times above 7 min can be removed from the selectable times.

[0065] In Fig. 4c a flowchart illustrating some steps performed in a domestic appliance when adjusting possible input settings based on previous input settings. First, in a step 430, the set ting is in an initial state where no settings have been made. Next, in a step 432, the domestic appliance receives a first in put selection from a user setting some setting such as a program or a parameter such as program time or program temperature. In response to such a user setting, in a step 434, the domestic ap pliance is configured to alter other selectable settings such as other programs or parameters based on the user setting. Then, in a step 436, the domestic appliance outputs the altered se lectable programs and/or parameters as new user selectable set tings such as programs and/or parameters.

[0066] Thus, in accordance with some embodiments, a domestic appliance 6 having a user interface 10 comprising a screen 8, 12 is provided. The screen can show settings such as programs and or parameters selectable by a user operating the domestic appli ance. The domestic appliance is configured to receive input se lections from the user via the user interface. The input selec tions can be selections of settings such as programs and/or pa rameters to be used when operating the domestic appliance. The user interface can be a touch screen 8. The user interface can be a screen 12 with a separate rotating input selector 14, such as a rotating knob. The domestic appliance can be a kitchen ap pliance such as a cooking appliance and in particular an oven or a microwave oven. The domestic appliance can be configured to alter the shown settings such as programs and or parameters on the screen based on an input user selection or to indicate the allowed settings based on previous settings. The selections shown on the screen can be limited based on another program and/or parameter selection. For example, the time that can be set for operating a microwave oven can be reduced for a higher power compared to the time that can be set for a lower power.

The allowed time for the chosen power can be indicated on the screen such that the user can see what times can be set and/or what times cannot be set given a currently set power. For exam ple, the time settings not allowed can be grayed out to indicate that these times are not allowed and cannot be set. In another embodiment, the possible steam amount for a particular set tem perature can be indicated or the allowed temperatures for a par ticular seam amount can be indicated. Hereby it is possible to make the operation safe and within allowed limits of the domes tic appliance. There is no risk that the operator makes settings that are potentially damaging or impossible to achieve. This at the same time as there is no risk that the domestic appliance gives an error message for being given impossible or unsafe in put selections.

Fifth aspect - Appliance maintenance

[0067] Many domestic appliances such as coffee machines and steam ovens require periodic maintenance to operate properly. In many instances the maintenance is required to be performed and if not, the domestic appliance will be set in a non-operative mode to not jeopardize damaging the domestic appliance or other wise cause negative effects. Typically, at least some function ality of the domestic appliance will then not be possible to use. To avoid that the domestic appliance is placed in a non-op erative mode or a not-fully operative mode, the user can be re minded in advance to perform the maintenance. Thus, some domes tic appliances can prompt the user at start up to perform maintenance. A problem with such a reminding function is that when the user starts up the domestic appliance, this will typi cally be when the user wants to use the domestic appliance and the timing for performing the maintenance is ill chosen. If maintenance is not performed the domestic appliance will typi cally go into a non-operative mode after some time or a number of uses without having performed a maintenance when having been prompted to perform maintenance. To solve this problem the do mestic appliance can be configured to prompt a user to perform maintenance when the domestic appliance is switched off or when the domestic appliance has finished running. Hereby, it becomes more probable that the user finds it a good time to perform maintenance and the risk for the domestic appliance to go into a non-operative mode is reduced. Further, some maintenance opera tions require that the domestic appliance are cold or have been non-used for a period of time. To enable the user to perform the maintenance directly without having to wait for the domestic ap pliance to cool down, the domestic appliance can be configured to start an initiated maintenance program by entering a cool down period where no maintenance is performed but the initiation of the maintenance program is acknowledged to the user. The user is then enabled to start the maintenance program directly when having finished using the domestic appliance without having to wait for the domestic appliance to cool-down first. Instead, the cooling down is made part of the maintenance program configura tion of the domestic appliance.

[0068] In Fig. 5a, a screen 8, 12 showing a prompt message to a user after a finished use of a domestic appliance. Thus, the user can be prompted when finishing the cooking or when other wise terminating the use of a domestic appliance that requires maintenance be prompted by the domestic appliance to perform maintenance .

[0069] If the user selects to perform a maintenance and per forms any required maintenances operations, the domestic appli ance may require time to cool down or otherwise postpone the start of the execution of the maintenance program. To make it clear to a user that no more action is required from the user, the domestic appliance can prompt the user that the maintenance has started and that the first action is for the domestic appli ance to cool down. Such a displayed interaction with the user is depicted in Fig. 5b. In Fig. 5b the user is prompted that a maintenance program has started and that the first action is cool down.

[0070] In Fig. 5c, a flowchart illustrating some steps per formed in a domestic appliance when performing maintenance of the domestic appliance. First, in a step 530, the task performed by the domestic appliance is finished or the user turns the do mestic appliance off or some other event occurs after the use of the domestic appliance to finish the use of the domestic appli ance for the time being. Hence, in step 530 the domestic appli ance is configured to determine that the use of the domestic ap pliance has finished. In response to determining that the use has finished, the domestic appliance requests the user to initi ate maintenance in a step 532. The request for maintenance is only prompted when it is time for maintenance such as once every month or after 100 uses or any other event triggering a request to run a maintenance program. The maintenance program can be a cleaning program or a descaling program or any other program for maintenance. If the user selects to start the maintenance pro gram, the domestic appliance is placed in a mode for mainte nance, in a step 534 and a maintenance program is started. As soon as the maintenance program is started the user is prompted that the maintenance has begun in a step 536. For example, if the domestic appliance requires time to cool down the domestic appliance outputs a message that the maintenance program has started and that cooling down is performed. [0071] Thus, in accordance with some embodiments, a domestic appliance 6 having a user interface 10 comprising a screen 8, 12 is provided. The screen can show operating instructions to a user operating the domestic appliance. The domestic appliance is configured to receive input selections from the user via the user interface. The input selections can be selections of set tings such as programs and/or parameters to be used when operat ing the domestic appliance. The user interface can be a touch screen 8. The user interface can be a screen 12 with a separate rotating input selector 14, such as a rotating knob. The domes tic appliance can be a kitchen appliance such as a cooking ap pliance and in particular an oven or a microwave oven. The do mestic appliance can be configured to determine that the use of the domestic appliance has finished. The domestic appliance can be configured to determine that the use of the domestic appli ance has finished when the domestic appliance is turned off. The domestic appliance can be configured to prompt a user to initi ate a maintenance program when having determined that the use of the domestic appliance has finished. The domestic appliance can be configured to start a maintenance program based on a selec tion input from a user indicating the start of a maintenance program. The domestic appliance can be configured to prompt the user that the maintenance program has started. The domestic ap pliance can be configured to start the maintenance program with a time of inactivity to for example let the domestic appliance cool down. When the maintenance begins with a period of inactiv ity, for example to let the domestic appliance cool off, the do mestic appliance can prompt the user that maintenance has started and that inactivity will be the first step of the maintenance program. Hereby, an efficient run of a maintenance program can be run that enables the user to run the maintenance after the use of the domestic appliance. Also, the maintenance program can be run without the user having to wait for the do mestic appliance to cool down. Sixth Aspect - Automatic data recovery

[0072] To safeguard that a domestic appliance is not automati cally turned on when power is turned on, the user typically has to make settings before the domestic appliance can be placed in a mode where a program is executed or the domestic appliance is otherwise in operation with some settings made by the user. For example, if a program is running on an oven and power is cut or a fuse is triggered, the input commands made by user settings to the domestic appliance will be lost and the user has to restart the domestic appliance and re-set all settings before continuing using the domestic appliance. To solve this and reduce the time required to restart the domestic appliance after a power fail ure, data regarding the current settings of the domestic appli ance are saved in a back-up memory 18. When power is lost, the data will be stored in the back-up memory 18 and can be used at re-start of the domestic appliance. The back-up memory can be power by a battery 20 or a similar energy source. For example, when the domestic appliance is re-started after the power fail ure, the user can be prompted if the saved settings should be applied or if the user wants to make new settings.

[0073] In Fig. 6a, a screen 8,12 showing a prompt message to a user when power has been restored after a power failure. The message can indicate that there has been a power failure, that power has been restored and also that settings have been saved. The user can then be prompted if the user wants to use the saved settings. This is shown in Fig. 6b.

[0074] In Fig. 6b a message prompting the user if the user wants to continue operation with the saved settings. The user can then select to continue the operation of the domestic appli ance from where there was a power failure. [0075] In Fig. 6c, a flowchart illustrating some steps per formed in a domestic appliance when restarting a domestic appli ance when power is cut and restored in a domestic appliance. First, in a step 630, the domestic appliance is configured to store the current settings in a back-up memory. The back-up memory can for example be battery powered or otherwise config ured to keep data should the main power to the domestic appli ance be lost. Next, in a step 632, when there has been a power failure and power is restored, the domestic appliance is config ured to determine that power has been restored. When power is restored the domestic appliance prompts the user if the data saved in the back-up memory should be used in continued opera tion of the domestic appliance in a step 634. Based on the input from the user, the domestic appliance either re-starts or con tinues operation based on the data saved in the back-up memory in a step 636.

[0076] Thus, in accordance with some embodiments, a domestic appliance 6 having a user interface 10 comprising a screen 8, 12 is provided. The screen can show operating instructions to a user operating the domestic appliance. The domestic appliance is configured to receive input selections from the user via the user interface. The input selections can be selections of set tings such as programs and/or parameters to be used when operat ing the domestic appliance. The user interface can be a touch screen 8. The user interface can be a screen 12 with a separate rotating input selector 14, such as a rotating knob. The domes tic appliance can be a kitchen appliance such as a cooking ap pliance and in particular an oven or a microwave oven. The do mestic appliance can be configured to save user settings to a memory 18. The memory 18 can be powered by a battery 20 or oth erwise configured to maintain data should the main power to the domestic appliance be lost. The domestic appliance can be con figured to determine that the power to the domestic appliance is interrupted. The domestic appliance can be configured to deter mine that the power to the domestic appliance is restored. The domestic appliance can be configured to use the user settings in the memory 18 to continue operation when power is restored. The domestic appliance can be configured to prompt a user if user settings saved in the memory 18 should be used when power is re stored and to only use the saved settings in the memory 18 if the user selects such an option when prompted. Hereby, user se lections can be input faster with fewer user interactions when power is lost and there is a possibility for a user to quickly continue operation of a domestic appliance when power is cut a later restored.

Seventh aspect - Program time-based shortcut input

[0077] To enable fast and easy setting of a domestic appliance, shortcuts input selections can be made available to a user. The number of shortcut input selections can advantageously be 2 - 5, but there are no limitations as to how many can be used. Thus, if the user opts to run the domestic appliance such as an oven in accordance with one of these shortcut selections, the user only needs to select the shortcut input and the oven will run in accordance with that program. However, should the user want to select a program not displayed as a shortcut input selection, the user can use the conventional menu for program selection. As has been realized, the use of a particular function may be tied to a particular time of the running of a program on a domestic appliance. To improve the use of shortcut selections, the dis played shortcut selections can be made dependent on the time of the operation of a domestic appliance such as the time of pro gram. For example, a first set of shortcut selections can be made available before a setting is made an the domestic appli ance is started to operate such as before a program is selected, a second set of shortcut selections can be made available when the program has been selected but before the program is started, a third set of shortcut selections can be made available in the beginning of the running of the domestic appliance, a fourth set of shortcut selections can be made available in the end of the running of the domestic appliance, a fifth set of shortcut se lections can be made available at the end of the running of the domestic appliance, and so on.

[0078] For example, when cooking an item in an oven, the user may want to check the result before ending the cooking. The oven can then be adapted to provide shortcut selections that are suited to finish cooking before the end of a timer setting for the cooking in the oven. For example, a time before the cooking in the oven is finished, shortcut selections can be made availa ble that the user can use to finish the cooking. For example, 5 minutes before the cooking program is finished the user can be provided with shortcut selections such as "finish now" "cook for an additional 10 minutes" "keep warm" and the oven will be oper ated in accordance with the user selection via the shortcut se lections. In accordance with one embodiment, the user can be alerted when shortcut selections appear, for example by sounding a signal on the domestic appliance when a new set of shortcut selections is made available.

[0079] In Fig 7a, a screen 12 illustrating a screen during cooking in an oven. When a short time remains of the cooking shortcut can be made available. This is shown in Fig. 7b. In Fig. 7b shortcut selections 71, 72 and 73 are shown on the screen at some point in time during cooking. For example, when 10 min is left on the set cooking the shortcut selections 71, 72 and 73 appear. Thus, the shortcut selections are made available based on the time of a program.

[0080] In Fig. 7c, a flowchart illustrating some steps per formed in a domestic appliance when making shortcut selection available based on time, such as a program time or a timer set ting for operation of the domestic appliance. First, in a step 730, the domestic appliance shows a screen with input selections selectable by a user. The input selections can comprise shortcut selections that the user can use to directly access a particular program with associated program settings. When the domestic ap pliance has been activated, the domestic appliance can be con figured to identify particular events that can trigger a change in the shortcut selections displayed on the screen to a user in a step 732. The events can for example comprise a time event such as a time from start of a timer or a program or a time be fore finish of a timer or a program. When a time event has been identified to occur at a point in time, the domestic appliance is configured to change the shortcut selections to another set of shortcut selections or to make new shortcut selections appear in a step 734. The new set of shortcut selections can be prede termined to correspond to user actions that are determined to be relevant to the time of operation of the program running on the domestic appliance. When a user inputs a selection using the shortcut selections currently shown on the screen the domestic appliance performs the operation associated with the activated input selection. For example, in Fig. 7b if the user presses "+

5 min", the program time is extended with 5 minutes of cooking. The shortcut selections 71, 72 and 73 may be processed multiple times and/or different ones may be selected one after the other, i.e. if the user presses "+ 5 min" and two times "+ 1 min", the program time is extended with 7 minutes of cooking. A limitation to a maximum additional time may be predefined. [0081] Thus, in accordance with some embodiments, a domestic appliance 6 having user interface 10 comprising a screen 8, 12 is provided. The screen can show shortcut selections 71, 72, and 73. Each shortcut selection corresponds to a particular setting to operate the domestic appliance, such as a program or some pa rameter that can be set. The shortcut selections can be accessed by a user via the user interface. The shortcut selections dis played on the screen are based on a time. The time can for exam ple be a timer running for the operation of the domestic appli ance or a time for a program set to run on the domestic appli ance. The user interface can be a touch screen 8. The user in terface can also be a screen 12 with a separate input selector such as a rotating knob 14. The domestic appliance can be a kitchen appliance such as a cooking appliance and in particular an oven or a microwave oven. It can also be a dishwasher or a washing machine. Hereby, a more efficient user interface can be provided. By making available the settings more likely to be used at a particular point in time as shortcut selections, the number of interactions required to make the settings of the do mestic appliance can be reduced and thereby the domestic appli ance can be operated more efficiently.

List of reference numerals

6 oven

8 touch screen

10 user interface

12 display screen

14 rotating knob

16 micro controller

18 back-up memory

20 battery

30 menu selection option input

41,42,43,71,72,73 shortcut input selections 130,132,134,

230,232,234,236,238,

330,332,334,336,

430,432,434,436,

530,532,534,536,

630, 632, 634, 636,

730,732,734,736 different process steps