# US 2014/0191856 A1 · Home Appliance and Mobile Device > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 2014/0191856 A1 - Document ID: US20140191856A1 - Status: Published application - Kind: A1 - Application number: 14/149,456 - Filed: 2014-01-07 - Published: 2014-07-10 - Earliest claimed: 2013-01-07 - Assignees: LG Electronics Inc. - Applicants: LG Electronics Inc. - Inventors: Sanghun CHO; Hyocheol JEONG; Yanghwan KIM; Jongmi CHOI - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US20140191856A1 ## CPC - H04L 12/2825: {Reporting to a device located outside the home and the home network (access arrangements H04L12/2856; for remote control or remote monitoring of applications H04L67/025; telephonic communication systems adapted for combination with telemetering systems H04M11/002)} - G08C 17/02: using a radio link - H04L 12/2809: {indicating that an appliance service is present in a home automation network (monitoring functionality H04L43/0817; discovery or management thereof, e.g. service location protocol [SLP] or web services, H04L67/51)} - H04L 12/2814: {Exchanging control software or macros for controlling appliance services in a home automation network (arrangements for maintenance or administration involving configuration of the network and network elements H04L41/08)} - H04L 12/282: {based on user interaction within the home (receiver circuitry for displaying additional information being controlled by a remote control apparatus H04N21/42204)} - G08C 2201/93: Remote control using other portable devices, e.g. mobile phone, PDA, laptop - H04L 2012/285: {Generic home appliances, e.g. refrigerators} - H04L: TRANSMISSION OF DIGITAL INFORMATION, e.g. TELEGRAPHIC COMMUNICATION (arrangements common to telegraphic and telephonic communication H04M) - G08C: TRANSMISSION SYSTEMS FOR MEASURED VALUES, CONTROL OR SIMILAR SIGNALS (fluid pressure transmitting systems F15B; mechanical means for transferring the output of a sensing member into a different variable G01D5/00; mechanical control systems G05G) ## Abstract A home appliance including a communication unit connected to and in communication with external devices; a display unit displaying, on a display screen, information about an external device, among the external devices, which is in communication with the communication unit; and a control unit controlling the display unit. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A home appliance comprising: a communication unit to connect and communicate with external devices; a display unit to display, on a display screen, information about an external device, among the external devices, which is in communication with the communication unit; and a control unit to control the display unit. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The home appliance of claim 1, wherein the display screen is divided into two or more display regions, and the display unit displays information on an external device in communication with the communication unit on each of the display regions. ### Claim 3 (depends on 3) The home appliance of claim 3, wherein the display unit displays indication information and state information on the external device in communication with the communication unit together on each of the display regions. ### Claim 4 (depends on 2) The home appliance of claim 2, wherein the information displayed on each display region is changed. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The home appliance of claim 1, wherein the display unit displays a plurality of display frames on the display screen and displays information on an external device in communication with the communication unit on each display frame. ### Claim 6 (depends on 5) The home appliance of claim 5, wherein each display frame displays together indication information and state information on the external device in communication with the communication unit. ### Claim 7 (depends on 6) The home appliance of claim 6, wherein the display information is the name of the external device or an icon representing the external device. ### Claim 8 (depends on 6) The home appliance of claim 6, wherein the state information includes one or more of an operation state of the external device, a current operation course, a desired temperature or humidity for operation, a remaining operation time period, a state or number of stored foods, information on whether a door is opened, a fault state, a registration state, a charged state, a battery state, a recommended course, and a recommended dish. ### Claim 9 (depends on 5) The home appliance of claim 5, wherein when the state of the external device is changed, the display frame displays notice information that provides a notice of state change. ### Claim 10 (depends on 5) The home appliance of claim 5, wherein when a portion of the display frame is touched, the display screen displays a control screen for controlling an external device displayed on the touched display frame or a detailed information screen for showing external detailed information. ### Claim 11 (depends on 5) The home appliance of claim 5, wherein when a portion of the display frame is touched for a certain time, a delete screen for deleting information on a corresponding display frame is activated on the display screen. ### Claim 12 (depends on 5) The home appliance of claim 5, wherein when one or more of the external devices in communication with the communication unit are disabled or disconnected, the display screen displays a display frame displaying information on the external device in communication with the communication unit and a display frame separately displaying information on a disabled or disconnected external device. ### Claim 13 (depends on 5) The home appliance of claim 5, wherein when one or more of the connected external devices in communication with the communication unit are disabled or disconnected, information on the disabled or disconnected external device disappears from the display screen. ### Claim 14 (depends on 5) The home appliance of claim 5, wherein the locations of the display frames displayed on the display screen are changed. ### Claim 15 (depends on 5) The home appliance of claim 5, wherein the sizes of some or all of the display frames displayed on the display screen are changed. ### Claim 16 (depends on 5) The home appliance of claim 5, wherein at least some of the display frames displayed on the display screen overlap with one another. ### Claim 17 (depends on 1) The home appliance of claim 1, wherein the display unit displays, on the display screen, information on the home appliance along with information on the external device in communication with the communication unit. ### Claim 18 (depends on 1) The home appliance of claim 1, wherein the display unit displays, on the display screen, information on content that the external device in communication with the communication unit retains. ### Claim 19 (depends on 18) The home appliance of claim 18, wherein the display unit displays information on the external device in communication with the communication unit on a first display region of the display screen, and displays information on a content file on a content category basis on a second display region or displays a list of files of content corresponding to a specific content category. ### Claim 20 (depends on 19) The home appliance of claim 19, further comprising: a memory to store content for display on the display unit, wherein file information on content or a list of files of content displayed on the display unit includes information on content stored in the memory and information on content that the external device in communication with the communication unit retains. ### Claim 21 (depends on 19) The home appliance of claim 19, wherein the first display region displays the name of the external device in communication with the communication unit or an icon representing the external device in communication with the communication unit. ### Claim 22 (depends on 19) The home appliance of claim 19, wherein when any one of the list of files of content displayed on the second display region is selected, sub-information on selected content is displayed. ### Claim 23 (depends on 19) The home appliance of claim 19, wherein a third display region of the display screen displays content category information displaying the category of content displayed on the second display region. ### Claim 24 (depends on 23) The home appliance of claim 23, wherein when the content category information is selected, a selection window for changing the content category is activated. ### Claim 25 (depends on 24) The home appliance of claim 24, wherein the content category information being selected through the selection window includes one or more of a video, music, and a photo that the external device selected on the first display region retains, and driving information, state information, and management information on the selected external device. ### Claim 26 (depends on 19) The home appliance of claim 19, wherein the third display region of the display screen displays an alignment selection button for selecting an alignment basis of content displayed on the second display region. ### Claim 27 (depends on 19) The home appliance of claim 19, wherein the third display region of the display screen displays the number of content items that any one or all of the external devices in communication with the communication unit retain. ### Claim 28 (depends on 18) The home appliance of claim 18, wherein when content displayed on the display screen is selected, the communication unit receives content from an external device that retains the selected content, and the display unit displays the received content. ### Claim 29 (depends on 27) The home appliance of claim 27, wherein when communication is disabled or disconnected while the content is being received from the external device, information or an icon representing the content being received is inactivated. ### Claim 30 (depends on 18) The home appliance of claim 18, wherein the communication unit receives information on content being output from the external device and the display unit continues to display the remaining part of the content output from the external device. ### Claim 31 (depends on 18) The home appliance of claim 18, wherein when content displayed on the display screen is selected, the communication unit receives content from the external device retaining the selected content and stores the received content in a memory, and the display unit displays the content stored in the memory. ### Claim 32 A mobile terminal comprising: a communication unit to connect and communicate with external devices; a display unit to display, on a display screen, information about an external device, among the external devices, which is in communication with the communication unit; and a control unit to control the display unit.