METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR SETTING THE STATE OF OPERATION OF AN APPLIANCE

1 . Apparatus for setting the state of operation of an appliance ( 1 ), including

a system ( 10 ) for supplying at least one control signal for adjusting an operating parameter of the appliance ( 1 ),

a memory device ( 11 ) for storing data corresponding to control signal values defining a first state of operation of the appliance ( 1 ),

an interface ( 4 , 5 , 14 ) for receiving at least one input signal corresponding to a desired adjustment of at least one operating parameter of the appliance, and

a controller ( 10 ) for converting values of the input signal to at least one value of at least one of the control signals for adjusting an operating parameter of the appliance and for supplying the control signals at the values defining the first state of operation in response to a trigger,

characterized by

including a system for generating the trigger after detecting an absence at the interface ( 4 , 5 , 14 ) of any input signals corresponding to a desired adjustment of at least one operating parameter of the appliance.

2 . Apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the system for generating the trigger includes a timer and is configured to produce the trigger only upon detecting that a time interval length monitored by the timer has exceeded a reference value.

3 . Apparatus according to claim 2 , configured to re-set the timer to an initial value upon detecting receipt through the interface ( 4 , 5 , 14 ) of an input signal corresponding to a desired adjustment of at least one operating parameter of the appliance ( 1 ).

4 . Apparatus according to claim 1 , including a control apparatus ( 5 ) including at least one component ( 4 ) for manipulation by a user and arranged to generate at least one of the input signals corresponding to a desired adjustment of at least one operating parameter of the appliance in accordance with a manipulation of the at least one component by a user.

5 . Apparatus according to claim 1 , including an interface ( 4 , 5 , 14 ) for receiving a pre-determined command, wherein the apparatus is configured to disable, in reaction to the pre-determined command, the supply of control signals at the stored values corresponding to the first state of operation in response to the trigger.

6 . User-adjustable appliance comprising an apparatus according to claim 1 .

7 . Method of setting the state of operation of an appliance ( 1 ), including

receiving an input signal corresponding to a desired adjustment of at least one operating parameter of the appliance ( 1 ),

supplying at least one control signal to at least one component ( 8 , 9 , 10 , 12 , 13 ) of the appliance ( 1 ) at respective values obtained by converting values of the received input signal, so as to adjust at least one operating parameter of the appliance ( 1 ),

supplying at least one control signal at pre-determined values defining a first state of operation of the appliance to the components ( 8 , 9 , 10 , 12 , 13 ) of the appliance, so as to re-adjust the operating parameters of the appliance, characterized in that

the step of supplying at least one control signal at pre-determined values defining the first state of operation of the appliance is carried out after a time interval commencing at receipt of the input signal corresponding to the desired adjustment, has elapsed.

8 . Method according to claim 7 , wherein the step of supplying the control signal(s) at pre-determined values is only carried out if no further input signal corresponding to the desired adjustment is received within the time interval.

9 . Computer program, including a set of instructions capable, when incorporated in a machine readable medium, of causing a system having information processing capabilities to perform a method according to claim 7 .