Using icon-based input cues

• US 20020171684A1
• Filed: 05/16/2001
• Published: 11/21/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 05/16/2001
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P. (HP Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P. (HP Inc.)
• Inventors: Smith, Michael W., Christianson, Eric P., Grindstaff, Rhonda A.
• Application Number:
  US09/859,839
• Publication Number:
  US 20020171684A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 715/835
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/00384 Key input means, e.g. buttons or keypads electromechanical details of key input means in general H01H13/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/00408 Display of information to the user, e.g. menus
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/00413 using menus, i.e. presenting the user with a plurality of selectable options H04N1/00464 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/00424 using a list of graphical elements, e.g. icons or icon bar
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/00427 using a menu list H04N1/00421, H04N1/00424, H04N1/00429 take precedence

Abstract

The use of an icon-based input cue or cues to facilitate the operation and user-friendliness of a device such as a printer, copier, scanner, facsimile machine, and the like. The icon-based input cue or cues which correspond to active device operations available to the user are displayed on the device display to visually inform a user of the device operations available to the user. The icon-based input cues may include graphics, icons, text, or any combination thereof.

Claims

1. A method of improving the user-friendliness of a device having a display and function keys which comprises displaying icon-based input cues on a display of said device to inform a user of said function keys available for use by said user.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein displaying icon-based input cues on a display of said device further comprises displaying graphical images of any active function keys on said display.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein displaying icon-based input cues on a display of said device further comprises displaying -graphical images of any active function keys in combination with a text string on said display.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein displaying icon-based input cues on a display of said device further comprises:

storing graphical images of each of said function keys in a memory of said device;

determining if any of said function keys are active; and

displaying said graphical images of any active function keys on said display of said device.

5. The method of claim 4 further comprising:

storing text strings in said memory of said device, each of said text strings corresponding to at least one function key; and

displaying said text strings for each active function key in combination with said graphical image of the same active function key on said display of said device.

6. The method of claim 5 wherein displaying said text strings for each active function key in combination with said graphical image of the same active function key on said display of said device further comprises interposing said graphical image of each active function key in said text string corresponding to the same active function key on said display.

7. The method of claim 5 wherein displaying said text strings for each active function key in combination with said graphical image of each active function key on said display of said device further comprises combining portions of said text strings for each active function key with said graphical image of the same active function key

8. The method of claim 5 wherein displaying said text strings for each active function key in combination with said graphical image of the same active function key on said display of said device comprises combining more than one graphical image with a single text string on said display.

9. A method of using an icon-based input cue with a device having a display and at least one function key, comprising:

determining if said at least one function key is active; and

displaying an icon-based input cue on said display corresponding to said function key if said function key is active.

10. The method of claim 9 wherein displaying said icon-based input cue on said display corresponding to said function key further comprises:

retrieving a graphical image of said function key from a memory of said device; and

displaying said graphical image as an icon on said display of said device.

11. The method of claim 10, further comprising:

retrieving a text message corresponding to said function key from a memory of said device; and

displaying said text message in combination with said icon on said display of said device.

12. The method of claim 11 wherein displaying said text message in combination with said icon on said display of said device comprises displaying said icon interposed with said text message.

13. The method of claim 10 wherein displaying said text message in combination with said icon on said display of said device further comprises displaying at least a second icon in combination with said text message, said second icon corresponding to a function key of said device.

14. The method of claim 9 further comprising displaying a plurality of icon-based input cues on said device, each of said icon-based input cues corresponding to at least one active function key.

15. The method of claim 9 further comprising:

receiving a command from a user;

removing said icon-based input cue from said display;

determining if said at least one function key is active; and

displaying a new icon-based input cue on said display corresponding to said function key if said function key is active.

17. The icon-based input cue of claim 16 wherein said graphical image of said function key is stored in a memory of said device as an icon.

18. The icon-based input cue of claim 16 further comprising a second graphical image of a second function key of said device displayed in combination with said graphical image of said function key.

19. The icon-based input cue of claim 16 further comprising a text string displayed in combination with said graphical image of said function key of said device.

20. The icon-based input cue of claim 19 wherein said graphical image of said function key of said device is interposed with said text string.

16. An icon-based input cue for a device comprising:

a graphical image of a function key of said device displayed on a display of said device.

21. A display system, comprising:

at least one functional key;

a display device to display text and graphical images;

a memory in communication with said display device;

at least one graphical image for storing as data in said memory, said at least one graphical image corresponding to said at least one functional key; and

at least one executable function for retrieving said at least one graphical image stored as data from said memory and display said at least one graphical image on said display device.

22. The display system of claim 21, wherein said display device is a bit map display.

23. The display system of claim 22, wherein said bit map display is a grayscale liquid crystal display.

24. The display system of claim 22, wherein said bit map display is a color active matrix display.

25. The display system of claim 21, further comprising a software program for controlling said at least one executable function.

27. The printer display system of claim 26, further comprising an input device in operable communication with said central processing unit for communicating data to said memory.

28. The printer display system of claim 27, wherein said input device is one of the group consisting of a floppy disk drive, a hard disk drive, an optical disk drive, a digital video disk drive, a compact disc drive and a memory card.

30. The display system of claim 29, further comprising:

at least one function key;

a graphical image of said at least one function key for storing as data in said memory; and

an executable function for storing in said memory for retrieving said graphical image of said at least one function key from said memory and for displaying said graphical image of said at least one function key on said display device if said at least one function key is active.

26. A printer display system comprising:

a central processing unit;

a display device in communication with said central processing unit;

a memory in communication with said central processing unit;

at least one data set for storing in said memory; and

a software program for storing in said memory including at least one executable function for displaying an image represented by said at least one data set on said display device.

29. A display system, comprising:

a display device having at least one text region for displaying text and at least one graphic region to display graphical images;

a memory in communication with said display device;

at least one text message for storing in said memory;

at least one graphical image for storing in said memory; and

at least one executable function for storing in said memory for retrieving said at least one text message or said at least one graphical image from said memory and to display said at least one text message or said at least one graphical image on said display device.